Black & White Episodes 13, 14, 15

I always say to myself that I will only watch two episodes a night, tops and when I start I can't stop until the third episode is finished. A dvd has three episodes.

Ok this show officially derailed. White is gang bosses illegitimate son from the true love of his life and they are sister and brother from the father with Chen Lin (which caused rightful ickiness to both). Hot Dog soldier turned out to be one of the good guys and helped the investigation out. There is an evil big boss in the shadows and he caused Big Boss to be jailed (he had hidden heroin in Big Bosses office). And after Big Boss goes to jail Da Yu exposed the secret truth of White's birth. No idea why they had to put him through cosmetic surgery though.

So now we know that Chen Lin and White will not be OTP so it is going to be Chen Lin & Black and Xi Ying & White. Fine by me. But now we are getting away from the love issues and delving into mystery and twists and it gets a bit boring. They need a boost after coming out with White's birth secret.

Meanwhile Cola's mom Chief Lin is kind of murdered by Evil Big Bosses orders (well the episode ended with her taking some pills, getting into an accident and believe it was not much of a cliffhanger as far as I'm concerned).

And all the while Big Boss is in jail with those idiots doing nothing to get him out. Also all their contacts in high places act like they don't know Big Boss at all and this means Evil Big Boss has a lot of clout. Who is Evil Big Boss? Am I that curious about it? No but I'll hold on to this one, maybe it will get better as it did after three episodes.

And I'm stuck with Fifty Shades of Grey which is the worst type of stupid. This is told in first person by some truly stupid female character and seriously I fear the fact that this book is written by a not really talented person and was a best seller because there are a lot of young women out there similar to this girl. This book reminded me of House of Night novels and Eat Pray Love - the protagonists, no matter which age they are, all people I wouldn't want to have a conversation in real life. Self centered, having an inner goddess, etc. etc.  And she supposedly likes English classics. Not only she has no clues about any of the novels she mentions in the book but also she is kind of associating the story with Tess of D'ubervilles, Thomas Hardy's tragic book. It has no relation what so ever.  This annoys me more than it would have since I actually like English classics and Thomas Hardy is a fave of mine. I have a feeling that she used his name and works just because she thought Austern and Bronte are overused. Seriously Fifty Shades of Grey is so bad it is not even that good. No S&M yet and I'm halfway through. There were some R rates scenes but they are so over the top romantic Mills & Boon fantasy that even I couldn't come up with some of the stupid shit the writer put there. The only thing that keeps me going with this is the morbid curiosity. Just how awful it will get I wonder. And I kind of love to hate it I suppose since I can't think of any other reason not to stop reading this immediately.
(And I have no guilty pleasure in literature, I freely admit loving Mills and Boon, Barbra Cartland etc.)

Black & White Episodes 10, 11 and 12, Going Wrong - End, Fifty Shades of Grey

Black and White is getting more interesting with each episode. Ok some scenes are terribly predictable, lovey dovey stuff with the hamburger girl indicated that she will be horribly killed a few minutes later and she was. The suprise to me was that our White used to be homeless person and Chen Lin's dad (Big Boss of the gang) actually took him, gave him a plastic operation and forged his past to turn him into a policeman. This was outed by Black who accused White to be an informer. This is incorrect since White actully never fed information to the gang. He didn't know who was tipping him off and he didn't know who has changed his whole life. He just wanted to find the hamburger girl (and now that I know he is not really a policeman, I have stopped being annoyed by the fact that he was not able to discover the source of the tips or the whereabouts of hamburger girl himself - the guy is just a regular hobo) Well of course he asked the Big Boss to explain himself. But the Big Boss, to my utter disgust at the script, said that he has to be patient and his reasons will be explained later (they need to hook us up with more episodes I suppose). Meanwhile Chen Lin is head over heels in love with White but White has other issues to think about. And Chen Lin's dad says not to fall in love with White.

