Now, malayalam cinema has been going through possibly it's worst phase with the movies that it has been churning out lately. But tonight I saw a movie that really changed my perception of the type of people that exist in this industry.
The film is called 'Kerala Cafe' and it has a format that has been used many, many times in other movies, but is a novelty in Kerala. It tells us ten stories in ten places showing ten ways of life made by, as you might have guessed, ten directors. What really caught my attention when the movie started was a short message by my all time favourite director, Sathyan Anthikkad. He talks about how a viewer might not initially understand this movie, but goes on to tell us to give it a chance.
I did.
As I watched each story I can safely say it is an honest effort by all those film makers to make a movie that is compelling in both story and technique. Mind you, I'm not saying that this is the all time greatest movie ever made in Mallu land, but it is one that deserves some recognition.
Stories are tied together by one place, a major character in the film. A place where it is completely believable that people of all types and backgrounds meet - a coffee shop at a railway station. It is here that we meet and say goodbye to the different characters whose stories we become a part of.
Stories about misfortune and luck. Stories about finding solace with strangers over the passing of loved ones. Stories about fear, both of the supernatural and of the demons inside of us. Stories that made me laugh and think about stuff and one that made me cry inside.
The transition from story to story is quite interesting and I give the directors extra points for even wanting to collaborate to make a movie like this.
All in all a good show!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Gah!
It's that time of the year again, when the same feeling creeps upon me..
THERE IS SO MUCH FRIGGIN' TO DO AND SO LITTLE TIME!!!!!
so gah! :|
THERE IS SO MUCH FRIGGIN' TO DO AND SO LITTLE TIME!!!!!
so gah! :|
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Handicap
I haven't used my mouse for any sort of photoshop work in ages. And it such a difficult experience for me right now. My Wacom tablet has spoiled me. SIGH!
***
March 17th 2010, around 5 pm.
The time when I effectively lost my mind. I have decided to start afresh in a whole new direction. I just hope it turns out to be as awesome as I am hoping.
Thank you
Maya
Sruti
Sherry
Sunai
***
March 17th 2010, around 5 pm.
The time when I effectively lost my mind. I have decided to start afresh in a whole new direction. I just hope it turns out to be as awesome as I am hoping.
Thank you
Maya
Sruti
Sherry
Sunai
Monday, March 8, 2010
Rat's Top 5
Actors
whom I love. Whose performances I have and will always cherish.
Robert Downy Jr. - With a dialogue delivery that looks like he makes it up on the spot (all the effing time!) I will sit through any movie if it has him in it. Simply to watch an amazing performer blow me away every time I do so. Most memorable movie - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Watey film!
Johnny Depp - An actor whose skill and interest seems to lie in the likes of characters that are zany, evil, rum soaked, secretive, passionate, loony or sporting sharp appendages, but each of them with enough heart that justifies them for being who they are and making them endearing characters we will never forget.
Morgan Freeman- with a voice like that it's hard not to be in awe of this amazing personality. The man who played GOD! I came to know about him through my dad and his admiration of this actor's amazing skill grew on me and I have been a fan of Red ever since.
Jim Carey- loud and sometimes green with an obnoxious need to behave in ways that normal people will never understand, this man is, well, I don't know how best to describe him. I love being insane. Even in photographs, as long as you look happy it's ok to be insane and make faces and talk funny and make people laugh around you. And iI can safely blame it all on this amazing actor. The one who made it ok to be crazy.
And finally, yes I have made up my mind on this after thinking about it for a while, my favourite actor of all time
Robin Williams- When I was a kid, my parents got me the VCD of Jumanji and with nothing better to do, I sat and watched the movie every time I got the chance. And as a kid his performance got me hooked. Later on while watching other films that had him in it, I realized that each and every one of the characters he portrayed I loved. From Alan Parrish to Genie, he is an amazing actor and, let's not forget, a superb comedian. He made me laugh and cry and fall in love. Robin Williams you are amazing!
Jack
Jumanji
Flubber
Dead Poets Society
Good Will Hunting
Bicentennial Man
Aladdin
Mrs. Doubtfire
from making us laugh in Whose Line to dancing and telling us Don't Worry...be happy!
whom I love. Whose performances I have and will always cherish.
