MY MOVIE REVIEW OF : 'The Island'

My Rating:

Yesterday, in the evening, when I returned from my sixth driving lesson and nth gym session, I dicovered that my parents had bought tickets for the late night show of the new Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson starrer, 'The Island'. At that point of time, I just felt like having a bath and kicking back with a book. But, since the tickets had already been bought...

Turned out, I didn't regret my decision for having gone for the movie after all. It's a thoroughly enjoyable and fantastically fast paced film, with stunning visual effects, even leaving me open mouthed at some places. The story, at first seemed very murky and for the first quarter of the movie, none of us had an inkling of what's going on. Then, things started getting clearer, till by the time the interval arrived, I was completely immersed.

The story begins in the year 2019 (yes, the future), in the bowels of an organisation called the Merrick Institute. It houses thousands of people all clad in identical white, body-fitting clothes, who are all there bound by the strictest of regulations concerning hygiene, health and even proximity (they are not allowed to come too near each other). All this is because the earth has been contaminated, and they are the sole survivors. There is, however, one place on earth which remains free from the devastating contamination, referred to as, The Island. It is the last haven in our dying world. At the Merrick Institute, every week, there is one occupant chosen, based on a 'lottery', to move to The Island, leaving the confines of the comfortable, but rule bound institute, for a life of freedom.

There is one occupant however, Lincoln Six Ecko (Ewan McGregor), who is visibly bored of staying in the institute and repeating the same drill day by day. It is his curiosity that sparks off the chain of events that follow. He finds a live, winged insect hovering in a restricted shaft of the institute making him wonder how it managed to escape the dreaded contamination, when they were all kept under the impression that no living creature managed to survive it. Also, he begins to find it rather suspicious how the institute authorities manage to find a new survivor every now and then, who is readily absorbed into the institute's routine quotidien. His curiosity eventually causes Lincoln to witness something so utterly horrifying that it makes him lose faith in the prospects of the Institute completely and immediately. He discovers, that there is no Island, and what's more, there was no contamination. The occupants of the Merrick Institute are actually clones of the richest and most famous people inhabiting the earth. They are their life insurances. If they are in need of any bodily organs, or even skin or hair, the clones are unknowingly at their service, all the while thinking that they are being transported to The Island or a better life. The proximity laws were enforced so as to ensure that the clones do not end up reproducing.

The sponsors of the Institute themselves have no idea that their life insurances are real human beings, with senses and feelings. They were kept under the impression that their clones are like vegetables, hibernating, feelingless and non-human in every way. Hence, not one of them had any misgivings about keeping a clone at the ready. Or atleast, they didn't know about it till Lincoln and his fellow occupant, Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson) manage to escape the institute, leaving behind mayhem and chaos. A team of trained hitmen are despatched to find and terminate the two of them, as they explore the real world in a breathtaking fashion for the fisrt time. The clones were actually created just three to four years ago. They were produced as full-fledged grown-ups, and were educated only to the level of fifteen-year-olds. So no one in the management of the Institute expect the two fugitives to last long in the harsh outdoor environment. But obviously, they manage to survive longer than expected. Much longer. The movie proceeds with Lincoln and Jordan slowly learning the way of the world, and finally giving a name to the relationship they had harboured in the Institute. Love.

'The Island' is a highly effective take on the cloning controversy that is plaguing modern science, whereby, the technology exists, but morals and ethics come in the way of executing it. It is potrayed with utmost realism, though as the movie is set so far in the future, it may seem a little exaggerated to some. The only complaint as such that I had with the film, which made me give it a three and a half rating instead of a four, is how one remains in the dark about what's happening for most part of the film. Initially, you can't understand anything and have to strain to listen to every dialogue to catch bits and pieces that finally fit together as they are explained as a whole much later in the movie.

Other than that, the performance delivered by Ewan McGregor definitely deserves a mention. The only other movie of his I've seen is Moulin Rouge, which is as different from 'The Island' as is possible. In Moulin Rouge, I frankly didn't like him much. He was too artificial. In this, he was loads better. Scarlett Johansson on the other hand, didn't have too big a role, but she's good to look at ;)

The final verdict is that the film is definitely a must watch for those who, like me, enjoy mystery, drama, action, special effects and a moral message, all rolled into one.

