Pune Film Festival 2011-4

Today is National Youth Day, celebrated on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda. The person who said – Give me hundred youths, I shall change the World, and Arise, Awake  and Stop not till the Goal is Reached, was a fierce individual, whose ideals need to be imbibed by the citizens if we are to develop the nation and take it to  new heights.

A good news today – I am part of BITS Alumni now. Got Masters Degree certificate from BITS Pilani in a convocation ceremony today! Check out my post on MS graduation.

My 4th day of PIFF 2011-

1)      Escape from Call Centre (Italian)
Young Gianfranco Coldrin, a model university student with a degree in volcanology, makes a trip through hell on the lowest rung on the professional ladder in a call center. When his adoptive grandparents send them off into sudden undesired independence, Gianfranco and Marzia come up against the grotesque reality of an upside-down world governed by rather suspicious individuals in which university degrees and skills have no value. Marzia wants to be a reporter but finds herself forced to accept employment as a switchboard operator for an erotic hotline, while Gianfranco sinks into the trap of holding down 2 jobs. Despite the enthusiasm of their youth and good intentions, the contrast between their expectations and the reality of a “horribly expensive” life end up having an impact on their relationship. Everything suddenly seems unstable and about to collapse: their sentiments as well as their jobs. But then something happens… (watch the rest of the movieJ)

2)      A passion play – Chokher Bali (Bengali)

Cover of Chokher Bali

Chokher Bali, a passion play set between 1902 and 1905 is a story of a beautiful, educated woman, Binodini, struggling to free herself from the oppression of widowhood. Widowed within a year of marriage, she moves into Mahendra’s house, the man who was once offered her hand in marriage and refused. There she meets Mahendra’s wife Ashalata and friend Behari, who is in and out of the house. Among these develops s forbidden attraction, a mesmerizing web of destiny and desire.
The film based on the novel Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore. It was directed by Rituparno Ghosh in 2003 and stars Prasenjit as Mahendra, Aishwarya Rai as Binodini and Raima Sen as Ashalata.

3)      How I ended this summer (Russia)
A polar station on a desolate island in the Arctic Ocean. Sergei, a seasoned meteorologist and Pavel, a recent college graduate, are spending months in complete isolation on the once strategic research base. Pavel receives an important radio message and is still trying to find the right moment to tell Sergei, when fear, lies and suspicions start poisoning the atmosphere… the end is tragic.

Pune Film Festival 2011-3

The movies I watched on third day -

1)      Silent Wedding (Romania)
In 1953, a Romanian village has gathered for a wedding; the happy couple, the guests and the banquet are all ready… just at that moment, the Russian army arrives. Stalin is dead and the nation must mourn. Under threat of death, the oversexed couple, their vexatious fathers, the entire town and the muted gypsy band continue the celebration in silence.
This overwhelmingly visual film moves effortlessly from joyous eroticism, through rural pastiche to the dreadful tension of the mute wedding itself. Along the way we encounter a carnival of characters, the longest fart joke in historyJ and the truly dreadful reality of life under communism.
The comedy is laid like bait, enticing us into the tragedy yet to unfold.
I laughed my heart out through this movie. I must say, this was one of the best movies in this film festival.

2)      The last summer of La Boyita (Spanish)
In an apparently bucolic setting, a secret is revealed, accidentally, spontaneously. Returning from a horse ride, Jorgelina sees a bloodstain on Mario’s saddle. There is another one on Mario’s pants. Mario doesn’t know what to say, he has no idea as to why. Jorgelina will accompany him on his road to discovery, fear and ultimately, acceptance. This revelation, instead of separating them, will bring Jorgelina and Mario closer than ever.

3)      Taryanche Bait (Marathi)
Shreedhar Surve works as a clerk and leads a happy and contented life with his family in a beautiful konkan village of Maharashtra. His life takes a turn when he takes his wife, son and daughter with him on an official tour to Mumbai-the financial capital of India. Dazzled by the sights, Omkar, Shreedhar’s son insists on staying in a five star hotel that Shreedhar can’t even dream of affording. In order to placate his son, Shreedhar wager’s a night’s stay at the hotel if Omkar comes first in his school exams.
Omkar is in the game. The bet is on.
attempts to win the bet and the extent to which both father and son are pushed by the harsh realities of life makes for this funny, emotional, bitter-sweet tale.

Pune Film Festival 2011-2

Continued from Day 1

1)      Woman of the mist (Japan)
a drama of lower middle class family and economic and emotional problems. Rather than advising his wayward nephew to concentrate on his studies, his uncle takes the younger out for a night of revelry. Its only when the student becomes involved in a life-altering predicament that the uncle assumes responsibility for his charge.
Director – Heinosuke Gosho directed the first “talking” picture in Japan in 1931 and came to excel in what film historians classify as Japan’s “shomingeki” genre, or movies that depict the lives of the lower and middle classes with both realism and humor.

2)      The Human Condition (Japan)
This is an epic story of one man’s struggle to retain his humanity as he descends into the turmoil of the Pacific war. His own moral standards are challenged while attempting to come to terms with man’s basest tendencies. Based on a 6 volume novel which the director compressed into 3 features, each over 3 hours long, the trilogy established Masaki Kobayashi’s international reputation. The first installment won one of the top prizes at the Venice Film Festival.
the film depicts the effects of World War II on a Japanese pacifist and socialist.

