MovieNotes: PK

Movie: PK

*ing: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Sanjay Dutt

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Language: Hindi + Bhojpuri dialect

Genre: Comedy, Preaching, Aliens

Preamble

A movie from the trusted combine of Rajkumar Hirani & Aamir Khan. A unique publicity blitz using still shots of the leads in different get-ups instead of using TV  shows for promotion as is the wont these days. 

Basic Premise

An alien lands on planet Earth. Loses the key for his return journey. And now must attempt to find it back to return home.

Movie Notes

PK's central theme combines viewing India's inhabitants from an alien's perspective while simultaneously satirizing religion, faith and Godmen. 

The satire on religion has raised the heckles of the fringe elements. Guess people have become over-sensitive. As the movie itself said, there are two Gods, the One who made the universe and the one built by man. And somewhere we have lost sight of the real God while putting our entire faith in the make-believe one. A similar theme which was raised in Oh My God, an excellent movie on religion and Godmen. Also I wonder why the protests started in the second week of the run. 

What Works

Acting wise, Aamir Khan is outstanding as the lovable alien who is trying to figure out the ways of this "gola". And he is supported by a heavyweight cast who add their own ingredients to this lovely roller-coaster of a movie. Special mention for the likes of Sanjay Dutt, Boman Irani and Saurabh Shukla.

The music is good and soothing.

Other Notes 

Anushka Sharma's lips have a jarring presence of their own and a big distraction on screen. 

Sanjay Dutt has managed to do a movie from jail and got released on furlough for its promotion. Guess Rajkumar Hirani now knows whom to consult, in case he plans to to make a satire on the judiciary, courts and jails.

A sequel certainly seems to be in offing. 

Learnings

• Apparently every intelligent species is constantly searching for other intelligent beings. 
• The aliens can communicate via telepathic touch and don't wear clothes. A trait also shared by the aliens in Avatar. 
• Aliens visitng Indian movie are of the nice variety (e.g. Jadoo, PK) and not the conquerors who generally visit Hollywood tales.

AfterNotes - So, Bhojpuri is going to be the spoken language of the other gola?

Rating - 8/10. Entertaining and with a message.

Previously on MovieNotes - Gone Girl

P.S. My comment on those whose sentiments get hurt by a movie - "लुल हैं साले "

Singapore Diaries: SEA Aquarium

Continuing with the Singapore Diaries.

One of the highlights of the Sentosa island is the Sea Aquarium. Till some time back it was the largest aquarium in the world. Its a good showcase of the sheer variety of marine life. The multiple shapes, sizes and colours of the sea are on full display here.

Here is a small pictorial journey of the place.

A wrecked ship with a variety of marine life swimming around.

The whole school moving and turning as one unit is a beautiful sight to behold

Dolphins

Light emitting jelly fish. Also available in blue, green and white.

Is is fish? Is it a snake? Is it a plant?

Question same as above? Or a horse?

Sharks

Crabs

Leopard fish

A type of mollusc

Another school swimming along

Colours ...and more Colours

Entertaining, Educative and Fun Place.

Falling Crude Prices

Crude prices have been plummeting down since the middle of this year

Crude prices are now dipping the $60/barrel mark, much below the $100-120 range in which it had been moving for the past few years. Chief reason for the collapse is being supply outpacing demand (basic economics). Quite a few reasons have been attributed to this.

1. The Shale supply has enabled US to become self-sufficient (for now) and hence it doesn't need to import further.
2. Economic slowdown in Europe which is still not fully recovered from the recession.
3. The OPEC cartel is not united. And Saudi Arabia, the only ones with the spare capacity, are unwilling to cut production.

While lower fuel prices seem to be a good thing at first sight, this sharp dip in prices will have a major impact all round the industry.

1. Revenue calculations gone haywire, not just for the big oil companies but also for governments who have a substantial part of their budget sourced from taxes on oil & petroleum products.
2. Quite a few upcoming projects have been put on hold because the economics don't work out anymore. The projects become viable only if the costs go down. The supply chain generally lags behind the crude prices by a couple of Quarters, hence the projects might see quite a lengthy delay.
3. Marginal plays (e.g. Deepwaters, Unconventionals etc.) which had opened up due to higher crude prices may have to be put on hold. 
4. The alternate energy sectors (solar, wind, bio-fuel etc.) have to compete with these lower prices. This certainly delays their arrival as a big energy source.
5. Consolidation in the oil industry - Many players may be put out of business. Even the big companies are feeling the pinch. The second largest oilfield service provider Haliburton has bought Baker which was the third largest service provider. The M&A market may become quite busy in the days to come.

