The Eternal Breasts

The story is about the life of a female poet who died at an early age due to breast cancer.

The pacing was slow and I thought the story could have been condensed! One thing that puzzled me was the relationship between the poet and the reporter towards the end.

Internet Movie Database Link

Love Letter

The story is about the plight of Japanese women who served the US soldiers during the second World War. After the war, they had to pay someone who knew English to write love letters to their former lovers to ask for money to survive.

Considering that it was a debut effort by Tanaka Kinuyo, it was not too bad! Thought it could be improved by deleting unimportant scenes which did not contribute to the main storyline.

Internet Movie Database Link

Wordplay

This is a documentary about the world of crossword puzzles.

Pretty comprehensive! Learnt a bit about the creators of the puzzles as well as the interesting people who do the puzzles both as a recreation and competitively! Didn't know that Bill Clinton liked to do crossword puzzles too!

Internet Movie Database Link

Wanderer's Notebook

The story is about how a woman called Fumiko struggles to survive and eventually becomes a successful writer.

Liked the sequence where Fumiko tried to find a job but was rejected repeatedly. Some parts were really funny!

Internet Movie Database Link

Ginza Cosmetics

The story is about the life of a middle aged bar hostess who has to support her young son.

Felt that this was like a precursor to "When a Woman Ascends the Stairs" which was made 9 years later! Thought the director has improved on his story telling skills in WWAS by presenting just the core ideas that he wanted to transmit to the audience.

Internet Movie Database Link

Sandakan No. 8

The story is about the plight of poor Japanese girls who were sent overseas to work as prostitutes in the early 20th century. This is told through flashbacks from an old Japanese woman to a researcher whom she befriended.

Liked the friendship forged between the researcher and the old Japanese woman! Nice story and the use of silence during two key scenes were pretty effective!

Internet Movie Database Link

Mad about English

This is a documentary on how the people from China learned English in preparation for the Beijing Olympics. These included an elderly man who wanted to be an Olympics volunteer, a taxi driver who wanted to converse well with tourists, a young student who wanted a better future, an English tutor who wanted to spread his teachings and a foreigner who wanted to get rid of every wrongly translated signs.

It was interesting to see how enthusiastic the people were about learning English! I thought the multi-lingual police was quite funny when he imitated the New York accent! The sales people at the Silk Market were pretty good too!

The Spirit Compendium

The story centers around a special book that is able to provide answers to your queries. A guy used this book to solve a few problems faced by him and his house mates during the hungry ghost festival.

The cast was pretty good looking and the outdoor scenes looked beautiful! I also liked the songs and the special sound effects used whenever something supernatural was encountered!

My Dad is a Priest

The story is about the relationship of a father and a son. The son is still studying in school while the father is a priest who is slowly losing his memory because of a recently diagnosed alzheimer's disease.

Liked the simple storyline and the close father-son relationship depicted! Thought the father acted really well when he showed the effects of alzheimer's disease!

La bete humaine

The story is about the dark side of human nature shown through the encounters of a worker at a railway station.

Liked the nice country side view during the train rides and the in-depth study of the psychology of the characters!

Internet Movie Database Link

Juno

The story is about what happened after a high school student discovered that she was pregnant. She decided to go through the pregnancy and got someone to adopt her baby.

The plot is straight forward but the director captured the relationship among Juno, her parents, her friends and the adoptive parents pretty well! Minus point would be that it was a little bit too wordy and the teenagers used some slang that was difficult to understand.

Internet Movie Database Link

Scrabble Nationals 2008 (Day Two)

There were a few casualties at the start of day two. Kum Zi Peng and Gan Cher Siong dropped out from div A, Lester Phong, Dinna Lim and Low Bee Theang dropped out from div B. This tested the skill of the tournament director to do a proper pairing so that those who were absent would meet each other. The proper pairings was eventually done with the help of Tony and Wei Bin. If there was a TD handbook, this should probably be one of the FAQ.

Game 5: vs Shahrul
Managed to close up the gap to about 18 points after my opponent scored his second bingo but he extended his lead further with AKE(30) and HEXING(39) towards the end of the game and I lost.

New words learnt: INDOLES, HEXING
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: CHARRING(76), INDOLES(65)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: ABE*
My High Moves: QI(46), FILTH(36), ZIT(35) Opp High Moves: BEES(30), AKE(30), HEXING(39)
L 409-364, -45. 2W 3L (Accum spread -92).

Game 6: vs Timothy Tan
Played badly at the start as I had lots of vowels and I played them for very few points while allowing my opponent to score big. Improved a little bit towards the end as I managed to score big with some of my tiles but couldn't catch up by then.

