Can you see....

The despair of Revolutionary Road

2010-03-09T12:22:00.003+05:30

Revolutionary Road is the story of every couple loving, evolving and eventually drifting in the inevitable tide of time. A melancholic tale of aspirations and dreams mauled by the mechanical routine, trampled into dust by the march of the daily workforce. Based on a novel by Richard Yates, their trials and tribulations mirror those of people bound by the vows of holy matrimony.

Set in the nineteen fifties, Frank and April Wheeler are the residents of Revolutionary Road, Connecticut. Frank has a marketing job at Knox Business Machines and April is the quintessential housewife who still grieves for her failed acting career. The young couple revels in their unconventionality and their ability to shun the American dream of stability and familial peace. When domestic monotony starts to build, April suggest they leave this mundane existence and move to Paris, to start a new exciting life and pursue their passions. But this never transpires. In a futile attempt to revive the romance, the two indulge in a momentary juvenile rush of passion, leading to April’s unplanned pregnancy. This new development turns into their inner demon, prodding and destroying their will to uproot their unfulfilling yet stable lives.

The ultimate paradox occurs when a maniacal outsider forces them to realize the hopeless emptiness that April and Frank have been trying to disguise with their perfect family, a perfect house and the perfect life. One is lead to believe that every time the couple reaches for the sweet taste of freedom, the luring tentacles of the domestic monster pull them back. A new day dawns and yesterday has been swept clean off the board. The recurrent nightmare continues, each day is a lie, a happy fallacy at that. The helplessness is so beautifully apparent in their eyes; their silent screams of anguish are very close to home. Torn by this despair, April tries to abort the baby herself and eventually dies in the process.

The film manages to retain the grave mood of impending, terrible vicissitudes. The visual cues of discord between the married couple are blatantly obvious, the silent barrier between them bellows thunderous.

Different lives, different despondency. The outlets of our escapism may vary, but we are all trying in vain, there is no release from the life we lead, and this despair and the greed for something better, is what makes us so pathetically human. The bitter truth is that we are all troubled by our meagre existence. The mundane life we lead is precisely the one we snickered upon as youngsters. Humans are an unhappy race; we revel in despair, find sanctity in sadness. Maybe that was the price we paid for acquiring social intelligence. Be wary of complacency, this sweet intoxicating venom will slowly sweep through your mind, rotting it bit by bit; the lure of shallow success shall seep through your identity, eating away your dreams.

Brilliant performances by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. This being their second film after ‘Titanic’, it is simple to acknowledge the contradictory portrayal of love in these two films. Kate so beautifully emotes her pain and entrapment that the audience vehemently wishes for an end to this lie she is living. One poignant line in the film sums it all up. “No one forgets the truth Frank, they just get better at lying”.

White Lightnin’ strikes!

2010-02-22T13:47:00.006+05:30

The world is a terrible place and White Lightnin’ lets you have no qualms about it. This is a disfigured tale of downfall and redemption. A life biased by personal beliefs of good and evil, concepts which are eternally transient, ever changing and flipping in duality. The film very lucidly erases the thin line between the two.

Set in the American Midwest, Jescoe White is a by product of the typical white trash cliché. An out and out rebel, this maverick spends his childhood in and out of reform homes for his recurrent drug abuse. The horrendous experiences at the reprimand homes expose his violent streak and tarnish his impressionable mind beyond any reform.

Jesse is addicted to huffing gasoline which later leads to alcohol and drug abuse. This delusional junkie lets life pass him by in a hazy hallucination. On release from a mental asylum, Jesse is met with news of the senseless death of his father. The shock of this revelation is the turning point in his life. He gives up all his vices and takes to dancing in different towns. It is pitiful to watch him grapple with a clean, sober life, but his past has scarred his mind beyond repair. His failed attempts towards a better life push him further into the vortex of abuse. With every needle prick or a swig of alcohol he becomes increasingly delusional, filling him with hate and revenge. Disturbing and downright repulsive, the audience feels a conflict between pity and disgust.

One very vehemently anticipates the downfall of the protagonist and that is what eventually transpires. His fervent and fanatical religiousness leads to self destruction. His end is equally evangelical, where he seeks redemption by chopping off his organs and feeding on them.

The colors in the film look washed out which very aptly sets the visual tone of the film. The soundtrack and background score are the high points of the film and they contribute beautifully to create a cohesive flavour of dismay. The film is divided into short sequences akin to passages of the Bible. One is subjected to a very poignant use of passages from the Bible due to the circumstances they pertain to.

Personally, White Lightnin’ has been one of the most difficult films to watch. The feeling of impending doom is tough to shake off. It is very convincingly depressing and grossly satirical at the same time. Finally one realizes that Jesse can be anyone, from anywhere, his life a mirror revealing our unending battle with our own personal demons.

