Movie :: The Bourne Supremacy

Hi friends,

My dad and I saw The Bourne Supremacy today, starring Matt Damon. If you remember, there was a movie called the Bourne Identity released several years ago. Well, The Bourne Supremacy is the second part.

Once the movie started playing, my dad and I were completely involved in the movie. Not a word was uttered. Right from the first scene, right down to the last one, it was pumped-up, adrenaline-rush, fuel-filled movie. It was also a very intelligent movie, not one of those brainless-no-nonsense action movie. Damon portrays Bourne, an assassin killer emplyed by the CIA, who suffers from amnesia. The movie picks off where it left off in the first part.

A botched CIA operations job in Berlin suddenly leads all roads to Bourne, and Bourne is on the run. Bourne tries to regain his memory of who he is and why he is a target. The CIA meanwhile try to capture Bourne. It's an awesome vat and mouse thriller/ suspense that spans from India, to Italy to Germany to the States. The action is continous. The suspense is high, and the ending is completely satisfying. Another thing with this movie is that it doesn not insult the inteligence of the viewers. All the sequences make sense and look completely plausible and real.

All right, I am off now.

Mansur

Movie :: Rosemary's Baby

Hey everyone,

Last night, I watched a movie I had been dying to watch since I was young. It is reputedly one of the best horror movies ever made. It's called Rosemary's Baby, directed by Roman Polanski. I saw this DVD at a rock bottom price in the local supermarket, and decided to get it. I was in for a treat and was definitely scared. Rosemary and her new husband, Guy, move into a new apartment in New York, befriending an elderly couple who live near by. But when another girl in the block commits suicide, Rosemary starts getting more attention than she desires, from all the wrong people. And now with her (late) friend's warnings about witches in mind, she has a new problem - the protection of her forthcoming child. But it may not be the child that needs protection.

I am not going to spoil the ending, because the ending is the most shocking thing. Throughout the movie, I was with Rosemary and I would say out loud to her to do this or do that. I was rooting for her. That was the great thing about the movie: it involved me on a very personal level with the characters. Towards the end, I was literally on the edge of my seat because I wanted so much for Rosemary to do what I wanted her to do. What's also scary about this movie is that everything is so real. There is not a single second when I could say, thats impossible. Everything seemed so plausible and real. This stuff could happen.

This movie is not like any other cheap horror movies, like The Grudge, The Ring, Scream, Friday the 13th, Nightmare series, The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project etc etc. I wish they would make more horror movies like this. Its real, and its scary. ('ll give you a small spoiler: Ro finds out later in the movie that her husband has made a deal with the neighbor, who practice witchcraft, to have a baby and then give it to them, so her husband can get the promises of resurrecting his failing acting career. You see, the whole idea of witchcraft in the movie seemed so normal. The director has you believing normally in the unnormal stuff!)

Mansur

Movie :: Open Water

Hi everyone,

Ok, so one time my friend I went on this diving trip with a bunch of people off the coast of an island in Barabados. There were couple of more couples, honeymooners mostly, several single guys and girls and a family. I was really exicted about the driving trip. The workload of both me and my friend had overloaded us with stress and pain... and we both needed a break from the hectic schedule. A diving trip in the sunny ocean seemed just the right thing. The boat ride was amazing, and we immediately felt a sense of isolation- away from the hustle and bustle of the crazy chaotic world.

Once we got there, someone interrupted us and asked us if we saw his mask and snorkel and we said no. He was really upset and started cursing himself. This meant he will not be allowed to come into the water with the rest of the group. I noticed one of the crew member was taking a body count and saw how he had written a big 20 on his note pad. Soon we stopped at the spot, and everyone put on the diving suits and gas tank and jumped into the water. Guys and girls jumped in. The poor guy without the mask was sitting there alone. My friend and I had an amazing time underwater. Now, what happened is that one of the couples returned to the boat. The crew member marked 2 people returned. 18 more people to return. The man without the mask asked the woman if he could borrow hers, and she said ok. So this man quickly got into the diving suit and went with the woman's husband into the water. The crew member did not see this. So, when everyone returned to the boat, he counted 16 people who returned and then counted the last 2 as the man without the mask and the woman's husband. So he counted 20 and the boat left.

My friend and I suddenly noticed that we were the only ones underwater and quickly rose to the surface. No one was there. It was 930am. We gave each other company. 1045am. Where the heck is the boat. 130pm. Something stung my friend. In an instant, there was a huge fin right in front of us. Sharks. Panic ensues. We dont know what to do. One shark followed by two sharks. At night, there is a whole family of shark. We just bob up and down in the salty ocean water. My friend loses the gas tank because my friend is getting sick from bobbing up and down all day. My friend throws up. It attracts more fish. The next day, while we are still waiting for help, I feel a huge bite in right leg. It feels like as if someone drove three knives into my calves. It doesnt pain as much as I thought it would, but I felt the bite. My friend went down to see the bite, and came up back screaming: there are giant sharks everywhere. I panic. I cannot stay strong anymore. I give up.

So guys, none of that really happened to me. This synopsis is from a movie I watched last night. It is called Open Water, and it is based on true events. I will not spoil the ending for you. It is the least expected ending. Go watch it! Now! Butw atch it only if you dont plan on going into the ocean soon-- because this movie put me off from going into the oceans now...at least for the time being!

