Friday, September 11, 2020

Wild Child (2008)

After watching some serious stuff non-stop, my brain is screaming for some time out and what fun way to relax than to watch a sill movie. At first I wanted to watch some good old 50s film but unfortunately am not able to successfully find a full version on YT. It recommended Wild Child instead and I took the bait. The film's got no subtitles so it's a struggle to understand what they're saying. I'm not so accustomed to British English after all, even after all the Harry Potter stuff.

Emma Roberts stars in this film about Poppy who ruins her dad's girlfriend's stuff by inviting her friends to take whatever they can of the woman's things when they got delivered to their big house. She is sent to Abbey Mount school where her misbehavior and rudeness annoy her roommates. (In hindsight, I've never met a decent American in my life and especially young American  women--- they're bitches who think like they are above everyone else. Poppy is pretty much like this.) When Katie, one of the roommates, learn of her mother's passing years ago in a car crash, she sympathizes with Poppy and eventually the other roommates become accepting of her. The girls decide to help her get expelled so she can go back to her life in the US.

Poppy: You think I'm an asshole.

Katie: No. But you behave like an asshole. There's a difference.

Now Abbey Mount has to have a dashing boy in the person of Freddie, son of the headmistress, whom the girls in the school crush on but who is not allowed to "fraternize" with girls. And there should be a rival in the person of Harriet who obsesses over Freddie but the latter does not return the affection as he does to Poppy especially during a party and when the two go out on a date after that. At first, Poppy plans to use Freddie as her ticket to freedom but has come to really like him eventually. When Poppy's roommates get hold of an email saying the people at school are losers, she is isolated once again. Freddie also receives a copy of an email revealing that he is just part of a plan. While emoing alone and toying with her lighter, Poppy accidentally sets fire to the curtain but puts it out before she runs away. Later on, she sees from her window that the place catches fire and alerts everyone to get out of the building. One of her roommates Jennifer is not present on roll call and Poppy rushes to the refrigeration room as she has seen the girl sneak in there one night to eat ice cream. She helps save her friend and later confesses to the crime although she insists that it is an accident.

The roommates discover that the one who sent the email is none other than Harriet and during Poppy's hearing, Harriet accuses her of the crime by providing details nobody actually knows about which implicates her instead. Harriet is found guilty and is expelled from school. In the end, Poppy and her Abbey Mount friends, plus Freddie, are seen relaxing in her house's pool in California.

So may one key takeaway from this movie is to learn how to be fashionable and trendy because manners and simply being a good person is not enough to win people's hearts. Maybe I am just being old-fashioned that way, preferring to build my inner strength mostly skills, instead of spending time to appear cool and beautiful outside. I mean, I know I am already pretty just the way I am and many people say the same. It's just that people also lament about how I don't dress up often and that maybe I should learn how to put on makeup regularly. Maybe then maybe real men will enter my life. haha (Except that after that brief encounter with Q I think I will just die an old maid, seeing this world has a serious shortage of good men. I'd rather keep my peace.)

Friday, September 4, 2020

28岁未成年 [Suddenly 17] (2016)

 So I guess I hit jackpot again after watching some crappy Chinese movies. 28岁未成年 does not have that typical Mainland China feel. It feels very modern, very trendy, and for a film about creativity, creative. The story is about a 28 year old woman who lives with her partner. She does everything for 茅亮 and he seems to have been taking her for granted, prioritizing work over 涼夏. While it is not 100% shown in the movie, it is hinted that there is something going on between him and his secretary. 涼夏 sees a commercial about chocolates and orders online.

涼夏 attends her best friend's wedding and she is given the bouquet of flowers intentionally to get her boyfriend to also propose to her. 茅亮 is surprised as he is put on the spot and right then and there announces that he is breaking up with her. 涼夏 runs away and drives off, the box of chocolates in her car and so she eats one piece. After some time, she turns into a different person. She realizes that when she eats the chocolates she goes back to her 17 year old self. 

涼夏's 17 year old self once takes the train and while in there sees a beautiful boy who attracts her attention that she draws him in her notebook using makeup. But suddenly the effect of the chocolate wears off and the present 涼夏 takes over again, leaving quickly because of her appearance. (17 year old her prefers short hair so she wears a wig, wears sexy outfit and tights, pretty much like goth girl style.) She accidentally leaves behind her notebook and it is picked up by the beautiful boy who posts about it on the internet with the intention of meeting the mysterious creative girl who drew him. This post becomes viral and attracts the attention of 茅亮's client. 茅亮 discovers that the artist is none other than his own girlfriend so he requests her to create designs for him. Desperate to bring back her boyfriend's love and attention, 涼夏 decides to bring back her 17 year old self to create the designs as the present she no longer practices her craft. The problem is that 17 year old her is not interested in going back because she wants to be with the cute boy after meeting up with him. She is eventually rejected because the boy wants to have sex with her and she is not yet ready. 

Eventually the two 涼夏 reconcile with each other and help each other achieve what the other desires. 涼夏 gains back her confidence when she suddenly becomes popular thanks to her 17 year old self's help. The 17 year old on the other hand, is so heartbroken that after chasing the cute boy before he travels off, she falls down and faints, and relinquishes control over 28 year old her. For the ending, 茅亮 is shown running naked in the streets and proposing to 涼夏, somewhat similar to what he did a decade ago to make 涼夏 agree to become his girlfriend.

This is a refreshing Chinese movie that talks about trendy and modern Chinese people's dreams and aspirations. We see here tall buildings, beautiful cars, party people, and gadgets. We also see the creativity that China somehow lacks in comparison to other advanced countries. It seems to offer an allegorical message to go back in time and find inspiration in China's very rich cultural traditions. Compared to PH, of course China has gone a long long way in just a short period of time whereas, hello PH, we've had the first LRT in Southeast Asia and now look how far we have fallen behind our neighbors. It's so heartbreaking.

And I discovered that 28岁未成年 actually has a TV series. Hmmmm.