3)      Mee Sindhutai Sapkal (Marathi)
the film traces the true story of Sindhutai Sapkal, who dramatically rewrites her destiny. Born into a poor family, she is married at 12 to a 30 year old man, but is abandoned by her husband and her own family following false accusations of infidelity. About to commit suicide, she notices a tree which, though axed, still gives a shelter. Moved, she sets out on a journey towards dignity, setting up 5 orphanages fro abandoned children – even going to San Jose, USA (Marathi Sahitya Sammelan), to give fund-raising speeches. When her aging husband turns up at the orphanage, she graciously ‘adopts’ him. The film’s deep humanism in the face of injustice and humiliation gives it a universal resonance.

Pune Film Festival 2011

I last attended Pune International Film Festival in January 2009. Looking at my enthusiasm for movies, a fellow from my profession asked me to pursue it professionally. Frankly, I am of opinion that certain hobbies, passion or the things one is fond of should be kept as hobbies or passion rather than making them a profession. Otherwise the happiness/joy is lost, which is the purpose behind them!

I watched a few movies in PIFF 2011 and here is a glimpse of a few of them…

Here is a glimpse of some of them…

1)      My Widow’s Husband (Ukraine)
Eccentric billionaire Albert Castandi is up to his neck in debts. To avoid paying up, he fakes his own death, stages a funeral and bequeaths all his assets to the future husband of his young and beautiful wife, Anna, played by Kamaliya – the Ukrainian actress, pop singer and wife of Kyiv Post publisher Mohammad Zahoor.

However, his clever plan doesn’t exactly work and Anna soon finds herself in lots of trouble. She has to repulse the intrigues of a florist-gangster, fight off annoying suitors, and naturally deal with her hapless “recently deceased” husband. Amid this turmoil, she meets a charming foreigner, John Smith and better watch the rest of the part.

2)      Taita Boves (Venezuela)
“Taita Boves” chronicles a thirst for revenge that devastated a country. It tells the true story of Jose Tomas Boves, a cruel man who became a legend during the Venezuelan War of Independence, the most violent in the Americas. He went from seafarer to pirate, horse smuggler to prosperous merchant, prisoner to military chief. Spanish by birth, he spearheaded a grass root troop of slaves, Indian etc. that crushed Simon Bolivar and his patriot army. Respectfully referred to as “Taita” by them, he fought for the underprivileged and the poorest of the poor, and curtailed 3 centuries of order in this colonial region. This film is about his passions and power, his loves and misadventures, and a bloody saga that rocked Venezuela.

3)      The girl on the train (France)
Jeanne is a young woman, striking but otherwise without qualities. Her mother tries to get her a job in the office of a lawyer, Bleistein, her lover years ago. Jeanne fails the interview but falls into a relationship with Franck, a wrestler whose dreams and claims of being legitimate business partnership Jeanne is only too happy to believe. When Franck is arrested, he turns on Jeanne for her naivety; she’s stung and seeks attention by making up a story of an attack on a train. Is there any way out for her? In a subplot, Bleistein’s grandson, Nathan, prepares for his bar mitzvah and through an encounter with Jeanne, experiences intimation s of manhood.

4)      Tycoon (Japan)
An amoral businessman achieves fame and fortune but is ultimately abondoned by his wife, child and concubine. The capitalist’s thirst for power leads to his isolation. A representative director of social protest films, Yamamoto excels in the realistic portrayal of the characters and underscores his sympathy for the underprivileged.

5)      Aaghaat (Marathi)
Directed by Vikram Gokhale, a well known Indian film, TV and stage actor, the film depicts the ups and downs in a patient’s life and goes on to portray the fight of a young doctor against the established systems and practices.

ब्रिज ऑन द रिव्हर क्वाय-एक मनःपटलावरील युद्ध ५

पूर्व भाग

त्याला फांद्यांच्या स्ट्रेचरवर घालून शिअर्स निघतो. अखेर दूरवर पूल दृष्टिपथात येतो.

एक रात्र त्यांच्या हातात आहे. योजनेप्रमाणे काम सुरू होते. एका तराफ्यावर सामान टाकून जॉईस पुलाखाली सुरुंग लावण्याच्या कामावर निघतो. रात्रभर धुवांधार पाऊस पडतो. नदीचे पात्र फुगलेले; नदीच्या पलीकडच्या तीरावर एका खडकाआड सुरुंग उडविण्याचे यंत्र ठेवलेले.

त्याचवेळी पूर्ण झालेल्या पुलावर कठड्याला टेकून निकोल्सन चिंतनात मग्न! २८ वर्षांच्या नोकरीतील कारकीर्द डोळ्यांसमोर उभी. तिकडून सायटोही येतो. ‘उत्कृष्ट कलाकृती!’ म्हणून पुलाची स्तुती करतो. हे मान्य करायला खरं तर मनाला क्लेश होतात; पण सायटो हा काही खलनायक नाही. सर्व कैदी पूल पूर्ण झाल्याच्या जल्लोषात, त्यात गाण्यांचा आवाज, मध्येच पाण्याच्या वाहत्या प्रवाहाचा खळखळाट, पुलावर गस्तीचे आवाज आणि पुलाखाली त्याच्या विध्वंसाची चाललेली तयारी… क्षणभर प्रेक्षकांच्याही काळजाचा ठेका चुकतो.

