You know, I certianly do NOT want this blog to look like a movie review website, but I just can't help myself!! It's been one of those weeks and I'm on film number 3. But that's not the shocker. What is the shocker, is that I'm actually going to roundly recommend this particular film. So peepuls, hold on to your hats, I'm not wasted.... but you MUST go see "Chak De India". LOL! If only I could see your faces. But I kid you not. I went under severe duress (no surprises there), considering that fact that I can't stand Shahrukh Khan, don't give a toss about hockey of any denomination and believe the best way to watch a Hindi film is with a finger on the fast foward button, but hey, thought I'd at least catch up with friends. I sort of invited Emma to join us (was spending the day with her being esoteric over Eggs Benedict for brunch and then photo exhibition at the Tate), but between the Tate and movie start, managed to dissuade her with my dire caveats on her watching of the movie and she decided it was too big a risk to take. Thought I'd cut out during the interval - Hah! I wasn't going till I found out how it ended. Yes, it's about the Indian National Hockey team, the women's team i.e. and SRK is their coach, and yes, there are the requisite moments for SRK to get all emo and blurry eyed and deliver his dialogues with strain, but have to admit, he looked fantastic - all fit and toned. So much so, I wouldn't mind having that come and coach me! But I digress. Contrary to Bollywood belief, the film wasn't about him. It was all about the women, and what a bunch of women. Hard core stereotypes, but just so bloody endearing. Each one of the women had their characters so well defined - physically, emotionally and verbally and it was a treat to watch them in action. The dialogues were their own, at least it felt like it. Actually, that's one of the things about this film. Apart from the garbage SRK spews, everybody else said things that they would have said in real life, and the best line had to be the bewildered English coach pleading for enlightenment, "I'm confused, which one is Didi?". Priceless. The women come across as gutsy, and there are bits, where strong men are portrayed, i.e. those unthreatened by this motley lot who give them their due. For me, the turning point came when the Indian men's team saluted their abilities - kicker of a scene. The hockey matches are a revelation - don't know who the director is (shall Google in a minute), but he's a fucking genius. All of us were on the edges of our seat during the world championships, willing India on, and biting our nails for the tense matches!! For God's sake - Hockey!! Pretty incredible to have managed to get a bunch of jaded, scoffing desi's to this stage. Not sure if the women were all hockey players, or just athletes or stray actresses (esp. the ladies from Jharkhand - you've got to love them, Ho?!). Naturally, there are the typical Hindi movie bits that really annoy you and make you want to slap someone, but hey - all the more reason to apprecaite the best bits of the film of which there are a damn sight more than I would have believed. Hats off to the Women's Hockey team, and if they ever actually start playing at international levell, I'll be buggered if I don't make a valiant effort to follow their efforts! Chak De India!!
Just saw La Vie en Rose a couple of nights ago, and it's a phenomenol movie. It's the only film I've ever been to where at the end, when the screen goes blank, the crowd just sat there in stunned silence.... for a full 45 seconds, before someone started a tenantive applause going, which stuttered across the rest of the audience. None of the usual fidgeting, rushing out of seats the minute the last scene is obvious. Rather eerire to have an entire theatre of people just staring at a blank wall. These French really know how to do death - the ending was really powerful. Sort of like having someone reach in for your guts and twist them around really good before yanking them out.
For the tasteless (and you know who you are), it's a biopic on Edith Piaf, the French crooner. She was given the name Piaf (Sparrow in French) by Louis Leplee, the man that discovered her singing for her supper on the corner of a Parisian Street. It was an incredible life, an incredible woman. When she belts it out, the hairs on your arms stand to attention, and she was a complete diva - talented, temperamental, hard living, gutsy and arrogant. As she says, when her manager fusses over her because she's kept a composer waiting for over two hours "What's the point in being Edith Piaf!" . Marion Cotillard is just superb as Piaf - I have no idea how close the resemblance is, but this is how I'll always think of her. Part fluttering sparrow and part wild animal, both hurling themselves against the bars of a cage. And while she owns the movie, I just have to say that Jean Pierre Martins is entirely edible.
The beginning is a little slow and could possible have done with some tighter editing, but by the time you get to the second half, Edith rules you. An inspiring woman. An inspiring life.
For the tasteless (and you know who you are), it's a biopic on Edith Piaf, the French crooner. She was given the name Piaf (Sparrow in French) by Louis Leplee, the man that discovered her singing for her supper on the corner of a Parisian Street. It was an incredible life, an incredible woman. When she belts it out, the hairs on your arms stand to attention, and she was a complete diva - talented, temperamental, hard living, gutsy and arrogant. As she says, when her manager fusses over her because she's kept a composer waiting for over two hours "What's the point in being Edith Piaf!" . Marion Cotillard is just superb as Piaf - I have no idea how close the resemblance is, but this is how I'll always think of her. Part fluttering sparrow and part wild animal, both hurling themselves against the bars of a cage. And while she owns the movie, I just have to say that Jean Pierre Martins is entirely edible.
