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AFTER
the successful release of HOPE (Healing of Pain &
Enlightenment) through Star Records, the funds gathered
from the purchase of the heartwarming album were handed
over recently to its beneficiaries: Bosom Buddies, a
support group for breast-cancer survivors; and I Can
Serve, an advocacy group that empowers women with breast
cancer.
Everyone
from tiny infants to grown-ups experience little
miracles every day through music. Some are healed, some
are given a few moments of relief from pain, and others
are comforted. These are the little miracles that the
power of music can do, and this is what the album HOPE
is for. It is a celebration of life and healing.
Jamie
Rivera, The CompanY, Jon Joven and Charice, who are also
part of the album, gladly rendered inspiring song
numbers for the guests in the hand-over ceremonies.
Pinky
Tobiano, head of Pinky Cares Foundation, is awed and
overwhelmed by how the people responded to her project.
She is thankful to Star Records for having been a great
help all throughout. The recording giant is also honored
to be a part of this noble endeavor.
Indeed,
music once again proves its wonders. Many people have
supported the album and, for sure, the money will
definitely go a long way and will surely give more hope
to cancer victims.
****
THERE
are two critic-proof movies currently in theaters:
Mamma Mia! and Wanted. No matter what film
reviewers say, people will still go out in droves just
to watch one or both films. If you’re female or gay,
chances are you’ll line up to sing along to Abba tunes.
If you’re butch or straight, I’m sure you’ve seen
Wanted.
Now, I’m
no critic and given that both are already blockbusters,
I think I can give my two cents worth on both movies.
First,
let’s start with Mamma Mia!, starring the
indefatigable Meryl Streep. Yes, Meryl of the classic
brilliant performances in Sophie’s Choice, Kramer vs
Kramer, Out of Africa, The Bridges of Madison County,
The Deer Hunter (its original DVD is on sale now at
P100!) and a whole lot more. Even when she’s not the
main star in a movie—The Hours, Adaptation, Lions for
Lambs, The Manchurian Candidate—Meryl just shines.
With such an impressive résumé of great roles in equally
great movies, Meryl Streep is most certainly the most
talented actress alive.
Even in
popcorn flicks like The Devil Wears Prada, The River
Wild, Marvin’s Room and Death Becomes Her,
Meryl’s talent just pops out that more often than not,
she carries the entire movie.
Sadly,
in Mamma Mia!, Streep is trapped in a really bad
adaptation of the movie. I won’t even bother giving you
a synopsis. The movie is just another case of a stage
director documenting what should have been a
larger-than-life big-screen adaptation of the musical.
Film is different from stage, pure and simple. Mamma
Mia! falls flat and Meryl is the No. 1 victim. My
friends winced over some of her scenes but nevertheless,
we are still fans of Meryl...and we fell in line at the
record bar to buy the soundtrack after.
The next
day, we finally checked out Wanted to see what
the fuss is all about...and thank God, we did. It is
brilliantly directed and written and even acted. The
movie is so fast and pulse-pounding that I declare it to
be the best action movie of the year.
The
movie is about a loser Wesley (James Mc Avoy), who meets
hottie Fox (Angelina Jolie), who tells Wesley that his
father was a member of a group of empowered assassins
known as the Fraternity. Wesley discovers he has
superabilities of his own. But does he have what it take
to avenge his father’s wrongful death?
Wanted
has jaw-dropping moments every minute. I’m not sure if I
am putting too much at stake here if I say Wanted
will become a pop-culture phenomenon—if it hasn’t yet. I
know Hollywood’s evildoers are now thinking of a sequel.
I just hope they don’t screw it up like what they did to
another such phenomenon: The Matrix. |
