Theatre Review: Will You Still Love Me If I'm....

This is the first time I have ever taken time to write a review about a theatre piece. But this show truly moved me in a way I didn't imagine myself to be moved. I caught myself crying, laughing and just reflecting at some moments.

I watched NUS Stage's "Will You Still Love Me If I'm ___?" today and I was floored by it. The show consisted of two student written, directed and produced plays- Happy Sons by Jaryl George Soloman and Two in the Morning by Gwendolyn Lee.

Happy Sons was a play about homosexuality and relationships. Unlike most other homosexual themed plays I have seen, Happy didn't really talk about why homosexuality isn't wrong. In fact it tackled those issues head on- Mothers reacting to their son's coming out of the closet, a gay person's relationship with God and a son's relationship with his mother. Handling issues such as bullying in schools and being afraid of coming out of the closet can go terribly wrong, but the playwright managed to deal with them so gracefully and with such tact, that it makes you reflect on things and be critical instead of making it a laughing stock. Common misnomers such as  "boys never cry", "boys don't like ponies" were also brought in and in the end it turns out the bully was gay. Best of all, the play incorporated the societal plague that is gossip and the way society views boys turning "soft".
The actors played the roles beautifully and perfectly. The emotions were so real and so tangible. I must give out a special mention to actor Mustafa who played the role of not only the school bully, but also the aunty whose son is gay. I enjoyed the symbols that were presented in the play such as the red cloth which symbolized the bond between the mother and her son. I enjoyed that despite having such a simplistic and bare mis en scene, the play was able to move me so much.
 There were scenes which dealt with the son's relationship with his mother and father and how drastically different they were which left me in tears and there were scenes which left me in a fit of hysterical laughter.  This play also marks the first time I've seen two men kiss (in real life)! Overall, I think the play was worth the time I spent watching it and I would love to watch it again.

Two in the Morning  was a play of an entirely different genre- two friends going from not being friends in the beginning of the play to maybe giving it a shot. I was glad for the 15 minute break because if not for that I may have been left reeling from the contrast between the two plays. The idea was simple, guy and girl are friends. Girl gets a boyfriend and distances herself from Boy. Boy is angry and they stop being friends. Despite the simplicity, I thoroughly enjoyed how relaxed the actors were with each other and how they acted so realistically.  It was as if they were truly in the situation and they were truly the characters that they played.
Through the play, you watch these two people reveal their true identities to each other and develop from being friends to something more. You understand why they made the decisions that they make, even though I realize that it was irrational sometimes. You watch the turmoil that they go through as individuals and by the end of it, you wonder if them getting together wasn't the natural thing to do. However, it made me ask an age old question- can a guy and a girl just be friends? Does such a concept even exist? The play was a typical rom-com and despite the predictability, the play was an amusing watch. It wasn't too heavy a thinking process and neither was it bland. It was a perfect chilled out piece that I would pay to watch.

Lastly, I must say, I loved the black box theater concept that the show adopted. It allowed the actors to interact with the audience and made the fourth wall almost non existent. I loved the use of it in the first play, but the second play may have been better suited for a regular stage. The lighting and sound were pretty awesome and added a lot more value to the plays.

Overall, I loved the show and I guess this may be the stepping stone for me to watch more theatre productions- even if I have to pay for them :) 

Movie Review: Warm Bodies

I was really looking forward to this movie. I have got to say, I loved the book and I really wanted to watch it come to life on the big screen and in a way the movie didn't let me down.

The movie stayed true to the novel and I can imagine how difficult it must be to do that. Most of the details were taken care of so wonderfully that I was glad to know that at least some book to movie conversions can be made well. The story was great and the make up was wonderful. How realistic could those Zombies get. And the best thing is that it isn't your typical Zombie story, yes the Zombies still eat brains and shuffle and moan/groan uselessly; but there isn't the mass gore that's seen in every other zombie movie till date. What sets it apart is the fact that it's a love story. A story of how love can change even the most undead thing to something living.

 I loved the conflict they showed within the female lead, Julie and how open minded she was to accepting zombies coming back to life (oops, Spoiler alert!). The friendship and love that develops between zombie R and human Julie is cute to watch and it's amusing to see R change from a "corpse" to someone more human like with an ability to talk and bleed! The bonies (zombies which have become nothing but bones) are freaky looking and fascinating to watch.

Another thing that struck me like a bolt of lightning was the fact that the whole movie was basically a remake of Romeo and Juliet, just in a post Zombo-calypse (zombie apocalypse) world.

Lastly, the cast! R (Nicholas Hoult)was brilliant. Although he spoke a bit too much more than he should've been able to in the starting of the movie, I spent most of it just loving the way the directors had captured the internal monologue and integrated it with the flow of the movie. He proved a wonderful actor to play the role and he was much better looking than the R I had imagined in my head. M, R's best friend, played by Rob Corddry was hilarious. Although M talked a bit too much, he was funny and stayed true to his character.
Julie (Teresa Palmer) was played really well too and I think she did justice to the role :)

Reasons to watch the movie: Quirky storyline, good acting from the leads and perfect date movie. 

What you can learn from Disney Princesses

Admit it, when you were a little girl, you always wanted to have that happy ending all the Disney princesses had. When I was younger, there was an obsession with Disney princesses. All my friends would have sleepovers and we would watch Cinderella or Snow White and watch these young girls escape the wretchedness of their evil step mothers (yes, the queen was Snow White's step mom). It made an impression on our young minds that step moms are the most wicked people who could ever exist, which may not necessarily be true!

Then came Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty. The girl who was cursed to fall asleep when she pricked her finger on a poisoned spindle. She was awoken, unlike Snow White by true love's kiss. What did that teach me? That you're not completely awoken until you've experienced true love? No, honestly I think they were my least favorite Disney movies because they triggered the feminist in me even at a young age. What were they trying to show, that women can't do anything without men or was it that we always need rescuing?

Belle was the one character I could associate the best with. She was a bookaholic and never gave a damn about society but loved her daddy over everything. She may have not been a princess to begin with but she becomes one because she sees past the frightening exterior of the Beast. It was inspiring and I believe the first time I was introduced to the concept of looking beyond looks to peer at the personality of the person.

Then came Ariel, Mulan, Jasmine and Pocohontas which redeemed Disney Princesses for me. These were strong and adamant women who wanted things their way despite having things come their way. Stories of bravery and modesty, these princesses made me realize that you should always stand your ground, especially if it is something you believe in.

Finally Tiana and Rapunzel. Honestly, I liked Tiana for her spunk and her personality, her drive for getting things done despite what she begins with. And she was the first Black Princess which makes her quite special. But Rapunzel, she was just so stereotypically blonde and damsel in distress. I learnt absolutely nothing from her.

But one thing that all the Princesses have in common is eventually finding true love and they stayed true to one thing they all believed in. They are after all fairy tales parents read to little girls and make them believe that one day, your dreams can come true.