Review: The Dark Fields

The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I picked this book up almost immediately after watching the movie adaptation.

That was like, two, maybe even three months ago.

During the process I've picked up (and finished) Patrick Süskind's Perfume and a so-called "teen novel" Thirteen Reasons Why.

And a couple trashy Romances.

And two Agatha Christies.

I didn't fully warm up to the story itself way past halfway point, about 54% in. If you ask me, any book that doesn't attract you within the first third, you should ditch it aside. Life's too short to waste on something you don't enjoy reading.

I stuck through this one for a peculiar reason. I do self-destructive things when I'm down, but not self-harm. I write articles that pick on issues I know most people would have an issue with, I read novels that depress me further.

The book isn't bad, it's just depressing.

Watch the movie, this book should be the absolute last resort.



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Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I already said I'm curious about the mind. Whether it's a real mind or a fictional mind doesn't really matter.

Suskind captured me and my attention with Perfume, and now once again I lost myself to another description of the mind.

The mind of a teenage American girl who decided to take her own life.

Thirteen Reasons Why.

It's classified as a fiction for young adults. But I think, aside from the YA stuff going on, it's pretty fit for me. It tells her tale from the point of view of someone that has wronged her somehow, so you get to peek into two minds at once. The sensitive, fragile girl as she's slowly, in a way, bullied to her end, and the person that constantly finds shocks and heartbreaks as she slowly reveals it all, through cassette tapes.

Gosh this probably wouldn't work any more now. Who in the world still uses cassette tapes... more importantly, who in the world still has equipment to play them?

She recorded 7 tapes, 13 tales. Each targeting a person that has pushed her a little further, and each telling a story along that line of losing hope.

And she sent them all, to the first person out of those 13, for them to be passed on by the people on that list, each to the next, so they'd know exactly what they did, and how it was perceived.

It's not deep... but like I said so many times... I'm quite soppy. And I can almost hear her in those tapes. I can almost hear her anger, her frustration, her hurt, her disappointment.

I think the author did a pretty good job describing a teenage girl/ young woman, her anger and hurt, as well as the young man listening to it all. It is probably more suitable for young adults if you consider what kids that age go through...bullying, peer pressure, stuff like that. But it is no less real for me because I've been through that... So it's cool that a grown man can capture stuff like that, that impacts people so deep.



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Review: Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Picked up Patrick Süskind's Perfume, because recommended to me by a friend, I liked the movie a lot, the first time I believed wholeheartedly that images can transcend odours.

I believe I have the paperback in the UK, for now I'm stuck with a badly formatted digital version.

But gosh the scents that are described seem to attack my brain directly. I believe I'd be stuck with it for a while still... very strange..., can't seem to put it down, but I worry about my mentality when I try to understand Grenouille's mentality... and I cannot help it, the books seems to draw readers into it...

The words seem to shower me with their description of mentality and scent... making me feel lost and confused but enthralled all at once. I have to constantly stop because I get drawn in too easily... it's a masterpiece indeed.

I get to peek into the mind of a socio-path... or is that the mind of a psychopath? I think it is both, but more inclined to the latter. And I can almost see the reasoning, I can almost understand, and comprehend what is going through the head of Grenouille, how his mind is set.

Babies are born with a pure and simple mind. It's been a debate going on for thousands of years: were they born evil, or were they born good? Süskind seems to believe in the former, since Grenouille was born with a defect in character, as in he saw the world as he saw it, without love and without hope. But would he have changed if he had someone to love him? Would it have been different were someone able to offer him warmth?

I think I'd be stuck with finding out the answer. I wonder what I'd do if I was facing a person with no personal, human scent. I wonder what I'd do if I was such a person.



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Movie #chickflick (maybe)

So, today I saw this wonderful feel good movie called *One Day*, staring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. And it's kept my mood up all day.

It's an adaptation based on the novel of the same name, by David Nicholls.

