tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61248902012-02-16T22:32:48.761+07:00Life as it unfolds on screen. Your monitor screen.Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.comBlogger3421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-76492024277233676222011-02-19T16:51:00.000+07:002011-02-19T16:51:37.258+07:00

Cinema & Me I am writing this note as a boy, a man and a person whose love for cinema remains undying. Until now. As far as I can recall, my earliest childhood memory always revolves around films and cinema. I remember my parents often took me to watch latest films of comedy troop Warkop DKI and we had to wait until the "Film Utama" neon sign switched on because I was afraid of the dark! You

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-72032312140203985732010-12-30T11:52:00.001+07:002011-01-02T12:17:16.296+07:00

After previous editions of annual Indonesian film kaleidoscope were published in The Jakarta Post, this year my take was published in The Jakarta Globe. Different papers, but pretty much similar observation, if not somewhat diminishing in hope. Yes, it was hard enough to start writing about the state of our film scene, as the year 2010 was nothing but bleak clouds looming over our local film

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-12218166390739614472010-12-29T14:28:00.003+07:002011-01-01T21:04:05.299+07:00

The idea of top DVD list should expand beyond the film itself: technical specifications, special features, packaging, etc. But, living in the country of easy access to pirated stuff, be it on the open black market (5 floors of pirated DVD, anyone?), or virtually through swift access of Internet downloads, the idea of home viewing shifts from exploring a rich content of original DVD to catching up

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-91132482758889497792010-12-28T16:32:00.001+07:002010-12-29T15:02:21.706+07:00

The year of living dangerously.  Oh really? More like the year of living plainly, with variety of world cinema on big screen continues to move at a stagnant pace, thus creating heavy reliance on other sources of entertainment, i.e. pirated DVDs, online downloads and did I just say online downloads?  Despite the minister of information and communication’s effort to block several sites, seems

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-71815693924991771782010-12-27T05:49:00.000+07:002010-12-27T05:49:35.941+07:00

Looking back at 2010, local cinemas continued to offer less variety in their programming. Aiming at squeezing big bucks is understood at the expense of us having to settle with whatever available, as long as we get to see them on big screen. Thus, we have become and grown up by the familiarity of Hollywood plotting. As the Mecca continued churning out their products, we have adjusted our seats to

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-88054809279350345442010-12-26T07:55:00.001+07:002010-12-26T08:01:48.477+07:00

Catch up with the introduction here. The year 2010 actually gave me very few options in local filmgoing experience. The lack of variety in terms of cinema I go to and the films themselves made the whole experience almost forgettable, had it not for these following films (arranged by the date of viewing): 1. Duo Kribo (Indonesia, 1977, directed by Eduard Pesta Sirait) For the past three

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-71390340719837079862010-12-25T21:00:00.000+07:002010-12-25T21:00:11.859+07:00

Let's get this out of our chest: it wasn't a great year to remember to start this posting with. The last year of the first decade in the 21st century has given us, at best, average cinematic outputs. Add that with constant distraction from rampant pirated DVDs, checking out BlackBerry on very annoying too-often basis during film screenings, and other events, 2010 will not go down as the year I

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-53492629609217900842010-08-21T15:24:00.001+07:002010-08-21T15:25:58.798+07:00

Today, I lost a childhood friend to the hands of God. At least, that's what I'd like to believe, for it is beyond my knowledge if God embraces those who come to see Him by hands, arms, or perhaps by other means of power I am not capable in knowing of. What I am sure of is that my friend is on his way to meet God. At least that's what I'd like to believe. It springs from the moment we started

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-42794507722127188692010-03-11T15:15:00.008+07:002010-03-16T17:30:57.718+07:00

After a very long hiatus, I've decided to come back blog again. Having made writing one of possible means to support myself financially, I didn't realize how far I was removed from the joy of writing nonsense about things I like most, without the burden of pleasing editors and meeting deadlines. However, the said experience will reflect nonetheless in future entries. That is another way of

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-65219350334580379972010-01-16T20:12:00.002+07:002010-04-03T20:50:28.522+07:00

As much as I have enjoyed watching Bollywood films all my life, never before that the enjoyment is brought to a new height like what 3 Idiots has brought. The biggest Bollywood hit of all time, so far, turns out to be a pleasing work with the right dose of heart, and firm assurance of its own standpoint. The issue of education being a stepping stone to wealth and prosperity rather than

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-48928230595536771912010-01-08T19:32:00.007+07:002010-04-03T20:54:21.508+07:00

The last time I connected Australia and genre film was a few years ago, when I watched Picnic at Hanging Rock, an eerie coming-of-age horror that brought Peter Weir to global fame. Little did I know that there had been many exploitation films happening in Down Under way before that, and even Picnic did not actually start the revolution. It came on the last remaining years of the genre's

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-38572869982711687732010-01-07T11:28:00.002+07:002010-04-03T18:41:38.821+07:00

