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Reviews
Darshan - L'étreinte (2005)
Get Your Darshan...
If you are expecting a glossy, high quality picture or travelogue of some of the magnificent sites of India, you will be sadly disappointed. The work of a true master in service to humanity is seldom glamorous. Any illusions to the contrary will be put firmly to rest in the very first scene. Those who miss the true impact of this movie, the fact that it's very beauty lies in its simplicity will have missed the big picture. This is the perfect metaphor for Amma, herself.
I have met Amma and received darshan several times. I will admit, that though I have always respected her efforts, I did have some question as to her true motives. This movie quelled any doubts that I may have had with regard to her authenticity. In the opening scene of the movie we see her perform something so shockingly compassionate, that a Western mind can hardly comprehend it.
I have never been to India. The stark reality of the living conditions in this region firmly reminds one to be grateful for life in these United States. Though it may sound illogical, in my humble estimation even the homeless appear to have it better here. It's not every day that we are thrust into "lifestyle of the citizens of an emerging nation." If the sole intention for making this film was to stir the mind as well as the heart, then it is worthy of an academy award.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Why Couldn't Andy Sachs Have it All?
Over the weekend I happened to catch Hollywood's latest chick flick fare served up lukewarm, lightly salted and without butter of course
The Devil Wears Prada. I'm sorry to say that it was the same old tired, coming-of-age, high-browed moralistic, princesses are always pretty and nice, drivel. Not that I need those 106 minutes back or anything. I'll be o.k. But c'mon. Enough already! Let's portray the real world, shall we? Just once. (No, this cinematic commentary on the fashion industry was not expected to portray the real world.) I don't mean some swanked out MTV pad where washed up actors and wanna-be's torment each other on cable airspace either.
No, I mean the real world, where girls pay rent (until they can buy a house) make student loan payments and car payments and credit card payments and blow money on great vacations in some sunny locale, (where hopefully tanned, hard, body shots are involved).
It's nice to be moralistic. But it's even nicer when you can afford it. The long and the short of it is we pay our dues until we get to where we want to be. And like a closet stuffed full of designer labels, it's different for all of us.
She has a boss from hell. Whose isn't? That's where they cut their teeth and your self-esteem all in a day's work. Get over it! If you're competent you'll be fine. If you're not, figure out how to get competent. There's already more than enough incompetence going around. Look at our current administration. The level of incompetence is criminal.
In our fairy tale, the devil has an unusually large set of matching boules. This is why she can't keep a husband. No man wants to be Ms. Miranda Priestly. Honestly I can't help but wonder why. There seems to be an abundance of lazy/incompetent men who could surely benefit from the steady hand of a competent woman. See Supreme Court, Senate, or White House. Surely I am many years ahead of myself.
While working for the devil our sweet princess develops her own set of boules. Boules make a great fashion statement. Although they are usually reserved for men, they have an unusually transformative effect on women. Basically, they turn them into bitches. My gawd, just living in New York (the main setting for our tale) provides fertile enough growing conditions for that. I ©New York! I'm not advocating bitchiness. When a man is a leader, no matter how many heads roll, how much of a SOB he is, or how many expletives he uses, he is, well a leader. When a woman is a leader, even if she doesn't engage in any of the former (and especially when she has several males reporting to her) she is a bitch. I don't make the rules I just observe the rats in the lab.
After this manifestation our heroine has a choice. She can stick with her loyal, tried and true, souse chef boyfriend, whom she has clearly outgrown. Or go for the slick, hot, journalist who knows how to work the system. Why not learn a few tricks of the trade? The problem with this story is our fearless heroine doesn't know who she is yet. She's growing up and she's cute. Let's not forget that. After about a decade in the trenches she will figure out who she is. But maybe she won't be cute anymore. That depends on whether a) She takes care of herself. b) She doesn't take care of herself, but can afford corrective surgery. c) She takes care of herself and develops confidence and conviction and makes her own choices. But until then she is an apprentice.
Dear sisters, even while one is apprenticing one should be well compensated. No one teaches women to do it. But men do this. They set their price. Compensation can take many forms: Swag or bennies; Great hotels; Great parties; Opportunities for great sex; And or self-satisfaction. You have to set your price. Yes, you my dear. No one else can do it for you. Certainly, not cute puppy-dog eyed, souse chef, boyfriends. Since our heroine had not yet fully developed, she was in jeopardy of losing her own sweet self and her high-minded values. I am not knocking values. They are great! They keep the world spinning on its axis. But unless your daddy (or mommy) is a mmmmbbbbillionaire you're on your own.
Values don't pay the rent. Money pays the rent. And after you've made some, then you can donate to your heart's content. Why not work on the inside from a position of power? So tell me Hollywood, why couldn't Andy Sachs have it all? A hot, studly boyfriend and a glamorous job with all the trimmings, including annual sojourns to gay Paris? Why did she have to go and work in some dank newspaper office as if it were a moral victory? Why couldn't Amanda have it all for that matter? Yes, she's as cold as the ice in her martini shaker, but still. Surely, we can have it all! That message, my friends, I would pay top dollar to see!
Water (2005)
Gripping
This is perhaps one of the most gripping films I have ever seen! The cinematic beauty is unparalleled and establishes a standard that many American films attempt, but fail to reach. It is a story of weakness, tragedy and triumph. The scenery and landscape is masterfully juxtaposed against the stark reality of human suffering and misery. The striking images are indelibly stamped upon one's mind. Emotions are evoked from the deepest recesses of one's soul. It is catharsis for the wounded feminine. Seema Biswas' pounding performance is the perfect culmination to the lyrical progression of the movie and is worthy of an Oscar. Previously it was unimaginable to me, that a movie could have such a profound effect on the psyche. I saw it with a group of eight people, both men and women and by the movie's end we were spellbound. It is a masterpiece in the classical style.