Movie Marathon: Buried

Hollywood films come in plethora of genres, romantic comedy, teenage romantic comedy, comedy, romance, drama, thriller, horror, action and so on. But when it comes to movies, I only have two distinctions, cerebral vs. brainless-fun movies. I watch the latter type of movies like "Easy A", when I just want a good entertainer that does not require too much thinking or deep mental provocation. The former type, on the other hand, includes movies that have a visceral effect on me. In the recent past, movies like "127 Hours", and "Toy Story 3" really moved me both intellectually and emotionally.

"Buried" classified as a thriller is neither a cerebral nor a brainless-fun movie. It is a movie that never really makes a case for itself. The story-line holds a lot of promise, but the movie sadly never takes off. "Buried" is about an American truck driver who is buried alive inside a coffin in Iraq, with nothing but a blackberry. He is held for ransom by Iraqi insurgents, who ask him to make a plea video and call his supervisors back in Washington for five million dollars. He uses the phone to call his family, FBI, and the private trucking company he works for. But, he is either put on hold or gets the answering machine.

The movie is somewhat about the politics and immorality of the Iraq War. It is somewhat about the value of human life. It is somewhat about the bureaucracy of American corporations and how they do not give a rat's ass about the lives being lost in Iraq. "Buried" touches upon a lot of themes but does not fully grab onto one theme to make a connection with the audience. Ryan Reynolds plays the lead role. I don't know if it was his poor acting or the shallow script but I did not care about his fate in the movie. I did not care whether he would be able to arrange for five million dollars from the grave, or whether he would get to talk to his family. Even though, as an audience I was not able to bond with the character, I was also not utterly bored. I watched the movie waiting for something to happen.

This movie is based on a good idea, but fails in delivery because of the poor script. The most interesting point the movie makes is that even though the protagonist is able to get a good network connection from six feet under, he still struggles to get help.

p.s. I want to know who the network provider was!

Movie Marathon: Easy A

"Easy A" is a romantic comedy starring Emma Stone, which is loosely based on Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter. The novel is about an adulterous woman, Hester Prynne, whose actions are publicly condemned by her Puritan society, and the same man who is an equal partner in her sin. The movie is a smart comedy about a generation that is greatly linked through texting and other social networking websites.

I recently read an article in the NY Times regarding the demise of emailing. Our generation prefers to communicate through texting or instant messaging. I remember when I was a teenager my friends and I preferred to communicate through MSN messaging, or emails. Then Facebook came along, and we started writing on each other's walls. We commented on oodles of pictures that our friends posted. However, things changed a couple of years ago, when people realized that information on social networking sites such as Facebook is not very private, and in fact very public. The shift happened, instead of sharing our pictures with everyone on our friends list we became more discreet. And, instead of writing on each other's walls, we started private messaging each other.

The way we communicate has changed a lot in the last 15 years. My husband and I prefer to either text or "talk" to each other on gtalk. We both have android phones which make keeping in touch and sharing quick updates on gtalk much easier. My major concern about texting is that kids are not using proper grammar and/or spellings. In the world of spell check, abbreviated syntax and 140 characters long sentences, the art of beautiful composition is at abysmal loss.

What "Easy A" shows that no matter what the preferred medium of communication is, gossip travels fast. And it is no picnic to be a teenager! The other interesting theme the movie touches upon is that high school kids do not read the books they are taught in English class. They either rent the film versions of the books, or rely upon SparkNotes. The books on the high school reading list seem dated to the students, but as the movie shows, they are far more relevant than they appear to be. In the past, myriad of classics have been turned into teenage romantic comedies. The list entails, Emma ("Clueless"), Romeo and Juliet ("Romeo + Juliet"), Taming of the Shrew ("10 Things I Hate About You"), Othello ("O"), Twelfth Night ("She's the Man"), and so on.

Emma Stone is wonderful in the movie. If you are looking for a fun and yet not a dumb movie, do check this one out. I will be posting more reviews throughout this week, as I have some time off until the next semester starts. My husband and I have a rather ambitious list of movies we want to finish watching during the holidays.

Disclaimer: For the sake of my husband's street-cred I should mention that I watched this movie without him.

Toy Story 3

Moving on and/or growing up requires one to come in terms with their new role in life. And, this is the theme of Toy Story 3, a very emotional animated film by Pixar, which perfectly tells the story of what love and moving on is. Love is fluid and in many ways impermanent and immortal at the same time. It is an abstract feeling which is not fixed in time or place. The distance doesn't change our love it just reshapes, and redefines it.

Our adolescence is dominated with the feeling that we are the absolute centre of the universe. We feel we are misunderstood by everyone because we are "oh so very unique". We want everything; and everything is possible. We live by the doctrine "All or nothing" as Shakespeare showed in "Romeo and Juliet". If the 15 year old Juliet couldn't live with her teenage Romeo she didn't want to live at all. But, as we grow up we become more aware of our own limitations. This self-awareness may lead to disappointment and dismay as Richard Yates depicted in "Revolutionary Road".

But growing up is also an evolution of our relationships. I feel I have learnt a lot in these past 9 months of marriage. Living away from home (Toronto), and the distance of almost an entire continent forced me to reevaluate my life, and my relationship with my family and friends. Recently I was back in Toronto for one whole month. I had anticipated that my time there would be the same as what my life was like before I got married and moved to California. But my month long stay made me realize that my life is in California now. Until my husband and I move back to Canada for good, I would always be a visitor...guest...there.

As humans we are very adaptable. Life is constantly changing around us, and like the toys in the movie, we are forced to adapt to these changes. Holding onto the past would only lead to unhappiness.

But then again it's good to hold onto some traditions. For instance, I waited a whole month to watch Toy Story, so I could honour the tradition of watching Pixar productions with my sister. And, it was worth the wait.

For the Sanctity of the F-Word

Okay, I am confused. The movie tells me that if a guy doesn't call you, doesn't ask you out, makes you wait on him, doesn't want to plan stuff, doesn't want to go out, doesn't want to move in together, doesn't want to have kids...HE IS JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU.

Is it really that simple? So, what if the guy is shy? Or, what if, when you are busy being coy, the guy arrives at the conclusion that you are not interested in him, and the fear of rejection stops him from making the move, you have been waiting for?

I get confused with these dating guidelines. I would find it endearing if people just went for what they wanted. Both girls, and boys. I like to think that I am an upfront person, and if the opportunity presents itself I wouldn't have any qualms about asking the guy out. We are supposed to be beyond sexism. Equal opportunities for all. Do what we please. So why slow down the dating process with these stupid rules? Who benefits from these stupid rules, anyway? The "Self Help" book industry? And, the "feminists" at Cosmo?

