The Fountain - Movie Review

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Release Date: November 22, 2006

Warner Brothers Pictures and Regency Enterprises

Starring: Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz

Film Synopsis:

Tommy is a medical researcher studying brain tumours and desperately trying to find a 'miracle cure' for his dying wife, Izzy. Their story is mirrored by the book Izzy has written about a conquistador from the 1500's searching for the mythical tree of life in order to save his queen and country.

Watch the trailer here.

Discussion:

*Major Spoiler Alert*

So the first time I saw this movie, I was very confused about what was actually happening. I could see that his wife was dying, but was kind of thrown by the flashes between him as a 15th century conquistador and a guy floating in space in a giant bubble with a tree. I really feel that you have to watch the entire movie to even begin to understand what is happening. However, to say this movie is about a guy whose wife is dying and he is trying to cure her is like saying the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is about some guys going up a river in a boat.


What the movies is really about is life, death, and love. Some people think this movie is them being reincarnated - I'm not entirely sure of that. It very well could be, and there are some signs pointing to that, but I think that the part that happens in the past is just the story Izzy wrote about a conquistador and his queen -  and that part of the movie is to symbolize and illustrate what is happening to them. It's how Izzy views her illness.

 I am not too clear about the guy in the future but I have a theory that when Tommy plants the tree at the end, he then goes and finds the actual tree of life - that his lab seems to have found - and he becomes immortal. Clinging to the love of his wife and one day takes her whole tree - which maybe he replanted as the tree of life, or took her body to the tree of life OR the tree just became symbolic of her; I'm still not sure. But anyway, he takes his tree/wife to Xibalba (the nebula surrounding the dying star) as a way of dying and being reborn. My other theory is that the guy in the bubble is just Tommy's way of finishing the story. What's more is the whole part with him and Izzy in modern times is the guy in the bubble's memories. That's really all that I find really confusing. It makes sense and then it doesn't. - wibbly wobbly.


Either way, this movie is really stunning visually and I loved all of the symbolism of him just...moving through time and space. It is a story that makes you just sit there and think about how inevitable death is. We are all constantly moving toward it and there is nothing really we can do. What is most important in our lives is the people we love and spending time with them. It's about the experiences in life that add up to who we are in the end. We cherish those memories because one day someone we love will die and all we really have when they are gone is their memory.

Maybe this movie is about reincarnation in a way because energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It simply...changes. The energy that was these two people who loved each other might change one day to be another two people who love each other. Or maybe, it will just be a tree.

Review:

Protagonist: It is kind of hard to pick which version of Hugh Jackman's character is really the one to review, but I decided on Tommy because the conquistador is like the story version of him and the bubble guy is the future version of him(?). I think throughout the movie I just kind of felt bad for Tommy. I mean, the guy's wife is dying and he has the answer for her cure so close to him...just at his finger tips and before he can get the chance to use it, she dies. He was also pretty relatable I thought, because how many people these days have had to watch someone they love slowly die right in front of them and they are powerless to stop it?  He did do a lot of changing in the movie, I think at first the version of him in the bubble with the tree didn't want to face his past but he eventually did and he ended up dying feeling 'whole.' But the conquistador I think took a turn for the worst - he seemed to be a bit greedy and destructive at the end drinking all that life sap. For all that I give the character of Tommy: 4/5.

Antagonist: Time and the disease are really the antagonists in this story. Although the inquisitor was a pretty menacing guy, he wasn't really important to the story. There is nothing that can beat death or fight passage of time - they drive the events of every story really. For that I give them 5/5.

Support Characters: I think of Izzy as a lead/support character. Although she was Tommy's wife and the conquistador's queen, she just had this heir of the mysterious oracle who was helping Tommy learn some divine truth. Which in the end I think he did, using the memories of things she said and her story. The other people in the movie did almost nothing except for Tommy's boss played by Ellen Burstyn - she was kind of like a motherly figure. Being that most of this movie was about Tommy's inner struggle with dealing with the death of his wife and the supporting characters didn't really contribute much, I give them 3/5.

Classic Potential: I am not entirely sure about this one, I think this movie was made a bit before it's time and I don't think a lot of people will get it, but maybe people in the future will see more from it so I'm gonna go half and half and give it a 2.5/5


Acting: Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz are amazing actors and I think they did a really good job, especially at the end when Tommy is sitting on the bed crying and giving himself a crude ring tattoo to replace his wedding band - was really heart wrenching and made me bawl my eyes out. I'm still sniffling a bit while writing this. I think it was cool how they both played multiple characters but those characters still mirrored each other. 4/5

Soundtrack: I just finished watching the movie less than two hours ago when writing this and I can't even remember the soundtrack really, so for that 2/5.

