Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

I'm a Vonnegut virgin - I'll start with that. I've never read his work before so if you're expecting a detailed review stacking up 'Breakfast of Champions' to his other works, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Incidentally, Breakfast of Champions (BoC from here on) is also an awesome title that is a compelling argument in itself to read this book. Plus, it is layered with copious amounts of subtext which you will notice only after reading the book.

Now, moving on and sticking to the virgin metaphor, I've heard Vonnegut quoted so often that if I didn't know any better, I'd have to assume that he was some kind of writing demi-god capable of impregnating people's minds by the mere flick of his pen. For all I knew, he was sex itself. 

But like most first time experiences under the covers, Vonnegut's BoC is a whelming experience. Not over-whelming, nor under. Just whelming. It's a good book that will satisfy you but one that will never really enjoy. It's a teaser of all the fun that can be had with the writer but not really a very memorable experience in itself.

The book is a satire on American cultures and values, and in a broader sense, on human nature itself. It has some excellent metaphors and the dilemma of one of the two lead characters, Dwayne Hoover, wherein he believes everyone but himself to be an unfeeling robot set on Earth just for his purposes raises some deep philosophical questions that beg to be answered.

There are also stories within the story in the form of books written by Kilgore Trout, the other lead character, who is a poor science fiction writer. It is one of his works that sets the aforementioned Dwayne off into his delusion about unfeeling robots. These numerous 'books' spread across the course of the story act as mini parables which draw interesting parallels with the different plagues of our day and age. For example, there's a story of a planet the inhabitants of which are automobiles who live off oil and eventually make their world inhabitable. I don't need to explain what this is supposed to signify and there are many more such books in there that talk about everything from wasting food to the ostracization of intelligence.

And this is where BoC's problems begin. As it is Vonnegut utilizes a very abstract form of story telling which is a mixture of text riddled with crude hand made drawings. Add to that the two dozen or so ideas he tries to propagate at once, and the whole thing starts feeling less like a book and more like a long, winded sermon. I don't know about you, but I prefer my books to more subtle with their ideas (or at least have strong forward momentum with their stories) rather than trying to hammer them in.

But that's not to say that the ideas he pushes aren't worthwhile. If anything, they have made me mull over them plenty during the course of my reading. There are some deep and disturbing thoughts he brings to the surface that we all must acknowledge. And there are some genuinly witty laughs to be had while pondering over them. The characters are sharp and well thought out, and there is a deliberate chess-like pace to the story as all the pieces move to their predestined conclusion. It's just a shame that in the end, the otherwise interesting premise comes off as secondary to the ideas expressed in the story rather than the other way around.

At the end of the day it's all a matter of taste I suppose. BoC is more akin to Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' in its abstract story centred around strong philosophical messages, and less like Neil Gaiman's 'American Gods' which is also a take on American culture and vices, albeit with more emphasis on the story. 

BoC is not a book for everyone (and probably not even me) but it is an intelligent one. I'll give it that. Vonnegut is a master of the inner workings of human behaviour, and while I may not have really enjoyed the story that much, you know a book is always worthy of being read if it makes you ponder over it for days after.

— Sidharth Sreekumar

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

You know you’ve read something truly wonderful when you can’t stop thinking about it — even when you are asleep. Like the kind of book that digs its way under your skin and quietly makes a tiny hovel in the most forgotten recesses of your heart.

There aren’t many such books, but I tell you now without any doubt — The Book Thief is one of them. Beautiful. That's how I would describe it if I had just one word to breathe.

Beautiful.

It’s a triumphant piece of literature that wrings you through the entire emotional spectrum. It will make you laugh and cry, fall in love, and hate venomously, and at the end of the day it will break your heart with the tenderest of care. This, my dear friends, is what storytelling is all about.

