andrew niccol, the rule of four

Andrew Niccol is my favorite screenwriter.

Yep. If you watched the Terminal, he wrote the story. He also did Truman Show, Simone, and Gattaca. Gattaca is my favorite. I suppose there are others out there whose writing is better than his... but it isn't so much the writing I admire... it's the way his mind works. I don't know anyone who can conjure up a better story than him. That's my opinion, at least. Galing kasi. I mean, the stories he tells begin with simple, ordinary premises but he thinks up ways to throw you off balance. It's the what-ifs and could've-beens that get to you. It's the fact that his films are story-driven rather than effects-dependent. It's because he looks at things in a way that make you think "Shit. I could've done that!" but never cross your mind to begin with. It's his way of creating the absurd and making it easier to swallow. The reality is still bleak, but at least it's entertaining.

Sigh. I want to write like that.

Anyway, the reason I brought him up is because I finally got to watch the Terminal last Saturday. I know, I know. It's a bit late. Still, there was something sweet about the way my mom dragged me and my brother out of our rooms to have dinner and watch a movie. At least for a short while, we ALL got along. Now isn't that something? For once we bickered only on where to eat.

...


I finally finished reading The Rule of Four. Not a bad read, but definitely nowhere near as riveting as The Da Vinci Code (The Vinci Code. hehe). It was a bit disappointing, seeing that I put so much effort into compiling the damn thing. It was a good book, quite interesting, but the ending seemed a little too predictable and, to be honest, half-baked. People who expect the same kind of action as that from the Dan Brown books won't be satisfied. It deals more about brotherhood (at least to me) than about the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (yeah, say it ten times over and over! woohoo!). Still, it's a good book to read while curled up under the covers - especially since it's getting colder at night.

Oh, darn. I think I should start my Christmas shopping soon.