Wednesday, September 18, 2013

[Movie] The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

This is the movie adaptation of John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, depicting the Nazi concentration camp during World War II from the eyes of an eight year old German boy. This movie is directed by Mark Herman—who also wrote the screenplay, and was published in 2008. No matter what I would say about the cinematography, one thing is sure: just like the book, it’s hard to not crying when you watch this!

Castings

The most interesting castings here are probably Bruno and Shmuel; and I think both boys can play each role good enough, but Shmuel is slightly more natural than Bruno. The best acting however, came from Bruno’s mother, which was performed by Vera Farmiga. Vera could catch Bruno’s mother emotion very well; especially in the end, when she realized what has happened to her boy when she found Bruno’s clothes on the side of the concentration camp fence. Her cry is really ‘tear-shedding’. And I think her role is very important here to top up the tragedy. If the movie follows the book, it won’t be as dramatic as the movie.

Another interesting casting is Bruno’s father, the German Commandant, played by David Thewlis, who’s also played in Harry Potter as Professor Lupin. I have always felt that Thewlis don’t fit Lupin’s personalities, he looks too cunning for Lupin. However, he fits perfectly in the role of Bruno’s father here, the proud Nazi Commandant who believes that the Jews aren’t ‘people’, and could take responsibilities of the killing of hundreds (or thousands?) of human beings coldly and calmly.

Story and Plot

The movie’s general plot outline follows the book. However, there are small details that are adapted to fit the movie. One thing that I think ought not to be changed is that not long before Bruno’s last adventure with Shmuel, Bruno has had a head shaving because of bugs attack. This gives him bald head which, added to the striped pyjamas, will gives him a perfect Jewish boy look just like Shmuel. It would be natural for him to be wondering around the camp with Shmuel. In the movie, although Bruno wears a cap, his black hair isn’t completely covered, and it’s quite weird that nobody from the officers see him. Well, it would be ironic ‘coincident’.

Setting and Costumes

Both setting and costumes are perfect. I love particularly Bruno’s mother costumes, they are lovely!  I must give two thumbs up for the costume designer and make-up artist for creating the depressed looks to Bruno’s mother after she is shocked to find out the connection of the Jewish banishment and bad smell comes from black smoke from the camp.

Overall, I grant eight and a half stars for this movie adaptation.



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I watched this for Books Into Movies Monthly Meme #8


Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Wishful Wednesday (22)

Ada satu buku yang sampai sekarang belum kesampaian kumiliki. Aku sudah pernah membaca buku itu, versi terjemahannya. Dan sekarang aku ingin membaca juga versi aslinya. Kenapa gak beli aja, Fan? Nah…itu dia. Berhubung merasa sudah pernah baca, aku terus-terusan mengabaikan dorongan hati untuk pesan buku ini, karena selalu saja ada buku lain yang aku ingin baca. Kebetulan sekali, di Wishful Wednesday hari ini ada kesempatan untuk mendapatkan buku itu. Buku apa sih? Yuk…mari…

To Kill A Mockingbird
by Harper Lee


Review buku ini bisa dibaca disini
Buku ini bisa dibeli disini

Btw, buku ini adalah salah satu buku favoritku sepanjang masa, jadi….mari merapal mantra agar aku bisa menang di Giveaway yang diadakan oleh Bzee bekerja sama dengan Wishful Wednesday-nya Astrid. Untuk ikutan giveaway-nya, silakan meluncur kesini. Sementara untuk ikutan Wishful Wednesday, ini caranya:



  • Silakan follow blog Books To Share – atau tambahkan di blogroll/link blogmu =)
  • Buat posting mengenai buku-buku (boleh lebih dari 1) yang jadi inceran kalian minggu ini, mulai dari yang bakal segera dibeli, sampai yang paling mustahil dan hanya sebatas mimpi. Oya, sertakan juga alasan kenapa buku itu masuk dalam wishlist kalian ya!
  • Tinggalkan link postingan Wishful Wednesday kalian di Mr. Linky (klik saja tombol Mr. Linky di bagian bawah post). Kalau mau, silakan tambahkan button Wishful Wednesday di posting kalian.
  • Mari saling berkunjung ke sesama blogger yang sudah ikut share wishlistnya di hari Rabu =)

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Bookish Top Ten: 10 Buku Favorit Teman Sesama Blogger

Ada sebuah meme baru yang di-host oleh Yuska (Lust and Coffee), mengadopsi meme luar yang bertajuk Top Ten Tuesday. Bedanya, meme ini—Bookish Top Ten —diposting setiap tanggal 10 tiap bulannya. Untuk September ini, aku sendiri sudah ‘ditodong’ oleh Yuska untuk ditampilkan di Bookish Top Ten-nya, jadi sekarang giliran aku ‘menodong’ salah seorang teman blogger. Siapa dia?.....

