Picture Perfect

Perfect is a relative unit that bends with society expectation and emotional longing. That is one way to explain perfect, but it is a relative explanation of a relative unit after all. But what if you don’t like the ideal perfect?

In this world today, liking the way you are is a rebellious act. It’s painful to not pretend of having the same idea of perfect, because you are instantly dealing with so many judgments by then. People even argue over different tastes of music, so what is the limit to that? How many times did you held your breath to please everyone around you? How much the idea of messing everything’s up and bearing living as a walking failure consumes you?

I am not proud of my perfect. There is fear to go with my perfect and fail to provide even my own expectation. Perhaps it’s the ache of all the people that would be there with long lectures about how they had told me beforehand to follow their path instead. Maybe I’m just a coward that loves being sedated by the society-hating attitude I’m faking, because I still very much want to be the part of it. Before I realize, I’m fading into the background, afraid of saying the different thing. Passionate thing. Love thing. And I fear I’ll be afraid of saying myself next.

Maybe one day, you’ll wake up seven in the morning to the fresh air in the perfect of your own. Maybe one day, you’ll wake up with a revelation that you never need to pretend anymore.

"Are you doing what matters or just reacting to the noise?" Brandon Burchard.

x, Michelle

(REVIEW) The Man In The High Castle (S01)

But first, let's take a moment to praise a beautiful eerie opening they made for the show.

Liking Adolf Hitler is not an easy task—but when he’s in the #WorldWarIIIPreventionSquad, you are left with a very limited option. Set fifteen years after WWII, The Man In The High Castle blows our mind with an alternate universe of the world wherein Hitler won his war. Based on a book with the same name by Phillip K. Dick, the Amazon’s original web-series has an undeniably sterling premise one can’t simply miss. The portrayal of chillingly believable other world manages to leave a solid mark in my mind, and I have nothing else to say about their outstanding job in creating the setting, details, and vibes of The Nazi’s America.

Now is ruled by The Nazis on the East and The Imperial Japan on the West, the world’s superpower country is nothing but history. When The Resistances are busy with their movement to be free from the not so friendly ruler, the two forces in this alternate universe are taken with their own agenda. Words travel fast, and it’s been said that Adolf Hitler is terminally ill and waiting for his time. It is easy to note that not every Nazis are satisfied with his decision to share their victorious win during WWII with The Japs, let alone in dividing America. The Japs has every right to worry, seeing how advance The Nazis’ technology has grown over years. On the other hand, The Nazis can’t just declare a war just like that.

Tangled in the complicated politics, Joe Blake (Luke Kleintank) arrives as a newbie wanting to join The East Resistance Group. His first task is driving a truck to a place referred as The Neutral-Zone somewhere in between The Rocky Mountains. Then we meet Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos), our heroine. Like every other heroines I know, she suffers stupid-decision-making-disorder; and like every other heroines I know, the consequences are rarely small. In her case, pursuing a highly dangerous errand to deliver some kind of propaganda-film linked to someone coded The Man in The High Castle resulting her lover, Frank Frink (Rupert Evans), tortured and his sister, nephew, and niece killed by the Japs.  Such an experience surely changed your life forever, and it applies well to Frank. Once a calm man seeking nothing else than what’s been given to him, he goes to an extent of planning to shoot The Japanese Prince himself. When Juliana hasn’t been made aware of that, she is already getting herself into something so much bigger for herself. After all, Joe is probably not someone he claimed to be.

I love the way the show present us many perspectives to see this different world. Especially in this different world, because here I am curious about everything. The upcoming war is not something unknown for Japanese Trading Minister Nobusuke Taogomi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), whom interest is always to remain the peaceful agreement. On the other hand, perfect Nazi and cold-hearted loyalist Obergruppenfuher John Smith (Rufus Sewell) may be so much more than the previous description. There something about these two men that caught my heart. I couldn’t really see myself rooting for a Nazi before, but I found myself begging The Obergruppenfuhrer not to die anytime soon. In between the grim and slow paced story, he manages to keep the tension going and that is very appreciated especially in the middle of the series. Honestly, I started the series and hating almost everyone including our protagonists with stupid-decision champion title. Crawling to the closure, I see tremendous whys that don’t right their wrong in killing innocent people, but I understand. This is one of that fiction in which everyone have their own way to justify their decisions to what to them is a greater good.