आपल्या सैनिकांसमोर भाषण करताना निकोल्सन म्हणतो, “आपण घरी जाऊ, तेव्हा अपल्या या कामाचा आपल्याला मनातून अभिमान वाटेल. सैनिक आणि नागरिक, सर्वांना तुम्ही कामाचा आदर्श घालून दिला आहे. कैदेतही तुम्ही ताठ मानेने जगलात; त्यामुळ पराभवातही आपला विजय झाला आहे. मित्रांनो अभिनंदन!”

सकाळ उजाडते. पहिली आगगाडी पुलावरून जाणार – जाईस पूल उडविण्यास सज्ज! पण हाय! आता पाऊस थांबल्याने पाणी ओसरलेले. सुरुंग लावून तीरावर आणलेली वायर स्पष्ट दिसते आहे, वरून कुणाच्या लक्षात आलं तर… सगळ्यांच्या हृदयाचा ठेका चुकतो आणि नेमकं तसंच घडतं.

पुलाची अखेरची पाहणी करायला आलेल्या निकोल्सनच्या नजरेला ती पडतेच. काहीतरी काळंबेरं आहे हे लेक्षत येऊन सायटोला घेऊन तो खाली येतो. वायर हातात घेऊन पैलतीरावर पोहोचतो. आगगाडी पुलावर येऊन ठेपते अन् शिअर्सने लेलेल्या हल्ल्याने लडखडणारा निकोल्सन सुरुंग पेटविण्याच्या दांड्यावर पडतो. ज्या हातांनी पुलाचं स्वप्न साकारलं,  त्याच हातांनी एका क्षणात ते छिन्नविछिन्न होतं. पत्त्यांचा बंगला कोसळावा तसा स्फोटांच्या आवाजात पूल कोसळतो. केवढी ही दैवदुर्गती! डॉ. क्लिप्टन दुरून हे पाहातोय, विदीर्ण मनाने! तर मेजर वॉर्डन वेगळ्याच भावनेने!

माणसाच्या व्यक्तिमत्त्वाचे तसेच त्याच्या स्वभावाचे अनेक कंगोरे उत्कृष्टरित्या दाखवणारा हा चित्रपट.

ब्रिज ऑन द रिव्हर क्वाय-एक मनःपटलावरील युद्ध ४

पूर्व भाग

क्लिप्टनचे पाय जमिनीवर आहेत – तो निकोल्सनला विनवतो, “सर, रुग्णांनी काम करून मरणं आणि अधिकार्‍यांना कैदेत अन्न न मिळाल्याने मरण येणं, यापेक्षा त्यांनी काम केलेलं काय वाईट?”

पण निकोल्सन आपल्या भूमिकेवर ठाम, “माझ्या एकाही अधिकार्‍याला मजुरासारखं हीन दर्जानं  वागवलेलं मला चालणार नाही.”

क्लिप्टन त्याला समजावण्याचा प्रयत्न करतो,” सर, आपण खूप दूर – हजारो मैल पसरलेल्या जंगलात अडकले आहोत. इथे सायटोचाच कायदा चालणार. तो म्हणेल ते करून दाखवेलच. आपल्या जिवाचं काही बरंवाईट झालं तर कोण विचारणार आहे आपल्याला? कृपा करून हट्ट सोडा. आता सायटोच्या दृष्टीनेही हा त्याचा आत्मसन्मानाचा प्रश्न बनला आहे. तुम्ही या भूमिकेत फर काळ राहू शकत नाहीत.” तरीही निकोल्सन आपल्या तत्त्वावर ठाम!

पुलाचे काम पूर्ण करण्याची तारीख जवळ येते आहे. सायटो त्याच्या बांधकामात तज्ज्ञ अशा ले. म्यूरोकडून काम काढून घेऊन स्वतः नेतृत्व करू पाहतो. पण व्यर्थ! शेवटी नाईलाजाने क. निकोल्सनला कोठडीतून बाहेर काढून तो त्याची भेट घेतो. घनदाट अंधार्‍या रात्री; तरीही अंधाराला हजारो डोळे फुटलेले, सर्व सैनिक ही भेट पाहताहेत.

आपापला आब, ताठा राखत दोघांचे सवाल-जवाब होतात. निकोल्सन त्याला म्हणतो, “माझे दोन अधिकारी या कामात अत्यंत कुशल आहेत. आमचे सैनिक आमच्याच अधिकर्‍याच्या हाताखाली व्यवस्थित काम करतील.” तो सायटोचे आव्हान स्वीकारतो-दिलेल्या चेळात पुलाचे काम पूर्ण करण्याचे! सायटोला नाईलाजाने ते मान्य करावेच लागते.

