Testament of Youth (2014)

Out of all the films I watched in 2015, Testament of Youth is, by far, one of my favorites. It'Out of all the films I watched in 2015, Testament of Youth is, by far, one of my favorites. It's the first and only movie that I watched in the movie theatre by myself. At 7 o'clock in the morning. Best decision ever. 

In the fall semester of 2013, I took a seminar titled World War I: Global Perspectives and I wrote my final term paper about the role of women during the first world war, which made this film more appealing to me. I personally can't identify with the character of Vera Brittain. She's strong-minded, independent, inclusive, and I'm pretty much the polar opposite. But she represents the group of people, like the suffragettes, that struggled to fight for the rights I, as a woman, have today. 

More than anything, the soundtrack by Max Richter was mind-blowing. These I Send To You, Love and Imagination, The Rising of the Sun. These three are on my Top 25 Most Played on iTunes. I can watch the film over and over again for the soundtrack alone. 

"They'll want to forget you. 

They'll want me to forget. 

But I can't. I won't. 

This is my promise to you now. All of you."

- Vera Brittain

"At college, more than anywhere else, 

one was likely to make the friendships that 

supported one through life." 

- Vera Brittain

"Her mind was like a spring-tide in full flood; 

rich, shining, vigorous, and capable of infinite variety."

- Vera Brittain

"Edward assures me you won't mind me writing direct. You set me a challenge, you see, and I've done my best to meet it. I hope you find more feeling in this one. Down the long, white road we walked together, down between the grey hills and the heather, you seem all brown and soft, just like a linnet, your errant hair had shadowed sunbeams in it, and there shone all April in your eyes."

- Roland

"Like no one else...you share that part of my mind that associates itself mostly with ideal things and places. The impression thinking about you gives me is very closely linked with that given me by a lonely hillside or a sunny afternoon, or books that have meant more to me than I can explain. This is grand, but still it isn't enough for this world. The earthly and obvious part of me longs to see and touch you and realize you as tangible."

- Vera Brittain

Emma (1996)

One of my favorite novels by Jane Austen is, of course, Pride and Prejudice. I was always
captivated by the strong character of Elizabeth Bennet and, at a young age, I strived to be as brave as she was.

My sister bought a copy of Austen's Emma a few years ago, but I could never get around to finishing it from cover to cover. I knew that the general plot revolved around Emma Woodhouse, the protagonist, who took the initiative to be the match-maker in her small town.

Yesterday, I watched the 1996 adaption by Diarmaid Lawrence, and I fell in love with the character of Mr. Knightly. Even though I am an avid fan of Pride and Prejudice, I was never really into Mr. Darcy (the arrogant proprietor of Pemberley). Too pompous. Too blah.

But, Mr. Knightly, played by Mark Strong, is by-far my favorite male character in a Jane Austen novel. He holds etiquette and mannerism as requirements, for both himself and Emma. Yeah, he is borderline self-righteous, but he balances that out with an unexpected aire of humility and modesty.

Where are the Mr. Knightly's of the 21st century?

“There is one thing, Emma, which a man can always do if he chooses, and that is his duty; not by manoeuvring and finessing, but by vigour and resolution." 

- Mr. Knightley

“'Whom are you going to dance with?' asked Mr. Knightley.

She hesitated a moment and then replied, 'With you, if you will ask me.'

'Will you?' said he, offering his hand.

'Indeed I will. 
You have shown that you can dance, and you know we are not really so much brother and sister as to make it at all improper.'


'Brother and sister! No, indeed.'”

- Mr. Knightly + Ms. Woodhouse

"She was vexed beyond what could have been expressed—almost beyond what she could conceal. Never had she felt so agitated, so mortified, grieved, at any circumstance in her life. She was most forcibly struck. The truth of his representation there was no denying. She felt it at her heart. How could she have been so brutal, so cruel to Miss Bates! How could she have exposed herself to such ill opinion in any one she valued! And how suffer him to leave her without saying one word of gratitude, of concurrence, of common kindness!"

- Ms. Woodhouse

"Seldom, very seldom does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken; but where, as in this case, though the conduct is mistaken, the feelings are not, it may not be very material."

- Ms. Woodhouse

Beauty Inside (2015)

How would life be if you woke up with a different face every morning?


- from the movie "Beauty Inside"

Kamome Diner (2006)

K A M O M E   D I N E R

Kamome Shokudo

Directed by Naoko Origami

Released in 2006

There's nothing better than loving a movie that someone recommended to you. It makes you feel that...that person really knows you.

Kamome Diner was one of the weirdest movie that I have ever seen. It was cute and the cinematography was great, but it was so weird. It reminded again of about how much I love Japanese literature and film.

Like Murakami. Murakami is one of those authors that you can never 100 percent fully understand. And sometimes you just know they had cannabis growing somewhere around their house. But, it draws you in and entices you to keep on reading.

Kamome Diner is such a unique, yet beautiful, movie. The cooking will make you want to go out for Japanese. The characters will make you want to watch some more Japanese movies. And the cinematography will make you want to go to Helsinki.

What Maisie Knew (2012)

Yesterday, I saw this movie titled What Maisie Knew and, now, it is one of my favorite movies. 

This movie is full of a little girl named Maisie who has to suffer through the hardships of going back and forth between her mom and her dad in their custody battle. I have never went through what this little girl went through: parents' divorce, rejection, etc. But the directors Scoot McGehee and Daivd Siegel do a fantastic job of drawing in the audience. It wasn't hard to muster up some empathy for the protagonist.

Maisie manages to bring out the best of people, transfixing everyone around her with her optimistic and adventurous persona.