Mansur

Movie :: Mr. Holland's Opus

Hi friends,

About a week ago I watched a movie called Mr. Holland's Opus, with Richard Dreyfuss. I am never into orchestra and classical music as such, but this movie got me. I was stuck with a lump in my throat and there is a personal reason for that.

The movie is about Mr. Holland who starts his new job as the music teacher in the 60s at the school. The movie spans about 30 years into his life of teaching the students. From the 60s to the 90s, we get to see how classical music becomes more of a challenge to teach. Mr. Holland is asked each year to prepare the music class to perform at the end of each school year, and with each passing year it becomes more difficult because the beauty and the meaning of classical music diminishes each year, as rock and roll and rap are introduced. But Mr. Holland is as obsessed with classical music as he was in the 60s. He goes out of his way to encourage the students to do their best. He helps one female student to learn to play the clarinet effectively. He helps one football player student to learn to play the drums for the marching band. He helps another student learn how to sing better for the school play. He is there to help his music students realize their dreams.

However, tragedy strikes when he and his wife realize that their son is born deaf. Mr. Holland is devastated. He had dreams of teaching his son music. His son cannot hear a single note of music. There is some tension in the married couple. Mr. Holland focuses his energy toward his students, not acknowledging his deaf son. His wife spends time with their son. But it is right before the end, where I became emotional. Mr. Holland, realizing that he has been neglecting his son for far too long, performs for the school, which includes students from the School of Deaf. His son is sitting there. The band starts to play, and Mr. Holland starts to sing. But when he starts to sing, he uses his hands to communicate to the deaf students. The scene was amazingly touching, it gave me goosebumps. I knew how much it would mean for the son to be able to connect with dad, and it was so awesome for the dad to connect to his son this way. After all, the song he sings is dedicated to his son.

I wont give the ending away, which is extremely touching and heartwarming, yet sad. Some people did not like the ending, but then if you pick the smallest of small details, no movie is perfect. Dreyfuss was nominated for Best Actor award in the Oscars. I think this is his best performance to date. Well, why was I so emotional at that one scene. Its because I am also 90% deaf and I know excatly how deaf people feel. For someone to touch out to the deaf people like Mr. Holland did, is the best gift one can get!

Mansur

Book :: Why Do People Hate America?

Hey everyone,

I am reading this book which I saw someone reading on the London Underground back in 2003. I had meaning to get this book for a long time, and I finally found it in one of the local bookshop here. It was kind of hidden at the back of the shelf, over shadowed by the other huge books. I picked it up and it is amazing so far. It's called Why Do People Hate America?

I haven't finished it yet, but what I have read so far is very insightful and the authors don't delve too much into politics, but keep everything on a human level. They start off by talking about what the events of 9-11 meant to the American people, and then goes on in the following chapter, why the Americans think people hate them, and why the people hate American so much. But the interesting thing they point out is that the rest of the world has a very strong love-hate relationship with the United States of America. Countries like Iran and Iraq have a hate relationship with Americans, yet these very people watch American movies and listen to American music or even go to the States for universities or jobs! So that is something really interesting.

Even I don't agree with the American's foreign policies in the Middle East, or for that matter, anywhere else in the world, and yet I watch American movies, wear American branded clothes and eat Happy Meals from McDonalds.

It is quite a sensitive issue for all concerned. I know some people who are so vocal about America and say stuff like Death to America, and these very people have their kids studying in the US. How hypocritical. There are some people I know who rejoice when they hear American soldiers being killed in Iraq, and these very people buy all things Americans.

Anyway, this book has already given me an insight into all that the United States has been doing in the political arena. For sure we know that America thinks it is a Superpower, or as the book calls it, a Hyperpower. America thinks it can dictate the rest of the world.

Ok, I have four more chapters to read. You all have a nice day!

Mansur

Movie :: Super Size Me!

Hi everyone,

I watched this movie again last night which I had seen earlier called Super Size Me! I was having a conversation with my brother who told me he has vowed to never take his daughter to McDonalds again. I asked him what's the big deal? Why target McDonald? Why not Burger King? Pizza Hut? Subways? I even told him that if I eat Biryani for a whole month for three meals, I would probably end up in the same situation as the guy in Super Size Me. So I watched the movie again last night, and man oh man, I am not eating McDonalds again! When I had read Fast Food Nation, which talks about all the unhealthy practices that takes place in making McDonald, I thought that was it: no more McDonalds, but I continued having it. Super Size Me is about Morgan, who is a relatively fit person, who embarks upon a one month diet of McDonalds' meals, three times a day. He has some rules: he will only super-size the meal if he is asked by the cashier and he has to have everything from the menu at least once.

I remember, back in 1998, when I started university, I had McDonald's at least four times a week for one whole semester, which is about 4-5 months! I mean, I literally had McDonald's sandwiches four times a week as my main meal (I don't eat fries at all and always take Diet coke). I had no other option: the cafeteria at my university would not serve dinners and everyone in my dorm block would go together to McDonalds! I can tell you two things: I gained weight fast and I started to suffer from acid indigestion and heartburn. I had to take medications for that, and once I reduced drastically my consumption of McDonalds, I found my health to be normal.