शरीराने दुबळा झालेला निकोल्सन लडखळत्या पावलांनी; पण ताठ मानेने बाहेर पडतो. ब्रिटिश यद्धकैद्यांत आनंदाचे वतावरण; तर अवमान झाल्याच्या दु:खाने सायटो वेडापिसा – धाय मोकलून एकांतात रडतो. सर्व अधिकार्‍यांची सुटका होते. मोठ्या जोमाने नियोजन सुरू होते; उपलब्ध साधनसामग्रीचे तसेच उपलब्ध मनुष्यबळाचे. आपल्या अधिकार्‍यांच्या बैठकीत निकोल्सन म्हणतो, “आपल्या बटालियनला एकत्र बांधून, गूंतवून ठेवण्यासाठी ‘पुलाचे बांधकाम’ हे उद्दिष्ट साधन म्हणून वापरू.”

पुलाची पाहणी होते, तेव्हा रिव्हच्या लक्षात येते की पूल फार ठिसूळ जमीन असलेल्या ठिकानी बांधला जातो आहे. त्यामुळे बांधकाम टिकत नाही. पुलाची जागा बदलली जाते. भक्कम एल्म वृक्षाचे भरपूर लाकूड जंगलात उपलब्ध असते. ते वापरायचे ठरते. युद्धकैद्यांमध्ये त्यांचा नेता परत आल्यने उत्साहाचे वातावरण-आता काम दुप्पट वेगाने सरू होते. सायटो आता त्रयस्थ नजरेने सगळीकडे लक्ष ठेवून आणि निकोल्सन पूल पूर्ण करण्याच्या ध्येयाने भारलेला!

अशाच एका क्षणी डॉ. क्लिप्टन आणि क. निकोल्सन यांच्यातील एक अविस्मरणीय संवाद – “सर शत्रूचा पूल इतक्या उत्तम पद्धतीने बांधायचा तुमचा आटापिटा कशासाठी?” क्लिप्टनच्या या प्रश्नावर निकोल्सन म्हणतो- “अरे तुला दिसत नाही का, आपल्या लोकांचं मनोधैर्य वाढलंय, शिस्त वाढलीय. त्यांची अवस्था सुधारलीय; ते आनंदात आहेत.”

“ते खरंय सर, पण तरीही आपण जे काम करतो ती शत्रूशी हातमिळवणी तर ठरत नाही ना?”

“आपण युद्धकैदी आहोत. आपण काम नाकारू शकत नाही.”

“ते खरंच सर, पण एतकं परिपूर्ण काम करायला हवंच का?”

“हे बघ क्लिप्टन तू एक डॉक्टर आहेस. इथे सायटोवर शस्त्रक्रिया करायची वेळ आली असती तर तू ती नीट केली असतीस, की त्याला मरू दिलं असतंस? आपली बटालियन आळसाने गांजून विखुरली गेली तर तुला कसं वाटेल? या लोकांना आपल्याला दाखवून द्यायचंय की धाकदपटशानं आपली शरीरं वा आत्मा ते नाही मोडू शकत. युद्ध एक दिवस संपेल; पण येणार्‍या भविष्यात लोक हा पूल वापरतील आणि आपली आठवण काढतील. कैद्यांनी नव्हे तर सैनिकांनी केलेलं नेटकं काम म्हणून – ब्रिटिश सैनिकांनी युद्धकैदी असतानाही केलेलं काम!”

क. निकोल्सनचे हे परिपक्व विचार थक्क करणारे!

तिकडे सुरूवातीला पळून गेलेला कमांडर शिअर्स हा आता सिलोनला हॉस्पिटलात आराम करतो आहे. तेथील Force-316 या दोस्त राष्ट्रांच्या बटालियनचा प्रमुख मेजर वॉर्डन याला त्याची माहिती कळते. शिअर्स खरं तर कमांडर नाहीच. बोट बुडाल्यानंतर क. शिअर्स मृत्युमुखी पडलेला. त्याचे नाव धारण करून सायटोच्या कँपवर तो सवलती मिळवण्याचा प्रयत्न करतो; पण व्यर्थ! मात्र, पुढेही त्याने हेच सोंग चालू ठेवलेले असते. Force-316 ला पूलबांधणीचे चलू असलेले काम उद्ध्वस्त करायचे आहे. खरे तर निकोल्सनही त्यांच्यातलाच; पण शिस्त म्हणून, नियमाचे पालन करायचे म्हणून, पुलाच्या उभरणीत सर्वस्व ओततोय आणि त्या पुलाचा वापर करून जपानी सर्वत्र हातपाय पसरतील म्हणून त्याच्याच वरिष्ठांच्या आज्ञा आहेत. घनदाट जंगलातील तो कँ नं. १६ – शिअर्स येथे राहून आलेला, पळताना तेथील आदिवासींशी दोस्ती झालेला. त्यालाच वाटाड्या करायचे ठरते.

मे. वॉर्डन, कमांडर शिअर्स, उत्तम पोहणारा जोईस हे त्रिकूट या कामावर निघतं. पॅराशूट्च्या साहाय्यानं जंगलात उतरणं, रातोरात झाडं तोडत नदी पार करणं, वाटेत जळवा, जंगली साप भेटतातच; पण आता थोडा वेळ उरलेला. धुवांधार पाऊस पडत असतो. पहिली गाडी येण्याच्या क्षणी पूल उअडवायचाच! सगळे अहोरात्र वाटचाल करताहेत…

इकडे पुलाचं काम पुरं होत आलं आहे; पण तरी ठरलेल्या वेळात काम पूर्ण होणं अवघड वाटू लागलं आहे. अधिकार्‍यांना हमाली काम करण्याची सक्ती होऊ नये म्हणून सुरुवातीला तत्त्वासाठी झगडणार्‍या निकोल्सनचे अधिकारी आपणहून काम करायचं ठरवतात; एवढंच काय रुग्णालयातले रुग्ण्ही मदतीला सज्ज होतात. यथाशक्य सर्वांच्या प्रयत्नांतून साकार होतो तो अतिशय देखणा, मजबूत असा पूल!

