Review - Hope Springs

A 2012 movie, played by the one and only Merryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones. Well, you wont see much actors in this movie, this was like their movie all the way.
The story is about a couple who has been married for 31 years, yesss 31 years!Unbelievable right?? I am also married, but we're still at stage 9, I don't know if we're going to make it to stage 31, but lets just give it a shot!
The married couple, Kay and Arnold live with their routines as a married couple. Wakes up in the morning, Kay will preparing breakfast, Arnold will read his newspapers and leave to the office. On and on, until one day Kay realized that she wants to change her marriage life. She wants something real in her married. As a woman, I kind of understand her feeling.
Kay finally found a therapist to talk about their marriage and fix it. She pays quite a great amount for the counseling, and Arnold felt weird, since he felt that there's nothing wrong with their marriage. This is where the conflict begun.
There are only two people, but both of them feel different with the life their live in. Everyone has their own perspectives and of course arguments. So, to make her wife happy, Arnold decide to go to the therapist reluctantly. Steve Carrel plays as the therapist, a calm doctor with superb experiences.
One of the things the therapist asks is, if they have any sex fantasies? Kay says No, and Arnold says yes. The gap between them must be filled with exercise, the touch exercise, the hug exercise. As a married woman, I found this movie is an opening. Sometimes we as a couple tend to forget to nourish our relationship and just go on. Just like a plant, if we never nourish the relationship, in the end it will die on its own.
Kay and Arnold tries their best to fulfilled the requirement of their partners. But since they haven't done it for some time, the awkwardness appears, and at one time it makes them stop trying. Until the therapy session ends, the objectives has not been completed. Kay resent her husband, and Arnold stuck in getting no clue.
The couple definitely love each other and they tries their best to make it work. There are lines that I take from this movie, said by the therapist :
"This is the end of the session, you could turn back home and visit local counselor. You may fall not in the finish line, but at least you fall near the finish line". I guess, in some points you just have to keep on trying and moving, although its a step at a time, but at least we are making progress rather than sit, wait and do nothing.
I really recommend this movie for all married couple, especially who already had children in their life and caught up with routines. This movie is a reflection, the question is have we nourish our relationships? or are we like Kay and Arnold that got stuck on the process?
I have no doubt for both actors, they are proven actors. The movie flows so light, you will feel its just a short movie. I give this movie 3,8/5 stars!

The time has come....

to leave 2014 behind and walk in to 2015. Can't say I'm proud of 2014, yet its just a path that I must walk through.
Thanks to Google, I could see in my photos the milestones of 2014, happy times and bad times, I could only say..No regret and keep on moving!

So, here it goes the milestones of 2014 :
#1. Went to Jogja this year, first time out of town Business Trip after more than 10 years of work in my company. Tragic?? Nope, I consider it as a chance for greater opportunity. I go with my boss, and my colleagues, there are 4 of us. I also consider it as a Me time. Since I could go alone without being troubled by my kids. Its a great journey.
#2.Also in March, our team went for an outing to Bandung, so I could say I went to two different cities in a month. Grateful? definitely!
#3. In May, I went to Tanjung Lesung, also a Business Trip! Maybe I could say that this is a year of Business Trip. Its like Play Hard and Work Hard at the same time! This is also my first time to Tanjung Lesung, I could see virgin beach and sharks in the beach! Meet up with journalists, eating fresh sea food, meeting new people, so exciting!
#4. Went to Bandung again with my family! Went to floating market, stayed there for a night, play cards!!! As usual I loose :((. A very fun trip, one of the most memorable moments in my life.

#5. In June, I held my third Press Conference collaborate with a Japanese Company. The event went fine, no failure in the process, everything went smooth. We went looking for Kagami Biraki like crazy, and end up using Sake as the final event. Well, end up we drank the sake, although only in a small glass! Kanpaiiii!!





#6. Another trip to Bandung, this time its a treat for Rafael's Birthday. We went there with my hubby's family, almost 20 members of the family. Although at night we kinda being bug by something, I guess it didn't underrated the value of the event. It was FUN!
#7. In July, well this is not a planned trip. At first, we actually planning to have a road trip to Jogja in the first morning of Lebaran. By the time, we overslept, and the plan was ruin. After a short survey here and there, we decided to go to Pelabuhan Ratu, and stayed there for two days. A 6-7 hours drive from Jakarta, but it paid off with the view and karaoke!!! Karaoke??Yes, karaoke! We managed to rule to karaoke room and beat the crap all the visitors! Hah!!
#8. My team create an event in August, back to vintage, 60's.70's and 80's. With a reward of 3 mio rupiahs, all the division in our company unite to win the reward. Well, my division won! The crazy people in it just couldn't resist the limelight.
#9. In September, we held a NoBar, or watching together with our clients in a movie theater. We watch Hercules. Although its an OK movie, but when everything went well, its a good sign for us.
#10. In October, we held Animal Party! Just like the theme, everyone is wearing animal print! All the women was competing to each other, and it was fun to watch! There's nothing more fun then seeing woman cat-fighting to each other for some prize!
#11. Still in October, I went to another business trip to Malang. This time the team add another person, a girl. New experience, new excitement, and its a cold city indeed!!
#12. The last but not least, in November I had a short trip to hubbies home town because my father in law passed away. Even though its only for 3 days, but it was valuable moments.

