MOVIE REVIEW: No Escape

For our next review, we're going to follow this one up with another unusual thriller. One I said we'd watch for the good Asian representation, and that there would be no bloodshed for this one, given that we had just finished watching a different sharp-looking thriller namely, Fresh.

Are buddy-cop movies still a thing? I mean, this movie kind of flirts with the idea — but it’s way too intense to be called fun. It's a Pierce Brosnan and Owen Wilson-starrer, No Escape!

poster from impawards.com

Like any good Bond film, No Escape opens with a high-stakes, heart-pounding scene that’ll have you gripping your seat. But unlike Bond, this isn’t a fun adventure — it’s chaos. There are knives, gunshots, and bodies everywhere. No gadgets or cool one-liners here.

The story then shifts to Owen Wilson and his family, who’ve just relocated to an unnamed Asian country for his job. Along for the ride is Pierce Brosnan, who claims he's there for vacation. Think of it as an aging James Bond meets an Owen Wilson family-man character. It's an odd but interesting pairing.

Soon, things take a turn when Owen Wilson, trying to get the morning paper, learns there’s been no word from his company since their arrival. What follows is a violent uprising by rebels, and before long, their hotel is under siege. Wilson, as a regular guy with no spy skills or charm, does his best to keep his family safe — and his frantic attempts to protect them are as thrilling as they are nerve-wracking.

There are some standout moments, like the roof-deck escape, which is as satisfying as it is suspenseful. And when Brosnan swoops in to save the family, pulling off a truly Bond-esque escape (with the help of his sidekick, Kenny Rogers — yes, you read that right), it’s one of the film's most enjoyable, witty moments.

One thing that really sticks with you, though, is the mantra Owen Wilson and Lake Bell (his wife) repeat as they race to stay ahead of their captors: "We need to stay ten steps ahead." It’s their guiding principle, and it keeps them moving as one — even with their kids in tow. Every time the children (looking at you, Lucy!) made a move that added to the suspense, we were on the edge of our seats, holding our breath.

The one hiccup, however, comes with the ending. The boat scene and the border crossing felt rushed and left us with more questions than answers. But I guess that's how it goes in life-threatening situations — you just focus on survival and don’t worry about the details.

Still, despite the ending, No Escape is a thrilling ride. We’re probably staying away from thrillers for a while though...

Also, Owen Wilson did say “Wow!” at one point. Glad they kept that in. But not so glad about the travel anxiety it’s now given us. After watching this, flying overseas now feels a little too close to a Final Destination movie. Trauma's real.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Lovely Bones

I first came to Peter Jackson through The Beatles: Get Back, so I wasn’t prepared for how The Lovely Bones would hit — and wow, it hit.

Movie Poster/Still

Watching it with my lovely one helped me cope, at least a little.

(The Lovely Bones, with my lovely one. Had to.)

The film was a chilling, disturbing, and gut-wrenching trip. Disturbing was watching Susie get led to that underground pit — we had our lungs out screaming at the screen for her not to go. Gut-wrenching was the sister’s tense, heart-racing chase scene with Tucci’s Gacy/Dahmer hybrid of a character. And chilling? Every moment Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz were on screen and just… not vibing.

(Or maybe I’m just used to seeing her spark with Brendan Fraser and real-life partner Daniel Craig. Man, the screen’s gonna miss Craig’s Bond.)

The blend of dreamy fantasy with real-world horror was unexpected, and honestly, a breath of fresh air in terms of storytelling. But what's really striking about the film is how it avoids sexualizing Saoirse Ronan’s character, focusing instead on her emotional depth and journey, which is both rare and incredibly refreshing in this genre.

Needless to say: watch it! 

But make sure you’re not alone, okay? 

Thanks for this recommendation, and of course, watching it with me, lovey!

DENYING

 We were just starting off.

 

And it started so damn well. Right from that first time we got closer, we just got closer and closer. And they couldn’t break us apart. Not even distance from the bottom tot the top could.

 

Mainly, that’s because, just as what I have always said, love finds ways. Love, love is on its way.