वाटेत मे. वॉर्डन जखमी होतो. सर्वांची चाल मंदावते; पण त्याला सोडून पुढे जाण्याची आज्ञा क. शिअर्स मानत नाही. बिकट वाटेने धबधब्याच्या अंगाने चढत ते नियोजित स्थळी पोहोचतात. वॉर्डन आणि शिअर्स मधील संवदही खूप बोलका आहे.

शिअर्स म्हणतो, “तो निकोल्सन एक वेडा. तुम्ही दुसरे! नियमांवर, शिस्तीवर तुमचं एतकं प्रेम की त्यासाठी तुम्ही मरायलाही तयार व्हाल. पण त्यापेक्ष माणसारखं जगावं हे महत्त्वाचं नाही का? मी तुम्हाला मरु देणर नाही मेजर, तुमचे नियम बियम मल माहीत नाहीत. आपण एकत्रच वाटचाल करू; जगू किंवा मरू.” (इथे एक गोष्ट मला आवर्जून नमूद कराचिशी वाटते- माणसानं सिंहासारखं जगावं किंवा आणखी कोणासारखं जगावं असे अनेक लेखक लिहितात. पण माणसानं माणसारखं किंवा स्वतःसारखं जगावं असे क्वचित सांगतात.)

पुढचा भाग

Movie Review: The Bucket List

The Bucket List

A mechanic asks blue-collar mechanic Carter Chambers (Freeman), “Name 5 presidents whose name starts with letter H”. With elegance and full confidence, Carter answers the question. (He is a walking encyclopedia and I like such kind of people.)

Carter and billionaire hospital magnate Edward Cole (Nicholson) meet for the first time in the hospital after both have been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. They become friends as they undergo their respective treatments. Carter is a gifted amateur historian and family man who had wanted to become a history professor, but in his youth had been “broke, black, and with a baby on the way”, and thus never rose above his job at the McCreath body shop. Edward is a four-time divorced healthcare tycoon and cultured loner who enjoys nothing more than tormenting his personal valet/servant, Matthew, whom he calls Thomas. He is hospitalized in the hospital which he owns and cant get a private room even when he insists (he is reminded of his own rule-every room has to be shared by 2 persons and there are no exceptions.) He makes Matthew serve Carter as well as him and orders his employee and doctor (Morrow) to familiarize himself with Carter’s health.

Carter begins writing a “bucket list,” or things to do before he dies. After hearing he has less than a year, Carter wads it up and tosses it on the floor. Edward finds it the next morning. He urges Carter to do everything on the list (suggesting he add things like skydiving) and offers to finance the trip. Carter agrees, despite the protests of his wife, Virginia.

Cole: She (Virginia) hates me. [Facing Carter] You hate me?

Carter: Not yet

And so begins their adventure.

The pair begins an around-the-world vacation, embarking on race car driving, skydiving, Edward wears tattoo on his hand, climbing the Pyramids, and going on a lion safari in Africa (both sing the ‘In the jungle’ tune of animation film Lion King and it sounds cool in the ears, watch it on esnips). They discuss a rare coffee and its unusual taste. They also confide about faith and family, revealing that Carter has long been feeling less in love with his wife and that Edward is deeply hurt by his estrangement with his only daughter, who disowned him after he sent some people to “take care of” her abusive husband.

In Hong Kong, Edward hires a prostitute for Carter, who has never been with any woman but his wife. Carter declines and asks to return home, and reciprocates by trying to reunite Edward with his daughter. Edward angrily storms off. Carter returns home to his wife, children, and grandchildren.

The family reunion is short-lived. In the preparation for a romantic interlude, Carter suffers a seizure and is rushed to the hospital. The cancer has spread to his brain. Edward, who is now in remission, visits him and they share a few moments, where Carter reveals to great amusement the disgusting origin of the “world’s most rare coffee”, over which Edward obsesses and Carter has refused to drink. Carter crosses off “laugh till I cry” from his bucket list and insists Edward finish the list without him. Carter goes into surgery but the procedure is unsuccessful. He dies on the operating table.

Edward delivers an eulogy at the funeral, explaining that he and Carter had been complete strangers, but the last three months of Carter’s life were the best three months of his (Edward’s). He crosses off “help a complete stranger for a common good” from the list. We see Edward finally attempt to reconcile with his daughter. She not only accepts him back into her life but also introduces him to the granddaughter he never knew he had. After greeting the little girl with a kiss on the cheek, Edward crosses “kiss the most beautiful girl in the world” off the list.

Carter, narrating the end of the film: Edward Perryman Cole died in May. It was a Sunday in the afternoon and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. He was 81 years old. Even now, I can’t claim to understand the measure of a life, but I can tell you this: I know that when he died, his eyes were closed and his heart was open, and I’m pretty sure he was happy with his final resting place, because he was buried on the mountain, and that was against the law.