I read the novel in June, I think I'm going to call it one of my top 5 for the year 2011.

Review: And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I know this story inside out for some reason. I don't believe I've read it before, but to be honest I cannot be quite so sure.

And I don't think I've seen any adaptation of this either.

Either way, I picked this up last night and finished it in just under 4 hours.

I think Agatha Christie is not great for writing detective or mystery novels. She's great for capturing the human mindset.

This novel is a perfect demonstration of such ability.

The way each guests thinks, doubts, suspects and is tortured with their own thoughts and fears. The fantastical description of how the dark side of human minds are at work. The endless questioning and cunning of each individual.

They are all so lively. Reading this book was like watching a play, a movie.

Knowing whodunit from the start did not spoil the story for me. It may have, in fact, enhanced it. To see that particular character at work, to comprehend the actions, and the derailed mind.

I shall refrain from picking up another until I finish Alan Glynn's Limitless. But oh the temptation!



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Review: Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I finished this one two days ago, was just lazy to type it out.

Another reason was I wasn't not sure what I could add to the Agatha Christie glory already out there. I always liked mystery and detective novels, most of the ones I've read however, prior to the 3 years spent in the UK, were in Chinese.

I have the full Arsen Lupin collection, as well as the Sherlock Holmes collection, in Chinese, sitting next to me right this very minute. In Taiwan and Japan, Arsen Lupin is a lot bigger a deal than Sherlock Holmes. At least such was the case of my generation.

I suspect the reason being French are inherently more romantic, and thus their stories presents themselves more romantic as well; while the English are...well, not dull, but oh-so-formal, and stiff. Sherlock can never be the ladies man, the moment he starts speaking that mysterious air of his vaporises, turning stern.

Anyway, Agatha Christie is English, and so...not very romantic. Poirot is set to be Belgian, but still more English than believable.

But I picked this out of my ebooks one night after watching the ITV movie adaptation. So it lives up to the task. She's truly remarkable in story telling, the dear Agatha. The story flows, the characters are, so lively (even though just a touch more stiff than in real life, but consider the time...I can live with that). And my favourite character of them all must be M. Bouc. He's more alive than anyone in the story. But that's just me.

I always dreaded picking up Agatha Christie, for there are so many. I was given a Poirot collection couple Christmases back, by my not-so-much-better-but-one-can't-complain other half, who saw me wasting time on a pc game demo based on her work. I don't think I really read it, I just picked it up to make him feel like he didn't waste the money.

Also I had it in my head that her work would be difficult to read. I am more into modern mysteries and detective novels, like the Jeffrey Deaver type.

But this was surprisingly fluent, for a person that's native tongue isn't English. I've been working on finishing the novel Limitless (or The Dark Fields), which the movie is based upon, but it's narrative left me with a headache so I stop constantly. With Murder on the Orient Express my only stops were when I was attending my Grandmother's funeral, and when I fell asleep while reading.

By the way I tend to read just before bed time, so falling asleep while reading (especially after spending the entire day working on translation or surfing the web), is a common thing. So the above statement was meant to be complimentary.

I think I'll pick another Agatha Christie book, for my next read.



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Review: The Redbreast

The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This is the third book of the Harry Hole series, yet the first one available in English. I wonder whether it's different for the Chinese versions, but have yet to check out the local bookstore. (Just checked and the Chinese translations start from book 3 as well.)

Yet, maybe I'm stereotyping, but Nordic novels, always seem so cold. They shape the landscape into a field plagued with different shades of grey. They are heavy, even when the subject seems relatively light.

Which doesn't mean they are not enjoyable. Even though I entered a series in the third installment, after its principle characters have been well established and thus very difficult for a new reader to follow, I was drawn to the story nonetheless. The time jump method did pose some problem for my comprehension, however, especially once I got used to the pace the author stopped and stayed in the present.

