Farouk Gulsara's Blog, page 171
March 5, 2016
Evil is good?
Main aur Charles
(Me and Charles, Hindi; 2015)
Earlier in life, I took a keen interest in the intriguing case of the suave serial killer of Indo-Vietnamese descent who used to grace the tabloids in the 70s. He is alleged to be a master manipulator, a psychopath, a successful impersonator who speak many languages and could make members of the fairer sex weak in the knees!
Hence, it is only logical that I should give a go at this mini-biography of the man himself. Unfortunately, the film seems like a bit haphazard initially, moving to and back between timelines as the story moves between three lifelines in three decades. The second half of the film starts to grasp the essence of the story by impressing upon us the conniving nature of the man. The choice of actor picked to depict Charles Sobhraj is excellent. His external appearance, barrette and large framed square spectacles caught the uncanny likeness of the serial killer himself. In the building of character and gaining empathy for the social outcast, the filmmakers did not manage a good job.
The movie concentrates mainly on Sobhraj’s escape from a Delhi jail, his apprehension and subsequent trial by the ‘Me’ character, i.e. And Kanth, a senior Indian cop.
http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
Earlier in life, I took a keen interest in the intriguing case of the suave serial killer of Indo-Vietnamese descent who used to grace the tabloids in the 70s. He is alleged to be a master manipulator, a psychopath, a successful impersonator who speak many languages and could make members of the fairer sex weak in the knees!
Hence, it is only logical that I should give a go at this mini-biography of the man himself. Unfortunately, the film seems like a bit haphazard initially, moving to and back between timelines as the story moves between three lifelines in three decades. The second half of the film starts to grasp the essence of the story by impressing upon us the conniving nature of the man. The choice of actor picked to depict Charles Sobhraj is excellent. His external appearance, barrette and large framed square spectacles caught the uncanny likeness of the serial killer himself. In the building of character and gaining empathy for the social outcast, the filmmakers did not manage a good job.
The movie concentrates mainly on Sobhraj’s escape from a Delhi jail, his apprehension and subsequent trial by the ‘Me’ character, i.e. And Kanth, a senior Indian cop.
Memorable quote:
Good always wins but evil never dies!
http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
March 4, 2016
We all have our addiction!
Requiem for a dream (2000)
At the end of the day, what do we all want? I think that is the problem. We do not know what we want and we try to fill it up with all the things as they come along trying to chase an elusive dream, the merit of which is unknown in the first place. Everybody wants happiness and freedom as their ultimate goal. Happiness that allays them of all the uncertainties of life albeit its short-lasting euphoria but the longer lasting detrimental effects. Freedom for what? They feel free but free from what? Free to do what? This conundrum that has been plaguing Man from antiquity continues do so even as he has explored many frontiers far and near.
A bored elderly widow with a addiction for game show, her son with an illicit drug addiction problem who yearns to prove himself to be a somebody, his best friend also a partner in crime and the son’s girlfriend, a daughter of a wealthy man but with psychological dependence on drugs form the basis of this movie.
Sara, the retired lady, leads an extremely boring routine of watching game show re-runs, sunning herself and chatting with her neighbours. It looks like a routine for her son Harry to monetise things in the flat for his fix. She even has to chain the TV.
One day, Sara gets excited over a spam call placing her as a possible contestant in her favourite game show. She gets all riled up as if she is already chosen. She tells her neighbours, does her hair and dream of fitting into her lovely red dress that her husband used to admire. She is a tad bit overweight, so she seeks the help of a doctor who puts her on a concoction of drugs. The medications do not show the desired effect, so she self-medicates, becomes delusional, hallucinates and is eventually hospitalised for psychosis.
Harry and his band of friends try to hit the jackpot by pushing drugs. The biggest mistake that they do is they indulge in drugs to relieve their internal pain. After a rival gang clash, the supply is cut. Money earned has to be used to post bail for Harry. Now it is back to square one, no money. The pain is more. Harry gets high on intravenous drugs. He even talks his girlfriend to sleep around to finance their addiction.
The story is told as if it corresponds to the seasons. Summer is a time when everything looks chirpy, and nothing can go wrong. The fall happens when we realise the hurdle that had hit us. Times will be bad when winter strikes. Things can only get more difficult. It is up to us whether we survive through spring.
