2017 – Oxidized and rusting

I am dusting my keyboard. Really.. And that happens to be the case with my writing skills. It all looks like a hung-over morning that has questions like “where am I ? what did I do ?” . Or I am just Rip Van Winkle.

Just like the habit of writing being lost so deliberately through indulgences… I couldn’t even recall what other good habits or hobbies I had before. I mean.. Was it just me ? Raise your hand if your 2017 was like the role of Tamannah in Bahubali 2.

What has changed in my life in the last 9 months ?

Nothing.

That’s the scariest part because when I look back at my older posts, I think I was on to something till February –  was progressing or at least moving ahead. The time from where I left to where I am now is baffling and highly depressing. But the world has kept itself on it’s tracks. More idiots falling prey to religion. More women mistaking the concept of Feminism and eventually more men hitting back at them. More pollution and more of such things which only made me ask for a apocalypse. I simply did not see any  reassuring event in the last 9 months except my new born niece.

Damn ! Such negativity.

Fret not my consciousness, I am back to this space . A good sign !

Since it has been established that the recent past has been void, let me just try to pen down what positivism can be laid in front of me (seriously ? “laid” ?).

Evidently, writing should be back. Log or diary or therapy – “Writing” or more precisely “blogging” could be one of the constructive ideas.

Riding. What’s the point if you own an RE Bullet and made only 6.7k kms only in an year. I have only a few months left before I get imprisoned ( boring cliche about marriage) and I need to make best use of whatever time I have left. So riding is on cards. ( go on and say “writing” and “riding” together 3 times)

Books. The habit of reading. Where were you my love. You could assuage any kind of mental trauma ( sometimes self-inflicted ). I regret losing you and would do anything to get you back.

Movies. This time I am gonna put words into action (close ones who are laughing.. smack you). I want to start reading screenplays and not just watch movies. I had gone through the screenplay of a short-film and realized that screenplay is your story taking a new form and how it structures itself in each frame. Story not equal to Screenplay (so add a ‘go back’ call to the object  – Reading).

F&F – Friends & Family. How much of precious time have I denied you and myself ( might start swearing and use the upper case words on myself ) .. You all are important and I am clueless as to what I was doing in the last 9 months. The saddest part in any addiction is now knowing that one is addicted. I just reminded myself after a long time  that “love” is two ways and I sincerely would express it to you all as much as I can.

The last notification read ‘You have 50 followers” in WordPress. Thanks people !

If you have any words, just feel free and leave a comment.

 

 

 

The first big ride : Love for Ghats

A long-short write-up on the 1700 Km ride ( Feb 2nd to Feb 8th )… ( Photos here )

I had been talking about a trip to Megamalai to Mano and BIL for almost six months and unfortunately neither of them could make it when the ride was planned finally. The itinerary was like this.

Day 1 : Chennai to Namakkal( home )
Day 2 : Namakkal to Megamalai
Day 3: Megamalai to Vagamon
Day 4 : Vagamon to Munnar
Day 5: Munnar to Namakkal
Day 6: Namakkal to Pondicherry
Day 7 : Pondicherry to Chennai

Pondicherry was never in the first plan and it had replaced Kodaikanal on Day 4. I am to be blamed for missing Kodaikanal as I had nearly coerced Sunny to change the riding plan. Nevertheless, the ride was memorable. Some near-death experiences and quite a few interesting people during the trip.

The day before the ride needs to be forgotten because there were many last minute confusions. Let’s get on with the Day 1 already.

<- O ->

Day 1: Familiar roads

We started off from Chennai around 5.30 from Perundgudi ( our default starting point now for any trip ) in two Royal Enfield bikes – Mano’s Classic 350 (BLU) and my Electra ( SKY ). Since RE’s were new to Sunny Raj , I had decided to maintain 90 or 100 as top speed for the first 100 kms. We had pit-stops every 60 kms and had reached Namakkal roughly around 12 PM. It was highways for most part of the ride – at least 300 kms and highways ride is a piece of cake if one is careful.