The culprit wasn't difficult to deduce, not really. Which is a downside. Typically when reading mysteries of thrillers I tend to not try and figure out who-done-it, since most of the time I'd be wrong anyway. This time not only wasn't I wrong, I'd bet most of the readers'd be spot on; which is not a pleasant surprise.

I just can't wrap my head around translating a series from book 3 onwards and ignoring the ones that actually set the tone for the characters still. But maybe that's just me.



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令人心神嚮往的神去村

最近發現原來我換了手機之後找到的，類似好讀的讀書分享網站(但是偏向書籍整理跟心得分享，而不是好讀的電子書下載)，支援把讀書心得直接貼到blogger中。

這個網站名字就叫goodreads，硬要翻譯的話，嚴格說來就是好讀。而且支援各種語言的書，真的找不到還可以自己加上去。也支援中日文顯示。不過，畢竟是老美的網站，英文還是主要。

Review: Hitler's Niece: A Novel

Hitler's Niece: A Novel by Ron Hansen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


At the start of the book, I couldn't quite get into it. Then I found out this is the same author that wrote The assassination if Jesse James by the coward wotshisname, and I thought, shoot, another book I'd probably never finish...(i never did finish that movie, really not my cup of tea...didn't even touch that book).

The writing is fluent, the words he chose to use in German was not. Maybe it's to contribute exotic feelings, but (and I was born in Germany and lived there for 8 years, so technically it's my mother tongue and homeland) c'mon, what was ever exotic about Germany?

I spoke that language daily for the first 8 years of my life yet I found the ones inserted showy, most of them were unnecessary, and it made an already very history text book like novel even harder to swallow.

It does get better, like 30-40% in. I was constantly distracted by other novels and have finished two in the meantime, so was forcing myself to read on. After I broke that 35% barrier it did get a lot easier, maybe because it started focusing on Geli more.

Geli is, and will remain a mystery. Hitler has always been a subject that the Germans and Austrian allike would never try to mention willingly, that bit of history erased from their memory unless you actually go to historical sites. I heard things have changed in recent years, but you could never expect a person to lift his own scabs and reveal his wounds, that's just too cruel. Hitler mentioned by every other country seems to be less of a human being and more of a monster. As in this book.

Half way through reading, I looked up these people online. I found a photo of Geli, the one mentioned in the book. I also found photos of Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress and wife for less than 24 hrs. They seemed strikingly similar.

I'm a soppy person, so I have to admit that towards the end of Geli I shed some tears. Not because she seemed unhappy, that happens way too often. But because she seemed trapped. Whether it was as the book says or trapped by love though, I have no idea.

It's not a bad read, just not as enthralling as I expected the topic to be.



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Review: Grow Up

Grow Up by Ben Brooks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


His work isn't deep, granted. But the author is 18.



People (readers and critics alike) seem to forget that, they demand Charles Dickens out of him just because he's published. He is a teenager, and although young, his writing is better than a lot of adults ever will be. Give him time.



The book is not sophisticated, it's a very simple story about a teenage boy and drugs and sex and what's going through their head at that age. But I was often pleasantly surprised by choice of wording and sentences, often being at least once every three pages on my kindle.



I once purchased a book on Amazon written by a certain 'Anonymous' who published several of them, and some readers rating it as 'brilliant'. It wasn't, not for me. It was a jumbled up demon-ish, detective mystery fantasy that seemed to be written by a 13 year old while he was high on hard drugs. Forced and illogical. I ended up not finishing it and leaving it on a train.



At least this one is honest, and actually sensible. And I simply couldn't put it down.



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Review: 那啊那啊神去村

那啊那啊神去村 by Shion Miura

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I bought it since late March, shortly after it was published. I have an issue of buying books quicker than I can read them, so there's always a massive pile of 'to read's in some corner. Paperback or digital.



