BONES: Ketika Sains Menjadi Drama (yang Menarik)…

Sebagai seorang saintis (cieeee…) saya tertarik dengan film/seri TV yang banyak bercerita tentang sains. Bukan sains yang level Star Trek  (khusus seri itu saya ngga terlalu demen, entah kenapa) tapi yang berusaha menggunakan sains untuk menjelaskan fenomena-fenomena yang terjadi. Misalnya CSI (Las Vegas, Miami maupun New York), X-Files, dan akhir-akhir ini, Bones.

Bones pertama kali mulai diputar di saluran TV Fox mulai tahun 2005. The premise: seorang ahli antropologi forensik, Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), diajak seorang agen FBI: Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) untuk membantu penyelidikan FBI untuk kasus pembunuhan yang “kedaluwarsa”, “parah” dll. Kenapa kedaluwarsa dan parah? Karena sang korban biasanya sudah jelek sekali kondisinya, alias tinggal tulang belulang, atau kalaupun masih ada daging, sudah carut marut, dekomposisi, dirubung belatung, bahkan pernah ada mayat yang dijadikan sarang tikus, eeeewww…

Memang cukup jijay, apalagi pada saat ditemukan pertama kali (anak kecil jangan nonton deh). Dan dari situ mulai keasikan film ini. Biasanya, mayat/sisa-sisa mayat kemudian dibawa ke laboratorium Dr. Brennan yaitu di Jeffersonian Institute di Washington DC dan di situ Dr. Brennan dan tim mulai “membaca” petunjuk-petunjuk yang ada pada mayat, seperti rambut, partikel tanah, serangga-serangga yang nempel dll

Dalam bekerja, Dr. Brennan dibantu oleh sekelompok saintis lain: Jack Hodgins, ahli entomologi dan kimia organik, Angela Montenegro, ahli digital imaging yang lebih nyeni dari sains, serta Camille Saroyan, mantan polisi.

Tentu, ada drama lain selain usaha tim Jeffersonian memecahkan masalah. Hubungan antara Dr. Brennan dan Agen  Booth jua menjadi bagian dari cerita BONES. Emily Deschanel dan David Boreanaz memiliki “chemistry” yang cukup kuat, sehingga penonton juga tergerak untuk mengikuti perkembangan hubungan mereka berdua. Dari partner kerja, ke teman, kemudian ke teman baik, teman tapi (sedikit) mesra, kemudian ke…? Di sini tiba-tiba BONES jadi sebuah kisah tentang bagaimana kedua orang ini mencoba mengatasi rasa saling tertarikan karena  yang satu pernah gagal membina hubungan, sedangkan yang satu tidak percaya dengan cinta. Bagaimana akhir kisah Booth-Brennan? Ya silakan ikuti serial BONES.

Di Indonesia, saluran TV Kabel Star World biasanya menayangkan Bones. Saat ini mereka belum beli episode baru, jadi silakan lirik toko DVD untuk mencari BONES.

Selamat menonton!

AVATAR 3-D: When Technology takes over and the storyline is not (that) important…

You have to get past the no expense spared, badass technology that James Cameron to see that AVATAR isn’t exactly the greatest movie ever made.

But here’s the deal: You CAN’T get past the technology! Just like the sinking of TITANIC sucked you in ten years ago, people (ok, me) who watch AVATAR 3-D was so caught up in the movie, at the end, I let out a Nav’i war cry myself.

What can I say, I’m a sucker for good-nature-loving-people vs big-bad-greedy-corporations movie themes. It’s that Tom-and-Jerry thing again .

But actually, to be honest there is a decent storyline with some memorable quotes throughout, although the dialogue is, predictable and ummm, somewhat corny (somewhat???). As a scientist myself, I can’t help but smile at Sigourney Weaver, who although may sound like she’s on the Na’vi’s side, she’s actually no different from the US Military, that is her interest is mostly selfish (“I need to get samples”) and not really preserving the equilibrium of the Pandora universe.

But the fact that James Cameron manages to grab our attention for 3 hours with that kind of storyline is an testimony to his strength, that is to force people back in the movie theaters. Titanic was still OK on TV, but for AVATAR, if you don’t watch it on a (at least) 52 inch high definition TV, you won’t get the same effect . Which is why I laughed when the usual hackers and crackers came up with “download AVATAR for free here!” You wanna watch AVATAR on small screen?

No sir, this is a movie that will force you to pay twice as much at the theaters and what’s more important is, makes you come out feeling “Woo hoo… that was worth it!”

Kudos to James Cameron!

“Sex and The City”: A girl’s gotta have friends!

Anda perempuan/wanita/cewek/kromosom XX?

Anda punya “gang”/teman rumpi/kumpulan arisan?

Bila jawaban anda “Ya” kemungkinan besar anda akan suka pada Sex and The City (SATC), baik seri TVnya (tayang 1998-2004) atau film bioskopnya (rilis tahun 2008), karena kemungkinan besar kita bisa relate pada kisah yang ditampilkan.

Bagi anda yang jengah dengan kata “Sex” bisa diabaikan, karena inti cerita SATC bukan itu. Sex memang merupakan bagian dari kisah mereka, akan tetapi, SATC sebetulnya merupakan cerita tentang persahabatan sejati.

Cerita SATC merupakan kisah Carrie Bradshaw, seorang penulis lepas yang merupakan kontributor tetap pada sebuah koran. Ketika kisah Carrie dibuka pada tahun 1998, Carrie merupakan salah satu dari ribuan “wanita pencari cinta” di kota New York dan kolom yang ditulis Carrie adalah episode-episode dari pencarian akan cinta sejati, the one true love, her soulmate.

