Skip to main content

Bahubali, Afternoon Delight and the 5th Mission Impossible

Two distinct genres.  Two distinct periods.  Three films.  One a childish fantasy with R rated activity, the other a MA (mature audiences) film with a cheesy ending and the third a completely action packed adrenalin rush with impossible superman like sequences.

We watched (or tried to) these three films this weekend. 

I could not go through the torturous 'Bahubali' (strong armed) - I tried but just could not.  I had heard it was somewhat of an epic production and seen a lot of press for this mythical adventure (part 1 of 2) on desi television.  I did not have any pre conceived idea or data points on the director but later found that the film was one of the top grossing items produced by Indian cinema.   Rajmouli has some critical acclaim as director but I could not keep up with the Victoria's secret like setting along with Harry Potter like flying coupled with Mahabharata type of deep base yelling only to be further confused late in the narrative as to who is who anymore.  The witch faced fifth degree burned mother of the protagonist (I think) added to the grotesque goings on.  I walked out on her screams.

'Afternoon Delight' is a comedy for the 40 something set - I know I have been binging on them for some reason - where a frustrated, rich Beverly Hills type Jewish mom is looking for some excitement outside of psychiatrist visits and answers to avoid sexual inactivity (high on the agenda).  The banter amongst the coffee clatch or whatever Jewish food recipe that they gnosh on and the comedy is watchable but not noteworthy.  Apparently it got some directing awards - for the woman director (never heard of).

The best of the lot was Tom Cruise in his latest incarnation as an action hero attempting the impossible.  This time to steal some secret and digitally encrypted, illegal accounting ledger from a water tank with the help of a svelte and sexy Swede called Rebecca Ferguson.  Involving the usual set of clichéd 'they are getting closer' dialogs but with fancy camera work and wonderful location shooting including London, Vienna and parts of Morocco, the whole shooting, exploding thriller was a good break from fixing a broken dishwasher.

Bahubali and Mission Impossible to me are part of the thriller genre while the afternoon sex movie was more romantic comedy.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Of Jims and Johns

Here is another essay on the subject of first names. As in birth names. Or names provided to an offspring at birth. While the developed world tends to shy away from the exotic like Refrigerator or Coca Cola for their new production there is a plethora of Jims and Johns and Bobs or Robs. Speaking of which I do not think there is a categoric decision point at the time of birth if a child will be hereafter called as Bob. I mean have not yet met a toddler called Bob or Rob for that matter. At some point though the parental instinct to mouth out multiple syllables runs out and they switch from calling the crawler Robert to simply Robbie to Rob. Now speaking of - it is strange that the name sounds like something you would not want Rob to do - i.e. Rob anyone. Then why call someone that? After all Rob Peter to Pay Paul is not exactly a maxim to live a young life? Is it? Perhaps Peter or Paul might want to have a say in it? Then there is this matter of going to the John. Why degrad...
2 comments
Read more

But What If We're Wrong?

I attempted to read this book by author Chuck Klosterman backward to forward but it started hurting my brain so I decided to stop and do it like any other publication in the English language.  Start from page 1 and move to the right. Witty, caustic and thought provoking this is a book you want to read if you believe that the status quo might, just might be wrong. At times bordering on being contrarian about most things around us it tries to zero in on the notion of what makes anything believable and certain in our minds.  The fact that there is a fact itself is ironic.  Something analogous to the idea that you can never predict the future because there is no future. Many books and movies have tried to play on this concept - best that I recollect (I think I am) was 'The Truman Show'.  This book by Klosterman attempts to provoke the reader to at least contemplate that what they think they know may be wrong. He uses examples like concept of gravity, and how it ...
2 comments
Read more

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...
2 comments
Read more