True love perfectly dramatized in Time Traveler’s Wife

I initially thought that The Time Traveler’s Wife film adaptation would be as tragic as Brad Pitt’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But it was not. I was surprised as how the film poignantly touches the viewer’s heart with its tale of enduring love.

Although I admit it the film could have been better maybe in the hands of another director still it succeeds as a heartwarming love story. It is definitely not for the faint hearted though as it tackles a topic truly unnatural & unrealistic. And for Rachel Mcadams’ character in the film some might even say it’s taboo falling in love with a man traveling through different dates & moments in one’s life. McAdams’ portrayal of this challenging role though would prove viewers wrong as you would become more engrossed with her acting.

If there is one thing where this film succeeded at it would be casting Rachel Mcadams for the role. I just couldn’t imagine if she weren’t in the role. The film might be entirely boring. Save for her portrayal being entertaining she was also able to act out each scene with subtlety curious as to how she believably convinces viewers that falling in love with an unnatural man is believable.

She would then convey this portrayal into values of patience & understanding as she longs for her husband to come home. Acceptance of her married & family life’s fate although difficult proved inspiring in her own terms.

It is with such awe, I say, that Rachel Mcadams has finally arrived as an actress. Picking roles that are suited to her & justifying every part of it with such ease.



The Time Traveler’s Wife is a reflection on the beauty of love. Trust & fidelity has always been issues in a relationship but with this film one would realize that it is actually possible even if you are bounded by time & distance.

And the main lesson this film brings is that no matter how trivial life may be, despite differences that may happen through time one thing remains constant & that is true love. True love that shall bring you to different places & wherever you go no matter what time it is your one true love remains constant in your life. And this true love of yours shall be always worth coming home to.

MEMORABLE SCENES from the movie:


The Wedding Dance where Eric Bana's character jokingly apologizes to Rachel McAdams' Claire for missing their wedding ceremony.



For the second time Eric Bana's character meets Claire back in time after their wedding wherein Claire, still shown as a little girl here gets comically disappointed after knowing that her ideal man recently tied the knot.

Clare at Eight: Are you married?
Henry DeTamble: Yes, I am.
Clare at Eight: Is your wife a time traveler?
Henry DeTamble: No. No, thank God.
Clare at Eight: Do you love her?
Henry DeTamble: Yes. Very much. What's wrong?
Clare at Eight: Nothing. I was just hoping you're married to me.




Now a full-grown lady, Claire passionately falls in love with Bana's character. This is also the part wherein they would first intimately lock lips.



Henry finally proposes to Claire.



After Henry's death he then shows up again to Claire but slowly he faded out in time much to Claire's desperation as she fights out for one more time to see her one true love again.


MEMORABLE LINES from the movie:

Richard DeTamble: [many years after his wife's death] I still miss her. I miss her every day.
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Alba at Nine: Tell me the story of how you and Mama met?
Henry DeTamble: Doesn't she tell you?
Alba at Nine: She does, but not like you do.
Henry DeTamble: Well, it was right here in this meadow. And one fine day, your mom, who's just a tiny little thing, goes out to the clearing, and there's a man there.
Alba at Nine: With no clothes.
Henry DeTamble: Not a stitch on him. And after she gives him the blanket she happens to be carrying, he explains to her that he's a time traveler. Now, for some reason I'll never understand, she believes him.
Alba at Nine: 'Cause it's true.
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Clare Abshire: I wrote down every time that you came to visit me.
Henry DeTamble: Which I gather I did, or will do, fairly often.
Clare Abshire: The last time that I saw you, I was 18. Seems that you go back to the same places a lot.
Henry DeTamble: Yeah, it's like gravity. Big events pull you in.
Clare Abshire: I was a big event.
Henry DeTamble: So it would seem.



NOTES about the film:

Director: Robert Schwentke (Flightplan)

Writers: Bruce Joel Rubin - screenplay (The Last Mimzy, Stuart Little 2, Deep Impact, Ghost)
Audrey Niffeneger - novel

Plot: When Henry DeTamble meets Clare Abshire in a Chicago library they both understand that he is a time traveller, but she she knows much more than this about him as he has not yet been to the times and places where they have met before. He falls in love with her, as she has already with him, but his continuing unavoidable absences time travelling - and then returning with increasing knowledge of their future - makes things ever more difficult for Clare. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26} (imdb.com)

Awards: 2 nominations at the 2010 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: BEST FANTASY FILM & BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUNGER ACTOR: Brooklyn Proulx

