Indian. Predictable. A little preachy.
The same can be said about her novels, right?
A poor little boy is given a magical conch and has to go through lots of adventures to return it to its home in a utopian valley run by a brotherhood of monks. Accompanied by Abhaydatta, a healer monk and a street urchin girl. I found it a little tedious. The second book was much better than the first. Though the conflicts and moral dilemmas in both the books were resolved so easily. We don't empathise with the characters much and the end of the novel the only person that I could relate to was the girl who was often delegated to the back. The protagonist boy seemed a little uptight and too goody shoes for my liking.
4/10
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Turbulence - Samit Basu
Hail!
I have read his trilogy and loved it, now this genre bending novel with Indian super heroes and supervillians in true filmi style but realistic (does that make sense? no?) The story is fast paced, has the required moral dilemmas but doesn't sound preachy and has some cool powers. He calls it literary fiction bitten by a mutant spider. I disagree.
It's a superhero novel with a comedy sidetrack and a moral spine.
Buy it people! Buy it!
PS: I have a huge crush on his writing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlAuvu8IYrQ
I don't understand how I missed him.
Read some more:
http://samitbasu.com/
http://temporarilysignificant.blogspot.com/2010/10/turbulence-by-samit-basu.html
 |
| Double Hail! |
I have read his trilogy and loved it, now this genre bending novel with Indian super heroes and supervillians in true filmi style but realistic (does that make sense? no?) The story is fast paced, has the required moral dilemmas but doesn't sound preachy and has some cool powers. He calls it literary fiction bitten by a mutant spider. I disagree.
It's a superhero novel with a comedy sidetrack and a moral spine.
Buy it people! Buy it!
PS: I have a huge crush on his writing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlAuvu8IYrQ
I don't understand how I missed him.
Read some more:
http://samitbasu.com/
http://temporarilysignificant.blogspot.com/2010/10/turbulence-by-samit-basu.html
Mr. Dixon Disappears - Ian Sansom
Detective silly Realism.
Part of the Mobile library mystery series. My first read and I'm guessing this is the 2'nd book. Its not exactly a murder mystery detective series. There is murder, there is mystery but the detection is non existent. The hero - a bumbling english librarian called Isreal runs a mobile library in Ireland. He lives in a chicken coop and has 'romantic' problems. He stumbles into the suspect list then stumbles around and finally get the mystery solved and a 100,00 pounds. With a lot of help from Ted, some sort of assistant/driver. Very urban in a rural background story. Refreshing.
6/10
Part of the Mobile library mystery series. My first read and I'm guessing this is the 2'nd book. Its not exactly a murder mystery detective series. There is murder, there is mystery but the detection is non existent. The hero - a bumbling english librarian called Isreal runs a mobile library in Ireland. He lives in a chicken coop and has 'romantic' problems. He stumbles into the suspect list then stumbles around and finally get the mystery solved and a 100,00 pounds. With a lot of help from Ted, some sort of assistant/driver. Very urban in a rural background story. Refreshing.
6/10
The Good man Jesus and the scoundrel christ - Philip Pullman
This is a story.
Well sort of. Mr. 'atheist' Pullman has pulled another one off. His Dark Materials author (I haven't read it - yet) has divided 'the son' into Jesus and Christ. One modeled after eastern mystics and guru's, the other one after what seems to me is Mr. Flanders from Simpsons! Christ documents and later impersonates Jesus for what will later become the church. That is the story.
It's a fast paced book with nothing extremely good except the controversy. The point of view has been debated by everybody who has pretensions of being an atheist. After seeing hindu gods being slaughtered at many a writer's altar, I wasn't too taken aback by the controversy too.
5/10
Well sort of. Mr. 'atheist' Pullman has pulled another one off. His Dark Materials author (I haven't read it - yet) has divided 'the son' into Jesus and Christ. One modeled after eastern mystics and guru's, the other one after what seems to me is Mr. Flanders from Simpsons! Christ documents and later impersonates Jesus for what will later become the church. That is the story.
It's a fast paced book with nothing extremely good except the controversy. The point of view has been debated by everybody who has pretensions of being an atheist. After seeing hindu gods being slaughtered at many a writer's altar, I wasn't too taken aback by the controversy too.
