March 2009 | A Restless Mind

The Damned United : Movie Review

Cast: Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, Stephen Graham, Jim Broadbent

Writers: Peter Morgan, David Peace

Director: Tom Hooper

I don't normally review Hollywood movies but I do have a great liking for British cinema. After his amazing performance as TV broadcaster David Frost in Frost/Nixon, Michael Sheen plays yet another real-life personality, legendary British football manager, Brian Clough.

The Damned United is a big screen adaptation of the fiction novel, of the same name, based on real events about the turbulent 44 days Brian Clough spent at the helm of Leeds United before being sacked. I have to admit, I am no Clough expert, but his record at Derby County and Nottingham Forest, both of whom got promoted out of the Second Division (now called The Championship) and went on to win the First Division (now The Premiership) under Brian Clough speaks for itself. The latter even tasted back-to-back European success with Forest within years of being promoted to the top flight of football. But in between his stints at these club, Clough spent 6 weeks as manager of Leeds United in 1974, which was the darkest time of his illustrious career.

The movie is woven around real people but the events in those 44 days are fictional. Clough is fired by Derby County, even though he won them a league title, because he is very outspoken against the chairman. He is offered the job at Leeds United, then the biggest club in England, but separated from his right-hand man, Peter Taylor who is described as the 'goods in the back of the shop' while Clough is 'the shop window', and confronted with a squad of footballers loyal to their previous manager, Don Revie, Clough experiences all kinds of trouble trying to get the team to function and his big ambitions are dealt a severe blow.

Michael Sheen is hilarious and delivers an incredibly captivating performance as the mercurial manager. You discover a witty Clough, with his famous one-liners, for e.g when he proclaims that he is not the best manager in England but he's definitely in the top one. Clough was the first true Special One and Mourinho is never going to come even close to how controversial and outspoken Clough was. The movie captures the over-confidence of Clough as well as the touching sight of his plight (especially when he kneels down and begs Taylor to get back with him), which was not often visible to the public.

British cinema is, for me the most genuine cinema I have ever experienced. After 'This Is England' and the various masterpieces from Danny Boyle, this movie made my evening!! Don't miss the 1hr38mins of an amazing fictional documentary of 'the best manager England never had'.

Movie Rating : 4 out of 5

Posted on 27.3.09

Keep Reading...

Secrets of a long life

I work in a life insurance company and we recently got the results from a number of studies about the rates of mortality in the UK we had ordered. These are particularly important when we have to price life insurance policies, calculate a capital reserve for them and various other things. It also makes for fun reading to know how certain living habits can make a difference to how long you live for!

The studies, which also used some of the company's statistical numbers, found out how many approximate years your lifestyle could add or take off your life expectancy. They are only theoretical, the number of years mentioned are only estimates and other factors like genetics also affect your life expectancy. Well, the studies came up with 14 'secrets' of a long life! So how can you increase your time on Earth?

Be married/live with a partner : add 1 year
One more reason for those single to get depressed!!

Maintain a healthy weight : add 6 years
A healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) is 18.5 and 25. Apparently, being severely obese (BMI of above 40) reduces your life by 4 years while being underweight could take off 2 years. Calculate your BMI here and cheer yourself up or, in case of an unfavourable BMI level, get off your bum and start losing some weight!!

Don't smoke : add 10 years
That's if you compare someone smoking 20 a day and a non-smoker. Even if you smoke less, your life expectancy decreases significantly.

Love to laugh : add 8 years
According to scientific studies, people who laugh for 15 minutes each day could live add an extra eight years to their lives. Sweeeet!

Be a woman : add 3.3 years
Not possible for everyone unfortunately! But women do tend to live 10% more than men around the world.

Clear out the mess : add 1 year
People who live in chaos are more likely to feel stressed and depressed. Sorting out this disorder can add another year. I am doomed...

Eat well : add 6.6 years
Rather obvious! According to Erasmus University in Rotterdam, a diet which includes daily consumption of garlic, wine, vegetables, fruits, almonds and dark chocolate could extend life expectancy by up to 6.6 years!

Eat less meat : add 3.6 years
A study carried out at Loma University in the US found that people who ate meat less than once a week on average lived 3.6 years longer than their carnivore counterparts.

Be positive : add 9 years
Being optimistic makes you less prone to viruses and makes you recover quicker from illnesses and injuries. Apparently, these people tend to live in healthier ways by doing more exercises and engaging in more social activities.

