Phatik Chand (1983)

Paperback

Language: English(Originally Bengali)

Author: Satyajit Ray

Translator: Lila Ray

This is a novel by Satyajit Ray the great film maker from Bengal, India.

This one is a poignant story of a 12 year old affluent kid who is kidnapped for ransom. The kidnap attempt goes haywire as the kidnappers crash their car and the kid escapes with minor external injuries but a major one internally, loss of memory. The boy who has lost his memory calls himself Phatik, afraid that he might have broken some law and hence be a person wanted by police he runs into oblivion and happens to meet a juggler Harun.

Harun-da takes Phatik under his wing and finds him a job in a restaurant owned by his friend. And there comes the twist in the story, the kidnappers spot Phatik in the restaurant. And Phatik without knowing why they are after him runs from them with the help of Harun-da. What happens next is the novel.

The characterization and the narrative are amazing. You feel like you are looking at a storyboard and not reading a novel. The relationship between the boy and Harun-da, the juggler is the heart of the novel and is handled beautifully by Mr Ray.

A short novel of 112 pages which you can’t put down without finishing it.

Super Read of monumental propositions !!

Most recommended.

PS: This novel was later made a feature film by Sandip Ray, Satyajit’s son.

Serious Men (2010)

Hardback

Language: English

Author: Manu Joseph

Social divide is something we Indians are very familiar with. Caste system & reservation has become the fief of our political masters who flash these cards only when our votes are needed. But it is something that affects many of us Indians in our daily lives from malicious stereotyping to outright slander and rejection. This work of fiction is the story of Ayyan Mani, a dalit who lives in a one room apartment in one of the many Chawls of Mumbai with his wife and son.

Mani is the personal assistant to the director of the Institute of Theory & Research, a research institute supposedly dominated by Brahmin scientists. Mani’s boss is a world famous physicist who nearly won the physics Nobel and who had a very famous run in with the Pope. Although he is aging he maintains a firm grip over the institutes functioning and is working on his pet project of proving the presence of alien microbes in the upper atmosphere and his autocratic ways are resented by a good section of people in the institute which results in a power struggle.

On the other side, Mani who resented the domination of Brahmins starts feeding his 10 year old convent going son Adi with intelligent questions to ask his teachers so that he can be labeled a genius. The modus operendi is to get the boy ask these questions to his teachers at random like questions on Arithmetic progression or about acceleration due to gravity.

Mani also pays one of the reporters of a small time newspaper to insert an article saying that Adi has won a science contest conducted by the Swiss science foundation. Step by step he succeeds in his mission of getting the world term his son a genius. He uses the feud between the two Brahmin leaders of the institute to further his ambition of showcasing his son’s genius.

This is a work of satire that gives us a glimpse of the social divides in India on the basis of caste. And how one can manipulate the situation to his or her own advantage.

Amazingly real and relatable and a good read.

God save the Dork (2011)

Paperback

Language: English

Author: Sidin Vadukut

A sequel to the hilarious Dork: The incredible adventures of Robin “Einstein” Varghese. In this episode the highflying consultant from Dufresne, Robin “Einstein” Varghese is sent on secondment to Lederman Bank in London. The good thing for us readers is that Robin still updates his famous diary.

This one again is a laugh riot that gives us a good look into the relationship issues Robin has with his girlfriend Gouri, his life in London, visit to museums, his tryst with the interns at Lederman, his relationship with the CEO of Lederman, the financial irregularities in Lederman, the mistake in the payroll system that effects in a windfall into his account and more.

There is something that has not changed at all, in fact at times you wonder if things have gotten better in this edition of Dork. The stupidity and naivety quotient of Robin gets bigger and better in this edition and hence laughing out your guts is guaranteed.

The fact is that sequels are a very tricky business but I think the fact that the books are a presentation of Robin’s diary entries helps the book a lot. Go for it…

Another Super Read from Sidin Vadukut !!

Dork: The incredible adventures of Robin “Einstein” Varghese (2010)

Paperback

Language: English

Author: Sidin Vadukut

As the name suggests this book is about the adventures of Robin “Einstein” Varghese. The story starts with the last few days of Robin on the campus of his business school. The days when campus recruitment is in full swing and Robin like many others in his institute want to be lapped up by a consultancy firm with a fancy salary.

The difference between the others and Robin is his top of the rack stupidity and naivety quotient. And more importantly a false air of confidence & the ability to screw-up or score an own goal at ease.

The story comes to us as Robin’s diary entries. It is a hilarious account of Robin’s naïve arrogance, stupid brilliance and confident messing-up of things. Episodes of Robin’s booze fueled bravado, puking, monumental hangover, epic fights with classmates / peers he hates, his quest to rewrite supply chain management, the stupid thought that he is going to be the savior of the world of consultancy. And the monumental of all, a booze fueled voicemail message which puts him on top of the world map of the consultancy business.

The story becomes even better if you have come across someone of Robin’s caliber in your life. It becomes more relatable and enjoyable. A laugh riot and most recommended !!

Super Read… Go for it !!

The Immortals of Meluha (2010)

Paperback

Language: English

Author: Amish Tripathi

This is the first of the Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi. The author has taken Hindu mythology and has fictionalized it a bit to give a good novel.

The story is about the fight between the Meluhan Suryavanshi’s and the Chandravanshi’s who have joined force with the Naga’s to defeat the Meluhan’s. The king of Meluha invites various tribes to his country (Expat workers ?!!), one of them is a tribe from Tibet of which the leader is Shiva.

From the serene personality shown in the backdrop of Mount Kailash with his trishul, damaru & a snake coiled around his deep blue coloured neck we have seen in calendars, books and in our pooja rooms, we see a completely different Shiva here. A chillum bearing, marijuana smoking warrior and a lovable leader of a tribe.

Although the characterization takes a while to settle in you, it doesn’t disturb you. By the end of the first few pages the author manages to pull the readers into the fictional web he spins. Mahadev becomes a post occupied by great leaders, Somras makes Shiva’s throat go blue, Sati who becomes Shiva’s wife is a widow who remarries him.

There are places where you feel a slight reduction in the intensity with which the book moves. But by and large the author manages to keep the reader glued to the pages. And more importantly you start thinking about the second book by the time you finish this one.

A very good read

Chronicles of a death foretold (1981)

Paperback

Language: English (Originally Spanish)

Author: Gabriel García Márquez

Translator: Gregory Rabassa

Orignally written in Spanish as Crónica de una muerte anunciada. It is a murder mystery that chronicles the last day of Santiago Nasser, a ranch owner. Almost everyone in the village knows Santiago Nasser is going to be murdered and the reasons surrounding it.

The story starts on a busy day with Nasser waking up from a dream of walking through a grove of timber trees, waiting for the bishop who is to visit his village and the Vicario brothers waiting to kill him. The story isn’t linear, meaning it doesn’t follow an order.

The narrative follows Santiago, it moves on to the marriage of Angela Vicario, the wedding celebrations, Angela’s bride discovering that she is not a virgin and sending her back, the Vicario twins blaming Santiago for defiling their sister and finally murdering him. While the reader gets a clear idea as to why the Vicario twins want Santiago murdered, what we don’t get is whether Santiago really defiled Angela.

The most impressive thing about this work is the way Márquez sketches his characters. Especially the key ones like Santiago, Bayardo, Angela, her family and more importantly her brothers. This novel is replete with symbolism and supernatural stuff.

Never a dull moment in this novel with superbly chiseled characters and a powerful narrative.

A straight SuperRead.

PS: This novel was also adapted as a Spanish language feature film with the same title in 1987 directed by Francesco Rosi

Vanavasam (1965 ?)

Language: Tamil

Author: Kannadasan

Kannadasan, Kaviarasar or King of Poets for many of us Tamils was and is still one of the best contemporary Tamil poets the world has seen. Vanavasam is the first part of his two part autobiography. This culminates with him leaving the DMK (a political party from Tamil Nadu), disillusioned by the internal politics and personality clashes.

