so happy together: a film review

as a whole, the movie gets an A- rating from me... find out why.

the story is about osmond, a gay writer, and lianne, a locquacious businesswoman, whose lives get intertwined and bonded with friendship, love, and humour. it is an ambitious interpretation of the painful realities of life, and at the same time depicting the Filipino approach of laughing all his problems away. eric quizon plays osmond -- probably a winning role for him, because he successfully convinces the audiences of his homosexuality. kris aquino plays lianne -- some critics box her as a trying-hard actress, but she gradually increases in depth as the movie flies with her hardships as a mother to her two daughters: wena and raffy. jayr, an rn'b singer in realworld, is introduced into the world of acting as the business and romantic partner of lianne and so far,his acting is not that bad, and i expect him to offer more in his next movies to come. nova villa is maginficent -- the role of a mute and deaf mother of osmond is a gem in her own style of acting. gloria diaz does well,as always, as the equally talkative mom of lianne. some critics dismissed the ultimate survivors of starstruck 1 as being unprofessional, but nevertheless, for me, they were very convincing in their roles as the present generation of our youth; except for the annoying portrayal of rainier castillo as the unfaithful boyfriend of raffy (yasmien kurdi). mark herras and jennelyn mercado are a perfect couple onscreen and offscreen.

direction is no less done by the master of philippine films himself, maestro joel lamangan. his trademark touch never fails to pull at the filipino audience's hearts for its real feel on social issues such as homosexuality and single parenthood. cinematography is ok, clear execution of scenes is made stronger with close-up focusing of the characters and emotions involved. humour is shallow, but affects the audience very well. the screenplay, though, is disappointing, because the dialogues are not very original, and the humour relies on the characters of the movie, not on the words.

try to watch it. it won't do any harm.

hey, i'm still alive!

here goes nothing.























what were you expecting? i thought i said nothing follows.

my 19th christmas to date...

it was a very boring day for me... i woke up at 11am, did my cardio exercise, spent my afternoon looking for kitchen towels (which my mom planned to give to her cousins) in the market, and spent my evening attending the cafe of my father.
seems like an ordinary day... nothing special... i didn't even have the chance to attend our annual reunion party (sob)... it was only me... and myself.
next year, i wish things would change for the best.

weee! i juz finished my first short story after almost three years!!!

aptly entitled, "Manok O Maong," this story is about a fat girl who is on a quest for her identity in the portals of her jungle teen world, but later realizes that home is where the heart is, and that discipline can be a very important factor in someone's habitual disposition, and can very much affect one's self-confidence. Her conscience is put to the test as her daily encounters with discrimination get tangled up with her renewed outlook and principles in life.
just email meerkat or me at our repective addresses, if ever you gain interest in my latest work of art, and i'll be very glad to give you a copy of my manuscript... by the way, it is written in filipino, so to you guys out there who don't understand it, i'm sorry. just watch out for my next string of english articles, then.

my email: lourlandpaul@yahoo.com
meerkat's: talktomeerkat@yahoo.com

in this case, i am not the loser. whew.

i've always been the loser.

i joined the essay writing contest of the 1st Cultural-Literary Festival of bulacan state university in san jose del monte, bulacan, and guess what? it is so obvious.

i lost.

it seems that every endeavor i get into, every field i try to grab of is never my slightest win.

in singing, i couldn't join competiions because my voice is not the type who could belt out grand-prize interpretations of songs. i grew up singing and list'ning to nsync and mariah carey and that is why my vocal style is more of the nasal sound.

in dancing, i am a trying hard worm wriggling his way to create his own technique of moves. i'm in dire need of a choreographer because nobody wants to teach a useless piece like me.

in writing,... i don't know. i feel like i'm always writing the wrong points, and i'm not very good in pleasing the judges so... there... whatever.

in photography, i've never joined any contests but i know the basics and i can determine which shots are good, and which are not. it is an expensive hobby so i think i ought to get wit it when i get my own source of income.

in the arts, i could sketch. particularly, manga of my own kind. but realistic drawing? i couldn't do without a photo or a picture to copy into. i wish someday i could do away with a masterpiece that came from my mind and directly applied on canvas.

in sports, i ain't a sports buff. but i'm trying to be (what else is new?). i just don't have the time to be the best in a field. table tennis, for instance, is potential gear for me, but as i've said, no time. i enjoy playing badminton, too.

in psychology, i should have chosen the said degree for college. but my parents didn't care whether i wanted it or not, they preferred to choose a school (where bs or ab psych is not offered) which is cheaper than my choice.

in my family? i don't even feel that i have a father.

i'm making a comeback.

after almost a month of dormancy, im lashing back with a simple, "it's nice to be back again" post.

missed me?