...apparently its a habit! I sure could do with it right now. Seems to me I haven't been in Da Zone for the last 15 years or so.You know...the zone where everything you do goes right, every idea that you get is brilliant, every move you make is maginificent.
I don't know what it is now, the zone appeared long ago and then life just seemed to run away. I know what you'll say, sour grapes. I guess it is... It's just that to get back would be nice, that child-like joy in absolute victory is hard to experience elsewhere. So these days, I just have vicarious victories...by watching the IPL and cheering teams belonging to a city where I don't belong anyways.
It just brings me to that question - is the zone a function of your talent or your choices? Choices, mostly. But, aren't those choices a function of your talent? So...limited talent = limited choices = limited zone. You see, after a certain age, the talent loses its sheen, uniqueness and voila! a lot of other people have the same "talent". Very soon, its not a talent anymore...its just one of those things that you used to be good at.
Writing, quizzing, maths, painting, singing, dancing, computers - for us mediocres, the zone is miniscule - possibly a golden year is all we are granted. Before long, theres a friend who writes better, a classmate who sings wonderfully, paintings that you can never hope to have created, whizkids with progams that never occur to you and even happiness is just a flicker of a talent we have.
So, given all this mediocrity...I am no longer sure I want to add this to the WWW and embarrass myself.
So long!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Twilight Zoners
We are the Twilight Zoners - the darkest before dawn, the fading before the dark. When we were born, the swinging 60s and its flowery powers had passed us by, the world no longer had time for block prints and ganja nights. The Beatles had broken up and Kennedy was dead - the world grieved.
When we were crawling, the world was seething with revolution - towns were painted a fiery "red", feudalism was brought to its knees, barriers were 'caste' down. The Emergency came and went - fear dominated society, we spoke our first words. Nice neighbourhood girls "eloped" with the neighbourhood chaiwallah to much scandal. The flavour was Communist, the mood pugilistic.
We were growing. Television was an extravagance, saving was a national hobby. Travel was second-class, holidays were in the "native", and people who went beyond the seas, sailed in the hope of a Green Card and more than one brand of soap. Doordarshan brought home grainy cricket matches and Hindi commentary, Wimbledon we saw from the Round of 16, Formula 1 not at all. Mandal was the bugbear, the excuse to study here and work elsewhere. Computers were complicated calculators. Maruti was the luxury car of the decade. Jobs were few, careers unheard of.
Foreign exchange reserves they said. Rupee convertibility we heard. Full, partial, people clamoured. We were the teenagers. Instead of freeing others through crude bombs or freeing ourselves through yoga and ganja, we discovered the pleasures of the couch. The remote was our newest toy, the supermarket shelves the unconquered frontier. Computers exploded,from exporting spices, we now exported software and the engineers to write them. Mobile phones were large, clumsy devices we aspired to use...someday.
We struggled with liberalisation. It conflicted with all our upbringing - compete? how? Work 24x7, what was that? Use and Throw?!! Spend?!!! No way!!! Our collective middle-class conscience saw wealth beyond comprehension. We were graduates. India had produced billionaires from common, everyday people. Cousins who worked in IT, owned 2 houses, 3 cars and of course a Green Card.
We are working, India is the place to be, the land of opportunity. The cousins are coming back, to gated communities of course. We have travelled the world, taken Indian cuisine along with us. The world was coming here, every brand wants a piece of India. We can't understand it. We spend, a lot. We are trying to be entrepreneurial, we cant understand 20-somethings with their own restaurant or company, neither do we dig a "gap" year.
The kids are more conversant with the world, holidays are no longer Indian, education is no longer a prerequisite for success. Being in-your-face is good. Sex and dating are not taboo...maybe not quite. We are middle-aged. We gym to keep the weight down. We compete for promotions. We have hypertension. We criticise the government. We are indifferent to our surroundings. We worry about money. We want the "best" for our kids - no matter what they want. We are the EMI people, living a king-sized life...on loan.
We look forward to tomorrow, all the while feeling nostalgic for the past. We know Facebook, but cant understand what the fuss is all about. We love You-Tube, to watch reruns of Hum Log and "Ek titli" cartoons. We are terrified of the recession, yet we talk of "giving it all up" to chase a dream. We are the nothing generation, used to protectionism, advocates of the free market. Nobody woos us - GenX & GenY are attractive, the older Gens have the money.
