Yep, you guessed it right - that is from "An affair to remember" (1957) - in color, no less ... decided to dust off the ole nouns and adjectives and get back in the game...
Its been a busy few weeks, and I'm not complaining... its all good...
Anyways, back to the thing that started it all... An affair to ... I only have a few words to say... ADJECTIVE ALERT!!!
Chemistry: mind-blowing
Wit: drier than sand-paper
Emotions: cathartic (don't make me say more)
Cinematography: majestic
Grandma Janou: charming
Soundtrack: moving
Mann (the hindi remake of this classy movie): cheesy (imho)
Edit 1: Aamir == Cary Grant? Kill me (Can you tell I'm in IT yet?)
Edit 2: Manisha Koirala == Deborah Kerr? Kill me now.
Oh and last but not the least, (for those of you who know what I'm talking about) , Nickie's fiance was Lois Clark?!? Are ya kiddin me.... rofl...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
If walls had...
well, mouths, the ones in my aptmt would tell me how much they love the posters I've put up - a lovely Monet art print of "Water Lilies" in my bedroom and the oh-so-awesome Casablanca in the living room...
Thrilled with my good taste in posters (I can hear you rolling your eyes) - I went ahead and indulged myself in a 75% off sale at allposters - 3 fine art (Monet, Van Gogh & another Monet) and 2 entertainment posters - an awesome Godfather mini movie poster with "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" and a F.R.I.E.N.D.S spoof of "Lunch on a Skyscraper"...
Being the proper, careful (and yes, its ok for you to say, 'sometimes boring') me, I wanted to get them laminated or something - so I could preserve all their glory...
But guess what, for posters that barely cost me 3-5$, I would have to spend about 7-8 times that to get them laminated... Totally not worth it right?!?
So here I am considering pinning (ouch! now if posters could talk!) the posters to my walls... Off I go now - looking for the pins... L8r then!!
Thrilled with my good taste in posters (I can hear you rolling your eyes) - I went ahead and indulged myself in a 75% off sale at allposters - 3 fine art (Monet, Van Gogh & another Monet) and 2 entertainment posters - an awesome Godfather mini movie poster with "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" and a F.R.I.E.N.D.S spoof of "Lunch on a Skyscraper"...
Being the proper, careful (and yes, its ok for you to say, 'sometimes boring') me, I wanted to get them laminated or something - so I could preserve all their glory...
But guess what, for posters that barely cost me 3-5$, I would have to spend about 7-8 times that to get them laminated... Totally not worth it right?!?
So here I am considering pinning (ouch! now if posters could talk!) the posters to my walls... Off I go now - looking for the pins... L8r then!!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Get your Chrome on
In case you haven't heard already, Google has launched a new browser Chrome - which I've been happily using since the day of its launch...
Its fast, light, feature packed and could seriously pose a threat to the IE/Firefox browser domination out there... What I really really liked - lets you import bookmarks from both IE and Firefox - which is the next logical step I would think - seeing that IE imported its own bookmarks, Firefox imported IE's and now Chrome does them all!
Here's the link to Google's Official Blog (yes, I read it regularly) - http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/fresh-take-on-browser.html
And here's a few articles that have some cool tricks for Chrome (if you think Chrome is cool, these links make it look cooler!!) - read in this order -
http://www.webtlk.com/2008/09/04/google-chrome/
http://www.webtlk.com/2008/09/04/google-chrome-tricks-and-tips/
http://www.webtlk.com/2008/09/08/the-best-unknwon-tricks-for-google-chrome/
My fave - the third link, point#3 - definitely worth a look..
Gripes: No RSS feeds on sites (yet), bookmarks are not-so-well-organized
and yes, I know, I promised Part 3 of my blog-arc and yes, I'll definitely write it up soon - life got in the way :(
Its fast, light, feature packed and could seriously pose a threat to the IE/Firefox browser domination out there... What I really really liked - lets you import bookmarks from both IE and Firefox - which is the next logical step I would think - seeing that IE imported its own bookmarks, Firefox imported IE's and now Chrome does them all!
Here's the link to Google's Official Blog (yes, I read it regularly) - http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/fresh-take-on-browser.html
And here's a few articles that have some cool tricks for Chrome (if you think Chrome is cool, these links make it look cooler!!) - read in this order -
http://www.webtlk.com/2008/09/04/google-chrome/
http://www.webtlk.com/2008/09/04/google-chrome-tricks-and-tips/
http://www.webtlk.com/2008/09/08/the-best-unknwon-tricks-for-google-chrome/
My fave - the third link, point#3 - definitely worth a look..
Gripes: No RSS feeds on sites (yet), bookmarks are not-so-well-organized
and yes, I know, I promised Part 3 of my blog-arc and yes, I'll definitely write it up soon - life got in the way :(
ciao for now!!
Monday, August 18, 2008
To read & to be read - Part 2
Still reeling from Part 1? Are you all cross-eyed and sleepy? Yeah? Then come back later... this post will still be here...
For the rest of you, Welcome to Part 2 of my blog-arc - this was Part 1. Glad ya joined me for the ride...
This post is going to be about yet another of Ms. Austen's book - debatably, my favorite - Sense and Sensibility (Div, did I hear a gasp from you?)
Once again, in a tale rich with emotional complexities, which Ms.Austen so superbly navigates, is set mostly in the English countryside (no, not the place pointed to by the signboard in Austin Powers: The Spy who shagged me - gotta stop here a sec and wipe my away my tears of laughter - that memory cracks me up everytime. every.time.) - is, again, a social drama with her (Jane Austen's) unflinching commentary on what was then considered perfectly normal.
Again, I saw the movie first, so I will only comment on what I know of it...
So far, of the newer Austen movies, I think this has the most stellar cast - Emma Thompson (I think she is, for lack of a purer adjective, awesome), Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman (I heart him) and of course, Hugh Grant & yes, even Hugh Laurie (go House). Star-crossed yet?
Gotta say here - it is a marvel, how after all these years, a story like this is still relevant... If Pride and Prejudice was about how the younger sister's (Elizabeth) prejudices almost came in the way of her true love, Sense is mostly about how the older sister keeps the family together... even at great personal cost...yes, the dreaded word, love.
Featuring once again, a strong female lead - someone who is well-read, accomplished, resourceful and yet puts family first... I think I'd turn to Sense for more realism that Pride. From the number of versions that Pride has had, you'll understand it has waaaay more drama and hence 'sells', if I may be so crude...
Sense hasn't had as many versions, atleast to my knowledge... And I will attribute that to how grounded and level-headed it is - be it Elinor or Col. Brandon. Those two words right there - grounded and level-headed - automatically make it tank at the box-office... Cos who wants real-life right? We want the tears, we want the drama, we want the costumes, we want the locations - but wait, Sense has those too... If only people stayed long enough to find that out...
Anyways, did you know Rajiv Menon's Kandukondein Kandukondein is an adaptation of Sense ? Tabu plays Elinor's character and Mamooty plays Col. Brandon's character - and these two, are my favorite. More about them later...
It is a fact that I saw Kandukondein before I saw Sense and I remember thinking to myself Abbas' character (Willoughby) was completely unnecessary... Only after I saw Sense did it make sense to me (pun definitely intended) - that Willoughby had to come into Marianne's life (Kate Winslet) to show her that what she thought was love, wasn't.
Ok, does it bug anyone else, that Aishwarya Rai (or should I say Rai-Bachchan now?) has has the privilege of playing two - not one, but two - Austen characters? Aishwarya as Lizzie Bennett? Really? Come on people!! Give me a BIG break. AND as Marianne Dashwood ? Kill me, kill me now. No offence to Ms. Rai - I wish her great personal and professional happiness.
I did honestly think that Tabu & Mamooty did justice to the parts given to them - but I must say here, the Indian twist to the story - Mamooty being a drunken, handicapped war veteran & Tabu as the un-lucky charm to Ajit's Edward Ferrars? I think that may have been the sugar that tried to make the intended medicine go down... I didn't agree with that...
As I said before, I heart Alan Rickman - I love him as Snape (heart heart heart), loved him in Die Hard, Love Actually, even Galaxy Quest. He's always played the drawl, sarcastic, with dry-as-sandpaper humor... I was quite pleasantly surprised to see him in Sense as the quiet, soft-spoken, caring yet firm Col. Brandon - the kind of guy they talked about when they said, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.... Col. Brandon's the kind of man I could possibly dream about - even if he only is a fictional character... feel free to go get coffee or something.. while I look away dreamily into the distance...
I was rather amused by Hugh Grant's portrayal of Edward Ferrars - attentive yet shy, accomplished yet grounded to Emma Thompson's Elinor and in particular, his scenes with Margaret Dashwood *chuckle*... This one film redeems all him from the Notting Hill/Mickey Blue Eyes/Bridget Jones' Diary fiasco...
Which brings me to an important point - the screenplay for the 1995 version of Sense was written by Emma Thompson and won her an Oscar the following year for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. Is that proof enough? That when great material meets a great interpreter /actor, magic happens? Her acceptance speech was so, so witty (it was on the DVD extra) and she is so humble....
I've always held her in high esteem... Starting from yet another fave Much ado about nothing, Remains of the day, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually and down to even the Harry Potter movies as Trelawney... I think she truly is a star...
If you've noticed, I've said a lot more about Sense than I did about Pride... and I'll go so far as to say, I really do identify and relate to Elinor's character... I totally get why she did what she did and the way she did it... and along the same lines, I totally identify with Tabu's character too - not the unlucky charm part of it, but almost everything else...
And like I said, I did order a paperback copy of the unabridged Sense and Sensibility (its part of a 3 book collectors item - P and P, S and S and also, Persuasion) ... so once I get the books, it definitely going to be a toss-up between Sense and Pride... *chuckles*
Anyways, Sense (1995) is an equally lavish, captivating production with fascinating portrayals of characters written a hundred year or so years ago... the movie is a living,breathing homage to one of the best books of our times and arguably, one of the best authors of our times ...
I'll take your leave now... Part 3 is coming soon...
For the rest of you, Welcome to Part 2 of my blog-arc - this was Part 1. Glad ya joined me for the ride...
This post is going to be about yet another of Ms. Austen's book - debatably, my favorite - Sense and Sensibility (Div, did I hear a gasp from you?)
Once again, in a tale rich with emotional complexities, which Ms.Austen so superbly navigates, is set mostly in the English countryside (no, not the place pointed to by the signboard in Austin Powers: The Spy who shagged me - gotta stop here a sec and wipe my away my tears of laughter - that memory cracks me up everytime. every.time.) - is, again, a social drama with her (Jane Austen's) unflinching commentary on what was then considered perfectly normal.
Again, I saw the movie first, so I will only comment on what I know of it...
So far, of the newer Austen movies, I think this has the most stellar cast - Emma Thompson (I think she is, for lack of a purer adjective, awesome), Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman (I heart him) and of course, Hugh Grant & yes, even Hugh Laurie (go House). Star-crossed yet?
Gotta say here - it is a marvel, how after all these years, a story like this is still relevant... If Pride and Prejudice was about how the younger sister's (Elizabeth) prejudices almost came in the way of her true love, Sense is mostly about how the older sister keeps the family together... even at great personal cost...yes, the dreaded word, love.