Is there anything that Robert Downey, Jr. cannot pull off with his mischievous smile and gorgeous stare? (Even before I finished the question, my mind immediately thought of Chaplin and Gingerbread Man. And to some extent, Tropic Thunder.) This is a man whose career built from his charisma. Put him together with George Clooney, the world will melt immediately.  It does not take us that far

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-50431125925238693492010-01-06T03:06:00.001+07:002010-04-03T04:15:45.504+07:00

One enters the cinema to watch the first hand-drawn animation from Disney in years with caution: will it be as enchanting as Disney's old classics? After all, the past few years we have seen Disney relenting itself to Pixar, the master of both storytelling and envelope-pushing state-of-the-art visual sophistication. Thus, the reason why we anxiously anticipate The Princess and the Frog is

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-54776139005700730012010-01-05T03:27:00.001+07:002010-04-03T03:57:47.590+07:00

While the title reads like a self-help book for depressed souls, the film barely scratched the core of its intended nail-biting satire. Based on a memoir of the same title by Toby Young, the film points out the price of an underground journalism soul in becoming a part of exclusive show business elites. Albeit the cover-ups, we can easily point out real-life references to the media, the people

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-63294348516015016852009-12-30T04:19:00.001+07:002010-04-03T18:42:01.173+07:00

Around ten years ago, the words “Indonesian film awakening” served merely as a jargon with no clear horizon on the sights. Cut to the present time, the seemingly larger-than-life statement above has turned into reality. (3 Hari Untuk Selamanya, photo courtesy of Kineforum) Seeing one Indonesian film title played in two cinema halls (or what we have known as Cineplex) out of five or six

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-43936472230187246522009-12-28T09:53:00.002+07:002010-04-03T18:42:01.173+07:00

Traditionally, as a few of you may have noticed, I write about year-end review of Indonesian film in The Jakarta Post.At least I have done that for the past three years in a row: 2006, 2007, 2008. Little did I realize that we actually were on the end of the first decade of a new millennium (still baffled me: shouldn't it end at the end of 2010?), thus the angle for the usual year-end review

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-40521727764770147342009-01-08T17:57:00.000+07:002010-04-04T18:31:21.813+07:00

Eagle Awards is an annual documentary film competition held by Metro TV. Targeting amateur to semi-pro documentary filmmakers, I find the program interesting as it aims to bring up the unseen lives of Indonesia and its residents. Each year selected projects were chosen to be developed under guidance of professional documentary/feature filmmakers, and the projects, usually the chosen ones are up

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-291196375482761532008-07-16T21:07:00.000+07:002010-04-04T18:31:21.813+07:00

Earlier last week, I wrote a piece on the excessive product placement in local cinema. One particular film, Best Friend?, irked me greatly for going where no (local) film has gone before: displaying full-fledged sponsored products as the essential part of the film's main poster! Now how desperate can a production company be in allowing such to happen? How aggressive a company does its

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-70864896717950416102008-02-06T17:10:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:55:59.896+07:00

Dear Grandpa,How are you? Enjoying yourself being polished and showered in gold? Has the cold weather been good to you? I'm sure you can handle the weather, considering how much you like to show up in your birthday suit all the time.Bad weather aside, I can only be amazed at your endurance in surviving assassination attempts, wars, and so many historical events throughout decades. You've always

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-25040272914394486062007-11-18T01:43:00.000+07:002010-03-10T18:05:41.221+07:00

i thought, i knew what i had to do.i thought, since i've been here before, i knew what would lie ahead.i thought, everything would repeat.i thought, everything worked out fine.i thought, i could manage everything.but i kept saying "i thought", because the idea stayed on this tiny little brain of mine.and for once, i've never been this greatly worried before.pray us luck.wish us well.for once, the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-17250212902512897142007-06-30T18:43:00.044+07:002010-04-03T19:15:13.103+07:00

My interview with Riri Riza to promote his latest film 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya (3 Days to Forever). We did the interview in a cafe in Menara Imperium. I did the arrangement with Miles Films' publicist, Imelda Achsaningtias. The film's producer, Mira Lesmana, was also present, although she left the two of us engaging in quite a lengthy conversation about road trip, film, his own life journey,

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-22074918018342178492007-05-21T05:03:00.000+07:002010-03-10T18:05:41.222+07:00

Nothing quite prepares you of feelings experienced in every trip, no mater howw often you've taken similar trips before. Each trip is something new, and each trip has its own memory one should not attempt to compare.But have you taken a trip where your imagination is best left intact, even after you've completed a trip?Have you ever taken a trip where your mind still lingers, playing what-if

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-68804212721975813992007-03-12T16:44:00.001+07:002010-03-11T20:12:21.838+07:00

How do we react to changes that we undertake?There are many ways, and all of them lead into two big classification: either we accept them, or we reject them.Looking back, I can say that I have no regret at all.