The beginning is a little slow and could possible have done with some tighter editing, but by the time you get to the second half, Edith rules you. An inspiring woman. An inspiring life.
Red Bull Air Race World Series 2007
I'm hooked! If there's any of you that's reading this blog who is an F1 fan, this is an absolute must new sport to follow. I HATE flying - motion sickness and whatnot, but I have to say I really enjoyed this experience. It's all about speed, and how good these guys are. Found out about it by default - someone in the company had spare tickets so sent a group email around and I checked out the website http://www.redbullairrace.com/ and well, I had to go. It was fabulous, although the waiting between the quarter finals and semi's was really pakaoing and they only had 2 helicopters doing cool flips and flying backwards to keep you occupied, it was only for a bit of the time. The venue was O2 at Canary Wharf and it was spectacular. These guys are so good, they fly barely a few meters off the water, and unlike F1, they don't actually race together :-) (d-uh: safety reasons... it's in the air), but it's all about the times they turn in. They have a qualifying on Saturday and here the 12 fastest are pared down to the top 8. After that, the eleminations quick in and that's really nerve wracking, coz you could have a better time than someone else following you, but if the guy you're paired with is faster...... it's bye bye baby. Basically, the 8 pilots pair off and race against each other, the faster one winning and moving to the semis. We actually had one of the quarter finalists with a 2 second faster time, but he was beaten by his pair, so got knocked out at this stage. The semis were great, with the times getting tighter and tighter, and no accidents as they zipped through the pylons just meters above the Thames, and finally, after a Mexican wave that looked more like a tidal wave across the banks of the Thames (both sides, in case you were wondering) start off, much to the dismay of the exceedingly partisan London crowd, Mike Mangold clipped the local hero Paul Bonhomme by 2 seconds plus change (as the American commentator was wont to say) - great stuff. Really spectacular, and fun as well, coz it's all to blaring music - really sexy stuff. The 3 place podium semis actually had the Bond theme going, so it was just too cool for words. London was the 6th of the series for this year, and they've already done exotic locales like Abu Dhabi, Rio de Janerio, Turkey and Interlaken and just the venues make this quite an addictive sport. Now that I've added air racing to my list of motorsports to follow, I'm hoping that one of these days, I'll get to watch it in Rio. Maybe this would be a good time to start the SEND APARA TO RIO FUND :).
Phew. Up and running again after ages. Feels like I’ve been away for sooo long. But with my new and improved go with the flow philosophy, I haven’t really missed it at all. Strange are the ways of the world and the human mind. It’s now been a month since I’ve been back and it’s been fantastic. The weather has been crap, unbelievable rain and enough floods all over the country to give Bangladesh an inferiority complex. Still, it doesn't seem to be bothering me in the least - au contraire, now I have the ammo to combat tall stories about flooding in Mumbai. Just got back after a HUMOUNGOUS lunch at Chennai Dosa where we demolished a couple of thalis, idlis, vadas, masala dosa, rawa dosa, mysore masala and paper dosas before rounding it off nicely with malai and pista kulfis. YUMMMM!! Feeling quite sick now, and don't think I want to have any close encounters with South India anytime in the near future. Well, not until September anyway :).
Back in the office after a few hours at home and the sun is slanting in through the windown hitting my phone and screen. And the corner of my eye. Finally, after a whole day of gloomy damp. Some summer this has been. Back from Canada now for a little over two weeks and it's been a strange experience. While I was there, I had decided to go back to Bombay, and it seemed to be an epiphany when one of my bacchas sent an email saying they were looking for someone to head up the C&W Client Solutions team in India and would I be interested, because he thought I was perfect. Came back, had a few discussions with C&W Asia about the job and even spoke to my boss - not about the possible job, but that I wanted to go back. He's been fantastic. First giving me the time off to go to Vancouver, and getting me paid for the entire time I was away to boot. He said he'd hate to lose me and several other nice things that make it so hard to leave, but then rounded off by saying he understood and that I needed to do what was best for me. Of course, I should think about it, and maybe do a list of pros and cons to help me decide.... told him I'd already decided, which was when he went to into full mode about how the company wouldn't want to lose me and if I wanted to go back should mega boss talk to CEO of Asia to get me a job. If not, he had a client who was looking to set up something for a year in HK, and I would be perfect. So many options... suddenly the choice becomes that much harder. When there's nothing to chose from, who cares. But the way they appreciate you here.... it's special.
