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

Nine Lives (2005)

I love short stories. I read a lot of them and write a few as well. The beauty of a short story lies in its ability to connect with the reader in such a raw manner. There are hardly buildups or character definitions. The length of a short story does not allow this luxury. The author should be able to strike that chord with the reader in those brief pages. And there in lies, both the beauty and the challenge of a good short story.

You must be wondering why I am talking about short stories in a movie review. Well, this movie is just that. A collection of nine vignettes portraying women of different age, backgrounds and lifestyle. As the saying goes "the apple does not fall far from the tree". Rodrigo Garcia is the son of the legendary Colombia writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez (Am a huge fan). Marquez is an absolute genius when it comes to the portrayal of human emotions. Rodrigo Garcia is just as accomplished. But film is his chosen medium of expression.

The movie boasts of an incredible cast of actors including Robin Wright-Penn, Holly Hunter, Glenn Close, Dakota Fanning and more. Each of them appear in a vignette which captures a slice of their life. In each of those short 10-15 minutes Rodrigo Garcia manages to say more than what most movies do in their entire length.

The 'nine lives' portrayed in it share a beautiful undertone of poignancy. It is that what makes us feel connected with each of these characters.

My favorite one among these was the one with Robin Wright-Penn. Ms Penn is one of those actresses who make acting seem so easy (She has one of the best smiles ever). There never a hint of strain or rehearsal.

The clip shows Ms Penn, a married and pregnant woman, running into her ex-lover at a grocery store (Reminded me of the Dan Fogelberg song "Same Auld Lang Syne"). The subtle nature in which Ms Penn portrays a woman trying to hold back a flood of emotions and trying to act coy, is outstanding. She uses all her elements to convey the turmoil which the character is going through. Whether it is the quickly diverted glance or the measured sentences, it leaves us with a heavy heart.

Rest of the 'lives' range from a teenage girl who is the bridge between her at loggerheads parents, to the woman who is petrified of her operation. These vignettes (I love this word) capture the different shades of a woman in a manner which very few have.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Michael Bublé Concert at Berkeley

Yes people, I was at the Michael Bublé concert at the Berkeley Community Theatre this Saturday.

And IT WAS FRIGGIN AWESOME !!!

I have been to my share of concerts. And there have been some really good ones. But this just raised the bar way up high. I am going to a couple more concerts soon. And they have to be out of their skin to catch up to this.

More details...Firstly any jazz concert is incredible. Allows me to feel as if I have been transported back in time (probably the era I should have been born). And add to that the seduction, the energy and the intimacy of jazz, there are few things better in life.

Now coming to Michael Bublé. There are plenty of good singers in this world. And probably lot of them can sing as well as him. But there is that little bit extra which makes the difference between great and slap-dashin-friggin-awesome.

It is how the performer connects with the audience and lets them feel it is almost a private performance even though they are surrounded by thousand other people. He did that to absolute perfection. The guy is absolute charming and funny, in addition to his Sinatra-esque voice.

In case you didn't get to watch the concert and can't wait till the next time, rent "Caught in the Act". It is the recording of a show he did for PBS. I saw this on PBS and it was incredible. Chris Botti and Laura Pausini are guests on this show.

My rating : 6 out of 5 :)

Weekend Watch

I watched two movies this weekend. They were almost polar opposites in terms of genre and directorial approach.

A History of Violence (2005)

This was the first movie I saw. It seems like ages since I have seen a good action/thriller flick. And this didn't let me down. It was everything an action/thriller is meant to be. The narrative is a sprint. David Cronenberg just straps you in and takes you for a spin through the beautiful roads of a small town in Indiana. There are no pit stops or rest areas. This is not a marathon but a sprint.

One of the most beautiful aspects of this movie, is the characterization of the 'bad guys'. Ed Harris and William Hurt play these with an exquisite blend of coldness and creepiness, that has been very rarely been seen on film. Also the shorter length of the movie (96 min) was a refreshing change.

Tom Stall is your ideal family man. Great father, great husband and a diner owner who is loved by the people of this small town. The family portrait is disturbed one day when two criminals on a murder spree turn up at Tom Stall's diner. He reacts with alacrity to save his female worker and send these criminals to their fate. With that comes the swarm of TV cameras. And that brings some visitors from out of town. What follows is a peek into Tom Stall's past.