The movie talked about how the Cheese in McDonald's has some kind of ingredient which causes people to be addicted to the food. I tell you, we are not even half sure where the food comes from in McDonalds. One of my favorite food from McDonalds was Chicken Nuggets. The movie last night reminded me that Chicken Nuggets come from old chicken with unusually large breasts; those chicken are killed, processed in the machine, and the nuggets made from the breasts, which are then deep-fried, freezed and shipped all over the world! I fell sick in my stomach! Guys, if anything, fast food may seem to be great, but its all temporary. I refused to eat McDonalds today and have made a solemn oath to myself to not have McDonalds again!

Mansur

Movie :: The Ring Two

Hey everyone,

I finally managed to see The Ring Two today. I was so unsure if I should watch it or not, and I think I wasted two hours of my life and 30Dirhams on this movie. I so felt like I was watching a re-make of the first part. The Ring, part one, was so much more tense and creepy. There was this sense of tension and suspense when we see that Rachel has only one week to live. There was that creepy, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday titles that showed up. There was the suspense of finding out who the girl is, and what the video is all about. The first scene where the two girls discuss the video was downright scary. In fact, the best thing about the first part was the clippings in the video and sheer horror shown in it.

However, in the second part, we only get to see the videotape once(not the video clippings) and later on, we see only glimpses of the video. It seemed like a re-hash of the first part! The movie had the same beginning-middle-end like the first part. In fact, the first scene in this movie was very pale in comparison to the first one. The similarity is used to the extent of even having the same male character, who Rachel enlists the help of, and having him face the same fate like that of the male character in the first part I felt like I was watching a re-make of the first part, which made the movie very predictable. There was some attempt to give the audience some back story as to who the girl is, but not much is shared with us. I can only think of one good scene which was executed well (the bathtub scene at Max's house). I was extremely disappointed from this movie. I know the original Japanese version has three parts, and I am only hoping that the third part of Hollywood's version would surpass this mediocre part two.

I also saw Constantine about two weeks ago, and four days after release, the UAE Committee removed the movie from the theatres. They want to censor the movie. So the same movie will be re-released this coming weekend. Apparently someone from the Dubai Municipality saw the movie and was offended with the depiction of the angel Gabriel in a negative light. So the movie will be censored now. This seems absurd, because Dubai re-released The Passion of the Christ, and the whole premise of that movie is not in terms with Islam's concept of the Crucifixion and yet that movie was left untouched! Disappointed in Ring Two!

Mansur

Movie :: Black

Hi friends,

Imagine a world where you cannot see. You are immersed in total darkness. Then imagine you cannot hear anything; you are stone deaf. Imagine you were born this way. What would life be like for you? What would life be life be like for your parents? For your sibling? This is the premise of the movie Black, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has made several other amazing movies, including one of my all time favorite, Khamoshi-The Musical. Bhansali has made an incredible movie, and has extracted outstanding performances from the lead characters in Black.

A short synopsis:
Michelle McNally, born to an Anglo-Indian family, is deaf and blind. She is a bright and intelligent girl and she lives in the world of black and this frustrates her because she desires to speak. Therefore, because of her frustration she becomes harsh and cruel on numerous events.Debraj Sahai is an alcoholic, a teacher to the deaf and blind children. The principal of the school believes in his ability and sends him to the McNally house to teach Michelle. Debraj's arrival at the McNally home is far from favorable, as he arrives intoxicated, annoyed and impolite.

On encountering Michelle, Debraj realizes that the only way to tackle her is to distress her, be violent at times and at the same time, show her the love.Debraj succeeds and Michelle amazingly learns her first word - Ma. But this is just the beginning. There are several battles to be won. His dreams of Michelle going to a college with students without any disability. But, at this stage, Debraj starts to suffer from Alzheimer. He slowly forgets everything including all words and their meanings. The roles are now reversed!

My Views:
If there is one Indian film to see this year, it should be Black. It has an amazing potential to be a cross-over film into Hollywood. There are no songs, no dancing around the trees, no love triangles, no obligatory villains, no cheap side-kick comedic scenes. Black is made pretty much like any Hollywood film. The dialogues are almost all in English. I usually don't watch a lot of Indian films, and I am glad I watched Black. I prefer watching these type of Indian film, instead of the usual dance-galores, brainless kind of films. Almost everything about this film is perfect, from acting, to music, to cinematography, to costume, to locales to everything else.

There was so much attention paid to the details, it made it a lot more fun to watch the movie. For example, when we first meet Michelle, she is in a house, where the surroundings are black. But when the teacher comes, and Michelle slowly opens up, the room is slowly filled with white light, signifying the transition made from darkness to light. Another subtly effect the director has used is the effect of snow in the film. Little things like this make a huge impact in the movie. Several issues are discussed as well: sibling rivalry, parents, what would other people say, student-teacher relationship, longing for love, and so on.

One of the question I had in mind was: how do you teach a student anything when the student is blind, deaf and cannot speak. The answer was given in the movie, and it made total sense.

Another great thing in the movie was how Mr. Sehai tells Michelle that 'black' is power and strength, and not evil and loneliness. The fact the Mr. Sehai takes the time to tell Michelle all the positive aspects of the color black was really interesting, since I always associated the color black with evil, darkness and scary stuff. The most touching part for me in the flm was how the young and old Michelle acted in film. I was convinced that the actress is actually blind and deaf, and all small nuances made a huge impact in the acting. The transformation the two main actors went through to portray the characters on screen is convincing enough to make me believe in the reality of the characters.

