senseless censorship & honest goodbyes

I watched Flowers of Shanghai yesterday, one of the Hou Hsiao-hsien Retrospective films at SIFF 2005 .
It's a typical HHH film, slow-paced and beautifully shot. I thought it's brilliant, and the colours of the film so rich and vibrant. However, many in the audience obviously didn't think so. There were quite a number of walk-outs during the last third of the movie.
Strange yah? People can stick out to the end for 2046, which is totally incomprehensible, but can't sit through Flowers. Is it because Wong Kar-Wai is more internationally well-known than HHH? Hmmm...
Brand names mean everything in Singapore huh?

This year's film festival has been a quiet one for me. Only 2 movies, no fringe or short cuts.
I really wanted to watch The Writer of O, but it was withdrawn in protest by the director after the film was passed with cuts.
Goddamn senseless censorship.

----------------------------------

One of my girlfriends just told me she was diagnosed with post-natal depression a month ago.
She's now taking prozac for it, with 3 more weeks supply to go.
Poor girl. I so empthasize with her.

----------------------------------

Been listening to Bic Runga again recently.
Here's one of my all-time favourites.

Sink with the tide
Rescue me if you like
I'll be leaving it all up to you
Think how we tried
It's o.k. to be lied to
As long as it's only by you

People say to me it's best that we've parted
'Cause you know I'm better alone
Don't explain to me how you're so broken hearted
I'm too busy mending my own

Late ever night the colours fade from the sky
And the music is gone from the moon
Standing in line for what used to be mine
What use is the rhyme with no tune

People say to me it's best that we've parted
And nothing is carved out in stone
It's such a shame how we're back where we started
It's late now and time that we go

Ending each night with such honest goodbyes
Such honest goodbyes for the last time
Honest goodbyes only work once or twice
They work once or twice
Then the rest must be lies
The rest must be lies

- Honest Goodbyes.Bic Runga

"It's o.k. to be lied to as long as it's by you"
"Standing in line for what used to be mine, what use is the rhyme with no tune"
Such heartbreaking lines.