The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

At first, I was quite dejected that the capitalists wanted to stretch a 330 page book into 3 movies!
But then, it was Peter Jackson.

This movie exceeded expectations on many counts; the director took his own sweet time in finishing  the first third of the book in nigh 3 hours and the new HFR (High frame rate) screening is mind-blowing (or as my folks in India like to say: mind-blasting).

About the HFR experience; I was surprised at how clear the image was - detail that made real life seem boring and focused shots which got one counting the strands of waters down a waterfall. In addition to this, one can even see how far filming technology has come since the third LOTR movie.
But this isn't an action thriller, kill the bad guys movie.

It's a story as a story should be. Slow, purposeful, inspiring, emotional and reigniting the strength of good fiction. Bilbo is a good cast, Gandalf is brilliant, not a big fan of any of the dwarves, and Gollum too is amazing. Sure, there are a lot of inconsistencies but I have come to a stage where I give credit to another Tolkien lover and his creative spirit.

The mountain trolls, and the eagles, and the elves - Galadriel in all her majesty and Elrond in his wisdom - and Smaug! and Erebor - Oh! how grand Erebor was... and how that home was lost!
For me, the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit and the Silmarillion were a part of my formative years - hence, I am biased.

Oh, there were tears inside me.

Closer

Is love a creation? Are humans always in pursuit of that which they don't have and especially of that which they can't have...? May be things like alcohol in prohibition or restricted drugs?

The law of the land enforces monogamy and somewhere, humans have started believing that monogamy makes sense; for most cultures, multiple partners had been the norm for a long time and then things began to change as humans started living in societies and the concept of materialism reared its ugly head.

Another issue that this movie raised for me was about sex.
Could sex really be that desirable? Could sex really be that much of an issue such that it could hurt a man's ego? May be this movie says a lot about the India that is becoming.

Jude Law, Natalie Portman (didn't think she would have had such a brilliant body) and Clive Owen were phenomenal. One can see Clive's potential on the real stage. I have never liked Julia Roberts. Alas.

The movie is not for the masses because it demands patience and thought. Parts need to be glued together to make sense and one is left wondering how it will end and often, how it is still progressing. Something very operatic about the movie, like a tragedy. It ends with the godess that is Natalie.

Can't take my eyes off of you.

Paradox

I had always wanted to see Zakir Hussain perform, and yesterday I had my chance.
Two weeks ago when the tickets opened up the general public, I pounced and bought 2, now knowing who my accomplice would be - it turned out to be this nutty fun friend from Spanish class.
We made our way to Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion East, Mumbai - I had heard a lot about the auditorium and yes, it lived up to the grandeur I expected.

Here is what I went for: (Courtesy: Bookmyshow.com)

When geniuses come together, magic is the only outcome!

Hello classical fans, You won’t believe what we have in store for you. A unique combination-a first time ever - Pandit Birju Maharaj (Kathak) in session with the magical Tabla beats of the great table master Ustad Zakir Hussain. If that was not enough, the vocal renditions of the legendary maestro Pandit Ajoy Chakravarty will merge their brilliance into a crescendo. Dr. Trichy Sankaran, the world famous master on the Mridangam with his co-artists will also join in, in celebrating Pandit Birju Maharaj’s 75 glorious years. Date : Dec 13, 2012 Time: 6.30 PM Venue : Shanmukhananda Hall, Mumbai I am a music lover. I love most kinds of music and no, house and club don't qualify as music (yet). I can listen to Indian classical music for hours; the thing about Indian classical music is that if one gives it its due attention it can be quite strenuous on the brain, in a pleasant way. Dr. Trichy occupied the stage for a good hour and it was phenomenal. Zakir came on after the 15 minute interval and Brijmohan Mishra (Birju Maharaj) made a grand entrance - and this was after a wonderful introductory speech by one of the organising dudes. Birju will celebrate his 76th birthday in February! And he was a sight for weary minds. Was amazing to see someone dance this way - I think dance ought to be this, rather than the shaky swivelly nonsense from the West. More blues. Zakir impressed me - I think it's because I could see why he is a maestro. I don't understand Indian classical music but I appreciate its nuances and the ingenuity that seldom tags along. It's in his eyes. I didn't like Pandit Ajoy even though I did like his voice. There is a difference you see... It is what one had once said: There is good casting, there are no bad actors. He didn't belong on the stage last night according to me. But I am a lowly commoner and know not what all that music 'meant'. The evening was cut short because it was past 10pm and Ajoy's singing is not what me and my friend signed up for. May be we were weary. The thing about Art is that it is all around us and with this note I will move on to the next phase of this post: I found it hilarious that people were bumbling in like drunk minstrels at 730 pm when the performance had started at 640 pm. And by hilarious I mean that I wanted to punch them in their punani region. I also found it hilarious that one of the ushers had his cell phone ringing to a bhojpuri/ bollywood type song. I made my way to a bar where my friend was drinking for me and I saw a conglomeration (yes, a conglomeration) of people pretending to have a merry time by jiving to techno/ house. They looked like pigs and the smell of smoke hid their foul stench. And the following is the reason why I may be writing this post... I dropped my friend home and made my way through a lane I have been driving through for the last 2 years. A couple of families had made their quaint shanty home there, away from the populace and usually playing with their dogs. Last night, I found their homes torn down and shrouded in rubble. Imagine that, you are living your life and one fine evening a vindictive tsunami decides to rid you of your iota of belonging. Yes, that is capitalism where the strong survive and the weak are washed away into the gutters; it is what a lot of city dwellers secretly desire and socially ridicule. I stood there looking at the canvas. And someone opened the trapdoor beneath my feet. I knew not how to swim. But did I ever exist? To the music inside us all.

