I made a film....finally!

Yes I did....we were supposed to make a film based on the plight of the people who were resettled due to the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project...watch the video to know more...

We were supposed to shoot a video on the spot & interview people...but being the laidback one...I only took some still pics...

So to back it up I have tried my hands on animation...probably the most ambitious thing I've done in my life...

Now I am relieved that it din't fall totally flat...

In the initial parts I have tried to tell two parallel stories (Yes I am a fan of Inarritu)....but the second half is a drag, as I had to make it long enough...

People might find it hard to believe...but I have merely used MS paint for the animation...Initial plan was to use my camera and do some stop motion film which I couldn't pull off...I don't know how to use flash or any other software...
So I have drawn the frames & cut pasted around 200 times to get the movements...

But yes my first brush with Windows Movie Maker was a pleasant surprise...it was easier than I thought...(i had used it once before...just to capture a certain screenshot of some obsectionable film...)

By the way audacity is an awesome software to cut paste music & sound...

In the film I have used a title piece by Philip Glass, Flight of the Bumble Bees by Tchaikovsky, To kill a Mockingbird theme by Elmer Bernstein , Malena Theme by Ennio Morricone...& the thud sound of the bee falling is just me whistling & my calculator dropping on the laptop...

Here is the film...

Tata Crucible Ahmedabad Round-Prelims Questions

Just attended the Ahmedabad round of Tata Crucible Campus Edition 2009. The turnout was unexpectedly high & number of participating teams were around 200 according to the QM. We made it to the wild card rounds (top 16) but could not proceed further. In the final six teams there were three teams from IIMA & one each from MICA, NIRMA & NIT Surat. Although IIMA had the majority on the stage, MICA had the last laugh & they will be going through to the national finals...

I am posting the prelims questions along with answers...there were 20 question & I am trying my best to reproduce them...but at certain points my memory might betray me...

1. Some rural IT initiative in a certain state (I forgot the details)..which state?.
Answer was understandably Gujarat

2. Picture of a stamp consisting of photographs of Martin Luther King Junior, Lincoln, Gandhi & Mother Teresa. It was released last year on 60th anniversary of something...what?
Answer was 60 years of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

3. Who has written the book Hot, Flat, and Crowded?
Answer Thoma Friedman ("flat" being the clue)

4. Poster from the movie Devil wears Prada....identify the related brand
Answer Prada

5. Connect Jack Nicklaus (golfer), Sachin (& another one I forgot) to a certain brand
Answer RBS (brand ambassadors)

6. Which Indian hotel chain won the Hellen Keller award recently for their initiative in employing differently abled people.
Answer ITC

7. Logo of Murugappa group

8. Which business school completed 100 years in 2008?...(clue being 100 years in review or something like that)
Answer Harvard (review points to harvard business review)

9. Famous industrialist who wrote In the Shadow of the Mahatma?
Answer GD Birla (I mistook him for Jamnalal Bajaj)

10. A diagram to identify the McKinsey's 7s model

11. A print ad with Kongkona Sen Sharma
Answer woman's Horlicks

12. Carol Bartz has been named the CEO of which online major?
Answer Yahoo!

13. Hollywood Foreign Press Association gives away which award?
Answer Golden Globes

14. Identify the media Baron from a picture
Answer Ted Turner

15. Which brand is launching luxury ice creams called exotica & milk exotica?
Answer Amul.

16. Ashok Kapur, founder of which bank died unfortunately during 7/11
Answer Yes Bank

17. Sun Pharma replaced which company in the Sensex?
Answer Satyam

18. Pic of the reverse side of a Nobel prize medallion...for which category?
Answer Economics...(what else can it be!!)

19. Close up TVC with Anupam Kher

20. Ezee TVC where the guy struggles with his suitcase stuffed with woolens garments

Hope it helps other aspirants. Happy quizzing...

My Top 10 films of 2008

The Oscars are here…on the other hand I have not posted anything in my blog for more than three months. So to mark both the occasions I have decided to put my own list of top 10 films from the last year.

Let me declare a few things before I start.
• I have not seen all the movies released last year. So don’t feel offended if I have missed something that you have loved
• I am considering Hollywood and a few foreign movies I have seen. For practical reasons there is no Bollywood in this list
• No there is no Slumdog either. It’s not only about the poverty porn, it is difficult to accept a film with so many logical loopholes and factual errors

Anyway let’s start…10 films I liked the most…not necessarily in any order of preference…

Låt den rätte komma in (Let the right one in)

If you thought vampires are passé and they can only suck filmgoers and critics’ blood then watch this Swedish neo gothic(if may say so) surprise hit. You will realize what a new bottle and a new bartender can do to old wine. A tale of friendship between a lonely boy and a girl who turns out to be a vampire, it’s not your average action/horror stuff. I don’t want to spill the beans…just watch it whenever you get a chance. The Academy might have overlooked it, you should not.