5/10
Friday, November 26, 2010
Bala Takes the Plunge - Melvin Durai
Every cliche humorously explored - to the limit.
Its starts out great, you recognise that MS done, holding a job yet attached to Indian apron strings guy immediately. Bala is one among the million slightly boring and uptight middle class single Indian men in the US. The plot is as thin as the paper the book is printed on, but the puns and chuckles keep flowing. Its great at the beginning but after some time you get irritated and then it becomes a little painful. I admire the guys talent to keep the jokes going on and on, but without some character/plot development it reads like a stand up show. And we all know those are better performed than read.
Great Observational skills and great jokes but no plot.
5/10
Its starts out great, you recognise that MS done, holding a job yet attached to Indian apron strings guy immediately. Bala is one among the million slightly boring and uptight middle class single Indian men in the US. The plot is as thin as the paper the book is printed on, but the puns and chuckles keep flowing. Its great at the beginning but after some time you get irritated and then it becomes a little painful. I admire the guys talent to keep the jokes going on and on, but without some character/plot development it reads like a stand up show. And we all know those are better performed than read.
Great Observational skills and great jokes but no plot.
5/10
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Riding in Cars with Boys [Book n Movie]
Complicated, confusing, much like life.
It's a bare all memoir. And like real life, it doesn't have a story that shows pure redemption. She just narrates every turn and twist on her journey from being a 15 year old mother to the imperfect present relationship with her son. You go what!! then you empathise and sometimes you feel sad knowing that one wrong decision would have taken you through the same path.
Drew Barrymore is great in the movie and sometimes a little too good. Because certain scenes in the book you don't imagine with the same gut wrenching intensity that she shows in the movie. Bad life, good book.
6/10
 |
| When your 15!! |
Drew Barrymore is great in the movie and sometimes a little too good. Because certain scenes in the book you don't imagine with the same gut wrenching intensity that she shows in the movie. Bad life, good book.
6/10
Monday, November 22, 2010
Piggies on the railway - Smita Jain
As refreshing as a good gossip session.
She writes for movies and hindi serials - that would have usually put her into the behenji with good punch dialogue talent slot. She isn't by any means. Introducing us to Katie Kumar, a designer clad, bollywood mad, sexually liberated (what better way to show sexual liberation than an affair with a married man) PI. And where there is a PI, there is a crime and this whodunit twists and turns around Mumbai and surroundings, through lesbians, gay men, transsexuals and a groin tattoo to reach its twister ending. There are a whole lot of stuff that is unexplained. A whole lot of twists that seemed forced and a hurried ending but we forget all that in the hail of chuckles at the heroine's expense.
You will surely enjoy delving into the superficial recesses of Mumbai grime and come out feeling like you had a rambling and not too illuminating, mindless gossip session with a long lost friend.
Take it on a long railway trip.
5/10
 |
| Can write, Can't fill loopholes. |
You will surely enjoy delving into the superficial recesses of Mumbai grime and come out feeling like you had a rambling and not too illuminating, mindless gossip session with a long lost friend.
Take it on a long railway trip.
5/10
The Immortals of Meluha - Amish
This book has a trailer!
India is emerging and we are having the luxury of looking back. Amish a finance professional from IIM (must have gotten him through the publishers doors easily)
wrote this fictional piece based a little on mythology, a little on history, a little on geography and a whole lot on the Hindu concepts of continuation, karma and duality. The marketing was unprecedented - a trailer for a book! A preview of the first chapter etc etc.A trilogy announced even before the success of the first book. It actually made me vary of the book, hence the belated reading.
Siva is a Tibetan cheif of the Guna tribe. He fulfills the legendary conditions of Neelkanth, the Mahadev who will save the kingdom of Meluha, where a democratic distribution of Somras makes everyone young and live long (how long is never mentioned) Stuff keeps happening at regular intervals to keep up the readers interest and there is not much preaching - thankfully. Some stories and characters you will recognise, others have been cleverly introduced. Plus Siva being a pothead makes him extremely endearing in my books.A few modern interpretations can also be done with terrorists attacks, water sharing etc etc.