Okay, so this is what I have against Cosmopolitan. The periodical's former editor, self-proclaimed feminist, skeletal Helen Gurley Brown, once said that girls should have border-line anorexia nervosa to maintain an "ideal" body weight. Cosmo, the 80 year old magazine, instead of writing about women in politics, or positive female role models, primarily focuses on "How to Please Your Man", "What Men Like", "Where to Find Eligible Bachelors", and other male-centric topics. Okay, I realize nobody wants to read about the brutalities women are faced with in Darfur and Congo. But, why they are turning their readers into predatory men-hunting sex slaves is beyond me.

Then there are the other delusional feminists, the "Sex and the City" clowns. They believe, men are like shoes, wear them and then dispose them off. These women use feminism to liberate themselves from any moral and/or social obligations. Look, I love pretty outfits as much as the next girl, but since when did it become okay to spend our entire paycheck on our wardrobe? And, now, they are coming up with another "Sex and the City" movie. Hey, at least these women are helping the economy, Paul Krugman style.

And, I don't get the Oprah cult either. Oprah started bugging me back when she plastered her stamp of approval on James Frey's dubious A Million Little Pieces. Later, when it was discovered that Frey exaggerated the truth, and his book was more fictional and less of a druggie hero's triumphal memoir, she called him on her show to yell at him. Dude, Oprah, didn't you have a moral responsibility to check the book's credentials before you endorsed it? And, what is with the "O" logo mugs, which are sold for 12 bucks each? And, if we are supposed to love ourselves first, and be comfortable with our body, embrace all body shapes and forms; then why is Oprah so critical of her own weight gain? Look, I respect the woman's rags to riches story, but I don't respect her bogus commercialism tactics.

By the way, to the future object of my affection, if I am ignoring you, please don't think I am not just that into you. Take my bizarre behaviour as a cue to ask me out :). And, don't ever quote The Secret to me! Don't ever tell me that some bizarre law of attraction brought us together! And, if you dig a girl who avidly reads Cosmo and its clones, remember this sort of "feminism" can backfire too:

Today, my girlfriend broke up with me because she found out that she wasn't really in love with me. She got that advice from an internet survey. FML

EDIT (2:44 PM): I just read it in the news that Oprah apologized to James Frey for shaming him on her show. Looks like blogging does have some journalistic relevance after all.

Nikolai Gogol: The Overcoat

In an Apatow world, socially stunted, slobby, scruffy men somehow manage to have attractive blond girlfriends. These men do not really have to work on their social skills, and Mary Jane problem to find love. It is no wonder these Apatow movies turn out to be blockbuster hits, eh?



But, in the real world we get surprised when "less attractive" individuals actually amount to something. For instance, look at the recent, okay not so recent, YouTube sensation, British Susan Boyle. When she first stepped on the stage, the audience and the judges were ready to write her off, but out came that powerful voice, and she had everyone mesmerized. Had she been a Barbie look-alike, people on this side of the pond, probably, would have never heard of her.

Nikolai Gogol's stories are about such "less attractive" social outcasts. He wrote about social nobodies who work in the corrupt government offices. Gogol had hoped to achieve literary success when he moved to St. Petersburg from Ukraine. But, he had trouble finding his footing in the corrupt imperial capital.

"The Overcoat" centers around Akaky Akakievich, who is a government clerk. Akaky Akakievich not only has an unfortunate name, but is also poor, lonely, and unattractive. He spends his day copying government documents, and getting teased by his co-workers. When his old worn-out overcoat reaches the condition where it's beyond repair, Akaky decides to buy a pristine new overcoat, which he cannot afford. He decides to save up, by skipping dinner, and going without the basic utilities. His sole purpose of existence, which was previously about his menial job, now becomes about buying the new overcoat.

Gogol's stories are about people whose lives are marked by anonymity and oblivion. These individuals find themselves lost in a society, where they are judged on their physical appearances, funny names, and inferior social ranks.

I believe, the reason reality shows like "American Idol", or "Britain's Got Talent" are popular, because they give individuals, like Taylor Hicks, Paul Potts, and Susan Boyle, a chance to do something outside of their social realms. In most cases, the contestants are not restricted by their physical appearance, and/or socio-economic status.

Star Trek

Don't worry Trekkies, no spoilers here :).



Urmm...Now that the obvious "review" has been successfully plastered on my blog, here are my thoughts on the movie.

I found "Star Trek", the TV series, boring, and I have never been a fan of the canon. Back in the day, my friend used to write short stories based on the series, and since FanFiction didn't exist back then, for the sake of my coolometer/geekometer (however you wanna look at it), he used to email them to me. So whatever previous knowledge I had of the series was due in part to his stories.

I went to watch the movie because of J.J. Abrams. And, folks, Abrams definitely built up his already impressive resume with this movie. There is an excellent mix of action sequences, charm, and humour. It is an entertaining movie, which takes you in, from the get go.

The storyline deals with the eternal struggle between the mind and body, shown through the contrasting characters of Spock (Zachary Qunito from the Heroes), and Captain Kirk (Chris Pine). And, OH MY GOD, Chris Pine is oh so dreamy. Zachary Qunito fits the role of Spock to the T. They both do complete justice to their respective roles, and are a pleasure to watch.

Trekkie or not, DO WATCH THIS MOVIE!
Beware, sadly, CNN's holograms sorta stole the CGI's thunder.

Here is what the Onion has to say:

Duplicity

I finally got around to watching Duplicity last night. It's written by Tony Gilroy, who also wrote the screenplays for the Bourne movies, and Michael Clayton. Duplicity is a spy-thriller with some romantic comedy on the side.

I found the movie interesting, and enjoyed it very much. But, it was not as mysterious as say Michael Clayton, or as engaging as the Bourne series. It was entertaining, but something was amiss.

The major asset this movie has is Julia Roberts and Clive Owen's undeniable chemistry. Both of them are extremely charming in the movie. Clive Owen reminded me of the old school "Bond. James Bond", which is all a girl could ask for :).

The corporate rivalry between the two medical companies, shown in the movie, reminded me of the 3 Big North American automobile companies, GM, Chrysler, and Ford. These companies are lagging behind in terms of coming up with new innovative car models. In 2008, for the first time Toyota sold more cars than GM. For decades they have been relying on their staples, vans and trucks. Whereas, Toyota is constantly coming up with new models, which are both good for the environment and also provide a solution to the hiking gas prices.

In the movie, one of the company's CEO mentions the concept of "corporate evolution". GM et al. received the bailout money, and they still have not been able to come up with a plan to recover their flattering companies, and productivity. This really makes one wonder, whether these companies have exhausted all of their options and creativity. They have not been able to come up with new car models, recently. Ford's Model T of the last century still seems Detroit's biggest and innovative contribution to the automobile industry.