Special Effects: Really good. Like I said before this movie had stunning visuals and symbolism and it was all very beautiful and seamless to my eyes. I give it 5/5


Overall Rating: 25.5/35

References and Picture Credits:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414993/

http://www.dardarkom.com/17922-watch-and-download-the-fountain-2006-online.html

https://magnoliaforever.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/ashleys-top-50-favourite-films-of-all-time/

http://cinema.theiapolis.com/movie-0F4A/the-fountain/gallery/hugh-jackman-in-the-fountain-2006-1086055.html

http://writewithhonour.blogspot.ca/2012/08/the-fountain-2006.html

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/still/00000729/the_fountain24.html

http://fyeahdarrenaronofsky.tumblr.com/post/4966522118/raphmike-hugh-jackman-the-fountain-2006

http://www.aceshowbiz.com/still/00000729/the_fountain15.html

The Celestine Prophecy - Book Review

The Celestine Prophecy
by James Redfield

Published in 1995 by Grand Central Publishing

Book Synopsis:

The Narrator, who is never named, journeys to the country of Peru in search of an ancient manuscript said to contain the secrets and meaning of life itself. When he arrives however, he soon discovers that the Peruvian government is working with the church in order to suppress the information. Now on the run from the government and trying to find his way home, the main character is cast into an epic journey. It is filled with danger and mysterious 'coincidences' that seem to lead him to where he needs to be in order to learn all of the 9 insights of the manuscript.

Discussion:

So I thought it was very cool that the main character was never named. Reading the book in first person almost gives the feel of it being you who goes on this adventure - which I think was intentional. This is another book that has been a favourite of mine for as long as I can remember. I started out with listening to it on cassette tape, then I read it in book form a few times and now I have the full, unabridged version on CD. It is a book that has been quite an influence on myself as a person and the way I think and approach the world. And for as many times as I have read and heard it (I am at the point where I could almost recite the whole thing), I could still read or listen to it again. Besides being a really good read with adventure, romance, and mystery, it has a lot to take away with it too. The insights are applicable to real, every day life and make sense - at least to me. I don't want to give too much away here but I just think that this book was very well done. A lot of these kinds of books that are explaining a spiritual theory are written a lot like text or self-help books and this one is written as an exciting story which I feel helps the reader to understand better and also enjoy reading the book more.

*Spoiler Alert*

Review:

I think there is a reason I have read and listened to this book for the past...10+ years. It is a good book, I am not sure where even to start if I was going to try and criticize it. It has a straightforward plot, it has excitement and intrigue and I found it very enjoyable. But let me rate it and further discuss with my new points system.

4/5 - Protagonist: He was very easy to relate to with the perspective of the book being in first person. Although he seemed skeptical and a bit dense while trying to grasp the insights, I think maybe that this was for the reader's benefit to ensure that he or she would fully understand. That being said, I still found it a bit repetitive and annoying. He did however really develop through the book as he learned the insights; you could see him becoming more 'connected.' He was also very active in what was happening in the book, he actually seemed to be a main player of what was happening in the events of the story.

5/5 - Antagonist: The Peruvian government and the Christian church made a very menacing foe in the story; I felt real anxiety whenever they were close. But it goes more than that, they really drove the plot of the story. At first I was only going to give them 3/5 because I was thinking, 'well, he still would have gone to Peru and learned about the manuscript' - but he wouldn't have had all the vital experiences that really helped him to grasp the insights. For instance, he wouldn't have met Will, he wouldn't have run up that mountain to get away from them and then he wouldn't have had that super spiritual experience that helped him connect to the universe!

4/5 - Support Characters: Literally everyone the main character met was helping him in some way. Even if the characters themselves weren't 'favourable' - they were still helping the protagonist learn something important. But most of the other characters were literally helping him either learn or get to a new place...sometimes both. The reason I am giving only 4/5 is because it was a serious and heavy book and it would have been nice to have a comic relief character.

3/5 - Plot: Like I said before, it has a straight forward plot. Character goes on journey for knowledge and gets it. The reason for 3/5 is because...it's a straight forward plot. Yes, there is danger and he sort of takes a windy path to get there, but at the end of it, he has the information and goes home. I like books to have more intrigue and for me to go 'um..what!? How did that even just happen!?' That was one thing that never really happened in this book. Furthermore there was never a point where the main character reached a really 'dark' or 'low' point where it looks like all hope is lost. I think that is vital to making a story really make you ache in your lit-heart, that's what makes a character really come to life and makes you cheer for them to get back up and keep going.

