Gloomy sunday

Speaking of the choice of music in 告白, there is a particular scene that caught me tight. When the teacher stepped out the restaurant, knowing the story of A, she walked slowly, kneeled and cried, then stepped up again for the path ahead. Without a word, the chemical reaction went on with Radiohead's Last flowers and the overwhelmingly emotional body languages from 松隆子.



I got my goosebumps when I listened, it reminded my of the legendary Gloomy Sunday written in 1933.

It was said that people listening to this song would be clouded by a sense of intense disparity and hopelessness, and indeed the song was once banned to be radio-boardcasted due to this very rumor (or, fact). Over 100 artists have reinterpretted this deadly masterpiece, afterall I love the tinge of sorrow in Sarah McLachlan's version.



Haha, hope that I still have visitors to this blog after posting it here.

告白 - Who's confessing?

Having been through a packed Orthopaedic week, I really need a good rest from books. Asking dad out for breakfast and movie in the morning is a good choice - but, it tensed me up even further.

Of course the plot is great with no doubt, I am definitely interested in flipping the book when I have time.

Also, I love the way of filming. The story revealed the core from the start, and the rest is like peeling onion skins - new clues follow tightly one by one. The music used is as well interesting, there was often a audio-visual mismatch - jazzy rhythm when one's killing, this made the scene odd and heart-chilling.

Watching Confessions is like staying in a psychiatric ward full of funny extreme characters. Taking a class of mid-school students as the background of murder is simply horrifying - all hiden behind the innocent faces.

Some may say everyone in the film is psychic, but stop for a while, isn't it a realistic reflection of the cilivilised world we are living in? On one hand, we live and interact with a mouthful of peace, love and care; but deep down in our heart always lied a suppressed devil with hatred and blood. Confessions is like a physcially acted-out verson of our mental play, as I always believe: We are all born evil.

Other point is fate. Well, yes A may seem cold-blooded to kill without a sense of guilt - but isn't that fully attributable to his own upbringing? Being raised by a mentally-skewed engineer mother, leaving behind a genius whose great work has never been recognised, these are all moulding one's character, while chances come - BOMB - the chain reaction kicks off. Therefore I often feel sympathetic for those serial killers, it is either his past or his gene that make him the murderer, and jailing him is simply a reason of social-effectiveness - this man is hindering the progression of our peaceful society.

Similar echoed in B. A boy living in inferiority in every aspect of life, when one day the balance tipped off, killing become an achievement, and, a source of satisfaction.

Haha, though rated class III, the movie in itself is not that bloody and not much of real violence. But the message is simply too socially-inappropriate for our new generations (whose brains still possess certain degree of neurological plasticity), keeping them (temporarily) from plot of this kind is a wise decision. Afterall, we are all born potential murderer, aren't we?

Abortion II

Let's put the science aside, considering the current medical definition of abortion - would I advocate or not?

Well, a yes and a no.

Yes. In a social-function perspective, I support the law for legal abortion. We have entered a generation where pre-maritial sex is no longer a debate topic but a norm (I am not saying its morally right), and in the short OG rotation I had seen at least 10 mother-to-bes who were still in their school uniform. If abortion is never allowed, whats going to happen to the reckless and helpless couple, afterall raising a child is not playing Tamagotchi.

And did you notice how much one needs to invest for a newborn baby? We are in the era of nuclear families - not that we want to - but who on earth could now actually be financially-competent to raise an entire football team. We are not talking about optional luxuries now, you can go check the price of diapers or formula milk, then you'll see.

Yes, I agree teenage unplanned pregnant is a huge mistake one could have made, but I don't see a better way to ruin 3 lives at a goal than to force a couple who are immature and inadequate, or more horribly, irresponsible and non-committed to raise a child.

(to be continued...)

Abortion

Well, right. Today our professor from Department of Plastric and Reconstructive Surgery asked me (specifically) a question: Do you think abortion is one of the contraceptive methods?

And more directly, what is my view towards abortion?

To give a definite answer, we first need to get a consensus on when do we mean by abortion, in other words, when do we consider a life has begun. The Catholics take this strictest, they thought life started at sperms and eggs, so things become simple - no artificial contraception, let alone abortion.

The next come the majority of general public - including the Christians. I have asked quite a number of my non-medic friends, and they all agree that life begins at the moment of fertilization, fusion of a sperm and an egg.