The New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, wrote about an electric car network, called Better Place. The Better Place, in association with Nissan, is planning on installing charging spots in parking lots, and major intersections. The company has already installed plug-in outlets in Israel, in December of 2008. They are planning on utilizing renewable energy, wind and air, for a national car charging infrastructure. This would not only make them oil independent, but would also help the environment. This is how Friedman explained The Better Place's plan:

"Under the Better Place model, consumers can either buy or lease an electric car from the French automaker Renault or Japanese companies like Nissan (General Motors snubbed Agassi) and then buy miles on their electric car batteries from Better Place the way you now buy an Apple cellphone and the minutes from AT&T. That way Better Place, or any car company that partners with it, benefits from each mile you drive.
[...]
The first Renault and Nissan electric cars are scheduled to hit Denmark and Israel in 2011, when the whole system should be up and running. On Tuesday, Japan’s Ministry of Environment invited Better Place to join the first government-led electric car project along with Honda, Mitsubishi and Subaru. Better Place was the only foreign company invited to participate, working with Japan’s leading auto companies, to build a battery swap station for electric cars in Yokohama, the Detroit of Japan."

Going back to the movie, I think the competition that they show, between the two companies, is healthy. This is exactly what we need to resuscitate our economy. Microsoft, and the cellphone industry carried us through the 90's, and changed the way we communicate. In 2001, Apple reappeared with their new idea, the mighty iPod. The reemergence of Apple computers, inspired Microsoft to come up with their cheap knock-off of Mac's OS X, in the form of Windows Vista. If it was not for the epidemiology program I use, I would throw away my Vista in a heartbeat. Now, Microsoft is about to launch Windows 7 this year.

This sort of healthy competition and the drive to find the next big thing to feed our consumer minds is what we need. Bailing out already handicapped corporates would not really provide us with a long-term solution. Yes, I am being profound today :).

Here is an Onion video for your pleasure. I think which you have earned after being subjected to my above gibberish. Beware of the profanity below :).

Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

Ghajini

Ghajini is the title of the Indian movie I watched last night. After hearing some negative reviews, my curiosity got the better of me. Let me inform you, being of South Asian descent I am realizing it is very important, in fact crucial, for my cultural brown identity that I engross myself in anything Bollywood. I have been tested on my Bollywood knowledge by the guys my parents set me up with, and needless to say I don't pass those tests with flying colours.

So I put on the movie, as background noise, as I started to work on my sister's architecture paper last night. What can I say my sister is a slave-driver. But the movie took me by surprise, and had me watching it with my hands covering my eyes, because of all the grotesque violence, and heart on the edge. It is good cinema, and goes in the same category as Revolutionary Road, in terms of acting.

It is an action thriller about a guy who has amnesia. This part of the movie reminded me of Jason Bourne, from the Bourne trilogy. But, the element that appealed to me was the love story between the male protagonist, the Indian Bourne, and his love interest (Duh!). Theirs is the most beautiful love story I have seen in the movies recently. It had me in tears. My favourite part of the movie comes right before the following song, which I have been listening to obsessively. I tried finding the subtitles on YouTube, but clearly YouTube expects you all to understand Hindi. After all India, along with China, would be our overlord, so consider this song your first step towards learning Hindi. The song in a nutshell is about the fact that the protagonist cannot believe his luck that he managed to meet and have the love of someone so kind-hearted. It is a beautiful song, again I wish I could find the subtitles for it. Btw, the music is composed by the Slumdog Millionaire's composer and Oscar winner AR Rahman.



The movie also implicitly discussed the division between Indian socio-economic classes. Also, discussed the problem with human trafficking, and teenage prostitution. It depicts the multi-layered modern Indian society, and its contradictions.

Ghajini is an excellent movie which I highly recommend.

Picket Fence

I had the hardest time writing this post. The thing is, I cannot isolate myself from Revolutionary Road. When I read this novel, written by Richard Yates, I could see myself in Frank Wheeler. This story is about broken promises, and unfulfilled dreams. The reason this story is unique because it is an anti-thesis of a typical coming of age tale.

Marianne Williamson said that our deepest fear is not realizing, we are insufficient, but coming in terms with our true potential. If we know we are intelligent and have the potential of achieving whatever we put our mind to, then we really have no excuse to fail.

Revolutionary Road took away the blind-faith that I would be happy in the end. It made me realize that sometimes even the most gifted, and blessed people are not happy in life. People like Frank and April Wheeler, who have everything going for them. Frank Wheeler is intelligent, attractive, and is married to a beautiful woman, with two kids. He earns a good living at a job he hates, where he does not really have to apply himself. He is financially well-off, and is living in a beautiful suburban house. His wife, April Wheeler, gets drawn to Frank because he has new ideals. He is mysterious and he has travelled the world. Whereas, April has not been anywhere. She took acting classes, and believed she could have been an excellent actress, if she had not gotten married and had Frank's two kids. But this false belief gets shattered when her local theater performance is declared mediocre by her suburban neighbours.

Together the couple ends up having this life which neither of them had expected. They find themselves getting lost behind the mundanity of white picket fenced suburbia. They are unhappy because the novelty that brought them closer is missing. They come to realize, neither of them is as unexceptional as the other thought they were. They get this grand idea to move to Europe where they could finally amount to something spectacular, out of the ordinary. This Old World fascination is akin to what many members of the Lost Generation felt, including Ernest Hemingway, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The reader or viewer is left to wonder, are these characters so lost because they got thrown into the circumstances they didn't expect? Both of them had hopes that they were beyond the simple and monochromatic lifestyle that one would expect from a husband, a wife, and parents of two children. The other question is, are these two characters "exceptional" because they are daring to be different, or are they flawed and foolishly idealistic because they want something they can't have? Perhaps, they should have tested their true potential before they got married.

In terms of the cinematic characterization, one thing I didn't like in the movie was the fact that April's character seemed more confused and lost than Frank's. April was shown to make more unrealistic and idealistic choices than Frank. Now that we are on the subject, let me discuss the movie a bit more. My favourite part of the movie was the beginning. April and Frank are shown walking down a hallway under ceiling lights, walking parallel to each other, but not right beside each other. I don't know if that makes sense, but to me I thought it was an effective way to set the premise of the story. In terms of acting, I am still angry with the fact that neither Leo DiCaprio nor Kate Winslet got nominated for their roles. They transpired Richard Yates words through their acting, with their body language and facial expressions. Both of these actors have the power to reach out of the screen and somehow move me with their performances. There are not that many actors I can say that for.

