Voiceless eloquence

It is no secret that my favorite movie critic is Roger Ebert. A few years ago he suffered from cancer and the consequences of multiple surgeries, and can no longer speak, eat, or drink like he used to be able to.

Image is everything

Not many of us would have heard of Tarsem. A fewer still would have even seen the first movie he directed - The Cell. I saw the movie after reading the glowing review by Roger Ebert and came away fascinated by a visually stunning movie that had deeper levels than that of a normal psychological thriller.

After a long hiatus he is back with his second movie - The Fall. Roger Ebert spoke to the director and tried to figure out how Tarsem managed to generate all the fantastic images in the movie without any help from computers. Ebert has nothing but praise for the movie and calls it one of the best films of 2008.

Tarsem's "The Fall" is a mad folly, an extravagant visual orgy, a free-fall from reality into uncharted realms. Surely it is one of the wildest indulgences a director has ever granted himself. Tarsem, for two decades a leading director of music videos and TV commercials, spent millions of his own money to finance "The Fall," filmed it for four years in 28 countries and has made a movie that you might want to see for no other reason than because it exists. There will never be another like it.

"The Fall" is so audacious that when Variety calls it a "vanity project," you can only admire the man vain enough to make it. It tells a simple story with vast romantic images so stunning I had to check twice, three times, to be sure the film actually claims to have absolutely no computer-generated imagery. None? What about the Labyrinth of Despair, with no exit? The intersecting walls of zig-zagging staircases? The man who emerges from the burning tree?

What's in a name?

After falling in love with the movie at the Toronto Film festival, Roger Ebert's admiration for Slumdog Millionaire remains unabated even as it gears up for a possible run at the Oscars. Giving the movie a coveted 4 star rating, Roger Ebert says:

Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" hits the ground running. This is a breathless, exciting story, heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same time, about a Mumbai orphan who rises from rags to riches on the strength of his lively intelligence. The film's universal appeal will present the real India to millions of moviegoers for the first time.

The real India, supercharged with a plot as reliable and eternal as the hills. The film's surface is so dazzling that you hardly realize how traditional it is underneath. But it's the buried structure that pulls us through the story like a big engine on a short train.

(...)

On the other hand, the world's largest middle class, mostly lower-middle, but all the more admirable. The India of "Monsoon Wedding." Millionaires. Mercedes-Benzes and Audis. Traffic like Demo Derby. Luxury condos. Exploding education. A booming computer segment. A fountain of medical professionals. Some of the most exciting modern English literature. A Bollywood to rival Hollywood.

I am looking forward to seeing the movie when it gets released in a wider setting later this month. This movie appears to be one of those rare situations when the movie is superior to the book. (I have previously blogged about the book and movie here).

Off the Button

When the Oscar nominations came out, I was disappointed that The Dark Knight did not come up for Best Picture or Best Director, while The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire cleaned up by the bushel. I have not seen Benjamin Button so this is a tad unfair on my part, but I felt that the commercial success of TDK was held against it while TCCOBB seemed to have been made with Oscars in mind, and it worked.

This is what Roger Ebert had to say on his blog today about the relative merits of the two movies:

Ebert: (...) And speaking of Oscars, "The Dark Night" was so much a better film than "Benjamin Button."

I may have had differences of opinion with Ebert in the past (notably for The Ghost and the Darkness and My Cousin Vinny) but I have always had immense respect for what he had to say. (Does that make sense?)

In this case, I am inclined to believe him even without watching TCCOBB.

By the way, here are Ebert's reviews of the three movies (highest rating - 4 stars):
The Dark Knight (4 stars)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2.5 stars)
Slumdog Millionaire (4 stars)

Untying the Gordian knot

The US economy is in trouble and numerous bail-out plans are being suggested.  While perusing Roger Ebert's site for movie reviews I came across this - an ingenious plan to help out the economy that seems very logical and mind-bogglingly simple.  I am not an economist, but I think this can work.  Can anyone more educated in money matters point out any flaws in this plan (please focus on the plan, not on the likelihood that it will be implemented)?

Ebert writes:

(...)"The Birk Economic Recovery Plan," by one T. J. Birkenmeier. I don't have any idea who that is, but it doesn't much matter. I am fascinated by the plan. See if you can find a flaw.

I will keep it simple. Here is Birk's reasoning: The bailout of AIG is said to cost $85 billion. Birk wants to distribute the $85 billion to all of us. Say there are 200 million U.S. citizens over the age of 18. That equals $425,000 apiece. Every adult would receive that amount.