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-59224301191300375262007-02-28T14:58:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:58:10.598+07:00

Reflecting any pains that Leonardo DiCaprio (might) endure(d) while filming The Departed, particularly in the scene where Jack Nicholson punches Leo's gripped arm, it is politically incorrect that I almost shared the same pains upon knowing that the film in the spotlight won this year's Oscar for Best Picture.While the film is a highly watchable flick, I wonder if this signals the decline of

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-89827440348209265812007-02-23T14:44:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:55:59.897+07:00

Not much time left, so here's a continuous quickie:BEST DIRECTORI thought The Departed is an exceptional film, something like an oasis for Martin Scorsese after his successive dry spells in "The Aviator" and "Gangs of New York". But look at his classics, "Mean Streets", "Taxi Driver", "Raging Bull", and even "The Age of Innocence" (the latter being my personal favorite). As refreshing as an oasis

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-88435981647720983812007-02-22T15:46:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:55:59.897+07:00

Interesting line-ups of thespians in equally attractive roles. And I couldn't help but shouting "Hallelujah!" for strong roles in women fields, both leading and supporting categories. Quite a reminiscence of 2002's leading actress category, when Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, Diane Lane, Julianne Moore and Renee Zellwegger competed. (Darn the prosthetic nose!)Nominees for BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-82956729215616113472007-02-22T13:11:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:55:59.898+07:00

This is my entry that loudly speaks: You ask for it!And no matter how hard I have persuaded printed media to release my Oscar predictions (i love you, guys! hahaha!), they lean more towards what news agencies provide. Let's see if my predictions match:Nominees for BEST PICTURE are:- Babel- The Departed- Letters from Iwo Jima- Little Miss Sunshine- The QueenEarlier this week, I discussed with my

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-61544126279001640512007-02-13T12:02:00.000+07:002010-03-11T20:13:14.534+07:00

When I decided to take up the job offer from JiFFEst last year, little did I know that one of the very dearly parts of me would be neglected. That part is what we are reading right now: my online version of me, aka my blog.Of course, I couldn’t be happier to see myself being in a field of my lifelong passion, i.e. film. Ah, yes. The joy of immersing oneself to the celluloid dream, the fun in

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1165909503618305252006-12-12T14:42:00.000+07:002010-03-11T20:14:48.691+07:00

in any way, what happened to me a year ago is worth celebrating, no matter what kind of celebration it may be. and my! it's been a year :)http://nauval.blogspot.com/2005/12/losing-few-gaining-many.html

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1165215142445979102006-12-04T13:39:00.000+07:002010-03-11T20:14:48.692+07:00

the reason why the blog has been deserted for centuries.the reason why my writing skill has, somehow, been shifted to another kind.the reason why my life has been turning upside down.but at least, this is what matters for now.

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1153919135441442302006-07-26T19:55:00.000+07:002010-03-11T20:14:29.513+07:00

and if you think that the most interesting part stops at the title above, you're right. stop looking at the entry below. i mean it.oh well. i should've known that you're easily tempted.ok, here goes:Four jobs I've had:1. A clown.2. A waiter.3. A tour-guide.4. A salesman.Four movies I could watch over and over:1. Same Time, Next Year.2. Before Sunset.3. 84 Charing Cross Road.4. His Girl Friday.5.

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1153049061267294562006-07-17T06:10:00.000+07:002010-03-11T20:14:29.514+07:00

Around two years ago, back in my comfort zone, I often took a walk on Sunday mornings with my then housemate, Acay. Much to his disagreement that we should jog instead of walk, (in addition to waking up at 6 am on Sunday mornings!), we could not deny that those walks proved to be something of an escape from our daily routines spent at our workplaces, surrounded by static cubicles and robotic

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1152533415352672822006-07-10T19:07:00.000+07:002010-03-11T20:14:29.514+07:00

In case any of us has been zoned out or transported to another planet for the past century or two, here’s the latest development from the planet earth:The cities we live in have somewhat become dangerously some cynical places to breathe in.In case any of us has not been out of our homes in the past few weeks, this is a good time to start enjoying the fresh outdoor air filled with

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151586226349016452006-07-03T02:03:00.000+07:002010-03-11T20:14:29.514+07:00

What’s your definition of “a morning person”?Or what comes to your mind when you hear something like “a morning person”?My friends used to call me as “a morning person”, because I liked setting up breakfast meetings with them. “Let’s meet over breakfast at Holland Village”, and I wouldn’t settle for anyone coming above 11 am. Why? Because at most eating places, the breakfast hour would finish by

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151586186721887532006-07-02T20:00:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:58:10.599+07:00

By now, we might already be familiar with many inventive ways to make a film compelling to watch, or for those living in a fast-lane, just to look at. One way to make the film interesting is by incorporating other kind of art into the story, or at least briefly touching it, and it is guaranteed to make our eyes rolled in disbelief.Think of Frida, a superb example of paintings coming alive,

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151765953546651982006-07-01T21:52:00.000+07:002010-03-11T20:14:29.515+07:00

just when we thought that we had to surrender our friends, our lovers, our parents, our brothers, our sisters, being succumbed to a mindless game of twenty-two guys chasing one balls and throw it away.just when we thought that the loud of cheers and jeers from overcrowded cafes start irking us most.just when we thought we had it all.here's something to consider:a cab driver did not have any idea