Set in the all too common setting of Nazi Germany with an all too common protagonist in the form of a surly 10 year old, Liesel Meminger is a girl surrounded by war and death. Given this, the book would seem to have a lot going against it and little new to offer, but that definitely isn’t the case here. From this pot of commonness, Markus Zusak manages to pull out the most alluring of tales. Like an expert magician with an empty hat, he manages to pull out not only a rabbit, but an entire cornucopia of delights and wonder.

The Book Thief also has the most unassuming of narrators, the unlikely Death which makes the entire experience somewhat surreal. Death, who was busier than any man in this dark period of our history, finds himself (herself?) drawn to this little girl with a dangerous habit of thieving books. Death’s observations are sometimes funny and often poignant, and serve as a reminder of the futility of war. It might seem like hammering in the point to some people, but maybe that's the point. We never learn, do we?

The world of Liesel Meminger is a magical world populated with characters that are as alive as any of us. And that is why it’s gut-wrenching knowing where all this is headed while the characters in the story still believe otherwise. From the stoic Hubermanns who take in a child to raise as their own and later on a Jew, to the wannabe negro and hopeless romantic, Andy, who shall forever be in love with Liesel, the book is rife with characters that will nest in your hearts for a long time after.

Also, the structure of the story is such that Mr. Zusak chooses to give us the ending right up front so that we don’t have any allusions of happy endings, but the journey there is such a beautiful one that we keep hoping against hope for a miracle (like no doubt many who lived in that time did). But we know the author isn’t lying. There are no real happy endings. Just lessons we learn along the way — in case we survive that long.

Part of the exigency in putting up this review now is thanks to the upcoming movie adaptation. Yes it’s got Geoffrey Rush in it, but by god! if it hasn't sucked the life and soul out of the original work like a monstrous amazonian tick in an Alan Quartermain story! Judging by the trailer, it seems as if they’ve thrown everything that was amazing and unique about the book by the wayside in favour of another generic, "up-lifting", World War II movie. BAH!

So do yourself a favour. Go pick up a copy of The Book Thief. Read it. It will do you good. It’s chicken soup for the soul but only better. And if you can’t afford it, borrow it from me. This is one book I believe everyone should read. It is human and real, and veined with a childlike innocence that will drive a splinter through your being. So go. Now. You can thank me later.

— Sidharth Sreekumar

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Here we go again!

First of all. . . WOW!! The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is an amazing movie! I made sure I didn't go in with any high expectations, but now that I've watched it I can safely tell you that it is safe to set the bar as high as you want. Peter Jackson has lived up to his promise of delivering a spectacle and then some. Sure, there are some minor technical issues and a lot of it depends on what you are expecting but at the end of the day THAUJ (yes, that's what I'm going to call it henceforth. For one, because it's easier, and mostly because it sounds somewhat like a dwarven name - THAUJ THE TERRIFIC) sweeps the floor with its competition.

Adapted from Tolkien's "The Hobbit" - the precursor to the LOTR, THAUJ is the first in the part of a new trilogy. Stretched and extended by heavily borrowing from the original book's footnotes and appendices, the movie is a much more detailed (and at times more tedious to some) retelling of the original.

As the first movie in the new prequel trilogy based on Tolkien's "The Hobbit"- the precursor to the LOTR - , THAUJ tells the story of how Bilbo Baggins (Frodo's uncle if you wish), a rather well-to-do and happy-as-you-please hobbit ends up being unsuspectingly sucked from his quiet home in the shire and thrown into a merry troop of dwarves on a quest to regain their lost homeland from the dragon Smaug the terrible - all courtesy of a familiar old wizard.

Riding on the back of something as magnificent as LOTR trilogy, it was always going to be an uphill task. But it is a task made much easier with an expert cast and the indelible Peter Jackson back at the helm. Seriously, we should just make a law that says any epic work of fantasy must and only must be handled by this man. This is his calling. This is his maksat in life. He brings to life Tolkien's works in a way no one else ever can.