As spring falls in the film, the characters are left in various situations, one in her own world detached from the rest, another is remorseful and hopefully would make amends, the other is still oblivious of her mistake and continues business as usual and yet another longing for yesterday!http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
At the end of the day, what do we all want? I think that is the problem. We do not know what we want and we try to fill it up with all the things as they come along trying to chase an elusive dream, the merit of which is unknown in the first place. Everybody wants happiness and freedom as their ultimate goal. Happiness that allays them of all the uncertainties of life albeit its short-lasting euphoria but the longer lasting detrimental effects. Freedom for what? They feel free but free from what? Free to do what? This conundrum that has been plaguing Man from antiquity continues do so even as he has explored many frontiers far and near.
A bored elderly widow with a addiction for game show, her son with an illicit drug addiction problem who yearns to prove himself to be a somebody, his best friend also a partner in crime and the son’s girlfriend, a daughter of a wealthy man but with psychological dependence on drugs form the basis of this movie.
Sara, the retired lady, leads an extremely boring routine of watching game show re-runs, sunning herself and chatting with her neighbours. It looks like a routine for her son Harry to monetise things in the flat for his fix. She even has to chain the TV.
One day, Sara gets excited over a spam call placing her as a possible contestant in her favourite game show. She gets all riled up as if she is already chosen. She tells her neighbours, does her hair and dream of fitting into her lovely red dress that her husband used to admire. She is a tad bit overweight, so she seeks the help of a doctor who puts her on a concoction of drugs. The medications do not show the desired effect, so she self-medicates, becomes delusional, hallucinates and is eventually hospitalised for psychosis.
Harry and his band of friends try to hit the jackpot by pushing drugs. The biggest mistake that they do is they indulge in drugs to relieve their internal pain. After a rival gang clash, the supply is cut. Money earned has to be used to post bail for Harry. Now it is back to square one, no money. The pain is more. Harry gets high on intravenous drugs. He even talks his girlfriend to sleep around to finance their addiction.
The story is told as if it corresponds to the seasons. Summer is a time when everything looks chirpy, and nothing can go wrong. The fall happens when we realise the hurdle that had hit us. Times will be bad when winter strikes. Things can only get more difficult. It is up to us whether we survive through spring.
As spring falls in the film, the characters are left in various situations, one in her own world detached from the rest, another is remorseful and hopefully would make amends, the other is still oblivious of her mistake and continues business as usual and yet another longing for yesterday!http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
March 2, 2016
Still haven’t found what I’m looking for!
I think, therefore I am
Lesley Levene (2010)
The title takes after Descartes' famous saying 'I think, therefore, I am'. A person is a person, is alive because he can realise his existence, he can think. The same idea was proposed by the great Islamic physician and philosopher extraordinaire, Avicenna @ Ibn Sina. He floated the idea of a blindfolded 'flying man' who is suspended in mid-air. Despite not being in contact with his senses, Man is still aware that he exists even though his senses are numbed. That, in essence, means we exist, that we have a mind of our own!
Ever since Man started looking at the sky on a starry night after a hard day's work without much entertainment to idle the night away, he must have noticed the 'star' that he was at the previous night had changed location. He must have called his friend. Slowly, with their newly well-myelinated brain, propelled by their new diet of fat rich food of fish, they must have started putting on their thinking caps. Slowly, the endeavour to explain things around us must have evolved to meaning and purpose of life.
Everyone who came afterwards gave their two-cents' worth of opinion. Time went on. Soon these talks of trying to explain our being turned to how we should be living. The Maker, some say need to be feted while others maintained that His master plan would continue no matter how much we cajole Him not to.
This book gives an introductory review of thinkers from the time of Thales of the Pre-Socratic era all through to the modern times.
