魔女宅急便真人版 真的忠於原著?

說來難為情，本人已不再是小孩子，但還是每隔幾年要回味一下我心愛的小說
<<魔女宅急便>>。角野榮子的著作，讀來清新可喜，節奏明快開朗，像是喝了一杯檸檬蘇打水，閱畢令人心景愉裞。

我家中擁有一整套小說，每當我心情低落又或是對生命熱情冷卻下來時再拿起<<魔女宅急便>>一讀，感覺面對人生會正向、積極一點。宮崎駿的<<魔女宅急便>>我是十分喜愛的！不論是畫面、人物的模樣也是跟我讀原著小說時想像的一樣。最令我感動的便是配樂，琪琪離家飛越大海時播放的音樂是我的最愛。對克里克城的描畫也是充滿活力的。

經常把自己比擬為魔女琪琪，年少時便一個人孤身越洋磨練自己，到了海邊的一個大城市修行。把自己代入琪琪的角色，對小說更加有深厚的感覺。好了，不說太多，說說我上星期充滿期待去看的真人版吧。

看到很多網上的評語說真人版是比較忠於原著，所以我便抱著原著小說的角度去看這電影。電影一開始交待琪琪怎樣從家鄉出發到克里克鎮。這一段算是恰好到處，琪琪跟家人的關係直接影響琪琪待人處事的方式。電影也如實地交待了琪琪對海洋的響往。當琪琪飛著尋找小鎮的時候，在原著小說裡應要遇到另一個魔女。她們之間的對話十分有趣也令琪琪對魔女修行之旅有所疑惑，很失望電影沒有這一段。終於找到了克里克鎮，這裡真是令我失望非常……心裡淌著淚……角野榮子描寫熱鬧、充滿活力的克里克鎮在那裡？那座鎮上的生命象徵，"豎起耳朵吧！"的鐘塔在那裡？電影看到這裡，老實說，已經減了一大半分數。小豆島無疑是十分美麗，天然，但這不是原著小說想呈現的感覺。克里克鎮在電影裡只是靜。靜，沒有了。少了鎮上那種活潑的氣氛，整套電影顯得沈悶了。

電影中還有另一個令我失望透頂的是蜻蜓！原著小說中的蜻蜓對飛行充滿熱情但對琪琪十分尊敬，知己知彼，性格善良有禮。怎料電影中的蜻蜓變成憤世的少年，一開始還討厭著琪琪，我實在是難以接受。

到了中段，琪琪開始接任務時還算有趣。後來失去了魔法不能再飛時實在是拍得拖拖拉拉，令人看得興致缺缺。到後來河馬事件，有點兒誇張了。那種激發起琪琪再飛的原因不夠強烈，這一段給小孩子看還好。看罷真人版十分失望，劇情改是改了，改便應要改得好。這電影情節可觀性不夠。唉，我覺得宮崎駿的版本還更貼近原著呢。

選角倒是很好，女主角演活了琪琪。嗯……就這樣……我的克里克鎮鐘塔啊……

Les Misérables - you might hate musicals but you will love this movie

Les Misérables the movie finally arrived Australia on 26th Dec, 2012. I have waited long enough for this movie to be filmed. Les Misérables has been my second favourite musicals of all time since I was in high school. I watched the stage version on...probably 2007 in London.

Its music is striking and the story so touching yet humorous at some point. The stage version never been put on DVD, there are only the Les Misérables concert where the performers stand in front of a mic a sing out the lines with no background settings, no movement, no acting. I love the 10th anniversary version and wish wish wish there will be a stage version on DVD someday with the dream cast - Colm Wilkinson as Valjean, Philip Quast  as Javert and Lea Salonga as Eponine. But I think they are all too old now to perform haha....nevermind, a film version is just what I'm waiting for too.

