NASHUA - NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA

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LAS VEGAS

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LOVE IS WORTH THE STRIFE

In days of wait, the hope shall fade,

For the revival, the chances are bleak

But I think for life to be re-made

It’s better, that I shall not speak

Waiting for you to come back in life

Is completely worth though, you ain't my wife

Else I shall lose someone special

Who made me believe that love is worth the strife

Yet, neither did we love nor did we sleep

But there were promises made to keep

HELP ME SACK MY LIFE

You may be gone, you may forget me

But dear, don’t ever miss me

As that would be a pain that can let me

Yell and scream in agony of not being there for u

You have come, we have done

And in a moment, you have gone

Now I stand, at the same place

With a face that’s known to be all alone

Thanks for the time, being with me

Though I know you shall never be back

I still take however this feeling will be

Coz that will help me just sack my life

ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES (2005) - ENGLISH

Sexiest Musical ever. A movie all about sex and music.

Not sure what the writer director John Turturro wanted to venture before writing this film. But once he wrote, it clearly came as he wanted it. The songs are meticulously chosen and the lip sync done by actors adds up to the music.

This movie is about marital issues in simplest terms. But there are layers which just keep coming along. 

James Gandolfini as Nick Murder has too many issues at home to deal with. If he deals with his wife, he would deal with all the issues. But sadly, he just cannot leave his wife. A shameless husband he is.

Kate Winslet as Tula, the lingerie seller add so much life and color to her character that whenever she is turned on, she becomes the dirtiest woman. She is so naturally good I feel, he acceptance of this movie just re establishes her liking for meaty roles. 

Susan Sarandon as Kitty, Nick's  wife just does what she believes is right for the scene. She is yelling or aggressive at Nick and has fun with her ex lover Angelo.

The characters are sketched out from cliches and are written from director's brain which is so damn tough to decipher. Any film can end in any way, but life ends in one way only that is death. Do I need to say more. The story of infidelity was never told more beautifully or comically or even sexually.

There are so many other characters like Nick's friend or Nick's daughters who are so very cliched and just speak as they should. Acting is superb as expected but what takes the acting to a higher altitude is the dialogues. Each dialogue makes the character in itself interesting.

I watched this film just be seeing the poster and getting to know that Barton FInk's John Turturro has directed it and was blown away by the time i finished watching.

It's good in every which I shall say, but i's a tad longer than expected. Yet, it makes a great watch. I am unhappy that I missed such an opportunity to see it in theater but now, I have seen and am happy.

I would go with 4/5 for one of the best musicals ever. And it's very good to see a movie for not taking the point it wanted to say seriously.

BEAUTY AT SHORE

Smooth as Silk, one of the best black and white photo by me. At Daytona Beach, Florida

ANAND (1971) - HINDI

The first few lines of Amitabh Bachhan as Dr. Bhaskar Bannerjee in this movie are

Maantaa hoon is yeh zindagi ki taakat maut se zyada badi hai

Lekin yeh zindagi kya maut se badtar nahi?

College se degree lete hue zindagi ko bachaane ki kasam khaayi thi

Aur ab aisa lag raha hai, 

jaise kadam kadam par maut ko zindaa rakhne ki koshish kar raha hoon

I agree that life has greater strength than death

But isn't life worse than death

I vowed to save lives when I took my degree

Now I feel, I am trying to keep death alive at every step.

Sheer poetry and my eyes became wet. Then the dialogue, 

Hey Ramu Kaakaa khaanaa lagaao 

Shaadi karne se toh khaanaa achha hai

So thats the how the whole movie runs it gives lumps in throat and follows with a smile on face.

Anand : Zindagi Badi Honi Chaahiye Lambi Nahi 

Life has to be big not long

Jab tak zinda hoon tab tak maraa nahi

Jab margaya saalaa main hi nahi

As long as I live, I am not dead

And once I am dead, I am just no more

Just each dialogue as the film rolls on teaches so much more.

Now, let me officially begin the review.

It's one of the most heartfelt movies that moves in a way that you are aware of the inevitable destiny but you just dont want to let him go. Damn, life is so very cruel, it takes even the best for a ride and ends abruptly.

