Rapunzel

"Love is in the hair!" "Not your usual hairy tale!"

For roughly 1/10 the price of Cinderella, I got to watch my namesake on stage. Rapunzel watched Rapunzel. And the entire process of buying my ticket to buying my program was punctuated by giggles from the salesladies, "Awww, ikaw si Rapunzel? Totoong pangalan mo yan?" and by discounts from Javert (ahem, Michael Williams pala).

Now to the play. It's funny. It's modern. I actually laughed out loud on several occasions. I couldn't help but RELATE to this girl with long, blond hair! First there was the mother/witch. I prefer to describe her as over-protective and crazy, yet hilarious and affectionate. Like most parents, she just didn't know how to deal with her growing child.

She promised Rapunzel that she would be able to leave the tower at age 16. But upon turning 16, she flipped her wrist and with her magic ring, "Rapunzel! You're 15 again!" My mother couldn't really do that, but she did eventually let me out of the proverbial tower, only with the driver and the yaya...

And then there's Rapunzel finally defying her mother/witch and setting out with Prince Brian. Mother/witch to Rapunzel, "You want to see the world? Get out! It's not gonna be easy!" And it was not easy. Prince Brian and Rapunzel were hungry, had no money, and even had to sell Rapunzel's hair. But in the end, they did find the castle, stand up to their parents, and live happily ever after.

My mother was more supportive than the stage mother about leaving the house. And it was indeed very hard. But in the end, I think I did find my château, stand up to my parents, and, well, I'm still looking for my happy ending.

Now, for the best line in the play:

Prince Brian to Rapunzel: "You look great in short hair."

http://theaterdownsouth.com
September 7 and 21, 3:00 PM
Insular Life Theater, Alabang

"While on a job in Nantes one evening, Émilie encounters Gabriel..."

Nantes. That was enough to make me want to watch the opening film of the French Film Festival in Manila last Wednesday. Too bad, 90% of the film was shot in Paris. But still. I loved it.

It has all the elements of the "classic" French film: sex, affairs and cigarettes. Add to that Emmanuel Mouret's quirky humor, charming film-making, and excellent taste in music. Imagine, making love to the music of The Nutcracker.

To summarize, it's a story within a story within a story. Implausible, but very entertaining. All revolving around one kiss. I have to say, it was the most built-up kissing scene in a movie in a looong time. The music was perfect. As was the setting. There was only one bit which grossed out my seatmate in the film. Hehe. You'll have to watch the film to see it.

Whether you see the film because it's required (yes, students) or because you have nothing else to do on a Sunday afternoon, it will not disappoint. In the meantime, check out http://www.alliance.ph for the movie schedules. The festival runs until Sunday, June 22.

"The biggest breakthrough in sleep techonology!"

If you have twelve minutes to spare, visit the Tempur store in Bonifacio High Street and try out the Space Cabin Experience. You get to lie down on a remote-controlled, 6-inch Tempur mattress with matching pillows inside a darkened room and simulate a NASA-take off.

(FYI, Tempur is an innovative brand of mattresses and pillows originally designed for astronauts but which is now available to the public. These beddings adjust to your body and not the other way around.)

Once the lights are dimmed, a soothing voice describes the qualities of the Tempur mattress and explains its benefits. In a nutshell, Tempur = better sleep, and better sleep = better life. However, better life comes at a cost; better life = $ 3,000 (for a king-sized mattress).

If you can't afford the mattress, get the mattress pad, or perhaps a pillow. If you can't afford any of those, then just come in for the Tempur Space Cabin experience. For twelve minutes, you get to lie down on a bed which conforms to every curve of your body, cradling you all the way to outerspace and back, as you listen to a soothing voice and do some meditation/breathing exercises.

The only problem with such a bed is that it'll be even harder to get up in the morning.

What do Atonement and Darjeeling Limited have in common?

Two completely different movies with two things in common: an excellent soundtrack and an excellent wardrobe. I saw them within ten days of each other. I saw Atonement first, then Darjeeling Limited, and I had a start when I heard exactly the same song being played--Suite Bergamesque 3 of Claire de Lune, my ultimate piano favorite.

In Atonement, watch out for Cecilia's green silk dress and her swimming outift. The dress has just been voted the "most iconic film outift" beating Audrey Hepburn's black Givenchy dress. In Darjeeling, check out the Louis Vuitton suits and luggage with matching belt.

Soundtrack and wardrobe may hardly be criteria for judging a movie. But when the two also play a role in the movie, then you know you're in a good one.