MY BOOK REVIEW OF : 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' by J.K. Rowling

My Rating:

After almost two and a half years of agony and speculation, I finally got my twitching hands on the sixth and second-last of the Harry Potter books just a week and half back, on July the 16th. My obsession with the (now) sixteen year old bespectacled wizard and his adventures is well-known by my closest friends, but for those of you who don't know, I've read the first four books in the series nine times each, and the fifth one thrice. I was in America during the release of the fifth, and even attended a midnight release party for the same. Apart from that, I'm confident I own almost every Harry Potter related literary item available in the market, including one copy each of the American and British editions of all the books, in mint condition (which is quite an achievement considering the number of times I've read all of them).

According to me, the sixth outing of J.K. Rowling's is by far the best, although I love all of them so arduously, that it's practically impossible for me to finely distinguish one's 'betterness' over the others. The novel has all the classic features that make each of the books in this series, whose basic concept is not altogether unique, so powerfully bewitching and hence, instant runaway bestsellers.

So far, I have tried to keep the review spoiler-free, and hopefully interesting enough to keep you hooked on. But it will become increasingly difficult for me to do so in the rest of the paras. So this is a warning : If you have not yet read the books in the Harry Potter series, but plan to read them, I advise you not to continue with the review, since it will contain spoilers and plot details of the latest as well as the previous books.

The sixth year of Harry Potter at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry finds him an emotionally changed person, one who is much calmer and matured than the short-tempered and ruthless fifteen year old that he was seen as in his previous year. This drastic change in him is attributed partly to remorse over the untimely and horrifying death of the only being he could call his own; his godfather, Sirius Black, and also to the several other pressures piled upon him, including the agonising wait for his Ordinary Wizarding Levels (O.W.L) results which would decide if he could continue harbouring his desire to become an Auror (A Dark Wizard Catcher), along with the not-so-common pressures of being The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, and the sole person who is destined to murder The Dark Lord (or be murdered by him rendering He Who Must Not Be Named invincible for all eternity).

Harry's latest year at school starts off with an unexpected twist, as Professor Dumbledore, his Headmaster, whisks him off with him to help him convince an old colleague of his to fill up the vacant post in the staff at Hogwarts. Plus, Dumbledore informs him that he would be taking special personal lessons with the Headmaster, in light of the disturbing events that took place at the Minstry of Magic, which also led to Sirius' premature death. Also, Dumbledore sports a gruesome injury in one of his hands, the cause of which and the circumstances in which he received it remaining concealed till nearly the end of the novel. As for the Half-Blood Prince, he is the mystery owner of a Potions course book that is currently under Harry's possession. The book is filled with endless doodles and squiggles passing information such potion-brewing tips and 'useful' self-invented spells.

The significant (and tasteful) expansion of Harry, Ron and Hermione's love lives (not to forget the latters' fights of increased intensity) raise the Emotional Quotient of the book several notches, giving a wholesome touch to the series by adding to the pulse-pounding action, nerve-racking enigma, and dollups of humour that is inherent in all of the previous books. Although, the shortcoming in this installment is that there is a definite lack of detail, contary to the positively detail-dripping nature of the others. Many pieces of information that are important for imagining the mystical world depicted in the book have been thrown in in a haphazard, quickly rogressing manner. This causes the effect that is meant to be felt at a particular point in the novel, to be considerably dampened.

All-in-all, through 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince', the reigning queen of fiction proves beyond a shadow of doubt, that she has not lost her charm, and reiterates the sheer brilliance and superb literary skills that brought her to the pinnacle of ascendancy.

All the gymming, driving, reading, playing and listening

Now that it's finalised that I'm going to BITS, Pilani in Dubai, you'd think I have the whole day for a whole month to myself. Not so in reality. I've joined a gym near my place (for obvious reasons) which takes up one to one and a half hours, during which I strain, stretch and exhaust myself, but feel all floopy and peaceful for the rest of the day. Plus I officially started my driving classes today. I started off with a round trip to Safdarjung Enclave and back in peak hours of traffic. These lessons will last a week, one hour a day. So overall approx. 3 hours in a day goes in all this. Apart from this, I've atlast started taking initiative to keep in touch with friends. Feels good after such a long period of 'isolation'.

