An okayish movie about twin sisters separated when young and forced to grow up in two different countries and environments through World War 2. The movie does well to show the contrast between their two lives early on, but isn't really my thing.
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Movie Review - Twin Sisters
An okayish movie about twin sisters separated when young and forced to grow up in two different countries and environments through World War 2. The movie does well to show the contrast between their two lives early on, but isn't really my thing.
Karnala Trek
Had a nice time on Sunday. Went for a trek to the Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Left home at 4.45 A.M. Woke up a rickshaw driver to take me to Borivali Stn.
Bought an extension ticket. Caught the 5.02 slow to Dadar. Reached Dadar at around 5.45. Crossed over to Dadar Central and caught a train to Kurla 15 mins later. Bought a ticket at Kurla and caught a Harbour Line train to Panvel. Reached Panvel Stn at 7.15. Walked to the ST bus depo, found a driver who understood where I wanted to go, and caught a bus to Karnala at 7.45.
Reached the main gates of the sanctuary at 8.00. The rest of the group had only just arrived and were waiting for breakfast to arrive at an education office across the road from the Sanctuary. Saw some interesting tree formations here.
Started off on the trek at 9.30. Paid the entrance fees of Rs 20 at the main gate. The tourist area of the Karnala Bird Sanctuary is pleasant enough. There’s even a waterfall close to the entrance for enjoyment, but it’s crowded. We passed the tourist area, saw a few caged birds, and trekked up into the hills, following a dirt path, which proved extremely strenuous. Our goal was to get to the base of the Karnala pinnacle, which houses the ruins of a fort.
We were constantly breaking to catch our breath, all 25 plus of us. The route was steep, and required the use of both hands to reach out and grab whatever roots, branches and rocks we could get for support as we clambered up the rocky and at times muddy path. I can describe this route best as a shoe breaker; it was littered with the soles that had come off the shoes of people who trekked this way.
After a lot of clambering upwards, we came to a little clearing, a patch of land that served as an intersection of trails and we paused to take in the scenery. We realised that we were really high up, that we were entering the upper realm of the hill, about to cross the point above which a mountain is constantly covered in mist. We continued onwards at a slightly slower pace.
The trail did slope upwards but not as frequently. The trail then flattened out and as we left the forest behind, we could barely make out the pinnacle in front of us, and the short climb that would lead us to its base.
Our descent was a lot easier, mine at least. My Woodland’s prevented me from slipping and I got some good pics of a waterfall and a large white crab on my way down the hill.
Bought an extension ticket. Caught the 5.02 slow to Dadar. Reached Dadar at around 5.45. Crossed over to Dadar Central and caught a train to Kurla 15 mins later. Bought a ticket at Kurla and caught a Harbour Line train to Panvel. Reached Panvel Stn at 7.15. Walked to the ST bus depo, found a driver who understood where I wanted to go, and caught a bus to Karnala at 7.45.
Reached the main gates of the sanctuary at 8.00. The rest of the group had only just arrived and were waiting for breakfast to arrive at an education office across the road from the Sanctuary. Saw some interesting tree formations here.
Started off on the trek at 9.30. Paid the entrance fees of Rs 20 at the main gate. The tourist area of the Karnala Bird Sanctuary is pleasant enough. There’s even a waterfall close to the entrance for enjoyment, but it’s crowded. We passed the tourist area, saw a few caged birds, and trekked up into the hills, following a dirt path, which proved extremely strenuous. Our goal was to get to the base of the Karnala pinnacle, which houses the ruins of a fort.
We were constantly breaking to catch our breath, all 25 plus of us. The route was steep, and required the use of both hands to reach out and grab whatever roots, branches and rocks we could get for support as we clambered up the rocky and at times muddy path. I can describe this route best as a shoe breaker; it was littered with the soles that had come off the shoes of people who trekked this way.
After a lot of clambering upwards, we came to a little clearing, a patch of land that served as an intersection of trails and we paused to take in the scenery. We realised that we were really high up, that we were entering the upper realm of the hill, about to cross the point above which a mountain is constantly covered in mist. We continued onwards at a slightly slower pace.