In the interim there are some grim moments which force the King of poets to discontinue studies, flee his home in search of greener pastures, finding his foot, stepping on the first step to the gateway of recognition, friendships, courtships, controversies, heartbreaks – emotional & economic and realization.

It is a fabulous rollercoaster ride through his life in second person. For there is no I in this book, there is a he. There are times when you feel the details are overdone, like the woman he loves from Mylapore episode and like where characterless, promiscuous politicians make an appearance. You like a true blue voyeur want more but there isn’t any more detail.

Overall I would say this is probably one autobiography from where you can’t take much out. The author himself says that in the start. That one can’t take much out as the moral of the story but can understand the things that need to be avoided to be a better human being.

For those who have an interest in Kannadasan this book is a primer, for it gives details of where, when and how he made it big and the circumstances surrounding that. The circumstances interest the reader more because they involve the politicians and famous people who have ruled page 3 and also our lives (literally and figuratively) .

This one is a good book to read if you satisfy one primary condition and two secondary conditions. (1) is the primary which I’m not sure everyone would satisfy but (2) & (3) is something most of us are.

1. If you can read and understand simple Tamil
2. If you are a voyeur (If you say you aren’t, sorry you shouldn’t be reading this blog. For you are not a human !!)
3. If you like literature of any kind

A very good read.

I love Kannadasan, but I still believe there is something that stops me from marking this a Super read. That said this one is really, really worthwhile, buy it and read it if you can read Tamil.

PS: In the foreward to the 1981 edition the author says that this book was sold for INR 4 in 1962

Nader and Simin, A Separation (2011)

Country: Iran

Language: Persian

Actors: Peyman Moaadi, Leila Hatami, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat & Sarina Farhadi

Director: Asghar Farhadi

A drama that explores the judicial, familial, gender, social and religious pressure the middle class Iran is faced with today. Amazingly acted out, it doesn’t seem like a film at all barring a moment or two. This one is more real than the most real reality show you would ever have seen.

A couple married for 14 years with an 11 year old daughter is in the middle of a bitter divorce battle. The reason, the wife wants to leave the country to give a better future for her daughter. The husband can’t because he has to take care of his Alzheimer afflicted old father.

The judge doesn’t give a ruling but asks them to take some time to see if they can reconcile. As Simin, the wife moves to her parents place, Nader hires a woman to take care of his father. The young lady, Razieh hails from a poor family hounded by debtors thanks to her jobless husband. Getting a hang of the taxing job of taking care of a Alzheimer patient and the religious implication of handling an elderly male, she decides to put her jobless husband in her place. But as luck would have it the guy gets arrested for defaulting on a loan and is sent to jail.

So the pregnant Razieh decides to continue with the work till her husband comes out. And brings her toddler daughter to the work place. Circumstances force Nader accuse Razieh of stealing money and neglecting his old father. The accusation leads to a fight and Nader shoving Razieh out of his house and a miscarriage for her.

Nader is arrested for having caused the miscarriage, a charge he refutes. And the drama reaches a crescendo touching upon the key drivers of the contemporary Iran like gender, morality, monetary & political uncertainty, judiciary and religion.

Towards the end the couple is back in the family court for finalising their divorce. This time with both parties agreeing on separating, the judge asks their young daughter with whom she wants to stay. The girl says she wants to tell her decision to the judge in person. The credit title rolls with the couple waiting outside the courtroom as their daughter is alone in the courtroom talking to the judge.

The actors, Leila Hatami who plays Simin and Peyman Moaadi who plays Nader have already won loads of acclaim and awards for their lovely portrayal of the two main characters. Sareh Bayat who plays the role of Razieh and Ali-Azghar Shahbazi who plays the Alzheimer affected father of Nader are a class apart.

This movie doesn’t have fancy cinematography, except the lovely piano piece as the end titles roll there is no other music you remember, no major locations or set properties and costumes. If this movie has succeeded it is purely on the merit of a great story, tight screenplay and direction by Asghar Farhadi.

This lovely drama is the Iranian nominee for Best Foreign Movie at the 84th edition of the Academy Awards. I’m sure this will be one of the shortlists and one shouldn’t be surprised if A Separation eventually wins.

Most recommended, a straight Super Watch

Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha (2009)

Country: India

Language: Malayalam

Actors: Mamootty, Shweta Menon, Mythili, Sreenivasan

Director: Ranjith

Story: T P Rajeevan

This is a crime drama based on a Malayalam novel of the same name by T P Rajeevan. This story is supposed to be based on the first recorded murder case in Kerala (after the state was formed following the linguistic carving out of states in the 1950’s). This is yet another movie where Mamootty plays a detective and cracks a previously unsolved case. But it doesn’t just stop there, we get to see Mamootty in 3 different characters and you get to see a different him in each of those.

A young woman, Manikyam is raped and murdered in the village of Paleri. There is another death on the same day, of a young priest which passes off as a case of drowning. After prolonged investigation and court procedures the accused are acquitted for lack of evidence thanks to a weak prosecution case.

Around 52 years after that, the protagonist Haridas a detective from New Delhi comes to Paleri to solve this case. The reason, he was born on the same day the murder happened and happens to be the illegitimate son of a powerful landlord in the village. Who incidentally was accused by a few to have played a part in the murder.

The movie is gripping as it traverses the length and breadth of feudalism, money, cronyism, power and politics. The director very subtly shows how the two major political parties, the Communists who have just come to power and Congress who have just lost play to the galleries for political one-upmanship. This battle is eventually won by the comrades at the expense of humanity & justice for the oppressed.

The way Ranjith has treated this film is fantastic and is worth a special mention. For many of us who remember Kamalhassan’s Virumandi as the Indian tribute to Kurosawa’s Rashoman should watch this movie, the way Ranjith cobbles up the story through the different points of view (although in the strictest sense this is slightly different from Rashoman). There are also many characters who come in and go out, telling what they know about the Manikyam murder case. But each one of them serves a purpose in the whole scheme of things.

Sreenivasan appears in a small but a superbly crafted role, of that of an aged renegade barber. A person who always suspected his top comrades to be hand in glove with the rich & powerful murderer. His character is sure to stay etched in the viewers mind for a while. And so are all 3 of Mamootty and Shweta Menon who does superbly well as Manikyam’s mother in law who is also the village prostitute. Cinematographer Manoj Pillai makes the movie come alive with his pleasing visuals.

I wonder why this wasn’t India’s submission for the foreign movie Academy awards in 2010 (Peepli Live !!).

A great movie, highly recommended.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Country: USA

Language: English

Actors: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Adrien Broody, Kathy Bates, Marion, Cotillard, Carla Bruni

Director: Woody Allen

Cinematography: Darius Khondji

A fantasy RomCom movie by Woody Allen. The story is set in Paris and revolves around a group of Americans – A father, mother, daughter and her boyfriend to whom she is engaged. This movie brings to life some of the largest contributors to Modernism and Surrealism, which is supposed to be the extreme form of Modernism.

The plot is simple, the daughter and her boyfriend take a free ride to Paris with her parents. Her father is there to broker a business deal. The girl’s parents are very wealthy and conservative, the boyfriend is a distracted Hollywood writer who is in the process of finishing his novel. So the boyfriend, the protagonist of this movie is a misunderstood person as far as his fiancé’s parents go. To compound the situation another pseudo-intellectual friend of his fiancé comes into the scene. While he dislikes & questions his intellect his fiancé adores him.

As the protagonist walks through the streets of Paris he is transported into the golden era of Modernism, the 1920’s and there he meets the greats of that era one by one. Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemmingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso, Matisse, T S Elliot and also the master Surrealists in Salvador Dali, Man Ray, Luis Bunuel et al. During his time in the 1920’s he falls for Adriana, the beautiful mistress of Picasso which she too reciprocates. At the behest of Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein reads the protagonists novel. She praises his writing abilities but questions why the main character is ignorant of his girlfriend’s affair with the pedantic character.