Black is not your regular Hindi film pot-boiler. It is actually a very different film, and at times I felt like as if I was watching an English film. I am very sure this movie will be nominated for Best Foreign film at the Oscars. I think there should be more Indian films like this, and Bollywood should do away with the escapist type of films, which are filled with lovey-dovey songs, overly-romaticized relationships, songs in Switzerland, one hero fighting of ten villains, fight scenes and all.

Mansur

Movie :: The Shawshank Redemption

Hello all,

"Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free." What am I talking about? Thats the tagline from one of my favorite movie of all time: The Shawshank Redemption!

I remember it was back in 1995 when I got the movie on video. I was only watching it primarily because it is an adaption of the novella written by Stephen King. I wanted to see how well the adaptation is. In the process, I got much more that just a movie. I got a life lesson.

In short, the story is told from Red's (Morgan Freeman) point of view. He is convicted of a crime and is in prison, which is called Shawshank. Andy (Tim Robbins) is wrongly convicted of a crime and is also sent to the prison. He goes through a very difficult time intially, being beaten and raped, but then, as he talks to Red, ultiamtely says what forms the crux of the movie: you either get busy dying, or get busy living! At the time, I did not really pay much attention, but as I watched the movie several times more, I let that one line affect me more and more. Andy, who goes through a difficult time in prison, ultimately chooses to live his life, and not let all the unfortunate cirsumstances bog him down. Andy's actions affect Red, and Red ultimately finds himself, and realizes who he is as a person, and when he arrives at the parole office, he is freed after convincing the parole officers about his convictions and what he learned from his time in prison. It is the Shawshank prison where Red redeems himself.

What was heart-warming for me though was what the tag line says: FEAR can hold you prisoner, but, HOPE can set you free. I can let fear take control of me, and it can be fear of smallest of small things (like lizards and cockraoches) to public speaking, to presentations, to marriage to fear of death. But I can reverse my thinking, and instead of fear, can begin to hope. I can hope for a successful out come of public speaking, hope the jury likes my presentations, hope for a successful marriage and hope for a life in heaven in the afterlife. Once I begin to hope, I know there is personal freedom. I think like a new person, someone who is set free by the hope, and not captivated by fear.

This movie has become one of my favorite movie, because it is a great metaphor for how life should be lived. Plus it has one of the best twists in the movie, long before the Sixth Sense came out! The movie did not do too well when it came out on the theatres, and people shied away from it. Once it came out on video, it became a classic. Now it is one of the most watched movies. I would highly recommend you to watch it. If you have seen it, would love to know what you thought about it! :)

Mansur

Book :: The Kite Runner

Hey,

Since I wrote down the books I have read, and am reading at present, I want to take this opportunity to talk to you about my favorite book so far: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

This is a story of an Afghan man, Amir, who migrated to the US due to the damage done to his native country of Afghanistan. He writes about the time he was growing up in Kabul. His best friend was his servant’s son, Hassan. The title Kite Runner refers to Hassan, who is the best person in Kabul to run after the kite after Amir, who is an expert to fly kites, has cut it. Something devastating happens to Hassan, of which both Amir and Hassan have to bear the cruel circumstances. Their friendship is torn apart, are separated and totally changes their lives forever.

“Unfolding against Afghanistan’s destructive history, from the fall of the monarchy to the oppression of the Northern Alliance to the advent of the Taliban, The Kite Runner is the heartbreaking story of fathers and sons, friendship and betrayal, the casualties of fate, and the possibility of redemption.”

What touched me the most in this book were two things. One, the portrayal of the father-son relationship, which is often rocky and unfulfilled. The pain, and the desperate need of approval of his father, Amir has to live life knowing that his father is too busy for him. Two, the friendship between Amir and Hassan. Something devastating happens, and friends react differently to what one would expect and drift apart. The awesome thing is that although the relationships have been broken, there is redemption for Amir. He is able to give new life to the dead relationship.

The book starts off slow, because it takes time to establish the characters and to familiarize with the family members and the ritual of running for kites. Once that shocking incident happens, the book reads like a fast paced novel. I simply could not put it down and managed to finish it within two days. I wanted to know desperately what happens at the end. I wanted to know so much if Amir can redeem his past relationships. Of course, there are loads of shocks, surprises, twists and anti-climax occurring in the book that I could not see from afar. Highly recommended, and my favorite book of the year, so far!

Mansur

Movie :: Cube & Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Hi friends,

I watched two movies today, and funnily enough, both movies required me to make more use of my grey matter in my brain. One was called Cube, which is an independent Canadian sci-fi film, and the other one is called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (don’t ask me what the title means!)

Cube, which has a cast of unknown actors, was the better of the two movies for me. It is a sci-fi, suspense film. It starts of by one man waking up in a room, which is a cube shaped. There are 6 doors leading off from each side of the room, all four walls, and ceiling and floor. He opens one, and proceeds to the next room. From the new room, he opens another door, and crash!bang!boom! He sets of the booby trap and is killed horribly. That is just a preview of what’s to come. We follow six more characters that all wake up in this room, with no previous recollection of how they got there. They are the Cop, Student, Doctor, Escape Artist, Mute and an Architect (!). They all try to figure out how to proceed to the next room, without entering one which has the booby traps. Each of them has a gift and they all put to use their gift to get out of the cube. For most of the time, you are sitting there wondering what the Cube is, will they ever get out and is the next room they enter a safe one!

