doublespacedhead

Can't help!

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:44:28 GMT

Wise men say,
only fools rush in...

But I can't help,
falling in love with you...

And it's Hulk. Err� Psycho. No, wait, I think it's Ghajini. Hey! It's Memento. Ummm�

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:22:02 GMT

I suppose you know by now which D O U B L E S P A C E D movie I'm talking about. If you don't, it's really not your fault. I was pretty confused when I watched it too. But the film I'm about to review is called Ghajini. (The Hindi one - just making sure we're on the same page!)

So let's get the riff raff out first. This is a point in Jiah Khan's life when she most certainly needs to look for another career option. Acting, as is obvious, is not her cup of tea, at least not in Hindi cinema. (Yes Jiah, we know you detest movies that involve you dancing around trees, but you could at least try speaking in Hindi!)

Asin; new to Hindi cinema too, but slightly more promising than Jiah Khan. So, when Director A. R. Murugadoss tells her about her character, she goes home and studiously watches Amelie 12 times to try and get the character right. Keep going Asin, we're sure you'll get there someday! But like I said, she's better than Jiah, although that's not saying much.

Pradeep Rawat, who plays Ghajini, brings back memories of 80�s and early 90�s Hindi films where the villain wore copious amounts of gold jewellery and had no real reason to be the villain. While this may be a very good thing for a movie like Main Hoon Na or Om Shanit Om, which do not claim to be serious cinematic experiences, in Ghajini, this is one of the first things that let�s us down. Although, it must be said that Rawat wasn�t exactly bad at what he was asked to do.

Aamir Khan. We�ve all known him to be the �perfectionist� and �the thinking actor�. But these oft used titles don�t quite fit with this film. And that, by no means, is a comment on his acting skills. Because yours truly has also put himself through the Tamil version of the movie that was made about two years ago, and Aamir certainly lifts this one a few notches. All in all, Aamir is, well, mind-blowing in this flick.

Let us now come to the one man that can make or break a movie, the director. Unfortunately, in this case, he�s only helped break the movie, in irreparable ways. And the reason for this seems to be a lack of vision in A. R. Murugadoss�s mind. One gets the feeling that he watched Memento and wanted, as soon as he could, to make his own rendition of it. Turns out he didn�t quite think things through before going on the floor with Ghajini. If we just took the movie piece by piece, we�d know why.

To begin with, things have been oversimplified and spelt out in this film. And in spite of the fact that many would go as far as to call this a suspense thriller, we already know who Sanjay Singhania (Aamir) is after. So, that�s that for the suspense quotient of this film.

Also, I just logged no to the internet to do a little research on Aterograde Amnesia (that�s what Singhania suffers from) and found that there is absolutely no way in which the patient�s memory span can be clearly defined. So, instead of �he can only remember things for F-I-F-T-E-E-N minutes�, it could just be �he can�t remember things for very long�. That doesn�t take too much, does it? Moreover, ambiguity is the one premise that every good suspense thriller rests on, no?

To come to Aamir�s eight-pack-abs. Good job, sir. But why exactly? I should very much like to know why someone needs to go and build that kind of a hulky frame when all it needs to blow heads off is a gun! Even if we leave out this humble blogger�s personal opinion out, what exactly is the reason for those abs, apart from making great promotional news, of course?

Let us now relate my views to what actually happens in the movie. Singhania, after having his brains blown out, becomes this all-out psychotic man, who cannot remember things for too long. So he starts getting things tattooed on his body. He gets by with a little help from a Polaroid camera. All understandable so far. And then there�s Murugadoss�s touch. Singhania starts scribbling violent graffiti on the same wall. Just a little something to think about here. Already he can�t remember things, and to add to that, there�s random scribblings on a wall that�s supposed to let him know the people whose pictures it holds. I�m quite as much as confused as Singhania should have been.

Now, finally, the biggest problem with this film. The absolute lack of sensitivity. One can understand that Singhania�s only means to cool himself off is to kill Ghajini and keep a photograph of the event. However, there is not a frame where he thinks about Kalpana (Asin) and feels sad about what happened. Murugadoss seems to have discounted the fact that the biggest reason for anger is sadness. And although, it�s fair for Singhania to not feel guilty about killing a few dozen unrelated people, he is not once shown thinking about it, not even within fifteen minutes of realizing it.

All in all, Ghajini is not particularly a good movie, or even a highly entertaining one.

Driven to tears...

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:23:11 GMT

I switched on the TV,

I�m watching the news,

As the city�s neck

Is caught in a noose

There�s blood on the floor

And holes in the wall,

A teenage gunman�s

havin� a ball

But I�m still havin� a beer

I�m still havin� a beer.

Crouching reporters

and passers by,

Cops and commandoes

and the RAF guys

Miles away

There�s just me and my screen,

Driven to tears

By this inhuman scene.

So, I�m havin� a beer,

I said I�m havin� a beer.

