Holy crap, it's Aidan! Later in the movie, Carrie calls big and tells him, "something's happened." Dun-dun-dunnn. {Image from Allmoviephoto.com}

I know my masculinity will have to suffer when I say this, but I’m an avid fan of “Sex and the City”. I know, I know—it’s a girl’s show, and I’m straight (jussayin). But the ideas of frantic life in New York, nights out, apartment walls lined with bookshelves, complicated relationships, and a barely working newspaper columnist just appeal to me.

My first SATC experience actually happened five years after the original series ended, when HBO ran the “Sex and the City” movie. Critics apparently didn’t think it was great, but I found it interesting, my taste in movies being relatively pedestrian. Later on HBO started replaying SATC the series starting from the very first episode, and so I began sleeping later than usual on Wednesday evenings. (Yes, SATC is the reason I started arriving later than usual for Physics class on Thursdays.)

On May 27, “Sex And The City 2″, the aptly named sequel to the SATC movie, opens in New York City, with an opening in the Philippines probably soon afterwards. In SATC2, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha fly to Morocco for a desert getaway. There Carrie—get this—meets Aidan, her erstwhile boyfriend whom she cheated with Big on. The trailer, which is available on the movie’s website, doesn’t give away much else, save the fact that this movie is bound to click with those who, like me, closely followed the series. (Yes, despite the fact that Miley Cyrus appears in the movie.)

“Sex And The City 2,” playing in a theater near you really soon.

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I watch Entourage, too, so as we Filipinos like to say, quits lang. Haha. Entourage is to men what SATC probably is to women. SATC took place in New York; Entourage has Los Angeles. SATC is about a fashionista writer, her socialite friends, and the way they handle their lovelives with a “chicks before dicks” attitude; Entourage  is about an A-list movie star, his three friends who also make up his entourage, and their romantic exploits, which they pursue with the motto “Bros before hos.”

There’s no hint of an Entourage the Movie yet, but the seventh season of the HBO series is set to premiere on June 27! At the end of Season 6, Eric proposed to Sloan, Turtle went back to school and broke up with Jamie, Drama got a holding deal, and Vince was getting ready to shoot another film following his success in Gatsby. The boys look ready to go their own separate ways so it wouldn’t be wrong to assume we’ll be following more than one storyline come June. Exciting!

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So the big-name film critics essentially dismissed the film adaptation of Robert Langdon’s first adventure as a so-so work, lacking luster when compared to other blockbusters. With that assessment in consideration, I walked into my local mall’s cinema yesterday, popcorn in one hand and Coke in the other, wary that I would be sorely disappointed.

As soon as the story began to unfold, however, I found myself disagreeing with the meager critiques the movie earned. I was only mildly excited about the plot itself largely because I’d already read the novel (although I was interested in how the book would translate into the big screen—would it be how I imagined it to be, or would I be treated to an entirely different interpretation of the novel?). What got me hooked were the subtle nuances to the enchanting and mysterious Vatican City (particularly  its well-observed rites of conclave), as well as the astute incorporation of the majesty and splendor of Rome—its Bernini sculptures, Raphael chapels and all. Ron Howard did a good job in making sure that the ancient rites of the conclave—the event around which the entire story revolves—were not neglected in the movie, at the same time keeping the overtones subtle to make way for Langdon and Vetra’s wild dash across Rome. With the sealing of the doors, the registering, canvassing and burning of the ballots, and even the new pope’s donning of his vestments, the film easily wins over those who, such as myself, were drawn to the novel for its sneaky incorporation of ancient Vatican tradition.

What can one make of the mad dashes through Rome’s ancient churches? They’re nothing to rave about, really—unless you’re into gory murders. Throughout most of the chase through the four altars of science, Langdon and Vetra are cruelly one step behind the preferiti‘s assassin, getting to the murder scenes just after the bells ring to mark the hour and just after another cardinal is murdered. After discovering a body, they oddly mill about the scene of the crime for a while before realizing, “Holy crap, we need to look for a clue that’ll lead us to the next altar! Now that we’ve killed some time—time we badly need—by making chitchat in this ancient church, we won’t be able to save the next cardinal from certain doom!” How conveniently to the detriment of the protagonists, one would think, but the discontinuous rush is heinously to the detriment of the moviegoer, too.