4/5 - Addictive-ness: I can't quite remember the first time I heard/read this book but I do know that it is a really good read and very difficult to put down once you have started. But, if you had something to do and did put it down, you could be away from it for a while and let what you have read really sink in.

2/5 - Classic Potential: As much as I do love this book I don't think it is going to become a 'classic' and what I mean by that is, it isn't in the same category as Shakespeare, Jane Austin, or J.R.R. Tolkien. It is directed to a group of people that is simply too slim right now and most definitely not in the main stream media. It also didn't have enough of the elements that really make it a great literary masterpiece. It is a good read, a wonderful adventure, and a great book on spirituality, but not a classic. (it will be in my house though).


Total: 22/30


This book has already been made into a movie by the same name which I give thumbs down to because I really don't feel it did the book justice at all.

I do recommend the book however, and I hope you enjoy. If you decide to pick it up, let me know what you think!

That's it for now!
~Oriona




Sources:

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Celestine-Prophecy-James-Redfield/dp/0446671002

Picture Credits:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/354095589425174307/

http://thecelestineprophecymovie.com/dvd.php

Happy New Year!

Okay so I had every intention to do my blog the past couple of weekends but it has been very hectic here so this upcoming Sunday I will be going into the planned blog schedule. When I wrote the first one I was staying at my mom's and taking care of her after she had surgery, and then the following week I came home and then it was holiday shopping and parties. Then there was cleaning to get ready for my friend to come visit in the states and that has been what I have been up to lately. Anyway, I have so many ideas and posts I am working on for book reviews, and it has been a challenge trying to find movies and albums to compliment the chosen books. I also find it hard because a lot of books I have wanted to review have also been converted to film, so I don't quite know what to do about that situation.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that I am still here and looking forward to taking this literary/musical/cinematic journey with you guys :) keep your eyes open for my next book review this Sunday!

That's it for now,
Happy New Year!

Within Temptation - The Heart of Everything - Album Review

So I have revised my simple 'song review' to a whole album review. Getting this blog started as well as everything else going on this week has somewhat set me back from the schedule I want to maintain once I have everything up and running. I think this week I am starting with a Dark, Powerful, Female theme although I don't know why. I do however want the book, album, and movie I review each week to fit into a similar category. For future reference, I want it to be Sunday Book, Monday Movie, and Tuesday Tunes - all reviews and discussion and then a follow up video discussion all three in even more detail which I am hoping to post on Fridays or Saturdays. This week I have decided to review and discuss the album The Heart of Everything by Within Temptation.

Release Date: March 12, 2007

GUN Records

Genre: Gothic/ Alternative/ Symphonic Metal

The lead singer, Sharon, has a beautiful, feminine, and strong voice that is also haunting and really captures your attention within seconds of hitting play. Each piece evokes a lot of emotion, from the amazing rise and fall of the guitar and drums and the dramatic lulls in music that are brought back up so intensely - it really is art to my ears.

1. "The Howling"  
There are so many interpretations I can think of when I hear the lyrics, but the main thing I hear is that there is a battle being fought. That can be interpreted as a physical battle between two sides or an internal battle between two sides of a person. I have this visual of someone suffering from his or her own hubris and through the mistakes they have made they are dragging other people into the struggle and through it all he or she just wants it to end.

2. "What Have You Done" (featuring Mina Caputo)
This is definitely a song about two people who love each other but circumstances beyond their control are causing them to do things that pull them apart. Despite everything, there is a kind of hope that maybe they can get through it together.

3. "Frozen"
So this song is about someone who had to give up someone they loved or do something that hurt both of them but was ultimately better for the person they are singing about. At least that is the hope or whatever it was, the pain it caused would have been pointless. I think the "frozen" part is because the person singing had to be cold to the other in order to 'sacrifice' to save the other person.

4. "Our Solemn Hour"
This song right off sounds a lot (to me) of that song that Lord Frolo sang in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. The chanting of "Sanctus Espiritus" throughout the whole song and basically asking for deliverance - to me it sounds like a prayer to God asking for guidance for humanity to show us a better way and lead us out of the dark place where we have put ourselves (supposedly).

5. "The Heart of Everything"
To me, this song is about freeing ourselves from the oppression from what society thinks we 'should' be and holding on to who we are. I think there is also a darker side to the song where someone who feels that they can't be who they are decides to just let it go. The most important thing is making sure you always hang on to who you are because without that you are lost.