It's a strange little story, it makes me laugh and cry, and often both at once. Most of the time, it makes me smile unstoppably. It is the story of another teenager, also 17. A Japanese boy left the city and started working deep in the woods, as a lumberjack, living with a strange group of people in a faraway village.



I can totally understand why Miyazaki thought of making it into an animation/movie. I can also understand why he chose not to in the end. Even though I do hope he changes his mind again. This story does fit his style of story telling.



This book is strangely enthralling, I picked it up at 3 this morning thinking "I'll go to bed after 20 pages" then it became 40, 60, and eventually a chapter.



And then I didn't put it down till half past 8, when I actually finished the whole book. I have a course to give in one hour, but strangely I don't mind. I feel good. This is one of them books that makes you feel good about life after reading it.



It's not available in English yet, though I hope it will be soon. :)









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New phone try out

So I got this new mobile, which is an android, which means it's one of them smartphones, which means it comes with a range of apps to choose from and download and try and then maybe keep or delete them...which basically means it becomes hard to put down the phone.

親愛的

        我看了一本書。



        The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society，台灣遠流的譯本，叫做《親愛的茱麗葉》。



        根西馬鈴薯皮派文學讀書會。



        根西島，是法國外海的英國領土。說是領土，其實根西是個自治地區。英國皇室除了美其名的皇權之外，英國政府什麼都管不著。稅不上繳、法不由定、官不由選。但電話號碼掛的是英國國碼。



        博客萊上的導讀說，中文譯名翻的好；原名太不「文學」。看完這麼一本書，講出這麼一句話讓我很愕然。文學一定要那麼高深莫測、深奧隱誨？書裡講的都是再自然不過的、日常、想法、見解。就算是農夫養豬戶，也可以去理解的生活。



        生活即是文學。



        我讀的是英文版，或許有機會，親愛的你可以去翻翻中文版。一邊趕稿、一邊幫雷少念多益的這個星期；我手邊帶著這本書。筆電沒有電了，沒法趕稿；我就翻開書籤夾著的那頁進度，就著飲料，窩在座位上，偷偷咯咯笑；偶爾抬頭關心一下模擬考試生的寫作進度，等著雷少做完模擬考題目來檢討。



        自從離職在家專心翻譯，一個月來，我反倒多了時間看書。稿子照樣拖的很慚愧狠心虛，可是每晚睡前的書還是放不下。



        讀完了美味關係的原著，又拿起根西馬鈴薯皮派。巧合的是，兩本都是小品。前者用部落格文章與日記段落串聯；後者是書信、電報、電纜通訊...



        今天下午看看已經看完了半本。回到家忍不住拿起來繼續看著，笑著。為了書信往返中的生活記事、為了那島上一票好友男男女女的生活境遇、為了莫名串聯起來的緣分。



        從不知道什麼時候起，我有了在新書封底寫上名字簽上購買日期的習慣。所以看到書中女主角收到一封陌生人的來信，說是因為一本二手書輾轉聯絡到的，特別有感覺。



         曾經在亞馬遜光看說明買了一本書；這是我第一次買書買到大失所望。作者的故事筆法不但像個稚嫩的青少年，還像個嗑了藥嗨過頭青少年一樣毫無章法。至少我無法領會那書的美妙之處。我只看的頭腦發脹，想睡覺；或者出去淋雨；或者曬太陽。



