Dominatio Per Malum

Don’t Mourn Brown v. Board of Education - New York Times

With yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling ending the use of voluntary schemes to create racial balance among students, it is time to acknowledge that Brown’s time has passed. It is worthy of a send-off with fanfare for setting off the civil rights movement and inspiring social progress for women, gays and the poor. But the decision in Brown v. Board of Education that focused on outlawing segregated schools as unconstitutional is now out of step with American political and social realities.

Carne Tremula (1997) 8/10

As one of the most talented directors around, Pedro Almodovar represents a creative force in a world full of mediocrity. Carne Tremula, titled Live Flesh in English, is a little known film in Almodovar’s oeuvre but it definitely ranks among his best. Starring the always dependable Javier Bardem, Almodovar weaves a tautly crafted film about how the lives of several people intersect over one night, and then audaciously fast forwards the film several years. From the comical, non sequitur opening featuring a cameo performance by Penelope Curz to its rich tale and nuanced performance by the cast, Carne Tremula is a striking success.

“With solid success, Pedro Almodovar leaves his taste for camp behind to direct a richly detailed tale of passion, perfidy and revenge adapted from a typically tricky Ruth Rendell novel. “Live Flesh” (or in Spanish, even better, “Carne Tremula”) is Almodovar’s stylish, sexy film noir, although in his case film rouge is more like it. Bold, sunny colors saturate this sleek and vibrant-looking film, even in settings like a graveyard and a child care center.”- New York Times

Interesting Times: George Packer: Online Only: The New Yorker

The Creation Museum takes the usual trajectory of science education and turns it upside down: the Enlightenment initiated the dark ages, and only the discovery of Biblical truth can lead us out of it. There’s very little attempt to persuade visitors with even spurious scientific argument. The truth is asserted within a hermetically closed system of belief. For example, the explanation of the fossil record:

It hardly matters that the Creation Museum is bound to appall secular visitors. They are not its audience. It exists to tell Christianist families that they are right and the future is theirs.

Study Says Eldest Children Have Higher I.Q.s - New York Times

The eldest children in families tend to develop slightly higher I.Q.s than their younger siblings, researchers are reporting, based on a large study that could effectively settle more than a half-century of scientific debate about the relationship between I.Q. and birth order

Should Science Speak to Faith? — [ DEBATE ]: Scientific American

Dawkins: I think we pretty much agree here. And although “lie” is too strong a word because it implies intention to deceive, I am not one of those who elevate moral arguments above the question of whether religious beliefs are true. I recently had a televised encounter with the veteran British politician Tony Benn, a former minister of technology who calls himself a Christian. It became very clear in the course of our discussion that he had not the slightest interest in whether Christian beliefs are true or not; his only concern was whether they are moral. He objected to science on the grounds that it gave no moral guidance. When I protested that moral guidance is not what science is about, he came close to asking what, then, was the use of science. A classic example of a syndrome the philosopher Daniel Dennett has called “belief in belief.”

Other examples include those people who think that whether religious beliefs are true or false is less important than the power of religion to comfort and to give a purpose to life. I imagine you would agree with me that we have no objection to people drawing comfort from wherever they choose and no objection to strong moral compasses. But the question of the moral or consolation value of religion—one way or the other—must be kept separate in our minds from the truth value of religion. I regularly encounter difficulties in persuading religious people of this distinction, which suggests to me that we scientific seducers have an uphill struggle on our hands. 

I remember the first time i watched In The Mood For Love. I hated it. It was slow, artsy and nothing much ever happened. It was like watching paint dry. A few years later, i re-watched In the Mood For Love and fell in love with the film. To quote Mitchell of the New York Times, it was “probably the most breathtakingly gorgeous film of the year”. SLANT simply states that “In the Mood For Love is ravishing beyond mortal words.” Beautiful, evocative and featuring absolutely brilliant performance from both leads, In The Mood For Love remains one of my all time favorite films.

So what changed? Once upon a time, i used to enjoy brainless films like Armageddon, something with special effects but no soul like Fantastic Four. But somehow along the way, as i watched more and more movies, i could no longer ignore the bad acting, predictable plots and brainless CGI Hollywood turned out with frightening regularity. What started it? I can’t really pinpoint when, but it probably started with Christopher Nolan’s Memento. Memento changed the way i saw film, it showed me how an average tale can become pure cinematic magic under the hands of a master director. In Memento, the director tells the story backwords. Seriously. I am not joking. The first scene in the film is chronologically the last scene in the film. He tells the story in reverse order and it makes sense.

And then came Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream, a film experience that could only be described as cathartic. More followed, from Stanley Kubrick’s dystopian A Clockwork Orange to Kryzstof Kieslowski’s sublime Three Colors Trilogy.

