Inception Movie Review

Not many movies that are highly anticipated are able to live upto the hype they create. “The Dark Knight” was one movie that managed to deliver more than expected. And now, Christopher Nolan does it once again with the much awaited “Inception”.

Anyone who has followed Christopher Nolan’s work would find it impossible not to be taken by his creativity and artistic vision. I am no exception. However, I can safely say that one doesn’t need to be biased to know that “Inception” may be one of the most important movies to come out of Hollywood. And that Christopher Nolan is a director to watch out for (that is, if you are not already doing so).

In a world where multiple people sharing a single dream is a reality, Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) specializes in extracting information from a sleeping person’s brain for money. A fugitive who cannot return home to his children, Cobb gets a chance to earn his freedom when a powerful businessman Saito (Ken Watanabe) hires him to do the impossible – putting an idea into his business rival’s (Cillian Murphy) subconscious mind, viz. inception of an idea. For this, Cobb must assemble a specialist team, consisting of his right hand man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), “forger” Eames (Tom Hardy) who can shift his identity in a dream, chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao) who produces the sedatives required to pull off the task at hand, and architect Ariadne (Ellen Page) who creates the elaborate structures where the dreams are played out. The team must pull out all the stops to accomplish the impossible, which is made all the more difficult by visits from Cobb’s dead wife Mal (Marion Cotillard), who tries to disrupt their mission. Saying anything more would be sacrilege, and I don’t think I could inflict such a crime on those who are yet to see the movie.

“Inception” is a movie that works on every level. It is a racy heist movie that still has great emotional depth – something that is extremely difficult and rare. With that alone, “Inception” won half the battle. Add to that the brilliant cinematography, the effective use (not overuse, thank God) of CGI, and the fearless use of grandeur to create the grand scale of dreams; and “Inception” becomes a visual masterpiece. Top it off with a stellar star cast who play their parts perfectly and you are presented with sheer movie magic.

But the star of the show is none other than Christopher Nolan. As the writer, he has created a story that is truly unique in its originality, level of detail and sheer “out of the box” concept. His screenplay ensures that the viewers are not just lazily absorbing the movie – that they are active participants in the elaborate puzzle that is “Inception”. As the director, he creates a work of art that uses every aspect of film making to its optimum level to ensure that viewers are rewarded with an experience that is unlike anything they would have experienced before. He truly deserves all the accolades that this movie will undoubtedly bring him.

Usually, I find it difficult to rate movies and prefer to avoid it. But this one is a no-brainer. Five stars and two big thumbs up for the work of art that is “Inception”.

The Event

Govind was still trying to come to terms with what had happened so far. Things had started innocently enough, just like any other day. But now, it seemed that history was in the making. Govind shivered at the thought.

Time seemed to be moving very slowly. The tension Govind was going through was too immense. He knew he was not alone. This was something that would touch many lives. How would people react? This would be something that would be remembered for years to come. Life would no longer be the same anymore. The rules of the game would be changed forever, so to speak. Govind started pacing up and down, the suspense getting the better of him. He started praying furiously.

“It was fate. How else could one explain that it was exactly this day that I had to be here at this time?” Govind thought to himself again and again. The television channels would burst out with the news, the newspapers would be splashed with reports on how it all happened. But that would not be until later. Govind started thinking about the commotion that would start afterwards. He realized he was sweating, despite the cool environment.

The events had unfolded in a manner that made the final outcome look almost inevitable. No one would have thought at the start of it all that it would amount to this. But now, there could be no doubt. It would happen. There was no stopping it. Govind found it almost impossible to contain the mix of excitement and fear.

But now things looked a little different. It almost seemed like time would run out. “So, there still is some unpredictability to the proceedings after all.” Govind thought. Exciting things were still happening, but it looked like it would not end the way Govind had anticipated it to end. Govind felt helpless; wringing his hands that there was nothing he could do either way.

After what seemed like an eternity, the stage was set for the final act. It was as if the whole of the universe waited with bated breath to see what would happen. Govind felt that everything was moving in slow motion. He could hear the beating of his heart, louder than ever before. He could sense his breathing, heavy, almost labored. He held his breath as the final act was set to take place. He felt his heart had stopped breathing. And then it happened.

The relief flooded into Govind’s body in a rush. He let out a loud sigh. He knew that what had happened would go into the history books, and he was glad he had been a witness to it. He still found it hard to believe. It was like the perfect dream, the greatest fairytale. He thanked God that it had happened in his lifetime. And then he jumped for joy. It had finally happened.

Sachin Tendulkar had become the first man to score two hundred runs in a one day international innings.

Love at First Sight

“It’s such a nonsensical idea. How can you just see a person and fall in love with him or her?” Rajeev asked.