Cast: RACHEL MCADAMS as Clare Abshire (The Notebook, Mean Girls)
ERIC BANA as Henry DeTamble (Hulk)
ARLISS HOWARD as Richard DeTamble, Henry's father (Awake, The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2)
MICHELLE NOLDEN as Annette DeTamble, Henry's mother (Lucid, The Perfect Man)
BROOKLYN PROULX, Clare at age Six&Eight (Fireflies In The Garden)
ALEX FERRIS, Henry at age Six (Living Out Loud)
RON LIVINGSTON, Gomez (Holly, Little Black Book)

Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, brief disturbing images, nudity and sexuality.

Runtime: 107 min

Production: New Line Cinema, Nick Wechsler Productions & Plan B Entertainment

Trivia:
# Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt made headlines when they bought the film rights to Audrey Niffenegger's novel before it was released to the public.

# After filming was done, Eric Bana started filming Star Trek (2009), a role which required him to shave his head. However re-shoots for The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) were needed, but production was put on hold so Eric's hair could grow out. It took so long that the movie's release date was pushed back by nearly a year.

# Steven Spielberg, Gus Van Sant and David Fincher were all considered for directing, but negotiations fell through.

# Shipped to theaters under the code name "The Meadow".

# During the final meadow scene, after Henry disappears, Alba bends down to pick up his discarded brown loafers. This is a reference to the cover art of one edition of the book, which features a young girl (visible only from mid-leg down) standing next to a brown pair of loafers in a field.

# Eva Green campaigned for the lead female role.

# Adrien Brody was the author's first choice for Henry.

# The Brazilian distributor for the film ran Internet adds for it incorrectly stating it to be "a film by Brad Pitt".

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With credits to imdb.com for film notes & quotes.

NINA PROVES WORTHY OF ‘DIAMOND’ SOUL SIREN TITLE

March 6, 2010; Saturday at the Music Museum, 8pm --- After tonight things will never be the same again for Nina & her fans. Tonight, Nina just proved that she is indeed the country’s diamond soul siren by showing how confident she is now on stage while chronicling her days from a fledgling singer to a hit maker & ultimately being accorded a diamond record award for her phenomenal live album.

Nina performed to two consecutive nights of a sold-out concert produced by ASAP Live! at the Music Museum. During the show you would only hear giggles of excitement & thunderous claps as Nina performs her repertoire. At the end of the show she would earn a standing ovation after a powerful rendition of Beyonce’s “Listen” which was only an additional track for tonight’s set.

This is not the first time that I’ve been to Nina’s concert. Being one of her avid followers I have been to every major concert she had. This time I personally felt her maturity as a performer. Her confidence was oozing & her rapport with the audience is something that she played along with her own taste of wit & charm. Only a few singers create rapport with the audience & Nina’s an ace on it now. Something she hasn’t been doing before.

Before & after introducing each song she’s going to perform she would play along with the audience by telling them stories behind the song. From time to time she would joke before & after each performance much to the audience’s chagrin. She then holds the audience captive after providing antics on her performance.

The show was well-rehearsed. It was polished & carefully thought of even with the song play list. Organizers of the show made sure that there will be no dull moments during the entire concert. Production flow was smooth as Nina transitioned from one number to another.

The soul siren’s opening of Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever” was elegant as she appeared on stage dressed in a flourishing white gown accessorized with little diamonds. With the opening song one would think it was a serious show, something for a mature audience but she unexpectedly segued to a Britney Spears’ medley & giggle over the songs she’s performing. The audience now started to become comfortable with her.

Next numbers would then showcase Nina’s dynamic vocal range. She was well applauded after performing Mariah Carey’s “Butterfly”. Her rendition of Lani Misalucha’s “Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin” was haunting. Her “I Believe I Can Fly” left the audience captivated as she reached the highest note of the song. She would also have fun singing while dancing with Katy Perry’s hit songs. She was such a delight to watch on stage with her being so pretty & elegant that night. Her costumes were more than beautiful befitting a pretty petite singer like her.


The numbers that we would be enjoying the most will be her performances of her own hit songs. “Jealous” never sounded better than tonight & it’s as if it was just yesterday when she released the song. The Dianne Warren medley was heartbreaking. You can feel every emotion as Nina puts melody to each love song Warren wrote from “I’ll Never Get Over You”, “Love Will Lead You Back”, “Unbreak My Heart” & her very own “I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend”.

