It was a very relaxed weekend with a lot of sleeping, some reading (nothing related to Engineering - even remotely), a bit of Cricket (Aus. vs B'desh - I was hoping to catch the Aussie blokes squirm on the field but they ended up winning quite comprehensively) and some Wimbledon (I watch only Maria Sharapova matches, hhhheeee) and two very good (in their own way) movies.
The First Movie needs no introduction to any Tamil movie-goer. It was thespian Shivaji Ganesan at his histrionic best (arguably) in Veerapandiya Kattabomman. Well! there were too many songs than was required (or bearable) and too much noise that made Saamy look decibelly benign. But what the heck! It was a great movie. You need proof!, look at the impact of VK on modern cinema. For instance, Vellaiyamma's (Padmini) unchallenged 'Kaalai' finds expression in Virumandi and Jackson Durai's trick of not giving a seat to VK in Padaiyappa. (Jackson even says, in a muted much tamer Ramya manner, un style innum maaralai). If only Shivaji had noted the oonjal.
The second movie needs no introduction to any Sci-Fi movie fan. The inimitable Spielberg at his best (the problem with Spielberg is he surpasses himself with every movie he makes - proof: Terminal) with an insanely clever plot in Minority Report. The premise of Pre-cognizance and Pre-crime, is scientfically and morally disturbing and the deft handling of the screenplay (with not one slack moment) rivetted you to the couch (even if your Microwave beeped a million times to remind the food was cooked and your stomach growled in hunger in a synchronous orchestra of sorts). Throw in some religion, politics and philosophy (fatalism, cause and effect, etc. etc) and Voila, you have a Spielberg classic. The greatest feat of 'Minority report' was that it remained HUMAN at its core.
Spielberg's WAR OF THE WORLDS is releasing this week and boy! am I excited. There was a preview of WOTW yesternight and Spielberg talked about how H.G.Wells wrote the original WOTW as a critique on the colonisation policy of Britain (after he witnessed the treatment of Aborigines in Tasmania-Australia). He wanted to point out that strength is relative and wrote the invasion of the world by Martians as a warning to the British empire.
Spielberg, casually remarked how the movie was in a way appropriate at this time, due to the recent Imperialistic policy of America; of the past five years as he euphemistically put (please note: no mention of GW Bush - but it quite can't be mistaken for someone else, can it?)
Veerapandiya Kattabomman or Minority Report, a good movie is all that makes weekends weekends. Right???
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