Monday, March 17, 2014

Movies and Moments

‘Queen’

The movie ‘Queen’ is a great entertainer, though we went to watch it thinking it to be a ‘family movie’ while it had so many ‘dirty’ segments that we felt let down many times. We had observed that so many people in the theatre had taken their kids and entire families to watch the movies, perhaps under the same impression seeing promos and many of them would have felt embarrassed. Nevertheless it had many touching moments; if I recall some of those:

- Rani (Kangana’s character) was depressed but when she found company of three other guys who had more unfortunate life events behind them, due to relativity she thought her life was not that miserable. It gave her strength to cope up.

- At the very beginning of the movie, its touchiest part came when Vijay told Rani that he could not marry her. Rani’s reaction to this news was a big test for Kangana Ranaut and she came out very impressive in her acting. In fact this movie should be remembered as a great show of acting skills and charisma of Kangana Ranaut. She was very good at it and this may be one of the very few Bollywood mass movies where lead actor is a female.

- Rani left for Paris and Amsterdam all alone and managed it well. But she was fortunate to have come across good people otherwise her adventure could have gone horrid. In that sense, the movie was not leaving a very good message. Though the transformation of Rani from one who obeys always to everyone (her honest statement sums it well: “tell me one person whoever in this world to whom I have not agreed and obeyed always”) to the one who is able to take her own decisions was truly liberating. In this sense, the movie was putting up a very valid case and example.

- Rani’s ultimate rejection of her fiancĂ© and boyfriend Vijay after he tried to come back in her life was on the surface disappointing but I think Vijay deserved it. It was interesting how he was thinking Rani of not being his equal status, while in two weeks Rani had outgrown him. Near the end of the story, Rani was more forward thinking and liberated person than Vijay who was appearing as a boring damp shrub. Another interesting phenomenon was when Vijay got a high paying job how he changed colours yet at his core he had kept his previous philosophies. Rani on the other hand had truly grown up with experiences…

Return to Paradise

I watched this 1998 movie only recently on TV and was immensely touched by it. I read that this is a remake of a French film ‘Force majeure’ released in 1989. Nevertheless I think this movie; its story and all the performances remain one on the best I have ever seen.

Three boys had great fun holidaying in Malaysia and unknowingly did a small mistake of losing a rented bicycle and are caught for keeping drugs (though this part they did not do unknowingly). Two of them return to the US while one remains in the beautiful iland country which appeared like paradise to them and is to be executed for the crime in Islam dominated country. The other two went on with their lives but in a dramatic manner are told about their friend’s situation and given option to share the blame and tolerate tough prison for at least two years in order to save the life of their third colleague. Their reactions, psychology, thought processes and working of the mind is very well captured. It is irony that one of the two who agreed first to take the blame and go to prison backs out first and one who never wanted to, keeps his promise due to his own reasons.

It was also very interesting how the guy they were going to save tells them that he won’t have returned to save his friends, if he was in their place! His faith in God and his disbelief in God’s presence due to painful prison life were also very touching. It was also an irony that the guy hanged for the crime was the ‘best’ person and a good human being and responsible citizen amongst the three.

This is such an excellent movie which touches our soul and no viewer would remain unmoved watching it… 

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