First looking at the cast list - Hugh Jackman as Valjean!? My first reaction was what!? Isn't he the wolf-man waving his claws around and biting people? Now he is the heroic, sophisticated Valijean!? I just could not believe it at the first place, I seriously thought Rusell Crowe is acting Valijean. Rusell Crowe is Javert, hmm, alright, nothing to complain of. Anne Hathaway as Fantine, NOW I am expecting something. Amanda Seyfried as Cossett, according to her performance in Mama Mia, I believe she will do a good job here and she just looks perfect to be Cossett. Eddie Redmayne as Maruis, not sure since I don't know him and I am just not a fan of Maruis so, I'm okay with anyone to act it. Another very important characters are Mr. and Mrs. Thenardier! They are the salt and pepper of Les Mis! I wouldn' t doubt that Sacha and Helena would do a lousy job here. 

Alright, so on 26th, I stepped into the Event Cinema in Sydney, excitedly holding 2 tickets that I have pre-booked almost a month ago, feeling like unwrapping a present on boxing day! When the first overture starts, my heart leaps, I feel like meeting an old friend again. The movie was very long, but I didn't feel like it. The story floated beautifully however, I could expect a little more details in between for those who never read the book or watched the musical. 3 hours passed in a flash, audiences clapped when it ends which was very unusual. I left the cinema feeling stroked, touched and I don't know...relieved. The movie surely did not film in a traditional way, the director uses lots of long shots and close-ups to capture the character emotions. And it worked! It was breathtaking when the actors are singing, it was a big thumb up for all the actors and actresses completing the song in just 1 take. It is a magical way to film this movie. However, sometimes the angle might in a weird position, for example the shot when Eddie sings his grief to his dead friend, the angle shooting Eddie's face was a bit strange. Suddenly it distracts me from grieving together with him. 

The first half of the movie can seems a bit rush, but it also gives no room for unnecessary plot. 

OKAY, now, Hugh Jackman singing, I used to doubt his voice. However, time proves me wrong, no, Hugh Jackman proves me wrong. If I only have to praised one person in the film, Hugh Jackman will be it. His voice is brilliant for singing Valijean, I had no idea he could sing like that, he just blown me away with his "acting voice". His version of Bring him home would be another classic, it is not perfect, but it delivers the emotions very well. 

Rusell Crowe as Javert seems OKAY to me, I like his acting as I always do. However, his singing is just terrible...He looks nervous while he is singing, I can imagine he thinking "OH no! What is the next note?" or "come on, I am Rusell Crowe, I cannot lose in a musical!" But nonetheless, I still love him. Despite of his singing, his acting was great, the way he acts Javert worked well to express the reserved, rightfulness character of his. 

Anne Hathaway sang I dream a dream well, perhaps very very well. Her version can easily be my favourite. I didn't like it at first when I heard it in the trailer, but in the movie, she sings and I see her face. Then everything makes sense. This is the emotions that I dream a dream needs to express, desperateness and fragility. Well done Anne.

Amanda Seyfried has an amazing voice and she is just the perfect actress to be Cossett. She can consider to be a part-time musical singer. :D

Eddie Redmayne gave me surprises, I thought he IS a singer. He sang so well just like a professional. 

I enjoyed every bit of the movie, the music, the singing, the settings. They all worked beautifully with each other and I have to give credits to Tom Hooper. He is a genius to record the sound live while they're acting, it surely gives their singing a lot more depth and emotions in it. And with all the close-ups, long shots, all the actors' emotions feel so real to me. I would rate this movie 8/10 and it easily becomes my best movie in 2012. I just need to wait and see if Life of Pi can beat it or not. :P

A few links to the 10th anniversary dream cast videos :

I dream a dream - Ruthie Henshall

Bring him home - Colm Wilkinson

Stars - Philip Quast

On my own - Lea Salonga

Delicious [Pavlova]!

For weather this hot lately, I reckoned a light, airy pavlova would be a good choice for dessert! 
I have made this dessert with a friend before and I LOVE the recipe. Crispy on the outside and soft like marshmallow in the inside. It uses yogurt for the filling instead of cream which even lights up the pavlova more. The yogurt is a prefect match with sweet strawberries. :) ok, lets start!

