Some weeks ago, Ram was here. He gave me 2 DVDs with a buncha movies that he very
much enjoyed. It was an eclectic collection to say the least. As Far East as Kim
Ki-Duk from Korea to the typically occidental Richard Linklater, while passing
through a distinctly European Luc Besson and Brazilian Walter Salles.
So here I was reliving my college days as I munched on more than I could chew.
Having said that the recent brain damage that I have sufferred at the hands of
colleagues and superiors left me incapable of appreciating the highly visual East
Asian cinema. Something that has been common among the various Taiwanese and Korean
films that I happened to see in Ram's DVDs, was that the storytelling was highly
visual and the dialogues were always more of a background score than the main
substance of the movie.
There was a time that I could appreciate such movies, now I prefer if somebody else
does the thinking for me. Which is why I gravitated towards the Non-Asian movies a
lot more.
There were 2 movies by Linklater, related to each other if I might add. Before
Sunrise and Before Sunset. A lovely pair of movies about 2 people who spend one
night together and then meet again 9 years later. Beautiful locales, electric
chemistry and a narrative flow that never let us feel time.
A totally sexy actress Julie Delpy and her lilting French accent to boot made me a
sucker for these movies. Somebody please tell Karan Johar and Yash Chopra that this
is how love stories are made!
And the gals get a hot looking Ethan Hawke (The former Mr.Uma Thurman...a great
actor in his own right) in the first part. He still looks good in part 2 but he has
aged so much he looks sad...
And then there was Leon by Luc Besson (the genius who gave us The Fifth Element as
well!), which was the stunning movie debut for a precocious 13 year old Natalie
Portman. Then of course there was the quintessential French man Jean Reno as Leon.
Without a hint of perversion let me say that the two shared a chemistry that rivaled
Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawkes's chemistry in the Linklater movies.
Then of course there was the Brazilian Salles who helmed the impressive Motorcycle
Diaries. Awesome cinematography and a rhythmic spanish dialogues to boot. How could
I love the sound of a language that I don't know? This was a story about Che Guevara
and his motorcycle trip across the Americas in his youth. A trip that defined his
thought process as a revolutionary. There were no overt sermons but the very
experience of watching this movie questioned my very purpose of existence (bad
question...it only has wrong answers). Majestic background scores made sure that the
film experience lingers for a long time.
Ram! Buddy I love you for these 2 DVDs! Keep them coming!
P.S I will talk about the Asian movies later when I can get around to digesting all
of them!
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Wachowski Brothers
Warner Brothers:
"And what exactly are you trying to do?"
Wachowsi Brothers:
"Find an answer"
Warner Brothers:
"An answer to what?"
Wachowsi Brothers:
"An answer to 'Why?'"
Wachowsi Brothers:
"We encourage the consciously curious to flip back and forth going from complexity to simplicity, from the internal to the external, and somewhere between the search and the denial of meaning, we ask the curious to 'make up their own damn mind.'"
As always, we thank you for your support.
"And what exactly are you trying to do?"
Wachowsi Brothers:
"Find an answer"
Warner Brothers:
"An answer to what?"
Wachowsi Brothers:
"An answer to 'Why?'"
Wachowsi Brothers:
"We encourage the consciously curious to flip back and forth going from complexity to simplicity, from the internal to the external, and somewhere between the search and the denial of meaning, we ask the curious to 'make up their own damn mind.'"
As always, we thank you for your support.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
wet dream(fiction)
(location : a small software company)
(mood : lazy)
The employees are trickling in for their daily fixed working hours, where they chat, watch movies and chat more. Manager calls everybody to the cafeteria for a quick chat. Employees livens up, expecting some fun news. Manager tells them to fuck off, it seems the company is closed from this day. The lone monkey who was sitting peacefully until then as part of the group, jumps up runs for the exit. Goes home and continue watching shitty programes whole day in his confortable easy chair. His whole body goes limp in the chair, until the next meal time :). Only if it was not a dream.
(mood : lazy)
The employees are trickling in for their daily fixed working hours, where they chat, watch movies and chat more. Manager calls everybody to the cafeteria for a quick chat. Employees livens up, expecting some fun news. Manager tells them to fuck off, it seems the company is closed from this day. The lone monkey who was sitting peacefully until then as part of the group, jumps up runs for the exit. Goes home and continue watching shitty programes whole day in his confortable easy chair. His whole body goes limp in the chair, until the next meal time :). Only if it was not a dream.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Pray For Me...
I am quaking in my boots in fear as I try to be sincere.
I am shaking with anticipation as the day draws near.
What if this or what about that?
Questions within and also without.
If-Then loops in circular references, gathering momentum, storms, then stands.
Plaguing my limited vision that can't see past choices it cannot understand.
Do I want this? Is this what I need?
I wish I knew.
P.S. My Visa Interview tomorrow. Pray for me!
