My Night with The Rover

The night Martha and I saw 'The Rover', there were only six people inside the movie theater. A couple left one-third through the film. Not a very comforting thought, is it? I was beginning to worry that we wasted our time and money for this indie-drama film, not to mention the semi-paranoia that gripped us (there were only four of us left in this freaking 400 seating-capacity room!). We forcibly calmed ourselves and decided to make the most of our night by refocusing our attention to the big screen. And I assure you, focus is the operative word here.

Yay or Nay?

A 2014 Australian film written and directed by David Michod, starring Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson. The setting was in the Australian outback, 10 years after a global economic collapse. Rey (Pattinson) was wounded and left for dead by his group after a robbery gone wrong. Rey's brother (Scoot McNairy) wanted to come back for him but was dissuaded by the rest of their group. An altercation followed causing their vehicle to crash. The robbers then switched vehicle by carnapping a parked car. Meanwhile, Eric (Pearce), a brooding and mysterious stranger witnessed his car being taken. He chased after the thieves but was thwarted and left unconscious. When he came to, he started after the group and found the injured Rey. After learning he was with the people who took his car, Eric had Rey treated by a doctor. The unlikely duo, started looking for the rest of Rey's mates.

The story itself is ordinary. Or I should say, typical in an indie film. A simple plot with a couple of characters to follow, realistic setting, and an ending that is debatable. I'm not saying I didn't like it. I did, sort of. I already knew that Guy Pearce will be brilliant but Pattinson was a pleasant surprise. Whoever advised him to do this movie should be congratulated. There was no trace of his emetic performance in 'Twilight'. Here, his take on the weak and needy Rey was spot on. Just enough to keep the audience interested and worried for him at the same time. I also like that I could feel the actors' desperation through the wild, dry, and gritty outback setting. What I was frustrated about were the accents. They were damn heavy!  Pearce's was Australian while Pattinson's was Southern American. I had to strain my ears to hear/understand what they were saying. I wish they'd put in subtitles.

All in all, I don't think we wasted our time with this one. Not for everyone, though. I'd give it a 3/5 rating.

-Faye

Martha's Day

To my intellectual sparring partner, soul mate, food trip buddy, and beautiful sister, Happy Birthday! :) 

You deserve the best life has to offer. I love you!

-Faye

The Best Things In Life

There's a saying that goes "The best things in life are free." 

Some days, I'm 50/50 about it. 

I mean of course happiness can't be bought but getting your dream house or a vacation in Europe with your entire family can actually bring genuine joy, too. Money doesn't guarantee a happy life but, let's face it, it does help. Perhaps I'm saying this because lately I'm broke (sort of) despite my attempts to save up and it sucks.

On the other hand, as my 24th year of existence approaches, I've come to learn some things. Not science or math or those you get in school. I'm talking about the ones only life itself can teach you. And I've learned that if you stop to notice the things around you, no matter how small, you'd appreciate the world more.

Examples? Libraries. Or reader-friendly bookstores that let you take the plastic seals off their books and read them for free. Also, my friend Wendy and I have this guilty pleasure of hanging out in 7-Eleven just so we can listen to them play old school songs. Ah. Nothing beats an impromptu Backstreet Boys nostalgia. Then there's the free newspaper if you ride the LRT/MRT in the morning. Though you have to go extra gladiator to grab one among the mob of angry commuters, who for some reason still launch at the stand even when they're almost late. (Like me. Haha.) Which brings me to another point: Everybody loves freebies. 

There are things that people enjoy because it don't cost us a centavo like free food tastes in groceries or shampoo samples they hand out in malls but there are things that really are the best because they simply are. Such as nature- The breath-taking scenery of mountains, forests, and oceans. Sometimes I even find myself amazed just by watching cottony wisps of clouds rolling by. Nowadays, I find my Facebook newsfeed filled with rants about the stormy weather. But how many of us are thankful for sunny-windy days when they occur?

What else are the best free things in life? Our friends and families. We didn't buy them but they're our most valued treasures. The same goes to love and God. I'm sure these are what the person thought of when he came up with the saying. At the end of the day, they are what make us happy. At the end of our lives, these are what truly matter.

-Martha