Argo

A thriller after a long long time. Who knew that Ben Affleck could actually make a career in Hollywood!? I woke up today craving a movie, so I booked one ticket for Argo and didn't know what the movie was about, except for the fact that it had received quite a few praises. So it starts off and they say its based on a true story - OK.
The story is simple - 1979, Iranians storm the US embassy in Tehran. 6 Americans take refuge somewhere; the CIA has to get them out. But there's something that gnaws at you when faced with the prospect of having your freedom taken away - and that is what got me quite hooked. Were the Americans right in giving refuge to their stooge - the Shah? Were the Iranians right in having held innocent Americans hostage? I guess that the Iranian anger was justified...
And then I thought of the madding crowd - if a bunch of people do it, it is justified. It's like the broken window syndrome and it is quite an influence in my field of work. An American tried to reason with the crowd; of course, he was tied down and used to gather more hostages...

I enjoyed the slight comical element of Argo fuck yourself. A movie production unit that goes to Iran, from Canada. The screenplay and the writing was excellent. Here too, I found it funny how certain crass jokes got the audience in an uproar and certain subtler jibes had only a few of us laughing and thinking.

A must watch. Brilliant movie.

And if you think that you have the end figured out... may be you do, but the movie doesn't allow you to believe your forecasting abilities.

Looper

Finally - a sci-fi movie!! :D
Sad premise and quite illogical but engrossing nonetheless.
I am not a movie reviewer but I do like movies that make me write - this is one such movie.

The music was top-notch, the direction was oddly brilliant - had not heard of Rian Johnson until this movie, wonderful characters and it seems that Jason Levitt has a promising future.

As I was watching the movie, I thought of the mother and her kid and wondered if protection could be that strong; I thought of Willis' longing for his wife. I also thought of the plague that affects humans who are unable to focus on a good movie and then have to ask others for explanations for a simple story. I also thought of how cool that blunderbuss gun was!! And about how such a wicked kid could warrant affection...

I am a troubled little human being I am.

Barfi!

Ranbir Kapoor is one of the better mainstream actors in India today, it is because of him that the movie works, because his character is central to the movie. Yes, the movie is too long (thank you PVR for your soggy popcorn - it keeps me active) and one knew of Pritam because of those idiots playing some music while the movie played on.
Ranbir plays the role of Barfi effortlessly at times - the director did a good job with him and much appreciation for the director Anurag Basu for not making it an emotional drama with respect to the deaf and mute condition of the lead actor.
I liked Priyanka Chopra just because she had the nerve to dump her glamorous avatar and take up one of an autistic child who is also dyslexic, seems stupid, stutters and also has Freddie Mercury teeth.
Ileana D'Cruz is an Indian hottie and I like her Indian dressed-up avatar.
Saurabh Shukla is brilliant!!
Papon's Kyon is one of my favourite songs from the movie and so is the intro song of "Picture Shuru"

What I did not like - Chaplin copies, sure one could say, "We paid homage to Chaplin..."
Stuff from the Notebook - blatantly copied.
The entire love triangle and Ileana's inability to get over her love for a deaf-mute Barfi was unreasonable.

