My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days (1989)

It was a bit confusing watching the film, well that’s how it was for me. When the play button was pressed, I had to adjust my senses that it was a French film. You see, I’m already used to hearing Japanese than English, and it took quite some time before I really got into the film. Click the link Below to watch the trailer.

My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days Trailer

DVD Cover

So the story began with Lucas(Jacques Dutronc), who’s a computer language programmer, sitting in a room in a hospital, being diagnosed with a virus in his brain. The effects of the virus were seen throughout the film, evident in Lucas’ incomprehensible vocabulary, and gradual memory loss.

A clip of Lucas and Blanche in a restaurant.

After his visit to the doctor, he met Blanche, portrayed by the very beautiful Sophie Marceau. There they get to talk, watch a couple fight and then leave upon seeing Blanche’s mother with a guy. 

The two of them begins to have a relationship. Lucas’ language program has been sold and would be a key to computer communication: this was what his assistant had told him but it seems like there’s no more point for he is dying. He then left all his money to his assistant.

Blanche and Lucas went out to eat, but then argue which makes Blanche leave him. As Lucas’ thinks about Blanche, he does like her and decides to see her again. But Blanche has to leave and he then follows her with his motorbike.

Along with Lucas’ saying words repeatedly, flashbacks are simultaneously shown. He saw his father kill and drown along with his mother in a pond. He then goes to the hotel where Blanche will be performing, checks in the hotel’s most expensive suite, disarranges his room and goes to see Blanche.

I was thinking at this part that Lucas has begun to do things he has to do, one by one, before his death. Though it focused mostly on how he followed Blanche, I think that his relationship towards the staff in the hotel is something to remember.

It appears in the next scenes that Blanche is sort of a mind-reader, along with her homosexual husband. She also gets to talk easily with Lucas and seems to understand him despite his babble of rhyming words. I also appreciated Lucas, because even with his deteriorating brain, he always remembers and recognizes Blanche. Later on it was revealed that Blanche was a child of a broken family; as a child she witnessed how his father hurt and abused her mother. It is now clear why she and Lucas seem to be just right for each other.

A clip of Blanche doing her work as a mind-reader.

I actually find the film very focused on style, though  its partly on theme and emotional effect as well. I had to digest the dialogue, and how the scene was shot since its actually has a lot of extreme close up shots. I find it very awkward at first, but as I continue to gain information about Lucas and Blanche, the way the story was presented, along with the characters, was just right.

At the end of the film, Blanche and Lucas decided to do double suicide; they went out to the sea and disappeared.

My Nights Are More Beautiful than Your Days (Mes Nuits sont Plus Belles que vos Jours) was directed by Andrzej Zulawski.

You're My Pet (2011)





You're My Pet movie poster


You're My Pet is a Korean romantic comedy film about Eun-Yi (Kim Ha-Neul), a woman who just went through a break-up and was given a lower position in the company she's working in, and In-Ho (Jang Geun Suk), a young man who is a theater performer but is homeless for some reason. With some talk, the two agreed that Eun-Yi will let In-Ho live in her house but with the condition that In-Ho will act as Eun-Yi's pet. Eun-Yi then starts to call In-Ho as Momo. As the two spend more time together, they started to understand each other and each one was able to fill what the other lacks. Eun-Yi doesn't want to give in to her feelings and doesn't want to admit that she loves In-Ho romantically already, and not just as a pet. The story goes on as Eun-Yi tries to sort out her feelings.

 

This is an adaptation of a manga, which was adapted to a Japanese serial drama, which I have watched as well. Eun-Yi's heart soften in this film easier unlike in the Japanese drama, but I guess they have to do that so the story can be concluded in less than 2 hours. I really don't like Eun-Yi's "sunbae" I don't care enough to remember his name. I actually really don't like that character even in Kimi wa Petto drama, but I understand that the character is essential for Eun-Yi and In-Ho to realize their feelings. Momo here is still a good theater performer. I just hope they showed a theater performance and not suddenly that music video. I was shocked it suddenly turned into some music video. The scene where Eun-Yi was about to give Momo a bouquet of flowers after a performance was quite disappointing. In the Japanese drama, I must say it's one of the scenes I really liked. I was anticipating for the kiss she and Momo will have after she gave the bouquet just like what happened in the drama, but in this film, she couldn't give the bouquet and there was no kiss. It became less romantic to me. With that aside, I must say I like the kissing scene at the end, because it gives off nothing but sweetness. The kiss scene at the end was a good one, with the sunlight as a backdrop, it was so romantic.

