Oskaah's 2007 !

Whoah ! My last post was in October last year. Gaaaawd, I have been busy (and lazy).

Anywhoo...Oscar week is here. Before the Golden statuettes are handed out this coming Sunday, here are my picks.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND
Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON
Peter O'Toole - VENUS
Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

All of the nominations in this category except Leo, seems well deserved. Blood Diamond was very much an average movie and too soap-box rhetoric for its own good. A forced romance, cliched lines just continued to spoil a movie which could have been so much better.

Where is Matt Damon in this list? His performance as Edward Wilson was one of the best. he potrayed a man struggling to maintain his convictions with such precision. It was a shame that he was not nominated.

Where was Jack Nicholson? No other actor could have brought Frank Costello to life in such a humorous and menacing manner.

My pick : Foresh Whitaker

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN
Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND
Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS
Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED

Eddie Murphy won the Golden Globe and he is being picked as the favorite. And with lobbying getting stronger, Mark Wahlberg's name is also getting mentioned. But none of those two performances have anything on Jackie Earl Haley. His portrayal of the sex-addict/pedophile in 'Little Children' made me squirm in my seat. The uneasiness he was able to evoke in me (and am guessing, rest of audience) is more than good reason for why he should win.

Adam Beach's portrayal of Ira Hayes in "Flags of our Fathers' definitely deserved a nomination. His portrayal of the moral conflict of a soldier thrust into limelight for political reasons was a very good one. Djimon Hounsou is a good actor. But Blood Diamond was not one which showcased his skills.

My pick - Jackie Earl Haley

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Penélope Cruz - VOLVER
Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN
Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

This is one category where one of the nominess so ahead of the rest that if any of them win, they may not have prepared an acceptance speech. Helen Mirren's performance in "The Queen" is one which trancends the movie screen. The performance is so original and believable that you cease to realize that you are watching a movie.

My Pick: Helen Mirren

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Adriana Barraza - BABEL
Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL
Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS
Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL

Jennifer Hudson won at the Globes, but I am not sure if she deserves it. For me the performance of Abigail Breslin the adorable "Little Miss Sunshine", was so nuanced and convincing that I feel she deserves the Oscar.

My pick - Abigail Breslin

Achievement in directing

BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
THE QUEEN
UNITED 93

Lot of people have been saying that Marty should win because he hasn't won all this time. I feel this is just absurd. Don't get me wrong, 'The Departed' was a very good movie. But was it the best of 2007? Probably not. And where is Alfonso Cuaron in here? 'Children of Men' has to be the most under-rated movie of the year (and Babel the most over-rated movie of the year).

There must have been very few movies which have been so difficult to make than 'United 93'. To make a movie surrounding sucvh a huge tragedy without coming of as patronizing or Hallmark-ish is a very difficult task. Paul Greengrass did that to perfection.

My pick: Paul Greengrass

Best documentary feature

DELIVER US FROM EVIL
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS
JESUS CAMP
MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

I have only seen two of these documentaries - 'The Inconvenient Truth' and 'Jesus Camp'. Inconvenient Truth is the crown favorite but let us face it for what it is. It was mostly a video-taping of Al Gore making a presentation. While I love Al Gore and his efforts to fight gobal warming, it doesn't necessarily mean it is a good film.

Jesus Camp on the other hand dealt with a subject which plagues this country - evangelical christians, in such an even handed way. The film makers did a spectacular job of ensuring that both sides are heard.

My pick - Jesus Camp

Best foreign language film of the year

AFTER THE WEDDING
DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)
THE LIVES OF OTHERS
PAN'S LABYRINTH
WATER

I have seen last three listed in this category. All three are good movies but Pan's Labyrinth and The Lives of Others outrun 'Water'. Out of these three, Pan's Labyrinth's marriage of fascistic regime with a Gothic fairytale was cinema at its best.

My pick: Pan's Labyrinth

Best motion picture of the year

BABEL
THE DEPARTED
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
THE QUEEN

Where the heck is 'Children of Men' in this list? Little Miss Sunshine was adorable and wayyyy better than Babel. But maybe it was not good enough to get an Oscar. The Queen was a good movie in terms of the acting and direction but the 'best movie' needs a more than that. Babel was way over-rated and Letters from Iwo Jima was average.

My pick: The Departed

I Love To...

Say silly things just because it makes her laugh
Argue intelligently just because it challenges her
Call her between work just because she loves that attention
Whisper 'I love you' just because of the glow it brings to her eyes

Feel her fingers run through my hair, because it's the ultimate relaxer
Feel her body next to mine while we dance, because it's the ultimate foreplay
Feel her arms around me when I cook for her, because it's the ultimate appetizer
Feel her hand in mine when we walk, because it's the ultimate reassurance

Rest my lips on her, because it feels so right
Smell her hair in the morning, because it makes me feel truly lucky
Rest her head on my shoulder, because I know she trusts me
Hold her tight, because she loves me as much as I love her

Be away from her just because of the joy I get when I see her again
Be close to her just because she makes the worst of days seem right
Talk endlessly because I know we never get bored of each other
Say nothing...because I know words are no longer a necessity

Rain

Like a bride's veil
Shielding all the turmoil inside
The sheets of rain thundering down
Dissolve everything in a blurry haze

The blowing wind once in a while
Guides a reluctant drop inside
My skin tingles under its touch
Almost a gesture to join the dance

The rain spatters off the leaves
As they try in vain to catch a few
Like a lover clutching the sands of hope
Waiting for that long lost love

A few trickle down the power lines
Only to fall to the ground in mid journey
Akin to the rat race we reluctantly run
Only to know failure is just a mis-step away

The first step is the toughest
As the first few drops sting my skin
Then it is just a heavenly cleansing
But...what I need is a rain within.