Adapted by the very skilled team-up of Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro, THAUJ is the first of a sprawling three-part epic. While anyone who has read the book can you tell you that the original is not nearly as extensive to warrant three movies, let alone three, three-hour long movies, it is in this extension the true magic of THAUJ lies. The Hobbit book was never as nearly as descriptive as the LOTR and Peter Jackson has done well to pull in extra bits (which end up being more of the majority here) to weave another compelling journey tale.

THAUJ does well in all aspects of what a fantasy adventure should be —great characters, fantastic action, sufficient comedy and a well crafted world—and if there is one quibble most movie-goers will go home with is that it's a bit childish. Then again, so was the book — deal with it! There is no point in comparing this with its much superior and sterner cousin, instead just enjoy enjoy it for what it is — another delectable romp through the realms of Middle Earth.

Though the choice to go complete CGI might be a bit of an off-putter (as compared to the LOTR where CGI and old-school effects were mixed in equal quantities), as CGI has the uncanny ability of looking great in the present but ageing really fast over the years. There's a good chance that in a few years you will be laughing how fake the white orc looks.

But besides that, it is a thoroughly enjoyable movie—as long as you are ready to drop your LOTR based predilections. I am already looking forward to the next installment (which might have something to do with a certain Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch) Plus, its got an utterly hummable theme song that has the tendency to make you want to go hunting for lost magic rings yourself. Here you go...

Life Of Pi (movie)

A lot of people believe that the "3-D revolution" that is taking place in the wake of Avatar is just a fad, a new fangled attraction that will soon lose its charm without adding anything concrete to the art of cinematic story telling. But then again, the same was also though about CGI, color and sound, and look how they turned out. While it's true that 3-D has been beaten to an inch of its life in the past few years with every Tom, Dick and Michael Bay trying to squeeze in as many exploding robots and sissy face Shea Lepoops into every frame, it doesn't mean that the technology has no potential. All it needed was a skilled helmsman to take the oar and guide it to shore.

Enter Ang Lee.

Life of Pi had always been regarded as one of those unfilmable books. It was the story of Piscine Molitar Patel, or Pi, who was migrating to Canada with his family and a bunch of animals from the zoo they used to own in Pondicherry, when a storm capsizes their ship. Pi, the sole survivor, escapes on a life boat along with an odd menagerie of animals that include a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a bengal tiger, and makes his way across the Pacific ocean whilst coming to grasp the complexities of faith, life and everything in between.

As someone who had read the book a long time back, I had never imagined that I would ever get to see it play out on the big screen, let alone in 3-D. It was just that strange and mystical a story. But then I am glad to report, that this is one of those rare movies which actually does justice to its source material. Yes, the director has taken some creative liberties, but none of them that actually detracts anything from the whole experience. And the 3-D, let's just say that it is good enough to take a dive in and go for a swim.

Life of Pi is a movie that works on so many levels. It already had an amazing story that has been adapted with a tempered hand and then superbly directed for good measure. It has great performances from both Suraj Sharma, the newcomer and the star of the movie, and the eclectic cast of actors that support his tale. It has great CGI (at least that's what I think it was) that never makes you doubt for a moment the authenticity of Pi's carnivorous shipmate. And finally, it has fantastic cinematography that if nothing else will make you want to believe in God. Honestly, there are some shots that I don't think I will be forgetting any time soon. (you'll know them when you see them)

Ang Lee has always had a penchant for capturing the intrinsically beautiful but with Life of Pi he has outdone even himself. Hardly a frame goes by where you are not bombarded with either a riot of colors or a serene simplicity that you never knew could ever exist. From film roll to film end, Life of Pi seems like a giant canvas being painted over with the most meticulous of details. If nothing else, it is a work of art. I don't know any better way to put it.

But while I was swayed by the breathtaking visuals and enjoyed the steady handed direction of a movie that in lesser hands would have been worth less than a bowl of tiger crap, I could not help but be a bit dismayed at the ending. Maybe it was because I already knew what was coming, but somehow for all the beauty and spectacle that preceded it, the end never really caught me. I felt strangely disconnected as the final scenes played out. Maybe I was still lost in the thoughts of some of the most breathtaking moments caught on film I had ever seen or maybe there are some things that better felt read. Either way it did diminish a bit of the grandeur of the experience for me.