Featuring once again, a strong female lead - someone who is well-read, accomplished, resourceful and yet puts family first... I think I'd turn to Sense for more realism that Pride. From the number of versions that Pride has had, you'll understand it has waaaay more drama and hence 'sells', if I may be so crude...
Sense hasn't had as many versions, atleast to my knowledge... And I will attribute that to how grounded and level-headed it is - be it Elinor or Col. Brandon. Those two words right there - grounded and level-headed - automatically make it tank at the box-office... Cos who wants real-life right? We want the tears, we want the drama, we want the costumes, we want the locations - but wait, Sense has those too... If only people stayed long enough to find that out...
Anyways, did you know Rajiv Menon's Kandukondein Kandukondein is an adaptation of Sense ? Tabu plays Elinor's character and Mamooty plays Col. Brandon's character - and these two, are my favorite. More about them later...
It is a fact that I saw Kandukondein before I saw Sense and I remember thinking to myself Abbas' character (Willoughby) was completely unnecessary... Only after I saw Sense did it make sense to me (pun definitely intended) - that Willoughby had to come into Marianne's life (Kate Winslet) to show her that what she thought was love, wasn't.
Ok, does it bug anyone else, that Aishwarya Rai (or should I say Rai-Bachchan now?) has has the privilege of playing two - not one, but two - Austen characters? Aishwarya as Lizzie Bennett? Really? Come on people!! Give me a BIG break. AND as Marianne Dashwood ? Kill me, kill me now. No offence to Ms. Rai - I wish her great personal and professional happiness.
I did honestly think that Tabu & Mamooty did justice to the parts given to them - but I must say here, the Indian twist to the story - Mamooty being a drunken, handicapped war veteran & Tabu as the un-lucky charm to Ajit's Edward Ferrars? I think that may have been the sugar that tried to make the intended medicine go down... I didn't agree with that...
As I said before, I heart Alan Rickman - I love him as Snape (heart heart heart), loved him in Die Hard, Love Actually, even Galaxy Quest. He's always played the drawl, sarcastic, with dry-as-sandpaper humor... I was quite pleasantly surprised to see him in Sense as the quiet, soft-spoken, caring yet firm Col. Brandon - the kind of guy they talked about when they said, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.... Col. Brandon's the kind of man I could possibly dream about - even if he only is a fictional character... feel free to go get coffee or something.. while I look away dreamily into the distance...
I was rather amused by Hugh Grant's portrayal of Edward Ferrars - attentive yet shy, accomplished yet grounded to Emma Thompson's Elinor and in particular, his scenes with Margaret Dashwood *chuckle*... This one film redeems all him from the Notting Hill/Mickey Blue Eyes/Bridget Jones' Diary fiasco...
Which brings me to an important point - the screenplay for the 1995 version of Sense was written by Emma Thompson and won her an Oscar the following year for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. Is that proof enough? That when great material meets a great interpreter /actor, magic happens? Her acceptance speech was so, so witty (it was on the DVD extra) and she is so humble....
I've always held her in high esteem... Starting from yet another fave Much ado about nothing, Remains of the day, Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually and down to even the Harry Potter movies as Trelawney... I think she truly is a star...
If you've noticed, I've said a lot more about Sense than I did about Pride... and I'll go so far as to say, I really do identify and relate to Elinor's character... I totally get why she did what she did and the way she did it... and along the same lines, I totally identify with Tabu's character too - not the unlucky charm part of it, but almost everything else...
And like I said, I did order a paperback copy of the unabridged Sense and Sensibility (its part of a 3 book collectors item - P and P, S and S and also, Persuasion) ... so once I get the books, it definitely going to be a toss-up between Sense and Pride... *chuckles*
Anyways, Sense (1995) is an equally lavish, captivating production with fascinating portrayals of characters written a hundred year or so years ago... the movie is a living,breathing homage to one of the best books of our times and arguably, one of the best authors of our times ...
I'll take your leave now... Part 3 is coming soon...
To read & to be read - Part 1
Ok - I am going to break my own unwritten rule and publish more than one post on the same day...
If you read my earlier post today, you'll know I saw, like a ton, of movies this weekend and it got me thinking. A lot. Mostly due to 3 movies in that list (one unnamed yet of course) and here we go...
*WARNING*: This is part 1 of a blog-arc, so to speak - it is literary, extremely cerebral, mildly boring and I don't mind saying so myself, bordering on a rant. I will be more than happy if you read this, but don't say I didn't warn you...
Does a word like 'disingenuous' send you running towards the nearest WordWeb or Google tab?
Well, 'disingenuous' didn't send me off on a Googling spree.. but some other words still do... err let me say, phrases, like 'invigorating in a non-rigorous, pragmatic sort-of way' ...
And at the risk of sounding like an old crone, I'm wondering, what ever happened to the value of being well-read and well-spoken... Nowadays, we all seem to have attention spans that would only last a news ticker or a web-clip in gmail... I know they said "Keep it simple, stupid!" - but, really, this stupid?
I am not going to lament on how we all don't read books any more.. ok forget books, atleast newspapers? End to End? no waaaayyy.. right? Me either...
But I want to change - I'm going back to my roots... in a manner of speaking... I've always felt sorely inadequate in the company of my many, well-read, uncles - who, during the formative years of my childhood (look how that turned out!), have emphasized to me, the value of reading classics - the unabridged versions... And take my word for it, when they say they were 8 or 9 when they finished Dickens' writings or Keats' poems, I do not doubt them. Yes, they were brought up in a different time, we're brought up in a different time... still...
We're all looking for meaning, right? Life's small moments? Something we can connect with.. something that makes us feel less insane... For me, it just might be reading some classics... Personally, I have always found that, reading books is like looking at life through someone else's eyes, walking in someone else's shoes... I find it stimulating and you know what they say, once a new idea enters your mind, it stretches a little and never goes back to the way it was...
So I'm gonna start with one of my fave authors, the wonderful Ms. Jane Austen... I can see those eyes rolling... stop here if you want... you can still make a run for it...
Part 1 of this blog arc is going to be about one of her most celebrated works, Pride and Prejudice... And although I could, at this point, launch into a full-blown review of the movie or of the book, I'm going to just jot down some random thoughts about both...
So ends Part 1. But only because I have some other stuff to juggle... I'llll be back....
If you read my earlier post today, you'll know I saw, like a ton, of movies this weekend and it got me thinking. A lot. Mostly due to 3 movies in that list (one unnamed yet of course) and here we go...
*WARNING*: This is part 1 of a blog-arc, so to speak - it is literary, extremely cerebral, mildly boring and I don't mind saying so myself, bordering on a rant. I will be more than happy if you read this, but don't say I didn't warn you...
Does a word like 'disingenuous' send you running towards the nearest WordWeb or Google tab?
Well, 'disingenuous' didn't send me off on a Googling spree.. but some other words still do... err let me say, phrases, like 'invigorating in a non-rigorous, pragmatic sort-of way' ...
And at the risk of sounding like an old crone, I'm wondering, what ever happened to the value of being well-read and well-spoken... Nowadays, we all seem to have attention spans that would only last a news ticker or a web-clip in gmail... I know they said "Keep it simple, stupid!" - but, really, this stupid?
I am not going to lament on how we all don't read books any more.. ok forget books, atleast newspapers? End to End? no waaaayyy.. right? Me either...
But I want to change - I'm going back to my roots... in a manner of speaking... I've always felt sorely inadequate in the company of my many, well-read, uncles - who, during the formative years of my childhood (look how that turned out!), have emphasized to me, the value of reading classics - the unabridged versions... And take my word for it, when they say they were 8 or 9 when they finished Dickens' writings or Keats' poems, I do not doubt them. Yes, they were brought up in a different time, we're brought up in a different time... still...
We're all looking for meaning, right? Life's small moments? Something we can connect with.. something that makes us feel less insane... For me, it just might be reading some classics... Personally, I have always found that, reading books is like looking at life through someone else's eyes, walking in someone else's shoes... I find it stimulating and you know what they say, once a new idea enters your mind, it stretches a little and never goes back to the way it was...
So I'm gonna start with one of my fave authors, the wonderful Ms. Jane Austen... I can see those eyes rolling... stop here if you want... you can still make a run for it...
Part 1 of this blog arc is going to be about one of her most celebrated works, Pride and Prejudice... And although I could, at this point, launch into a full-blown review of the movie or of the book, I'm going to just jot down some random thoughts about both...
- The book was first titled 'First Impresssions' before it came around to be what we know as P and P
- Both Hollywood & Bollywood have made attempts at converting P&P into a movie that takes place in our times, or at the very least incorporating some elements from P and P. Case in point, You've got mail that has our charming Mr.Hanks and the elfin Ms. Ryan discussing Ms. Bennett and Mr.Darcy. Bollywood's take? Well, its more of a cross over, but still, Gurinder Chadha's Bride and Prejudice. These apart from the other P and P versions with Colin Firth, the one with Laurence Olivier etc. Oh and did I forget to mention Bridget Jones' Diary, too.
- The film adaptations of Ms.Austen's books have always commended a top-notch cast - I mean, look at P and P - the 2005 version. Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn, Kiera Knightley and last but not the least in any sense of the word, Dame Judi Dench. If that doesn't dazzle you, nothing will... I haven't seen any other Matthew MacFadyen works, but he deserves a mention here too.
- P and P will be to girls what the Godfather is to guys. No argument.
- The 2005 version of the film is more like a lush painting than it is a movie. Striking visuals, masterful panoramas (yes, panoramas, not panoramae. Wiki it.), rich orchestration and not to mention bloody brilliant dialogue delivery
- I am yet to see the 1995 Colin Firth version, but have heard only good things about it
- I admit, I started P and P, never to finish it - but I blame the teeny black and white printout I took. That was a mistake. A big mistake. I am making amends though - I'm getting a brand new copy of the unabridged, paperback version in a couple of days, so I can sink in and lose myself in it. Hats off to my lil sis for finishing it earlier than me (of course you had it easier - no office work, no status reports, no meetings and generally, a little more energy. Don't even argue.)
- Mr.Darcy - pause while I melt - is that guy. Really. (yes ladies, I hear the collective swooning in the background) and Elizabeth Bennett, in one way or another, is something we all have been/want to be/had to be at some point in our lives - strong, independent, intelligent and resourceful (I'm not a feminist. really. I like what this quote says "Timothy Leary - 'Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.'" Haah.)
So ends Part 1. But only because I have some other stuff to juggle... I'llll be back....
Weekend lineup
Yaaawwn… strettchhh… is it Monday already!?! Do I have to wake up now? Time flies… especially when you’re having a good time… I had a rather enjoyable weekend and I’m sad to see its over already…
Anyways, y’all know my appetite for movies and this weekend was no different… Here’s what I ran through this weekend (in this order):
1. Swades
2. Lakshya
3. National Treasure
4. Constantine
5. Heroes S1, disc 2
6. You've got mail
7. Before Sunrise
8. Before Sunset
9. Pride & Prejudice
10. one more movie I am not going to reveal just yet - you'll hear about this soon though
And so, from this weekend, has sprung quite a little well of thoughts...
I'll be back soon....