Anand knew his destiny and he wanted to live every moment of it, so did I as saw each scene of the movie. However disconnected the other person his, Anand makes a connection in every which way and all the characters along with myself as an audience hoped for a different ending which was not to be.

I saw this movie innumerable times (which means just too many) and each time, I had tears in my eyes, the climax is simply unbearable for me but I just watch it all through each time. There is no fast forward or rewind button in life and that applies to this movie. Each time I start this, i just complete it.

Rare to see movies as good as this. How much ever I appreciate I very deeply feel that is too very less.

Dialogues by Gulzar are impeccable, editing, screenplay and direction by Hirshikesh Mukherjee and all alive and they are characters no more, those are alive beings and Anand is a prime example of a willing to live protagonist. The sotry and characters are simply heart touching and deeply moving. 

But Rajesh Khanna brought life to Anand is his very own way and his charm, there is that subtle warmth that you always want to meet him and see him in full life. Amitabh brought his very own dignity to Dr. Banerjee. 

All other characters played their roles very well. 

Can't say much with moist throat and eyes. It's undoubtedly 5/5 and one of the best indian films ever. It will defineitely move every indian who watches it. I am pretty happy to see this time and over again.

THE ARTIST (2011) - ENGLISH

A silent spectacle. One of the toughest films in recent times.

Right from the first frame, it engrossed me, pulled me into it, made me laugh at it and also made me think at times, without even a word being uttered on screen. Sheer beauty and exquisitely performed by the artists. It's a highly appreciable thing that audiences have embraced this film but what is more appreciable is the fact that there are people who would still love to make such movies. It's the same wine in new bottle, just that it caters to tast of the new audience which is 'said to be intelligent'.

A simple conflict of whether an artist likes sound in movies or not, is drawn to magnanimous proportions and one scene where the glass sound, the laughs of girls come along portray how much he is stuck and in love with silence. He is overtly adamant about silent films than being passionate about them. He hates the sound so much that he goes to even end his life, on hearing people speak. Such a character is tough to portray and Jean Dujardin does emote exceptionally well. 

The dog named Uggy who is the hero and as written in the film, "He owes his life to the dog" has done a remarkably good job. The art direction was outstanding and so was the choreography. The music complemented each scene well whether it is the initial part of cinema where he performs for audiences, the comic sequences or the dramatic part. Also, the screenplay just flew. 

Having said all the above, there are a few dislikes of which few are 

1) This film has a completely predictable storyline, in fact me and my friend were talking to each other what would happen next and it turned out to be same

2) The story in itself is too very common and so is the treatment

3) The actress Berenice Bejo was good at places and at few times was just awkward, example the way she speaks to George Valentin on the stairs was like making a spoof of the old silent films.

4) Oh yes, its just too melodramatic, the final climax where she rushes in car as if she would definitely do an accident was uncalled for.

So going out with 3/5. Having said about the flaws, I would still say it's a must watch for those who love cinema for the way cinema is. I loved it, coz I go for cinema to be taken into it and pulls me into a path that it builds for me, and this movie did that in every sense to me. This is for sure, is the best actor movie I saw in recent times.

SPIRITUAL SMOKE

Smoke from an Incense Stick, En route Yamunotri,  Himalayas,  India

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962) - ENGLISH

A compelling drama and a best written work for celluloid as far courtroom drama goes.

Written as a novel and adapted as a screenplay, made as a film, the century's most widely known novel is one of the finest pieces of writing.  Now, you have half job done, the best work is written, but Robert Mulligan as a director has to handle a tougher task, he has to bring a well written and much known work with life and living characters onto the screen. Man, he does this job with flying colors. Firstly, the acting be it a Tom Robinson or a Mayella or a lesser known Cunningham, all have done exceptionally well. Above all stands, Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a disciplined father and a lovable one indeed. He brings life to a character of rare dignity that is realistic yet ideal.   

Told through the eyes of a small girl Jean Finch, this story is one good one to hear or see. It has many moments that give us a lump in the throat. The climax is a befitting one and is symbolism of "Natures judgement". The courtroom acting of Tom Robinson and Finch and Mayella is enough to say that even for a brief 20 minutes of courtroom scene, this movie is still considered as one of the best courtroom dramas. That was the power and passion involved in the making.