        一趟旅行帶出門，我沒把書留在倫敦的青年旅社，堆滿書籍的書架上。同寢男生跟我說可以玩book swapping，把我的書留下然後翻翻哪本書有興趣，把它帶回家。



        我遲疑許久，選擇把書遺留在英國的火車上。那時候還覺得是很浪漫的事。



        或許哪個旅途無聊的乘客，會選擇那個位置前往愛丁堡。或許他會發現這本書。在那一個小時的車程之中，說不定，那個新的乘客會愛上這本書，然後給它一個家，不也挺好。



        私底下，我希望這本書留在英國。在青年旅社，它或許漂洋過海會淪落到圭亞納也不一定。我只是舉例。然後瑪姬知道之後跟我說，那萬一是韓國人坐到那個位置把書帶回家呢？



        我啜著熱茶假裝什麼都沒聽到。



        我要偷偷承認，是因為青年旅社的書沒有的看上眼的。



        馬鈴薯皮派，當初買這本書也是一時衝動：看著名字覺得很可愛。



        這是作者生平第一本，也是唯一一本著作。在書正式付印出版前，瑪莉安雪佛不幸與世長辭。身為美國人，一遊英國之後寫出讓自許1/3個英國人的我暗笑不已，拍案叫絕，直跟Skype那端的男友嚷嚷，好英國的一本書。



        希望親愛的你會去翻翻這本書，跟我一樣又哭又笑之後，掛著滿足的微笑闔上有點折彎的書頁，泡上一杯熱騰騰的茶，窩在沙發上逗弄著小貓或小狗。然後覺得世界、生活，都很美好。



        順道一提，我發現無名分類沒有閱讀這一項。好震驚。

The day I died

        最近愛上Just Jack的音樂，Jack Johnson般的調調雜著濃濃英國倫敦腔。那名號總讓我想到Will & Grace。



        ICRT狂播他的 The day I died.



        一開始以為我聽錯了。廣播永遠開著當背景音樂，很少注意歌詞內容是什麼。直到這個週末，靜下心來。



        The Day I Died - Just Jack



        Drag myself from my bed Around 20 past 6

        Get my kids up make breakfast 1 egg 2 toast 3 weetabix



        And as I sit down I look up

        And your standing in the doorway sun at your back

        in my old brown dressing gown

        Well no one can love you more than I love you now

        but I



        Gotta go running for the bus

        Coat flying and i try not to miss it this time

        But the drivers waiting and that's strange

        Kids on the top deck quiet for a change

        And theres no rain and no roadworks in the

        Bus lane and all my hurts run away

        And im smiling as I'm punching in



        (Chorus)

        The day I died was the best day of my life (2x)

        Tell my friends and my kids and my wife

        everything will be alright

        The day I died was the best day of my life



        Now the secretaries they got a smile for me

        and the in tray on my desks almost empty

        I get a memo from executive joe

        saying Rob the gob is getting kicked out

        for embezzling funds from the company account

        and i'd be lying if i said i wasn't chuffed

        cos i always hated rob

        and now they'll probably offer me robs old job



        And in the park at lunch

        Theres no whinos on my favorite bench

        none of that drunk chatter none of that pissy stench

        and the scrawney little pigeons with the gammy leg

        decide to dine from someone elses sandwich instead

        and there's something about the city today

        like all the colours conspire to overwhelm the grey

        and this close to the fire I can feel no cold

        but a rainbow halo around my soul



        (Chorus)

        The day I died was the best day of my life (2x)

        Tell my friends and my kids and my wife

        everything will be alright

        The day I died was the best day of my life



        So I leave work get to the high street and i miss my bus

        Should i wait for another no I can't be arsed

        I begin to walk and rush hour crowd seem to part

        Like the red sea, and im stopping at the offy

        20 cigerettes and a 6 pack to relax me

        And as I cross back over the street

        I guess i never saw that taxi

       

        dodododododododoood!



        (Chorus)

        The day I died was the best day of my life (2x)

        Tell my friends and my kids and my wife

        everything will be alright 

        The day I died was the best day of my life



        想聽歌，可以按下標題連到youtube；或者，播放網誌音樂。喜歡，請支持正版。

My back pages

        昨天下了班去買菜，回到家兩人收收弄弄已經接近晚上九點。等到晚餐的貝果三明治料理好，正好電視台轉到Cold Case。故事內容大意是說一對同性警察戀人在六零年代末期，不被警隊接受而導致的悲劇。