Anyways, y’all know my appetite for movies and this weekend was no different… Here’s what I ran through this weekend (in this order):
1. Swades
2. Lakshya
3. National Treasure
4. Constantine
5. Heroes S1, disc 2
6. You've got mail
7. Before Sunrise
8. Before Sunset
9. Pride & Prejudice
10. one more movie I am not going to reveal just yet - you'll hear about this soon though
And so, from this weekend, has sprung quite a little well of thoughts...
I'll be back soon....
Friday, August 15, 2008
Happy independence day!!
Here's a lovely quote I thought would be very relevant today:
It is important to honor our beginnings; to remember that we matter and that we have a place in this world that no one else has .... Anonymous
I have immense respect for where we've been these last 61 yrs, proud of where we are today and very excited about where we are heading as a nation...
It is important to honor our beginnings; to remember that we matter and that we have a place in this world that no one else has .... Anonymous
I have immense respect for where we've been these last 61 yrs, proud of where we are today and very excited about where we are heading as a nation...
Happy Independence Day everyone!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Withdrawal
After watching the explosive series premiere of Heroes on Netflix (S1, disc 1), I was waiting badly for Disc 2 from Netflix... as it turns out, Netflix's Shipping system has had an outage and discs haven't been shipped...
Entire story at this link - http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080814/media_nm/netflix_outage_dc
Looks like I'll have to wait a bit... now am left with a weekend wide open.. no Heroes, nothing...
Lets see, I ran through the entire 1st season of Angel (yeah baby!!) on Hulu's Days of Summer, online..
Done watching two of my fave fave fave sci-fi flicks - The Fifth Element and MIB on Hulu...
Only thing left to do is watch Burn Notice, again on Hulu, I guess... *sniffle, sniffle*
Can't wait for the fall episodes of all my fave returning shows - Bones, Grey's, Heroes, Ugly Betty, House, Brothers & Sisters ... yes I'll even go as far as saying, I'm waiting for Pushing Daisies and Private Practice.. oh and Eli Stone too... did I miss anything out? *scratches chin thoughtfully*
But these are, at the mininum, 3 full weeks away... poor me...
Now that I think about it - there's still "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to catch on Hulu.. If only my internet connection were fast enough to stream Netflix's free "Watch Instantly" service that's part of my account... maybe I will check that too...
anyways, this rant stops here - this minute.
till the next post then... ta!!
Entire story at this link - http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080814/media_nm/netflix_outage_dc
Looks like I'll have to wait a bit... now am left with a weekend wide open.. no Heroes, nothing...
Lets see, I ran through the entire 1st season of Angel (yeah baby!!) on Hulu's Days of Summer, online..
Done watching two of my fave fave fave sci-fi flicks - The Fifth Element and MIB on Hulu...
Only thing left to do is watch Burn Notice, again on Hulu, I guess... *sniffle, sniffle*
Can't wait for the fall episodes of all my fave returning shows - Bones, Grey's, Heroes, Ugly Betty, House, Brothers & Sisters ... yes I'll even go as far as saying, I'm waiting for Pushing Daisies and Private Practice.. oh and Eli Stone too... did I miss anything out? *scratches chin thoughtfully*
But these are, at the mininum, 3 full weeks away... poor me...
Now that I think about it - there's still "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" to catch on Hulu.. If only my internet connection were fast enough to stream Netflix's free "Watch Instantly" service that's part of my account... maybe I will check that too...
anyways, this rant stops here - this minute.
till the next post then... ta!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Happy
You know that giant movie poster that hangs in Chandler & Joey's apartment... well I'm getting one of my own!! well, two actually... One is a movie poster reproduction of, yes, you guessed it - Casablanca and the other smaller one, is a matter print of Monet's "Water Lilies"...
Where did I find these? The Museum of Modern Art store (momastore.org) - check it out why don't you...
Can't wait for these to get here... l8r .. ta!!
Where did I find these? The Museum of Modern Art store (momastore.org) - check it out why don't you...
Can't wait for these to get here... l8r .. ta!!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Wicked!
ok ok... so I swore I would not gush all over my blog about summer movies .. cos, you know, they are summer movies... pure summertainment - not real movies, right? ... but a couple of summer movies I have watched this summer, have changed my mind and I don't mind saying that I've been pleasantly surprised...
*WARNING*: long post ... hear me out people...
the movies that changed my mind? Ironman and The Dark Knight... now, now, before you roll your eyes, let me lay it out for you - a) I am NOT a comic book fan and b) my stand on superheroes so far - meh.
So, the fact that I am here, writing about two superhero movies - well, even I am surprised...
For those of you who haven't seen these movies yet - please stop here - major spoiler alert - but take my word for it, go and watch them - these movies will leave you quite entertained and satisfied that you got your money's worth - and nowadays, that saying a lot...
And for those of you who think I must probably be a blind fan of the actors in these movies - well, you're wrong...
First - Ironman... I had zero info about what the character/comic book was about - only what I'd read in the summer previews that it was about a normal guy who Macgyver's together a suit and becomes Ironman...
That being said, I also knew Robert Downey Jr. was playing the lead... and I knew him from - don't roll your eyes - Only you and I've always thought of him as handsome, you know, easy on the eyes, great smile... Haven't really followed any of his other work, although I have heard of his drug problems and arrests...
So anyways, as the movie progressed, I realized I was quite won over by the intelligent script, not to mention top of the line action sequences (no, I am not going to squeee about the sexy Ironman suit) , Robert Downey Jr's deadpan delivery of some of the funniest lines in the movie and good old fashioned solid acting... and the movie made quite a statement about war too - it is all about who's got the biggest guns...
Yeah - predictable story - rich, I-don't-give-a-*** industrialist, weapons innovator (that pic of RDJ with Bill Gates had me in splits) gets kidnapped by his biggest customers - Middle-Eastern terrorists - builds himself a suit from scrap parts of his own weapons and escapes.... turns around 180 and goes back to save the villagers in the area he was kidnapped in... vows to stop building weapons... so what if it takes his own grenade that blows up on him and causes a million pieces of shrapnel racing towards his heart - to change it!
RDJ is absolutely charming and suave as Tony Stark - the industrialist-playboy-innovator-indifferent rich guy turned super hero...
Highlights of the movie for me - his scenes with Pepper, played by the beautiful Ms.Paltrow, his scenes in his lab while coming up with his suit, his test drives of them and most importantly - the fact that in spite of being an the industrialist-playboy-innovator-indifferent rich guy, he was still in touch with his craft - his ability to invent things, be it in his lab or in the caves - he was still hands-on with the thing that made him who he was ... not some - oh-I-am-so-rich-I-don't-even-care-about-how-I-got-here types....
Very intelligent - that too for a summer movie... screenplay was tight, acting was top notch, effects were so good, you wouldnt know that the suit he puts on is all effects and not a real suit...
I found a theme here that seems to be recurring nowadays - more about that later...
Onto The Dark Knight... ok so I havent really cared for Christian Bale's work... may have even seen a couple of movies of his I dont remember... and the man everyone's talking about - Heath Ledger - who I first saw in, wait for it, 10 Things I hate about you ... heard about him in movies I never saw - A Knight's Tale, The Patriot, Brokeback Mountain...
But yes, I do have a past with the Batman comics/movies/tv in the past - I grew up on the 60's Batman TV Show featuring Adam West - my 10 yr old self was so in love with him ... anyways, that show was more comedic than serious about crime-fighting and I rofl now thinking of the dialogues and the execution...
Annnnyways, yeah, so I did see a couple of Batman movies - the ones with Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney - oops, that's one more than a couple - so yeah, that's all I had on Batman so far and all I knew about Batman Begins was that it had Christian Bale in it along with, wait for it, (rolling my eyes) Katies Holmes - and after watching such suave, charming men play Batman, watching Christian Bale as the caped crusader in Batman Begins, was NOT a priority...
Anyways, so I heard all about the Dark Knight and how Heath Ledger is so darn amazing in it - and yes, I am one of the people who went into it having heard all the hype about a posthumous Oscar for Ledger (what with his recent death and all)... I had this line in my head from some review I read - "people may just watch it for the fact that they are seeing Heath Ledger's ghost on screen" - I was all, wow this is so cool, this has never happened to me and all that jazz...
But you know what, that lasted for like 2 seconds - Ledger is that darned good - you forget all about the real him and get lost in the madness that is the Joker... And yes, I am an ardent Jack Nicholson fan - I think he is one of the finest actors of my time - my fave movie of his so far, As good as it gets - till date, his performance as the Joker is the one I've measured quite a few villians upto...
But Ledger, my god... his performance was all it was cracked up to be and so much more... only adjectives come to mind - chilling, riveting, brilliant... the singularity of the character's purpose - to watch Gotham city burn ( no no, definitely not for money - he *gasp* burned a room-high pile of greenbacks) and two memorable lines - "Why so serious?" and "If you are good at something, never do it for free" - now that's what I am talkin about!
yeah, so I did sit there cringing through most of the havoc that the Joker unleashed on the city... but you just have to give the guy credit - this line comes to mind - If you wanna be bad, yeah, you gotta be good ...
And yes, I'm gonna say it - his performance as the Joker was more chilling than Mr. Nicholson's... his scenes with Batman - where he so clearly points out that he has brought Batman to the point where he cannot do anything even with all his strength and has absolutely nothing to threaten the Joker with - sheer genius ... and towards the end, where he talks about how incorruptible Batman is, how noble he is in not killing the Joker out of self-righteousness and how they may be destined to do this good guy-bad guy dance forever... some of the best lines ever... right up there with Casablanca quotes...
Why am I not talking about Bale, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman (another fave of mine) and Michael Caine? The story and screenplay + Ledger = little reason to talk about these other elements... fine performances, yes - esp. Eckhart & Freeman... but the overall wow-ness is the story and Ledger more than anything else... I'll take an intelligent villain over a mildly-interesting superhero any day...
Both these movies left me thinking - which not very many movies have made me do ... that was a pleasant surprise... thinking about what makes us human and more importantly, good, bad or somewhere inbetween ... As the Joker says, people are only as good as they are allowed to be by society and don't even get me started about his rant about plans - man, the stuff really hit home ... here's the link for quotes from the movie - go on and read a few, you won't regret it and I'll wait right here for you...
And yet, this is a Batman movie, so it still is about him and why he is the Dark Knight as opposed to Eckhart's white (D.A) knight... A tad bit long - honestly, I was ready to pack up and leave at the 2 hr mark - I really did think the movie was over, but noooo, there was more to be seen & heard... brilliant...
Other Dark Knight links:
http://www.themovieblog.com/2008/06/the-dark-knight-review
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/04/mondaymoviebuzz.darkknight.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/
And here's the theme I was talking about - deconstructing the classic hero - he is not indestructible, he is not all powerful and he is certainly not a one man army...
I mean look at Tony Stark & Bruce Wayne - the "heroes" - the bleed, they burn , they hurt and *gasp* have real emotions... and yeah, they are flawed and they're not afraid to show it - but that's what makes them all the more relatable.... right? I don't mean that in a 'now I think I can also be Ironman' sort of way... I'm just saying - they've made it ok for heroes to be as human as any of us...