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151428500395789092006-06-30T09:14:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:58:10.599+07:00

Ferzan Ozpetek. The sole name and the mere factor that drew me to watching Sacred Heart, and leaving any expectation or pre-conceived opinion behind. Well, I was wrong. I couldn’t resist occupying myself with certain hope that Ozpetek will once again embrace gay-themed stories as he did superbly with Facing Windows and Hamam, the former being one of my favorites. Yet, as I patiently waited for a

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151428458157508372006-06-29T10:07:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:58:10.600+07:00

Upon walking out of the cinema right after the credit ended, I couldn’t help wondering to myself, what caused that hyped controversy and commotion surrounding Paradise Now. Is it the heart-rending storytelling of a suicide bomber, or the lip-lock scene inside the car between one of the bombers and a girl?I may not be exposed that much to the current upstream in Middle East country, but I couldn’t

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151430936388606852006-06-28T00:40:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:58:10.600+07:00

Like any thing we have to make in our lifetime, there's no formula for success. There's no pattern to guide us how to make an achievement of, aptly put, being successful. However, one thing that stands out above the rest is the passion.The passion to treat the subject with a great tender, like carrying your own baby, and develop it well, so that he has a character evolution that also transforms

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1150635885174535902006-06-27T20:04:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:55:59.901+07:00

What drives you most?What excites you?What leads you?What thrills you?What have you done to achieve those?What?Nothing?Or a little something?What if you fail?What if you succeed?What if you finally quit?What if you decide to march on?What happened? Who knows?Where else can you go to make your passion your profession, at last? At the very last?But, what if you realize that you are best left out

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151326232859950722006-06-26T19:46:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:58:10.600+07:00

There are many good things to talk about The Dorm. Apart from the hardly arguable fact that they make the film compelling to watch, they lead to one obvious matter: the film stays away from the horror genre, and plunges to a terrifyingly good dramatic works.Gone are the mindless, often numbing, creature-filled horror Thai films, which actually revive the film industry in the country to be one of

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151302434384414742006-06-25T13:33:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:55:59.902+07:00

Let’s just say we make love.Once, twice, thrice a day.Even more, even less.But do they mean anything to you?The stroke of whoever fingers on the backThe sweet tender words whispered through our necksThe gentle tap on whoever shoulderLet’s just say I have enough of thatYet I yearn for moreLet’s just pretend we never endure deeper than thatYet we constantly, religiously, and tremenduously embark on

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1151302390726050822006-06-24T13:11:00.000+07:002010-03-10T17:58:10.601+07:00

Beauty pageant. Colorful furs and wigs. Steroid bodies. Hunky studs. Fashion equips.Just every common stereotype labelled to the campiness of gay life is mentioned, we’ve got to see all of them in Cut Sleeve Boys, the title itself refers to a slang, sort of, used to describe gay Asian male in UK. Whereas the premise of cultural clash of East vs. West has been brought up to the big screen through

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1150886883830020672006-06-21T17:43:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.148+07:00

from a conversation with two women in their mid-20's who soon are going to attend another friend's lavish wedding, and all of them happen to be my dear darling friends, it is decided that:a marriage is a state of mind.regardless your age, your mind-blowing independence, your financial security, or your maniacal family intrusion, you'll never be able to force a marriage into you, unless your mind

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1150635990092390632006-06-20T20:04:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.712+07:00

Any afficionados of Asian horror films, particularly from Thailand, will quick to notice that Lentera Merah feels like a second-rate material from the factory. Thus, when Hanung Bramantyo, the director, tries to make the film to be in par with other films from that particular genre grouping, the result is somewhat confusing.Why so? While it wishes to reach the maturity of thrilling horror,

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1150635819856177162006-06-18T23:02:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.149+07:00

In writing a screenplay, a screenwriter is constantly told by his or her own consciousness to define characters on the written screenplay through their actions. How one behaves or reacts to situations surrounding them truly reflect their truest characters in real life.Point taken.Yet, knowing that bad screenplays come out more often than the good ones, what we often see on both big and small

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1150636041865043672006-06-18T20:06:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.713+07:00

Who is Brian Jones?He is one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones in 1962.Okay, and what made him matter most?He died at the age of 27, believed to be suffering from overdosed drug and alcohol consumption.Okay.Hold on a sec.You said, ‘believed to be’?And that’s how the film is intended to be, which also explains why Paddy Considine has a strong presence, despite not being the title role.

