Movie Review: Lion (2016)

Title: Lion

Director: Garth Davis

Based on: "A Long Way Home" by Saroo Brierley and Larry Buttrose

Casts: Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Denham, Nicole Kidman

Another movie that will leave you speechless. Lion, a debut drama movie directed by Garth Davis. Received six oscars nominations for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Patel), Best Supporting Actress (Kidman), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Lion is based on a true story of Saroo Brierley.  Back in 1986, in Khandwa, India. Saroo was five years old. He was poor yet happy.  Yes, they tried to enjoy everything and be happy with what they got. Saroo and his brother, Guddu, stole coal from a freight train in order to trade it for milk and food then shared it with the whole family members including his sister and his mother. One day Saroo  followed his brother, Guddu to work. As a little boy, he felt tired and fell a sleep while his brother continued to work.  When he was awake, he tried to find Guddu even until he boarded to a train and finally felt asleep again. Then he's awake to find that the train was moving. After several days, he arrived in Calcutta, 1500 miles from his home. Confused and scared, he survived through lots of challenges until he was luckily adopted by an Australian couples who raised him with unlimited love and care in Tasmania, Australia.

After 25 years, Saroo started to get restless. He felt the urge to find his root and to meet his mother.  By using Google Earth, he started another journey to find his family in India. 

A very touching movie. Love everything there. The young Saroo, Sunny Pawar, played his best. He's  very natural. The setting of Calcutta and Tasmania show a very contrast situation. But both have their own uniqueness. Several touching moments are also there. One of the epic moments was when Saroo talked with his adopting mother, Sue (played awesomely by Kidman).  

Saroo: I am sorry that you don't have any natural children.

Sue: What did you say? Your father and I are not infertile. We can have children but we chose not to. Why? Because we want to help children in need like you through adoption. We felt that there were already too many people on earth.

Dear God, only people with big hearts can do such things. Beside Saroo, Sue and his husband also adopted another Indian boy. 

In India now, there are 80,000 children go missing each year and over 11 millions children are living on the streets. the foundation of #LionHeart launched a program to provide financial support for these less fortunate children.

A highly recommended movie. Prepare tissue when you watch it. 

Find more about the movie here. 

Too Cute to be True

One of my bestest friends, Karin,  gave me this awesome book as a birthday present. I was speechless. Books will always be my favorite things to receive moreover if it is a travel book. The happiness is double since this book is a kind of legitimation for me to travel more.  Huge thanks, babe. Let's go...UK or Russia or New York next year??? #evilgrin.

Other best friend who works at LINE, Rina,  gave me this cute tea, she said that LINE is very famous in Korea with its cafe and souvenir shop. Since I don't know much about Korea, never watch any Korean drama or listen to K-Pop music so basically I learn about Korea from my friend's souvenirs such as these cute stuffs from LINE cafe or some cosmetics products, yes...the face mask, the hand lotion, etc. Well....it seems nice. I guess I need to see it myself. Haha....another travel plan option.  

Thanks a bunch for these two awesome ladies. Such a blessing to know you both. 

Book Review: Mata Hari (2016)

Title: The Spy

Author: Paulo Coelho

Translator: Lulu Wijaya

Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama

2016/192 pages

Bunga mengajarkan kepada kita bahwa tidak ada yang abadi: keindahan mereka, bahkan juga fakta bahwa mereka pasti akan layu, karena mereka masih akan memberikan benih baru. Ingatlah ini kalau kau merasa sukacita, kepedihan, atau kesedihan. Segala sesuatu berlalu, menjadi tua, mati dan terlahir kembali.

Mata Hari, --Paulo Coelho

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was a middle class Dutch Family. Feeling bored with her mundane life, she planned to escape from it.  The opportunity came when she decided to marry a soldier and moved to Indonesia. They once lived in Malang. No wonder that the author, Paulo Coelho expressed his greeting in the first page of the book to all Indonesian readers, where parts of this story took place.

However life didn't turn out as expected. Margaretha's husband was an alcoholic-abusive man. Indonesia that sounded  quite exotic in the beginning began to lose its charm and Margaretha thought to start her new life as a new person. Margaretha went to Paris, penniless, but tried to struggle until she came out with a new identity as Mata Hari, a performer of exotic Asian-inspired dances. She shocked and delighted audiences during the World War I.

She soon began touring all over Europe and became a famous performer and with the outbreak of World War I, her catalog of lovers began to include high-ranking military officers of various nationalities.

It was 15 October 1917, taken from her hotel room at Champs Elysees, Mata Hari was charged guilty and executed by a French firing squad because of her crime as espionage. Up until now no one really knows about Mata Hari's espionage activities. Some said that Mata Hari acted as a German spy, and others exclaimed that she's  a double agent for the French as well. Lots of different version stories told and Mata Hari remains as one of history's most enigmatic women. 

Not Coelho at his best but it is still fascinating. Telling a history by combining it with certain fictitious elements. Good points. If you're looking for a light-fast read book, this one is just perfect. 

Cinta adalah perbuatan yang berlandaskan iman dan wajahnya harus selalu diselubungi misteri. Setiap momen harus dijalani dengan perasaan dan emosi, karena kalau kita mencoba menganalisis dan memahaminya, sirnalah keajaibannya.