Acting and wrting both are sublime and all else just falls in place, be it art direction or background score, they would have been good anyways, with the acting that we see it is obvious why it is hailed as a textbook for classic acting and same is the case with writing too.

I loved it and am hopeful any one who see it will. 

Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain,a knife and our lives. 

That dialogue summarizes most of the movie.

But the very point that is being said is humanism, we alienate humans with our own prejudices, be it a beggar or a toilet cleaner even guards at offices are not treated as humans as we feel as if we are above them, there is only color and it colorless, there is only one caste and religion that is humanity. 

It's a 5/5 without any doubt and please request all to see it. Have patience though,  we have to endure it.

Watch it for acting and writing above everything else.

BEAUTY OF GAIT

Seagull's Gait at Daytona Beach, Flordia, USA

DARK TUNNEL

I came across a funny dark tunnel

Having few gaps through which faint light came in

I had to fight the darkness all through

I had reached the other end without having to give in

But then came a friend after a hiatus

I rushed back to her with a well-done status

Now, I held her hand and made her understand

That these gaps are the ones she has to rely on

She began to walk but it was tough to stand

The darkness within even with me as company

These gaps will decide the fate

She wished, she had a better mate

Her mind was in a pendulum

Going to and fro on a swing

Her feet were crippling

And more too afraid to think

Now, these openings were betraying

They grew dim making the walk much grim

Even I, as her company had to stall my walk

And moreover, we could barely whisper, leave talk

These openings closed down and we were struck

In the tunnel, amidst the darkness

Now we are both in wait, for the light to clear

And for the darkness to fade

To help us celebrate as if a festival of lights

FLATTERED

The hair loosened on your shoulder
That makes each heart say "go and hold her"
The eyes are a temple of beauty
Looking them is a lovely duty
The nose is apt, like a sculpture
A perfect one, and just not a structure
The lips are small and yet they give a call
"for you girl, every boy would fall"

HUSBAND AND WIFE

One fine morning, when the sun was low

It was overcast, drizzle began pretty slow

I saw her walking in a dazzling gait

She for sure enjoyed with drizzle albeit

I was holding my teacup in room

Feeling that she was my bride and I her groom

While the pour began to hush, yet she began to rush

She ran and came into my home and gave me a push

Got her close and tight and she threw me off

Saying "Hubby, not today" and she flew off

I ran and ran around the house till I caught her

Held her up close and kissed her till sunset

THE APARTMENT (1960) - ENGLISH

As the poster says, there has never been anything like the Apartment.

A movie that begins with a man at his desk and then revolves between two places mostly, his apartment and his office and that involves humor in a way just as we talk, a wicked sarcasm hidden under the wraps of humour.

What makes The Apartment so very engaging is its acting and writing, both just go hand in hand, as written and directed by Billy, he extracted the exact output of what he aspired to, this reflection is evident in every frame. And this ability to extract acting as required per the script is what makes Billy Wilder one of the best directors. 

He took the writing seriously and wrote almost each dialogue and frame along with I.A.L Diamond, so well that I could just connect to everything that was going on screen. Jack Lemmon as Baxter is sublime and has that rarer innocent face, that does not need histrionics to act, but is so very natural. Shirley Maclaine as the very straight and at times funny Fran Kubelik, brought life into a character that was otherwise very casual. All other actors did their part so very aptly.

Now coming to other aspects, this film has such subtleties and are handled so very well without any noise, its a take into the psyche of each character and what is special is that we can firstly relate to chracters and even empathize to either one of them. So written ahead of it's time and acted superbly well, this is a classic that has stood the test of time. When I watched it even today, was so refreshing.

Thanks to Billy Wilder for presenting a great movie. It's 5/5.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010) - ENGLISH

A wonderland that is dreamy and funny and simply wonderful. A trip that we take on in dreams.

Alice has a dream and the whole story is a familiar story for most who have known it since childhood. But never have I seen it come off so wonderfully with exquisite costumes, art direction and the graphics that are so intrinsic. Once you have the whole feel of it, then each characters come across with a panache that is their own, be it a stalwart like Johnny Depp or a Anne Hathaway, all take the story forward in a way that is so engaging and also enticing. 

