October 2012 - Ruby Sparks

Tadpole thinks:

I’m writing this review as soon as I can. Because I know what kind of person I am. Just before the movie started, Theodora and I (yes, of course we were watching this together!) had a discussion on giving grades / scores to movies. I told her I tended not to grade movies now because my standards fluctuate, and the impressions the movie has made on me change too… so a movie that gets an A today may not even receive a C tomorrow. This is the reason why I am reviewing Ruby Sparks as soon as I have access to my computer. This review’s gonna be a honest and straight review, written before everything gets washed away from my head, though I may just not be sure what to write yet…

I have a love-hate relationship with Ruby Sparks. I love how the ending, or rather, the whole movie, is up to your interpretation (what’s real, and what’s not?). I love Calvin’s beautiful white spacious home and full bookshelves. I love Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan’s on-screen chemistry. I love the Los Feliz neighbourhood. I love how Calvin has a dog. I love how Calvin’s a writer. I love how this movie is almost like an ode to the literary world. I love how The Catcher in the Rye is featured, though I doubt it’s still considered as one of my favourite books.

But I hate the characters, no one’s too likable I’m afraid. I hate a particular scene which made me feel so embarrassed for Ruby. I hate how quirkiness becomes too weird. I hate how I loved the first half of the movie but hated the rest. I hate how I could see Calvin should be a loner for the rest of his life only during the very first few scenes. I hate how unromantic the love story is. I hate how I felt a little bit bored. I hate how disappointed I was. No, I wasn’t that disappointed… but the disappointment was in the same league as what I got after watching Hugo. Maybe I really was quite disappointed. If I were to compare Ruby Sparks with a film that I’ve seen, what would it be? I can’t possibly name a single movie… so I’ll let Movie Maths do the job. Here we go. ( Sunshine Cleaning * Midnight in Paris ) + To Rome with Love (for the café scene) + 500 Days of Summer (I hate myself for saying this but they have quirky characters?) + Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Dream or reality? Vs. Memory or happening now?).

Wish the audience would laugh with me at the funny parts (not exactly a comedy but I like laughing). Maybe the experience would have been better? To the couple occupying seats C6 and C7 during the 3:45 pm screening on 15 October 2012 at Palace IFC, please, don’t ever kick my chair again. Thank you.

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Fish thinks:

If you talk about the theme, Ruby Sparks was as expected. Instead of being the typical Hollywood love stories with a sparkling ending, the movie delivered a deeper social message about love and relationships: too much control over your lover’s life would only lose yourself and lead to suffocation of the parties in the relationship.

Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan is a captivating couple. They aren't exactly photogenic in every film frame, but they are charming in their own unique, preppy style. It is delightful to know that though Calvin and Ruby separated, they are a couple in real life. I have to say I enjoy watching them when they were madly in love together. It is quite tempting to have another half by your side, isn't it?

However, I must confess the movie disappointed me in several aspects. I’ll start with the wrong choice of casts. I think Chris Messina doesn't suit the role “Harry”(Florence disagrees? I remember she said Harry is funny). Not only does his looks display an entire foreign set of genes from Calvin, but his acting seems inadequate in portraying the playboy-ish but caring elder brother (or he was over the top, and become a bit too annoying for me). 

Moreover, I thought the movie would be funnier. I thought there would sweet and cheesy moments or cute dialogues that would make me laugh out loud. Strangely, I remained quite tense throughout the film. I guess it was because I have had a clue about the direction the movie was going to head to and I am NOT happy about it. So, thus. Or it could be me having a weak sense of humor (YES IT IS).

Perhaps it was because I had expected too much from the movie, and that the ugly reality of how relationships could evolve into ruined my fantasies  Of course, things have a good side and a bad one too, so credits should be given to the film which revealed that face and refreshed our minds. But gosh, I do feel poignant afterwards. The complexity of 2 people intrigues me. I hope I would eventually know more about it, as well as how to cope with it. 

Houston, We Have A Problem

Because of a technical problem, Theodora and I could not review our scheduled October book in due course.

BUT there's something exciting coming up!

What is it? I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.


* Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is now our November book.

September 2012 - Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson

Tadpole thinks:

May not the best way to start off my career at Fishing in the Tadpole Kingdom, but I’m gonna be genuinely honest with you – it’s been more than two weeks since I finished Before I Go to Sleep. You know what that means.