I was ready to hate the movie, because I never like film adaptations. But, the movie ended up helping my understanding of the novel and its author. For instance, for some reason I saw Richard Yates in Howard Givings, who turns off his hearing-aid because he doesn't want to hear anything negative about the Wheelers. I think, Yates felt sorry for the Wheelers, after all, the Wheelers are the embodiment of our worst fears and moments of self-doubt. We are afraid to be stuck in a job we don't like, or in a marriage that only seems perfect from the outside. Furthermore, Yates also included us in his story. We are shown both as the ordinary Campbells (more about them in a few minutes), and John Givings. Yates entrusted John Givings to ask the Wheelers our questions. John Givings screams and scolds the Wheelers for us.

Okay now something about the Campbells. Yates used this couple as a foil to highlight the Wheelers's flaws. Where the Wheelers are dreaming about moving to Paris, the Campbells are busy looking after their kids. Where Frank is dreaming about quitting his job, Shep Campbell is lusting after Frank's wife, April. See how simple and ordinary Shep's dreams are (!). At the end of the day, the question is would Shep prefer a wife who is like April or like his own wife, Milly. Milly is not as beautiful as April, but she is an excellent mother, and caregiver.

The other theme that had my mind going was manliness. April thinks that since Frank did not amount to her first reaction of him, he is incapable of carrying through and completely finishing a task. Even in the instances, when he raises his hand to hit her but holds back last minute, and does not follow through. She sees his failure to physically harm her as his inability to be a man. She actually says something along the lines that how Frank is not even man enough to harm her. Frank compensates for his un-maniliness by sleeping with a co-worker.

I would strongly suggest anyone out there who's reading this post to read the book. It will change the way you look at life and relationships. Too often we hold back emotions and resort to silences when just simple sentences and words would have been the best option. Too often we take life for granted. We take ourselves for granted.

You try until you don't...

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is my favourite Valentine's movie. It is about a couple who get their memory erased after they breakup. During the medical procedure Joel (Jim Carrey) realizes, not all of the memories he shared with his ex-girlfriend Clamentine (Kate Winslet) were bad, and he resists the urge to let go of those memories.

Personally, I am very hesitant to keep memorabilia, be it photographs or any sort of stubs. I am scared that I would end up keeping something which would hurt me in the future. So, unless, I am absolutely sure that saving something would not be torturous in the long run, I would not bother keeping it. I think, I have gotten better with time. I take more photographs now, than I ever did in the past. I do not have any school pictures, be it from elementary, middle, or high school. I also used to be really bad at staying in touch with people, I think I have gotten a bit better now.

But, I feel if I were to enter a relationship now, I would not hesitate from keeping physical evidence of the memories we would share, regardless of the outcome of the relationship. I feel now I have the maturity to realize that for better or worse our memories make us who we are. And, at the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to find someone who can see me beyond my flaws, and somehow still end up finding something likable to hold onto for the rest of our lives.

I know, I shouldn't be talking about breakups tonight. Btw, sorry, changetheworld360, I promised I would write about Revolutionary Road next, but I need to get this breakup rant out of my head first :).

The thing about memories is that they define us. Even the most tumultuous relationships have beautiful memorable moments, which are hard to hate or dismiss. Maybe people focus on the anger and hurtful memories during a breakup because these bad memories help them in stringing away from their ex, away from the routine, the regular habits, and rituals. During a breakup, thinking about the good times, the beginning of the relationship, will perhaps make it harder for the two to find their separate paths. I think, overtime people can look back and take the good with bad, and not long for what they had. Or wonder about what it could have been.

My old English teacher used to say that the opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference. I think, when two people are not meant to be, and no matter how much the third party tries to remind them of their inevitable incompatibility, the two wouldn't be able to break free from each other, until they get to this stage of indifference, where you are not left with any other option but to part ways. I, for one, strongly believe that most people don't get love right, in the first try. Sometimes it takes multiple tries to finally find the person we are meant to spend our lives with.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

According to this "Stuff White People Like" satirical post, all white (and by "white" the blog's author means upper-brow elitist) like to travel to Europe, after university :). They believe, visiting Europe would alter their life, and would make them more culturally and artistically unique.

This is what we see in Woody Allen's latest movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Watching the movie is like reading a beautiful novel, where the characters have fluidity, and are not just some caricatures we usually see on our cinema screens. I really liked the movie, and strongly recommend it. It reminded me of Woody Allen's other marvel, Match Point. A brief note about the acting: Penelope Cruz's character, Maria Elena, was the key catalyst in this movie, but it was Rebecca Hall's performance, and character, Vicky, that resonated with me.

The movie showed, we look at the Old World in wonderment, and while we are there we look at our North American materialistic lives with contempt. We hope that by being in Europe we are better than the rest of the people back home. We believe Europe would make us more culturally and artistically aware, and subsequently we would be able to escape the redundancy of the 9 to 5 quotidian.

The movie raised the question of love. Something Woody Allen has been playing around with, since Annie Hall. The reason love is such a well-discussed, and yet enigmatic topic is because it varies with a person's expectations. There is the innocent-not-so-tainted teenage love. But, as we grow older and our responsibilities start to pile up, our definition of love also becomes more realistic. Maybe the love you eventually settle for is not something you had fantasized about. Depending on what you are looking for, love could be rational, practical, and predictable. Or, maybe you are sure what love should not be like, but unaware of what it actually is. A Venn diagram would be oh so very handy in this case.

Then, supposedly, there are these mythical people who know from the get-go what they are looking for, and can identify it when they see it. Enter this David Gray song: "Be Mine".

I think, Woody Allen summarized the state of relationships cynically, and yet realistically, in the last scene of Annie Hall:

Milk

"Milk" is the story of a death foretold; released in the wake of Proposition 8 referendum.

The movie tells the real-life story of Harvey Milk, the first openly homosexual man to be elected to public office as supervisor, in San Francisco. I have to admit, the movie has all the elements that one may expect from the "biographical" genre. However, this film is critical in the sense that it reminds us of all the events, and sacrifices that made Obama's inauguration possible. Obama's campaign transcended biography. But the only reason he could afford to ignore to talk about himself and/or his race, at the inauguration, was because of the struggles people like Milk went through in breaking the boundaries their sexual orientation or ethnicity imposed on them.

The other striking factor is that it was only in the 1970s, when people were struggling to keep their jobs because of their sexual orientation. So it was reassuring to know that in just a few decades we have come a long way. I realize, in terms of equality there is a lot of other issues and stereotypes we still have to tackle, but the movie gave me hope. I know, all this optimism is almost nauseating :).

Milk's character is played by the always brilliant Sean Penn, and he has completely transformed himself for this role. He played this character with both vulnerability and assertiveness. And, of course, James Franco's presence in the movie didn't really hurt :). The other remarkable part of the movie was the inclusion of archival footage from the 1970s, providing us a glimpse into the period we don't really hear or read about.