Wednesday Words for the Wandering Mind...

I was reading an article about Van Gogh, when I came across this quote by him

"One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul, and yet no one ever comes to sit by it"

It seems to have this strange resonance with me which is borderline troubling. I think I like this one better.

"We build walls not to keep others away but to see who is strong enough to tear them down"

35

Even though he was one of the younger members of the family, he was also the most level headed. She was the second oldest among the five siblings. He struggled a lot to get his education. She, not so much.

Love marriage was yet to enter the vocabulary. Probably back then, there were more pressing issues at hand - like making a living. He worked in a textile mill. While she worked for the state government. And their marriage was arranged.

Even though she was soft spoken and quiet, she always had an independent spirit. And that was the driving force behing him leaving the family home to find a new home for his family. While a couple of his brothers were hot in the pursuit of wealth, he chose the simple pleasures of an average job and family.

Both of them worked hard to make the ends meet. And at times pulled up short. Sending three kids to good schools comes with a price tag. But her reassuring calm in the face of crisis and his complete trust in her abilities to manage the family, saw them through.

And these are my parents. Last tuesday was their 35th wedding anniversary.

The more I have seen of this world, the more I have realized how lucky I am.

My mom never really watched english movies. But she made sure that we developed a taste for good movies. Watching "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory" are part of my childhood memories only because of my Mom. She never read much english literature. But she consciously cultivated a love for good books in us. Getting us abridged versions of "Around the world in 80 days", "Robinson Crusoe" were just her marvellous ways of doing that.

My dad taught me never to back off from a challenge. Whenever there was something that needed fixing around the household he would step in. He may not know Shakespeare but he was a genius at finding solutions to everyday problems. And I was always his little helper. More often a reluctant meddler than helper. Thanks to him, even today I am not shy about getting my hands dirty.

While we were by no means poor, it wasn't smooth sailing either. Most of the time we had 'just enough'. But my parents never hid anything from us. They treated us like adults and let us have our say. They encouraged us to be independent and responsible for ourselves. Never have we been scolded for bad grades. They used to just say "We don't have lot of money we can leave behind. All we can do is give you a good education. It is upto you to decide what you make of your life.". And that has stayed with me always.

Maybe we don't say this enough, but we love you. Wishing you a happy 35th !

Your little boy

~ B

Alone...

Tears of blood stream down my cheeks
My heart wrenches in deep despair
My mind wanders without any direction
Loneliness has caged me from myself

I crave to see a familiar face
I long to hear a recognizable voice
But all I see are faces unknown
And all I hear are voices unheard

I hope to make some new friends
Maybe be the reason for someone's smile
But friendship seems a thing of the past
Acquaintances are all that remain

I hope to find someone I love
Someone who will see the real me
But they say love is over-rated
Dating games are all that remain

We are born in a crowded room
We bid farewell in an another crowd
But where are they when we need them most
When we are alive...but all alone

Summer Sightings

I apologize for have been insanely lazy about posting reviews. Summer weekends are always packed plus work has been picking up too. So here are my mini reviews of some of the movies I have seen over the summer.

Superman Returns

Probably the most awaited flick of this summer. Everyone was curious to see how newcomer Brandon Routh would fill the big ol' shoes left behind by Christopher Reeve. Add to that we had the director who had given us the delightful first two episodes of the X-Men trilogy at the helm - Brian Singer. So the anticipation was high, to put it mildly. The former aspect worried folks than the latter. But surprisingly the latter was teh one which lost the movie. Brandon Routh did most things right. But that didn't make up for the flaws in the movie.

Superman has never been one of the dark superheroes (like Batman) so the treatment of the movie really failed the franchise. Superman had never been much about emotional intenisity. To put it simply, it was about flying around in a red cape and saving the world. Singer unfortunately overlooked it and there came the free fall without a parachute. Not even the always brilliant Kevin Spacey could break the fall.

My rating : 2/5


An Inconvenient Truth

Probably the most important movie to come out this year. If the blazing summers and the raging hurricanes aren't the cue for the world to wake up to the reality of global warming, here was yet another nudge.

Based on the presentation Al Gore has been giving around the globe, the movie awakens us to the stark reality of global warming. Even most of us who are aware of the dangers of global warming are not quite cognizant about how imminent the danger is.

Now only if we could get the mainstream media to dedicate some time to reporting on this rather than on John Mark Carr or Baby Suri.

My rating : 4/5



United 93

This was the first of the 9/11 centric movies to come out this year and my favorite among the two. More so because of the raw nature of how this movie has been made. The use of a near anonymous cast, including people actually involved with the incidents made it feel so immediate.