So, if you want to start appreciating a wider, more eclectic bunch of films, if you are ready to take a leap into more adventurous territory, here are some recommendations to help you kickstart your journey to arthouse territory. Don’t worry, these films are enjoyable and arthouse. I’m not going to throw you into the deep end by asking you to start with Kubrick, Kieslowski or Kim Ki Duk. But if you start with Nolan, Fincher and Tarantino, you might just discover a whole new world. And here are my 10 film recommendations for those who want something different:

Memento (2000), dir Christopher Nolan
Amelie (2001), dir Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Fight Club (1999), dir David Fincher
The Shawshank Redemption (1994), dir Frank Darabont
The Usual Suspects (1995), dir Bryan Singer
Pulp Fiction (1994), dir Quentin Tarantino
Open Your Eyes (1997), dir Amenabar
My Sassy Girl (2001)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) , dir Michel Gondry
Crash(2005), dir Paul Higgis

Fracture (2007) 6/10

Fracture is an engaging, though not always successful thriller. The main reason to watch this is to see Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkin face off. Both Oscar calibre actors, they play off each other’s strengths and sustain the average plot longer than it deserves. The plot itself is not particularly remarkable, and i predicted the ‘twist’ about 15 mins before it came. But the strong performances by both leads lift the film beyond its generic plot and watching it is to have a chance to savour the performances of 2 solid actors. Plus, it also stars the underrated Rosamund Pike, an actress whom i think deserves more screen opportunities.

Fracture is not an action packed thriller. Rather it is a thinking man’s thriller, and the denouement, when it comes, is a surprisingly simple answer. Its worth a look just see Gosling and Hopkins in a battle of wits.

Sunshine (2007) 7/10

An interesting and enjoyable tale that had so much potential but some dubious scriptwriting in the second half turns it from possibly great to just merely good. The film starts well with a mission to reignite a dying sun. A previous expedition, Icarus had ended in failure and now our protagonists are astronauts aboard Icarus II, on their way to deliver the ‘payload’, a nuclear bomb to craft a new star out of a dying one. The concept itself is sound, with good graphics and an eclectic bunch of characters. Cillian Murphy distinguishes himself here and adds another worthy film to his resume, and even Michelle Yeoh, who has been in several absolutely terrible films in the past few years, acquits herself well. Playing out like Children of Men meets Alien, the film is a solid tale for the 2/3 or so of its running time until it decides to add slasher flick into the plot, in a predictable and utterly unnecessary deus ex machina. Still, the film boasts of one of the most emotional death scenes, some truly stunning visuals and a plot that had much potential. Too bad for the detour into slasher flick land.

Boring magic post

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The Dead Girl (2007) 7/10

The discovery of the body of a dead girl sets off a series of events that affects the lives of different people. Split into 5 segments, the film was a refreshing look on loss and life seen through the eyes of 5 women (all the 5 main characters are women) connected to the death of the dead girl. An excellent ensemble cast makes this a quietly affecting film with some truly delightful and memorable performances despite the short screen time each character gets in the 5 segments. Marcia Gay Haden is remarkable in her segment “The Mother” and it is almost heartbreaking to watch her performance, while Brittany Murphy puts in a surprisingly commendable performance that hints of her acting talents. Of the 5 segments, my favorite was “The Sister” segment, and the weakest segment was actually the opening segment “The Stranger” starring Toni Collette. The first 20mins may feel slow, but once the first segment is over the rest of the film is much better. In all, The Dead Girl is an underrated gem that deserves a second look.

The Hoax(2007) 6/10

The Hoax is a retelling of the audacious real life hoax by author Clifford Irving when he wrote his supposedly “authentic” biography of eccentric billionaire recluse Howard Hughes. Irving is played by Richard Gere, who turns in a solid performance as a man so taken in by his elaborate schemes that even he himself begins to believe his myth. Channeling the persona of Hughes, Richard Gere’s character slowly begins to imitate Hughes’ mannerisms. With a good supporting cast including Alfred Molina as Gere’s partner in crime, the Hoax is a solid tale about an audacious Hoax. Unfortunately, the film is undone by the fact that the premise isn’t really that interesting to begin with. It has neither the airy fun of Catch Me If You Can, nor the brilliant characterization of Shattered Glass and the Hoax pales in comparison these similarly themed films. Likewise, some of the supporting characters, notably Julie Delphy (an excellent actress) are marginalized and given bit roles that fail to showcase their talents. In all, The Hoax is an above average film that falls shy of being good.

I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay (2006) 5/10

Whoa. Totally unique film experience. I didn’t like it. I didn’t hate it. Its weird. Like embarking on a flight of fantasy. Park Chan Wook directs with an assured hand, but the plot really is out of this world. There are beautiful imagery but also totally wtf moments. At times brilliant yet inscrutable, I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay is a film that can neither be said to be good nor bad. Instead, it is a curious blend of Kaufman meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest meets Terminator. If you are confused after reading this review, well that more or less sums up my opinion of this film. I mean, its seriously warped and totally unconventional.

Thirteen Days (2000) 8/10

For 13 days in 1962, the world stood on the brink of a nuclear war. 13 Days is the thrilling tale of how close we were to WW3, and how cool heads prevailed to avert disaster. The film is verbose, with alot of dialog, but that is a plus and not a minus. Never before has so much dialog been so thrilling. The film looks at how JFK dealt with the hawks that wanted a full out invasion and fleshes out characters like Bobby Kennedy and Kissinger. 13 Days is a thinking man’s film and it is a smart and cerebral retelling of the 13 days where the fate of the world hung on the edge. The audience already knows the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, so that blunts the effect of the film somewhat. But although we know the conclusion, the journey through those 13 days remain as thrilling as ever.