Tuesday 27 April 2021

Cinta Untuk Sekali Lagi by Syu Ariani

April 27, 2021 6 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest!




Tajuk : Cinta Untuk Sekali Lagi
Penulis : Syu Ariani
Mukasurat : 373 pages
Penerbit : Bes Q Publication
Terbitan : Oktober 2020
ISBN : 9789672052579
Blurb : 

Menolak luahan perasaan seseorang sambil tersenyum manis? Kejamnya! Tapi itulah yang disaksikan Falisha. Seorang lelaki menolak pengakuan cinta wanita lain bersama muka semanis gula.

"I'm worried my stern face will hurt them even more,"- HUZAIR

Serius, Falisha rasa digeletek dengan kepolosan Huzair. Sebelum ini jalan hidup mereka tak pernah sehaluan tapi sekali bertemu, banyak kali pula kebetulan mempertemukan mereka. Setelah hubungan Falisha dan Huzair menjadi lebih rapat dan mesra, kemunculan Dianne menjadi punca keretakan.

"Kalau kau ada masalah dengan Dianne... jangan lepaskan pada aku."- FALISHA

Falisha bengang dengan perubahan sikap Huzair tapi dalam masa yang sama, dia juga sedar sesuatu.

"Aku rasa aku suka kau."- FALISHA

Jika kebiasaanya, Huzair boleh tolak semua wanita dengan mudah dan ditemani senyuman, kenapa di hadapan Falisha dia kejur membeku? Di pertemuan seterusnya, Huzair merebut segala peluang yang ada untuk mendekati Falisha. Dilayan acuh tak acuh pun, Huzair tidak berundur hatta setapak.

"Bagi aku peluang, cuma untuk sekali lagi."- HUZAIR

Itu pinta Huzair kerana dia sedar ada ketika, kita terlepas peluang cinta untuk kali pertama. Tetapi, dapatkah Falisha buka pintu hatinya dan berikan peluang cinta untuk sekali lagi buat Huzair?
Diterbitkan pada tahun dan bulan yang sama, Syu Ariani sajikan dengan karya cinta romantik di bawah naungan Bes Q Publication. Pertama sekali, cover novel ni lawo gila. Suka aku tenung cover dia.

Walaupun novel ni bertemakan cinta romantik, kisah cinta Huzair-Falisha bagi aku taklah sweet gila-gila. Cumanya, disebabkan novel ni memang kisah mereka berdua untuk sedar perasaan cinta antara satu sama lain dan takde konflik sangat selain Huzair yang terlambat sedar siapa yang ada dalam hati dia buatkan kisah mereka simple.

Masa mula-mula baca prolog, aku ter-excited sebab secara tak langsung kak Syu masukkan watak Adam-Aileen dekat kedai buku masa Adam kata, "Buat babak romantik dalam kedai buku.. kau rasa romantik tak" dekat Aileen lepastu Falisha terdengar. Alahai comel sungguh. Lepastu keluar kedai buku pergi kafe, terdengar couple break up pulak. Hahaha comel gilaa.

Perkenalan Huzair dengan Falisha bermula bila Falisha mula berkhidmat di Betong sebagai pensyarah interim. Mulanya Falisha ternampak Huzair tolak confession student dengan senyuman manis, lepastu kenal melalui kawan pensyarah. Lepas terserempak di Kuching, barulah hubungan Huzair dengan Falisha makin rapat. Diorang punya terserempak sampaikan ke Kelantan pun boleh jumpa kau!

Bagi aku, jalan cerita dalam novel ni simple and nice. Tak memeningkan kepala langsung. Okaylah buat teman di petang hari bersama secawan teh panas. Even waktu konflik Huzair dengan Dianne pun tak menyakitkan hati aku. Mungkin sebab memang Dianne dah tak berminat dengan Huzair dan cuma Huzair yang tak sedar perasaan sendiri.