Xi Ying got a speech from the head honcho in the police station in not to delving into Lin Cola and Robbery cases too much (she believes the perps are merchaneries hired by someone and check with her resources about the activities of the mercaneries) and just focus on the evidence and make reasoning based on evidence. Also not to talk to Black (since he and White were demoted to Vice) about this matter. Computer nerd and lunch girl convinced Black that they are not the traitor and Xi Ying spotted Hot Dog Guy in the crowd after the explosion that killed hamburger girl (whose name was not in the list of casualties). Black tricked him and secretly took his fingerprints and found out that he is an ex army officer presumed dead. Of course the hot dog guy has dissepeared right after his fingerprints were taken. Also Black went to Ministry of Defense to learn more about the hot dog guy and came across the female army officer he has seen in the hospital as a nurse (this lady has killed the north korean witness at the earlier drugs case) Also the army is looking into White's past as well.

As can be guessed straight arrow Black requested his partner to be changed (since he thinks White is Gang's informer) but White explained to him how IA talked to him and blamed Xi Ying and offered him back his old job (escape from Vice) in return for ratting out against her. And he also told Black that he didn't take their offer. But Xi Ying had to accept IA's offer and took White's prints and send it to them. So now they know that he looked different and used to be hobo with record of theft before he entered the police department.

Now someone has trapped Chen Lin at the elevator and blew the wires up, also left a note in the mirror for Big Boss (the note was not translated but I assume it is something regarding his daughter Chen Lin). We are left with the cliffhanger of elevator carrying Chen Lin going down with a bang.

Yesterday I have finished Going Wrong and as is usual with Ruth Rendell's books it got even better towards the end. And now I have started Fifty Shades of Grey. Kushiel's Dart didn't have any R rated scenes (to my dissapointment) I'm expecting more from this one but it started so stupid that even Mills and Boon shines in comparison. Let's see how this will progress.

Black & White Episodes 7, 8, 9, The Green Lantern

Black & White is going good - I'm not as heavily invested as in Inside the White Tower but really enjoying myself. The love angle is getting even more complicated with Chen Lin liking White and Black liking Chen Lin. White being the good guy told Chen Lin that his partner likes her so he and Chen Lin are not meant to be. Meanwhile Xi Ying is accused of being the traitor by IA (they have said this only to White at a secret meeting).
Also Chen Lin's dad said to Chen Lin that her life will get more and more complicated if she falls for White.
Well despite the fact that I like straightforward, uncomplicated good guys (less baggage the better), this time I'm totally in team White. Not only becaue Vic Zhou (affectionately known as Zai Zai in Taiwan) is the better looking one but I also find that he is the man with the kinder heart. So despite his huge baggage (finally he has managed to find the woman he was looking for and went on a cute date with him) Meanwhile there is a sharpshooter near the precinct pretending to be a hot dog stand owner and all around genial guy - but as episode 9 ends we see him wandering around the burger join White's girl works in the dark, with a flashlight and wearing a hoodie.

I have watched some parts of Country Strong again and I guess I'll need to purchase this film since for some inexplicable reason I love it everytime I watch it. Never a fan of Ms.Paltrow and the main lead is not my type and the film has annoying Blair from Gossip Girl as the secondary lead - yes I do like Tim McGraw but not enough to adore a film just because he is in it. So what is the appeal of this film? I don't know, I honestly don't know. I do like American Country music but there is not really that good a music in the film either. Anyway.

Green Lantern was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I like Ryan Reynolds (ever since from his pizza sit com days) and he did good with the role but the film itself ended up being cartoonish and not in a good way either. In the light of films such as The Dark Knight, Spiderman or The Hulk (or even The Increadible Hulk) this type of film just doesn't work for me.

Black & White Episodes 4, 5 and 6

Black & White suddenly turned into a drama I can get into. With the addition of the love complications (White loves some girl we have not met yet, but flirts with everyone including Chen Lin and XiYing. Black on the other hand has some platonic (I assume) rom/friendship thing going on with XiYing (she is in love with Black though but very mature about it) and he fell in love with Chen Lin - who likes him back but she also thinks Black is the one who carried her out of the subway train, but it was White. And Black didn't tell Chen Lin the truth about it even when she obviously made a big deal about it. Also White and Chen Lin kissed. Vic Zhou : hot.

Meanwhile there is a stupid action/murder mystery plot going on but I'm not really interested about that.

Black & White Eps.1, 2, 3

Black & White is the Taiwanese cop/action drama I have been after for ages and was not able to find in a legit form. Now that I have, it is just not to my taste.