But that's not just it. It's the combination of the great work place here, my boss, and the fact that while the India opportunity is great, the money sucks and more importantly, it'll be a 24/7 job even if I do have the flexibilty to work from home, etc, not to mention the petty politics that Asia thrives on. I don't want to go back to that. More to the point, since I've been back from Canada, despite the mostly dreadful weather, I've been happy to be back. Feel good about myself and being back and well, don't want to leave. There's still so many things I want to do - and sitting out most of the Saturday cowering behind a couple of umbrellas at Wimbledon is not the least of it. There's Silverstone and the Hungarian grand prix for next year, trips to Berlin, Portugal, Scandinavia and Croatia that I want to do, my yoga and pilates and well, the friends I've made. Most of all, I feel good about being here by myself. Things between Velu and me are great and I'm so much happier. Sarolta's back in Budapest and Somya's pushing off to India at least for a bit, but despite that, I want to stay. Work is going great, everyone loves me and I'm working on a special project with the CEO and head of HR, so there's lots happening.
It's funny, but when you think about the decision you have to make, it's so hard, but somehow, things just do seem to fall into place, and suddenly you're doing things that are contrary to the decision you've made. It happens instinctively, and there's no 'is this the right thing to do'. So, I'm off flat hunting - a 12 month lease with an option to break at 6. Spoke to the MD for CS Asia to tell him that I was leaning towards staying and that he should get someone else, no matter how right he thought I was and what a wonderful opportunity it is, blah, blah, told mega boss that I was having a change of heart. And get this, he asked if it was because of the pitch that we'd just won. That we've been working on for a while now, for which I came back to London, for my client. And when I said no, he said good. Because if I'd said yes, he'd have thought I was crazy. Don't make a decision based on work. Get your personal life straight, and the rest will sort itself out. Good guys here. Not staying for work, but it's not how the Indian's think. So for now, I guess I'm staying.
Oh. Forgot to mention. Got my navel pierced. My very own mid life crisis, but it looks great ;-o
But that's not just it. It's the combination of the great work place here, my boss, and the fact that while the India opportunity is great, the money sucks and more importantly, it'll be a 24/7 job even if I do have the flexibilty to work from home, etc, not to mention the petty politics that Asia thrives on. I don't want to go back to that. More to the point, since I've been back from Canada, despite the mostly dreadful weather, I've been happy to be back. Feel good about myself and being back and well, don't want to leave. There's still so many things I want to do - and sitting out most of the Saturday cowering behind a couple of umbrellas at Wimbledon is not the least of it. There's Silverstone and the Hungarian grand prix for next year, trips to Berlin, Portugal, Scandinavia and Croatia that I want to do, my yoga and pilates and well, the friends I've made. Most of all, I feel good about being here by myself. Things between Velu and me are great and I'm so much happier. Sarolta's back in Budapest and Somya's pushing off to India at least for a bit, but despite that, I want to stay. Work is going great, everyone loves me and I'm working on a special project with the CEO and head of HR, so there's lots happening.
It's funny, but when you think about the decision you have to make, it's so hard, but somehow, things just do seem to fall into place, and suddenly you're doing things that are contrary to the decision you've made. It happens instinctively, and there's no 'is this the right thing to do'. So, I'm off flat hunting - a 12 month lease with an option to break at 6. Spoke to the MD for CS Asia to tell him that I was leaning towards staying and that he should get someone else, no matter how right he thought I was and what a wonderful opportunity it is, blah, blah, told mega boss that I was having a change of heart. And get this, he asked if it was because of the pitch that we'd just won. That we've been working on for a while now, for which I came back to London, for my client. And when I said no, he said good. Because if I'd said yes, he'd have thought I was crazy. Don't make a decision based on work. Get your personal life straight, and the rest will sort itself out. Good guys here. Not staying for work, but it's not how the Indian's think. So for now, I guess I'm staying.
Oh. Forgot to mention. Got my navel pierced. My very own mid life crisis, but it looks great ;-o
The pressure!!
Bugger! This blog thingy is getting stressful with people keeping tabs on when I've last posted stuff :-). It has been a while though and Sarolta, this one's for you - oh yeah! and it took all afternoon. Canada's been a revelation - mostly Usha driven!! It's just fucking unbelievable, but she is really bloody super mom! And for anyone who knew her, it takes some getting used to :-). Am hungry so am going to scrounge for some lunch. I actually want to finish, well, start my bit on the Budapest trip, but the only thing I can think to write about is the Ishler!!! :-). More on that later - it's making me hungrier.
