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!!!)