Every couple have a song(s) that mean something special to them. This is one of our two! Truly timeless..I always feel lyrics are as important as the score.. could never enjoy a song with bad lyrics however good the score might be..Cant really spot the difference between Latha Mangeshkar then and now! The male lead is Manna dey, score is by Shanker Jaikishan and lyrics by Shailendra. Posted by Yours Truly ;)
Friday, May 30, 2008
Stanley and Iris by Martin Ritt
A movie I never wanted to end but go on and on.. Starring Robert De Niro and Jane Fonda. A simple story about a working class woman and a man who doesnt know the letters. The movie brings home with sensitivity the kind of a silent world that an illiterate man resides in - something very close to how a person who cannot speak will go through. Robert De Niro's struggle with himself and his illiteracy is poignantly presented. Jane Fonda is the gentle and encouraging teacher, who refuses to judge him but sees the best in him that he himself doesnt see.
The lesser said about the movie the better enjoyed it is.
A lovely evening watch.
My Rating: 8/10
The lesser said about the movie the better enjoyed it is.
A lovely evening watch.
My Rating: 8/10
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Titanic
I recently chanced upon the tales of the Titanic passengers on this site. There are several interesting thoughts that came to my mind
a) Even in acts of God, there is some amount of control given to human hands. For example, some men even after the first jab of the iceberg made a bold decision to get on to the lifeboats whereas some others thought it was safer on the Titanic since it was supposed to be 'unsinkable'. Thus the first lifeboat only had 28 people on it - half its capacity. Now, at this point , getting on to the cold black waters vis-a-vis the still relative comfort of the Titanic is a calculated risk. Those who took it survived and those who didnt perished. And it is a change from the status quo. An action. In most high-pressure situations, it is easier to lay still and let fate unfold. That is what some seem to have done, only to pay a heavy price later.
b)If you go through the biographies of all those who escaped and those who perished - you will find a mix there. Noble ones ( Like the woman who let her friend go since she had 'Children waiting back home') when there was only one last place left, or the gentlement who helped all the woman and children on board - they perished. But those who dressed as women to escape and those who even later in life cheated and swindled public money went on to live a 90+ years. But even this is not black and white. Good ones like 'Molly Brown' also survived to live a good life. So there really is no reason or logic! I know.I know. It is foolish to seek for logic in God's handiwork but couldnt help looking for one!
c) There are survivors who beat the odds in any situation. There is a business man who - not waiting for the life boats - vacuums out his suitcase, wraps a fur coat around it, ties it with a belt and buoys himself in the water - till one of the Carpathia boats / other life boats could afford to help him! A man who truly took his fate into his own hands.
d) A man who's mother was born on board a ship in almost the exact same place 82 years ago, drowned there. One of the ladies had an egyptican prophecist tell her that she will face a sinking ship, an earthquake and a motor accident and she will die in the last calamity. She did. One 62 year old woman declared to 'Molly Brown' that she could feel an ill omen foreboding her even before she boarded the Titanic. She was proven right!
Truth is, at most times, stranger than fiction.
a) Even in acts of God, there is some amount of control given to human hands. For example, some men even after the first jab of the iceberg made a bold decision to get on to the lifeboats whereas some others thought it was safer on the Titanic since it was supposed to be 'unsinkable'. Thus the first lifeboat only had 28 people on it - half its capacity. Now, at this point , getting on to the cold black waters vis-a-vis the still relative comfort of the Titanic is a calculated risk. Those who took it survived and those who didnt perished. And it is a change from the status quo. An action. In most high-pressure situations, it is easier to lay still and let fate unfold. That is what some seem to have done, only to pay a heavy price later.
b)If you go through the biographies of all those who escaped and those who perished - you will find a mix there. Noble ones ( Like the woman who let her friend go since she had 'Children waiting back home') when there was only one last place left, or the gentlement who helped all the woman and children on board - they perished. But those who dressed as women to escape and those who even later in life cheated and swindled public money went on to live a 90+ years. But even this is not black and white. Good ones like 'Molly Brown' also survived to live a good life. So there really is no reason or logic! I know.I know. It is foolish to seek for logic in God's handiwork but couldnt help looking for one!
c) There are survivors who beat the odds in any situation. There is a business man who - not waiting for the life boats - vacuums out his suitcase, wraps a fur coat around it, ties it with a belt and buoys himself in the water - till one of the Carpathia boats / other life boats could afford to help him! A man who truly took his fate into his own hands.
d) A man who's mother was born on board a ship in almost the exact same place 82 years ago, drowned there. One of the ladies had an egyptican prophecist tell her that she will face a sinking ship, an earthquake and a motor accident and she will die in the last calamity. She did. One 62 year old woman declared to 'Molly Brown' that she could feel an ill omen foreboding her even before she boarded the Titanic. She was proven right!