“Why Can’t It Be” will force tears from your eyes while “Weekend In New England” would keep you reminiscing. She would all perform these songs while sitting down then comfortably belt out notes something that is a signature move of hers.

She had two special guests that night. Journey’s lead vocalist Arnel Pineda would bring out the rock star in us as everyone nearly jumped while he performs Bon Jovi’s hit songs. Her duet with Nina of “These Dreams” was a very fresh take on the song. Their great vocals really combined smoothly.



Big band crooner Richard Poon is a regular in Nina’s shows. Their take on “Burn” a cut from Nina’s live album was refreshing to the ears as Richard added a touch of big band to the song.

“Love Moves” is Nina’s hit that made her a household name. The night definitely wouldn’t be complete without her performance of this trademark song. It was very nice to hear the audience sing along with Nina as she sang.

When the piano intro for “Someday” was played everyone shrieked & sang along as well. Everyone had their cam corders flashed on as she readies herself for one of the audience’s favorite hits “Through The Fire”. This is the part where she delighted everyone with her amazing & powerful vocals & belting capability while performing the song very intimately while sitting & reaching out to the audience.

Before the night ended she would then treat us to a Beyonce medley of pop-dance songs. It was remarkable & you’ll wish the night would never end thus everyone would shout more after the last song on her play list & being a generous performer she would then come out again tirelessly sharing her amazing talent to us. After the last number the audience would give out their loudest claps & shouts of pride to the country’s diamond soul siren.

Tonight Nina surpassed what was expected of her. This concert of hers is something that would earn her a spot among the country’s amazingly talented concert acts. Truly she proved worthy of having diamond a mandatory prefix to her soul siren title. She is as elegant & brilliant plus astonishingly amazing, courageous & brave on stage which is all parallel to a diamond’s attribute.

Her performance tonight is also something that aspiring singers should watch & emulate & for her contemporaries & detractors to think about because she definitely proved everyone wrong when her recognition was questioned. Tonight has been the answer to their questions. They should have watched to convince themselves that Nina indeed is the diamond soul siren.



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Special thanks to: Lans, Dra. Win & Rons for the lovely & mesmerizing pics

All Roads Lead to Music Museum for Nina’s First Solo Concert of the Year

Last October 2009 Nina performed at the Araneta Coliseum together with the ASAP Sessionistas. A pre-Valentine concert was held at the same venue four months after but this time she was joined by Side A & Freestyle, two of the country’s top show bands.

Both concerts were memorable as it highlights the soul siren’s collaboration with other top performing artists of the country. The ASAP Sessionistas’ gig was instrumental in showcasing Nina’s stability as a performer while the Love2Love2Love concert showed her credibility.

Nina has been in the music industry for almost a decade now & as we have observed as each year passes she gets more recognition as she continues to develop her gift of singing & performance. More audience gets entertained & enthralled every time she performs.

As the country’s Diamond Soul Siren it is just timely that ASAP produce a concert all to her credit. If in collaborative concerts she shone what more if she’s given her own solo gig?

I personally enjoyed the last two major concerts Nina had. Although I was more amazed on how gifted as a performer Nina is during the Love2Love2Love stint. She definitely broke some rules & delivered more than what is expected of her.

But one thing holds true & for a Nina fan like me I believe Nina does better in solo concerts. The last Nina solo concert I watched was “Nina’s Men” which wasn’t that impressive although the song play list was definitely well thought of but production & promotion wise it was purely mediocre. But still I had fun. It was Nina. And while she’s up there singing those songs I had the time of my life.

In Sessionistas she’s among the more popular compared to her contemporaries & more was expected of her. Her stint in this concert although stellar was as they call it ‘bitin’. I left the venue wanting more.

Good thing last February she was in Araneta again with Side A & Freestyle. And all I can say is that the audience really loved her in this concert. Amazing vocals, impressive musicality & showmanship were all in place. It was just a perfect night & she blended perfectly with Freestyle & Side A sounding far better than her collaborations with her co-Sessionistas. The concert was more memorable than the Sessionistas gig.
This time it will be Nina’s own ruling. Expectations have been set considering how she aced up her two previous major performances. I believe pressure is building up considering that this is an ASAP produced event.

Will she be able to deliver more & live up to the expectations of a true Diamond Soul Siren & Music Superstar?

We’ll see.

