Nightcrawler - If it bleeds it leads!

Looking up Nightcrawler on wikipedia so I'd have the cast and crew mentions accurate for this review revealed that they are categorising it a 'crime thriller'. As such I would move it over into the territory of 'pyschological thriller' just as easily. Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Lou Bloom, can only be described as a sociopath climbing the rungs and stumbling on an elevator to ascending stages of depravity.  A couple of movies came to mind, one when looking at Lou's final strut and another on recalling the events of the movie for this review. The latter is 'Taxi Driver' which also highlights the mental ascent of a loner to increasing stages of anti-social characterization. Nightcrawler deals with the always on camera of a news-gatherer in the city of angels, gathering up sins on video and declaring its motto via the dialogue of Bill Paxton - 'If it bleeds, it leads'.

Working from a script he wrote, Director Dan Gilroy(brother of Tony Gilroy) takes us through the darkness of LA and Lou's mind systematically. The story does not let us give up and zone out at any point with Dan reminding us that none of the thrills or the evenly spaced laughs, black comedy as it may be, comes free or cheap. It almost feels like the view we get of Lou is one of the inner reaches of his  mind, the part where there is a small stage whisper that is always prompting him to claw rather than reach. Robert Elswit handles the camera for Nightcrawler giving us a sort of a night-mode modern noir view of the city, never completely dark but shady enough for discomfort. There are parts when the background music by James Newton Howard  almost approaches a sort of retro pop level of cheeriness, beautifully contrasting with the images on screen.

Jake Gyllenhaal needs no introduction as an actor capable of carrying off the darkness of a character in a disturbingly nonchalant way but as the titular Nightcrawler his dialogues delivered in a casual almost cheerful monotone are sometimes plain scary. His evolution from someone who steals and deals scrap metal to the owner/director of 'Video News Corporation' leads us on a dark odyssey with Lou at the helm. His home is shown to be a single room with a bed facing a stark lcd screen that runs the news. Lou stares, thinks, plans and sometimes chuckles and the most passive of his actions disturbs. He is an avid learner, someone who is able to rattle off leadership and management principles and jargon(probably from the latest TedX) and is a skilled researcher as well. His mind does not stop there, beneath the pallor of his skin is a darkness that Jake Gyllenhaal plumbs with seemingly no effort but the depth of his skill is evident in the coldness that settles against his behavior in the minds of the viewers.

Jake is supported by a cast which is put together brilliantly well. Rene Russo as the newsdesk chief of one of the hundred pulp news channels of LA walks the extremely delicate line between victim and other dark shades with her usual ease. When pushed into a corner, should one decide the corner is home? Maybe but what if the corner always has been home? Characters that dip in and out make us question the depths of human behaviour as well. Riz Ahmed (of the superb adaptation of 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist') gets recruited to be Lous cohort in night time video gathering sessions. Seemingly flat, the characters layers are peeled as is Bill Paxton's, the latter playing a competing Nightcrawler who initially shuns Lou's approach but tries to recruit him later, a sequence that ends with my favourite bit of Gyllenhaal in the movie.

The movie also showcases the nature of news channels that sometimes deliver and deliver without questioning if its through a curtain of tears. Its not only Lou who cannot take no for an answer and takes 'by hook or crook' to a new level of videography but it is the entire ecosystem in which he thrives. The extreme levels of motivation that come forth from someone who is introduced to us as a normal and capable everyday guy only serve to question our own judgement of people as we go along. Lou does not change but our perspective of him is guided through so expertly that by the conclusion there is an illusion of something having crawled into the night space of our minds. As mentioned in the first paragraph, another movie came to mind when Lou struts in front of a police station - Kevin Spacey's self imposed limp disappearing at the end of 'The Usual Suspects' and inexorably the thread that exists between great movies gains another fibre.

Four stars and two thirds.

Big Hero 6 - huggable action!

It just seems right to mention that the first movie I have watched after Interstellar is 'Big Hero 6'. Movies have long been a part of my life and the impact of watching a well crafted movie based on grounded facts is always a pleasure. Envitably the experience makes one biased about the movies one watches right after but 'Big Hero 6' stands tall by its own right. Animated movies have gone more and more into either the fantasy, rom-com or whatever genre while ensuring that they always always set up themselves like an origin story. Some are endearing and have an impact, most serve as a bridge to serving up more of the characters they are targeting for endearment in the first movie. Where 'Big Hero 6' stands among the two categories is something thats worth the watch.

The apparent Japanese manga influence is because the movie is based on a Marvel comic of the same name which hopefully would be worth checking out to see how faithful the adaptation has been. The environs of this particular movie adaptation are beautifully crafted with the story based in San Fransokyo, an amalgamation of the tram-filled streets of SF with the glaring neon lights and momo bars of Tokyo. Produced by John Lasseter via Disney and directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams 'Big Hero 6' plays an interesting twist on a comic characters,  the primary of which here is programmed to be non violent.

Hiro(a coincident no doubt, voiced by Ryan Potter) is the central character, a 14 year old more interested in using his natural robot building and programming skills in winning bot fights than honing them in schools. His brother Tadashi who is a grad student in a school of research worries about his kid brothers future and tries to get Hiro interested in his school. We meet other characters there such as Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Gogo and Fred who are into high tech research with Tadashi and a professor who inspires Hiro to rethink his future. The story line then delves into a predictable plot line of loss, cause for revenge and the eventual and inevitable rise for a bit. Hiro thinks up ways to get into the school and is skilled enough to do so when a tragedy puts him in a period of dormancy where his 'mood swings' get the better of him. His love for his brother and his brothers ideals poured into a project that helps him pulls himself out of his mourning makes up for the racy middle and ending acts.

