The world according to Prerona…….

I think this is my lucky month. Last week I won two tickets to attend Al Gore’s speech here at Tech. Then today I watched Gosford Park, a random Netflix selection. I had absolutely no expectation from it and was prepared for yet another droll commentary on 20th century England. Instead I was rewarded with a jewel of a movie which in my history of movie-watching became the only one to be honored with three viewings in quick successsion ( no, I was not depressed or crazy). I attribute it to that one scene towards the end between two main characters which, to me, was the most sexually charged scene I have ever scene in a movie. Really surprising considering that during the entire scene, the characters are decently clothed and simply talking, talking about a murder at that, and the only physical contact is a kiss at the end. I was literally bowled over by that scene and actually felt weak in the knees. A surreal experience. The last time a book or movie affected me thus was when I was a 12-year old reading Anna Karenina. I was infatuated with the Vronsky-Anna romance and remember reading those parts involving the two lovers over and over again. I really enjoyed this deja vu moment that made me feel more than a decade younger today And I thought I had finally grown up !

Ok folks ! This Priyadarshan movie is a Indianized adaptation of an Irish independent movie called “Waking Ned Devine“. Priyadarshan has done a pretty good job though and only needed to cut down on the unnecessary melodrama towards the end.

So here I was watching “Cold Mountain” without any expectation whatsoever. Its availability and its Oscar nomination was the only reason I had it in my list. But a few minutes into the movie and I was hooked- no not because of Jude Law. It was the music- so reminiscent of the hills of Assam, so simple and sad, like maa’s lullabies, I never thought the music of my land would follow me thus and was surprised that two places so different in every possible way, could have a music so common. Its the hills I guess, there’s no escaping them once you have lived with them. They get into your music, with that haunting melancholy note. The sound of the Banjo and the fiddle haunted be for the rest of the week.
There was this one song that I really liked . I found that Sting is the writer and composer, and I now have this nagging feeling that he has some Assamese connection Its called ” My ain true love” and I could have sworn there is an Assamese song with that tune. All in all- a movie that was worth watching, and whose music I’ll never forget.

I cried buckets after watching this.Massimo Troisi was the driving force behind turning this episode in the life of the great poet into a movie of such depth and simplicity. Famous as a comic actor, Massimo so strongly identified with the character of the postman, that it turned out to be his masterpiece, His heart failed while making the film and many of the scenes were shot when he was in bed. He died just 12 hours after the camera stopped rolling.
Neruda’s poems , as always, made me feel so fortunate to be loved and to be in love. It was like watching episodes from my own life - the play with words, the metaphors, the intoxicating wooing that only the blessed experience. Another of those days when I am happy to be alive, and at peace with what life has given me so far.

A movie which kept me glued till the very end despite the fact that all it had was two people talking. Every word spoken, every thought expressed was like hearing myself speak if I had the gift of lucidly expressing the random thoughts and emotions that fleet through my mind. Also reminded me of a coarse imitation Hindi movie Hum Tum.This must be the first sequel that I thought excelled its predecessor.