Is he the family man that his wife, kids, community and us believe him to be?

Warning: It has some serious graphic violence. Not over drawn out gore but authentic depictions of violence which may make you squirm.

I should also mention that this movie contains one of the most intense sex scenes seen on film in the recent past. As with all the best scenes of this nature, it is not about the nudity but about the two people involved in it.

My Rating - 4 out of 5


Broken Flowers (2005)

A movie of this nature demands certain characterstics of its viewers. A certain level of maturity and a contemplative nature is just a few of them. Without these, it maybe difficult to appreciate the elegance of its movie.

Jim Jarmusch's directorial style is very non-invasive. His camera is content to observe than to sneek in and peak within.

Don Johnston (Bill Murray) is at that stage in his life where he is passive about most things. Even when his current girlfriend (The oh-so-beautiful Julie Delpy) decides to leave him, his reaction is one of an inert nature. He just lies down on his couch and takes a nap. Literally.

Even when he gets an anonymous letter from one of his past lovers informing him of a son who maybe looking for him, he is not very roused. It is his neighbor (played by a delightful Jeffrey Wright) who gets excited at the prospect and gets him all planned for a trip around the country to meet all his past lovers in an attempt to figure out who the mother could be.

How does Don Johnston's journey end ? Well, that would be a spoiler. So I will refrain from it.

I can't think of any other living actor that could have played the character of Don Johnston any better. Bill Murray's performance is a study in subtlety. He conveys the inertness, the disappointments, regret and fascinations with minimal histrionics.

In the end you find yourself leaving Don Johnston with the hope that you don't have to live through the regrets that he has.

My Rating : 4 out of 5

Weekend Recommendation - The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

I actually thought twice before recommending this book. Then I remembered a conversation with one of my good friends about this book. She did not like it that much. And I rave about it endlessly. She was particularly unimpressed by the lack of plot. And I agree with her.

"The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter" is not about complex plotlines. That is not Carson McCullers style of writing. Her works are entrenched in the vivid dimensions of the characters. Understanding the psyche of these souls and maybe even empathizing with them to some degree, is what makes such a novel enjoyable. Miss McCullers style of writing, almost demands that you do.

For anyone who decides to venture into this novel, I have to put in a warning. For me, this has been the most heartwrenching novel I have ever read. I think I fell in love with this book right from its title. Due to some odd reason this title reminds of a line which I have read ages ago. The original line is in malayalam, which roughly translates to "Life - An oasis destroyed by memories". Hopefully when I get around to writing my first novel, I too will be able to come up with such a eloquent and insightful title.

The central character is John Singer, a deaf mute. The people around him tend to put their worries and questions at rest with him. They see him as a larger than life character who will be able to help through in their times of anguish. But he too is lonely and has his own set of worries.

The beauty of Singer's character lies in how he is able to help those people even though he is unable to listen or talk to them. Because the craving to have someone interesting to talk to or listen to is driven by our brain. But all our heart really needs is...someone.

My Rating: 5/5

Oscar de La RANTA ! - Part Deux

Let me say this once again - The Academy needs to stick its head in a toilet because it has shit for brains !

This is going to be a stream of rants. So be ready.

First one - Supporting Actress. Amy Adams not winning ? Come one give me an effin break. Don't get me wrong. Rachel Weisz did a wonderful job. But we have seen several performances like these. But Amy Adams' portrayal of Ashley was such a unique one. It is just incredibly sad that she didn't win.

Second one - Leading Actress. See, I saw 'Walk the Line' yesterday. Reese Witherspoon's performance was good. But just not good enough to outpace Felicity Huffman. The same reasoning from the previous one applies here too. Felicity Huffman's brilliant acting was the cornerstone of the 'Transamerica'.

Third One - The biggest joke of all ! 'Crash' winning Best Picture ? Come on ! It was bad enough that it (and 'Munich') got nominated ahead of 'Syriana'. And it winning the Oscar ahead of 'Brokeback Mountain', 'Capote' and 'Good Night and Good Luck'. That's just bloody ludicrous. It made a mockery of all those three brilliant movies.

Anyway...