Which brings us to the 'Stay Puft' like balloony robot from the trailers, Baymax. Tadashi introduces Hiro to Baymax, his healthcare project, who has but one goal in life - the patients health care and their satisfaction as derived from it. Activated by simple catchphrases like(no, not ok google!) 'Ow' Baymax quite literally drags Hiro from his lethargy into what is initially a quest for revenge. But on the way Hiro finds out that there are noble things written into the code of a healthcare robot that humans can stand to use in their view of things as well. Baymax is meant to be endearing and anyone who does not fall for his spell must have a cold non-emoji oriented abacus for a CPU. His central philosophy of healing and doing so in a non violent way is one of the best take away messages I've encountered in Disney features this year. By himself and in combination with his partners Baymax uses thrusters to fly, rocket powered punches to defend more than attack and forms an indispensable companion to Hiro.

The director and screen writers Robert L Baird and Dan Gerson have adapted Man of Actions marvel characters in a slightly more accessible manner. When I was a kid, there were science fiction stories and animated shows that captured my interest but I cannot help but envy the current young audience who get such fun intro to concepts of robotics, engineering and science. Not that the movie is a 'Introduction to Robotics' lecture but its a neat showcase of said concepts. Blending a normal, heartfelt, 'huggable' to use the words of Baymax story into an action, animated avatar finds a successful vehicle in 'Big Hero 6'. Bring the kid in you and treat yourself to Baymax's satisfying health care!

Three and a half stars.

PostScript - An appeal to moviegoers - Please switch off your mobile phones and if you find yourself having to answer an urgent call take it out of the cinema. One of us in our party of two found ourselves in the awkward position of having to stand up and ask the person behind us to step outside with his phone. The plain arrogance of people who refuse to stop talking loudly or have a conversation on their phones inside a movie theater is astounding! On more than one occasion we've been looked upon by said sick parties as crazy people who're taking away their basic right to interrupt a movie session by answering their phones. Take a stand - the next time the person next to you or in front of you or behind you in the cinema takes away from your enjoyment as a paying moviegoer - embarrass the crap out of them. The entitlement exhibited by this group of posterior orifices should not be allowed!

Interstellar - Where Gravity watches from the front seat

For the first time in a movie theater, I sat with my hands clutching the seat rests, holding on to ensure I don't fall when the thrusters fire. I craned my neck to ensure the scope that was in field of view was just right to manoeuvre. The images projected on the eighty foot screen in front of me were not only believable for the most part but were in their entirety what one would expect of a partnership between technical masters like Chris Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Quentin Tarantinos remarks on the epic scope of the vision of the Nolan brothers(the other being Jonathan) made sense when we sank back into our seats in saturated satisfaction at the end of the near three hour journey.

Nolan would be accused of being over-ambitious, the sheer soaring visuals of the movie justify his ambition. After having forced myself to not read any reviews and having read some of them now, the incredibly polarised reviews offer more than enough proof of how novel an experience the movie has been for everyone. Refusing to let film go gently into the night, Nolan has filmed in 65 and 70 mm stock on regular and IMAX cameras opting for practical miniature based effects and relatively very little CGI. The resulting imagery is spectacular on an IMAX screen be it the dust bowl that earth has been left behind as or the rings of Saturn in the background while the interstellar travellers find their way.

While paying homage to some of the most impressive science fiction movies that have been made such as '2001 - A Space Odyssey' and 'Contact', Nolan crafts a movie that is mostly epic, part drama and part thriller with a lot of theoretical physics thrown in. A pioneering spirit is not something that he has not been likened to and Matthew McConaughey as Cooper in the movie seeks answers to why the Earth in its depleting state where nothing but corn grows should be allowed to die with humans standing by in their current 'caretaker' roles when they were born explorers. A-list actors comprise the rest of the cast with Nolan usual Michael Caine playing Astrophysicist Dr.Brand and Anne Hathaway playing his daughter and protege. Mackenzie Foy plays Coopers daughter Murph with Jessica Chastain playing a grown up Murph and these four characters form the links in the prime layer of a plot that is neatly convoluted.

The first act unfolds in about forty five minutes and shows Nolan’s urgency to take things outside the earths sphere of influence. Cooper lives with his family and is closest to his precocious near-prodigy of a daughter who is convinced that there is something thats not natural in the way books keep falling from her shelves and dust forms patterns. Cooper embarks on a journey to save humanity and finds that its not Earths gravity thats difficult to escape from but the fact that his journey might take him away from watching Murph grow up. His son played by Timothy Chalemet(and later on by Casey Affleck) and father played by John Lithgow accept Coopers decision without question but Murph is unable to reconcile with her father and closest companion leaving her without giving her a return date. The departure from Earth to enter a wormhole and find a potential future for humanity forms the second act leading up to the question of whether or not Coopers and Murphs relationship forms a closed loop. Nolans collaboration with theoretical physicist Kip Thorne unveils to us a space vista thats more grounded in science than most other depictions. The space ship Endurance is a novel and for all assumptions a practical design with modules that can be used for landing and exploring analogous to shuttles that dock with a long range module. What could have been avoided is the 'Astrophysics 101' nature of some of the dialogues. In comparion movies like '2001..' offer imagery that is not explained but provokes thought and the initiative to find answers none the less.

Nolan has never been one to go easy on the viewers, much to the pleasure of the audience, when it comes to challenging ones imagination and Interstellar is no different. Not only does it offer a chance to travel to places never seen before but it is sure to spark physics based arguements among the initiates and the uninitiated alike. Right down to the two AI robots(for want of a better word to describe them) the respect afforded to physics is overwhelming. TARS and CASE are designed as collapsible quadrilaterals composed of jointed single units that pivot and reassemble as required. They have programmable honesty and humour settings which gives the people dubbing for them license to unleash at times their genius(quite literally). Gravity, Relativity, Black Hole theories and the ability to survive stasis in unfavorable environments - all these and more including a cameo by a much loved actor sum up to a movie experience that I have never been subject to before. The pure joy of being seated in a movie emporium and realising that the fare for the ticket has just resulted in an experience instead of a mere passing of time is unparalleled. Which is not to say there are no negatives but I will leave it to the pedants to talk about. There being so few movies that enable the thought process rather than leave it in limbo(no pun intended) Interstellar can only be described as a movie experience par excellence.