Tropic Thunder

I had made plans to see this movie at the newly opened AMC theater downtown. But, for some reason, it didn't work out. I think, I ended up going to the Chinese Lantern Festival, instead.

I exceptionally enjoyed watching this movie. It is really funny, and edgy. There was controversy surrounding this movie. Apparently some groups believed, the movie ridiculed people with disabilities. Having volunteered with people with intellectual disabilities, I have a strict policy against the use of word "retard". Even though, the characters use that word a lot; the joke is not on people with disabilities, but on Hollywood actors, and filmmakers.

The movie promises brilliant performances from Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey. And, let's not forget my favourite Robert Downey Jr. I fell in love with him in 'Iron Man' and 'Charlie Bartlett'. Kudos, for his Oscar nomination.

P.S. I thought the trailers in the beginning of the movie were hilarious.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

This movie is no Forrest Gump. Brad Pitt is no Tom Hanks. Having said that, the movie is good. It is about love and life. It even got me choked up.

As the name suggests, the screenplay is based on the fairytale-like short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald's simple, and beautiful, short story is about a boy, Benjamin Button, who ages in reverse. Benjamin is born as a 70 year old man, and with the passing of time gets younger. But this is where the similarity between the screenplay and the short story ends. The writer Eric Roth, who also wrote Forrest Gump, took the premise and turned it into a story about compassion, and human curiosity.

However, Brad Pitt's acting is anything but curious. He seems distant, and does not fully embrace the character. Brad Pitt, unlike Leo DiCaprio, does not have the ability to move the audience with his performance. But I have to hand it to him, Pitt does look boyishly handsome in the movie. And, as an elderly he looks scary and cute at the same time.

In the movie, storm and water are used as symbolic devices. Storm is one constant unifying device which creeps up throughout the movie, tying the lose ends of chaos that is life. The water, the waves, and its myriad vivid colours never looked better on screen. I think, the water symbolizes fluidity. The message that in essence we are the same, no matter how we weather or, in the case of Button, thrive with time.

The movie filled in the gaps that Fitzgerald left in his very brief short story. The original story reminded me of Margaret Laurence's Stone Angel. When the protagonist, Hagar, in Stone Angel, is approaching her demise, she has flashbacks of her life. But the question is what happens when you come to this world weathered, wrinkly, and crippled, but die with innocence and baby freshness? Is it better to be haunted by the mistakes one made in his or hers life, or is it better to forget about the past experiences, and die with no recollection of the life lived?

Here is one of my favourite poems about death by Dylan Thomas.

"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Blogworthy: I'm What I Read

One of my New Year's resolutions is to write a weekly blog post about the articles, anything from the world wide web, which I found interesting. Yes, can't you tell I am single and I have no life :). So here's the first installment.

1. "The Power of Prayer" [The Wall Street Journal]

"Barack Obama mostly seems focused on ideological rather than denominational diversity. He chose Rick Warren, who opposes gay marriage, and then added Gene Robinson, the gay Episcopal bishop from New Hampshire, to pray at a morning service. He's also reportedly going to have a full range of faiths -- including Muslims and Jews -- at the prayer service the next day. But at the high-profile, official event -- the swearing in -- there will be just Rick Warren and Joseph Lowery, both Protestants."

Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony is on this Tuesday. Just an obvious pointer, in case you have been living in a cave for the past two years, and missed the news of America electing its first Black president. In my opinion, I think it is wrong to call him black. Because phenotypically he may look black, but genetically he is also half-white. This brings my attention to Pasha Malla. Malla wrote the following about racial terminology and assignment:

"When people ask me my "background," a common question, I've started telling them that I'm "half white." This usually proves inadequate, and sometimes disconcerting. Folks want to be able to categorize other people based on difference: knowing what you "are" will dictate how they can interact with you — and more importantly, what they can and can't say. My ambiguous response might seem snide, but I struggle to think how it's any different from people defining themselves as "half" whatever ethnic minority. Regardless the halves, I'm still neither one race nor the other."

Pasha Malla in this insightful article, "Self-portrait of a racist" points out, we are all racists. I actually agree with that. Malla kept a racist journal, and here are a few of his journal entries:

"…today I was sitting on the subway beside a black man. When he got off at his stop, I instinctively checked my pocket for my wallet."

"… at the movies I noticed a Middle Eastern-looking guy in line, wearing a backpack. For a moment, I second-guessed going into the theatre."

"… a Hasidic man cut in front of me at the grocery store. My thought was not: 'Asshole.' My thought was: 'Jew.' "

He continues:

"We often hear that racism is largely a result of ignorance — but I live in Toronto, with regular exposure to all races. If my journal is any indication, exposure to other cultures doesn't necessarily allay racist tendencies. Maybe part of the problem is that Toronto neighbourhoods are often divided along ethnic lines, so (with a few notable exceptions) there's little interaction between one cultural group and another. My only real communication with the city's Vietnamese population, for example, is when I order pho tai from one of their excellent restaurants."

Furthermore, judging by "Stuff White People Like" and the Onion, Obama is as "white" as they come. But going back to the inauguration article, I personally believe that they should not include religious priests in the inauguration processions, because that in my opinion makes the inauguration ceremony too much like a coronation.

p.s. While we are discussing racism I would recommend another article, "Would You Have Been A Nazi?" - This article discusses Milgram's average rate of obedience.

2. "Clara" [The New Yorker]

It is a short-story about love and life. Lately, I find myself wondering, what is that keeps people together? What is that makes us take the big leap, and decide, "Okay, you, right there, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I keep hearing that in life you don't get everything you want. Sometimes you have to meet destiny halfway. But, how about those who refuse to compromise, and persistently remain on their quest to find the right person? Are these the individuals who end up losing out in the end? And, those who are not really happy but still stick it out, are they smarter than the idealistic individuals, such as yours truly?

My biggest fear is settling down with someone who seems okay at first, but then things fall apart once the honeymoon period is over. Enter these 2 breakup songs: James Morrison ft. Nelly Furtado - Broken Strings and Gnarls Barkley - Going On. There are certain people who sound perfect in theory, but their personalities and values just don't mesh in the end. And, then there is the case where you meet the person, who has everything you ever wanted, but something is awry. I am starting to think that this relationship stuff is very complicated. People should either live alone. Or, when they get married their brains should be reprogrammed to fulfill each other's needs and wants.

