Category Archives: Entertainment

Why You Should Give “The Fault In Our Stars” A Shot

The Fault in our Stars

Let’s consider this a break from a state of Lebanese depression.

The new “it” movie that everyone’s talking about, based on John Green’s novel of the same title, is The Fault In Our Stars. Teenage girls have already lined up in theaters to weep their eyes out, jokes ensued. Others have already dismissed the movie as yet another teenage drama they will not bother with.

And here I am to tell you that “The Fault in Our Stars” is something worth giving a shot to. No, it’s not because it’s an epic love story that transcends time and place as movie or novel tag lines tend to say, but because it’s such a simple story in itself, told in a remarkably real way, that it can’t not resonate with you.

Popular culture has always found a way to turn cancer into a simple matter that entails losing one’s hair, vomiting in a bucket because of the chemo and ending up unscathed at the end. The truth of things, however, is anything but.

As someone whose mother battled the disease and survived, I know how it is to see someone get weakened by those treatments, seeing them waste in front of you because of the drugs saving their lives. As a medical professional, I know how it is to deliver cancer diagnosis to people. I know how it is to see children in front of you wearing a Superman cape as they exit their chemo sessions. It’s not Hollywood, it’s real life that happens every day right next to your workplaces and homes, in locations you don’t give a second look at.

“The Fault in Our Stars” gets cancer. It may not employ the most precise of medical jargon all the time, but its portrayal of cancer is one that I wouldn’t feel horrified reading. It tells the story of the disease the way it is. There’s no sensationalization, no glamorization, no poetic justice. It’s not full of errors, cliches and whatnot. It shows cancer the way it is: a disease that ruins lives, leaves people impaired and takes away loved ones. But a disease that doesn’t put life on pause.

The might of “The Fault in Our Stars” is in how it communicates the topic of cancer in the way that it does.  Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters are not the cliche Hollywood fiction power couple going about their days as they await to be cancer free. They are not a saccharine representation of thyroid cancer or osteosarcoma. They are not people who just exist with cancer. The cancer stories of Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters are as real as a story of a relative you’d tell to a friend over coffee. This authenticity when it comes to the disease at hand is unparalleled. I’ve personally never seen it in fiction before. And it’s heart-warming to read.

It’s easy to dismiss “The Fault In Our Stars” as another cliche love story aimed at hormonal teenage girls and their pockets. Sure, marketing the movie and book as an out of the box love story is the surest way to ensure profitability, get girls and their tear ducts functioning in hyper-drive, but the story in itself isn’t just about love. It’s the story of two people who might as well have been patients at the hospital I’m working at and who could have been battling osteosarcoma or thyroid cancer.

The book also deals with the issue of teenage sex in a way that is so casual and yet so intimate at the same time. It tackles sex as it is: a reality. That’s a rare thing to read or watch currently, in a culture of either over-sexualization or lock it away and don’t talk about it. The book finds the middle ground between the two extremes and handles it exceedingly well.

“The Fault in Our Stars” is not a perfect book. Given the mania around it, it’s also beyond easy to dismiss it as a current fad that will fade away when the mania subsides, and perhaps it will. But as it currently stands, regardless of young love, death and getting susceptible people to weep uncontrollably, “The Fault In Our Stars” deals with old themes in a very new way. You may look at it as sick people in love, rendering it meaningless and silly. Or you can look at it as the lives of people who happen to be sick. I chose the latter because those lives are so realistically written they could easily jump off that page.

“The Fault In Our Stars” is not an easy read or an easy movie to watch. It may seem contrary to popular belief to believe so, but I – for one – had dismissed it straight out of the bat a few months ago when I first started hearing about it. I was very glad I gave that book a shot. It’s not a literary masterpiece but its topics are crucial for discussion. It’s the closest you’ll ever get, hopefully, to see such diseases in their most realistic forms. Such things exist. Be part of them, even if in fiction.

I’ll be reviewing the movie later this afternoon.