I must commend Tom Hanks’ performance in the film. Although I’ve had my qualms about him taking on the symbologist’s role, he portrayed the character quite well. The Robert Langdon of the movie was the Robert Langdon of the novel—a man enthralled in history (watch him bite his finger in excitement as they approach the Vatican archives) and whose eerie cleverness with obscure, well-hidden symbols makes you smirk.

Ayelet Zurer could’ve been more seductive, though. All she did throughout the movie was tail Robert in her conservative outfit (in the book, Vittoria wore skimpy shorts). She wasn’t so much a love interest as she was a sidekick sleuth who spit out facts Langdon already knew about.

Ewan McGregor’s performance as camerlengo was excellent, in my opinion. He was perfect for the role. His simple garments and somewhat diminutive stature made him stand out amidst the sea of flowing red robes. There was a certain resoluteness in his face and in his attitude that underscored the importance of his role, before and after his father’s death: as a faithful chamberlain who stood in the sidelines and as a man of power (if only temporary power) upon whom the Holy See was entrusted.

To sum it up: judging from the relative indifference of many a respected movie critic, Angels & Demons as a movie in itself is nothing more than unremarkable. On the other hand, I think many of those who’ve read the book will enjoy its silverscreen counterpart. Ron Howard did a commendable job at masterfully transferring Dan Brown’s gripping narrative to film, respecting the many clever, little devices that made the novel compelling while implementing his own cinematic wizardry to concoct a stomachable if not applaudable motion picture.

Ancient rituals, a mysterious scientific organization, and a mad dash through the Holy See and the Eternal City—Angels & Demons didn’t fail to please this Dan Brown fan. In spite of the fact that I still can’t quite wrap my head around Robert Langdon being played by Tom Hanks (whatever happened to Harrison Ford in Harris Tweed?), and that they sadly omitted the novel’s final scene from the movie, I nonetheless give Angels & Demons a deantastic A.

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The MTRCB gave Angels & Demons an R-13 rating—the same rating they handed to The Da Vinci Code. While I believe that TDVC should’ve been marked PG-13, I understand why they decided to restrict A&D‘s audience. It certainly isn’t for the faint of heart, what with the gorish brandings and gruesome deaths that are as graphic on film as they are in words. Don’t take your kids to see this one, and if you or your companion are a queasy symbology buff or Tom Hanks fan, you might want to consider bringing a sickness bag.

©2010 Deantastic!. All Rights Reserved.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) is a compelling story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who joins India’s most popular game show in the hopes of finding his childhood love. The protagonist, Jamal Malik, lived a youth characteristic of the slums: playing in the streets from sunrise to sundown, speeding through narrow alleyways to escape the police, earning money in any way possible. His mother is killed during a Hindu-Muslim riot, and he and his brother are left to fend for themselves in the city. Jamal meets Latika, another waif, and together the three live in the garbage dumps of the city.

Through the course of the story, Jamal and Latika part ways, although his love for her never fades. That led to him joining the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, hoping that his childhood love would be watching and recognize him.

I found the story charming and tear-jerking. Jamal’s youth was portrayed dramatically—the loss of his mother, his having to fend for himself, and perhaps the most painful of all, being separated from his love. The pain that Jamal felt as he grew was etched in my mind; it was, at least for me, an extraordinary journey that punctuated the unfairness of life, but it was also heartwarming to see how the protagonist persevered. Even more heartwarming was his undomitable hope of being reunited with his Latika.

Jamal and Latika reunite once and for all.

Perhaps the bitterest scene in the entire film was when Jamal finally found Latika in a lavish mansion. The sweetness of the moment—”Finally! After all these years!”—was difficult to ignore, but so was the bitterness of finding out that she was already married to a millionaire. Still determined to be with his lost love again, Jamal said that he’d wait for her—”at the train station, five o’clock every day, until you come”.  As Latika led Jamal out of the mansion, he made one final appeal: “Run off with me,” to which she succintly replied, “I can’t.” Before the doors were slammed in his face, the words “I love you” left his lips, only to be returned with a “so what”. What could Jamal do but leave?