I loved how Jon Stewart carried off the show with such ease. The best joke was the one about Bjork where he said "Unfortunately Bjork won't be able to join us. She was trying on her dress and Dick Cheney shot her" (A reference to the dress she wore at the 2001 Oscars).

My favorite moments from the show

- Philip Seymour Hoffman's acceptance speech

- The lovely riff between Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep

- Dolly Parton's performance

Verses for the Weekend

Since the weekend is going to be all about movies - with the Independent Spirit Awards and the Oscars, I have decided to stay off the movie recommendation. I am just posting one of my favorite poems and one of mine as well.

Have a good weekend, y'all !

Perhaps - (To R A L)
by
Vera Brittain

Perhaps some day the sun will shine again,
And I shall see that still the skies are blue,
And feel once more I do not live in vain,
Although bereft of You.

Perhaps the golden meadows at my feet
Will make the sunny hours of spring seem gay,
And I shall find the white May-blossoms sweet,
Though You have passed away.

Perhaps the summer woods will shimmer bright,
And crimson roses once again be fair,
And autumn harvest fields a rich delight,
Although You are not there.

But though kind Time may many joys renew,
There is one greatest joy I shall not know
Again, because my heart for loss of You
Was broken, long ago.

The Woman Within
by
Balaji Rajam

Her mis-timed giggles
Her non-chalant hair toss
Her pouts of fake anger
Are just glimpses of the lil' girl within

The tears on her cheek
The compassion in her eyes
The affection in her heart
Are just shades of the mother within

Her playful ruffling of my hair
Her burst of laughter at my jokes
Her reassuring grip on my hand
Are just traits of the good friend within

Her furrowed eyebrows at my laziness
Her anger at my reckless spending
Her concern at my falling sick
Are just faces of the wife within

Her changing of roles
Faster than she changes her clothes
And her ease in every single one
Is nothing but just the true woman within.

Picking Oskaahs !

Actor in a leading role

Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Capote”

Actor in a supporting role

Jake Gyllenhaal for Brokeback Mountain

Actress in a leading role

Felicity Huffman for “Transamerica”

Actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams for “Junebug”

Best Director

“Good Night, and Good Luck.” - George Clooney

Motion picture of the year

Brokeback Mountain

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room - (2005)

My political views mostly fall on the left side of the spectrum. So it does surprise people when they find out that am a staunch capitalist. Sure there are evils associated with the capitalist model. But its benefits outweigh the pros of any other alternate model. I grew up in a society which was (and still is to some extent) clinging on to socialist principles. I have seen both its postives and negatives.

Every society needs to evolve to incorporate the varying needs of its constituents. When trying to build a society from scratch a socialistic model seems to be a fair enough approach. It allows the government to channel the available resources into building the basic infrastructure.

But once this is accomplished, the system needs to evolve into one which provides impetus to growth. That is where most socialistic states failed. Government has no business to be in business. My state tried to ignore that rule and as a result ran so many businesses to the ground. The factory where my father worked was one among them. And my family and many others suffered as a result. Of course corporate greed has also resulted in similar situations. But I would argue that the inherent inefficiency of governments make them more prone to such mistakes.

Back to the movie, at hand.

"Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room " (nominated for Best Documentary) gives us a fairly detailed account of how the smoke screen of success was created by a group of unscrupulous managers, unethical financial institutions and to some extent, by the media with their superficial analysis. The central players in the story are Jeff Skilling and Ken Lay. They were aided by Andy Fastow. The myriad of insider trading deals and illegal accounting procedures, finally culminated in the fall of the firm in 2001. The upper management made millions but thousands lost their means of living.

Since then Andy Fastow has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison, which he will start serving once he has finished his duties as a key witness in this case. And the financial institutions involved will pay nearly $6 billon. The Enron debacle is one of the many that has resulted in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The trials of Lay and Skilling are currently in progress. And most likely these will result in convictions. There has been too much of public outcry for them to walk away free.

The most impressive aspect of this movie is that it has not let its heart rule its head or vice-versa. It doesn't go into an endless tirade of corporations like what The Corporation did. It deals with this case as it should be - as the greed for power and wealth.

At times it is almost reminiscent of high school drama - where a wallflower suddenly becomes Mr. Popular and he revels in his new found popularity. Going back to obscurity scares him so much that he finds any misdeed acceptable as long as it will let him keep his new found status.