Novel ni pun aku dapat habiskan dalam masa yang singkat. Mungkin sebab tak banyak konflik dan sebab jalan cerita pun bagi aku agak obvious and enjoyable dapatlah aku habiskan cepat. Cumanya dekat bahagian epilog, satu kejutan penulis bagi, walaupun halfway cerita aku dapat agak tapi tak sangka betul. Baca sendiri kalau nak tahu apa =P


attempt 1

attempt 2



-thes

Monday 26 April 2021

Tunnel

April 26, 2021 8 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! How are you guys doing? Hope everything is well. Alhamdulillah we are now in the third week of Ramadan, right? Wow, time sure flies so fast. Anyway, here is the review for this week! 

not mine; credited to the rightful owner



Title : Tunnel
Runtime : 126 minutes
Genre : Disaster, Drama
Country / Language : South Korea / Korean
Released year : 2016
Director : Kim Sung Hoon
Writer : So Jae Won (novel), Kim Sung Hoon
Cast : Ha Jung Woo, Bae Doo Na, Oh Dal Su
Plot : 

Lee Jung Soo is a car salesman. He is on his way home from work outside of Seoul. When he drove through a tunnel, the unthinkable happen. The tunnel collapsed. When Jung Soo regained consciousness, he found himself trapped in the car. His car was trapped between the concrete and debris of the tunnel. Jung Soo then make a call through his cellphone to the emergency line. The collapsed tunnel was more severe than he thought and he was told to endure for 7 days before he can get out. All he had was two bottles of 500ml water, a birthday cake for his daughter and his cellphone.
This movie is based on a novel of the same title written by So Jae Won published in April 2013 by Writer And Criticism.

SPOILER ALERT

This movie had a nice suspense going on. From the moment when the tunnel collapsed on Jung Soo, it was so scary. And to think that he managed to survive the fall with no injury is a little baffling. I mean, there are tons of concrete fall on his cars and he is inside the car. Well, it is a fiction movie so, let it go.

I was actually expecting this movie to be very emotional and suspense given the situation with the tunnel, it was actually a pretty light watch. When Jung Soo had called the emergency line, the scenes get lighter as the rescue team tried to save him. At some point, there even some humorous scenes in it. So, I don't actually stressed my brain while watching.

The elements of suspense was still present, especially when there was so much faulty with the construction of the tunnel. It feels like they are progressing to save Jung Soo but then they're back to zero. The moment when there was a casualty at the site of rescue, the people demanded to stop the SAR operation. That's when I got emotional. With the wife hoping for her husband to be alive and with Jung Soo waiting to be rescued, it suddenly became so sad. I was so glad that the head of the SAR team still tried to save him.

Even though there was some things that I don't really find it realistic like how long his phone battery lasts and how he had no injury caused by the concrete I still enjoyed this movie. Especially when Jung Soo found another person and her dog trapped in the tunnel. I know that she wouldn't last long especially with her injury.

The ending of this movie was expected so there's no surprise. I just love how Jung Soo swear to those people with power who just went to the site when he was brought out for publicity (the head of SAR conveyed his message). And I love it even more when he gave a thumbs up like he agreed what the head of SAR team did. 




For more movie reviews, please visit 'Movie Reviews' on the menu tab !

-thes

Monday 19 April 2021

The Berlin File

April 19, 2021 2 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest!

not mine; credited to the rightful owner


Title : The Berlin File
Runtime : 120 minutes
Genre : Thriller, Action, Suspense
Country / Language : South Korea / Korean, German, English
Released year : 2013
Director : Ryoo Seung Wan
Writer : Ryoo Seung Wan
Cast : Ha Jung Woo, Han Suk Kyu, Jeon Ji Hyun, Ryu Seung Bum
Plot : 

Pyo Jung Song is a North Korean comrade living and working at the Berlin office together with his wife, Jung Hee who works as a translator for the ambassador. Pyo Jung Song was about to sign an illegal weapon deal with a Middle Eastern buyer when the deals fall off due to an attack. While trying to run, he was caught by a South Korean NIS agent, Jung Jin Soo whose team was on stake out. However, Jung Song was able to escape from him. He then learnt that Dong Myung Soo, a his fellow comrade and also son of a powerful NK official is coming to Berlin. His arrival would means that trouble is on his way. 

SPOILER ALERT

Another intense, finger-biting movie is here! I finally make my way to watch this movie. It had been on my to-watch list for years. Seriously. Back to review, I love the beginning tension and action during the weapon deal. It was short but the impact lasts. Definitely a good way to start a thriller movie.

The plot and story line is great and well-executed. I was really curious on who is the traitor that leak the information about the deals and why did the North Korean sent Dong Myung Soo. I was actually convinced that Jung Hee is doing another mission and the one who betrayed her country. But man, I was dead wrong. She's just an innocent woman caught in the tangled of power and men.

