Friday, April 14, 2017

Enough Said (Movie Review)

So, i've just watched this movie, Enough Said, by Nicole Holofcener.
It's a comedy, some sort of a rom-com film and i thought that the plot was rather unique. Would recommend it to anyone who would want to spend some leisure time watching a light-hearted show that is a bit of a tear-jerker but not too overwhelming on the emotions. Completely watchable and absolutely not one of those sophisticated and complex mind-boggling box-office films by Dicarprio.

The whole plot dwells a lot on the fragility of human relationships.
Let me touch briefly on the flow of the movie. Basically, it revolves around the life of main character, Eva, a divorced single parent, who happens to also be a masseuse. She then meets another single parent, Albert, at a party and eventually built a romantic relationship with him. She admits that his looks were not exactly appealing to her at first, but goes on to describe how she finds him adorable and fun-loving after their first date. At that same party, Eva meets Marianne, a prospective client for her masseur services and their frequent appointments blossomed into a sturdy friendship as these sessions also functioned as a platform for Marianne to rant wildly about her ex-husband, whom she had divorced. The quirks and weird habits were common table-talk topics when chatting frivolously with Eva. Here comes the ironic bit: Marianne's ex-husband that she continually complained about was actually Albert (Eva's dating partner). It finally struck Eva when Marianne lamented about how she felt disgusted by the way he dabs and swipes on the guacamole while flicking the onions in the dip to one side and just scooping huge chunks of guacamole on the tacos, all the while criticising his unruly mannerisms, mirroring the ways of how her partner would function when there is a guacamole dip in the room. It turns out that she is at a complete dilemma when one party is a prospective love-partner while the other is also a strong contender: a valued customer and congenial friend that she would think twice losing.
The climax ensues when all three of them meet at Marianne's house and to the shock and disgust of Albert, he finally discovered the numerous repulsive behavior that Eva had displayed when having sex and spending time with him. The moment was a tragic one when fate dwelt such a blow on the protagonist, ending the two important relationships in her life, resulting in her losing the friendship and the relationship.
Sometimes, it is inevitable that such coincidences happen in reality and no doubt would it be a real struggle to handle the matter prudently. I really liked how the film reflects the actuality of our emotions and such awkward scenarios outside the theatrical threshold. Also, Eva tries hard to please everyone in the film but in fact, it backfired and dealt a painful punch back at herself. The distance between her daughter and herself strained further when she gave in to the needs of her daughter's friend, neglecting the feelings of her only child. By trying too hard to make everyone satisfied, she ended up miserable and alone. At the end, Eva decides to toughen up and make amends, by resolving the tension between Albert and herself. She then tries to be more resolute and decisive to cut herself some slack and voice out her thoughts more coherently, improving the volatility of her life and work eventually.

Truly a pleasant experience on a Good Friday, it won't be a disappointment to view the film.
Could promise a resounding 8/10!

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Cafe Salivation

This afternoon, I went out for lunch with my cousin who had just been blissfully wedded to her prince charming. She's a vegetarian and I feel adventurous and rather excited everytime we try out something exquisite because people commonly mistake vegan or vegetarian food to be bland, tasteless or simply a dour, boring experience. However, today was another surprise for not only my taste-buds but also my perception of this genre of gourmet.

It so happened that I was browsing through the Internet and a little skeptical about this quaint little cafe she was talking about the other day we had lunch together, so I went to search for the reviews of the food and ambience there. Much to my surprise, it was actually featured in many top 10 articles of the best vegetarian places locally. Also, I stumbled upon this app called THE ENTERTAINER, which conveniently provided valuable and affordable deals for this particular cafe.




So, now we go on to the food.
The meal was really special as it felt like I was actually savouring meaty succulent delights. The lasagna that we ordered was fragrant and not too greasy. The cheese was a perfect texture as the baked pasta was neither too tough but also not too overcooked. The filling in the lasagna felt like an explosion of flavours as the sudden exuberance was not too cloying or overwhelming, this amazing sensation actually simulated the wafting moisture of actual meat but without the guilt of slaughtering an actual fowl or poultry.
Next, the side dish was vegetable croquette. The initial bite was crunchy and crisp as the batter didn't feel thick or too tough to bite on. Normally, a popiah at the nearby coffeehouse or the standard potato croquette might be a little heavy because of the intensity of the flavoured ingredients. This dish had neither of that feel but the vegetables in the croquettes were refreshing and very versatile, like a myraid of flavours bursting altogether.
Truly an eye-opening experience and would definitely visit this place again in the future.
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