Sunday, December 12, 2010

Who moved my cheez?

I love the fact that when you misplace your phone, you can ping it, find it and live happily ever after. Why can’t we do the same for keys, lip balms, gym socks, clean tissues, when you need them and pens that work?

Friday, December 10, 2010

Intellectual Cinema

Am sure everyone has a separate definition here. For me its cinema that is not intriguing, is surreal, doesn’t impact or touch you in anyway and leaves you mildly annoyed for having succumbed to the lure by the rave reviews.

I happened to watch two of these in succession a while back. Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. Both written by the celebrated script writer Charlie Kaufman.

Adaptation:

Nicholas Cage plays himself twice over. One is the nerdy, socially awkward, idealistic guy and other is his socially popular and scruples-less twin brother. Throw in Meryl Streep who is in search of passion and meaning in life and a toothless nomad Laroche who is deeply passionate about all and every whim of his. What follows is interaction between all four protagonists, all in search of elusive meanings. The passionate Laroche in search of the elusive ghost orchid. Streep in search of meaning and passion following Laroche. Nicholas Cage (idealistic) in search of elusive strings that will help him tie up a movie script and Nicholas Cage (scruples-less) ah, well he isn’t in search of anything. He is the hollow, shallow guy who likes enjoying life and trivial pursuits.

In the end a lot of people end up dying and you end up in the elusive search of the meaning of it all. So why was the movie made? To personify life? We all chase meanings and passion and idealism and in the end we find a few of those and we miss a few and not a lot of it makes sense. Whatever the reason be, the end feels like watching a deflated colourful balloon left on the side of the road.

People with personality flaws looking to be complete and chasing elusive pursuits does not make for intriguing cinema as far as I am concerned. It just mirrors the emptiness, ache, defects, wants and needs that we all have. Watching it is not pretty. We know it. We live it. Watching someone conquer it, defy it, complete it would be intriguing cinema. In the end Nicholas Cage (idealistic and socially awkward) does find love and that is the only saving grace.

Will lament on Being John Malkovich next….
 
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