Unfortunately, what started as giving the man the faculty to think has, over the years, have evolved into an indoctrination tool to control the masses through their herd mentality.http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
Lesley Levene (2010)
The title takes after Descartes' famous saying 'I think, therefore, I am'. A person is a person, is alive because he can realise his existence, he can think. The same idea was proposed by the great Islamic physician and philosopher extraordinaire, Avicenna @ Ibn Sina. He floated the idea of a blindfolded 'flying man' who is suspended in mid-air. Despite not being in contact with his senses, Man is still aware that he exists even though his senses are numbed. That, in essence, means we exist, that we have a mind of our own!Ever since Man started looking at the sky on a starry night after a hard day's work without much entertainment to idle the night away, he must have noticed the 'star' that he was at the previous night had changed location. He must have called his friend. Slowly, with their newly well-myelinated brain, propelled by their new diet of fat rich food of fish, they must have started putting on their thinking caps. Slowly, the endeavour to explain things around us must have evolved to meaning and purpose of life.
Everyone who came afterwards gave their two-cents' worth of opinion. Time went on. Soon these talks of trying to explain our being turned to how we should be living. The Maker, some say need to be feted while others maintained that His master plan would continue no matter how much we cajole Him not to.
This book gives an introductory review of thinkers from the time of Thales of the Pre-Socratic era all through to the modern times.
Unfortunately, what started as giving the man the faculty to think has, over the years, have evolved into an indoctrination tool to control the masses through their herd mentality.http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
March 1, 2016
Plainly French
The Untouchables (French; 2011)
This film was highly recommended to me for its humanistic elements. It showcases the bond developed by two men of entirely different background and how they each give each other a purpose to live in their trapped life.
It is a tale based on real life story of a filthy rich quadriplegic man, Phillipe, and his hired hand. Phillipe is wheelchair bound after a paragliding mishap and had earlier lost his wife to cancer. In essence, he is a broken man who is basically frustrated with life. All the money in the world but totally dependent on others to move around and even for personal care.
His newfound helper is from the poorer side of town. He is an adopted child from Senegal with many siblings from his adoptive and different fathers. He did not volunteer for the job but was just there to show that he had attended an interview and claim his dole. By twists of fate, his attitude, of the arrogant kind, is the very attribute that fascinates Phillipe. Together, they have some memorable times and help spur each other with their respective backgrounds and find real meaning in their tumultuous lives.
The story did not, however, excite me. The story and the punch lines are highly predictable and give a sense of déjàvu. Perhaps because I was tutored in School of Hard Knock, I had turned stone cold and emotionally numb to situations that evoke a tear or two in most sane individuals.http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
This film was highly recommended to me for its humanistic elements. It showcases the bond developed by two men of entirely different background and how they each give each other a purpose to live in their trapped life.
It is a tale based on real life story of a filthy rich quadriplegic man, Phillipe, and his hired hand. Phillipe is wheelchair bound after a paragliding mishap and had earlier lost his wife to cancer. In essence, he is a broken man who is basically frustrated with life. All the money in the world but totally dependent on others to move around and even for personal care.
His newfound helper is from the poorer side of town. He is an adopted child from Senegal with many siblings from his adoptive and different fathers. He did not volunteer for the job but was just there to show that he had attended an interview and claim his dole. By twists of fate, his attitude, of the arrogant kind, is the very attribute that fascinates Phillipe. Together, they have some memorable times and help spur each other with their respective backgrounds and find real meaning in their tumultuous lives.
The story did not, however, excite me. The story and the punch lines are highly predictable and give a sense of déjàvu. Perhaps because I was tutored in School of Hard Knock, I had turned stone cold and emotionally numb to situations that evoke a tear or two in most sane individuals.http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
February 28, 2016
Instant Karma?
Narcos (Mini-series, Season 1, Bilingual English-Spanish; 2015)
This is the biography of the man who rocked the richest nation in the world through his drug smuggling activities. What started as a small drug problem in the fringes of the country eventually became a big problem when a significant amount of money was siphoned out of the country that it started hurting the economy. Then, the US Government and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) took notice.
It is a classic case of karma biting back. In the 60s, Chile was the biggest producer of cocaine in the world. Its isolated terrain was an ideal cover for their clandestine production. It was the era of the Cold War. The US, as the de facto leader of the capitalistic world, had a moral obligation to ‘protect’ Latin American countries from the control of their nemesis, the USSR. They manoeuvred Pinochet to take control of Chile. Pinochet brought about many changes, initially, to the country. The army also took a tough stand to go on an all-out cleansing of the country-side of drug production. It literally took the producers out of Chile to neighbouring countries. One of them who survived the annihilation was a man nicknamed Cockroach.
