Could be a long post. Or not... depends on my mood.. or fingers (Lack thereof) etc. I miss choir. I miss singing in a group, camaradie and such. I miss making music for the love of music. ARGH. I should join some club or something. Would be beneficial to me, I just noe it. I know I can sing. I ain't blowing hot air, I CAN sing. And I have all these melodies in my head, I just need some outlet for them. I need to learn how to compose. Though I doubt they have some instant lesson in that. No, I didn't so.

And my parents and relatives can be righteous to a fault. Let it be known to all that self-righteousness is not a good thing. It's blinding. It makes you feel good yes, but it blinds you to what others think of you. And that my fren, is never good. So my parents/relatives are self-righteous.
"I thought this was a good idea to do this..."
"Luckily I did this..."
"I don't think he should have done this..." Sounds innocent, but when it's backstabbing another member of the extended family, it becomes a trifle nasty.
And they are unforgiving people. Sigh, dun really wanna get into why they are unforgiving, rather, I shall do the teenage thing and whine about how they won't back down in an argument. Of how they refuse to let you win. Of how they are always right.

Simply put, nobody listens to me *whine* I swear, they wun even let me finish a sentence sometimes, I have to raise my voice to fight back. And when I say something, anything, it's wrong. For instance, there are platforms for people to stand on during this concert. Dad said that they were for the band members to stand on. I know for sure, that there are choir people singing. And that band members dun stand to play. So I told the family that they were for the choir people, me being from one myself.
Nobody believed me. I didn't even want to argue anymore. What was the point? I just sat down and smiled my small smile when the choir members got onto the platforms.
Nobody listens and I suppose I will just let them for the time being.

I sincerely want to move out. I can't really go on like this. I need to be free. Funny coming from a 22 year old mummy's boy, but the truth stays. I need the city. I need my frens. I need that life again. Independence. Well, not really. Not that just yet... but definitely wanna keep in contact with frens... go with gossip. Ugh.. I need it badly.

Dad: "Where you going?"
Me: "City? Gonna watch Batman Begins with frens."
Dad (gruffly): "So you going to be staying over?"
Me: "Yepp. Will be back tmw."
Dad (even more gruffly): "What time?"
Me: "About 3 like that?"
Dad: "Why so late?"

Let it be known that 3 is early. Really. I can't stand the interrogation anymore. And I'm a good kid. I find some sort of balance but somehow, I just keep being compared to.

It began again. I haven't been working much lately and Dad's been on my case.
A conversation with a relative -
Aunt: No work today? Thought you worked on Fridays?
Me: Yeah, a little slow this week. They don't need me as much.
Dad: I think Paul (Aunts son) works more than him. So much more lor.

Sigh. Sad but true.

And finally, I watched Batman Begins yesterday. And here's my review :)

“Holy new Batman film Batman!” Sorry, I could not resist and it will not appear anymore I assure you. Yes, eight years after the last Batman flick, somebody has attempted to bring back the legend. It is a brave feat deserving of much praise. I mean, the past two films ‘Batman Forever’ (1995) and ‘Batman and Robin’ (1997), were not entirely a pleasurable viewing experience. For director Christopher Nolan to take on the mantle is to take on the burden of creating something that holds on to the name, and can yet stand on its own. It is not an easy job.

And of course, the question on everybody’s minds is, “Is it good?”

This is the prequel to the ‘Batman’ franchise. A well-known story of the creation of a legend, or a simple tale of angst-ridden revenge, you pick. Billionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) travels far and wide to live among evil and understand it. Right from the beginning, he is in a Chinese jail fighting inmates as most angry adults are known to do. There, he meets Ducard (Liam Neeson), a polished gentleman who offers Bruce a way to find what he is looking for. Bruce accepts the offer and joins (after much trials, tribulations and flashbacks) the ‘League of Shadows’, an extremist sect dedicated to wiping out evil wherever it is. The leader of the sect, Ras Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), deems Bruce ready to lead the League and destroy the evil Gotham City. Always the idealist, Bruce refuses and single-handedly destroys the league instead. He returns to Gotham and his manor, meets up with his butler Alfred (Michael Caine), and proceeds to place fear into the hearts of evil-doers. Add in love interest Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes) and villain Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy), and you have yourself a new look at the Batman legend.