Nevertheless, that little hiccup aside, Life of Pi has been one of the most sumptuous movie experiences of the  year and definitely the most beautiful. I have never been happier since Avatar to have watched something in 3-D and especially on a giant screen. The tiger itself was worth the prize of admission. I don't know about oscars and the like but this definitely has earned a place in my books amongst the best of the year. Right beside Hugo, The Avengers, Moonrise Kingdom and Cloud Atlas.

p.s. and as a friend of mine pointed out. This is not an Indian movie people, so don't Slumdog Millionaire it!

Cloud Atlas (The Movie)

“Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime, and every kindness, we birth our future.” - Somni 451


My dear Sixsmith,

I witnessed a marvel today. A strange and beautiful movie called Cloud Atlas. At first it seemed too huge and unwieldy, ever in the danger of crumbling under its own weight. There was just so much to behold at once, and with a timeline that spanned centuries through six different stories it was almost inevitable that incoherence and confusion would somehow seep in. There is the story of friendship between Ewing and the black stowaway; the criminal mystery of Louisa Ray; the comical escapades of the elderly Mr. Cavendish; the inspiring uprising of Somni 431 - an android in a futuristic Seoul; a post-apocalyptic tale of a man searching for courage; and then there is our story Sixsmith, of love and loss, and inspiration that will forever define the future.

The movie constantly teetered on the edge of turning into a colossal mess, and to many people in the audience I realize that is just how it might have seemed judging by the vocal complaints flying during the show. It was at times incomprehensible, and to add to that many of the actors were cast in different roles in different stories. While Tom Hanks might be an innocuous doctor aiding with an investigation in one story, he would return as an Irish writer or a tribal goatherd in another. This just further added to the confusion. If you are not paying attention, it is easy to get lost in who is what and where.

But as it went on, as it wove six distinct and seemingly unconnected tales together, I began to fall in love with its imperfections and blemishes. Sure it was not perfect. Far from it. But, there are works of art, Sixsmith, and then there are labors of love, and Cloud Atlas is the latter. And like all true love it is not perfect - for all it struggles, it endures. Nobody can deny the heart that went into making this movie. Most such movies suffer because not enough though is put in though has been put into them. No one can say the same about Cloud Atlas. If anything, Cloud Atlas has too much thought out into, and with three directors all putting their all into it, you can almost literally see each of the separate stories battling it out on screen to be the better one. Each vignette seems like a hand-crafted story of different genres that will rarely be coupled together let alone be packed all six in one. A guarantee, that you have never seen anything quite like this before.

There is so much to say about this movie that I would never know where to begin. It is a movie with so much going on at once that it is sure to polarize audiences for decades to come. Like the rare few before it like Blade Runner, which have broken free of pre-existing moulds, there will be no person who comes out of the hall and say "it was ok". You will either love it or hate it. And like Blade Runner I might never fully understand grasp all the high ideals and concept that the movie concealed, but I do know this that yesterday, I believe I would never have done what I did today. I feel like something important has happened to me. Is this possible?

Watch Cloud Atlas.

Love,

Robert Frobisher

THE AVENGERS

Oh my god, I cant even think straight right now. If you can put adrenaline, passion, love, sex, and everything similar you can think of in a blender, puree it to hell, and down a dozen barrels of the concoction, you might just end up with a feeling similar to the one I had after watching ‘THE AVENGERS’. To say it is brilliant would be a gross understatement. It would be like saying the sun is warm or the universe is decently spacious. The movie is a miracle. Anyone who has even a slight understanding of the marvel universe, or has even seen the recent standalone pictures of Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, and the Hulk could fathom the insurmountableness of the task of putting them all together in one single two and a half hour movie. That’s like asking to fit the Hulk in a pepsi can. I can’t even begin imagining how one would even start with it, but if anyone can do it, it had to be Joss Whedon (Director).