When Jung Hee was suspected as the traitor, Jung Song followed her to confirm her involvement. He really suspect her to be the traitor and honestly, I feels so sad for Jung Hee. She only wanted her husband to trust her but he was doubting her. I feels so much relief when Jung Song caught on the ploy that Myung Soo trying to play.

The actions scenes were so alive and nerve-wrecking. Especially when they put on BGM. It really does help to intensify the feeling of urgent-ness. I can't take my eyes off the screen whenever they're almost caught. With the involvement of Jin Soo, the South Korean agent, it gets more complicated. Jung Song and his wife need to get away from Berlin and he also needs to escape from Jin Soo. His loyalty to his country was on the top even though he was betrayed.

The final scenes at the meadow is the best. I love how Jung Song did the crazy thing to team up with Jin Soo to save his wife. And how Jin Soo agreed to help Jung Song just because he is doing his work. This scenes was so intense because they're two people against more than 10 people. It also plays with emotion well when Jung Song lost his wife, I legit weeping the whole scene. I feels like it was wrong for her to die but then her dying means that Jung Song had the reason to kill Myung Soo. 

The ending was satisfying for me. Even though Jung Song failed to save his wife, he is alive. And I'm even more glad when Jin Soo asked Jung Song to leave from the South Korean supevision with the reason he couldn't stand seeing him living free when he can't save his wife. But the real reason he freed Jung Song was for him to seek revenge to the NK leader that make his wife died. I am a satisfied audience.

For more movie reviews, please visit 'Movie Reviews' on the menu tab !

-thes

Saturday 17 April 2021

Hanya Ingin Kamu by Syu Ariani

April 17, 2021 2 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! Tengah prepare nak masak berbuka ke tu? Huhu, aku actually dari last week lagi nak share this review tapi ya Allah, disebabkan test, midterm berturut-turut memang cancel la nak jenguk blog. Haih, rindu nak blogwalking. Let's get to the review!


Tajuk : Hanya Ingin Kamu
Penulis : Syu Ariani
Mukasurat : 563 pages
Penerbit : Suara Hati Publication
Terbitan : Oktober 2020
ISBN : 9789672300250
Blurb : 
Tiga tahun terpisah dan kemudian bertemu semula, Nurul Aileen tidak mampu menyorokkan perasaannya terhadap Adam Haidar. Kerana sememangnya hatinya hanya menginginkan Adam. Hanya dia! Tetapi...

"Ada apa dengan kita?"- Adam Haidar

Layanan dingin Adam jauh berbeza dengan setiap gerak-gerinya. Aileen yakin Adam turut berkongsi perasaan yang sama dengannya. Namun sayang, tidak semudah itu. Di antara Aileen dan Adam, ada satu tali penghubung bernama Auliya. Kerana Auliya, mereka bersatu tetapi kerana Auliya juga, mereka pernah berpisah. Bagaimana pula dengan sekarang? Adakah Auliya akan tetap menjadi garis yang memisahkan?

"Sampai bila aku kena cemburukan orang yang dah meninggal dunia?" - Nurul Aileen

Aileen menyimpan rahsia, Adam terbelenggu dengan rasa berdosa dan sebuah janji. Dosa silam seseorang yang mampu menggugah hubungan Aileen dan Adam. Kewujudan Zayyan turut menyukarkan lagi keadaan.

"Kadang-kadang melepaskan jauh lebih baik daripada bertahan. Lepaskan Adam, Leen. Lupakan dia," - Zayyan

Benarkah kesakitan Aileen bisa hilang selepas dia melepaskan Adam? Adakah sememangnya dia dan Adam tidak ditakdirkan bersama?

Karya ketiga dan karya pertama bertemakan melodrama daripada Syu Ariani yang aku baca. Sebelum ni aku pernah baca kak Syu yang bertemakan cinta aksi iaitu 'Anastasia' dan juga 'Ursula'. Sebelum ni, kak Syu pernah juga tulis novel bertema cinta romantik tapi aku belum pernah lagi baca karya yang itu.