George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin’s Wedding Will Take Place in Lebanon

george-clooney-amal-alamuddin

A friend jokingly recently said that never since the days of the biggest plate of Tabbouleh have we had a surge in our national pride as when Amal Alamuddin, the international Lebanese British lawyer, got engaged to George Clooney. Well, ladies and gentlemen brace yourselves for another wave of Lebanese pride.

Amal Alamuddin, inspiring many other Lebanese women to set out plans to hitch Hollywood’s next eligible bachelor, is reportedly returning home for the “it” wedding of the year. At least on Lebanese levels.

Sources close to Alamuddin’s family have indicated that Alamuddin and Clooney will tie the knot in Lebanon this coming September. The location for the nuptials is reportedly Alamuddin’s own hometown, Baaklin. Apparently one can’t say Alamuddin isn’t proud of where she originally comes from.

In the very likely setting that this information turns out true, I wouldn’t be going out on a limb to say that Lebanon would get an amount of international attention that is unprecedented. What’s even better is that the attention we’d get won’t the cliche war-torn nation of diversity where Christians and Muslims try to co-exist and of Beirut being the city of the Phoenix, resurrecting from its civil war ashes and whatnot. This wedding could be what we need not to remain a country where we ride camels and live in tents. Be excited, people!

So Lebanon’s ministry of tourism, prepare yourself. Your next set of ads will be about how this little country of ours is where George Clooney tied his knot. Lebanon’s ministry of interior, prepare yourself as well – we can’t allow any signs instability until September at least even if our parliament fails to get its stuff together and elect a president. Such irrelevant details need to take a backseat to the impeding mayhem of the big fat Lebanese wedding about to take center stage.

 

 

 

 

This Is How Noah Got Released in Lebanon

I didn’t know “Noah” being screened in Lebanon was a matter of “if.” Everyone just assumed showing it might be a big deal given Egypt and Qatar banned it. But Lebanon following the footsteps of neighboring countries when it comes to censorship is a rare thing, and Noah found its loophole.

I watched the movie yesterday and I have to say, I wasn’t impressed at all. Not every movie needs to arise from a cinematic need to have it exist but I fail to see any point that Noah can put forth. Perhaps Aronofsky was fulfilling his childhood dream of bringing his favorite prophet to life.

I don’t even get why this movie has been labeled as offensive right out of the bat. If anything, Noah is only Biblical or Quranic because the main plot of the movie (a flood and an ark) as well as Noah himself are Bible and Quran entities. Apart from that, the movie holds next to no resemblance to any form of scripture.

In fact, Noah probably has as much in common with scripture as Harry Potter: they are, at the end of the day, only tales of good versus evil centered around a character with troubles. In Noah’s case, he is such a troubled man that his entire demeanor becomes grating, often pushing you away from any form of rapport that can be established with the characters on screen, all as he tries to appease his creator to the best of his capacities, even against common sense.

At the center of the Noah are gigantic rock transformers-ish creatures that used to be angels once upon a time, flowers that grow out of dead land, forests that sprout in minutes, a creation sequence that is beautifully portrayed, completely useless fighting scenes, a lot of CGI and a lot of drowning. It was somewhat like Lord of the Rings, except nowhere near as good.

Having watched it, I have to say this is yet another case of people rushing to see a movie only because of the controversy around it with the movie itself being quite subpar. Was it enjoyable? I have to say the two hours passed by well enough. But it was nowhere near as engrossing as I envisioned a biblical tale such as Noah would be. And that’s a shame. Out of 10, I’d give the movie 6.

However, before the movie began rolling, we were met with a screen that stayed there for 2 minutes, making sure everyone read what was on it. This was the loophole that got Noah screened in Lebanon:

photo

Hilarious? Sad? Horrible? I don’t even know in which category that prompt screen falls, but it’s the reason we’re getting to watch the movie. So either await a download or go to your nearest theatre to make sure that the science fiction movie you are about to see has factual contents and is religion-friendly.

