Amodini's Book Reviews

Book Reviews and Recommendations

North Country

Written By: amodini - Feb• 28•06

North Country“North Country” is very “Erin Brokovich” like. Lone woman, with kids needs to feed her family. But will not back down in the face of hardship. Nice. And effective. It is ofcoure great that both these charcters of strong women are based on real life characters.

Charlize Theron is Josie Aimes, who leaves her abusive boyfriend, and reaches her parents home with her 2 kids. Her father Hank (Richard Jenkins), a miner and the original male chauvinistic pig, is unsympathetic, while her mother (Sissy Spacek) helps. Josie encouraged by her friend Glory (Frances McDormand), and in an effort to earn better wages, joins the local mining company. Few women work at the mine (ration of men to women is 30:1), and those that do face severe sexual harassment. When Josie tries to bring this problem to the fore-front, she is asked to resign or deal with it. She quits, but then sues the company in court. Her class-action suit threatens to collapse when no other woman steps upto support Josie . . .

CNN calls this film pompous. I couldn’t dis-agree more. It is true, that the film is told from Josie’s point of view, and it’s the story of the under-dog vs. the big, bad, moneyed corporation, and as such great movie material as it is. But it’s a story of grit and determination and touches you. And as the viewer you are totally on Josie’s side, happy when she’s happy, and sad in her loss. When you’re rooting for one character that much, the directorr has done a good job.

A must-see.

Categories : _films , _film_reviews

Posted in hollywood, movies, women | Comments Off on North Country

Yoga and marketing

Written By: amodini - Feb• 24•06

I have a new found appreciation for Yoga. And it’s all due to marketing, here in the US. People do it, people take classes, and understand it as a means of achieving their physical fitness goals. You have Yoga aids, like the strap, the block. You can use a Yoga mat. You can wear “Yoga” pants – although I’m not sure there’s any difference between them and the regular old stretchy workout pants. There’s Yoga gear and wear accesories you can spend a whole bunch of money on.

My dad, in India, has done and still does Yoga, using an old blanket. No strap, no Yoga ball or block, no Yoga accesories really. But years of watching him do Yoga, twice a day, you think I took up Yoga too ? Nope, not a chance ! Yoga was somethig older people did, you know, to remain flexible. And Yoga was good for health etc. (as my Dad often told me). But how and why ? I never asked, I wasn’t ever interested.

That’s the general image of Yoga – uncool, done by older people. Plus, Yoga had to be done perfectly, no half-ways trying would do (or maybe that was just my Dad’s philosophy I absorbed here). No one (except for my Dad) suggested that youngsters should do Yoga, there was nothing on TV (those were Doordarshan days), and there was no general awareness.

But Yoga came to America. And Americans marketed it. Yoga was everywhere, everyone from athletes to gym-going regular people did it. There were DVD’s, audio aids, Yoga gear in super-markets. Yoga got on TV. Bikram Yoga got really popular. Yoga studios abound. Yoga is easy and accesible and for everyone. You don’t have to be a perfectionist or wanna-be-sadhu to do yoga. You can be a real, regular, normal person. And so the marketing goes. . .

But it’s efective, this marketing message. It takes yoga from being an esoteric practice to being an easily, accesible, readily available one. I believe that’s what makes it so popular. It takes this all-pervading marketing mania on Yoga, this pushing Yoga down my throat thing, for me to actually realise it’s worth. We had it in India all this while, and I paid no attention to it. It’s partly marketing me thinks, and the philosophy that unless it’s coming from the West, it can’t be too good. You know the “ghar ki daal” thing ?

Things have changed now. There are Yoga CDs, and DVD’s in the Indian market. I often watch “Yoga for life” on Z tv. It’s hosted by Sandeep Chaudhary and it’a a pretty good program. I also watch the other Yoga program which come right beore or after it, done by leotard clad women ( forget the name, “Yoga and You” ?). That one’s good too. Chaudhary and the women look normal, sane people. Regular people (albeit with an aura of calmness) who probably brushed their teeth and read the newspaper just like you and me. Now, let’s assume that an old, saffron clad sadhu replaces Chaudhary or the women in the programs. You think I’m still going to watch it ? Me thinks not. And if I did, I would really, really need to, want to do Yoga.

So, yeah, appearances matters, marketing matters, accesibility matters. If you make it hard, and tough nobody will want to do it. Market it right, sugar-coat it, get the person to identify with it, and it becomes hot property.