I am shaking with anticipation as the day draws near.
What if this or what about that?
Questions within and also without.
If-Then loops in circular references, gathering momentum, storms, then stands.
Plaguing my limited vision that can't see past choices it cannot understand.
Do I want this? Is this what I need?
I wish I knew.
P.S. My Visa Interview tomorrow. Pray for me!
Saturday, February 11, 2006
The Village
Edward Walker: We may question ourselves, at moments such as these. Did we make the right decision to settle here?
Edward Walker:We are grateful for the time we have been given.
Lucius Hunt: What gain can rise of my telling you the only time I feel fear as others do is when I think of you in harm?
August Nicholson: Who'll pinch me to wake me up? Who will laugh at me when I fall? Whose breath will I listen for so that I may sleep? Whose hand will I hold so that I may walk?
Courtesy:
imsdb.com. The Village, 2003, M.Night Shyamalan
Edward Walker:We are grateful for the time we have been given.
Lucius Hunt: What gain can rise of my telling you the only time I feel fear as others do is when I think of you in harm?
August Nicholson: Who'll pinch me to wake me up? Who will laugh at me when I fall? Whose breath will I listen for so that I may sleep? Whose hand will I hold so that I may walk?
Courtesy:
imsdb.com. The Village, 2003, M.Night Shyamalan
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Escapist | Treatise
Have you ever gone mad ?
Have you ever felt totally out of control, being force fed by some powerful, invisible, omni-potent, magnetic gravity ?
Have you lied to yourself ?
Have you cried bitterly in bed, when you couldnt get sleep ?
Have you heard your voice introducing yourself ?
Have you acted infront of a mirror ?
Have you ran through a deserted hallway, corridor, lane ... just to feel free ?
Have you felt your heart would burst , if you heard any more violin ?
Have you wanted that every morning would feel, just like after a good jog at 6 am ?
Have you had voices in your head endlessly reason out things ?
Have you felt unable to talk ?
Have you made things unimportant, and reassured yourself that they are temporary, so that you wouldnt desire them ?
Have you tried to drown yourself , in books, movies, music, code , being busy or in loneliness?
Have you noticed all the unusual commas , and constructs in the above sentences ?
Have you followed someone irrationaly ?
Have you subjected yourself to be discipline, because you thought it was wrong to be otherwise ?
Have you accused of yourself as selfish ?
Have you thought about yourself more than anyone else ?
Have you forgotten how you look like because you are so involved in understanding how you think ?
Have you tried to dream of something, so that exactly the opposite would happen ?
Have you pulled over at a highway, rung up yourself and talked something , because you had not talked in a while ?
Have you always believed in that you can really write your future, but its too tempting not to!
Have you believed that Knowledge is power, Humility is control and Desire is weakness ?
Have you ever felt so lazy, you couldnt even eat ?
Have you ever felt totally out of control, being force fed by some powerful, invisible, omni-potent, magnetic gravity ?
Have you lied to yourself ?
Have you cried bitterly in bed, when you couldnt get sleep ?
Have you heard your voice introducing yourself ?
Have you acted infront of a mirror ?
Have you ran through a deserted hallway, corridor, lane ... just to feel free ?
Have you felt your heart would burst , if you heard any more violin ?
Have you wanted that every morning would feel, just like after a good jog at 6 am ?
Have you had voices in your head endlessly reason out things ?
Have you felt unable to talk ?
Have you made things unimportant, and reassured yourself that they are temporary, so that you wouldnt desire them ?
Have you tried to drown yourself , in books, movies, music, code , being busy or in loneliness?
Have you noticed all the unusual commas , and constructs in the above sentences ?
Have you followed someone irrationaly ?
Have you subjected yourself to be discipline, because you thought it was wrong to be otherwise ?
Have you accused of yourself as selfish ?
Have you thought about yourself more than anyone else ?
Have you forgotten how you look like because you are so involved in understanding how you think ?
Have you tried to dream of something, so that exactly the opposite would happen ?
Have you pulled over at a highway, rung up yourself and talked something , because you had not talked in a while ?
Have you always believed in that you can really write your future, but its too tempting not to!
Have you believed that Knowledge is power, Humility is control and Desire is weakness ?
Have you ever felt so lazy, you couldnt even eat ?
The Sea Inside
The Sea inside is a wonderful movie making experience by Alejandro Amnebar. (Director : The Others, Open your eyes, Vanilla Sky)
Infact, i enjoyed the bonus DVD more than the actual movie. Alejandro steps you through the entire experience, right from conceiving the idea to scripting , casting, shooting, composing, editing ......
Alejandro likes to own his movie as much as possible. He is the Director who works closely with the Cinematographer.
He is also the Co-script writer. Now for the unusual .. He is the editor as well as the Music Composer!