I think Meteor Garden and Fated to Love You (first section) are the only two Taiwanese dramas I'll love since Black and White has that special Taiwanese drama humour that I just don't find either funny or cute. But there is an upside to this actually two since the leads are both great looking. I have seen Vic in Meteor Garden and didn't really like him that much but here he really looks very very good. And the other lead was in Monga but when he is next to Ethan Ruan I didn't care for him that much (also his head was really big in that film, I mean literally) but here he dresses better and looks good.

There is a mystery about drugs, a criminal gang, two love interests and that humour that doesn't appeal to me. So far I have fallen asleep every night trying to finish an episode ( eps 2 & 3 were fail). But I'm not giving up on this. Looks like I needed something silly and unimportant -to me that is- after Inside The White Tower which was intense.

Going Wrong is usual Ruth Rendell but somehow between taking walks, watching film and drama trailers on youtube (I loved The Great Gatsby trailer but judging by the comments I'm in the minority) I do not give it the attention it deserves.

Operation declutter major fail so far. Only the top of the computer table is decluttered but I managed to keep it that way and choose to count it as a accomplisment of sorts. Today I'll go for an easy target: One t-shirt shelve in the closet.

L'Appartement

L'Appartement I liked it a lot. First off, there were close ups of actors' faces - something that I love in cinema- and secondly I didn't predict the ending - at all. And this rarely happens nowadays. It was most welcome. Thirdly Monica Belluci is so beautiful. One gets happy just looking at her.

Still reading Going Wrong and I'm enjoying not only novel but the sensation of reading a hard cover book (this one is from a used book store bought by a dear friend who went to Cyprus for a short time)

Inside The White Tower - End, Brothers, I'll Walk Alone - End, Going Wrong - heh

Inside the White Tower ended with me endlessly crying.

SPOILERS


Dr.Jang died - of some weird cancer and he donated his body to be examined by Dr.Oh. He was such a compelling character. One of the two villains I felt sympathetic towards (the other is the one in Old Boy). Even though I fail to understand the ambition (being really without any myself) and if I had to choose a life partner Dr.Choi would be the one I'd get along with, there was something about Dr.Jang that made me root for him despite his being clearly in the wrong. Well it is good writing and good acting - a combination that is hard to resist.

I don't feel anything towards Dr.Yum except I never want him to be my doctor. Seriously what was wrong with him? I completely agree that Dr.Jang was responsible and the last verdict was correct but Dr.Yum's personality is not compatible with examining patients and surgery. I understand a person being shy and not assertive but this is not forgivable when a human life is involved. If only he could have been a little bit responsible, he'd be able to get some help. He was simply incompetent and he also was responsible of that man's life.

Dr.Choi is the flat character since he didn't have any arc. He was the same as he started. It would have been more interesting if he chose not to testify but I knew that he would. This is the character I know and recognise best hence he was not very interesting to me.

All in all I think this one is a keeper since the setting may be different but the issues maintain themselves since human nature is both constant and variable.

Brothers  three good actors, three excellent performance, one good story ruined by a director whose vision chose the wrong way (this is only my opinion). All in all not a good film but worth is for the performances. 


I'll Walk Alone ended predictably but I still liked it a lot, as I said, I like Mary Higgins Clark's characters. It is nowhere as good as 'Loves Music Loves to Dance' though - my first Mary Higgins Clark novel.

Started Going Wrong by Ruth Rendell. She is a novelist that I like and this novel started as good as her other ones.
 

Inside The White Tower Eps.12-13-14

Well it was another three episodes night and once again I couldn't get up for the morning prayers :(

Things got heated in these three episodes and we don't even know whether Dr.Jang will be convicted or not. First Dr.Choi refused to testify and got in a nice cushy training programme in USA for a year (all expenses paid by the hospital and that is included his family) but the real reason was not the bribe. His wife was worried that they'll have financial troubles and he actualy likes Dr.Jang and didn't want to hurt him. But then Dr.Jang bullied the poor widow (taking all of the surgeons - about 20 people- into her room and apologising for their incompetence) Dr.Choi had enough. He agreed to testify. Our retired Dr.Lee has also left the dark side when his daughter the activits accused him and when Dr.Jang prevented him getting the job he already accepted - they have called him on the morning he was going to the office and postponed his position- this was the last straw.