This is a road I have taken twice now on bike. A couple more and I will know the speed breakers and turns by heart.
We stayed the night to start to Meghamalai on Day 2. We had everything planned and both of us were excited about the next destination.

Day 2: Nightmare

We started from Namakkal around 6 AM to our next destination – Meghamalai ( roughly translates to ‘mountain of clouds’). The route was simple : Namakkal – Dindigul – Theni – Chinnamanur – Megamalai. It was National highways till Dindigul and then a little stretch of some picturesque State highways. We rode between small hills that covered the Sun which made the first 5 hours of ride a comfortable one. When we took a detour to Chinnamanur from Theni, we had no idea that the next 18 hours were gonna be a litlle bitter and unforgettable.

What is your worst nightmare ? While you read the next few lines of this day 2, try bringing your nightmare as the backdrop.

The roads to Meghamalai were the worse I have ever taken. It could not be called as ‘roads’ in the first place. No one gave us a heads-up ( the people who helped us with the route, the hotel manager ). It was just a path. We had to ride fighting the pits, sharp broken stones and mud. The Sun was up and it was like 30 degrees. We were sweating and at the verge of calling it off but neither of us spoke about it at the pit-stops. The road had tested our patience and drove us insane.

I had almost rode it standing on the footrest for the balance( for this feat, I had lost my wallet ). We had not noticed our hotel riding uphill and reached the Highways Dam. The forest rangers instructed to ride downhill for another 4 kms to find our hotel. This is where I came to know that I had lost my wallet. It just couldn’t get any better I thought. We rode downhill to find our next disappointment – our hotel. (A precious piece of advice guys – Book only in Travel sites like Makemytrip, Goibibo – do not book from the hotel’s website. You will be fooled. And stay near the Highways dam. It’s better there and you have lots for sight-seeing and trekking)

The hotel was nasty, very small and the food was the worst. But when the sight of riding downhill flashed before my mind, I dropped the idea of leaving the hotel. A talkative and a little interesting young lad for a housekeeper kept it going for a while. We got bored, sat outside the hotel right on the roadside. The temperature in the night was somewhere near 15 to 20 degrees. How we managed to sleep in that shady hotel is now a debatable question.
We started early – sometime around 7 AM and reached Chinnamanur at 8.15 AM ( no pit-stops ). Keeping aside the wallet loss, I was so relieved and thought this road itself was an achievement no matter how the next few days were going to be.

Day 3: Love for the Curve

We had to do something about my lost wallet. We rode back to Theni ( 16 km from Chinnamanur ) to find a browsing center to block my cards and arrange for a driving license copy. All the haste and tension cost us 2 hours and we decided to have lunch at ‘Hotel Everest’. Man, that is some biriyani you shouldn’t miss when you are in Theni. We even went for a second plate of Biriyani and that somehow lifted our spirits and we were back on the road 😀 . The route was : Theni – Chinnamanur – Kambam – Kumuli – Elapara – Vagamon. When we reached Kambam, we stopped for fuel. The roads were awesome – a landscape of paddy fields, a very few vineyards ( though not vine exactly ) and the hinting hills of Western Ghats.
We started from Kambam towards Kumuli ( here comes my favorite part of the ride ). I never knew Kumuli itself was a mini-hill station. The roads were broad and covered with foliage on both sides for most part of the route. There are some risky curves, but the drivers were sensible and I simply loved the ride from Kambam to Kumuli. It was a small stretch though but we already started to feel the temperature drop. We had tea at Kumuli and started off to Elapara – where our next stop was planned.

The good thing about Western Ghats is that it is a continuous stretch for a while. There is no climbing up – you are only going to ride and ride with the terrains showing up ahead and around and all-over. The curves look never-ending and though the roads are smooth, they are small and challenging.

So we managed to maintain 40 to 50 kmph in the ghats riding up to Elapara and from there to Vagamon. Here is where I came very close to meeting my Maker but then it was luck and reflex that saved me from what might have come.