This leads to his breaking-up with his fiancé and settling in Paris as he always wanted to. Having taken the big decision, he goes for a midnight walk where he meets the antique shop owner. The lady who, like him loved the Modernist movement and the music of Cole Porter. The film ends with them walking together in rain.

A lovely movie, Darius Khondji’s cinematography is worth a mention. The marriage of romance, comedy & fantasy works really well in this movie and the credit for which needs to go to Woody Allen.

A good movie which I guess will be part of the Oscar shortlists in 2012.

8am Arivu – A sequel to the great movie

This one is a story made for “Namma Captain”, yes Vijayakanth. Whatever said and done A R Murugadoss has moved the goalpost for the Indian movie scene. He has introduced China into the scheme of things. Thank you kind sire, we were bored of seeing all those Pakistan themed movies. This movie, the sequel will cash in on this new phenomenon. The evil Chinese design and how Captain Vijayakant singlehandedly saves India and its people.

Now to the story, most of us who took fancy of the Wikipedia page of Bodhidarma wouldn’t have progressed beyond 2 pages of the long write-up. According to the legends Bodhidharma woke-up from his grave and walked back to his home, India with one shoe in hand. Now comes the story for Captain Vijayakanth.

The movie starts with the riots in Guangdong, China. Cut to the ethnic riots in Xinjiang province and then the devastation of earthquake.

Cut to a secret meeting between the Tamil speaking Chinese politburo and the Shaolin monks. The monks trying to reason that the riots and all these calamities are happening because Bodhidharma has left his grave and gone back to India. Here we fan some nationalistic feeling with one of those present saying, “Look at how the Indians have progressed and prospered. We have to do something to stop them. We have to bring Damo back and have him interred in the grave. Then we shall be superpowers, as we were”. So they set up operation “Qilai” or “Raise” to get Bodhidharma back to his grave in China.

Cut to India, there is this boy who is 16 who still works in the same circus where his grandfather worked. This boy can’t act but has a well-built muscular body (because he is the descendent of Shruti Hassan & Suriya from the previous installment). The Chinese send an old Dong Lee back to India to kidnap this boy and transport him back to China so that he can be killed in interred in the grave of Bodhidharma.

And there comes Captain with his red eyes and punch dialogue, “Chinese-la enakku pudikkatha vaarthai Qilai da” (the word I don’t like in Chinese is qilai). And demolishes the Great Wall of China to save India and restore Tamil pride. In the interim we have 3 item songs, one for the Chinese (the politburo & Shaolin monks) and 1 for Dong Lee and another for Captain himself when he goes to a dance bar for an encounter.

We also have the boy’s elder sister who romances Captain as he tries to save the universe and of course have two songs with her. One on top of the Great Wall in Chinese costumes and another in some European location.

This film I’m sure will be a super dooper hit with much better commercial value and restore Tamil pride better than what 7am Arivu did.

The movie will be called "8am Arivu - Saving 7 worlds and beyond"

Serious producers who can reach this story to Captain can contact me for taking this further.

7am Arivu

Language: Tamil

Actors: Suriya, Shruti Hassan, Johnny Tri Nguyen

Director: A R Murugadoss

The first 30 minutes moves like a documentary, one of those “The floods of Bihar” or “The visit of the Indian prime minister to Zambia we would have seen in the 80's before the start of a movie. Those are the 30 minutes spent to tell us who the principal protagonist of the movie is, Bodhidharma.

And then come a group of Chinese plotting against India and one woman who stands between their plots success or failure. And then of course the protagonist who will ensure the plot failed, his DNA, research lab, 3-4 songs and then the usual vanquishing the antagonist and the end.

The film starts okay but then nosedives to abysmal depths. Only Ravi K Chandran’s camera work and some slick stunts, thanks to Peter Hein and Suriya & Johnny’s acting skills are things worth a mention. Murgadoss even tries the tested formula of infusing / invoking the Tamilian pride but the attempt falls flat as one can’t understand what pride he’s talking about.

Let’s get one thing right, we are talking about someone who lived in the 5th or 5th century AD. At that point in time there wasn’t any Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nadu or Tamilian came into being only in the 50’s when the linguistic splitting of states happened). So there couldn’t have been a Tamilian and hence any attempt to colour anyone who lived in that era as a Tamilian is a convoluted argument (he was a Pallavan citizen who spoke Tamil, get that right). That is the argument our Dravidian politicians make to fool us. At max the only thing common between us and Bodhidharman is the language Tamil.

He is supposed to be a master in Charaka’s medicinal science – Charaka is not from any of the Tamil speaking kingdoms. He is supposed to be as expert Kalari practitioner – Kalari is a martial arts form from our neighbouring Kerala (we have Purananuru texts that say this art form was practiced in the Chera, Chola & Pandiya kingdoms). He is supposedly a Buddhist monk – Buddhism isn’t a phenomenon that originated from Tamil speaking kingdoms. So just because he came from a Tamil speaking kingdom we try to sell him as a great Tamil icon and invoke Tamil pride ? Isn’t that stretching the rubber a bit too far ??

The director could have invested in 2 or even 3 new faces (who could act) as heroine for the money he would have paid Shruti Hassan. Shruti Hassan reminds me of Rohan Gavaskar, talented father. Everyone can’t be as gifted as Rahul Gandhi, gifted with the ability to pull cotton wool over the eyes of the general public. We have already seen her music direction skills, now acting. She should apprentice with T Rajender to expand her horizons and prolong her film career.

There is nothing else one can talk about in this movie.

Watch it if you really want.

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010)

Language: Tamil

Actors: Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan

Director: Gautam Vasudev Menon

The plot is nothing new, we have heard the singsong Shanti Mantra from the Vedas followed by a harmony played together with the Church organ enough. We hear this combination more than once every year, clichéd if you want to clichédly describe it. I started watching the movie cynically, nearly two years after the movie was released.

There are a few things that make this movie watchable, Silambarasan aka Simbu is probably one of the most talented and misunderstood actors in the Tamil movie scene. More than his acting skills, the way he snaps his fingers and the prefix he puts before his name on the title is more talked about. And not to forget his “Made to order” father who comes to our mind every time we think or talk about Silambarasan.

Add to this the lovely Trisha Krishnan, who does fantastically well and the bunch of talented actors backed up by the storytelling skills of Gautam Vasudev Menon, pleasing visuals thanks to Manoj Paramahamsa and some lovely music by A R Rahman make this a movie to watch.

The only thing unpredictable (the WOW moment) is the end, thanks to the film background of the protagonist Karthik the director affords to end the movie differently. Not like the ones we have seen in those clichéd Veda + Church organ movies we have seen till date.

If one wanted me to list the items I liked about this movie…

1. Taking a clichéd subject and surprising you in the end
2. Lovely visuals
3. Superb background music
4. Dialogues one can relate to (Mathematics is easier compared to becoming successful in movies)
5. Actors who don’t act but bring the visuals to life

This is one movie where the songs weren’t intrusive but their picturisation is like any other Tamil movie. But still you can sit through them with a smile on your lips thanks to Rajeevan’s art direction and Nalini Sriram’s costume designing skills.

Originally I would have wanted to affix a good movie tag to this one, but it deserves a bit more. For, it has I believe pushed the envelope a bit further.

Super Watch !!

Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen (1974)

Paperback

Language: English

Author: P G Wodehouse

It was first published in the UK in October 1974. It incidentally is the last novel by Wodehouse to feature the famed combination of Bertie Wooster & his butler Jeeves. And my third Wodehouse novel !!

Bertie Wooster gets into situations at the throw of a hat and you have Jeeves to his rescue. This episode is enabled by a doctor who advises Bertie to take a countryside vacation to mind his health. Which according to his assessment is on the edge thanks to Bertie’s smoking and drinking routine. So Bertie and Jeeves go to this little town near Somerset where his favorite Aunt Dahlia is also vacationing.