Dr.Jang also intimidated the timid Dr.Yum and other staff. Also told them to lie. Three episodes of scheming and Dr.Yum lying on the witness stand (but it is getting to him, he poor guy is not a good doctor but he has a conscience) and Dr.Choi telling the truth and nothing but the truth, Dr.Jang took the stand. He lied and lied and lied but so cleverly that what he said was mostly true but the crucial part is a complete lie. Dr.Choi got up and shouted at him but he was silenced by the judge - I actually had to watch this scene in the beginning of Episode 15 before I went to sleep. I guess we'll find out whether Dr.Jang will get away with this or not.

I truly admire Dr.Choi - his wife warned him not to testify after Dr.Jang visited her and told her that it would be the end of Dr.Choi's career. And he didn't give in. Activisit daughter who is also the friend of the wife had a talk with her and showed her the light. When she has time to think about it she also recognised the truth in what Dr.Choi did and stopped sulking and forgave him for being such an honest and kind man :)

I have zero sympathy for Dr.Jang and his handsome face and great looking body now. I could understand the arrogance, the inferiority complex causing an abnormal ego swell and being a cheating husband etc. But instead of owning up to his mistake and apologising, he actually preferred to lie and hurt the widow.

Operation declutter was also fail but I throw the regular trash out this morning and decided that it would count!

Inside The White Tower Eps.10-11

White Tower keeps making me stay up but I was able to limit to just two episodes since 11th didn't end in a crucial cliff hanger.

Dr.Jang was successfull in his political related surgeries but his mistake in not doing a biopsy to another patient combined with the incompetence of the timid doctor has caused him to pass away. Dr.Choi did the right thing and helped the family out to get an autopsy and in the end, Dr.Oh concluded that the surgery was a success but the lung shadow on the x-ray was not the past tuberculosis - as Dr.Jang thought- but cancer.

Now the family is suing Dr.Jang (and Dr.Jang only, not the hospital) for malpractice. And the lawyer is the Korean actor I find very very likable whenever I see him on screen (unfortunately I'm not able to find his name yet since he is usually in very small roles and not easy to find on net).
Now the key here is whether Timid Doctor will testify or not. Well obviously he should since he also reminded Dr.Jang the biopsy and he said it was not necessary. And the man died because Timid Doctor was too well timid and unsure to press on and demand that his patient should be treated accordingly. I feel bad for the family and I certainly hope that Timid Doctor Yum will learn a valuable lesson here. A person's life is more imporant than your insecurities, career fears or timid nature. And these don't mean I think Dr.Jang is totally innocent. He just upped and left knowing the nature of this doctor and that there is post op trouble with the patient. He is not kind by nature and could have prevented all this if he deigned to agree to do what Dr.Choi asked in the first place. It was not a personal request or anything. Just a biopsy. And a man died. Now Dr.Jang is going in with three lawyers and the family with one lawyer who is not a corporate one but works social cases.

The witness thing is especially important to me since our Holy book specifically tells us to be a witness of truth even if it will to our own disadvantage. It is easy to say truth and doing the right thing are most important however it is not so easy to actually do this when you have lots to lose. Timid Doctor obviously loves working in the hospital and hopes for a career in there. I don't know his personal situation but he will be fired or at best ostracized  if he testifies and tells the truth. I'm neither timid nor as hesistant or in capable of fighting for what I know to be the right thing but if I was in the same position - testifying against my manager - it would be very hard for me. I love my job and it is hard to put it to risk. I'd like to think that I'll be able to do it though. I sure hope that I'll never be put to test (thank God that my manager is an honest and principled person).

I'll Walk Alone is very predictable in prose (I still don't know who the culprit is but I know MHC's MO) but I'm enjoying it.

Operation Declutter yesterday was fail :( 
 

Inside The White Tower Eps.7-8-9, The Europeans - End, I'll Walk Alone

Last night was another Inside The White Tower craziness. My plan was to watch one episode, maybe two but I have watched all three (despite the fact that Eps.8 didn't end with a cliffhanger) and was not sleepy at all.

I should most definitely limit it to one episode tonight since I couldn't wake up for morning prayers this morning (they are about 04:35) I don't even remember hearing the alarm.

Now Dr.Jang finally became Chief of Surgery - with much manipulation, bribes and things owed to various oldies - starting with Dr.Wu. Dr.Noh (this is written as Roh in the subtitles but characters refer him as Dr.Noh and his name is written as Dr.Noh) left for USA.

