Indiana Jones and the Lost Aliens

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Writers: David Koepp (screenplay); George Lucas (story)
Starring: Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Cate Blanchett (Irina Spalko), Karen Allen (Marion Ravenwood), Shia LaBeouf (Mutt Williams), Ray Winstone (‘Mac’ George McHale), John Hurt (Professor 'Ox' Oxley)

It's being 19 years since the last Indiana Jones film — Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, considered to be best of the three, other two being Raiders to the Lost Ark, and The Temple of Doom. Since then, Spielberg has gone from strength to strength (or weakness to weakness), proving his skills in all kind of films, from pathbreaking Jurassic Park to Schindler's List to outright rubbish sci-fi caper War of the World. So, you don't expect your Indy to be the same Indy, the actions same action. Yes. We have waited for this Indiana Jones for a long time, but, for sure, not to be assaulted by Steven Spielberg's obsession with aliens. Now, that was too much to take! Even more than watching Cate Blanchett in a highly under-written role. What on earth is she doing here? Why?Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull leaves you with a bitter aftertaste. You expect changes, because the time has changed, because Indy has aged (and because Sean Connery has refused to do any more films). So, why not make an all new Indiana Jones adventure. Not really! This one is for the fans for one last time. This is for Lucas and Spielberg to see a happy-ending for the character they had created. This one is for director Spielberg to visit his favourite theme, aliens, that is, one more time. (With due respect, after the brilliant ET, the best alien movie ever made and thought-provoking Close Encounter with the Third Kind, and then the disastrous War of the World, he should even stop thinking, A for Alien!). But Oh!
Here's the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Before we tell you the story, and there's not secret there anyway, let's talk about the aliens first.
Yes. Your guess is right. The alien(s) look(s) like an extra from War of the World, and it (they) appears and disappears without explanation. Unless you want to take it from Spielberg and Co the conspiracy theory that ancient civilisations were created with the help of extra-terrestrial beings. The alien does not know English, you see, but can speak Mayan, and it had been waiting to get its crystal skull back for thousands of years so that it can take a form and go back from where it had come. Now, this is a good enough premise to make a gripping movie. But what Indy has to do with it? And anyways, the elongated skull does not even look impressive.
This much for the 'NEW' in the film. Everything else is old, and the update on the old. There's a unhurried scene in the beginning of the film showing a smiling picture of Sean Connery, just to remind us how much time has passed. Then appears Indy’s old flame from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Karen Allen, and lo and behold, Indy has a son, in the form of young Shia LaBeouf. Now, LaBeouf can be a scenestealer (Transformers), and he no way deserves that Tarzan act in the Amazon forest. There's more, including John Hurt's mad archaeologist, Ray Winstone's friend-turned-foe-turned-friend-turned-foe dead guy, and Cate Blanchett as Russina Lady Hitler in search of psychic powers.
Now, without anymore ado, the story: It's cold war America, and Russia is the new Germany. And, like their evil predecessors before, they are also looking for paranormal ways to defeat their enemy, good ol' America. "You have your nuclear bomb, so now it's our time to acquire some bigger power," says Cate's Irina, the Russian super-vamp, who is looking for some psychic power to read everybody's mind, especially the Americans', even though she cannot read our Indy's mind. Never mind that. Even never mind if she does not look scary at all. Poor Cate Blanchett, she is one of the great artists of our generation, and such a waste of talent. There's nothing for her to chew and bite, and she does not scare us anywhichway! We sorely miss Amrish Puri!
Anyway, the search for the weapon begins in Neveda, US, where the US army is planning a nuclear test and the Russians wants the remains of an alien mummy. Then the inevitable happens. The bomb blast, and Indy survives by hiding in a refrigerator. Give us a break. Break. The beautiful mushroom of an explosion. Anti-Communist America catches up with Indy, he loses his job and all set to go London, when a young Matt, on a Harley Davidson, riding all over, including the college library, makes an appearance and there's another adventure, involving, what else, the crystal skull, and a lost archaeologist, the mad John Hurt. And remember, Indy is being spied on by his friend-turned-foe Mac. So, everyone set for the mythical kingdom, the elusive El Dorado, which they eventually find, with 13 aliens waiting for them, one without the head, because Mad Hurt is carrying it like a lost treasure, but not before long chase scenes (a la Crusade), sword fights and attack of man-eating ants, fall on waterfalls (a la Temple of Doom), and fighting some savage tribes (a la Lost Ark), and, yes, you are invited to Indy's wedding, and no, he's not giving up his hat, but we can probably expect another Indy caper with junior Indy taking the lead. I don't mind that, I like the LaBeouf guy, and sorry for the long sentence, but that's how the action goes.
Much has been written about retaining the timespan with the earlier series and Harrison Ford's age. So, no comments on that.
The soundtrack is still haunting, especially if you are an Indiana Jones fan, and action set-pieces remind you of the earlier movie. It's a huge nostalgia trip, if nothing else, and for that alone, it's worth a watch.
Rating ***1/2 out of *****

