masterwordsmith-unplugged

I miss lecturing. I really do BUT I love my free and easy lifestyle too much to ever return. Besides, if I do go back, I will lament the deplorable standard of education and thinking skills of many students today - which is why I left in the first place. I decided in 2005 that I would retire, live a simple lifestyle and remember the wonderful students that I taught than to lament the deterioration in the standards.

This morning, I missed marking assignments so much that I dug out my collection of best essays and assignments which I collected over the years. Frankly, I have been very lucky in my teaching career and taught thousands of brilliant minds, most of whom have at least a masters degree and a significant number with PhDs from ivy league universities. Many have become famous in their choice of vocation and quite a few have started at least one company. A few went on to become famous writers including Natasha Rudra who initially had a tough time adjusting to college education after being home schooled for many years- but I never doubted her writing abilities. She now writes for the Canberra Times, Inside Story. I still remember how I used to remind her to construct shorter sentences. :-) Natasha, if you are reading this - know that I think of you fondly and always believed in my heart that you would make it one day and am really proud of you - that you reached out to become what you always wanted to be, in your dad's footsteps!

Another student whom I will never forget is Melissa Kua. Needless to say, not only did she score A for my General Paper and the other A-level subjects she took in May 2001, she went on to win the Cambridge Special Award(cash award plus certificate) for displaying the highest standard of English in the A level examination amongst all the international candidates.

I always believe that the greatest reward I can obtain in teaching is the knowledge that my students have gone on to make a mark in this world and that they can write better than me. I always tell all my kids not to use me or their cohort as a benchmark but that they had to be better than all of us combined and the only way they could do that was to compete against the unknown. Indeed, I look back and am glad I had a chance to teach my former students and still miss all of them, even the cheeky ones!

This afternoon, it is my pleasure to feature Melissa's review of American Beauty which she submitted as a weekly assignment for my A-level General Paper class in 2001. She went on to an ivy league university and I have since lost touch with her. She is definitely a fantastic writer and poet.
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MOVIE REVIEW OF 'AMERICAN BEAUTY" written by Melissa Kua

"My name ...is Lester Burnham. In less than a year, I'll be dead," the protagonist of this film declares matter-of-factly. A picture-perfect American suburb appears, and from here, we are treated to Lester Burnham's self-narration of his last life in flashback. Moments later, we see Lester getting out of bed as we hear him say, as if as an afterthought, "In a way, I'm already dead."

"Look at me, jerking off in the shower. This will be the high point of my day," Lester remarks dully at the beginning of the film. As he narrates the most dismal happenings, he goes through a typical day and we begin to feel a sense of deja vu. Eventually, it strikes us - Lester Burnham is you and me. On film, he is portrayed as a nobody, but to the viewer, he is Everyman. Despite the pathetic state of his life, his lack of enthusiasm for generally everything, the average viewer feels an affinity for him. All of us can identify with some part of Lester Burnham.

Meet the low-profile but very real evil twin of the American Dream - the Ordinary American Nightmare. Lester Burnham(Kevin Spacey) is a dissatisfied husband, distant father, insignificant writer for an insignificant magazine and self-proclaimed loser. Completing his so-called life are Carolyn (Annette Bening), his materialistic, career-driven wife who sells real estate and Jane (Thora Birch), his broody, "I'm-so-alienated-my-parents-will-never-understand-me" adolescent daughter. Together, they embody the dysfunctional American family, a product of the effects of the rat race, facades and self delusion in modern society.

One day, Lester meets his daughter's absolutely luscious best friend, Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari). He starts lusting after her, painfully aware that his infatuation is hopeless. At this point, he decides to rejuvenate his life and makes changes - he quits his job, buys a new car and starts working out to impress Angela. His new way of life infuriates Carolyn and drives her into the arms of a hot-shot real estate king (peter Gallagher) whom Jane couldn't care less.

Things get more interesting when the Fitts family moves in next to the Burnhams. Jane becomes fascinated with Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), a weirdo who has a penchant for videotaping things, especially Jane. Ricky's dad (Chris Cooper) is a stiff, militaristic man, while his mother (Allison Janney) is an emotionally empty zombie. The interaction between the film's potpourri of deliciously strange characters eventually leads to the film's climax, which is at once harrowing and touching.

American Beauty has many things going for it - an excellent script, a superb cast and tight direction. Screenwriter Alan Ball manages to assimilate drama and comedy without causing the film to appear uneven. The dialogues of the characters are in turn amusing, thought-provoking and downright funny, delighting viewers as they realise, "Hey, I could have said that!"

The sterling performances of the actors add substantial strength to this film. Kevin Spacey fully immerses himself in his role as the loserish ordinary man stuck in a rut, so much so that he is not just able to evoke genuine sympathy from viewers, but empathy as well. Annette Bening is excellent as the miserable wife who tries to cope with the lack of depth in her life by becoming a work maniac and listening to self-help tapes. The role of Jane, the angstful reclusive teenage daughter, is saved from becoming a cliched character due to a heartfelt portrayal by Thora Birch, a relative newcomer.

Sam Mendes' superb direction elevates this film to its near-flawless heights. Infusing elements of fantasia while making us acutely aware of the sombre reality of the characters' lives, he brings across the message that we all need something, anything to dream about and hold onto. His voyeuristic take on the story enhances the beauty of this film - his use of flashbacks and fantasies add depth to the already-interesting script.

The highlights of the film are reason enough to watch it. A particularly beautiful scene to watch out for is the one of the floating plastic bag, shown by Rocky to Jane as he attempts to explain why he thinks it is the most beautiful thing he has ever captured on camera. The sight of the discarded bag buoyed by the autumn wind is plain yet ethereal and leaves a deep impression on the perceptive viewer. The fight at the dinner table between Lester and Carolyn is another noteworthy moment - the unravelling of their frustration and resentment is released in a few forceful moments with maximum impact. In another scene, the expression on Lester's face as he pumps iron in the nude is darkly hilarious.

The brilliance of this film is its ability to touch the man in the street. It showcases the average man's emotions, and in doing so, strikes a resounding chord in the heart of viewers. Disillusionment, self-deprecation, indifference, absurdity, desire, rejuvenation - a myriad of elements interlace gracefully to form a film of substance.

The effect of American Beauty is potent - the display of broken relationships, dreams that will never be and the bittersweet dose of life's realities haunt the viewer long after the film ends. Perhaps the most important thing about this film is this: it leaves each viewer with new insight, and allows one to reflect on the real value of his ideals of the perfect life.

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