No endeavour goes unnoticed!

Children Of Heaven (Iranian; 1997)

Written and Directed: Majid Majidi

https://www.filmslop.com/reviews/childrenofheaven

This film conjured an avalanche of memories from a forgotten time in my childhood, when poverty prevailed and every penny mattered. We, the children, were meant to be seen but not heard. We were expected to accept what was given, and demanding anything more was deemed abominable. Gifts were to be cherished and utilised until the next buying season. Shopping for clothes and footwear took place once a year, just before Deepavali. We could not complain if the items were torn, damaged, or outdated. Such complaints would be met with a barrage of insults or other forms of abuse. So, we simply made do with what we had.

On one hand, my sisters and I often wondered why we did not turn into raving lunatics while growing up in such a restrictive environment that suppressed all our opinions and desires. Perhaps we already are. Or challenging situations strengthened us, enabling us to endure numerous adversities without crumpling under hardship.

Perhaps the verse from the Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah 2:216, has merit: "But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you, and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you." It emphasises that our perception is not the best judge. There is always a silver lining at the end of hardship.

In impoverished rural Iran, nine-year-old Ali collects his sister Zahra's shoes from the cobbler. Although the shoes have seen better days, Zahra needs to wear them to school, as they are the only pair she has. Their father is unemployed, and their mother is unwell after delivering her third baby.

After collecting the shoes, Ali stopped at the sundry shop to buy potatoes, as his mother had requested. He left the plastic bag containing the shoes outside the shop, but the recycling man accidentally picked it up, mistaking it for rubbish. Ali panicked when he realised this. Despite his frantic searches, he was unable to find the shoes.

Not wanting to burden their already flat-broke parents, the children decide to share the shoes, as Zahra attends the morning school session while Ali participates in the afternoon one. Unfortunately, their respective schools are pretty distant from one another. Much of the film depicts the difficulty of getting the shoes across the village for Ali to use. They have to dash, but Ali invariably arrives at school late, receiving a ticking off from the teacher. All the running ultimately helps Ali win the cross-country race, which promises, of all things, a pair of new trainers.

In another subplot, Ali's father believes his bad times are over when he secures a job as a gardener. Unfortunately, the grand dreams he had built after receiving the money were consumed by medical bills and repairs following his bicycle accident. Man plans, God disposes!

A simple yet meaningful story, 4.8/5.

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Old dogs and new tricks!

Slow Horses (miniseries; 2002 -24)
4 seasons, 24 episodes

This is yet another binge-worthy miniseries. What sets it apart from the others is that its main characters are not exactly spring chickens. The show also teaches viewers how real detective work used to be conducted: through espionage and snooping around. Information needed to be sought clandestinely, the old-fashioned way, with flashlights, contacts, and keen observations.  

It provides a prime example of how old dogs team up with young punks to tackle challenging cases. The team consists of a group of discarded agents who were relegated to Slough House as a form of demotion after mishandling their MI5 duties. They operate from a dilapidated building known as Slough House, which has earned a notorious reputation as a sluggish place where no work gets done, or so everyone assumes. Slough House is managed by an equally noxious and aloof boss who seems to inhabit his own isolated world.  

The Boss, Jackson Lamb, is actually quite a decent bloke who cares about his subordinates. Although the workers at Slough House are supposed to be merely pencil pushers, in reality, they give MI5 a run for their money. Those sent to Slough House are there as punishment for their missteps, but these are not serious enough to warrant termination. The idea was to make the agents so bored that they would eventually leave the field of espionage and fade away. However, fade away they did not. They utilised their limited resources to investigate crimes that pose a threat to national security.  

This miniseries is an intriguing choice for binge-watching. All the actors perfectly embody their roles. Special mention goes to the charming Gary Oldman, who portrays the grumpy boss with a humorous approach to protecting his team. His love-hate relationship with his secretary adds a vibrant spark to the series. Though it may be titled ‘Slow Horses’, it is anything but slow-paced. It is action-packed, filled with car chases, and no horses were harmed during its production!

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Of brutal architecture...

The Brutalists (2024)

https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/01/the-
brutalist-on-art-capitalism-and-the-immigrant-experience

Written, Directed: Brady Corbet

It serves as Hollywood's occasional reminder of the plight of Jews in Europe during World War II. Cast with Adrien Brody, who has a personal connection to the Holocaust, what does he get? Ten Oscar nominations and multiple accolades, including a second Best Actor Academy Award for Brody. 

If the plot evokes Brody's character in 'The Pianist' (2002), don't fret. He is also an Eastern European Jewish refugee here and a remarkably gifted individual displaced by the malevolence that humanity inflicts in the name of nationalism, race, and religion. 

