Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Anthems for Nostalgia!

As the title says, this little post is surely about those anthems that take you down a road filled with memories from the past, and faint tinges of the flavours from many a reminisces of moments gone by that you'd better have frozen and brought back time and again.....be it for the pain they had that taught u things, the sorrow they brought that strengthened you or the joy they carried that you grope for in every moment now....ever wanted to capture these memories in HD and play them again on your tab.....how amazing would that be!....well, mayn't be "bio-technically" possible for now, but if you would ask for a sublime song that might stir up such an HD panorama in your imagination, then I have a little list for you that might just be right . Here it goes -

  • Enativo Ragalu - Golconda High School/Kalyani Malik - This sublime track, which actually talks of nostalgia with its lovely lyrics, is a definite tread down the road to some childhood memories.....specially, the title line-up in the beginning sequence in the movie being so well shot.........watch it, more so, if you love telugu movies!
  • The Drugs Dont Work - The Verve - one of the classic numbers of 90s Alternative Rock, falls amongst the greats by RadioHead and others from the 90s scene.....this one, with a mellowy violin base in the background and Richard Ashcroft's voice backed up by some subtle string and drumwork is definitely a good treat!
  • Darling Pretty - Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits - possibly among the greatest rock songs of all time, think rock and melody and this one's surely gonna tick all the right boxes, a myriad set of instruments, strings work being the most titillating, its as beautiful as it says, "its time to go home...". As they say, going home is always beautiful!
  • Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd - one of my frnds always said, tis song is a perfect respite at d end of a tiring day at work, it takes you to the best moment in the past and induces psychedelia like no other.....in short, inner peace! Well, I reckon, he's right to the core. About the musical jugglery involved in this track?...well, its usual Pink Floyd. Enuf Said!
  • Midnight Bottle - Colbie Caillat -this one for sure, is about that beautiful night you spent with some vine, on a beach, in the arms of your loved one, which you'd want to go back to like right now. Colbie masters her usual country music notes, a humdrum guitar note and her charming voice for company. Worth shedding a tiny tear with, for that special someone.
  • Winds of Change - Scorpions - that was the best of times, that was the worst of times......this one can perfectly reflect that transition period in your life, which taught you a lot, which had a lot of joy and pain to offer, and which made you what you are today! And yeah, just to spice it all up, throw an amazingly awkward moment shared with some friends! d Best bit abt this song being that enchanting whistle followed by typical enjoyable classic scorpions' stuff!
  • Mustafa Mustafa - ARR/Kaadhal Desam - this for most contemporary Indian music afficianados, is the quintessential college-graduation nostalgic song....with very apt lyrics, and soundtrack ranging 4m pure vocal artistry to subtle instrumentation gimmickry to college band gala-ness and ARR's mellowy voice to complete the package.
  • Lazarus - Porcupine Tree/Weird Anxiety - This is a personal addition 4m one f my experiences - as the hotshot band of my college performed an acoustic version of this on the day of graduation - albeit the actual one shoots a few notches higher with an amazing piano note to keep consistent company to the already truly uplifting vocal tone thats indeed a revelation......one of Ptree's finest indeed!
  • Say Hello, Wave GoodBye - David Grey - Another personal addition of mine as it takes me back to a very quick and short, yet a memorable vacation spent back home with my favorite cousins.....this track was perfectly the ode to that time.....subtle, floating in the air only more so with David's emphatic voice and all topped up with a hidden layer of sublime emotions!
so there you have it, a list that might evoke some emotions and memorabilia.....have a nice cup of coffee or a nicely subtle cocktail for company, on a breezy sunny morning at your porch or at the neighborhood friendly favorite pub on a pleasant evening, respectively?........this list might be the perfect company.......works for me!

    Friday, July 29, 2011

    Y "Jootha Hi Sahi" works for me!


                  More often than not, I'm quite unabashedly the one standing out of the crowd trying to salvage some actually, really good movie or song from astute calumny from the brigade of so-called film reviewer fraternity, atleast that lying within the Indian hinterland. This has led me to lose much prevalent respect for almost all of the Indian Movie Journos save for a very few who still take pleasure in watching and writing about a movie like a purist.

                  A movie, however bad it might be, takes struggle and effort in its fabrication and usually, save for very exemplary cases, there is atleast one or two aspects of the movie that deserve appreciation. This is a fact seldom realized by the aforementioned fraternity. And hence, I no longer follow them. I decided to invest my quality time rather in watching bits and pieces of another movie than wasting my time on reviews. Save for those by Roger Ebert. And maybe other such greats whom I'm yet to read. Thats because, Ebert leads me onto finding newer movies that nobody else would have even thought of suggesting audiences and thus keeps me engaged onto more, usually, better movies. Which other reviewer of present day would suggest me a F&*k film called “Emmannuelle” just for its colour and other technical jugglery which in fact is amazing! More on Ebert later.