That's when Birk got my attention. Alas, the payout would not be tax free. Assuming a tax rate of 30%, that would amount to $25 billion going to the U.S. Treasury. After taxes, every adult, including of course members of the military, would have 297,500 in their pocket. A husband and wife would have $595,000.

How would you spend the money? Birk suggests:

1. Pay off your mortgage ; mortgage crisis solved.
2. Repay college loans, or put aside money for college.
3. Place in savings, creating money for loans to entrepreneurs.
4. Buy a new American car, helping Detroit out of its crisis and creating jobs.
5. Invest in the market; capital would drive growth
6. Pay for health insurance. Your parents could pay for their own.

Birk's plan would cover even those who lost their jobs at Lehmann Brothers. "If we’re going to re-distribute wealth," Birk says, "let’s really do it, instead of trickling down the puny $1,000 economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

"If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every
adult U S citizen. As for AIG, liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. (Lots of new buyers.) Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up. We deserve it, and AIG doesn’t. And The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 billion because $25.5 billion returns in in taxes to Uncle Sam."

The speck in God's eye

This one's for you, GS.

I am sure you have heard of The Shard.  The next time you are in London you should try to do what this blogger did.  (Either way, I'm sure you'll enjoy the piece, once you get past the initial paragraphs that are not really helping his narrative.)

A much better piece on that architectural project comes from Roger Ebert's blog.  Ebert may have lost the ability to speak but he has definitely not lost his voice.

(For more photos of the structure itself, click here).

My favourite movie

We all have movies that we treasure, ones that we reminisce about fondly, and if necessary, will argue for vehemently if opposing views are put forward.

In general, my favourite movies of all time transcend genres and are not exactly in tune with most movie critic's choices. Sometimes I agree with them, but in most cases, I find that critics are fairly snobbish. Action and comedy movies are automatically downgraded in their opinions and rarely does a "non-art" movie meet their lofty standards. One critic I like, Roger Ebert, at least attempts to tell you why he liked or did not like the movie and leaves it to us, the review reader, to decide what we think of it.

So what are my favourite movies? I'll try to break them down by genre based upon the movies that made a deep impression when I watched them (all of them are in no particular order).

Comedy: Chupke Chupke, Golmaal, A Fish Called Wanda, My Cousin Vinny, and Midnight Run.

Action: Die Hard, Speed, Predator (yes, I know!), The Empire Strikes Back, and Sholay.

Romance: When Harry Met Sally, Tere Ghar Ke Samne, Gitanjali, Titanic (!!), and Roman Holiday.

Other: Forrest Gump, Casablanca, The Sound of Music, 12 Angry Men, and Mughal-E-Azam.

But there is one movie that encompasses all the above genre's and has a legendary cast of personalities who were involved in the making of the film - Spielberg, Ford, Lucas, and Williams. That movie is my #1 favourite movie of all-time. The acting is superb, the direction is slick, the plot is intriguing and has many twists, the music is rousing, and the action sequences are breath-taking. This year marks the 25th anniversary of its release. (Ebert has a re-review of the movie from his "Great Movies" section, at this link).

The movie? Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Two thumbs up, way up!

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of her show, Oprah Winfrey revealed that she owed a lot of her success to another Chicago televison icon - Roger Ebert. On his website, Ebert's recounts how it happened in his inimitable style.

A bookworm's dream

There's an old joke, which goes something like this:

"Wow, Roger, you have such an impressive collection of books but not a single bookshelf. Why?"
"Oh, you see, I've never felt the need to borrow a bookshelf."

I was reminded of that joke when I came across this astonishing collection of bookshelves. I'd love to borrow any of them! (Hat tip: Roger Ebert).

Table talk

Seriously, Roger Ebert, tell us what you really think of Senator McCain.

And while you are on the topic, let's find out your views on Governor Palin, too.

Go Big Red!

You don't always need Santa Claus to come bearing Christmas gifts, and you don't always need to turn to fiction to read a heart-warmingly happy story that will bring tears to your eyes.

Would this story have been possible if the Internet had not been invented and Roger Ebert not battled cancer successfully?

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Happy New Year!

Linking up

1) The half-time entertainment at the Super Bowl was Bruce Springsteen. Sitting at home, I could barely make out his lyrics and only a die-hard fan would guess what he was singing. I was marveling at the "fans" who were on the field at the "concert". Rick Reilly was one of the "fans" and he tells you that it wasn't sweet music to his ears!

