Sunday, October 21, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
times they are a-changin....
the best golfer on earth is black.
the most successful rapper is white.
and Andrew Symonds says 'Racist abuse by Indian crowds' fired him up for the century in Nagpur.
Take that vacation you have been postponing, folks. The world is coming to an end! ;)
the most successful rapper is white.
and Andrew Symonds says 'Racist abuse by Indian crowds' fired him up for the century in Nagpur.
Take that vacation you have been postponing, folks. The world is coming to an end! ;)
Friday, October 12, 2007
Different Worlds - 25 years or 250 Kilometers away
I think I would trade Orthopaedic injury for any other illness ANY DAY. Why?
a. you can eat and drink anything
b. theres no nausea
c. you can eat and drink anything
d. dont have to pop a pill
e. you can eat and drink anything
Thats why!
My uninterrupted showtime is continuing for a "3rd successful week". Last week, I watched 2 films which are not set in the World I live in.
'Children of Men' is in my opinion, the most important film made in 2007 (I have not seen 'Eastern Promises' yet and so I will reconfirm shortly!) - and I am not saying this in any temporary, post-movie hangover. It has actually been about 10 days since I saw it. Alfonso Cuaron - the guy who made the fun-but-profound 'Y tu mama tambien' has written and directed the film.
It is set 25 years from now, when the human race loses its ability to reproduce (a.k.a its mojo!). That world is not 'AI' or 'Minority Report'ish, but a darker one. One without hope. The first thing that hits you about the film is the art and production design that reflects this mood beautifully. The cars are 'futurish', but jaded; The city landscape dark - with uncleared garbage, and greying buildings - almost screaming at you with despair. It is not all about the facade. The detailing is equally stunning. In the shot below, the news papers on the wall carry fictional news of destruction of the times. Award winning stuff ;)
a. you can eat and drink anything
b. theres no nausea
c. you can eat and drink anything
d. dont have to pop a pill
e. you can eat and drink anything
Thats why!
My uninterrupted showtime is continuing for a "3rd successful week". Last week, I watched 2 films which are not set in the World I live in.
'Children of Men' is in my opinion, the most important film made in 2007 (I have not seen 'Eastern Promises' yet and so I will reconfirm shortly!) - and I am not saying this in any temporary, post-movie hangover. It has actually been about 10 days since I saw it. Alfonso Cuaron - the guy who made the fun-but-profound 'Y tu mama tambien' has written and directed the film.
It is set 25 years from now, when the human race loses its ability to reproduce (a.k.a its mojo!). That world is not 'AI' or 'Minority Report'ish, but a darker one. One without hope. The first thing that hits you about the film is the art and production design that reflects this mood beautifully. The cars are 'futurish', but jaded; The city landscape dark - with uncleared garbage, and greying buildings - almost screaming at you with despair. It is not all about the facade. The detailing is equally stunning. In the shot below, the news papers on the wall carry fictional news of destruction of the times. Award winning stuff ;)
...and the long shots...wow!....7-8 minutes shots....not just dialogue, but action sequences. Beautifully choreographed....and no green screen! these are real time shots!!.....Now, I have never been a fan of film makers who employ visual effects simply because they can...but I dont think it is the case here......the visual language of this film is very distinct and is consistent from the start till the end credits......really, some of these shots make you pause and rewind.....not only becuase you loved it, but also because you cant believe they actually pulled it off!!
and the script....a philosopher' delight.....the audience's delight too! The way spirituality and politics of the land have been handled is very very interesting. Overall, the kind of film that you want to rip immediately and add to your private illegal collection.....the kind of film that will make you feel dissapointed if it din't win the 'picture of the year'.....and the kind of film that you want to force into the hands of the next person you see and say 'go watch'!
...and then i watched another film from a different world.....no, not 25 years from now, but 250 KMs from chennai....'Achuvinte Amma'
How can a state that is a 2 hour bus ride from Coimbatore be so different from the rest of south India? how is it that milions of people in Kerala go to the theatre and watch 'Achuvinte Amma', when the movie does not have any sex; nobody is raped in the climax; no guns; no stunt sequences with earth shattering music; no dumb and deaf heroine; no lip synced songs; no close ups of navels; no songs shot in new zealand or greece; no crane or dolly shots ending in a close up of the hero mouthing a punch dialogue; not even a comedy track! what changes when you travel 250 KMS westwards from Chennai? If it is communism, then lets have a revolution ASAP....
I know I am not the first to ask these questions and I wont be the last.
'Achuvinte Amma' is a Sathyan Anthikad film that won a state award last year, along with Lal and Blessy's Thanmatra. The protagonists are Urvasi and Meera Jasmine - two of the best actresses in the country, in my opinion. It is a tale of a mother and a daughter. A mother and daughter that we have all met in a bus, visited, lived next to or even have in our family! A simple yet poignant tale. I dont think they even rented a dolly for the film! But I totally loved the film.
The thing about Achu that glues you to the seat are the performances. I mean, obviously! Its Urvasi and Meera! I am a self-proclaimed Meera fanatic. There is something very peaceful about seeing her on screen....and boy, what a talent!! Loved her in Perumazhakaalam. Saw 'Sandaikozhi' only because she was in it....but this is probably my most fav Meera film yet (will reconfirm after seeing Rasathanthram)...why she will act in a SJ Surya film is beyond me.....;(
Sunday, October 7, 2007
from the 'doctors' collection
when the doctor said that I cant afford to move out of my bed for 6 weeks, the first thing that came to my mind was that I need enough music. Loaded up my iPod with all the 27.3 gigs of music that I had. Apparently, I over prepared. Have been playing this 2 minute track in a loop for an entire week now. Long live doctors. I figured its part of 'Lord of the Dance', but does anyone know whose composition this is?