 

 



 

Jang Geun Suk is adorable and I'm glad it was put to good use in this film. I have watched him acting as a serious-type-of-person before so seeing him act like a spoiled and clingy person is refreshing. Another thing put to good use in this film was Jang Geun Seuk's voice. I just have to mention that I really love his version of the song Mandy! I didn't really like the song so much not until I heard his version. About Kim Ha-Neul, her acting was okay, but I was not too satisfied with her Noh-mask face. Noh-mask face is what her character(in Japanese) is famous for! A noh-mask is a mask which the face has no expression at all, or to put it simply, a straight face. I was so disturbed that Kim Ha-Neul's straight face does not convince me that Eun-Yi is a woman with a lot of troubles but doesn't show it.

You're My Pet is a fun watch, though you will see characters struggle with their feelings, the cutesy of Momo is enough to ease your mind. I recommend this film, and the Japanese drama as well. After watching any of the two, you might see yourself wanting to have a Momo, just like I did!

To end this post, I'll leave you with You're My Pet's trailer!

 

The Runaways (2010)

“…Hello daddy, hello mom, I’m your ch-ch-ch-ch CHERRY BOMB! Hello world I’m your wild girl, ch-ch-ch-ch CHERRY BOMB!”

Theatrical Movie Posters for 'The Runaways'

The Runaways Movie Trailer:

A photo of The Runaways during their
live performance in Japan.

After watching the film, well I had that L-S-S thing for the song Cherry Bomb by the all-girl rock band called “The Runaways.” The film, “The Runaways”, is a 2010 American biopic-drama film about the 1970's all girl rock band of the same name. It was written and directed by Floria Sigismondi,  who is an Italian music video director. It is based on the book Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by the band's original lead vocalist, Cherie Currie. The Runaways depicts the formation of the band in 1975 and focuses on the relationship between Currie and Jett until Currie's departure from the band.

Joan Jett(Kristen Stewart) and
Cherrie Currie (Dakota Fanning).

The film opens with a drop of blood, indicating that Cherie Currie is now on the verge of womanhood. Cherie appears to be a teenager who wants to become a rock star. It’s the same with Joan Jett, who also dreams of rock stardom. Both girls’ appearance is modeled from their idols: Cherie had cut her hair the same as David Bowie while Jett adopted the style of Suzi Quatro. Well Jett gets to meet Kim Fowley who’s a music producer in a club and gets him interested with her idea of an “all-girl rock band”. After a bit of searching, the band’s almost done with only one thing left: A hot-blond who becomes the front man of the band. They found Cherie Currie, and had her audition to an on-the-spot song written down by Fowley and Jett.

Cherie (left), being taught by Fowley (right)
during her auditon.

I liked the film; a factor would be that I did like the idea of girls rockin’ electric guitars and bangin’ their heads on loudspeakers. Cherie’s story is special: seeing how she and her twin sister was a part of a broken family, though her sister isn’t a disturbed one like her; how she treats her dad someone important (the scene where she gets a phone call on her birthday and she said that she saved a slice of cake for her dad) and how her relationship with her bandmates, her family and herself, specifically on how she gets to straighten up after getting addicted to booze and drugs. Another important thing was how the band was trained by Fowley, explaining to them how different girls are treated in the music scene and what should they do to get by, since rock is the domain of guys. From this point, I realized that they were a model for everyone to see that girls can play rock music too, and how they’ve become a ‘fetish’ symbol or let’s just say, a ‘seduction-fetish’ symbol. Well, as I watch the movie, I just kept thinking, “Yeah, don’t look down on girls. We can do that punk-metal-rock stuff too!”

Here's the Cherry Bomb Song:

I grew up listening to acoustic and electric guitars and got myself to learn how to play the guitar too, so I kind of related myself to Jett and Cherie wanting to become rock stars. Maybe, just maybe, I can write down my own songs and sing. Maybe all right. :)