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ASAP Live presents “NINA: The Diamond Soul Siren”
Guests: Young JV, Richard Poon, Erik Santos & Arnel Pineda
March 5 & 6; 8pm at the Music Museum
For tickets call Ticketworld @ 891.9999
Or visit: www.ticketworld.com.ph

Personal Reflections on Writing

I never thought I could write. People only tell me that I am good at it. I never took them seriously. I just had a knack for words & sometimes thoughts just really overflow that I need something to catch it. That’s how I accidentally stumbled upon a pen & paper & realized what I could do about it. Although sometimes, I admit it, I get tired of it especially if no one seems to read you.

But most of the time I feel the itch. The urge to document something lingers in my mind & keeps my heart beating with excitement. It sometimes gives me insomnia. However most of the time it outruns my pace. I can’t catch up.

Being the determined person I am I never gave up on writing. This gift of mine as they say has been in a slumber & from time to time just like a volcano it erupts. It’s like an addiction but no rehab will ever cure it. It’s a good thing anyway.

And so I am here again typing like a hurried man on my computer keyboard running against time to imprint all those words too eager to come out from my mind & fingers. I haven’t had lunch yet but the feeling’s really gratifying.

As I restart this blog page I believe it would be important to trace how my relationship with words started & why it became such a passion.

Early in life I was exposed to books courtesy of my doting aunt & quick-witted grandmother. They were the people responsible for exposing me to the world of written words. I enjoyed it. I even craved for it while still being a child filled with innocence.
Right now it would be an understatement to say that together with my daily glass of milk I fed on books. I grew up with it. I started munching on Children’s Library Encyclopedias. My most memorable read back then was about the world of insects. This was how I learned that things little creatures such as fireflies, dragonflies, beetles, ladybugs & ants exist. Not only do they exist they also thrive just like the human species. It was funny because I discovered them first before well-loved fairy tales which should have been a general reading prescription for children of my age.

I read in English & by the age of eight I was into Tom Sawyer. I was hooked by his adventures with Huckleberry Finn. They lived such an exciting though quite laidback country life. Unconsciously my imagination about boyhood But reading them thought me good English. Thanks to Mark Twain.

When I was in Third Grade I wrote a fairy tale as part of a school project. I don't remember details of the story now but I remember how it looked. I wrote it in a short brown folder ready for exhibition. It was a typical tale of a princess falling in love with her prince but the whole kingdom is threatened to perish by evil elements. It was a tragic love story & I vividly designed my folder by adding drawings into it with blue green as the dominating color as it represented the kingdom I created being in the middle of a lush, dark forest but when roamed you'll discover a majestic blue sea lying in its outskirts.

I was too eager submitting it. My parents got to read it & I have never seen them prouder as before. It didn't make the cut though. Never got exhibited. I realized my classmates had better stories to tell.

I went back to reading . And reading did I do more. I coaxed my mom to borrow books for me after school even before I was issued my own borrower's card. I had to wait until Fourth Grade before being entitled to one.

Not being able to borrow books I stayed in the library after school hours. I wouldm refuse to go home not unless the library doors close. I would read different books ranging from classic fairy tales to pre-teen mystery novels. This is how I came to know the Hardy Boys & soon enough I would often use them for my English class' book reviews.

I hungered for more & started discovering magazines & even adult literature at the age of nine. I can still remember our librarian's grunt stare when she discovered me tucked with a Danielle Steel novel.

The following year was exciting. Now in Fourth Grade I am now entitled to my own library card. No more staying after school hours for I could just take home books that I want to read. But I was wrong.

At ten years old I became a member of the 'geek society', the Book Lovers' Club which was not a popular organization at all. Most of my classmates would join the Student Council, the Boy or Girl Scouts, Peer Facilitators or the Glee Club. Only a few would join the Book Lovers' Club. But this is where I would find refuge & I never knew that joining this club would make me revered & popular. I would eventually become its President. And being it's head I became among the school's more important personalities.

I stopped writing during those time. I never even believed that I had that skill. Although during mandated essay homeworks I would get high scores & recognized by my teachers.

Before our elementary graduation we were asked to chronicle our grade school days through a poem. I wrote a life cycle sort of poem & titled it "Clouds As Me". I didn't know that it was my introduction to metaphorical writing. My Reading teacher liked it so much she had it published in our year book.

I began to feel confident with my writing. Having been commended & recognized for that one poem made me realize that I have my own special talent which really needs nurturing.

Nurture did I do.