I'm still a full flare reading buff. That's one thing I haven't given up, even when faced with my boards or any other benchmark (Believe it or not, I finished the entire Lord of the Rings novel during the boards!). After finshing with Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (check out earlier posts for my review), I've now begun with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (I'm a die-hard Potter fan and have read all the books, except the fifth, nine times each). You can expect a review of it as soon as I finish with it. Till then, please don't leave a spoiler in the comments {else, 'I'll hunt you down and kick your ass' ('Friends' fans...remind you of anything? :) } Other than that, I have atleast a thousand DVDs to watch, which I got from Palika. I'm also heavily back into PS2 games. Not to forget my new-found obsession with my recently procured iPod (that's the 'listening' in the heading of this post).

So, overall, life's finally taken a favourable turn, which truthfully, with the way things were, I didn't expect would happen at all. And the best part is, the 'old me' (ever-smiling and gregarious), which has been seen by veeerrry few people, has resurfaced...

Chashmuddin no more!

Yup. Got contacts today!

MY BOOK REVIEW OF : 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden

My Rating:

If I was told to describe 'Memoirs of a Geisha' in one word, it would undoubtedly be - 'WOW'. This stunning piece of fiction was first published in 1997, and was an instant #1 international bestseller. It garnered rave reviews and quite a few awards such as The LA Times Best Book of the Year and The New York Times Notable Book of the Year. And for good reason...

The novel follows the life story of Chiyo, a seven year old Japanese girl from a small fishing village called Yoroido, who belongs to a family that is on the brink of poverty. At the age of nine, she is sold far away into slavery to one of the most famous Geisha houses in Gion, a Geisha district of Kyoto, Japan.

The Japanese word 'Geisha' is derived from two words, 'Gei' meaning art, and 'Sha' meaning person. So 'Geisha' literally means an artisan or artist. Geisha primarily exist as entertainers. They are often wrongly mistaken as full-fledged prostitutes. They perform stage shows and are experts at playing Japanese musical instruments such as the Shamisen (a stringed instrument) and Noh (Japanese drums), along with expressive dancing, tea ceremony and calligraphy. Infact, putting on their elaborate hairstyle, makeup and kimono itself is an art. They perform only for the Upper Class of society, and have to attend their parties every day where their main requirement is to ensure that the men have a good time. This usually involves making witty, seductive remarks, playing drinking games and though not very frequently, submitting to the physical act of love. A geisha is never allowed to marry, and if she does, she loses her place in society as a one.

'Memoirs' has been written as a first person account of Nitta Sayuri (for this is what Chiyo's name was later changed to), as she narrates with the wisdom of old age, her experience as one of the most celebrated geishas of Japan. With enchanting lyricism and fairly simple language, Sayuri entrances, seduces and mesmerises, as she speaks about separation, torture, jealousy, rivalry, friendship, respect, and the fame and money that go with it.

With wholesome amounts of suspense, surprise, erotica and romance, 'Memoirs of a Geisha' is undoubtedly an unforgettable experience and a must read.

And what's more, a movie adaptation of the book is in the making, directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago) and produced by Steven Spielberg. It will be released on December 9th, 2005 worldwide.

To learn more about the book: Click Here.

To see pictures of the upcoming movie: Click Here.

Nikhil's day at my place

After a long hibernation, the great friendship between me and Nikhil finally resurfaced from its burrow of negligence. For those of you who don't know, Nikhil and I were the best of friends in Springdales. But after his transfer to Kochi in class VIII, we failed to effectively keep in touch (although we did speak off and on). Even after he returned to Delhi in class XI, we barely talked twice or thrice, and then drifted apart.

A few days back, when I was out with my friends at Vasant Vihar, I accidentally bumped into him when he came over to talk to my good friend and classmate, and his FIITJEE batchmate, Anurag. The feeling of elation I felt at that moment on seeing him after so long was incomparable. It was surprise, mixed with happiness and plenty of marvel [for the lanky little chap is now a 6 + footer (though he's still pretty lanky)]. After exchanging our phone numbers, we set off again. But this time I was determined to not lose my friend again. So I took prompt action, and via an exchange of sms's and two phone calls, I invited him over for a dayspend.