Normally when the prices have fallen the Saudis have intervened. They have cut production reducing supply. But this time they have chosen not to act.

Quite a few conspiracy theories are going around on their possible motives. The most obvious one is to destroy the competition. Saudi crude is available at much lower production costs than Shale or deepwaters. So when prices fall dramatically the Saudis will be the last to feel the pinch. 

Below are some of the theories doing the rounds. Most of them have less to do with economics but more to do with geopolitics.

1. Destroying US Shale - US Shale boom is considered the chief reason of this price drop. Ironically this boom happened only because the prices had breached the $100/barrel mark in the first place. Now that the Shale industry is well developed, we have to wait and watch how long they can hold up.
2. The OPEC cartel has seemingly run its course. The Saudis are the only ones with any swing production capacity left. So there is a theory that they will let the prices drop till the other OPEC members take a hit on production. Probably leading to the demise of OPEC.
3. Collusion between US and Saudi Arabia to stop the further development of the Russian oil industry. Russia may have even bigger reserves than Saudi Arabia but its more difficult to access, thus needing higher costs to sustain. Russian rouble is already in trouble and interest rates have been boosted up from 10.5 to 17% in Russia. 
4. A pre-dominantly Sunni majority Saudi Arabia does not want a Shia majority Iran to get oil revenues. Plain and simple.

Many theories doing the rounds. But oil prices have a major impact on world's economics. Falling oil prices will reduce inflation, creating more spare cash, which will be hopefully pumped back into the economy causing the economy to boom again, creating more demand for oil and pushing prices up. But this cycle will require at least a year's time. And during this period the industry may have already undergone a drastic upheaval.

Interesting times are ahead not just for the worried oil industry but also for the world economy as a whole. We will have to wait and watch what impact this churn has on the energy industry.

MovieNotes: Gone Girl

Movie: Gone Girl

*ing: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike

Director: David Fincher

Language: English

Genre: Thriller

Basic Premise

Murder, She Wrote 

[Spoilers Ahead]

Movie Notes

A man returns home to find his wife missing, triggering a chain of events in which he finds himself trapped in an immaculately staged plot. The story keeps jumping timelines going forward and backwards at a frenetic pace yet managing to hold the viewer in its firm grip.

A huge drama being played for the public consumption driven by non-stop news and publicity hungry protagonists. Yet it is nothing compared to the real drama going on behind closed doors. The lead characters are involved in a non-stop game of oneupmanship trying to bring out the version of truth most palatable to themselves. A pretty intense game with the viewers being the only ones in the know. 

The constantly changing husband-wife dynamics plays its own part in the narrative. The script changes with every move made by either of them in this immaculately staged game of chess and bluff.

Playing out somebody's life in public even as a fictionalized version of themselves from childhood is bound to have some negative impact on a person's mindset. Probably the chief cause of the entire plot.

What Works

Superb acting all around especially by Rosamund Pike who plays a pyschopathic character to perfection.

The narration - specifically the immaculate planning done by the lead female character which forms the central plotline

The various psychological tricks being played by its lead characters. They know the truth about each other, yet they can't bring it up in front of the public.

Other Notes

There is striking similarity in theme to mysterious unexplained disappearance of the author Agatha Christie. Probably the greatest mystery from the woman who was the master of mysteries.

Rating -10/10. An excellent film which holds your attention for two and a half hours.

Previously on MovieNotes; Olympus has Fallen

Singapore Diaries: Sentosa

In the second part of the Singapore Photo Diaries, taking a picture tour of the island of Sentosa.

Sentosa is a tiny island off Singapore connected to the mainlands by underwater tunnels. Sentosa is a major tourist attraction where tourists can spend a lot - time as well as money.

It is home to multiple theme parks, many restaurants, museums, aquarium, resort hotels, casino, sports facilities and an unique sound and light show held on a beach.

The entrance reminding of a castle from Disney films

The Casino

A view of the integrated resorts

You are being watched

A sign welcoming you to a dance party

Its Singapore, so the Mer-Lion has to make its presence felt

"The Wings of Time" - a sound and light show on the beach. See it to feel it.

To Be Continued...

MovieNotes: Olympus Has Fallen

Title: Olympus Has Fallen

*ing: Gerard Butler (king from 300), Aaron Eckhart (a.k.a Harvey Dent), Morgan Freeman (no intros required) and others

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Language: English

Genre: Action

Basic Premise

Terrorists (the bad guys) attack the White House for their own bad intentions. The good guy comes and stops them from achieving their final objectives (mostly single-handedly).

Movie Notes

The movie is a mixture of Die Hard & 24. Gerard Butler's character handles 24 like situations (e.g. nuclear threats, President under danger, foreign organisations, a different person leading the country etc.) in a manner reminiscent of John McClane. 

Plotholes? Its an action packed adventure which does not permit the audience to really think too much ensuring some gaping plot-holes are not over-exposed.

• How does a person who has been removed from the White House 18 months previously still have working access to the security system?
• They don't seem to have changed any passwords in the White House in at least 18 months. Very Weird!!!
• All these Hollywood movies are giving out quite a few details of the codes and security. Or are these all just a movie prop like the 555 phone numbers.

Random Thought - Hollywood has no qualms about showing a bullet ridden US flag. In India the makers would certainly have been in jail for disrespecting national symbols.

Favorite Scene  - Morgan Freeman first ordering his coffee and then laying out the next steps in his action plan.

India Connect - India is mentioned a couple of times as are a few other countries.

Rating - 7/10. A mindless action movie, entertaining and catching enough to pass a couple of hours.

Previously on MovieNotes - Interstellar

Singapore Photo Log - Marina Bay

Singapore - a tiny island nation on the southern tip of the Malay peninsula. This city state is roughly the same area as Mumbai and having a quarter of its population.

History Fun Fact - The country was colonised by the British. Got independence from the British in 1963 as part of the Malaysian federation. However it was expelled from Malaysia through an act of Parliament in 1965. Quite odd given that the world map has been shaped on the basis of kingdoms trying to expand their respective territory.

That probably has helped in Singapore becoming one of the ultra-modern commercial hubs of the world. The city state has also created a massive tourist infrastructure to boost up its financial powerhouse stakes.

Following is first part of a photo blog series depicting Singapore. 

The pictures below are of the area around the Marina Bay - one of the major tourist and business hubs and also host of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix race.

The Mer-Lion

The part-fish part-lion statue. Appropriate symbol of a seaport whose name literally means the city of lions in Sanskrit.

A panoramic view of the Marina Bay

Panoramic view - night shot

The lights of Singapore

Its all lit up

Modern architecture - They have a canal flowing inside a mall with actual boats floating in them

The replica of the The Thinker

The watch shop - inside the Marina Bay Mall

The Versace collection - after all it is one of the highest net per capita income places in the world

A very interesting and apt name for a restaurant

Some more pictures from around the city/country in the next part.

Telecast of World Chess Championship Final

To,

The Hon. Prime Minister,

Republic of India

Subject: Non-broadcast of World Chess Championship Final in India

Sir

The World Chess Championship Final is currently underway in Sochi, Russia. The final is of particular interest to the Indian sports lovers as our very own Mr. Vishwanathan Anand is one of the participants. Mr. Anand is trying to regain the World Championship title which he lost to Mr. Magnus Carlsen in the last edition of the championship last year.

However, to the disappointment of all chess lovers, the match is not being telecast on either Doordarshan or any of the private channels. Hence the only option for the chess followers is to keep track via the internet, where many dedicated websites are covering this game. However this is not a convenient mode and also not accessible to all viewers.

Chess as a sport has its origins in India. It is also an excellent exercise for the development of mental faculties. This is an excellent opportunity to further increase the popularity of chess in the country.

Hence requesting you to ensure that the rest of the games are broadcast to the Indian audience who want to eagerly follow their compatriot's exploits.

Thanking You

Nishant

CC:

Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister for Information & Broadcasting

Sh. Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs

MovieNotes: Interstellar

Movie: Interstellar

*ing: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine

Director: Christopher Nolan

Language: English

Genre: Sci-Fi

Preamble

A Christopher Nolan film with trailers promising something "out of this world".  Hence a must watch on the opening weekend.

Basic Premise

Humankind is in trouble as the Earth may not be inhabitable for long. A group of explorers/astronauts is sent out to explore potential habitats for humans in this universe.

Movie Notes

Interstellar is a movie which needs a understanding of basic physics and astronomy to be able to appreciate the story. Otherwise the story may get lost somewhere in the space-time continuum while tackling the concepts of wormholes, black holes, aging at different rates and extra dimensions at the same time comprehending different facets of space travel. Sometimes its better not to let scientific facts come in the way of  a good story.

What works? - The sheer imagination and the scale of the story, the imagery of "landscapes" of the different planets, the superb acting all around and above all of them the music by Hans Zimmer.

What does not work? - The abrupt ending which is trying to tie up too many loose ends at one go. The ending raises too many questions (is there a sequel being planned, Mr. Nolan?). 

• How did they come out of the Black Hole? 
• What exactly was the Cooper Station? 
• What happened to Dr. Brand? Did she meet up with Edmunds? Will she go ahead with Plan B on the new planet or wait for the next rescue mission? And how long (relative to earth time) does she wait?
• Who are "They"? Are they a future form of "Us" or are "They" somebody else?  
• The Tesseract was mentioned without being explained? Is it the same as the one found in the world of Thor? or something else?
• And how does Morse code carry data from quantum mechanics?

Time travel has always been a complicated story telling device. Add extra dimensions, space, gravity and relativity, things become way too mind boggling.

The way the characters speak about "Love" reminded me more of Dumbledore and his repeated proclamations on love being the most powerful of all magic.

There is something special about Michael Caine's voice. It can make convince you to believe anything that he says. (Click here for Mr. Caine's recitation of Kipling's If).

Best Scene - A character breaking down completely on seeing another human being after many years all alone on a planet.

Favorite Character - TARS. A talking robot who does not look like conventional humanoid robots but certainly has more intelligence.

There was an Indian Air Force drone shown early in the movie. This completed the mandatory India connect of almost every big movie/TV series these days.

Other Notes

• Too many queries on the effects on the ageing process. The faster you travel, the slower you age. Also human bodies can be theoretically set into hibernation which slows down ageing considerably. So can humans become immortal?
• Systematized formal education is probably the best form of propaganda. 
• The future may seem bleak, but humankind as a species seems to be singularly resilient.

Rating - 9/10.  For sheer creativity and imagination and for its music and acting.

Previously on MovieNotes - Million Dollar Arm

MovieNotes: Million Dollar Arm

Movie: Million Dollar Arm

*ing: Jon Hamm, Suraj Sharma (of Life of Pi), Madhur Mittal (of Slumdog Millionaire)

Director: Craig Gillespie

Language: English & Hindi

Genre: Sports

Basic Premise

An independent sports agent looking to tap into a new area organises a contest to find the first major league baseball players from India.

Movie Notes

• As is the wont of the Disney movies, they seem to be pure fantasy till you learn that the movie is based on events which actually happened.
• The trailer pretty much tells the entire story
• Any movie where a sports agent who is working on his own will remind of Jerry Maguire.
• I liked the way the characters have been depicted talking in their own language. The mix of Hindi and English makes the movie more appealing to an Indian audience (although may drive away some of the others)
• However we change, the depiction of India remains the same - loud, crowded, dirty, animals on the road, sometimes festive, god-fearing and yet carrying a charm of its own.
• There were numerous depictions of humour arising out of cultural differences, although many were quite cliched. 
• "No hablo Hindi" - the funniest line of the movie. Why? Because it is delivered by an Indian origin American in India.
• Pizza - some love it, some just do not. Well everyone's taste is different.
• The protagonist gets the idea of finding baseball pitchers from India on the evidence of Piyush Chawla's bowling. Pitching in baseball after watching a spinner bowl, that must be a first. Also another feather in Piyush Chawla's cap apart from being part of two World Cup victories.
• The end montage depicting the adventures of the real protagonists was a good idea.

Rating - 8/10.  Overall a fun watch.

Previously on MovieNotes - The Expendables III