Carrie tidak sendirian. Dia ditemani oleh tiga sahabat wanita pencari cinta: Miranda Hobbs, Charlotte York dan Samantha Jones. Keempat ini memiliki karakter yang berbeda-beda dan hal tersebut membuat cerita SATC berkembang.

Saya sangat suka pada SATC, karena memang saya bisa relate ke cerita-cerita pertemanan mereka yang didasari pada satu keinginan: mencari kebahagiaan di usia lebih dari 30. Perjalanan mereka cukup berliku, penuh dengan kerikil-kerikil. Mereka saling curhat setidaknya sekali seminggu, ngumpul-ngumpul. Pada dasarnya, apa yang mereka alami, juga dialami oleh wanita lain di seluruh dunia. Cuma ya karena kebudayaan Amerika, maka cerita-cerita mereka soal sex ngga nyambung dengan budaya Indonesia (khususnya saya).

Seri TV SATC berakhir pada tahun 2004 dengan happy ending. Charlotte mengadopsi anak setelah menerima kenyataan bahwa dirinya kurang subur, Miranda pindah ke Brooklyn dan hidup dengan suami dan anaknya, Samantha si petualang cinta juga kena batunya, mencoba hidup dengan pacar brondongnya.

Dan bagaimana Carrie? Setelah hampir menikah dengan 1 pria dan sempat pindah ke Paris untuk pria yang lain, dia menemukan cinta sejati di Mr. Big, yang selama 6 tahun putus-sambung-putus-sambung.

Fast Forward ke tahun 2008. Dengan penuh kehebohan, SATC muncul kembali, kali ini di layar lebar. Fokus cerita? Tetap Carrie Bradshaw dong ya. Pada dasarnya, filmnya sama dengan seri nya, hanya saja, semua lebih dramatis. Lebih glamorous, dengan segala barang branded yang bikin ngiler.

Heh, iya, satu hal lagi. Cewek-cewek SATC adalah penggemar barang branded. Bahkan Carrie menyatakan dalam pembukaan film SATC: “Women go to New York for the two L’s: Labels and Love”. Cuma sekali lagi, kalau tidak familiar dengan segala international brands (Manolo, Hermes dll) tidak apa-apa. Atau jangan jadikan obrolan barang branded sebagai hal yang menyebabkan SATC tidak menyenangkan karena pusat cerita bukan di situ.

So, film SATC adalah sebuah film reunion menyenangkan. Semua elemen seri TV hadir lengkap, dalam skala besar. Tapi bagi saya, yang perempuan dan seusia Carrie dkk., SATC menyenangkan karena inti cerita belum berubah: persahabatan. The men in your life may (and will) hurt you, but friends are forever!!!

Movie Review: The X-Files 2 “I Want to Believe” (spoilers!)

Sorry for this first post being a movie review but since this is the X-Files I think I can put it up here.

When the X-Files first appeared on TV in 1993, I didn’t pay much attention. Then during some channel surfing one friday night, I happened to watch “Aubrey” (season 2). For some reason, I was hooked, line and sinker and I join the obsessed group that are the X-Philes. Oh, and I am also a “MSR shipper”.

So when I heard that a second movie was in the works, I too joined the “countdown-to-see-Mulder-and-Scully-again” and couldn’t wait until July 25. Thankfully, times are different and even down here in Indonesia, it premieres on the same date (actually, before opening in the US )

And I really, really wanted to believe that it was good. At least as good as the 1st movie. At least as good as some of the classic episodes mentioned by the late agent Whitney in the movie (Clyde Bruckman, Gerard Schnauz etc).

Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good. This was already mentioned by others. The whole Dr.Frankenstein plot was pretty weak. They needed more victims to make it Ted Bundy-Son of Sam-scary not the measly two women. And for some reason, I couldn’t care enough about this story. Maybe Scully should’ve been a victim. Imagine how Mulder would have reacted then (eventhough we philes have probably had enough of “Scully in danger” stories during the nine seasons).

Ah, Mulder and Scully. Was there any other TV couple that had such natural chemistry? Beyond professional but not quite personal (up until season 7 at least). The MS Shippers were holding their breath because it is well known that Chris Carter loved to torture the Shippers during the series with forehead kisses and not revealing Baby William’s paternity until the end. Well, torture no more (who else wanted to scream when they heard Mulder saying ‘I can hear you think’ and turned in the bed? ::grin::). Their conversation in the hospital broke my heart, culminating with DesperateScully saying “That’s why I fell in love with you”.Some say the chemistry was not there, but for me, I believe the chemistry was being tested so it seemed awkward at times. But all’s well that end’s well.

And you know, the movie should’ve ended with the final Mulder-Scully scene. It could’ve saved the movie and it would’ve been perfect. But nooo, they had to have an extra hospital scene, ugh. What was the point? Acting wise, well, I have to agree with other reviews that Gillian Anderson nailed tired-frustrated-Scully while it seemed to me that sometimes David Duchovny wasn’t totally in the groove with Mulder and had some phoned in moments. Billy Connolly was good, while Amanda Peet and Xzibit, forgettable.

As a shipper, I want to watch it again. But fast forward to the Mulder-Scully scenes only.

The Couch Potato speaks!

What is a couch potato? Check out this article

What am I going to do with this blog?

Well, I love my TV and (some of) the programs that come out of it. As a kid, my parents let us watch a lot of TV. And I would like to say, we didn’t turn out as bad as some psychologists would think ::evil grin:: That’s because my Dad would point out the good things about that particular show. Or tell us what’s bad about it. And that, folks, is what the trick is in watching TV. Pick the good shows (there are quite a few out there) and don’t watch the bad ones.

So enjoy this one, this is for entertainment purposes only! Oh, and yeah, it’s going to be a mix of English and Bahasa Indonesia.