New words learnt: MOULDERS
My Bingos: DESIRES(70), LANTERNS(74) Opp Bingos: MOULDERS(71)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: XI(34), CUBIT(30), WRIT(39), HENRY(34) Opp High Moves: KI(33), QADI(72)
L 390-416, -26. 2W 4L (Accum spread -118).

Had a birthday celebration for the tournament director after our second game and everyone in both division A and B were given a slice of cake each. I happened to be queueing after Serene and Yen Nee. Heard Serene requesting to have a small piece while Yen Nee wanted an extra large piece. Hmm, thought it should have been the other way round to balance things up?

Game 7: vs Eden Choo
Close game! Managed to edge out a win despite being outbingoed two to one.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: TARDIER(82) Opp Bingos: DILUTES(66), INSTEAD(71)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: COEDITS*
My High Moves: QATS(33), TWIRLED(45), VAU(31), FY(31), WINCE(39) Opp High Moves: WHIZ(43), TAK(31), OX(50), SIDE(32)
W 447-438, +9. 3W 4L (Accum spread -109).

After our 3rd game, I went to a nearby food center together with Winston, Victor and Timothy for lunch.

Game 8: vs Khamis
Khamis played the same phoney "ABE" as Shahrul in an earlier game. Think this must be one of the more common three letter phoneys played. Lost as I was outbingoed two to none.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: ENTAILED(61), FIGURES(72)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: ABE*
My High Moves: JOLLY(46), HUB(32), YON(42), PAN(32) Opp High Moves: AXE(36), WHET(37), FUNS(33)
L 343-393, -50. 3W 5L (Accum spread -159).

Game 9: vs Soo Yi Wei
Had a comfortable lead after the first few moves and I extended my lead further towards the end with DITZ(47).

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: RIOTERS(70) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: AF*
My High Moves: CRAFT(32), FY(38), WAIST(34), WE(36), DITZ(47) Opp High Moves: -
W 463-210, +253. 4W 5L (Accum spread +94).

Game 10: vs Ruby Sim
Had a comfortable lead after I scored two bingos early in the game. I maintained my lead with a bit of help from Ruby who phonied twice and changed her tiles several times.

New words learnt: CARL
My Bingos: BEARING(63), TAINTED(73) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: ZIENS*, UVO*
My High Moves: - Opp High Moves: WOWS(40), ZA(37), AD(30), VIES(36)
W 449-322, +127. 5W 5L (Accum spread +221).

Game 11: vs Eden Choo
Played Eden once again in this KOTH round. Realised that I was really rusty when I took a long time to think of a bingo with a AEINTT? rack. Wanted the blank to be an S and in the 3rd position so that I could have a double double. Eden scored big in the middle of the game and extended his lead with a late bingo in the game.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: INSTATE(80) Opp Bingos: GLINTED(74)
My Phoneys: - Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: QIS(42) Opp High Moves: DJINS(33), JEE(32), ORAD(30), WIZ(42)
L 347-428, -81. 5W 6L (Accum spread +140).

Game 12: vs Ganapathy
Would have wanted to win the last game so that I could at least have an equal number of wins and losses but I really had no form in this game and lost badly.

New words learnt: -
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: STARTED(74), STAPLED(75)
My Phoneys: WAM* Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: IWI(30), OOM(30) Opp High Moves: FAX(34), FURY(42), ZEE(32), ROUND(31)
L 287-479, -192. 5W 7L (Accum spread -52).

Finished the tournament with 5 wins and out of top 10. Hope to do better next year!

Scrabble Nationals 2008 (Day One)

This year's Nationals is once again held at Toa Payoh West CC. I went earlier in the hope of catching the masters players in action and saw Jiang Pern doing a post game analysis with his opponent as he just narrowly lost by 1 point. Had lunch and played a friendly game with Ruby before division B officially started.

Game 1: vs Winston Gwee
Our scores were neck in neck until the last few moves. I got away with STERILED* when I back hooked ZED to an existing STERILE on the board. Think I had mixed it up with STERILISED. Anyway, I made a silly mistake on my last move. I played GIN for 19 points, forgetting that Winston also had an "A" on his rack and he managed to bingo out with ERASION to win!

New words learnt: AWNER
My Bingos: TRIPLET(79) Opp Bingos: STERILE(73), ERASION(76)
My Phoneys: STERILED* Opp Phoneys: JUTED*
My High Moves: PRY(32), ZED(42), AWNER(43) Opp High Moves: BOX(61), TAJ(30), QI(31), WOK(39)
L 406-474, -68. 0W 1L (Accum spread -68).