It would also be remiss of me not to mention that there is an emotional thread that runs through the movie. Nolan has often been described as a heartless auteur whose cold and calculated plotlines are meant to satisfy the story line and nothing else. I have found this to be false in more than one occasion and Interstellar relies on the characters' and the audiences' emotions to deliver its story across space and time. Anne Hathaway's role does not offer her scope for histrionics but her story loop none the less is one of despair, hope and duty which she duly conveys with expected aplomb. The chemistry between Cooper and his daughter surpasses vast interstellar distances and thus time and McConaughey is perfect with his texan drawl and salt of the earth portrayal of Cooper in transcending these physical boundaries. 

Based on our experience, it would be best to embark on this stellar Interstellar trip on an IMAX screen. The visuals and the excellent visceral score by Hans Zimmer pummel us in multiple G and suspend our disbelief in zero G situations. In calling this the 'Movie experience of a year' my fellow movie enthusiast Archana minced no words. Nolan has proved again why he does not need to rehash a storyline or follow a comic book dictated timeline and that executing a high budget original screenplay takes only the almost infinite care and meticulousness that has gone into bringing Interstellar to life. A five dimensional movie that has been delivered to us in glorious 2D.

Four and a half stars.

Gone Girl - disturbingly brilliant!

David Fincher is not a bad director at all, he's a master of edge of the seat material that usually involves dark doings or violence against women. But 'Gone Girl' would not have challenged him on the screenplay level as that aspect of the movie has been more than ably handled by the author of the titular tome Gillian Flynn. Having read the book a while back I was expectant but not very expecting of the movie and Fincher executes well and delivers the right emotional twangs mingled with the thrills Flynn's page turner provided.

Point of view movies(not to be mistaken with the soon to arrive point of view perspective movie) are not uncommon but to look at things from literally two sides of a marriage sometimes needs a neutrality which is not what Gone Girl is all about. A husband walks into his house on his fifth anniversary to find signs of a struggle and his wife missing. Quite naturally he raises the alarm but seems a little disconnected. Why that is forms part of the near two and a half hour twist-and-turner. A fairytale romance of guy meets girl in big city, blows her socks off for all intentions and gets married. Wife being a trust fund daughter of difficult parents adores him and really does love him. But does love survive time and turbulence also forms a part of the dark entertainment thats guaranteed from the movie.

The casting is smack on the money with Ben Affleck neatly pulling off the blocked writer with the shitfaced grin(a very important part of his character study), which convinced me that the rest of the movie was going to be pretty good as far as he is concerned. Starting out as the guy who's bound to have all the answers in exacting form when posed questions by a prospective beautiful companion for the night, Affleck plays his heart out as the husband going dark on a marriage which has its layered shades. His chemistry with his twin sister Margo, difficult as it was to establish in the book is brought out as sharp as the razor edge it walks in the source material. Did he have a hand in the violence surrounding his wifes disappearance? Affleck leads us into the story beautifully. Which bring us to Amazing Amy, Rosamund Pike deserves an academy award this time around. Yes, the movie is not really what can be considered Oscar worthy but to convincingly play a character thats as disturbed as is disturbing is a challenge that has been made to look like a cakewalk by Pike. Neil Patrick Harris departs from his usual slapstick camaraderie roles to essay one that carries a certain depth in and of itself, suffice to say his handling of the role is more than perfect. There is a list of supporting characters whose performances can be summarized in saying that from every suburban housewife neighbour to disgruntled detective, individual performance lives up to the spunk or the scorn demanded by the role.

Stylised and dark as it is, the soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross once again provides superglue factor in keeping the viewer and their attention riveted to the screen. Sound design complements the on screen material so well that sometimes a drawn out groan almost sounds like a continuing death rasp when in fact it is the background that sets up the goings on in front of us. The music plays out like a beautiful summer song accompanied by a dentists drill. Accomplices in crime as they are with Fincher since 'The Social Network' the composers are not strangers to the moody and ominous pictures that he paints and aid him tremendously here as well.

A good movie in its entirety is all that a fan paying good money looks out for. A review of movies like 'Gone Girl' and a fair few others cannot be complete if viewed in India without going into detail and recording for posterity the hypocritical posterior orifice type characters that comprise the Central Board of Film Certification of India. Manning their prudish scissors and other such douchey tools they strive to save the Indian populace from the brazen and adulterous nature of Hollywood movies. There is no dearth of completely misogynistic suggestive and objectified brazenness in Indian cinema, especially in movies such as the vacuum fluff that was 'Happy New Year'. However the Censor board chooses to cut out minutes of 'full frontal nudity'(easier to access than the days newspaper), 'thrusting movements'(you only need to watch any south Indian movie and its unjustifiable 'item' songs to find a couple of thousand such) and dialogue with 'American slang for genitals'(I distinctly remember a Tamil film song which described copulation in ugly and sly disguised terms being allowed to screen with a general certificate). In a country and a city where headlines of child abuse echo blaringly every day, would you rather the adults be adults regarding topics that you deem taboo or titillate them by making such topics taboo. It does not take genius level intelligence to figure this out but thanks to David Fincher for allowing the babboons their cuts rather than disallow us from watching a brilliant movie(the last one we missed out on being 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'). In closing do not miss the movie in spite of the 'intercoursing' Censor Boards 'American slang for female genitals' attitude.

Rating - Three and three quarter stars

Annabelle - starring Annabelle!

From the producers of the enjoyable retro take on horror 'The Conjuring' comes a prequel that looks very promising in its promos - 'Annabelle'. Titular doll having been featured as capable of moving itself on a whim while fixating everyone with a disturbing grin in 'The Conjuring', this movie goes into a little more detail about who puppets it about and how it came to be.