ΚΥΝΟΔΟΝΤΑΣ, a twisted tale

2010-01-12T13:26:00.002+05:30

ΚΥΝΟΔΟΝΤΑΣ (Dogtooth) tells the tale of three siblings and their parents living in acute seclusion. The three teenagers lead a dysfunctional life in a twisted world created by the parents. Their daily routine is scrupulously planned and expected to be meticulously followed. Disobedience has brutal and violent consequences. Their actions are governed by reward and punishment, forever imprinted in their minds as the golden truth. The concept of “Give and Take” is abused and exploited, pushed to the limits in disturbing ways.

The parents seemingly are the sole creators of this dystopia. Words take on new implications as the parents deem appropriate. Hence, “Zombies” are little yellow flowers, the “Sea” is a huge armchair, the harmless cat a bloodthirsty predator and Frank Sinatra is the family’s grandfather. The force fed beliefs are terribly repulsive, more so for the blind acceptance of this perverse reality by the kids.

This film holds no bars in tackling taboo topics of incest and violent rage. In scenes of a sexual intercourse between the siblings, it is probably not the visual which repels rather the nature of their relationship and their utter lack of understanding social norms. The family interaction seems primal, animalistic and grotesquely comical.

This extreme desolation may have been caused by some atrocity incurred by the mother, forcing them to shun the outside world turning them into fanatically protective dangerous maniacs.

Another oddity the parents inflict is a “Dogtooth”. When the teenagers question this seclusion and express the need to go outside, the parents fabricate this tale about the canine being a “Dogtooth”, their freedom bound to the falling of this particular tooth. Naturally, this never happens, sealing the poor prisoner’s fate of being caged in forever. The most haunting situation occurs when the elder sister deliberately knocks her tooth off in despair and tries to escape, bleeding gleefully.

The film very convincingly takes ideas and effortlessly flips them into contradictions. Dogtooth gathers all societal norms and contentiously destroys them to bits. Packed with robust performances, bizarre behaviour and a whimsical plot, ΚΥΝΟΔΟΝΤΑΣ is an eye opener.

Balmy as Barcelona!

2009-12-17T15:55:00.004+05:30

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is set in vibrant Spain. The locale is warm, balmy and throbbing with a fervor which resonates perfectly with the characters and the narrative. The two protagonists are best friends, poles apart in their opinion of love and desire. Maybe we all have these polar opposites within us, inkling us to examine our transient desires.

Here the two friends meet the Juan Antonio Gonzalo, a brazen artist whose multifaceted personality appeals to both women. What follows is a pandemonium of relationships, the good, the bad and the ugly, and everything in between.

Woody Allen beautifully packages the kook inside all artists, their utter lack of inhibitions and nonconformist living. Penelope Cruz as Maria Elena is the artistic genius with passion pulsating in her veins. She is convincing as a zealot who lives her life on her terms notwithstanding its detrimental tempestuousness. Scarlett Johansson exhibits the birdlike fluttering nervousness typical of Woody Allen. I like this film better than any other Woody Allen production, maybe because it appealed to me for its radical, rebellious artistic mavericks and the passionate lives they lead.

Moral of the story, it is essentially human nature to be unsatisfied and be haunted by “what ifs...” The search for “something else” is a harsh reality some admit, others mask in normalcy and routine.

Juan Antonio very ironically says “Only unfulfilled love can be romantic................”

Obsessing on a Swine obsession!

2009-10-23T18:34:00.010+05:30

Sure, we have snickered at them, snorted at their eccentricities and ridiculed their compulsive disorders. Remember Jack Nicholson as Melvin Udall in ‘As Good as it Gets’? This dogmatist absolutely refuses to use the same bar of soap twice. He abhorrently carries his own plastic cutlery to diners which seemingly and very justifiably infuriates the staff. Most of us may shun these traits of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but with the current pandemic scenario do we dismiss them as whimsical and eccentric?

Image copyright of TriStar Pictures.

Another lovable victim of the OCD is Adrian Monk, played by Tony Shalhoub in the TV series aptly titled ‘Monk’. Apart from having germophobia, this ex-cop has three hundred and twelve fears, from milk, ladybugs, harmonicas, heights, risk and imperfections. One sees Monk grossly refraining from pressing lift buttons, staircase railings. With his assuring and endless stock of tissues, this detective goes about his business in the most immaculate manner.

Image copyright of USA Network & NBC Universal.

Interestingly, with contagious diseases raging rampant, Udall and Monk's ridiculed pathological germophobia give them an edge! Aren’t precautionary measures for Swine Flu obsessively ringing a bell?

So the next time you see an OCD victim, remind yourself, this victim of the boon might end up living longer than you!

Dream a dream – Part II

2009-03-19T13:04:00.006+05:30

Every idea has two aspects, the humane and the evil. What happens if the only sanctuary known to man is evaded, exploited and commercialized?

Paprika explores the possibility of watching someone else’s dream, participating in this highly individualistic, personal activity. The conflict arises when DC Mini, the device that allows therapists to enter a patient’s dreams is stolen. All hell breaks loose, people jump off buildings, talking gibberish, possessed by some diabolical whim.