We are caught in our web of constraints, mostly in the mind. We were the deepest dark, before the end of drudgery. We are the fading, of all things simple (if ever they were). We are the Twilight Zoners.
P.S: Rajni suggested the name, during a discussion...thanks to her for setting it off.
When we were crawling, the world was seething with revolution - towns were painted a fiery "red", feudalism was brought to its knees, barriers were 'caste' down. The Emergency came and went - fear dominated society, we spoke our first words. Nice neighbourhood girls "eloped" with the neighbourhood chaiwallah to much scandal. The flavour was Communist, the mood pugilistic.
We were growing. Television was an extravagance, saving was a national hobby. Travel was second-class, holidays were in the "native", and people who went beyond the seas, sailed in the hope of a Green Card and more than one brand of soap. Doordarshan brought home grainy cricket matches and Hindi commentary, Wimbledon we saw from the Round of 16, Formula 1 not at all. Mandal was the bugbear, the excuse to study here and work elsewhere. Computers were complicated calculators. Maruti was the luxury car of the decade. Jobs were few, careers unheard of.
Foreign exchange reserves they said. Rupee convertibility we heard. Full, partial, people clamoured. We were the teenagers. Instead of freeing others through crude bombs or freeing ourselves through yoga and ganja, we discovered the pleasures of the couch. The remote was our newest toy, the supermarket shelves the unconquered frontier. Computers exploded,from exporting spices, we now exported software and the engineers to write them. Mobile phones were large, clumsy devices we aspired to use...someday.
We struggled with liberalisation. It conflicted with all our upbringing - compete? how? Work 24x7, what was that? Use and Throw?!! Spend?!!! No way!!! Our collective middle-class conscience saw wealth beyond comprehension. We were graduates. India had produced billionaires from common, everyday people. Cousins who worked in IT, owned 2 houses, 3 cars and of course a Green Card.
We are working, India is the place to be, the land of opportunity. The cousins are coming back, to gated communities of course. We have travelled the world, taken Indian cuisine along with us. The world was coming here, every brand wants a piece of India. We can't understand it. We spend, a lot. We are trying to be entrepreneurial, we cant understand 20-somethings with their own restaurant or company, neither do we dig a "gap" year.
The kids are more conversant with the world, holidays are no longer Indian, education is no longer a prerequisite for success. Being in-your-face is good. Sex and dating are not taboo...maybe not quite. We are middle-aged. We gym to keep the weight down. We compete for promotions. We have hypertension. We criticise the government. We are indifferent to our surroundings. We worry about money. We want the "best" for our kids - no matter what they want. We are the EMI people, living a king-sized life...on loan.
We look forward to tomorrow, all the while feeling nostalgic for the past. We know Facebook, but cant understand what the fuss is all about. We love You-Tube, to watch reruns of Hum Log and "Ek titli" cartoons. We are terrified of the recession, yet we talk of "giving it all up" to chase a dream. We are the nothing generation, used to protectionism, advocates of the free market. Nobody woos us - GenX & GenY are attractive, the older Gens have the money.
We are caught in our web of constraints, mostly in the mind. We were the deepest dark, before the end of drudgery. We are the fading, of all things simple (if ever they were). We are the Twilight Zoners.
P.S: Rajni suggested the name, during a discussion...thanks to her for setting it off.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The GOD at 43...
Most skills this world appear to be something that one can learn, practice, master and perfect, even. But, once in a while, there comes a human being, who seems to be born with the mastery of a skill. I use the term human being quite loosely...these are more demi-gods who take their craft to a different league altogether. Idolized by millions, they consistently deliver superlative results over their entire careers. Records are just a bland summary of the dominance they exert on their chosen areas. This is seen across fields and walks of life, but never so dramatically as in sport. Superlatives in sport are often short-lived snuffed out by competition, injury, luck, politics, personalities, what-have-you. So when a genuine champion comes along, the world sits up, lauds them, burdens them with expectations.These gods, as it were, go beyond just their sport, to become messiahs of hope to a nation burdened with conflicts and troubles.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, is one such champion, probably the only one of his kind, for whom a nation unites. Recently, he scored his 41st Test Century - the max by any cricketer ever, this is a record alongside the most runs in test cricket, the most runs in one-day cricket, the most centuries in one day internationals, the most fifties in both forms...basically, every batting record around that's worth having! Yet, this man, rather this god, slew a demon then, a complicated one at that- "winning a match for India in the 4th innings, by scoring a hundred and a four for the winning run". Why was this even a demon?? Well...a nation of a billion cricketing brains decided that Sachin hadn't conquered all yet...he needed to slay this one too for the nation to finally lay rest to all the cribs and criticisms - "Sachin never wins a match for us!".
