Govt for Ambani + Adani, Govt of Ambani + Adani, Govt by Ambani + Adani

A compromised legislature, executive and judiciary means there is no hope for the common man...and by extension, the country.  Read on

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1183302261092405248.html

Global Hunger Index rankings for India

2011: 108/122
2012: 106/120
2013: 105/120

Shri Narendra Modi becomes PM

2014: 99/120
2015: 93/117
2016: 97/118
2017: 100/119
2018: 103/119
2019: 102/117

...and yet, our focus is more on promising a Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar.

Yeh Mera India :)

Chandan cinemas Juhu - I will miss you

An era ends. First it was Rex in Bangalore which closed on 31st December 2018 and now it is Chandan cinema in Juhu. I have so many memories associated with both these theatres, especially Chandan, that I felt this urge to put down what/how I felt in words....and then I read this below

https://www.filmcompanion.in/bollywood-stars-remembering-the-iconic-chandan-theatre/

...and though I cannot articulate how I feel as eloquently as Mohini has done, it only strengthened my resolve to pen this long post so here I go....

As I look back on my 2 yrs at SP Jain between 2001-03, I realise that I have such awesome memories of Mumbai. Not only was it the first time I lived in a big vibrant city (apologies to Chennai & Pune) where I made some truly wonderful friends for life, it was also the place where I lived life to the fullest completely on my terms. Yes, I did a fair bit of studying but I also actively socialised (mostly in the virtual world on IM :-P) & partied (nothing outlandish, mostly beers), played a some sports mostly cricket & TT, roamed about aimlessly in Mumbai's beaches/shopping centers and watched a tonne of movies...Many many more than what is probably expected of a full time MBA student.

Of course, movies have always been a constant in my life from REC-Trichy, MBT-Pune, Infosys-Chennai all the way till SPJIMR but it was here in Mumbai in mid-2001, just 3-4 kms away from our Bhavan's campus, at Chandan Cinema in Juhu that I've had the best movie moments of my life. In 2001, it was a classical old-school single screen theatre - decent screen, functional but comfortable seating, good canteen with tasty snacks, reasonably priced tickets, touts with a good supply of black market tickets to accommodate those last minute plans and most importantly, a truly F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C crowd. The audience at Chandan would always be a mix of "class" people in the balcony and "mass" junta sitting below. You could go there for any movie in any genre and you would still find the right crowd to enjoy it with.

I've never been blessed with the greatest memory but I still remember to this day some of my viewings at Chandan. I remember going as a big group from college to watch Dil Chahta Hai and returning back completely in awe of what we'd seen a newbie wonder by the name of Farhan Akhtar deliver. I distinctly recollect animatedly chatting with an equally surprised friend of mine during the interval that we'd never seen a movie like this before and there was a palpable nervous excitement/tension amongst everyone that day on how the 2nd half would unfold. For every such sleeper hit that ran to packed houses for weeks, there was a potboiler film like Devdas with an incredible starcast of SRK, Madhuri & Aish which also drew in the crowds in droves. It was also at the same Chandan that I saw Asoka and could sense right away from the patrons' reaction on Day 1 that the movie would flop. Don't ask me what I was doing watching it on Day 1 - Ajith. Sigh.

Cinema halls like Chandan could never be slotted as the ideal showcase location for a particular type of cinema. Commercial flicks like Kaante, experimental movies like Makdee or just plain confused films like Yaadein, superstar films like Lagaan or early releases of Tushar Kapoor, Sunny Deol's jingoiistic movies like Maa Tujhe Salaam or family dramas like Om Jai Jagdish - everybody got their time and the public decided their fate in 3 days, Friday to Sunday. I've been to films at Chandan where we were total of 10 people in the audience but the show would still go on & the sparse crowd would still smile at each other and make friendly, polite conversation as everyone knew that if you were at Chandan, you had to be a die hard movies fan. If Rohit Shetty was schooled here at Chandan as the FC article alludes to, I can totally now relate to his kind of cinema.