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Chak who?
"Dhoni is the best thing to have ever happened to Jharkand" - Rajdeep Sardesai
"I hope Rahul (Gandhi) like Dhoni, will win the next big match (election)" - Sonia Maino (a.k.a Sonia Gandhi)
"*&*&@ ((&(& @&@&^@ ()(*!^&!%" - Rameez Raja
The world was going crazy.
What a week!!....To wake up to a cricket match is always fun (especially when you ahve been advised bed-rest!). The morning filter coffee mixes with the game almost as well as an evening pint at a pub with TV....epsecially when India is winning! and what wins!!....for me, the best part was the fact that none of the indians featured in the most runs / most wickets or even most sixes tables until the finals. Probably the biggest indicator that we are working well as a unit and it is not a few good horses pushing the cart, like the '03 world cup.
I thought RPS and Gambhir were the real heroes....the yuvraj mania was obviously amazing....but for me, it was these two work horses who turned in class acts over and over again. And ofcourse sreesanth.....i heard one of the panelists comment in IBN Live that 'the team should collect a sreesanth tax, where every other team member can compensate for his losses of match fee'....i dont think we ever had a character like him on our ranks...
Having said all this, the end was a bit bitter-sweet for me. When Ravi announced at the presentation ceremony that "$2 Million" is being gifted by the BCCI to the team, I honestly choked. This is unheard of...in cricket....The UEFA prize money for the winner is 7 Million Euros, but that is the prize money...Not the bonus.....The money rain did not end there....Rs. 1 Crore for Yuvraj and something like that for Dhoni....and the list got extended by the day...I take it back...It IS being extended by the day.....
Now, I agree that 'what a sports person makes' is not a 'fan' question anywhere else in the world....but I think it is a relevant question in India...simply because no other country that I know of, has sportsmen and fans complain of step-motherly treatment dealt out to a sport...
India won the Nehru Cup for the first time...ever! and if you are wondering what the sport is, it is soccer....we won the Asia cup for hockey this year....I would love to see how much those players made, vis-a-vis Dhoni's boys...it would actually be a rude joke.
You can count the number of astro-turfs in india, probably on one hand. I am almost positive that most of us can count 'Indian footballer names that we remember' in one hand too. I understand that the fundamental problem is the lack of popularity among fans for hockey & soccer and not the BCCI....but I believe this is a solvable problem....It has been done before in many countries....Cricket in Kenya, soccer in the U.S., soccer in West Indies....I think that something like this should be very possible for the Sports Authority of India, with enough funding and a clear long term 'grass-rooted' plan....we should at least be able to scratch the surface....I dont think we have even done that yet.
I got up this morning to read the article about the hockey players on a hunger strike in karnataka....coz they felt like "dust" when they saw state governments fighting with each other to announce awards for cricketers....I think this has got to be an absolute first....since big bang....that a sportsperson went on a hunger strike for more recognition....chak that India!
"I hope Rahul (Gandhi) like Dhoni, will win the next big match (election)" - Sonia Maino (a.k.a Sonia Gandhi)
"*&*&@ ((&(& @&@&^@ ()(*!^&!%" - Rameez Raja
The world was going crazy.
What a week!!....To wake up to a cricket match is always fun (especially when you ahve been advised bed-rest!). The morning filter coffee mixes with the game almost as well as an evening pint at a pub with TV....epsecially when India is winning! and what wins!!....for me, the best part was the fact that none of the indians featured in the most runs / most wickets or even most sixes tables until the finals. Probably the biggest indicator that we are working well as a unit and it is not a few good horses pushing the cart, like the '03 world cup.
I thought RPS and Gambhir were the real heroes....the yuvraj mania was obviously amazing....but for me, it was these two work horses who turned in class acts over and over again. And ofcourse sreesanth.....i heard one of the panelists comment in IBN Live that 'the team should collect a sreesanth tax, where every other team member can compensate for his losses of match fee'....i dont think we ever had a character like him on our ranks...
Having said all this, the end was a bit bitter-sweet for me. When Ravi announced at the presentation ceremony that "$2 Million" is being gifted by the BCCI to the team, I honestly choked. This is unheard of...in cricket....The UEFA prize money for the winner is 7 Million Euros, but that is the prize money...Not the bonus.....The money rain did not end there....Rs. 1 Crore for Yuvraj and something like that for Dhoni....and the list got extended by the day...I take it back...It IS being extended by the day.....
Now, I agree that 'what a sports person makes' is not a 'fan' question anywhere else in the world....but I think it is a relevant question in India...simply because no other country that I know of, has sportsmen and fans complain of step-motherly treatment dealt out to a sport...
India won the Nehru Cup for the first time...ever! and if you are wondering what the sport is, it is soccer....we won the Asia cup for hockey this year....I would love to see how much those players made, vis-a-vis Dhoni's boys...it would actually be a rude joke.
You can count the number of astro-turfs in india, probably on one hand. I am almost positive that most of us can count 'Indian footballer names that we remember' in one hand too. I understand that the fundamental problem is the lack of popularity among fans for hockey & soccer and not the BCCI....but I believe this is a solvable problem....It has been done before in many countries....Cricket in Kenya, soccer in the U.S., soccer in West Indies....I think that something like this should be very possible for the Sports Authority of India, with enough funding and a clear long term 'grass-rooted' plan....we should at least be able to scratch the surface....I dont think we have even done that yet.
I got up this morning to read the article about the hockey players on a hunger strike in karnataka....coz they felt like "dust" when they saw state governments fighting with each other to announce awards for cricketers....I think this has got to be an absolute first....since big bang....that a sportsperson went on a hunger strike for more recognition....chak that India!
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