The things films can teach you

After reading Aaron's entry, I will listen to McPhee again, especially Ordinary World and catch all the intervals dutifully. But I like the 'boys in the club' bit, very personal *sniff*.

Recently, I watched two fantastic films, for all you doggie fans out there.

いぬのえいが プレミアム・エディション
	中村獅童 伊東美咲 宮崎あおい おすすめ平均 俺は泣かないったら(T_T) 泣きたい人用 いい映画だと思います。 参りましたね レンタルしましょう Amazonで詳しく見る by G-Tools

I usually am a cynical person (anyone who watches overloaded British political comedy dramas would) but in all cynical people, there is always a soft spot that time and again, takes over our senses and makes us all human. Justifying my existence, I gave this film a try. It's rather cute, called Inu no eiga (inu is dog, and eiga is film in Japanese). It stars one of my favourite Kabuki actors, Shido Nakamura, amidst his string of horrible love affairs...and a virgo too sigh...but that is just one of the many gems in the film. Good acting aside, the dogs are so cute!!! the opening is a musical bit and stars most of Japanese top actors.

My favourite scene is the last one, where a dog and a girl share their memories together. I just watched and tears kept rolling down. Language barriers can always be broken when common themes of love and simple gestures of showing love to animals are appreciated and celebrated. I remembered when I was in Tokyo, I saw my favourite English sheepdog and my Japanese friend gamely asked the lady if we could hug and take photos with the dog. She said yes (I can't imagine a local person doing that) and we had fun. I felt as though because of a living being that couldn't talk Japanese or English, the barrier was broken in the common love for the animal.

This film just reminded me that human beings may have to be taught how to really live and love life as dogs seem to be having a better perspective of life than us.

The next film was one which I got on my way back from town:

The History Boys [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
	Andrew Dunn George Fenton John Wilson 20th Century Fox 2007-04-17 Sales Rank : 30124 See details at Amazon by G-Tools

This film tells the story of British schoolboys, smart, talented, lively and full of cheek, destined to go to Cambridge and Oxford. Driven by an ambitious History teacher who hails from Oxford, an inspiring but eccentric retiring teacher, a witty female History teacher (my favourite chr!) who claims history is about men and their failures and a lecherous principal, the boys question the meaning of life, learning and whether aiming for the top will bring them happiness.

Many aim for Cambridge and Oxford every year as it is prestigious. Some come out pompous but I have a friend who is still as zany about Stephen Hawking and humble as pie. So it depends. But the film delivers the misconception too that Oxford and Cambridge have everything. Londoners would attest against it.

That aside, the film was witty and if you happen to like English literature, the film is beautifully littered with poems and references to Hardy, Larkin, english history...the type of film that I like, the type of scenery that was nostalgic for me, but the elitism bit reminded me of an article I read today (check Insight pg 10, ST) about elitism.

Back then, we had no idea how schools were elite, and elite was only known as a modelling agency. Somehow elite popped up since PM mentioned about J Lopez in his elite speech..? What is an elite? So what makes a non-elite?

Poor girl in elite school? If you make the best out of life no matter where you are, it wouldn't make a difference.

It's amazing what films can make you think of.