All things considered, Slumdog Millionaire is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while. It was considerably better than The Day the Earth Stood Still (which I found dull and didn’t provoke enough excitement), and would’ve been well worth the money if I’d watched it in a cinema. The improbabilities of the film—Jamal finding his Latika in the chaos of Mumbai and his win in Who Wants to be a Millionaire—played on the everlasting hope we place in the power of miracles. Jamal’s perseverance through the pain and anguish of his youth could be seen as a point of motivation: you can be what you want to be, no matter what. Most importantly, the all-encompassing power of love—the reason why the entire story was what it was, in my opinion—was exhibited masterfully in the eyes of Jamal who never stopped caring even after years of absence and uncertainty.

Glee, sadness, paradise and pain, Slumdog Millionaire had it all. The film receives a super-Deantastic A+.

©2010 Deantastic!. All Rights Reserved.

I admit—back when Twilight rose to fame among teenage girls, I was quick to shrug it off. Back then, I was convinced that vampires and teeny-bopper love stories just didn’t mix. Add to that the fact that most of the addicts of the novel were girls (who are wont to be overly jumpy when talking about cheesy love stories), and you can imagine my aggressive indifference (if not distaste) for it.

Apparently, the capitalists of the movie industry, spotting the sizable demographic Twilight appealed to, decided to go ahead and convert the book into a movie for the silver screen. Oh boy, were these capitalists ever any happier—despite a fledgling global economy, Twilight the movie raked in something like $20 Million 20 minutes after it hit the Box Office. The movie aficionado in me finally caved into all the hype surrounding this (oh, clever marketing and teenage girls!), so this afternoon, a few friends and I headed down to the local cinema and caught a screening of Twilight.

Twilight is the story of Isabella (“Bella”, she insists) Swan and her romance with Edward Cullen, a cunning vampire, which occurs in the damp town of Forks, Washington. Edward’s family’s enemies take a bloodlusty liking to his girlfriend, jeopardizing her life. Edward goes through every hell on Earth to ensure the safety of Bella’s life. Soon, Bella’s mother is implicated into the situation, and she goes to save her—even if it means having to die.

The cast of Twilight. Credit: http://www.filmonic.com/

The movie was made to appeal mainly to the teenage female demographic, and it did so very well. The uniqueness of the love story sets it apart from other teenage love dramas, although the vampire aspect of the movie may (and has) turned off some film buffs who have labeled it the “worst vampire movie ever”. Don’t be mistaken, though—although the story wouldn’t be what it is without the vampire element to it, it shouldn’t disqualify the movie for those of us out there who don’t like Nosferatu-type flicks. (It has been noted that the “vampire-resisting-human-blood” element of the movie may be a sort of metaphor for something more real, which I will discuss later.) My friend Marielle (who, like me, has not read the book and dissed the novel instantly) may have a point when she said that the movie was a bit too teeny-bopper, but then again, as I said, that’s the demographic it appeals to. Certain scenes in the movie can stir both women and men (well, at least me), and if you know how to listen, you can learn a pickup line or two from Edward to use in your dating misadventures.

(Okay, about the whole “I’m a vampire, and I could very well bite you in the neck” thing, I came across something on the Innarnetz (link forgotten; sorry) that said that Edward’s lust for Bella’s blood could be likened to a man’s sexual lust. As easy as it would be for Edward to simply suck Bella bone-dry, he kept himself back from temptation because of his love for her—something guys undoubtedly have difficulty doing (with some people *cough*classmateofmine*cough* failing to keep their pants on).)

For those of us who have not yet read the novel, the movie can ignite your interest in its novel version, and even the whole Twilight series in general. It’s the quintessential love story—something we all once liked, but have grown tired of, thanks to Hollywood—reengineered.

For its beautiful storyline and interesting uniqueness, but for its just-a-bit-too-cheesy teeny-bopper-ness, Twilight (2008) receives a Deantastic A-.

(Now, if you will be so kind as to give me a full set of the novels in the Twilight series, you may kindly ask for my shipping address by reaching me through my contact form. [Hey, it's worth a try!])

©2010 Deantastic!. All Rights Reserved.