Paul Greengrass's measured approach to depicting the events of one of the darkest days in history, was simply brilliant. Trying to stay true to the information at hand, Greengrass has created a movie which almost feels like a documentary - and I mean that as a compliment.

My rating : 5/5

The Devil wears Prada

As if we needed any second affirmation to the fact that Meryl Streep is probably the greatest actress alive, she carries the movie all through and elevates it from a flick-based-on-chick-lit to a delightful movie. She brings the icy Miranda Priestly to life only like she can.

The mannerisms, the low voice, the icy glances etc combine to create a character on screen which is worthy of an Oscar nomination.

My rating : 3/5



World Trade Center

Probably it is the sheer gravitas of the events surrounding that dark day that tempered a fiery film maker like Oliver Stone into churning out such a restrained movie. And this subdued version of Stone works well.

Based on the accounts of two Port Authority police officers rescued from the rubble of the twin towers, WTC shows us the other face of tragedy. One which stands up to be counted when it really matters, the one which does its duty even at the risk of personal danger, the one which does the right thing because it IS the right thing to do.

It is tough not to be inspired by the bravery of the firefighters, police officers and all the others who were willing to rush into the burning buildings or step through the rubble even it meant saving just one life. They are truly America's finest !

My rating : 3.5/5


Little Miss Sunshine

A girl from Albequerque wearing geeky-glasses and a tummy, seems an unlikely candidate for a kid's beauty pageant. But throw in a coke snorting Grandpa, Neitzsche loving brother who is on a vow of silence, a gay cousin with a failed suicide attempt, a Dad scraping for his career as a motivational speaker, a mom trying to hold it all together and a VW bus. You have more than enough ingredients to make a delightful indie comedy.

The movie tracks this family's journey from Albequerque to Redondo Beach so that Olive can participate in the Little Miss Sunshine contest. The cast is simply outstanding and aptly cast - Alan Arkin, Steve Carrell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Colette are all exceptional. But the movie belongs to Abigail Breslin who brings Olive to life.

And hey, how can you not love a movie which ends with dancing to Superfreak :)

My rating : 4/5


Half Nelson

The plotline is simple - a friendship between a teacher with a coke addiction and his student. Sounds like made-for-Lifetime, right? Wrong. Unlike the usual student-teacher movies, it doesn't try to preach. There are no life altering changes which happen suddenly in the movie. Nor is there a montage depicting the budding friendship.

Ryan Gosling plays Dan Dunne, a history teacher in a junior high. For the most part Mr. Dunne is a good teacher. He tries to inspire his students to see value in learning history and tries to make it interesting. He also coaches the basketball team with enough conviction. But he also likes to spend his evenings snorting coke.

One of his students finds him passed out in the bathroom and from there gradually starts a friendship of sorts. How the friendship affects both of them is the true plot of the movie.

The movie absolutely belongs to Ryan Gosling. In an Oscar-worthy performance Gosling portrays the various dimensions of this character to a T. Whether it is the coke/alcohol induced rant about present-day politics or the patient approach to explaining history or the slacked out mode of a cokehead, Gosling does all of it in an effortless manner.

My Rating - 4/5

Will be fine...

In the deserts I wander endlessly
Watching the blazing sands of time slip away
The scorching winds of sorrow burn my skin
Consuming me in a pyre of loneliness

The canteen of friendship is running dry
Memories of past lands still linger on
The allure of an Oasis still drags me on
But alas it's just a mirage

The mind yearns to say a million words
But the dryness of my throat sucks them in
The heart longs to cry out aloud
But even tears have dried up within.

Why am I all alone
Wandering this ghastly land
Maybe I am just a proverbial outcast
In the prosperous Republic of Love

Maybe I am destined to walk all alone
Without an reassuring hand in mine
Maybe someone up above looked at me and said
"All alone but he will be fine"

Life's Promises...

So many of them, But the one's kept
So far and few in between
But life's promises keep coming
Whenever hope feels like a distant dream.

When I stepped out of school
The promise of the fun and joy of college life
Held its arms wide open
With a whole new world for this school kid

Then came the life in a professional course
Promising excitement and challenges all the way
Internals and exams, all of that passed by
So did the fights and the easy life

Now the promise of a bright career is made
But life seems dull and lonely already
And hope seems like a fading dream,
But life's promises keep coming...

14-Apr-2001

Far Away....

I am in a distant land
Far from the place I call home
Away from the shade of my parents' love
My friends' laughter too seems so far away

The times I rested my head on my mother's lap
Seems so so long ago..
The taste of the simple food she makes
Is also starting to fade away

Fear of my dad when I was young
And the rebellious ways of adolscence
All were just a few years ago
But now seems as if ages have passed

The smiles,the quarrels and the bad fights
The fun and laughter with my friends
The sharing of the good times and the bad uns'
Feels like decades ago

My home is where I long to be
My parents is whom I long to be with
My friends are the ones to share my life with
But...most things are easier said than done

23-Apr-2001

A Moment of Silence...

I have quite a few reviews lying in my drafts. I will post them later this week.

But today all I can think of is that, now it is August 15th in India.

For most Indians, August 15th is the day when India gained independence. The day when the courage of so many men and women finally came to fruition. Their tireless struggles are the reason why we are able to enjoy our freedom.

