Bananation

The Best of 2006

Merlion Times
December 30, 2006

After reading 'The Best of 2006' in the Life! section of The Straits Times which I find the recommendations are rather personal, I decided why not I write my version of what are the best in books, movies, music and television this year. If the readers think I'm the pot calling the kettle black, they can try writing their version. Get what I'm driving at?

>>>Let's start with movies first.
1) The Lake House - starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.



This movie requires a quick and focus mind as you need to tune your chronological clock back and fro between 2004 and 2006. Thanks goodness that I watched it on DVD which allows me to pause and rewind to understand the plot. I am a slow processor. It is a magical love story and naturally, you got to be rich in emotion to appreciate the pace of this movie. Its central theme is about waiting and faith. There is a book titled 'Persuasion' by Jane Austen mentioned in the movie which I am reading now. It's a good read about the heartache of missed opportunities between lovers. The photo above is when this book was spoken of by Sandra Bullock. While some will prefer its Korean version II Mare, I'm standing by Mr Constantine.

2) Munich - starring Eric Bana, directed by Steven Spielberg.
Real events always intrigue me. The massacre of 11 Israeli Olympic athletes in 1972 which took place a year before I was born, is a gruelsome page in history that saddens me. Instead of combing through the Internet for information, I bought the movie DVD and sat through more than 160 minutes of intense emotion. The pivotal scene when the terrorist stormed into the two apartments in Olympics Village was most disturbing. Everything that happened in the apartments was unimaginable. The weightlifters fought bravely to help their
fellow athletes escape but their muscles were no match for bullets. If non-fiction movie is not your type, try this on my account.

3) She's the Man - starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum.



With a bunch of bare-chested footballers and a cross-dressed roommate, Amanda (above jersey no. 13) with hunkalicious Channing (jersey no. 7), it's hard to dimiss the homosexual innuendo in this high school romance comedy. I got interested in this movie when I saw its trailer, particularly the locker-room scene where Amanda's hand was on Channing's butt. He freaked out, not knowing that 'he' was actually a 'she'. The 'he-she' identity mixed-up is what made Amanda a hilarious character. I'm starting to like her.

>>>When it comes to music, I make my confession on the dance floor. However, my recommendations for 2006 won't make you sway.

1) Album 'Safe in A Crazy World' - Corrine May.


When all the limelight shines on Stefanie Sun, this home-grown singer glows in her own way. Since her success with 'Journey' - a ballad with beautiful piano accompaniment, she has morphed into the female 'Jim Brickman' alike with her subsequent album 'Safe in a Crazy World' (above photo). Both albums skyrocketted her fame and her talent as singer-songwriter is finally recognised by the local fans. Corrine's songs send hope to a very unhopeful world today. You will find solace in tracks like 'LIttle SuperHero Girl', 'Free' and 'Angel in Disguise'.

2) 'In Between Dreams- Jack Johnson.


What kind of music do you think this album is about from its cover? I thought it was world music genre at first sight because of the tree. Actually, the man and his guitar say it all.

I sampled the first track 'Better Together' and knew right away that the album is going home with me. Because his diction is crystal clear, you wouldn't need lyrics to understand the first two verses of that song:

[There's no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
And no song that I could sing but I can try for your heart]
Imagine putting melody into those touching words.

When I listen to Jack, it feels like an old pal singing to me and strumming his guitar under the palm trees. All the 14 tracks are very aloha and if you put up a hammock in your apartment, you will probably feel like you are already in Hawaii.

PS: Jack is from Hawaii.

3) James Taylor at Christmas.


I was looking for an unique Christmas album and this cover caught my eyes. I find him cute in his beanie but my boss thinks otherwise. I didn't buy the album then but sampled a few tracks online. 'James Taylor" is new to me. From his voice, he sounds like those actor-turned-singer kind of calibre. However, it was exactly his non-decorative voice that I fall in love with. He strips away the techiques of a songbird and sings his heart out. Later, I found out that he has been singing long before I was born and have won the Best Pop Male Vocal Performance in 1971, 1977 and 2001.

There is no snow in Singapore but his voice brings winter to my doorstep. This is an euphemism commonly used locally to infer that someone sings badly. I, however, said it as a compliment: he puts you on a magic carpet ride and immerses you in his songs.

Although Christmas is over, I'm still listening to this album. 'James Taylor at Christmas' (photo above) is produced and arranged by the renowned Dave Grusin. If Jazz is your genre, you won't be disappointed. In your next visit to the record store, sample the track 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' feat Natalie Cole, and tell me if Natalie would stay in the house with you when it is nippy outside.

>>>Books are my favorite and I read alot every year. I only read two new releases this year; the rest are old titles.