Earlier Indiana Jones Films

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Writers: George Lucas (story) and Philip Kaufman (story)
Starring: Harrison Ford 9Indiana Jones), Karen Allen (Marion Raven-wood), Paul Freeman (Dr. Rene Belloq), Ronald Lacey (Major Arnold Toht), John Rhys-Davies (Sallah)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Writers: George Lucas (story), Willard Huyck (screenplay)
Starring: Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Kate Capshaw (Wilhelmina 'Willie' Scott), Jonathan Ke Quan (Short Round (as Ke Huy Quan), Amrish Puri (Mola Ram), Roshan Seth (Chattar Lal)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Writers: George Lucas and Philip Kaufman,
Starring: Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Sean Connery (Professor Henry Jones), Denholm Elliott (Dr. Marcus Brody), Alison Doody (Dr. Elsa Schneider), John Rhys-Davies (Sallah), Julian Glover (Walter Donovan), River Phoenix (Young Indy)

'Best Stories Are True'

Novelist Jeffrey Archer, in the city as part of his book tour, talks about being 'sold' at traffic lights in India, about everyone being a prisoner of birth, his discovery of R.K. Narayan and about always drawing inspiration from the present
Dibyajyoti Sarma & Maneesha Singh

"Avoid using cliches," says a character in the latest Jeffrey Archer bestseller. However, it is difficult to avoid them when you spot the man himself sitting alone for a quiet lunch. You are impressed by his unassuming personality. You watch him slapping backs and sharing jokes with visitors; you hear him gush about R.K. Narayan trying to get the pronunciation of his name correct.
"I think Narayan is a marvelous storyteller. I read him last night and he is still on my mind. Mind you, if he were alive, I would not be talking to you right now. I would be sitting at his doorstep and begging that I be allowed to touch him."
As we rave about his humility, he says, "I don't want to be like God. I like being close to people. You must never take yourself too seriously."
This brings us to his latest bestseller 'A Prisoner of Birth', and his stint in prison as well. "Yes. It changed my perspective. Today, I feel privileged and lucky to be the writer that I am. In a sense, we are all prisoners of birth. We do not choose our lives. We just get lucky." As a point in example, he mentions about a little girl knocking at his window in Mumbai and begging for money. He says, "We should all feel lucky for what we get in life." Point noted.
On a book tour to India as part of the Landmark Jeffrey Archer tour, visiting six cities in 12 days, Archer is amazed by the reception accorded to him by his Indian fans. In fact, his experience in India has been good enough to motivate him to write a love story, drawing inspiration from the 1920s. "This would be a true story," he says, adding, "The best stories are always true." But, this is not going be his next book. His forthcoming novel is called 'Paths of Glory', which he is in the process of revising.Cut to 'Prisoner of Birth', which went through 18 drafts, and a 1,000 hours of writing! Archer explains his schedule as a writer, where he wakes up at 5:30 am, writing in phases from 6 to 8 am, 10-12 am, 2-4 pm, 6-8pm. He goes to bed at 9.30 pm, sleeping by 10, only to be up again at 5.30 the next morning. "This continues till the first draft of a book is over, which takes about 300 hours!" Then, he takes a break and works on the second draft. "And, mind you, all my writing is done in long hand. Later, my secretary types out the drafts for me."
This in no way means that Archer is opposed to things technical. He maintains a blogs (he plans to write about Narayan there) where he interacts with his fans "I answer almost 150 mails a day. In fact, recently, I have noticed that almost 25 per cent of the visitors are Indian. Though it may be due to my recent trip to India," he adds humbly. When we remind him that he is very popular here, he quips "Yes, my books are sold at traffic lights here and I am worried." Dispelling all qualms the next moment, he says, "It's very flattering. Who does not want to be pirated?"And no, he is not worried about internet taking over the readership of books, especially in India, where the age group of his readers varies from 25 to 30 years. "In England, it is above 50. I think, I am more popular here than in England. The English-speaking population of India is more than the entire population of England." Then, there's also the added incentive, Archer says with a glint in his eyes, "500 young girls turning up at your book reading is certainly inspiring indeed."
What about Indian authors apart from Narayan? We suggest Ruskin Bond, he says Rudyard Kipling. On a serious note, he says he has read many Indian authors, nurturing a soft corner for Vikarm Seth. "I think 'A Suitable Boy' was wonderful."
But popularity has a different equation altogether. "It's not about how you write, but about how well you tell a story. The story of Cain and Able is of two men born on the same day, at different places, who meet only once in life, but their lives are intertwined. This is the story. I told you. Now, go write 500 pages on this for me. You can't, because that's my job."
He mentions meeting a young boy in Delhi, who wanted to know how to write a book, wanting to author some himself. Archer says belligerently, "You cannot steal ideas, as creativity is about individual craftsmanship. For instance, after the first draft of a novel is complete and I were to die, you would get the book, but not the story."
After a novel is over, do the characters get in way? "No. 'A Prisoner of Birth' would be dead after the Indian tour is over. I will move on to my next work. You have to move beyond set peripheries. You cannot write one bulky thriller after another. It's not motivating enough. May be, I will indulge in short stories again." About time for some more short stories, we agree.
While on the subject of writing, Archer does not believe in dwelling in the past. "I always draw inspiration from my present. You meet a lot of people in your life, from prime ministers to doormen. But you never know who is going to inspire you next."