But for me, August 15th just reminds me of the greatest tragedy I have faced todate.

It was the day when I lost two of my good friends to an unfortunate accident. Even though many years have passed, the incidents of that day and beyond are still fresh in my mind. That rainy night, hearing that news, the ambulance, the tears are all part of my memories of August 15th.

Wherever you are, all I have to say is, we miss you...

Thursday Thoughts...

Yesterday while thumbing through this month's Details mag, I came across a fascinating article. What was it about? Surrogacy.

To set some context, Surrogacy is the equivalent of artificial insemination for men...almost. There are also other cases where surrogacy is used, but this article dealt specifically with cases of single men.

If a single woman wants to have a child, she heads to the sperm bank finds a suitable swimmer and goes on from there.

But in the case of a single man, it is a lot more complicated. First he needs to find a suitable 'donor' to provide the egg. And lot of the time the donors are usually unwilling to do the 9-month deal of bearing the child. So he has to find someone who can bear his child. And that is where the surrogate mother comes into picture. she carries the embryo for 9-months and after birth hands it over to the Dad and moves on.

Surrogacy is legal in lot of states. California is one among them. This allows to build legally binding contracts surrounding the egg donation, the surrogacy, the custody etc. There are agencies who take care of the entire gamut surrounding these procedures. The costs surrounding all of this run upto $150,000.

Apparently around 100 single men do this every year. Their age range is anywhere between early 30s (the article featured a 30 year old) to late 40s and beyond. What fascinated me was the social dynamic surrounding this.

Most of these are straight single men. And given the costs of the procedure, they are financially stable. And when you factor in their willingness to go through the long grind of this procedure to have a child of their own, one can reasonably assume that they are caring individuals.

What are those social conditions/experiences that have caused these men to give up on finding a partner? Some may allege that these men are bitter. I refuse to buy that argument. The whole process is too gruelling just to be fuelled by bitterness. Unless it is driven by the genuine desire to be a parent, I highly doubt if a person will go through with this.

Is this the way our society supposed to evolve?

Are single parent homes, the future?

Are our social conditions conditioning us to be just by ourselves ?

I am not sure.

PS : I was mildly disturbed by the relief I felt when I found that such a legal option exists. Ah! the dichotomy !

Monday Musings

I came across this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson and it resonated with me in a strangely familiar manner.

"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.

It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own;

But the great person is one who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

Weekend Recommendation - Transamerica (2005)

2005 was a fabulous year for movie goers. We were flooded with so many good movies. And each one of them broke away from the stereotypical storylines and stood out. Lot of these movies garnered good attention.

Unfortunately Transamerica was one movie which got lost in the crowd. Apart from the Best Actress nomination for Felicity Huffman (I thought she should have won), the movie didn't generate much press.

Felicity Huffman plays a pre-operative male-to-female transsexual, who gets a call from a 17-year oldwho claims to be his son from an one-time encounter in college. After some persuasion from her psychartist, she makes the trip to NY where he is in jail. She ends up bailing him out. All this while she withholds her identity. Instead she introduces herself as a christian missionary. The rest of the movie is about their road trip back to the west coast.

The movie, albeit flawed in parts manages to stay clear of the sentimental mush. The movie is funny and moving at the same time. The movie undoubtedly belongs to Felicity Huffman. Her nuanced and understated performance is what makes the movie for me.

My rating : 4 out of 5

Summer Picks

Apologies for my inactivity. I have been caught in some of life's cobwebs.

I started writing this entry at the beginning of summer. It is almost the end of it. Oh well.

Well, summer is finally here after the ghastly rainy days of March & April. So when we are lazing around on the beach or on our patio, it is nice to have a book which is an easy-read handy. Something which doesn't put us on the edge. Something which doesn't demand too much of us.

well, I have just the books for you.


The Know-It-All : One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World

We all to think that we are pretty smart. (Especially since we read books and all. Ahem) Of course we are confronted by situations/people where we are forced reevaluate that assumption. The author A.J. Jacobs was also faced with such a conundrum.

Unlike us, he didn't seek the internet for help. Instead he decided that he was going to read the 32 volumes of the Encylopedia Britanicca - 33,000 pages, 44 million words. The book is like a toned down version of the same. Of course it is filled with hilarious anecdotes, perspectives and life experiences of the author in relation to each topic at hand.

Most of us would find no joy in reading the Britanicca. That's why this book is for us. The lovely dry humor of A.J.Jacobs makes this task a truly enjoyable experience.

Garlic and Sapphires : The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Folks who know me personally, will understand my liking for this book. It is plain and simple - I am a huge foodie - I love cooking, love finding restaurants off the beaten path and watch a huge amount of food network. So it is hardly surprising that I find a book about the travails of a restaurant critic appealing.

The book describes the early years of Ruth Reichl after she took over as the restaurant critic at the NY Times. (She is currently the Editor in chief of Gourmet magazine.) In a city where 4 out of 5 new restaurants close down within a year, reviews are of prime importance and critics are rockstars. Restaurants will do anything within their power to earn those stars.

To counter this, Ruth Reichl came up with approach of going to restaurants once in disguise - usually as an old lady and the other time as herself. She factored in her experience from those two visits (at times there are more than two) to determine their report card.

