Something random I wrote....

http://surabhireflects.blogspot.com/2011/09/rain-doesnt-fall-forever.html

Hansel & Gretel : Movie Review

Let me start off by saying Hansel & Gretel is not a horror movie - although it is marketed as one - nor is it a fairytale. It falls somewhere in between.

Hansel & Gretel is a Korean film directed by Yim Pil-Sung. The movie starts out well, gripping the viewers attention right from the start. The movie's protagonist Eunsu, meets with an accident on a deserted highway. When he regains consiousness a pretty girl named Younghee invites him to her house - a beautiful cottage in the middle of a forest - where she stays with her parents and two siblings. The cottage is every child's dream come true. Everything seems too perfect at first, but then he starts noticing little kinks in the perfection - the parents seem fidgety & nervous, one of the kids-Manbok seems to have a terrible temper & no matter how much he tries to get out of the forest, he keeps coming back to the cottege.

Things spiral downward when he wakes up one day to find a letter from the parents asking him to take care of the kids till they come back. The movie is visually stunning with great acting. It's a great take on the Hansel & Gretel story by the Grimm Brothers.

Viewers expecting a typical Asian Horror will be disappointed.

Stars : ***/5

Mausam Review

You feel a chill go down your spine as the lights dim and the name "Mausam" comes into focus. Expectations mount and the movie opens with a chilling narration of the Kashmir war in the early 1992 through a letter composed by a distraught father begging his sister to take care of his daughter. We are in Mallukot a remote village in Punjab where or lead actor Harry (Shahid Kapoor) is a mere lad of 17. Adrenalin charged and punjabi to the very core he awaits a letter from the Indian Air Force but instead ends up pining for the newly arrived Kashmir immigrant Aayat (Sonam Kapoor). Stolen glances, exchanged papers and secret meetings in the rain are the order of the day as the pair struggle with their feelings.

Soon enough they are torn apart to meet again after seven years in Scotland still pining for each other. There is Mozart, Ballet, coffee, midnight horse rides and lots of romance in the rainy nights.

This isn't enough as they are torn apart again and again till the director has had enough.

The first half of the movie is fresh and filled with light hearted moments only a close knitted village population can generate. These nuances are undoubtedly the best part of the film. After setting you into the initial comfort zone it falters in its story telling. There are too many separations and the situation is too old school. The major problems in the lives of the lead characters are caused by lack of communication which is difficult to believe in this era.

The director (Pankaj Kapur) has used every possible communal, Indo-Pak or even 9/11 situation in the background for the love story to grow. And there were considerably many since the film runs from 1992-2004. The attempt to make a classic love story seems forced.

Everything stands wasted in the last fifteen minutes of action packed climax.

The high point of the film is the cinematography by Binod Pradhan and he has the chance to capture the lush fields of punjab, the brick lanes of Scotland, the snow terrain of Switzerland and most importantly all the Air Force sequences.

In terms of acting, Shahid Kapoor is excellent as the lively punjabi teen, the lover and the uber serious Squadron Leader. He also manages to look good through out the film. Sonam Kapoor is a pretty face but her lack lustre voice and lost expressions don't get her anywhere. Supriya Pathak and Anupam Kher are wasted in their roles.

The sound track is pleasing to the ear and fits beautifully in the first half.

Mausam is not a bad film. It is a genuine movie and a must for all the Shahid Kapoor fans. It transports you into the slow world of old romance but then again it took too much liberty to remain there.

How NOT to speak and other things i don't know

Whats good fellow writers? Its that time of the month again - when i come out of hibernation and post something really politically incorrect. (With apologies to my orthodox contemporaries).

Stepping on toes is easy. All you have to do is speak your mind. Most times we hold back and nod along, or coat our opinions with layers of sucrose - deception is crucial in any relationship.

So what does that mean to us as writers? Where's the line between acceptable and offensive? And how far is too far? This article intends to raise more such questions in the minds of my contemporaries. Finding answers is the next step.

Most of us writers who've grown up feeding off books have absorbed some of the values and ideas expressed in their pages. Some of us have made those ethics our own, shaping our philosophies around ideals. Some of us are more influenced by the "pragmatic" thinking that society instills in us. We all have a conscience that is as individual and different as ourselves. But what of our collective conscience? The code of ethics we follow as members of our professional community?

The way humans perceive the world is changing faster than I can think up a metaphor to describe it. With opinions battling it out in every media possible, how does a writer express himself and manage to avoid ruffling a lot of feathers?

Shouldn't there be one simple rule that can guide the turn of phrase in our pieces?

Unfortunately for us, the difficult task of laying down a fresh and relevant professional etiquette has been bequeathed to our generation of growing writers (God forgive the present media today for selling out!).

While many of our articles can and will be misunderstood, the most we can do is make sure the INTENTION behind our writing comes across clearly. That, at the moment, seems to be one of the best safeguards against ignorant criticism. For instance, if one were to employ sarcasm or satire in their article, and their intention is put across properly then they'll have no problem. (Or not much of a problem. Hopefully.). Smh.

Writing, apart from having therapeutic qualities also has a social responsibility. A life without dreams and ideals is second-rate living. Be a writer of principle.

Have answers to the questions raised today? I'd like to know. Post them in your comments.

Agenda this Wednesday!

Hello Writers,

I have finally managed to send most of you invitations and inshallah this blog will go about in full swing from now on.

To the best of my knowledge the only people from our club who attended YICOF were Me, Lekha and Vaishnavi. That is a pity because there was a very informative seminar by Ms. Aparna Malladi on screen writing for beginners and the art of story telling.

Since this week will be our last class before the vacation, I have managed to compile a PPT highlighting some of the important things mentioned by her and will try to recreate them in Wednesdays class with Lekha and her friend's help if they wish to.

Please make it!

Welcome Writers

Hello fellow writers,
This is to be our blog from now onwards.
Our writing can start as soon as most of us on are on board.
Meanwhile, a subtle reminder to start working with your group on the scripts. We should have them by Wednesday and have two more days in hand.
Looking forward to an exciting session!

P.S: Hello Rafi!