The trail did slope upwards but not as frequently. The trail then flattened out and as we left the forest behind, we could barely make out the pinnacle in front of us, and the short climb that would lead us to its base.
This part proved to be the most dangerous. The climb to the fort or pinnacle base was steep, required a lot of stretching to get from outcrop to outcrop, and was a challenge with what I felt sure were gale force winds intent on blowing us off the mountain. We did manage to crawl to the top at last and take a breather before exploring the ruins that sheltered us from the winds. It wasn’t possible to take a lot of pics though with all the mist and moisture being blown around. I was lucky my camera didn’t get spoiled taking the pics I did.
Our descent was a lot easier, mine at least. My Woodland’s prevented me from slipping and I got some good pics of a waterfall and a large white crab on my way down the hill.
The trek being over, I took an ST bus from the highway outside the Sanctuary to Panvel Stn, caught a train to C.S.T but got off at Kurla, took a bus to Santa Cruz Stn, a train to Borivli, and a bus home.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Movie Review - Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
One of the best movies I've seen. Period. If I had a top ten list, this movie would probably feature in it. Directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1964, the movie shifts between an air force base, war room, and a B52 bomber. A crazed general has sent his planes on a nuclear strike against the Soviet Union. How everyone else comically reacts to this event comprises the rest of the movie.
Monday, 28 July 2008
Shilonda Trek
Went for a trek this Sunday. Over 50 of us from the BNHS trekked through the Shilonda trail in the Borivli side of the National Park. This has got to be one of the best treks I have ever been on. Everything about it went right and it had all the elements that make up a legendary trek - lots of rain, a good nature sensitive crowd, strangers who became friends and valued good conversation, teamwork, a little risk and danger, good shoes that held up, lots of excellent scenery and a little wildlife spotting.
Landed up at the park at 7.30 A.M, met up with the group, and walked the half hour distance to the start of the trail, wherein our adventures began. Our three guides took every opportunity to point out interesting Flora like the Ghost tree and the Flame of the Forest .
On one such stop, while the group stood observing an interesting plant, an observant member of the group spotted a snake just a few feet away and well camouflaged in the foliage (which I never would have been able to spot), which our guide confirmed was a Russell's viper. It was exquisite. I never thought I'd see a snake on this trek. This was to be just the first of our experiences.
Later on, our guides spotted a Praying Mantis and Stick Insect, both very beautiful, graceful and camera friendly. We also came across long and short horned grasshoppers, hairy caterpillars, huge spiders with giant webs, and the usual rock crabs that abound during the monsoon. We finally reached the halfway mark at around 10 A.M, the mark itself being a gushing river that we had to cross, at which point the family members of the trek - the children and their parents, went back with one guide, and we decided to push on.
We manged to cross the river though it was a bit tricky and followed a narrow trail through the forest, running more or less upriver, until we came close to it's origin - a waterfall. It became clear to us that the only way to get to the mouth of the water fall - our final destination - was to climb up the rapids that it's waters created.
This proved most tricky - deep waters where you can't see where you're putting your feet aren't that much of a problem. With a little time and effort, you can always find a foothold, shift your balance, and do the same for the other foot. But what made this dangerous was the water pressure. The flow was heavy and it took a lot of skill to zig zag across the rapids, upwards into the waterfall.
If I ever had to keep an account of when I did something that frightened me, which I wasn't sure I would come out of alive and well, this event would defintely figure on the list. There were a couple of points in this struggle where I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but forced myself to continue anyway.
I cannot stress the importance of good trekking shoes on a trek like this. They could save your life, or at least prevent you from slipping and falling and hurting yourself a lot, and definitely prevent sore feet at the end of the day.
Anyway, when we reached the waterfall's mouth and realised we could go no further, back we went. However, it had been raining, the rapids had grown more ferocious and we were in no mood to tackle them again. Our guide managed to find a path parallel to the rapids, which we all gladly took, and soon doubled back to the original path back to the halfway mark, where we found a Gecko.