It was a blind curve where there was the deep valley to my left ( no barricade or railings across this stretch ) and the hills towards my right. On this curve, I had to turn a small right and there was this truck ( a tempo van ) from nowhere. I had come inches close to the headlight and maneuvered to my extreme left just close to the edge of the road and the driver hit his brakes close to his left almost grazing the hills. We didn’t know whose mistake it was because the road was so narrow that only one truck could go. No exchange of words but only a smile and we continued as if we just crossed each other casually. Thanks to my Maker.

We reached Vagamon around 3 PM and found our hotel. It was a good one and the host was a cool guy. Basically it was a home-stay at an affordable price just 1 km from the town area. We dozed off and met an interesting old man at Vagamon town just near the Police Station. If you are basically from TN and you need some help, visit the tea shop near the Police station.

We had a great evening – a much deserved one and a tasty dinner – Chappathis, Parottas with Chicken Curry from the hotel we stayed. After a small walk in the tea plantations outside the hotel and a heavenly kadala curry – puttu breakfast the next morning, we started off to Munnar.

Day 4: The higher hill

We had to go via Nedunkanadam and Devikulam to reach Munnar ( there are actually half a dozen routes to Munnar from Vagamon and it is easy you are circling to your route again and again ). Till Nedunkandam, it was the curves and foliage again – another great stretch that would linger in our minds. We stopped for tea at Nedunkandam and from there on there was only a single route from Munnar – no confusions or doubts. Almost half way from Nedunkandam, I thought I was in familiar ghat roads and hills – the altitude clearly ascending that I could feel each kilometre. All of a sudden, I thought there was traffic and we had to over take here and there. Kumuli to Vagamon and Vagamon to Nedunkandam had not much of vehicles. But this reminded the usual trips to Ooty and Kodaikanal. The lush green tea plantations started showing up and the temperature drop adding to the thrill. A few kilometres before Devikulam, we could see Munnar town area and I am sure Sunny shouted ‘yay !!’ . That was the second ‘yay moment’ in the four days.

The hotel was easy to find and we walked in the evening and had some warm soup and Quail eggs fry ( highly recommending the quail egg fry ). We had a decent dinner and when we almost reached the hotel, we saw two brawling and had to intervene between the two guys as one had teased the other’s wife. Some tension there but luckily the one who teased had apologized and they were on their way with some exchange of words. (Honestly, I had no clue how he found his gut to tease someone’s wife when his 8 year old kid was walking with him).

Day 5: New destination was on cards

The next morning, I had almost decided to go for ‘Rock Papers and Scissors’ to choose Kodaikanal or Pondicherry, but Sunny had conveniently accepted to Pondicherry which was a new idea I had proposed. We decided to stop at home, stay for a night and start to Pondicherry.

We tied the bungee cords and started off at 11 AM towards Namakkal. We had to take Udumalpet – Tharapuram – Kangeyam- Kodumudi route. Only a small stretch was the actual steep ghats on this route. The route from Vagamon to Munnar and from Munnar to Udumalpet are entirely different – we felt we were at two different regions.

We stopped at the Lakkam falls – a refreshing sight and a great choice for a pit-stop ( you had to stop here ). I had been to this falls earlier but one more time couldn’t hurt our schedule. After all, who said no to a Water-falls ?

We had crossed Chinnar wildlife sanctuary and some wavy deserted roads. The wildlife ( which were existent a few years back ) must have used this road to cross to the other side.

Not just Chinnar but in almost all the Wildlife sanctuaries, there are only boards that say ‘Wildlife’ but no real animals. In Meghamalai, they are blasting the rocks using ammunitions and the hotel guys told us these Roadways department literally drove off the animals. We have encroached their lands for hotels, resorts ( and by some super-hyped meditation centers and false-ideology-propagating-priests). In about a decade we are going to have the temperature in the hills same as that of the plains. And we are not going to see any wildlife then.

Let’s get back to the travelogue – there was some miscommunication near Kangeyam but we chilled off and reached home at 4.30. These were familiar state highways and it was a enjoyable ride after Muthur.

Home sweet home – a refreshing bath and dinner and we slept off early. A sleep that we deserved.