I believe I can say more about the so called The Man in The High Castle himself when I see the next season, since I feel this one is serving as a mere introduction of the pillars and situations.  Wisely said, this series is not packed with noisy action scenes that thrill you the same time they excite you. I barely see anyone laughing or even smiling, but that is probably unavoidable when you are either held captive by The Nazi or live in this universe at all. Most fight happens with tension eyes and words rather than gunfight, and every episode is darker than the previous one. That being said, getting through the first episode might be hard for many people that not keen on this kind of show—and it doesn’t get better after either. Anyhow, missing this one would probably cost you a very amazing pleasure of one goddamn good creation. The Man in The High Castle is to return this December with brand new Season Two.

x, Michelle

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(REVIEW) I Origins / Magical & Realistic Endeavour (2014)

There is a specific quirky, indie-inflected vibes you can't simply forget after watching I Origins. And that is what a good movie is all about, I guess -- unforgettable. The movie is not a critic' favorite though it has every materials to be. Nevertheless, I love Mike Cahill's way in driving this movie, and his idea, and I will absolutely be excited for his next project. 

Dr. Ian Grey (Michael Pitt) is obsessed with human eye, especially the eye biometrics that are specific and at an extent, define human soul. Rather than taking the scientific implication of what seemingly to be a very, scientific documentary with 3 scientists trying to figure eye evolutions; I Origins please my thirst soul of beautiful philosophical encounter by its approach to long lasting Science vs Religion debate.

Dr. Grey... which maybe or maybe not an extended family of the more famous sibling Meredith, portrays an obvious proud scientist that denies the existence of God. The wheel turned around as he encounters Sofi (Astrid Berges-Fibrey), a model with exceptional beautiful eyes, and soul. Their romance is fast assembled through pretty scenes and carefully selected Radiohead song, but Ian's denial of Divine Creator is peeving throughout the movie, and eventually, relationship. Regret, love, and human ego are issued as Ian needs to face the spiritual power he's been trying to debunk.

Over a billboard of Sofi's captivating eyes.

No matter how unrealistic it was to recognise someone over her eyes (on billboard picture), I can't help but loving the idea.

I Origins has a very few named-casts--one of the fewest out of movies I have watched, even. I believe it takes a very brilliant actors to work those kind of things out. Michael Pitt has a straight Ian Grey's cut of an indie, cocky scientist that is also charming on being that. Astrid Berges-Fibrey is everything but ordinary pretty girl, which is just perfect for Sofi. The Spanish-French actress and model caught my heart from the very first start. Brit Marling stars as Ian's lab partner, together with much loved Glenn Rhee... I mean, Steven Yeun.

The movie takes us to a magical realist endeavour about eyes, soul, and the bigger power above us all. There's a flow in the cinematography and editing of I Origins that carries us along in some picturesque manners, which, has always been my weak spot. I must say Sofi is also one of the prettiest thing of the movie. And despite of all unrealistic (but pleasing) moments, I definitely love I Origins.

x, M

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My Favorite Thing

I think it is important to have a favorite thing. Favorite color, favorite actor, favorite cartoon character, favorite book, favorite movie… an endless lists of it. Simply because I think The Little Prince would be a better answer to define yourself rather than I don’t know, I have so many favorite books.

I love to be judged by my passions. It sounds so weird, the part that I love to be judged, but I gave up the idea of no judging at all a long time ago. The truth is, people will judge you, and when that’s the case, proceed with something brilliantly good. Of course there will always an option to be happy go lucky and carefree about it, but there will be too, people that can’t do that.

Me; definitely the latter. So yes, I overthink and feel insecure over so many things in this world, including being judged. Nevertheless, I judge too. When you ask, read, or even see a post regarding of something someone favoring about, you can’t help to judge. Well, this is a social media era after all. When someone says his/her favorite movie is The Breakfast Club, you judge. When someone says his/her favorite movie is The Avengers, you judge. What kind of judgment it is, of course varies. I like being judged for stuffs I love and favors, because I believe they define what kind of souls I am made of. I want to be seen as what I love. 

Because you will want to be seen like the things you love. Your favorite thing. Thing that, makes you feel relatable, bursting in emotion, and captivated. If that is SpongeBob SquarePants, so be it. It still better than I like everything cliché. So love something… remarkably, insanely, and share to the world why.

In fact, my stuffs are not about all blue just because I love the color blue. I definitely don’t wear a blue shirt over blue skirt with blue bag because it is wrong at so many levels.  Regardless, there’s something personal about blue that feels, me.  That’s why it’s my favorite color.

Just because I love The Little Prince so much, it doesn’t make me un-love Harry Potter. I obviously love Harry Potter. But throughout, at a specific extent, I don’t think Harry Potter defines me. I think the term my favorite is so much more than things you keen, love, and generally prefer. Being a terminal awkward person especially, my conversation often being led by questions like my favorite thing all the time. When you ask me about books I enjoy reading, I can name ten, twenty, thirty of it. It’s not like I love them less (because I am one of those people that believe love can’t be measured), but my favorite book is The Little Prince.

To be seen as someone who loves The Little Prince is a compliment for me, because since it’s my favorite thing, I am bound to always feel good about it. So, judge me, whatever. I always feel insecure about my appearance; my weight, my hair and everything, but never once I feel insecure by my favorite thing.

x
Michelle