The beauty of such concepts is the freedom of expression they offer. Nothing is better than being able to see a person’s thoughts. And that’s exactly what you can expect from the film. Bizarre visuals, disconnected frames blatantly justified by their existence as a dream. The medium of animation lends itself beautifully to the narrative, allowing bizarre depictions of characters and plot.

Sigmund Freud would have been gleefully proud of this visual dichotomy of mind and body. Watch it, and you will never dream the same again...

Dream a dream

2009-01-20T15:02:00.005+05:30

Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams is about what dreams are supposed to be, vivid contradictions and clashing ideologies. There is ambiguity of time and logic, stories mangled in a muddle of imagery and sound.

Apparently inspired by Kurosawa’s actual dreams, they tell the tale of hope and despair, the past and future. It personifies a grotesque glimpse of tomorrow infused by the actions of today. The social message is very clear, man is exploiting nature for his immediate gain and is about to reap annihilation.

The dreams are an octet some entirely disconnected, some woven in time and space. Not surprisingly, my most favoured story was ‘Crows’, where the artist jumps into Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings and meets him in person. Martin Scorsese plays the freakishly enthused Vincent who claims to work his body like a locomotive. Another dream worth mentioning is “blizzard’, slow and surreal, it seems endless to the point of imbuing sleep.

The sensibilities of the film are Japanese, music and dance very spontaneously carry the narrative with beautiful rhythm. The color palette varies vividly based on the storyline. I like the way Kurosawa lingers on the shot a little longer than usual, letting you gather your thoughts on the story so far.

Over all, it is a visual abstraction of his mind, which undoubtedly is genius supreme.

P.S. 1. There’s an interesting line in a film called ‘Paprika’ which goes “Don't you think dreams and the Internet are similar? They are both areas where the repressed conscious mind vents.”

2. The image associated with this blog post is a depiction of my dreams and nightmares, I call them “Monstrosities out of nothing”.

Lust for life

2008-10-03T19:42:00.002+05:30

Based on a novel by Irving Stone, Lust for life follows the life and trepidations of Vincent Van Gogh, the genius Dutch post impressionist.

Although it is never possible to show a person’s life completely, the storyline makes a sincere attempt to portray the events which shaped Vincent.

A man tormented by heartbreaks and loneliness, art is the only thing which keeps him going. Highly erratic in his behavior, he finds love and support only from his younger sibling Theo.

Having already read about Vincent, never have I dreaded the reality so much, dreaded the end and the pain that follows. I was choked up all throughout the film. There is a Vincent in all of us, misunderstood, toiling with beliefs and principles, searching for the self and purpose. Tortured by self doubt, this genius seeks a deeper meaning through his art.

For the first time, I can see Vincent, not his thoughts, not his brush strokes, not his million dollar paintings, the yellow hues, but Vincent in flesh and blood. His agonies, his pain, his constant squabble with life itself. In his thirty seven years of living, he fervently paints life, peasant folk, emotions, hard work and toil.

The more he degrades himself, the better his art becomes, and this is the eternal irony of his life, which he eventually throws away himself. If only Vincent would ever know how he has shaped the face of modern art.

Not for a moment in the film does the actor Kirk Douglas make himself visible, just Vincent, his art and his lust for life.

Does one endure so much anguish in life to achieve genius, one can only wonder....

See Vincent’s brilliant work here.

Don Mclean has written a brilliant song as homage to Vincent Van Gogh called “Vincent” inspired by a painting called Starry Night. See it here.

The Sultans of Cinema

2008-04-06T17:03:00.011+05:30

For all those who love Cinema, here is your chance to see some spectacular movies by some magnificent directors. Do not miss these films....

Zee Studio presents “Sultans of Cinema”.

10 directors, 26 brilliant films, 94 international awards.

The directors:

The Films on Zee Studio:

End of Violence by Wim Wenders. Sunday April 06 2008, 3 pm.

Samurai by Hiroshi Inagaki. Sunday April 13 2008, 3 pm.

The Sword of Doom by Kihachi Okamoto. Sunday April 20 2008, 3 pm.

Summer Interlude by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday April 27 2008, 3 pm.

Summer with Monica by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday May 04 2008, 3 pm.

Wild Strawberries by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday May 11 2008, 3 pm.

Through a Glass Darkly by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday May 18 2008, 3 pm.

The Silence by Ingmar Bergman. Sunday May 25 2008, 3 pm.

Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 01 2008, 3 pm.

The Throne of Blood by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 08 2008, 3 pm.

Yojimbo by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 15 2008, 3 pm.

High and Low by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 22 2008, 3 pm.

Red Beard by Akira Kurosawa. Sunday June 29 2008, 3 pm.

Shoot the Piano Player by François Truffaut. Sunday July 06 2008, 3 pm.

The Soft Skin by François Truffaut. Sunday July 13 2008, 3 pm.

Bed and Board by François Truffaut. Sunday July 20 2008, 3 pm.