The  music took me in and was fantastic, it was aptly creepy at most times and it was thrilling too as the trip went on. The finale music is just a great one though the finale fell short of lot of my visual expectations. I must say the movie got dragged right when Alice met White Queen and since it started to loosen a grip on a suspense thriller it held to for thus long.

All performances were very very engaging and they all induced a character of their own and this appreciation goes to Burton for extracting such performances. 

Burtonish and Johnny Deppish. It's 3/5. It is good for now but surely could have been a Wow had the finale been better and the movie been shorter.  

A NIGHT BEAUTY LEFT

In vain goes a night as the beauty goes out of sight

But hope is still there, that one night shall be very bright

She has left me in the lurch

And in tears, I came to church

To plead with the lord so that I can hear

From her just once more so to clear

Those clouds of guilt and to curb my fear

At an ungodly hour of the day, I do pray 

"Never again will I do baby

Never again will I speak

Never again will I smile baby

Never again will I freak

But I shall for this lifetime wait

And hope that though away you may be

Hate me for a moment one day

For that day I shall be a beat in your heart

And then in peace from this life, I may part"

BABU KOSAM (2011) - TELUGU

A short film written and acted by me.

AGNEEPATH (2012) - HINDI

This film took a path of fire and came out firing.

Nice remake, I must admit and I liked many bits of it barring a few which as I said to my friend "I will give in to such few things".

Power-packed and intensifying, this is one drama of vengeance that will go well how many times to make it. But only one rule, it has to stick to the plot and performances have to be to very intense to engage the audience. This movie wins in performances. Hrithik Roshan stands out and so does Sanjay Dutt, all other actors just pitch in aptly  and it sticks to the plot of vendetta. The more imaginative it is, the much better it will be and this one comes in all guns blazing. Sanjay Dutt comes as a surprise and turns out of one the best bad guys of recent times. Hrithik Roshan is a rare actor who does not need lines, a look through his eyes says it all and so very good in this film, he may even win the best actor for this year if something equally riveting or better than this does not come along.

The most prominent thing to notice apart from Hrithik and Sanjay is the background music by Ajay-Atul. I am not sure how many movies in recent times have really had such good background scores and all appreciation to the music director duo. 

It's really a path of fire coz to remake a movie that is made as recently in 1990 and then give its own interpretation or identity is a tough choice. Firstly the comparisons are very nervy, Vijay Dinanath Chahuhan as Amitabh Bachhan is still in my memory and the way he delivers , "Naam Vijay Dinanath Chahuhan", in police station is still very good. Now, most of that was reinterpreted for the good of it and it all came out engagingly, specifically the screenplay took care of many aspects. 

Also, the cinematography and art direction have to be commended. Dialogues by Piyush Mishra are in fact terrific. Just a mention of the raunchy fast paced item number Chikni Chameli, liked it for its pace and thanks to Shreya Ghoshal for singing it so well and for Katrina Kaif for dancing superbly.

Yet there were flaws and the biggest disappointment was editing, a few flashback scenes were not needed and so was a song of a wedding of Rishi Kapoor's son, that song felt more like a distraction than being in film.

Hirthik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay-Atul made this movie worth a watch. 

I go with 3/5 but again it's a bollywood typical masala film. So go have fun.

TODAY'S MOON

My favorite beauty, the full moon. Taken today from Home

NATURE'S STAIRWAY

In Ship Harbor Trail, Acadia National Park, USA

GAMYAM (2008) - TELUGU

Written with good intent made to entertain solely, this is a compromise of sorts.

To be frank, I have seen this film for the first time and was very disappointed to sit all through the 2 hours journey of it. 

It's a journey of a rich brat realizing the truth and life as a whole. It tries too hard to pass on a message and to entertain at the same time. Bad acting by it's main protagonist Sharwanand (who has till date made offbeat films) lets the film completely down. The locales selected are good but showing them is too immature, if you have to capture an emotion of a character you can show his face in a close up rather than showing the whole of the background scene. Also, the music is a major hinderance and I would request the directors to keep music out of such films they act as spoilers more than songs. All, in all it's a badly made film but still written with a noble intent. 

I would credit the writer director Radhakrishna (Krish) for his writing abilities more than his directing abilities. For cinema's sake, one must understand should he himself direct the film or write and let some other person direct it. There are too many unwanted aberrations and scenes that made the film a bland thing rather than an engaging watch.