Ruth Reichl knows not only how to rate food but also how to take the reader on a journey alongside her table. A must read for any foodie worth his salt. (Pun intended)

Together (The complete version)

The café was always very busy during Sunday afternoons. Today was no different.

As he stood in line to place his order, he scanned the place for an empty table. There was none. Then his eyes started searching for any movement among the people seated to give him an indication that they were leaving. It almost felt like an episode out of a Discovery channel wildlife special showcasing the hunter and the hunted.

Then there it was. A middle aged man closed his laptop and started packing his things. As soon as the man stood up to leave, he stepped out of the line went up to the table. Both of them acknowledged each other’s presence with a smile. And he walked away.

He triumphantly put down his newspaper on the table. Reminded him of the way certain animals mark their territory.

As he walked back to the line he could sense a few unspoken “Damn you!”s being hurled his way. He stepped back in to the line with a smug look on his face.

Finally his turn to order came. The girl at the counter was a cute redhead. Probably around 18 years old. She bore the bane of all redheads – freckles, quite a few of them.

“What would you like?”

“Just a medium sized brew of the day, please”

She stepped back to get it. The regular coffee is pre-brewed while the more fancy brews like cappuccinos or mochas were made to order. She came back empty handed though.

“We are out of it. We are brewing a fresh pot. Would you mind waiting for a couple of minutes?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Great. That will be $1.50”

He handed her couple of Washingtons.

She handed back a couple of quarters and said “Here’s your change. I will let you know once the coffee is ready.’

He dropped the change in the tip jar and said a “Thank you”

As he stood back and waited for his coffee, he tried to push back the turmoil brewing within him.
“What was I thinking? Was I even thinking at all?”

“The one thing I thought, that I will never do. So much for self belief.”

The thoughts rushing about by were brought a screeching halt by somebody calling his name.

He turned his gaze and it was the redhead. “Here is your coffee. Have a nice day” She said with a lovely smile on her face. He managed to pull together a smile and blurt out a “Thanks. You have a nice day too”.

When he poured the milk into the coffee, it seemed to whip up a storm in the rich dark liquid.

As he sat down at his seat, the song changed. It was Frank Sinatra crooning “My funny Valentine”. It brought a smile to his face.

It brought back the memories of how he had serenaded her with that song.

They had had a silly fight a few days after their marriage. He couldn’t even remember the reason. He pulled a suit jacket over his pjs and used her hair brush like a mic. By the end of the song they were laughing in each other’s arms.

Jazz was the essential soundtrack to their relationship and marriage.

He remembered the first time he met her. It was at this very same café.

It was the summer of 2003. He was doing his usual Sunday afternoon ‘coffee and people watching’ thing. His eyes were scanning for an empty table when he saw her. He was never one to try and hit on women at a café

Just like anyone who has ever been in love would tell you, “There was something about her”.

She was sitting at a window seat across from the entrance of the café. Her beautiful dark hair was untied. A few curly locks of hair framed her beautiful face.

The breeze which crept in whenever the door was opened caressed those locks and moved them onto her face. And each time she brushed them away with a graceful motion of her left hand. She wore a beautiful bohemian skirt full of beautiful colors coupled with a crisp white shirt. Simple flat sandals completed her outfit.

She was gazing through the window when he approached her and said “Hi”

She looked up and said “Hello”. Her beautiful blue eyes and enchanting smile almost made his heart stop beating. He recovered well enough to ask “Do you mind if I join you at your table?”

She looked around the café and there was an empty table at the far corner. “Well, there is another table over there. Didn’t you see it?”

“I did. But then I would have to shout to be able to talk to you. I don’t think the rest of the folks in the café would appreciate it very much.”

She did a half laugh and half smirk and asked “Why do you think I would be interested in having a conversation with you?”

A woman who can match him word for word, he was already starting to like her.

“Isn’t this already a conversation? As far as I can see you haven’t backed away, so I don’t see why it can’t continue”

“Well, you do have a point. I guess you could sit at my table for a few minutes”. She winked and smiled at him. He almost died twice in the space of five minutes.

After getting the introductions out of the way, he found out that she had just moved here to start her new job. The conversation was seamless. It was like two friends catching up after a while.

That’s when the café started playing Sam Cooke’s “What a wonderful world”.

“That is one of my favorite songs!”

“Really? Mine too!” and then he proceeded to sing along with it. After a few moments of embarrassment she too joined in.

The next time they heard the song again, was when he played it to her over phone a day after their first date. A little over a year later they got married.

His trip down memory lane was stopped short by someone wanting to borrow a chair from his table. That brought him back to the chaos churning inside him.

“Well, it was harmless. I did manage to avoid anything further”

“Or did I? Didn’t I want more?

* * *

It was this last Friday evening. The office was emptying out. He looked at his watch

It read 4:15.

“Maybe I should stay back and finish off this work. Well, then again Lisa is not going to be in town this weekend. I could take this up on Sunday”

His decision making process was interrupted by a sultry voice saying

“Hey, beautiful”

It was Claire. She was the “it” girl of the office. Gorgeous blond hair, icy blue eyes and a smile which turned men into babbling babies.