Now, the Borivli National park is famous for its flash floods, and when we got back to the halfway mark, we realised we were going to have a hard time crossing the same river we had crossed earlier. What was then a gushing stream and required a little effort to cross was now a raging torrent that truly frightened us.
But we had to push on and so began forming a human chain across the river. I, luckily was part of the chain at our end of the river, where the flow wasn't that strong. The guys who tried continuing the chain at the deeper end got it bad. The chain broke twice; once a guy was almost swept away by the river, and had to grab a tree trunk to save himself, and another time, three people were swept away. Luckily an outcropping of rock broke their free flow and what might have been certain death. They were in pain, but safe.
We continued building the chain, forming a double line instead, the line in front leaning into the current, the line behind pushing against and supporting them, much like a rugby defense tackle, the main difference here being that our opponent was a flooded river that seemed to be winning. Slowly and steadily however, and with a lot of teamwork, we managed to get everyone to safety and it was the chain's turn to cross, one by one. Each step was an effort, the water pressure was so forceful I found it hard to plant my foot down on the river bed and keep it there. Even when I did, the current tended to drag it along - so forceful was it. This crossing took great physical strength, we possibly strained very muscle in our legs fighting against the river to get to the other side, and I am grateful for whatever support I got from the remaining guys in the water.
We continued along our original path back to where the Shilonda trail began. I must say my new Woodland shoes really came in handy. I don't think I'd have been able to cross the river or trek through mud, moss and wet rock without slipping as easily, were it not for the fantastic grip that my shoe soles provided. Interesting finds during this last phase of the trek included a huge white rock crab - it's rare to see large ones and on the path itself. It probably came out with the rain.
Towards the end, we reached a wider motorable path, from where I caught sight of a lone Egret, and then lo and behold, a deer itself! A spotted deer! I had never seen a full deer before, and this one was out in the open, about a hundred feet away from the road in a clearing bordering the trees. I can't begin to describe how I felt. This was a rare sighting, a large mammal so close to a motorable road, and a perfect ending to a great trek.
Landed up at the park at 7.30 A.M, met up with the group, and walked the half hour distance to the start of the trail, wherein our adventures began. Our three guides took every opportunity to point out interesting Flora like the Ghost tree and the Flame of the Forest .
On one such stop, while the group stood observing an interesting plant, an observant member of the group spotted a snake just a few feet away and well camouflaged in the foliage (which I never would have been able to spot), which our guide confirmed was a Russell's viper. It was exquisite. I never thought I'd see a snake on this trek. This was to be just the first of our experiences.
Later on, our guides spotted a Praying Mantis and Stick Insect, both very beautiful, graceful and camera friendly. We also came across long and short horned grasshoppers, hairy caterpillars, huge spiders with giant webs, and the usual rock crabs that abound during the monsoon. We finally reached the halfway mark at around 10 A.M, the mark itself being a gushing river that we had to cross, at which point the family members of the trek - the children and their parents, went back with one guide, and we decided to push on.
We manged to cross the river though it was a bit tricky and followed a narrow trail through the forest, running more or less upriver, until we came close to it's origin - a waterfall. It became clear to us that the only way to get to the mouth of the water fall - our final destination - was to climb up the rapids that it's waters created.
This proved most tricky - deep waters where you can't see where you're putting your feet aren't that much of a problem. With a little time and effort, you can always find a foothold, shift your balance, and do the same for the other foot. But what made this dangerous was the water pressure. The flow was heavy and it took a lot of skill to zig zag across the rapids, upwards into the waterfall.
If I ever had to keep an account of when I did something that frightened me, which I wasn't sure I would come out of alive and well, this event would defintely figure on the list. There were a couple of points in this struggle where I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but forced myself to continue anyway.
I cannot stress the importance of good trekking shoes on a trek like this. They could save your life, or at least prevent you from slipping and falling and hurting yourself a lot, and definitely prevent sore feet at the end of the day.
Anyway, when we reached the waterfall's mouth and realised we could go no further, back we went. However, it had been raining, the rapids had grown more ferocious and we were in no mood to tackle them again. Our guide managed to find a path parallel to the rapids, which we all gladly took, and soon doubled back to the original path back to the halfway mark, where we found a Gecko.