And then you have a girl who rejected Bertie’s advances, her villainous dad, a college mate who is now this girls love interest, a certain Major Plank who is of the opinion that Bertie is one dangerous crook called Alpine foe, the Briscoe’s who host Wooster and a cat which would be kidnapped to force a result in a horse race. All characters result in one classic comic-drama.

There are many who feel that “Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen” is not the best of Wodehouse, not as comical as some of his other works. But I felt this one has a nice plot, super story and multiple comic knots. Wodehouse’s writing style and his storytelling ability comes to the fore in this one as well.

A Super R. Time well S. Highly R !!

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle (1997)

Paperback (Vintage)

Language: English (Originally Japanese)

Author: Haruki Murakami

Translator: Jay Rubin

The Japanese book was released in three parts: Dorobō kasasagi hen (泥棒かささぎ編?), Yogen suru tori hen (予言する鳥編?), Torisashi otoko hen (鳥刺し男編?) in 1994-95. The English translation is one book of 600 odd pages (607).

The story is about the young Okada’s, the husband who has recently left his job with a law firm and his wife an editor of a health food magazine and their cat Noboru Wataya aka Mackerel. The cat disappears one day which triggers a series of surreal events including the end of the Okada’s relationship.

Murakami’s love for music comes to the fore, The Thieving Magpie (written by Gioachino Rossini) runs throughout the story among other jazz & classical pieces. The book covers a wide range of topics like relationships, psychics, the Russo-Japanese war (during WW II), surrealism, philosophy and even politics. Murakami’s story telling is mesmerising. He again provides us with a range of stuff from flashbacks to dreams to letters to conversations to two column newspaper reportage to internet chat transcripts. It is amazing how he straddles many themes and moves from different points-of-view.

There are some characters whom you would love for ever, some that make you wonder about and some whom one would loathe. Lieutenant Mamiya is one character who stays along with you for a while, so is the mother-son duo Nutmeg & Cinnamon. Characters like Boris the man skinner who is the epitome of cruelty and connivance and Noboru Wataya the politician are samples of the people of the other extreme. The internet chat transcripts (in a completely different font compared to the story text) and the two column newspaper reportage enliven the narrative.

Overall this is a bit heavy and a lengthy read. But for a couple of chapters which might be a bit boring, predictable and adding to the 607 pages, the rest make you sit-up and read. Reading this book alone (without external disturbances) enhances the surreal experience / feeling and makes it more enjoyable.

Very highly recommended.

PS: Haruki Murakami is in the running for the Nobel prize for literature this year. He is presumed to be the 3rd favorite for the prize with an 8/1 odd

Mankatha (2011)

Country: India

Language: Tamil

Actors: Ajit Kumar, Arjun & Trisha Krishnan

Director: Venkat Prabhu

The plot involves a gang of 5 who come together because of circumstances, they plan a heist of cricket betting money. The 500 crore is supposed to come to Mumbai, to a local goon for further distribution. These 5 have to intercept the money, steal and split it among themselves. Do they manage to is the movie.

This is Ajit Kumar’s 50th movie and he doesn’t disappoint. If there is one thing that holds the film together and makes it watchable it is the screen presence of Ajit Kumar. The first 1 hour moves in a decent pace. This is even before the 5 come together and plan the heist. Naturally one expects the movie to pick-up pace post that and become gripping. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. The film becomes predictable and you wait for the last 15 minutes to validate the end you’ve got in your mind. The last 15 minutes does pick up stream, but still predictable. The only surprise being the other person who is revealed to be part of the plan.

The placement of songs are debatable and so are the skimpy clothed women. Except a couple of good tunes the rest just complete the pack. As we are about to get into the second hour, the 5 fight the goon’s men comes the best background music piece in the movie. It is a violin piece runs for about 2 minutes as the hero fights the goon’s gang with guns, laughs hysterically and yells out a fair dose of expletives. The melody you hear makes you suspect that this piece might be the handiwork of Karthik Raja or/and Bhavatharini who are credited for Additional Background score (along with Premgi Amaran).

Watch this movie for Ajit Kumar, some decent camera work by Shakti Saravanan and some slick editing by K L Praveen & N B Srikanth. Venkat Prabhu does well only in capsules, we have seen better movies from him.

The legend of 1900 (1998)

Country: Italy / USA

Language: English

Actors: Tim Roth, Puritt Taylor Vince & Peter Vaughan

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore

Music: Ennio Morricone, Amedeo Tommasi

Tornatore’s first English movie, a story told as a series of flashbacks. This technique of using a series of flashbacks is called “Medias in ras” (Latin) or “In the middle of things”. This film is an adaptation of Alessandro Baricco’s theatre monologue Novecento.

This movie is about a musician Danny Boodman T D Lemon 1900 or 1900, a piano prodigy who has never set foot on land. 1900 is abandoned as infant in the ship SS Virginian to be found and taken care of by a coalman. 1900 keeps travelling back and forth the Atlantic and becomes the pianist in the ship’s orchestra.

The movie is the recollection of Max Rooney, a trumpet player and 1900’s friend & band mate. He talks about the exploits of 1900. Needless to say, because the protagonist is a piano player we get to hear some fantastic music. As any other Tornatore movie, this one too is a visual treat.

Tom Roth as 1900 does really well. Another important player in this movie is Puritt Taylor Vince who plays Max Rooney, the guy who tells us the story of 1900. But the hero of the movie is definitely Lajos Koltai’s cinematography and Ennio Morricone’s music.

Like Max Rooney says, “A good story is worth more than an old trumpet”. This one is surely worth much more, highly recommended.

Dial M for murder (1954)

Language: English

Actors: Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, Ray Milland

Director: Sir Alfred Hitchcock

Originally it was a play written by Frederick Knott that came on BBC in 1952. This again is one of those Sir Hitchcock experiements, just two major locations. First the Wendice’s flat and then the gentleman’s club. There are also two other minor locations, the road outside the Wendice’s flat and a courtroom montage (more about the courtroom scene in the PS).

The story is about an extramarital affair. A busy, tennis player husband. A beautiful lonely wife who falls for a crime writer. The husband gets to know of the relationship and he wants to finish his wife off for two reasons. First the most simple of reasons, revenge and second the most important, inheritance. Does he manage to achieve his objectives ?

That is the signature Sir Hitchcock suspense element. The beauty is that there have been many me too’s after this great movie. Lots of remakes and adaptations that didn’t even come close to this one. Beautifully made is an understatement. This one is one of the top ten mystery movies in the American Film Institute’s best movies list (June 2008).

Sir Hitchcock’s cameo happens 13 minutes into the movie. He’s seen sitting the near left of the banquet table in the college reunion photograph that Tony Wendice shows to Charles Alexander Swann.

Overall, dial M for a super movie…

PS: If that courtroom montage is put to action in Indian movies lots of actors would lose their job. There won’t be the unnecessary “Your honour” and the “Under IPC 304” anymore. We’ll get to see some beautiful courtroom scenes we’ll look forward to, seriously !!

Manmadan Ambu (2010)

Country: India

Language: Tamil

Actors: Kamal Hassan, R Madhavan, Ramesh Arvind, Urvashi, Trisha Krishnan & Sangeetha

Director: K S Ravikumar

Music: Devi Sri Prasad

Romcom, a simple story... A man about to marry an actress suspects her of having relationships with her industry colleagues. He engages a private detective to tail her during her cruise holiday in Europe. As events unfold the original pair break-up and the girl falls for the detective. There are lots of other characters fill the blanks in this two and a half hour film and also make a huge impact on you, Ramesh Arvind and Urvashi are the notable who have done a fabulous job.