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1150636076884214372006-06-17T20:07:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.714+07:00

After ‘turning ugly’ has become a major staple for any gorgeous Hollywood actress to impress critics with their acting skills and a sure bet to, at least, get a nod in Academy Awards, soon another trend will emerge: being a transvestite.Thanks to prosthetic penis and Adam’s apple, these two latest invention in acting make-up will give a chance to any aspiring thespians out there to prove their

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1148569543319114052006-06-16T22:04:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.714+07:00

Excuse me.The first ten minutes watching Ekskul, I began making this mental note: style-over-content. The stylized editing, the glorified violence, the overwhelming scores, the move has been used in many John Woo’s films, or Quentin’s, and the most recent film that sticks to my mind most is Running Scared by Wayne Kramer.Call it MTV-style, this is the platform any young filmmakers these days find

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1148570175551969522006-05-30T19:15:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.714+07:00

There’s gotta be something about New Zealand and epic.It seems that in recent years, any films from the country, made in the country, and created by its native residents do have a certain epic quality which make them hard to ignore amidst the crowd of CGI-ridden films in recent years. The sentence actually leads us thinking, what is it with New Zealand filmmakers who can turn otherwise mindless

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1148570045009952762006-05-27T14:16:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.715+07:00

You can tell a film is economical by the look of the film.No one will doubt that Batman Begins is one helluva expensive film, from the sophisticated visual effects or from many sets used in the film. On the other hand, any films like In The Bedroom is said to be ‘small’ and ‘independent’ from the limited sets it uses, or simple from the rural look. Another way to reduce the cost of filmmaking

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1148569645467331052006-05-26T22:19:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.715+07:00

Here are the things you learn from Heart (the movie) that you should apply and consider with your mind, not only relying from your heart (the thing inside your body):1. a contrived, forced romance should not be made for more than or close to 2-hour long, otherwise any director will run out of tacky lines to utter.2. running on a tight budget? well, in a matter of film-making, who doesn’t? but

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1148569110436741422006-05-25T21:49:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.716+07:00

Watching a film made from puzzles about one’s life hesitantly scattered pieces by pieces throughout the entire film left one feeling puzzled indeed, in a good way: we get hooked. The Consequences of Love merely revolves around the life of Titta, an old man with seemingly boring routine. He wakes up, he walks down to a lobby in a hotel where he has been staying in for a number of years. He stays

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1147622068958611312006-05-16T18:53:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.716+07:00

Picking up where The Spanish Apartment leaves us, The Russian Dolls feels fresher, as now the film solely focuses itself on the life of its singular main character, Xavier (Romain Duris in his relaxed performance), particularly in his love department. This means, unlike the predecessor, the film does not have to carry a burden of allocating spaces for multiple characters, which in turn left the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1147622008435102902006-05-15T14:52:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.716+07:00

If Maskot feels like a throwback to the good old 70s and early 80s Indonesian comedy, then perhaps Robin Moran, the director, feels the right to do so after watching tremenduous amount of those kind films during the preparation of making his debut film here. Again, it is only a possibility.However, the statement above is derived as one can’t help drawing many similarities in this film to the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1146644011658527632006-05-03T15:05:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.149+07:00

so i am addicted to this absence,which drives me further to making numerous attempts of earning a penny or two maybe,and not penning my own journal for free.so i am addicted to the nights,the companion of flesh and snack,of two gay guys, one fag hag, and one helluva drinker,of green teas, or normal ones in alternate.so i am addicted to the city,the coffee meets the riots,leaving me stuck in the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1145212933703889812006-04-17T01:27:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.150+07:00

for the past two weeks, i went back living the life i have been very familiar with. being in a comfort zone could not be more exhilarating than this, where people know you for who you really are, and you are free to roam around the city without worrying about what cannot be done to fill your time.the friends remain the same, their dreams remain afar.the temptation to go back is always there to

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1144720307945971382006-04-11T08:50:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.150+07:00

Your Birthdate: April 11Spiritual and thoughtful, you tend to take a step back from the world. You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm.Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche.Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done.Your strength: Your inner peaceYour weakness: You get stuck in the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1144644402247651392006-04-10T11:40:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.151+07:00

i know i'm supposed to continue telling you all about my bali trip, but the past few days were quite busy days for me.who says one can relax in a comfort zone?but then again, as i'm turning 27 in less than 24 hours, i'd like to pen a few words to commemorate this special day.commemorate?i don't know if i'm entitled to apply such a big word to describe my life, but here goes.----------------------

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1144286019196124192006-04-06T07:58:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.151+07:00

the journey had started a day earlier actually, right at the heart of the chaotic city, and it's none other than ... plaza indonesia!being cosmopolitan people who refuse to downgrade the class by shopping at middle-class supermarket with fake french names like carrefour, why didn't we just settle to the privilege nearby? after all, we stayed in pejompongan, and this made our whole preparation

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1144195852309030492006-04-05T07:07:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.151+07:00

fromthe 4-hour delay. ogoh-ogoh. benoa. the silence day. the korean guest officer. beaches. double six. sand on martini. kudeta. seaside. bye bye nokia. honeymooners. ryoshi. ubud. welcome ericsson. toesplanade. holland village. west side story. gay plays. hostel. nude bars. hectic meetings. rushing deadlines. full-time jobs. sight and sound. ... let me have a little sleep, please ...

