I strongly recommend watching 'Taken'. Liam Neeson is quite a ruthless badass and the action is gripping and tight. The movie takes its time to build his character and there's a warm feeling that one is left with at the end of the movie.
*The following might spoil the movie for you, though it's not really much of a thriller*
There are points in the movie when one feels for Neeson. Without blaming his ex-wife, there's the undercurrent that he is hard done by. Evident is his desperation to build some sort of a relationship with his daughter by quitting his job and an attempt to make up for the times lost as a secret-killer-agent-spy-something for his country. One can't help but wonder - Why did his ex-wife leave this amazing guy? I wish they had worked it out.
His daughter visits Paris with a dumb friend and they are abducted by a prostitution gang. Once his daughter is kidnapped, he goes on this one-man hunt across Paris resulting in carnage (which is awesome). During this tearing-down-Paris action, one is awed by what he is doing for his daughter. He is the one putting his life on line facing the bullets and daggers while his ex-wife and her current husband are simply lying around in America moping - Such thoughts flitter before we get caught up in the action again.
When he does find his daughter, is he going to tell her everything that he went through to get her back? He should! Is she going to see the movie that we have seen with her dad being the star? The answer is no. She is not even going to have an idea about the movie. He is not going to mention anything. Not the multiple bullet-dagger wounds or his injured leg or his chase for the past 96 hours. When she exclaims in tears on being saved - 'You came for me', all he does is look straight which says - 'but of course dear. Was there even a choice! Are you alright? '
Do our parents and everyone that loves us ever mention everything that they have done for us? Am I ever going to fully realize the effort and sacrifices that they made for me which I seem to have taken for granted? The nights unslept, the mind preoccupied, the effort undertaken, the care given...
If any of our parents had the skills of Neelson, would they have even given it a second thought to do the same as he did? No. They wouldn't have. They are the stars of their own movie. I wish I could watch it.
The movie ends with Neeson trying to fulfill his daughter's ambition of being a singer and the happiness on his face on just watching it happen. That's all he wants. That's all he needs.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Servitude
A friend told me about the book 'India Calling'. The reviews intrigued me and hopefully I will be able to read it soon.
The reviews I read are here and here.
The book says
For centuries, he argues, Indians had been born understanding their precise place. They knew who was master and who was servant, fixedly.
Also, not only situationally inferior, but someone who is eternally, intrinsically inferior.
The last statement is so evident at places.
This inherent servitude and snobbery is confounding and, at times, amusing.
Especially among some people who seem to have a very wealthy background living in the richest parts of Mumbai, I am amazed at the their desire to create and be a part of the 51st state of the United States. Judging people by how much money they have or their language of communication or place of origin.
It's quite hilarious to see how their self-esteem goes for a toss as soon as they meet someone from 'America'. Their effort to portray that they are almost like them, except only grown up in India is commendable. How they watch the same TV shows, same movies, speak the same language with its abuses and how many people they know of who live there. Because of course, since they have grown up in India, their life hasn't been that cool and they all vie for the American Pie-Harold and Kumar experience which they couldn't have being on the other side of the planet. They only need more money and a BMW and a suburban-house-with-garden/penthouse-in-LA to be worthy of society. Even then, they are hard done by the color of their skin and hence are always at a disadvantage with the ladies.
If only they were American! *Sigh*
The reviews I read are here and here.
The book says
For centuries, he argues, Indians had been born understanding their precise place. They knew who was master and who was servant, fixedly.
Also, not only situationally inferior, but someone who is eternally, intrinsically inferior.
The last statement is so evident at places.
This inherent servitude and snobbery is confounding and, at times, amusing.
Especially among some people who seem to have a very wealthy background living in the richest parts of Mumbai, I am amazed at the their desire to create and be a part of the 51st state of the United States. Judging people by how much money they have or their language of communication or place of origin.
It's quite hilarious to see how their self-esteem goes for a toss as soon as they meet someone from 'America'. Their effort to portray that they are almost like them, except only grown up in India is commendable. How they watch the same TV shows, same movies, speak the same language with its abuses and how many people they know of who live there. Because of course, since they have grown up in India, their life hasn't been that cool and they all vie for the American Pie-Harold and Kumar experience which they couldn't have being on the other side of the planet. They only need more money and a BMW and a suburban-house-with-garden/penthouse-in-LA to be worthy of society. Even then, they are hard done by the color of their skin and hence are always at a disadvantage with the ladies.
If only they were American! *Sigh*
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