To all those people who wonder why I often watch many movies at single screens (including strong recommendations on watching Salman Khan movies ONLY at Urvasi in Bangalore) and where I picked up these bad habits, all this started at Chandan. It was around 2001 that I developed a fascination for pulpy thrillers & all credit goes to Abbas Mustan and Anees Bazmee who knew how to mix the proper ingredients in the exact proportions to deliver what we now popularly call a "paisa vasool" picture. My first experience of this was Ajnabee, a movie which actually made me a B-I-G fan of Bobby Deol (yeah, I am ashamed of it too)....and then I saw Deewangee starring Ajay Devgn & Akshaye Khanna in a ridiculously guilty pleasure affair & then Humraaz.... Laughing at the unintentionally funny scenes but also biting my nails in suspense was never as much fun later on as it was during those days of watching such movies with aam janta at Chandan.

So many more movies, so many more stories...but stop I will.   

2018 Movies Round-up

Now that 2019 is upon us, here's wishing all of you Happy and Prosperous New Year and a great year at the cinemas.

2018 wasn’t personally one of my favourite years as far as movies go.  While Bollywood served up some really memorable films, Kollywood was sort of disappointing and Bollywood had way too many sequels and superhero/summer tentpole films hogging the limelight for my liking. The biggest change was the amount of time I spent on OTT platforms which obviously came at the expense of movie hall experiences. Also, I wish I had watched some awesome critical hits from Mollywood and Tollywood but hey, maybe that can be my new year resolution.

Without any more fanfare, here is my round-up of 2018

4 and 5 star movies (films I really liked)

• Tamil: 96, Pyaar Prema Kadhal
• Hindi: Andhadhun, Bandhaai Ho, Manmarziyan, Raazi, Stree
• English: Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, The Death of Stalin, MI: Fallout, First Man, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Aquaman, Crazy Rich Asians
• Other South Indian languages: None

Honorable mention: Pariyerum Perumal which was a 3.5

2 and 3 star movies (films that were OKish):

• Tamil: Irumbu Thirai, Kaala, Asuravadham, Tamil Padam 2, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Vada Chennai, 2.0
• Hindi: Padmaavat, Mukkabaaz, Soorma, Sui Dhaaga, Karwaan, Zero
• English: Red Sparrow, Ready Player One, Deadpool 2, Incredibles 2, Christopher Robin, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
• Other South Indian languages: Bharat Ane Nenu

0 and 1 star movies (films I disliked/loathed):

• Tamil: Thaana Serndha Koottam, Kolamavu Kokila, Sarkar, Adanga Maru
• Hindi: Blackmail, Parmanu
• English: Peter Rabbit, The Grinch
• Other South Indian languages: NOTA, Goodachari

Notable films I wasn’t bothered to check out:

• Tamil: Oru Nalla Naal Paathu Solren, Naachiyaar, Vishwaroopam 2, Imaikka Nodigal, Seema Raja, Saamy Square, Maari 2
• Hindi: Thugs of Hindostan, Sanju, Race 3, Sonu ke Titu ki Sweety, Veere di Wedding, Dhadak, Gold
• English: Ocean's 8, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Sicario 2, Mamma Mia 2, Bohemian Rhapsody
• Other South Indian languages: Odiyan, Koode, Rangasthalam, RX-100, KGF-1

Films I still need to catch up on:

• Tamil: Mercury, Nadigaiyar Thilagam, Merku Thodarchi Malai, U Turn, Raatchasan, Seethakathi
• Hindi:  October, Mulk, Tumbbad
• English: Annihilation, Isle of Dogs, A Quiet Place, Tully, Ant man and the Wasp, Searching, A Star is Born, A Private War, Widows, Roma
• Other South Indian languages: Sudani from Nigeria, Ee Ma Yau, Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi, Geetha Govindam, Chi La Sow, Katheyondu Shuruvagide, Sarkari Hiriya Prathama Shaale....