Categories : _miscellanous

Posted in india, usa | 1 Comment »

That first filthy impression

Written By: amodini - Feb• 14•06
In her column for the Indian Express, journalist Tavleen Singh writes about the “India Everywhere” campaign in Davos :

“It was such a seductive mix of magic and modernity that many of my foreign friends promised they would come to India this year, no matter what. When I landed at Mumbai airport I thought of this with trepidation. What would they think when they landed? Would they think they had been cheated and take the next flight out or would they try and look beyond the first, filthy impression that India creates?”

You read right. The word is filthy. She writes more :

“I landed in the middle of the strike that the government’s Marxist supporters organised against privatisation, so Mumbai airport was even more squalid than usual. Garbage lay uncollected in the corridors and the smell of dirty toilets pervaded the baggage area, making first-time visitors sniff nervously at the stale, dusty air. The carousels that brought our luggage creaked and groaned with age and on the drive into the city I saw India Everywhere as she really is.”

In one of her earlier columns, she extolls on the virtues of the Indian airport :

” The word infrastructure came up so often at last week?s India Economic Summit it became the conference?s background raga. . .The word rang in my ears later that evening when I arrived at Delhi airport and found it so crowded and filthy it resembled an Indian railway station. People jostled and pushed to find standing room in the departure terminal that remains unchanged since socialist times and in the restaurant we queued for the privilege of sharing a table with strangers because so many flights were delayed. “

Frankly, whether Mumbai or Delhi, whether a strike is on or not, the state of the airports is much the same – apalling. And while the airport privatisation brouhaha rages on, I sincerely hope they’d hurry up and get a move on and reform the airports. The IG airport in Delhi is a disaster. It is more of a bus station than an airport. Someone is always mopping the white marble, but it still never looks very clean – don’t tell me the marble is of poor quality because corrupt officials ate up the money for the good marble (surprise, surprise !).

And then there are veritable louts, who hang around, coming up to you and offering to have you sneaked in (ahead of everyone in the line) in return for payment. Me thinks, what ever happened to security ? if they can sneak you in, how easy is it for an unscrupulous person to actually smuggle in something dangerous ? Apart from the shame of it, a good advertisement for India, hanh ? Let the good tourist see first hand that bribery begins at the airport ! And whatever happened to management ? I don’t believe that the louts can hang around so openly, without a complicit management.

The airport looks and feels drab, like a recently vacated empty space – like any uncared for government building. The only advertising I saw were these very “sarkari” posters of “Incredible India”. And looking at the TVs in the lobby, where Govinda lustily gyrated his hips, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Airport Authority had never heard of it. Look Mommy, – no common sense !

How come Indian malls look so clean and glitzy while the airports look run-down ? You guessed right – the malls are privately maintained. It will indeed be a relief when the airports are too.

Categories : _india

Posted in culture and society, india | 2 Comments »

The worth of our daughters

Written By: amodini - Feb• 10•06

In this blog Uma writes about dowry. Plain and simple, it’s not hard to understand. What is abundantly clear from the various links she has, and from the horror stories you have head from family/friends (as I have) , that in the face of weak laws and an even weaker justice system, and a “culture” that reveres woman as “Mata” but kills her every day, it is upto the parents to stop sacrificing their daughters at the altar of marriage. It is hard no doubt in a society which dictates that a woman’s primary aim in life is to marry, and procreate (and soon !), (and serve her in-laws), but change must come, even though it comes at a slow pace.

Another thing I’ve heard is of families trying to “settle” the matter, if there is a problem. I wonder if the families ever think “Let’s just give the TV/car/money – at least our daughter will remain married, even though her in-laws torture her and could possibly kill her”. Does it ever occur to them of her pain ? Is it OK then for women to suffer in their married homes ? A couple of beatings a month, an adulterous husband, sadistic in-laws, all part of life, no ?

The raw reality is that many parents want their daughters to “adjust” to domestic violence and mental and physical abuse, if it means that she can stay married. Is that the worth of our daughters today ? Is that how discard-able our girls have become to us ? To be born (if she’s born at all) and brought up, and then gotten rid of ! And left to her unhappy lot ? Ever wonder what that daughter feels ? Ever wonder what she will assimilate and teach HER daughter ?

Categories : _women , _india

Posted in culture and society, india, women | 10 Comments »

Friday

Written By: amodini - Feb• 09•06

I head home
To be engufed in what I call, affectionately
the Royal (C)rush
Cars, everywhere, a swamp.
So, what else is new ?

Categories : _poetry

Posted in books | Comments Off on Friday

Why do fools fall in love ?

Written By: amodini - Feb• 03•06

I don’t know. Why do people blog ? Hmmm – it’s a Friday afternoon, so I really don’t have time to ponder over vague philosophical questions. But they are similar questions, don’t you think ? This guy though does have some idea, and he puts it pretty succintly too :

“Why do people blog? You might as well ask why do fools fall in love, or what’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding. Or why did GM kill Oldsmobile (and how did a nameplate that sold over 200,000 cars a year still manage to tank)?