Two English Girls by François Truffaut. Sunday July 27 2008, 3 pm.

The Woman Next Door by François Truffaut. Sunday August 03 2008, 3 pm.

Chunking Express by Wong Kar Wai. Sunday August 10 2008, 3 pm.

Fallen Angels by Wong Kar Wai. Sunday August 17 2008, 3 pm.

In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar Wai. Sunday August 24 2008, 3 pm.

Camera Buff by Krzysztof Kieslowski. Sunday August 31 2008, 3 pm.

Down by Law by Jim Jarmusch. Sunday September 07 2008, 3 pm.

Dead Man by Jim Jarmusch. Sunday September 14 2008, 3 pm.

Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmusch. Sunday September 21 2008, 3 pm.

6IXTYNIN9 by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang. Sunday September 28 2008, 3 pm.

For more information visit Zee Studio presents “Sultans of Cinema”

Watch them, and don’t forget to visit my blog for my views on these films, comments and discussions eagerly welcome....

The Hurricane – the victim or victimizer?

2008-03-31T14:50:00.000+05:30

This post is about feeling wronged, wronged by the power of media. No other medium affects the mind more than cinema. It manipulates your thoughts, blatantly pushes you to see things intended for the audience to see. As I have mentioned before, cinema is a form of self indulgence, it’s about putting forth a personal perspective to the multi dimensional world around. But can this personal perspective surpass fact and actuality?

The venerated director Jean Luc Godard said "The cinema is truth 24 frames per second." But do we realize that there is no absolute truth? Truth is true as long as you believe it is.

The reason for this grumbling is the film “The Hurricane”. Saw it last night, and it ran me through a roller coaster of emotions. From pity, sympathy to relief and joy, I had a new idol now. The film based on the true life of Rubin Hurricane Carter, the African American middleweight boxer, whose only fault was the colour of his skin. Wrongly accused and persecuted for homicide by racist white people, it is his battle against adversity. Denzel Washington excels as the wronged prize fighter. Good wins over bad, transcending colour and race.

In reality, Rubin Carter’s innocence or guilt is highly controversial. He had support from celebrities like world champion Muhammad Ali, Bob Dylan who wrote and performed ‘The Hurricane’. There are others who believe he is guilty of all three murders.

But what irks me most is the ability of film makers to conveniently exclude important facts and presenting the character in just one light. Subtle positive visual hints reinforce Carter’s heroic position, forcing the audience to feel offended by his penalty. If the film makers believed so strongly in his innocence, they should have shown all the facts with conviction.

Watch “The Hurricane” with a lump in your throat and a gush of relief for your hero, and then visit this website http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/.

Cal Deal brilliantly provides the facts in a most non-racist, no-biased fashion.

"Hurricane Carter: The Other Side of the Story"

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter

RACISM & the Carter Case:

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/racism.html

The Case Against Carter (Prosecutor's Brief):

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/sarokinresponse.html

Carters Criminal, Psychiatric & Military Record

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/threat.html

The Violent Side of Rubin Carter

http://www.graphicwitness.com/carter/character.html

So is Hurricane really a hero or a villain? I will leave the judgment to you...

The ever growing spiral in Tim’s mind.....

2008-03-18T15:02:00.000+05:30

It’s always interesting to follow the visual language of a film. Every director has his/her own distinct visual style, which reflects in everything that they do.

Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors and we have something in common, we both love spirals! Spirals give the illusion of movement, smooth and emanating endlessly.

Here are some instances of the presence of spirals in his popular films; they are present in characteristic features, as backgrounds and props.

Or you can get a detailed view of the 3 films here:

Image ™ and © Disney and its related entities.

Image ™ and © Warner Brothers its related entities.

Image ™ and © Warner Brothers and its related entities.

Genius has side effects...

2008-02-29T14:57:00.000+05:30

Hospital drama...Yes this is a well trodden path, battered to the core so much that this topic can be hospitalized! These vary from never ending soap style renditions like General Hospital, rib tickling comedies like Scrubs, to dramas like Greys Anatomy, ER, Chicago Hope and our childhood heartthrob Doogie Howser MD. Some are highly clinical; others have the hospital theme as just a backdrop to portray human relations and emotions.

Image ™ and © FOX and its related entities.

My most loved medical series by far has been House. Personally I feel this is the most sensibly intelligent show on television today. House also known as House MD has been created by David Shore and co produced by Bryan Singer of X Men fame. The series stars Hugh Laurie as the quirky Dr. Gregory House as the Head of the Department of Diagnostic Medicine.

Laurie amuses in his idiosyncrasies, he is the eternal cynic trapped in his own world of drug addiction and pain, ever trying to be unemotionally clinical. His eccentricity and scathing bluntness is tolerated by his peers for his unfailing genius and nearly perfect instinct.

He hides his true self behind an armour of witty sarcasm, flashes of his emotional self exposed only when he’s caught off guard by some other troubled soul like him. The interaction between House and his peers and patients is not only witty but surprisingly human, but one which touches the heart.

