Marley and Me : Movie Review

"A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his."

Starring:
Owen Nilson - John Grogan
Jennifer Aniston - Jen Grogan
Eric Dane - Sebastian

Directed by: David Frankel

A down to earth husband. A caring wife. Their growing family. And the world's worst dog. This is a family movie - in the truest sense.

If you think the movie is plainly about a naughty puppy, you're wrong. Marley & Me is a simple story of an American couple who depicts the ups-and-downs of marriage. Their pet dog, Marley, is a total nuisance at first but matures and develops into becoming a member of the family.

This is an easy-going film based from a book that will appeal to newly weds and pet lovers like Gilbert. More to that, the film teaches valuable life lessons about painful decision of letting go, unconditional love for your family and giving up to ultimately gaining more.

The scenes are realistic, some of which are hilarious. I can so relate to Jen Grogan who has a list of all her life plans. I was laughing so hard when she said something like this to John after their wedding: "Number one, to find a sweet, sexy, kind and intelligent man. [Of course, John is proud of himself when Jen continued] Number two, to marry you instead."

Another funny moment was when Marley runs and dives into a pool of a nice house, John pretended to be disappointed and asked the people around "Whose dog is that?"

The ending on the other hand is a bit heart breaking. I recommend you bring a box of tissue when you watch it!

Four out of Five stars for me.

Slumdog Millionaire : Movie Review

"You are not a liar, that's for sure. You are too truthful."

Starring:
Dev Patel - Jamal
Freida Pinto - Latika
Madhur Mittal - Salim

Directed by: Dan Boyle and Loveleen Tandan

Slumdog Millionaire wowed me from start to finish. Although surrounded by the chaotic slums of Bombay, the comedy drama was depicted with an amazing cast (especially the child actors), upbeat music, fast movement, outstanding light, and vivid colors.

Jamal's story as seen through his eyes is more interesting than I have expected. Despite being an orphan at a young age and until he becoming a hardworking man, he never lost his sense of fairness and respect. His growing years are tragic yet still beautiful with an abundant hope of finding Latika.

The story highlights both beauty and horrors of street life in Bombay (which is very similar in the Philippines), brotherhood, righteousness, and above all, love in the face of obstacles.

Go and watch this film. You won't be disappointed.

Five out of Five stars for me.

Watchmen : Movie Review

"You guys don't understand. I am not stuck in here with you, you guys are stuck in here with me." -Rorschach

Starring:
Jackie Earle Haley - Rorschach
Patrick Wilson - Nite Owl II
Billy Crudup - Dr Manhattan
Malin Akerman - Silk Spectre II
Matthew Goode - Ozymandias
Jeffrey Dean Morgan - The Comedian

Directed by: Zack Snyder


Make sure you don't watch this with your kids just because it's a "superhero" flick. There is an explicit sex scene in the middle part of the movie aside from the intense violence and frontal nudity (Dr Manhattan) throughout the film.

The story line and flashbacks are confusing. Almost like each character is telling their own story so I don't know which one to follow. The first fight scenes at the start where the Comedian gets killed is portrayed very well. Then the film gets slow, boring and complicated until the end. The graphic scenes are excellent but not new.

A bright spot I think is Rorschach's character who could be quite a ferocious, scary man especially when he was provoked in prison. He is borderline psycho yet he certainly has a solid view on what's good and bad. Rorschach was sure the Comedian's death is a sign that all superheroes' lives (including his own) will grow short. But then, all his good intentions and his body disappeared in air, leaving splatter of blood in the last part of the movie.


On a lighter note, I like Silk Spectre II's costume! It was a relief to see a brave and sexy heroine from time to time in a violent movie.

I haven't read the book so I'm not sure if the graphic novel was way better than the movie. Maybe this is also the reason I don't understand how people could give a two thumbs up for this film.

Well, maybe, just maybe - I'll read the Watchmen novel so this could make more sense to me.

Two out of Five stars for me.

Changeling: Movie Review

"Never start a fight... but always finish it."

Starring:
Angelina Jolie - Christine Collins
John Malkovich - Rev Gustav A Brieglab
Michael Kelly - Detective Lester Ybarra

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Changeling is about the mysterious disappearance of a boy, the courage of an average woman to challenge the corrupt police force and the capture of an insane serial child killer.

Angelina's performance was fantastic. Her unconditional love and quest to find her missing son is indeed remarkable. The injustice and abuse of political power is also ancient but it was well portrayed in this film that I had to close my eyes at some scenes. There were some gruesome events in the lives of abused women and innocent children.