The story is of a self discovery of a rich brat who used to see world through his bungalow or car windows, he takes upon a journey on bike to seek his love. And in this journey meets our hero (Gali Seenu), seriously Allari Naresh has done this role superbly well and for me is the hero of the film. Also Kamalinee Mukherjee just complements to her role Janaki aptly and thanks to dubbing by Sunitha.

It moves from one place to another from Hyderabad to Kurnool (yaganti) to Narasipatnam. It shows the milieu of Andhra Pradesh but the characters are too cliched and ineffective. Many a time, dialogues seem so fabricated and unnatural. (reason may be I was watching this alone at home and had I watched in theatre, reaction can be something else, sorry for the analytics).  

From feudal henchmen in Kurnool to Naxalites in forests of eastern ghats, it moves and shows the world that we seldom see. But was so much necessary for a self discovery? is what I seriously asked.

Few dialogues as below just give a glimpse of what the movie is "I have seen the world, paris, london not seen such poverty there" is where it begins and at the end our protagonist says "I have seen everything, from giving a baby's birth to Seenu's death in my own hands" so that may well give you a measure of what this movie is about. 

I would still say it's a very well written screenplay and dialogues strike the chord too. But all this is taken a back seat by bad direction. Bad direction examples

1) Seenu getting his wound healed by Janaki and Abhi does not even see her face. Too filmy boss

2) They get into Naxalites ok fine but was killing of Seenu so very necessary

3) Was Brahmanandam a character or a caricature 

4) Is getting in a recording dance an attempt to include an item number or showing a culture of our state or to take the story forward, never got this logic.

It's much overrated or may be we never saw quality cinema yet of self discovery that made this movie so very good for most of the viewers. Go see Good Will Hunting or better Motorcycle Diaries (from where this film was inspired)

For me, it's average 2/5. Sorry Krish, hope you make better movies than this. Also, "of the whole money spent, this film could have been much better with half the budget, dont add songs and remove the Brahmanandam episode and your budget will be cut."

DROWNED BENCH

A bench infront of my room in Tampa, Florida, USA. Loved the variations of green and water ripples.

OUR HOSPITALITY (1923) - ENGLISH

One of the best trips and one of the earliest trips too in the most funniest vehicles.

Oh yes, this my most recent film and the second earliest film, I have seen (earliest being 1921 Charlie Chaplin's 'The Kid'). It has a whole range of vehicles from a cart, a cycle, a train, a donkey and a glimpse of Rocket prototype, all are too very funny to notice and our hero John Mckay (Buster Keaton) is even funnier. He is the shortest male character who runs and runs from the villains. 

This is not contemporary 1923 film but is set in 1830's and that in itself brought out a humorous production design and art director must have been laughing when did a cycle or a train design.

Everything is out and out funny and the moments just keep coming. His genius is written in most of scenes if not all. When vilains are searching for him, a waterfall saves him wow, can something be more creative than that to cover him. 

Buster Keaton has an originality that is very pristine that even Chaplin and Welles adored him for the way he carried out a film. That is very well shown in this film, selecting the time period make things look funny intentionally and the characters are so very stereotypical, we will not have sympathy but we will have a word that says, "let him have it". The one scene rather frame in which he expresses love to the heroine is enough to know how funny he was. 

Keaton stunts, I must mention are tough for in those days there was noting at hand except physical body which took a lot of strain and he did them all effortlessly (at least that is how it seems) and with a lot of courage, kudos to him in all terms. 

This film was remade as "Maryada Ramanna" in telugu which was a very disappointing and serious take for a film that is extremely funny.

All salutations to Buster Keaton.

For this, it's 4/5. Please watch if you haven't coz it may be the funniest trips you have ever done on screen.

Oh no, there is "THE GENERAL" for me which I will review later.

PAINTING BY SKY

Twilight, after sunset at Majorda Beach, Goa, India

BRAVEHEART (1995) - ENGLISH

Titles, money, gold!! Slaves are made out of these not free men.

A dialogue that relates to all living today who aspire for the afore mentioned three. We are made slaves and most are in fact leading a life of slavery under the veils of freedom.