The movie also brings up some interesting points about the media. How they touted Enron as a golden child while they knew very little about it. The superficial and rudimentary nature of their research is mind boggling. Maybe it is indicative of the human nature and society that we live in today.

My rating : 4.5/5

Weekend Recommendation - Born into Brothels (2004)

It was Martin Luther King Jr. who said "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict". You must be wondering how is this quote relevant to this movie. Let me explain.

Soon after I saw the movie, I had a discussion with one of my friends who is also a documentary film-maker. She disliked the movie (primarily the second half) for the reason that the filmmaker got too involved in the lives of the characters. She felt that Zana Briski tried to aggrandize herself as a saviour of sorts.

While I see her view point, I continue to question the approach of staying inert while there is so much you can do to help. That is probably where this MLK quote becomes relevant. Also it would be sad to see yet another Kevin Carter.

Back to the topic at hand. The movie won the Oscar for the Best Documentary last year. The movie is dear to me for a multitude of reasons. The fact that it is shot in India, the place I was born and spent 22 years of life, makes it special for me. Probably more importantly, it illustrates the harsh realities that India faces. While the educated upper middle-class is riding the crest of economic growth, there is this lower strata of society which is being left behind. The ever widening gulf between them is alarming to say the least. And the sad part is very few people really care.

This is the story of how Ms Briski befriended a group of children while living in the red light district of Calcutta. She goes on to get them interested in photography by giving them simple point and shoot cameras. It follows this beautiful journey where one of the really talented kids gets to attend a photography conference in Amsterdam.

I have been part of a mentoring program similar to Big Brothers and Big Sisters for over two years now. So I very well understand how much of difference it can make in the lives of kids from tough backgrounds. All these kids need are some positives to focus on. It makes us realize the true value of the things we take for granted.

Going back to my friend's comment about Zana Briski being there 'too much' in the movie, I say this. I too get similar criticism because I always talk about the non-profits I am involved with. Some people feel that I am tooting my own horn. My usual reply is "If my talking about these non-profits, gets atleast one or two people interested to find out more and get involved, then I really don't care of what other people think of me".

In case you are still wondering how I felt about the movie, I own the DVD and the book.

My rating: 5/5

Caché a.k.a Hidden (2005)

If you went to the theatre expecting a conventional thriller, you would obviously have been disappointed. Because it lacks most of the elements of a stereotypical psychological thriller like hyper background music, primordial screams and people running for their lives. Then again Caché is not your run of the mill psychological thriller.

This story of Georges and Anne unfolds in a way such that with each growing moment our uneasiness increases. From the first scene which is a long shot of their house, we sense something off-key. The amateurish feel of that shot conveys that it is actually someone else filming the house. And that is the key element of the story. The trouble starts with the couple getting tapes accompanied by infantile drawings of violent images.

The role of Anne is played by Juliet Binoche. (Who happens to be one of my favorite actresses. And also one actress whom I firmly believe that wakes up looking as beautiful as she is the movies). She handles the role with absolute ease. She portrays that blend of anxiety, anger and suspicion in an effortless manner. For someone who played the lead in "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", "Chocolat" and "The English Patient" this must have been a walk in the park.

Georges is played by Daniel Auteuil. He portrays a man stricken with guilt, anxiety and absolute fear in a very convincing manner.

Michael Haneke uses deft lighting, unconventional comera angles and prelonged silences to make us squirm in our seats. He defies conventional principles which dictate that a movie should answer all questions it initiates. Maybe it does. Maybe the answers are just Caché

There are couple of scenes of explicit violence. The way they catch you offguard is the troubling part rather than the scenes themselves.

My rating : 4/5

Weekend Recommendation - Playing by Heart (1998)

I know. Am late on this. But hey ! I have a day job, ya know ? Anywhoo...

This is the movie which spawned the famous line

"Talking about love is like dancing about architecture."

I love the genre of maze movies. Another movie which springs to mind is "13 Conversations about One Thing". I enjoy how it almost mirrors life in a way. There are no random events in life. The twists and turns are mere components in the beautiful tapestry of life. And each one of them is necessary to complete the picture.