FAVOURITE BOOKS
The plot structure of Jeffrey Archer's latest novel carries an uncanny resemblance to Alexander Dumas' 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. We ask him about Dumas. "It took them 200 years to give him a statues. Why? Because he was a great storyteller." And inci-dentally, 'The Count...' is one of his five Favourite books. The other four are:
'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck, 'Collected short stories of H.H. Munro', 'All Quiet on the Western Front' by Erich Maria Remarque and 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens

ABOUT CRICKET
A lot has been written about his love for the game. When we ask him about IPL, he roars: "Twenty20 is not cricket. Cricket is a test match between India and England at the Lords where Sehwag is out for zero. Rahul Dravid goes for seven, while Kumble is struck all over the ground " We say, now, are we going to have a fight over it right here? Archer smiles, "I am storyteller after all."

Iron Man And The New Formula

Iron Man (2008)
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark / Iron Man), Terrence Howard (Jim Rhodes), Jeff Bridges (Obadiah Stane / Iron Monger), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts)

Honestly. I am self-confessed Superhero junkie, and I did not read much of Iron Man. It was Superman all the way. And, Spider-Man, and believe and faint, The Phantom. And oh, yes, there was Flash Gordon and the irresistible Ming the Merciless. That's why this disclaimer: This discussion on Iron Man is largely based on the recent film starring Robert Downey Jr., and hence, other Superheroes that we are going to mention are too based on their movie avatars.Yes. I liked the Iron Man movie. I have always liked Robert Downey Jr., his drug addict image notwithstanding, probably because of it. I even liked him in 'Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus,' especially the scene when Nicole Kidman shaves his body hair and his poses for a portrait; there was such vulnerability in those eyes that you have no other option but to love him and accept him as he is. Reviewing Iron Man in Salon.com, Stephanie Zacharek mentions the same effect of Downey Jr's eyes. So, it's not very difficult to understand why Pepper Pots is so star-struck to Mr Tony Stark...
But let's not get into love stories right away, but deal with the super-hero persona. The film ends with Tony Stark announcing to a packed audience of journalists that he, in fact, is Iron Man. How cool is that, and how daring!! Could Superman and Spider-Man could ever do that, especially when both of them are involved in newspaper business? (This is interesting how Sperheroes are so closely linked with newspaper.) But then, if we have to compare Tony Stark, we have to compare him with Batman Bruce Wayne. Both of them are rich, big-time industrialists, and both are 'Super' not due to some outside 'endowment' (I cannot find a better word right now; ) but because of their own sweet self-will. Another interesting aspect, both Stark and Wayne decide to fight crime not because they are forced to, but want to. (Yes, revenge is another motivation; that's the subject of another discussion!). Back to the fascinating Mr Tony Stark. He is so sure of himself. This is one thing that makes him stand apart from his counterparts. Take Spider-Man, he is a meek-geek, cannot even propose to his girlfriend, and is always bullied by his boss. So is the case with Mr Superman, or shall we say Clerk Kent... In this respect, Stark is personality personified, he is a party man, a flirt, and has lived the life on his own terms. When he becomes Iron Man, there is no conflict between his two personas. In fact, unlike the other supers, he is all ready to boast about his new found power. Actually he has not found the powers, he has made them himself.
Therefore, it would be interesting to see what he does in the second film in the series. Titanium Man, are you ready??

Other Superheroes in film
Spider-Man (2002)
Director:Sam Raimi
Starring: Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man / Peter Parker), Willem Dafoe (Green Goblin / Norman Osborn), Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson), James Franco (Harry Osborn) Superman (1978)
Director: Richard Donner
Starring: Marlon Brando (Jor-El), Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor), Chris-topher Reeve (Superman / Clark Kent), Margot Kidder (Lois Lane)
Superman Returns (2006)
Director:Bryan Singer
Starring: Brandon Routh (Clark Kent / Superman), Kate Bosworth (Lois Lane), Kevin Spacey (Lex Luthor), James Marsden (Richard White) Batman (1989)
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton (Batman / Bruce Wayne), Jack Nicholson (Joker / Jack Napier), Kim Basinger (Vicki Vale)
Batman Begins (2005)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne / Batman), Michael Caine (Alfred), Liam Neeson (Henri Ducard), Katie Holmes (Rachel Dawes), Gary Oldman (Jim Gordon)