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1143282115807255852006-03-26T00:01:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:47:55.735+07:00

With a string of successive records of introductory lessons, Nia DiNata starts to establish her own place among the commonality of other directors in the industry.Why introductory?First, she initiates. In Ca-Bau Kan, she brought the unseen historical tale of Chinese heritage to the public for the first time. In Arisan!, she touched the surface of homosexuality to the public unaware of the issue.

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1143282144199046242006-03-25T17:22:00.001+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.152+07:00

Like all of you reading this blog, I was born to this world from the womb of my beloved mother, as a result from my parents’ act of love. Throughout the years of my upbringing, I felt blessed that I grew up in what you may consider a perfectly normal, if not ordinary, household, where me and my sisters experienced what it was like to have our own jackfruit tree we were so very proud of, and

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1143048471837924042006-03-25T16:11:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.720+07:00

In the days of successive mindless films only highlighting sophisticated use of advanced technology bombarding the cinemas recently, it is more than welcome to have a film that could transport us back to good old times, when a simple story can be told in a very plain, straightforward manner, yet it leaves us yearning for more.Even the story is the kind of tale often heard in numerous times. It

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1143048211331014972006-03-24T16:22:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.720+07:00

If one starts feeling uncomfortable watching actors in a big screen uncomfortably playing their roles in a film, then the film viewed is in a serious trouble.Add that with the lack of adequate technical supremacy, something considered vital for the execution of the film here, what do we have then?We have Ekspedisi Madewa.The reason why it fails to spark the hysteria of Indiana Jones, as clearly

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1143047761410630582006-03-23T00:02:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.721+07:00

Now, let’s play a game of “what-if”.If Krisdayanti is not a spokesperson for a household product like a washing cream-soap and instead, she goes for, let’s say, a shampoo, will we see a scene filled with nothing but her hair most of the time to state that she is the face of the product and the product is happily inserted on the film?If the presence of a coffee shop here is replaced by, let’s say,

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1143048850854405922006-03-22T21:32:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.721+07:00

(For the purpose of any non-Indonesian speakers out there, the title can be loosely translated as a singleton, and the word applies to both sexes, although the film largely focuses on the single guys.)Ooppss! Have I said too much above?I can’t help it, as much as I can’t help laughing, smiling, smirking, thinking, wondering, and other activities done by a film audience who is fully amused with a

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142512457914965622006-03-21T17:32:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.721+07:00

What can we say of Woody Allen who does London?What I can say about him and his latest film here is to imagine him in his reclusive semi-retirement in a countryside of London, enjoying his fine wine while recalling the good old memories of his glory, and when he does that, he really picks up the good ones to be assembled in a collective work of art. A piece that is worth of an appreciation on its

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142102831213898072006-03-20T22:46:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.722+07:00

I wonder if there is any film in recent years that beguile you from the start, and in reflect you give a thunderous clap after every single speech delivered by the main character.If a statement above seems hyperbolic, then perhaps because the title film on our subject is. Or rather, it is larger than life.The sophomore directorial debut of George Clooney exactly mirrors his own persona: charming

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142575892258592932006-03-18T18:05:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.152+07:00

For those surviving the horrible hairdos of 80s in Indonesia, and I don’t hesitant in pointing this to people like Rio, Pram, Qyu, Irvan, or the likes of them, they surely remember one unthinkable event, if not unpredictable, coming from one of the ministers known for his famous trademark: waiting for a further guidance from Mr. President.It happened that during a ceremony held in his office,

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142512323186097002006-03-16T19:30:00.002+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.153+07:00

Here’s the thing. I miss driving. The sheer sensation of behind the steering wheel, the wind blowing your hair rising to the air … OK, it only happens in lame music videos of ‘80s. But in reality, I don’t get that much opportunity to drive a car, especially not in my previous comfort zone where having a car is a very distant dream, and simply I don’t find it necessary to rent one since the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142512203895769022006-03-16T19:25:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.153+07:00

Acay, my dearly beloved housemate, once, in a slightly blatant manner, gave this horrifying statement about me:"you’re such a romantic!"Immediately I looked at him in return, somewhat confirming while disbelieving at the same time to what the effect the words might bring.The very notion of being romantic as applied in a person would lead me thinking about how one responds to every single

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142511913146327602006-03-15T22:22:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.154+07:00

Is this the beginning of a lifetime,When two souls decided to throw a dime,And have their lives carried awayIn every single day?Is this the beginning of a lifetime,When the silence begins with mimes,Soon to be followed by awkward gestures,Those do not get any better with hardly trained postures?(still a little bit of your taste in my mouth)Is this the beginning of a lifetime,When behaviors find

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142348700515074162006-03-14T22:04:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.154+07:00

It happens that these two singletons are both the only children in their respective families.It happens that both of them, in their own different timings, miraculously decided to touch the keypads on their cellphones, to be connected to my mobile number, and the chats could not be more different from one another.It happened not a long time ago, in one of the nights where I could not be more

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142269186024378582006-03-13T23:56:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.154+07:00

