Thoughts

         AND IT'S BACK! It has been more than 2 months since my last weekly thoughts post and obviously a lot has happened since then. Here are my thoughts on the biggies, so to speak.

1) Natalie Portman dropped out of the new Fassy-Macbeth film and her replacement is none other than Marion Cotillard. I had thought that Portman would be interesting but this is just PERFECT! The amount of talent and sexiness that is going to be unleashed will be amazing. I have the Scottish play in college this year (second year, yaay!), and our professor was talking about how we will watch its various cinematic adaptations when we're done with the text, and all I could think of was how my favourite one is yet to come. I am so excited for this.

2) Sooooooo... Batfleck. My biggest problem with the casting is not even the acting thing. It's just that Ben Affleck has a super ugly chin and it will look awful in his Batman mask. The only reason I liked him in Argo was because the beard was hiding that chin. And he's also coming in the new David Fincher movie, Gone Girl. Just no. I don't want this. Make movies, Ben. Don't come in any! However, I do love the Rosamund Pike casting.

3) So they're actually making the Fifty Shades of Grey film. HOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW?! Anyways, Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson will star as the pervs protagonists, Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. Apparently a lot of people are v. unhappy with Hunnam because they wanted Alexander Skarsgard instead. First of all, I don't understand why this film is having fangirl problems. I mean, it's a mommy porn book, not some great work of literature. Secondly, Hunnam is quite hot but I too agree that Askars would have been ideal casting. Christian Grey can be a very intriguing character in more capable hands than that of the author, E.L. James. As for Johnson, I am pretty certain now that more guys are going to watch this film than girls because she is plenty attractive. Though I will wait for trailers and stuff, I do think that I will watch this when it comes out just to see what the heck have they done with the material. My only hope is that they don't shy away from male nudity. Not that I want to stare at penises or whatever, but I do get wayyyyyyy more than my share of boobs on television and film.

4) James Spader is going to play Ultron in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Ultron is obviously the baddie, and a rather powerful one at that, but director-braniac Joss Whedon is going to make some interesting changes. I am anyways very excited for this film, seeing how I am gaga about the first Avengers movie. Spader is a very cool choice, and he has some big shoes to fill after the God of Mischief (and cheekbones), Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston.

5) The Book Thief has been made into a movie starring Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson. I am so annoyed by this. This is one of the only books that has actually made me cry and whenever I envisioned a film, I could only see an animated one. From whatever I can make of the trailer, it looks very generic. It's World War 2, it's Nazi Germany, there is a kid, there are British actors putting on German accents- it's all been seen before. One of my favourite things about the book was that it was narrated by Death and that was one of the biggest reasons I thought its film could only be made in an animated form. I don't think this version has Death as a character at all, which is a shame. The book ends with Death saying, and this is one of my most favourite last lines in a book ever, "I am haunted by humans." And I just don't see it happening in the movie. I really wish people would try and think out of the box once in a while. So glad The Little Prince will be animated (that made me cry too).

6) Other casting news- Benedict Cumberbatch dropped out of Guillermo Del Toro's next film, Crimson Peak. Shame I say! I read the plot of the film and he was probably set to play a kind of a sinister charmer-type character, which would have been perfect, what with his voice and all. No news on the replacement yet. My one-time dream husband, Josh Hartnett, is having a sort of comeback in a psycho-sexual horror TV series called Penny Dreadful. It will co-star Eva Green and is being written by John Logan who has penned films like Hugo and The Aviator. I think it sounds very cool and mysterious and I like it when actors I used to obsess over do well. Shows that I had taste :P In a similar vein, Tom Sturridge has gotten two very exciting roles. He will star in Oliver Assayas's Sils Maria, playing Chloe Moretz's boyfriend (ew), but the cast also includes big names like Juliet Binoche, Kristen Stewart and Daniel Bruhl. He will also star in Thomas Vinterberg's English language debut, the film adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, along with Carey Mulligan and Matthias Schoenaerts. Two fantastic projects, methinks. Next, James McAvoy will play Frankenstein in the new Frankenstein movie. It is being directed by Paul McGuigan and Chronicle's Max Landis has penned the script. McAvoy will co-star with my favourite person in the world, Daniel Radcliffe, who is playing Igor. This is going to be a twist on the classic horror tale and seeing how these two gorgeous, blue-eyed and very talented actors have already been cast, I can't wait to see who they pick to play the monster. Mia Wasikowska has been replaced by Rooney Mara in Carol, the film based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. It is going to be directed by Todd Haynes and also stars Cate Blanchett. I personally think it is a step down, albeit not a very big one, because I feel that the Blanchett-Wasikowska dynamic was a better one. Still, Mara is a fine actress and I just want this movie now. Finally, Sir Ian McKellen is going to play Sherlock Holmes in Bill Condon's A Slight Trick of the Mind where the renowned sleuth is made to come out of his retirement to solve a case. All I can think of is that that Sherlock is a sexy one. It's also funny to note that Condon just made The Fifth Estate with the best Sherlock to date, Benedict Cumberbatch.