Remembering Rabindranath

It was an evening enhanced by the telling of it. On Thursday, Saoli Mitra enthralled audiences with her skilful renditions of some of Rabindranath Tagore’s stories

Dibyajyoti Sarma

Can a voice, without musical accompaniment and stage effects, create an atmosphere of drama? It can, if the voice belongs to Saoli Mitra.
On Thursday night, Mitra, a popular theatre personality from Bengal, narrated a few short stories by Rabindranath Tagore, at an event held to commemorate the 147th birth anniversary of the poet, which fell on May 8.
Organised by city-based group Surajhankar, the evening saw Mitra narrating Kabiguru’s (as Tagore is respectfully addressed) short stories to a packed audience of the city’s Bengali-speaking population at the Yashwantrao Chavan Hall in Kothrud.
What made the evening memorable was Mitra’s seemingly effortless voice that took the audience to a realm of childhood fantasy, where everyday, mundane logic is replaced by wide-eyed curiosity.
Before starting the ‘galpapath’ (story-reading) session, Mitra said, “The importance of Tagore does not lie in his versatility, but in the fact that he believed in the individuality of mankind above everything else. We are the children of nectar, Tagore had said. He was a humanist par excellence who loved the earth and its colourful inhabitants: ‘Marite chahina ami, sundar bhubane, /manaber majhe ami banchibare chai...’ (I do not want to die in this beautiful world,/ But live in the hearts of men.)”
Therefore, it is not surprising that Mitra chose to narrate those stories that celebrate childlike innocence. As Tagore himself wrote in ‘Once There Was a King’, a modern reader cannot envision anything beyond death, “but (quoting from the story) the child’s faith never admits defeat, and it would snatch at the mantle of death itself to turn him back.”
While Tagore’s stories are sparkling gems, Mitra’s rendering made the evening an enthralling experience. It is widely acknowledged that Bengali is one of the sweetest languages in the world. But, Tagore’s writing and Mitra’s voice made the listening experience extra-sweet, if that’s possible.
Mitra is the daughter of renowned theatre artist Shambhu Mitra. Voice modulation comes easily to her and this talent was used skilfully to transport listeners to the world where the stories are set — to identify with that little boy who claims he knows the road to the king’s palace, and can’t tell anyone about it; or the small boy who does not want study under his teacher, but wants to listen to his grandmother’s stories.
Mitra concluded the evening by reciting two of Tagore’s poems.
The evening also saw a 45-minute ensemble production of poetry, music and dance, based on Rabindranath Tagore’s works, and performed by the students and staff of Surajhankar and well-known dance exponent Sucheta Chapekar. Titled ‘Jyotirmoy Rabi’, the programme fused Rabindra Sangeet with Tagore’s select poems which highlight man’s relationship with the elements, especially the sun, as giver of light and knowledge. It was a perfect sync between dance and music, and particularly impressive was Chapekar’s two solo dances.
Founded in 1994, Surajhankar is a registered charitable trust working the field of Bengali culture in the city. The trust offers courses in Rabindra Sangeet and in Bengali.

Enemy of the State

Enemy of the State (1998)
Director:Tony Scott
Starring: Will Smith (Robert Clayton Dean), Gene Hackman (Brill), Jon Voight (Reynolds), Lisa Bonet (Rachel Banks), Regina King (Carla Dean)

Sometimes Hollywood displays this uncanny knack for predicting the future — how the state of politics and world affair would be like in future. In Danzel Washington starrer 'The Sieze', it was about Islamic terrorists in New York City, much before the actual events of 9/11 took place. And, it happened petty much the same way!
In ‘Enemy of the State’, the issue is the government's right to intrude into a citizens private life. Post 9/11, the issue has taken the shape of enormous proportion, with everyone having a opinion about it. Though Tony Scott's film is thriller, it pretty much brings out the issue in question in a forceful manner.
One senator is in favour of the proposed privacy bill. Another isn't. So the pro kills the cons. But his action is recorded in a video camera, and after a long chase scene, the tape falls in the hands of lawyer Robert Dean. But Dean's hands are already full and now he is being tracked by the countries millitary intelligence. The victim does not have a clue. Now, all he needs is the help of mysterious Brill.
The best part of the movie is that it moves fast and furious, not a single dull moment. You can't complain about Will Smith's manerisms and is actioning skills. But it is Gene Hackman who steals the thunder. He's just awesome.

Brill: You're the threat now. Just like I was.
Robert Clayton Dean: Threat to whom? To them?
Brill: No. To your family, your friends, everybody you know, everybody you meet. That's why I went away and didn't come back. You've got to go away, Robert.
Robert Clayton Dean: No, I don't think so. This is my life, I worked hard for it and I want it back. I grew up without a father, I know what that is. And I will not allow my family to go through that.

