The Awakening of Nationalistic Theme

Starring: Atikah Hasiholan, Yama Carlos, Franz Tumbuan, Hengky Solaiman, Davina, Nino Fernandez, Imelda Soraya, Wulan Guritno, Verdi Solaiman, David van Noorwijk

Screenplay by: AYU UTAMI

Directed by: Teddy Soeriaatmaja

Plot Outline:

Kisah cinta dan perjuangan anak muda Indonesia yang idealis. Film ini membawa kita ke masa kini dan masa lalu. Lewat tokoh Maida dan sebuah rumah bersejarah, kita bertemu dengan para pendiri bangsa, serta dibawa mengarungi roman maupun tragedi nasib manusia pada titik-titik bersejarah tanah air: di masa Revolusi Kemerdekaan maupun Reformasi 1998.

p.s: Yang di bold memang dari dulu sudah menjadi favorit saya, personally...

The Taxicab Lady

from "The Equation of Love and Death" (2008, Cao Baoping)


Zhou Xun acts incredibly as a desperate taxicab driver

Li Mi(Zhou Xun), a young taxi driver who has been waiting for her disappeared fiancé Fang Wen(Chao Deng) while receiving his letters randomly, encountered two male drug dealers, the older one named Qiu Huogui(Wang Yanhui) experienced and cruel, the other young man Qiu Shuitian(Wang Baoqiang) innocent and looking for his adorable girl named Xiao Xiang. At the same time, a drug deal called Ma Bing partnered with his girlfriend Ai Feifei(Wang Ning) coming to Kuming for the last deal and anticipating a brand new life, got the suicide poet fall down on their car unexpectedly, while being witnessed by Qiu Huogui and Qiu shuitian. Connected by the death of a poet, Li Mi, Fang Wen ,Ai Feifei and these two criminals were involved in a crime and a confusing case.

The movie itself is a little bit boring with complex plot, as usual HK criminal-suspense . But Zhou Xun performance is the reason to watch this very good little film. She is something almost other worldly in a performance that is, simply put, one of the most amazing things I've ever seen on the screen.

here is the trailer link





my own rating:
7.5 from 10

The Monumental Film-scores

A few years ago(in 2005) the American Film Institute, or A.F.I revealed their own list of the top 25 film scores in American cinema. With "Star Wars"(1977), "Gone With the Wind"(1939), "Lawrence of the Arabia"(1962), "Psycho"(1960), and "The Godfather"(1972) as the top five respectively.

The 25 list also included my fave cinematic composer Franz Waxman









His works on the 25 list; "Laura"(alongside David Raksin) #7, and "Sunset Boulevard" #16.
One of my favorite from his works is "A Place in the Sun", and - today - I added the cinematic score as my music widged, enjoy it! :)