6. "Hand of Sorrow"
This song reminds me of those Bard songs from Skyrim - it definitely tells the story of a man who is, as the lyrics say, "torn between his honor and the true love of his life" - now that could mean anything, but in my imagination he has to choose between the woman he loves and the oath he took to serve his king - and if I want to elaborate, maybe he isn't allowed to have a wife, or maybe has been ordered to kill her - intrigue. Anyway, in the end I think he decides to obey his "honor" but he still watches over his true love in secret.

7. "The Cross"
Okay, I really think that if this isn't a song comparing a relationship to Jesus, it is a song about Jesus talking to any person who hasn't converted to that faith. I mean, the chorus says, "Why have you waited to embrace me my dear/Cold is your silence, denying what is real/I'm still wondering why I'm still calling your name/and I wonder, oh I wonder ...    /In my heart I still hope you will open the door/You can purify it all, answer my call" - Christians say that 'giving your heart to Jesus and taking him as your saviour will cleanse your sins.' I think that is kind of what I feel it is about. And the song is called 'The Cross' - come on.

8. "Final Destination"
I really feel like this song is inspired by the movie of the same title. If I remember, it is about the main character finding out that Death is coming for him and he or she keeps trying to escape it, but you can't escape fate or death. Eventually they will both find you.

9. "All I Need"
Simply put, I think this song is about falling in love. Someone who has trust issues finally finds someone they want to open themselves up to and all they can say is 'don't tear me down for all I need'  Don't hurt me because I need you to love me like you say you do, and I am trusting you.

10. "The Truth Beneath the Rose"
Oh now this one is interesting, I never realized before reviewing this album more in depth but Within Temptation seems to make a lot of religious references in their music. Here I believe they are referencing the Knights Templar and anyone who has read the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (or seen the movie) should know the reference to the Rose Line - which at the end of the book lead to the final resting place of the Holy Grail. The lyrics are pretty deep but I believe it is about seperating what is actually holy and what is just a greedy conquest of men for power.

11. "Forgiven"
It sounds a lot like someone singing to a loved one who has passed away. Such a beautiful, but sad melody - kind of reminds me of My Immortal by Evanescence. My advice is to not listen to this if you are already sad - this will make it worse.


Review:

The above song interpretations are just what I think they are about, I didn't do any research to see what the band said or what other people thought, I just listened to the lyrics and this is what I came up with. I think music is like any kind of art that has different meanings for different people.

Overall I give this album 8.5/10 Stars. I think they have a really good command of the genre and that their music is really what I need it to be while I am in the mood for it - edgy but almost with a spiritual element to it - maybe that's not the right word, but it is different. I like the different. Plus I have this part of me that really would like to have a great rock star moment on stage one day. I mean, all out with the awesome outfit, lights, smoke, the crowd going insane and me belting out a super bad ass song - These songs could make that happen. Sadly, as much as I enjoy heavy metal, I don't think I could pull off the vocals found in more mainstream Heavy Metal or Rock.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it and if you want to check out the band a little more, here is their website:
http://www.within-temptation.com/

Got any suggestions for Artists/Albums I should review in the future? Let me know!

~Oriona

PS

As I try to catch up and get on track, there wont be any posts this week, although I will try to upload the follow up video to go with this and my previous two posts. Next time I am looking to go into a completely new direction of genre so stay tuned!


Picture Credits:

http://wallpaper.metalship.org/en/wallpaper/The_Heart_of_Everything-34.html

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/within-temptation/images/15412488/title/wt-wallpaper

Sabriel - Book Review and Discussion

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Published in 1995 by HarperCollins Publishers

Warning: some small spoilers.

Book Synopsis:

18 year old Sabriel has lived a sheltered life at a boarding school for girls in the country of Ancelstierre. After receiving a mysterious gift and message, she is little prepared for the dangers she will face on her journey when she returns to her homeland of the Old Kingdom to find her missing father; a man known only as The Abhorsen. The Old Kingdom is filled with dangerous magic and dark creatures that continually claw their way out of death to wreak havoc on the living. The only person who can help is the Abhorsen and now that he is missing, Sabriel must claim her birthright as the new Abhorsen in order to save her father, her homeland, and defeat a great evil.