People blog because cave paintings are obsolete, but the need to say “I was here” never goes away. And very much like cave painting, Tuvan throat singing and late-braking on a off-camber, decreasing-radius left-hander, some folks are naturally good at it while others get buried in the weeds a time or two before reconsidering their life path. “

Full article here.

Categories : _miscellanous

Posted in books | Comments Off on Why do fools fall in love ?

A could-have-been-review : Kalyug

Written By: amodini - Feb• 03•06

Saw Kalyug recently or should I say, saw it partially. Had to leave midway, because the film degenerated into sordidness. Checked out the reviews online and apparently I hadn’t even gotten very far. Had no idea of the film but as it started I saw that it was from the Bhatt camp, and down went my hopes. It looks like the Bhatt camp either makes classy films (remember “Saaransh”) or if that is not possible, drops to C grade films. I mean, how is a non-star like Kunal Khemu and the very average Smilie and a pretty shaky film supposed to sustain viewer interest ?

So, where did I throw in the towel ? OK, so there’s Kunal, now a 21 year old orphan after his dad dies. He has an unexpected visitor, Renuka who arrives from Kashmir, to live in the care of his dad, of course unaware of his death. So, what else – they fall in love and get married and proceed to live with the parent-like Goan landlords. Of course all goes awry in Utopia, when the police arrest Kunal and Renuka for some unknown crime.

That’s when I walked off.

The film showed great promise for sordidness , even the little I saw, and I am glad I left when I did. OK, a true film-maker who doesn’t have “other” intentions will take innocence and purity and cast them down to create a great tragedy, one which actually moves you. Mohit suri, although he directs adequately takes the story of honest and sensitive Kunal, and innocent Renuka (she’s potrayed as absolutely white-as-snow pure) and soils it, to the point where you know this film is going nowehere but down.

The film is based on a true incident, and my problem is not with the story itself, it’s the way it’s interpreted. All I ask for is a little class, a little sensitivity, a little depth of character. Apparently I ask for too much.

Categories : _films , _film_reviews

Posted in bollywood, movies | Comments Off on A could-have-been-review : Kalyug

Filmwise

Written By: amodini - Jan• 30•06

After watching a really good hindi movie Sehar, in 2004 there was Swades – you see what I mean ? It’s a one superlative film a year type of deal. Actually 2005 was an exception because we had quite a few good film like Paheli, Page 3 etc. I’m not sure we’ll be that lucky in 2006.

So, the three I’ll be mini-reviewing are : The Constant Gardener, The Island, Cinderella Man. “The Constant Gardener” is based in John Le Carre’s book of the same name and stars Ralph Fiennes as British Diplomat Justin Quayle, and Rachel Weisz as Tessa his beautiful, activist wife. The film deals with an unholy alliance between big pharmaceutical companies trying to test new drugs in Africa, i.e.; using under-developed countries and their people as their trial ground, and governments. Problems occur when Tessa gets wind of this, and tries to bring attention to it. When she refuses to back down from her findings, she is killed by the powers that be, and this leads to Justin investigating her death and finding out the truth.

Fiennes as mild-mannered, self-effacing, Justin who’s constantly gardening in the face of his mis-understandings with his wife, and their tension-fraught marriage, is superb. His love and remorse, when finding about his wife after her death, are movingly potrayed. Weisz herself is very good – she won the Golden Globe for this role.The film is shot in a very fragmented fashion, since events do not follow in chronological order, and the cinematography at times has a surreal feel. An interesting film, although it moves at a slow pace – it’s like an unfolding puzzle.

A desi, or Brit. face to look out for in this movie is the actress who plays Gita Pearson, an associate of Quayle’s. I forget the actress’s name now, but she played Parminder Nagra’s sister in “Bend it like Beckham”.

Very different from this film is the “Cinderella man“, a slightly weird title, but an excellent movie nevertheless. This stars Russell Crowe, who I think is great in every film, and is based on the real-life story of boxer James Braddock. Basically it’s about the ups-and-downs in Braddock’s like, and the hard times he and his family go through during the Great Depression when he loses almost everything he had. James however through grit and the will to survive for his family’s sake makes a great comeback into the boxing world, downing reigning world champios and winning. Rene Zellweger plays his wife Mae.

Crowe does a great job of showing us Braddock’s courage in the face of pain and humiliation. Simple earnestness and goodness comes pouring out of Crowe’s character on-screen. Zellweger is supportive as Mae, and Paul Giamatti as Braddock’s manager Gould is very good. A must-see film.