I know a lot of people might be going to watch this movie just because of the lead characters, but for me the pull was knowing Mr. Whedon was at the helm. For those of you haven’t heard his name, think Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. I have loved all his previous works and expected a decent product from him. The trailers were a bit unconvincing though I must say but I was stoked enough by the time I entered the hall (I was the only guy there wearing an Avengers t-shirt).  The movie had a lot to live up for, mainly decades of comic book lore and the expectations of generations of fans, and I am glad to say that it not only meets them but surpasses them in Hulking leaps and bounds.

The movie first and foremost is about a team like none other. A team of heroes who are as likely to beat the crap out of each other as they are to pummel an enemy, and this is evident in every single frame. Captain America (Chris Evans) is your honorable, to-the-letter soldier, who has suddenly found himself displaced in time and struggling to keep up. His own stand alone movie left a lot to be desired, but in this outting I found myself cheering every time he stepped in front of the camera. His nobility has a way of reaching deep into your chest and tugging at the right strings to make you smile at his righteousness and courage. Robert Downey Jr. a.k.a. Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man is back to what he is doing best, i.e. pissing off every single person in the room. Be it taking on Thor in an all out battle (thundering), stealing secrets from under Nick Fury’s nose (cheeky), provoking Banner to turn into Hulk (comic), or taking potshots at Cap’ for his lack of modern day knowledge (witty), his blatant narcissism will win you over. And it doesn’t hurt that the Iron Man suit is more cooler than ever! (Yes Jaarvis, you too).

Thor will always be a tough character to tackle but as in his previous film, Chris Hemsworth fills the demi-god shoes perfectly. His otherworldly approach to every situation and his high-handed style of speech make him stand apart in this already heady crowd. Plus he’s got a super hammer and schoolboyish grin everytime he swings it, even at the Hulk whose praise I was leaving until the end.

First up three words – HULK! HULK! HULK! The show stealer, the show stopper, the master of ceremonies, the winner of the spotlight award -  the hulk yanks the movie all unto himself. If I loved the hulk before, I revere him now. He smashes, he busts heads, he is everything you expect from a superhero and more. You have to see it to believe it. His scenes will leave you screaming with joy and jumping from your seats whooping and dancing in the air. Hulk is the man! And Mark Ruffalo’s world weary, resigned Bruce Banner complements the severity of his alter-form completely. While the hulk is brutal, Banner finds repose in avoiding conflicts through wit. When the green rage monster will break bones at the slightest insult, Bruce will take everything thrown at him with a pinch of salt. It’s the perfect duality and my favorite character of the whole ensemble seeing that the Hulk has always been one of the most relatable superheroes of all time. The very concept of losing yourself to anger is a very humanly intrinsic characteristic, and knowing this allows you to appreciate his awesomeness even more.

And yes, yes, I have not forgotten – Scarlett Johansenn (Black Widow) is there too and she kicks ass like never before. She is stunning and beautiful and sexy and depending on your sexual preferences, the second best thing in the movie (the first still being the Hulk). Her story opens up even more and so does her relationship to Hawkeye (Brett Renner) who is also marvelous in his role too.

The most amazing thing in the movie perhaps is not the action (of which there is tones) but the amount of content that they have been able to cram into a single film. The character development is brilliant and even former fringe players like Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Agent Coulson get more etched out here than in all their other movies put together. All in all, each character is better represented here than in their own movies (Iron Man and Thor might be the only exceptions).

The story itself is a pretty simple one with Loki (Tom Hiddelston), banished from Aasgard at the end of Thor drifts off into space, returns with an alien army to take over the world, and Nick Fury assembles the avengers to defend us. But like they say, the devil is in the details, and so it is here. This movie is riddled with amazing conversations and meticulously placed jokes, most of them occurring in the midst of epic battles. Each characters relation with the other gets etched out during the course of the story and by the end what we have is a comprehensive understanding of what the Avengers are capable of – and with a major reveal at the end of the credits showing us the next villain -  you realize that this was infact just a two and half hour long prologue to what is yet to come. God bless us all.