What I loved - I have already mentioned this but Ranbir's performance was quite awesome. I like the way he could dance, seem comical and non-sensical, comb his hair, make fun of others and act like a much loved much hated fiend of a small town in India. He always wanted to live a full life they said. The character could not have existed in real life, but one hopes that such a character one lived.

Barfi! is also India's official entry to the Oscars. This, for me, is disappointing. The movie is not exquisite and I believe it has been chosen as India's entry because of the selectors' perception of what an international audience would like. I believe that Indian movies are generally made for Indian audiences and hence an Indian entry should be one that speaks of India, not like a Salman Khan movie but like an Ab Tak Chappan which speaks of Indian society.

Titanic

When I first saw this movie I understood little and had an iota of patience. Saw this movie again recently on TV and damn - it's a brilliant movie. Add to that Leo is there and a red-head Kate Winslet in all her vulnerable, voluptuous glory.
"Gentlemen, it has been a privilege playing with you tonight." I loved the scene where the musicians played on while panic ensued around them. I had completely missed the grandeur of the movie when I saw it first; I never saw how strong a role Kate's was; the end of the movie where Rose and Jack try to escape towards the deck, the 'lower class' being discriminated against, the nouveau riche American lady hollering at the lack of humanity in her fellow travelers when aboard the boat, a group of people craving the word of the Lord when on the verge of dying, the fact that only 1 boat returned for survivors.
Old Rose says at the end of her narration, "A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets."

True Grit

I am fascinated by history. Ture Grit is a remake of a 1960s movie and I think also inspired by a novel. The story is simple - dude killed unfairly, his daughter is angry and wants to take some revenge; she hires an old marshall to find the killer in order to kill him.
The Wild Wild West was indeed wild. There was honour and animalistic behaviour. I liked the girl's performance and the Jeff was outstanding. Still don't know how he did a drunkard so well :)
The reason I had to write about this movie is that towards the end (because the end is simply cinematic awesomeness) I was peering into my laptop screen - took me a while to realise that I was literally drawn to the movie.
A particular scene right at the very end made me say, "Damn... no wonder this movie was named True Grit".

Ilhaam

Every thought is unique. Similar to how everyone who saw this play would have thought of different things.

There is a time when the world flows into you, when you can sense everything around you and understand all that there is; when that happens, things that used to matter, cease to matter in the same way. What would you do if you were to choose between moksha and bondage to human societal life?
/I can't be here and there at the same time... that is what humans want./
/Kya poori duniya aa kar tumse kehti hai... main hoon...?/

There is a joy in being a kid and there is regret in seeing that innocence in somebody else.
Someone weird is just someone who does not conform to accepted norms of human societal behaviour. Epilepsy was deemed madness, homosexuals are still not treated well, cross-dressers are not accepted, autistic people are scary, deformed faces are revolting. Odd people exist because of the categorization by other people who form the majority.

Moving to another point; what would you do if your loved one goes insane, i.e. you can't understand/ tolerate him/ her? What happens when that someone does not appreciate your presence?
What is the similarity between someone who treats you badly and someone who suffers from dementia or Alzheimer's? Are you liable to take care of a loved one more because of your love or because of society? What would you do if you realised you were losing control over your sanity?

Ilhaam is a play that I saw at Prithvi Theatre yesterday. One of the best I have seen in a while. A note to the buffoons who like to text and email while the play is on - one fine day, you might be shot or stabbed by someone like me.

Melt

Nick has a way of melting my innards. The saxophone, the flute, the bass, the guitar, the piano and his voice.

The Dark Knight Rises

Spoiler Alert - Stay Away from this post.