This is also a theme I ave noticed in two of my (don't yawn) fave TV shows - Bones & Heroes - yes, Booth is a knight-in-shining-FBI-standard-issue-body-armour but he is also a normal guy who loves his kid to death and loves his beer & apple pie and doesn't want to hurt his shoulder breaking down a door (Season 3, last ep. Pain in the heart) ... and in Heroes - all of 'em - Bob, Peter, Noah, *gasp* Elle, Nathan, Peter, Hiro and yes, even Adam - all with superpowers but driven purely by their own humanity...
Wicked awesome these movies... loved them... And so comes an end to a weekend I managed to pack in 7 movies into (including the latest Mummy movie) ... probably won't be back here for a while though ... till the next post then... ta!
*WARNING*: long post ... hear me out people...
the movies that changed my mind? Ironman and The Dark Knight... now, now, before you roll your eyes, let me lay it out for you - a) I am NOT a comic book fan and b) my stand on superheroes so far - meh.
So, the fact that I am here, writing about two superhero movies - well, even I am surprised...
For those of you who haven't seen these movies yet - please stop here - major spoiler alert - but take my word for it, go and watch them - these movies will leave you quite entertained and satisfied that you got your money's worth - and nowadays, that saying a lot...
And for those of you who think I must probably be a blind fan of the actors in these movies - well, you're wrong...
First - Ironman... I had zero info about what the character/comic book was about - only what I'd read in the summer previews that it was about a normal guy who Macgyver's together a suit and becomes Ironman...
That being said, I also knew Robert Downey Jr. was playing the lead... and I knew him from - don't roll your eyes - Only you and I've always thought of him as handsome, you know, easy on the eyes, great smile... Haven't really followed any of his other work, although I have heard of his drug problems and arrests...
So anyways, as the movie progressed, I realized I was quite won over by the intelligent script, not to mention top of the line action sequences (no, I am not going to squeee about the sexy Ironman suit) , Robert Downey Jr's deadpan delivery of some of the funniest lines in the movie and good old fashioned solid acting... and the movie made quite a statement about war too - it is all about who's got the biggest guns...
Yeah - predictable story - rich, I-don't-give-a-*** industrialist, weapons innovator (that pic of RDJ with Bill Gates had me in splits) gets kidnapped by his biggest customers - Middle-Eastern terrorists - builds himself a suit from scrap parts of his own weapons and escapes.... turns around 180 and goes back to save the villagers in the area he was kidnapped in... vows to stop building weapons... so what if it takes his own grenade that blows up on him and causes a million pieces of shrapnel racing towards his heart - to change it!
RDJ is absolutely charming and suave as Tony Stark - the industrialist-playboy-innovator-indifferent rich guy turned super hero...
Highlights of the movie for me - his scenes with Pepper, played by the beautiful Ms.Paltrow, his scenes in his lab while coming up with his suit, his test drives of them and most importantly - the fact that in spite of being an the industrialist-playboy-innovator-indifferent rich guy, he was still in touch with his craft - his ability to invent things, be it in his lab or in the caves - he was still hands-on with the thing that made him who he was ... not some - oh-I-am-so-rich-I-don't-even-care-about-how-I-got-here types....
Very intelligent - that too for a summer movie... screenplay was tight, acting was top notch, effects were so good, you wouldnt know that the suit he puts on is all effects and not a real suit...
I found a theme here that seems to be recurring nowadays - more about that later...
Onto The Dark Knight... ok so I havent really cared for Christian Bale's work... may have even seen a couple of movies of his I dont remember... and the man everyone's talking about - Heath Ledger - who I first saw in, wait for it, 10 Things I hate about you ... heard about him in movies I never saw - A Knight's Tale, The Patriot, Brokeback Mountain...
But yes, I do have a past with the Batman comics/movies/tv in the past - I grew up on the 60's Batman TV Show featuring Adam West - my 10 yr old self was so in love with him ... anyways, that show was more comedic than serious about crime-fighting and I rofl now thinking of the dialogues and the execution...
Annnnyways, yeah, so I did see a couple of Batman movies - the ones with Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney - oops, that's one more than a couple - so yeah, that's all I had on Batman so far and all I knew about Batman Begins was that it had Christian Bale in it along with, wait for it, (rolling my eyes) Katies Holmes - and after watching such suave, charming men play Batman, watching Christian Bale as the caped crusader in Batman Begins, was NOT a priority...
Anyways, so I heard all about the Dark Knight and how Heath Ledger is so darn amazing in it - and yes, I am one of the people who went into it having heard all the hype about a posthumous Oscar for Ledger (what with his recent death and all)... I had this line in my head from some review I read - "people may just watch it for the fact that they are seeing Heath Ledger's ghost on screen" - I was all, wow this is so cool, this has never happened to me and all that jazz...
But you know what, that lasted for like 2 seconds - Ledger is that darned good - you forget all about the real him and get lost in the madness that is the Joker... And yes, I am an ardent Jack Nicholson fan - I think he is one of the finest actors of my time - my fave movie of his so far, As good as it gets - till date, his performance as the Joker is the one I've measured quite a few villians upto...
But Ledger, my god... his performance was all it was cracked up to be and so much more... only adjectives come to mind - chilling, riveting, brilliant... the singularity of the character's purpose - to watch Gotham city burn ( no no, definitely not for money - he *gasp* burned a room-high pile of greenbacks) and two memorable lines - "Why so serious?" and "If you are good at something, never do it for free" - now that's what I am talkin about!
yeah, so I did sit there cringing through most of the havoc that the Joker unleashed on the city... but you just have to give the guy credit - this line comes to mind - If you wanna be bad, yeah, you gotta be good ...
And yes, I'm gonna say it - his performance as the Joker was more chilling than Mr. Nicholson's... his scenes with Batman - where he so clearly points out that he has brought Batman to the point where he cannot do anything even with all his strength and has absolutely nothing to threaten the Joker with - sheer genius ... and towards the end, where he talks about how incorruptible Batman is, how noble he is in not killing the Joker out of self-righteousness and how they may be destined to do this good guy-bad guy dance forever... some of the best lines ever... right up there with Casablanca quotes...
Why am I not talking about Bale, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman (another fave of mine) and Michael Caine? The story and screenplay + Ledger = little reason to talk about these other elements... fine performances, yes - esp. Eckhart & Freeman... but the overall wow-ness is the story and Ledger more than anything else... I'll take an intelligent villain over a mildly-interesting superhero any day...
Both these movies left me thinking - which not very many movies have made me do ... that was a pleasant surprise... thinking about what makes us human and more importantly, good, bad or somewhere inbetween ... As the Joker says, people are only as good as they are allowed to be by society and don't even get me started about his rant about plans - man, the stuff really hit home ... here's the link for quotes from the movie - go on and read a few, you won't regret it and I'll wait right here for you...
And yet, this is a Batman movie, so it still is about him and why he is the Dark Knight as opposed to Eckhart's white (D.A) knight... A tad bit long - honestly, I was ready to pack up and leave at the 2 hr mark - I really did think the movie was over, but noooo, there was more to be seen & heard... brilliant...
Other Dark Knight links:
http://www.themovieblog.com/2008/06/the-dark-knight-review
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/04/mondaymoviebuzz.darkknight.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight/
And here's the theme I was talking about - deconstructing the classic hero - he is not indestructible, he is not all powerful and he is certainly not a one man army...
I mean look at Tony Stark & Bruce Wayne - the "heroes" - the bleed, they burn , they hurt and *gasp* have real emotions... and yeah, they are flawed and they're not afraid to show it - but that's what makes them all the more relatable.... right? I don't mean that in a 'now I think I can also be Ironman' sort of way... I'm just saying - they've made it ok for heroes to be as human as any of us...
This is also a theme I ave noticed in two of my (don't yawn) fave TV shows - Bones & Heroes - yes, Booth is a knight-in-shining-FBI-standard-issue-body-armour but he is also a normal guy who loves his kid to death and loves his beer & apple pie and doesn't want to hurt his shoulder breaking down a door (Season 3, last ep. Pain in the heart) ... and in Heroes - all of 'em - Bob, Peter, Noah, *gasp* Elle, Nathan, Peter, Hiro and yes, even Adam - all with superpowers but driven purely by their own humanity...
Wicked awesome these movies... loved them... And so comes an end to a weekend I managed to pack in 7 movies into (including the latest Mummy movie) ... probably won't be back here for a while though ... till the next post then... ta!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Of munks & heroes
Yep, that's right... I got munk'd - cute movie that - Alvin & the Chipmunks... never thought I'd catch myself grooving to 'Funky Town', that too by the munks...
anyhoo, after the munks, out of sheer bored-out-of-my-mind-ness, I started the usual 'trollin for online tv shows and guess what - found Season 2 of Heroes online at NBC's website - ended up watching 4 eps back to back - that's right - 4 x 45 min shows - that went into the wee'er than wee hours of the night... aannd now, I'm hooked...
its not going to take a genius to figure out that Heroes Season 1 is gonna be bumped up my NetFlix list and in the meantime, am gonna try & figure out my sooper-power... *scratches chin thoughtfully* - sooper-procrastination... no no.. sooper-deadline-dodging... ok I'm gonna stop now... this is NOT helping... till the next post then... think sooper....
anyhoo, after the munks, out of sheer bored-out-of-my-mind-ness, I started the usual 'trollin for online tv shows and guess what - found Season 2 of Heroes online at NBC's website - ended up watching 4 eps back to back - that's right - 4 x 45 min shows - that went into the wee'er than wee hours of the night... aannd now, I'm hooked...
its not going to take a genius to figure out that Heroes Season 1 is gonna be bumped up my NetFlix list and in the meantime, am gonna try & figure out my sooper-power... *scratches chin thoughtfully* - sooper-procrastination... no no.. sooper-deadline-dodging... ok I'm gonna stop now... this is NOT helping... till the next post then... think sooper....
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Aaaand I'm back....
Had some random thoughts... Casablanca wins over Maltese Falcon.. hands down... next movie - Alvin & the Chipmunks... howzzat for a change!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Deja vu
Had gone to watch Jaane tu ya jaane na (loved it!) at the movies last night... the teaser before the movie was for Farhan Akhtar's Rock on!
Anybody else note a passing resemblance of Rock on! to August Rush - that Jonathan Rhys Myers movie (ok ok dont roll your eyes - it happened to tbe the in-flight entertainment on my recent trip to D.C) ... ok atleast the part about the band splitting up and moving on with their lives? hmmm *scratches chin thoughtfully*
Guess will have to give both another viewing to be sure...
Anybody else note a passing resemblance of Rock on! to August Rush - that Jonathan Rhys Myers movie (ok ok dont roll your eyes - it happened to tbe the in-flight entertainment on my recent trip to D.C) ... ok atleast the part about the band splitting up and moving on with their lives? hmmm *scratches chin thoughtfully*
Guess will have to give both another viewing to be sure...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Mid week (daaaark) blues
Ever have that feeling of the day dragging on and on and on.... More work than time to do it... and even though its Wednesday, feel like Friday is just eons away? That's where I'm at!
My to-do pile has slowly but surely grown from a stack to a heap to a pile to a mountain now!! Maybe the rescue choppers can spot me - I'm here!! *waves hands frantically* haaallpp!!
When will it be Friday?!? (And no - do NOT say, in two days time...)
My to-do pile has slowly but surely grown from a stack to a heap to a pile to a mountain now!! Maybe the rescue choppers can spot me - I'm here!! *waves hands frantically* haaallpp!!
