The Vow (2012)

Director: Michael Sucsy (1)

Cast: Channing Tatum (2), Rachel McAdams (3), Sam Neil (4), Jessica Lange (5), Scott Speedman (6)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - 
"I chose to stay with him for all the things that he had done right, and not to leave him for the one thing that he had done wrong. I chose to forgive him" and "You accepted me for who I am, and not for what you wanted me to be"

Just a week ago, my uncle whom I am pretty close to had just gotten married. And it got me thinking about marriage and having someone special to go home to. And when they were saying their vows, I was wondering if I would one day find someone special to say those marriage vows to. And that if and when I am getting married, I would write my own vows, unique to me and my partner and say those vows with God and my family and friends as witness. In the film, I really enjoyed the unique vows said by Leo and Paige played by Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams. 

Paige: I vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness and to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share the silence when they are not, and to live within the warmth of your heart and always call it home. 

Leo: I vow to fiercely love you in all your forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget that this is a once in a lifetime love. I vow to love you, and no matter what challenges might carry us apart, we will always find a way back to each other. 

Wedding vows are not to be taken lightly. When you say your "I dos" you are promising to love that person, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or for worse, till death do you part. The Vow is about this very promise between a man and a woman. Not everyone gets put to the test in the same manner as the characters in the film. And of course we hope people don't have to ever go through this. But if they do, or if I do in the future face a situation like this, I hope that I will be able to get through it like these characters have. 

The quote that affected me the most in this film was uttered by Paige Collins' mother played by Jessica Lange. If it happened to me, would I be able to forgive my husband for cheating on me? Would I be able to look past his one discretion and stay with him? I don't know if I can or will. And I do hope I will never have to face such a dilemma. But, I do believe that that quote, is what a marriage is about. You will have tough times, you might make each other angry or do things that hurt your partner, but the important thing is that you have promised to keep trying and working on the marriage no matter what happens. 

The other quote that struck me deeply was said by Rachel McAdams' Paige Collins - "You accepted me for who I am, and not who you wanted me to be". That is what a marriage partnership is about as well. No one is perfect, but you might be that perfect someone for one other imperfect person. I am who I am. And one day, I might meet someone who accepts me for who I am, and will compliment me the same way I compliment him. 

You know how jigsaw puzzle pieces need to fit perfectly to form the picture. I think that is how I see relationships. The jigsaw piece is made just the way it is, and if you have to force a piece to fit with another, the end result is not the way its supposed to be. If its meant to be, its meant to be isn't it?

She's The Man (2006)

Director: Andy Fickman (1)

Cast: Amanda Bynes (2), Channing Tatum (3), Vinnie Jones (4), Amanda Crew (5), Robert Hoffman (6)

(Watch the trailer)

My favourite quote - "Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." 

My full name is Monica Alexia Goh Li Li. And these are just a few nicknames my friends (who are also my colleagues) have given me: Manly Monica, Monly Manica, Monica Gor Gor (Gor Gor means older brother in Mandarin), Lily G, Alex Gor Gor, Hamburglar, Go Li. Quite a number of the nicknames above have something to do with the word 'man'. You see, they all think I'm very manly. And according to them, in my office, where there a number of pretty manly guys, I'm ranked the second most manly person there. Second only to my big boss. 

I don't know if I should be happy or distressed by the fact that I'm a woman, and my friends/colleagues see me more as a man than a woman. What has this got to do with the film She's The Man you ask? Well, firstly, the phrase 'She's the man' is something my friends/colleagues would probably use to describe me. Secondly, it brings to mind the fact that some women can do the same things men can do. That is the gist of what I love about the film. 