A movie that is like a cliched warrior story if you have seen Benhur, Spartacus and one thats designed Barry Lyndon may not be a good watch but this rises with a Brave Heart, the script has got all in it to make it a perfect piece of cinema that compromises a little but nevertheless, breathes it's heart out. It's one heck of war and period film that I would rate as a must see for costume designers, for art directors and for cinematographers who aspire to make a period film. And for all others, its a story that is of inspiration that's made with a courage.

To attempt to see such a long film in itself these days is an act of bravery I must say, coz we are men who don't have patience and who want everything steadfast. But all accolades to Mel Gibson who in nearly 3 hours has shown his passion and exemplified by showing glory. 

The Battle of Stirlington, or aWar of Filkark, those are war pieces that will stand the test of time in cinema history and may be regardes as a finest depiction of the gore the pain that war is. 

Acted supremely well by all,  this is easily one of the best textbooks of showing controlled emotion just with eyes at times. The music supplements the emotion and thanks to James Horner for the music that he gave. I have this movie in my OST collection too. 

Few scenes like the affair between Wallace and Isabella or the king throwing off Phillip may have been cut and even the length may not make everyone its admirer so a tad short and this will be easily watchable by many more is what I believe. But still,  a greatly made movie in all its near three hours running time. 

My rating is 4/5. Blu ray just made this one so better to see. Thanks to the transformation too.

DISPERSED LIGHT

Morning rays in a forest in Karnataka, India

IN HER THOUGHTS

The nuances I embrace on her thought
Shall be sheer joy in her presence
The cheers I relish in her sought
Shall be a mere pain in her absence


I need her to be in me 
Even though she is far away
So I can be what I want to be
To sing her songs, in her love I sway


In her dreams, wish I shall fade
Before I do, in her loss
In her thoughts, wish I shall be
When I shall happily pass away

HUGE BREED

Cascade is what we try to do 
Escape is what we end up with
Reveal, is what we cannot do
Steal, is what we wind up with

Stray into delusions we tend to
Stay in focus is what we pretend to
Right is what we all want 
Might is what we intend to 

To walk into life as an unknown
And then explore the mysteries
Is a quality that is seldom shown
By those, who shall be part of histories

To act is what we shall not heed
To stay and relish is what we just need
To lead, there are very few
To follow, there is a huge breed

THE WRESTLER (2008) - ENGLISH

To be alone in old age or to wrestle at that age which is more painful?

The Wrestler is for Mickey Rourke. He is Randy "The Ram" Robinson and he played not just with a big heart but with a big body that took a lot of pain. Mickey, along with the director Darren Aronofsky (know for showing pain on screen) took me to one of the most painful trips and made me roam if at times in blood then at times in tears. surely this to my memory is the most painful movie the earlier one being Requiem for a Dream by the same director. You cannot watch such films again and again coz they make you freeze and uncomfortable. I dare did it twice.

When Danny Boyle said he wanted to do a wrestler kind of movie, 127 hours was born. That's when my interest began and was shell shocked by how real the whole act was in this film. At the second watch, I say it's still the same feeling. My eyes became moist at last scene each time.

Writing is good coz it's a cliched tale but the way director had interpreted the whole thing is simply worth a watch. My salutations to Darren Aronofsky, one of the few men who shows us things as they are without fabricating them much.

I had not seen this movie in 2008 so cannot comment much on if Mickey should have got an Oscar as I did not see "The Milk" yet for which, Sean Penn won the award. But surely it was a performance of a lifetime and to bear it all was real tough job and Mickey simply was Randy The Ram in every frame. The climax again (I mean like his other movies) is left for viewers interpretation by Darren and I would leave it without much interpretation.

All my accolades to Darren for conceiving and telling a tale in the most painful way possible. And many more kudos to Mickey to having played it and it was a real resurrection for him too who was back as recently in 2005 after a hiatus of 15 years.

Technically, the sound design was awesome and the cinematography was just as expected, it was not over the board but could have been much better. The dialogues are very cliched so to say coz that's what the character is too, so no qualms there. The screenplay is superb and so is editing please see how both worked for a film like this. Over and above everything was the acting that was so very natural by everyone.

Thanks Darren for showing this to us. It's 4/5. But I am not sure if ever I will see this agony and pain again.