It's interesting, engaging, and definitely an eye opener but I have to admit, I was truly sad after watching it. The movie was heartbreaking but what's more depressing is that it is based on a true story in the late 1920s.

We searched for the life of Caroline Collins to find out if she was reunited with her lost son years after. Sigh. Well, one thing is for sure: No matter what her troubles were, she always had the hope in her heart.

This is one of those movies where you don't get to smile while viewing the final credits.

Four out of Five stars for me.

Seven Pounds: Movie Review

"I did something bad once and I'm never gonna be the same."

Starring:
Will Smith - Ben/Tim Thomas
Rosario Dawson - Emily Posa
Woody Harrelson - Ezra Turner
Michael Ealy - Ben's Brother

Directed by: Gabriele Muccino

I have to admit that we decided to watch this movie only because of its mysterious movie trailer.

I'm glad we did.

The story revolves around a compassionate IRS agent names Ben Thomas and his quest to track seven individuals who are in desperate need of help. The start of the film will glue you to your screen as it slowly unveils his intentions to make up for something he has done in the past. Seven Pounds highlights true feelings, sacrifice, forgiveness and selflessness.

Gilbert and I were strongly moved by this movie. We were sobbing! It is indeed an intense, mind boggling, rare and fantastically acted movie - definitely must see! It started slow but it ended with a sweeping conclusion. And if this movie won't touch the deepest part of you, you're not normal.

Five out of Five stars for me.

Edsa Shangri-la Hotel - A Review

What I like about it: This is one of the best hotels in Manila, that's for sure! Just before you enter the lobby, there are K9 groups that will check your car and luggage that make you feel safe. The location is a major plus for tourists. It's just a stone throw away from Mega Mall, Shangri-la Mall and my favorite thrift mall, St Francis Square.

here's a view from my room

my room

I stayed there for three days and I get a nice bowl of fresh fruit every day.


The bed was comfortable, pillows are huge and fluffy.


And my favorite part, the bathroom! It's complete with a fresh flowers, lovely bath tub, telephone extension, and pipe-in television sounds.


I must say the breakfast at Heat is also superb. It's an open kitchen with varied choices of Chinese, American, Japanese and delicious local buffet. I was utterly confused on what food to eat first because there were like 50 dishes or more.

What needs to be improved: The front desk personnel were polite but I can't understand why checking-in should be a long wait. They stare at the monitors forever, not sure if they need upgraded computers or time management training. No problem for me because I wasn't in a hurry that time but I noticed several guests who are starting to be impatient with the waiting. Overall, I enjoyed my stay!

My ratings for this hotel are:
4 of 5 = Check in / front desk
5 of 5 = Quality of Service
5 of 5 = Value for Price
5 of 5 = Rooms (Bathroom, Kitchen, etc.)
5 of 5 = Cleanliness

Read more about Edsa Shangri-la Hotel.

Touching God

During a speaking activity in one of my training class, a quiet, bashful lady stood up and answered the question, "If you could take away something from someone, what would it be?"

The first two minutes of her reply was plain and sometimes humorous as she talked about her best friend. The last minute of her answer was a bit different. She suddenly turned emotional and her face red. There was a moment of silence inside the room. She chastely shared the ailing condition of her best friend's mother. I remember it vividly when she cried, "I want to take away her mom's illness. I want to help my friend but I don't have enough money. All I can do is pray for her mother."

I waited for the right time within the day and when I had it, I came closer to her and whispered, "You're doing your friend and her mother a really, really big favor." She gave me a confused look so I continued, "Prayer is the most powerful and most precious gift you can give someone. You don't have to say that all you can do is pray. Instead, you can tell her that you will continue to pray for her mother's recovery. That is a very big help, more than you can imagine." I embraced her tightly and she cried even more.

This is the exact message of the author Dr Harold J. Sala in his book, "Touching God: Guidelines for Personal Prayer".


Praying for someone is being selfless. It means you are enthusiastic to prioritize the needs of others than your personal interests. This book talks about the awesome power of prayer which is often neglected and under-utilized. It reveals about how the conversation should just flow out of our heart. The daily reflections deepen our spiritual roots as it increase our faith. Some of the chapters are Praying without an agenda, Praying as a couple, If God doesn't answer your prayer, What's on your prayer list?, When you pray, Forgive and so on.

Gilbert and I started reading it last week, just before we sleep. Every page is indeed very inspiring and life-changing.

May you also be blessed and touch God's heart through prayers.

Australia Movie Review

"Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be."