Today, he spent a good 12 and a 1/2 hours at my place, and I was pleased to note that he hasn't changed at all (apart from his intimidating height and a few pimples here and there). We still have an enormous amount in common right from taste in music (to some extent) to our absolute love (bordering on madness) for video games, 'Friends' and Harry Potter. Most of the day went in making up for lost time, in which we thoroughly got to know each other again.I showed him a bunch of pictures of us at my class V and class VII birthday parties. Later we took a fairly long walk to buy a a blank DVD (which we eventually ended up not buying at all), so I burned him the first season of 'Joey' onto 7 regular CDs instead.

At the end of the day, I managed to regain one of my best friends (and had fun doing it!). This time I hope there're enough efforts from both our sides to maintain this. They'll definitely be worth it.

Day out with friends...at last.

Three days back, me and some friends finally had a get-together. It had been sooo long since I'd met them, that I said yes to the invitation immediately! I reached Vasant Vihar at 11 am to find Anurag pacing around. Turned out he'd been waiting for over half an hour. Then came Dikshit followed by Garima, Kritarth, Apoorva (who's auto had run out of fuel!) and finally Ujjwal (tagged by his sis), who came just in the nick of time. We then went to see the movie 'Dus'. Nothing too special, but entertaining nonetheless.

After that, we went to play pool (ever noticed how pool parlours are always in really shady places?). It was the first time I played the game, and as expected, I was rather bad at it. But Kritarth and Ujjwal were kind enough to help me out... Neha joined us there.

Afterwards, we went to Pizza Hut to eat. That's where we clicked all the pictures.

Overall, lots of fun!

To check out the rest of the pics, click on the link below.

Black Beauty with Brains...Samsung SGH - D500!

That's right people! I finally got a new mobile
(and I dare say, it's about time!). The Samsung SGH - D500 is the winner of the GSM Association's Best Mobile Handset Award 2005 at a function held at Cannes. As you can very well see, it's absolutely delicious to look at, employing the neat Samsung slide-up mechanism. The features, apart from being plentiful, are top notch for a phone of it's category. Plus, it comes along with a number of attachments, including a plug in speaker (called Sound Mate). The sound quality after plugging it in increases dramatically, and then you can control the intricacies of the sound output (such as bass and treble). Other attatchments include high-quality headphones and a handstrap.

It's been a week since I got it, and I've not been able to restrain myself from gazing at it from time to time, mostly for no reason at all, other than admiration :P And it doesn't seem as if the fone-fever will subside soon. I bought a Bluetooth USB connector to attach to my computer, and now I can transfer my music and videos to the phone and transfer photos I take from the camera to my mobile.

In short, the obsession continues...

Click on the link below to see some more photos and read reviews of the phone.

Le premier

After plenty of coaxing and enlightening by all around me on blog-keeping (though it didn't contribute even minutely), I've finally decided to start a blog of my own [ WHY didn't I hear any firecrackers and champagne corks popping?!] ;)

I may be okay at writing stories for self entertainment, but keeping a diary (be it on paper or a monitor) of my day-to-day happenings is just not my mug of coffee, mainly due to two reasons. Firstly, my life is too damn dull to quote anything from, and secondly, even if the infrequent phenomenon of something interesting happening in my life does occur, I'd rather share it with my family, friends and acquaintances face to face or via the telephone, so that I can see (or hear) their reactions immediately and with a lot more emotion than a computer monitor's screen is capable of expressing.

So, I'm keeping this blog simply to express my opinions on books, movies and other knick-knacks that I come across, and find worth writing about (although, major developments in my life will be posted as they occur, of which I explicitly assure you once again, do not take place oh-so-often.).

As a conclusion to this first (of hopefully many posts), I would just like to thank you for taking a moment to visit my blog almost as soon as I informed you about it, and pray that you leave behind a few imprints of this moment in the form of comments. Hope to see you again soon on my new blog!

P.S: The first of the posts following this one are of things that happened within the past one and a half to two weeks, so although the written matter will be fresh, the content may not be so {though I can assure you, it won't be stale either :) }