Of Histrionics -In Parliament & Gotham
It’s one thing to know that every trust vote in parliament inevitably involves some amount of horse trading. It’s quite another, and frankly quite disgusting, to watch national telecasts of stacks of notes spilling out of duffel bags on the floor of the house and irate MPs waving them about as proof of the scandalous (really? what's new?) bribery. The news networks didnt tire of relaying the scenes over and over again. When I caught the latest over breakfast Wednesday morning, Amar Singh was responding to allegations that he had brokered the whole deal. 'Are these guys political prostitutes, they are on sale?' he fumes on TV. He had such a straight face on. I almost threw up my cereal.
In another report online, I caught this. "What is this plot?.. I have never met them (accusing MPs) in life. I am not such a fool that I will trade with an unknown person.” So would he have traded had they been known politicians?!
Nothing else on TV really matches up to the histrionics in Parliament this week. Talking of histrionics, a performance worth watching was in the new Batman flick 'The Dark Knight'. I caught that last Sunday. Though it was not high on my must-see meter, I have since changed my mind.
It’s a long movie (almost 3 hrs) but makes up with some commendable performances by its stars. Watch it for a stellar performance from (the late) Heath Ledger as the Joker. The hugely talented actor didn’t overdo the histrionics yet, in a subtle way, is downright scary.
I am not a true blue action fan but some of the sequences did leave me wide-eyed. Particularly the one in which Batman (Christian Bale) crashes into Lau's HongKong office and literally airlifts him to Gotham City was stunning. And the scene in which the Joker, looking creepy in a nurse's white dress, walks away after blowing up the Gotham City hospital, left me with goosebumps.
There are some not-so-ingenious parts in the movie. That whole ferry episode was so..uh..lame. Showing two ferry-load of people willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of humanity..it was almost like canned magnanimity. And what ticked me off most was that hoarse, Darth Vaderesque voice Bale adopts when he dons the Batsuit. Its neither sexy nor scary. Just annoying.
The movie has already broken some BO records in the US though not every film critic is giving it a glowing review (check out one from the New Yorker here). But most folks here who have seen it have come away impressed.
In another report online, I caught this. "What is this plot?.. I have never met them (accusing MPs) in life. I am not such a fool that I will trade with an unknown person.” So would he have traded had they been known politicians?!
Nothing else on TV really matches up to the histrionics in Parliament this week. Talking of histrionics, a performance worth watching was in the new Batman flick 'The Dark Knight'. I caught that last Sunday. Though it was not high on my must-see meter, I have since changed my mind.
It’s a long movie (almost 3 hrs) but makes up with some commendable performances by its stars. Watch it for a stellar performance from (the late) Heath Ledger as the Joker. The hugely talented actor didn’t overdo the histrionics yet, in a subtle way, is downright scary.
I am not a true blue action fan but some of the sequences did leave me wide-eyed. Particularly the one in which Batman (Christian Bale) crashes into Lau's HongKong office and literally airlifts him to Gotham City was stunning. And the scene in which the Joker, looking creepy in a nurse's white dress, walks away after blowing up the Gotham City hospital, left me with goosebumps.
There are some not-so-ingenious parts in the movie. That whole ferry episode was so..uh..lame. Showing two ferry-load of people willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of humanity..it was almost like canned magnanimity. And what ticked me off most was that hoarse, Darth Vaderesque voice Bale adopts when he dons the Batsuit. Its neither sexy nor scary. Just annoying.
The movie has already broken some BO records in the US though not every film critic is giving it a glowing review (check out one from the New Yorker here). But most folks here who have seen it have come away impressed.
Comments
I agree with you that Heath Kedger is brilliant as the Joker
-sauron
Anupam - I guess we are all in agreement that Heath Ledger was brilliant. What a sad loss of talent. And yes, 3 crores does seem cheap. :)
Sauron - I felt the movie was trying to show the humane side of Batman too and not his evil side. eg. the scene when they show his bruises when he takes off his batsuit.
Anonymous - When you say they the movie was trying to show the humane side of joker, you were kinda wrong...Let me tell you why...
In the movie the Joker tells two different stories to two different people regarding his scars. To one man he says something to the effect of that his father was a drunk and that he liked to rough people up. One day he was more drunk that normal and started to hit his mother. The Joker, only a boy at the time, saw his mother have to defend herself with and knife and wasn’t enjoying himself enough and apparently received a “smile.” Why so serious? The second story, told to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character, Rachel Dawes, at a party for Harvey Dent. The Joker finds Rachel and grabs her, wanting to know where Harvey is located so he can kill him. When Rachel won’t speak, he sets into a different story. This story was about his wife, who, getting in too deep with gambling sharks has her face hideously disfigured, or carved as the Joker says. The joker says he just wants her to smile again, and does it to himself. Ironically, his wife can’t stand the site of him and leaves. (The comics tell a different story, in which he falls into acid which makes his hair turn green, his lips bright red and turn into a permanent smile, and his skin very pale. O’ that strong comic book acid, how you disfigure in so many in so many ways!)
At least in the movie, the Joker’s scars are his message. He is a freak, for whichever story you like best. The truth is that the Joker is almost definitely lying about the origins of his scars. To the Joker, his scars are important because they remind him of his ideals. He is an anarchist. He doesn’t believe in the conventions of the world, only the conventions that will distract people from the illusions of the world.
Cheers