6) TV news- True Blood is finally ending! I was bemoaning the fact that HBO renewed it for a seventh season, but they've announced that it is to be the last season of the once great show. It is *still* a lot of fun, but mostly because it has become so batshit crazy that you kind of can't look away. Chiefly because of this. Neil Cross, the creator of the fantastic show Luther, has reportedly written a film script for a Luther movie, that is going to be a prequel to the tv series. First of all, yessssssss! More Idris Elba for everyone! Second of all, I really hope they find some way to include Ruth Wilson's delicious Alice Morgan, even if it is cameo. American Horror Story: Coven is going to start soon and its brilliant promos have started already. Also, look at this poster. SO BLOODY PUMPED!

7) Matt Smith is going to start filming his final episode as the Eleventh Doctor aka Worst Christmas Ever this week. He's going to wear a wig which is a bit depressing because his hair was one of the biggest reasons I started watching Doctor Who in the first place. Of course there is much, much, much more to the show than that, but it was definitely a stimulus. About the episode itself, apparently the villains, or at least one of the villains, are going to be the Cybermen. I was originally very against this because they are probably my least favourite villains, in New Who at least, but seeing how incredible Smith's performance in "Nightmare in Silver" was, it maybe a good thing. Oh and for any of us who thought we will only have our heartbroken, fat chance! Our hearts will instead be snatched from our chests and trampled upon and then have a bulldozer go over them, Moffat style! Moffat's told Doctor Who Magazine: "One of the horrors of regeneration is that a certain amount of his persona alters entirely. His appetites and his enthusiasm will change. And that’s sort of what I’m writing about now in Matt’s last episode, the fact that he’s terribly aware that he’s about to be rewritten. And it’s frightening..." I am going to be suicidal this Christmas, clearly.

8) Changing tracks, THIS IS FINALLY HERE!-

Simon Pegg is a god. Also, Pinto's faces.

9) Trailers- News has already started pouring in that Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave is incredible, with Chiwetel Ejiofor shining the most, and I think we can get a sense of that from the trailer. I only have seven words for The Counselor- Fassy Sex Eyes and Cameron Diaz, Hot Damn! You can read Sati's post for more details. I kind of squealed in the one of Jean Dujardin in the The Monuments Men trailer. I am looking forward to this film because I really like the plot. Fading Gigolo looks absolutely adorbs. I love Woody so much. I actually really like the trailer of Saving Mr. Banks, especially with that little "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" teaser. Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are more than enough reason for me to be excited about it though. To be honest, I'm going to watch Thor: The Dark World just for Hiddles's Loki. Apparently they reshot it to add more Loki scenes so I can't be the only one. It looks quite fun on the whole too though. I'm only including Pompeii's trailer to emphasize on how dumb it looks and how much I don't want to watch it. Kit Harrington actually looks photoshopped to me. And his face is stupid. Spike Jonze's next, Her looks absolutely amazeballs. Love the cast, love ScarJo's voice, love the idea. V. excited. Dallas Buyers Club looks pretty good too, but unlike most people who are all for Matthew McConaughey in this, who *does* look brilliant, I am rooting for Jared Leto who I think is going to be even better. Also speaking of Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin's teaser looks freaky as hell but I think she's going to rock. Lars Von Trier's Nymphomaniac is going to be something. It has released three clips so far, of the first three "chapters" of the self-professed nymphomaniac Joe's life. All are shocking and intriguing in their own way. Coming to Bollywood, Krrish 3 looks like a terrible mixture of all superhero movies. It's going to be so bad that it has to be watched with a bunch of people and be laughed at. Can't wait. The best trailer I have seen in all this while, barring Kill Your Darlings of course, is David O. Russell's American Hustle. Love the cast, the music, the look and Amy Adams most of all. This looks great and I really, really, really, want Adams to win that Oscar already.