The 2014 Oscars Predictions

2014 Oscars

Is it just me or was 2013 a very underwhelming year for cinema? Here I am, looking at the Oscar nominees one last time in order to pick favorites and predict who’s gonna take that golden statuette and I’m realizing that I’m not invested in the movies that have reached the finish line.

To note, I don’t have a decent streak when it comes to these predictions. I’m lousy at it. So proceed at your own risk.

Best Picture:

twelve_years_a_slave_xlg

Prediction: 12 Years A Slave

Personal Favorite: Gravity

It’s almost certain that 12 Years A Slave will take the Best Picture oscar tonight. I found it to be a good movie but was it remarkable enough? I hardly think so. The subject matter was overdone to my taste – weren’t Django and Lincoln from last year enough? – and the handling was too shocking at times and overly-sentimental at others. Perhaps that’s just me though. However, the truth is I wouldn’t mind 12 Years A Slave winning even though I’d much rather see Gravity, which was truly transfixing, or Her, which was quite the little surprise, win. As long as Wolf of Wall Street doesn’t get it, all will be well.

Best Actor:

dallas_buyers_club_ver2

Prediction: Matthew McConaughey

Personal Pick: Matthew McConaughey

Who knew Mr. McConaughey had it in him? Whenever his name pops up, I immediately think of those horrible romantic comedies he had become known for. Well, guess again. He had quite the performance in “Dallas Buyers Club.” The movie wouldn’t have been what it turned out to be hadn’t been from him. And he also lost more weight than I did for the role. Isn’t that what those academy members love to vote for? But my personal pick, if I had been voting, would have been for Joaquin Phoenix whom I thought was quite the act in Her, an essentially one man (and woman’s voice) show. Phoenix isn’t even nominated.

Best Actress:

blue_jasmine

Prediction: Cate Blanchett

Personal Pick: Judie Dench

All in all, I find the best actress race to be, yet again, more interesting than the best actor one. Cate Blanchett, as the neurotic fallen-from-grace socialite, was interesting to watch in Blue Jasmine and she’s had the best campaign out of the nominated bunch so far, setting her as the clear favorite. But wasn’t Judie Dench mesmerizing in Philomena?

Best Director:

gravity

Prediction: Alfonso Cuarón

Personal Pick: Alfonso Cuarón

Back when I watched Gravity, a friend said he had no idea how some of the shots the movie contained were done. Gravity was a directing tour-de-force and for that, Cuarón deserves to win. I hope he does.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

dallas_buyers_club_ver2

Prediction: Jared Leto

Personal Pick: Jared Leto

Again, who knew Jared Leto had it in him? He was electric as the transsexual woman in “Dallas Buyers Club,” stealing every scene he was in and being completely unrecognizable at that. Kudos.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

american_hustle_xlg

Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence

Personal Pick: Lupita Nyong’o

Well, my heart here goes to Jennifer Lawrence (<3) but Lupita Nyong’o, in her first movie performance (is it?), was simply brilliant and should win this. The reason I’m going with Jennifer Lawrence is due to the fact that no supporting actress won this before without winning both the BAFTAs and the Golden Globe, which she has done, and as we all know the Academy members are not the bunch that would go for upsets. I’d be happy either way. Also, off topic, but isn’t it nice to see Julia Roberts in the mix again?

Best Animated Movie:

frozen

Prediction: Frozen

Personal Pick: Frozen

Frozen has become quite the phenomenon. I’m not the biggest of fans – too much music! – but it’s hard to deny exactly how big of a powerhouse it has become.

Best Original Song:

frozen

Prediction: Let It Go

Personal Pick: The Moon Song

To be honest, the best movie song this year isn’t even nominated. In case you’re wondering which one I’m talking about, it’s Inside Llewyn Davis‘ “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me.” What’s a travesty is having that movie have no songs from its soundtrack nominated. So watch Frozen’s “Let It Go” or Pharell Williams’ “Happy” and pretend to be absolutely shocked when they do.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

twelve_years_a_slave_xlg

Prediction: 12 Years A Slave

Personal Pick: Before Midnight

It’s difficult not to see the night’s best picture frontrunner not win this but I’ve found “Before Midnight” to be one of the most refreshing movies of the year. It was completely different from anything Hollywood typically offers. It had witty dialogue, an engaging story and – above all – it was just exquisitely written.