“You’re so unromantic machan...” Neeru responded. “Can’t it happen that you just get a look at someone and feel like you are in heaven?”

“Thunderbolt!” Tom chipped in.

“Riiight. You fall in ‘love’ just based on looks without any idea what sort of person he/she is. How superficial is that?”

“You’re so pissing off man. No wonder you have no girlfriend.”

“Thank God for that!!!”

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It was not until three years of knowing her that Rajeev told Pavithra that he loved her. Two years later, he proposed marriage.

“Finally!”, Pavithra exclaimed. “It took five years, but atleast now you got the courage!”

“It wasn’t about courage, Pavi. I wanted to make sure that we were perfect for each other. This isn’t a Hindi movie where the girl and guy just fall in love looking at each other. This is our life.”

“Hmph. You could have tried to be romantic atleast today.”

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Rajeev walked through the corridor of the hospital as if in a trance. The duty nurse was offering soothing words. It didn’t help. As he reached the empty waiting area, he prayed that Pavithra would be alright.

It seemed like an eternity before a nurse stepped out of the theatre. As she walked towards him, Rajeev prayed furiously. “Congratulations. You’re the father of a beautiful baby girl. The mother is fine too.” Rajeev accepted the small bundle the nurse offered gingerly, trying to be delicate. Looking at his daughter; taking in every tiny detail, Rajeev felt like he was heaven.

Tears running down his cheeks, Rajeev laughed silently. It had finally happened to him.

It was love at first sight.

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P.S: My first attempt at a genre I never thought I would venture into - "Flash Fiction". A word of mention to Sujith Kamath's post (which I think is a work of genius), which helped open the doors. Thanks dude.

I hope you guys like this post. Please let me know with your comments.

To Eat Or Not To Eat

Since I spent the first seventeen years of my life in Dubai and visited India only during the vacations, I was treated as royalty by almost all of my relatives. So, every visit to a relative’s house assured me, (after a lengthy discourse on how thin I had become), a more than healthy supply of food in general, and sweets in particular. This was all fun as a kid, what with me being a food lover and all. However, as one grows (both in age and in waistline), the constant overfeeding loses its appeal drastically. My last trip to Kerala drove the point home like never before.

The visit to my aunt’s house started with her eyeing me from top to bottom and exclaiming, “How thin you’ve become!! Don’t they feed you in Bangalore?” I looked at my paunch and then at her, wondering if old age had affected her vision that much. She ushered us into the hall in the hurried manner that is so customary of her, and went about busying herself, muttering “I’ll get you something to eat.” My mom and I gave each other anxious looks, since we knew this was the signal for things to come. Our cries of “We have already had lunch! Please don’t get too much!” were ignored completely.

My aunt came with a tray full of snacks enough to feed the entire colony, followed by her daughter-in-law who carried tea and biscuits. I made a comment on how much food was on the table, and how it would affect my newly initiated diet plan; to which she replied “Nonsense. You should eat at your age. You can cut down later.” Since this is the same thing she says to my dad, who is 60, I don’t take it seriously. I started eating slowly, spending more time in conversation. However, it isn’t long before she realizes my tactic, and starts chiding me for not eating. The problem with my aunt is that she believes the food she serves is a major part of showing her affection, and she takes our not eating too much very personally. Seeing my inhibitions about gorging everything on the table, she started getting tears in her eyes. I tried to explain to her the law of diminishing marginal utility, only to increase the flow of tears, and getting a discourse on the ill-effects of western influence on my nutrition. It seemed there was no other way. Either I would have to let my aunt stay upset, or I would have to leave her house stuffed enough to burst.

The choice was, surprisingly, not a hard one to make. I patted my paunch and resigned to my fate. It looked like it was here to stay a little longer. I sat down, and tried to stuff myself. My mom pitched in as much as she could. Despite all this, my aunt bid us farewell telling us how little we had eaten. All the same, at least she was happy with our spirited effort. We wobbled out of the house almost ready to burst. There was an unspoken understanding that dinner would not be required that night. But despite everything, we were really happy, and I felt silly about trying to avoid it in the first place. I realized that I would have treated her the same way had she paid a visit to our home. And this got me wondering – why are we so particular about feeding our guests? Why do we coax, cajole and even blackmail them to eat, eat, and eat some more?

It is a known fact that Indians love their food. It’s one of the things that bind us as a people. The fact that we go to great lengths to ensure that their guests are properly fed is an indication of how much we care. In a way, we are ensuring that the guest gets the best we have to offer. It’s in our culture to be hospitable to our guests – and it doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, old or young, conservative or liberal, Congress supporter or BJP loyalist. After all, isn’t India the land which reveres the phrase “Athithi devo bhava”?