Vals Im Bashir (Waltz with Bashir)

Gutt wrenching, spine chilling and atmospheric, this Israeli film might interest you simply because it falls into the rare genre of animated semi documentary. But that is not the only thing about it. A brilliant piece of filmmaking and story telling, this film redefines the world of animation. Some people are alleging that it downplays Israeli atrocities during Lebanon war and tries to put the blame only on the other side. But I would like to believe that this is an anti-war film which is more about the trauma the soldiers have to go through in any war and it hardly takes any sides.
Coming to technicalities, it is traditional 2D animation and don’t expect the finesse of Pixar, Miyazaki or even Dreamworks. In some close up shots the movements are not perfect, but the landscapes are amazingly done. The opening sequence is one of the best in recent times in any genre. A strong Oscar contender in the Best Foreign Language Film category, it has already pocketed the Golden Globes and I wonder why it was not nominated for best animation as well!

Che Part-I: The Argentine

I’m not a commie. But one need not be a commie to admire Che Guevara. Those who have already seen Motorcycle Diaries would definitely understand that. I think this one was ignored in the US just because it talks about the posterboy of that “untouchable” ideology. This is an epic movie in all respects that traces the rise of Che from his student days to his triumph in Cuba not necessarily in that order. Soderbergh takes the story back and forth in time and also intersperses the proceedings with Che’s speech in the UN. Benicio Del Toro triumphed at Cannes for his portrayal but was ignored otherwise. This film certainly deserved much more. (For the uninitiated, Che part II deals with the remaining phase of his life & I have not seen it so far)

Gran Torino

Watch it because Clint Eastwood even at this age makes world class films with remarkable consistency and if that is not enough, he can still point a gun at you, utter dialogues like “I'll blow a hole in your face then go inside and sleep like a baby.” and make you shiver. It tells an interesting story that is relevant to present day American society and probably to any other cosmopolitan society as well.

The Dark Knight

Needless to explain! And I think most of the people have seen it already. It is a rare example of quality film that is also a commercial success. And yes I like films with strong villains. Ledger, in his last act doesn’t simply play a villain, he overtakes the hero and makes an impression that you can’t get out of your mind even if you want to.


Wall-e

Again, needless to explain! But I have to admit that I was not sure about a robot falling in love, just the way I wasn’t sure about the rodent chef last year. But Pixar proved me wrong again. Anyway, I think prior reading of 2001: A Space Odyssey or prior viewing of the film of same name would be helpful in appreciating some of the jokes in this film a bit more.

Milk

If you took Brokebakc Mountain or even Dostana for granted, you need to watch Milk & see how the homosexuals broke the barriers and taboos inch by inch. Gus Van Sant recreates the America of 70’s with the help of an exceptionally talented ensemble cast led by Sean Penn, James Franco, Emile Hirsch and Josh Brolin.

Frost/Nixon

This is another period drama from the 70’s. Ron Howard goes back to the Watergate days and recreates the series of interviews between President Nixon and British talk-show host David Frost which is no less than a real duel where one fights for his honour and for life as well. Watch it for the performance of Frank Langella as Nixon and Michel Sheen as Frost.

In Bruges

An intelligent piece of indie filmmaking, I watched it with no expectations and recommended to everyone else after watching it! Set in the gothic Belgian city of Bruges, this witty black comedy surpasses its own genre and becomes some sort of a social commentary. I also liked Colin Farrel’s performance for the first time along with the other lead Brendan Gleeson. Not to mention Ralph Fiennes towards the end.


Frozen River

An unusual drama set in a very unusual location with unusual characters, this one should be watched for its unusualness. It is set against the backdrop of illegal border crossing in the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec. Good direction by first timer Courtney Hunt and some great performances by Melissa Leo and Misty Upham make it a moving drama rather than a mere study of the crime.

So these were the 10 I finally picked. But I had to leave out a few good ones after a lot of pondering. Namely Eastwood’s other release The Changeling, stoner comedy Pineapple express, another comedy Tropic Thunder, Woody Allen’s Vicky Christina Barcelona, Italina Crime flick Gomorra, Aronofsky’s The Wrestler to name a few.