Women in Blue - take a bow

Its been >12 hours since we lost the final and I have calmed down considerably so now is the time to reflect on the tournament & the final. The Women in Blue did a fantastic job getting to the finals and almost winning the cup so kudos to that. 191-3 with 38 to win from 43 was eminently winnable but we did not. Its easy to use words like chokers but we are NOT that. Given our last league game was a must-win and we were up against New Zealand who had played brilliantly till then (not to mention our appalling record against them), for us to have won so handsomely meant the girls had guts of steel....and then that semifinal performance against Australia. Wow. Just Wowww.

Coming to yday's game, after restricting England to 228, despite the pressure of chasing in a cup final, I am sure India was everyone's favorite to win the match at HT. So why did we lose it? For a captain as experienced as Mithali who's taken brave calls like dropping Ekta Bisht our match-winner against Pakistan (yes, they aren’t really our match in women's cricket but still...) for Gayakwad in subsequent matches, it was shocking to see Smriti Mandhana retain her place. Its all fine walloping 90 and 106 against the minnows but her subsequent scores of 2, 8, 4, 3, 13, 6 clearly showed someone who was lacking confidence and possibly technique as well. Even if axing her was extreme, we should have dropped her down the order as the last thing you want chasing in a world cup final is to lose a wicket very early on which is exactly what happened. Promoting Sushma Verma  was also a calculated gamble that misfired badly as it ended up creating complete panic. Then when the time to stand up and be counted arrived,  a vastly experienced person like Jhulan Goswami just failed to deliver. It is also time we ensured our tail-enders also practiced some batting and common sense running between the wickets. Ultimately, I put it all down to lack of experience and if we can learn the lessons from this loss and become stronger for it, all the heartbreak is worth it.

I don’t want this to seem like a rant or taking potshots when someone is down - as my better half can testify, I actually follow Indian women's cricket and adore this team. I genuinely believe we only fulfilled our potential this time and have greater things coming for us. For starters, politicians/sports bodies/celebrities should stop announcing these one-time rewards & praising/commending the team and then forget about them in a month or so. What is needed is solid, steady sponsorship from corporates so that we continue to unearth talent who can get a livelihood if they choose to pursue this game. We also need backing from the Board to ensure this young team gets more exposure and experience which means we need to have a proper annual itinerary which includes overseas tours. Lastly, we need a stronger support staff outfit. Tushar Arothe has done a commendable job with this team and has been a great servant for Indian/Baroda cricket but I can only imagine how different things could have been y'day if Anil Kumble / Rahul Dravid was in the dugout in some capacity. If Kohli & gang don’t want competent people, I am sure the girls and the U-21/U-15 would love to work with the likes of Dravid and Kumble.

Congrats again to Mithali and team - enjoy the love/adulation but do not rest on your laurels, there are greater mountains to climb and I have no doubts you will do it.

January 2017 transfer activity for Arsenal - what I would do if I were Dick Law

Kos, Giroud and Coq have signed to extend their stay with Arsenal. Good news I would say. What would be great now is to get Alexis to sign. Give him the 200k+ wages and promise to get Simeone this April or next. Also promise Alexis that Simeone will be given a huge budget with the target of a trophy in Year 1 itself.

If Ozil signs, its fine but its ok to sell him and look at other 10s as well like Isco, James, Veratti, Pastore or we could even look at a Reus. Extend Cazorla at whatever cost. Give Wilshere a contract extension now in January and sell him in the summer. The Ox and Gibbs should be let go as well but given we still need homegrown quota, bring Chambers back in from his loan. He can play backup RB to Bellerin and the new RB. Sell Debuchy and get a younger RB for the day when Bellerin leaves us for Barcelona. Let Per go & sell Gabriel. Promote Holding and get a versatile CB who can double up as LB. 

Transfer market conspiracies - Part 1

Chelsea signed Oscar in 2012 on a 5 year deal and then got him to extend his deal in November 2014 till 2019. So when he leaves this January to China, he will have 2 years left in his contract and he will still be only 25. However, he has not been playing regularly for the last 12 months and therefore the 60m price that Shanghai SIPG are willing to pay Chelsea plus the 400K a week wages just seems too good to be true...which is what I think...it’s not TRUE.