Devi Sri Prasad’s music is another plus for the movie. He has straddled genres here. Neela Vaanam is one song that you are sure to take home and hum around for the next couple of days. Kamal Hassan the lyricist & singer has done a great job in taking the song to the next level. Talking about this song without mentioning the violin intro would be a great disservice to the song, it is mindblowing. The other notable thing is the picturisation of Neela Vaanam which is shot in reverse motion saves at least about half an hour of unnecessary flashback.

Overall, it is an enjoyable K S Ravikumar, Kamal Hassan & Devi Sri Prasad (commercial) flick.

PS: There has been lots of talk about the picturisation of Neela Vaanam, in reverse motion. This is slightly inspired by the video of Cold Play’s The Scientist. Although it seems to be a lift, the director has done a commendable job telling a super story within a story.

I would say “Well lifted”

PPS: Thanks to @girsubra for pointing out the mistake we made on screenplay credits... Apologies, we stand corrected now

Srirangathu Kathaigal

Hardcover (Uyirmmai Pathippagam)

Language: Tamil

Author: Sujatha

Illustration: Desikan

This is an anthology of short stories that Sujatha wrote in the Tamil weekly Saavi in 1983, in Ananda Vikatan in 2003 and the other short stories he wrote about Srirangam. The common thread across the stories is Srirangam, the hometown and the place where he author grew-up.

One also gets a feeling that this is more a chronicle of the authors life in Srirangam. Although the author, in the afterword says that the only thing that is real in the book is the town, Srirangam. And everything else except that is his imagination.

These stories transport you to Srirangam and you almost get a walkthrough experience, such is Sujatha’s narrative. And many of us who are familiar with the Agraharam (the streets where Tamil Brahmin’s lived) set-up should be able to relate to at least 4-5 of the stories. They seem a flashback on our lives in the Agraharam.

As any anthology would have, there are some lighthearted, humorous & very positively oriented stories and there are also some very grim, heart wrenching tragedies. Most of the stories are laced with what we call the “Brahmana kusumbu” or the Tambram black humour that adds a great flavor to each of the episodes.

The author tells the story so nicely that this 300 odd pages book becomes a “drop it after you finish” affair once you start reading. The easy to read (and assimilate) Tamil makes things simple and adds to the fun. The other highlight of the book is the author quoting the Divya Prabhandam’s (this is a collection of 4,000 Tamil verses composed in praise of Vishnu by the 12 great Vaishnavaite saints, called the Alwars before 8 AD) before the start of some episodes. The author through those quotes of Prabhandam injects small portions of the great Tamil literature into you without you realising it.

Credit should also go to Desikan, who has done some lovely illustrations which appear with each story. These illustrations brings the grandeur of the town of Srirangam to life.

This one is a “Swami & Friends” in Tamil (only) for the adults.

Amazing compilation, very highly recommended for all those who can read Tamil.

My wife is a gangster 3 (2006)

Country: South Korea

Language: Korean / Mandarin

Actors: Shu Qi, Lee Beom-Su

Director: Cho Jin-Gyu

Supposedly a sequel of My wife is a gangster 2, but has no relation or resemblance to the previous movies. Although not as boring as the 2nd installment, it tests your patience. And almost when it is running out comes one more action sequence and then you know that you are going to get salvation in the next few minutes. End of movie, the salvation we were waiting for follows quickly.

The movie travels across two countries, Hong Kong SAR & South Korea. A complex and confusing story which is only held together by the fight sequences and bloodshed.

The girl’s father is a Hong Kong gang lord. The girl end-up killing the rival boss and therefore is asked to leave the country till things cool down. She prefers to go to South Korea because that is where her estranged mother is. Then come some stupidly funny bits and some fight sequences in South Korea before the movie moves back to Hong Kong and ends.

The title is a bit of a stretch because the man doesn’t marry the gangster at all. In the last scene she accepts his proposal and they kiss and make-up and there is no marriage yet.

Three reasons why this movie fails

1. The wife is not a gangster: For there’s no wife in the first place

2. Except the action sequences there is nothing of any repute in this movie

3. Delete the action sequence away, this movie becomes a potential WMD (Weapon of mass destruction), you would be killed by boredom

The good points are the camera work (again in bits & pieces), the action scenes – if you are an action freak & some silly comedy (if you like those). Other than these there is nothing worth talking about.

22 Bullets / L'immortel (2010)

Country : France

Language : French

Actors : Jean Reno, Kad Merad, Richard Berry, Marina Fois, Jean-Perry Darroussin

Director : Richard Berry

A Luc Besson production, crime thriller. This movie is supposed to be the romanticized version of the life story of Jacky Imbert (Varadaraja Mudaliyar of Marseille !!).

The protagonist Charlie Mattei, a retired gangster (!!) is ambushed in a parking lot and left to die with 22 bullets lodged into his body. Of course he doesn’t die, how can he when are just 6 minutes into the movie ?

And now you know the story.

Yes, the man has to survive the 22 bullets and then go find the men who fired each of those 22 bullets and take revenge by killing them. In between there will be police and families of various gangsters and the protagonist himself to be kidnapped or killed to prolong the movie for 1:46 mins more.

Jean Reno is Charlie Mattei, has done a decent job with a poker face. The only thing you cannot watch him do is cry. Poor guy, the director has made him do that too. Kad Merad does well as the main antagonist, Tony Zakia. In my opinion he steals the thunder in this movie.

There is nothing more to talk about this movie, goes the way the usual gangster thriller goes... Blood, gore, bullets, car chases and then the movie ends with a moral of the story or some philosophy.

Watching tips : Split the movie into four or five parts. Take it one at a time and try and finish the movie in 2-3 weeks. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the experience but I’m not sure about the movie !!

Pannaiyarum Padminiyum (2011)

Country: India

Language: Tamil

Actors: Theni Murugan, Bala Saravanan, Prakash, Geetha, Vijay Lokesh, Vijayakumar, Kaushik, Naveen & Selvi

Director (& story): S U Arun Kumar

Chanced upon this short thanks to Sajan.

A simple story, a benevolent Pannaiyar (land owner) in a village buys his dream car. The Premier Padmini of the Pannaiyar's dream now becomes a village property. It runs as the village ambulance, taxi and also as the Pannaiyar's very dear status symbol.

The film then goes on to document the affinity the Pannaiyar has for his Padmini in a very touching manner.

A very well done short film. The only grudge though is the non availability of a subtitle. That would have ensured a greater reach for this lovely film.

The advantage is that you can watch the film right here and it doesn't take much of ones time (10 mins is all you need to spend).

Great movie, sure super watch

Red Cliff 2 (2009)

Country: China

Language: Mandarin

Actors: Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Hu Jun, Lin Chi-Ling & Zhao Wei

Director: John Woo

I saw Red Cliff 1 last month, yet it was fresh in my memory once I started watching the second installment. I would have watched the movie(s) even if it was (were) one part and an hour and a half extra to sit. The production value is mind blowing and one feels that it is monies well spent by the producer.

Tony Leung, what can one tell about his man ? I’ve now become a great fan of his Zhou Yu (the character in this movie), but for how long ?? Tony Leung, for me is like a bottle of wine… You are taught the older the wine is the better it is. Likewise, the more of Tony Leung you watch the more you like him.

Zhang Fengyi does well as the antagonist. The experienced actor he is, he excels as Cao Cao. The ladies in the movie, Lin Chi –Ling & Zhao Wei are brilliant. If we have a winner of a movie then one needs to credit John Woo, the man at the helm,the father of this lovely epic movie.

The battle formation & strategy are practical tips for the gamers among us. The background music is something that needs very special mention. It makes the movie even more impactful.

Part 2 has more action compared to the first installment. For once it is not senseless action, blood & gore. The music, the unmatched visuals and some superb acting take this movie to a completely different level.

The climax is something that WOW’s us. I don’t have words to describe this movie other than very highly recommending this movie.

Amazing movie, a must watch.