In this series the only villain to beat are the extraordinary maladies which our disdained hero battles with, unwillingly showing his vulnerable self which is a treat to watch! The beauty of the series lies in forcing the audience to love, adores, respect, hate, loathe and despise Dr. House in the same episode! A must watch for all. House airs on AXN on Tuesdays, 23.00 PM.

Interestingly, Hugh Laurie has also played Bertie Wooser in the television series Jeeves and Wooster based on PG Wodehouse’s famous Jeeves series.

Lady in the Water

2008-02-20T14:01:00.000+05:30

Lady in the Water by M Night Shyamalan was listed by Variety as one of the ten "biggest (financial) losers" of 2006. It was criticized and many thought it was Shyamalan’s self indulgence, his unique style of unveiling the essence of the film in the end, grossly missing from this one.

Cinema as an art form is self indulgence, a completely made up world of fantasy and childish wonder. Some concepts are convincing enough, others fail to connect, but they are brilliant ideas none the less. A film affects and influences people in numerous ways. Maybe that is the beauty of cinema.

If one were to take away the whimsical layer of fantasy, the underlying essence of the film is about change and the unseen connectedness between people. Every living being has a purpose, though one does not realize it. Story who is a narf (a nymph or a water faerie) is played by Bryce Dallas Howard says “Man thinks they are each alone in this world. It is not true. You are all connected. One act can one day affect all.” The prologue of film is done very tastefully, but maybe giving away the plot from the very beginning was the reason why the film did not appeal to the audiences. But it has to be seen for the message and the animation. See it here.

Personally, it was a feel good movie which always brings a happy tear in the end. Definitely worth a watch.

Here’s the SHINING parody!!

2008-02-12T14:38:00.000+05:30

No other character would have been parodied more than our very own Jack Torrance played by Jack Nicholson in the classic cult horror film The Shining by legendary director Stanley Kubrick. But a spoof evolves more from veneration for an actor who has so effortlessly portrayed a man possessed by his own insanity. The famous scene ‘Here’s Johnny!’ has inspired many music videos, comics, animation and films.

The Shining, Jack Nicholson, John 'Jack' Torrance
Jack Nicholson, "The Shining," Warner Bros. 1979.
Photo by MPTV, image copyright of Warner Bros.

Here are some instances:

The Simpsons
In the segment "The Shinning" from a Halloween episode of The Simpsons and part of "Realty Bites".

Image copyright of Gracie Films and 20th century Fox television.

Finding Nemo
Here's Brucie!!!! In the Disney film Finding Nemo, Bruce pounds at a door in a submarine while chasing Marlin and Dory. He creates a hole and instead of saying, "Here's Johnny!", he says, "Here's Brucie!"

Image copyright of Disney/Pixar

Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi

In this award-winning anime TV series created by Gainax studios,the scene where Jack breaks down the door with an axe is recreated for comedic effect when the female protagonist, Arumi, tries to escape a bunch of monsters in a building.

Image copyright of ADV Films

The Shining in 30 seconds, re-enacted by bunnies. Watch it here

A funny bunny version of the film created by Angry Alien productions.

Image copyright of Angry Alien Productions

A spoof of in the mad MAD comics

Image copyright of EC Publications

Symphony 2000 by EPMD Watch it here

Guest rapper Redman cuts down a door and sticks his head through it in the same fashion as Jack.

Image copyright of EPMD

The legality of evil

2007-12-19T18:19:00.000+05:30

Horror is one genre battered, exploited and abused since ages. When everything else fails, the “in thing” is to sift through some Japanese video libraries, and viola! you have a remake of a Japanese horror movie “Hollywoodized” with chilling sound effects and cutting edge SFX. Sadly, the essence of the film is lost somewhere in the plastic blonde screams and overtly long thrill sequences. One exception to this long list of remakes and refakes is 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' by Scott Derrickson.

Apparently based on a true story this might sound as a contradiction to my remake theory as the first thought coming to one’s mind is the cult hit 'The Exorcist' made in 1973 by William Friedkin. Yes, the concept of exorcism is the driving force of the movie, but one unique angle is the legal perspective to exorcism. What is the scientific stand on exorcism, is there a logical explanation to possession by an evil spirit? On what basis can a legal court case be fought when a priest fails to perform a successful exorcism? Can you regard him as guilty of medical negligence? Where do you draw a line between science and religion? In this unending conflict, lives are lost and legal battles are fought blaming one another. These are some of the questions raised in this sensitive film.

And just another thing, just because there is a serious legal angle to the film do not forget that this is essentially a horror film and it justifies being one….

The Exorcism of Emily Rose -Official website

Kite Runner the movie is here....

2007-12-17T13:53:00.000+05:30

For all those who loved this book by Khaled Hosseini, here comes the cinematographic version. It would not be too much to say that this is one of the most brilliant piece of literature, one that not only makes you bawl in a happy ending but also makes you taste and smell life in Afghanistan. A moving tale of a young Amir who is haunted by his past and the choices that he made. A must read for critters passionate about culture, places, history and most importantly souls passionate about life…..