The Sea Inside is based on a True story and is about Ramon Sampedro , or mercy killing.
Yet, Alenjadro has scripted it in such a positive way, that you really respect the decision, in the climax scene.
Javier Barden has done a brilliant job! I thought that he was really 55! Only in the "Behind the scenes" did i realize that the guy is the fellow shown in the flash back.
He deserves an award for sure!!
Alejandro also explains the special effects and how the window views are really backlit translucent screens.
Life was sailing along at a smooth speed. I enjoyed watching the horizon, and the pattern decorated skies in the evening, whilst munching on Falafel (Veg) sandwiches.
I felt like Life had really slowed down. There are no more brain damaging deadlines, schedules , meetings. I could easily manage the mundane job from 8.30 to 5.30.
I had even plucked a couple of white hairs. I felt at peace ....
The only occassional thoughts were "Have i settled down ?", "Have i given up, and accepted that i deserve only 20 days vacation in a year, to spend with family and friends ?"
"Have i become an NRI" ?
Suddenly out of nowhere, brother came along and shifted the gear to TOP. my sailing boat turned into a jet !
I can now hardly gasp for breath... Things are happening at a break-neck speed. "Am i really ready for all this?" . Nope.. no way!
It has been my inability for quite some time to speak out, talk ... at the right time. I'd rather prefer an email. This has led me to all sorts of dangers, Yet i have never given up on this
escapist method of communication. Zeus and Ram commented lately that I dont blog/write like i did before. If you'd notice this blog itself, its mostly about "I" and things around me.
Choice. That is the problem. Salute you "The Architect". Choice is driving me mad!
You wouldnt believe, but i had visualized all this happening, some time back. Tried to believe would be a better term than 'visualized'.
Would you believe, if i said, that all of this till this point (the moment i am writing this blog), i knew, it would happen like this.
And i cannot see further.. why ? because "You cannot see beyond your choices!" -- AH! Matrix is the bible. (My 10 DVD ultimate matrix should be in air, or in the sea now!)
I am beginning to believe that it is not entirely difficult to forecast the maze of your choices and the path you would tread if you follow one simple rule,
"None of your choices should be of any direct damage to humanity". It would be much clearer, "If you are really helping someone, even if that someone is you"
Have i said enough crap for one day ? ;-)
Infact, i enjoyed the bonus DVD more than the actual movie. Alejandro steps you through the entire experience, right from conceiving the idea to scripting , casting, shooting, composing, editing ......
Alejandro likes to own his movie as much as possible. He is the Director who works closely with the Cinematographer.
He is also the Co-script writer. Now for the unusual .. He is the editor as well as the Music Composer!
The Sea Inside is based on a True story and is about Ramon Sampedro
Yet, Alenjadro has scripted it in such a positive way, that you really respect the decision, in the climax scene.
Javier Barden has done a brilliant job! I thought that he was really 55! Only in the "Behind the scenes" did i realize that the guy is the fellow shown in the flash back.
He deserves an award for sure!!
Alejandro also explains the special effects and how
Life was sailing along at a smooth speed. I enjoyed watching the horizon, and the pattern decorated skies in the evening, whilst munching on Falafel (Veg) sandwiches.
I felt like Life had really slowed down. There are no more brain damaging deadlines, schedules , meetings. I could easily manage the mundane job from 8.30 to 5.30.
I had even plucked a couple of white hairs. I felt at peace ....
The only occassional thoughts were "Have i settled down ?", "Have i given up, and accepted that i deserve only 20 days vacation in a year, to spend with family and friends ?"
"Have i become an NRI" ?
Suddenly out of nowhere, brother came along and shifted the gear to TOP. my sailing boat turned into a jet !
I can now hardly gasp for breath... Things are happening at a break-neck speed. "Am i really ready for all this?" . Nope.. no way!
It has been my inability for quite some time to speak out, talk ... at the right time. I'd rather prefer an email. This has led me to all sorts of dangers, Yet i have never given up on this
escapist method of communication. Zeus and Ram commented lately that I dont blog/write like i did before. If you'd notice this blog itself, its mostly about "I" and things around me.
Choice. That is the problem. Salute you "The Architect". Choice is driving me mad!
You wouldnt believe, but i had visualized all this happening, some time back. Tried to believe would be a better term than 'visualized'.
Would you believe, if i said, that all of this till this point (the moment i am writing this blog), i knew, it would happen like this.
And i cannot see further.. why ? because "You cannot see beyond your choices!" -- AH! Matrix is the bible. (My 10 DVD ultimate matrix should be in air, or in the sea now!)
I am beginning to believe that it is not entirely difficult to forecast the maze of your choices and the path you would tread if you follow one simple rule,
"None of your choices should be of any direct damage to humanity". It would be much clearer, "If you are really helping someone, even if that someone is you"
Have i said enough crap for one day ? ;-)
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