Is peace

Too much to ask for she says?

I stare at the screen

And I stare at her face

I don�t know the answer,

Or a way out

I don�t know what spirit

They�re talking about

I don�t know what too much

Means anymore

I don�t know if my city�s

Terrorism�s whore

What�s my reaction?

What should it be?

What does it have

To do with me?

I guess I�ll have another beer.

Said I�ll have another beer

The opposition�s out

They�re lashing their tongue

The government as usual,

Is cleaning the dung

VOTE FOR US,

Is all I can see

As I surf the channels

On my TV

So I�m still havin� a beer

Yes I�m still havin� a beer.

I can�t change the world,

So I lie here,

And I�m still havin� my beer.

Oh that cold bottle of beer

Yes I�m still havin� a beer

And I�ll keep on havin� my beer,

I�ll keep on living in fear�

Thank you Sting, thank you Farha.

Doctor... There's an emergency

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:50:35 GMT

Doctor, I know you're very busy, but there's an emergency you must attend to.

Where is it?

Just a two-minute auto ride away.

What is it?

My grandmother, see, she's 85 years old. She's had a fall in the bathroom. And there's no elevator in my building. Could you please come and have a look at her.

I don't do house visits.

But it's an emergency, doctor. I wouldn't call you home for a common cold.

I said I don't do house visits.

But you're a doctor.

Exactly, I'm not a door-to-door salesman.

Precisely! I wouldn't call one of them for a medical emergency.

Mind it, boy! I've told you once that I'm not going to go to your house.

SLAP ACROSS THE MAN'S FACE.

You know what the worst part of this entire incident is? Even after receiving a slap from someone 20 years younger, the doctor didn't feel an iota of guilt.

Fucking businessmen, those!

The Legend continues...

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:25:33 GMT

He may be legendary, but that does not stop the dog from being foolish. He still chases street cars, knowing fully well that no car will stop.

---

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:40:14 GMT

rrbmusiclover92 | July 14, 2008 8:59 AM EST

Aqualung from Jethro Tull, Heartbreaker, Black Dog, Since Ive Been Lovin You from Led Zeppelin, and More Than A Feeling from Boston are missing as well!

rrbmusiclover92 | July 14, 2008 8:54 AM EST

No All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix?? And I thought this was a list of the greatest songs ever, and AATW didnt even make top 100, mman, I must be in the wrong list!

rrbmusiclover92 | July 14, 2008 8:47 AM EST

I forgot to mention Metallica. Fade to Black, One, and The Four Horsemen should be up there.

rrbmusiclover92 | July 14, 2008 8:42 AM EST

Man this list aint right... How do you make a 100 Greatest Guitar Song list and not include Deep Purple... Looks like RS hasn't ever heard Smoke On The Water, which, in my opinion, is the most popular guitar riff ever! Also Highway Star should have been included. Another thing that bothers me is the lack of more Van Halen songs. Sure, Eruption is sick, but Hot For Teacher, Mean Street, and Im The One are way much better. Also, how could they not include Cliffs Of Dover by Eric Johnson... One of the best intrumental songs EVER! What bothers me the most is the Pink Floyd subject... How do you include Money and not include Hey You, Have A Cigar, Wish You Were Here, and Comfortably Numb... Money is one of my favorite songs ever, but its more a greatest ROCK song, not guitar song! Also Green Grass And High Tides by The Outlaws is missing, great southern rock performance! And finally, Mr. Crowley by Ozzy Osbourne, give Randy Rhoads a little more credit for his great work in so little time.

mgssol | July 13, 2008 7:29 PM EST

besides U2 anything past 75 is crap

mgssol | July 13, 2008 7:28 PM EST

God i hate modern music.

mpf1 | July 13, 2008 2:33 PM EST

My 2 cents: There is a difference between Greatest Guitar Songs and Most Important. "You Really Got Me" at #4? Unquestionably important. I was playing bands back then, and this just blew us away. But #4 Greatest Song? Not. Meanwhile, "Born Under a Bad Sign" only 62? Was there ever a riff blatantly stolen more frequently? A lot of your list I don't think belongs here, but I'll give you your opinions. However, I gotta ask you to go back and listen to the great Paul Revere singles, especially "Just Like Me." No one had ever layered lead Fender licks like that - absolutely belongs in Top 100. And those radio-blasting chords of "Jumping Jack Flash". And ...

Need I say more about the new Rolling Stone '100 Greatest Guitar Songs' list?

The reign ends... but for how long?

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:54:30 GMT

So, Roger Federer is no more the reigning Wimbledon Champion, thanks to some great tennis played last night. Rafael Nadal was brilliant on court. Right from the beginning, Federer was tested. To quote FedEx from an earlier interview, "He (Nadal) is amazing on clay, and he is becoming increasingly dangerous on grass." And finally it turned out that Nadal did beat Federer to become the new Wimbledon champion.

