Movie That I Would Recommend - Thelma & Louise

Here is another  movie that I would  recommend - Thelma & Louise
So if you have nothing to do on a lazy Saturday or Sunday
then you can rent (or legally download) the movie and enjoy.

If you are into road trip movies you will surely like Thelma & Lousie.
Even if you are not, this is a very good watch.

A 1991 movie , directed by "Gladiator" Ridley Scott, this movie is about two ordinary women
under extra-ordinary situations.

And to be clear - Its not a chick-flick. Yes it is a bit feminist but overall a fun movie to watch.

Susan Sarandon is abolutely fantastic as Lousie.
Geena Davis is a revelation. Her Thelma is a character that finally breaks free. Her performance as a naive house-wife and then the transition she undergoes is lovely.

Both the actors share a delightful chemistry and you will start thinking about their safety as well
as start cursing them for their at-times-foolishness. Thats the beauty.

Apart from the actors, what is absolutely breath-taking is the cinematography, the landscape.
If you have travelled across America, you will connect. If you haven't then you will marvel at the landscape.

The male characters in the movie are a little cliched but thats one reason for the extra-ordinary situations. Watch Brad Pitt in one of his earlier movies.

Has a somewhat predictable yet super ending.

An awesome movie about free-spirit, about breaking-free and about friendship.

oh and I forgot to mention Thunderbird :)

I enjoyed it. You might as well !!

Get Your Kicks On Rt 66

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Movie That I Would Recommend - Ballad of a Soldier

Ballad of a Soldier (1959)

Here is a movie that I would highly recommend - Ballad of a Soldier
So if you have nothing to do on a Friday evening or on a lazy Saturday then you can rent (or legally download) the movie and enjoy.

1. Ballad of a Soldier (Lang : Russian)
 A 1959 movie , where a WWII soldier who 'accidentally' becomes a war hero, asks for leave to go home to meet his mother instead of a bravery medal. He is granted a 10 days leave (since the journey time to and back is more than the time he would get with his family). On his way he comes across a number of people, a beautiful charming lady . The chemistry between the soldier and this lady is absolutely absolutely sweet . They don't make them like this anymore.
Does the soldier get to meet his mother? Its sweet and touching.
A simple story with outstanding photography, classic use of light for close-ups and great acting.

I would categorize it as a road movie though its more than that.

The software engineers who need leaves to visit home  will highly appreciate this. In fact, almost everyone who's working away from home can relate to this.

Had seen this movie in Doordarshan (yes good old DD days) years back when I was a kid. Am not sure if I understood it back then, but I do remember being charmed by the soldier and the pretty lady. I rented the DVD few months back and had an excellent time watching it again.

(For people in US, its available on Netflix in streaming. For folks in India, checkout if you can find the DVD or buy it. Worth adding to your personal library).
Highly recommended!!!!

First Loves!

I
Years back I had my first fling. It didn't last long. It would never have.
Though we were together, the 'love' was missing.
'She' had some extra-pounds and I could see she was heavy on my pocket too.
I had just got into my first job and I quickly realized that this wasn't going anywhere.
I ended the relationship and I was happy to be free.

II
About 6 months later I saw 'her'...slim and cute..in a beautiful blue and white outfit...standing out from the crowd. I was captivated. I decided to connect with her...
I had a pretty good time with her. In dark times she would show me the light.
Good times don't last long. One fine day she was gone. I looked for her , searched for her in vain.
I was heart-broken. I finally accepted the truth. I still love her.

III
One of my friend introduced 'her' to me and I was charmed. She was very cute,  a little short, colorful and she had a shine in her. I loved to talk 'with' her. She had become my necessity. My profession took me to a different country and I could not take her with me.
Time went by. When I returned I found that she was not keeping well and one fine day she died.

IV
For some time I was just carrying on....was just unsure of settling down.
I went abroad again and there I met 'her'. It was love at first sight. She was sexy...she was like...magic. She was the one. I couldn't resist her charms...
My trip ended. I had to return back. I couldn't bring her along with me owing to some legal paperworks.
I left her in custody of my close friend. After 3 months of separation I was back. Am still in love with her.

                                                                    ---####---

( 1. My first phone was a Nokia 5110 which is now referred to as brick. Was heavy and keeping a cellphone was expensive..at least for me. It was 2001.
  2. My second phone was a sky blue/white colored Nokia 2100, slender with white light. I lost it in office :(   )
  3. My third phone was a cute Samsung SGH-X460 flip phone, silver shiny body. Was good but is not working now.
  4. My iPhone ..pure magic. Bought it in Dec-08. Tried to get it unlocked before i returned back to India in Mar-09 but couldn't owing to that contract with AT&T. My friend Murali kept it safe until I returned in July-09. Though 3GS,iPhone4 are out but my 3G is good and am loving it)

(Though grammatically objects are referred to as "it", however I have taken some liberties )

;)

3 Idiots : A Q&A review

(An interview with my alter-ego :)

Q. Have you read the book "5 Point Someone" (5PS) ? Do you think Chetan Bhagat (CB) deserves more  credit.
A. First things first ..I haven't read "Five Point Someone". I did buy the book when it was released, 
read the first few pages but did not find it that exciting and dropped reading it. So am not going 
to compare the book and the movie.
As for CB, he has got enough credit for the story. We all know the movie is "Inspired By" and has been 
adapted well from 5PS for the movie.  Guess CB feels he has lost on on the mulah by signing the contract. His fault.