When will it be Friday?!? (And no - do NOT say, in two days time...)
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Hitting all the right notes....
I'm gonna write about music for a change... Happened to hear songs from Kismat Konnection - which is set to release on July 18 ... the first song I heard was Bakhuda tumhi ho ... featuring one of my fave singers... Atif Aslam...
I think he's one of the best things to happen to Hindi film music.... I've loved his tracks from Woh Lamhe(Zeher) to Pehli Nazar Mein(Race)...
His voice is so soulful - let me pause a moment here to melt ... he always seems to sing from his core... the end result is almost always, a full-throated, powerful rendition... and the kind of songs he is given are also like that... ballads, in every possible sense of the word...
And at the risk of sounding like a love sick puppy, Pehli Nazar mein turns me into mush.... Don't look at me in that tone of voice - I can't help it... the lyrics, his voice, the beats, his voice ...
And Bakhuda is along the same lines... and the fact that it is picturized upon Shahid Kapoor, another guy who makes me melt (ok.. after Clooney & Pitt & Damon & Boreanaz etc etc) - well, the combination is good... I am gonna stop gushing now...
Back to music.. so ok, Pritam copies most of his tracks - I know that... some of them are good anyway... Kismat Konnection is full of upbeat, peppy tracks - that's exactly the kind of music I like - enough energy in them to keep me going... I would recommend atleast one listen to all the tracks...
And like in Jab We Met (another fave of mine) & Race - he's given the right tracks to the right folks - Mohit Chauhan in JWM & Atif in Race were brilliant - this album (Kismat..) has them both! Mohit is on Kahin na lage and Atif is on Bakhuda...
I must mention here - two other guys who I think are godsends to the newer hindi films... KK & Shaan - they make me melt too - maybe not as much as Atif, still...
Anyways, this album is growing on me... gonna give it another listen... did I mention that Pritam has remixed all the tracks on Kismat... maybe he feels his albums are incomplete without the remixes... anyways, back to my ipod... ciao!!
I think he's one of the best things to happen to Hindi film music.... I've loved his tracks from Woh Lamhe(Zeher) to Pehli Nazar Mein(Race)...
His voice is so soulful - let me pause a moment here to melt ... he always seems to sing from his core... the end result is almost always, a full-throated, powerful rendition... and the kind of songs he is given are also like that... ballads, in every possible sense of the word...
And at the risk of sounding like a love sick puppy, Pehli Nazar mein turns me into mush.... Don't look at me in that tone of voice - I can't help it... the lyrics, his voice, the beats, his voice ...
And Bakhuda is along the same lines... and the fact that it is picturized upon Shahid Kapoor, another guy who makes me melt (ok.. after Clooney & Pitt & Damon & Boreanaz etc etc) - well, the combination is good... I am gonna stop gushing now...
Back to music.. so ok, Pritam copies most of his tracks - I know that... some of them are good anyway... Kismat Konnection is full of upbeat, peppy tracks - that's exactly the kind of music I like - enough energy in them to keep me going... I would recommend atleast one listen to all the tracks...
And like in Jab We Met (another fave of mine) & Race - he's given the right tracks to the right folks - Mohit Chauhan in JWM & Atif in Race were brilliant - this album (Kismat..) has them both! Mohit is on Kahin na lage and Atif is on Bakhuda...
I must mention here - two other guys who I think are godsends to the newer hindi films... KK & Shaan - they make me melt too - maybe not as much as Atif, still...
Anyways, this album is growing on me... gonna give it another listen... did I mention that Pritam has remixed all the tracks on Kismat... maybe he feels his albums are incomplete without the remixes... anyways, back to my ipod... ciao!!
Monday, June 30, 2008
As time goes by......
You must remember this....
A kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh....
The fundamental things apply...
As time goes by....
These are the words to the famous song we all recognize Casablanca by ... you've probably heard the tune but didn't know what it was...
WARNING: This post is verrrrry long... go get a glass of Coke or something before you settle own to read this ;)
Anyways, if you haven't seen the film yet, but plan to, you may not want to read further - mega spoiler alert...
At first, I thought what more I could write about a movie that is arguably the most reviewed & discussed... But then I decided to write anyway - from the POV of a newly initiated Classics fan...
My first reaction to Casablanca's intense screenplay was - wait a sec, I don't watch war movies - what am I doing here... And then, after shutting up the little voice in my head, I got through the initial layers of the film and got into the groove of things...
And to my surprise, the story isn't dated - I thought it might be, considering it was shot in 1942 when wars were all around... Perhaps it is a sign of the times that war struggles and the fight for freedom are as current today as they were back in 1942.
Back to the film, set in French Morocco - as exotic a locale as one might get, the film is full of rich texture and colorful characters (it is a B&W movie - so, pun not intended)... The initial voice over sets the mood - about the arduous refugee trail from Paris to Marseilles to Oran to Casablanca, which is basically in Africa, but is unoccupied France...
Casablanca is one of those films, where, no matter how many times you watch it, you don't remember the exact dialogues - because a) the dialogue is so quick & witty - both humorous & sarcastic at the same time and b) they were delivered so wonderfully by the actors that you paid more attention to the minutae of expressions during the dialogue more than the actual words...
That being said, this film has singularly given us the most number of memorable one liners - be it - "here's looking at you kid" or "We'll always have Paris" or "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"...
The Epstein twins did a wonderful job with the screenplay & dialogue I think - for instance:
Yvonne: Where were you last night?
Rick: It was so long ago I don't remember...
Yvonne: Will I see you tonight?
Rick: I don't make plans that far ahead...
More of the snappy quotes can be found here... go on and read some of them - I'll wait :)
Bogart is the man... seriously! He definitely puts the S in smoldering....What a wonderful supporting cast - Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid - wonderful, wonderful stuff ... they carry the movie beautifully on their more-than-able shoulders...
And the lady - Ingrid Bergman...as Ilsa Lund, she has perfectly portrayed the part of a woman torn between deep passion and fierce loyalty - towards to different men of course :) ... As Victor Laszlo's (Paul Henreid) wife, she is, as Bogey puts it in the end, 'part of his work, the thing that keeps him going' - him being one the cornerstones of the underground movement to free France from the Third Reich - she is the kind of inspiration that builds a life and makes you want to make the world a better place - and in this case, literally, make the free world a better place... and even as the cynical Rick puts it, 'she is not just another woman'...
Our main man, Mr.Bogart - from the cynical, saloon-owner (as he calls himself) to the no-nonsense businessman to the rank sentimentalist - this movie has demanded his full range of acting skills... I mean, the look that passes over his face when he sees Ilsa after all those years - you see a hint of softness only to be replaced in a flash by such burning hatred - and all this after seeing him stone-cold in the first 20 mins ... this is the stuff legends are made of...
Before I get into the love story that is an undercurrent to this film, I must stop and say a few words about the cafe that stages all this - Rick's Cafe Americain (that is not a typo - that's the way it is spelled)...
Those of you who know me, know how I dislike drinking & smoking - yet, instead of being appalled at the amount of booze and tobacco in this film, I felt it contributed as much to the setting & atmosphere as much as any of the characters ... Rick's - the place to be! From the opening bars of Dooley Wilson's 'It had to be you' - a song I greatly love, it being featured in several rom-com's in different cover versions of course - but to hear the man sing it in the original, live bar - it brought such a nice feeling of familiarity & warmth, I cannot say enough ... I would have gladly paid to sit in a quiet corner (of course there is no such thing as 'quiet' at Rick's) in Rick's - either with Sasha or Karl, just to observe...
This is not the typical story where they spend half a reel telling you how the leading pair fell in love - just 3-4 scenes where the intense bond between Bergman & Bogart are portrayed - they definitely look like they belong together...the easy rapport, the palpable chemistry...wonderfully done... Sam, the performer at Rick's is the only one privy to the details of the Rick-Ilsa relationship history and he stands by his boss with indubitable loyalty...
Today's movies can learn a thing or two about plot twists from this movie - I mean, who would've expected that Rick would fo a 180 and put Ilsa on the plane with Laszlo - didn't everything he said and did upto that point indicate that he planned to turn Laszlo in, get away to Lisbon with Ilsa to take the clipper to America? And Capt. Renault, who thought he wouldn't turn Rick in for shooting Maj. Strasser? "Round up the usual suspects" he says!
Here's the thing about all the main characters in the film - they all have questionable morals and pasts but you love them anyway... Here's what I mean:
Rick Blaine: Wanted fugitive, ran guns to Ethiopia, owner of Rick's
Ilsa Lund: ditched Blaine at the train station, wife of the several-times-reported-dead Laszlo, deeply in love with Rick
Capt. Renault: Clearly a womanizer, a 'poor' corrupt govt. official, also an exit visa provider - for a steep price
Ferrari: Exit-visa blackmarket monopolizer, owner of the Blue Parrot
Ugarte: Exit-visa blackmarketer, more reasonably priced than Renault
Karl: Maitre'd and participant in the underground movement
Now onto the "love" story - I'd heard the million$ line "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine" before - but now I know exactly why he said that :-) - the lady is a trophy - no wonder the until now unshakeable Rick crumbled to pieces, no wonder his stoic facade fell away in the face of his one true love...
The look on Ilsa's face when she walked into Rick's & recognized Sam, the look of hesitant recognition on Sam's face... that said it all... what depth there was to Rick's & Illsa's past...
Ilsa's love for Rick is clear in every scene she has with him, at the same time, her scenes with the straight-as-an-arrow-decent Laszlo show us her faith, respect & adoration for him - it is not easy to portray such conflict and Ms.Bergman has done this effortlessly...
To have the love of a man like Rick - that is the stuff dreams are made of (yes, I am clearly in love with Rick's character) and like I said before, to have the love of a woman like Ilsa... well gentlemen, that would make your life...
My take away from the film was - sometimes the right thing to do will break hearts, almost always, doing the right thing will cause pain but has to be done anyway...
The ending of the movie is much much debated and I can understand why - if you ask me, happily ever after is not all its cracked up to be (no, I am not bitter) - Rick did the right thing - for all of them - by putting her on the plane and letting Laszlo go... he literally changed the world... Now how many movie characters can boast of that (superheroes apart, that is)... So what if he was as crushed he was, in letting her go, as he was in the train station when he read her goodbye note in Paris? [Richard, I cannot go with you or ever see you again. You must not ask why. Just believe that I love you. Go, my darling, and God bless you. Ilsa. ]
I could go on and on - having watched the movie thrice in 3 days, scenes & dialogues now randomly pop into my pretty little head (ok , not pretty or little) and I end up spending a few minutes chuckling quietly ... This movie is now officially at the top of my faves list...
Till the next post... 'here's looking at you kid'... ta!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
pure awesomeness...
I know I said I would write a few words about Casablanca ... and I will... will be rewatching it for the 3rd time (yes, its that good)... initial reaction: pure awesomeness ... and as much as that makes me sound like an overexcited teenager, it really is awesome ... till later then! ta!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Looking forward to ....
watching Casablanca on Friday... that was next on my Netflix list! Expect a few words on it from me! ta!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
a kinship beyond blood...
Sunday was a movie marathon day for me - totally had a blast - after a loooooong time...