Now, the Borivli National park is famous for its flash floods, and when we got back to the halfway mark, we realised we were going to have a hard time crossing the same river we had crossed earlier. What was then a gushing stream and required a little effort to cross was now a raging torrent that truly frightened us.
But we had to push on and so began forming a human chain across the river. I, luckily was part of the chain at our end of the river, where the flow wasn't that strong. The guys who tried continuing the chain at the deeper end got it bad. The chain broke twice; once a guy was almost swept away by the river, and had to grab a tree trunk to save himself, and another time, three people were swept away. Luckily an outcropping of rock broke their free flow and what might have been certain death. They were in pain, but safe.
We continued building the chain, forming a double line instead, the line in front leaning into the current, the line behind pushing against and supporting them, much like a rugby defense tackle, the main difference here being that our opponent was a flooded river that seemed to be winning. Slowly and steadily however, and with a lot of teamwork, we managed to get everyone to safety and it was the chain's turn to cross, one by one. Each step was an effort, the water pressure was so forceful I found it hard to plant my foot down on the river bed and keep it there. Even when I did, the current tended to drag it along - so forceful was it. This crossing took great physical strength, we possibly strained very muscle in our legs fighting against the river to get to the other side, and I am grateful for whatever support I got from the remaining guys in the water.
We continued along our original path back to where the Shilonda trail began. I must say my new Woodland shoes really came in handy. I don't think I'd have been able to cross the river or trek through mud, moss and wet rock without slipping as easily, were it not for the fantastic grip that my shoe soles provided. Interesting finds during this last phase of the trek included a huge white rock crab - it's rare to see large ones and on the path itself. It probably came out with the rain.
Towards the end, we reached a wider motorable path, from where I caught sight of a lone Egret, and then lo and behold, a deer itself! A spotted deer! I had never seen a full deer before, and this one was out in the open, about a hundred feet away from the road in a clearing bordering the trees. I can't begin to describe how I felt. This was a rare sighting, a large mammal so close to a motorable road, and a perfect ending to a great trek.
Movie Review - The Maltese Falcon
Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammet (who also wrote the Thin Man series), directed by John Huston and released in 1941, the movie has Humphrey Bogart playing Sam Spade, a detective who walks a thin line between right and wrong, while trying to solve a series of murders connected to a supposedly priceless artifact. John Huston and Humphrey Bogart also worked together on High Sierra and Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
I love this movie, if only because of it's script - it's quick, witty and immensely psychological.
I love this movie, if only because of it's script - it's quick, witty and immensely psychological.
Friday, 25 July 2008
Movie Reviews: The Machinist, Death at a Funeral
The Machinist
Directed by Brad Anderson, this 2004 movie with Christian Bale is overrated. Though well directed and everything, it's a bit predictable and follows more or less the same storyline as other typical psycho thriller Hollywood fare like Hide and Seek, Secret Window and Fight Club. I'm tired of the Hollywood trend of exaggerating psychological phenomena and turning them into something fantastic and unrealistic, As Good as it Gets being the only Hollywood movie I've seen that deals with a psychological issue in a realistic manner.
Directed by Frank Oz and released in 2007, a British comedy where a funeral keeps getting messed up. Quite funny, though not among the best comedies I've seen.
Directed by Brad Anderson, this 2004 movie with Christian Bale is overrated. Though well directed and everything, it's a bit predictable and follows more or less the same storyline as other typical psycho thriller Hollywood fare like Hide and Seek, Secret Window and Fight Club. I'm tired of the Hollywood trend of exaggerating psychological phenomena and turning them into something fantastic and unrealistic, As Good as it Gets being the only Hollywood movie I've seen that deals with a psychological issue in a realistic manner.