More about the film here:
Kite runner the movie
Kite runner on IMDB

Another artistic rendition of life in Afghanistan is ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’. If ‘The Kite Runner’ was a tale about a tormented man, ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ is an entangled saga of women in Afghanistan, mangled relationships, withered lives and amidst all these, unlikely friendships and the power of love.

"Heeere’s Johnny!"

2006-09-07T14:51:00.000+05:30

There are two types of fears, instinctive and induced. But when Stanley Kubrick humanizes fear, it’s the perfect concoction of both. In Shining, by horror king Stephen King yet again, the master enthralls with spine-chilling sound design. An instance of the fantastic sound effects is when Danny rides his tricycle on the rugs and wooden boards; the rhythm of the alternating materials is quite captivating. Jack Nicholson steals the show again with his natural ability to transmogrify into a monster quite effortlessly. The camera throughout the film, is either behind or bang in front of the actor, giving the illusion of flat, two dimensional imagery.

Sadly, a goof up put me off. In the opening scene the shadow of the helicopter doing the filming can be seen for an instant on the lower right corner. “Et tu Stanley?” Well, we all are human after all….

When space ships do ballet...

2006-08-06T22:26:00.000+05:30

Stanley Kubrick does it again; he has this knack to juxtapose the most contrasting, disconnected imagery and sound to make new connotations. ‘2001, A space odyssey’ is a fine example of this. The space machinery appear to be gifted with the grace and poise of a ballet dancer! HAL almost seems human, with his ability to exhibit emotions. I particularly like the contradiction between his machine like voice saying the very typical sentimental statements.

Evolution of apes to man was the deliberation of an extraterrestrial force. A monolith is planted on earth, which acts as fuel for the ape’s burning curiosity. We have been so dependent on technology for our evolution, that one day the technology will take over us. And this is for real, it is where we are headed, slowly but surely.

The shots seem a little longer than required, maybe Kubrick wants to convey something that I failed to comprehend. Clever use of cameras to create the antigravity feel. There was some disdain regarding the special effects, but one has to remember that it was made in 1968 when Lucas and Spielberg were aspiring to make their movies. KUDOS to the man… he does it again……….

The real ME...

2006-07-30T19:47:00.000+05:30

The real me hides behind the perfectly normal facade, and keeps growing like a disease.....

isn't he a darling!

2006-05-03T18:40:00.000+05:30

what monstrosity commands me to craft these, i do not know...

2006-05-03T18:11:00.000+05:30

Color of compassion

2006-04-09T00:57:00.000+05:30

CRASH One incident can transform your life for the good or bad. Variant circumstances in life demand unforeseen deeds. Again like I said before, we are all connected by some invisible thread that binds us together in strands of time. But we seem to negate this natural instinct of making connections by trying to isolate ourselves. And when it gets too much, we crash into each other, just to feel something.

This film deals with racism in all walks of life. This discrimination permeates every section of the society. It’s dismaying to see atrocities faced by the minorities for no reason of theirs. And when they retaliate, they are branded as terrorists, criminals or rioters. But deep down, it’s a hard realization that a human remains what he or she is, even if he is brown, black, yellow or white. Integrity is not colored, nor is love or compassion. It hits the most racist person hard enough to make them color blind to these differences. Confused? Go watch the film.

An artist for sale

2006-04-08T20:14:00.000+05:30

If there’s something called alluring visual language of a movie, this one has it in heaps. “Memoirs of a Geisha” is a simple story, but narrated most stunningly. The costumes, locales and cinematography are breathtaking. This is a mysterious world of ironic grace and enticement. What hardships must a girl go through to become a desired Geisha? How different is she from a prostitute? A prostitute sells her body, a Geisha her skill. But don’t both of them share the same burden of being a commodity and the inexistence of love in their lives? Everything is in this women’s is transient; there’s perpetual mistrust and competition. You compete even with your sisters for the hollow affection of a client. The scene with the narrative of the war is the perfect example of a montage. The metaphorical nature of the film reflects in everything.

An excerpt from the movie says it all: "She paints her face to hide her face. Her eyes are deep water. It is not for Geisha to want. It is not for geisha to feel. Geisha is an artist of the floating world. She dances, she sings. She entertains you, whatever you want. The rest is shadows, the rest is secret."

Another great movie on jealousy and betrayal is "Raise the Red Lantern" where Li Gong (Hatsumomo) plays Songlian, the fourth mistress to a wealthy Chinese lord and is caught up in the unremitting competition between the four mistresses to gain the affection of the lord. The color red plays the most vital role in the film, see it to know why!

Taste of cherry, a sensuous taste of life

2006-03-14T17:44:00.000+05:30

Is killing oneself as wrong as killing someone else? What does it take to drive a man to kill himself, is it a justified deed?