OK, now for our sci-fi movie of the week – “The Island“. This stars Scarlett Johansen and Ewan McGregor as the victims of misuse of technological advances in the future. Set in color-coordinated 2090, the story is about an earth contaminated by radiation where life is now “enclosed” under contamination free structures. Life is regulated and passsive, with the big thing being the lottery to the “Island” the last uncontaminated natural habitat left on earth. Lincoln Six Echo (McGregor) senses there’s something wrong when he realises that there might be fertile life “outside” of their protected structures, and they are being kept there for a reason. He attempts to run away to the “outside” world with Jordan Two Delta (Johanssen) and discovers astounding facts that change their lives and identities.

OK, now you can say what you like about this movie, but I liked it. Sure, I have see the same hoopla about “feeding tubes” and “pods” growing human beings, many times before (the “Alien” movies) but this film adds some pizazz and fun to the entire concept. There are quite a few traitors, and chase sequences. And Sean Bean does a nice job of playing the evil guy. McGregor and Johanssen are both OK in their roles. Overall a fun film.

Categories : _films , _film_reviews

Posted in movies, series | Comments Off on Filmwise

Saving face

Written By: amodini - Jan• 27•06

I like films that tell interesting stories, the more detail the better. Also, films which relate to a particular culture are pretty interesting too, because they expose you to a totally different concept of tradition, values etc. So, I recently picked up 2 films which are from different cultures, one Spanish “Maria full of grace” and the other the Chinese-English film “Saving Face”.

“Saving Face” told the story of a young, female, Chinese doctor in New York. Wilhelmina (Michelle Krusiec), the doctor has her Chinese family living in Queens while she lives in her own apartment. She has been raised by her widowed mother (Joan Chen), and her grandparents (Jin Wang and Guang Lan Ko), and her mother lives with the grandparents. This film had rather “desi” sensibilities, in the sense that parents have “power” over children (ie; you’d better RESPECT your parents), girls are better married, single/unwed mothers/gay people are not popular. And ofcourse there are other little things, well and humorosly portrayed.

OK, so say you, now where’s the action ? We have a good doctor, and then what ? Well we have a young doctor who’s lesbian (gasp! and Chinese!) and who’s mother having been widowed for 15 years, is pregnant once again. The father ofcourse none knows much about ! So it’s the typical desi setup all over again. Wil’s grandfather throws Wil’s mom out of the house for being pregnant and “dis-honoring” (now that concept is SO desi) him, so she moves in with Wil. Wil’s lovelife is therefore hampered just when she’s met the love of her life, gorgeous ballet dancer Vivian (Lynn Chen), and she dare not let anyone know that she has a (gasp!) “girlfriend”.

How are Wil’s and Wil’s mom’s lives going to be non-messy again ?

This film was funny, especially because I identified with the “culture” so to speak, it was very desi-like. I also liked the fact that the Chinese community seemed more open and accepting than a “desi” one would have been, and there was room for change in there. The movie was also very touching because it tackled very real issues, sensitively and humanely.

An official selection of both the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals, “Saving Face” is written and directed by Alice Wu.

Categories : _films , _film_reviews

Posted in movies | Comments Off on Saving face

Spielberg’s Munich

Written By: amodini - Dec• 29•05
Munich released recently is directed by Spielberg. It is engrossing, the kind of film about which you would say “It moved at the pace it should have”. Munich tells the story of Israels’s action against the 11 people who planned to kill/killed it’s Olympic athletes (1972). The job of asssinating the 11 Palestinians is given to Avner (Eric Bana), leadin a team of 5 men. Geoffrey Rush plays the part of Ephraim, their lone contact. The men are made to “dissappear”, that is if caught, the Israeli government would have no knowledge of the operation. The job can take months or years.

Avner with his team travels around the world, eliciting information from Louis (French actor Mathiew Amalrac), and planning and executing the people on the hit-list. His first kill is hesitant, but as time goes by, inhibitions fade.

Based on George Jonas’s book “Vengeance”, Munich enters the realm of fiction, where interactions and other details are concocted to give dramatic impact. But the characters are well-fleshed out and act well, especially Bana, who portrays the moral disorientation of an essentially patriotic man, when the lines blur, and the difference between a life less or a life more is unclear.

Spielberg presents both sides of the story, giving rational dialogue to the Palestinians as well as the Israelis. Yes, the film is made of unfolding events, and the emotional and mechanical details that make them. But conflict is what this film is about – how we define it and what it does to us.

A must-see.

Categories : _films, _film_reviews
Posted in hollywood, movies, recommended | Comments Off on Spielberg’s Munich
<<6364656667>>