Keep the faith : add 3 years
According to the University of Pittsburgh, people who attend weekly religious services can expect to live around three years longer than non-attenders. Before there is an uproar, this is only an estimate, but I could see how it could work. Religious people in general tend to be more cautious about their lifestyle.

Be born later : add up to 6.1 years
According to the UK Government Actuary’s Department (GAD), people born 25 years ago had an average life expectancy of 84.6 years for men and 88.5 years for women. People born in 2009 now have an average life expectancy of 88.5 (males) and 91.8 (females). Predictions from GAD suggest that people born 25 years from now could live as long as 91.7 (men) and 94.6 (women)! So try to postpone your birth as far as...oh no...

Get a good night's sleep : add 5 years
Poor sleep can contribute to a number of medical factors which can put people at risk of heart disease. Those who regularly get at least six or seven hours’ sleep can hope to live up to five years longer than those who sleep badly. So next time, people pester you about waking up early, tell them you are only trying to increase your life expectancy!!

Floss your teeth : add 6 years
Flossing your teeth daily can add as much as six years to your life expectancy by removing harmful bacteria that can contribute to cardiovascular disease. Generally having a good dental hygiene not only prevents the person next to you fainting from the bad smell from your mouth, but also ensures a better overall health.

Get a pet : add 2 years
People with pets are less likely to suffer from depression and visit their doctors less often than those without. It is also said that stroking a pet can reduce blood pressure and stress levels.

I hope these tips will help you extend your life, even if most of them are quite obvious. As for me, I am off to the pet store to get a wife and a hamster!

Posted on 24.3.09

Keep Reading...

Dev - D : Movie Review

Cast: Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Mahi Gill, Parakh Madan

Music: Amit Trivedi

Writers: Anurag Kashyap, Vikram Motwane

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Dev-D is an adaptation of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's famous tragic love story, Devdas. If Sanjay Leela Bhansali stuck to the original and gave it all the splendour a modern budget of Rs500m could afford, Anurag Kashyap, the controversial director of Black Friday presents a modern take on the story. He kept the main characters and the bulk of the story but he moulds them into what he thinks they would have been like in the 21st century on a dark canvas. He is financed by a subsidiary of UTV, UTV SpotBoy who are known for their promotion of directors and writers who have an unconventional approach to movie making (as characterised by their low-budget successes of last year, Aamir and Welcome To Sajjanpur).

Dev (Abhay Deol), who hails from a rich Punjabi family comes back to India after his studies in London and looks forward to meeting his childhood sweetheart, Paro (Mahi Gill). But the fiery Dev, consumed by his ego and jealousy rejects Paro after hearing rumours about her loose character. Paro, outraged, marries a well-off man from New Delhi and moves there. Heart-broken Dev goes to Delhi in the hope of somehow regaining his love and ends up mired in a life of alcohol and drugs. He would also meet the prostitute Chanda (Kalki Koechlin) and develops a weird but strong bond with her. Dev's life slowly descends into wretched chaos, albeit with the occasional moment of happiness, and is left to the mercy of fate.

I initially had my reservations about this movie since I am a huge fan of Bhansali's Devdas. The first few minutes when Dev, while in London, asks Paro over the phone if she touches herself give you an idea of where the movie is going. It is not meant to be extravagant and sentimental. Dev-D is outrageously dark and in-your-face crude, with a few background tracks (which do not amaze, but do blend in well with the story) and no song sequences. The movie reflects the sex, drugs and rock'n'roll culture of the modern youth and breaks almost every boundaries of Bollywood (I have never heard the word 'c*ck' being uttered in a mainstream movie!!). But as soon as I saw Abhay Deol's swagger as carefree and arrogant Dev, I couldn't get away from the screen. The characters, even though modern and twisted are portrayed in a strong emotional way. Even Mahi Gill's characterisation of Paro carries shades of grey. On the whole the excellent cast adds to the brilliance of the dark plot. Special mention should also be made of Franco-Indian debutant, Kalki Koechlin who makes the role of Chanda (the modern Chandramukhi) her own. She has a promising future ahead.

If you are in the mood of some ground-breaking dark Bollywood 'maal' with a daring director at the helm, or if you want to catch a glimpse of the ridiculously talented rising star, Abhay Deol, then watch this flick, which is probably the best dark drama since Omkara. But if you like rosy romance where boy meets girl and never have sex before mariage, then stay away from this!! Also, it's not the best movie to watch with your family, as you might have guessed already!