I for one can list about three scenes where my heart jumped to my mouth, but the deficiency of scares is not what makes the movie dangerously close to being mediocre. Director John R Leonetti works on a script by Gary Dauberman that tries hard to make us sit down and take notice of how Annabelle became Annabelle-ish in the first place. The cast headed by Annabelle(yes, it looks coincidental, just normal not demonic) Wallis and Ward Horton play retro American couple Mia and John who are expecting a baby. Tony Amendola and Alfre Woodard round out the main cast playing the Forms' priest and neighbour respectively.

The first half hour keeps us interested by mixing in the Manson murders and the advent of the cult-culture in America. Cue expectant mother and a truly disturbing intrusion after the introduction of Annabelle the doll as a gift from her doting husband. Sound, scene and character set up, even dialogue proved to be elements that worked well in 'The Conjuring'. Strangely all those successful elements do not fully feature in Annabelle. A tracking shot to reveal previously unnoticed elements from the backdrop works well in horror but when a left to right pan is all we see in every scare inducing scene even the most non technical among us will feel the stirrings of a yawn. One other haunting question(if you'll pardon the pun) that you might leave the theater with is what happened to the grafitti kids?

Negativity aside, 'Annabelle' proves again that the classics can never go wrong by borrowing elements from 'Rosemarys Baby' and from pulp Satanic horror movies where the devils hand in dealing with deceit features as a plot element. A scene in a storage vault in the basement is probably one of the best implementation of a haunting in a long while. Talking about which plot elements are never really developed to a serious end. Ominous cartoon warnings, neighbourly noises, the role of the Church, the curious vulnerability of Church entrances - none of these things are provided enough screen time or a proper explanation as to why it did or did not work. Mia is almost thrust into a nervous mother with postpartum problems before things take a devilish turn leading to the climax.

What leaves us exiting the theater with the lingering afterthought of why couldnt this movie have worked is the fact that there is scope for 'Annabelle' to have been a horror classic. Call it the writers reluctance to make this doll dance to its full evil potential or a reworking the movie could have sunk its teeth a little more into dark territory instead of stopping at sewing machine and popcorn tricks.Curious about where else it has worked well? I would suggest 'Angel Heart' and 'Rosemarys Baby' for a satisfying and disturbing horror kick.

Annabelle - Two stars and a half

"Happy? We're all standing, a bunch of jackasses, standing in a circle"

There are times when a Marvel movie makes you feel like you need to know all about a character before you can even begin to understand whats happening on screen. If you're someone who takes your comic movies as seriously as that, you might want to knock back a couple of shots of whatever your poison is before you sit down to wrap those 3d glasses around your face. Not that that's whats needed to have fun watching Star Lord and his mismatched posse but it'd be a way to push the boundary much above the stratospheric fun already bundled into Guardians of the Galaxy. Note - I do not condone the use of controlled substances!

James Gunn, helmer of the acclaimed 'Dawn of the Dead' and the horror campfest 'Slither', puts up a rip-roarer par excellence with 'Guardians'. The soundtrack is as inspired as the direction itself with lots of retro mixes being played out of an on screen Walkman, though the question of running out of AA or AAA batteries in galaxies above and beyond can only be answered by suitable alternative power sources having been put up by Peter Quill aka Star Lord played by Chris Pratt. In some ways there are a lot of Star Wars analogies that can be drawn, Peter being a weird retro pop loving version of Han Solo but lets leave it at that. While some(read one) of the characters also ensure we aren't kept in the dark as to the fit of their spandex costumes, neither is the subtle portrayal of each. Chris Pratt conveys an innate sadness and a quest for individual identity thats reflected in his devil may care attitude. Gamora(stealthy green assassin princess) has family problems of her own in the form of spiteful step sisters and titanic(if you'll pardon the pun) adoptive dads. Draxs' previous run in with Ronan the Accuser(see below) being his reason for revenge makes him a catastrophic juggernaut albeit with alleged reflexes so swift they can catch thoughts. A mercenary pair completes the group - a genetically modified raccoon, Rocket has his motives and priorities sitting on top of the pile of raccoonish thoughts justifying his actions no doubt but his snide nature masks virtues(saying that to him would make him kick up some grass) and Groot, an elemental with his constant one line 'vocabulistics' is innocence personified, he has no motives save friendship and his own endearing elemental nature.

When the movie gets to its real story, the five are thrust together unwillingly when Ravager Quill(I will NOT spoil his opening shot) gets his hands on an orb that naturally is the focus of all the shady negatives of the movie. Talking of whom, Korath(Djimon Hounsou having fun while impressing his son), Ronan the Accuser(Lee Pace not being elvish at all), Nebula (not so recognisable Karen Gillian) and of course bigwig Thanos(Josh Brolin building up for his eventual ultimate badassery) are all impressive on a scale that would have been impressive to start with. What follows forms sort of the plot of the movie which has a rich mix of talent supporting the misfits - Benicio del Toro as Taneleer Tivan(the Collector), John C Reilly as a Nova Corpsman, Michael Rooker as the Ravager Yondu and the long missed Glenn Close playing Nova Prime.

Juggling the orb between the above characters, James Gunn takes us on a ride aboard the Milano(Peter Quills version of the Millenium Falcon) and the ride does not disappoint one bit.While plunging into the story a bit more is tempting, I'll restrict myself with commenting on the excellent background music provided by Tyler Bates, the realistic and practical creature and make up job done by David White. Not a frame proves lame or repeated, the music explodes and resonates as required. The completely irreverent dialogue of which the title above is an example, keeps us laughing along while megalomaniacal mass murderers plan on destroying planets and galaxies. The movie is also a subtle build up and another step forward into a perspective of the galaxy not seen in Marvel productions before. Knowhere, Xandar, Skree warships, abandoned planets and a little bit of a video history lesson by the Collector give us a vision of where things could go in the future while merging Thor's 'realm' based view with a grounded Avengers palate of locale. DC and Snyder, not that they need to replicate things, should be paying attention while plotting their own superhero team ups. Everything set up here is going to make the next Marvel Universe movie that much more palatable and easier to relate with.

