My Magic

The story is about the relationship between an alcoholic father who used to be a magician and his son who was cared for mainly by his grandmother.

Liked the quiet scenes such as the one where the train passed by in the background. Didn't really like the magic shows which were too extreme in my opinion.

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Thirst for Love

The story is about how a young widow became her father-in-law's lover but secretly had a desire for the apathetic gardener.

Liked the interesting psychological study into the different characters! Great acting by the lead actress!

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Margin Call

The story is about how a group of traders discovered the real risk of mortgage based securities in 2008 and the boss of the company decided to sell everything off the next day.

Great acting by Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons! Hoped they could explain a little bit more on some of the financial terms though.

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Black Sun

The story is about how a jazz loving Japanese encountered an injured black American soldier who was wanted for murder and carried a machine gun.

Liked how the friendship grew between the Japanese and the American despite their difficulty to communicate with each other!

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I Hate But Love

The story is about the love-hate relationship between a well known DJ and his manager cum lover.

Liked the nice little journey across Japan on the old jeep! Both the DJ's girlfriend and the jeep owner looked quite pretty!

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The Warped Ones

The story is about how a jazz loving delinquent took revenge on a young reporter who had tipped him off to get him in jail by raping his girlfriend. She became pregnant and had to take drastic steps to make things "normal" again.

Liked the fast pace action and the interesting twists to the plot!

Internet Movie Database Link

The Artist

The story is about how a popular silent film actor coped when silent films gradually became obsolete with the invention of talkies.

Liked the performance of the dog very much! Didn't quite understand Valentin's reluctance to move into talkies though and felt the later part of the film dragged a little.

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Beam

The story is about a small boy who made friends with an unknown neighbour by shining a beam of light at each other for several nights.

Liked the intimate portrayal of the family! Great acting by the little boy!

Internet Movie Database Link

Mee Pok Man

The story is about a mee pok stall owner's obsession with a prostitute who frequented his stall.

Liked how different people used different language to communicate in the film and the voice over narration from the diary! A little bit too creepy for my taste towards the end though.

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Intimidation

The story is about how a man's senior position in a bank was threatened when someone who knew about his illegal loans confronted him.

Liked the interesting human psychology games played in the film and the detailed examination on how the bank worked internally!

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Passing Fancy

The story is about how a blue-collared worker helped a young retrenched woman to find a job and how his infatuation with her affected his relationship with his colleague and his son.

Great acting by the father and the son!

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Carmen

The story is about how the director of a Spanish dance company searched for a lead dancer for his new dance production "Carmen" and how his life slowly began to resemble its plot.

Liked the beautiful dance sequences! The actress who played Carmen looked quite pretty too!

Internet Movie Database Link

Gorsch The Cellist

The story is about how a cellist in the orchestra improved his skills with the help of several animals living in his neighborhood.

Liked the nice music and the interesting plot! The cat, the cuckoo bird, the badger and the mouse all looked very cute!

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A Christmas Tale

The story is about a Christmas family reunion. The mother is having cancer and needs a bone marrow donor from her descendants, the eldest daughter is not on good terms with the middle son and the cousin is still in love with the youngest son's wife.

Found it hard to follow the plot initially as it rambled on in different directions but everything tied together very nicely in the end!

Internet Movie Database Link

Lunch On The Grass

The story is about how a young woman fell in love with a scientist who just discovered the power of artificial insemination and was advocating it in the late fifties.

Liked the intellectual debate on the use of artificial insemination and the comedic elements of the film!

Internet Movie Database Link

A Day In The Country

The story is about what how a French family from the city spent one day in the country for their holiday.

Liked the nice scenery in the countryside and the actress looked quite pretty! The ending was a little bit sad as the protagonists thought back about the happier moments in their lives.

Internet Movie Database Link

Causeway Cup 2011 (Day 5)

Round 40 vs Moses(Nigeria)
My third time playing Moses. Won with my INERTIA(69) against his EGOTISE(74) and SENTRIES(58). He almost had a third bingo GUANINE if one of the A on his rack was an I.