Robert Downy Jr. - With a dialogue delivery that looks like he makes it up on the spot (all the effing time!) I will sit through any movie if it has him in it. Simply to watch an amazing performer blow me away every time I do so. Most memorable movie - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Watey film!
Johnny Depp - An actor whose skill and interest seems to lie in the likes of characters that are zany, evil, rum soaked, secretive, passionate, loony or sporting sharp appendages, but each of them with enough heart that justifies them for being who they are and making them endearing characters we will never forget.
Morgan Freeman- with a voice like that it's hard not to be in awe of this amazing personality. The man who played GOD! I came to know about him through my dad and his admiration of this actor's amazing skill grew on me and I have been a fan of Red ever since.
Jim Carey- loud and sometimes green with an obnoxious need to behave in ways that normal people will never understand, this man is, well, I don't know how best to describe him. I love being insane. Even in photographs, as long as you look happy it's ok to be insane and make faces and talk funny and make people laugh around you. And iI can safely blame it all on this amazing actor. The one who made it ok to be crazy.
And finally, yes I have made up my mind on this after thinking about it for a while, my favourite actor of all time
Robin Williams- When I was a kid, my parents got me the VCD of Jumanji and with nothing better to do, I sat and watched the movie every time I got the chance. And as a kid his performance got me hooked. Later on while watching other films that had him in it, I realized that each and every one of the characters he portrayed I loved. From Alan Parrish to Genie, he is an amazing actor and, let's not forget, a superb comedian. He made me laugh and cry and fall in love. Robin Williams you are amazing!
Jack
Jumanji
Flubber
Dead Poets Society
Good Will Hunting
Bicentennial Man
Aladdin
Mrs. Doubtfire
from making us laugh in Whose Line to dancing and telling us Don't Worry...be happy!
Monday, January 25, 2010
The way I am...
Recent events (as all recent events have a tendency to do so) compel me, well actually, inspire me to write a post which is mainly for the benefit of all the readers who stumble upon my blog expecting, I don't know what exactly, but here's breaking it down for you- the way I am.
I am the Ratfinkle.
I am an oddball. I was supposed to embrace life one way, but I went ahead, took a sharp-right turn and hurtled along a path that many will not understand. Or in fact want to understand.
I am an artist. I draw and paint and animate and draw some more. That is my life. Nothing can inspire me more more than that. For those who think I waste my time studying a hobby, all I have to say is that you are a sad bunch of people who never had the guts to do something like this yourself. People with talent like mine are hard to come by and I am proud of that!
My thoughts and ideals are not exactly normal. Or should say, not exactly Malayalee. Many of my Mallu christians who see the life I lead may think that I choose not to observe 'the correct' path or that I am setting myself up to think or act rashly because I think and act differently. And also because I have not seen enough of the world to decide what's good and bad. But actually, I have had the opportunity to see a side of this world that many never will, rich with it's people and colours that may blind others who are not open to it. And like my favorite line form 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'(yep, that's right) "believe me when I say there is more good in it than bad."
Although like always, I know that people may choose to ignore this line completely.
***
I am different. I always knew that. From the day I saw The Little Mermaid when I was 8-yrs old and decided that that is what I am going to do for the rest of my life. I knew I wasn't going to do things the normal way and I am glad for that.
I am open. With my heart and my mind. In the last 21 years of my life (and yes that is a considerable amount of time to observe and learn), I have to come to realize that even those things that should have been the most solid and stable happened to be things that fell apart just like everything and everybody else. I am open to chances. How will we learn if we never try?
I am not ashamed of the person I have become, the things I have learned and the people I choose to associate myself with. My life has been moulded because of all these factors.
I love life. I intend on living it and not pretending to do so.
I am the Ratfinkle. Accept me for who I am. I do not intend on changing.
I am the Ratfinkle.
I am an oddball. I was supposed to embrace life one way, but I went ahead, took a sharp-right turn and hurtled along a path that many will not understand. Or in fact want to understand.
I am an artist. I draw and paint and animate and draw some more. That is my life. Nothing can inspire me more more than that. For those who think I waste my time studying a hobby, all I have to say is that you are a sad bunch of people who never had the guts to do something like this yourself. People with talent like mine are hard to come by and I am proud of that!