Ko (2011)

Country: India

Language: Tamil

Actors: Jiiva, Karthika Nair, Ajmal Ameer, Piaa Bajpai, Prakash Raj & Kota Srinivasa Rao

Director: K V Anand

Story: Suba (D Suresh & A N Balakrishnan) & K V Anand

Cinematography: Richard M Nathan

An action thriller about politics, the role of youngsters in it. The protagonist is a photographer in a local newspaper who becomes the champion of investigative photography thanks to his daredevil photographs of a bank robbery. The field now shifts to another youngster who wants to make his mark in politics, he fights election against two giants. The ruling party and the opposition do what our current central government does best, spoil their own chances by doing the improbable. Taking advantage of this the youngsters come to power and the photo-journalist figures a link between the bank robbery and certain people who are close to the youngster (new) CM.

Is there a real link ? How does the CM respond ? That is the movie

Jiiva and Ajmal Ameer have done exceedingly well. So have Karthika Nair and the rest of the cast. Piaa Bajpai fills in the blank as the mandatory Mumbai export required for a masala, populist Tamil movie to round things off.

As usual my pet theme of the role of songs in Tamil cinema comes to the fore. Though the songs by Harris Jeyaraj sound nice and the picturisation in foreign locations by Richard is amazing we need to question the need for them. I personally feel KO would be a hit even without the songs and foreign locations just on the merit of the story & screenplay.

This movie has all the ingredients to be a super-duper hit it has become. A straight superwatch for the story, screenplay, cinematography, music, acting & direction. Although my prejudice against the unnecessary songs, dance & foreign location would call for a downgrade to a goodwatch.

For once I will go with the popular sentiment and call this a superwatch. Could have been a real knockout but KO wins on points !!

Thamizh Padam (2010)

Country: India

Language: Tamil

Actors: Shiva, Disha Pandey

Director: C S Amudhan

A movie not to be intellectualized about, absolute nonsense if you didn’t know or understand the Tamil movie industry and haven’t watched any of the contemporary hits. This one parodies all the Tamil movies in our recent memory. Movies that have some stereotypical scenes that have become milestones of our movie industry.

The film opens with a parody on Karuttamma, a cult village movie that dealt with female infanticide in certain villages of Tamil Nadu. And ends with a stereotypical court scene where nothing is logical expect the mention of IPC 302, the penal code for the punishment of death.

Even the songs parody movies, thankfully the tunes don't. The movie has some decent songs by debutant Kannan. A couple of songs sound really good and therefore his efforts are really worth a mention.

But my standout scene in the movie is the family song sequence. Family song is something the Indian movies are famous for. This is one song that unites a whole estranged family that was separate for decades. In this movie this song literally throws you off your seat, makes you roll with laughter. Suddenly Michael Learns to Rock play “Someday” as the family song starting with the famous guitar intro.

One should credit the director Amudhan for risking his career parodying all the top heroes of the Tamil industry. He has done the movie really well and it is entertaining too, we should wait and watch if he does get to do anymore movies (egos are the most important weapon of the industry). And most importantly what kind of movies he does if he does indeed get to do Tamil movies.

A good watch, super parody of all the known Tamil movies in the recent past. But the catch is that you shouldn’t even attempt this movie if you haven’t watched any Tamil movie before or you are not familiar with the stereotypes they are known for.

El ultimo verano de La Boyita / Last summer of La Boyita (2009)

Country: Argentina

Language: Spanish

Actors: Guadalupe Alonso, Gabo Correa, María Clara Merendino, Mirella Pascual & Guillermo Pfening

Director: Julia Solomonoff

This one shook me, it caught me completely off guard. The first 50 minutes was just another movie chronicling adolescence. It was about this little girl who suddenly loses the attention of her big sister, and is extremely upset about it. She knows her sister has become a big girl, being a doctor's inquisitive daughter she understands the process.

In the absence of her sisters company she decides to go with her dad for a ranch / farm vacation, just her dad, dog and herself. There she meets Mario, the boy who would prove his manhood in a matter of days. The son of the caretaker of the farm, who has discontinued his studies to assist his father in running the farm and as well as horse racing.

Things change from a movie about adolescence to something more sensitive when she & Mario go for a ride (together) on a horse and she finds blood on the saddle, on the riders side when Mario is at the helm.

This is the moment the film changes its colour. The typical “Application form” loving people we are we can’t relate to certain dictates of the reality. There also can be situations that still have not become part of an application form. And that is natural, the unfortunate the reality is that we all know it but never acknowledge.

This is one film which is not about stereotypes. About the adolescent boys trying to fell mangoes from a tree in one frame and trying to fantasize the girl next door or their teacher the next. This one is a serious film, about adolescence and the many realities of it. Some tick the boxes of the form and some search for a place in the form. The world calls them names, those who search for the boxes. They have a name but still depend on the public sentiment to reveal their real name.

This one is a fabulous movie, not everyone would like. The music, of a guitar that is heard in the background is amazing. It captures the pulse of the movie amazingly.

Overall, this is a must watch for those of us for whom sex is exotic and sexuality is a couple of boxes in forms.

Amazing movie, And lovely treatment of the script by the director which translates to a SuperWatch, if you are sensitive about things

My wife is a gangster II (2003)

Country: South Korea

Language: Korean

Actors: Shin Eun-Kyung, Park, Jun-Gyu, Jang Se-Jin & Zhang Ziyi (in a cameo)

Director: Jeong Heung-Sun

A sequel of the 2001 movie of the same name. In this the gang boss Eun-Jin is badly hurt in a fight and loses her memory. She is rescued by a guy who runs a small Chinese restaurant and then remains there as a delivery woman / chef till about 1 hr 20 min 20 sec into the movie (without regaining her memory of course).

In the interim without realizing who she is, she fights 3 armed robbers in a bank, get feted. And gets to become the president of a commercial district (where her Chinese restaurant is) which is threatened demolition by a rival gang to build a commercial complex. That is the time when the rival gang realize who she is and her own gang finds her.

Then comes the climax that lasts the next 20 mins of the movie. Here she regains her memory, fights her rivals to stamp her authority and then comes the unnecessary entry of Zhang Ziyi (why did the producer waste money on her ?) in the last scene. She is the boss of a Chinese gang who fight Eun-Jin’s gang. And only god & the director know what happened afterwards because they freeze in the air trying to attack each other when the closing title rolls.

Did they really need to make a sequel ? And that too with a new director and new writer ?

Giving it a miss will save you 2 beers (for another auspicious & useful occasion !!) and a headache.

PS: I fear of a terrible hangover when I move to “My wife is a gangster III”, god save me !!

City of Life (2009)

Country: United Arab Emirates

Language: Arabic, Hindi, English

Actors: Sonu Sood, Alexandra Maria Lara, Saoud Al Kaabi, The Narcicyst, Susan George, Jason Flemyng, Ahmed Ahmed, Jaaved Jaffrey

Director: Ali F Mostafa

This is the second time I watched this movie. The first time was at DIFF (Dubai International Film Festival) quite some time ago. The first time I watched it there was a certain amount of awe, a WOW factor enveloped me. A film from & about the place I live in, Dubai. By a Emirati director, an young director who was trying to break the stereotype and addressing issues that are discussed a great deal and detail within and outside Dubai.

This time I watched it as another international movie. There were some things in common I found both times I watched this movie.

It is a good movie, gripping storyline and it is very well done. The director I’m sure did a great deal of research to chisel the characters to perfection, you can feel it when you watch the movie. All three protagonists, the Emirati youngster, the taxi driver & the airhostess remain in your mind for a while after you’ve finished watching this movie. You should also commend the director for his narrative, that is another reason why the characters and story get etched in your mind for a while.

May be this movie would have been a bit more interesting if the 3 episodes were treated as standalone rather than running all three stories in parallel. When I try to visualize this movie in my head as a pulp fiction it sounds as interesting as a Amores Perros. When I say this don’t try to compare the storyline, just imagine treating "City of Life" the Iñárritu way. Doesn’t that sound exotic ? That would have raised this movie to the next level, a SuperWatch.