Which now leads to a conclusion where I wont say much more than what I've said so far - this movie is designed to gain favour with everyone who watches it, just like Star Wars was in its time. You don't have to be a comic book geek because things are explained as much as they have to be. But you sure would have to be a non fun lover if you come away disappointed. When you can see actors not only disappearing into their roles but appreciating the simple things like the music implemented beautifully, smiles are all that would result. A movie that is worth its ticket price for at least two viewings.

P.S - There is an end credits scene which will not tell you much.

3.75/5
Poster by Matt Ferguson  @ Cakes-and-Comics

The plot thickens, as they say. Why, by the way? Is it a soup metaphor?

Guest Post : Movie Review : The Grand Budapest Hotel

I haven’t watched all of Wes Andersons cinematic creations. But having watched ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’, ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ and ‘Moonrise Kingdom’,the trailer for ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ kindled in me curiosity more than anticipation in watching it. Anticipation was always a given after ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ but the vision of Ralph Fiennes and the smorgasbord of A-list actors invoked in me a curiosity hitherto unfounded. The movie, in all certainty was not going to disappoint, threw bountiful surprises that made one smile, choke, burst out in guffaws but also lean back and contemplate. A movie that is personified in one of M.Gustave’s(more about him shortly) prolific utterances while explaining how humanity remains in humble(read stupendous) offerings of his esteemed establishment – a generous sentence of praise ending with ‘F**k it’.

It would be best to use a simile coined for a different purpose in describing the movie – while appearing to be an oil landscape from the 1920’s it actually presents itself as a secret wrapped in a mystery in the jacket pocket of an enigma. Anderson shares story credits for it with Hugo Guiness who both share credit with the author Stefan Zweig whose writings inspired the story. The opening shot presents a young lady gazing at a seated statue of the ‘Author’ (Tom Wilkinson) whose tome ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ she is reading. The book delves into a first person narrative of Tom Wilkinson as a young ‘Author’ (Jude Law) who recounts a meeting with M.Moustafa(F Murray Abraham), the proprietor of the titular hotel. Said hotel is of legendary quality but like the statue of Ozymandias, crumbling to current ruin. Jude Laws character having expressed curiosity as to why the owner of such opulence opts to spend his time in a cubby hole within upon his yearly visit gets invited to dinner with M.Moustafa. The dinner is designed to be the succulent main course fed morsel by elaborately crafted morsel to satisfy both the Authors and our curiosity pangs.

Clipped and short shots are used to introduce us to the hotels days of splendor(do not miss the cable car, an indelible stamp of the film) and to Zero(Tony Revolori), a bell boy under the wing and tutelage of the glorious M.Gustave(Ralph Fiennes). While teaching Zero the intricacies of being a bell boy i.e. the art of providing the guests at The Grand Budapest everything they may need or want when they need or want it without even them knowing they need or want it, M.Gustave shows himself to be the perpetual didact enlightening us throughout the narrative, even preaching perhaps. To characterize him as a refined but horny gigolo would not be mincing words. Monsieur being the pinnacle of said character while remaining supremely classy to the point of being a magnet to ladies of the rich and elderly variety, his preferred clientele. Supporting characters appear in the form of Dimitri(Adrien Brody in a deliciously evil role as the son of one of Monsieurs clients), Jopling(a very scary Willem Dafoe, positively vampirish), Deputy Kovacs(no matter what the period, dialogue or makeup Jeff Goldblum will be – pause for effect and dainty shrug – Jeff Goldblum), Inspector Henckles(Ed Norton, subtlety itself) and to spare the pleasurable tedium of putting character name to actor – Aaron Sorkin, Mathieu Amalric, Lea Seydoux, Saoirse Ronan, Bill Murray and lest we forget, Owen Wilson.

The Grand Budapest Hotel remains translucently etched in the background of our vision while a set of almost bioscope-quality events run through in the foreground. Ralph Fiennes in perhaps the performance of his career so far shifts from being concierge generale to gigolo to favoured recipient to a ‘straight’ fellow(a remark he decries sarcastically as never having been accused of) to a friend in need to a benefactor.  Watching him play these roles while maintaining his demeanor of the refined but vulgar M.Gustave, full of finesse and euphemism, double entendre and general swearing is a cinematic treat that should not be missed.

It would be doing the film an injustice to delve into its details or to attempt to summarize it. What can be done is accord to The Grand Budapest Hotel every accolade it deserves. While being everything it already is, the movie(and by implication Anderson) even manages to pull the subtle veil of war into its crowded but never murky tapestry. Frantic yet still, refined yet vulgar, subtle yet bombastic, The Grand Budapest Hotel thrills every cinematic nerve we would expect to be tweaked while promising to come back and tickle them just as M.Gustave would have.

5/5 

War has begun.

Guest post : Movie Review - Dawn of the planet of the apes

‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ introduced us to Caesar, his struggles with his identity after being passed on residual genetic effects resulting in him being super-intelligent with capabilities sometimes surpassing human. The ethical conundrums that were posed during ‘Rise’ brought us to a conclusion where what was dubbed as ‘Simian flu’  had taken its toll on humans but left the planets apes or at least the group of them in America with enough intelligence to develop under Caesars leadership and training.

Dawn cuts over to ten years after the virus has spread throughout the world(from the title snapshots) and sets the tone straightaway with a confrontation which is almost a prelude to Caesar observing later ‘I did not know we were so much like them’. The apes’ settlement needs to be passed through for the humans to be able to bring power to SF where a small group of survivors led by Dreyfuss(Gary Oldman) still exists. When Caesar agrees to an appeal from Malcolm(Jason Clarke) who represents the reasonable side of the humans and assures Caesar that the apes will come to no harm, unrest and emotions hitherto unexpressed in the ape community make an appearance. Conflict and chaos are not only shown as byproducts of civilization but their base roots are traced in spectacular fashion. Justifications are put forth by the apes and the humans, both reasonable and unreasonable depending on the perspective.