Lives of Others
For those of you phillistines who think the 'Day After Tomorrow' is a great movie, here's a newsflash. A great story with no CGI sometimes makes a better movie!! I'd heard lots of good things about this German movie, and wanted to see - finally went over the weekend. A long trek to Finchley Road for the late show, which allowed us to get in dinner. My first ever visit to Fine Burger, and I have to admit, they do make the most exquisite burgers! I had an original, beef, tomato, lettuce (minus onion), and it was the best burger I've ever eaten. This is a cow that died for a very deeply cause and will be much revered in my mind for some time to come. Of course, it's ridiculously overpriced, some £7 for a burger, and that's it - no fries, etc. But my, McDonald's and Burger King.. get a life. I also feel a compelling need to mention their onion rings - seen from afar, which were the size of my face!! I'm not kidding - I could have worn that ring around my upper arm with ease. Dont know what onions they're using, but I suspect a single onion could feed an entire Indian family.
Coming back to the movie, it's basically about life in East Germany, before the fall of the wall, as late as the eighties and nineties, living with the Stasi (that's their secret police that everyone's terrified of). It's about this author, his actress girlfriend, and this bastard Cultural minister who uses the Stasi to spy on the author to get something damaging about him, so he can destroy his career. The Statis spymaster, is the central character as far as I'm concerned, and the movie captures the nuances between the characters brilliantly.
It begins in Stasi school with the spymaster lecturing on interrogation methods and is a cool scene, but then slows down just a tad with the introduction of the author and the others... so I was wondering if my expectations were too high - so far (like all of 10 minutes!!) it was only 'ok'. Well, the movie is really long by un-Hindi film standards, some 2 h. 10 min, and the time just flies. I don't want to say a lot, but it's one of those movies, that leave you feeling very pleased with yourself, like you've accomplished something instead of just sitting there absorbed, watching someone else's hardwork. It's a movie that makes you think, and as you talk about it on the way home, it unpeels like a ruddy onion (I hate the number of times I seem to need to mention this stupid vegetable), layer after layer, some delicately transparent, where you can see the onions purple viens, and the others chunkier.
For me it was about so many things - a glimpse into a completely unfamilliar world (Sarolta dismissed my 'its a superb film' comments, saying it was ok - the story was nothing new, but then she grew up in a socialist state!!), throught provoking in its dealing with power, corruption, truth and beauty. The way the characters are real people, people you admire and at the same time, people victims to their weakness (for Day After Tomorrow fans, it's called a multidimensional character, like real people!). How people respond to their situation, sometimes predictable, and other times, maybe even surprising themselves. The acting is restrained, but really moves you and you get completely caught up in the story of their lives.
Enough of my waffling - it's a bloody GOOD movie, so go see it!! Incidentally, Somya and I were up till 2 am discussing it and we've now decided to buy a house in Berlin....... :-)
Coming back to the movie, it's basically about life in East Germany, before the fall of the wall, as late as the eighties and nineties, living with the Stasi (that's their secret police that everyone's terrified of). It's about this author, his actress girlfriend, and this bastard Cultural minister who uses the Stasi to spy on the author to get something damaging about him, so he can destroy his career. The Statis spymaster, is the central character as far as I'm concerned, and the movie captures the nuances between the characters brilliantly.
It begins in Stasi school with the spymaster lecturing on interrogation methods and is a cool scene, but then slows down just a tad with the introduction of the author and the others... so I was wondering if my expectations were too high - so far (like all of 10 minutes!!) it was only 'ok'. Well, the movie is really long by un-Hindi film standards, some 2 h. 10 min, and the time just flies. I don't want to say a lot, but it's one of those movies, that leave you feeling very pleased with yourself, like you've accomplished something instead of just sitting there absorbed, watching someone else's hardwork. It's a movie that makes you think, and as you talk about it on the way home, it unpeels like a ruddy onion (I hate the number of times I seem to need to mention this stupid vegetable), layer after layer, some delicately transparent, where you can see the onions purple viens, and the others chunkier.
For me it was about so many things - a glimpse into a completely unfamilliar world (Sarolta dismissed my 'its a superb film' comments, saying it was ok - the story was nothing new, but then she grew up in a socialist state!!), throught provoking in its dealing with power, corruption, truth and beauty. The way the characters are real people, people you admire and at the same time, people victims to their weakness (for Day After Tomorrow fans, it's called a multidimensional character, like real people!). How people respond to their situation, sometimes predictable, and other times, maybe even surprising themselves. The acting is restrained, but really moves you and you get completely caught up in the story of their lives.
Enough of my waffling - it's a bloody GOOD movie, so go see it!! Incidentally, Somya and I were up till 2 am discussing it and we've now decided to buy a house in Berlin....... :-)
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