I remember the years from `89 - possibly `00 as dark times for Indian cricket, when we used to pray for Sachin to bat from overs 1-50 and hopefully not run out of partners. Then it got that he had to turn his arm over at crucial times and win wickets as well. Opposition teams exulted, then as now, when they got Sachin. The difference now is, they have a Yuvraj, Rohit Sharma, Dhoni, Suresh Raina etc etc, not to mention an occasional Harbhajan or even Zaheer, to follow. This makes them stop and take stock rather than premature champagne celebrations.To put it in perspective - he has scored 31 of his 43 hundreds in matches India won. Those amazing innings have come at an average of 57!
Its an indication of the standards others set for him, that when he topscored for us in NZ, a sublime innings at that, people were disappointed that he didnt go on to score the 200!!! Others were harping on the fact that he hadn't scored a ODI hundred in NZ till now! This is after an innings of 163, where he went from 100 to 163 in 32 balls!!!
After his 41st Test hundred, he said "Bhagwan Bharose"! For us in India, hoping the 2011 World Cup will be IT, its "Sachin Bharose" all the way!
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, is one such champion, probably the only one of his kind, for whom a nation unites. Recently, he scored his 41st Test Century - the max by any cricketer ever, this is a record alongside the most runs in test cricket, the most runs in one-day cricket, the most centuries in one day internationals, the most fifties in both forms...basically, every batting record around that's worth having! Yet, this man, rather this god, slew a demon then, a complicated one at that- "winning a match for India in the 4th innings, by scoring a hundred and a four for the winning run". Why was this even a demon?? Well...a nation of a billion cricketing brains decided that Sachin hadn't conquered all yet...he needed to slay this one too for the nation to finally lay rest to all the cribs and criticisms - "Sachin never wins a match for us!".
I remember the years from `89 - possibly `00 as dark times for Indian cricket, when we used to pray for Sachin to bat from overs 1-50 and hopefully not run out of partners. Then it got that he had to turn his arm over at crucial times and win wickets as well. Opposition teams exulted, then as now, when they got Sachin. The difference now is, they have a Yuvraj, Rohit Sharma, Dhoni, Suresh Raina etc etc, not to mention an occasional Harbhajan or even Zaheer, to follow. This makes them stop and take stock rather than premature champagne celebrations.To put it in perspective - he has scored 31 of his 43 hundreds in matches India won. Those amazing innings have come at an average of 57!
Its an indication of the standards others set for him, that when he topscored for us in NZ, a sublime innings at that, people were disappointed that he didnt go on to score the 200!!! Others were harping on the fact that he hadn't scored a ODI hundred in NZ till now! This is after an innings of 163, where he went from 100 to 163 in 32 balls!!!
After his 41st Test hundred, he said "Bhagwan Bharose"! For us in India, hoping the 2011 World Cup will be IT, its "Sachin Bharose" all the way!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Alas for Bangalore!!!
As a Madras-Born, Chennai-bred, temporary Bangalorean, I have to confess this is not my favourite city. I haven't ever felt comfortable without my movies, my marina, my mozhi (language)! But, one thing I have always been grateful to Bangalore and its people is, that I've felt safe in this city, as I have never felt in my own. As a single woman living alone, I have taken comfort from the fact that B'lore leaves me be; lets me fulfill my days activities alone, without having to hide from predatory Indian men.
I have dined alone (upaharas to upmarket fine dining); shopped (only) alone; watched movies alone; hung out in malls alone; sat at ulsoor lake for long hours gazing at the water....you guessed it...alone! All of this...in a very satisfying solitude...no intrusions...no rubbing up...no groping...no staring. How sweet is that! I adored this city that never turned an eye whatever you wore...didnt think it odd for a single woman in her twenties (yes! yes! I'm still there!) to go for a movie and return home at 1 in the night.
All of this...till recently. First , I couldn't go to a pub without worrying who would walk in and assault (irrespective of my male friends - they cant beat up ppl). Then, I couldn't decide on what festivals I wanted to celebrate - Valentines day, which was abhorrent till now, now became a choice I didnt have! Then, I couldn't speak to men of a different religion! Now, it turns out I can't wear "Western" clothes anymore - so even what I wear is not my choice anymore.