Meet Jeffrey Dumas!

A Prisoner of Birth
By Jeffrey Archer
(St. Martin's Press, March 2008, ISBN-13: 9780312379292, 512pp)

There was lot of expectations from Jeffrey Archer's latest pot-boiler, the first since he was released from prison, especially when the word prisoner was in the title. But, once you finish reading the book, you will be tempted to rename 'A Prisoner of Birth' to 'A Prisoner of Monte Cristo,' such is the influence of 'The Count of Monte Cristo' in Archer's narrative. The lead character, Danny Cartwright, himself mentions the protagonist of Dumas' revenge romance, Edmond Dantes, at least three times, even comparing himself with the wronged hero, Dantes, who returns a wealthy man with a different identity to seek vengeance on those who wronged him.
Talking about literary influences, Archer has quite a few favourites, ranging from Dickens' 'The Bleak House' to 'The Importance of Being Ernest' to 'Twelfth Night,' the latter two dealing with mistaken identities, a major theme in the current novel. Not to mention Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, the story of a thief finding his redemption.
Looks like while serving the prison term, Archer used the library services in the prison to revisit old classics, very much like one of the major characters in the novel, Nick. (Again, Nick is the Father Faria figure here, tutoring Danny everything, and at the end, even giving his identity) In fact, there are occasions when Nick sounds like Archer mouthpiece, often saying, "avoid clichés." Yet, Archer, the novelist, does nothing but to use clichés, one after another till the very end. He has his moments of twists, but they are too mild to shock you and linger on. Even the two murders that happen in the first part of the novel (Bernie and Nick) are too very mild.
Archer has very good experience of prison life. He wrote his three volume prison autobiography, 'Belmarsh: Hell,' 'Wayland: Purgatory' and 'North Sea Camp: Heaven.' Yet, the ruthlessness of the prison life is not utilised enough in the novel, except for the drug trade. We expected to read something like ‘Shawshank Redemption’ at the least. But, 'A Prisoner of Birth' makes Shawshank a far superior work.
Now, the story: Danny Cartwright is a garage-hand, who proposes his best friend's sister and his boss's daughter Beth. As the two friends, Danny and Bernie, and Beth go to an East End London pub to celebrate the engagement (and she is pregnant, unlike Mercedes, that is), they get involved with four upmarket guys, who call themselves Musketeers, (Dumas hangover, one for all and all for one!!!). In the ensuing brawl, Bernie is killed by one of the Oxford peppies, Spencer Craig, who also happens to be a barrister. Then, Mr Barrister predictably and calculatedly puts the blame on Danny boy.
This was the prologue. The rest of the book is divided into four parts, as follows:
The Trial: There are whole series of courtroom scenes. Golden-hearted lawyers vs ruthless ones. But you miss sequences like ‘A Few Good Men’ (that's the only court room drama I remember right now. And, I am not even thinking about ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’). The exchanges are tepid. The schemings poor, and the suspense nil. You know, Danny is going to prison, no matter what. The title says so.
Prison: This is the best part of the novel, where immediately after coming to jail, Danny boy meets lot of goons with hearts of gold (cliché), a teacher to make illiterate Danny a civilised person (Nick, cliché), a big man with a kind heart (Al, cliché), a mindless villain (cliché). We learn that Nick is a 'Sir', moneyed, and has strong facial/physical resemblance with Danny (cliché; 'The Prince and The Pau-per,' though Archer forgets to mention it), and like in Dumas' novel, the teacher dies and disciple takes over the teacher's persona.
The next chapter is Revenge: No prize for guessing what happens. Some very obvious cat-and-mouse games, some new enemies, and some new friends...
Then Redemption. Danny finds his place in the world.
Phew!!!
The biggest problem of the novel is its lack of suspense, if anything else. The next culprit is the host of stock characters. Nothing is new or unknown here. Danny is well etched; but the way he moves from one improbability to another is trifle exhausting to digest at one go.
Yes. There are some moving scenes, especially after Danny is free, and trying to deal with his Sir Nicholas persona, and the habits of being a jailbird. But that's not enough to hold your attention.
No argument that ‘A Prisoner of Birth’ is a best-seller, a good pot-boiler. But we expected more from Archer than just a modern rehash of Alexander Dumas.