Managed to pack in Jab we met, Bommarillu and Rang de Basanti... and even as I write this, I am seriously considering watching Dil Chahta Hai ...
Rang de is an all time favorite of mine - for a number of reasons... I first saw it in the theatre in Feb 2006 - with my gang of buddies after a friend's wedding ... the timing was so brilliant ... it was our first year in the real world after post-grad college - the movie perfectly captured on-screen the camaraderie and affection I felt for my friends - the 9 of us managed to survive the post-grad course (and I am not talking about the acads) and like I mentioned in my first post - these 8 were my reason for living through the course with my sanity intact...
I could write pages and pages about why I love Rang de but will try to keep it short here... I dont want this to end up as a movie review...
Rang de joins the rank of all time awesome buddy movies - Dil Chahta Hai is another favorite of mine... the fact that Aamir has starred in both is just a coincidence...
I found Rang de's execution to be brilliant - story, screenplay, music, dialogue, costumes, camerawork .. you name it..
Some lines from the movie crack me up every time - "mere paet mein toh chuhe kabaddi khel rahe hain yaar" or "yeh sab samajhti hai yaar" or "puchchu aur daer nahin ruk sakte? kash, par puchchu ruk nahin sakta... [all the guys]: puchchuuuuuuuu!! " or even "miss freedom contest da sari round" - my favoritest though is "maut ki ungli".. precious...
The dialog that Aamir's character mouths when Karan and Sukhi go to drop off Aslam - about how baahar duniya hame nachaati hai but university ke gates ke is paar ham zindagi ko nachaate hain ... struck a chord with me - so true, so true... And sadly, he was right about even the best of friends not getting to meet after leaving college - working hard to make their own lives... I've first hand experience of that... but .. life moves on... And yes, you 8 out there - I miss you all badly...
The highlight of the movie was, for me, how well each of the characters had been defined and how well they gelled together (I know I know, they had all those orientation sessions to get familiar & comfortable with each other... still)... And tell me, who didnt want to be friends with them or have friends like them... Karan the cool rebel, Aslam the shaayar, Sukhi the clown, DJ the mischevious, Ajay the sexy IAF pilot or Sonia the sweetheart of the group... Aise dost kahaan milte hain... I also loved the way the friendship between Aslam and Pandey - who went from tearing each other's throats to solid buddies, slowly developed ...
I usually run the Rang De dvd only till the part before Ajay dies - I'd watch the rest of the movie but I usually cry my eyes out and given the current temperatures where I live, I'd run the risk of serious dehydration... Rang de is and always will be an instant pick-me-up for me...
I love every track in this movie - you already know how big a fan of ARR I am - this was one of his best I think - cool, hip and even after 2 yrs, gets me grooving - be it to Khalbali or the title track or Paathshala...
And yes, if you also noted - it was two Siddharth movies in a day - I'm a big fan and I love how he does tamil, telegu & hindi films with ease - he is an under-rated actor but I'm sure his time will come...
Since then I have gone on to watch these guys separately in starring roles - Aamir in TZP, Soha in Khoya Khoya Chaand, Kunal in Laga Chunari mein daag, Sharman in Life in a Metro, Madhavan in Evano Oruvan ... all fine actors in their own right... young blood...
Anyways, I think I will stop rambling here... my ipod beckons... till the next post then.. ta!
Managed to pack in Jab we met, Bommarillu and Rang de Basanti... and even as I write this, I am seriously considering watching Dil Chahta Hai ...
Rang de is an all time favorite of mine - for a number of reasons... I first saw it in the theatre in Feb 2006 - with my gang of buddies after a friend's wedding ... the timing was so brilliant ... it was our first year in the real world after post-grad college - the movie perfectly captured on-screen the camaraderie and affection I felt for my friends - the 9 of us managed to survive the post-grad course (and I am not talking about the acads) and like I mentioned in my first post - these 8 were my reason for living through the course with my sanity intact...
I could write pages and pages about why I love Rang de but will try to keep it short here... I dont want this to end up as a movie review...
Rang de joins the rank of all time awesome buddy movies - Dil Chahta Hai is another favorite of mine... the fact that Aamir has starred in both is just a coincidence...
I found Rang de's execution to be brilliant - story, screenplay, music, dialogue, costumes, camerawork .. you name it..
Some lines from the movie crack me up every time - "mere paet mein toh chuhe kabaddi khel rahe hain yaar" or "yeh sab samajhti hai yaar" or "puchchu aur daer nahin ruk sakte? kash, par puchchu ruk nahin sakta... [all the guys]: puchchuuuuuuuu!! " or even "miss freedom contest da sari round" - my favoritest though is "maut ki ungli".. precious...
The dialog that Aamir's character mouths when Karan and Sukhi go to drop off Aslam - about how baahar duniya hame nachaati hai but university ke gates ke is paar ham zindagi ko nachaate hain ... struck a chord with me - so true, so true... And sadly, he was right about even the best of friends not getting to meet after leaving college - working hard to make their own lives... I've first hand experience of that... but .. life moves on... And yes, you 8 out there - I miss you all badly...
The highlight of the movie was, for me, how well each of the characters had been defined and how well they gelled together (I know I know, they had all those orientation sessions to get familiar & comfortable with each other... still)... And tell me, who didnt want to be friends with them or have friends like them... Karan the cool rebel, Aslam the shaayar, Sukhi the clown, DJ the mischevious, Ajay the sexy IAF pilot or Sonia the sweetheart of the group... Aise dost kahaan milte hain... I also loved the way the friendship between Aslam and Pandey - who went from tearing each other's throats to solid buddies, slowly developed ...
I usually run the Rang De dvd only till the part before Ajay dies - I'd watch the rest of the movie but I usually cry my eyes out and given the current temperatures where I live, I'd run the risk of serious dehydration... Rang de is and always will be an instant pick-me-up for me...
I love every track in this movie - you already know how big a fan of ARR I am - this was one of his best I think - cool, hip and even after 2 yrs, gets me grooving - be it to Khalbali or the title track or Paathshala...
And yes, if you also noted - it was two Siddharth movies in a day - I'm a big fan and I love how he does tamil, telegu & hindi films with ease - he is an under-rated actor but I'm sure his time will come...
Since then I have gone on to watch these guys separately in starring roles - Aamir in TZP, Soha in Khoya Khoya Chaand, Kunal in Laga Chunari mein daag, Sharman in Life in a Metro, Madhavan in Evano Oruvan ... all fine actors in their own right... young blood...
Anyways, I think I will stop rambling here... my ipod beckons... till the next post then.. ta!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Got tagged.. hmm..
Yes, that's right... this found its way to my inbox after all... just for kicks thought I would put it out there... read on...
1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
Dasaavathaaram - totally regretted it
2. What book are you reading?
Does NatGeo Traveller count? Rome is gorgeous *sigh*
3. Favorite board game?
Monopoly I think
4. Favorite magazine?
Entertainment Weekly & Reader's Digest (that's right)
5. Favorite smells?
Cleopatra by Tocca and first coffee dikaashin
6. Favorite sounds?
mom's moving around in the kitchen in the early morning - something about the first rustle of activity for the day
7. Worst feeling in the world?
That I'm fading out of people's lives
8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Do I have to wake up just yet?
9. Favorite fast food place?
Kolkata chat - their pani puri makes my dil go hmmm
10. Future child’s name?
Do I have to pick one now?
11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?"
Give most of it away to charity and put the rest in a trust fund for disadvantaged kids
12. Do you drive fast?
Like you wont believe..naah i'm kiddin
13. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Yep... a lil blue bunny named Mannoo
14. Storms - cool or scary?
toe-curling awesome
15. What was your first car?
you mean what's GOING to be my first car...
16. Favorite drink?
fresh squeezed Lemon juice
17. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?
Be a forensic anthropologist like Brennan but only if they can guarantee that Booth will be my FBI partner orrr
Be a doctor like Meredith but only if they promise me McDreamy ;-)
ok ok y'all know I'm kidding. If I had more time, I would spend it on pursuing music seriously
18. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
Are you kidding me?
19. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
Why - what's wrong with it now?
20. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
Madras & Chennai (that's right - two vaaary different cities in essence) & Tempe
21. Favorite sports to watch?
Basketball & good arguments
22. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
Sweet of you to remember me after all this while
23. What’s under your bed?
Someone's boots (remember that song - whose bed have your boots been under) - I'm kiddin!
Only thing under my bed is.............. the floor *straight face*
24. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Most definitely
25. Morning person, or night owl?
night owl. no doubt (didnt you read my response to qn #8?)
26. Over easy, or sunny side up?
I don't eat eggs
27. Favorite place to relax?
my bed, looking out the window with a hot mug of coffee in my hand, ipod playing in the background
28. Favorite pie?
Haven't had pie yet.. huh.. didn't strike me till now *scratches chin thoughtfully*
29. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate Devotion (at ColdStone)
30. Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond:
I'm not gonna tag ppl ... paavam..but if you're reading this and send me your responses, I would love to read them
Current mood: sleepy
Current music: Disco deewane by Nazia Hassan (wonder how that ended up in my ipod, didnt know I had it!)
1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
Dasaavathaaram - totally regretted it
2. What book are you reading?
Does NatGeo Traveller count? Rome is gorgeous *sigh*
3. Favorite board game?
Monopoly I think
4. Favorite magazine?
Entertainment Weekly & Reader's Digest (that's right)
5. Favorite smells?
Cleopatra by Tocca and first coffee dikaashin
6. Favorite sounds?
mom's moving around in the kitchen in the early morning - something about the first rustle of activity for the day
7. Worst feeling in the world?
That I'm fading out of people's lives
8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Do I have to wake up just yet?
9. Favorite fast food place?
Kolkata chat - their pani puri makes my dil go hmmm
10. Future child’s name?
Do I have to pick one now?
11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?"
Give most of it away to charity and put the rest in a trust fund for disadvantaged kids
12. Do you drive fast?
Like you wont believe..naah i'm kiddin
13. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Yep... a lil blue bunny named Mannoo
14. Storms - cool or scary?
toe-curling awesome
15. What was your first car?
you mean what's GOING to be my first car...
16. Favorite drink?
fresh squeezed Lemon juice
17. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?
Be a forensic anthropologist like Brennan but only if they can guarantee that Booth will be my FBI partner orrr
Be a doctor like Meredith but only if they promise me McDreamy ;-)
ok ok y'all know I'm kidding. If I had more time, I would spend it on pursuing music seriously
18. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
Are you kidding me?
19. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
Why - what's wrong with it now?
20. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?
Madras & Chennai (that's right - two vaaary different cities in essence) & Tempe
21. Favorite sports to watch?
Basketball & good arguments
22. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
Sweet of you to remember me after all this while
23. What’s under your bed?
Someone's boots (remember that song - whose bed have your boots been under) - I'm kiddin!
Only thing under my bed is.............. the floor *straight face*
24. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Most definitely
25. Morning person, or night owl?
night owl. no doubt (didnt you read my response to qn #8?)
26. Over easy, or sunny side up?
I don't eat eggs
27. Favorite place to relax?
my bed, looking out the window with a hot mug of coffee in my hand, ipod playing in the background
28. Favorite pie?
Haven't had pie yet.. huh.. didn't strike me till now *scratches chin thoughtfully*
29. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate Devotion (at ColdStone)
30. Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond:
I'm not gonna tag ppl ... paavam..but if you're reading this and send me your responses, I would love to read them
Current mood: sleepy
Current music: Disco deewane by Nazia Hassan (wonder how that ended up in my ipod, didnt know I had it!)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
10 times the #@%$#%$#...