You don’t have access to any of these?.....screw it... watch Dev.D!!! and wait for Gulaal next month…see the trailer below…

Quantum of Solace-The Review

I just saw the new Bond flick Quantum of Solace a few hours ago. Yes I do like action movies at times despite my overwhelming bias for art house stuff. European surrealism, Latin American realism, Asian mysticism and Tarantinoesque paganism all have their own charm and so does mindless action flicks.

Coming back to the point, let me make it clear that this film might disappoint a lot of hardcore Bond fans. Not because it is bad but because it eliminates almost all the Bond stereotypes cultivated over five decades and adored by at least three generations of fans. Neither does he introduce himself like the way he used to nor does he ask for shaken (not stirred) vodka martini. In fact in the most ironic scene of the film he says that he doesn’t know what he is drinking (and the bartender explains)!

But having said all these I must say that I actually liked the film. I don’t want to discuss the plot here. It’s like any other Bond movie, some incorrigible bad guys trying to screw the world and Bond has to step in. I went to the theater basically looking for well executed action sequences and long car chases and I was not disappointed. It doesn’t keep you waiting for the adrenaline rush. It keeps coming in rapid intervals and keeps you hooked. And also like its predecessors it happens all over the world. They take you to Italy, Haiti, Austria, Bolivia & Russia in quick succession and indulge in some serious action as well as subsequent destruction of public property.

The performances are competent enough. Daniel Craig has now become accustomed to the role and I think the Brosnan hangover is gradually disappearing from the viewers’ minds. Olga Kurylenko oozes oomph as expected, more so because she is all tanned up for this role to show the Latino upbringing of the character. Dame Judi Dench is as usual graceful & dignified as M. Mathieu Amalric does a decent job as the chief villain and so do rest of the cast. Cinematography is excellent and I think it is better than previous bond flicks. Moving and shaking camera action lends more credibility to the scenes.

So that brings me to the director Marc Forster. As a matter of fact he is one of the guys I never expected to direct a Bond movie. I saw his Finding Neverland some years ago. It is still one of my personal favorites. I also liked Stranger than Fiction. I haven’t yet seen Monster’s Ball and I didn’t like The Kite Runner (Most probably because a friend of mine gave a very negative review of the novel itself). All of these movies are very personal movies with demure and subdued characters. Probably the producers wanted someone like him for this makeover of Bond. It is also noteworthy that Paul Haggis is one of the writers, a person who was involved with such films like Million Dollar Baby, Crash and Letters from Iwo Jima. Nevertheless they pulled it off well and did a good job in injecting some realism into the usually over the top franchise. But I think at certain points they went a bit too fast. While quick editing is the order of the day, at certain points I expected them to allow the viewers some time to actually grab and appreciate the well executed shots.

Finally, I prefer this more realistic and no nonsense portrayal of Bond as opposed to popular sentiments. I have seen all the previous ones, not because I wanted to but because they were aired by a TV channel at a stretch a couple of years ago. So I can tell you that Craig is the second best Bond of all time after Sean Connery. In fact Brosnan always looked like a metrosexual womanizer socialite rather than a spy. As far as the assassination of stereotypes is concerned, I think it had to move on with time. Imagine a secret spy introducing himself to his enemies with his real name every time he meets them!

So do I have any regrets in the end? Yes! I wish it had some sex scenes! This new Bond seems like a misogynist most of the time! Or are we moving towards a gay Bond with changing times? Poor Olga doesn’t really get to scorch the screen as one would expect. The other Bond girl (?) makes merely a guest appearance.

Anyway…watch it for the action…..7/10

Waltzing with Tchaikovsky on a rainy afternoon

Well I don’t really have any theoretical knowledge about music. But I think I can feel and appreciate the right king of music. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is one of those maestros I admire. But even I don’t know why suddenly am I liking his music so much and why am I associating him with rain!

I started the morning with his Arabian Dance followed by Swan Lake. Both of them in my opinion have a plaintive quality that can be associated with solitary beings like me. The sudden burst of energy in Flight of the Bumble Bee and the heart warming romanticism in Waltz of Flowers also are suiting my mood at the moment. As the sky is overcast since the morning and the light drizzle have already started with gentle breeze, I am feeling that gay (not in “that” sense) abandon which I always feel before the first showers of the season. I am uploading this youtube video that plays Waltz of Flowers.




I also took a photograph from the balcony which captures the freshened up Neem tree with a backdrop of the cloudy sky. That is the one I have pasted above. This place is not known for a long rainy season. So let’s relish it till it lasts!