A Hungarian Jew, László Tóth, an architect who designed significant buildings in Budapest, finds himself penniless and homeless in the United States. He reaches out to his friend and assists in his furniture business. Tóth becomes acquainted with a wealthy man when the friend is commissioned to build a personal library on the estate. 

J Edgar Hoover building

In summary, Tóth impresses the wealthy man enough to be entrusted with the honour of designing and constructing a massive community hall in the city. 

The remainder of the 3.5-hour story chronicles the ups and downs of their relationship, his troubled friendship with his former boss, how his wife is brought to America, the challenges Tóth faces in bringing his design to life, and ultimately witnessing his creation come to fruition, only to be celebrated some 50 years later. It is all rather predictable. The acting and cinematography are exemplary, nonetheless, deserving of their Oscar wins.

Ryugyong Hotel

The lesson I learnt from watching this movie is that the word 'brutalist' has another meaning. Brutalist architecture is an imposing building style, often characterised by unappealing construction, which became popular after the Second World War in major European and American cities. It is also characteristic of many Eastern Bloc countries, which were predominantly communist. It features raw, monochromatic concrete blocks, creating a linear, geometric appearance both outside and inside. This style is typically used for public institutions, such as courts, universities, libraries, and public works. 

The Brutalists employed linear, monolithic blocks in contrast to older architectural styles, which featured domes, curves, and sculptures. The free world regarded them as imposing and emphasised their grandiosity. The communists believed that their unimaginative design was anti-bourgeois, exactly what they aimed to present to the world. The liberal use of concrete, along with playful variations, somehow signified equality. 

Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh.

Over the years, people have frequently lamented their ugliness. Although these brutalist buildings were initially considered low-maintenance, this proved to be a misconception. The buildings became visually unappealing once moss began to grow. They attempted to circumvent this issue by integrating greenery into the structures. Rust stains around the steel reinforcing bars were also problematic. Three notorious brutalist buildings around the world have at one time or another been voted the ugliest. These are the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, and the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh. Many are being rapidly demolished, but the aforementioned three have so far staved off the wrecking ball.

https://www.buildworld.co.uk/blog/archives/the-ugliest-buildings-in-the-world

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Fight smart till the last strength.

Joy of Cancer (2002)
Author: Anup Kumar

The book's title sounds oxymoronic. How can one find joy after a diagnosis of cancer? The title itself prompts potential readers to pause and take notice. Many must have found that the book makes great sense, as it has become a recommended reading for those who wish to fight cancer. 

Indeed, it is natural to deny and to ask questions such as ‘Why me?' and ‘What did I do wrong?' while indulging in the blame game. However, these questions will not address the immediate and pressing danger affecting the patient. 

This describes the author's experience of successfully battling Stage IV lung cancer. In 2000, a suspicious shadow was detected on his chest X-ray during a pre-employment screening. Further tests confirmed his serious diagnosis. 

He was at the ebb of life. A highly qualified advertising executive with a postgraduate degree in nuclear physics, he had spent all his life savings on his daughter's wedding, and his previous employer had gone under. Moreover, his outstanding wages from his prior job remained unpaid. This was the main reason he sought new employment in the first place.

First and foremost, perhaps it is the butterfly effect. Life happens. One cannot expect a rational explanation for everything that occurs to us. It offers no guarantee that everything will be all right, either. Once one moves past denial, the quest for blame, and resistance, one can resign to the clear and present danger. In the author's experience, embracing the matter at hand, he made it his point to understand everything about his cancer, for his life actually depended on it. He wanted to be part of the battalion that fights the enemy. He worked alongside his cancer team, inquiring and clarifying his own misconceptions. He had to be completely immersed in the treatment regime. After all, it is his life they are dealing with. 

Friends and relatives mean well, but their eagerness to help sometimes becomes a nuisance. Repeating the already precarious situation time and again to relatives who are sometimes 'concerned’ and other times merely asking out of obligation can be exceptionally irritating, especially when the numbing effects of chemotherapy are in full force. In such situations, reclusiveness may be preferable. 

Scars and hair loss are temporary. Clutching at straws, he held on to whatever he could. Abstaining from noxious substances, eating healthily, and even chanting and listening to calming slokas played their roles. He had been a chronic smoker before. 

The last time I checked, Anup Kumar continues to live after undergoing two complete courses of chemotherapy, approaching each day with ambiguity and hoping it will be better than the one before. Not bad for someone who was given just four months to live in January 2000 when his diagnosis was first made. He advises maintaining a positive outlook from Day 1, investing in the right people, and creating a mind-body continuum to combat the illness, alongside the appropriate support groups. That forms a watertight battle plan. 

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About falling and the moustache...

A jocular Tamil proverb sarcastically portrays a man who denies losing his balance and falling flat on his face on the ground. He would show the people around him a clean moustache devoid of sand. The man hoped the others would believe he was a macho man who never fell. (குப்புற விழுந்தாலும் மீசையில் மண் ஒட்டவில்லை - the said proverb.)