But wait, what about millions of ladies in the world having an IUCD (Intrauterine contraceptive device) in situ? These highly effective metals are placed inside the uterus, induce inflammation of uterine wall, and practically prevent implantion, after the egg has been fertilized. Isn't this constitute an abortion?

I guess before the religon leaders stand on the stage, convicting those who aborted under the law of Bible, and loudly encouraging the fellow listeners to think twice before sex and to contracept by all means, they should first learn more about human biology and current advances in contraceptive methods. Or else, in their definition, their moving speeches might have aided somebody to sin, mistakenly.

Kick Ass

Anyone could be a superhero.

I ain't interested in this movie from the beginning. I still remember quite clearly I first saw this poster in Cape Town (yes, the Cape Town in South Africa) while wandering in a mall with Brother Steward. Without knowing the plot, somehow the poster (not this one) reminded me of Austin Powers' kind of horrible humor. But now, I apologize for my unfair pre-occupied comment.

Kick-ass is a special one. You may have watched tonnes of movies centred on superheroes - Superman, Batman, Spiderman, X-men, Ironman (Pause - why all men?), Fantastic 4, Hulk, The League of Extraordinary...but if you bring the same expectation to Kick Ass, I guarantee you for a complete jaw dislocation.

Kick Ass is about an average teen fantasizing to become a superhero - and finally remained ordinary. It may sound non-sense, but frankly, this is what makes this film unique and to some extent - meaningful. I believe, as the movie has narrated, everyone in some point of life has dreamed about being a superhero, it might not necessary be a genuine one, but at least, we had all once dreamed for more power. But the inconvenient reality is that, we are bound to remain ordinary. Still, a superhero being heroic is by definition of zero surprise, it is always an average man who did the extraordinary who truly shines.

I love the movie's sarcastic altered quote from spider man:
"With no power, comes no responsibility. Except, that wasn't true."

Hi, Hi-tech!

***
Yes, iphone is powerful.
***

I started my day by using its multialarm plus nap-mode.

Before leaving the room, I checked the weather forecast, it reminded me to bring an umbrella.

While travelling on the train to HK Eye Hospital, I read the yahoo news.

Still not yet there, I rehersed today's powerpoint presentation ("Ocular manifestation of Hereps Zoster infection" what an specialised topic.)

After that, we had a spare hour, I read my own notes on the phone.

I got bored, so I played Need For Speed (highly recommended!).

We got bored, we mixed and matched faces by I Swap Faces - got an iatrogenic laughter induced stomache afterwards.

Going out for lunch here in Kowloon City, we searched Openrice for recommendations.

In the eye outpatient clinic, facing the crazy vocabs, I had my Medscape and Wikipanion.

Going back to hostel, on the minibus, I played MegaJump.

While having my homemade dinner alone, I clicked and listened to the latest summary of NEJM - a just fit 20min.

Realising today is Wednesday, I had a free movie ticket from Golden Harvest, I checked the time by HK Movie.

Before sleep, check facebook.

Set my alarm for another day.

==============================
Conclusion
1) Yes, it is powerful!
2) Ummm...seems things can go on without any conversations at all...
3) Why do I call this thing the i-PHONE, without having made a single phonecall at all?
==============================

500 Days of Summer

Finally, after a series of thrillers and fantasy movies, here comes the 500 days of Summer, the first romance-comedy on this blog.

The story is about Tom, a greeting card writer, meets Summer, a girl that he fell in love with almost at the first sight. The problem is - Summer never believes in true love. The film then narrates - in a fun way - the subsequent 500 days over the pathyway of love.

Watching this film is like enjoying a large bowel of fruit-salad, you got spoonfuls of mixed taste of love in a row, from romance, sweetness, passion to disappointment and heartbreaks. Well, right, love is definitely the most complex chemical reactions that ever exist - its unpredictable, non-reproducible, and - not quite scientific.

The tidal love between Tom and Summer might be quite a realistic mirror of all the lovers in the world. The emotional complexity and irrationality involved is what keep the couples exploring on. Putting together two people with different backgrounds and personality in such an intimate relationship would of course, from time to time, generate tension. But perhaps, it is the difference that make one attractive, and make him/her the unique and irreplacable one.

P.S. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so charming!