Q. Is it a fun movie?
A. You bet it is.

Q. Does it have good songs?
A. Ahem..songs are good in the movie...especially the one touted as Aamir's funeral song..yeah that "Behti hawa Sa Tha Woh". 
"Give me some sunshine" is good. But I don't want to grow up again :)
Rest I don't remember. 

Q. Do they (Aamir,Madhavan,Sharman) look like college students? Isn't it too much to take that actors in their mid-thirties and mid-forties enact the role of 20 something?
A. Infact it is totally believable. And frankly speaking, it really doesn't matter.
Aamir is good as usual. Sharman does a great job. So does Omi 'Chatur' Vaidya
Boman Irani for once was over the top.

Q. Speaking of the actors...How is Kareena Kapoor in the movie.
A. I am not a fan of KK, but the fact that I did not dislike her in this movie is a testimony to the other fact that she has done good. It reminded me of her performance in Jab We Met.

Q. Heard about one speech in the movie as very hilarious ?
A. Go watch the movie. Yes, the movie has some great hilarious moments. 
The speech being the high point. Its a bit kiddish..though the kids won't understand. It has been splendidly performed by the guy "Omi Vaidya" playing the role of Chatur. Infact that guy is brilliant in his role.  My guess is, people will remember this guy's speech more than Aamir's performance.

Q. Like all Raju Hirani movie, does this have a message.
A. Oh it does have lots of messages. A very good one at that. 
   Social messages that has been cleverly wrapped in a fully entertaining plot.
   Has a message for students - dont just cram it up, don't give up..kaabil bano.
   For teachers - bookish knowledge is no knowledge, don't unnecessarily pressurize the students ( So  very true), 
   For parents - Let your child follow his/her heart 
and in general  for all - "Don't follow success. Excel in the work you do"  and to 
quote Steve Jobs - "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Q. Do you think this is Raju Hirani's best work.
A. Not exactly. The MBBS series was great. I rate his Munnabhai MBBS as his best, followed by Lage Raho Munnabhai. 3 Idiots is a good movie with a good message.

Q. Why do you think its not his best work.
A. Maybe because I wasn't expecting anything when I watched "Munnabhai" but was expecting a lot when I watched 3 Idiots. Your good performance increases the expectation and raises the benchmark. 

Maybe because I thought some of the gags were old (like the astronauts pencil) 

Maybe because I thought some sequences were inspired from the first two movies itself like the khadoos (pardon my language) college head, the healing of the paralysed patients..). But this is entirely my opinion. You asked it..I gave it.

Q. Don't you think the delivery scene was exaggerated.
A. Yes it was exaggerated , it was meant to be exaggerated. It was done in a good way though. I enjoyed it. Come-on its a movie. How do you suppose it should have been?  BTW I thought you haven't seen the movie.

Q. No I haven't ...just heard abt it. Do you think Raju Hirani is a genious.
A. I am beginning to believe so. Now think of this ...

• which group (indian of course)  is the one that go to movies most - almost all college students , people freshly joining jobs, people in jobs where weekends are privileges, generation z, almost all Indians (in India or abroad :)
• take a theme that is close to the sentiments of majority of Indians --- college; education; 5 point someone,
• get its IIT-IIM alumni+investment banker+author to sign the contract for peanuts and later make him fret over his decision, 
• get IIM Bangalore campus to shoot the movie --- wud appeal to all IIM students and the IIM alumni most of whom would be NRIs by now.
• wrap it in a semi flashback mode ---- appeals to all age groups,
• add some comic characters --- appeals to kids and grown-up kids, 
• get the best selling stars of time
• most important of all rope in Aamir Khan and half of your direction and marketing is take care of.

That indeed is a mark of a genious

Q. Do you think the movie has any flaws
A. Like humans, the movie has its shades of grey :

• Its a bit too much to believe that Rancho, Farhan and Raju were the best of friends yet Rancho never told them his true identity ...too much but thats what movies are for
• Practically speaking, a student who argues with his professors in an Indian Engineering is very unlikely to top the exams. I mean the student might score good in written exams..but practical exams are where th professors rule the roost..well most of them.

• A guy leaving his girlfriend (and that too KK) for keeping some stupid promise he made to his mentor..too hard to digest..Guess here Rancho wasn't following his heart.

• And yes that exaggerated scene that we talked of earlier.

But you can ignore these. Its a movie and has its heart in the right place.

Q. Did the movie remind you of your college.
A. Yes. For a moment I was nostalgic.  The professors, the Chaturs, the close friends, the roomies, the mess boys... it was fun. I am sure a lot of people would be nostalgic.
As a matter of fact, people can even relate it to their work environment, especially the cramming up for examination...u got it? I think u did!!

Q. Did you like the movie.
A. Absolutely. Great locations, great camera work and cinematography.

Its inspiring. 

Aal Izz Well with this one.

Old School Rhyme and Route 66

(From my Route 66 Trip)

This is the barn that Jack built.

This is the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.







This is the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.

This is the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.

This is the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
lay in the barn that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.



This is the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.This is the maiden all forlorn,






This is the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.

This is the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.


This is the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.



This is the farmer sowing his corn,
That kept the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the barn that Jack built.


( Pics taken along Route 66 and the old school rhyme "This is the house that Jack built" that I was reciting in the trip.  The first pic is the Arcadia Barn-MS,  which is a historic site and was used as a milestone during the 50's . Few pics (the dog and the lady) are from Seligman-AZ, the rat and the malt is from the google search results, the cat was near old highway 58, the cock and the cow were board signs along the way, the man was seen walking down the freeway-IL, the priest is from a street motif@SaltLakeCity, Utah and the farmer is from ghost-town of Calico-CA )