Geez, when did this blog become so confessional! In my defence, I just got a "talk" for being too picky. My mom clearly took a page from Mama Bennet's 'How to successfully get your daughter married' book. I always believed that the only important thing a person should look for in a relationship is mutual respect and appreciation. But now I feel, respect and appreciation alone can only take you so far. I guess nobody understands this stuff, hence the abundance of movies and books addressing this subject. Theoretically we all know a successful relationship is based upon myriad factors. But it seems that when push comes to shove we are required to have a moment of solitude and decide what is important to us. Or, if some one's making you do that, and things don't flow and fit automatically, then you know it is not working. Right?!

3. "Horatio Alger Relocates to Mumbai Slum" [The Times]

This article is about 'Slumdog Millionaire'. The movie won the Globes last week, and has a strong chance of winning the Oscar. The million dollar (insert: embarrassed smile) is what makes this predictable fairytale story so exceptional? The writer here says, in Jamal the American audience sees Great Gatsby. It is the first movie out of India which is not about the exotic land or about the Indian singing and dancing ('Monsoon Wedding').

The movie for the first time shows:
"The arbitrary power of the police officer toward the citizen and the gangster toward the slum dweller. The schools where teachers throw books at students and lessons consist of choral echoing of the teacher’s words. The slum where cooking and child-rearing and defecation are semi-public activities, and where it would be hard to develop the mental independence to question an arranged marriage or abuse by the better-born."

But that is not it, it also reminds Americans of an important lesson of Collectivism, a cultural belief Indians hold very dear, and sometimes use to attack the West; but now trying to shed.

The movie works because:
"It is roots and linkages that many Indians now seek to shed, and many Americans now seek to reclaim. And that may be the silent allure of “Slumdog Millionaire.” It is a tribute to the irrepressible self, filmed in a society now realizing it has given the self too little, watched in a society now realizing it has given the self too much."

4. "One Day You're Indispensable, the Next Day..." [The Times]

"'Nobody is indispensable indefinitely,” said John Kao, a jazz musician and innovation consultant to corporations and governments. “The ‘great man’ theory does hold water, but mainly at times of transition when a charismatic leader lends what psychologists would call an individual’s ego strengths to the organization or country as a whole, to allow it to regroup and move forward.'"

This article, ponders over Steve Jobs's indispensability, and what the future of Apple would look like in his absence. Resisting the urge to mention any of Bart Simpsons jokes I have already mentioned here, in the past.

This article about indispensability makes me wonder, how Obama would be tested. Bush in his last interviews has said that only time would be able to judge his 8 years objectively. The article also mentions that in 1930s Churchill seemed indispensable, but by the end of his term in 1935 that was clearly not the case. On Tuesday, new era would be sworn in. I have doubts and my share of skepticism, but you cannot really go wrong with hope, eh? Maybe I wouldn't mind dating an American guy after all ;). Only if Obama knew, how happy he is making the North American-South Asian community :).

N.B. I have included pictures, I took on this beautiful Snowy Sunday.

Paris 5: I'll Give You the Moon

The plan today was to walk from the Latin Quarter of Paris to Champs-Elysees.

Notre Dame

Our first stop. It is by far the most beautiful cathedral I have ever visited. The cathedral is built in the Gothic style, and it is famous for its stained glass windows and gargoyles. I especially enjoyed walking around the cathedral and admiring its architecture from the outside. It was a beautiful sunny day. The cathedral is hidden behind trees, which add to its beauty and historical elusiveness.

Conciergerie

A Gothic royal palace, which looks a lot like the Sleeping Beauty castle they have in Disney World. During the French Revolution the palace was used as a prison. Marie Antoinette was also imprisoned here. But the museum inside the palace didn't seem worth visiting, only contained photographs from that period.

Boulevard Saint-Michel

This part of Paris has a very beautiful Gothic library. It also has one of the best shops in Paris, which are not crowded with tourists. In my opinion, comparatively, the French do have better fashion sense. I have become a fan of the way the girls wear makeup here. Instead of myriad layers of eyeshadow, they are all about the eyeliner, which looks very pretty. And, the French men dress very nicely too (Oooh-lala). Now, that I have wasted your time with a little Fashion 101, let me tell you about this beautiful jewellery store I discovered here, called Anoki. They have the most unique earrings and necklaces I have seen. I am not into ostentatious jewellery. However, I like delicate one of a kind vintage accessories. And this store just had that.

Musee d'Orsay

In my opinion, is one of the best museums they have in Paris. The museum has an excellent collection of Impressionist art by Edgar Degas, Manet, Monet, Pisarro, Sisley and Renoir. And most importantly, there were paintings by Vincet Van Gogh. I have a poster of three of Van Gogh's paintings in my room, so being only a few inches away from the originals was a very fulfilling experience. This, including London's Tate Modern, is another museum I would definitely return to if I am in Europe again.

Tour Eiffel

We saved Eiffel for our last night in Paris. Eiffel is such a simple and yet intricate structure. Simple in the sense, unlike the rest of Imperial French architecture where buildings are adorned with Greek mythological sculptures, this symbol of modern Paris is composed of one solid element. In it's simplicity there is beauty. In spite of the cold, the view from the top was breathtaking.

Arc de Triomphe

It is a monument honouring those who lost their lives in the Napoleon war. To be honest, this structure is not that different from say Marble Arch, in London. But it was one of those places I guess you have to visit when you are in Paris; so we obliged.

Champs-Elysees

The street looked beautiful at night, with the glittering lights, and the crowd. This is probably the one time in Paris, I didn't mind the crowd so much. In spite of it being 10(ish)PM, most of the shops were open. Including the dazzling Disney Store, and a few auto showrooms.

In London, I was impressed with the Audis I saw parked in the streets of Westminster. Reminded me of the Audi they had in Iron Man. But in France, most of the cars are compact, and hence more fuel efficient. I didn't get a chance to see any gas stations in Paris, but the gas prices in London were very high. This is because the European governments put a much higher tax burden on oil than the US and Canadian governments. Plus, considering the impressive parallel parking stunts they pull here, I would prefer a small gas efficient car over a luxurious vehicle any day. In this economy who has the money to buy an expensive car! But I have to admit they are not bad to look at.

Concorde Metro Station

There is a monument outside the station that marks the place where Marie Antoinette was publicly humiliated and hung. There is also a fountain here that pays homage to the innocent lives lost during the French Revolution.

At this point before entering the station to go to our apartment, I, embarrassingly enough, turned around to take the Eiffel in for one last time, and look at the beautiful Parisian moon, for one last time. God knows, when I would be back here again...

Slumdog Millionaire

So I finally watched Slumdog Millionaire. There is so much to say about this movie, and I am gonna try my best to not give anything away. I have never seen a movie like this, and I can't recommend it enough.

In one word, Slumdog Millionaire is inspiring.
I don't even know where to begin.