"I have buried enough members of the Wayne family." The agony on Bruce's face tears up the viewer. For me, this movie was not about the glorious action, but just like "The Dark Knight", it was about human behvaiour and emotions.
The first line above was said by Alfred while he is controlling his tears. Bruce could not move on after Rachel's demise and the ones who loved Bruce always hoped that he would leave things behind and move on. Alfred spoke of how he wished Bruce never came back to Gotham.
Christian Bale is one of the best young actors that Hollywood has.
Tom Hardy is a wonderful Bane and Bane is as good as he should be. Calculated and sturdy. 
Anne Hathaway is a wonderful, voluptuous, enticing Catwoman?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a new kid on the block and does a fantastic Blake (Robin)
I was surprised at how gripping the movie was. Chicago is the perfect Gotham City; the action scenes are stupendous and the naysayers may say what they want to, but Hans Zimmer created outstanding music - especially towards the end and the music that usually accompanied Bane.
The plot was so-so but the idea was quite Shakespearen with the downfall of society.

How did the citizens feel when their city collapsed?
What did Alfred go through for 8 years after Rachel's loss and Bruce's degradation?
Why was Mr. Fox so loyal?
Did Commissioner Gordon really inspire Bruce so much?
What did people say when they found out about Harvey Dent's truth?
Why did Miranda do all she had to?
How did Bruce spend his years in pain?
What allowed him to escape the pit?

And the Batplane is fit for the 21st century!!! Wooohooooooo
Well done Christopher Nolan.
Side note: Anne Hathaway in stilettos (in the beginning of the movie) - oooooh laaaa laaaa

Kshay

Revolutionary Road meets Trainspotting in India. Not suggesting that the creators of this movie copied from any other movie - am just referring to how deeply thought-provoking, social, intense and terribly depressing this movie was.
An absolutely wonderful creation shot in black and white - good idea though because it focuses attention on the characters. I haven't heard such wonderful use of music in a while now and the story was simple yet filmed in a brilliant way. Even with the use of expressionism, the director didn't tire the audience as it happened in that god-awful movie: The Tree of Life.
Rasika Dugal was awesome and it was her movie through and through.

Thoughts:
Why was the sculptor kid such an angry boy?
Why was Chhaya obsessed with the stone?
Why did Laxmi always look at Chhaya?
Could losing a child during pregnancy be that disturbing?
Would Chhaya have been the same if she would not have cared for the neighbour's kid in the beginning of the movie?
Why was Arvind oblivious to everything?
Is India finally becoming like the West, where social support is difficult to find?
If life really is that difficult, why do people struggle through it?
Would a dead spouse be better than a dead self?

I went for this movie because a friend recommended it. I didn't know the meaning of Kshay until I came back home after the movie. The progression towards the end.
"Do you know what a woman goes through when her child has died and she will never know what it would be like to ever give birth to one of her own? Do you know what it's like when she is left all alone at home with nothing to do with her life?"

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro

This loosely translates to : Let it be, friends. Means: Ah fk.. just let it be...
I saw this movie today after ages! So happy that it is now easily available on DVD through Flipkart.
Albert Pinto ko gussa kyon aata hai (from N. Shah's earlier movie) referenced in a ridiculous scene and of course the end where Shah Jahan enters a Mahabharat play. "Say Sorry"
Aaaahhh... I'm laughing while typing this out :)
Satish Shah, Om Puri, the late Ravi Baswani, Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapoor dole out amazing performances.
Can't believe that this movie is almost 30 years old now. Timeless. Classic. Cult.
Sure, it's not a fantastic movie in the cinematic sense, but it's a movie that oozes of India; the India that was and still is.

Dosar

I love human relations. The movie kept things vague and kept one engrossed with the questions or comments: "What is she going to do/ say? How is he going to respond? Why is this woman suffering an abusive husband? Who was Mita? Yeah sure, now he wants her back... Who are these two? Yeah, the prostitute makes sense... I think."
Wonderful symbolism and art meshed with a good story. Don't know why he did a B/W film, but read somewhere that he did it just for kicks...
"Here's the pack of condoms; my wife won't need it. Your husband might." Ghosh seems to do a wonderful job with personalities and close-ups. Aaaah... Bengali movies...

The Avengers

I grin and rub my hands together with glee. "Doth thy mother know thou weareth her drapes?" Ha!!!!
The Avengers... OMG... This was such a fun fun movie. Gosh, loved it. Sure there were inconsistencies but oooh laaaa laaaa... love the fun!!!! Bruce Banner was cast brilliantly with Mark Ruffalo. Iron Man rocks and RDJ is perfect :). Scarlett J in red hair :D. Thor!!! Captain America was so so... I guess the Americans would like him more than the rest of the world. Oh but they made the movie so so cool!!! I am young again!!!!
Good usage of 2.5 hours. Quite a bit of work seems to have gone into production - believe the 3D was actually shot/ created really well for a change. The Hulk was awesome!!!!
Oh and yes, don't know why it released here before it did in the US.