        Cal已經開始慢慢習慣我的多愁善感又愛哭個性，一看到是悲劇結局就很自動的一手把我摟過去，另外一隻手伸長了去撈張衛生紙。誰叫電視台一定要灑一下狗血?倒是我突然聽清了背景音樂的一首老歌歌詞，驚喜的忘了要繼續心酸。回頭上網一查，是Bob Dylan的作品；叫作My Back Pages。



        很喜歡裡面那句"But I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"，多麼詩意?上網去查了歌詞，更是深刻體會為什麼美國電視電影裡面常常說他是個詩人，更甚於歌手。



        分享的是The Byrds翻唱，Bob Dylan原作的，My Back Pages。

        Crimson flames tied through my ears

        Rollin' high and mighty traps

        Pounced with fire on flaming roads

        Using ideas as my maps

        "We'll meet on edges, soon," said I

        Proud 'neath heated brow.

        Ah, but I was so much older then,

        I'm younger than that now.

        Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth

        "Rip down all hate," I screamed

        Lies that life is black and white

        Spoke from my skull. I dreamed

        Romantic flags of musketeers

        Foundationed deep, somehow.

        Ah, but I was so much older then,

        I'm younger than that now.



        In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand

        At the mongrel dogs who teach

        Fearing not I'd become my enemy

        In the instant that I preach

        My existence led by confusion boats

        Mutiny from stern to bow.

        Ah, but I was so much older then,

        I'm younger than that now.

        Ah, but I was so much older then,

        I'm younger than that now.



        Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats

        Too noble to neglect

        Deceived me into thinking

        I had something to protect

        Good and bad, I define these terms

        Quite clear, no doubt, somehow.

        Ah, but I was so much older then,

        I'm younger than that now.

Watchmen守護者

        我看的片子，算是種類廣泛了吧?或許跟老爸愛看電影有關。帶著老媽一起看，有了我之後當然也拉著不懂事的丫頭一起看。搞得我八歲前就懵懵懂懂的看過亂世佳人跟一堆經典名片，長這麼大想要再看一次卻是困難重重。



        也或許跟男孩子一塊長大的關係，對於動作片驚悚片也是一概歡迎。唯一不喜歡的，是莫名的屍塊橫飛片；沒原沒由甚麼都沒講清楚從頭到尾只有血肉模糊的片子。還有惡搞低級笑料片，極盡噁心之能事的白爛片；這種片子是不碰的。自從跟Cal在一起，偶爾血腥片也跟著看；只有惡搞片是打死不碰的。



        上星期四，Cal惦記著我倆交往一週年；拉著我先是去了間餐廳吃好料，又跑去電影院看了部電影。買票的時候，還很豪邁的買了IMAX的電影票，要不是去的餐廳有憑票根主餐買一送一的好事，我很可能把票根表框起來。說起來好笑，我選的電影是Watchmen，標準的動作暴力美學片。主要是因為之前看了預告兩個人都覺得好像是很酷的電影。至於這部片的漫畫，電影沒出之前聽都沒聽過。



        這部片是由300的導演拍攝。大約半年前我才被Cal連哄帶騙的拐在他爸媽客廳裡把300給看完了。在那之前，因為聽艾達說那部片超暴力藝術，沒想過要碰。其實暴力片我也看啊，追殺比爾被我列為另類經典。但是一群穿得很少的斯巴達男人去砍一群波斯怪人，總覺得沒趣。沒想到這部片超乎意料的好看；所以聽說Watchmen是同一個導演的時候反到加分了。



        另外一點是，女主角有點神似Keira Knightly跟Natalie Portman。加上最近幾部漫畫電影的Iron Man跟The Dark Knight都看過了，總覺的漫畫片還滿好看的。



        當晚，IMAX廳裡面座無虛席。唯一可惜的是將近一點五倍票價的IMAX廳，放的新片預告卻少得可憐，只有一部新的星艦迷航預告。剩下的都是劇照跟電影介紹的文字...亂沒道理的...