Death at a Funeral
Directed by Frank Oz and released in 2007, a British comedy where a funeral keeps getting messed up. Quite funny, though not among the best comedies I've seen.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Movie Review - Fanny and Alexander
Again, I believe that Ingmar Bergman's movies are highly over rated. First, it was Wild Strawberries that wasn't good enough and now it's Fanny and Alexander, all 5 hours plus of it, originally broadcast on T.V in Sweden in 1984 in the form of a prologue, four episodes and an epilogue.
The Prologue introduces 11 year old Alexander as he finds himself in an empty house and his imagination goes into overdrive . Episode One introduces all the members of the Ekdahl family over Christmas in 1907, showing us their individual personalities, faults and relationships. Episode Two deals with Fanny and Alexander's father's death and introduces the Bishop. Episode Three deals with Fanny and Alexander coping with life in their new home. Episode Four sees them escape and follows Alexander in Isak's home until all are reunited. The Epilogue tries to leave us with a happy ending.
Generally, Bergman keeps the camera focused on a group of people until their entire conversation is complete. Each scene serves a definite purpose in the movie which is to somehow advance the respective character's relationship and give us a glimpse into their relationship.
The Prologue and fourth episode, to me, seem the only ones worthy of mention. The Prologue is an amazing little piece; it's unfortunate that Episode One, which follows immediately after, doesn't impress as much. I can identify with Alexander's imagination, his wanting to spend time under a table, his seeing things become alive and move. The first three episodes didn't live up to expectations, apart from the magnificent costumes, set design and atmosphere creation, probably because they're slower as compared to the fourth episode, don't really lead anywhere definite, and tend to get boring quickly.
Episode Four seems to me to be a masterpiece. I don't think there was anything about it I didn't like. Maybe its success can be attributed to it's focus on Alexander, as the bits in the movie that deal with Alexander alone tend to be the best parts - Alexander wandering through Isak's home/shop with the puppets and statues coming to life, his time spent with Isak's nephew Aron, and Isak's bedtime story all seem to be perfect. There are elements of darkness taking the shape of grandeur, and magical realism, that make you feel as if you're seeing this one episode mostly through a child's eyes, that make this episode all the more special.
The Epilogue seemed more or less unnecessary and a waste of time to me. Like I said, the fourth episode was great but the overall impression seems to be one of mediocrity and over-ratedness. I wouldn't mind seeing the shorter theatrical version though, just to see the difference between the two.
The Prologue introduces 11 year old Alexander as he finds himself in an empty house and his imagination goes into overdrive . Episode One introduces all the members of the Ekdahl family over Christmas in 1907, showing us their individual personalities, faults and relationships. Episode Two deals with Fanny and Alexander's father's death and introduces the Bishop. Episode Three deals with Fanny and Alexander coping with life in their new home. Episode Four sees them escape and follows Alexander in Isak's home until all are reunited. The Epilogue tries to leave us with a happy ending.
Generally, Bergman keeps the camera focused on a group of people until their entire conversation is complete. Each scene serves a definite purpose in the movie which is to somehow advance the respective character's relationship and give us a glimpse into their relationship.
The Prologue and fourth episode, to me, seem the only ones worthy of mention. The Prologue is an amazing little piece; it's unfortunate that Episode One, which follows immediately after, doesn't impress as much. I can identify with Alexander's imagination, his wanting to spend time under a table, his seeing things become alive and move. The first three episodes didn't live up to expectations, apart from the magnificent costumes, set design and atmosphere creation, probably because they're slower as compared to the fourth episode, don't really lead anywhere definite, and tend to get boring quickly.
Episode Four seems to me to be a masterpiece. I don't think there was anything about it I didn't like. Maybe its success can be attributed to it's focus on Alexander, as the bits in the movie that deal with Alexander alone tend to be the best parts - Alexander wandering through Isak's home/shop with the puppets and statues coming to life, his time spent with Isak's nephew Aron, and Isak's bedtime story all seem to be perfect. There are elements of darkness taking the shape of grandeur, and magical realism, that make you feel as if you're seeing this one episode mostly through a child's eyes, that make this episode all the more special.
The Epilogue seemed more or less unnecessary and a waste of time to me. Like I said, the fourth episode was great but the overall impression seems to be one of mediocrity and over-ratedness. I wouldn't mind seeing the shorter theatrical version though, just to see the difference between the two.