In the epilogue, it is revealed that Edward lived until the age of 81, and his ashes are brought to the top of the Himalayas. It turns out to be Matthew who does this, and as he places Edward’s ashes alongside a can containing Carter’s, he crosses off the last item on the Bucket List (“witness something truly majestic”) and places it between those cans.

At any given time, a film starring Morgan Freeman is a treat (do not miss his films- The Shawshank Redemption and Million Dollar Baby.) In a nutshell, the theme of this movie is same as that of Bollywood film Dasvidaniya. Vinay Pathak did a superb characterization of a person who has a few months left to live on this planet.

Movie Review: Ice Age- Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Having seen Ice Age and Ice Age: The Meltdown I had many expectations from this movie, and the movie lived up to them. This movie and Surf’s Up were a real treat!

Ellie and Manny are expecting their first child, and Manny is obsessed with making life perfect and safe for the family, since his first experiences as a husband and father went bad when his family were killed by hunters. At the same time, Diego (Denis Leary) finds himself unable to catch a gazelle he has been stalking and decides to leave the herd, believing that he is losing his predatory nature as a tiger. Sid grows jealous of Manny and Ellie and “adopts” three apparently abandoned eggs that he finds in an icy underground cavern. Manny tells him to put them back, but Sid instead looks after the eggs, which hatch into baby Tyrannosaurus ‘ the next morning. Diego and Sid abandon the company of Ellie and Manny. Ellie asks Manny to cal them, back in their gang, in vain.

Ellie: This is the world our baby’s gonna grow up in, you can’t change that.
Manny: Guys don’t talk to guys about guy problems. They just… punch each other on the shoulder.

Although Sid tries his best to raise the three dinosaurs, their rambunctious behavior scares away all the other animals’ young and ruins a playground Manny built for Ellie’s baby. In an attempt to feed the little dinosaurs, Sid goes to milk a bull. He is humming while attempting to milk a bull, pulls on udders, bull chases Sid.

Sid (shouting while running from Bull) “I thought you were a female!”J

A female Tyrannosaurus, Momma, whose eggs Sid stole, soon returns and carries both Sid and her kids underground, with Diego in pursuit. Manny, Ellie, Crash, and Eddie follow as well and discover that the icy cavern leads to a vast jungle populated by dinosaurs thought to be extinct. Here, an Ankylosaurus threatens the herd despite Diego’s efforts to fend it off; they are saved from a further crowd of angry reptiles by a one-eyed, insane weasel named Buckminster, or Buck.

Buck has been living in this jungle for some time and is chasing Rudy (a huge white Baryonyx), intending to avenge the eye he lost to it. He agrees to lead the herd through the jungle’s perils to Lava Falls, where Momma has taken Sid and her babies. In the meantime, Sid and Momma try to outdo each other in feeding the offspring; he loses this contest, but is soon welcomed into the family regardless. The next day, however, Sid is separated from the family and attacked by Rudy. Sid is knocked onto a loose rock slab that is floating on a river of lava and about to plummet over the falls.

As the herd moves toward Lava Falls, Ellie goes into labor and a Guanlong pack strikes, causing a rock slide that separates her from Manny and Diego. Manny doubles back to protect her and Diego fends off further attacks, while Buck takes Crash and Eddie ahead to rescue Sid. Just as the sloth goes over the falls, the trio swoops in on a commandeered Pteranodon and saves his life. Manny reaches Ellie, and there is suddenly a reaction, the cry of a newborn baby, then he sees that it is a girl. He wants to name her Ellie, or Little Ellie, but Ellie instead names her Peaches after the fruit (the codeword they had chosen for Ellie to use if she went into labor during the trip). Sid is saddened at the fact that he never had a chance to say goodbye to “his” children as he returns to the herd and learns of Peaches’ birth.

Before they can exit the jungle, Rudy attacks at full force; Buck lures Rudy away from the group and is nearly eaten himself, before Diego saves him at the last second. They then ensnare him briefly, but he escapes and resumes his onslaught. The herd is saved by the timely arrival of Momma, who charges at Rudy and knocks him off a cliff. As she and her children wish Sid well, Buck – now without a purpose in life since Rudy is gone – decides to join the herd and live on the surface. However, a distant roar tells him that Rudy is still alive; he changes his mind and sends the herd home, blocking off the path to the underground jungle at the same time so that no one else can go down there. Manny and Ellie welcome Peaches into their frozen world and admit that Sid did a good job looking after Momma’s children (though Manny tells Diego that he will never let Sid babysit Peaches). Diego decides to remain with the herd, while Buck stays where he wants to be: underground, battling it out with Rudy.

As in the previous Ice Age films, Scrat does everything he can to retrieve his precious acorn. His efforts are complicated by the presence of the beautiful and wily Scratte, a female of his species, with whom he is instantly smitten. Scratte outsmarts him a number of times, once by demonstrating her ability to glide like a flying squirrel, but the two eventually fall in love after Scrat saves her from falling to her death in the lava river while she is unconscious. He even chooses to focus his attention on her instead of the acorn until the end of the film, when he tires of her finicky nature and reverts to his old ways. The ensuing fight between the couple leads to a volcanic explosion that hurls Scrat and the acorn back to the surface, leaving Scratte trapped underground. However, as Scrat is about to enjoy his acorn, a stray piece of ice falls on him and knocks the acorn back into Scratte’s hands. He screams in frustration, having lost both his love and his acorn.