Okay first something about Simon Beaufoy's screenplay, which is based on Vikas Swarup's novel Q & A. The screenplay is not a close adaptation, but the story unfolds in the same manner as the book. I think the reason Beaufoy only followed the premise of the book, because even though the book is about "Jamal" (in the book the protagonist has a different name), the novel seems like a compilation of several vaguely similar short stories. I personally can't compare the screenplay with the novel. They are equally amazing, and go beautifully together. I can't believe Simon Beaufoy, who had never been to India prior to writing this most awe-inspiring script, was able to capture the lives and struggles of these slum kids with such blatant honesty.

Okay now about the direction. Danny Boyle is brilliant and extremely observant. He captures every little detail about Mumbai. I have never been to Mumbai, but I have been to Karachi enough times to know how these developing metropolises work. The rich are extremely rich, and the poor are poor beyond our imagination. Young children are bathing in murky water, and their mothers are doing laundry in the same water. I have actually seen that happening in Karachi. Again, you MUST go watch this movie to really appreciate the dedication that went into making this movie. I really hope Danny Boyle gets an Oscar for bringing this amazing story to our ignorant Western lives.

The acting is brilliant. The story follows Jamal's life from his childhood to adulthood. The child actors in the movie are actual slum kids. This part made the movie watching experience more painful, and the story more authentic. I have to admit, I was cringing and covering my eyes, grabbing onto my jacket to keep myself from bawling my eyes out in public. Everyone in the movie is brilliant, and does complete justice to their respective roles.

The background score is produced by A.R. Rahman, who is a brilliant musician. When asked about Rahman, Danny Boyle said, he doesn't know how to explain Rahman's musical brilliance to the Western audience, who are not fully familiar with his music. I am not a big Hindi music person, but I have always been an admirer of A. R. Rahman's songs, especially Chaiyya Chaiyya, and Ae Ajnabi. Sorry, going back to Slumdog Millionaire's soundtrack. Again, the music is so amazing that I am listening to it right now as we speak. Each character has their own distinctive theme. Again, another thing I would urge you to spend your money on: buy the Soundtrack :). My favourite song (there are so many to choose from) is the one called Dreams on Fire by A. R. Rahman and featuring Suzzanne. But again every single song on the record is worth your penny.

Before going to the movie, I was wondering why don't the good folks in India (Bollywood) make movies about the slums in Mumbai. Instead of showing the poverty in India, Hindi movies show rich Indians living in extravagant houses. But after watching the movie I found my answer. The reason we have the heart to watch movies about slums in India, and extreme poverty is because these atrocities are not part of OUR reality. We spend 12 bucks on a ticket, watch the movie, get moved by it, and return to our heated homes. But, a person in India who sees the slums, or is from the slums would not like to spend his or hers hard day's earning, just so he or she can be reminded of their ubiquitous brutal reality. They need a break. They need to escape from that reality and for a few hours want to be dazzled with the Indian singing and dancing, so they can witness and experience something other than watching kids fight for the last piece of bread, or just basic shelter. The other thing that is shown in the movie is how Indians literally worship the Bollywood stars. To them these are the screen gods who allow them to dream, who provide them with temporary happiness, and an escape from their lives.

Again, I can't recommend this movie or the book or the soundtrack enough. Please do go watch it. Films like this don't come around too often.



p.s. I hope they fly out the child actors to LA for the Oscars, because they need to be a part of the celebration and critical accolade.

A Puddle of Mush

Perhaps I should wait till Valentine's Day to expose my mushy side. But, I am a giant puddle of mush right now, so I figure writing about these embarrassing guilty pleasures, would be an effective way to evade me of my temporary insanity.

So here goes (in no particular order)...

1. The Prince & Me (2004)
I like this movie for sentimental reasons. It was filmed at my alma mater, in one of the several chemistry labs I had to take. The movie came out when I was taking pre-med requisites, so I felt some sort of kinship with the female lead, Paige Morgan (played by Julia Stiles). Paige falls in love with the Prince of Denmark, who for some reason has a British accent. Shouldn't he have a Scandinavian accent? But, hey, I am not the one to complain :). Regardless of the alluring accent, the best aspect of the movie: the girl is strong and she doesn't have to make sacrifices to be in love. Usually in the popular media, it is almost always the female lead who has to give up on her dreams to have that proverbial happily ever after. Even on Friends, Rachel had to give up on her Paris-dream to be with Ross. (Yes, clearly, I am still peeved about the Friends finale).

2. Two Weeks Notice (2002)
I love Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock's chemistry. I love Bullock's character Lucy, who is an environmental lawyer, working hard for various social causes. She is smart and headstrong. Hugh Grant is very dashing and charming.

3. Wimbledon (2004)

4. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) - Translation: The lover will take the bride
In spite of its cheesy title, this was my first Hindi/Bollywood movie. So if you are considering on getting on the whole Bollywood bandwagon, I would strongly recommend this film. The story is very simple and extremely sweet. The movie is about two British-Indians who fall in love during their trip to Europe. The way the story unfolds is beautiful, because these two couldn't be any different. But when they get back to London, the male-lead finds out that the girl is already engaged to someone in India. The girl leaves for India, and the guy goes after her. There is a lot of singing and dancing involved, and the male-lead is very charming :). I think this is by far the best Indian movie I have seen.

5. Mulan (1998)
How can I not love this movie! There is an evil matchmaker encounter at the beginning of the movie. Mulan is unlike any other Disney princess; that girl can kick butt. This movie, I reckon, can be blamed for my love for Spring Blossom trees. Yes, sadly, I have a favourite tree.

Okay, now my turn to reveal my sappy book choices.

Love Story
You have probably heard of the most famous and beat up quote from this book: "Love means never having to say you are sorry." They even made fun of this line on the Simpsons. I have read this book a gazillion times, and know it by heart by now. Whenever I am sick, and too brain-dead to read anything, this is the book I turn to. It is a sweet romantic story, but it is not cheesy.

Breakfast at Tiffany's
This novella by Truman Capote is ten times better than its film adaptation. Capote is an amazing writer. I love the way he has written this story; leaving the reader with a little glimpse of hope.

Now time to reveal my absolute mushy songs. Again, in no particular order:

1. Lady in Red by Chris De Burgh
Wars have been fought over this song. When my friend and I first discovered this song, we argued to decide who would get to make this particular song their wedding song. The battle is still unsettled, so whoever gets married first would get to play this song at her reception.

2. Take My Breath Away by Berlin
I absolutely love this song. Nothing can kill this song for me. Not even Jessica Simpson.

3. Heaven by DJ Sammy
This was the song, when it came out. It was the song they played at my high school formal. It brings me back to those times of gleeful innocence, where you are not so jaded by the reality, and things are still very rosy.

4. Edge of the Ocean by Ivy
She is dreaming about a place where the sun never goes down. It gives me that twirly feeling :).