For the meringue:

Egg Whites x [ 4 ]
Granulated sugar x [ 1 cup ]
Cornstarch x [ 1tp ]
Vanilla extract x [ 1 & 1/2 tp ]
White vinegar x [ a little ]

For the filling:

Mascarpone Cheese x [ 1&1/4 cup (250g) ]
Plain Tangy Yogurt/Greek yogurt x [ 1/2 cup (120g) ]
Vanilla extract x [ a little ]

Preheat the oven to 270°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Trace a 9" circle on the parchment. (If you are making mini-pavlovas, drinking glass can be used as guide.) Flip the parchment over. Mix the sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl. 

Make sure your mixing bowl and beaters are very clean with no residual fat or grease, definitely no moisture.  Pour the egg whites in to the bowl and begin beating at low speed. Gradually increase the speed to medium.When the egg whites have reached soft peak, begin adding the sugar little at a time, waiting a few seconds between each addition. While doing this, gradually increase the speed so that you are at maximum speed once all the sugar has been added.

Keep whipping until the meringue reaches stiff peaks. Stop the mixer and sprinkle the vanilla and vinegar over the meringue. Beat for a while longer to blend everything completely.Use a spatula to scrape all the meringue onto the parchment in the center of the circle. Working from the inside out, spread the meringue to fill the circle. Smooth the sides if desired or leave it in billowy lumps.

Turn the oven to 230°F, place the meringue into the lower track and hopefully the heat comes from below. Bake it for until 60 minutes, check if the surface hardens. When the crust looks brown and sounds hollow when you tap on it, it is done.

So, now the filling. Simply mix the yogurt and mascarpone cheese together. Add a few drops of vanilla extract then you're ready to spread it on top of your crust. Of course, you only do that when you're serving it. Me and my friend put the filling on top of the crust way too early, when we took it out to serve, the crust has already been soften due to the moist that yogurt given out.

Anyways, the last step is to slices up fruits you prefer and place them on top! DONE.

Ippudo [RAMEN]

Today we decided to go for the newly opened ramen place called "Ippudo". My friend googled and found that it was known as the no.1 ramen place in Japan. Woo, all that sounds very tempting, when I serached for the photos, my mouth is watering. So I went there with very high expectations.

We arrived at 1pm, the line was so long we decided to walk around and come back later since we're not that hungry anyway. Finally the line died down a bit when it was 1:45pm. We got in, staff seems to be nice and helpful. I ordered number two...Think its the tonkotsu broth flavoured with garlic oil. My friend ordered the original broth and a spicy miso paste. I particularly enjoyed stirring the miso paste into the soup, just like the way it melts into my ramen. Took a sip of the soup, tastes very nice. It is way lighter than Gumshara (If you didnt know Gumshara, it is my favourite ramen in Sydney. Locating in the foodcourt of Chinatown. Must try), however the soup seems a bit salty at the end, I felt very thirsty a while after we finished the ramen. However, the soup is good enough for me to consume all of it. I personally do not like noodles that thin...It is way to thin and it tastes a bit like Chinese wonton noodles...I am looking for noodle that should be thicker and with more texture, you know, better to chew. The noodle is definitely a put down...But the flavoured egg and pork are all fine. I have also tried my friend's broth, mine tastes the best I think. I had the one with garlic oil.
The ramen with flavoured egg costs me $18...way too pricey for a ramen...however I have to give credits to the decor, all very nice.

In general, it is a above standard ramen however I still prefer Gumshara.

Sorry for the photos, I only realized that I have to take photos in half-way we ate...so they don't look like that originally. They should look much better

* Ippudo Ramen is located in Pitt Street Westfield, Lv 5.

 <---The one with spicy miso

<---The original tonkotus broth<- Tonkotus broth with garlic oil
 <---The closed up of the egg, nicely done.
 