Most answered an online ad from the halftime show's producers that read, in part: "We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to be part of the on-field audience."

"YOU'LL BE 10 FEET FROM BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN! THE GAME'S GOING TO BE A BLOWOUT ANYWAY. WHAT'LL YOU MISS?"

What the 2,000 found out is: The "on-field audience" doesn't get "paid." They don't get a ticket to watch the game. They don't even get a T-shirt. They can't bring cameras or cell phones—unless they're a group leader. They'll be bussed in and bussed out. They will be on the field for 12 minutes and have to sign a release that they won't sue in case they're flattened by a forklift.

2) Harsha Bhogle is a member of the IPL in his role as a "consultant" for the Mumbai Indians. So, it is not surprising that he has been talking up the good points of the league, and he almost always makes relevant points. His latest column is no different and has some interesting takes on the whole phenomenon. It will still take a little more than that to get me to endorse the league - especially as it (through the BCCI) continues to treat the ICL like a pariah. (To his credit, Harsha has spoken up against the BCCI's attitude in the past.)

It baffles me that in some places the IPL is still being seen as a financial rather than as a cricketing phenomenon. As recent events in the world have taught us financial products with little to back them deliver a lot of promise, a lot of pain and eventually go bust. The IPL is about cricket and as it settles down and acquires a learning curve of its own, will reward cricketers who deliver returns on their investment. This is not a large moneypot into which you dip your hands and run away with the booty. This is serious stuff and some observers around the world are in denial about it. This is not a poor little rich kid seeking its place in the world by throwing money at anyone who knocks at its doors.

3) I had decided not to watch "The Reader" as I thought it was yet another movie about the holocaust. I am still not convinced I want to watch it, but Roger Ebert makes a long-winded but passionate argument for why the real theme of that movie is something totally different. I am intrigued enough to think about it, though.

I was watching Tony Scott on the Charlie Rose program, and he said, in connection with "The Reader," that he was getting tired of so many movies about the Holocaust. I didn't agree or disagree. What I thought was, "The Reader" isn't about the Holocaust. It's about not speaking when you know you should.
(...)
Is "The Reader" a "Holocaust movie?" No. In terms of its two central characters, it is a movie about lacking the courage to speak when we should. That's something I think we can all identify with.

We are all guilty of lacking the courage to speak when we should. I know I most definitely am.

What dreams may come

I have previously talked about "The Fall".

I saw the movie (finally) and fell in love with it. The folks I watched it with were not as enamored, but it may have had to a lot to do with the stop-start nature of our viewing and a tendency to judge the movie before it even began.

Much better writers than I have captured the essence of movie. If not for anything else, at least for the visual style of story-telling, this is a must-see. I have not seen a better-looking movie than this, ever. And the music that was used throughout the movie was Beethoven's 7th symphony, 2nd movement (one of my favorite pieces of music).

Here are some other sources of information on "The Fall".

a) The official website of the movie has some still photos worth preserving as screen-savers.

b) Roger Ebert raved about the movie on his website.

... Tarsem made one of the most astonishing films I have ever seen. It is all the more special in this age of computer-generated special effects, because we see things that cannot exist, but our eyes do not lie, and they do exist, yes, they really do.

c) An intrepid blogger Moriarty goes in-depth with Tarsem, the director of the movie, in this no-holds barred interview (yes, there is some salty language in there). His fellow blogger "Capone" conducted a two-part interview. Here's part 1, and part 2 of the interview.

d) If bloggers aren't your cup of tea, here is the Washington Post on Tarsem's long but strange journey to make the movie.

e) Finally, the New York Times weighs in on this astounding movie.

It happened one summer

M. Night Shyamalan's latest offering, The Happening, has been severely panned by critics and is not doing as well at the box office as he would have probably hoped. I have not seen the movie (I am not good at handling gory images and there are quite a few such scenes in this movie) but I was curious to know how Roger Ebert felt about the movie. Here's the gist of what he had to say.

What I admire about "The Happening" is that its pace and substance allowed me to examine such thoughts, and to ask how I might respond to a wake-up call from nature. Shyamalan allows his characters space and time as they look within themselves. Those they meet on the way are such as they might indeed plausibly meet. Even the TV and radio news is done correctly, as convenient cliches about terrorism give way to bewilderment and apprehension.