5. Dreaming of You by Selena
I absolutely love this song. It is such a bittersweet song.

6. With or Without You by U2
U2 is my favourite band. I know, a lot of this has to do with Bono's humanitarian efforts. But, I think their music has evolved with time, and yet they have somehow managed to stay true to their genre. I think, it is a very sweet song.

7. Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits
I love the lines: "I can't do everything but I would do anything for you / I can't do anything except be in love with you."

8. When the Stars Go Blue by The Corrs & Bono
This is the perfect wedding-first-dance song. I know there are many versions of this song, but I only love this one.

9. Fidelity by Regina Spektor
I think, this song right here describes me to a T.

10. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking for by U2
Another U2 song. I figure this song would be the perfect way to finish off this post.

Garden State

Last night, I finally got around to watching Garden State by Zach Braff. I have been meaning to watch this movie for a while now, and had the soundtrack, which is amazing by the way. Since I am also reading Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises these days, I couldn't help myself from drawing parallels between the two.

Hemingway's semi-autobiographical The Sun Also Rises is about the expatriate lifestyle many American writers opted for in the Post-World War I era. But one doesn't have to leave his or her country to feel alone and lost, you can feel that even at your home. It is this feeling of dismal depression, Zach Braff's character finds himself in. Braff's character is a struggling desolate actor living in Los Angeles, who doesn't have his life in order. He returns home to New Jersey, the Garden State, for his mom's funeral, and during his short stay reconnects with old high school buddies.

Zach Braff, who also wrote and directed this movie, during the post-production said, we go through physical puberty in our teens, but our 20s are about mental emancipation. I think once school is done and you have achieved whatever academic goals you had set out for yourself, and you start to take your first steps into the real world, you get this sense of awakening. In some cases, it is the realization, is that what you were working so hard for, is that why you pulled all those all-nighters in university?

The other feeling that I have to deal with is this sense of lack of achievement. For instance, in my case there are still a lot of books that I have to read. So many authors I haven't read. Take Ernest Hemingway for example, he is a renowned American author, and this is only the second book of his I am reading. Or the fact that I still have to crack open my copy of War and Peace that I purchased a couple of months ago. I still have to read Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.

I had the same sense of under-achievement when I was reading Raphael's biography the other day. Raphael painted The School of Athens in his late 20s. I have had the pleasure of seeing some of his masterpieces in their original form, in my early teenage years, and now reading about his achievements reminded me of the ambitions I had then.

In the movie, Zach Braff's character says something along the lines that you can't wait for your life to happen you have to start living it now.

I am not measuring my achievements in the amount of books I have read, or the artwork I have seen. I have graduated with distinction from one of the best universities in the world, and in some people's eyes that is a big achievement. But, I personally don't see that as an achievement, I could be proud of. And, this is not a case of false humility. In terms of knowledge and wisdom, there is still so much I don't know. I still have to read and benefit from the literary masterpieces of great minds such as Tolstoy, George Elliot, George Orwell, Thomas More, I can keep going...

But, I guess this is what the 20s are all about. Finding our place in the world, and making sure we don't get lost in obscurity of the whole 9 to 5 quotidian.

Arbeit macht frei

War Crimes.

Who do you punish for war crimes? They are ordered by a political leader, and carried on by soldiers, who are just doing their jobs.


"But executioners don't hate the people they execute, and they execute them all the same. Because they are ordered to? You think they do it because they're ordered to? And you think that I'm talking about orders and obedience, that the guards in the camps [Nazi concentration camps] were under orders and had to obey?...An executioner is not under orders and obedience. He's doing his work, he doesn't hate the people he executes, he's not taking revenge on them, he's not killing them because they're in his way or threatening him or attacking. They're a matter of such indifference to him that he can kill them as easily as not."

The above lines are taken from the book 'The Reader', which I recently finished reading. The book is about relationships, and the morality of war crimes. It is very well-written and in my opinion is a must read. If you haven't read it yet, I can't recommend this book enough. The film adaptation stars Kate Winslet, and the movie comes out in December.



In the book, the narrator, who had an illicit affair with a former SS guard when he was 15 years old, struggles with the moral dilemma: What does loving a Nazi make him? The narrator also belongs to the generation that grew up in Post WWII Germany, and has to not only deal with his own moral predicament but is also burdened with his nation's guilt.

In the past, I have compared the Holocaust to the genocide in Darfur. But reading Bernhard Schlink (the author)'s description of the concentration camps not only reminded me of Anne Frank and the plight she went through, but also about our modern-day version of Auschwitz, Guantanamo Bay. Guantanamo Bay was commissioned by the Bush administration so those with "terroristic" inclinations could be sent away to Cuba, where they wouldn't have to be treated according to the Geneva Convention treaties. Its defenders say the treaties of Geneva Convention don't apply to the Guantanamo detainees because Al-Qaeeda and Taleban terrorists are not uniformed soldiers, they don't belong to any particular country's military. Yes, they are not legitimate uniformed soldiers, but they are humans. Shouldn't we be treating all humans with respect!

The much revered Western value, innocent until proven guilty doesn't apply to Gitmo suspects. Upon their arrival they are already considered extremely dangerous, referred to as "enemy combatants", and are put through extreme abuse. They are not only denied legal liberties, but also face extreme torture.

The only Western foreigner left at Gitmo is Canadian born Omar Khadr. He was sent to Gitmo when he was only 15, accused of killing a US soldier. He has already spent 6 years there, and is 21 now. I am not gonna speculate whether he willingly committed the crime or not, that's for the jury to decide. BUT, a vulnerable child shouldn't be housed in the same prison as other grown men. Not much has been done to provide him with the same rights he would have had in his birth country.

The guards believe that the detainees deserve the treatment they are graciously bestowed upon at Gitmo. President-elect Obama has said he would put an end to the atrocities that go on in Guantanamo. But the question is where would he send them? So far out of 225 prisoners (mostly Muslims) only 23 have been charged. The crime of other 204 detainees: They have the ultimate horror of having Muslim names.

Once Gitmo is eventually closed down, would the guards be persecuted, like their SS predecessors? Till this day we still don't know enough about what actually goes on at Gitmo. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Diaz was court-martialed because he publicized the names of Gitmo detainees. Humanitarian organizations, such as the United Nations and Amnesty International have been denied access to the camps and the interrogation rooms.

I think the reason Holocaust still effects us because decades after decades we keep repeating the mistakes of Nazi Germany. There's always some ideology that prompts its adherents to wage a political vendetta against innocent people, who are guilty of having the "wrong" pigmentation, or belonging to the "wrong" religion.

Inside Guantanamo - Photo Essay
Inside the Interrogation of Detainee 063