Round 41 vs Hanne Marks(Australia)
A rematch with Hanne. Missed an opening bingo with LOGOUTS when I decided to play OUTLOGS* instead as I remembered INBOXES* was no good in a previous game. Lost as she scored with MALTING(77) against my PLEASED(77) and RETAINS(62).

Round 42 vs Nidhi Singhvi(India)
A rematch with Nidhi. Won as I had FRAGILE(72) against her RESHINE(86). My STAN* and her DURATES* and FOXT* were challenged off.

Round 43 vs Steven Surya(Indonesia)
A rematch with Steven. Won as I had CREASED(76), RODENTS(87) and RUMbLED(89) against his ACCURATE(74), VENDERS(74) and TELAMON(77). He made two mistakes that gave me the win. First, he did not challenge off my DIPH* when I played HOI back hooking the H for 28 points. Then, he opened up the board with TIT, emptied the bag and allowed me to bingo out with RUMbLED(89).

Round 44 vs Martin Waterworth(Australia)
My third time playing Martin. Lost as he had WIRIEST(71) and OVERHAND(45) while I had TORNADE(73) and TRADING(73). Should have blocked the TWS lane with BAPU instead of leaving it open for him to score with WAXES for 45 points back hooking the S to BAP.

Round 45 vs Steven Surya(Indonesia)
My third time playing Steven. Both of us were out of top ten contention so it was more like a friendly match now. Lost as he had LUNGERS(79) and was able to score well in the end game while I and AUNTIES(72).

Won 25 out of 45 games in the end and was placed 24th position out of 84 players. Thought it was not too bad considering some of the mistakes that I made. Will miss participating in the Causeway Challenge as this is the last one being held.

Causeway Cup 2011 (Day 4)

Round 30 vs Adele Tan(Malaysia)
Had a rematch with Adele and lost as she bingoed with NONAGES(71) while I had no bingos.

Round 31 vs Marcus Loke(Malaysia)
Had a rematch with Marcus and lost as he bingoed with GRUNTER(74) and CENTRIES(85) while I had no bingos.

Round 32 vs Sunny Wright(Australia)
Won easily against this elderly lady from Australia as I had TOADIES(67) and FINERIES(62) against her SPOILER(62).

Round 33 vs Caroline Scowcroft(Australia)
Won easily against this lady from Australia as I had OUTSIDE(72) and FITNESS(77) while she had no bingos.

Round 34 vs Moses Oguwa(Nigeria)
Had a rematch with Moses and won with my SIERRAN(71) and RELINED(77). Would not have been able to play RELINED if he did not open up with RECT* for me to front hook with an E.

Round 35 vs Nicky Huitson(UK)
Lost to this lady from UK as she scored with DOATING(80) and MARINAS(66) against my STEERER(70) and RAVINES(84). Thought I could out with AULE* but it was challenged off.

Round 36 vs Carolyn Watt(Australia)
Won this lady from Australia as I scored with MILEAGE(72) against her ROSETTE(73). I think she gave the game away as she tried to bingo three times with phoneys, PANICED*, CONEISH* and COCHINE* and they were challenged off.

Round 37 vs Steven Surya(Indonesia)
Lost to this young man from Indonesia as he scored with BETTING(75) and MUTINGS*(76) against my RETINAE(69). Should have challenged both MUTINGS* and DES* when he played the bingo back hooking the S to an existing DE. I challenged off his FUADS* and KOURAN* though.

Round 38 vs Rex D'Souza(India)
Lost to this middle aged man from India as he had OARIEST(63) and ENTRIES(68) against my SNORTIER(67) and LEGATORS(60). Missed a turn when my TREASION* was challenged off as I thought that it was good.

Round 39 vs Martin Waterworth(Australia)
Had a rematch with Martin and won as I scored with DIALERS(66) against his POUNCES(67).

Causeway Cup 2011 (Day 3)

Round 20 vs Nidhi Singhvi(India)
Won this young lady from India with my SHAFTED(91), NAILERS(79) and SOAPIER(69) against her ERASIONS(64) and ENTERED(62).

Round 21 vs Betty Eriksen(New Zealand)
Won this lady from New Zealand with my DETOURS(69) and BANDITS(68). Saw the bingo with a AEGILOS rack towards the end but I thought it was unplayable as I kept thinking there was only the A front-hook to an existing REW on the board.