Dahan

I met someone who recommended a bunch of bengali movies. I saw Dahan last night. Fabulous movie - there is beauty in its creation, in its characters, in their emotions, in the nuances of being Indian/ Bengali. I liked how the director did not make it a 'powerful' movie about rape, but rather about molestation born out of an act of instinct. I loved the grandmother in the movie.
There was a story about how many years ago, someone from her (grandmother's) family forgot a wallet full of money in the cab. Everybody was upset. In the morning, the cab driver returned with the wallet. Everybody was happy and rejoicing and distributing sweets and giving a tip to the cabbie. "They reacted as though stealing the wallet was the natural thing and returning it was something special."
I loved that story because it is thought-provoking.
Coming back to the movie... characters were thoroughly controlled. The husbands/ boyfriends were quintessential MCPs and may be a little more than that. When Romita (victim) thought about divorce, it wasn't made a big issue in the movie, but the snap response was, what will the people think? Think how much your parents spent on the marriage? Polash (Romita's husband) shied away from the incident and hoped to not face it in society; as a defense mechanism, he diverted his angst towards Romita and accused her of having pre-marital relations with the molesters. May be she was raped? That's the story which floated about in the community.
It was odd, how I thought the movie would be about the plight of a girl who had been molested and when  I sat through the movie, the plight was shared by every character in the movie but based on the perceived thoughts of others in the community.
We Indians grow up with a cultural burden based on how society perceives events; luckily, things are changing in cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore but not as much as they should.
I am also reading Swami Vivekanand's letters right now and I see that the Hindu culture had a wonderful influence on Indian development, but somewhere, society has indeed become such an overwhelming force which dictates most people's behaviour based on what is the right or the wrong thing to do.
Strawberry fields forever. Nothing's gonna change my world. I am happy to be a Mumbai-ite. Thank you Rituparno Ghosh.

The Artist

So they decided to make a silent movie in 2011/12 and it won the Oscar for best movie. Well deserved! The silent movie managed to grip my attention throughout and I don't know why... I have a feeling that if it was a 'talkie', it wouldn't have been that powerful a movie.
I was simply mesmerized with the detailing and the sets and even the behaviour of people throughout the movie. The font in the newspapers, the clothing, the hair of the women, the cars, the homes, the sidewalks... The bulky actor suited the 1920s, the actress - Berenice Bejo - OMG!! I was quite impressed by her performance. She oozed of sex appeal, her body language cried of oomph and damn, she had one expressive face. There were moments in the movie where I literally gasped when she would strike a pose or express an emotion.
The story was simple. A leading proud actor falls behind the times. "Talking" movies would soon replace the era of silent movies - similar to how 3D movies will soon kill 2D movies - and this guy is a silent movie actor; the audience now wants new, young faces. Dude slips into depression along with the economy (1929/30); Berenice Bejo loves him secretly.. climax scenes... It's not an extraordinary plot, but it's a fantastic motion picture. The old ways were simple, and life seemed to proceed along just fine... movie makes one think along those lines...

Addendum: Berenice Bejo did not win the best supporting actress award at the Oscars but daym... some of her poses in that skinny frame of hers with those wonderful eyes and high bones of the face... ooooo laa laaaa

J. Edgar

One of the beauties of hollywood lies in the justice it can serve to historical movies. The biopic J. Edgar may well go down in history as a memorable creation. It was hard to imagine such an authentic recreation of the past. Leonardo is, as always, stupendous but somewhere, he ought-did himself. And it's not about the makeup, it's about scenes that become memorable.
When he cries in fear and calls Miss Gandy into his office, he makes her promise to keep safe the secret files.
To be honest, yes it was slow and might be considered boring by some. Comments from an audience member such as, "That is so gay.", during such a movie ruin the experience.
The movie did justice to portraying J. Edgar's motivations, personal flaws, progress through his personal life, his insecurities and his emotional disorders.
My ability to write about movies has deteriorated, if ever it was any good. :)