The movie might as well be compared to some of the best sequels in movie history(for example ‘The Godfather II), the poignancy being elevated to an all new level not only by the director Matt Reeves but also by the nuanced and brilliant motion capture performance of Andy Serkis who doesn’t just stop at breathing life into Caesar but gives him a persona that is almost as memorable as characters like Vito Corleone. Caesar and Koba(Toby Kebbell) don’t just have the crouched walk of apes but have expressions that correspond so much to our nearest cousins in the animal kingdom that it would be a shame if WETA does not win the special effects statuette from a fair few awards again.

It would also be improper to not mention the casting coup(cannot call it anything else) that has been achieved in casting Gary Oldman as Dreyfuss, defacto leader of the surviving humans(to not spoil the movie I cannot mention his equivalent in the ape group), Jason Clarke as Malcolm, Keri Russell as Malcolms wife Ellie and more who pull off performances that hold their own against the apes. Judy Greer plays Caesars mate Cornelia who does not have too much of a role in this movie with calm grace.

The cinematography(Michael Seresin) keeps our eyes glued to the post converted 3D scenes be it in the jungle or in almost post-apocalyptic San Franciscan city borders. A scene with a tank  is reminiscent of well made war movies putting the audience in thedrivers seat and reminding us of the current ugly machinations going on in Gaza and elsewhere. Michael Giacchinos music reminds us of much more poignant fare such as Kurosawas epics in its simplicity and puts us inthe forefront of action whenever the scene shifts.

‘Dawn’ shows us how an intelligent science fiction movie can be made, building on Rupert Wyatts ‘Rise’ and never slowing down. In characterizing Caesar as far possible from his Roman nomenclature as possible, in fact as a Gandhi albeit one who does not say no to violence where it is deserved, Matt Reeves and Andy Serkis serve a classic combination that does not so much as deliver a punch but makes us recover and take notice. The wanton violence as delivered by Koba is not so much inevitable as representative of everything that goes wrong when a single person incapable of sensible leadership is faced with a shot at power. The climax builds to a crescendo without being shoved down the throat of the viewers and when Caesar pronounces the words that denounce his opposer, the subtlety becomes ironically obvious.

A beautiful mixture of intelligence and cinematic skill, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes deserves sure mention in the annals of good science fiction blockbusters that are not senseless in their implementation.

4/5

Food diaries - Iftar in Bangalore

*Ramzan food festival

*Mosque Road, Frazer town, Bangalore

*Open till 1-2 AM

*Dont like a crowd? Go early evenings or late nights. Avoid weekends. Difficult to find parking so be prepared to walk.

*Feeling adventurous? Camel,veal tikkas and kebabs. Chickenarian like me? You'll find everything from haleem to biryani, varieties of fish and prawn. Skip the bigger restaurants as they're open all year round and head to the food stalls next to the mosque. Go in a group to try a little bit of everything. 

*Finish up with a matka of phirni or jalebis. Dont forget the suleimani for the morning after!

When Andy thought he's Indi-ana Jones

This little bat like creature on the left is my brother. His name is Andy. A name I gave him after those really cute Andrex puppies. A little ball of fur. I mean I've run away from dogs all my life but then I thought, how harmful/violent can this softie be? There're not many times people say this. But Andy changed my life. For someone who was absolutely petrified to be anywhere within a few meters of a dog on leash to someone who scratches dog bellies, I've come a long way. As Andy grew, I grew and I started seeing how very misunderstood and mistreated animals are. We've passively adopted about 6 boys and a girl near home now (about whom you'll get to know soon. As soon as I can get them all in one picture frame).
Back to Andy, he's alright. Yeah, he's alright. Its just that he's bonkers. And I mean crazy lunatic. You think you've seen it all in Marley and Me? Well you haven't met this guy. We're pretty sure he was dropped on the head when he was a baby. The idea of disciplining another living being seems a little cruel to me. So we didnt train him more than necessary. He always pees outside and does tricks when you've got a treat but thats pretty much it. We brought him up to be one of us. Even if he's a boo boo.
I want to remember yesterday. Because yesterday is the day when Andy became Indiana Jones. Having a little city adventure of his own to which he did not invite us. Rude Andy. Very rude. He took off to explore unexplored territories. He crossed big main roads with big red buses. He looked for treasure in supermarkets and under food trucks. He used his barking power on enemies on bikes. After completing his quest of 5 minutes, he decided to be found. Come to think of it, he had a leash. All he needed was the hat. 

Everything else in the middle

A lot has changed since 2009. So much so that when I read back, a lot of what I wrote does not sound not like the present 'me'. I think its called growing older - restraint, refrain automatically applied to thoughts, emotions, behavior. Hopefully I wont be doing any of that here. Writing/ continuing to write in this little journal will clear a lot of clutter that has occupied in an otherwise peaceful, composed mind. Clutter that is caused due to age, change in personality, change in careers, also change in the government. A few key things though have not really changed. I remember expressing somewhere in the blog that I see myself settling down in India. And in India I am. Somewhere between stuck in a rat race and not participating in a rat race.

Before I start sounding deep and philosophical, I'll stop. I've decided that I might as well enjoy the 'in-between/ self-discovery' process until I gather enough courage to fully drop out of the rat race. I've quit research work. One that I'm a double graduate in but lost a taste for when I started to work in my previous place of work. It has been a year and in the last one year, I've picked up the computer more times to edit pictures than to research on outdated technologies. I've picked up a note pad more to create and compose visuals than to make notes as a 'shadow referee'. I've enjoyed myself directing my models to enjoy themselves in front of the camera more than being directed to repeat experiments for the sake of repetition. I've enjoyed times when I saw spaces come alive from a piece of paper more than when my papers were published with someone else's name.

So here's me restarting to write, restarting to find myself little by little and everything else in the middle. 

