And the OSCAR goes to?

Here, are my ratings to the films nominated for the Academy Awards 2014, there were quite a few surprises with 'Rush' not making it to the top ten, nevertheless they did a good job with the nominees. Since, big ticket films like '12 Years a Slave' and 'Gravity' are making rounds in the media to go all the way, a few underdogs like 'Nebraska' which I felt was a real gem might just make the cut. Lets, see which movie finally get the hands on the shiny golden lady.

So, here goes my ratings out of 10:

American Hustle: 7.5 
Captain Phillips: 9
Dallas Buyers Club: 6.5
Gravity: 7
Her: 6
Nebraska: 9.5
Philomena: 8.5
12 Years a Slave: 7.5
The Wolf of Wall Street: 8

Image Courtesy: http://www.cbsnews.com

Why I dint like 'HER' ?

'Her' the movie has been heaped tremendous praise by critics worldwide, Oscar nominations, 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Indeed its is a great film making effort which aces on all aspects the story line, screenplay and the performances to some extent. But, Her is one rare film which doesn't work even after each of its constituent element being top notch. The main reason for that is its theme, which sadly for me was pathetic.

It may well be a subjective thing but Her was a depressing and dull movie nevertheless, which makes a caricature out of the entire human race who fail terribly to handle their emotions. They get their personal letters written from a hired agency, what shit!! I was okay with the idea of the the protagonist falling in love with a voice, which is a virtual entity devoid of a body, but the director eventually shows that every single human on Earth is in a relationship with their OSes which was a highly demeaning thought.

Her is a movie which shouts for your attention and cries that its a sentimental movie. The lead actor plays his part well, but after a certain time you begin to loath his zombie like style of walking and talking and would want to rush from the nearest exit just to stay away from his screen presence. The only saving grace in the movie was the protagonist's relationship with his friend. Three quarters in the movie, I wished that the director to show an eventual romantic relationship between them just to induce the idea that humans have a ray of hope left in their lives and they don't need to fall prey to the machines in the longer run even for the purest emotion of love, but sadly the director shies away from the same and ends the movie on an ever depressing note of dejection, rejection and eternal sadness.

Short Movie Review: Hasee Toh Phasee

Produced by joint efforts of two starkly different movie making 'camps' that of; Karan Johar and Anurag Kashyap, the movie combines the best of both their styles of film making.  This bittersweet tale, often borders on the outrageous but never boring courtesy the brilliant portrayal of a mad scientist by Parineeti Chopra. In just her fourth film she not just raises the bar for her contemporaries but also breaks the stereotype of a sari or swim suit clad quintessential Bollywood heroine of the past. It is also perhaps the best depiction of an IITian in a character ever by Bollywood clearly steering away from the cliches and set patterns that Hindi movies so often feed us.

Siddharth Malhotra and Adah Sharma do justice to their roles but they are sidelined by the brilliant Parineeti who is the lifeline of the film. The supporting cast is also top notch and full attention is given to their character development.

It is a rare Bollywood movie in which movie turns out better than what you might have expected from its trailers. In this era of remakes this movie has a distinctively fresh feel to it, at times touching the genre of absurdist comedy established by Hollywood movies like Airplane which has never been the forte of Bollywood. Funny, emotional and mad in equal measures this movie is a sure winner, which will definitely appeal to 'sensible' moviegoers who are seeking some genuine good time at the movies.

Rating: ***1/2

Image Courtesy: IBNLive.com

Short Movie Review: About Time

This romantic comedy cum science fiction draws on parallels with "The Butterfly Effect" albeit in a much more subtle way. Directed by Richard Curtis who is known for "Love Actually", the movie is not designed as a science fiction flick, but rather as one which teaches you a lesson or two about living your life to its fullest. The film depicts a family whose male members can travel back in time although with some tough conditions and choices which they have to make. A slice of life film which never overstays its welcome but touches the right cords of your hearts. The film teaches how to appreciate the joy of small things in life and loving your family.