Taste of cherry is a wretched tale of Mr. Badii, who has lost all hope in life, and desires to commit the most extreme crime – A suicide. His struggle to find a person to cover his grave is tremendously painful, there is a poignant pathetic way he begs. The narrative also very cleverly manages to put in variant views on suicide, some being quite convincing in its favor. A striking aspect of the movie is the manner in which Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami manages to deliver the most powerful visual cues. Especially the shadow play.

I also like the simplistic treatment of the movie. He manages to create metaphors of the most dull and ordinary aspects that we would miss. A must see for all serious cinema buffs.

Isabelle again

2006-02-20T15:57:00.001+05:30

Sauve qui peut: Three lives of three women, connected in some bizarre fashion. This movie disturbs me, when I think of what nightmarish experiences people endure to get their desires and wishes see daylight. The world is as ghastly as the people inhabiting it. People are still driven by primal sexual urges and women survive by making business out of these cravings. There is this very fuzzy delineation between words like love, relationships and physical intimacy. Goddard manages to make brilliant mockery of whatever he takes fancy to. The strength of a woman to stand by whatever she believes in is also incredibly demonstrated. Isabelle Rivière (Isabelle Huppert) sells herself everyday in a most unemotional non personal manner and manages to be happy as well.

Also in a far fetched way, I feel all our lives are connected by some invisible gossamer thread of commonality and fate. We are all bonded by our similar genome and maybe by our sole existence.

Irony on Valentine's day

2006-02-14T21:55:00.000+05:30

Love knows no barriers, love encompasses all…. these are eternal delusions of lovers.
Where there’s social, behavioral disparity, love takes a backseat, or rather a seat at the mental institution. Love is not about acceptance of a person the way they are, it’s about incessantly trying to mold someone into that perception of idealism. And when that does not happen, one just unfeelingly rejects their precious one. Love is a business, not a feeling anymore.
At the Isabelle Huppert film festival, I watched “La dentellière (The Lacemaker)”, where Isabelle brilliantly plays Pomme, a reserved and taciturn hairdresser, who encounters François (Yves Beneyton), who is an affluent student of literature. And then follows, lust, love and heartbreak.

When HTML code is sung and guerrillas remix music…………

2006-02-13T22:18:00.000+05:30

Oppera Internettikka Bollywooddikka by Igor Stromajer & Brane Zorman at the ‘Carnival of Electronic Creativity’.
The duo (guerrilla ballet dancer & opera singer)are so passionate about their work and they exude energy all around.
There is harmony in randomness and ambiguity in order. The music was mind blowing, literally!!!
Electronic trance and ecstasy are my memories of the performance. Hope I can do one guerrilla cameo with them!
For more info: www.intima.org

Lookie what I got………..INSOMNIA for a month

2005-12-06T12:30:00.000+05:30

Book I’m reading now…. ‘Ring’ by Koji Suzuki, all my lurking fears of Sadako / Samara have surfaced again, like oil on water, slithery and murky as ever. Any story which demonizes an innocence of a child to pure evil spooks me out. The description is highly visual and aids one's imagination.

I love it when the horror stems from psychology rather than blood and gore, the way some things are left to ones imagination. I couldn’t sleep for a month when I first saw ‘Ring’ the Hollywood version, anyone experienced the same kind of fear????

Television will never be the same again coz WHEN YOU DIE....YOU SEE THE RING..........

CATtitude

2005-12-01T03:38:00.000+05:30

Loads of lethargy mixed with equal portions of sarcasm and a dash of sass, viola… Garfield. Sloth and gluttony were thoroughly undesirable sins, but this pussycat has a mind of his own. Grab conventions and shatter them, or in Garfield’s case, simply gulp them down. Feline with a CATTITUDE has a cult of devout followers who are willing to marry Garfield if they could…

Creator Jim Davis feels People relate to Garfield because Garfield IS them. "He's a human in a cat suit". "Somehow, Garfield relieves our guilt and we love him for it."

Some of his famous one liners are:
"I HATE MONDAYS"
"DIET IS 'DIE' WITH A 'T'."
"I'LL RISE, BUT I WON'T SHINE."
"NEVER TRUST A SMILING CAT."
"THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT SQUAT."
"I'M NOT OVERWEIGHT, I'M UNDERTALL."
Lasagna was never so fashionable....

HAPPY B'DAY TO ME!!!!!!!!!

2005-10-26T10:24:00.000+05:30

26.10.2005

Happy B'day to me..............

An extension of McLuhan

2005-10-25T16:40:00.000+05:30

Herbert Marshall McLuhan said "All technology is an extension of the human body”.
And now I say, "All humans have become an extension of the technology, especially the computer..." need proof? I was contemplating on my birthday treat in Mumbai, the restaurant, thinking of sizzlers....
viola, the omnipotent , omnipresent worldwide web to the rescue…
http://ww1.mid-day.com/mumbaiguide/result.asp?ht=17&products=193&cat1_id=193&txtname=Sizzlers

Nowadays, I don’t think, I Google………..

