Me, my island and I.

Even though we all know life's bittersweet are mostly unsharable, sometimes we just can't bear to be alone. I guess no man is an island, they just don't mind owning one. Well, sometimes I like to stay on my island alone. There is nothing worse than finishing an awesome touchy-feelingy movie, and the dude beside you pop the million dollar question "So.. what was that all about?" or when you DID pop the million dollar question after "The English Patient," and he ruined it by saying "Well... I guess it's more of a chick flick." So there he was, "flicked" from the list on the spot, and I decide to go to movies alone.

My chance came to me when "Girl, Interrupted" was playing in university cinema and everybody was too busying with their finals or just simply didn't want to be "interrupted," I went alone. It was an awesome experience. Finally, I don't have to worry about what I should say or do after the movie, and don't have to worry about any "million dollar questions" come to the scene. I was perfectly interrupted as much as I want.

Then I started to travel alone. (Seems like no way back once you started) When I was in New York all by myself, I decided to take my first walk from the eastside to the westside to see "The Hours." Funny how these two movies are both about women(or girl)'s inner psych. In that elaborate upper westside theater (it was an classy opera theater, simply.) I found many women who came by themselve, some schoarly-artsy looking couples, and some guy/boys who looked just too fragile/sensitive/human to be men. It was an awesome movie. A movie one should definately watch by oneselve.

Then there are more to come. In London, I remember dropping tears in "Before Sunrise/ Before Sunset" and didn't have to care about the guy beside me asking "you okay?" (yes I'm okay you numb people!) Clapping my hands in the end of a good movie with a room of unknown people (yet, they "know") and walking out of a cinema with that bittersweet feeling when you just finish a good movie.

I saw three movies by myself this month. The first was "Pride and Prejudices," all three of them won great critic review, but this one disappointed me. Probably I was comparing it with Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensitivies" too much. Both Jane Austin's famous book, very similar events. Sisters eager to marry off in a country family, rich gentlemen and poor bastards trying to marry for money... However, Ang Lee is just a master when it comes to "family affairs" like Emma Thomson expected. Too bad for "P."

The second and third one I would never noticed if not for Steve's strong recommendation. I never really enjoy Steve Martin's humour, at least not as much as the other white hair guy that always stand on a bullet (if you want low, aim LOW.) "Shopgirl" was adopt from Martin's own novel (I wonder if the other white hair guy writes too.) talking about a rich man who can spray everything on the girl other than commit a future. While the other guy, who claim himself an artist (and total broke like most of them do), having trouble expressing himself and take care of other people, a guy with nothing to offer but youth. Smart humor was all over this film, and most of all, three actors' performance were what made this film succesful. Nothing dramatic or heavy, yet the interactions, the simple dialogues, the small gestures and delicate movements said it all. It make you smile, laugh, and tear when seeing shopgirl finally go through the relationship and get what she deserves: a man that embrace her in his arms like a holding a scarce fire. Your heart aches sweetly when the ending comes.

Discussing about human relationships in today's world. How individuals come together and feel each other, "Me and you and everyone we know" is an unique film. Taking another prespective compare to the last one. As shopgirl silently waiting behind the counter for someone to notice and grant her access to another world. The characters in "Me" desperately seeking for oppotunities to connect with one another even sometimes appears to be cold outside. Sharing the deepest feeling with unknown persona via internet, posting messages thru the window glass to highschool girls, taking chances saying things that might seem ridiculous to a total stranger and hope he will get what you're saying just because he seems to be quite sensual when he served you in the shoe store... it's that hope that someone will understand that feeling sours inside you, the wishful thinking of someone true will come share the beauty in the moment of this world with you. The theme was "warm and touch in the digital age." and it did touched us, while we all waiting for that person come to pick up the "forever" in the corner store nearby.

Oh yes, that wishful thinking, that hope which made us weeping in them theaters, while I still claim to be better off alone sometimes, (and more and more times,) with me, my island and I.