10) Finally, as is a semi-tradition with this blog, this is me indulging in my girl-crush on Emma Watson-

She was excellent in The Bling Ring!

Until next time.

"Try try try to understand, I'm a magic man"

This scene...it kills me. What a song, what an impact. I dream of Trip Fontaine still, or meeting someone like him. He will always be my Magic Man.
I miss awesome and hot Josh Hartnett.

BEST ROMANTIC FILMS EVER

I’ve been meaning to put up such a list for quite some time now. Unfortunately I really believe I’ll forget if I don’t put it up now-in the disgustingly auspicious occasion of Valentine’s Day- proof that man has finally put a price on love. 

I have always aspired to be film critic, though now I prefer the profession of a filmmaker. Nevertheless, being raised up in a purely Bollywood environment, the most impactful genre in my life has been that of romance. Love makes the world go round, films seem more magical and Valentine’s Days more painful.

This is my list of the best romance films ever (in no particular order as I am incapable of choosing a best movie):

     ©     Titanic- Lets start with the obvious. The Epic Movie. I refuse to find Avatar better than this. To find love in one of the greatest tragedies that the world has known is incredible. This film covers the star-crossed lovers theme and brings to us two absolutely unforgettable performances- Kate Winslet is divine as Rose, the rich girl who hates her life, and of course, one of the greatest male characters of all time the gorgeous, protective, artistic and just sublimely human in every way-Jack Dawson played to perfection by Leonardo Di Caprio. This film was the biggest rage ever. The flying scene, the “I’m the king of the world”, the old Rose, the ship, the effects, the emotions, the sinking scene, the villain, all the characters, the ambiguous ending and of course Celine Dion’s ballad My Heart Will Go On cannot be but remembered forever. Jack and Rose’s love is one which will be remembered forever.

 ©     Wicker Park- True I watched this in my Josh Hartnett obsession period, but it has ended up becoming one of my favourites. This movie is more of an obsession-based movie than a love-based one, but in view of my obsession with love, I do not wish to differ. This is the story of a man whose greatest love in life leaves him without telling him anything. But two years, down the line, he sees her again and seeks to find an answer and their love again, despite being on the brink of an engagement to another woman. Josh Hartnett is simply superb in this film. One can feel his obsession, his love, his loss, his anguish and his happiness as one’s own. Diane Kruger is like a mystical creature in the movie, with whom one cannot help but fall in love with. Matthew Lillard is absolutely adorable as Josh’s best friend and the only unfortunate character in the movie. And obviously Rose Byrne is excellent as the obsessed, envious and desperate tragic villain, a character I strongly suspect I’m going to resemble later on in life. The music is amazing and the ending unforgettable.

©     Moulin Rouge- “To believe in Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and above all things, Love.” Need I say more? As I said earlier, I am incapable of choosing a favourite movie but if my life depended on it, Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge would be my answer. In the future I might be like Rose Byrne, but if I lived in the 19^th century, and was a man, who could sing- I would have been Ewan McGregor’s character Christian. I, the penniless, hopeless romantic who had to fall for the most beautiful woman in the world- Satine. Nicole Kidman’s Oscar-nominated role as a Parisian courtesan is the ephemeral object of every man’s desire. The diabolical Duke is your everyday villain who sings Just Like A Virgin. Add a whole lot of crazy, eccentric characters and popular 20^th century songs and viola, you get Moulin Rouge. Seems easy to describe but it really isn’t. Even after watching it for like 50 times. Everything, and I mean everything in this movie moves me to such an extent. The idea, the setting, the songs, the characters, the filming style- everything. This film made the world a simpler and more beautiful place for me as I truly understood what it meant to be a Romantic. After all,

           “The Greatest Thing you’ll Ever Learn, is Just to Love and Be Loved in Return.”