Cube is a great movie, because it comments on how the social structure of the society is breaking down. The people argue and bicker, but at times do wonders when they work collectively. There are a lot of symbolisms in the movie, but it is interesting to know that there can be more than several interpretations to this movie. This movie came out in 1997, and somehow is not widely available on the market. If you get the chance, watch it, and be prepared to use your grey matter!

The other movie I watched is called Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. Carrey and Winslet play two characters that meet up in a subway train and decide to stay together. After a tumultuous relationship, Winslet enlist the services of Lacuna, who erase the memories Winslet has of Carrey and their relationship. Carrey meets up with Winslet again, and Winslet, not knowing who Carrey is, ignores him. Carrey is upset and he also proceeds to get the same procedure done. While at the time of his memories being erased of the girl he loved, he realizes that they shared a deeper passion, and in the midst of the procedure, realizes that he does not want to have her erased after all. The rest of the movie follows how the company is after Carrey’s memories, and how Carrey is fleeing from them to save his memories.

It is a heavy movie, no doubt, and we managed to get through the movie with the subtitles on. There are confusing scenes, where you don’t realize what’s happening. Having said that, I thought it was an interesting concept and got me thinking, is there any part of my memory that I would like to have erased? Maybe some sad incident or some unpleasant one in my life? But then, maybe that memory served a purpose in my life. I mean, lets say, I had a bad relationship with a girl in school. Would I want to erase that memory just because it makes me sad and angry—but then again, that particular memory serves a springboard for me to deal with such situation and emerging as a stronger person. Both movies were critically acclaimed, and have been widely watched. As for me, I am going to relax in my bubble bath now to drain away all the heavy thinking!

Take care,

Mansur

Book :: Life of Pi

Hello friends,

When someone recommended me to read the Life of Pi, I kind of refused to do. I am not a big maths fan, and I was not in a mood to read something about that mystery Pi number used in trigonometry. However, at the bookshop, I saw the cover of the book and decided to read it. It is quite a fascinating cover. A small lifeboat, with a dark skinned boy curled up on side, and a Royal Bengal tiger on the other side of the boat, drifting on the ocean, surrounded with sharks underwater. Hmm, this doesn’t seem like anything to do with maths. I was not prepared for what I read in this book.

To make you comfortable, all you maths hater, Pi is actually a short nickname for the narrator of the story, whose real name is Piscine Molitor Patel. Pi is named after a swimming pool, which his father went to in France. Piscine is French for ‘pool.’ Pi is an Indian boy, who recounts his tumultuous childhood humorously. The highlight of his experiences is when he decides to be a Hindu, Christian and a Muslim, all at the same time. He attends the mosque on Fridays, temple on Saturdays and church on Sundays. It is so fascinating to know how Pi gets involved in all three religions, and one of the funniest passages in the book is when the Imam, Hindu priest and the Christian priest all end up at Pi’s parents house to convince them that their faith is the true one!

Pi also talks about his interest in Zoology and Religious Studies, which he double majored in at a university in Canada. He talks about the animal life, and connects the animal kingdom to how God made the animals and how they all co-relate and co-exist with one another! However, the highlight of the book, which forms the chunk of the book, is when the ship that Pi and his family are traveling in to Canada is shipwrecked, and Pi takes refuge in a lifeboat. Alongside with him on the boat are a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan… and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger!

Short, and I mean short, summary: Pi is a student of zoology and religious studies, and his childhood was spent in India, where his father was the owner of a zoo. He recounts his experiences as he dabbles with religion and other spiritual matters. His family decides to emigrate to Canada, and so they sail on a ship with all the animals. The ship is wrecked, and Pi manages to get on a lifeboat, and with him several of the animals, the tiger being the most ferocious one. The rest of the book talks about his experiences on the boat, and I am not going to talk about anything else because you have to read it!! =)

I cannot tell you how much fun I had reading this book, When I finished it, I felt like as if I was right there with Pi on his shipwrecked lifeboat. I felt like as if I had just returned to my home after traveling with Pi on the raging seas. I could still smell the tiger’s breath, the salty waters, the smell emanating from dead animals, the sounds of waves crashing against the shore and Pi’s thoughts! Ultimately, I think what the writer wanted to convey through the story was that the world is obviously created by a Creator, and when you look at nature in it entirety, it is difficult to not believe that there is a God. Life of Pi is the winner of The Man Booker Prize 2002. I don’t know where I was when this book came out! I plan on reading it again and again!

Warmly,

Mansur

Movie :: The Woodsman

Hi everyone,

The movie review for this week is: The Woodsman.

The Woodsman stars Kevin Bacon and his real-life wife Kyra Sedgwick. Bacon plays a pedophile that has been released from jail after 12 years. He starts work at a timber factory and is given a place to stay at, which is ironically opposite a children’s school He meets this woman at the work place and they embark on a dangerous love affair, and once he discloses why he was in jail, their love story takes a tumble. All the while, there is an officer who visits Bacon regularly to monitor his progress and all. Will the woman stay in his life? Will Bacon succumb to temptations? Will he be successfully treated of his sickness? Will the small schoolgirl he meets damage him and her?