Casablanca

Casablanca (1942)
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Writing credits: Murray Burnett (play "Everybody Comes to Rick's") and Joan Alison (play "Everybody Comes to Rick's"); Julius J. Epstein (screenplay) (as Julius J.) and Philip G. Epstein (screenplay) and Howard Koch
Starring: Humphrey Bogart (Rick Blaine), Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund), Paul Henreid (Victor Laszlo), Claude Rains (Captain Ren-ault), Conrad Veidt (Major Strasser), Sydney Greenstreet (Signor Ferrari)

You cannot even write a sentence about this film without risking as if you have copied it. Everything possible has been written about this film, considered to be the best love story ever depicted on screen. Forget all eulogies, Woody Allen, Umberto Eco, and all, but the question remains, what is the enduring appeal of Casablanca?
Ingrid Bergman's innocent, vulnerable, mysterious femme fatale? Humphrey Bogart's tragic tough guy with a heart of gold? Paul Henreid's idealist revolutionary? Claude Rains' unflinching friendship (which today, some people may find shades of homoeroticism!)
Not actually. The greatest asset of the film is its honesty — despite the fact that you don't know what Ilsa is thinking till the end; and its crisp, straight dialogues — "Play it, Sam," — In all the gin joints in all the world, she walks into mine." — And, the chemistry between its lead players — not just Rick and Ilsa, but others, the scenes between Rick and Renault, Rick and Laszlo ooze with perfect chemistry. Otherwise, how could you believe so easily when Laszlo says, "Perhaps we are in love with the same woman."
For us in India, the film has a particular significance. In one sense, this is a mother of all triangular love stories that Bollywood is so good at dishing out.

Dialogues from the film

Between Ilsa and Rick, and "Play It, Sam"
Ilsa: Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake.
Sam: [lying] I don't know what you mean, Miss Ilsa.
Ilsa: Play it, Sam. Play "As Time Goes By."
Sam: [lying] Oh, I can't remember it, Miss Ilsa. I'm a little rusty on it.
Ilsa: I'll hum it for you. Da-dy-da-dy-da-dum, da-dy-da-dee-da-dum...
[Sam begins playing]
Ilsa: Sing it, Sam.
Sam: [singing] You must remember this / A kiss is still a kiss / A sigh is just a sigh / The fundamental things apply / As time goes by. / And when two lovers woo, / They still say, "I love you" / On that you can rely / No matter what the future brings-...
Rick: [rushing up] Sam, I thought I told you never to play-...
[Sees Ilsa. Sam closes the piano and rolls it away]
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Ilsa: I wasn't sure you were the same. Let's see, the last time we met...
Rick: Was La Belle Aurore.
Ilsa: How nice, you remembered. But of course, that was the day the Germans marched into Paris.
Rick: Not an easy day to forget.
Ilsa: No.
Rick: I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue.
--------------------------------------------------
Rick: Tell me, who was it you left me for? Was it Laszlo, or were there others in between? Or - aren't you the kind that tells?
-------------------------------------------------------
Ilsa: Rick, I have to talk to you.
Rick: [Rick is drunk] Uh-huh. I saved my first drink to have with you. Here.
[passes her a drink]
Ilsa: No. No, Rick, not tonight.
Rick: *Especially* tonight.
Ilsa: Please...
[he pours a drink]
Rick: Why did you have to come to Casablanca? There are other places.
Ilsa: I wouldn't have come if I'd known that you were here. Believe me Rick, it's true I didn't know...
Rick: It's funny about your voice, how it hasn't changed. I can still hear it. "Richard, dear, I'll go with you anyplace. We'll get on a train together and never stop - "
Ilsa: Don't, Rick! I can understand how you feel.
Rick: [scoffs] You understand how I feel. How long was it we had, honey?
Ilsa: [on the verge of tears] I didn't count the days.
Rick: Well, I did. Every one of 'em. Mostly I remember the last one. The wild finish. A guy standing on a station platform in the rain with a comical look in his face because his insides have been kicked out.
Ilsa: Can I tell you a story, Rick?
Rick: Has it got a wild finish?
Ilsa: I don't know the finish yet.
Rick: Well, go on. Tell it - maybe one will come to you as you go along.
Ilsa: It's about a girl who had just come to Paris from her home in Oslo. At the house of some friends, she met a man about whom she'd heard her whole life. A very great and courageous man. He opened up for her a whole beautiful world full of knowledge and thoughts and ideals. Everything she knew or ever became was because of him. And she looked up to him and worshiped him... with a feeling she supposed was love.
Rick: [bitterly] Yes, it's very pretty. I heard a story once - as a matter of fact, I've heard a lot of stories in my time. They went along with the sound of a tinny piano playing in the parlor downstairs. "Mister, I met a man once when I was a kid," it always began.
[laughs]
Rick: Well, I guess neither one of our stories is very funny. Tell me, who was it you left me for? Was it Lazlo, or were there others in between or... aren't you the kind that tells?
[Ilsa tearfully and silently leaves. Rick's face falls in his hands sadly, knowing that he's said all the wrong things]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Between Rick and Laszlo

Rick: Don't you sometimes wonder if it's worth all this? I mean what you're fighting for.
Victor Laszlo: You might as well question why we breathe. If we stop breathing, we'll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die.
Rick: Well, what of it? It'll be out of its misery.
Victor Laszlo: You know how you sound, Mr. Blaine? Like a man who's trying to convince himself of something he doesn't believe in his heart.
Rick: I stick my neck out for nobody.
Rick: I'm the only cause I'm interested in.
Rick: I congratulate you.
Victor Laszlo: What for?
Rick: Your work.
Victor Laszlo: I try.
Rick: We all try. You succeed.