That’s about all the plot you folks are going to get. I won’t go into the twists and turns that most recent Hollywood screens are known for, suffice to say that they aren’t especially bad. Moreover, this is a prequel and I don’t expect much from prequels. Past experiences (cough…Star Wars…cough) have taught me that. And to me, this one was actually pretty decent. But let’s get down to the nitty gritty, how does this latest shot at the Dark Knight fare? Have we found the new Batman?

Many people have taken up the Batman’s cape and cowl. The first two movies had Michael Keaton as the Bat. Val Kilmer took the helm in the third and George Clooney had the role in the last film. In my opinion, Michael Keaton will always be the Batman, so there’s my bias upfront. But then, Christian Bale does not do too badly either. Though looking more like a Superman than a Batman, this veteran actor since 1987 manages an excellent Bruce Wayne. He is believable as an angry individual seeking an outlet of aggression and does well in charming women and buying hotels. As the Batman however, he is a disappointment. Even though he manages to look imposing and dominating as the Bat should be, he falters at truly being the Bat. Don’t understand? Well, basically, his movements are awkward when moving from point to point. He forces his voice to a rasp when communication as the Bat. And, it’s the way he interacts with others that lets out the secret that he is not actually Batman. I suppose the fault is in the story itself but I’ll come to that later.

Some characters do really well. Michael Caine has that mischievous charm since his ‘Italian Job’ days that brings a smile to my face. His one-liners and that strong British accent makes him a refreshing change from the usual, stoic Alfreds of past. Liam Neeson’s portrayal of the enigmatic Ducard is commendable, his strong acting making the ruthless warrior believable in his manic cause to purge evil.

Some characters don’t do as well. Gary Oldman’s role as a younger Jim Gordon is tired and lacks depth. Katie Holmes manages to pull off the defiant lawyer role but when push comes to a shove during an action scene, she fails to actually connect with her surroundings and cast. The Scarecrow is not scary and poor Morgan Freeman gets little screen air, reduced to one-liners most of the time.

On another point, I hate the Batmobile. I call it the BatTank. Cause that’s what it is. A giant, black, tank with no Batwings or fins anywhere. No finesse here, it simply ploughs through all obstacles without a qualm. Did I mention it can jump from rooftop to rooftop?

Alas, the music is nothing to rave about either. Composed by Hans Zimmer and James Howard Newton, the score pales in comparison with Danny Elfman’s richly-original compositions before. Those pulsing string rhythms just do not seem to cut it for me this time. I miss the Batman theme.

As I said before, story itself may be flawed. After watching the film, I had the feeling that something was missing. It was not a bad film mind you, but it made me feel empty. I have a couple of ideas as to why. Let me pen down what they are for further analysis shall we?

Firstly, the movie is not as dark as the predecessors. It does not have that crazed factor that marked the past films. Note that the past Batman movies were fast-paced and more often than not, were pretty surreal. You had no time to think, nor did you want to. Things were happening all over the place and that was its selling point. It was what made them comic movies.

Which leads me to my next point - that ‘Batman Begins’ has an actual plot. It takes itself too seriously. Things are systematic and easily understandable. There are reasons for all that goes by in Gotham, no plot-holes, no problems. This I find a trifle bit disappointing for one who expected that hint of chaos.

And finally, it is the Villains themselves that made my experience less than satisfying. For a strong Hero, you must have an eviler Villain. With costumes. And long-drawn, manic laughs. You won’t find that here. The Villains are cold and calculative. Professionals rather than insane mass murderers. The lack of such Villains brings down the Batman quality and the movie suffers as a result. There is just no comic quality in it!

But not all is bad here. Christopher Nolan’s vision of an inexperienced Batman hoping to right all wrongs seems to be in the correct place. There are visual splendors littered throughout the film and it is quite interesting to see how Bruce Wayne builds the Batman legacy all by himself. And as I wrote before, the show has a plot (though it does become a bit Jerry Bruckheimer-esque towards the end), which is more than I can say for the other ‘comic-book’ flicks at present. It is a film that can stand on itself even as it fails to bring forth the Batman legend fully. A movie that has effort written all over, watch it if only to see the dedication the production team has placed into it. I have high hopes for the next film to take on this famed mantle of the Bat. If they fix the flaws, they can do wonders I think.

And I really want to thank that production team for not having nipples on the suit. Bless you. Bless you all.