Spotting the aliens: some meandering thoughts

Many years back, I happened to read a book called Chariot of Gods by Erich Von Daniken. Controversies apart, it was enough to set the imaginations of a schoolboy ablaze. So much so that I even tried my hands on sci-fi loaded with aliens and spaceships for my poor school magazine. The very thought of aliens and their possible intervention with the human race has been seducing us for a long time. While it has probably been unable to break into the stronghold of mainstream esoteric arts and literature, it has occupied a very strong position in popular fiction, comics and films.

But why such abrupt infatuation has erupted for the aliens? Well, I happened to watch the fourth Indiana Jones movie yesterday. No I am not writing a review of it as usual. The thing is, it also has something to do with those “outsiders” and hence it came as some kind of a reminiscence of my childhood fantasies. The basic idea driving all such films and literature is that the aliens, who are light years ahead of us in technology, might be watching us and they might have helped our venerable ancestors to build seemingly impossible structures like the pyramids! That is why they were probably worshipped as gods. The ancient Egyptians and Mesoamericans are the usual suspects for this school of thought.

The best example that comes to my mind is Tintin’s “Flight 716”. All the Tintin fans would know how Herge so skillfully plotted the aliens amidst Indonesian rainforests. With a brilliant storyline, immaculate attention to details and impeccable humor, it was probably one of the most accomplished works by the Belgian maestro. I think no one needs to be reminded of Spielberg’s exploits with the third kind. But if you want a different kind of treatment you can go for John Carpenter’s “The Thing”. It was a really creepy drama set in the eerie atmosphere of Antarctica.

But the point is how to do we actually know what happened and how to know if there is some extra terrestrial amongst us? In short how to spot them? A few questions that arose in my mind are,

• If they came to the world where was the landing site? Some craters or geographical formations have been suspected but we don’t really see any evidences or remains of any highly sophisticated spacecraft and machinery.
• They were worshipped as gods? But I don’t think any strange or otherworldly shapes have been noticed in the ancient artifacts. The “gods” are normally portmanteaus of humans and animals.
• Is it really possible for any living entity to travel such astronomic distances?
• If they were so kind to teach architecture to the primitive people why don’t they contact modern people who can at least understand who they are and where they come from?
  

Whatever it is, in fact I sincerely hope to meet some alien some day and have some intergalactic orgy. It is really difficult to believe that we are alone in this universe!How would it be to have an extra terrestrial girlfriend (well if they have different sexes!)? No luck with the planet mates so far!

Iron Man: Finally a completely human superhero!

How many times have we seen the American John Does turning into superheroes to save the mankind? I am sure everyone has grown up on a staple diet of Superman, Batman, Spiderman or some other genetically modified superhero often having characteristics of some other species. In that sense the name “Iron Man” seemed hardly attractive.
But then, what is in a name! The Iron man does whatever a superhero is supposed to do, but with a tinge of humor that ridicules the very basis of superheroism. He is purely coincidental, accident prone and is not a social recluse! Yes, unlike other heroes and like most other human beings, he likes to demonstrate his prowess without hiding his identity. But above all, the most heartening thing is, he is 100% homo sapience without any avian, spidery or alien component in his genome!

Want to know the story? Well, Tony Stark is a mechanical and scientific genius who also owns a huge corporation manufacturing various weapons of mass destruction. But he is kidnapped by the terrorists while on a trip to Afghanistan (BTW, the terrorists sometimes talk in Hindi, all the Asians are same isn’t it??!!!). He is asked to make missiles for the terrorists inside a hideous, desolated cave. But he ends up creating a humanoid machine that is all powerful and indomitable. He comes out of the captivity riding that machine. But realizing the destruction his weapons are causing he decides to stop manufacturing weapons. He also takes up the job of saving the poor and tormented ones and destroying weapons created by him that has fallen into wrong hands. What happens after that? I can’t spill all the beans, but surely you have guessed that new enemies appear very soon and the eternal struggle of good versus evil ensues as usual.
Coming to cast and credits, this entire film belongs to Robert Downey Jr. He may not be your usual superstar with chiseled looks, but he sure is a real actor with immaculate comic timing. He plays his part with characteristic ease and never lets our attention divert. I also have to mention Gwyneth Paltrow as his secretary cum love interest. I have always loved this lady, ever since I saw Shakespeare in Love! The script is tight and is ably directed by John Favreau. I haven’t read the original Marvel Comics so I can’t tell you how much it adheres to the original story. The action and visual effects are up to the mark but can be taken for granted as every Hollywood movie has it nowadays.

So, I think it is a film for all kinds of people. If you don’t like hardcore action movies, it has enough witty sequences and dialogues to keep you hooked. Give it a try any given Sunday. You won’t be disappointed.