A desperate Rick
Rick: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.

--------------------
Ilsa: [laughs ironically] With the whole world crumbling, we pick this time to fall in love.
Rick: Yeah, it's pretty bad timing. Where were you, say, ten years ago?
Ilsa: [trying to be cheerful] Ten years ago? Well, let's see...
[remembers, smiles]
Ilsa: Oh, yes, I was having a brace put on my teeth. Where were you?
Rick: Looking for a job.

---------------------
Ilsa: Who is Rick?
Captain Renault: Mamoiselle, you are in Rick's! And Rick is...
Ilsa: Who is he?
Captain Renault: Well, Rick is the kind of man that... well, if I were a woman, and I were not around, I should be in love with Rick. But what a fool I am talking to a beautiful woman about another man.

The Skeleton Key

The Skeleton Key (2005)
Director: Iain Softley
Starrting: Kate Hudson (Caroline Ellis), Gena Rowlands (Violet Devereaux), John Hurt (Ben Devereaux), Peter Sarsgaard (Luke Marshall), Joy Bryant (Jill), Maxine Barnett (Mama Cecilia)

One of the classic horror situation, especially in Hollywood films, is an innocent victim, especially, a girl, who stumbles upon an old secret and unwittingly unleashes the horror within. After several gruesome deaths, as the film ends, the evil is contained and the protagonists survive to tell the tale.
'The Skeleton Key' starts with these same premises. But as the film progresses, there's an original twist that will make you gap with surprise.
Caroline is a hospice nurse with a sense of duty, as her father died without giving her a chance to care for him. So when she witnesses the business-like attitude towards the dead at the hospital where she works, she quits the job and hunts for a new one.
Following a newspaper ad, she visits an elderly couple in a big house at the outskirts of New Orleans (Remember, the place famous for all those spooky happenings!), where the landlady warns that a young girl like Caroline would not understand the big mansion at all. A classic horror situation, especially when our heroine is too curious to rest the matter of the house and why the old man and the lady of the house is behaving so strangely, and why there is no mirror in the house. She does not believe in ghosts and desperately wants to cure Ben, who apparently suffered attacks on a particular room.
Caroline investigates and we are shown some haunted images. Soon, we are told the story of a black couple in the last century who were lynched to death for practising hoodoo, a spiritual form of voodoo. But, apparently, Papa Justify and Mama Cecile are in no mood to leave the house, and yes, they are not dead.
This is the secret our heroine does not know.
The twist is awesome, if nothing else, for the simple fact that the screenplay does not help the heroine survive her ordeal. Otherwise, just an okay horror fare. But better than all those computer-generated fears.
Rating **1/2 out of *****
Dibyajyoti Sarma

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward (2000)

Director: Mimi Leder
Writers: Catherine Ryan Hyde (book); Leslie Dixon (screenplay)
Starring: Kevin Spacey (Eugene Simonet), Helen Hunt (Arlene McKinney), Haley Joel Osment (Trevor McKinney), Jay Mohr (Chris Chandler), James Caviezel (Jerry), Jon Bon Jovi (Ricky McKinney)

“‘Pay It Forward’ is a book written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, but it's also an idea. It's an action plan within a work of fiction. But does it have to be fiction? We're hoping not. In fact, since the book was released in January of 2000, a real-life social movement has emerged, not just in the U.S. but worldwide. What began as a work of fiction has already become much more.
“Reuben St. Clair, the teacher and protagonist in the book Pay It Forward, starts a movement with this voluntary, extra-credit assignment: THINK OF AN IDEA FOR WORLD CHANGE, AND PUT IT INTO ACTION. Trevor, the 12-year-old hero of Pay It Forward, thinks of quite an idea. He describes it to his mother and teacher this way: "You see, I do something real good for three people. And then when they ask how they can pay it back, I say they have to Pay It Forward. To three more people. Each. So nine people get helped. Then those people have to do twenty-seven." He turned on the calculator, punched in a few numbers. "Then it sort of spreads out, see. To eighty-one. Then two hundred forty-three. Then seven hundred twenty-nine. Then two thousand, one hundred eighty-seven. See how big it gets?"”
This is how the welcome section of the site, http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/ begins. The site explains: "The Pay It Forward Foundation was established in September 2000 by author Catherine Ryan Hyde and others to educate and inspire students to realize that they can change the world, and provide them with opportunities to do so. By bringing the author's vision and related materials into classrooms internationally, students and their teachers are encouraged to formulate their own ideas of how they can pay it forward."