Game 2: vs Lester Phong
He pulled ahead after his ROSEATE bingo. Mistakenly thought that HOE had no front hook but Lester promptly put EAGLES down the triple lane on his turn. I managed to narrow the gap with JET(36) and XI(38) but lost the game effectively after he scored heavily with DWEEBS(40) down the triple lane. For my last move, I could have saved 15 spread points if I had played CWM instead of BEAGLES.

New words learnt: ROSEATE, INTIL, DWEEBS
My Bingos: - Opp Bingos: ROSEATE(72)
My Phoneys: DICY* Opp Phoneys: -
My High Moves: ZAS(38), JET(36), XI(38) Opp High Moves: NOMAD(30), QI(33), DWEEBS(40)
L 302-378, -76. 0W 2L (Accum spread -144).

Game 3: vs zzBye
Played a friendly game with Lester's girlfriend during my bye. She was lucky with several bingos like CATFISH and TRAIPSED. Tried PERTInG* when I had a ?EGIPRT rack but was challenged off!

W 150-100, +50. 1W 2L (Accum spread -94).

Game 4: vs Ganapathy
Mistakenly thought that RAINING(79) had no front hook when I was deciding how to back hook the "N" of my bingo to an existing PROVE on the board. In fact, there were four possible front hooks! Ganapathy scored very well despite having no bingo but I maanged to pull ahead with my second bingo TOILETS(70) when he opened up with CENTS(15).

New words learnt: GRAINING, FANNY
My Bingos: RAINING(79), TOILETS(70) Opp Bingos: -
My Phoneys: GOF* Opp Phoneys: NES*, JUDE*, JUDES*
My High Moves: - Opp High Moves: PIE(37), AGON(33), BREWS(48), FANNY(53)
W 427-380, +47. 2W 2L (Accum spread -47).

Finished day 1 with 2 wins and 2 losses.

Help Me Eros

The story revolves around the lives of an unemployed person, his counsellor and a group of betel nut sellers.

Liked the surreal scenes of the cosplay sequence and the acrobatic sex sequence! Most of the other scenes were a little bit boring though.

Internet Movie Database Link

Chocolate

The story is about how an autistic girl fought her way to retrieve money from people who owed her mother money. Her mother was the lover of a Thai gangster but fell in love with a Japanese man.

Thought the autistic girl had a cool pose when she was a baby! Pretty impressed by her ball catching skill when she became bigger too! Nice martial arts action! My favorite move would be the one where she bent backwards to slide under a table while avoiding a flying cart!

Internet Movie Database Link

5th Singapore Short Cuts

Saw five shorts at this first free screening at National Museum:

Lorong 27 by Kenny Tan
- Interesting story about an exchange student's adventure during his stay at his host's place at Geylang Lorong 27!

Pontianak by Raihan Harun
- Quite a scary story about a mother who died from child birth and who wanted to take her living daughter away too!

Lim Poh Huat by Lee Wong
- Interesting story about an ordinary guy who works as a security guard full time as an extra part time!

Embryo by Loo Zihan
- An abstract piece which I had no idea what it was about!

Zo Gang + Zo Hee by Jacen Tan
- Two very humorous pieces! A little bit sick of the main protagonist in the end as he was always complaining but I learnt a lot about the problems faced by film makers! The girl at the substation looked quite cute!

Pierrot le Fou

The story is about a married man leaving his wife and kids to go on a journey with his babysitter.

Liked the interesting dialogue between the couple and how the different settings and genres were used! The couple would be on a beautiful island at one moment and then driving around in the city at the next moment. The genre would switch from romance, action, crime and even to a musical! All of them were nicely gelled together!

Internet Movie Database Link

Beyond the Clouds

This consists of four short stories on the relationship between man and woman. They are linked by a narrator who is a director walking around Italy looking for inspiration.

Liked the first and the last short story! Thought that the narration was a little bit too wordy though! The last short story reminded me a bit of "Beyond Sunrise" made in the same year. Both had a couple talking to each other about small little things while walking around in the city.

Internet Movie Database Link

Blowup

The story is about a few days in the life of a British photographer living in London during the sixties. The title refers to a darkroom technique of enlarging the details of a photograph to see them more clearly.

Was expecting an action packed movie with lots of explosions when I saw the title of the movie but this film had none of those. Nevertheless, I liked the psychological study on the lead actor and the innovative ending that summarised the overall theme of the film very well!

Internet Movie Database Link

Antonio Gaudi

This is a documentary on the architecture of a Spanish architect called Antonio Gaudi.

Liked how the buildings incorporated elements of nature like trees and sea shells into the design! They looked very nice!

Internet Movie Database Link