BREAKING [BAD]

I know its a bit outdated but I have to promote this TV drama - Breaking Bad. Its sooo good that I think it makes my top 3 tv drams of all time, just like that. I cannot stop watching it for the last 2 days, of course except I went to work. I am not on Season 3. It started showing in 2008 and now it has 5 seasons.

The story is about a middle-aged high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with lung cancer. He decided to create meth in order to earn money for his family when he is, dead. Out of the blue, he becomes the legendary cook "Heisenberg". Now, the story plot is interesting enough to attract me to watch it. I was just curious what kind of drama can gain 9.4 in imdb, frankly there are not many. And when I started watching, I cant stop. The plot is all very logical, there are no superheros, no miracle but reality. Everything happened in the story is so realistic, it could just happen right next to my or your home. Probably your high school teacher does drug! or may be KFC is not just selling chicken but also sells drug? The story seems so smooth and makes sense in every ways, I actually feel it happened, or happening. The development of characters are also amazingly well plotted. Walter White - Heisenberg changes little by little in each episode until he turns into a very different person, and yet, its OKAY, its logical. I would be like that if I were him. And Jesse Pinkman, he is the fun character lights up the drama, however sometimes I wish he just shut up and listen. There are not much "love line" in the drama, the only one love plot of Jesse and Jane ends in a flash. I guess the director wants drugs to be the main theme all the time.

Watch it if you haven't!

He used to look like this...

And now he looks like this...

A [DISAPPOINTING] CAFE

Surprisingly, this morning I got up pretty early so I'm so ready for a beautiful breakfast to lighten up my day.  T & I wanted to have breakfast in McDonald in the first place (McDonald sounds so not beautiful...I know i know) However, they have already closed breakfast! Its already lunch, that is so unacceptable! Its only 10:30am! Sigh...so we decided to try out one of the 2 cafes in Kingsford that we have never stepped foot in. Not saying they look dodgy or what, its just..the idea having western cafes in Kingsford seems weird to me. Kingsford is always very "Asian" in my impression. You can hardly blame me of not liking the idea - having smoothies in Kingsford... Anyways, we have been here 5 years right? So its time to give it a go. We chose the Meek's Cafe since its always full of people.

It is a medium-sized cafe runs by Asians, interior is quite nice and warm. The put down is the open kitchen, in a hot day like today, the smoke from the kitchen just spread out to every corner in the cafe. Giving me a hard time to breathe...

I ordered Bacon Poached Egg and T ordered Bacon Omelet (we LOVE bacon!), plus a blueberry smoothie to share. I don't usually see blueberry smoothie in other cafes so it is a bonus.

Food arrives pretty slow. The Blueberry Smoothies ($5.90) is very nice, the flavour is just right, not too sweet and very refreshing.

Bacon Poached Egg ($8.90) is alright, the combinations can't really go wrong. Bacon is not too hard to chew, but the hollandaise sauce is a disaster. There is no flavour at all, not to mention the dreamy creamy taste of hollandaise sauce is non-existence. OK boss, you really need to work hard and google a better recipe. This is just not right.

Bacon Omelet ($11.90) is...not good... First off, it doesn't look like an omelet at all. The egg is so flat its like a pizza. Probably that's their intention to make the eggs look like pizza and tastes like it. But I ordered omelet to expect there is an omelet...not a pizza-liked egg. The egg is topped with bacon and pineapple. They did not save the omelet. Well, not worth the $11.90 at all... I miss Le Petit Creme...

<---The blueberry smoothie, very purple

<--- Bacon Poached Egg

<--- Bacon Omelet...

Afterwards, we went to the Kingsford market....also a disappointment...arghhh my beautiful Sunday is ruined!

ENTRIES BOMB!

HAHA, finally done moving articles from my previous blog...was using wordpress but my browsers have a problem with loading it all the time. It often gets stuck while I'm trying to post an entry and I'm so tired of battling with it...blogspot seems to be more...easy-to-control...so, new blog again