Dr.Choi was not able to save the little girl with cancer and I unhappily gave in to the manipulations of the script (song about children with little wings like angels etc.) and shed tears.

Chief finally retired - with grudges - and gave himself to Bible studies. And wrote quotes from it such as "pride comes before the fall" etc. Very subtle script, very subtle.

Now it is time for Dr.Jang to pay his debts so he keeps ordering supplies and medicines from the companies suggested by Dr.Wu, Dr.Yu etc. Meanwhile his wife is slowly turning into an alchoholic or something.

As usual with White Tower I started thinking about being promoted. I truly never cared for it and maybe it is because I dislike owing people things and being a puppet to them simply because they helped me up. I know that Dr.Jang has some kind of super reason for so wanting to be Chief (and I truly were happy for him) but even so this type of thing is never good for a person's soul. And once again I feel good that God spared me from an ambitious nature. Of course the downside to that is to be like Dr.Choi, not being able to get the funds you need to improve everything, not being able to stop injustices and the help you provided being limited. And he certainly feels it but what I like best about him is that Dr.Choi never thinks of doing something dishonorable or non ethical. Even when he is in dire straits he doesn't think these type as alternative routes. He is adorable (in his soul, the actor is not handsome at all). But now Dr.Lee's daughter is severely falling for him and I simply hope that he will not cheat on his wife.

Meanhwile Dr.Jang turned into a supreme asshole the moment he is turned chief. Refusing to listen to Dr.Choi's suggestions, treating his staff like shit and giving a recycled present (by mistake, I'll give him that) to the retired chief Dr.Lee, when he visited him - to ask Dr.Lee to recommend him to another renowed doctor as a surgeon for his wife, he sort of tricked him into it. Now I don't like Dr.Lee, but it was kind of touching how important for him Dr.Jang's visit was. His wife made him change cardigans etc. Now the script is trying to make Dr.Jang villainous so his eventual downfall will be more effective (I wish I was not able to observe this) and I'm feeling so sorry for him that I have caught myself trying to give him sound advice (and no one around him does, and he refuses to listen Dr.Choi + insulted him too). Well the episode ended with him going to the world conference with every intention of operating on the biggie's wife and being even more famous - meanwhile he has refused to do a biopsy Dr.Choi has suggested on the lungs of a patient whose pancreas he successfully operated on. And now the patient is suffering and he is in the unfortunate hands of the timid resident. This man is very shy and has zero assertiveness. He refused to let Dr.Choi check the patient and the poor man is going to die because of his incompetence and Dr.Jang's assholeness!!!!

The Europeans has ended and it was a happy ending too (as far as I'm concerned that is) I thought this didn't happen with Henry James (with the exception of The Golden Bowl - a book I simply couldn't finish). Now I need to check more of his work out. I guess I was too young to appreciate him back then.

Now I have started Mary Higgins Clark's I'll Walk Alone and it is the same thing all over again. Despite the fact that I'm now overly familiar with the MHC formula, I enjoy reading her novels. I like her characters, I like the surroundings - in this one it is NYC and now that I have been there the places make more sense now. The pleasure of having been to a place you read in a novel or watch in a film is an interesting one but very pleasant nonetheless.

Operation declutter was a success last night since instead of taking a walk I have actually cleaned the computer table. Now it is a clean surface with nothing on it and I actually feel good about this. Tonight's project is to clean the three shelves under it. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to do it but I'll give it a try.

Inside The White Tower Eps.4-5-6

Well it is official, I'm hooked. Last night I should have watched one episode and gone to bed but I just had to keep watching never even feeling sleepy throughout all three episodes.

Dr.Jang is deep into kissing ass and giving bribes (through his FIL) etc. to get the chief of the surgery job. The thing is he kind of deserves it too and the only thing that is holding him back is that the current chief started not to like him after he got all the attention -solely based on his skills mind- and turned petty and spiteful.

Now there is a new doctor in town Roh Mi Guk who is as capable and has equally impressive credentials. They perform a surgery together and Dr.Jang proves himself the better surgeon although Dr.Roh proves himself the more considerate to his superiors. Nothing against Dr.Roh but I jumped Dr.Jang wagon from the second episode and even though he is neither a good man nor a good friend, he is the best at what he does.