Mr Dutt and his joke on the Constitution of India

Its official...Munnabhai is set to fight elections for Loksabha from Lucknow representing the Samajwadi Party. Unless something is wrong with my memory, was he not arrested a ton of times with links to the 1993 Bombay bombings? I remember reading in my 6th or 7th grade social sciences text book that once you're convicted by the court you cannot contest in any government elections. And his dear wife Manyata Singh, headed a campaign on boycotting the general elections as a voter after the Bombay seige last november....I am confused! Is India a big joke for these people?

London

I was strolling from waterloo bridge towards charring cross station, by the thames, enjoying the golden sunrays stay the morning mist on the river and the city. When I reached embankment gardens, I looked back at the City of London on the horizon of the river and wondered, how can anyone not fall in love with London?

Only if I could swear in a title..

The university I studied my PG at is ranked among the top 10 in the world. Its been exciting...the number of opportunities showered with and the excellent, excellent research facilities provided with. As a student or an alumni, I should be proud but here's why I strongly disagree with that list.
I received my master's degree certificate today. It is such a shame that there is absolutely no sense of satisfaction, zilch, not even a smile on my face when I receive it. Ofcourse, it could win an award for the worst design of a certificate (it looks like its printed out of a computer!) or actually it could go to some university in TN overdone with English translations on a cheap white sheet but that is the least of the matter. I worked hard, was happy, till September 15th that is, the day I submitted my thesis. I did not want to return to the university again, so I get together all my library books so as to return it. I go to the library, I'm not let in. My student card says it expires on December 15 so this must be a mistake I think and go to my department. Entry is denied there as well. I'm furious at this point of time, I donot belong here anymore? Registry is next and the bored gentleman there tells me that I will not be able to gain access into any of the buildings as I had submitted my thesis already. Its not logical I tell him. I havent received my results and what if I failed? I am still a student then, am I not? All of this more than one month before I receive my results. One day they welcome you with freshers fairs, parties etc when you're paying incredible sums of money as an International Student. A year later they kick you out without any prior information whatsoever. Why all the pretention then? Why say your card will expire on Dec 15 when it does on Sept 15?! I am just left there, stranded, opposite to waterstones, wondering if and how I'm ever going to get my degree, feeling cheated!
Come November 1st, I receive my results over the internet. I am disappointed with the system...it was not fair. I worked 100 times harder than a couple of my mates. I obviously did score higher than them but by 4 or 5 points. I expected the difference between them and me would be around 10 when it should infact be 20. I am shattered when the difference falls down to 4 or 5! Thesis are marked by different supervisors. Their supervisor didnot have a high standard while mine had really high standards for marking. I know these silly marks may not matter anymore at all but I would feel reassured if I was appreciated for the amount of work I put in. People who took three or four long vacations during the term period scored better than they should have...I should have gone on a long holiday too!
Since I have studied at two different universities in this country, and have friends in other universities, I understand how graduation ceremonies work. There is one in June/July which is mostly for UGs who finish term late spring. There is one in December and this is the one for PGs who finish term in September. The purpose of such a ceremony in this university is to have minimum number of students participating. There is only one ceremony a year which happens in August/September. My UG graduation ceremony was less significant purely due to my performance. My dear mother was looking forward to attending my masters graduation ceremony. I have my degree certificate now but have to wait until next September to wear a funny hat and go shake hands with somebody on stage and officially graduate. It doesnt make sense to me but I guess it does to them.
£16,500 later, I am not a happy consumer!

A loser's qualities!

Little things, very little things drive me far away from people. While I should not (it is a cardinal rule for any single girl) make a list of what qualities impress me, I shall make one tiny list of some unpleasant things I have experienced when out with certain "guy-friends". Men with the singlest of these qualities turn me off, instantly!

A man who does not care to hold the door open when I walk in, yes like in Dostana...I didnt bump onto the glass door but I had to push it open and let myself out!
A man who does not offer to pay at a restaurant, for himself! Some men are just plain cheap!
A man who thinks he is too much of a man for household work
A man who does not let me go to the bathroom before the start of a movie at a cinema. Well, he doesnot feel comfortable telling people that the seat was occupied
A man with a strong Indian (any region) accent applied to English
A man who can talk about nothing but himself, his work, his family, his friends
A man who thinks he's inferior to almost every other man
A man who doesnot bother to introduce me to his friends when we stumble on them or his friends who cannot be courteous enough to say Hi!
A man who expects that a woman do his cooking
A man who thinks he is the smartest or kewl est or greatest of them all
A man who is a boy immature and sloppy
A man who has made an habit out of drinking and/or smoking and its worse when he thinks its cool!
A man who is always raring to show his physical strength
A man who doesnot listen to suggestions even if they are better
A man who insists a girl should either wear a saree or should not wear tight jeans and short tops in front of his parents
A man who is controlling
A man who walks in front of me rather than with me or better, behind me!
A man who does not offer to carry any shopping bags (have you seen Chinese men? They carry their girlfriend's Louis vuittons!)

and there are so many! I have lost the motivation to retrospect or write and so I shall stop here. It is at times like these I feel like punching those men but it happens every now and then with Indian men here and my mind repeats 'just another loser!'

I was 16 when I was swept off my feet last. I was 17 when I came here and 5 years forward, I still have my share of bad men, but others have....eh...luck? My dear darling friend back home, whom I have been very close and attached with for more than 6 years now is getting married. My mind insists that she is too young to be married and has much to live for. She has known the guy for 2 hours in total but there is little left to do when she thinks she is ready. Maybe she is, maybe it is love at first sight but I'm my rational self! So here's wishing her, from all my heart, the best in holy matrimony! It does rain men but it rains stupid men!

