Omar Mukhtar, Lion of the Desert, Moustapha AKkad, Jihad, Al Qaeda, Mussolini, Fascism, Braveheart, Mel Gibson

August Rush is a beautiful film. It is to sound what Wong Kar Wai is to colours. The plot and dialogue can be corny at times, but the technical execution of the artistic dimension of this film (what a superfluous phrase to use) is brilliant.

At least the aurophiliac theme of this film is coherent. If only August Rush is a real-life artiste.

August Rush, Wong Kar Wai

The funniest movie yet from Participant pictures, the studio that brought you the Al Gore hypocrisy-fest, An Inconvenient Truth.

Watch it.

Participant pictures, Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, Charlie Wilson’s War, CIA, Afghanistan, USA, America, Israel, Pakistan, Zia Ul Haq, foreign policy, Zia did not kill Bhutto, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts

Saviour of the Universe!

I love the Esplanade library.

I got to borrow the cult classic starring Max Von Sydow as Ming the Merciless.

I particularly remembered the ending when I first watched it in the early 90’s when it was shown on TV.

The End?

Max Von Sydow, Ming the Merciless

I’d probably not watch The Kite Runner a thousand times over.

One reading of the book and one view of its adaptation would probably suffice.

But I wouldn’t mind being stoned by the Taleban a thousand times over if it’s for someone I love.

Love.

This is what the Kite Runner is ultimately about.

This film is, to me, a thumb-to-the-nose at all the cynical nonsense that has come out of the Hollywood propagandic machinery. But it’s ironic that this film is from Hollywood.

At this point the reader should be informed that I had read the book a couple of years ago while I was in the Army (a good friend lent it to me), and since I don’t have completely photographic memory, any references I have from the book is vague.

Since the film is recent and it is yet fresh in my memory (I am a visual and auditory dominant person anyway), the opinions I express herein refer to the film which, if I can trust my vague memory of the book, is, I think, quite faithful to the book.

Like I said, the story is about love. Not ‘Titanic’-brand or ‘Devdas’-brand love but love in its purest form. To Western ears intoxicated by cynical Nitzschean philosophies, the term ‘platonic love’ might seem as impossible as an oxymoron, but there is such a thing.

Love has always been platonic, any sexual notions attached to it has only been decorum which can either have positive or negative utilitarian effects.

Why the heck am I waxing philosophic?

Anyway…

One of the reasons, besides being quite a sentimental person myself (got it from my mother; but my happy go lucky generally optimistic nature is from my father), I am so moved by this story is that it is one of those rare films that portray a character exhibiting such pure and unconditional love without getting too cheesy or Bollywood-translated-to-English sentimental. I think it’s got to do with the sincere earnestness of the actors.

Another online review described Hassan as a Christ-like figure (the ‘C.L.F.’ - a popular term used in literary critiques and reviews to refer to a character who exhibits supposed characteristics of Christ - such as unconditional love, forgiveness, etc).

Come on. Unconditional love should not be monopolised by the mythical icon of Christ alone. There are tons upon tons of other figures from thousands of cultures around the world that possess the same characteristics. The world needs new references apart from those force-fed by the West.

Perhaps what is most appropriate is to relate the character of Hassan from The Kite Runner with his namesake who is an actual historical figure; i.e. Imam Hassan, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

Incidentally, Imam Hassan’s father is Imam Ali; the Hassan character in The Kite Runner also has an (adopted) father by the name of Ali.

This connection may seem alien to those not familiar with Ahlul Bayt history, but perhaps the author’s characterisations were deliberate. And the parallels end here.

Well, except for one more -

Hassan’s attachment to his master, friend (and actually brother), Amir, is a glimpse of Imam Ali’s love, attachment, devotion and undying loyalty to his master, friend and brother, the Prophet Muhammad.

In truth, the devotion and loyalty manifested by Imam Ali for his brother, Muhammad, is unparalleled in history.

The Kite Runner, Taleban

Are computers demons?

That’s the question I had in mind after I just watched the classic sci-fi horror movie, Demon Seed, starring Julie Christie, based on a Dean Koontz novel.

Frankly, it’s not a very entertaining movie, but if you’re like me, you might be fascinated a bit by the philosophical futurist mumbo jumbo in it.

This is the first time I’ve watched a film in which the artificial intelligence character is as scary as Hannibal Lecter.

Perhaps Stanley Kubrick should be cloned to direct a remake of it for the 21st century.

Demon Seed, Julie Christie, Dean Koontz, artificial intelligence, Hannibal Lecter, Stanley Kubrick

I’ve read The Singularity is Near by the brilliantly naive and profoundly optimistic futurist and technologist Ray Kurzweil. I can’t believe it’s going to be made into a movie!

The Singularity is Near - A True Story about the Future is a 2008 release (actually it’s called a ‘Terasem Motion Infoculture Presentation’ - don’t ask me what that means) starring not only Kurzweil himself, but, of all people, Tony Robbins as well!

I don’t expect it to be a typical decently entertaining fictional motion picture, but I’m going to pre-enjoy it anyway.

The Singularity is Near, Ray Kurzweil, Tony Robbins

Stay is a 2005 movie starring Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts and Ryan Gosling.

Ryan Gosling is a brilliant actor. I have yet to see his latest caper, Lars and the Real Girl, but in this one, he plays a Henry Letham (his last name being an anagram of Hamlet - the Shakespearean character from which this film takes inspiration), an art student who wants to commit suicide on his 21st birthday and calmly tells Ewan McGregor’s psychiatrist character about it.

The whole story is about how Sam (Ewan) tries to persuade Henry not to kill himself as if suicide were a supreme work of art while Sam himself is losing his grip on reality.

I don’t quite understand the film fully but it vaguely suggests the theme of life being but a dream. There was a heart-stopping moment when Henry suddenly somehow becomes a Christ-like figure by restoring sight to this blind man played by Bob Hoskins whom Henry claims is his dead father. This wasn’t Henry’s only power. Apparently he can foretell the future and warp reality too.

The film’s a little thrilling and mind-bending but it isn’t like Fight Club or Vanilla Sky. But the acting of Ryan Gosling and Naomi Watts redeemed this picture.

Stay, Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl, Fight Club, Vanilla Sky