This proverb has been playing in my mind over the past few days during the recently paused India-Pakistan War. 

It started with a band of terrorists crossing over from Pakistan, killing 26 tourists just because they were not Muslims and retreating back into Pakistan. Pakistan vehemently denied being part of the killing or even harbouring any terrorists at all in their country. This heart-wrenching moment, especially the one involving a 6-day married honeymooning couple and a father shot in front of his wife and young son, stirred India to take retaliatory actions.

Both sides flaunted their military toys, and the war games were flagged off. The only thing is that these were not games. People actually died.

Then, the media war started. Both sides were quick to announce their kills and successes. Loud cries of jingoism filled the air. Visuals of destroyed enemy planes and sites filled cyberspace. The only thing is that, as pointed out by their enemies, much of the footage was old pictures of unrelated events. Citing military secrecy, many images of damaged sites were kept under wraps. So what actually happened is anybody's guess.

Finally, both sides seem to be congratulating themselves on a well-done job. Both boast of inflicting much pain and destruction. They claim to be on the side of truth, and truth prevails in the end. Perhaps, time would be the best judge. In time, all the putrefying rots would start stinking. Maybe then, we would know where each country stands. 

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Will Dire Wolves Stalk Streets?

Life evolves. The new replaces the old, and fresh ideas overshadow previous ones. What was once an avant-garde style one day may appear unattractive the next. We sometimes feel embarrassed by the clothes we wear and the trends we embrace decades after models showcased them on the catwalk.

Trends come and go constantly. Species become extinct at a background rate of one species per million each year. Human activities, such as habitat destruction and chemical pollution, have accelerated this decline by hundreds or thousands of times.

https://borderlessjournal.com/2025/05/14/will-dire-wolves-stalk-streets/

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Bad is Good?

Good Bad Ugly (Tamil; 2025)

Story and Direction: Adhik Ravichandran

https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/chennai/good-bad-ugly/ET00431346

I remember watching a movie on TV back in the day, under the watchful eyes of Amma. I remember it was a MGR starring Tamil movie. In one of his stereotypical roles, he, the do-gooder who fought against the evil zamindar, goes to jail at the movie's end for killing the villain. In the last scene, he returns home just to be feted with praise, showers of flower petals, and salutations. Amma was quick to interject. "What rubbish! He went to jail, and people are celebrating!"

I thought, "… but Gandhi and Nehru also went to jail, and you have a statue of them in the house and tell us stories of how we should emulate them." Thanks to my better judgment, I decided to keep my opinions to myself. 

That was how most Tamil movies used to be. The protagonist was the epitome of goodness. He was usually the exemplary one-dimensional character expected to set the mould for how one should love their life. He would indirectly propagate the virtues of being a teetotaller, speaking the truth, being honest and respecting the elders. The resolution at the show's end would teach the audience that goodness always triumphs over evil. Of course, we know MGR went into a successful political career and remains in the Tamil Nadu psyche.

So that was the time when movies tried to teach good virtues. It was then. Around the late 1970s or early 1980s, circa the launch of Kamal Hassan-starred 'Nayagan' and later Rajnikanth's 'Thalapathy', it suddenly became hip to be bad. 

Now, by default, the movie that hit big time at the box office would preach all the antithesis of what their predecessors of the Golden Era of Tamil cinema advocated. Just look at the typical blockbuster these days. It is cool to be a gangster, jobless, showing disrespect to parents, loafing around, getting drunk, indulging in pre- and extramarital trysts and eloping with one's jobless partner against all odds. 

In 'Good Bad Ugly', an unashamed reference to Clint Eastwood's successful spaghetti western, we see a repentant big-time gangster who is behind bars, drawn into his old world of thuggery and violence when his teenage son is kidnapped.

The whole movie is indulgence for Ajith Kumar's ardent fans. The outing is especially heartwarming for his fans. Ajith, also called 'Thala' (Leader), was recently conferred 'Padma Bushan', the third highest civilian award the Government of India gave for his philanthropic work. This film also celebrates his 30-plus illustrious years in Tamil cinema. Hints of his previous roles and innuendos of dialogues from his last outings are glaring in the face for his ardent fans to identify and savour. In short, it is a feel-good movie for his fans and does not contribute in any way to the upliftment of society. 

Darkkey and AK

This is quite diametrical to what MGR was seen to be spreading. We know his messages were political, but at least he told children not to steal or be sleepy heads and reminded them that the truth will always prevail. 

Malaysia's input is also evident in this movie. Darkkey, a Malaysian Indian artist involved in the local Tamil music scene for the past 30 years, appears in a cameo role. He renders his brand of music called Sambarock in the high-decibel song, 'Puli Puli'.

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