(My mom doesn’t really give a nod for roadtrips but I am sure she keeps praying for me whenever I am on the roads 🙂 )

Day 6 : Bienvenue

The ghats were over now officially and it was ‘Highway is My Way’ again. We started at 10 AM and it was only highways from Perambalur till Villupuram. We stopped once in a while – and we chose the places with trees and no shops.

I choose such places because that is where you could sit and rest watching the vehicles going by. Frankly, Sunny didn’t bother which place I chose to stop for tea or anything because he seemed to be contended with whatever I decided. Such should be your fellow-riders. I remember being one like Sunny whenever ‘bro’ rides with me. (Villupuram to Pondy will test your sanity a little – because you cannot average more than 50 kmph. Also, the Pondy folks are running short of road-sense nowadays )

We reached the hotel around 2 PM and I should admit – the hotel for that price – we were really lucky. We simply relaxed and checked out a few shops and places before my favorite roadside food joint.

Try this road-side shop ‘Rolex’ near Ram’s international – you can get Parotta – Mutton paya combo that you will remember whenever someone says ‘Pondy’ – no exaggeration. It used to be tastier before but you should still try.

After a satisfying dinner, we slept off around 11 as we had planned a early morning walk.

Day 7 : Wrapping it up

We woke up late and groggy and went to the restaurant near the Beach for Tea after a walk. So far, we had completed 1500 kms of roads.
Sunny wanted to visit the Aurobindo ashram and so we did. ( Of late, I am questioning more and more about Gods and stuff and a man being deified is something I really didn’t appreciate ). We checked out and hit the ECR around 2 PM. It was only 120 kms to Perungudi from there and we were not in a hurry. We had initially planned to two stops in between but only took one ( in a desperation that we didn’t find a good tea shop in the last 60 kms ).

We were not exhausted because of the ride and I actually wanted the trip to go on and on. Returning back to the normal life didn’t interest me but there was never any choice other than to head back to Chennai.

We reached Perungudi (Chennai ) at 4 PM and that was the end of our ride. Our two RE motorcycles might have given a sigh of relief 😀

<- O ->

When I try to call the best moments from the 1700 km ride ( Feb 2nd till Feb 8th ), a few minutes of my ride flash and fade away in front of my eyes – the longest stretch of curvy roads from Kumuli to Vagamon,the soul breaking Meghamalai roads, the eye-candy Kumuli and of course the adventurous Munnar roads.

A seven days to be remembered for a long time in life. Road trips are a cliched fun activity nowadays. But I should say I was very happy about what I had just done – a 1700 km ride. Two years back, I had no idea on what road-trips meant. Now, I have been on three trips already and I have learnt quite a few stuff. Priceless experience and a load of memories.

The mind is just rooting to get back on the road again ! 😦

 

Day 11 : Limitless

I am just back from a road trip. Man… !! It definitely needs a write-up. Let’s come to that later. 

Limitless is a thriller/ sci-fi drama starring Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish   (😍) and  Robert De Nirodirected by Neil Burger.

A desperate or rather aimless writer Eddy Morra accidentally comes across a pill that enhances brain capabilities which helps him achieve extraordinary feats in stock market and also in personal life. He soon atracts media attention and also a stock market giant Van Loon. No good thing comes without side effects and so does this pill. Eddy can’t get off it because he’d die if he tries to get rid of the addiction. There are people who are behind this pill and it is inevitable that Eddy gets caught. He is stalked and almost killed towards the end but is saved by the pill itself and it appears as a convincing but sorta anticlimax. 
It’s an interesting storyline and plot. For a while, I was glued to the seat. The pill helps you recall memories from the depths of your brain and you’re a Martial art specialist, an interesting tenant and a great lover once you take the pill. Imagine this in reality ! 

The movie is in the narrative style and Bradley Cooper does it – no qualms. The editing and cinematography were equally good and I couldn’t complain. Somewhere in the middle, the suspense seemed to fade off and we are relaxed watching the movie. It could be the delay where the director fails to switch the ‘now’ and ‘back then’ parts. Otherwise, this is an interesting movie. 
7/10.  Recommending if off-beat streak is boring you. 