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
CEC Trek
Went for a BNHS trek in Goregaon on Sunday. The BNHS owns a 35 acre plot of forest land adjoining the National park and Film city in Goregaon (E) where they've set up a Conservation Education Centre (CEC) and use the forest for trekking, etc.
The short trek or nature walk we embarked on was non very remarkable - a nice way to get 2 hours of exercise on a Sunday morning. The only drawback was the fact that we were swamped with mosquitoes for a large part of the trek. It wasn't even possible to take a lot of photos with all the bloodsuckers around.
The short trek or nature walk we embarked on was non very remarkable - a nice way to get 2 hours of exercise on a Sunday morning. The only drawback was the fact that we were swamped with mosquitoes for a large part of the trek. It wasn't even possible to take a lot of photos with all the bloodsuckers around.
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
Movie Reviews: Since Otar Left, Thumbsucker
Since Otar Left (2003)
On of the best World Cinema movies I've seen, ever. I usually don't get a chance to praise a movie and more importantly recommend it to others but I have to make an exception in this case. This is one of the finest movies I've seen in a long time.
Directed by Julie Berucelli, this 2003 film based in Tbilisi, Georgia is about a grandmother, mother and daughter. The mother and daughter lie to the grandmother when the grandson dies, making her believe he's alive and well. Though somewhat similar in premise to Goodbye Lenin, which is in my opinion another member of the greatest world movies ever made, Since Otar Left manages it's own elements, right down to the different and touching ending.
Thumbsucker (2005)
One of the better products to come out of America, probably because it's an Indie movie. Directed by Mike Mills.
On of the best World Cinema movies I've seen, ever. I usually don't get a chance to praise a movie and more importantly recommend it to others but I have to make an exception in this case. This is one of the finest movies I've seen in a long time.
Directed by Julie Berucelli, this 2003 film based in Tbilisi, Georgia is about a grandmother, mother and daughter. The mother and daughter lie to the grandmother when the grandson dies, making her believe he's alive and well. Though somewhat similar in premise to Goodbye Lenin, which is in my opinion another member of the greatest world movies ever made, Since Otar Left manages it's own elements, right down to the different and touching ending.
Thumbsucker (2005)
One of the better products to come out of America, probably because it's an Indie movie. Directed by Mike Mills.
Movie Reviews: L'auberge Espagnole, Wild Strawberries
L'auberge Espagnole
When it comes to a movie about finding yourself, this is one of the best I've seen. Made in 2002 and directed by Fredrick Klapisch, it follows the life of a young French student and his multicultural roommates, all of whom are studying and sharing an apartment in Spain. Nationalities include French, Italian, German, English, Spanish, Danish and Belgian.
The movies main storyline is the French man's (Romain Duris') story and it show us scenes from his and his friends' lives over the course of a study year in Spain, including how he came to land in Spain in the first place, making friends, finding a place to stay, and various adventures and experiences that lead him to make a final life altering decision towards the end of the movie.
Wild Strawberries
A 1957 Ingmar Bergman film; in fact this is supposed to be one if his best, though I wasn't too impressed. It seemed like a watered down version of any movie adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol', the main theme being reconciliation.
When it comes to a movie about finding yourself, this is one of the best I've seen. Made in 2002 and directed by Fredrick Klapisch, it follows the life of a young French student and his multicultural roommates, all of whom are studying and sharing an apartment in Spain. Nationalities include French, Italian, German, English, Spanish, Danish and Belgian.
The movies main storyline is the French man's (Romain Duris') story and it show us scenes from his and his friends' lives over the course of a study year in Spain, including how he came to land in Spain in the first place, making friends, finding a place to stay, and various adventures and experiences that lead him to make a final life altering decision towards the end of the movie.
Wild Strawberries
A 1957 Ingmar Bergman film; in fact this is supposed to be one if his best, though I wasn't too impressed. It seemed like a watered down version of any movie adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol', the main theme being reconciliation.
