HUGO (2011) - ENGLISH

A movie that begins notoriously and ends nonchalantly. A trip worth taking. 

The name HUGO is the character played by a boy who fixes things. He begins by fixing machines and by the end fixes humans too. It's a simple and yet so well presented. Director Martin Scorcese who is legendary and has a vision of a genius brings this out beautifully right from the very first frame. The scene where the camera traverses all possible things just to give us the glimpse of where the boy is right at the beginning is in itself a statement and the mood has been set for the ride. 

This in itself seemed to be a Martin Scorcese biopic as the one who had to find himself in his movies. He was not lost or absent, he was there all these years, yet something was missing, something what I loved in Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas was missing and Hugo just brought his touch back. That is, the movie digresses into various subplots and yet the central theme remains a stand out. The whole trip begins with the hint of a girl being avoided for movies. It takes from there on to a different level of discovering a masterpiece and the master behind it.

So in his discovery, there are so many things that unfold and the best part is to know how cinema was made. So I loved this in every way and I wish Scorcese just keeps the film rolling and brings out more adventures like this.

Scorcese made documentaries on great film makers like Kubrick etc.. but this was his greatest tribute to cinema in itself.

A 4/5 for a movie that's a must watch. I wish it was released in India so that I can catch the 3D fun, but I am happy with the blu ray I got for now.

PATRONIZE TO GO BACK

Patronize, I did all the dirt and the mist

Now, I got myself cleaned up

But, then came an unpredictable twist

To take me back to where I began

 

Now, I want to run away

To somewhere even if it's dark

Where it's better than this place

Coz, this has given nightmares indelible

 

I wish, I could erase my memory

And forget the tragedy, I have been through

But, the indelible mark of the mist

Makes me recede and presents no other way

MUSIC TO ME

Music is the only thing that saves me and helps me survive the trauma the turmoil the mundane the exuberance and the embellishments/trappings.
I discovered this in my loneliness, togetherness. And I am happy that I did coz I can resort to it anytime.

Music completes me in every sense. I have a ear for any kind of song, and shall keep only what I like.

What is left is in my life is to sneak out of the job that I am doing, I hope this will end soon.

VACATION LESSON - I AM A NOBODY

Originally written on Jan 20 2010.

I was on a trip to and was off from work for 10 days and on the return I just realized that I AM A NOBODY; irrespective of my presence things will happen. It was a great feeling this time coz I seldom felt like this, being a no body is in it self a great thing. It relieved me from all apprehensions that hey how would this happen, how would that work, will things be right if I leave and all that. 

This is a great lesson and again emphasizes only one fact, I am the most important being only to myself no one would care a damn. But I would do what I believe in as long as I live. It's not the strife of becoming somebody, it's not becoming anybody either it's just that my heart now says "do what u like and what u love to coz u are after all a nobody, so now you got more freedom to do what u wanted to".

RISE ABOVE THE SUN

This is at Sunset in Clearwater Beach, Florida. It's just so good to be above all.

CARNAGE (2011) - ENGLISH

A movie that's a must watch for it's sheer stupidity that has a point of it's own. 

Yeah, at times you may feel the whole thing absurd and at the end you may confirm yourself that the whole movie is absurd too, but I thought this to be a more meaningful cinema and it's pure fun. You can't just lock parents over their children's act and then take it head on to reveal how childish the parents are, and how mature their kids are. 

Nothing is explicitly shown and nothing is elaborated, but yet in a few glimpses or frames, we can make out each character, and that's what it is so essential. For a writing to be called good, it has to be remembered by it's characters and their lines and that's what exactly this film does. Based on a play by Yasmina Reza, who has done a stupendous job in writing, Roman Polanski has tried effectively in depicting the emotions and what had each character been through. Even a tiny phone conversation that is actually so digressive becomes very important. Yes, its easy to remember each character coz they are just four. Tied up in an apartment where a hall, a kitchen or even bathroom become such important locations now. In Nearly 75 minutes of the length, the film could have gone anywhere but it ends at a point after which everything else seems pointless. 