Even if a woman is manly or does a manly sport doesn't mean she's not a woman at heart or that she cannot do something a man can do. Outwardly, a woman can be as strong as any man or have mannerisms like a man, but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to be treated well and as an equal to the men she dates. Likewise, it doesn't mean that if you're a man, that you are not sensitive or shy as Channing Tatum's Duke is. Some men can be so manly on the field or in their careers yet be so sensitive and considerate regarding their partners. And some woman can be so outwardly manly yet need and crave to be well treated and respected by their partners. 

I think what women now want is to be respected for what they can do in their careers yet still be pampered and taken care of by their man. Yes, women want the best of both worlds. I want that. Call me greedy all you want, but hey, that's the truth. Not all women are like me of course, but I'm speaking for myself. 

I love watching She's The Man because of the plot and its themes, but also because of its comedic timing, the talented cast, and the allusions to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night littered in the film. I used to study Shakespeare at school, and though I cannot say I fully understand all his plays, I do enjoy watching modernised versions of his plays. Among all the modernised Shakespearean plays made to film, I love She's The Man, Get Over It and 10 Things I Hate About You the most. Romeo and Juliet is the skeleton of SO MANY films, its hard to like everything. Although Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet is not a fully modernised version, since they spoke in Shakespearean English, it is my favourite modernised version of Romeo and Juliet so far.

She's The Man also has a great cast, and my favourite being Amanda Bynes who plays the lead Viola Hastings. It is also in this film that made me sit up and notice Amanda Crew. The next time I saw her in film was the film adaptation of Charlie St Cloud. But first, back to Amanda Bynes. I think she's an amazing actress, I recently re-watched her performance in Easy A and heard her singing in the film adaptation of Hairspray. I think she has great comedic timing and I think she managed to be exaggerated (as the role calls for) but not give an over-the-top cringe-worthy kind of performance. 

This film also made me notice Channing Tatum. I can't remember which I saw first, She's The Man or Step Up, but either way, I think he did a great job in this film. He portrayed the jock-type personality extremely well, but I did not expect to enjoy his softer and more sensitive moments he shares with Viola in the film, but I did. And I totally did not think he would be funny at all but he was so funny in the few scenes where he had to be comedic. The rest of the cast, including the coach of Illyria played by Vinnie Jones (he actually plays football and is a retired footballer) was fantastic. 

She's The Man may not be liked by everyone, but I love it because it speaks to me. After all, in the words of Viola Hastings' friend Paul - "Just remember, inside every girl, there's a boy. That came out wrong, but you know what I mean." It's a film about remembering to be just the way you are, because those who love you for who you are are the ones who matter. And, just go for what you want!

(1) Director Andy Fickman has directed films like Race To Witch Mountain (2009), You Again (2010), and Parental Guidance (2012).

(2) Amanda Bynes has acted in films like Big Fat Liar (2002), What A Girl Wants (2003), Lovewrecked (2005), Hairspray (2007), Sydney White (2007), and Easy A (2010). She is well-known for playing the lead role, Holly Tyler in the televisions series What I Like About You (2002-2006).

(3) Channing Tatum has acted in films like Coach Carter (2005), Step Up (2006), Stop-Loss (2006), Fighting (2009), Public Enemies (2009), G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra (2009), Dear John (2010), The Vow (2012), 21 Jump Street (2012), Magic Mike (2012), and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013).

(4) Vinnie Jones has acted in films like Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Gone In 60 Seconds (2000), Swordfish (2001), Eurotrip (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Year One (2009), and Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball (2010)

(5) Amanda Crew has acted in films like Final Destination 3 (2006), Sex Drive (2008), The Break-Up Artist (2009), Charlie St Cloud (2010), and Sisters & Brothers (2011).

(6) Robert Hoffman has acted in films like Coach Carter (2005), Step Up 2: The Streets (2008), and Aliens In The Attic (2009).

The Eclectic Reviewer thinks… She's The Man will not just make you LOL, it will also remind you to just be yourself and go for what you want. Nothing is impossible, as long as you work hard to achieve what you set out to achieve. (4.8 of 5)

* Movie Poster from Wikipedia

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