1) The Devil Wears Prada - by Lauren Weisberger.

The same-titled movie was screened in New York but I didn't catch it when I was there in August because tickets were sold out. I have no idea what this movie is about and hence, the sensation it has caused is bewildering to me. Maybe the world 'Devil' helps to sell. To find out, I bought the novel at the airport bookstore on my flight back to Singapore.

After reading a few chapters on the plane, I knew the rest of the story will be an office battle between the bitchy lady boss, Miranda, an Editor-in-Chief in a prestigous fashion magazine 'Runway' and her assistant, Andrea. If you are in the same shitty plight as the progatonist, this book will entertain you out of your misery. Or perhaps learn a few tricks to handle the 'beaches' in your office. Eventually, everyone learns to read our bosses' mind. So did Andrea.

The thing that glued me to the book was the estranged relationship between Andrea and her boyfriend, Alex. When she tried very hard not to give her boss any chance of belittlement, her action caused her to lose every chance of spending time with Alex. In her battle with Miranda, she has also inevitably burned her love life. This is a recommended read for beginner bitches.

2) Train Man - by Makano HItori.




This is the worst book I have ever read. I paid a price of SGD23.10 (USD15.00) for judging a book by its cover.

The book is lifted directly from a chat forum in Japan and translated into English. It tells of how a geek rescued a girl on a train from a drunk commuter and posted his story online. He developed a crush on her and sought dating tips in the forum.

What's sickening about this story is the geek. From the advices he asked for, he was plain idiotic to me and put a guy's ego to shame. If you are thinking of improving your English by reading this book, you can be assured of picking up junks.

Because it is translated directly from a chat style of language, there is hardly any decent English sentence throughout its 403 pages. Other than the creative emoticons used in the forum, this book deserves a place in the dustbin.

>>>After my favorite, 'Desperate Housewives' ended it first season, I abandoned TV shows totally. My return to the google-box was in mid year when these shows stole my heart:

1) Prison Break - starring Wentworth Miller & Dominic Purcell.



These two men caught my eyes while I was holidaying in New York. Their faces graced a huge poster in Times Square with the caption 'WANTED'. I thought they were real prisoners. I will not go into details to prove my stupidity here.

Pretty face structural engineer, Michael Scotfield staged a bank robbery in order to get himself into the same prison where his brother, Lincoln Burrows was charged for 1st degree murder. His motive? To rescue Lincoln from death row for a crime he didn't committ.

Coincidentally, the firm where he worked for was responsible for the retrofitting of that prison. With access to its blueprints, he had a tatooist transferred section of the prison onto his whole body, cleverly disguised under gothic images. The seemingly ridiculous act unfold into a series of well engineered escape plan.

Outside the prison, Lincoln's ex girfriend, Veronica, a lawyer was also risking her life to find evidence to prove his innocence. In the course, she slowly uncovered a political scandal instrumental to Lincoln's incarceration. Inside the prison, things got complicated when Michael's plan to escape with his brother was discovered by more and more inmates. Under duress, an escape plan for 2 became a team.

Every inmate is a colorful character, especially the paedophile, T-Bag, played brilliantly by Robert Knepper. With more team members, it aroused the suspicion of nasty warden officer, Bellick (Wade Williams) and the escape got more sticky. In a determined effort to find out whatever Michael and his team were doing, Bellick recruited a young, new inmate to spy on them.

Episodes after episodes, suspense, violence, corruption and sodomy infiltrated the prison. Except the overated Wentworth Miller, this show is gonna imprisoned me on every Thursday.

2) Isaac (stylenetwork.com)- hosted by Isaac Mizrahi



"Oh, that's cute!"

That statement got me hopelessly hooked to my TV on very Saturday or Sunday. I got so mad when the local TV station keeps changing the time belt of this programme.

"Excuse me," I'm beginning to talk like Isaac.

"A talk show shouldn't be less important than a documentary, especially on a Saturday night."

The current time slot of 6 on a Sunday evening just couldn't compare to its original time at 11pm on a Saturday night. I want a late night talk show that I can chill out and not having to think about the dreadful Monday.

Isaac talks like my American boyfriend (except that my boyfriend doesn't gesticulate). Do I need a stronger reason to fall in love with the show? He is naturaly funny and very honest with his emotion. When he meets handsome men on his show, he is confident to let them know that he thinks they are hot. These men, mostly straight and sometimes, a few gay men, are never reserved to reciprocate his teasings. The hottest flirt was so far with Chef, Rocco Dispirito.

Alarmingly, the local authority did not censor the naughty part before airing on public channel. Perhaps, they didn't know that the host of this talk show is an openly gay fashion designer. Anyway, it's best this way.

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Moto K