Anyway, novel ni mengundang pelbagai rasa pada aku. Aku tertanya-tanya sangat kenapa Aileen tinggalkan Adam selama tiga tahun lamanya. Kisah disebalik seorang Aileen dan juga Auliya, perwatakan Adam masa mula-mula jumpa Aileen lepas tiga tahun. Semuanyalah! Ada babak yang berjaya buat aku mengalir air mata, apatah lagi bila baca kisah Aileen and Auliya. Kejamnya ibu ayah dia.

Flow cerita teratur cantik, memudahkan pembacaan aku. Mulanya aku pelik kenapa Aileen setuju nak kahwin dengan Adam kalau bukan sebab ibu ayah dia paksa (yelah, kan dia yang tinggalkan Adam) tapi rupanya sebab Auliya. Betullah sebab Auliya Adam dan Aileen bersatu dan kerana Auliya juga Aileen tinggalkan Adam.

Aku ambil masa lebih kurang dua hari je untuk habiskan novel ni. Lagipun jalan ceritanya taklah complicated walaupun banyak rahsia yang tersimpan. Watak Adam walaupun digambarkan sebagai dingin, tapi dia tetap ambil peduli dengan Aileen. Aku suka babak dia cemburu masa Aileen terjumpa senior and ex-crush dia. Terasa comel haha.

Watak Zayyan bagi aku cuma sebagai penambah rasa. Dia yang nampak Aileen terseksa dan nak jadi pengubat kepada hati Aileen. Tapi sayang, dia bukan orang yang Aileen nak. Sedih jugakla waktu Zayyan membentak hubungan Aileen dengan Adam. Betullah kata ayah Zayyan, perkahwinan tu perlu dihebahkan, untuk mengelakkan fitnah. Adakah kak Syu akan tulis kisah Zayyan pulak? Maklumla, dua kali patah hati...

testing one two three


-thes

Monday 12 April 2021

Ramadan Kareem

April 12, 2021 7 Comments


 Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! Just a little update from me to wish all of my brothers and sisters to have a blessed and beautiful Ramadan. May this Ramadan benefits all of us! Love from the bottom of my heart!

with me,

-thes

The Merciless

April 12, 2021 4 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! I have like three tests this week alone and some submission next week and yeah, gotta smile. Anyway, here is the movie review for this week (Iwatched this movie like last two weeks, if I remember correctly.)

not mine; credited to the rightful owner

Title : The Merciless / Robber: Bad Men's World
Runtime : 120 minutes
Genre : Action, Crime
Country / Language : South Korea / Korean
Released year : 2017
Director : Byun Sung Hyun
Writer : Byun Sung Hyun, Kim Min Soo
Cast : Sol Kyung Gu, Im Si Hwan
Plot : 

Jae Ho is the 'king' among the prisoner. He belongs to one of the most influential criminal gang and is the second in command. One day, another powerful leader of another criminal gang was sent to the same prison. That leader was hell bend on killing Jae Ho even though Jae Ho had never caused any problem to the man. Later, he discovered that his leader wanted him dead. A prisoner, Hyun Soo caught Jae Ho's attention because he doesn't follow the rules nor submit to anyone. After losing his mother, Hyun Soo accept Jae Ho's offered to work with him after he was released from the prison.

SPOILER ALERT

The Merciless is one of the popular movie in Korea at the time of it released, probably because of its incredible, crazy and insane storyline. Oh, might also because of the iconic line from this movie,


Starting off with someone in the gang killed by the members of the same gang was strong. But then when the 'king' of the gang was visited by a detective, I thought it was some corruption conversation going on but it wasn't. She (the detective) was there to simply gave a warning to the gang that they're going down. The scene then was flashed back to three years ago when Jae Ho serves his time in the prison.

Right after the mishap in the prison (the whole killing one another described in the plot), Jae Ho grew fond of Hyun Soo. They were inseparable and always had each other back. I really believed that Jae Ho suspected nothing on Hyun Soo and it will goes along the course that Hyun Soo put on. This movie is fulls with twist and turn. It was always shocking whenever they reveal secrets after secrets. And, for Hyun Soo to keep changing side to the police and then back to Jae Ho was so confusing but great! He was playing double agent and you won't know which side he took until he did what he needed to.