Dr.Choi is trying to cure an advanced cancer patient - who is an adorable kid actor- and the required melodrama etc. were all there and tears were duly shed by yours truly but these tears were more like obligatory reactions, rather then feeling my heart being wrenched. Dr.Choi meanwhile demonstrates how a wonderful doctor and a person he is. And despite the fact one part of me wants to make fun of it, the larger part wishes that such a man exists in real life and become my boyfriend or something. I have to stop crushing on fictional characters. I never like real life men!!!! They pale in comparison (and knowing this logically doesn't actually help the outcome).

Oh there are lots of old actors in this show which I like since they are all acting very well and I'm impressed how usually superficial me keeps glued on screen whenever a bunch of old ugly men sit and discuss strategies. It is due to the great script and wonderful actors who bring it to life. Dr.Wu is assistant director and holds a lot of power in the hospital but he doesn't have all the say in who is going to be next chief. Current chief is not as influential and it really annoys me that he presents his case as if it is a crusade for a more humane medicinal practices (Dr.Jang despite being brilliant is not really a people's person apparently) but in reality he is petty, frustrated and he tries to secure a post retirement position in another hospital and the condition to get that job is to make Dr.Roh the Chief of Surgery (the person who promotes Dr.Roh is the owner of that hospital and promised current Chief a job there if Dr.Roh is made CoS) so stupid current Chief is not really that humanistic.

Also he and his wife try to get their daughter (an activist who seems like falling for Dr.Choi) married to Dr.Roh and they even took her out while she is recuperating from an operation (performed successfully by Dr.Jang) to have dinner together and caused her to get intestine problems. Seriously Dr.Lee (aka the current stupid Chief) is a snake. But that doesn't make Dr.Wu more sympathetic - actually I really like the actor Kim Chang Wan who looks like a good guy - since he also doesn't like Dr.Jang but only agreed to help him out because his friend Dr.Yu forced him to do so (Dr.Yu is friends with Dr.Jang's FIL) Dr.Yu is an influentional Dr. and he is hiking with the Director of the hospital (who is so far absent) and he will be influential in deciding who will make the next director. He promised Dr.Wu if he helps making Dr.Jang CoS.

And then there is the principaled Dr.Oh (Byun He Bong - a Bong Joon Ho regular) who is usually elusive but decides to play an important part in deciding who will be next CoS. He seems to be leaning in towards Dr.Lee's group but I think he will ok Dr.Jang - they made such a fuss in the script about how he is on Dr.Lee's side that I suspect a twist. Of course Dr.Choi is Dr.Oh's favorite pupil and Dr.Oh thinks Dr.Jang is over ambitious.

Also we had a glimpse on why Dr.Jang wants to go higher and higher - troubled childhood, loving mother but his father is absent and we got hints that he may have that chip in his shoulder due something that happened in relation with his father (that is what I'd have bet on).

Also Dr.Jang cheats his wife and when she suspects and tries to catch him in the act his mistress (who is owner or manager of the Wine Bar) prove way too smart for her. She is not stupid but she is lazy and spoiled. Not really caring for her husband (during the important surgery she went to the cinema with her friends and wasn't even curious about what was going on).

Wheeww - I can't stop writing and it is just 6 episodes. I need to learn to make caps since I want to add pics here too.

Meanwhile The Europeans only gets better with each page and I'm sorry that it is nearing the end.

Also unrelated but I decided to add whatever progress I make in decluttering my room (it is like a war zone in there, the only clean and tidy area is the bed). And I'm hoping putting achievements in here will encourage me.

So far I have managed to take out a b-day gift from its package (my b-day is on December btw, that thing must have been sitting on the computer desk since then - horrror!!!)

Just Wright, Inside The White Tower Eps.2-3

I have watched Just Wright more times than I care for. Well in my defence not only I'm a rom com fan but also I do like watching Queen Latifah in rom coms (and yes I even watched that film she co starred with Gerard Depardieu, I have not yet watched U.S remake of Taxi but I'm not that far from it). Latifah is a pyshio therapist and basketball fan in this one and she falls for a NBA star who of course needs her psyhio therapy skils at one point. This film is nothing special really but I like it for some reason.