This movie is not for the faint-hearted, or for the squeamish. The subject matter is such that its not comfortable viewing. The movie takes us into a mind of a pedophile and the struggles he undergoes. They are, after all, humans as well. Just because they do something which is not accepted by society does not mean they should cursed and banished. Bacon does a superb portrayal of a man stuck between his desires to be healed and temptations that draw him closer to some of the school kids. One scene, in particular, totally riveted me and I was so uncomfortable. Bacon sees this one girl, who goes to the local park/ woods to do some bird watching. Bacon follows her one day and they strike up a conversation. It is finally revealed that the girl gets no attention from her father, and so she enjoys Bacon’s company. Bacon finally asks the girl, “Would you like to sit on my lap?” I won’t tell you, because you have to see it to see the powerful drama. The whole set up is one disturbing, unsettling scene.

I think it was a great movie because it deals with a subject matter that is taboo, and yet pretty much existence. The acting is controlled, and well acted, and Bacon does a great job of drawing sympathy, as well as hatred, for the way the character thinks. We want for him to succeed and overcome his disease, yet we also hate him for what he does to little children. In the whole movie, there are no scenes between Bacon and any kids, save for one I mentioned above. This movie is not about pedophilia or abuse of children; it’s about what a pedophile goes through in his mind. It carefully draws a line between sympathizing and chastising Bacon’s character. We are not asked to show our support for him, yet we are not asked to shun him. We are simply asked to see who he is and the struggles he has to face. A brave, strong and well-intentioned movie.

Mansur

Movie :: The Village

Hi friends,

The Village is probably the most misunderstood movie since it was released. It is directed by the same man who brought us The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. I am not going to stop myself from revealing the twist in the movie because that is essential to my take on the movie.

The movie starts off in a village somewhere in rural America. People are dressed up in old colonial style clothes, and there is no sign of modern civilization. There are no telephones, televisions or even electricity. The people of the village eat together and they are basically a close-knit group of people. The rules and decisions are made by a group of elders who are in charge of the village. However, people are forbidden to venture beyond the village into the woods, because those “creatures” are there. These creatures are attracted to the color red, which is why all red berries and flowers are thrown away if they are seen anywhere in the village. These creatures sometimes enter the village, and everyone has to hide in their basement bunkers. The entire village is surrounded with fire-lit torches to prevent the “creatures” from entering.

To make a long story short, there are two men who love the same women, who is blind. One of the men shoots the other man out of jealousy. The man who shoots is also somewhat a looney. The man who is shot is the one who the girl loves. The girl decides to venture beyond the woods to go to some bigger town to get the medicines. So the girl’s father takes her to a secret shed and reveals to her * plot spoiler * there are no creatures. The girl’s father reveals to her that the looney man would actually disguise himself as the creature and try to scare the people so they wouldn’t go beyond the woods. The girl leave the village, encounters another ‘creature’ in the woods, which is killed and eventually reaches a boundary wall of some sorts. Once she is over the wall, we see a car coming. We suddenly realize, with intercuts between the girl and the elders back in the village that * plot spoiler * that these people are actually living in the 21st century.

It transpires that each of the Elders had someone close to them die or been through a tragedy of the worst sorts, so they decide to leave the modern civilization and live in a village, secluded and isolated from the rest of the world. For them, it was a return to innocence.

For one to appreciate this, one has to understand the motivation behind it. The director made this movie in response to the events of 9/11, where he felt that a lot of people were affected by such a huge tragedy, and would have liked to return to innocence. One could read deeper into the move by even comparing the group of Elders to Bush’s Cabinet. However, the director chooses to keep the movie personal and emotional, as opposed to political and brash.

I for one certainly enjoyed the movie the second time I watched it, since the first time I was confused with the twists in the movie and was like “is that it?” Once I saw it again, I appreciated the movie on a whole new level. I also long to escape the myriad distraction of modern civilizations. While I don’t deny the amazing benefits that modern inventions has given us, I would like to distance myself from it at the same time. I see so many people who are caught up in the rat race of trying to make the most money, to get the latest phone, to get the latest car, to follow the latest fashion, to attend the most talked about party and so on. If I don’t keep up with the Jones’ so to speak, I will be left behind. I want to relinquish my cell phone and just live on my landline phone. I want to relinquish my email and live on postal mail. But the situation is such that I am forced into keeping an email account and cell phone.

Don’t get me wrong. These inventions are great and beneficial as well, but I personally would like to do without it. I am sure some of you are thinking, gosh, what a hypocrite, since he is blogging on the Internet. Like I said, I am not against it, I just wish I did not have to live with it.


I remember growing up in Saudi; I had such an innocent childhood. People would be very neighborly, so much so, my brother and I would play with them on the roof of our building every singe day, despite the different ages, religious and racial backgrounds. I see kids today and I see kids glued to the TVs, music that they should not really be listening to, addicted to the internet, young boys and girls dressed up like teenagers and so on. Where is that innocence? Where is that time when people were neighborly? Where is that time when I would see kids playing out on the empty plots? Are we coming to an end of innocence of children or am I deceived? Which is why I love that movie Phenomenon, starring John Travolta. That movie is all about making a return to innocence, and then realizing that you cannot return to innocence without having to endure complications in life! That would have be in a completely different post. Anyhow I got off track, keep this perspective in mind, and maybe you would learn to appreciate the movie as well!

Mansur

Book :: Reading List

Hey there,

When the year 2004 began, I had made one resolution. I had resolved to read more books. I planned on reading one book per week. That means that I should have read at least 32 books by now. However, I have read only about 27 books now, with more waiting to be picked up from my bookshelf. These are the ones I have read or have started reading it.