In this city, heartbreaks happen in every ticking of a clock.Heartbreaks from settling debts of your car.Heartbreaks from missing your bus to work.Heartbreaks from watching a crippled beggar crossing a busy road.Heartbreaks from not being able to say tender words to your loved ones.Heartbreaks from realizing your foolishness in misguiding another clueless taxi drivers.Heartbreaks from knowing

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142178249098596642006-03-13T22:23:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.724+07:00

As the song Seasons of Love literally opens the curtain, revealing lush spotlights highlighting a group of bohemians in New York dealing with their lives against AIDS and other social injustice, we are soon to be taken to a world of (another) disbelief: with such a promising material that makes the Broadway play in which the film is originated from is a hit, why the film goes downhill right after

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142102778878127452006-03-12T21:05:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.725+07:00

One sentence to describe Capote, the film, is that it is beautifully acted by its lead, Phillip Seymour Hoffman. In a tradition of biopic films with the title directly indicating the subject, strong and believable performances are the main essential to capture the stark truth personality often hidden under the face value. Ray and Jamie Foxx are two inseparable units, when we see Foxx on the big

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1142102389007657182006-03-11T00:37:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.725+07:00

Why Tsotsi fails to amuse me?Because he does not belong specifically to South Africa, that’s why.Following his journey of a life-changing experience happens to be set against the backdrop of a slum area in South Africa, we begin to wonder, if the backdrop is changed to anywhere else, particularly Bronx, USA, will the story remain the same?In this case the answer is an unfortunate yes.Not that it

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141913217342229952006-03-10T21:04:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.726+07:00

The good thing about the film is that it accurately depicts the atmosphere of thrilling political phobia often portrayed in 70’s films, thus making the film as if it was made on the era as the event it depicts seems to occur in not so distant time from my perception. Yet, such a statement might be a backlash on itself. Having seen recent thrillers in which the stories do travel from one continent

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141835418333833862006-03-09T20:11:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.726+07:00

If stage world with all its romps is always interesting to be brought up as a subject in the big screen, perhaps the best reason to explain it is that the stage world mirrors the glamour, glitz, and the gloomy life a film world also has, or to some extent, even longs to have. As one world connected to the other, often a film about stage life is vividly interesting, thanks to the ability of film

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141835131665684192006-03-09T11:15:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.726+07:00

In the mind-numbing waves of disposable love stories where the presence of characters, backdrops, and more importantly, plots seem to be interchangeable to one another, Brokeback Mountain stands tall thanks to the film’s firm stand to recreate a genre on its own. Having successfully conquered vast genres ranging from domestic themes of East (Eat Drink Man Woman) and West (The Ice Storm), or a mix

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141655889322363132006-03-08T22:02:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.727+07:00

thus, in a city where its inhabitants screaming around for hopeless help, it is good to note that the most important thing is not what you know, but rather, who you know.the statement is recently uttered by nick roddick in his regular column on sight and sound magazine, march 2006 edition. roddick particularly concerned about the declining qualities of so-called independent and art films, as the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141753302371377912006-03-08T00:15:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.727+07:00

It takes me slightly more than a day to finally come to terms with the fact that while Hollywood, or most members of AMPAS, has not released its strains in fully accepting sexual differences on a big screen, it is good to note that rewarding a film about the city where the film industry stands its feet on is something worth being given a prize as well. Especially when it brings up a certain

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141359452798628802006-03-03T10:50:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.728+07:00

Enough said, I am presenting these films and the stars who will go down in the history of either being robbed or being sentimentally acknowledged. This is how a popularity show works, and make that for almost eight decades.BEST PICTUREWill win: BROKEBACK MOUNTAINShould win: GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.Comment:The wave of praises is unstoppable for Brokeback Mountain, a film that breaks the barrier

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141359002851507942006-03-03T09:03:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.728+07:00

The buzz is deafening at the time when the new rules of preventing shameless promotional campaign (Martin Scorsese in Gangs of New York, anyone?) have been applied for the past 2 years.But for such a grandeur and prestigious event at this caliber where even the most predictable sweeps in the tradition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King still managed to get major news coverage

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141206058756941692006-03-01T16:37:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.155+07:00

Blessed my comfort zone with its advanced and sophisticated tools in every single thing we can think of.Effectiveness, fast service, wireless gadgets, they were only a few items scattering through my mind when I began typing this.While I had to cope up with the consequences of travelling in a shoestring budget (read: delays), I could steal some little time to check my emails from the airport

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141201089619896492006-03-01T15:13:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.729+07:00

A dummy guide by a dummy. If it doesn’t work, I don’t know what else will.1. Seek out what kind of a film festival it is.There are different kind of film festivals anyone is putting up, and that pretty much depends on how those organizers wanting to get. Some established film festivals are clearly intended to launch highly publicised new films, of both arts and commercial values, and to market

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141196998335050722006-03-01T14:02:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.155+07:00