But it wasn't so easy as it may turn out in news reports that try their level best to write Roger off. It was, for lack of a better phrase, a nail-biting finish. Nadal did gobble up the first two sets, but the third and especially the fourth were as close as it has been since the great Borg-McEnroe final in 1980. (Yours truly wasn't even thought of then, but many thanks to YouTube). As it turned out in the end, the board read 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5/7) 6-7 (8/10) 9-7, in favour of Rafa.

But here's a little word for enthusiastic journalists who have started on their assignments on writing Federer off. Take it easy. Because a championship lost isn't a great player lost. I truly admire Nadal's tennis, but watching FedEx in motion is another thing altogether!

The dot.

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:18:19 GMT

What does a dot mean to you?

Not much, I suppose. Just a mark. A separation between numbers. Something above a Latin letter. The end of a sentence. A spot. A speck. A thing.

To me, it means the world.

Dear old television and its dear old news channels. Oh wait! Dear old newspapers too...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:50:36 GMT

Sometimes I feel that the good old 27 minute bulletin on Doordarshan was so much better than the 24X7 news channels that yell about today. Sometimes, I also feel that the good old 16 page Times of India was so much better than the 40 page all colour compact international version today. And I'm not even 40 yet.

Tata's Nano is showcased on Aaj Tak as if 400 new cars on Bombay's streets weren't bad enough. Arushi has become a household name as if it wasn't bad enough for her to get murdered at her age. The importance of standard ten marks is showcased on frontpages as if students weren't stressed enough already. The anchor of Sansani talks as if my father didn't yell enough at me when I was a kid. Stupid game shows are broadcast as if just simple cricket and football weren't good enough. Tulsi dies and reincarnates as if the world wouldn't go on without her. Rakhi Sawant continues her yelling as if her looks weren't bad enough. Abhishek Bachchan dances like an idiot in cellphone advertisements as if his acting weren't bad enough.

Sometimes, I think ignorance really must be bliss.

A d o u b l e s p a c e d review...

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:38:20 GMT

So, it's been a while now. I hope all's well with the readers of this humble blog. This might turn out to be a rather lengthy post, so, as the BMC would say, 'kindly bear with us'.

This review is about Sarkar Raj. This is a sequel to what was a marginally better movie. There are many factors that let this movie down. Let us begin with the actors. The main cast consists of Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan. They do not act in this movie. They mumble things to themselves and to each other.

Amitabh Bachchan, in many of his scenes, says the same thing over and over again. The line sounds something like, "Bhhhgrr rgrgm ha bhum shibsh sarkaar bhhfgrr." In one such scene he reminds one of Marlon Brando. Unfortunately, the reason for the reminder is bad acting. 'Damn, he's trying so hard' yells the voice in one's head.

Abhiskeh Bachchan tries to be an intense actor. Needless to say, he fails miserably. He tries to set the screen on fire by looking directly into the camera's lense with an expression that's meant to scare someone, or possibly to create some kind of respect for 'the transformed man'. But what is achieved is laughter.

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan is great. She has been given scenes that she can portray best. Look at the actor with dreamy eyes when he's thinking about murdering someone, cry when he's dead, cry when her father's dead, et. al. So, she does that very well.

Cut to the director. Ram Gopal Varma. Honestly, one does not know his real reasons for making this movie. There are some options, though. Proving a pointless point such as 'The Bachchans can act', for instance. Or 'Background scores can make a movie a box office hit', or possible even, 'Confusion towards the end is a great technique in filmmaking'. There are endless such possible reasons for the making of this so called movie. But I'd like to think that RGV has made it with one particular reason in mind. 'I'm not doen with my worst yet'. Yes, that, I think, is the precise reason for the very making of this film.

There are also some secondary factors that let this two and a half hour amateur flick down. Background music leads from the front. The sene where Amitabh Bachchan rolls down the car window, for instance. It sure takes a genius to think that some great drum-roll might be necessary in a shot lke that. Or even for every other scene where there is no real requirement for it. The abuse of Dolby's digital sound can be clubbed with this point. The very first scene involves shots of an SUV entering a house. For some reason, this SUV just roars away, even when it is at a speed of 10kph at best. This was the prime reason I could not put myself to sleep in spite of the lack of a story or script or acting or scenes...

Shot selection is a close runner up. One can understand the need for shots that depict power, strength and even menace. But then what's the point of a shot where you can't see anyone on screen, because there is solar flare all over it. One is all for film noir and just listening to voices on screen, but the reason for that musn't be the cinematographer's incompetence.

The wasting of people that can actually act. People who played Somji and Vora seemed much better actors than any of the so called lead cast. But their roles were simply wasted away, making them fools who like to hum Bollywood tunes or stereotypical netas who generally give speeches on mute and constantly drink water from packaged water bottles.

So far, this is all I have to say about this filmmaking attempt. If there is more I can think of, I shall certainly post it here.

Keep watching this d o u b l e s p a c e.