Movie Rating : 3.5 out of 5

Posted on 21.3.09

Keep Reading...

Pope in AIDS controversy

Recently, I was shocked to read on a news website that the Pope, on his way to Cameroon for a mass, declared that "HIV/Aids was a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which can even increase the problem". Oh dear...

The religious leader of almost a billion people around the world and 20% of Africans suggested that use of condoms would not solve the AIDS epidemic which is affecting millions in the ravaged African continent, but instead thinks "spiritual and human awakening and friendship for those who suffer" is the key to circumventing this problem which is choking Africa.

Now I don't deny that abstinence and non-promiscuity can almost eliminate risks of contracting the HIV virus, but condoms have been extremely effective in combating not only AIDS but various other sexually-transmitted diseases (STD's). While they don't provide perfect protection, they still drastically reduce your chances of contracting the virus. Abstinence is an idealistic concept which cannot be applied to Africa, one of the poorest regions in the world. It could be the perfect solution but it's not a realistic solution.

The Pope goes on about how use of condoms can actually increase the spread of AIDS, which is an even more outrageous statement. But nothing suggests that condoms encourages promicuous and non-abstinent behaviour. The bottom line remains that condoms have saved lives and will continue to save lives. The Pope's comments were massively frowned upon, with major Europeans governments expressing concerns over the statements. Various charity organisations have also condemned the comments as ignorant, alienating and dogmatic. There are even a few within the Catholic Church who do not discourage condom use, like Belgian Cardinal Goddfried Daneels who said in 2004 that using a condom with the intention of stopping disease was morally different from using one to prevent the creation of life and that condoms could be the lesser of the two evils. Father Gerry O'Collins, Emeritus Professor at the Gregorian University in Rome, said the commandment 'thou shalt not kill', "trumps other issues".

Religious beliefs can be dangerous because people take them very seriously. Sure, religion teaches a lot about virtuous living which is not necessarily old-fashioned and could work towards creating an ideal/clean society. But dogmatic views like those expressed by the Pope do nothing to help the fight against the HIV/AIDS monster. It's time for intransigent beliefs to be ditched, atleast in the short-term, for more a realistic approach. When a billion people worldwide hangs onto every word you say, you should NOT make such a faux pas. I understand the Church's reservations about condom use, but a dose of realism will be more helpful than trying to hold on to religious dogmas.

Read more about this on the BBC News website:
Pope's condom stance sparks row
Why the Pope opposes condoms

Posted on 19.3.09

Keep Reading...

Luck By Chance : Movie Review

I finally got around to watching Farhan Akhtar starrer, 'Luck By Chance' which is written and directed by Farhan's sister, Zoya Akhtar and I must say, my hefty expectations were met and exceeded! The movie is about a young hopeful's foray into the incredibly competitive and congested world of Bollywood where the laws of the jungle apply. You might think that the storyline about achieving fame against all odds sounds too cliche, but you will be pleasantly surprised.

Young Acting School graduate Vikram (Farhan Akhtar) comes to Mumbai in the hope of making it into Bollywood. He meets Sona (Konkona Sen Sharma) who is a bit-part actress waiting for her big break and they grow close. But a turn of fate leads to Vikram getting the lead role in a major movie opposite Nikki (Isha Shervani), daughter of famous actress, Nina (Dimple Kapadia) when superstar Zaffar Khan (Hrithik Roshan) abandons the production. From here on, Vikram is on a rollercoaster ride which will change his life and he will find out that destiny does not favour you all the time. He coins the phrase that 'people themselves choose between fortune and misfortune and that there is no such thing as luck', but he is soon beset with the consequences of his own actions in an industry which is not all glossy.

The movie succeeds at its behind-the-scenes portrayal of Bollywood. This is a world where back-biting is rampant, artists work together for financial gains even though they hate each other, anyone will use anyone for their own means, influence and contacts are so important that anyone with the right entourage can succeed, whether they are talented or not. But on a positive note, there also exists a vibrant atmosphere with colourful characters and when needed, hardwork is appreciated and respected.