The only gripe I had was that some things like Sati being called Parvati - they were two different women according to my mythology (every part of India has it's own) and other obvious skewing of mythology which doesn't go down very well with mythology loving me. (not because I'm religious and don't want it to be changed, but because the real myths are so rich and colourful that its a dangerous thing to tamper with them) The obvious references to duality - chandravanshis and suryavanshis could have been a little more subtle. A huge mass of people are not just this or that!
Otherwise its a good read. Although I hate it when the author ends the book with a cliffhanger just because its a trilogy and he wants you to buy/read the next book. Its an underhand technique and if he had done away with a bit of the commercialness I would have liked it better.
6/10
 |
| Shiva Shiva!! |
Siva is a Tibetan cheif of the Guna tribe. He fulfills the legendary conditions of Neelkanth, the Mahadev who will save the kingdom of Meluha, where a democratic distribution of Somras makes everyone young and live long (how long is never mentioned) Stuff keeps happening at regular intervals to keep up the readers interest and there is not much preaching - thankfully. Some stories and characters you will recognise, others have been cleverly introduced. Plus Siva being a pothead makes him extremely endearing in my books.A few modern interpretations can also be done with terrorists attacks, water sharing etc etc.
The only gripe I had was that some things like Sati being called Parvati - they were two different women according to my mythology (every part of India has it's own) and other obvious skewing of mythology which doesn't go down very well with mythology loving me. (not because I'm religious and don't want it to be changed, but because the real myths are so rich and colourful that its a dangerous thing to tamper with them) The obvious references to duality - chandravanshis and suryavanshis could have been a little more subtle. A huge mass of people are not just this or that!
Otherwise its a good read. Although I hate it when the author ends the book with a cliffhanger just because its a trilogy and he wants you to buy/read the next book. Its an underhand technique and if he had done away with a bit of the commercialness I would have liked it better.
6/10
The Kids are Allright 2010
Lesbians are normal people too.
Annette Benning and Julianne Moore are great. Now thats out of the way we can talk about the movie. A suburban lesbian couple both 'moms' are bringing up a boy and a girl who seem like normal teenagers (if such a thing exists, normal in teen context means not as weird as most)
The girl turns eighteen, the age which IVF kids can find out about their sperm donor dad. Mark Ruffalo as the smug, organic farmer/restaurateur does a decent job. The rest of the movie is about how everyone in this seemingly 'normal' family interacts with the sperm donor intruder. Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson hold themselves well in front of the rest of the great cast.
The strength of this film comes from the fact that its been taken like a film about a couple. Not a lesbian couple. Heterosexuals will identify the same insecurities, hiccups and redemption in their own relationships.
PS: A sluuurpilicios chocolate delight called Yaya DaCosta.
Worth a watch.
6/10
 |
| Are they really? |
The girl turns eighteen, the age which IVF kids can find out about their sperm donor dad. Mark Ruffalo as the smug, organic farmer/restaurateur does a decent job. The rest of the movie is about how everyone in this seemingly 'normal' family interacts with the sperm donor intruder. Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson hold themselves well in front of the rest of the great cast.
The strength of this film comes from the fact that its been taken like a film about a couple. Not a lesbian couple. Heterosexuals will identify the same insecurities, hiccups and redemption in their own relationships.
PS: A sluuurpilicios chocolate delight called Yaya DaCosta.
Worth a watch.
6/10
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Get Him to the Greek 2010
Its' funny, Its not funny, It's funny.
Russell Brand looks like a british rockstar, talks like british rockstar but acts like a bit of a pansy. He doesn't actually have that fuck it all charisma - he is a bit insecure [what else do you expect from a comedian]As for Jonah Hill, he is fat & pathetic looking enough to carry off the role with all our sympathy and a bit of grossed outness.
The story? Aldous Snow is one of the last remaining rockstars, who was wiped out with his last Album- African Child [After drought and war, its the third worst thing that happened to Africa] He has spiraled into drugs, drink and mayhem. All shown with notable pop culture icons including Pink, Christina Aguilera etc etc. P Diddy is Sergio, a record label head who sends Aaron (Jonah) to get Snow for a 10 year anniversary concert at the Greek Theatre. Its a nice premise, but does it deliver? Im confused. There are enough pop culture references to please the hip crowd, a few laugh out loud moments but all in all, little soul. There are enough musicians crammed in to make it watch worthy but every 5 mins the story is interrupted so that the Aaron character can puke graphically. Love is also explored on the side and mucho realistically, so that's a plus.