Movie Review: Surf’s Up

Surfs Up

I had watched this movie a long time back and could watch it again on HBO yesterday. I just loved this Penguin animated movie although Penguins feature in March of the Penguins, Madagascar, and Happy Feet. The direction is superb and voice casting and music is excellent. I would recommend watching this movie for motivation (not inspiration-as it comes from within). Here goes the review-

A documentary crew (of SPEN channel, SPEN is a parody of ESPN. It stands for “Sports Penguin Entertainment Network”. It is also a play on the scientific family name for penguins, Spheniscidae) follows the events of Cody Maverick (voiced by Shia LaBeouf) a small rock hopper penguin residing in Shiverpool, Antarctica (a pun on Liverpool, England). After a childhood visit from surf legend Zeke “Big Z” Topanga, Cody aspires to emulate the renowned legend by becoming a famous and respected surfer.

Eventually, talent scout Mikey Abromowitz arrives in Shiverpool scouting for surfers to compete in the Big Z Memorial Surf Contest. Cody joins the group of surfers, once he’s proven himself to Mikey, and quickly befriends Chicken Joe, an easy-going surfer from Wisconsin. Soon after arriving at Pen Gu Island (along with other prominent surfers Renato Mendes (Brazil), Rory Nubbins (Australia), and Tatsuhi Kobayashi (Japan)), Cody crosses paths with the local lifeguard named Lani Aliikai as she rescues the penguin child, Arnold, from “drowning.” Shortly thereafter, Cody has an altercation with the egotistical Tank “The Shredder” Evans, a large muscular penguin and nine time winner of the Big Z Competition, when he witnesses Tank hurling stones at Big Z’s memorial shrine. The disturbance catches the attention of promoter Reggie Belefonte, all too eager to allow Cody to challenge Tank to a surf-off on the spot. Unfortunately Cody’s inexperience with the challenges the competition has to offer leads to a terrible wipeout, and he is injured when he steps on a fire urchin. Lani takes Cody to the jungle home of a hermit called the Geek (voiced by Jeff Bridges) in order to get help for his injuries and to recuperate.

Upon waking up, Cody is quickly shooed out of Geek’s house. On the escort back, Cody realizes that he has lost his Big Z necklace. He shows Cody the route back to the beach, and leaves the young penguin be. A short time having passed, Geek has found Cody’s necklace in his hut and quickly returns to the path fork, finding Cody still sitting on the log, and returns the Big Z necklace. Geek then notices the log’s type, Koa (of which all the best surfboards are made), and decides to make Cody a surfboard.

While carrying the log back to Geek’s house, the two lose control of it and the log starts rolling down a cliff. The two run after it, and the young surfer notices what the cliff looks over: a beautiful and pristine beach. Unable to contain his curiosity, Cody treks down the steep cliff, inadvertently taking Geek with him. On the beach, Cody explores a toppled tree and soon realizes it houses several old surfboards, those of Big Z’s. Geek is seen investigating a dilapidated shack littered with messages of grief from Big Z’s fans, and from his reaction, Cody realizes that the Geek is Big Z.

Almost instantly, Cody’s excitement that his lifetime hero still lives is unleashed in a torrent of questions and theories as to what happened, much to the chagrin of Z, who quickly takes to hiding within his old home. Eventually Cody lures Z from the hut, having pulled Z’s old boards from their resting spot and attempting to surf with them out in the crystal blue ocean. Cody takes a few more wipeouts as he attempts to get Z in the water, but slowly manages to work tips from Big Z. Cody is told that he won’t be doing any surfing until he has made a board of his own.

Cody, eager to make his own board, is unwilling to listen to Z’s advice on making a surfboard. Z backs off, and allows Cody to pry his way through the wood, creating a “work in progress” gouged plank that quickly snaps once in the water. Cody becomes irritated and leaves the beach, leaving Z behind, Z all the time calling after Cody that he will come back. Cody runs into Lani, who reveals that she knew of Geek’s true persona, and that he was her uncle. Lani then takes Cody to a series of tubes in the island and after a thrilling race through the tubes and a “winning” landing in glow worm droppings, a shower, and a talk, Lani convinces Cody to return to Z. Cody complies, realizing his folly, and returns to Z’s beach, beginning work on a new surfboard under the bright moonlight.

In the morning, Z awakens Cody to start his training, but on land. Cody, initially irritated by the low-progress training, soon exclaims that he is “having fun.” Z then gives Cody the OK to go into the water, and joins him in the surfing. Lani soon arrives on the beach and joins the duo as they surf the rest of the day away.

In the evening, Cody asks Big Z to come and watch him surf in the Big Z Memorial Surf competition. Z is highly reluctant, becoming irritated with the questioning, but ashamedly reveals the truth behind his disappearance. Cody is in disbelief that his hero had given up. Tossing his necklace into the dark waves, Cody storms off, intending to win the contest alone. Cody continues through the forest and is caught in a trap set by the natives of Pen Gu Island. Chicken Joe appears, having been looking for Cody ever since his disappearance, and since had befriended and apparently traveling with the Pen Gu-ins, retrieves Cody just as the horn blows for the start of the Surf Off.