Discussion:

This is a book I have had for a long time and have always had a love for its exciting and intriguing plot. The characters are very lively and unique and it is easy to get lost in the culture of this fantasy world. I find I related to the character of Sabriel as she was thrust into following in her father's footsteps. I can imagine how hard it would be facing a challenge like that and not really feeling prepared for the job. The interesting way that magic played a part in this world was also a great aspect of this book. The magic is called "The Charter" and is used through signing, singing, whistling, or speaking "Charter Marks" of which there is an innumerable amount and each one has a specific purpose or meaning. There is also the evil side of magic which is called "Free Magic" and it is uncontrollable and consuming to the people who use it. Going back to Charter magic, "Charter Mages" are people who are connected to the Charter and can therefore use magic and anyone can become a Charter Mage by being baptized into the Charter. I also find it interesting that magic is used musically in this book, I find it very different and its another way that it makes this world seem close and almost real. Anyway, the culture and world of this book are painted very vivdly in this story and I am very happy that this series continues in the next two books; Lireal and Abhorsen. I plan on reviewing these books in the future and, I have also heard about another book that apparently was lost and has now been found and released in October called Clariel.

Review:

I think I will come up with a points system later but for now, I give this book 4.5 Stars. I recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, magic and adventure. The only complaints I have are that at times I found the main character to be a bit whiny, I would have imagined her as more of a 'step up to the plate' kind of person without all the somewhat juvenile outbusts. Although on that note, she is only 18 and she did have a very big task ahead of her. The other thing is that the romantic relationship in the book seemed to happen quite suddenly, one minute they barely talk or even know each other and the next minute they are in love. Personally, I think that if there is going to be love in a story there should be more relationship development. But then again, I am glad that the love part was not the main aspect of the book either. All in all this is a great book and series, enough so that I repeatedly return to the land of the Old Kingdom to relive this great adventure.

Dream Cast:

If Sabriel were to be made into a movie, this is who I think would be great for the main roles:

Emma Watson - Sabriel

Liam Neeson - Abhorsen

Chace Crawford - Touchstone

Martin Freeman - Mogget

Ian Somerhalder - Kerrigor

Sean Bean - Colonel Horyse

I feel that Emma Watson and Liam Neeson fit the look and have the outstanding talent for those roles for sure. I know that Martin Freeman would make a good voice actor for Mogget because he is both funny and sassy. I don't know much about Chace Crawford's acting, I know he was on Gossip Girl but I've never watched that show, I think he has the right look. Ian Somerhalder I know is a good actor, though honestly I didn't think about him for this role until I started researching. I had only really thought of a voice actor for the role (Benedict Cumberbatch) because when I imagine this character I think of what is on the cover, but now I realize that when Kerrigor appears he is actually mostly in physical form and his character is supposed to also be Touchstone's older brother. I think him and Chase could pass for that and I know he is good at playing the evil brother so this is why I picked them. And I think Sean Bean and Liam Neeson have a similar intensity and I feel they are supposed to be similar in that aspect so that is also why they seemed like ideal choices.

Anyway that is about all I have to say about this book for now, I really look forward to hearing what you guys have to say about this new blog and what you think of my review. What do you think I should do in the future?

Let me know!
Oriona



Image Credits:

http://www.kdramastars.com/articles/24457/20140609/emma-watson-boyfriend-matthew-janney-musical.htm

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293509/

http://mashadutoit.com/2008/04/05/leo-and-diane-dillon/

http://speakerpedia.com/speakers/ian-somerhalder


http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/03/01/neeson-annoyed-with-ny-mayor-bill-de-blasio/

http://www.listal.com/list/0-chace-crawfords-face

http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/2013/famous-family-trees-sean-bean/

Media Reviews by Oriona - An Introduction

Welcome to my new blog! Some may know me from my other blog series, The Starchild Diaries, which is just a series of articles about things on my mind. This series is taking a bit more of a specific path.

I am going to be reading books, watching movies and possibly TV shows, and listening to music and giving my review and opinions about it. Let me tell you a bit more about myself and my tastes so you know where my opinions are coming from.

To be honest I am fairly easy to please when it comes to music and movies, however I find that I have a more discerning taste when it comes to books. Recently I read a book - no let me rephrase, I tried to read a book about this guy who gets sucked into the world of the books he writes that have also been made into video games. Although I thought the idea was cool, I finally had to admit to myself that I could not make it through the whole thing. Maybe it would have gotten better but it really just sounded like some gamer-guy's personal fantasy written out in detail.

I generally enjoy movies, and I tend to like almost everything I watch but I can still be objective and recognize the actual quality or lack-thereof, even if I was entertained. I also have a very broad taste in things; for music I like everything from classical to heavy metal to pop, and I tend to be that way with most things. I really hope that writing this blog will encourage me as well as my audience to read more and hopefully appreciate these forms of art more. I also promise to do my best to review without giving too much away with spoilers and if for any reason I have to give anything big away, I promise to put a warning at the top of the post.

That's all I can think of for now, but I hope you enjoy and I look forward to hearing what you think about what I think and possibly discussing as well :)

Annnnnd scene...
Oriona

Photo credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing