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January 21, 2009
I needed this. I had just finished watching the last season of The Wire which was so darned pessimistic and portrays the world (as derived from the little human microcosm that is Baltimore) in such a fatalistic and disheartening way that my brain was tuned to expect the worst possible outcome of any work of fiction. The Times said it was a "feel good movie that doesn't insult your brain". And it is. A very odd feel good movie considering all the slaying and violence that goes on ( a little bit of religious fueled murdering here, kids living in a garbage dump there) but, still, it does leave you with a smile on your face. And it has a happy and highly improbable ending. A life without fantasy is pointless anyway. Also, it made me feel like watching the gorgeous Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham again in which stars Amitabh Bachchan who coincidentally makes a good point about western partiality when it comes to film aesthetics:
If SM projects India as Third World dirty under belly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky under belly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations. Its just that the SM idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a Westerner, gets creative Globe recognition. The other would perhaps not.
The commercial escapist world of Indian Cinema had vociferously battled for years , on the attention paid and the adulation given to the legendary Satyajit Ray at all the prestigious Film Festivals of the West, and not a word of appreciation for the entertaining mass oriented box office block busters that were being churned out from Mumbai. The argument. Ray portrayed reality. The other escapism, fantasy and incredulous posturing. Unimpressive for Cannes and Berlin and Venice. But look how rapidly all that is changing. -- from his blog.
Posted by claudia
Comments
Posted by CC at January 23, 2009 10:20 AM