This is not however about the foundation and the good work they are doing. It's about the movie, Pay It Forward, directed by Mimi Leder, staring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment, that I stumbled upon HBO the other day.
As I was flipping through the channel, I saw Haley Joel Osment on the screen and paused for a while. Where is this guy now? He is a wonderful actor, and gave us some wonderful films. 'The Sixth Sense' apart, there was memorable 'Second Hand Lions' with Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. But where is he now? He turns 20 this year.
Anyway, I paused to see him talking to Jim Caviezel, another wonderful actor (Jesus of 'The Passion of Christ') who has not gotten his due, and I was hooked. I had to watch the film till it was over. No, I don't want to reveal the end. It's a happy-ending nonetheless. If it were otherwise, I wouldn't be writing this.
In a sense, the film is about childhood, and how it affects our lives, and how we can get it right only with a childlike belief. Arlene is the victim of a traumatic childhood, with her mother being a alcoholic, so she takes to drinks herself, gets married to another drunkard (Jon Bon Jovi in a minuscule role). Then Trevor is born, who is traumatised himself. Now, when Trevor is around 12, Arlene is trying to get sober, trying to get over her relationship, and it's not exactly working.
In school, Trevor's social studies teacher Eugene, who has a major burn scar on his face and neck, tells him to think of a practical way to change the lives of people around them. Trevor comes up with the idea of Pay It Forward. (Okay, we aren't discussing the feasibility and importance of the idea!). He starts with Jerry. Then he tries to hook up Eugene with his mother, that's were the drama starts, as we come to know that Eugene is also a victim of child abuse, and both Arlene and he must help each other to find happiness, despite their apprehensions.
The film may sound simplistic, and in a way it is, but it boasts of a big heart, which ultimately makes up for the flaws.
This is a film that makes us pause and think, and that should be a good enough reason to make it a must watch.

Rating **** out of *****

The Forbidden Kingdom

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
Director: Rob Minkoff
Starring: Jet Li (The Monkey King / The Silent Monk), Michael Angarano (Jason Tripitikas), Jackie Chan (Lu Yan / Old Hop), Yifei Liu (Golden Sparrow / Chinatown Girl)

First, let us see whether the hype of two master of martial art movie stars, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, coming together for the first time lives up to expectation. Now, that's a tricky question. For the die-hard fans, it would more than worth the ticket. Yes. The expected showdown between Chan and Li is well choreographed and takes quite a lot screen time, but sadly, just once. After that, they travel together, do some bickering, and make peace, so sad, actually. We want they to fight each other, don't we?
But this is not the problem with 'The Forbidden Kingdom'. The problem is the premises on which it is built. Simply, it’s a Kung fu movie made by Americans for Americans, the Chinese angle is just an incident. This is what works against the film from beginning to end, superstars Chan and Li can hardly help it.
Anyways, there are not much for them to do.
A Boston Kung fu junkie, an American youth, from our very own 21st century, chances upon a mythical staff of a certain Monkey King (Li), and he must return it to its rightful owner, who apparently lives, not only in China, but in an another era. So it happens, 'by accident,' the American youth is actually transported to the time, in China, with people in their floating costumes, when Gods descended on earth, and where a jade warlord (what does it mean anyway?) ruled over the earth and heaven. God was on a 500-year vacation (oops, meditation!!). (Remember the utterly forgettable film Crusade in Jeans!)
Anyways, our American man meets a drunken beggar (Chan, his second role in the film, first being the frail owner of a Boston pawn shop.), and together they go to a tavern to drink, conversing in English.
Don't ask how. The drunkard claims that he is a immortal, so he may know all languages...
However, the problem is the American boy looks completely misfit in this mythical world, and surprising, surprising, he does not react to it at all. Michael Angarano, in fact, looks far out of place as a character that he fails to evoke audience’s responses. That is the biggest loophole in the film.
Sadly, there is nothing else that can be redeemed There is a tyrant (nothing spectacular), a journey to undertake ('House of Flying Daggers' is far, far superior), a unspoken love story, with a ass-kicking, mandolin-playing girl, who has her own agenda of revenge (and you know that the love is not going to work, our hero looks way too immature), and a spate of mentoring by the two masters, Chan and Li (I don't know how, but there is no spark in the teacher-student relations, okay Chan as a drunk is funny in his own way, and Li as a taciturn, Silent Monk, oozes grace, but...).
And, we know, how it's all going to end, don't we? Some more Kung fu, of course. The landscape is magnificent as usual, props are great, production value superior...
Director Robert Minkoff, who director ever-beautiful 'The Lion King,' the two Stuart Little movies and the comic-horror 'The Haunted Mansion' with Eddie Murphy, seems like still living in the animation world. In the 'real-movie' world, you need at least something sensible to willingly suspend your disbelief.

P.S. Don't listen to me. Go watch the film, it's fun. But then, we expect better things from all these hypes, don't we...