LEAP YEAR

MY RATING




DIRECTED BY
Anand Tucker

YEAR RELEASED
2009


PLOT OUTLINE
A woman (Amy Adams) who has an elaborate scheme to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day, an Irish tradition which occurs every time the date February 29 rolls around, faces a major setback when bad weather threatens to derail her planned trip to Dublin. With the help of an innkeeper, however, her cross-country odyssey just might result in her getting engaged.

MY CRITZ
Imagine…
You (a conservative perfectionist) and your boyfriend of 4-years is about to buy a luxurious condo together. Next step is… MARRIAGE, of course! One night, you thought he would propose over dinner, but instead, he gave you a pair of 1.5 carats diamond studs. Bleechhh… only 1.5 carat! C'mon!! A cardiologist can do better than that right?!

So you decided to take matters into your own hand. You followed him to Dublin, where he was there for a cardiologist conference, and planned to propose to him on Feb 29. After all, your grandma did it years ago, so can you! In my opinion, that’s called desperate. A man should propose, not a woman… We should give hints, but not actually do the proposing... thank you!

Back to the imagination…
On the way to Dublin, your flight got re-routed to a small town in Ireland. It seemed like the weather and the universe is working against you to get closer to your boyfriend. Finally, you entered a pub and found a bartender who is willing to drive you all the way to Dublin for a price.

You definitely get where this is going right? It’s a girly-girl movie!! Beware men!

Everything about this movie is predictable. The only exceptional thing is seeing Ireland’s countryside. The greenery is quite breathtaking. The provincial life is magnificent. It makes me want to buy a plane ticket to Ireland, get stranded, find a true love and get proposed by him on the cliff during sunset. Beaauuuttiiiffuulll!!!!

I love the fact that Amy Adams’ character was in heels during the whole movie; it reflects a bit of me. She went up, down, slid, and fought in heels; that’s how we should do it girls, in style!! The whole movie she kept holding on to her LV carry-on luggage for dear life; that is definitely what I would do in her position. It’s Louis for God’s sake!

Aside from the name brands and her uptight “madame” persona, I think this movie is really cute. I want the beginning of the movie to be a bit faster. I want to feel the connection between Anna and Declan right away. I want to see more of their imperfections, the things that made them perfect together.

The ending is good and very sweet, I even shed a tear. I felt for Anna. All these time she thought she was looking for stability in life, but she realized it didn't fulfill her. What she really wanted is to love and be loved in return. Isn't that what we all want girls?!...

CAPRES: CALO PRESIDEN

MY RATING




DIRECTED BY
Toto Hoedi

YEAR RELEASED
2009



PLOT OUTLINE
Started from a capture by KPK that resulted in the capture of the political party leader that was up for a presidential candidate. The political party decided to look for a person who could be a puppet to replace the previous candidate. They finally found an administrative staff who is willing to be paid 2 million five hundred to do the task. The problem emerged when he started to question things around him, and how everything was made legal for the sake of winning the candidacy. Politics is a dirty world, nothing is always honest.

MY CRITZ
Hillarious!!!
This Indonesian movie is very entertaining. No need to think, no need to figure out who is who and what is what, just enjoy the show. Unfortunately, it’s only in Bahasa Indonesia.

I don’t care much about politics, but this movie sums it all in a satirical way. I couldn’t stop laughing... It’s hilariously engaging with a dash of education about Indonesian politics (which is super complicated and full of bureaucracy and b.s.)

Anywhoooo… I enjoy seeing the color pink used throughout the movie as the main color. It’s definitely a play of the Golkar (one of the oldest Indonesian political party) color; which is bright yellow.

I love seeing how the 3 “puppet master” characters were exaggerated to enhance the dynamic of the movie. Their characters are true to life though…
- Puppet Master #1: A mafia. He gets the dirty jobs done, the 007 of political world if you know what I mean.
- Puppet Master #2: A playboy, a “talker” with bad temper. His weakness: hot chics with big boobs and short skirts.
- Puppet Master #3: An old man who believes in mystical power to get ahead in life.

One person that really stands out for me in the movie (aside from the main characters) is a guy who lives in a shanty town and talks with big words that even his wife can’t understand. I can totally relate because I have a friend just like that. And me, being a girly-girl, would just tell it to his face to dumb down the conversation. Seriously, talking about politics over desserts is a BIG NO-NO in my book!

If you want to run for president and fix our country go right ahead. I wish you good luck. Just don't get in between me, my manicure, my pedicure and my shopping trips.

This movie is funny… just see it… just enjoy it… and stop analyzing Indonesian political world (too convoluted)… just don’t think… Life is hard enough already... let's just laugh about it...

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN

MY RATING




DIRECTED BY
Shawn Levy

YEAR RELEASED
2003


PLOT OUTLINE
The Bakers, a family of 12, move from small-town Illinois to the big city after Tom Baker gets his dream job to coach his alma mater's football team. Meanwhile, his wife also gets her dream of getting her book published. While she's away promoting the book, Tom has a hard time keeping the house in order while at the same time coaching his football team, as the once happy family starts falling apart.

MY CRITZ
My parents come from big family; mom is the 2nd of 12 siblings and dad is the 10th of 11 siblings – they’re a part of the baby boomer generation. They could the epitome of this movie. Hats down to my grandparents.

Nowadays having more than 2 kids is considered A LOT. This movie definitely defies today’s norms, just like Jon & Kate plus 8 and 18 kids and counting. I personally would not want to have 12 kids of my own, but I wouldn’t mind having big (extended) family. After all, they are guaranteed to be the ones who will make you stay grounded. Trust me, I’ve experienced it.

I know that this movie is a bit old, but let me tell you... It is very cute!! A movie to watch on days like today, where the arctic cold sweeps the northeast and everything seems to be frozen. It gives you the perfect warmth to make you miss your parents and siblings.

I LOVE the on-screen chemistry between Steve Martin & Bonnie Hunt, they both are witty and funny without overdoing it. They both compliment each other and made the movie come to live. The 12 kids all have different personalities and their characters are obviously shown on screen. I can place myself in the movie as Lorraine Baker, a girly-girl character played by Hillary Duff and #3 in the family.

Having been the youngest of 3 sisters, I can’t imagine myself in a house full with 12 siblings. That means I have to share my bags, shoes and clothes. Oh no!!! I’m glad that my parents only settle for 3.