Very well done movie, surely a good watch. Highly recommended.

My wife is a gangster (2001)

Country: South Korea

Language: Korean

Actors: Shin Eun-Kyung, Park Sang-Myeon, Ahn Jae-Mo, Kim In-Kwon

Director: Cho Jin-Gyu

This is the story of a young underworld bosswoman who gets married to satisfy her dying sister. Good masala watch, but you would be disappointed if you are expecting to see blood & gore that are standards of a gangster movie. That said, this movie has some good action the most notable being the fight in the climax.

This movie has all ingredients to become a successful Tamil / Hindi movie. The one thing you need to add is the song & dance routine. The boss is a woman and therefore we can have the in-thing, a male item number. The underworld boss then marries and goes for a honeymoon, so you have the opportunity for that dream sequence in a foreign location. Plus numerous other situations to add some more songs and dance.

Ctrl C + Ctrl V, you have a lovely commercial Tamil / Hindi flick.

Overall this is a masala entertainer you can sit through

Kerala Café (2009)

Language: Malayalam

Actors: Dileep, Jayasurya, Prithviraj, Suresh Gopi, Siddique, Sreenath, Rahman, Thilakan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Salim Kumar, Anoop Menon, Mammootty, Sreenivasan, Navya Nair, Shwetha Menon, Jothirmayi, Rima Kallingal, Nithya Menon & Dhanya Mary Varghese

Directors:

Nostalgia: M Padmakumar

Island Express: Shankar Ramakrishnan

Lalitham Hiranmayam: Shaji Kailas

Mrithyunjayam: Uday Ananthan

Happy Journey: Anjali Menon

Aviraamam: B Unnikrishnan

Off-season: Shyamprasad

Bridge: Anwar Rashid

Makal: Revathy

Puram Kazchakal: Lal Jose

An anthology movie comprising of 10 stories directed by 10 different people and crew. The common thread is Kerala Café, the railway canteen which is the epicenter of all the stories. Credit should go to the producer, Ranjit for bravely bringing together a bunch of talented & acclaimed directors, crew and artists.

There are some standout performances across the 10 episodes in the movie. Some heart wrenching, a few light and some out of the world. The camera work across all the 10 episodes are pleasant and pleasing. Madhu Ambat (Makal) and Suresh Rajan (Bridge) are two standout cinematographers.

It is 10/10 with all the episodes being equally good. Good story, super narrative and amazing acting.

There are 4 episodes that are worth a special mention.

Happy Journey by Anjali Menon: A black comedy with Jagathy Sreekumar & Nithya Menon

Bridge by Anwar Rashid: A heart wrenching drama that has Salim Kumar, Kalpana & Kozhikode Santa Devi. You get to see some amazing acting in this episode, especially the mother-son bond between Salim Kumar & Santa Devi

Makal by Revathi: Probably the darkest of all episodes, the one that will sure move even a stone, very well made too. It is about girl children being trafficked from poor households in the TN-Kerala border. The entire crew deserves a mention here

Puram Kazchakal by Lal Jose: Has one of the most high profile cast among the episodes, Mamootty & Sreenivasan. Again another human drama where you see a completely different Mamootty

There is nothing negative you can talk about this movie, except of course my pet topic of the usage of songs in a movie. There are only 2 songs in the movie. One nice song when the end credits roll by Jayachandran. And there is another bit that comes by the end of the episode titled Off-season, do we really need that bit ? At the end of one good light hearted episode I don’t think we needed the cast to jump up and down strumming a guitar.

Overall, as mentioned earlier this movie gets 10 out of 10. One really nice Indian movie I’ve seen in the recent past.

Very highly recommended

The Whistleblower (2010)

Language: English

Actors: Rachel Weisz, Monica Bellucci & Vanessa Redgrave

Director: Larysa Kondracki

Screenplay: Larysa Kondracki, Eilis Kirwan

This movie chronicles the (true) story of Kathryn Bolkovac, a US policewoman & UN peacekeeper in Bosnia. She blew the lid about human trafficking that was happening which involved the officers in duty from many countries. Initially persecuted by her own employers & then fired from her job, she later took her employers to court. Although she own her case, the CASE was lost. Most of the people indicted were let off (they were just struck off rolls) because of the immunity they enjoyed in Bosnia.

Rachel Weisz does fantastically well as Bolkovac, so do the other cast. Strong narrative, amazingly seamless, although graphic at times this one is a lovely movie. Credit for this movie should definitely go to the screenwriters, Larysa Kondracki and Eilis Kirwan. Although the last 3-4 frames gave you a bit of a documentary feel, this is an out and out feature based on a real life account.

The one drawback I faced was my not understanding Bosnian (I presume that is the language that comes in the movie in some parts…), what compounded the problem was the non-availability of subtitles. I’m not sure if that was a problem with the print I was watching or the film was made this way. All I could pick-up was a few Romanov’s & Molotov’s, I hope it was the print I was watching and not the movie.
Another movie I would place between SuperWatch & GoodWatch… The lower meniscus wins again, I would put this in the GoodWatch rack.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Language: English

Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy & Marisa Tomei

Director: Brad Furman

A thriller adapted from a book of the same name by Michael Connelly. Simple plot, a lawyer find out that his client is guilty, not only of the case he’s defending him but also in a few others. The client gets to know that his attorney knows a bit too much and wants to get even.

Does the client get even ?

Does the lawyer play by his conscience or the profession ?

That is the movie.

Nothing out of the blue or amazing about the storyline. Once you fix who the hero is between the lawyer and his client, you know which side to take. We normally take the side of the good, right ? Very predictable. The writer, director & the actors do really well to keep you engaged and ensure that you don’t get bored.

I haven’t read the book and I don’t intend to. But I’m sure the director has done his job well in casting these actors. And the actors have repaid the faith the director had in them. Definitely not a Super Watch but a bit more than a Good Watch. But, I would settle down the lower meniscus. Good Watch.

This is a movie the direct marketers, CRM & Loyalty experts shouldn’t miss. At least the last dialogue of the last scene where the protagonist says, “Repeat customers, stick it to them next time”. A very important lesson on Customer Lifetime Value (LTV).

There was also one thing I didn’t quite like about the movie, the music. I think it opened well, but followed a downward curve with a rap themed music. Probably one of those predictable “Rap = Crime” kind.

And the other interesting thing is that he could have been a Toyota Land Cruiser Lawyer or a Chrysler 300C Lawyer or even a Honda CRV Lawyer. So why Lincoln Lawyer ?

PS: I'm tempted to steal the story and remake it in Tamil as Ambassador Vakkil... The driver and the lawyers assistants can be comedians and we can have a minimum of 2 item numbers. A complete movie !!

The Cartoon Introduction to Economics - Volume 1: Microeconomics

Paperback

Author: Yoram Bauman (Economics) & Grady Klein (Illustration)

When I did Economics courses in Post Graduate college I had one goal, to clear them. For me, a Physics major Under Graduate, Economics was close to Quantum Physics or a little better. A little better because I could get more marks in the Economics courses, at least 25% more than the 35% passing minimum I managed to muster in Quantum Physics. I would term my performance a quantum leap for the below “the average” mankind.

Economics was not all that bad, more than the 50 odd names, I could also remember a few theories. And most importantly tell “Supply” from “Demand”, once you did this you’ve already passed the course. Many of us in the class had a doubt if it was the subject or the professor. The doubts grew stronger because the person always started his classes with the customary, “Economics, is a little dry subject… You need to put some effort to get it”. By the time I understood that it was a healthy combination of both, I had already managed to clear the course with some decent marks.

Economics came back to my life much later, when I saw this book called “The Undercover Economist” on a bookshelf. This one by Tim Harford lead me to another, to another and to one too many. So when I saw Harford’s recommendation of this book I thought it is time for me to do a crash course on the basics and do some catching-up. The other thing that interested me was the fact that Yoram Bauman is touted the first stand-up Economist. We people from Dubai have a special fascination about “firsts”, so I was tempted to check this “first”, one of the few contemporary first's not to be from Dubai or the region.