I suspect I'll be in the minority in praising this film. It will be described as empty, uneventful, meandering. But for some, it will weave a spell. It is a parable, yes, but it is also simply the story of these people and how their lives and existence have suddenly become problematic. We depend on such a superstructure to maintain us that one or two alterations could leave us stranded and wandering through a field, if we are that lucky.

Reading day

While waiting for the second Test match in Mohali to start, here are some of the links I have found interesting, of late.

1) Roger Ebert is, arguably, the most widely read/regarded movie critic in America. I regularly visit his blog and movie review page and have not found anyone else who writes a more coherent and thoughtful review than he does. We have differed in opinion a few times (notably for "The Ghost and the Darkness") but I tend to enjoy reading his reviews, sometimes more than the movies themselves. He has suffered a great deal in the past two years and this article documents what keeps him going in the face of such physical adversity.

2) A few days ago, before the India-Australia Test series began, Rohit Brijnath wrote what he called an elegy for the Indian veterans. I am not sure whether to call it an elegy or a eulogy. Either way, I think that tales of their demise are definitely premature. And why on earth is VVS Laxman being lumped into that category?

3) Harsha Bhogle talks about the merits and demerits of a Voluntary Retirement System for long-serving players.

4) I know, I know, I said that I would not bring up this topic again, but I cannot resist. Here's Simon Hughes talking about Graeme Hick's legacy.

5) The most fearsome fast bowlers I have ever seen (naturally on TV) were Malcolm Marshall and Imran Khan (circa 1982). Marshall is tormenting the angels with his wicked bowling while the Pathan is now a retired cricketer and active politician. In an extensive interview Imran Khan talks about cricket and politics. Articulate and not afraid to voice his opinion, this interview is a must-read. I wish more interviewees were as candid as Imran is in answering questions.

6) Peter Roebuck weighs in on the premier batsman of the last 20 years (and more), Sachin Tendulkar, as he sits on the verge of having his nose ahead of everyone else in the international run-scoring department. (The title of the article made me think of William Brown's lisping friend, Violet-Elizabeth Bott. By the way, I did not know until today that Richmal Crompton was a lady!!)

7) And finally, Prem Panicker wonders whether the lady (Anil Kumble) doth protest too much. I think he does.

Rags to riches

On my last trip overseas, I picked up a book - Q and A - by Vikas Swarup. The premise was an interesting one - of a poor, uneducated, young man from the slums of Mumbai, named Ram Mohammad Thomas(a name that would fit right into any Manmohan Desai potboiler) who wins a quiz show modeled on "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire".

While the premise was interesting, I found the storytelling to be a little contrived and awkward. Since RMT is able to successfully answer 12 random questions because of his life's experiences it ensures that he has to go through 12 situations that help him know the answers to the questions, giving the writer enough material for a book. One of the reasons I felt it was contrived was because the questions asked are not only random ones (and the only ones, the character feels that he could know the answers to) but they are also asked in an order that chronologically matches the experiences the protagonist has. And the experiences are very varied and action-packed.

It was a quick read and, even then, I felt it would be a better movie than book. Well, what do you know?! The book has been made into a movie called Slumdog Millionaire with Anil Kapoor in an important role as the host of the quiz show. Slumdog Millionaire won the audience award, the biggest honor at the Toronto International Film Festival, in spite of the underwhelming movie name. It is being touted as one of the front runners for Oscar contention early next year.

The movie, directed by Britain's Danny Boyle ("Trainspotting," "28 Days Later") tells the story of a teenager from the slums of Mumbai who finds himself competing on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." He becomes a national hero. As he is tortured to reveal how he "cheated," flashbacks show his education on the mean streets. It opens on Nov. 28, and is a strong contender for Oscar nominations.

P.S. This is also the movie that Roger Ebert was watching when he was involved in an incident that has received a lot of press lately!

Movie-wood by any other name

It is not uncommon these days for scenes in Indian movies to be shot abroad. But what if you want to shoot scenes in a foreign locale but did not have the inclination to venture beyond the confines of a movie studio?

Well, if the man cannot get to the mountain, you simply bring the mountain to the man...

With the increasing revenue being generated by Bollywood movies in the west, it was a matter of time before one of them was released by a major studio in the US. The movie that was chosen for this grand release....err....From Chandni Chowk to China.

Here's Roger Ebert's so-so review of the movie. Methinks the review is probably more interesting than the movie. Or is it?