That's right... for those of you familiar with my vocab - you read that right...
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed below are solely mine and are not intended to offend or hurt anyone, not intended to cause any loss financial or otherwise - they are merely meant to serve a higher purpose - save you 3 hrs of your life...
Ok so I haven't always been a great fan of the 'great' Kamal Hassan... and tend to be cynical of his recent work - it almost always borders on risque, perverse.. whatever you want to call it..
All you Kamal fans out there - don't come rushing at me with brickbats or their verbal equivalents... Am only writing about the dude because I feel 3 hrs of my life have been wasted watching his latest flick and I want to share the paaaiinnn I feel...
Like I said before, I've never been a fan of Kamal and I've never taken sides on the classic Rajni vs. Kamal argument (y'all know what I'm talking about) ... Yet, at the urging of my friends, I went, with an open mind, I might add, to his latest flick ...
Never mind that the theatre was so far away, never mind that we got there so late that we had to sit in the 3rd row from the front ... no, never mind all that...
And there began the odyssey - the movie managed to gross me out in the first 15 mins no less - I mean, come on, iron hooks through the back and hang him from a pole - there were kids in the audience dude! Ok, so I am queasy about these things - sue me...
What started out in the 12th century - yes, you read that right, 12th century somehow managed to turn into a modern day plot spanning 3 countries - chasing a synthetic virus across the globe - just read that - chase, virus, globe - sound familiar? ok, forget that... now think of how well this could have been treated - got it? ok now think of the worst way to treat this storyline - and make it 10 times worse ... that's how the movie was - the worst possible treatment... with liberal doses of innuendos and inappropriate jokes ... oh and did I mention the ill-timed slapstick comedy... Gawd! Come on, do not insult my intelligence like this!
The story was patchy at best, at best! The leap from the said 12th century start to the U.S was beyond unimaginable, not to mention highly illogical...
Fine, whatever, keep the story rolling... throw in what felt like a million cheesy lines, a healthy dose of funny potshots at common south-indian traditions and behavior, a heroine who is like an LP on an endless loop, yapping away to the high heavens and oh yeah, did I mention, Chaos theory - do the filmmakers even know how to pronounce that right? Jeez!
Here's the best part - our leading man, in 10 editions... ten... one of him wasnt enough.. we needed to see 10 of him.. yeah right. Nothing personal here - I wish him a healthy, happy, rich, successful life .. but be sure I wont be paying greenbacks to see anymore of this stuff...
ok, forget the acting, forget the storyline - atleast something in the technical department? Nope, zilch there too! Obviously CG CGI - audiences aren't dumb any more - we all know CG when we see it, but here, you didnt even have to know what CGI was and you could tell - it was that bad... I can hear ya'll out there saying its an indian film, even this level of graphics is quite an achievement for us... ok, maybe, but that doesn't cut it - at all. To be taken more seriously in the movie industry, there has to be a lot more put it... what's that? we don't have the budget? Sure.. fall back on that excuse why don't you... Do I even have to start about the ridiculous figures that movie budgets run into nowadays?
notice how this post has been so negative? bordering on bitter? I am not like this people! I am generally a sunny, live and let live types - but my buttons have been pushed...
At the end of the 3 hrs I feel that it was just an excuse for the dude to dress up 10 ways and hoard all the screentime... and from the number of people in the theatre who stayed behind to watch the credits which had our leading man going through his various make up sessions - well, I feel sorry for you .. really sorry..
Oh and Mallika Sherawat as a CIA agent trained in Pakistan? really? Shoot me, shoot me now!
If you value your time, at all , you might want to think twice before heading out for this movie...
I am going to bed now - after taking 2 extra strength Tylenols... to make this pain in my head go away...
Pissed off with my review? scroll to the top - I did put out a disclaimer...
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed below are solely mine and are not intended to offend or hurt anyone, not intended to cause any loss financial or otherwise - they are merely meant to serve a higher purpose - save you 3 hrs of your life...
Ok so I haven't always been a great fan of the 'great' Kamal Hassan... and tend to be cynical of his recent work - it almost always borders on risque, perverse.. whatever you want to call it..
All you Kamal fans out there - don't come rushing at me with brickbats or their verbal equivalents... Am only writing about the dude because I feel 3 hrs of my life have been wasted watching his latest flick and I want to share the paaaiinnn I feel...
Like I said before, I've never been a fan of Kamal and I've never taken sides on the classic Rajni vs. Kamal argument (y'all know what I'm talking about) ... Yet, at the urging of my friends, I went, with an open mind, I might add, to his latest flick ...
Never mind that the theatre was so far away, never mind that we got there so late that we had to sit in the 3rd row from the front ... no, never mind all that...
And there began the odyssey - the movie managed to gross me out in the first 15 mins no less - I mean, come on, iron hooks through the back and hang him from a pole - there were kids in the audience dude! Ok, so I am queasy about these things - sue me...
What started out in the 12th century - yes, you read that right, 12th century somehow managed to turn into a modern day plot spanning 3 countries - chasing a synthetic virus across the globe - just read that - chase, virus, globe - sound familiar? ok, forget that... now think of how well this could have been treated - got it? ok now think of the worst way to treat this storyline - and make it 10 times worse ... that's how the movie was - the worst possible treatment... with liberal doses of innuendos and inappropriate jokes ... oh and did I mention the ill-timed slapstick comedy... Gawd! Come on, do not insult my intelligence like this!
The story was patchy at best, at best! The leap from the said 12th century start to the U.S was beyond unimaginable, not to mention highly illogical...
Fine, whatever, keep the story rolling... throw in what felt like a million cheesy lines, a healthy dose of funny potshots at common south-indian traditions and behavior, a heroine who is like an LP on an endless loop, yapping away to the high heavens and oh yeah, did I mention, Chaos theory - do the filmmakers even know how to pronounce that right? Jeez!
Here's the best part - our leading man, in 10 editions... ten... one of him wasnt enough.. we needed to see 10 of him.. yeah right. Nothing personal here - I wish him a healthy, happy, rich, successful life .. but be sure I wont be paying greenbacks to see anymore of this stuff...
ok, forget the acting, forget the storyline - atleast something in the technical department? Nope, zilch there too! Obviously CG CGI - audiences aren't dumb any more - we all know CG when we see it, but here, you didnt even have to know what CGI was and you could tell - it was that bad... I can hear ya'll out there saying its an indian film, even this level of graphics is quite an achievement for us... ok, maybe, but that doesn't cut it - at all. To be taken more seriously in the movie industry, there has to be a lot more put it... what's that? we don't have the budget? Sure.. fall back on that excuse why don't you... Do I even have to start about the ridiculous figures that movie budgets run into nowadays?
notice how this post has been so negative? bordering on bitter? I am not like this people! I am generally a sunny, live and let live types - but my buttons have been pushed...
At the end of the 3 hrs I feel that it was just an excuse for the dude to dress up 10 ways and hoard all the screentime... and from the number of people in the theatre who stayed behind to watch the credits which had our leading man going through his various make up sessions - well, I feel sorry for you .. really sorry..
Oh and Mallika Sherawat as a CIA agent trained in Pakistan? really? Shoot me, shoot me now!
If you value your time, at all , you might want to think twice before heading out for this movie...
I am going to bed now - after taking 2 extra strength Tylenols... to make this pain in my head go away...
Pissed off with my review? scroll to the top - I did put out a disclaimer...
Friday, June 13, 2008
There are three types of people...
Those that make lists, those that don't and oh wait, there is no third type... Guess which type I am...
ok ok .. so there are a lot of lists that have suddenly shown up on my blog.. I can only say, there are more to come... Apparently I have a lot of top 5's and 10's..
Have to look to into laying them out better though... Thanks for looking and have fun laughing at my weird tastes! Ciao
ok ok .. so there are a lot of lists that have suddenly shown up on my blog.. I can only say, there are more to come... Apparently I have a lot of top 5's and 10's..
Have to look to into laying them out better though... Thanks for looking and have fun laughing at my weird tastes! Ciao
Friday, June 6, 2008
...the garage girl...
Guess what turned out to be at the top of my NetFlix list - Sabrina... before you start chuckling away to glory, it wasn't Sabrina the teenage witch :P - it was the 1954 B&W version starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden...
Now, when I popped the DVD in, I fully expected to see a digitally remastered, technicolor version of the movie - but boy, was I taken in by the DVD cover..
It turned out to be the original black & white version - which turned out to be the best way to actually see the movie, not just watch it...
In times where CGI is the main weapon in the Hollywood arsenal and the special effects ante is being upped all the time, it was a refreshing change to see something that was character driven - no gimmicks, just good old acting...
Most of the movie was obviously filmed on a soundstage but the top-class acting and humor more than made up for it...
Onto our leading lady - Audrey Hepburn... the first film I saw of hers, was My Fair Lady (yet another classic and who hasn't seen this movie, right?) and the next was a brief scene I saw from Breakfast at Tiffany's - which, btw, is also on my netflix queue...
To think that Sabrina was only her second movie, after Roman Holiday, is amazing... I think the term the critics used about her was 'elfin' - I so agree... Her transformation from earnest young-adult (no, not teenager) to a sophisticate - is a thing of beauty... I guess 2 yrs in Paris has that effect on you..
Anyways, what I'm really saying is, beyond the Oscar-winning costumes she wore to portray this transformation into an elegant socialite, it is the expressions she so cleanly conveys that convince you...
Be it swooning over David before her said Paris trip (to learn cooking, no less), or the quiet submission to the fact that she would probably never be that girl, the ease with which Ms.Hepburn captures those emotions is what really captivates you...Oh and did I mention the utterly gorgeous gown she wears to the Larabee party when she gets back - the lady is a vision... Linus you were a fool not ot dance with her in the first place...
What do I say about Mr.Bogart now? Honestly, I've heard a lot about him and was curious about the term 'Bogarted' (which I am yet to understand - looks like I'd have to watch more Bogey movies to figure that one out) and what better way than to observe such a legend ... He plays the role with such ease - he made running a multi-million $$ empire look so darn smooth!
I must say here that I was quite taken by his efforts to bring his every-dallying brother in line, be it sneaking in an article in the paper about his brother's impending engagement to the daughter of a tycoon (just a tiny nudge in the right direction) or pretending to take William's side when discussing Ms. Fairchild (oh yeah, that's her name - Sabrina Fairchild, in the movie) so he could convince William to sit down (knowing the champagne glasses hidden in David's pockets would most certainly cause damage in the you-know-where when he sat down) - I totally understand where he is coming from (no offense intended cherie) ...
He lights up the screen in the scenes with the other Larabee men (oh did I not mention their names, David & Linus Larabee) ... Larabee Sr. provides such comic relief that I had to try desperately not to keep snorting out laughing...
Overall, Sabrina is what you might call a chick-flick - but given the fact that the term wasn't around back then, I will settle for the term romantic comedy instead ... I've seen my fair share of rom-com's (and am not ashamed to admit it) - and this one is certainly one of the better ones...