He finally brought his expertise to expertise to Columbia. He managed to interest a small-time smuggler and profiteer, Pablo Escobar. Escobar came up with the great idea to market it his drugs in America for big bucks. See how the adage ‘what goes around, comes around’ is so true.
Pablo EscobarThe story is told from the perspective of a DEA agent, Steve Murphy. This, being an American view of events, is narrated as though the Yankees are the do-gooder saviours who go out of the way to right the wrong to maintain law and order in Columbia. What a load of hogwash! They can say, “We didn’t start the fire, it was already on before we came to the picture.” The truth is quite plain. The US had their hands dirty in almost all South American countries.
In the first season, Escobar can be seen consolidating himself as a ruthless gangster who would have no mercy and no qualms to kill anyone to achieve his mission. He wins the local election by gaining sympathy and blatantly giving handouts to the poor. He himself is another example of a rag-to-riches who had so much money at 28 years old that he lost track. He is humiliated and is expelled from the parliament after his drug-related activities are highlighted.http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
This is the biography of the man who rocked the richest nation in the world through his drug smuggling activities. What started as a small drug problem in the fringes of the country eventually became a big problem when a significant amount of money was siphoned out of the country that it started hurting the economy. Then, the US Government and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) took notice.
It is a classic case of karma biting back. In the 60s, Chile was the biggest producer of cocaine in the world. Its isolated terrain was an ideal cover for their clandestine production. It was the era of the Cold War. The US, as the de facto leader of the capitalistic world, had a moral obligation to ‘protect’ Latin American countries from the control of their nemesis, the USSR. They manoeuvred Pinochet to take control of Chile. Pinochet brought about many changes, initially, to the country. The army also took a tough stand to go on an all-out cleansing of the country-side of drug production. It literally took the producers out of Chile to neighbouring countries. One of them who survived the annihilation was a man nicknamed Cockroach.
He finally brought his expertise to expertise to Columbia. He managed to interest a small-time smuggler and profiteer, Pablo Escobar. Escobar came up with the great idea to market it his drugs in America for big bucks. See how the adage ‘what goes around, comes around’ is so true.
Pablo EscobarThe story is told from the perspective of a DEA agent, Steve Murphy. This, being an American view of events, is narrated as though the Yankees are the do-gooder saviours who go out of the way to right the wrong to maintain law and order in Columbia. What a load of hogwash! They can say, “We didn’t start the fire, it was already on before we came to the picture.” The truth is quite plain. The US had their hands dirty in almost all South American countries.In the first season, Escobar can be seen consolidating himself as a ruthless gangster who would have no mercy and no qualms to kill anyone to achieve his mission. He wins the local election by gaining sympathy and blatantly giving handouts to the poor. He himself is another example of a rag-to-riches who had so much money at 28 years old that he lost track. He is humiliated and is expelled from the parliament after his drug-related activities are highlighted.http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
February 26, 2016
Heart, brain, liver and soul
I remember one of my classmates, KT, asking a teacher when we were in Form 2. It was a Malay language class. And the guy had a coarse way of demanding an answer to his question.He asked, “Why are the people so stupid? Why do people say, ‘jatuh hati’ when you fall in love, ‘patah hati’ when you are heart-broken or falling out of love?” trying to sound like a smart alec. “We think with our brain, not liver!” (Hati is liver in the Malay language)
Sounds like a simple question but believe me, it is not. Greek philosophers have been arguing that the soul a person is in the heart or the mind. It was Galen who first proposed the tripartite division of souls; the rational one in the brain, the spiritual one in the heart and appetitive one in the liver.
As love and lust are forms of desire just as appetite satisfies the culinary desires of an individual, they must have bundled to arise from the liver. So, the message is, do not listen to heart, do not rationalise the relationship by thinking too much. As long as she can satisfy your appetite, gustatory, i.e., go for it. As they say, the way to the man’s heart is through his stomach! And he can stomach her, that is.
N.B. 'Berhati perut' interestingly means 'showing compassion' in another Malay proverb.http://asok22.wix.com/rifle-range-boy