Listra



Aku kenal Listra gara-gara event Let’s Read Plays yang aku adakan di blog Fanda Classiclit. Yang bikin aku geleng-geleng adalah bagaimana Listra sangat menggandrungi karya-karya opa Shakespeare yang, bagi kebanyakan kita, masih sulit ‘dicerna’. Jadi pengen tahu kan, kayak apa sih Listra itu sebenarnya? Ini yang dia katakan tentang dirinya sendiri….

  • I'm a clasic lover. Everything classic.
  • Saking sukanya sama buku klasik sampai agak berprinsip 'The older, the merrier.' Entah siapa penulis Latin yang pernah bilang soal 'old friends, old books, old wine.' Itu saya banget.
  • Sejak SD suka pelajaran sejarah dan waktu SMP sampai SMA terobsesi dengan Victorian Era. Sekarang sih, apa aja diembat.
  • My favourite genre of music is opera. Dan 'opera' tidak memaksudkan Josh Groban atau Il Divo (which I love also), tapi opera yang 3 jam sekali main, lengkap dengan kostum super di atas panggung. Tapi selain itu, saya juga dengerin seabrek jenis musik lain.
  • Pingin nulis novel, tapi bosenannya itu loh... ada entah berapa banyak ide cerita nangkring di laptop tapi nggak satupun sudah selesai.
  • I believe in the power of words. Makanya suka banget sama puisi. Kalau lagi desperate tuh yang dicari bukan lagu tapi puisi. Nulis cukup banyak puisi juga, tapi...
  • Segitu aja cukup kali ya. :D


Kayaknya sih belum cukup deh, Lis, hehehe… Tapi kalo anda penasaran dengan sosok Listra, silakan mengunjungi blog-blognya. Konon kita bisa mengenal seseorang dengan lebih baik lewat tulisan-tulisannya ;) Selain Half-Filled Attic, Listra juga memiliki blog khusus Shakespeare: To One, Of One, Still Such and Ever So.



Sekarang, mari kita intip Top Ten Favorite Books-nya Listra (tidak dalam urutan apapun):

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Lord of the Ring trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Sherlock Holmes (all) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Three Musketeers dan Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

Kalau melihat list ini sih, udah jelas Listra itu ‘classic’ banget, dan ‘Shakespeare’ abis (ada dua buku si opa di top ten-nya). Selain itu, Listra ini juga fans beratnya Alexandre Dumas, sampai-sampai dia mencurangi daftar Top Ten Fave Books-nya dengan memasukkan dua buku Dumas di no. 8. Memang dua buku itu masuk di satu sequel, tapi kan tetep aja dua buku, Lis!!  >__<

Itulah Top Ten Bookish-ku yang pertama, thanks Listra yang udah mau jadi ‘korban’ku :P…. Adakah buku yang jadi favorit anda yang sama dengan top ten-nya Listra?


Monday, September 9, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge – Day 15: My Blogging Mentors

There might be many of them who have been helping me since I started blogging about five years ago, but I’m going to mention they who inspired me in my book blogging.




He is my fellow Indonesian blogger, and he’s been book blogging long before I began. At first I didn’t even know about book review, I just wanted to take important notes of books I have read. Then I stumbled upon his book blog, and from then on I learned how to write a proper book review.


I forget how I got into The Well-Educated Mind, but I remember that I stumbled upon Ruth’s blog when I was googling about the book. Then I thought, it is a great idea to blog about it (not only read books and take self notes). And so, I learned how Ruth works on the stage inquiries in separate posts, etc. So, after I bought the book, I blogged my WEM works too along other posts.

Who are your book blogging mentors? Let share… :)

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Day 1 - 15 Book Related Confessions
Day 2 - Bedtime Reading Ritual
Day 3 - Blogging BFFs
Day 4 - Last Book I Didn't Finish
Day 5 - A Tear-Jerker
Day 6 - How I Shop for Books
Day 7 - My Blogging Quirks
Day 8 - 15 Things Appeals to Me on Blogs
Day 9 - Why I Blog About Books
Day 10 - Choosing Books To Read Next
Day 11 - Five of My Best Blog Posts
Day 12 - Blogger Fatigue? Never!
Day 13 - Underappreciated Classis Everyone Should Read

Friday, September 6, 2013

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge – Day 14: My Deal Breakers

I am quite a picky in deciding books I want to read, so I don’t meet deal breakers quite often. But sometimes, when they do come, they could be….



Flat from the beginning

The first pages, or at least one chapter, is the most important thing for me to judge the whole book. If it clicks with me, I know this must be a good book. But if it doesn’t, I’d try to continue, but if after two chapters I don’t feel like reading it, I’d probably put it down.

Genre/theme I don’t like

I don’t like romance and fantasy, but can tolerate them if the romance/fantasy is only the spice, not the center point.

Without any sympathetic main character

I’ll be asking, so what is the point to read this book anyway?