* In Progress
** Recommended
*** My Favorite Book So Far

Mansour’s Reading List:
1) A Child Called It--- Dave Pelzer**
2) The Lost Boy--- Dave Pelzer
3) A Man Named Dave--- Dave Pelzer 4) Help Yourself--- Dave Pelzer
5) God Has A Dream--- Desmond Tutu**
6) The Kite Runner--- Khaled Hosseini***
7) Life Of Pi--- Yann Martel***
8) House of Bush, House of Saud--- Craig Unger
9) Plan of Attack--- Bob Woodward
10) Bush At War--- Bob Woodward
11) Les Miserables--- Victor Hugo*
12) The Alchemist--- Paulo Coelho
13) Manual of the Warrior of Light--- Paulo Coelho
14) Brick Lane--- Monica Ali*
15) Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff--- Richard Carlson
16) Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff with Family--- Richard Carlson
17) The Five People You Meet In Heaven--- Mitch Albom**
18) The Bookseller of Kabul--- Anne Seirstad*
19) Living the 7 Habits--- Sean Covey
20) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens--- Sean Covey
21) Sunni and Shiah Perspective on Islam--- Dr. Ahmad Salamah**
22) The Highway Code(I needed to know the rules of good driving, knowing that no one follows rules here in Jeddah!)
23) Stupid White Men--- Michael Moore**
24) Downsize This! --- Michael Moore
25) Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right--- Al Franken
26) Five Past Midnight in Bhopal--- Dominique LaPierre and Javier Moro
27) Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Skeptical Muslim--- Ziauddin Sardar **

The following books are on my bookshelf and are waiting to be read:

1) To Kill a Mockingbird--- Harper Lee
2) Maps for Lost Lovers--- Nadeem Aslam
3) Traveling with Djinns--- Jamal Mahjoub
4) The Namesake--- Jhumpa Lahiri

If anyone of you have read a good book lately, please let me know. Click on the Make a Comment icon and just write the name of the book.

Thanks. Sincerely,

The Bookworm, Mansur

Music :: Freedom, Passion and Sacrifice

Hi all,

there is a song by the Pakistani Sufi rock band Junoon that I really like to listen to. It was a song used for the movie, Jinnah. The song title is Azaadi, which means, "Freedom." "

Junoon se,
aur ishq se,
milti hai azaadi!

Qurbani ki bahon mein,
milti hai azaadi."

This means:

"With Passion, and with Love,
We get Freedom.
In the Arms of Sacrifice,
We get Freedom."

I listen to this song, because it talks about attaining Freedom, and although the song was used in the movie to convey the emotional, physical and spiritual struggle the Pakistanis went through to get a separate homeland from India, I think that the song can also be applied on a very personal level, to those who are seeking Freedom! With PASSION, LOVE, and SACRIFICE, can we get FREEDOM!

Yours singing away,

Mansur

Music :: Hero

Hi friends,

One of my all time favorite songs by Mariah Carey. I know for sure there is a Hero in all of us; we just need to cultivate our souls and bring out the Hero in us. Hero doesnt mean, in the traditonal sense, someone rescuing others from the edge of the cliff. A hero can be someone who has made a huge difference in your life. Like, I have a certain Hero here in Sharjah; someone I look up to. He helps me in all the ways he can. When I am down he knows exactly how to get me up; and when I am up, he is there to share my happiness with me.

"There's a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don't have to be afraid
Of what you are

There's an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away

And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive

So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you It's a long road

When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand
For you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt
Will disappear

Lord knows Dreams are hard to follow
But don't let anyone
Tear them away
Hold on
There will be tomorrow
In time You'll find the way"

Mansur

Movie :: The Lord of the Rings

Hey friends,

I finished watching The Lord of the Rings last night and I was on an emotional high. I think, no matter what, you have to see the movie in its entirety. I took about 4-5 days top watch it. Each movie is spread over two discs, and so in all I watched 6 discs worth of movie. It is an experience not to be missed. This is what the movies are all about.

I was certainly transported to Middle Earth and I felt like I was with Mr. Frodo and Samwise Gamgee on their trip to Mordor Mountains to destroy the ring! I could not believe how involved I had become with the characters. I was sympathetic/ angry at Smeagol/ Gollum; I was desperate for Mr. Frodo to make it to Mount Mordor; I wanted Aragorn to be re-united with Arwen; I wanted Saruman to die; I wanted the four hobbits to get together! Having been with them for the whole journey, the ending was just so emotional, with Mr. Frodo leaving his group of friends.

If anything, watch the movie in its entirety-- its an expereince not to miss. If I can be picky there are three things that were bugging me:

1) Pippin, the hobbit, was just too annoying for me. The many times he makes a mistake, he just annoyed me a lot. I was beginning to get irritated from him.
2) Where does Legolas gets his endless supply of arrows? Everytime I see his backpack, he has about a handful, and yet he is continuing to shoot arrows as if the supply is endless?
3) At the end, Gandalf comes on an Eagle to lift Mr. Frodo and Samwise from the Mordor Mountain. Why didn't Gandalf lend his Eagle to Mr. Frodo at the beginning to take him to the mountain so Mr. Frodo could save all the walk?

However, despite that, my favorite scene in the movies were:

1) The Mines of Moria sequence (Part one)
2) The Battle at Helm's Deep (Part two) I was freaking out at the sequence with She-Lob, that huge spider. I was shaking and wincing at the scene. Gosh, I hate spiders and I could not imagine Mr. Frodo and Samwise dealing with that huge spider!