Best Original Screenplay:

her

Prediction: Her

Personal Pick: Her

Spike Jonze’s story about a man falling in love with his operating system sounds silly if taken as is but his handling of the issue turned into a movie that was reflective, important, witty and human.

Other Awards:

inside_llewyn_davis_ver2

  • Visual Effects: Gravity
  • Cinematography: Inside Llewyn Davis
  • Costume Design: The Great Gatsby
  • Foreign Language Film: The Great Beauty
  • Visual Effects: Gravity

 

 

 

Her (2013) – Movie Review

Her Movie poster

Talk about hitting the ball out of the park. I am in awe.

Spike Jonze’s new movie, Her, features Joaquin Phoenix as Theodore Twombly who, in the not-so-distant future, is depressed as he goes about his life post a break-up with his wife. He is your typical lonely guy, living alone in a spacious apartment, working from his cubicle until he clocks in his required hours then going home to play his 3D video game. On the surface, Theodore doesn’t look like someone who minds where he was: in limbo between the memory of the relationship he had with his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) and trying to move on with his life. He then finds himself purchasing a new operating system, meant to be the world’s first artificial intelligence OS, after seeing its ad while on his way to work. His OS is named Samantha and voiced by the amazing Scarlett Johansson.

Soon enough, Theodore finds his entire life and existence being organized by Samantha, not just his schedule and email. Through an earpiece and a phone, Theodore shows Samantha his world while she exposes him to different facets of the things he thought he knew. He’d close his eyes and let her guide him around a carnival. She’d ask him how he’d touch her. He’d feel comfortable with her. She’d help him break out of the break-up that was breaking him. But would a soothing voice be enough for him?

Her may be science fiction but it also feels like a cross examination of a culture that is becoming very dependent on technology. It’s not far-fetched to imagine the events of this movie happening in the not-distant future. The idea is perhaps not new but it has probably never been handled this way and while the premise of a love affair with an OS may be off-putting for some, Spike Jonze handles it brilliantly, giving a movie in which you get absorbed, sinking in every single second of screen time you watch.

There are characters which spring on screen here and there, such as Amy Adams – a friend of Theodore’s, but Her is Joaquin Phoenix leading a one man show. He commands the many extended scenes in which he is almost always alone. His interaction with Samantha, who is never physically present, gives way to one of the most heart-warming relationships you’ll see in a movie this year. The biggest drawback of Theodore Twombly, however, is that his character feels to be stuck in some emotional development limbo post his break-up. Joaquin Phoenix works through that, anyway. It’s the work of an acting master, one who has been going unappreciated for way too long.

Scarlett Johansson’s voice as Samantha is so vital to what Her is. She is getting an entire movie to ride on her vocal appeal, who is building an entire relationship with her sighs, nuances, sultriness and, occasionally, songs. She is so good at what she does that you eventually stop noticing that Theodore is not actually having a relationship with a living person but with a voice that talks to him through an earpiece. It’s slightly unnerving but also excellently well-done.

Her is a delight to the ears as ear as well with its backdrop being an exquisite score by Arcade Fire. The music is excellent. It feels futuristic while still managing to be current, perfectly embodying the movie it serves.

Her is magic on screen. It’s science fiction without the blitz. It’s unlike most of the movie’s you’ve seen recently. It asks questions that as a culture we may be heading to without coming off as greeting-card cheesy or preachy. And it’s easy, I guess, to think of it as gimmicky or as another been-there-done-that movie. But it’s not. I may have found its premise odd at first and dismissed it way too easily. But I’m so glad I gave this movie a chance because it has turned out to be one the year’s absolute best. I really hope it wins some golden statuettes. It deserves every single one of them. Go watch it. Now.

4.5/5