Recipe records

For those who did not know, I am a fantastic cook (or atleast I'd like to think!). I absolutely love Italian food.. well actually any food as long as its vegetarian or chicken or fish. I shall record all my recipes from now on so that I dont spend time thinking in the future on what I'd like to eat for lunch or dinner. My first recipe will have to be 'Penne Giardiniera'. This recipe is inspired by the pasta of the same name served in Carluccios, the Italian chain of cafe-restaurants here. Everytime I go in there, I end up ordering the same thing...every time except for twice I think when I tried the ravioli. Okay, the recipe is the simplest there could be and is easy to cook.
Ingredients: (for two)
Pasta, preferably penne...other types like farfalle or shells can also be used but donot use spaghetti, the structure doesnt gel well!
1 medium sized courgette - grated
1 medium sized clove of garlic - finely chopped
1 spoon of grated Parmesan (you get this in Tesco)
1 small red chilli - the not hot variety - finely chopped
salt for seasoning
Olive oil

Boil the pasta in water with some salt added till its done. Drain it and keep aside. Meanwhile, take a seperate pan, pour in 1-2 spoons of olive oil. Put in the grated courgette and garlic and fry for apprx 3 minutes. Pour some water in between if you donot like your pasta dry. Add the chilli, the parmesan and season with a pinch of salt. Pour the courgette mixture over the drained pasta and mix well. Serve on a pasta plate with sprinkled parmesan on top.

On a completely different note, I started running again yesterday. Its been almost 2 years since I bought running tights and shoes from nike, thought I'll finally put it to some good use (specially after my dear friend in India commented that my weight is 'out of control' and I weigh 56 kilos!) But seriously, a healthy body, a healthy mind or so they say! Besides, Tower hill is so close to home and it is a serene place if one wants to run...and there are plenty running all day long. The weather on the other hand is horrid and discouraging. Not in terms of my body withstanding the temperature but my throat and the cold air donot make a good match. Would love to run a (short distance) marathon sometime...lets see if I can sustain this non-lazy phase!

Men and monogamy

It is a cruel and difficult thing this monogamy and I think male chauvinists of present age agree with me. Flash back to late 1800 where a wife is namesake. The prime minister of a certain country flings with various women on his visit to various cities. The news about extra marital affairs were indeed public but divorce had not settled into the society. The mother educates her daughter about the importance of being patient and her need to please the husband. Extra marital affairs in western countries were mostly limited to men who could woo or force women into bed ergo the rich or the rich and powerful. Virtually every rich and powerful, young, married man would have slept with more than 3 women to say the very least. It is sad that the wives were merely legitimate child bearing, society pawns!

Across the seas in India, rich men did exactly what their contemporaries did on the other side of the world. Here I think, it is safe to include moderate to poor men too who, under the curtain of having a male successor, would easily be a part time husband to a second wife. Now if you remember Ashutosh Gowariker's previous movie Jodha Akbar, it was widely promoted as a love story untold or something on the lines of a love story. The magic of the movie per se the story failed to touch me then and it fails to do so now. The movie really pushes the envelope of love for me. Was the story of Akbar's low-on-life love for Jodha really a thing to be heralded? Was it not clear for Ashu the number of women Akbar had had "fun" (and I quote that from the cast) with? He should really have said that story..'the flings that Akbar had and how it affect Jodha'! But I sympathize with Ashu..as a director he would have gone for 'easy, no controversy, space for creativity, mass appealing' fake love story. If somebody scripts a story about Krishna (now that Ramayan is underway) may I suggest that it be 'Krishna and his gopika strees' or 'Radha, Rukmini and Satyabhama: how to cope with the mistresses'...still fail to understand Hindus worshipping deities who practice/practiced polygamy...here's hoping I dont the attract Shiv Sena!
Move over to the 21st century and I read that a certain MP, defamed, quit his post over his alleged affair with another woman. Now what exactly is it with men and monogamy? Why is it that men find it difficult to contain their feelings for one woman at a particular time? I dont read/hear about women having affairs as such. Is it because we still live in a male dominated society or is it because one single woman is physically less eloquent? or could it be both?

Theory of Continuity part deux

Has it been more than an year? I guess one can start, or restart blogging when one does have some time on hand...and I do! I am not occupied by anything these days except for job hunting. Ah! the transitional phase between being a student and being employed...I think it can be compared to Jodie Foster travelling through whirlpools in the movie 'Contact', which is delightful btw.. Search for employment is anything but easy. First, because I know that I donot want to work as an engineer which funnily enough is my major! Second, the economic crisis! Everyday, I hear people getting sacked or companies shut down...is there hope at all? I continue to believe so as I donot want to take the other choice that lies in front of me! Third, maintaining financial stability when one is unemployed and this means cutting down on shopping and going out!
I hope to record my ongoing situations now...maybe one day when I am employed and successful, I can look back and smile!

Theory of Continuity

Lets see, this is how it goes....a fairly young blogger, say just turned 18, who should not have been blogging btw, starts it all. She blogs two times a day but about a year later she's kind of bored. She realises most of her thoughts are just for the moment and are rather stupid. It all becomes lame. So about a year and a half later she stops to not look back at it at all. Then suddenly, she thinks, who could she have wanted to read it except herself?? maybe years later, to just shamefully smile at it...like I am now
Okay, I should know when to stop!! There have been a couple of incidences over the past few months where I've thought 'this could go on my blog!' and I didnt really want to after having given it up. But here's a start again, to write what I want and only when I want..

A couple of posts ago I had hated piracy.. I did...I truly did!! But you know, people grow and all that crap....anyway the point is that I'm against it no more! Though I'm not pirating anything myself now nor am buying any pirated stuff, I'd be truly happy if people depending on me financially downloaded pirated music, video and all that junk. When I bought my brother his i-pod, I did not realise that I was committing the most stupid mistake. But ever since I've given him my password to the itunes store, which he is constantly hacking btw, I receive an ebill of 79p every single day...whatever happened to all the pirated music!!

People, bring on piracy, piracy is good, love piracy and save my money!!

and 3...a couple of pictures i took on a recent trip to the ghats .... the lotus very familiar to the ones that you find on wallpapers that come with MS windows :) More pictures to go but me too lazy to blog