Taking the audience by surprise, the three finalists turn out to be Cody, Joe, and Tank. Tank attempts to take out Cody only to slip off his board. Tank is knocked out cold after colliding with some of the rocks, Lani coming to his rescue. Meanwhile, Cody is saved by Z, and together they swim back ashore. Z then reveals his presence to the crowd, and takes them to his beach to surf. Cody finishes talking with the documentary crew at this point and joins his friends in the water. The film ends with Z, Cody, Lani, and many others surfing the waves as the sun sets.

Cody’s brother Glen is seen mumbling and throwing the documentary crew’s equipment out of the window, ending the scene with “Go back to Hollywood!”

Surf’s Up has received generally positive reviews from critics, and the film is ‘Certified Fresh’ by rottentomatoes.com, with a 78% approval rating among reviews. Some noted that in spite of it coming so soon after many movies featuring penguins (March of the Penguins, Madagascar, and Happy Feet), it was able to stand out on its own.

Source: Wikipedia

Movie Review: Terminator Salvation

I watched two movies this weekend – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (I have already written about this) and Terminator Salvation. Here goes the review for Terminator Salvation.

Christian Bale takes the leads role while Arnold Schwarzenegger makes only guest appearance in the forth Terminator sequel.

In 2003, Dr. Serena Kogan (Helena Bonham Carter) of Cyberdyne Systems convinces death row inmate Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington) to sign his body over for medical research following his execution by lethal injection. One year later, the Skynet system is activated, perceives humans as a threat to its own existence, and eradicates much of humanity in the event known as Judgment Day (see Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines). In 2018, John Connor (Christian Bale) leads an attack by the Resistance on a Skynet base. John discovers human prisoners and plans for the development of a new type of Terminator incorporating living tissue, but is the only apparent survivor of the attack after the base is destroyed in a nuclear explosion. However, Marcus emerges from the wreckage of the base and proceeds on foot to Los Angeles.

John returns to Resistance headquarters located aboard a nuclear submarine and tells General Ashdown (Michael Ironside), the current leader, of his discovery. Meanwhile, the Resistance has discovered a radio frequency believed to be capable of shutting down Skynet machines. They plan to launch an offensive against the Skynet base in San Francisco in four days, in response to an intercepted “kill list” indicating that Skynet plans to kill the Resistance’s command staff in four days’ time. John learns that his own name is second on the list, following Kyle Reese. The Resistance leaders are unaware of Kyle’s importance to Skynet, but John knows that it is because Kyle will later become his father (see The Terminator). John meets with his officer Barnes (Common) and wife Kate (Bryce Dallas Howard) and sends radio broadcasts to Resistance members and surviving civilians around the world.

Arriving in the ruins of Los Angeles, Marcus is saved from a T-600 Terminator by Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) and his mute companion Star (Jadagrace Berry). Kyle relates to Marcus the events of Judgment Day and the ensuing war between humans and machines. Hearing John’s radio broadcast, the three leave Los Angeles in search of the Resistance. They survive an attack by machines, but Kyle, Star, and several other humans are taken prisoner, while a pair of Resistance A-10s is shot down. Marcus locates downed pilot Blair Williams (Moon Bloodgood) and they make their way to John’s base, but Marcus is wounded by a magnetic land mine. Attempting to save his life, the Resistance fighters discover that he is in fact a cyborg with human organs, a mechanical endoskeleton, circuitry, and a partially artificial cerebral cortex. Marcus believes himself to be human, demanding to be released so that he can save Kyle from Skynet, but John believes that Marcus had come to kill him and orders his destruction. However, Blair releases him and helps him to escape from the base. During the resulting pursuit Marcus saves John’s life from Skynet hydrobots, and the two form an alliance—Marcus will enter Skynet’s headquarters and attempt to disable its defenses so that John can rescue Kyle.

John demands that Ashdown delay the attack so that he can rescue Kyle and the other prisoners, but Ashdown refuses and relieves John of his command. However, John’s soldiers remain loyal to him and obey his command not to attack the Skynet base. Meanwhile, Marcus enters the base and interfaces with the computer, disabling the perimeter defenses and allowing John to infiltrate the cell block and release the human prisoners. The Resistance’s disabling signal is revealed to be a ruse, and the command submarine with the Resistance leaders aboard is destroyed by a Hunter-Killer.

Marcus discovers that he was created by Skynet and has unwittingly fulfilled his programmed mission to lure John into the base to be killed. He tears out the hardware linking him to Skynet and leaves to assist John in battling a T-800 model 101 Terminator. John is mortally wounded during the fight, but succeeds in destroying the Skynet base by rigging several Terminator hydrogen fuel cells to an explosive, detonating them as he, Marcus, Kyle, and Star are airlifted out. Kate attempts to save John’s life, but his heart is too damaged. Marcus offers his own heart for transplant, sacrificing himself to save John. Recovering, John radios to the other Resistance fighters that though this battle has been won, the war is far from over.

John Connor quotes at the end of the film, “There is no fate but what we make.”