                  Albeit a bit verbose than required, the above prologue leads me onto my current slandering of the reviewers in protection of one more recent favourite of mine, Jootha Hi Sahi. A run of the mill, rom-com to many, who casually miss the quaintly subtler and rib tickling yet pleasing aspects of this beautiful romance that for me, beats any loud and brash Dabangg-y flick anyday! When was the last time we saw such a finely crafted romance in Bollywood that also somehow manages to cover up on all other technical aspects? I cant recollect for one, save for Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, which coincidentally happens to be from the same production house and has most of the crew from the movie on discussion here.

               
                For starters, the movie uses London to such an appeasing effect. London, like many European cities, like Munich, Berlin, Madrid, etc somehow, has this unique way of blending ancient and modern cultures to contrive a certain charm that exudes melancholy, romance and a lot of other emotions just within the spatial ambience. Interestingly, throwing in an Indian Community, an antique Indian book shop run by a knowledgeable guy who stammers in front of beautiful women, a bitchy girlfriend, a girl with a broken heart looking for respite, falsely in the form of death and later on finding it through a friend on telephone, a crazy neighbourhood with a pregnant Pakistani girl and her Japanese boyfriend, and delicate splattering of gay men struggling to find right matches and we have one of the most originally designed characters in Hindi Cinema since Raj and Simran.

                  Add on London with all its charm, and we have a slightly cliched yet quite enjoyable stage to deal with. From there on, we have the plain and simple, yet appealing story that portrays all the nuances of a vulnerable guy and girl, who dont think they're good enough for their love interests trying to woo each other and finally finding themselves in each other's arms. There is subtle humour amidst all this, some truly original script and dialogue, which adroitly stays away from the cliché and screenplay that lends for some really fine moments to sit back and actually relish. For instance, isn't the beginning where the protagonist's apartment is introduced amidst classic London neighbourhoods and a Tissot Billboard overlooking, the stuff of classic and artistic cinema? Add to that adept editing and cinematography ensure, whats written on paper has been shown well.

                 Particular mention goes to the writer and lead actress Pakhi who has scripted the movie as well as rendered the much needed “beauty in trouble” character to Mishka, in the film. Its indeed refreshing to see an actress so naturally beautiful amidst all the scimpily clad red carpet brigade and then, talented to an amusing effect indeed.

                 However, there is nothing really ground breaking about all this, but a much needed vacation with laid back chairs and delicious gourmet in your ancestral home isn't ground breaking either. I hope you get the drift!

                   Whats benchmark setting, though, is the OST of the film and the way it has been used in the film. Between gorgeous frames, like the one that kicks off the song Hello Hello or the one that intoduces the aforementioned apartment, and apt screenplay, the OST, in usual A.R.Rahman fashion, adds a subtle charm to where-ever its employed. A deeper literary comment is needed to critique the OST professionally but all one can say is finding the finer aspects of the music is quite a revelation to the ardent music lover.

                 I could be a staunch ARR follower yet I've hated to bits certain other movies that he composed music for. My following for the Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na team notwithstanding, for all its subtle yet sparkling bits, for its amazing OST, the quaint yet involving script and screenplay that in situations, one can empathise with, and the lovely characterization and the essential fact that its a romantic comedy (disclaimer alert: I'm not the girly guy who has a penchant for all things that girls like), Jootha Hi Sahi works for me. And as such, any movie with atleast a couple of aspects to watch out for, works for me!

    Saturday, March 26, 2011

    Hipsters!!!

    ....dont be baffled by the title as this is no ode to the hippies with those Volkswagen Minibuses and "No War" logos...but actually a listing showing a few pretty cool and funky hip-hop and R &B numbers that have failed to bore me even if it was the gazillionth time I listened to them......
    • Marylin Monroe - ARR - quite technically tailored by ARR with very good melody, nice hip-hop bits, and a very melancholic female voice in the backgrounds!
    • Senorita - Justin Timberlake - much of Timberlake's work has a lot of appreciation, but this one has some of his original Memphis feel where he's still a kid jamming in little pubs and making the local ladies go gaga over his voice, specially the spanish-mexican women from the video.
    • Iragai Pole/Yevan Di Unna Petham - Yuvan Shankar Raja - quite freshly since Yuvan has been trying some proper hip hop numbers and when he found the right tune to match both these wonderful numbers....one, juvenile and the second, menacing!
    • Empire State of Mind - JayZ/Alicia Keys - with a perfect percussion set-up and the charming voice of Alicia comprehending Jay-Z's stylishly scripted raps.....and a befitting dedication to the city of stars and starlets and indeed, the concrete jungle where dreams come true...NYC!
    • Umbrella - Rihanna/JayZ - begins with an amazing clash of the cymbals and then takes on with a subtly cool humdrum beat and Rihanna's electric voice....definitely, the limelight shot for Rihanna.........closely followed by her other hits like Disturbia/Hard for supercoolness!
    everytime I feel like Partying or even simply pumping certain energy levels up....my Bose Headfones come out and I put on some of these numbers! You could go ahead and try that too. Dont forget to debate me or add your own spec favourites to that list! Here's to the Bass then.......