        電影本身很好看。電影配樂是這部片的一大看頭；剩下的就是主角的獨白...冗長但只能說，很有深意。總而言之，這部片，讓我想起Clamp的聖傳。



        順道一提，我一直到星期六(昨天)才發現，原來星期四是我們兩的紀念日。算是少數女生忘記這種事情的吧...(笑)

Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day

       上次下曼城的空擋，拉著男友看一部勉強被我歸類為chick flick的片。



       就事論事的說...算是幽默溫馨小品吧；叫做Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day。似乎，有翻譯叫作明星助理，不知道是不是真的這樣上映？



       雖然有點不良，不過非常好看的片。...為什麼說不良呢？



       Miss Pettigrew是個一輩子循規蹈矩的老處女家庭教師，因為太過古板不知變通，所以被雇主辭退了。順道一提，英國找工作很多都是透過仲介公司找的，似乎是頗有歷史淵源。電影中的Pettigrew小姐在再度被辭退之後，行李也掉了，飯也沒得吃，倒楣到家的回到仲介公司要求新的工作機會。



       但因為三番兩次被辭退的理由，都一樣，於是仲介公司不打算給她另外一次機會。剛好這時，有個社交名媛透過同一個仲介公司尋找「社交秘書」。被逼到走投無路的Pettigrew，於是偷了雇主的聯絡資料。



       Pettigrew以為社交名媛要找的是家庭教師；沒想到人家年輕貌美根本沒結婚。還在三個男人之間掙扎徘徊。誤打誤撞的，Pettigrew於是成了社交秘書；還勝任愉快。不過，只有短短的一天...



       中間很多誤會引起的幽默片段；也有很多溫馨感人的時刻。



       因為一部片講一整天發生的事情，所以不像一般慢步調的溫馨片；相對來說步調相當熱鬧，卻又不覺得過份緊湊。



       算是最近看的片裡面強推的一部。



       值得一提：女主角其實是美國演員，但是扮演英國古板中年婦女真是爐火純青啊...我不停狂笑跟男友說She's sooooo English!!至於另一外，社交名媛，則可以說sooo American吧？兩相對照，實在很有趣。



       至於不良...循規蹈矩一生卻倒楣透頂；冒名頂替之後反而轉好運...這，不能說是良好示範吧？

All Summer Long

       Kid Rock的歌，有點country的味道，但是聽著心情就不錯。



       最近英國狂放這首歌，算是很紅吧。碰上最近幾天雨瘋狂的下，據說一個晚上可以下出一個月份、甚至一年份的降雨量...(要知道英國，下雨是家常便飯啊!!)，這首歌算是小小的精神慰藉。



       照例，附上歌詞。



     "All Summer Long"



    It was 1989, my thoughts were short my hair was long

    Caught somewhere between a boy and man

    She was seventeen and she was far from in-between

    It was summertime in Northern Michigan

    Ahh Ahh Ahh

    Ahh Ahh Ahh



    Splashing through the sand bar

    Talking by the campfire

    It's the simple things in life, like when and where

    We didn't have no internet

    But man I never will forget

    The way the moonlight shined upon her hair



    [Chorus:]

    And we were trying different things

    We were smoking funny things

    Making love out by the lake to our favorite song

    Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow

    Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long

    Singing Sweet home Alabama all summer long



    Catching Walleye from the dock

    Watching the waves roll off the rocks

    She'll forever hold a spot inside my soul

    We'd blister in the sun

    We couldn't wait for night to come

    To hit that sand and play some rock and roll



    While we were trying different things

    And we were smoking funny things

    Making love out by the lake to our favorite song

    Sipping whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow

    Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

    Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

   

    Now nothing seems as strange as when the leaves began to change

    Or how we thought those days would never end

    Sometimes I'll hear that song and I'll start to sing along

    And think man I'd love to see that girl again



    [Repeat Chorus x2]



    Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

    Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

    Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

    Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

迷霧驚魂The Mist

        這部片子，是史蒂芬金Stephen King的作品改編。



        就事論事的說，近年他的作品改編作品，很少有好看的。捕夢網，Dream Catcher就是一例。最好看的大概還是Shawshank Redemption(台灣翻譯成莫名的刺激1995)跟The Green Mile(綠色奇蹟)吧，老片就是比較耐看。



       我討厭怪物、恐怖片之流；史蒂芬金是例外。雖然近年來看完往往是想要罵人狀態。



       話說某一小鎮突然前晚暴風侵襲，第二天上午突然起了大霧。主人翁告別妻子帶著兒子上城裡的超市買東西，卻在此時大霧莫名就壟罩了全市。



       更可怕的是，濃霧裡有不知名的生物，伺獵。



       一群人被關在超市裡，人心惶惶。



       這部電影其實主要不在講怪物的恐怖。講的主要是人心。



       宗教狂藉此宣揚世界末日，莫名成了一群愚忠信徒的首領，接手超市的主導權。



       反駁過她的、得罪過她的，全得遭殃。



       人類的弱點，是面對未知的時候心理都會有所扭曲。想要找個解釋，即使在平常時期，這樣的解釋被我們斥之以鼻、一笑置之。



       我覺得就心理驚悚來講，這部戲直得一看。



       人性本惡的感覺，只能說愈來愈甚。



       說起來，結局很沉重。或許要做好這點心理準備吧。

The Lost Room

       來講一部台灣不知道會不會播出的迷你影集。



       The Lost Room是2006年美國SciFi頻道推出的，年度迷你影集，算是講神秘事件吧。



       說到這個年度Mini Series，2007年度的Tin Man錫人倒是一點都不好看。雖然是講The Wizard of Oz的故事，但是演員演技超爛、故事老套，而且...我覺得連特效都很cheap的感覺。



       回頭講the lost room。這是講一個汽車旅館的房間，在六零年代末名的就消失了。沒有人知道發生了什麼事，或者是什麼樣的原因讓這個房間消失。然而，其實房間仍然存在，只是在一個異度空間裡。



       當初事件發生之時存在在房間裡面的物品，莫名都有了奇特的力量。



       例如，普通的原子筆可以產生熱能、梳子可以停止時間幾秒鐘、手錶可以煮蛋、剪刀可以使物體旋轉...而鑰匙，則變成可以打開任何門，通往房間本身。每次房門一關，必須使用鑰匙重新開門，就會造成房間Reset成最原始的狀態。



       也就是說，原本在房裡的物品，會回到原本存在的位置；原本不在房裡的物品，則會消失。



       普通的日常物品有了超凡力量，自然就有了所謂了追隨著，將這整個房間當成上帝的存在而信奉著(想當然爾，有點宗教狂熱的感覺)；也自然就有了野心勃勃的收藏家，各懷鬼胎的彼此競賽著蒐集這些物品。甚至，還有專門販賣物品的情報給這些收藏者的，訊息獵人。



       在這樣的設定下，主角的警探，卻意外的在不知情的情況下，得到鑰匙。



       更妙的是，身為單身爸爸的警探，有個年幼的女兒，意外走進房間，門卻從外面關上了。女兒消失之後，做父親的自然窮盡心力去想辦法找回女兒。



       就是這樣一個故事。



       而，主角，是六呎風雲裡的Peter Krause，最近的作品還包括網路上翻譯為罪惡財富或者黑金誘惑的Dirty Sexy Money，也是一部滿好看的佳作，講的是紐約最大權勢家族集財富權力於一身，家族御用律師跟家族的人裡面恩怨牽扯不斷的故事。



       消失在房裡的女孩，則是Dakota Fanning這個超會飆戲的小孩的妹妹，Elle Fanning。



       演技也是一等一的好。