Day 10: The man from U.N.C.L.E

The Man from U.N.C.L.E is an action thriller directed by Guy Ritchie starring Henry Cavill, Arnie Hammer and Alicia Vikander. 

In the early Cold War era, a Russian agent and an American spy are assigned to find a German Nuclear scientist who’s working with a Nazi group. The scientist’s daughter aides the duo in finding her father. The Russian and the American have ego issues and are at loggerheads but later work together as both governments want them to find this scientist and secure a nuclear warhead which he has built. What follows is a brief but thrilling action block with a decent climax.
If you are a Guy Ritchie fan, you will be disappointed with this movie. He has ventured into a new area but it didn’t turn out to be his usual stylish movie. The screenplay in the first half was sloppy and no ‘edge of the seat’ moments. At least, there is a always humor laced throughout in his other movies but in this, it’s here and there. This is where action and wit should have filled the gaps. 

Henry Cavill as Superman itself is still sinking slowly in the mind but you have to accept him as an American spy ? Please. On the other hand, Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander are a delight to watch. Armie Hammer plays a huge, well built, talented but sensitive Russian agent who has had a bad childhood and he suffers occasional psychotic trauma. He does this quite well.I don’t wanna describe Alicia’s role but she is cool as usual (except for the latest Bourne franchise in which they had no idea on how to use her skills). 

The cinematography is good and the background score makes it somehow.

They relate to the movie title only at the end. Seriously, why ?

Over all – watchable . 7/10.

Day 9: The Magnificent Seven

“The Magnificent Seven” is another Western-Cowboy action movie set in the post-Civil War timeline.

Bartholomew Bogue is a cynical, ambitious industrialist who has his interests in the small mining village of Rose Creek. He kills anyone who protests his activities and wants to rob them of their lands for a cruel price. One of them who lost a loved one to Bogue’s atrocities,  decides to hire Sam Chisolm, a bounty hunter to stand against this tyrant and he employs six more men for the job. The villagers with the Magnificent Seven take on Bogue and his well armed cavalry and justice is served.

I have watched a handful of Western theme movies such as ‘The Hateful Eight’, ‘The Good, Bad and the Ugly’, ‘Unforgiven’ and a few more. This flick goes to the last in my list in all terms.

The casting includes Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Haley Bennett and a few other actors who are not much familiar faces. Denzel Washington as a lawman would have suited the script, but as a bounty hunter – only QT’s guys nail the roles. Chris Pratt is the usual rascal type Cowboy and is himself making his presence worthwhile. Haley is the mourning widow but no one woos her till the end except for Chris Pratt’s occasional flirting. Even the villain isn’t intimidating much and he looks bored like us. This movie could have hit a home run for native Texas or Western genre lovers. But other than that, this is a stale story-line. Gun slinging, Western stand off with Colts – no, you need more than that.

What did they get right ? The small but convincing set. The climax alone runs 30 minutes – that is too long, yet, it looked like a mini battle. The cinematography was decent but the BGM could have been better. QT and Clint Eastwood focus on these two because if you are making a movie that is not in a contemporary time frame, you need to get the audience to that era which needs the BGM, artwork and Cinematography.

My Rating – 5.5/10. Not recommending it.

 

Why the Tamil struggle for Jallikattu is historic

Hajarduari

All over Tamil Nadu, tens of thousands of people, largely not under any political party banner, have assembled in protest. The most widely broadcasted protests are from Marina beach. That massive protest at Marina beach is actually very small compared to ones happening in other parts of Tamil Nadu including Madurai, Erode, Salem and Coimbatore. And its not only big cities but small towns and villages, where such protests are taking place – thus uniting the length and breadth of Tamil Nadu in its demand “We want Jallikattu”, which is both a cultural demand and a political demand. Thousands of people had assembled from last night in protests, but “national media” didn’t live-telecast this since this was not Delhi and hence didn’t matter to the “nation”. As the day progressed on 18^th January, young people from all walks of life spilled on to the streets, from students to IT…

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Day 8: Paper Towns

Paper Towns is a romantic drama that stars Cara Delevingne and Nat Wolff.