The movie has an outstanding cast of actors - Sean Connery, Gena Rownlands, Angelina Jolie, Dennis Quaid, Madeline Stowe (HOT!!!) and Gillian Anderson. Like the title of the movie, it plays every chord and tone the heart is capable of. From teen romance to senior citizen marital issues, it almost covers the entire spectrum. Almost.

And the movie is filled with delightful reparte. Lines which stay with you long since you finish watching the movie. As the poster of the movie declares "Seductively funny". I would like to add 'and charming' also to that. Ideal for lazy saturday/sunday afternoon.

Hope y'all have a good long weekend !

A kiss is just a kiss...

MSNBC is running this article on the most memorable kisses.

I am thrilled two of my personal favorites figure in that.

The first one is an easy pick. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca. Need I say more ?

The second is probably a less known one. It again features Humphrey Bogart. And probably the most sultry actress to have appeared on film, Lauren Bacall. The movie is "To Have and To Have Not". The movie is filled with such crisp lines ("You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve?") but none better than this.

Lauren Bacall lands on Bogart’s lap and kisses him.

He (smiling): What was that for?

She: Been wondering whether I’d like it.

He: What’s the decision?

She: I don’t know yet.

At this point she goes in for another; this time he kisses her back.

Finally she stands, gives him a sidelong glance and says, “It’s even better when you help.”

Now THAT kind of sexiness cannot be produced by no amount of skin-show. And there in lies its charm.

Gaaaawd ! Am I born in the wrong era or what ?

A Dedication...

While I am not a big fan of the Hallmark prescribed day for love, I love the lengths to which people go to make this day special for the other. To have someone who will do that has to be a wonderful feeling.

So I dedicate this poem (something I wrote quite a while back) to all of my friends and their significant others who bring them so much happiness. Here's to you and here's to love.

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 its the ultimate relaxer
Feel her body next to mine while we dance, because its the ultimate foreplay
Feel her arms around me when I cook for her, because its the ultimate appetizer
Feel her hand in mine when we walk, because its 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 neccessity

The past week in review and Weekend Recommendation

So far I have refrained from posting anything personal, this past week was too bizarre/interesting not to share.

Incident One

I meet Miss Gorgeous at a friend's party on Jan 21st. Start talking to her at around 11pm. And it goes on till 2:30am. The connection was too good to be true. The same love for classic movies, the liking for jazz, the same classic sense of style. By the end we were completing each other's sentences. I almost had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. We were the last leave the party. No, we did not leave together. But I did get her number.

The next morning I wake up beaming like a child on Christmas day. But all this was short lived. It turns out Miss Gorgeous had given me a wrong number. Why God? Why?

Oh well...the story of my life !

Incident Two

Wednesday I wore a lavenderish-pink sweater to work. (Stop it! You have to be man enough to wear pink!). That day evening, a random hot woman stops by my room at work and pays me a big compliment about my sweater. I have never met her. Except for the few times we passed each other in the hallway. The weird part was she even knew my name.

Ya, I know.

Incident Three

I get a call out of the blue to make a trip to NY for a business meeting. I am not going to go into the details. As I was sitting in a room with around ten people, making this presentation I get that feeling inside "I was born to do this".

Now THAT felt really good.

Incident Four

A good friend of mine calls me up after 4-5 months. We used to talk more often. But she started dating someone and everything else stopped. And it required a breakup for her to call me. I am ok with that. Because all of us have been guilty of this at some point. I am glad to be of help to her.

The weird part is that it is very uncanny how nearly all of my friends reach out to me during the disasters of their hearts.

So all in all it made for a very eventful few days. And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Weekend Recommendation


In Her Shoes (2005)

I added this to my netflix queue on a whim as I was browsing 'New Releases'. And I would like to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how charming this movie was.

It is the story of two sisters. Cameron Diaz plays the spunky getting-drunk-sex-in-the-bathroom sister. While Toni Colette plays the plain jane successful sibling. Sounds like a over-used plot, right ?

It is indeed so. But this movie is evidence that in the hands of a good director even the simplest of plotlines can produce standout movies. Curtis Hanson ("8 Mile" , "LA Confidential") does a superlative job of ensuring that the movie doesn't walk the cliched lines (pun intended).