Rating: ****

Short Movie Review: Rush(2013)

Directed by Ron Howard who is acclaimed for his "A Beautiful Mind" leaves us spell bound with his portrayal of the Formula 1 scenario in 70s which was high on risks and deaths. The film focuses on the rivalry of the two star racers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. The film beautifully depicts the several stages of love , hate and respect in their relationship.

The sports biographic treads the difficult part between showing high adrenaline car races to emotional ups and downs in the lives of the drivers. The film's high point is that it doesn't take sides of either of the two protagonists and lets you choose your own hero. But, high chances are the by the end credits roll you would be spoilt for choice. Not to forget Hans Zimmer's soundtrack which hits the right notes and makes this high octane journey the ride of a lifetime.

Rating: ****

The learning curve

# written a long time back in 2010, narrating my wonderful time at SKIT Toastmasters Club

Toastmasters International,USA is a prestigious organization which fosters among its clubs, in the varied parts of the world the art of effective communication skills and leadership qualities. SKIT has one such proud club in its campus which is not just the only club among technical institutes in northern India but also one of the prime contributors to success of District-82 comprising India and Srilanka.

16^th October, 2008 was my first day in the SKIT Toastmasters club, It was a demonstrative meeting in which only Icebreakers and Table Topics were spoken, I was keeping my fingers crossed that I shouldn’t be picked up by the Table Topics Master to speak on any topic, because I was so hesitant and nervous that I was sure that If I had to speak my heart would plunge out of my body, Luckily I wasn’t called that day.

But, I wasn’t lucky in the subsequent meetings as I got to speak many table topics shivering, stuttering and stammering,  I somehow delivered those, some even left in between, often not completing the time limit, but that sole point was the beginning of improvement, the onset of an education which would last with me for an entire lifetime. So, from that time I graduated from being a very bad speaker to a bad speaker.

I gave my first speech on 3^rd, February, 2009 and 40 speeches later I find myself immensely confident to speak comfortably at any given point or situation. This improvement in my confidence that I lacked at a time is all courtesy Toastmasters club, without its wonderful programme I would never be able to find out that I can actually speak in public.

Toastmasters club is not just about giving speeches, it was much more, I got the opportunity to visit Gurgaon for the Area Level Contests twice during the last year. First on 22^nd February, 2009 when I went for “Area Level Table Topics Contest”, I wasn’t much successful that day but the experience was awesome as I got a chance to meet many great speakers and we also attended the officers training programme. The next opportunity I got was on 18^th September, 2009 when I went for the “Area Level Evaluation Speech Contest” and was lucky enough to get the second prize and as a result I went to Delhi for the division level contest later that year.

Toastmasters Club is all about helping others to grow and perform better. There is not a panel of expert judges during the meeting but the evaluation are mutual and through a system of cooperation. It is not just about improving your communication skills but also about honing your leadership skills. I have played many different roles like Time counter, Ah counter, General evaluator, Grammarian, Toastmasters of the day which have all helped me to improve. Preparing the newsletter, going for the sponsorship campaign, conducting a contest were few of the activities which have enriched me to my very core.

I would sincerely like to thank the most important pillar in our club Tm. Pramila Bafna and our club’s president Tm. Vineet Jain for encouraging and guiding us in whatever manner they could because in their absence the club wouldn’t have grown so much as it has in the past two years.

I would also like to encourage students to join Toastmasters club because it’s such a good platform for self development that you would cherish your decision for the entire life.

I have achieved six certifications in toastmasters club, when I once thought that doing just one is impossible, It is all due to the kind of support I got and the wonderful environment in the SKIT toastmasters club. Without everyone’s help I would never have been able to achieve my goals.

The improvement can never stop, the development can never cease to occur, So, I would like to continue my stint in Toastmasters club wherever I go to become even better and more confident, because this is just” A small step”. “The giant leap” is impending.

TM. Happy Garg ACG, ALB

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