Women are being assaulted (yes...means hit!) in broad daylight, in the middle of the city, even inside a car...for wearing "Western" clothes!! Not even "revealing" clothes - thats an old one - but trousers and a "kurta". Women have been told "you can't walk alone"!! The people of this city have stood around watching this violence. The government in this state can no longer guarantee the safety of half its earning, educated, tax-paying population.
Don't drink, don't show any skin, wear only saris/Indian clothes, don't go out alone, don't talk to men, don't step out of the house without male protection!!! Do I hear the word Taliban somewhere???? Actually not, I don't think Taliban - they don't want their women to work or earn their keep (they make them do housework ofcourse!). We are INDIAN see...so these women need to work, they need to manage the house...they need to be up for sex on demand (from man), they need to work easy times but earn more...but they need to be dumb, mute, submissive, all-accepting, BODIES. Equal rights????????? Indian constitution??? Whats that???
I have dined alone (upaharas to upmarket fine dining); shopped (only) alone; watched movies alone; hung out in malls alone; sat at ulsoor lake for long hours gazing at the water....you guessed it...alone! All of this...in a very satisfying solitude...no intrusions...no rubbing up...no groping...no staring. How sweet is that! I adored this city that never turned an eye whatever you wore...didnt think it odd for a single woman in her twenties (yes! yes! I'm still there!) to go for a movie and return home at 1 in the night.
All of this...till recently. First , I couldn't go to a pub without worrying who would walk in and assault (irrespective of my male friends - they cant beat up ppl). Then, I couldn't decide on what festivals I wanted to celebrate - Valentines day, which was abhorrent till now, now became a choice I didnt have! Then, I couldn't speak to men of a different religion! Now, it turns out I can't wear "Western" clothes anymore - so even what I wear is not my choice anymore.
Women are being assaulted (yes...means hit!) in broad daylight, in the middle of the city, even inside a car...for wearing "Western" clothes!! Not even "revealing" clothes - thats an old one - but trousers and a "kurta". Women have been told "you can't walk alone"!! The people of this city have stood around watching this violence. The government in this state can no longer guarantee the safety of half its earning, educated, tax-paying population.
Don't drink, don't show any skin, wear only saris/Indian clothes, don't go out alone, don't talk to men, don't step out of the house without male protection!!! Do I hear the word Taliban somewhere???? Actually not, I don't think Taliban - they don't want their women to work or earn their keep (they make them do housework ofcourse!). We are INDIAN see...so these women need to work, they need to manage the house...they need to be up for sex on demand (from man), they need to work easy times but earn more...but they need to be dumb, mute, submissive, all-accepting, BODIES. Equal rights????????? Indian constitution??? Whats that???
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Movies...Frost/Nixon
Frost/Nixon: Stg. Michael Sheen, Frank Langhella. Dir. Ron Howard
Richard Nixon, arguably America''s most controversial President, chose David Frost, a comic talk-show host with a breezy, light-hearted presence, for his first televised presence after resigning. Presumably, Nixon (and his advisers) thought Frost, not a hard-nosed journalist would do a soft, human-interest story that would bring back into focus Nixon's presidency and the good he had done to America rather than the last 6 months of Watergate.
Frost's interest in doing a Nixon story surprised many people including his closest friend and eventual producer John Birt. What they hadn't accounted for was his compulsive need to be in the spotlight, to be considered "successful". He had been to the US, had tasted sweet success, had used Sardi's as his "canteen", was part of the glamourous social circuit of New York. To have that taken away, and more importantly to contemplate never having it back was too much for Frost. So he gambles his entire savings, and borrows a lot more, to tempt Nixon.
The research team on the other hand, are committed to giving Nixon "the trial he never had". Played by Sam Rockwell and Richard Platt, this team puts their reputations and careers on hold to dig out every possible conversation Nixon might have had, every change in tone, every move his associates have made, so that Nixon can be ensnared.
