Saturday, March 26, 2011
Book review: Myth = Mithya A Handbook of Hindu Mythology by Devdutt Pattanaik
"God is within you, search for Goddess. Tat Tvam Asi"
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Oscars and Hollywood movies
In recently held Academy (Oscar) awards, King's Speech won the Best movie award beating movies like Inception, Black Swan, The Fighter and The Social Network (and some others which I haven't seen). Last year same award was one by The Hurt Locker ambushing the "Avatar" and before that it was The Slumdog Millionaire.
Noting this three years trend (i.e. since I have started noticing Academy awards as well as English movies more), what came to my mind was that all these movies appealed to masses. These winners could connect to a lot of people or touched some social issue/ malaise. Let's take this year's example. In my view, Black Swan and Inception were far superior movies then King's Speech or The Fighter. May be the reason I like them is that these movies challenged me to understand them leading to my intellectual masturbation. But then how many junta would like to do that. Aren't movies supposed to make you laugh/ cry/ emote in any other way through simple portrayal of ordinary lives?
Inception would be one of the mind boggling mysteries, Avatar would have been one of the most visually fantastic film but stil they failed to get into the Hall of fame. Not that they didn't won any prizes but the most coveted title was still elusive. King's Speech, a true story presented in a winding fashion so that all the Queen loving Victorians would love it and Americans as they pity/ love everyone whom they think they can support/ empathize for was obviously more than half the battle won. To vindicate my point, even in IMDB Top 250 movies list, Inception and Black Swan beat King's Speech whereas Hurt Locker doesn't even appear in the list (with Avatar at 8.1/10).
Thus my dear friends/ colleagues/ countrymen, do remember that if you have to take the lady home then appease to people's heart and not their minds and they will be yours.
Noting this three years trend (i.e. since I have started noticing Academy awards as well as English movies more), what came to my mind was that all these movies appealed to masses. These winners could connect to a lot of people or touched some social issue/ malaise. Let's take this year's example. In my view, Black Swan and Inception were far superior movies then King's Speech or The Fighter. May be the reason I like them is that these movies challenged me to understand them leading to my intellectual masturbation. But then how many junta would like to do that. Aren't movies supposed to make you laugh/ cry/ emote in any other way through simple portrayal of ordinary lives?
Inception would be one of the mind boggling mysteries, Avatar would have been one of the most visually fantastic film but stil they failed to get into the Hall of fame. Not that they didn't won any prizes but the most coveted title was still elusive. King's Speech, a true story presented in a winding fashion so that all the Queen loving Victorians would love it and Americans as they pity/ love everyone whom they think they can support/ empathize for was obviously more than half the battle won. To vindicate my point, even in IMDB Top 250 movies list, Inception and Black Swan beat King's Speech whereas Hurt Locker doesn't even appear in the list (with Avatar at 8.1/10).
Thus my dear friends/ colleagues/ countrymen, do remember that if you have to take the lady home then appease to people's heart and not their minds and they will be yours.
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Book review: The Moneychangers by Arthur Hailey
"Amazing as to how a book published in 1975 has characters and events which were describing what happened in the financial markets recently.. very well researched and beautifully woven the Greed, Subprime, Fraud and Love into one perfect novel !! "
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