I love the chemistry between the two male lead. They played out their roles perfectly and the emotions beneath the surface of their characters were 'spoken' well too. I especially loves it when they worked together to fool the police team. What a perfect harmony. And to learnt that all of it was build from lies  really hurt me. Poor Hyun Soo as he was used and being played by the people that he put trusts on. Be it Jae Ho or police team. For me, the police force was way cruel than Jae Ho, who supposed to be the bad one.

One of the elements that keep this movie going was the actions and all the tensions. Even the title had spoken on how it will be.There wasn't one moment that I feel bored watching this movie. With the tension of what Hyun Soo decided to do to what will happen as the consequence of his decision keeps the storyline playing. I especially love the way the scenes were arranged. They reveal it bit by bit of the secrets. 

As for the ending, it is a bit shocking to me. But it was understandable. I understood why Hyun Soo did what he did. I viewed it as some sort of self-redemption (I feels insane for saying this because of the ending was like inhumane) for Hyun Soo. For years he let himself being used by the police force (he went undercover so that his little offenses aren't charged. He is not a police officer to begin with) and let himself to trust Jae Ho, who trust no one. 






For more movie reviews, please visit 'Movie Reviews' on the menu tab !

-thes

Monday 5 April 2021

Sorry, I Love You

April 05, 2021 14 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! How was your weekend? Yesterday is 4th April, how many things that did you buy this time? None? Good! Okay, that was me stress-talking. Let's get back to the review.

not mine; credited to the rightful owner

Title : Sorry, I Love You
Runtime : 105 minutes
Genre : Romance
Country / Language : China / Mandarin, English
Released year : 2014
Director : Larry Yang
Writer : Lee Kyung Hee 
Cast : Vivian Dawson, Swan Wen
Plot : 

Walker was involved in gangsterism in Vancouver. He is left alone after his foster parents died. After one incident with the gang, Walker had a ticking bomb inside his brain. He was determined to go back to China and looked for his biological parents and also his twin sister. Walker then met with En Cai, a girl that he saved from thugs few months back in Vancouver. Walker then discover that En Cai works for his mother, the one who he believed had abandon him and his sister when they were babies. He then accept his mother's offer to become the driver of Trey, his mother's adopted son and begin to plot his revenge. With the help of En Cai, he looked for his sister at the same time. With a time limit, Walker find himself making decision that might hurt the people that he love.

This movies is based on South Korean drama series, 'I'm Sorry, I Love You' directed by Lee Hyung Min and written by Lee Kyung Hee. This drama starring So Ji Sub and Im Soo Jung aired in 2004.

SPOILER ALERT

This movie have a great storyline, however, it is not well executed. I actually have a great expectation from this movie as it is a remake from SK drama and that drama did really well. The first quarter of 105 minutes, had too much scenes and honestly, it is hard for me to catch up. I get confused on who is the male antagonist at first because the only name that registered in my mind was Jodi, who turned out as a good friend of Walker (the real male antagonist, our hero). From the moment before he went to prison and after he was released were too fast and if you don't pay enough attention, you might get confused.

Things get clearer when Walker arrived in China to look for his biological parents. He then coincidentally met with En Cai again at the house of a woman who he believed to be his biological mother. When En Cai's employer asked to be a driver for his son, he immediately agreed.  Walker wanted to seek revenge to his mother as she abandon them when they were babies. However, when he started to spent his time with that family, he realized that he longs for mother's love. 

What I didn't expect was the plot twist. The past that he knows of weren't true at all. There was so much more into the history of their abandonment. There were so much pain behind that and it causes so much damaged to them(Walker and his twin), the innocent party.

While the plot and storyline gets better through the movie, the acting however is not. Not that it gets worse it just feels so scripted and the emotion played weren't good enough (ore melayu kato kaku, kayu gitu). Plus, the directing isn't that great either. There were so much emotional scenes in this movie but I couldn't find myself tearing up. Just the ending got me teary and that's all. Even the romance between En Cai and Walker just lukewarm. And for me, it wasn't cute either. Just, them... I guess? 

Despite the shortcomings, I could still enjoy this movie (but this may took me a looooonger time to re-watch). One thing that keep me going was Vivian's (Walker) English narration. Plus, I love En Cai's character. She's what I said dumbly cute. Like, so cute like dumb but not dumb. And boy, the ending really caught me off guard. I have expectation of how Walker's life will be like but not En Cai. Real surprise there.






For more movie reviews, please visit 'Movie Reviews' on the menu tab !

-thes