That’s all I think….what about you? Do you have any deal breakers?

~~~~~~~


Day 1 - 15 Book Related Confessions
Day 2 - Bedtime Reading Ritual
Day 3 - Blogging BFFs
Day 4 - Last Book I Didn't Finish
Day 5 - A Tear-Jerker
Day 6 - How I Shop for Books
Day 7 - My Blogging Quirks
Day 8 - 15 Things Appeals to Me on Blogs
Day 9 - Why I Blog About Books
Day 10 - Choosing Books To Read Next
Day 11 - Five of My Best Blog Posts
Day 12 - Blogger Fatigue? Never!
Day 13 - Underappreciated Classis Everyone Should Read

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Veronika Decides To Die

Veronika is an ordinary girl in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. She lives a quiet life at her rented room in a convent, has a job in a library, has a mother who loves her, has friends to hang out on weekends. Is she happy? No. Is she unhappy? No. Well, how is she, then? She isn’t feeling anything, and that is why she decides to die, by swallowing dozens of sleeping pills one night before going to bed. The problem is, the pills didn’t work as she’d expected. Instead of going either to heaven or hell, she ends up at Villete, an asylum which was just opened in Slovenia.

According to thefreediroctorydotcom, asylum is “an institution for the care of people, especially those with physical or mental impairments, who require organized supervision or assistance”. We used to call it a place for mad or insane people. But in the case of Veronika, do you think she’s insane? Before the suicide attempt, I bet her friends would have said that Veronika looked like a normal person; she wasn’t depressed or sad about anything. But all the same, she ends up in Villete, marked as an insane.

As soon as she awakes (the book doesn’t tell us how or who has helped Veronika from the suicide attempt), the doctor tells her that she has a heart disease and can only survive for a week. During that time she learns a lot about what we used to call insanity. She meets Zedka—a woman who is on treatment for depression; Mari—a female lawyer who suffers from panic attack; Eduard—a young man with schizophrenia who loves to listen on Veronika’s piano playing at the hall; and many others with similar condition. Why did they all end up in Villete? It’s not because they have something lose in the head, but because they are different from others, from the world.

People like Veronika used to be normal like us, but they lack the power of being themselves. People or institutions often expect us to be like what others are. The problem occurs when we have ideas that are different with the world BUT don’t have the power or ability to fight others’ expectation. In the end we become someone else. This second ‘me’ is created upon others’ expectation just like a robot. She/he doesn’t feel happy or unhappy. They just do what they are expected to do. In the end there is numbness in their souls, and this condition leads to mental disorder we often call insanity.

Dr. Igor, the Head of Villete is having a research to find the cure for the bitterness which infects most of the asylum, the bitterness which he called Vitriol. Vitriol is the culprit of these insanities. When Veronika arrived in Villete, Dr. Igor knew he must grab the chance to make his final experiment. And indeed, Veronika, along with her own battle has helped Zedka, Mari, and Eduard to rethink about leaving Villete—where they are confined in the safety from having to adapt to the world who ignore them—and finding their own selves, which have been confined under their ‘second’ me’.

It is very interesting to read about psychology thing like this, and Paulo Coelho is indeed a good story teller. But I see the matter a bit differently from Coelho’s perspective (as I gather from this book). I agree that one must be brave to be oneself; as men are created uniquely by God. But that doesn’t give one rights to do or to get what one wants. Life always has a limit. A limit from God—that is consciousness; a limit from government; a limit from others who have authority towards us: parents, boss, etc. One can’t just kick that barriers and do what one wants only under pretext of delivering one’s freedom to be oneself. Sometimes we just have to compromise. We don’t always know what is best for us, nor our parents either.

Let’s take Veronika case: she wanted to be a pianist, but her mother forbade her and asked her to finish school. If she obeys she couldn’t make her dream, but if she disobeys she feels guilty to disappoint the mother who loved her. If I can advise Veronika, I’d tell her to compromise; to change her way of thinking. If it possible, Veronika can still work in the Library (hey…I would love that opportunity very much!), and join a music group or something, so that she can still play piano, while financing her family. Sometimes, we do not know what God planned for us. Maybe, selfish it was, our parents’ wish was what God had wanted us for. Maybe it’s the best way for us to lead a better life.

So, in the end, not getting what we want is not always a defeat; we still have the power—the power to decide what we will do. I wanted to be a dancer when I was in junior high school, but my parents disagreed because it’s not a promising career for me. I then worked as a secretary (until now), and I believe it’s the best decision for my own good. It’s just the way of thinking, to know that I have chosen to let go of my dream because I trusted my parents and loved them. And now I always try to love my job as a secretary, although I can’t say 100% that I love it! :)

Three and a half stars for Veronika and Coelho.

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I read Indonesian translation from KPG (Gramedia Group)

*This book is counted as:*