The fact that I am here, writing about the 1954 version instead of the 1995 Harrison Ford-Greg Kinnear- Julia Ormond remake, says something right?
Yeah, so the boy gets the girl, but not before being punched in the faced by his younger brother to make him realize the garage girl is the one for him (oops, did I give it away *blinks innocently*) ... Its the little gestures that you remember - her singing in French, his hat finding its way to her to turn it down the French way - when she's on the boat back to Paris, Larabee Sr. sitting on his hidden Olive vial, Mr. Fairchild's (the Larabees' chauffer) discomfort while escorting Linus & Sabrina on their 'dates'...
Oh, and Sabrina naming her French dog 'David'? Priceless!
Now, when I popped the DVD in, I fully expected to see a digitally remastered, technicolor version of the movie - but boy, was I taken in by the DVD cover..
It turned out to be the original black & white version - which turned out to be the best way to actually see the movie, not just watch it...
In times where CGI is the main weapon in the Hollywood arsenal and the special effects ante is being upped all the time, it was a refreshing change to see something that was character driven - no gimmicks, just good old acting...
Most of the movie was obviously filmed on a soundstage but the top-class acting and humor more than made up for it...
Onto our leading lady - Audrey Hepburn... the first film I saw of hers, was My Fair Lady (yet another classic and who hasn't seen this movie, right?) and the next was a brief scene I saw from Breakfast at Tiffany's - which, btw, is also on my netflix queue...
To think that Sabrina was only her second movie, after Roman Holiday, is amazing... I think the term the critics used about her was 'elfin' - I so agree... Her transformation from earnest young-adult (no, not teenager) to a sophisticate - is a thing of beauty... I guess 2 yrs in Paris has that effect on you..
Anyways, what I'm really saying is, beyond the Oscar-winning costumes she wore to portray this transformation into an elegant socialite, it is the expressions she so cleanly conveys that convince you...
Be it swooning over David before her said Paris trip (to learn cooking, no less), or the quiet submission to the fact that she would probably never be that girl, the ease with which Ms.Hepburn captures those emotions is what really captivates you...Oh and did I mention the utterly gorgeous gown she wears to the Larabee party when she gets back - the lady is a vision... Linus you were a fool not ot dance with her in the first place...
What do I say about Mr.Bogart now? Honestly, I've heard a lot about him and was curious about the term 'Bogarted' (which I am yet to understand - looks like I'd have to watch more Bogey movies to figure that one out) and what better way than to observe such a legend ... He plays the role with such ease - he made running a multi-million $$ empire look so darn smooth!
I must say here that I was quite taken by his efforts to bring his every-dallying brother in line, be it sneaking in an article in the paper about his brother's impending engagement to the daughter of a tycoon (just a tiny nudge in the right direction) or pretending to take William's side when discussing Ms. Fairchild (oh yeah, that's her name - Sabrina Fairchild, in the movie) so he could convince William to sit down (knowing the champagne glasses hidden in David's pockets would most certainly cause damage in the you-know-where when he sat down) - I totally understand where he is coming from (no offense intended cherie) ...
He lights up the screen in the scenes with the other Larabee men (oh did I not mention their names, David & Linus Larabee) ... Larabee Sr. provides such comic relief that I had to try desperately not to keep snorting out laughing...
Overall, Sabrina is what you might call a chick-flick - but given the fact that the term wasn't around back then, I will settle for the term romantic comedy instead ... I've seen my fair share of rom-com's (and am not ashamed to admit it) - and this one is certainly one of the better ones...
The fact that I am here, writing about the 1954 version instead of the 1995 Harrison Ford-Greg Kinnear- Julia Ormond remake, says something right?
Yeah, so the boy gets the girl, but not before being punched in the faced by his younger brother to make him realize the garage girl is the one for him (oops, did I give it away *blinks innocently*) ... Its the little gestures that you remember - her singing in French, his hat finding its way to her to turn it down the French way - when she's on the boat back to Paris, Larabee Sr. sitting on his hidden Olive vial, Mr. Fairchild's (the Larabees' chauffer) discomfort while escorting Linus & Sabrina on their 'dates'...
Oh, and Sabrina naming her French dog 'David'? Priceless!
And so my ipod says...
My second post wasn't going to be about the music I am listening to currently - but here we are anyway... And this is not going to be a music review - just some thoughts induced by my current repeated-ipod-playing-till-the-play-button-is-worn-out phase...
there are a lot of words out there about ARR's two new releases - JTYJN and Ada... here are a few more... As far as the former goes, ARR managed to drag yours (initially reluctant) truly over to the side where Pappu can't dance but we all sing along anyway... And I love the nod to his earlier jazz venture in Iruvar - jazz is definitely a forte for you sir... the title track instantly transports me over to a lazy sunday afternoon that could be spent mozing around at the local Starbucks with this track playing over the shpeeker, mocha frappucino in hand... aah that's the life...
if only my ears had any verbal abilities, they would thank ARR for Kabhi Kabhi Aditi and the sombre-yet-engaging Jaane tu mera/meri kyaa hai...
But more than these tracks, Meherbaan from Ada has enraptured me... there is something about that song that takes me from feeling like I'm walking along a beach at sunset to watching a slow, gorgeous sunrise to strumming a rock ballad atop a cliff somewhere...you know - wind in your hair-black leather jacket-rockstar jeans - shades and a stunning lead guitar included...
this man is pure genius I tell you... This song's got me hook, line and sinker....
And so far I have only been talking about the instrumentation and the arrangements...
As a very knowledgeable friend and I were discussing (you know who you are) - the lyrics are a thing of class and perfection and as he put it, in chaste Urdu! Although it took me a while to hunt down the correct meaning/translation (thanks to time wasted on a couple of @#$@#$ translations of the song), by the time I got there, the song had me around its little finger anyway...
I love the way ARR says 'henna' in the song - his enunciation of the words themselves are a clear indication of the underlying intimacy...
Afore said friend and I were discussing Ada at length and as I was telling him, compared to ARRs previous body of work, this is quite unstructured and free form ... Ok so this album is supposed to be experimental, so I will give it the exact amount of latitude it deserves.. but still...
Don't get me wrong - I'm all for change and all that jazz (so you noticed the pun huh? ya that's intended *wink* ) - but I am a stickler when it comes to music - clean notes, skillful execution and masterful arrangements...take me to a place where the harmony makes me melt like butter...
Except for Meherbaan (and its oh-so-awesome instrumental version) - Ada has not managed to capture my already wandering attention...
I read somewhere that Ada has taken 6 yrs to complete (is that true chotu?) - and while it may have started out as ARR perhaps testing waters beyond familiar shores (any resemblance to the saagar & kinaara in Meherbaan is purely coincidental *cheesy grin*) , I doubt the album will be remembered as a breakout act in the current music landscape...
ARR is great at setting up well defined boundaries in his songs and then doing wonders within - but in Ada, it is the other way around - it is so free-form that it would take more than two-relatively-raw-voices to execute the tracks in a way that justifies the creative boundaries being tested...which has now got me thinking who would have sung these tracks better *scratches chin thoughtfully*
The two versions of Ishq Ada (M&F) are contrasted in themselves and left me feeling like my ears had been dealt with some serious injustice... While the arrangements in the song are quite engaging, the same cannot be said for the vocals - I'm all praise for the attempt at the execution, but it just falls short.. I'm sorry...
Maybe if the complexity had been put into the instrumentation instead of the vocals, we'd have had a whole new ballgame...Maybe, just maaybe ...
So what do you think of Ada? Does ARR break free and soar? Or, do you feel the way I do about Ada, tickled but not satisfied by the attempt?
Till the next post (whenever that is)...
Tu hai nazar, main nazaara...
Tu hai saagar, main kinaara...
Tu hai zabaan, main hoon bayaan...
Tu hai nihaan, main hoon ayaan...
there are a lot of words out there about ARR's two new releases - JTYJN and Ada... here are a few more... As far as the former goes, ARR managed to drag yours (initially reluctant) truly over to the side where Pappu can't dance but we all sing along anyway... And I love the nod to his earlier jazz venture in Iruvar - jazz is definitely a forte for you sir... the title track instantly transports me over to a lazy sunday afternoon that could be spent mozing around at the local Starbucks with this track playing over the shpeeker, mocha frappucino in hand... aah that's the life...
if only my ears had any verbal abilities, they would thank ARR for Kabhi Kabhi Aditi and the sombre-yet-engaging Jaane tu mera/meri kyaa hai...
But more than these tracks, Meherbaan from Ada has enraptured me... there is something about that song that takes me from feeling like I'm walking along a beach at sunset to watching a slow, gorgeous sunrise to strumming a rock ballad atop a cliff somewhere...you know - wind in your hair-black leather jacket-rockstar jeans - shades and a stunning lead guitar included...
this man is pure genius I tell you... This song's got me hook, line and sinker....
And so far I have only been talking about the instrumentation and the arrangements...
As a very knowledgeable friend and I were discussing (you know who you are) - the lyrics are a thing of class and perfection and as he put it, in chaste Urdu! Although it took me a while to hunt down the correct meaning/translation (thanks to time wasted on a couple of @#$@#$ translations of the song), by the time I got there, the song had me around its little finger anyway...
I love the way ARR says 'henna' in the song - his enunciation of the words themselves are a clear indication of the underlying intimacy...
Afore said friend and I were discussing Ada at length and as I was telling him, compared to ARRs previous body of work, this is quite unstructured and free form ... Ok so this album is supposed to be experimental, so I will give it the exact amount of latitude it deserves.. but still...
Don't get me wrong - I'm all for change and all that jazz (so you noticed the pun huh? ya that's intended *wink* ) - but I am a stickler when it comes to music - clean notes, skillful execution and masterful arrangements...take me to a place where the harmony makes me melt like butter...
Except for Meherbaan (and its oh-so-awesome instrumental version) - Ada has not managed to capture my already wandering attention...
I read somewhere that Ada has taken 6 yrs to complete (is that true chotu?) - and while it may have started out as ARR perhaps testing waters beyond familiar shores (any resemblance to the saagar & kinaara in Meherbaan is purely coincidental *cheesy grin*) , I doubt the album will be remembered as a breakout act in the current music landscape...
ARR is great at setting up well defined boundaries in his songs and then doing wonders within - but in Ada, it is the other way around - it is so free-form that it would take more than two-relatively-raw-voices to execute the tracks in a way that justifies the creative boundaries being tested...which has now got me thinking who would have sung these tracks better *scratches chin thoughtfully*
The two versions of Ishq Ada (M&F) are contrasted in themselves and left me feeling like my ears had been dealt with some serious injustice... While the arrangements in the song are quite engaging, the same cannot be said for the vocals - I'm all praise for the attempt at the execution, but it just falls short.. I'm sorry...
Maybe if the complexity had been put into the instrumentation instead of the vocals, we'd have had a whole new ballgame...Maybe, just maaybe ...
So what do you think of Ada? Does ARR break free and soar? Or, do you feel the way I do about Ada, tickled but not satisfied by the attempt?
Till the next post (whenever that is)...
Tu hai nazar, main nazaara...
Tu hai saagar, main kinaara...
Tu hai zabaan, main hoon bayaan...
Tu hai nihaan, main hoon ayaan...
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