The Avengers and my bestie

I finally checked out the Avengers movie. Co-workers have been talking about it for days and made me feel like I'd be missing this huge cultural event if I didn't watch. So I dragged my cousin/best friend Rose away from her gorgeous 10-week old daughter Athena to watch the movie with me.

 I know, I'm a heartless godmother for doing that, but I just missed catching up with her the past few months. We hardly saw each other since I was busy with work and traveling (Singapore, Malaysia, CamSur, Albay. Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte within a month, crazy!) and she was busy lactating. ;)

This day was just a relief for both of us, ranting and raving about our situations. Sharing her joy at being a new mom, while I shared my disgust and disappointment at someone who wouldn't pay back a loan. It's just like old times. I'm thankful for the four hours we got to share a good conversation over pizza , pasta and a good movie.

The Avengers is a very good action film, with all the explosions, special effects and hot guys we've come to expect from summer blockbusters. Oh Captain America, marry me! But my absolute favorite is Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, she totally kicked butt. It's also very funny in parts--I loved the various interactions between the superheroes--even Loki rocked it.

Now I know why it's breaking box office records in the Philippines. It currently has the record for biggest opening and is on track to be the biggest grossing movie ever in the country. It's so good, it made me forget for a bit that friend who owes me money, who's currently ignoring my calls and texts. Thanks, The Avengers and Joss Whedon for that!

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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and drooling...

Team Edward... err... Jacob!

I finally watched The Twilight Saga: Eclipse last weekend when I got together with my cousin and her girls. I haven't paid much attention to the brouhaha about the Twilight series though I've read all of the books... I liked it well enough, I just thought Bella could have been more assertive and kick-ass, but whatever.

Pia, En and Marivic

This movie was action-packed and quite funny in places, so I was a happy camper. And I have to admit, that Jacob (Taylor Lautner) boy's abs was unreal! Talk about drool-worthy... looking at him makes you wonder what's wrong with Bella picking Edward over him. :)

move over, Bella...

I couldn't help but tease (and pinch!) En because she's absolutely on "Team Jacob" and man, he was almost always shirtless the whole movie. There were even girls who chose to sit on the theater aisles to get a better look at his undeniable hotness. Gosh, the squealing from the girls had my ears ringing... but it was really fun watching the Twihards thoroughly enjoy themselves.

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Toy Story 3 was amazing!

utter perfection...

If you haven't watched Toy Story 3 yet, I suggest you get off your butt right now, go to the nearest mall and watch it. It was such an amazing treat to see the last installment of the computer-animated feature that started it all.

The first Toy Story made me a Pixar fangirl--that if there's a Pixar movie opening in cinemas, I'm one of the first in line to watch. And they have not disappointed me once... they know how to tell great stories (Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up). Those Pixar guys are geniuses.

Watching Toy Story 3 just made me reconnect with Woody, Buzz, Jessie and Co. in a huge way. I laughed my head off, felt horror when they were in danger, and had to try really hard not to bawl at the end. Boy, I never knew saying goodbye to characters you cared about when you were young, could be so tough.

I've never been a crybaby to begin with, but the lump in my throat got so huge, it was embarrassing. Only the presence of my cousin Rose yelling at the screen when she thought Woody and the gang were goners, made me feel better about my uncharacteristic show of emotion. I realized I'm not alone in caring about these animated pieces of plastic (I noticed the crowd were yelling and emoting right along with us too).

So there we were--adults so incredibly sucked in by Pixar's technical and story-telling wizardry--trying to be strong and brave, LOL. It was a fitting send-off, with laughter and sadness in equal measure. Couldn't have wished for a better ending. Now, go watch it to see for yourself.

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The Blind Side movie is awesome!