Truth is, at most times, stranger than fiction.
Monday, May 19, 2008
St Paul's Cathedral, London
Visited StPaul's Cathedral on Saturday. It was an amazing experience. The beauty of the Cathedral with its expanded style, the stained glass paintings, the etched images, the gate of tijou, the American Chapel, The light of the world image.. it was overwhelmingly beautiful. The minute you enter the cathedral, there is a settling feeling of peace. The tall and wide structure - as intended by Christopher Wren,the architect- opens your heart wide open and lets it free. If you ever visit the place do not forget to opt for the audio guide. It is non-intrusive and very well directed. At appropriate places, the audio stops to play some music that so soothes and refreshes you. When we went there was a marriage in the Cathedral plus a crowd of atleast 500 people. But there was such a silence except for the wedding march that nobody would have guessed such a crowd was inside. I plan to visit again for the place is really something. It also takes a good half a day - if you really want to appreciate every inch of the place. You could sit in front of the American Chapel and the Light of the world image for a good half an hour just absorbing their beauty and richness of detail.
Very well maintained, well organised by the admin and finely appreciated by the visitors.
Click below for a virtual tour for you to get a sense of what I am saying..
http://www.sphericalimages.com/stpauls/virtual_tour.htm
Can't deny the sense of regret at the thought of our ancient Indian architectural marvels, that - if only appreciated and looked after as much as this one, would inspire as much awe and respect- if not more.
Very well maintained, well organised by the admin and finely appreciated by the visitors.
Click below for a virtual tour for you to get a sense of what I am saying..
http://www.sphericalimages.com/stpauls/virtual_tour.htm
Can't deny the sense of regret at the thought of our ancient Indian architectural marvels, that - if only appreciated and looked after as much as this one, would inspire as much awe and respect- if not more.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Moham Ennum - Sindhu Bhairavi
One of my most favourite pieces of music..Ilayaraja and Jesudas - an eclectic combo. The lyrics, the score and the action have set a level that cannot be crossed. A rare score that allows a man to feel, to give voice to his struggle between conflicting commitments, without being effete.Dont know if you can as finely appreciate it if you cant understand the lyrics or the context. But I wouldnt be surprised if you did!
Thelma and Louise by Ridley Scott
A poignant movie about the unrelenting friendship between a housewife and a waitress. Starting out on an innocent weekend trip the pair's life takes a dangerous turn. One evil man's interruption in their lives dooms them forever. But in those 24 - 48 hours between the time they start on the trip to the heart-breaking finale, these two women live a life that they hadnt in their entire lifetime before those hours.
As different as chalk and cheese, they bicker, they are prejudiced against each other, they tear each other into pieces but are fiercely committed to their friendship without ever having the need to say so. Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis do a brilliant job - surprising that they lost out on the Academy awards. The movie has won one for the Screenplay though. The movie wonderfully captures their metamorphosis like an amoeba in directions they themselves havent fathomed before..
Brad Pitt - the cowboy petty thief- didnt realise he was used in movies as a 'dish' even back then ;)
No woman will come back from this movie without missing their closest friends..past and present..and identifying themselves as Thelma and Louise seperately and together.. No man will be able to resist saying ' pfffff.. women! what were they thinking..'
My rating 8/10
As different as chalk and cheese, they bicker, they are prejudiced against each other, they tear each other into pieces but are fiercely committed to their friendship without ever having the need to say so. Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis do a brilliant job - surprising that they lost out on the Academy awards. The movie has won one for the Screenplay though. The movie wonderfully captures their metamorphosis like an amoeba in directions they themselves havent fathomed before..
Brad Pitt - the cowboy petty thief- didnt realise he was used in movies as a 'dish' even back then ;)
No woman will come back from this movie without missing their closest friends..past and present..and identifying themselves as Thelma and Louise seperately and together.. No man will be able to resist saying ' pfffff.. women! what were they thinking..'
My rating 8/10
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