On the acting side, it's an all-round great performance. There are over 15 special appearances by Bollywood icons such as Aamir Khan (with yet another new look!), Shah Rukh Khan, Diya Mirza, Rani Mukherjee,...etc who give a realistic feel to the movie and fit in with the story rather than being the aesthetic gloss (I mean, not like in K3G by Karan Johar, who by the way also gives a guest appearance!). Farhan Akhtar keeps on enhancing his reputation as a fine actor and it's a shame he doesn't sing on the amazing soundtrack by genius trio, Shankar Ehsaan Loy! Konkona Sen Sharma, one of the most underrated actresses in India delivers a touching performance while the gorgeous Yoga enthusiast, Isha Sharvani, whose debut in Kisna was critically acclaimed excels as the spoilt starchild whose life is in the grips of her star mother, played superbly by the evergreen Dimple Kapadia. Finally, Rishi Kapoor playing a producer, Sanjay Kapoor (whose career seemed to be going to the dogs until this movie) as his director brother and the beautiful Juhi Chawla as his superstitious wife contribute to the comedy factor. All in all, a magnificent performance by a magnificent cast!

I would recommend this movie to anyone whose after a nice old-fashioned story about hope, achievement, relationships and success in life. It won't fail to entertain! Look out for more movies from the talented Akhtar family!

Movie Rating : 3.5 out of 5

Coming soon: Dev D!

Posted on 17.3.09

Keep Reading...

Sita Sings The Blues: The Review

I am a huge fan of animated movies. In this day and age, animated movies do not target kids only but adults also. Although the usual Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks movies are more known and marketed, there is a niche of independent movies out there which continue to dazzle and ‘Sita sings the blues’ is one of them.

Recommended by a very knowledgeable friend of mine (Adarsh), ‘Sita Sings The Blues’ is a 2-D animation work by Nina Paley about the parallels between the present-day life of an American woman dumped by her boyfriend who emigrates to India and the Hindu epic of Ramayana portraying the travails of Goddess Sita who goes through testing times due to the duties and principles of her hubby, Lord Rama. The story is narrated by 3 puppet characters of ancient deities who steal the show with their often humourous analysis of the story of Ramayana. The animation has been expertly mastered by Nina with caricaturistic representation of the characters.

The movie is blessed with the jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, recorded in the 1920’s. Apart from the jazz numbers, the music is brilliantly rendered by Rohan, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Masaladosa, Nik Phelps, Todd Michaelsen and Reena Shah. Just like the movie, it combines the essence of Indian music (sitar, veena, tabla,…etc) with Western rhythm.

All in all, this movie is 1 hour and a half of comedy and intelligent story-telling, where the director manages to keep you hooked throughout. It just shows that you don’t necessarily need the millions of Disney to make a good animated movie. Independent movies like these, made on a shoestring budget by inspired artists can still entertain.

This movie is for eternal romantics of independent cinema like me. If you liked movies like Persepolis and anime masterpieces from Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle), you will love ‘Sita Sings The Blues’. The sad thing is that this movie couldn’t be released to theatres due to copyright issues, but the great news is that it is available to watch online for free!!

Watch 'Sita Sings The Blues' Online Now

Posted on 17.3.09

Keep Reading...

Mauritius 2030

When our tiny island of Mauritius acceded to independence on that fateful day of the 12th of March 1968, exactly 41 years ago, probably no-one would have imagined the economic and social miracle which would unravel. It has not been all rosy though. In the 21st century, Mauritius has been facing new challenges, ranging from economic to security challenges and without forgetting political headaches. The textile boom is well and truly over and it’s time for other pillars of the economy to carry the country with a horrid global recession in full force. Many will testify to the fact that Mauritius is not as safe as it used to be. The rise in life expectancy is also less and less pronounced with Mauritius achieving notoriety as a hotspot for people with non-communicable diseases, NCD’s.

But the positive factor in all this is that Mauritius has the resources to overcome these hurdles and hold its own in an increasingly competitive world. We have a relatively skilled population with a high literacy rate for a developing country and decent infrastructures in place. Above all, we have a good track record.