My thoughts and ideals are not exactly normal. Or should say, not exactly Malayalee. Many of my Mallu christians who see the life I lead may think that I choose not to observe 'the correct' path or that I am setting myself up to think or act rashly because I think and act differently. And also because I have not seen enough of the world to decide what's good and bad. But actually, I have had the opportunity to see a side of this world that many never will, rich with it's people and colours that may blind others who are not open to it. And like my favorite line form 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'(yep, that's right) "believe me when I say there is more good in it than bad."
Although like always, I know that people may choose to ignore this line completely.
***
I am different. I always knew that. From the day I saw The Little Mermaid when I was 8-yrs old and decided that that is what I am going to do for the rest of my life. I knew I wasn't going to do things the normal way and I am glad for that.
I am open. With my heart and my mind. In the last 21 years of my life (and yes that is a considerable amount of time to observe and learn), I have to come to realize that even those things that should have been the most solid and stable happened to be things that fell apart just like everything and everybody else. I am open to chances. How will we learn if we never try?
I am not ashamed of the person I have become, the things I have learned and the people I choose to associate myself with. My life has been moulded because of all these factors.
I love life. I intend on living it and not pretending to do so.
I am the Ratfinkle. Accept me for who I am. I do not intend on changing.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
A thought...
"To be effective designers for social impact, we have to be humble listeners and fearless leaders, all at the same time, which is no easy feat. But I think this next generation of designers has the potential to do both, and my sincere hope is that design education rises to meet their expectations" - excerpt from an interview on core77.
How true. It is even my sincere hope that design education rises to the task of not mass producing the next batch of tool operators, but strives to bring forth people who at least think before they ink.
How true. It is even my sincere hope that design education rises to the task of not mass producing the next batch of tool operators, but strives to bring forth people who at least think before they ink.
Friday, January 15, 2010
And he shall be my Squishy..
During the course of our lives here on this planet we come across many people from all types of cities, backgrounds, views and interests. And from among them, many move on from our lives and we may, in all probability, never see them again. But there are a few whom we will never forget for they have truly left their mark, either in our minds or in our hearts.
This post I write for one such friend. I have known him for a little over a year now and I am proud to say that he is one of my best friends. I have never met a person so blatantly honest about who he is. He loves without fear and that is a quality I deeply admire. He is the only person I know who is so dedicated to looking out for dog-kind that he jumped right into a garbage dump to help a creature in need, even though said creature really didn't appreciate his help. How often do you find people like that?
If there was ever a person who has helped me see the other side of any situation, it's him. He keeps telling me, "Why the hell do you care about what this 'society' would think?! Why are you afraid?" Truth is Kela, there are a lot of things that I have grown up to believe are the important ones and one of those things included what everyone else thought. I guess I never had the strength to believe that I could make it my own and that it was okay to think and act differently. I hope to gain that strength one day.
And true, there are other people who might have a better measure of the person you are, my baby Kela, but I like the person I have come to know. I am honestly glad you badoda shnaa-ed your way into my life.
Much love and noise :)
Jemma-Jay Leno-hammer
This post I write for one such friend. I have known him for a little over a year now and I am proud to say that he is one of my best friends. I have never met a person so blatantly honest about who he is. He loves without fear and that is a quality I deeply admire. He is the only person I know who is so dedicated to looking out for dog-kind that he jumped right into a garbage dump to help a creature in need, even though said creature really didn't appreciate his help. How often do you find people like that?
If there was ever a person who has helped me see the other side of any situation, it's him. He keeps telling me, "Why the hell do you care about what this 'society' would think?! Why are you afraid?" Truth is Kela, there are a lot of things that I have grown up to believe are the important ones and one of those things included what everyone else thought. I guess I never had the strength to believe that I could make it my own and that it was okay to think and act differently. I hope to gain that strength one day.
And true, there are other people who might have a better measure of the person you are, my baby Kela, but I like the person I have come to know. I am honestly glad you badoda shnaa-ed your way into my life.
Much love and noise :)
Jemma-Jay Leno-hammer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)