Frost/Nixon is an adaptation of a successful Broadway play featuring the same cast. The transition from stage to film has been very well done, with Peter Morgan (The Queen, Last King...) doing the screenplay. The movie moves from the gloomily languorous pace of a deposed President's life to the frenetic commitment of Frost's research team. Frost, doing it for the eyeballs and the fame, he thinks it will bring him, is toyed with, by a crafty President determined to "head back East". Nixon, enjoys the game, a chance to be back in the spotlight, be vindicated. The lead up to the Watergate showdown, the sobering up of Frost with a prod from unexpected quarters to the climactic close-up of a president uncovered for the world to see, form this gripping tale.
Frank Langhella as Nixon is superb! Not very many actors can stand up to very close scrutiny on film. But Mr Langhella's face twitches, his eyes dart, his upper lip sweats (like Nixon) and he ages through the interview. Every inch the haughty president, when he says "if the president does it, it is not illegal"...you almost want to beleive it. In his eyes, you see the desperation and hunger of a deposed President. In his gait, you see confidence, a security in his place in the world, which is quickly demolished on TV. Micheal Sheen is good as well, as a Frost, who may have outreached himself with this interview. Used to adulation, he is thrown by Nixon's condescention, unnerved by the Prez's rambling. Mr Sheen is believably awkward, when Nixon casually insults him and downright afraid when he realises he "has to get to work".
Frost/Nixon is at a decent pace, with much of the action happening indoors. We don't feel claustrophobic, thanks to the screenplay and the acting. The supporting cast, including Kevin Bacon as a devoted Nixon CoS, are uniformly competent and provide some much needed moments of levity. Its a masterful piece of story-telling that shows the world the power of television anew...of all the more relevance in an age of reality shows and instant gratification.
Richard Nixon, arguably America''s most controversial President, chose David Frost, a comic talk-show host with a breezy, light-hearted presence, for his first televised presence after resigning. Presumably, Nixon (and his advisers) thought Frost, not a hard-nosed journalist would do a soft, human-interest story that would bring back into focus Nixon's presidency and the good he had done to America rather than the last 6 months of Watergate.
Frost's interest in doing a Nixon story surprised many people including his closest friend and eventual producer John Birt. What they hadn't accounted for was his compulsive need to be in the spotlight, to be considered "successful". He had been to the US, had tasted sweet success, had used Sardi's as his "canteen", was part of the glamourous social circuit of New York. To have that taken away, and more importantly to contemplate never having it back was too much for Frost. So he gambles his entire savings, and borrows a lot more, to tempt Nixon.
The research team on the other hand, are committed to giving Nixon "the trial he never had". Played by Sam Rockwell and Richard Platt, this team puts their reputations and careers on hold to dig out every possible conversation Nixon might have had, every change in tone, every move his associates have made, so that Nixon can be ensnared.
Frost/Nixon is an adaptation of a successful Broadway play featuring the same cast. The transition from stage to film has been very well done, with Peter Morgan (The Queen, Last King...) doing the screenplay. The movie moves from the gloomily languorous pace of a deposed President's life to the frenetic commitment of Frost's research team. Frost, doing it for the eyeballs and the fame, he thinks it will bring him, is toyed with, by a crafty President determined to "head back East". Nixon, enjoys the game, a chance to be back in the spotlight, be vindicated. The lead up to the Watergate showdown, the sobering up of Frost with a prod from unexpected quarters to the climactic close-up of a president uncovered for the world to see, form this gripping tale.
Frank Langhella as Nixon is superb! Not very many actors can stand up to very close scrutiny on film. But Mr Langhella's face twitches, his eyes dart, his upper lip sweats (like Nixon) and he ages through the interview. Every inch the haughty president, when he says "if the president does it, it is not illegal"...you almost want to beleive it. In his eyes, you see the desperation and hunger of a deposed President. In his gait, you see confidence, a security in his place in the world, which is quickly demolished on TV. Micheal Sheen is good as well, as a Frost, who may have outreached himself with this interview. Used to adulation, he is thrown by Nixon's condescention, unnerved by the Prez's rambling. Mr Sheen is believably awkward, when Nixon casually insults him and downright afraid when he realises he "has to get to work".
Frost/Nixon is at a decent pace, with much of the action happening indoors. We don't feel claustrophobic, thanks to the screenplay and the acting. The supporting cast, including Kevin Bacon as a devoted Nixon CoS, are uniformly competent and provide some much needed moments of levity. Its a masterful piece of story-telling that shows the world the power of television anew...of all the more relevance in an age of reality shows and instant gratification.