The purpose of this article is to set out how I want Mauritius to be in 2030, approximately 20 years’ down the line. My personal vision of Mauritius is as follows:

To be in the top 25 least corrupted countries in the world (currently at No.41)
To have a population well-informed about nutrition, thus decreasing the prevalence of cardio-vascular diseases and other NCD’s.
To have a revamped political system which engenders greater belief from the population.
To be a premier financial services hub in Africa and have a much smaller dependence on textile and sugar. To have an increased influence of our local companies in the African and world market.
To have a deserved image as a cyber island (and not by building pretty buildings only), which would include having widespread high-speed internet at our fingertips with non-existent dial-up connections. To have ICT as one of the main pillars of the economy.
To have an education system which not only gets you into university but also moulds your character as a whole and imparts essential non-academic skills. To also have a literacy rate of 95+%.
To be one of the safest countries in the world and have a more effective and cleaner police force.
To have a fairer distribution of wealth and a reduction in poverty, with people having the minimum basic access to water, electricity, food, education and various infrastructures.
To be able to recognise the environmental changes which threatens our planet and our island, in particular our tourism industry. Also, to have a cleaner air to breathe and have a reduced number of vehicles on our roads or to have cleaner vehicles.
To be less dependent on fossil fuels and to be exploring new sustainable ways to cater for our energy needs (like ethanol).
To have an efficient and safe public transport system.

There are a lot more issues which I might have missed and I might also be asking for too much. You could even accuse me of being in wonderland. There is no way we are going to achieve everything we set out to achieve, but if the minds come together and resources are invested, we can achieve a lot more in the next 20 years than we have in the last 40 years to make our mark in the 21st century, not only for the world to see but for our own people to enjoy and marvel at our accomplishments.

Let me know what your vision is for Mauritius 2030.

Posted on 12.3.09

Keep Reading...

Delhi-6: The Review

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has done it again. A few years ago, he burst onto the Bollywood scene with the dark thriller Aks which reinvigorated Amitabh Bachchan's career, resulting in a Critics' Filmfare Award for Best Actor in 2001 and in 2006, came up with the mind-blowing Rang De Basanti which redefined patriotism in the world's biggest film industry and bagged 7 Filmfare Awards. Mehra comes back with a gripping tale of life in Old Delhi, this microsphere in the metropolis which is India's political capital, New Delhi through the eyes of an NRI.

Delhi-6 is the postcode of Old Delhi, the heart of which is Chandni Chowk. New Yorker Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) brings his grandma (Waheeda Rahman) to Old Delhi where she wants to spend the rest of her days. What he witnesses is a massive cultural and visual shift between the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the ancient-walled city of Delhi and its people. At first, he succesfully brushes aside or embraces the small cultural sparks, be it the blind faith in religion, epitomised by the cow in labour bringing the traffic to a standstill while prayers are offered, or the ancient splendour of Delhi and its Taj Mahal. But as time passes and an unseen threat (in this case, a black monkey, and no, I am not being racist, I am serious) starts taking centre stage, he tries hard not be overwhelmed, but, nevertheless ends up getting burnt in the fiery clashes of egos while matters escalate beyond control in the volatile co-existence of Muslims and Hindus. By the end, he would lose a lot of blood, but would finally recognise the true meaning of that very blood. As if finding his identity was not enough, he also finds love, not only in the strong-willed Bittu (Sonam Kapoor) but also in his parents' mariage as well as deep into the heart of the people of Old Delhi.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is a genius: a brilliant director but also an excellent writer. He revels in multi-layered plots, but in this case, multi-layered plotlessness. Delhi-6 has no concrete story, it just drifts by like wind, or life actually. He still manages to incorporate concrete feelings and significant events which keeps your interest well-fed throughout the movie. The characters are played utterly convincingly by a talented cast which, apart from those mentioned above, includes the two-times National Awards Winner Atul Kulkarni (playing the village fool), Divya Dutta (the untouchable), Om Puri (the father who flies the flag of family honour) and Prem Chopra (the lusty and miserly Lala), among others as fantastic as these. Also, the haunting soundtrack is composed by double Academy Award Winner (how many times have I dreamt about writing this, one day!) , A.R.Rahman. Need I say more?

If you love glossy love stories with one-dimensional storylines and thrillers with predictable twists, then this one is not for you. But if you like intelligent multi-dimensional fare from the most gifted directors and writers in Bollywood, then, for God's sake, go and watch this magnificent offering by Mehra, which, may I dare to say, proves that a movie about India's multi-faceted population in their iconic cities(whether it's the slums of Mumbai or the grandeur of Chandi Chowk) with an Indian at the helm can outclass Slumdog Millionaire. While SM failed to convince Indians about a solution to the predicaments it portrayed (demonstrated by the nonsensical negative reactions), Delhi-6 comes up with an inspiring tale of discovery and redemption.

Posted on 2.3.09

Keep Reading...