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

This is the tagline of Before I Go to Sleep. Christine, our protagonist, suffers from a strange case of amnesia. Every morning she wakes up with no recollection of her name and her near past. Sometimes she thinks she’s a child, sometimes a young adult. Her husband, or “the man who’s sleeping in bed next to her”, will remind her who she is, who he is and their daily routine. Occasionally, at her demand, he’ll fill in her memory gaps. On the other hand, at the advice of a doctor she’s secretly seeing, Christine’s begun writing down what she does and she learns daily. The journal helps her to put the pieces together, but the same journal leads her into questioning her trust in everything.

Every review you see will be raving at you about how entertaining, how intriguing and how much of a page-turner Before I Go to Sleep is, so I’ll your spare time. It had me put myself in Christine’s shoes. If I were Christine, what would I do? I haven’t been a 47-year-old married woman, but neither has Watson (I believe?). Yet he portrayed Christine so well. I was absolutely surprised when I learnt that Watson is a man.

On a side note, the perfectionist in me always does relish details. This time, non-perfectionists will have a chance to appreciate them as well. In this book, many tiny little details are actually hints, which make you go “that makes sense now!” towards the end.

But the perfectionist in me also has problems with this book.

1. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I have to. After being on the same emotional roller coaster as Christine, we expect a shocking ending. Well, we do have it here, a shockingly cheesy one. Confessedly I haven’t come up with a better ending… but I’m not the writer!
2. My mum constantly reminds me to take the fictional world with a pinch of salt. Still, some aspects of the book irk me too much. The readers aren't stupid! We aren't going to fall for implausible and ridiculous explanations.
3. The timeline was difficult to follow at first. Though I seem to be the only person on earth with this issue.
4. The book got quite boring after 100+ pages, nonetheless it was all good after it entered the gentle slope towards the climax.
5. Not a fifth problem, but I have nowhere else to put it – I’M EXCITED FOR THE FILM. Nicole Kidman’s set to play Christine. As much as I love Nicole, I think Tilda Swinton is a better choice.

No wonder Faber Academy features this book in all of their advertisement. I definitely want to enrol in one of their writing classes now. A 3-day course next time I’m in London then?

Theodora and I haven’t started our regular meet-up-for-discussion regime yet. In fact I don’t know how we’re gonna do it or if we’ll be doing it at all. For those who have read, or are interested in the book, please have a look at the official book club notes.

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Fish thinks:

It is a nice recommendation from Florence, or Tadpole. I temporarily put down another thriller Angels and Demons (another suggestion for our archive?) just to finish it in a blow. Just like what the reviews have stated, it was a total page-turner. You can pick it up anywhere and immerse into the storyline at once. Despite the gripping plot being slightly less intricate then I have imagined (*spoiler alert* I thought Dr. Nash was more involved in Christine’s life and there would be something more about “Ed”), S. J. Watson’s narrative style and arrangements are impressive, building up great suspense and lure readers to continue Christine’s mental journey. Here I have to disagree with Flor: the story gets more interesting as it proceeds and readers get more light on the protagonist’s shattered life (but it does gets tiring to start a new diary entry every time the solving of the mystery nears). Also, I credit Watson for surprising readers with many twists in the story.

YES, the ending is cheesy, illogical and an obvious rush. Everything ended abruptly and unexcitedly. It would be great if the suspense continues, but I’ve a lack of idea what comes next. On the other hand, I see Florence’s point regarding the it-makes-sense hints throughout the book. I feel the same and the realization hits me like a wave.

Overall speaking, Before I Go To Sleep is a fun read. I didn't gain anything from it specifically…but is it a necessity to have a message behind every story? I enjoyed it, I savored it, and that's all it matters. Will recommend it to anyone!

P.S. Am excited for the film as well (There’s a film coming? Great news!) but too agree that Nicole Kidman is not right for Christine. Tilda is nice but I always portray Famke Janssen (X-Men) as the character in my mind!

PROMISE: A longer post next time *winks*

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Readers, we’re always up for a discussion! Leave a comment or send us an e-mail, we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Fish and Tadpole Need Your Recommendation!

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