Starring:
Nicole Kidman - Lady Sarah Ashley

Hugh Jackman - The Drover
David Wenham - Neil Fletcher
Brandon Walters - Nullah

Two thumbs up for Director Baz Luhrmann. Australia is a right blend of romance, adventure, comedy and drama. It's like watching three stories in one movie: first, the social justice for the half-caste or aboriginal generation; second, the epic romance of Lady Ashley and the rugged Drover; and third, the world war/Darwin bombing.

A young half-caste boy named Nulla tells the story of uppercrust Brit Lady Ashley who arrives in the wilds of Australia to look for her skirt-chasing husband, only to find herself caught in a land struggle with a ruthless competitor. With the help of the untamed cattle Drover and some loyal employees, Lady Ashley tries to lead her herd on a grueling trek to Darwin. Their journey gets more complex after they arrive at the cattle station.

The movie is unbelievably almost three hours long but I had a great time watching every scene. The erotic chemistry between the funny, charming Nicole and the hunky Hugh is simply amazing.

It's an overload of characters, events and styles but Luhrmann glued it together and delivered a big-hearted melodramatic entertainment.

Four out of Five stars for me.

Oberoi Bangalore - A Review

I fled to Bangalore, India to attend a business training in November 2004. It was my very first time to travel internationally and I was so thankful to have such wonderful experience in Oberoi.


What I like about it: The hotel's location is great for tourists since it is near the market, church and shopping districts. My room was very spacious and I had a balcony with a nice view of the lush gardens.

Because the hotel is in the heart of shopping district and the doors to each room are external, it can be a little noisy. It's not that bad in my opinion though because each room has a hall door between the main door & the bedroom space that could block the street noise.

The best part is the hotel's top class dining. I always look forward to the sumptuous continental breakfast at Le Jardin. My colleagues and I usually eat lunch at the trainng center so when we reach the hotel at night, we feast on authentic Chinese Szechwan style in Szechwan Court. We also tried the fabulous alfresco dining at the hotel's Thai restaurant.

The overall ambiance of the hotel is amazing - lots of greens, streams and ponds. At the end of each day, I soak in the tub for thirty minutes or so and enjoy the relaxing moment.


What needs to be improved: Just a very minor incident upon check-in - The front desk officer is persistent in having my personal credit card. I had to convince her it was a business trip before she finally gave me my room number. She was very polite but she could have just checked our company's reservation details beforehand. When I told my boss about the incident, he was totally surprised because he called the front desk a few minutes before I arrived to confirm my airport arrival.

My ratings for this hotel are:
4 of 5 = Check in / front desk
5 of 5 = Quality of Service
5 of 5 = Value for Price
5 of 5 = Rooms (Bathroom, Kitchen, etc.)
5 of 5 = Cleanliness

Hotel Vida - A Review

August 8, 2008 was detox time from our busy lives as we took a day off and spent an overnight stay at Hotel Vida. This hotel is a true gem! It is located in Clark Special Economic Zone, Angeles City and it is nearby all that you would want to do in and around Clark.


What I like about it: It took me only about 15 minutes to make a phone reservation. We were then entertained promptly when we arrived. Our junior suite room was decorated exquisitely. We even have fresh fruits as welcome tokens for our stay.

The kitchen was very cozy with its modern style furniture.

Gilbert enjoyed the spacious living room and the comfy trundle bed.

The pool side view from our soft bed is also marvelous and the ambiance is very relaxing. All hotel staff were courteous and accommodating.

Salt Cafe/Restaurant was also excellent for fine dining. Waiters and chefs served us with a smile. Well worth the money!

What needs to be improved: First, they could have used bigger bathtubs in the hotel rooms. Don't get me wrong. The tub is clean and comfortable to soak in but my 5'11 hubby just couldn't fit in. I also realize that the tub is really small because water is rolling off the bath tub side and sliding off the edge when we shower. Second, when I made our reservation, I was guaranteed that Wi-Fi connection is free of charge. When we got our total bill, I was surprised to see an additional Php500 charge for Internet. Well, I was totally in-love with the place so I didn't protest about the misunderstanding anymore. We were very satisfied overall. We highly recommend it to our friends and relatives.

My ratings for this hotel are:
4 of 5 = Check in / front desk
5 of 5 = Quality of Service
5 of 5 = Value for Price
4 of 5 = Rooms (Bathroom, Kitchen, etc.)
5 of 5 = Cleanliness

You can view more about Hotel Vida by visiting their site: http://www.hotelvidaclark.com/