Movies...Revolutionary Road
I've been watching a fair number of movies the past couple of weeks. Have been thinking I should write something, NOT a review, about them. So here goes nothing...
Revolutionary Road : Cast - Kate Winslet; Leonardo DiCaprio
Adapted from a novel by Richard Yates, this Sam Mendes movie stars "Kate and Leo", as a sub-urban couple. Part of a conventional society, Kate, an aspiring-actress-turned-suburban-mom, feels stifled and longs to break out and chase a dream. The problem - Leo, who it turns out, no longer wants to run with her. Thats putting it simplistically...actually he does agree to give it all up and move to Paris, and they spend couple of months in pleasurable anticipation. Leo enjoys shocking the neighbourhood but not his colleagues ribbing him about being a "kept" man. Kate, thrills at the prospect of being unconventional, booking tickets with enthusiasm, learning French, planning a secretarial job. Pregnancy, a promotion on the job, put the brakes on this plan, forcing the couple to assess their motivations, resulting in tragic consequences.
Kate Winslet is superb, as the young girl, who got lost in the wife and mother. We realise early on, she doesn't have the talent, but she doesn't ask herself this question - perhaps the answer is too obvious to bear. She struggles to assuage the guilt he heaps on her - "You are a mother, how can you think of abortion?". Hunted down by conventions, strangled by routine, smacked in the face by life's surprises, she fights and struggles and kicks, only to hurt herself.
Leo DiCaprio is effortlessly good, as the husband, who sees his wife, his love, going off the deep end, destroying herself and them, and is helpless to arrest it. He can't understand her struggle, he doesn't want to! He asks the question so many men have asked their vagrant wives, "Why can't you be happy, like the rest of us?". They have a house, kids, money, sex- what more would a woman want?! He fights the distance she puts between them, only to lose and find comfort with another.
This is one movie where the fights are real, screaming, gut-wrenching! Sam Mendes shows what many of us have seen, a marriage unravelling. Lovers turn strangers, children turn burdens and society turns into a millstone. Kate Winslet pleads with her husband "Please...Please ...tell me we can have this child in Paris", even as she knows he can't/won't. The only person who seems to make "sense" of this situation, is the psychologically ill, returned-from-san neighbour. Perhaps that pushes her over the brink - insanity seems to be her only living refuge.
Revolutionary Road : Cast - Kate Winslet; Leonardo DiCaprio
Adapted from a novel by Richard Yates, this Sam Mendes movie stars "Kate and Leo", as a sub-urban couple. Part of a conventional society, Kate, an aspiring-actress-turned-suburban-mom, feels stifled and longs to break out and chase a dream. The problem - Leo, who it turns out, no longer wants to run with her. Thats putting it simplistically...actually he does agree to give it all up and move to Paris, and they spend couple of months in pleasurable anticipation. Leo enjoys shocking the neighbourhood but not his colleagues ribbing him about being a "kept" man. Kate, thrills at the prospect of being unconventional, booking tickets with enthusiasm, learning French, planning a secretarial job. Pregnancy, a promotion on the job, put the brakes on this plan, forcing the couple to assess their motivations, resulting in tragic consequences.
Kate Winslet is superb, as the young girl, who got lost in the wife and mother. We realise early on, she doesn't have the talent, but she doesn't ask herself this question - perhaps the answer is too obvious to bear. She struggles to assuage the guilt he heaps on her - "You are a mother, how can you think of abortion?". Hunted down by conventions, strangled by routine, smacked in the face by life's surprises, she fights and struggles and kicks, only to hurt herself.
Leo DiCaprio is effortlessly good, as the husband, who sees his wife, his love, going off the deep end, destroying herself and them, and is helpless to arrest it. He can't understand her struggle, he doesn't want to! He asks the question so many men have asked their vagrant wives, "Why can't you be happy, like the rest of us?". They have a house, kids, money, sex- what more would a woman want?! He fights the distance she puts between them, only to lose and find comfort with another.
This is one movie where the fights are real, screaming, gut-wrenching! Sam Mendes shows what many of us have seen, a marriage unravelling. Lovers turn strangers, children turn burdens and society turns into a millstone. Kate Winslet pleads with her husband "Please...Please ...tell me we can have this child in Paris", even as she knows he can't/won't. The only person who seems to make "sense" of this situation, is the psychologically ill, returned-from-san neighbour. Perhaps that pushes her over the brink - insanity seems to be her only living refuge.
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