©     Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind- The name is from the poem, as posted earlier, Eloisa to Abelard in which Eloisa prays to God to remove the memories of her lost love Abelard from her heart. In the movie however, Clementine removes the memories of her love-hate relationship with her present boyfriend Joel from her brain using a new technology on an impulse. The shocked and heartbroken Joel decides to do the same with her. Easy and scientific one might say. Except matters of the heart cannot be removed by destroying certain brain cells. This is an absolutely spectacular movie about love, hate, memories and the labyrinth that is life. Clementine is the brilliant Kate Winslet again- a blue/orange haired impulsive woman. Joel is played by funny man Jim Carrey who embraces the very different role of lovelorn and confused Joel. Their love is tumulous, cute and so weird and different, just like the movie, that it is completely believable. The cinematography is ground-breaking and the ending is one of the best and most realistic ever.

©     Edward Scissorhands- Tim Burton + Johnny Depp + Winona Ryder + Scissorhands = Pure Movie Magic. This absolutely incredible tale of a robotic social outcast with scissors for hands, who finds home and love in a colour-coordinated little sunny town because of a makeup sales-woman, is one of the best ever. This film made huge careers for Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. My personal favourite Depp character, Edward Scissorhands is an incredible man whose innocence, talent and love for the beautiful Kim moves one and all. One of my favourite moments in the film is when he makes the snow figure for her and how she dances in the snow. I also love the way Winona Ryder narrates in the end, “Sometimes you can still catch me dancing in the snow.” I just love this film for all that it is- dark, magical and lovely.

©     Forrest Gump- Though most people do not consider it a romantic movie, I seriously consider this Robert Zemeckis-Tom Hanks classic one. The narration, the brilliant cultural references, the storyline, everything is just to help progress the simple story of lifelong love. Forrest loved his Jenny and did everything for her. Though he has mental defects and doesn’t see life the way most of us do, but his devotion to the most important and necessary thing in life is extraordinary- love. His simplicity in absurd conditions and situations is the supposed idea, but it is only through his true love for Jenny and later their son Forrest, which makes us see that he understood all and felt all. I love Tom Hanks in this role and I love Robin Wright Penn as Jenny. This is an extraordinary film about love and thus I consider it as one of my favourites.

©     Pride and Prejudice- I strongly refer to the 2005 one with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Fitzwilliam Darcy. True there are other adaptations of the best-known Jane Austen novel, but nothing comes as close to the wonderful text as this one. The historic battle for pride, prejudice, and love has been read and re-read for ages. Keira Knightley’s Lizzy is sweet, caring, unconventional, and full of personal pride. Mr. Darcy is rich, cold, and handsome yet loving. This is the only truly brilliant Austen novel and watching t played out on screen is just brilliant!

©     Casablanca- For many, this will be considered as saving the best for last. Lets face it- this movie is just AWESOME! Forget Jack and Rose and Clementine and Joel and Christian and Satine and Forrest and Jenny- it was always Rick and Ilsa, i.e. Bogart and Bergman. This is the classic of all classics. Even as time goes by, we will never forget this film. The true origin of love lost and found comes from here. Set in Casablanca, Morocco, with the backdrop of the Second World War, we are instantly drawn to the aloof and charming owner of Rick’s Americano played by the legend Humphrey Bogart. While we are in awe of our hero, we are mesmerized by the introduction of the heroine- the goddess, Ingrid Bergman. Their love is legendary. This film is EPIC! And the line “Here’s looking at you kid” blows Gone With The Wind out of the friggin universe.

With that quite informal summary, I have come to an end of my list. Other notable mentions would be Memoirs of a Geisha, Unfaithful, and Vicky Christina Barcelona. One may notice that most of the movies, 5 out of 8 to be exact don’t have a conventional happy ending. Well, I love my tragic endings because for me, they make the movie so much more real.