What I really think is happening is something darker and murkier. Firstly, Chelsea probably want to spend a lot this summer to get players who are more suited to Conte's style, however just to be on the safer side of the increasingly weak/toothless FPP, they need to sell in order to buy. What I think could be happening is that Chelsea "want" to show a big inflow, the Chinese club want to show their supporters how much they are investing in players and therefore some obscene figures are being bandied about to make all parties look good. In reality, the money on THIS deal is probably much lower (though there are other fringe players who are going to get shifted) and Roman is probably just going to infuse Chelsea with more of his own money. Having AVB as the manager in China also helps since it is a well-known fact that Roman and he still get along great. 

Btw, Alexis turns 28 in December and in January 2017, he enters the final 18 months of his contract. He is in the form of his life and ideally Arsenal should be doubling his wages and tying him down to 3 more years atleast.  However, no player is larger than the club and should not be allowed to hold the club for ransom so if I were Dick Law and Alexis does not extend his contract by March, I would hawk him out to China for 80m, Alexis might get his wages and everyone is happy. If we were selling to a European club, I would insist on a cash + player deal with pretty much everyone who might be willing to buy him.

·         Real - Isco + cash

·         Bayern - Thiago or Bernat + Cash

·         Juventus - Dybala (hahahahaha) or Coman or Rugani (hahahaha)

·         PSG - Kurzawa + Cash

If he is intent on moving to an EPL rival, we should just let him rot on the sidelines and allow him to see out his contract. Seriously, the guy plays so much for Chile and insists on never taking rest that he is a disaster (like missing an entire season through injury like Welz) waiting to happen - I just hope it doesnt happen when he is at Arsenal.  

9-11 September - Weekend report

Wows

• Our Kind of traitor (typical slow burn Le Carre thriller) & Neethaane En Ponvasantham (On Jaya TV now)
• Pep vs Jose 
• Music of Mirzya - SEL are back !!!!!
• Pizza and Malai Kulfi
• Running/Exercise

WTF moments

• Now you see me 2 & Baar Baar Dekho
• Barcelona vs Alaves
• School hunting
• News about Rail roko on 15th

Last weekend as Bachelor 3.0 is over and while it was good in patches, can't wait to get back to domestic bliss. Yipppeeeee !!

Why Arsenal will not win the league despite having one of the best squads in recent times

Despite having a great first 11 and a very decent squad, here's why Arsenal will NOT be serious contenders again this year for the league

1. Injuries - it is well known that Arsenal NEVER EVER have their best 11 available for more than 2 consecutive games. International breaks invariably brings us back crocks. I wish we could insert clauses into all our players' contracts which lets the club decide if we want to release players for International duty. 
2. The Manager - too rigid with formations, too proud to change tactics on a match-by-match basis depending on the opposition, too blind to non-performers...I could go on and on. I hope we get Simeone next year. 
3. Champions League - having never won the trophy, Wenger still foolishly clings onto the hope that he will win it once with Arsenal. Barring the horrible Ospina experiment last year, he always rests important players before or after CL games and that kills us in the league. When are we going to accept that we don't stand a chance in Europe and should instead focus on domestic trophies? Getting into the CL in the past was great for TV money, now with the new TV deal in England, finishing 1 place higher instead commands a LOT of money. Why not aim higher than 4th?
4. Disciplinary record - we get too many red cards and accumulated yellow cards which cause key players to miss important games. We need to "manage" refs better, however the new rules which prevent players from surrounding and pressurising the ref is a blessing in disguise as it evens things out. 

Assumptions for the first eleven choices are

• Everyone is fit and available to play
• Manager's current preference for player/style of play/system (with scant regard for past record) and recent selection history

Dare to dream

* This is a spur of the moment post that might come across as long winded, rambling and possibly even incoherent. I didn't want to go back and edit and refine since these are raw thoughts and are best expressed the way I typed them. If you know me and how I think, then you will pretty much get what I am saying even if the words are not coming out right * 

While this post comes in the aftermath of Sakshi Malik's bronze medal in wrestling, it also derives its inspiration from the stories of Dipa, Vinesh, Atanu and all the other athletes who have made it to Rio which is in itself a phenomenal achievement.