      Friday, January 7, 2011

      Indian Cinema: and it's coming of age!!!

      scene #1 - in the backgrounds....the composer going at full force on the entire keyset of the piano from one end to the other......a hero and a heroine (atleast thts wht d protagonists are familiar as) running in utter slow motion and when they meet the camera zooms past to show a pair of flowers shaking hither and thither.......

      scene #2 - a female chorus in the background yelling 'aaa' in stratospherical tones.....clouds and thunders in the sky going berserk as if it were armageddon....clashing waves.....a hurt hero(usually with a gazillion bullets shelled into his abdomen) fighting against the uber-powerful antagonist who never fails to die in the end....and a bunch of the hero's folks praying for him at the nearest temple in full commitment...

      .....till quite sometime, this was what the Indian cinema offered...save for quite a few number of examples that earn deep respects given the age of their making and their being fabulous (read - director specific or actor specific) ........however, of late, with no specific time-line moment depicting this, Indian cinema changed for good. Slowly adapting to better standards of technical work, art and dialogue as well as styles of depiction either by pure original creation or inspiration from the ubiquitous Hollywood or other cinema arenas.....Indian cinema indeed arrived.

      However, this significantly caught my eye particularly in 2010, with either me acquiring a taste in cinema or the arrival of certain examples that proved this fact.

      The holy examples being Vinaithaandi Varuvaaya, Raavan, Udaan, Khaleja, Prasthaanam, Orange, Rakta Charithra 1 & 2, Vedam, et al.....cumulatively for the way they handle simple, rebellious, fundamental and controversial subjects with utmost care, bravery, commitment and finesse......a few highlights on these masterpieces
      • VTV - for the really delicate subject and the way Gautam Menon handles it, specifically the songs, the picturesque frames, the amazing music score, and the entire beauty of it being a foslan anthem!
      • Raavan - for the sheer intensity portrayed by Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bacchan, Vikram and the other cast, besides fabulous frames, the close quarters photography and the haunting end
      • Udaan - the photography that apes a clogged yet focused style, the OST and for a certain moment when the underdog bloke takes a strike against his suppressive dad.
      • Khaleja - for the honest representation of a very intellectual subject with decent mix of commercial fun and amazing artwork that redefines traditions, the cinematography that feels like its a smooth ballet run, the catchy dialogue and Mahesh's well versed attempt at reinventing himself.
      • Prasthaanam - if there's one thing thats mesmerising about this film, its DevaKatta's terrific dialogue work while a grown up Sarvanand also impresses well besides Sai Kumar in his best self.
      • Orange - again a delicate and intellectual subject handled very impressively, and the way this movie with its class and art catches you the second time u watch it around, nice OST too.
      • RC 1 & 2 - for sheer thrills, a Tarantino/Robert Rodrigues-ishh crime drama, the sheer guts of RGV in making it, brilliantly thought-out frames and a brilliant combo in Vivek and Surya!
      • Vedam - one more very interesting subject, specially watchable for some delectable frames, screenplay and hugely mature work by M.M.Kreem and Arjun, Manoj and Anushka
      ...well..there might be a few more very purist-oriented movies that depicted the sheer coming of age of Indian Cinema....my apologies If I've missed out any......(specially coz Indian Cinema includes other genres like Bengali, Marathi, Malayali films et al which I fail to catch coz of language constraincy, but speculation is rife that every year, these so-called genres also belt out impressive stuff)....an interesting yet sad fact being that the general audience in India hasn't yet acquired quite a sophisticated taste, albeit not much complain to be laid on them as they're used to it and are seldom provided better stuff, thus resulting in the sad fact that most of these masterpieces do bad (read: terribly bad) at the Box Office and another shocking fact being that most critic reviews are lobbied for commercial advantage.

      .....Nevertheless, as long as stubborn technicians remain who stick to what they do and believe in good art, good, quality Indian Cinema is here to stay!