IN SHORT: There is action, there is humor, there are heroes and there are villains. I wont spoil anything for you by describing any scene in length or short, because the whole thing is that amazing. This is a ride everyone must take for the love of their inner child. Unlike the recent dark turn comic book movies have taken since Nolan’s Batman, The Avengers embraces its roots unabashedly. Think of all the cartoons you watched, the comics you read, and the toys with which you played out fantasy fights. Whedon has captured them all. This is a movie meant for pure joy, and if you are even half as in love with any of the characters as I am, you will walk out with a major pain in your face muscles from carrying a ear to ear grin from title shot to credit roll.

VERDICT: BANG! brains blown out!

The Descendants

I love dysfunctional families. Don't ask why, i just do, there is just something oddly comforting about them and that is why i found The Descendants struck such a strong chord with me. At its core its a family drama about a man who finds out his wife was cheating on him, but its the superficial charm, wittiness, and overall sweetness of the whole story of a man struggling to figure out the WHY while at the same time stretching to hold his family together, that wins you over in the end.

George Clooney does a wonderful turn as Matt King, the protagonist of the story, and the man on a mission to find his wife's lover. Think about it. Bring to your mind the one person you truly care about, the one that you know you will be with forever - your names etched in stone, and then imagine finding out that they never really cared. That the person was cheating on you the whole time while you gave them your whole heart, never suspecting a thing, and that when you finally find out, the person is no longer even there to answer the burning WHY. Imagine this and you will know the agony of Matt King, as he struggles to cope with a dying wife in a coma on the one hand, and the revelation of her deceit on the other. Should he remain the dutiful husband and stay by her side, forgiving all her misdemeanors as every breath may be her last? Or should he give into the pain of the betrayal? Throw into the mix two unwieldy daughters, one who wants nothing to do with him and the other too young to actually grasp the magnitude of the situation, and a family deal underway worth half a billion, and you have the potential for a very heavy handed, sweeping melodrama.

And this is where The Descendants stands head and shoulders above its competition. While the Alexander Payne (Director) could have easily taken the sappy, melodramatic route, he chose instead to give it heart. Instead of sobbing, you find yourself smiling at each frame (with chords of sadness plucking away in the background) as Matt King first grapples with his own emotions and then with that of his children, who pulls in tow, as he travels around the beautiful settings of Hawaii searching for the man who was sleeping with his wife (because he has to confront someone and it obviously cannot be his comatose wife). Scenes such as when Matt first learns of his wife's infidelity and then runs all the way to his sister-in-law's house in sandals and shorts to ask her if she already knew, or when he and his daughter's visit their estate for the last time, reminiscing over memories that will be soured forever, stick with you in a sweet a way like candy to the roof of your mouth - you know its not good, but you cant help but enjoy the taste. Even his final showdown with his wife's lover is bittersweet, a single scene resonating the beauty and the pain of the entire movie, and of a man who has a family to look after and a final goodbye to be said to a wife he loved with all his heart.

The Descendants in the end stands out, not just because of tremendously great acting or smart screenplay, but the simple fact that it puts before you a most saddening of tales and still manages to leave the hall smiling and happy. It is also sprinkled throughout with lines that will linger with you long after, and a feeling of fulfillment can ever accomplish. This is a movie you MUST watch, and if you already have, recommend to others.

VERDICT: BANG! brains blown out!

p.s. i leave you in the end with some of the aforementioned quotes. I hope you enjoy them as much i did.

"Somehow it feels natural to find a daughter of mine on a different island. A family seems exactly like an archipelago - all part of the same geographic expression but still islands - separate and alone, always drifting slowly apart."

"You give your children enough money to do something, but not enough to do nothing."

" What is it that makes the women in my life destroy themselves? "