Having spent the past 6 years, a great deal of time in my life, in this comfort zone, has made me seeing this place as my other home. Not first, not second, nor any degree of comparison. A home where I was born is different with a home where I could be at my utmost ease with. Yet, reaching the comfort zone through a slightly different way is something I have never done on that past 6 years. Thus,

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1141090132854396102006-02-28T08:19:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.156+07:00

let's see.batam hills. wavemaster. holland village. bbq half-chicken. cineleisure. walk the line. syriana. sight and sound. bras basah. looftop. tanned skin. coffee bean. clothes hanger and an annoying mother. scene it. borders. car sick. hostel. naked man. brokeback mountain. chatuchak. mrs. henderson presents. siam paragon. munich. grand egv. press pass. ian. kenny. jameson. film market. good

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1140203726536239212006-02-18T01:45:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.730+07:00

This happened not that long time ago, not in a galaxy far away.We see NAUVAL, recently graduated from some university, down on his luck while doing odd jobs by being an assistant to some lecturers at some local university, a teacher at a local high school, a translator of some god-knows-what-kind-of-textbook, a tutor giving private tuition, basically the low-salary-next-to-nothing jobs under the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1140199705626676992006-02-18T00:57:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.730+07:00

From the direction of Stephen Gaghan, the screenwriter of Traffic.Seeing the above line, we come to a theatre with a pre-occupied idea that what we're about to see will resemble the aforementioned film, and when our expectation is met, the next question should be: how different is it?Recently, a similar notion occured when The Constant Gardener was released, as the promotional campaign relied

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1140150923583357692006-02-17T10:47:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.731+07:00

Taking a cue from the above song (thus the title of the film), James Mangold, the director, certainly takes us in a slow walk while building up our confidence in seeing the transformation of Joaquin Phoenix becoming Mr. Man In Black.It was a gradual process of seeing Phoenix playing himself in earlier scenes, as if his dashing look is on loan for modeling the period costume. Not until the scene

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1139910769161543522006-02-14T16:48:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.156+07:00

what has killed me for the past few days turns out ... that it's not the diarrhoea which forced me to take 3-day bedrest (and not to mention i am not fully recovered yet at the time of writing),and that it's not about the amazingly fast internet connection, only to be in the same par as how turtles walk and enjoy their time (oh, it annoys me all the time! someone should minister the use of

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1139910126590380402006-02-14T16:40:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.732+07:00

Has L.A. been as sophisticated and elegant as what we see in Shopgirl?The answer is an enthusiastic 'yes', as we know the film is penned by Steve Martin, whose treatment towards the city can be in the same par with how Woody Allen muses New York in his stories.Only the challenge this time is that Martin writes a screenplay for the film which is based on his own novella. Certainly a lot of

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1139909368953339772006-02-14T16:26:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.732+07:00

Perhaps we can take out that particular music genre above, then we are in for a treat of self-discovery journey.The hype on the music itself is what mars this film, along with other subplot involving an unnecessary love story among the leading characters. There are times when Upi, the director, tries too hard to emphasize the films two main actors' penchants over the rock music by unconvincingly

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1139213637469055712006-02-06T15:10:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:26:15.156+07:00

what's so fascinating about taking bus(es) on daily basis, something most of you are familiar with, i'm sure?especially those of you, living in some sophisticated countries where the comfort of passengers is the highest priority prior to every stage of planning, prior to executing the routes, or even prior to thinking of creating certain routes, let alone a new kind of transportation system!the

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1139213330666716552006-02-05T19:06:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.733+07:00

The abovementioned title will centre in one piece that makes the film riveting to watch, and that is, Jack Nicholson.In his youthful menacing act, Nicholson shows his comprehensive understanding that to carry a multi-dimensional character, one’s got to inhabit it from within. Thus, we see his being a tormented guy trapped in his own ego as a highly-educated pianist, yet having to face the reality

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1139036423615122822006-02-04T13:57:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.733+07:00

The idea of Western world as cold and frozen as captured in McCabe & Mrs. Miller may recall the lonely and almost-empty atmosphere of a kingdom in England in The Lion in Winter, since both films brought out contrast looks of their respective background as commonly perceived, yet the strong elements of both genres still convincingly present in the films, either to enhance the genre or to serve as

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1139036199542412092006-02-04T13:54:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.734+07:00

“I'll tell you the greatest regret of my life. I let my love go”.Then my only regret would be of not watching one of the most powerful dramatic ensemble films ever produced and released amidst the chaotic of mindless and plotless films these days.What glued one to the seat throughout the entire 195-minute duration lies on the parallel lines of many souls living their lives right in front of us,

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6124890.post-1138803947704345992006-02-01T21:22:00.000+07:002010-03-14T11:24:13.734+07:00

Funny how often cases of mistaken identities would lead to some surprises, be them pleasant, irritating, thrilling, or a little mixture of all of them. And that’s how Intimate Strangers tells its story, with a very much subdued eroticism that often raises hairs behind your neck, a little bit.But what makes the film appealing is how it derives its playful theme. For sure, the story of how

Nauval Yazidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03720754392179108910noreply@blogger.com0