A paradise called MADAGASCAR

2005-10-25T16:28:00.000+05:30

Madagascar: Sentiments come in all forms, be it in ego centric humans or zoo loving narcissist animals. Complacency is the biggest adversary of progress. ‘A place for everything and everything in its place’ is the underlying dictum of the movie. The undying zeal never to relinquish and facing adversities head on is what inspires me the most. Friends don’t give up on each other, period (I like this too!). The kids are in splits in this one. Vibrant colors evoke vibrant emotions. The universal archetypes are also developed quite beautifully. Voice over is flawless as ever.
The best part of the movie was “MOVE IT MOVE IT” by the lemur king Julian in his supposedly Indian/Jamaican accent. This movie somehow reminds me of “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel. (perhaps it’s the animal on ship connection).

Cuckoos just don't live in clocks

2005-10-23T02:23:00.000+05:30

What might seem like an irrelevant fixation to you might be somebody else’s entire universe. A person’s tragedy becomes another’s lark. Milos Forman’s ‘One flew over the cuckoos nest’ is concerning this irk. What is really madness? Is it the inability to fit into the mundane clone like behavior that the society demands, and play this crazy masquerade of hypocrisy? Who decides the thin line between insanity and normalness?
If someone were to subsist like a vegetable, thoughtless, emotionless would it be worth living at all??? Is death also a form of freedom? Why do humans like to play these power games? Need answers to these questions? Do watch the movie.

What do I say about Jack Nicholson...he is beyond words, Danny Devito is too sweet, with his stupid smile. Brilliant performances by the entire cast.

Vroom goes my inspiration…

2005-10-21T12:17:00.001+05:30

‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ screened in the open at 1am, projected on the workshop wall. Reminded me of the open air theatre experience at Tarapur. The concept of traveling on a bike has always appealed to me, now after the movie it’s become a burning ambition. It’s a very touching story of how a person can be touched by what he sees. Also, the message coming across is how the world and its inhabitants change our goals and ambitions. Each interaction with another makes one a different person. The cinematography is breathtaking and immersive. The technique of showing memory as a black and white visual is very clichéd, but yet it manages to deliver the message across. Humanizing a famous personality is interesting, as it reveals other facets of their personalities and ideologies.

Gael García Bernal as Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (Che Guevara) is very convincing, especially his asthma attack scenes :). At the crux of it all, its all about humanity and compassion. Amores Perros starring Gael García Bernal is also a must see.
In movies, "THERE'S A WILLING SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF", rightly said I opinionate.

the Elegance of 'The Elegant Universe'

2005-10-11T02:07:00.001+05:30

Latest film: ‘The Elegent Universe’. It explains things that I’m generally blissfully ignorant about like the String, Relative, Quantum theories and everything else in the Physics realm. But to a meager layman like me the visualization is overwhelming! The CGI effects are so clear and effective rather than being imposing, I especially like the part when it explains Einstein's theory that the universe functions like a huge interwoven fabric which gets warped by the weight of the stars (correct me if i'm wrong). The phenomenon has been visually depicted so beautifully. This is what I call good information design…..more later after I get over the movie. :)

Snatch – A sadistic satire

2005-10-07T09:54:00.000+05:30

Saw ‘Snatch’ by Guy Ritchie last night and to my utter surprise I quite liked it. Surprised as I generally dislike violence. The combination of comedy and violence is highly interesting, and Ritchie manages it very slickly. The things I like most about the movie are the fascinating transitions used in the beginning while introducing the characters. Also, although the movie involves pig feeding gangsters and roguish gypsies, there’s an air of panache and it doesn’t appear uncouth. The snotty British drawl is a little difficult to comprehend, and Brad Pitt’s gypsy accent (which apparently is neither Irish, Scottish nor British) is absolutely impossible to understand, but then he’s the eye candy :). The non – linearity of the movie is also handled quite beautifully without confusing the audience. Alan Ford as ‘Brick Top Polford’ is very impressive. Overall, a very gripping movie, it rushes by and keeps one baffled.

A sensorial experience through a frog’s anatomy!

2005-10-05T19:10:00.000+05:30

My latest venture at NID is the ‘Multisensory Design project’. For us to explore our tactile sensibilities, we were given this short assignment wherein we had to feel and explore an object for four minutes which was kept in a black cloth bag with slits to put our hands in. Mine turned out to be a squeaky rubber FROG!! The task was to replicate our experience in clay. Its amazing how the mind makes mental images in response to the tactile experience. It has the capability of seeing things in multiple views.
Someone rightly said "The eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing."

Emanating animations make my brain go inanimated!

2005-10-05T01:23:00.000+05:30

My animation submission is never ending............
My voice sounds like an incessant drone. (The narration has been done by me)
"Chutti aayi, Chutti aayi, sang apne who kushiyan laayi,
Laddoo pedhe aam rasile, chote bade aur rang rangile…"
These two lines took me eight hours to animate, and I remain perpetually dissatisfied with my work………
Hey bhagwaan, meri chutti kab aayegi????