There was no question about how people around her felt. Women hated her and men stole glances when their significant others were not around. He liked observing the reaction of the people around her more than her.

She somehow had a thing for him. Maybe his unavailable status had something to do with it. Apart from some harmless flirting, they were just good friends.

“Hey, you guys heading out?”

“Yeah, a bunch of us are going down to that swanky new lounge. Dave’s friend owns it. So we are the V.I.P room. YES!!!”

“As if you couldn’t get into any V.I.P lounge you wanted” He chuckled.

She gave him the raised eyebrow and said “Smartass!”

“Hey Lisa is out of town, right? Why don’t you join us? Come on, it will be fun.”

“I don’t know. I don’t drink much these days.”

“Good. Then you can drive me home because I plan to get drunk today”

* * *

Nearly four hours later, he was driving up to her house. Claire was fast asleep. She kept her word. That girl could really pull her alcohol. Thankfully he knew her house since she pulled the same act at the company Christmas party. He and Lisa had to drive her back home that time too.

He pulled up to her house and cut the engine. Miles Davis was finishing up the last notes of “So What”. He waited for it to end before he turned it off. “Kind of Blue” was Lisa’s album of choice for dinner time.

He got out and walked around to her side and opened the door. She was still sleeping. She looked so serene. Very unlike the Claire who was the life of every party.

He tapped on her shoulder. No response. He tapped a little more firmly. She woke up this time. She took a minute to comprehend where she was. Then she saw him kneeling beside her and smiling.

“Oh, I am so sorry. I had way too much to drink. I feel like an ass”

“Don’t worry about it. You are a party of one, when you are drunk. It was fun”

She smirked and took her purse and stepped out of the car and asked.

“When is Lisa getting back?”

“Wednesday night”

“She is a very lucky woman”.

As she said those words the look in her eyes changed into a blend of longing and sadness. She held that look for a moment. And then she slipped her fingers through his hair and kissed him firmly on the lips. It lasted a few moments and then she walked away quickly and went inside her house.

* * *

He didn’t make much of the kiss. He didn’t even think about it all of Saturday. That was until he got the call from Lisa today morning. He was awake but still lying around in bed when his phone rang. He almost didn’t answer it. Then he saw it was Lisa. So he scrambled to pick it up.

“Hey, love”

“Hey, you still sleeping?”

“Nope, I woke up a while back. How are things there? How is work?”

“Things are good. I just had a great breakfast. But….” Her voice trailed off.

“But? What happened? Are you ok?”

“I have been thinking”

“About what?”

“About my job. It keeps us apart so much…”

“And?”

“I have made a decision. I am quitting this job. I am going to try and find something closer to home”

“Wow! Really? ”

“Yeah. What do you think? Are you happy with my decision?”

“Are you kidding me? I couldn’t be happier. With your skills, you will find a job in no time”

“Am glad you agree. I was worried about you not liking my decision”

“Of course I agree. Now you get your sweet ass down here”

She giggled and said “Three more days and I will be there. I got to go now. Have a meeting to head to. I will call you later. Love you”

“Love you”. And then the phone went dead.

* * *

Since that moment his insides were tearing up. His mind raced back to Friday night and the kiss with Claire. This trip to his favorite café was his futile attempt at seeking refuge from the guilt ravaging him from inside.

He knew how much that job meant to Lisa. She was willing to give it all up just to be with him.

“She is willing to give up her prized job to be with me. And what do I do? I kiss another woman. I didn’t try to stop it. I didn’t even say a word.”

He halted his thoughts for a few moments as his ears caught Ol’ Blue Eyes singing

“Let me try again - let me try again
Think of all we had before - let me try once more
We can have it all - you and I again
Please forgive me or I'll die - let me try again”

A loud sigh escaped him as he heard those words. He quickly looked around to see if anyone else noticed it. Luckily people were engrossed in their own thing.

* * *

She lied. She didn’t have a meeting to go to.

Tears were starting to well up in her eyes as she spoke to Brian. She was struggling to hold back the sobs and maintain a cheerful tone. The moment the call ended, she buried her face in the pillow. She cried harder than she ever had.

She didn’t know how long she cried. But after it she definitely felt lighter.

“How did this happen to me? How could I do this to him?”

* * *

Chris was the business analyst for the project she was handling. And like most women around him, Lisa too found him to be extremely attractive. Dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes and very sharp facial features combined with his tall, athletic frame to paint a very handsome picture. His smart and suave personality just added to his appeal.

As she was leaving the building, he called her name. He walked briskly up to her and said

“Do you know any good Thai restaurants around here?”

“Yes, there is one very close to our hotel. It is really good. I went there last week.”

“Good. Make a reservation for two, say around 7pm?”

“Huh? Why don’t you or your friend make the reservation? I can give you the number”

“Well, that is why I am asking you. We are having dinner together. So I’ll see you at 7 then”

Before she had time to respond, he was already walking back into the building. When he got to the door, he turned around, smiled and waved to her. And almost as a reflex action she did the same.

* * *

Nearly five hours later, they had finished dinner at the Thai restaurant, eaten dessert at the next door gelato joint. And now they had been at the bar in their hotel for over an hour. She was on her second dirty martini.