So, the next time you are invited to an Indian house for a meal or otherwise, don’t fret about how much you will have to eat. Be happy that their affection for you will be served with some delicious food. Just go with an open mind, a healthy appetite and loose pants.

The day we raided Marrybrown

The last of the CA PE-I exams (foundation exams, if you will) was over. Six students stood outside the examination centre, a strange mix of frustration and relief flooding them. Relief because the exams were over, marking the end of a month long toil. Frustration because all of them were sure they would fail the exams. 

We talked for a while about how badly each of us had screwed the exam. Before we knew it, our stomachs were growling. Since no one was in the mood to go home, we decided to eat outside. As we left the school, we saw a Marrybrown outlet. What’s more, there was an “all you can eat” offer. It was a no-brainer. The six of us entered the empty outlet, and two waiters sprang into attention. They walked toward us with pamphlets. We shouted “Six all you can eats!!” to save them the effort of coming to our table. The message was relayed to the kitchen, and soon enough, our table was covered with burgers, chicken, fries and drinks. What followed can be termed a “blitzkrieg”. The plates were empty so fast that we had caught the waiters off guard. We had signalled our intent. Refill after refill came, but it seemed our hunger was insatiable. All the frustration and the anger that was in us were taken out on the food that kept coming to our table. It was like we were men possessed (probably by very, very hungry spirits).  

Soon, the situation came where the waiters started getting genuinely worried. They started shifting around uneasily, and urgent messages were relayed to the kitchen area. At one point, when we complained about the slow service (which was totally unjustified, in retrospect), a waitress came and in a choked voice, told us “Sir, please understand. It takes some time for us to prepare it. We have to give it fresh and hot.” I felt bad for her; and gave an angry glare to my friend who complained “Hmph! So much for fast food!” I gave her my best smile and told her “It’s okay. Take your time.” My complaining friend, who had caught my glare, returned a sheepish grin.  

But that was as much sympathy as the staff got. They didn’t have a moment’s respite, as our plates and glasses got empty faster than you could say “Marrybrown”. Soon, the time came when they were all cleaned out. The waitress came to us, almost trembling, and broke the news. Surprisingly, everyone stayed calm on hearing the tragedy, much to the relief of the waitress. She didn’t stay relieved long though. “There was something about all you can eat ice cream”, I commented. She sighed, defeated, and said “Yes sir, I’ll get it.” 

The all you can ice creams were the small vanilla cups you get for Rs.5 or so. They were in a small cabinet. “You may want to bring the entire cabinet here”, one of us said. The waitress considered our suggestion in all seriousness for a moment, and then decided that it wasn’t an option. If she thought that would slow us down, she was grossly mistaken. The cabinet was emptied with the same efficiency with which we had emptied the kitchen.  

At the end of it all, we sat at our table, finally content. All the frustration was gone, and we were at peace now. We laughed, joked, made plans for the next day, and of course, burped out loud. The bill came to our table, and we left a generous tip. As we left the place, I noticed that the manager was having an urgent conversation with his waiters (probably discussing if there was a possibility of keeping the outlet open till night, given that they would have to get a whole set of supplies). I know it is a cliché, but if I were to sum up our visit to Marrybrown, all I can say is “We came. We saw. We conquered.” 

Not long afterwards, as I was passing the area where the outlet was located, I saw that the Marrybrown outlet was closed. I am not suggesting anything, but then it was also interesting to note that the “all you can eat” offers that were there in many of the fast food outlets in Chennai stopped after a few months. If there were a few more cases like ours, I can’t blame them.  

Proud to be an Indian?

Are you proud to be an Indian? I know if I put forth this question to anyone of you, pat will come the response - “YES!!” But hold on. Don’t give me an answer that has been programmed in your head, and don’t give me an answer that is all heart. For this is a vital question that really needs to be pondered over, and its significance is huge.

What do we have to be proud of as an Indian? There are a lot of things. The first thing that comes into mind is, almost always, our rich cultural heritage. Not only do we have a rich and diverse culture that has survived the test of time, our earlier generations were pioneers in many fields, and many of their achievements are even marvelled at today. We can be proud of the fact that we have embraced all cultures, and live in harmony despite our differences. “Unity in diversity”. There is our independence struggle, which brought forth many heroes and was perhaps the first freedom struggle to showcase non-violent methods as an effective force. India has taken leaps and strides in its 62 years of independence, and is now a world power to be reckoned with.