I saw this gif in a friend's FB timeline and while my first reaction was to laugh it away, it really dawned on me that this was precisely the mentality when I grew up.

While many of us were encouraged as children to follow our passions and become true all-rounders (learn music or painting, play an instrument, take up a sport etc), invariably most of that was put to a grinding halt around Std 8 when we were asked to "get serious" and follow the beaten path so that we could ensure a "safe future" for ourselves. Whilst not every parent pushed their children very hard to get to the  creme de la creme of institutions (read: IIT or an AIIMS), becoming an engineer or doctor was definitely seen as a ticket to stability and success in life. After under-graduation, it was all about doing that MS abroad and settling down in Seattle or nearabouts or getting that fancy MBA degree which gave you a shortcut to climb 3 rungs of the unforgiving corporate rat-race ladder.

In school, I can't seem to remember ONE above-average-in-academics classmate or friend of mine (would love to see the report cards of Sivakarthikeyan, Balaji Mohan, Nalan Kumaraswamy - there, I plugged in 3 celebrity juniors from my alma mater) giving up traditional paths and pursuing alternate careers with the active encouragement and support of his/her family. On one of those very rare occasions it happened, outright rebellion with a threat to run away from home was the reason the parents finally capitulated :)

To be fair, to blame it all on the parents is ducking the issue. I had a very solid, if not spectacular, safety net in terms of financial security but still lacked the courage to pursue cricket seriously. Granted I was not supremely talented but with sheer hard work and grit, I could have atleast made it to the Tamil Nadu Premier League. So given the times we grew up, I am not very surprised by Indians not making their mark (relatively speaking) in the 2000s and early part of this decade in areas like sports, literature, arts or most things outside of a Corporate career. I truly believe an entire generation of dreamer and achievers was lost in this country.

Whilst much has changed in the last 4-5 years (every kid and his pet dog wants to drop out of school/college and create a start-up), I see it more as folks wanting to make a big splash, land up in the front page of Economic Times, rake in the cheddar by 35 and then retire to a village to do organic farming or teach underprivileged children. I still don't see enough people in school saying they want to take the road less traveled (which some might actually say is the shortcut) and actually do organic farming / teach from Day One because they love it for what its worth. On one hand, while it is heartening to personally see people explore left-of-field options in the entertainment industry (moving outside films, TV and radio to become a stand-up comedian or even a full-time magician), I still see parents seeking my help on how to ensure their wards become one of the 2m engineering students who graduate every year.

As a child, there were a million things I wanted to be and some I even dabbled in. I wanted to play cricket, tennis and/or golf. I yearned to learn singing and be associated with music throughout my life. As a teenager, I longed to write stories and tell it to people through the medium of cinema. I was also intrigued by the prospects of becoming a professional quiz master. As an adult, I wanted to be a sports talent spotter traveling to the corners of the country unearthing the next big thing. Did I become any of those? Nope. Why? I don't know.

Which brings me to my current predicament.

What I want for my children is to aspire high and reach for the stars. What I would love for them to do is experiment without fear of failure. I dont want them to think that anything is beyond them. I would hate for them to settle for anything less than they are capable of. What I also want to inculcate in them is a desire to want to be the best at whatever they set their hearts and minds to. I am cognizant that I should not foist my own dreams on them and live my aspirational life through them. However, I also want to be a catalyst to help them understand what they could do and provide support to realize their potential in whichever field they chose to pursue, as long as it is not engineering or medicine :P

Thanks to the support of her parents, Sakshi Mittal followed her dreams from the age of 12 and look where it has landed her. Steffi Graf was hitting hundreds of balls over the net at the age of 4 under the watchful eyes of her father and went on to become a legend. (its another thing that the media demonized her father as a hard task master who literally ruint her childhood). I dont want to be one of those parents pushing their children to practice for Spelling Bees from the age of 3 but I also want my children to start dreaming from early on.