The two episodes of White Tower was very good and I'm getting sucked into the vortex. The social structure and the workings of corporate health care are very similar to Turkey not to mention how and for what purpose people interact. Office politics, back stabbings etc. are pretty much the same too and some of the scenes were close to real life. Dr.Choi is the one I feel closest to since he pretty much symbolises everything I brought up with and stand for. There just are not men like that in real life. In real life they are like Dr.Jung - maybe not as good looking- and to the credit of the story and the writers I have started to root for him despite not agreeing with anything he does (very much like Dan Draper). Dr.Choi is good and well but a bit boring to watch on screen. Not only the character lacks a bit of a spark so far but the actor is not one I really like (he is known and liked for his silky voice but I don't see/hear any of it). He is not bad but it is more my bad since I don't care for him.

So far Dr.Jung tries to manipulate, fails, cries to father in law and father in law introduces him to a bigger arena of greed and power. At least he got what he wanted. He is not really that smart when it comes to politics though since he is impatient and emotional. He is always unhappy and anxious and when he went to Dr.Choi he gave him the advice I would have given. I seriously do not understand why Dr.Jung wants to be surgical chief so much. Dr.Choi is more like me, the only professional ambition is to do his job better and he genuinely doesn't care for being a higher up (of course while doing that he misses the chance of making things better but it is a miss he can live with). He doesn't get the financial support he deserved due to an angry higher up but he still stood his ground of integrity and honesty. I really hope that Dr.Choi is going to be allright.

Meanwhile in a totally different medical drama April turned out to be the one who failed the exam. I rooted for Meredith and Karev :)

The Good Wife keeps going the downward route but I really like the titular character so I stick to it.
I finally dropped Revenge since Madeline Stowe's surgically (or collagen or whatever) enhanced face is really too much.

Meanwhile The Europeans is going great.Very suprised at my reaction.

White Tower Eps - 1

This drama has ended my rather long K-drama break. The first episode is instense, complicated and very interesting.

I have a fondness for medical dramas. But this one -adapted from a Japanese manga & drama- is beyond that. So far it is like Mad Men in a hospital but with that particular Korean drama naivete. Everyone is trying to protect their own interest and the lines that are certainly not drawn anywhere. It also reminds me a bit of A.J Cronin's The Citadel - one of my all time fave books-. An ambitious and talented surgeon is next in line to be Chief of Surgery at a prestigious teaching hospital but his predecessor (currently working but expected to retire any time soon) is not happy because a) he actually doesn't want to retire and not looking forward to a life where he is not the influential person he once was b) Dr.Jung is very talented, capable and already surpassed him and it hurts his pride that everyone seems so eager for him to retire and Dr.Jung take up the job c) his wife who is equally fond of her influence feels angry and frustrated now that it seems to wane.

Dr.Jung is a bit like Don Draper. He wants power, he wants to be Chief etc. and has no qualms about not being so moral in order to achieve these. On the other he is not without a conscience (one of the reasons why the episode ended on a cliffhanger) and he genuinely likes his job - although he has a tendency of not being close to the patients this is a style that is preferred by some very talented doctors.

And then there is Dr.Choi, who is the type of man I like and fall for (and I think we are meant to sympathise with him and be fascinated by Dr.Jung). He is also very talented in his field - not a surgeon but specialises in internal medicine I think but he has great bedside manners and also he genuinely cares for the patients as human beings. But he is honest and not very political, certainly is not ambitious in that certain way people are with their careers, so as a result he is not thought very highly and his considerable talents as a doctor go unnotices.

Dr.Jung and Dr.Choi have a professional relationship. Maybe they are from the same school or something and Dr.Jung is also very honest to Dr.Choi about his ambitions and how they are more important than a patient's life if/when it comes to that. Aaaaand after a simple conversation about nothing in particular with his mother he decides to help Dr.Choi in secret trying to do it under the blanket without alerting powerful doctors in the hospital admin. This fight with his conscience and his ambition is going to be very interseting I think.

Also the other good thing is that I was able to stop after one episode. Not because I didn't want to watch more - I did, very much- but I didn't want to be wreck at work this morning. And it is rare but I was able to make the right choice :)

Also The Europeans are going very good. 

Mockingjay -End, The Europeans, All Good Things

Mockingjay ended and I simply loved all three books. The ending was fitting and I always shipped Katniss with Peeta so was happy that way too.