One of the best scenes in the movie, is when a blind professor gets the slightly dyslexic Diaz to read a beautiful poem by Elizabeth Bishop and explain what it means. The beautiful way in which he prods and coaxes Diaz into doing this, goes to show the amount of skill and patience required for teaching.

Most people would be quick to label this as a chick flick. Well, if having two female leads makes a movie a chick flick, so be it. I, a heterosexual man, am glad to say that I really enjoyed this 'chick flick'.

Have a good weekend, y'all !

Oscar de La RANTA !

Ummm...yeah. I am a tad pissed off at the nominations.

Let's go through the list, shall we ?

Actor in a leading role

Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Capote”
Terrence Howard in “Hustle & Flow”
Heath Ledger in “Brokeback Mountain”
Joaquin Phoenix in “Walk the Line”
David Strathairn in “Good Night, and Good Luck”

No real complaints here. Maybe Jeff Daniels for "The Squid and the Whale", Eric Bana for "Munich" and Russell Crowe for "Cinderella Man". But one can have only so many nominees...oh well !

My pick : Philip Seymour Hoffman

Actor in a supporting role

George Clooney in “Syriana”
Matt Dillon in “Crash”
Paul Giamatti in “Cinderella Man”
Jake Gyllenhaal in “Brokeback Mountain”
William Hurt in “A History of Violence”

No real complaints here either. Probably there was case for George Clooney to get a second nomination in this category for "Good Night and Good Luck".

My pick: Jake Gyllenhaal. Simply because it was a more meaty character (pun unintended) than George Clooney's in Syriana.

Actress in a leading role

Judi Dench in “Mrs. Henderson Presents”
Felicity Huffman in “Transamerica”
Keira Knightley in “Pride & Prejudice”
Charlize Theron in “North Country”
Reese Witherspoon in “Walk the Line”

Huge rant here ! Where is Claire Danes in here ? Hello ! The most understated performance of the year and it isn't in the list ? Were Charlize Theron and Reese Witherspoon better than Claire Danes in "Shop Girl". I don't think so.

I am not the only person who think so. Even NPR agrees with me.

My pick: Felicity Huffman

Actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams in “Junebug”
Catherine Keener in “Capote”
Frances McDormand in “North Country”
Rachel Weisz in “The Constant Gardener”
Michelle Williams in “Brokeback Mountain”

My pick : This is probably the most difficult category to pick. I am going to go with Amy Adams because it is unlike any performance I have seen to date.

Best Director

“Brokeback Mountain” - Ang Lee
“Capote” - Bennett Miller
“Crash” - Paul Haggis
“Good Night, and Good Luck.” - George Clooney
“Munich” - Steven Spielberg

Another big rant here. I personally thought "Crash" was an average movie. And it was primarily due to the inability of the director to keep the narrative more taut. And he ends up on the list. Blah!

And Stephen Gaghan, who directed the most rivetting movie of the year - Syriana, gets left out.

Tell me again why is Steven Spielfberg on the list ? Is the Academy still feeling guilty for not having given him an Oscar during his early days?

And where is Woody Allen on this list? "Match Point" was such a brilliant piece of movie making.

Am glad that at least George Clooney is on the list.

My pick - George Clooney. But have a sneaky feeling that Ang Lee might win this.

Motion picture of the year

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Munich

This is the biggest joke of all. How does 'Crash' and 'Munich' figure on the list while 'Syriana', 'Match Point', 'Junebug' and "The squid and the whale' are missing ? The Academy should stick its head in a toilet because it has shit-for-brains !

My (unhappy) pick - Good Night and Good Luck.

Let's see how good my 'picking' is. Till then, smile and be good.

Back to Bedlam - James Blunt

There have been quite a few people who criticize James Blunt's voice. I say to them "Open your minds a teeny tiny bit". All voices are not created equal. But at the same time, each has its own charm.

Whether it is the smooth crooning of Frank Sinatra or the husky renditions by Mark Knopfler, they have their own individuality and character. What's the fun in listening to cookie cutter voices ?

James Blunt is one such artist. He is a singer-songwriter from the United Kingdom. Before his musical career he was a soldier with the British Army. He was station in Bosnia for a while.

This is his debut album. And surely he has won this battle. The War? We will have to wait and see.

Most of you must be familiar with the track "You're Beautiful". It has been playing on radio stations for a while now. That illustrates the main characterstic of James Blunt's music. It is the passion, hurt and love which shines through in his singing.