I finally watched The Blind Side last weekend and it's better than I thought it would be. I still think literary works lose some of its substance when adapted for the screen--but bookworm that I am, it's not surprising I feel that way.  It's pretty much a faithful adaptation of the book with a few exceptions--Michael Oher and his adoptive sister Collins Tuohy were actually in the same class at Briarcrest Christian School and started college together at Ole Miss-- in the movie Michael went to college ahead of her. The fight with the neighborhood thug didn't happen... it was actually an Ole Miss football teammate named Antonio Turner who Michael smacked around after Turner said crude things about his adoptive mom and sister.

This movie is heart-warming without being too sappy. Sandra Bullock did a great job playing the no-nonsense Leigh Anne Tuohy and she didn't even have to shed one tear here to be effective. She deserves all the accolades she has received for her performance in this movie. Quinton Aaron also did well, I think he captured the hulking, quiet, gentle young man that was Michael Oher as he was described in the book. I was surprised at how good an actor Tim McGraw is as Sean Tuohy. Jae Head as the tough negotiator kid SJ is really cute and provided a lot of laughs too.

I saw this movie with my friends Rose, Aida and Sharon (pictured above) and we all gave it two thumbs up. It's also wonderful that fellow moviegoers stayed until the credits have rolled to look at the video and pictures of the real Michael Oher being drafted in the NFL with his family and tutor by his side. I'm gratified that the adaptation of one of my favorite books turned out this well and people have flocked to the cinemas to see this inspiring story of a young man whose life was changed by the kindness of strangers who became the family he's never had.

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Lunch @ Cafe Mediterranean Greenbelt

My friends Howard and Merly invited me to join them for lunch. They took me to their favorite restaurant The Cafe Mediterranean at Greenbelt 1, of course I couldn't help myself I just had to take some pictures. Hmmm, this could be the start of my gig as a food blogger--which does not make sense considering I have the most boring taste in food. But anyway...

I started the meal with the Lentil Soup. Made of green lentils cooked with herbs and spices. People have been making this soup since the biblical times. It was simple and pretty good especially paired up with crusty bread.

I then had the Grilled Beef Kebabs. The dish was pretty tasty but the meat was a bit tough. Tabbouleh on the side is a nice addition though.

Ate Merly had this Moroccan Fish Fillet--grouper served with spicy tomatoes, carrots and olives. Got a taste of the fish and it was great. Howard had his favorite gyros so everybody was happy.

Thanks, my goofy neighbors!

Cafe Med has a quaint charm, they have a casual unpretentious look. It's reasonably priced (P200-300/meal) with fast, friendly service. Not too adventurous, but definitely satisfying for a quick lunch. Will surely be back. Maybe try the fish next time.

The Cafe Mediterranean
Stall 113, Ground Floor
Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center
Makati City

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The Blind Side movie reviews are coming in!

I've written in a previous post how much I loved the book The Blindside: Evolution of a Game and how apprehensive I was that the movie based on it might not be any good. It's starting to look like my fear was unfounded at least in early reviews. From trade magazine Variety:

After swinging for the fences and scoring a sleeper success with "The Rookie" (2002), writer-director John Lee Hancock takes the field with "The Blind Side," another uplifting and entertaining feel-good, fact-based sports drama. The combo of top-billed Sandra Bullock's marquee allure and a true-life story with well-nigh irresistible emotional appeal probably would be enough to fill megaplex stadiums at any time of the year. But this Nov. 20 Warners release is particularly well positioned to be a four-quadrant hit as the consensus choice of family auds during the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Critics though seem to have a problem with the ' too good to be true' aspects of the story. I guess it's normal for people to be cynical, to doubt other people's motivations for doing good. Some even say that this movie is racist because it depicts a white family saving a black young man. I mean what's wrong with these people? The life of Michael Oher speaks for itself really, from a homeless kid to millionaire football player in just a few years is an amazing achievement. I hope everyone could just enjoy the movie without looking for hidden meanings in it. For me as long as it doesn't mess too much with the facts in the book - I'm good.

Here's a nice article by World magazine about Michael Oher and the Tuohy family who adopted him.

Update: Opening in theaters in the Philippines January 27, 2010

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