Quentin ( Nat Wolff ) has a huge crush on Margo ( Cara Delevigne , “The Enchantress” ) right from the day she enters his neighborhood.  Margo grows up to be a free-soul while Quentin is just the average high-school kid who confines his happiness to his career and family. But he still has a huge crush on Margo, the most popular girl in high school. One day Margo enters Quentin’s house over a window and takes him on a drive to pull some pranks on Margo’s ex-boyfriend and back-stabbing friends. After an interesting night, she leaves town and just disappears. Vufff ! Nobody has an idea as to where she is. She leaves bread crumbs like clues for Quentin who pursues her and finally finds her only to have a almost-heart-breaking response.

My movie marathon is riding downhill. This was another bump after the first good five days.

Cara was good and so was Nat. They have done their parts well in this snail of a screenplay. This is a romance/mystery drama and I don’t see a pinch of it anywhere ( except for that one short dance if you could call it one ). The hero is confused between crush and love. Even his girl points this out clearly in the climax. Why waste your thirty hours drive ( our two hours of precious time and my marathon ) to realize this ? And this clearly is not a coming-off-age drama. There is no adolescent turmoil and problems. We see a weird kid and a nerdy one as friends to Quentin which a template today. Not recommending it.

5.5/10.

I saw that this movie was an adaption of the book by John Green ( The Fault in Our Stars ). But… Bad choice .. 😦

P.S : I have a crush on Cara Delevingne 😉

Day 7: The Accountant

My glasses broke the other day and yesterday was relentless ( happened to be my birthday ).. This is seriously slowing me down.
‘The Accountant’ starring Ben Affleck is a crime action thriller that runs 128 minutes.

Chris Wolff is a special kid ( autistic and later ‘neurotypical’) with extraordinary mathematical skills. He often has outbursts and starts to wail if he doesn’t find anything to keep him occupied. Numbers and puzzles are more of a friend than people. His sister is also autistic and this drives this mother out of the family. The father is an army veteran who is rock-solid and grooms his kids with self defense techniques and weapons training. Chris grows to be a successful freelance Accountant and his customers are not-so-US friendly. A retiring Federal Treasury Official is on the Accountant’s tail and blackmails a rookie to find the Accountant’s identity on failing which he would reveal her darker past. In the middle of this, a client of his has dirty books and when this is figured out, the client himself wants the Accountant  (and his new  girl friend ) dead. He hires a mercenary but the Accountant is fierce and outsmarts his killers. A little twist in the climax and the Accountant walks away.

I was disappointed. You shouldn’t be expecting nothing short of brilliance if it stars Ben Affleck (let’s forget a nightmare of ‘DareDevil’) . Ben Affleck does best but the screenplay doesn’t. He just has to be himself to play the socially awkward, fastidious genius of an Accountant.  The cast is heavier with J.K.Simmons but even his role is fed less. 

If you have a hero who’s super smart, tech savvy and lethal ,you need a villain as powerful as that. Not only that, the central plot doesn’t actually make you feel the rush. I was sitting back relaxed because I knew Ben Affleck is gonna blow away these puny adversaries like dust. No, you need a Joker. Your hero answers a 10 digit multiplying product value in a second. 

There is enough action in the movie with snipers and pistols. If you watch the movie without great expectations, you might even like it. My rating is 6.5/10.

Day 6 : Her

Yesterday was a taxing day which almost ended in a terrible way which is why I am posting Day 6 on Day 7 actually.

‘Her’. What a creative script and making..

Ex-Machina, I-Robot are sci-fi drama where the writer and the director decided that ‘AI’ isn’t good for human race. ‘Her’ is a romantic sci-fi drama which does not deliver that message wholly  but it is a perfect drama. If you could fish out a different  message for yourself here, kudos !