How ever they may crib about each other, each character is unique and has his or her own misgivings.  One has insecurity complex, one has cunningness to hide things, one is very upset due to her deeds, the other is so because he is not doing what he wants to. So in all it's absurdity too it has a meaning so very underplayed that by the end, all seems so meaningful then. The kids patch up so very easily than the parents, who bring their egos to everything they can and just cannot let their egos go. 

I am so happy to have watched this, and thanks to Roman Polanski to undertake this play and turn it to a cinema that is subtle, underplayed but the end is very warming and overwhelming. A 4/5 for a film that says "with minimum of things, you can still tell a very important story". This is the kind of film even I would love to be a part of.

LIFT OF SULTAN

So many new years I have been part of but none made me happier than this moment. 

The rendezvous on 1st made me so very happy on 2nd of January this very year.

LIFT OF SULTAN

I was returning home on my bike and I found a guy, barely 20 years of age asking for a lift. My other lift encounters made me weep very much if one was running around for blood at midnight then other was to save a man from an accident. This was different completely and yet it made me weep but in a good way. So receding into past, I was very wary but still halted to take him along. And I never thought that this brief advent would make me so very happy.

I asked him his story, who he was and where was he going to. And he, without telling his name told that he had to go to nearly 50 km away from where we were. It was a regular travel for him to such distance and he would manage. He said, he was an orphan his parents have left him and he was brought up in Street Children’s orphanage run by Government and studied till 10^th in Government Boys High school and had to quit studies due to lack of funds. Even after that, he pursued reading English as he was very much interested in that language. Ok, till this it was fine, and then he revealed that his interest in poetry, I was astonished as I do write poems. When I asked him to recite one, he told the below lines.

“If God were a man, I’d ask him to be my father

If a woman, then request him to be my mother

Alas, God is above all these

I ask him again, who would make my heart please”

I had to stop coz there were lumps in my throat. We had tea together; I asked him if he searched for his parents, he said he is still doing that and is in hope of finding them one day. Also, as of now, he was going so far so as to attend a job interview tomorrow. He held my hand and asked me to wish him luck. I said I am proud and he would surely get a job. We exchanged our contact numbers and I offered him 100 rupees “keep them for your expenses”, he politely denied saying “every penny in my life shall be earned and not be taken from others, you have given me this lift and I am very grateful” Saying this, he said his name is SULTAN. He left, I said bye, my eyes were still moist but happy. I met a brave young boy in this world and I hope he succeeds.

That night I prayed hard and wished that he gets the job and hopefully his parents.

Next morning, rather an afternoon around 1 PM I got a call from SULTAN. He was ecstatic and thanked me a lot. I asked him the reason, he said, “I got a job and I can now earn 5000 per month”. I was super happy, “we must again meet” he responded, “yes sure will give you sweets, HAPPIEST NEW YEAR OF MY LIFE”. I said “Not just your buddy, even mine and this is for better things to come. Cheers” We hung up then and I am waiting to hear from him again.

KAHAANI (2012) - HINDI

A gripping thriller that succeeds at many places but yet has not so convincing climax.

Evenutally, though it evokes many emotions it would have appealed more to me if it did not explain so many things at the end. No spoon feeding was required and I would have been happy walking out with questions in mind than being fed the answers. The cinematography and acting were top notch. The dialogues were a bit cliched yet impressive as they went with the mood of the scene. The pace of the movie is really appreciable and so is the lengths about 2 hours.

If I would say what the movie is about, it would be OK, but if I would say what the movie shall reveal, I may well spoil the whole point. Being an ardent film lover, I would express this much, the journey is enjoyable and reveals many points of views but I felt like being deceived by the point of view of the narrator, who makes our protagonist, Vidya Bagchi into a demi goddess, alias Durga Maa. 

