Hari ini Kamis, Sepuluh Maret Dua ribu sebelas

We went out to watch my first movie in Surabaya, the King's speech at Sutos. I admit that it was love at first sight, that I tried to memorize the name "Sutos" so I can come back. Unlike the usual box type SM malls, but quite similar to the space and atmosphere of Alabang town center, I was thrilled by its homey ambience, which subconsciously invited people to eat, relax and watch a film. And that is what we did, we watched a good film and ate at a very good Thai restaurant.

The King's speech is basically the story of King George VI, which features the part of his life where he tried to conquer his speech problem in order to give hope and inspiration to people during the WWII. The tagline of the movie is: It takes leadership to confront  a nation's fear, it takes friendship to conquers your own. It was the struggle of a duke, who had been pressured by the crown, compared to his brother and rediculed by his father. I particularly liked the role played by Lionel, the speech defect teacher who befriended the king and was more of a counselor psychologist than a language doctor. Although the duke and his wife initially came to Lionel for the mechanical techniques and ordered Lionel not to ask personal things to bring Bertie's (as he was called in the film) voice out, they finally found out that his problem was more than just speech. His was a deeper search of finding his voice amidst the many pressure and failed expectations which were subconsciously instilled in his young mind when he was still five years old. It was only after he acknowledged his personal struggles and problems that he was able to free himself from years of fear of rejection and inferiority. The irony of the story is that Lionel himself had to face his own fears and rejection in order to be the best aid he could possibly be. As they say,the best doctor is someone who had experienced the same illness, we call them wounded healers, which ultimately takes the example of Jesus, who himself was the wounded healer. As all good films would commence, the film ended with the victory of the human spirit over the enslaving power of fear.

And what better way to end this post- rabu abu affair than a sumptous meal at a Thai restaurant.