A professional letter-writer Theodore ( probably 300 years from now ) has a strange notion of getting into a relationship with an OS ( Operating System ) that is super-smart and 100% human when it comes to thinking. Theo is going through his divorce and its crushing him. He is lonely and is need of love. The OS names itself Samantha and makes herself a great companion. She’s  funny, has a crispy and also sorta sensual voice. What starts as a friendship later blossoms as a love affair. But, humans are still humans after centuries and neither Samantha nor Theodore  could continue in  such a relationship. Samantha begins to think she’s a real human being and it gets complicated when she and Theo accept the reality – she is an OS and she has to be the same to whoever falls in love with her. She just doesn’t belong to one person. Theo is possessive, so is Samantha sometimes. Though it is a little blurry as to why one decides to break up totally, it is a fitting end (to the movie as well the strange relationship).

Joaquin Phoenix is one of my favorite actors ( Gladiator, Signs ) and here again he proves his mettle. He is an introvert and not-so-social talented human being (Aren’t such people always talented ?:P ).  He displays all emotions perfectly. Scarlett Johanson has voiced for ‘Samantha’ and I am sure the director had only a handful of voices for his choice when it came to the cast. Joaquin at least has the whole camera for himself but Scarlet Johannson does everything possible to make us think if there was someone real fooling Theodore as an OS. The OS felt so real even without a physical presence. The mobile camera acts as her eyes and Theodore goes outdoor for his date with his OS. They enjoy the first few days of the relationship like kids in high school. All this is beautifully pictured. He even takes her for a double date where his prick of a friend ( Chris Pratt ) mocks him.

Spike Jonze has written and directed the movie and has done a great job at them. It is not a easy job when you are taking a offbeat script. Movies are make-believe stuff and you need to be good at convincing people with enough ingredients. The editor should get some credits where they flash Theo’s past now and then.  The BGM and Cinematography are equally gelling into the timeframe the story happens. Weird costumes, uber-cool mobile phones and great gadgets. If an OS can be that cool, why not the rest.

The movie feels a little lengthy. This is not a flick for people who need a central plot line or great visuals. This is for people who love books and need something unconventional or emotional content in a movie .

‘Her’ is an interesting but slow movie. My rating – 7.5/10. Not everyone’s cup of tea.

 

Day 5: Hell or High Water

After a delightful  Day 3 and Day 4, I chose ‘Hell or High water’ for today. I wasn’t disappointed.

Hell or High Water is crime drama with a pinch of action. This is a movie that sets out to the core plot from the very first scene.
Toby ( Chris Pine ), a divorced father,  wants a better life for his sons and is so committed to his cause that he decides to rob banks. He is aided by his brother – Tanner (an ex-convict ) in this crime and they choose a particular bank’s branches across towns in Texas. They intend to make enough money to close the loan on their ranch which will be sufficient for Toby’s sons. Marcus ( Jeff Bridges ), the retiring Texas Ranger sniffs a pattern and his intuition leads him and his partner to the bank where the brothers plan their next heist. There is a shootout and it doesn’t end well for Tanner. Toby makes it with the money and gets away with the crime. The movie ends with a conversation between Toby and Marcus where each is firm on his stance – calling a spade a spade.

That was so easy to type. A very simple yet thick plot and a good screenplay hits a homer for ‘Hell or High Water’. Chris Pine is in a new look altogether and plays his role with a stiff refrain. He is a divorcee who loves his sons so much that he risks his life for them. Pine is not the sci-fi kid anymore and moves to next level with this movie. Toby’s brother played by Ben Foster is riotous and reckless. He gets on your nerves but also has a softer side when it comes to family.

Jeff Bridges, our beloved ‘Dude’ is a delight on the screen. He plays this clever-old-prick-cop and is relentless in insulting his partner ( in a lighter sense ) making  sure there is enough humor in the script.  The movie is short and only goes only for 100 minutes. Anything lesser than that would have made it  sort of a ‘Breaking Bad’ episode.

The screenplay is good but there are places where the editor and the screenwriter could have worked together to keep up the consistency of the tension. You might even be reminded of ‘No Country for Old Men’. The background score in the first few minutes will warn you of a tragedy, but thankfully, the movie doesn’t have a tragic end. Overall, I’d give it a 7/10. It is worth watching and sincerely recommending it.

My streak is going steady. The genres I have picked are not of the same lot and that assures a variety. I hope it remains so. Because who loves a monotony except for our real lives  😛