And this book didn’t disappoint me, more than just the crash course I was looking for it has offered me a great new perspective on Economics. The other face of Economics which is not dull, drab & boring as the popular face we know. And mind you, this is the first part that deals only with microeconomics. Macroeconomics would be his next book and that is coming soon.

The cartoon presentation is spectacular and it doesn’t take anything away from the concepts or doesn’t make the book something like an Economics joke book. The other thing I loved in the book was the way the concepts of microeconomics are introduced and how simply they are explained.

Every concept (or most of them) is cross-referenced with a Nobel winning Economic theory. And every time this introduction happens, the king of Sweden pops up with a “Congratulations, you win the Nobel prize” which I love.

This is a superb book that should be read by students taking an Economics course for the first time in their lives. Reading this book gets them do two things, (1) They get to understand the subject in a much, much better way compared to the conventional course material and (2) They will understand that Economics can be lively and Economists are human beings too.

A lovely book I would recommend to people who want to know what Economics is or to those who have done Economics courses and want to understand the concepts better.

Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006)

Language: Tamil

Actors: Kamal Hassan, Prakash Raj, Jyothika, Kamalinee Mukerjee

Director: Gautam Menon

If you have watched Kaakha Kaakha by the same director and think, OK yet another cop flick by Gautham Menon then you are in for a big surprise. To summarise the difference between the two movies in simple terms…

Kaakha Kaakha was about enforcement… Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu is about investigation.

The best thing in this movie is that the protagonist Raghavan (Kamal Hassan) does his investigative policing work & the camera just follows him. As a "super" rightly says in the start of the movie, this is another episode in a police officer’s life.

As any Tamil movie demands, there are the human elements in this movie too. When we say human elements, we talk about 3 things – Romance, songs & comedy. Thankfully the director hasn’t forced any comedy in this movie by plugging in 2-3 cops who ass around in the name of a comedy track.

There is romance & songs but they are a seamless part of the movie. It is not like the police officer sees this girl on the way to a crime scene, cut to a dream sequence and cut back as they propose to each other following which is the customary kidnap and release scene and then the end !! The director has handled this part with utmost care and Jyothika has delivered one of her most powerful performances. Surya’s gain is the Tamil film industry's loss !!

The next important mention is the music of Harris Jeyaraj. It is pleasing and not on the face, although I personally feel that the song sequence in Goa is unnecessary and could have been avoided. Except that one instance where you get a Tamil movie feel, this one is a great movie otherwise.

I kicked myself for having not watched this one for almost 5 years since it was released.

Amazing movie, recommended for all those who love crime thrillers and that too a well-made & matured one…

PS: I was laughing when I saw the English title (that would go on the posters for the foreign market) “Hunt, Play” couldn’t they have thought of something better

The Circle / Dayereh (2000)

Language: Persian

Actors: Nargess Mamizadeh, Maryiam Parvin Almani & Mojgan Faramarzi

Director: Jafar Panahi

As many of the other Panahi movies this one is also banned in his native Iran. This movie is about the challenges women face day to day in Iran. There isn’t a central character or hero in this movie, it is a sequence of events that happen in the lives of the subjects (women).

This is one movie where there is no start or an end as conventional movies have. That leaves the most important question, “What happens next ?” to the viewer's imagination.

Great watch, the last scene would even move a stone. Another Panahi masterpiece.

Red Cliff 1 (2008)

Language: Mandarin

Actors: Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi, Chang Chen, Hu Jun, Lin Chi-ling & Zhao Wei

Director: John Woo

Any war based movie costs, the costs are even higher especially if that is a period subject. This one is a Period War Movie, it is based on the epic Battle Of Red Cliffs (208 – 209 AD). It chronicles the Han dynasty towards the end of their reign.

Amazing movie in terms of the production value, this is one the most expensive films made in Asia. And this movie grossed more than Titanic in mainland China. Which means the costs didn’t sink.

Due to the length of the story this movie was made in two parts, the second part was released in 2009. The movie has a very talented cast, one of the actors being the most talented Tony Leung. An amazingly multi-talented actor comparable to the best in business – yesterday, today and hopefully tomorrow. And he doesn’t disappoint you.

Overall this is a very good movie, with great background music, superb visuals thanks to the mindboggling production value and to top it all has a greatly talented ensemble cast.

Great watch, the moment I finished Part 1 the reflex wanted Part 2 to start. Such is the interest this movie creates.

I love it.

PS: The reason why I chose to watch this movie is thanks to G V Prakash Kumar and his plagiarized credit title tune from this movie for the rooster fight of Aadukalam.

Well done G V Prakash and Vetri Maaran, I wish you had at least doctored a bar or two of the original track to make this look / sound an original. May be you were short of time !!

Udhayan (2011)

Language: Tamil

Music director: Manikanth Kadri

Song: Yevan Ivan

Singer: Shruthi Hassan

My grandmother had a beautiful voice, but unfortunately she sang only during weddings or ceremonies when the cacophony overcame her voice… Poor Shruthi Hassan, has a beautiful voice like my grandmother.

Song: Ring Tring

Singers: Baba Sehgal, Suchitra

Baba Sehgal could have been the pioneer of Rap in India but a bad cacophonic tune and lots of boom shaka laka in the lyric and whistles don’t ring a bell in our ears. Poor Suchitra, did you really sing ?

Song: Ithanai Yugamai

Singer: Karthik

Redemption… Karthik saves one. I don’t hear any music but Karthik, probably that is why this song sounds any good in my ears.
I’m confused with the treatment of this song, what’s that statement the music director wants to make ?

Song: Laka Laka

Singers: Darshana Karthik, Prasanna

The mandatory kutthu pattu…

Headache. No reality show contestant can sing this unique song, Mind you, these days reality shows are the new tea shops… If your songs aren’t heard there you are a failure…

Song: Udhayan

Singers: Manikanth Kadri, Timmi Madhukar

Noise… Songs have a lyric, does this have one ?

Song: Ponga Vechom

Singers: Divya, Vivek Narayan

The song that would prove that this is a Tamil movie and get that tax relief. I still don’t get that feel, I don’t smell the soil.

Overall I don’t see a lyricist’s role in any song here, for it is mostly fitting words into cacophony. I pity the producer who invested in the director of this movie. For the director is responsible for the music output.

The director and the producer have been taken for a ride by the music director.

Verdict: This music Sounds Beautiful with Ears Closed

A History of Violence (2005)

Language: English

Actors: Viggo Mortensen, William Hurt, Ed Harris, Maria Bello

Director: David Cronenberg

Screenplay (Adaptation): Josh Olson

An adaptation of the novel of the same name written by John Wagner & Vince Locke. As the name suggests it is a crime thriller.

The story works on a simple premise, the tried and tested "once a bad man who tries to be a good man is pulled back to his bad ways by circumstances". The one subtle difference here is that the man is pulled into the crime muddle inadvertently, when he kills two robbers in self-defence, he becomes the small town’s hero overnight. The new found fame gets his old pals back to him and then the bloody drama unfolds.

While the premise might look similar, the storyline and the treatment are refreshingly different from the “once a baddie, now a goodie, pulled back into badness stories” we are familiar with.

William Hurt appears for less than 9 minutes in the movie, he was nominated for the best supporting actor Oscars in the 78th edition. Though I personally liked Viggo Mortensen’s portrayal of the protagonist, Tom Stall / Joey Cusack. A docile family man from a small town in a frame and the bloodthirsty, ruthless mobster in the second.

The one thing I didn’t like / understand is the need for a full frontal exposure in a scene (the heroine does it, if that interests you and would spur you to watch this movie !!). That particular scene for me is like the foreign location dream sequences in Indian cinema, meaningless.

Good movie to watch.