The first challenge I had in writing started during my first few months as a freshman high school student. I had to be a part of our school organ. I knew that this was the only way to know if indeed I had the talent.

With only guts & sheer determination I entered a room filled with senior students aiming to be a part of the distinguished school publication team. Without any mentor or experience to boast of I took the challenge. I just really wanted to see for myself & get assurance that I indeed can write. No other purpose. Just assurance.

A day after the screening all my classmates were jubilant. It was totally unexpected of me to land a post in our school paper as a freshman. Not to mention I aced the screening seeing my name as the second best applicant for the new set of writers in our campus paper. Following my name was a bunch of senior & junior students. The school paper adviser was then curious to know me. That was the time I was assured I could definitely write.

I was discovered. Three years after this unexpected discovery I eventually became our school paper’s Editor-in-Chief & recognized as my batch’s Most Outstanding Student-Journalist for two straight years.

As if to assure me & prepare me for writing challenges in college my mentor, our school paper adviser drove me to write about different topics. Topics that don’t even interest me at all were included in the list. She created different tests to further hone my skill. She would often criticize in front of my peers but would be a very inspiring coach during our one-on-one sessions. I believe I got her captivated with my writing style which is too unlikely for a 13-year-old. She added more elements until my writing has grown more advanced compared to an average 16-year-old student. She was the one who told me I had a future in writing. I was inspired to believe so.

During my high school years I went touring over all the country courtesy of writing contests. It was a privilege to see different cultures, people & places & be able to write more because of these inspirations. I got to know other excellent writers of my age as well & would often compete with them. Sometimes I won. Sometimes they win. But the tips from peers, different mentors really helped me a lot to further mature as a writer in my own little way.

Even up to today I am remembered as the best essayist for my batch & that recognition was acknowledged by senior batches as well. I was the first one to represent my school in a national level writing competition for feature writing. That recognition lives on & every time I feel down or frustrated about this special art of mine I go back to these memories. It would then again move me & push me back to my writing desk.

My writing mellowed when I was in college. But my reading did mature. I was engrossed on political novels, philosophical manifestos, classic & modern literature & pop-culture magazines.

I think college life in UP is different from other universities. You really have to think before you could write. Aside from patience & genuine writing talent courage was also needed. Not to mention accuracy & factuality.

In UP your output was always out in the open for criticism. I needed more courage to be that. I needed more experience to become a seasoned campus journalist & I thought to become one is to observe more. The environment was new to me. Unnaturally out of my writing comfort zone. I had to rest for a while & all my writings were archived in a personal journal. I would often receive praises from my communication professors regarding how seamless my writing was. I was often cajoled by school mates to join the school organ. I knew then that I needed more time to ponder on things because aside from writing I also needed to take time for my education.

This was the time I ventured into something different. I developed myself as a leader. Something that was innate even back in high school but never got enough boosting because of writing priorities. I joined several university organizations & even became head of one. From the experience I would be able to observe more & write cleverly as my mind develops to an admirable state of maturity.

After almost more than five years I still have the same thoughts. Sometimes I act like a child. Sometimes like a wise man. Sometimes just like a carefree high school student or a student-youth leader filled with brevity. Or maybe just a plain observer. But still words want to get out of my mind & I feel the need to turn these thoughts into string of words & create a unifying message.

I am glad that in this age I don’t need a publisher to believe in me. I just need myself, my thoughts and maybe a handy computer or a plain paper & pen & I’m off to realizing my dreams over & over again.

WELCOME BACK.. AGAIN!

I am really proud that this personal blog page has been existing for almost five years now though no one seems to care about it except me. Hehe.. =)

I started to discover the joy of blogging in 2005 & had several occasional dips on it but never really got to seriously think about it until I learned that I could earn while writing. The usually busy me stopped for a while & though about sharing my thoughts again through blogging. All becasue of the money. Haha!

Well, the materialistic in me wants to pursue writing again together with discovering uncharted territories & meeting new people. I wonder blogging or writing could well, be my very first step so why let go of it?

I haven't been writing for a while & have found having no time as my lamest excuse. But everytime I read other blogs I can't help but feel bitter knowing that I too can do it.

This may not really be an excellent blog with that impressive layouts but I'll try to keep it as simple & readable as possible. Topics written about may not interest everyone but still for the love of writing I shall continue to write. All for the love of writing & expression. And while we are still living in a democratic nation I shall never cease. And maybe if we're under martial rule I shall still write.