She noticed how incessantly he was flirting with her. Much beyond the normal realm of ‘colleagues’.

“Hasn’t he noticed the ring on my finger?” she thought.

She stole a moment to look at her ring. That is when she realized she was not wearing it off. She had taken it off in the evening to scrub her hands thoroughly and forgotten too put it back on.

An hour and one more dirty martini later, he was walking her back to her room. She remembered up to the point where she was about to give him a goodnight hug. The rest was a blur.

The next clear memory she had was of the next morning. She was woken up by a cell phone ringing. She turned around and saw Chris walking away tucking his shirt with one hand and the cell phone in the other.

For a while she was in a state of shock. Then the guilt started to kick in. She paced around the room like a caged animal.

“What should I do? Should I tell him? Will he forgive me?”

“But what is the point? It was just a drunken mistake. He doesn’t need to know’

“Redemption is the best among human qualities. I will redeem myself. He doesn’t need to know”
She thought about it long and hard. And that is when she made the phone call.

* * *

She walked to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She thought about ordering food. But she didn’t feel hungry. She poured herself a drink from the mini-bar.

She pulled the chair close to the window where she had a beautiful view of the city. She put on her headphones and switched on her iPod. The song playing was “Fallen” by Sarah Mclachlan. The words seemed to speak to her.

"I've fallen...
I have sunk so low
I have messed up
Better I should know
So don't come around here
And tell me I told you so..."

Weekend Recommendation - The New World (2005)

It was one among the movies I watched this during this Memorial Day weekend. And probably my favorite of them all.

I really wanted to watch it when it was released last year. The beautiful Virginia landscapes would have been even better on the larger screen. Unfortunately it didn't stay on for more than a week. So I had to wait till the DVD came out.

When I say it is a long movie, I am not cutting any corners. It has a running time of 150 mins. I can see lot of you going "Whoah!". Trust me, it was not that difficult. Think of a lovely slow cooked meal. It is impossible to achieve that kind of tenderness and flavor with a fast food approach.

In fact that's exactly the directorial style of Terrence Mallik. If you have watched The Thin Red Line you will know what I mean. He is content to do the slow simmer than blast away with a blow torch. And if you think about it, human emotions are also pretty much the same. They usually simmer away within us and at times blow up too :)

The movie's star performer is undoubtedly Q'orianka Kilcher (With such a cool name how can you not be a star, ay?). She effortlessly portrays the transition of Pocahontas (Interestingly the movie never mentions her name) from a young girl smitten in love with Captain Smith (played by Colin Farrell) to the lovely lady who arrives on the British Shores and charms the King and Queen.

But ultimately the movie belongs to Terrence Mallik. The delicateness and tact with which he handles the entire story is mesmerising. The dialogue in the movie is sparse. And that only serves to enhance the experience. Almost gives one the sense that Mallik has taken a scalpel to the screenplay.

The cinematography is simply outstanding. The shots which intermingle with Smith's narrative are so breathtaking and downright poetic.

"The New World" is ultimately a discovery for all involved - Smith & Co discovered their New World on the shores of US, Pocahontas discovers a new world among the settlers and later in Britain and we discover the sumptuousness of a movie which does not hurry through the details but instead lets us take in every ounce of artistic flair that it has to offer.

My rating : 4.5/5

Thought of the Day

"Men should treat their women more like ladies
and
Women should expect their men to be gentlemen"

While this would be appear to be common sense, in today's world these practices are starting to fade away. As the famous quote goes "The problem with common sense is is that it is not very common"

And these two things form a vicious cycle and that is its greatest tragedy.

102 Movies You Must See Before...

I have been away for a while now. I was on vacation till May 5th.

I have one two many writing projects in the works, so for the time being I just working off the list of movies posted by Jim Emerson. For each movie I have seen, I have mentioned whatever it brings to mind.