6/10
 |
| While being raped by a dildo. |
The story? Aldous Snow is one of the last remaining rockstars, who was wiped out with his last Album- African Child [After drought and war, its the third worst thing that happened to Africa] He has spiraled into drugs, drink and mayhem. All shown with notable pop culture icons including Pink, Christina Aguilera etc etc. P Diddy is Sergio, a record label head who sends Aaron (Jonah) to get Snow for a 10 year anniversary concert at the Greek Theatre. Its a nice premise, but does it deliver? Im confused. There are enough pop culture references to please the hip crowd, a few laugh out loud moments but all in all, little soul. There are enough musicians crammed in to make it watch worthy but every 5 mins the story is interrupted so that the Aaron character can puke graphically. Love is also explored on the side and mucho realistically, so that's a plus.
6/10
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Letters to Juliet 2010
A bit of a boring mushy timepass.
I like Amanda Seyfried. Why? She looks fresh, intelligent and even though she is blonde, I don't hate her. Why she is stuck with these light movies, I don't know, maybe its the above mentioned blondness.
Back to the movie, Sophie (Amanda) is a fact checker for the New Yorker and an aspiring writer (surprise! surprise!) engaged to an immensely irritating, fake italian accented(which is deliberate) Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal), who is opening an italian restaurant. They go for a pre wedding trip to Italy, where Victor ignores her for all the suppliers for his restaurant. Sophie finally takes off by herself and finds Juliets house where lovelorn, hormone overloaded women write letters to juliet (hence the name) and self appointed secretary's of juliet answer them. Sophie finds a letter from 1976 from Claire, who leaves behind her love Lorenzo and wants to know if what she did was right. Poor abandoned Sophie writes back and Claire comes to Italy after 50 years to find her Lorenzo accompanied by a gruff with heart of gold grandson (how original) Sophie tags along and you will never guess what happens next ;)
5/10
 |
| Estrogen overload? |
Back to the movie, Sophie (Amanda) is a fact checker for the New Yorker and an aspiring writer (surprise! surprise!) engaged to an immensely irritating, fake italian accented(which is deliberate) Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal), who is opening an italian restaurant. They go for a pre wedding trip to Italy, where Victor ignores her for all the suppliers for his restaurant. Sophie finally takes off by herself and finds Juliets house where lovelorn, hormone overloaded women write letters to juliet (hence the name) and self appointed secretary's of juliet answer them. Sophie finds a letter from 1976 from Claire, who leaves behind her love Lorenzo and wants to know if what she did was right. Poor abandoned Sophie writes back and Claire comes to Italy after 50 years to find her Lorenzo accompanied by a gruff with heart of gold grandson (how original) Sophie tags along and you will never guess what happens next ;)
5/10
Due Date 2010
Due Date does not deliver. Anything.
Todd Phillips, 'hungover' and dehydrated out of all comic sense or timing directed this fiasco. You could have donated the money to a charity and found a better sense of achievement. Was the morning after so bad that you sent the edited out portions of the movie instead of the movie itself?
Robert Downey Jr - you are no Ironman in real life. Bad scripts and the sleepwalker method of acting will affect the movie you are in. Even if you look good enough to eat, slurp, lick and chomp down on.
Zach - You can do better. I hope.
To the foursome who wrote this movie: Being under the influence of mind altering substances, even if recommended by Julliette Lewis will make things that are not really funny seem like a multi million dollar comedy.
2/10 [2 is for the dog and the one funny joke]
 |
| There are better ways to waste time. |
Robert Downey Jr - you are no Ironman in real life. Bad scripts and the sleepwalker method of acting will affect the movie you are in. Even if you look good enough to eat, slurp, lick and chomp down on.
Zach - You can do better. I hope.
To the foursome who wrote this movie: Being under the influence of mind altering substances, even if recommended by Julliette Lewis will make things that are not really funny seem like a multi million dollar comedy.
2/10 [2 is for the dog and the one funny joke]
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