Round 22 vs Colleen Walker(Australia)
Won this lady from Australia with my ETAERIOS(74) and ERINITE(73) against her SCOUTER(87) and SLANTED(72).

Round 23 vs Pasit Teeka(Thailand)
Lost to this small boy from Thailand as he scored well with DILATES(72) and QUITE(78) while I had nothing.

Round 24 vs Marcus Loke(Malaysia)
This must be my worst game ever in this competition. Lost to this intensely competitive teenager from Malaysia as he scored with CORNEAL(75), COMPRISE(92) and METTLED(76). I had a EENOSTV rack towards the end and tried LOVENEST* with a floating L on the board but unfortunately it was challenged off.

Round 25 vs Maureen See(Australia)
Lost to this lady from Australia as she scored with SPIRULA(77), ANODISE(73) and CARTAGE(91) against my STAINED(73). I could have opened with a bingo if I have played REFLUENT instead of FLUENTER* which was challenged off.

Round 26 vs Zeenath Ariff(Malaysia)
Won this lady from Malaysia as I scored with TEDIEST(93) and REGARDED(72) against her SINUATE(68). I also scored well with DIFF(40) and challenged off her BINED*.

Round 27 vs Jean Noonan(Australia)
Had a bye for this game to win 175 to 100.

Round 28 vs Adele Tan(Malaysia)
Lost to the president of the Malaysian Scrabble Association as she scored with LINAGES(66) against my PROBERS(78). My REGATED* was also challenged off.

Round 29 vs Jessie Lim(Singapore)
I was trailing behind this Singaporean Masters player until I finally found a bingo with SINUATES(66) and scored well with XI(52) using her UNCI on the board to win.

Causeway Cup 2011 (Day 2)

Round 10 vs Asad Raza Merchant(Pakistan)
Managed to win this young boy from Pakistan by scoring consistently against his two bingos ATEBrIN(72) and STRIVEN(73).

Round 11 vs Hanne Marks(Australia)
Lost to this elderly lady from Australia who played TREAGUES(73) against my VECTORED(83). Each of us phonied once. I played TEP* while she played ARGUTES*.

Round 12 vs Hema Abeyasinghe(Malaysia)
My luckiest game in this tournament was against this young lady from Malaysia. I had five bingos INEARTH(77), REALISE(79), ATONERS(78), LEOTArD(90) and WHEELED(81) while she had GLOSSIER(82). I missed her PAG* phoney while she challenged off my AlLOTED*.

Round 13 vs Anocha Sirithongchai(Thailand)
Played against this pretty Thai girl last year and I remembered we had a really close match. It was a really close match this time round too. I had RAINIEST(77) while she had DoUBTER(94) and TENSION(67). Eked out a win because I managed to out first and because she phonied twice with ReDEBUT* and TONNIES*.

Round 14 vs Sunny Wright(Australia)
Won this elderly lady from Australia with my PAsTRIES(80). I also got away with PRUNY*(20).

Round 15 vs Jenny Coetzee(Australia)
Won this elderly lady from Australia with my ANISOLE(76) and RELATES(68) against her DISHIER(84).

Round 16 vs Hamza Sheik(Pakistan)
Won this young boy from Pakistan with my INBOXES*(106) and JUTE(43) against his RAILERS(72). His URA* phoney was also challenged off.

Round 17 vs Lim Sha Lyn(Malaysia)
Lost to this young lady from Malaysia as she bingoed twice with EARLOBE(72) and SEATING(75). Her RUDY* was challenged off though.

Round 18 vs Moses Oguwa(Nigeria)
Played with Moses the second time and lost as he scored consistently while I bingoed twice with CAJOLED(73) and REMAINED(62). My UVE* phoney was also challenged off.

Round 19 vs Syed Taha ul Huda(Pakistan)
Won this young boy from Pakistan with my DUELERS(70), ENTASIA(68) and TRIBALS(101) against his INQUeRE(93). He should probably have played ENQUIRy instead of INQUeRE as INQUeRE was just next to the TWS lane which enabled me to score well with TRIBALS back hooking the S.