My favorite song from the CD is "Goodbye My Lover". It is very much like spoken word poetry. Very little music. Just a few piano notes finishing the silhoutte of Blunt's powerful expression of heartache.

My other favorites include "No Bravery" and "Tears and Rain". All in all a delightful collection of songs.

My rating: 4/5

Just so that you know, he is performing at the Warfield in San Francisco in April. I hope to be there.

Airport Musings

I had to fly down to NY for a business meeting. 10 hrs inside a steel bird for a 2 hour meeting. I would have wriggled out of this if it was any other city. New York, is well New York !

But this post is not about New York. It is about my love for airports. Why you might ask? Well, it must surely stem from my insane liking for people watching. Also in many ways airports are like movies - very good ones at that.

Nothing is more engaging than watching a kid explore the terminal

Nothing is more romantic than observing an old couple taking care of each other as if it was still the first date.

Nothing is more heartbreaking than watching a goodbye hug.

Nothing is more endearing than seeing a welcoming hug

And of course...Nothing is more funnier than the prices at the airport stands. Is homeland security paying attention to this? I guess not.

PS : I don't love airports that much when they announce 3 hour delays.

Weekend Recommendations - Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004)

Before Sunset and Casablanca are the two movies that I have watched the most number of times. They share a lot of qualities which makes them dear to me - Brilliant individual performances, sharp dialogue and of course both are beautiful love stories.

The majority of the sequels made, stem from a pure commercial interest. And usually occurs within a few years of the original to take advantage of the energy generated. Very few of them are created from a genuine need to revisit the lives of the characters. Before Sunset is one such movie.

Before I talk about these two beautiful movies, let me give you suggestion. Don't watch these movies back to back (It can be very tempting once you finish Before Sunrise). Wait a day and let the first movie sink in and let the anticipation build. It will certainly enhance the pleasure. Hey, rest of the movie goers waited nine years. You can certainly wait 24 hours :)

Before Sunrise (1995)

This is the first installment. It signalled the arrival of a talented director - Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Slacker, School of Rock). It also was one of our initial glimpses of the incredibly beautiful and talented Julie Delpy.

The movie is set in the beautiful streets of Vienna. It is the story of how Jesse (Ethan Hawke) meets Celine (Delpy) on a train to Vienna. He convinces her to make a detour from her journey to Paris. And how the few hours they spend together changes their lives forever.

I know I am being very vague. But mentioning anything more will take away from your movie watching experience.

My favorite line - "If there's any kind of magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something. I know, it's almost impossible to succeed, but... who cares, really? The answer must be in the attempt."

My favorite scene - When Jesse and Celine are standing inside the listening booth in a record store. Watch for the body language. It will bring a smile to your lips.


Before Sunset (2004)

This is my favorite of the two. While the first movie is driven by the passion and exuberance of youth, the second is grounded in reality but lined with the yearning to breakaway.

The movie is set in Paris and nine years have passed since Jesse and Celine first met (The actual movie releases are also spaced the same way). The beauty of the movie is that it is set in real life - i.e; the length of the movie (77 min) is same as the timespan of the events depicted.

There are so many beautiful nuances in the movie which I want to talk about. But it is tough to go into them without spoiling it for y'all.

My favorite line - "Memories are wonderful things, if you don't have to deal with the past."

My favorite scene - The cab ride that Jesse and Celine share from the docks of the Seine to Celine's apartment. So intense and beautiful.

And the use of Nina Simone's music in the movie is an added bonus. Watch for some lovely shots on the Seine.

The chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy is mind blowing. They actually co-wrote the script for the second movie. Julie Delpy is of course the superior of the two. She portrays that beautiful blend of fierce independence and vulnerability with hardly any effort.

And to add a slight warning, these are two movies which are not suitable for passive watching. The intricacies of the body language, the background score, the beautiful dialogue and the fabulous cinematography demand your full attention. Do yourself a favor and give that to it. And you'll be thankful that you did.

If you are a man or woman, who uses his/her head for something other than poking under a hair dryer, you will appreciate the way how these movies show that human emotions are not colors splashed across a canvas. They are more like the gentle outlines that provide the definitions to who we really are.