Well that's a wrap! Its been a great year, I know 2015 will be fabulous! Lets spread our hopes and dreams!

Review - Exodus Gods and Kings

The hottest movie of the Week, this is Exodus Gods and Kings.
Played by Christian Bale as Moses, Joel Edgerton as Ramses, Maria Valverde as Zipporah, and Aaron Paul as Joshua. Directed by Ridley Scott, an adaption of Moses from the bible.
As we all know, Moses was taken from the river of Nile by the princess of Egypt when he was a baby. He was raised together with Ramses, the owner of the Egyptian crown. They were not very good buddies, and there's a competition in the relationship.
The Jews were the slaves at those times. They were beholding the premonition, that one day a man taken from the water will save them all. After struggling the reality that he was a Jew, and after Ramses found out, Moses was thrown to the dessert to die.
In a back of a hand, Moses life was switched from a prince to nothing. Stranded in the dessert, he finally found a place to live, where he become a cattleman.He fall in love with a beautiful woman, Zipporah. Yes, Zipporah is a beautiful lady, with beliefs to the God. They end up in a marriage and have children.
This are the moment when God finally show himself to Moses, since he was not a believer. He was seen as a kid, talking to Moses, tell him about his plans. Just like a natural human being, Moses deny it at first. I guess, if I'm also Moses, I will reject it also, seeing the hard work shown upon you. Finally Moses take his responsibility to become God's General and go to Egypt to release His people.

Human was build with stubborn head if I may say. There's nothing easy in changing a mind of a human being. Lots of people hanged, lots of chaos and disaster just to change a mind of the Egyptian, especially Ramses.

Ramses, just like any other king was flooded with lavishness. He always get what he wants. He wants to build statue of himself, a beautiful palace and everything was build by the Jewish slaves. You will see how slaves work 20 hours a day, without proper food and clothes. There are no such thing as a reward, if they died, they just toss them in the fire. It was a time of brutality.

Ramses finally let the Jewish go, after his son died. Watching all the disaster made by God, was just to have obedience from His people. Nothing more, and nothing less. This kind of struck me a little bit in my faith :)). Are we obedient enough in every situation that God has put us through? Will we still call his name, pray and be grateful in all the chaotic things that crossed our path?

One thing for sure, Moses also has doubts. This movie shows how human the prophets are. There's a scene where Moses talked with God, they argue, and the conclusion is we will not always agree on everything, but there are consequences in every action we have made.

The whole movie is about 150 minutes, all the scenes, the palace, was crafted beautifully. A very big budget indeed. The actors and actresses also played beautifully in their part. One thing that kinda troubles me is Zipporah is not aging :P. She looks the same after so many years married to Moses, where Moses grows old, but Zipporah stays the same.

This is maybe one of the best closing movie in 2014, next to the Hobbit and Mockingjay. Although Ridley Scott play safe in the story by not changing much of the story, but it was beautifully made. I give this movie 4/5 stars!

Review - The Book Thief

A 2013 movie, about a brave young girl named Liesel. Starred by a beautiful young actress Sophie Nelisse as Liesel, Geoffrey Rush as Hans, and Emily Watson as Rosa. Adapted from the book with the same title, written by Markus Zusak.
Liesel is an orphan, she was adopted by Hans and Rosa. The movie was set in the World War II, where Nazi rules the world. The people is in fear, and every knock in the door could mean instant death.
Liesel loves to read books, the Nazi told the people to burn all the books, since she loves book so much, she managed to stole one book. When she stole that one book, the mayor's wife sees this and remember liesel in her heart.
One day a young man stop by to Hans' house and fall on the floor. Hans recognize this young man as one of his best friend's son who has sacrifice himself to help Hans. His name is Max, and they took him in to help him. Liesel was forced not to tell anyone about Max, or the Nazi will come and killed them all. Max was taken care by them until he was healthy enough to leave the house.
Liesel has a good friend named Rudy, a boy next door. They were so close, in school and at home. They look so cute together, it was like the morning dew of romance. They were so natural, I wish more teenagers could act like them.
Problem occur when the Nazi do the basement search, Hans hid Max so well, and the Nazi couldn't find him. Every now and then, Liesel goes to the mayor's house to deliver bread, and Ilsa, the mayor's wife lend him some books to read. She used her loved of books to read it all to the sick Max, which in the end help him to become healthy.
The scene and the scenario was beautifully written, we could feel the pain of war, where everybody lives in constant fear. But young Liesel was brave enough to show the world how human shouldn't be treated that way. Human should taken care of each other.
"Life never promised anything...So, I should start right away..", then she began to write her story in a book where Max gave her. I guess this is also a reminder for me, action is far more needed in every occasion in our life. That actions will determine our next phase in life, we might made the wrong decision, but at least we could learn from our mistakes. Wewww, I'm getting wiser XD.
In this movie I'm so amazed by Sophie Nelisse beauty, what a superb beauty! World Class indeed. She acted so gracefully and beautifully in every scene. The movie flows in just the right amount.

Making my Sunday afternoon so perfect, I gave this movie 4/5 Stars!