The film was shot in real locations and has very good feel in terms of locales, where in Kolkata can be felt and smelt at places, like the Trams, the buses, the chai wallah, etc.. But why Kolkata? was this chosen because it had a metro, or because of Durga Puja and the white and red sari tradition or just getting us cut off from the now overseen Mumbai or was it because director Sujoy Ghosh was from Kolkata. I would subscribe to the last reason though. Same story, set in any other city may have been dealt differently, cause the topography, the dialect, the outlook towards life of people will change. Kudos for director in setting up the whole screenplay and spreading across the length and breadth of Kolkata. 

The story is about a wife searching for her husband, and there are few very very evident flaws as I have seen. 2 years after an incident, how can a woman become pregnant or at least be seen as pregnant. If policeman can make out another policeman his agent, then what are we being driven to, a mockery of system that has honesty under the veil. 

OK, I give in to the logic, to everything for nearly two hours, why was such an explanation given so elaborately explaining incident by incident and how did the policeman Rana just on fly, conclude what he said about Vidya Bagchi in climax. Question still remain, but I would have been happier if the twist was subtle and simple rather than explicative. Happy for everything but the end. 

A movie that has to be watched only on the praise it accrued through, but dont feel bad if you are disappointed in the end. Expectation and tastes differ. It's 3/5 for me, a good movie till a point where the purpose of story is revealed. It was better being hidden. I would have been happier coming out with questions rather than being clarified about every tiny instance.

FREEDOM IS ABOVE MARRIAGE

There is a subtle meaning to life which is to live life on our own terms and conditions, it may be meek us feel weak about the decisions we make, but we are responsible for everything. It's this very sense of responsibility that I want myself to be a part of. It's that very life where I live by myself. My dreams my aspirations all seem to be falling apart and torn and each time with great care, I collect them back and aspire more and for better things. Now, I am through a phase where every boy who aspires an alliance will pass from, its marriage and acceptance of a girl into my life. Inviting her to a journey of a lifetime where we can both take turns to drive our own vehicle called "Married LIfe". A journey that would take us places not just in world but even to heaven at times, coz I aspire to see moments of bliss more than cribbing.

These days, cribbing seems to become a fashion, more than self contentment and being happy with what he have, we crib about what we do not have. I need more salary, I would work or fight for that. I need a bigger home, I would find resources for that. I need a better wife, how is that possible now? We have one life and one wife is what he have been taught. You have been given one so how can you aspire for a better one?


A great lesson on this was taught in the film Mr & Mrs 55 by Guru Dutt and later on in many more films too. But a film is so very different from life, I am just realizing this as I am going thru the scrutinizing process for an alliance. What's the prime most thing that we can offer as a human (boy) to another human (girl) in a relationship, as per me it's freedom, freedom of choice of picking up what she wants to do, freedom of expression, an expression that is reasonable and acceptable by the partner too. If disagreed, they have to speak about it than remain silent and slowly accept the others without a say. Silence is a grave mistake done in relationships and silence is taken as an approval too.

It's better to fight, shout on if we disagree than accept one thing silently, thinking that what the partner says is right and then on one day, regret it or worse, repent on it.

Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You'd better know that in the end
Its better to say too much
Then never say what you need to say again

So I am going to offer freedom of choice and expression and wish that love shall be the outcome of it, she can do things what she wants too, and if ever that freedom is taken for granted and she even wants to leave me, she shall be free, if she convinces me for her reasons. But I shall never leave her, my love shall remain for her as long as I live, it's simply uncompromising and it's for only one special being I can dedicate my whole life.

There are some rules and ideals I have set for myself, I am rethinking an re looking at those, this world is a place, where ideals are not understood and rules are often misread. If I say, I want to go for a register marriage, aspersions are cast "You shall have a loner's life" or apprehensions posted "Oh, some reason is there,, may be he is afraid of society or maybe, he has a bad past that he does not want to face" nothing of that sort ever happened, I have a glorious and the most happening past but society shall again misread the word "happening". Sorry I need to be present physically to explain each nitty gritty of my life, but there is no pint of explaining to a gallery of prejudiced people.