 

Even for a short time, I have come to love the woman that you are. You make me the man I am today. And I will be the man I will be tomorrow, for I am loved by you. And I love you.

 

Do you want to know why I did what I did? I meant, pursuing and not stopping in making you feel loved truly, madly, deeply. It’s because…

 

Denying Ain’t Nice, It’ll Continue Anyway.

 

And I hope, what’s just starting off will go on and on and on.

Imagining Your Audience

What better way to come back to writing than to have a looking back at the year that was 2024.

This year was quite a big one. It was challenging, a wild rollercoaster ride, and a marathon that seemed to stretch beyond the 42K mark. But hey, we’re already at the end of it. “Yo, Adrian, we did it!”

Since we’re already running late, let’s get on with it. Shall we?

For a timid individual such as I am, I’m not fond of having the spotlight turned at me. The stage would be something on the top of the “Things I’m Scared of” list. The top spot still belongs to the Lady Gaga Illuminati Conspiracy. Coming in for a close second spot is the Paul Is Dead Conspiracy. Is it safe to say I’m a believer of conspiracy theories?

Going back, what made that year different were the times I pushed myself outside the box. The man who was afraid of the spotlight went on to different speaking engagements and actually said things that matter.

It was never on my listed plans for that year to speak to a group, even a mixed group of professionals. But hey, that year was complicated. That year was different. That year was unusual, but good, nonetheless.

The first one back in January (MEPF Town Hall), I was a designated speaker on a refresher talk for my then-group, under Construction MEPF. Not bad for ta first time, and in fact, I was just a replacement being that the first speaker was my then-mentor who was not able to attend the refresher talk. He had to leave for a management-initiated level improvement. And I must say, it worked out well for the both of us.

Honestly speaking, the topic was new to me, and not necessarily my niche but learning’s fun. And as I spoke, I also learned. I went on to do the same talk again to the same group albeit with new members in September for another round of Town Hall.

The second and third quarter of that year focused on further developing my public speaking skillset. I was enlisted on various Learning & Development talks focusing on various topics that would supposedly help me improve in my field. However, what I really got on those talks was the art of public speaking itself. Being that there were different topics, there were also different speakers which meant different approaches and methods were handed out to us.

 

As months passed, I didn’t essentially think that I would be putting such learnings to practice. Not until my lateral movement was finally effective. And I guess that would warrant a story separate from this.

In the last quarter of that year, I transferred to another department. The transfer was highly evident being that from doing field work on site, I would now be seated on a third-floor office space, facing my laptop most of the time.

This was when I heard the wonderful news that I would be one of the speakers on another series of Learning & Development talks. A few months before, I was just one of the audience. By this time, I would be a part of what they would call Learning Advocates.

The experience was surreal. I was new to the team, and to the department. But with what I had, the team trusted that I would be capable of doing a three-day talk involving participants from a wide range linked to the Construction Department – which I was previously a part of.

A quick side trip outside the office led me to another public speaking event, though quite toned down a bit. I was tasked along with other members of our department to provide assistance on the educational advocacy of a private NGO in Valenzuela City. We had the chance of teaching elementary level subjects to 200 students (ranging from Grades 2 to 6). I got the chance to talk about History – something that could be found on my bucket list being that I had been a Rizal fan boy and to be honest, I just wanted to talk about Rizal, Bonifacio, and the whole bunch. I could’ve spoken for a whole hour about it.

Jumping to December, it was a bit unplanned and unexpected, but I got my first hosting gig. I got to host, together with two other friends, the year-end party of the project site I was a part of for the past three years. The project had reached its RFO status this December and we all just wanted to give back and look back to the past five years which the project had run. It was one emotional night for everyone involved, from the top-level managers down to the staffs and crew of workforce that provided help to the project.

 

The cherry on top of that final event was that my significant other was there to witness me goof on stage, with all my unnecessary hand movements, awkward swaying, and carefree touching of phones. Yes, I'm glad she was there to witness that final curtain call.

One last note, I was also under the shadow of alcohol.

Instead of imagining my audience naked, as notable speakers would say, I imagined myself naked. Thanks, free-flowing alcohol.