"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) - Couldn't really sit through it.
"The 400 Blows" (1959)
"8 1/2" (1963) Federico Fellini
"Aguirre, the Wrath of God" (1972) Werner Herzog
"Alien" (1979) - Ah ! Sigourney Weaver - The mother of all tough women on screen !
"All About Eve" (1950) - Bette Davis at her very best !
"Annie Hall" (1977) - Romance of the everyday people.
"Apocalypse Now" (1979) - Dark, disturbing and brilliant!
"Bambi" (1942) - There are people's who haven't?
"The Battleship Potemkin" (1925)
"The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946)
"The Big Red One" (1980)
"The Bicycle Thief" (1949) - A subtle depiction of the human plight.
"The Big Sleep" (1946)
"Blade Runner" (1982) - Can you say "Kick ass !"
"Blowup" (1966)
"Blue Velvet" (1986) - The arrival of David Lynch.
"Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) Arthur Penn
"Breathless" (1959) - The Jean Luc Goddard classic.
"Bringing Up Baby" (1938)
"Carrie" (1975)
"Casablanca" (1942) - Possibly the best movie ever made.
"Un Chien Andalou" (1928)
"Children of Paradise" / "Les Enfants du Paradis" (1945)
"Chinatown" (1974)
"Citizen Kane" (1941) - Orson Welles all the way.
"A Clockwork Orange" (1971) - Twisted.
"The Crying Game" (1992)
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951)
"Days of Heaven" (1978)
"Dirty Harry" (1971) - Do you feel lucky?
"The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" (1972)
"Do the Right Thing" (1989) - Probably Spike Lee's best ever.
"La Dolce Vita" (1960) - The birth of the paparazzi
"Double Indemnity" (1944)
"Dr. Strangelove" (1964) - My favorite Kubrick movie
"Duck Soup" (1933)
"E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) - Saying anything about this is a crim.
"Easy Rider" (1969) - The arrival of Jack Nicholson. Brilliant roadie movie.
"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) - The best installment of the six-pack.
"The Exorcist" (1973) - Scared the shit outta me as a kid.
"Fargo" (1995) - Oh yaaaa ! Blakc comedy at its finest.
"Fight Club" (1999) - People remember it for Brad Pitt. Two words - Chuck Palahniuk
"Frankenstein" (1931) - The real deal.
"The General" (1927)
"The Godfather," "The Godfather, Part II" (1972, 1974) - Masterpiece
"Gone With the Wind" (1939) - "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
"GoodFellas" (1990) - Good times !
"The Graduate" (1967) - Seduced by Mrs Robinson and the OST by S&G
"Halloween" (1978)
"A Hard Day's Night" (1964)
"Intolerance" (1916)
"It's a Gift" (1934)
"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) - Love Capra movies.
"Jaws" (1975) - Spielberg magic
"The Lady Eve" (1941)
"Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) - A true epic.
"M" (1931) Fritz Lang
"Mad Max 2" / "The Road Warrior" (1981) - Ass kicking !
"The Maltese Falcon" (1941) - Bogart at his best....almost.
"The Manchurian Candidate" (1962)
"Metropolis" (1926) - Spectacular.
"Modern Times" (1936) - Love that feeding machine seen
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975)
"Nashville" (1975)
"The Night of the Hunter" (1955)
"Night of the Living Dead" (1968)
"North by Northwest" (1959)
"Nosferatu" (1922)
"On the Waterfront" (1954)
"Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968)
"Out of the Past" (1947)
"Persona" (1966)
"Pink Flamingos" (1972)
"Psycho" (1960) - The master doing what he does best - Scarying you like crazy !
"Pulp Fiction" (1994) - Oooooh ! Samuel L Jackson !
"Rashomon" (1950)
"Rear Window" (1954)
"Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) - Two words - James Dean
"Red River" (1948) Howard Hawks
"Repulsion" (1965) Roman Polanski
"The Rules of the Game" (1939)
"Scarface" (1932) - Al Pacino as Tony Montana. Perfecto !
"The Scarlet Empress" (1934)
"Schindler's List" (1993) - I loved the last part where the real surviors visit Schindler's grave.
"The Searchers" (1956)
"The Seven Samurai" (1954) - Classic Kurosawa
"Singin' in the Rain" (1952) - They don't make them like this anymore.
"Some Like It Hot" (1959)
"A Star Is Born" (1954) George Cukor
"A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) - Stellaaaaa !!!
"Sunset Boulevard" (1950) Billy Wilder
"Taxi Driver" (1976) - You talkin to me?
"The Third Man" (1949)
"Tokyo Story" (1953)
"Touch of Evil" (1958)
"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948)
"Trouble in Paradise" (1932)
"Vertigo" (1958)
"West Side Story" (1961) - I regret not having seen it on stage. Maybe one day.
"The Wild Bunch" (1969)
"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) Victor Fleming

James Blunt at The Warfield Theatre, San Francisco

Yes, people. I was the James Blunt concert yesterday. And it was faaanntaaasstic !

But firstly I have a rant.

The concert announced time was 8pm. I understand these gigs are unlikely to start on time.

15 min delay ? Fine by me.



Then there will be an opening act.

30 mins ? Am cool with that.

But then out of nowhere there is this british band playing. It was mentioned nowhere on the program. Added to that their brand of funsy british pop is not exactly my favorite genre of music. So I am sitting there twiddling my thumbs for around 45 mins. NOT FUN !

Also they took their own sweet time setting up the stage each artist went off stage. Not cool!

Anyway back to the details of the concert.

The opening act was Sierra Swan. The 28-year old singer likes to classify herself as a 'gothic blues' singer. Her voice has that smoky sultriness which made Fiona Apple so dear to us. They also share the similarity of piano-based vocals.

I was incredibly impressed by her vocal range and as well as the different shades of her music. Her CD is going to be out later this month. And her music is currently available on iTunes. You can listen to few of her songs on her website. My favorite is 'Ladder'.

Now about the actual show...

It was bloody good. But not as fabulous as the Michael Buble concert. (It is tough to beat the charm of a jazz concert. )

They played the songs from his debut album. In addition they also played a couple of new songs. The guy on the drums just hit it out of the park. He did a few riffs which were absolutely spectacular.

James Blunt's rendition of "Goodbye My Lover" (my favorite song) was incredibly touching. (Of course a few idiotic women had to scream all over it. Attention whores).

Apart from the keeping-me-waiting part, the concert was wonderful. I had swell time.

On a side note, if Sierra Swan is in town, sign me up.

My rating : 4 out of 5