What I really hope to do through this post is stimulate/start an honest debate on how parents can help children dare to dream and support that pursuit.

PS: I know a parent who sent his daughter to 2 full summers of Pencil sketching, Carnatic music singing, Taekwondo, Swimming, Maths Olympiad & Origami/Arts & Crafts classes and she came back disinterested in everything....and before someone asks, she is a very smart kid. Is it just by trial and error that children find out what really floats their boat?

Forever young

At work, we have this G-100 program where we hire 100 students every year from some of the worlds best B-schools. As part of their induction, they travel to India and get to know about the company and also meet India based teams. I usually enjoy interacting with these guys as it makes me go back in time to think of where I was 13 years back and how such interactions helped me connect to some great leaders and gradually build my network within the company.

Last week was fun as I met with this year's batch and spent a good 20-25 mts with them formally. This was then followed by a more personal and informal 1-on-1 interaction where I formed a quick friendship with a really smart, young American newbie. We had the most interesting 45 mt chat that I have had in the last year and needless to say (ok have to boast now), looks like I made a very very favorable impression on him. He went back and wrote saying he was extremely impressed by how someone like him could related so much to someone as "old" as me. I am just going to take that as a compliment :)

So what did we talk about

• Politics/Business: Why Icahn backs Trump
• Sports: US College tennis and Tom Fawcett's chances of becoming the next John Isner or Steve Johnson
• Entertainment: Why Marvel trumps DC any day
• All things hip: slang like IAmA, Netflix and Chill, Catfish (In the context of my id card), IIRC

Areas where I could not hold my own

• Obama's playlist, Brexit (Hmmm), GoT (Is there anyone who does not want to talk about this?)

The only flip side to all this was a FB request that I have to turn down now :P

PS: When I delete a FB Friend request, does it notify the other person? 

How the mighty have fallen

Its only when a true legend like SAF moves on that the void his departure leaves us truly shows up in epic/massive/gigantic proportions. If yesterday's Community shield game is any indication of the year to come, Utd fans can expect silverware by Feb/May but can kiss their hopes goodbye of seeing A-N-Y entertaining football. Yes, it is still early days but there were 4 things I CLEARLY CLEARLY saw yday which backs up my claim

• During SAF's reign, if a match was 1-1 going into the last 10 minutes, you very much knew what was going to happen. SAF would throw all his fwds in and give his wingers / full backs license to attack and there would be an almighty seige at the opposition goal. Jose Mourinho has never/can never/will never do that and he did nothing of the sort yday. 

• One of the earliest to be substituted was the superb Jesse Lingard. Despite Jose's ridiculous claims that he has brought through youngsters (am still dying laughing at that), he will never place his trust in youth. PERIOD. A leopard does not change its spots overnight.

• The minute Ibra scored, Jose let his guard down for 3 seconds and celebrated but his immediate next reaction was to summon Schneiderlin to replace Rooney. That would have never happened under SAF. Protecting a lead was anathema to the master. He would have gone for the 3rd goal. How joyless must it be playing for Jose. No wonder Ronaldo hated Jose.

• Minutes after Ibra scored, there was a throw-in for Leicester near the players' bench and Jose was furiously gesticulating to Ibra to fall back 20 yards into his own half and defend a throw-in coz of his height. (That was Jose at his best - marshaling his troops to park the bus). The great thing about Jose Mourinho is that Ibra actually did. Imagine Ibra's voice in the head saying "Ibra doesn't defend" and then Ibra coming to his senses and overruling his inner voice and actually doing his master's bidding. Ha Ha Ha !!

Jose Mourinho and his ego (or) How Man Utd have sold their soul in their quest for success? - PART 1

So Jose wants Schweinsteiger out. Why? There are many reasons being bandied about and the one that Jose would like the world to believe most is that Schweini doesnt fit the new style that Jose has come up for Man Utd. Bollocks.