But look at these reasons. Don’t you think we are constantly looking at the past for things to be proud of? Sure, the past is definitely something to be proud of, but is it enough? What about today? What can you say that you are proud of now? Unity in diversity? We all know the reality to that – politicians using the weapon of religious politics have ripped apart our unity, not unlike the ‘Divide and rule’ policy adopted by the British. The people who once were ready to embrace all that was good, no matter what the religious background; and who said that all people on earth were their kinsmen, today cannot even tolerate people practicing their own set of values. As for the progress chart of our country, our position in the world is something we can be proud of. But what of the situation within the country? Sure, we have come a long way, but was this all we could achieve in 62 years?

I know what you will say. Every country has problems. It is not just exclusive to India. And I don’t disagree. But this brings me to the vital point. We talk about the shortcomings of our country (which have been there for a very long time, mind you) in such a matter-of-fact way. We don’t feel even slightly upset about the plight of our nation, which we are apparently very proud of. When someone talks about all the ills of India, we nod our understanding and sympathetically shake our head and mutter “This country will never improve!” in disgust.

Being proud of one’s country isn’t only about standing at attention and singing the national anthem. It isn’t only about shedding a tear or getting inspired when a patriotic movie is on. It isn’t only about supporting the national team at sporting events. It may include these. There is a common misconception in India that being proud of India is all about shouting the virtues of our country on a loudspeaker, while blinding ourselves of all the problems that face the nation. “I love my India, whatever it be, however it be.” Noble, but is it enough?

Isn’t patriotism or being proud of one’s country about loving the country enough to look at the problems it faces? Wouldn’t a patriotic person feel upset about the fact that his/her nation is lacking so much, when it has so much potential? Wouldn’t he/she be so distraught over the plight of his/her nation that taking action would seem like the only step left?

Today, apathy is a disease affecting each and every Indian. The “chalta-hai” attitude of her people has become India’s curse. Indians talk about India with a hopelessness. How can such people say that they are proud of India, if they think there is no hope for India?

As proud Indians, shouldn't we join hands and move towards a common goal – to take India to where it can, and should be? Isn’t it time we actually made an effort to shed our apathy, our helplessness, and try to act? Don’t we all deserve a country which is the pride of its people and which is looked at in awe by the world? I think we do. And I think it is time we made our love for our India count. After all, we believe we are proud to be Indians, don’t we?

Sherlock Holmes Movie Review

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s evergreen creation, the sleuth Sherlock Holmes whose intellectual capabilities have always left readers spellbound, has been brought to the screen before. Now Guy Ritchie tries his hand at it, and how! The movie explores characteristics of Sherlock that have been mentioned in the book, but seldom made their way into the television adaptations. A lot of effort has gone into defining the nuances of the character; notably the eccentric nature, the adeptness in martial arts and his relationship with Watson. The movie also takes some distinct turns away from the book – the witty exchanges, Holmes’ disregard for personal hygiene, the fast pace and the importance to action. The end result is a facelift for Sherlock Holmes from the stuffy, tight upper lipped intellectual to a modern, eccentric genius, more suited to today’s audiences.

The movie starts with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson capturing Lord Blackwood, who has murdered five women in his practice of black magic. Lord Blackwood is sentenced to death by hanging, though he warns Holmes that this was only the beginning and that he would rise from the dead. And true to his word, he does. It is now up to Sherlock and Watson to stop him before he succeeds in his plan of ruling England, and then the world. And, to make matters worse, Holmes has to deal with Watson’s relationship with Mary Morstan and the fact that Watson will no longer be his partner. What follows is a whirlwind ride with twists and turns, the beautiful but deceptive Irene Adler, a secret society, a huge French speaking adversary, and innumerable perilous sequences, all leading to a conclusion that is pure Sherlock in its logic and completeness. To give out any more of the plot would be sacrilege, which I do not intend.

The movie is different from other Guy Ritchie movies (thankfully showcasing that he can be versatile), though many of his creative styles and trademarks are evident. He skilfully handles the job of reinventing Holmes while maintaining the essence of the novels. I can’t say this is his best movie, but it is definitely not short on style or substance – thanks to a good screenplay (though over the top at times), great camerawork and smart editing. The scenes where Holmes anticipates incidents in his mind are noteworthy. And let’s not forget the art direction, which brings the late 19^th century England to life. The feel is further accentuated by Hans Zimmer's unique score.

As for performances, Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are perfectly cast as the lead pair. The chemistry they share as the squabbling duo is one of the highlights of the movie. Mark Strong gives a chilling performance as Lord Blackwood. Rachel McAdams is efficient as Irene Adler, though she may not have been able to hold her own among the other performances. The rest of the cast provide able support.

So, what’s the final verdict, you ask? Elementary, my dear Watson. The movie is fast paced, action packed, and also exercises your grey cells; in short - a winner. Some may argue that the movie could have been better, but no one can dispute that it is a fun filled ride.

For my astronomically inclined readers who suggested that I introduce the star rating system for my reviews, ****.