I have started Henry James' The Europeans. After liking Washington Square very very much, I have started reading The Golden Bowl which turned out to be one of the few books that I simply cannot finish. After that I have stayed away from Henry James until I have found this little book in a second hand bookshop in NoHo NYC. First off it was really a bargain, secondly it is a rather short novel by the looks of it and I have started it this morning. I'm now just past Chapter 2 and loving it. Always wondered why Donna Leon keeps singing praises to Mr.James in her Brunetti novels (which are decent reads). Well maybe I was too young to appreciate Mr.James back then. Now I enjoyed his prose so much so that I didn't want to stop reading even after the shuttle arrived at work.

Last night I have watched a film called All Good Things. The dvd is a bargain bin deal and I do like Ryan Gosling (after Fracture, not The Notebook) and have a fondness for Kirsten Dunst ever since Little Women. But even though the film had a very interesting story (based on a real life mystery) and the actors were all good, the story telling was stale. I ended up not liking it as I would have if it was another director telling the same story with the same actors. 

Catching Fire - End, Mockingjay

Well I have finished Catching Fire last night and liked it a lot. Of course I immediately started Mockingjay and I like it even better. These books are smart without being to obscure. The types of book I want the teens I know read.

Kushiel's Dart & Mad Men 4 - End, Catching Fire, Karate Kid, Flipped, A Team

Kushiel's Dart ended up being an ok fantasy novel and nothing of the trashy romance with a little S&M I was shamelessy expecting. I'm happy with it though.

Mad Men 4 ended up with a bang and I really like this show. It is so rare that a show maintains same level of goodness in all seasons and episodes (I can only recall Sopranos and Sex & The City) and so far Mad Men is doing a good job of it.

I have watched Grey's Anatomy (which got good again after getting really bad) and The Good Wife which started to detoriate.

As for the films

The A-Team This is not a good film but it was kind of entertaining in a leave your brain out kind of way.

Karate Kid Maybe it is the nostalgia but I loved this film in this second viewing. Everyone looked so real flaws and all and more importantly there is a story very well told. I remember the new one was a decent effort but this original is much better.

Flipped This TV film about first love in the 50's charmed me. The film pointed out the things that are important to me and I have found myself falling for it.

Started to read Catching Fire now since I have finally come to terms with it not going paperback soon (and now that I have bought Catching Fire and Mocking Jay I know that I'll see them in paperback at a bookstore before even finishing the last book) Returning to the book I'm enjoying it very much so far and glad that this is also a book young adults are reading and not just Twilight.

Mad Men 4 - Some left over films

Moneyball Now this was not a bad film but it was also not a story that interested me. I can't warm up to Brad Pitt. Not fair really since he is a good looking man, decent enough actor and I do like his entertainment persona, but watching him on screen doesn't make me feel anything. Not even annoyance.

Pain That film was indeed painful. It has a silly premise, average actors (of course even an average Korean actor is better than many of the regulars) and blatant melodrama that somehow made me feel sorry that I was crying so much.

Meanwhile I have watched another 3 episodes of Mad Men and I like this show more and more. I still wouldn't want to be friends with any of those people but it is fascinating to watch them.

The Other Woman, Jane Eyre, Préte-Moi Ta Main, Mad Men Season 4

The Other Woman Only got this since I have a girl crush on Natalie Portman. And the film suprised me in how emotional and melodramatic it was (disguised as a Indie US film).
Jane Eyre Zefirelli is a good director even if he chopped the second half of the novel (but in a film adaptation you have to chop without mercy) I wish this was a TV drama though then we would have watched everything. I loved Charlotte Gainsbourg as Jane. She definitely looks the part and William Hurt suprises me everytime. How come this man is such a good actor? He has such a washed out entertainment front but everytime I watched him, he delivered and he is excellent as Rochester. Anna Paquin was great as young Jane. Anyway, I'm happy.
Préte-Moi Ta Main This French rom com entertained me and once again Charlotte Gainsbourg gave a very good performance. I like actors who can be very serious and/or very funny and do all sorts of films. Now I still cannot erase the memory of Ms.Gainsbourg cutting her clit with a pair of scissors in Antichrist but this is the fault of Von Trier for making such a, a ... well I don't know how to describe that one. I guess a memorable film would be apt in that regard. Anyway this one is good, at least the people look like real people.

Yesterday I have started Mad Men Season 4 and it is as good as I remember it. First three episodes were killer. This show is one of the best I have seen on TV.