So tough choices have to be made, and I am working towards a middle path, where I shall not compromise or give in, but at the same time be flexible too to accept the beliefs, thoughts, the ideas of the other side. What are those, objectively I cannot put them on blog as they are pretty personal, but shall redeem myself and come out with a solution that shall surely satisfy me and even the society at large. How??? Wait and watch please.

MY PLAN - PURSUE MY PASSION

Romain Rolland in Jean-Christophe

So many men – they have no opinions except in so far as they disapprove of all the enthusiastic opinions. But if a man is to be independent, he has to stand alone and how many men are there who are capable of that? How many men are there even amongst the clear-sighted who will dare to break free of the bondage of certain prejudices, certain postulates which cramp and fetter all the men of the same generation? That would mean setting up a wall between themselves and others, on one hand, freedom in the wilderness, on the other, mankind. They do not hesitate. They choose mankind, the herd. The herd is evil-smelling but it gives warmth. Then those who have chosen pretend to think, do not in fact think. It is not very difficult for them. They know so little what they think! “Know thy-self” How could they, those men, who have hardly a ‘me’ to know. In every collective belief, religious or social very rare are the men who believe, because very rare the men who are men. Faith is a heroic force; its fire has kindled but very few human hearts.

Above paragraph was told in his book and I read it in Musings by Chalam (My favorite Telugu writer) and I used this in my script Poornima too.

The point I am trying to make is, few are men who had faith and did what they wanted to. I want to be in the league that believed in themselves and did what they wanted to. All these years, since my birth I have done actually nothing but write and learn photography. I love writing (from Shayari to poetry to movie script to lyrics of a song) and then photography. Now, the time has come to pursue this.

My dream is to tell a story that I want to see. To make a movie what I want to see. Let it be what no one is interested in, but I am interested in it and I will make all my effort and give my blood and sweat to make it the way I want to. UN-compromised Cinema is the new term. OK, so here is my plan; quit the organization and software industry, start narrating the script to producers and convince him that my story is worth to be told and made. (damn software industry, I saw more politics than work here, but this is not that is driving me to move out, it's my passion which is the driving force) and start-up with the movie-making. I have got people who have a fire in them to work in a project that they are interested in and have got people who want to run away from the software industry too to make their own mark in the film industry. But, I am one who is running away from what he is doing now to make his only dream come true.

What if things go well, I will be telling stories all my life and I will be happy as I am living my dream. Only very few souls in this world are privileged to do so. There are 90 failure stories and 10 success stories; I am willing to be a part of both than dying without even strife.

What if things fail, I will starve, I will be ripped off by the people around me and I will be looked down as one who should not be respected and I will be cursed, I will be taken as an example to be looked down upon and they may term me a loser and the as the worst part my parents may even disown me (nothing worse than this, I see) and eventually I will die in the strife which is also fine.

Things are so easy to write and told but it’s so tough to face them, how will a day be when I am shivering in cold on a footpath or running for the water to quench my thirst on a scorching day. I am game for both coz I have never seen any hardships in life my parents were generous and gave all I needed when I needed (the prime most thing being education) and even I did get everything in life without ever struggling for it, I was given this job at a campus interview and maybe that’s why I do not value this much or maybe because of my passion and dream of so much of kicking this off, I am holding onto it and striving to make my own place.

So let’s see where time will take me but I am going to pursue filmmaking, I have got scripts ready, camera-ready and the team set up, get a producer and start making films (I am ready to give all my life for it). How prepared I am, I asked this myself time and again and now I am saying to myself YES I AM MORE THAN PREPARED. How many may disagree but I am starting things.

So bye-bye herd, I am going to fetch the freedom in the wilderness and hopefully, I will find it or may die in the strife. I am a game.

All this while, I am accused of just talking and not doing any substantial work. Now, the time has come for me to start doing and stop talking.

Wait and Watch for better things to come by.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, MAINE, USA

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HOOVER DAM

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SMOKY MOUNATINS

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