Schweini has played at the highest level for club and country and can fit into any system and style of play. The simple answer is: Jose's massive ego. Jose demands absolute dedication and adherence to his methods and he typically likes to operate with players who will NEVER EVER question him. Schweini is a serial winner (and in my opinion achieved more than Jose) and an intelligent footballer. Jose can put up with 1 prima donna Ibra but too many strong personalities in the dressing room are not his style. By relegating Schweini to the reserves, Jose has made a calculated attack on Schweini's pride hoping that he will  take the affront personally and leave....and I just think it might work, more so if PSG come calling, as life in Paris (despite the bomb blasts) with Ana Ivanovic must surely be better than working in dreary Manchester with nasty Jose. In all this drama, Man Utd have just lost a lot of goodwill as KH Rummenigge rightly pointed out.

Schweinsteiger's trophies

• 8 Bundesliga titles
• 7 DFB-Pokal cups
• 2 DFB-Ligapokal cups
• 2 DFB Super cups
• 1 Champions League
• 1 UEFA Supercup
• 1 FIFA Club World Cup
• 1 FIFA World Cup 
• (2 3rd places at WC and 1 runner up in Euros)

Jose Mourinho's trophies

• 8 league titles (2 in Portugal, 3 in UK, 1 in Spain, 2 in Italy)
• 10 Cup titles (2 in Portugal, 4 in UK, 2 in Spain, 2 in Italy)
• 2 Champions League
• 1 UEFA Cup

The JASON BOURNE review

If you're a fan of the series, you are gonna see it anyway so this mini-review should not dissuade you. If you're not a fan of the franchise, then you might just want to reconsider your weekend plans again.

First off, Jason Bourne is NOT to be watched on 3D. NO NO NEVER. 3D makes absolutely no sense and it is nothing but another money grubbing exercise from crazy studio bosses working in collusion with multiplexes who have invested in this technology. Having said that, I saw it in IMAX 2D - now, IMAX is something worth paying extra for and Jason Bourne is definitely a better experience in this medium. People who have a problem with Paul Greengrass' shaky-cam & constant zoom-in-zoom-out style should steer way clear of the movie coz he amps it up to insane levels, so much so that the chase scenes are mostly a mess playing havoc with your senses. I liked the riot scenes in Athens a lot but trouble was I felt like i was actually in the middle of the action on the streets and that was not a very comfortable feeling. People who still remember this iconic scene from Ultimatum will find something very similar in this latest installment - a superb set piece at Paddington (bang near my Wipro office....wowwwwwwwwww) - but the problem here is that the scene absolutely goes nowhere. There are some howlarious sequences vis a vis technology, hacking etc which has been absolutely ripped to shreds by Reditters here.  All these aren't as much of an issue as the fact that there is absolutely no reason for this movie. I wont talk about the disastrous Bourne Legacy but the first 3 movies took this series to a logical closure point and Part 5 feels like a needless chapter with no solid story line and quite a few  meandering sub-plots.

Now for the good parts - the performances. Matt Damon is in fine form despite the long break from this character, Alicia Vikander is truly scrumptious, Vincent Cassell makes for a chilling villain and I can't have enough of Riz Ahmed at this moment. The pounding sound track keeps you on the edge and the last scene with the signature Bourne tune does bring a smile to your face. The movie is only 2 hrs long so doesn't test your patience but one can only hope that they end it here. The last few Bond movies have been nothing to write about and with Bourne winding down, it leaves Ethan Hunt with the unenviable task of giving me my guilty pleasures every 2 years.

Overall rating: 3/5 (more importantly, weakest of the Matt Damon Bourne films)

Oscars 2016 predos

The Big Short
George Miller
Leonardo DiCaprio
Brie Larson
Sylvester Stallone
Alicia Vikander
Inside out
Amy (documentary)
Spotlight (original screenplay)
The Big Short (adapted screenplay)
The Revenant (cinematography)
Mad Max (costume design)
Mad Max (make up and hair styling)
The Big Short (editing)
The Hateful Eight (musical score)
The Martian (sound mixing)
Mad Max (sound editing)