Mansur

Movie :: Phenomenon

Hey you guys!

Since someone requested for me to write more about my favorite movies, I wanted to write about Phenomenon. Many many people who I know watched this movie, and they said that we fell asleep through the movie. They find it too serious, mundane, no excitement, bad soundtrack and plain boring! But to me, it is a movie that speaks out to me and I love it! Phenomenon was released in 1996 and it stars John Travolta, Forest Whitaker and Robert Duvall.

It is about this one simple man, George, who lives in a countryside. His best friend, Nate, is a farmer who fails miserably to grow healthy crops. In this town moves a woman, Lace, with two kids in tow, having left her husband. George tries his best to get to know Lace, but Lace refuses to meet any new men because she is still hurting from her previous relationship.

On George's birthday, as he stumbles out drunk after the party, he sees this bright light in the outer sky. Soon, the light draws closer and George is struck by this mysterious light. George is blinded for a few seconds and falls to the ground. Soon he re-enters the restaurant, and starts telling people about the light he saw. In the midst of it, he moves around the chess pieces that two people are playing and in one simple moves checkmates one player. No one in the restaurant believes George and think he is drunk. George goes home and is restless. He starts reading books. He starts inventing things. He can begins to predict earthquakes. He devises products to help his friend grow healthy crops. He also begins to understand the people around him.

But, despite George's ability to do great things, some people misunderstand him and try to move him away from themselves. Soon he is losing out on his friends and no one wants to be with George. In an accident, he hurts himself and sees the mysterious light disappear. Later in the hospital, he is told that he has brain tumor. I will not spoil the ending for you. Why I like this movie is because it speaks to me. In some ways, I can relate to George.

I used to be someone who would fail to understand things around me in this world. Living in Saudi Arabia, under such a sheltered and comfortable life, I had no idea of the big bad world out there. Once I left, I learnt new things and over the years developed myself into the person I am today. Sure there are some people who do not like the way I am, since I would not join with them in smoking, drinking and drugs, or share their passion for pornography. Because I choose to do this, the other people choose to not hang out with me. So anyways, I can go on and on about the whole thing, but I just wanted to let you know why I like the movie Phenomenon so much. Plus, it has one of the best songs, Change the World by Eric Clapton and one of my favorite love songs Crazy Love by Aaron Neville.

Ok guys, I am out of here!

Mansur

Book :: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Hey everyone,

Last night, I was up for two hours and finally finished reading the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, who is a Britisher. It was a great read and a lot of fun as well.

Its about this 15 year old boy who is a super genius in maths, but very poor in understanding in other people and human relationships. His mother is dead and he is living with his father. One fine day, his neighbor's dog is killed with the garden fork. And our 15 year old boy sets out on a mission to discover who killed the dog. In the process, he stumbles upon other mysteries of his life! It is written in a very different way than a normal novel is written.

It is completely in first person, and reads more like a diary of the boy. It is a detective novel, but there are other elements interspersed as well. This book is also a winner of the Guardian Fiction award in the UK. It may seem like a kids book, but it clearly isn't when some of the charactrs use some swear words and some of the issues, like divorce and affairs are discussed. I would highly recommend it since it is a great and easy read, and you are unlikely to read another novel like this.

Take care you all,

Mansur

Music :: Pehla Nasha

Hey all,

If anything, my favorite Indian movie is called Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander. This movie was released back in the early 90s. I remember when I was having my mocks exams in the month of February. My uncle had made me listen to the song from the movie called Pehla Nasha (First Intoxication).

I simply fell in love with the song, and I would listen to it over and over again. So crazy I was over the song, I had this song playing back to back on a cassette on both sides. Once my mocks were over, I sat down and watched the movie. Towards the end of the movie, I was so engrossed into it, I felt like I was in the movie. When the end was over, I was just so amazed bythe whole experience of it: the truimph of the human spirit!

The song Pehla Nasha is unlike any other Indian song, and the picturization of the song is done superbly. I also remember for my Art Appreciation class in school, I showed my entire year the video for the song Pehla Nasha, knowing that half the class would not understand the language! It is a song I still listen today and have to yet to listen to another Indian song that is as good as this. In fact, I am listening to it right. I think this will be that one song which I will tell my children one day that Pehla Nasha is a classic! On top of that, this particular song reminds me a special friendship I had in school.

Mansur

Music :: Stuck On You

Hi friends,

You know what?

There are certain songs that I listen to now, I am instantly transported back to when I was an innocent, naive little boy going to school. On my rough days, I wish I could be that little boy, living a sheltered life, with no worries of life. Hakuna Matata (if you dont know what this means, go watch The Lion King!)

A lot of the songs include: All night long, Careless whispers, Crazy for you, Hello, Thriller, Take on me, Time after time, We are the world, Don't worry be happy, Turn back the clock, Heaven is a place on earth, Man in the mirror, Right here waiting and so many others. However, the one that is guaranteed to take me back to my innocent days is a song by Lionel Richie called Stuck On You.

As childish as I may sound, I can begin to weep as soon as the first line is sung, because all the memories from my school days come back to my mind as if everything just happened yesterday. I am so thankful that I am able to have sweet memories from the past. I know I am talking like an old man, which I am certainly not, and as someone who is not married yet, I know I have many more memories to make.

Mansur
PS. Do any of you have that one song which can take you back many years in an instant?