Split (2016) - M Night Shyamalan (Movie).

Split (2016) - M Night Shyamalan.

I have always liked (and some I loved) M Night Shyamalan movies for one reason that they are different and way better than what Hollywood is serving us day in day out these days. They may not make a huge mark on Cinema front but are always (I insist on Always) very unique to watch. Today as I saw his "Split (2016)" with James McAvoy in lead, I was totally blown away by it, big time. What amazing movie it turned out to be and James is simply superb. No doubt, this will be considered one of his best performance in a long time to come. I've been in love with him since his "X Men" days, I even liked his "Wanted" as it was super entertaining but "Split" is simply stunning and one of the best psychological thriller that I saw in a long long time.

Unfortunately I saw it while having my lunch on some La Plex HD channel with only break as it claimed but I am sure it was heavily edited for "Indian Sensibilities", I have already downloaded an Uncut Torrent version now and will be watching it again this Sunday, just to check out what I missed on TV Channel.

Going by the Title, it is about one insane man played simply superbly by James who suffers from Split personality disorder. The movie explains nothing and the audience is supposed to make his own theory till everything gets cleared up. Why he is what he is, why he kidnaps three teenage girls, where he keeps them, for how long? what is the motto? what is he trying to achieve and so many questions crop up as it goes forward. But the best part is the personalities that he plays, initially I thought it must be two guys but as it picks up and he meets his shrink, I realized that there was too much that is to be understood about the characters inside James and as they make an entry, I was totally stunned, glued, impressed and was in huge grins.

If you really want to enjoy this movie, trust me, watch it alone preferably without subtitles that too in the dead of the night and try not to look anywhere else but on screen, especially when James McAvoy's face is on closeup, DO NOT EVEN BLINK. You will love it. I was watching out for the long shots and Mr. Shyamalan totally impressed me, and that too big time with his camera work as well as with James expressions, totally incredible.

The ease with with which he mixes and separates them, his body language, eyes, walk, movements and so much more was so damn unbelievable and the story is so crossing with flashbacks of the lead girls past, kept me hooked to it totally. I so much wished he had taken Judi Dench as the Shrink, it would have been totally marvelous, still the lady who played the character was simply awesome.

This is one movie that you shouldn't watch at any cost. And it is no horror but a simple thriller which will totally make you happy and you for sure will not forget it for a long long time. And I will eagerly wait for his next one, as and when it comes.

PS: I will not tell you anything about the ending :D you have to watch it for yourself.

The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith (Book)

The Silkworm - Robert Galbraith.

Sheer curiosity made me read the first book of the series "The Cuckoo's Calling" by JK Rowling as she wrote it under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith and I was not only mightily impressed but also pleasantly surprised by the way she turned a detective story into a sort of love story. Her other work "Casual Vacancy" fell flat and totally didn't work me at all, I rather found it over the top as trying too hard to write Adult books. But Cormoran Strike and his side kick Robin were simply out of this world characters in the first as well as in the second of the series "The Silkworm" where they uncover the mysterious death of a Writer whose unpublished book starts a chaos theory of its own. Right from the first book I am totally in love with her lead characters especially Cormoran Strike the detective, son of Jonny Rokeby the rock-star. Who is not in talking terms with his own famous dad and takes no help as well even after going totally broke. Break-off with his girl friend of a decade or longer had given me some respite in the last book and the story goes smoothly forward with him and Robin taking care of the open case where again the Metropolitan Police fails big time in finding any clues of the lost writer, death, body or the killer. Like in the last part where he solved again the mysterious suicide or murder of Lula Landry almost single handedly (of-course with fantastic help and support by Robin), this time too they were slated to solve the case on their own. But not after facing some personal threats to their own lives.

There is so much going on in the novel at all times that it totally kept me in hooks and on the edge of my seat, I just couldn't keep the book down. The way the Author is killed exactly the way a murder takes place in his own unpublished book was simply mind-blowing. There were only a handful of people who were supposed to read the leaked out manuscript that too after Author's death, Strike and Robin has an impossible task of catching the killer without any outside help this time as Metropolitan Police dislikes them anyways since took the credit away from them in solving the last case. Cormoran Strike is such a nice and totally believable guy that it was very hard for me to imagine him as a fictional character from a book, I could very well visually imagine him, walking with his sore knee inside the right prosthetic leg without taking anyone's help. His shattered personal life, dependence on Robin and independence that he craves for and does so much on his own too. The way they both uncover the mystery page by page, character by character, whereas their own personal lives and stories go forward too. Robin has a fiance and she is almost on the verge of getting married (to that idiot I hate) whereas Cormoran too has a flicker of his own love life starting (I hoped not) with a very interesting character. I so much have been wanting for them to fall in love with each other since the very first book and prayed (even after being an atheist) that this time, they will surely confess their love to each other, even after that age gap and what not, you've got to read the book to know if they actually end up falling in love by the end or not as I go in the search of the third from the series "Career of Evil" and give it a read pretty soon. I guess I saw somewhere that JK Rowling is about to come out with the fourth of the series soon and a few of my friends have been praising the British TV Series too based on the first book which I am yet to see.

I loved the way Robin's character comes out as a beautiful strong woman in this one, who not only fights for her own rights with her fiance but with Strike too, goes shoulder to shoulder from one strength to another. You've got to read the chapter where she drives Strike out of an almost death hole, that was such a thrilling scene that I would love to see it whenever this book is adapted into a TV series or a movie (I wish). This book also answered one of the questions that I've been thinking for quit a while - Why is it that a Detective always have a side kick? Because when they talk, it is like a way for the Writer to put it across to his / her readers as what's going on :), isn't it? (I know I am dumb). I also loved the way London is depicted in the book, it is actually too close to the way I have read it in Arthur Conan Doyle's books where Sherlock Holmes solves the cases with his own side kick Doctor Watson :). I know its over praise for a JK Rowling book but I can't help and mention it as it kept cropping up in my mind while reading the book.

Have you read the Strike series by Robert Galbraith / JKR? which one is your favorite? as I am about to start on the third and looking forward to the fourth big time in very near future.

Myths & Legends - Anthony Horowitz (Book)

Myths & Legends - Anthony Horowitz. Last year while picking up my personal load from Blossoms (Bangalore) I picked up this book on a friends request. Guess I got the money from her but for some reason the book never got delivered to her because I just couldn't attend any of our own little book club meets :). And since the title was so enticing I couldn't resist reading it. On top of that I so far haven't read an Anthony Horowitz book and now with his sense of humor undoubtedly I will reading a few more at the earliest opportunity. I have read similar books of Rapidex series on Egyptian empires, Greek Gods and some hard to believe facts or call them myths & legends as here he claims. This book and its superb 35 stories refreshed my childhood memories and put a huge smile on my face throughout. Incredible was the experience I must say to go through so many amazing characters, I loved them so much that I started keeping a gap between the two legends :) hence I finished the book casually in guess some 15-18 days. No ways I wanted to read it any faster and not enjoy the myths with my eyes closed to imagine those unbelievable visuals that the Author created for us through his superb writing. I guess I will have to dig deeper to get the original stories in the longer format to enjoy them in a better way. I can't claim that I have read a lot of books on the subject especially when it comes to stories from African continent. Loved the way he disclosed why, when and how they started Mummifying the bodies of dead people. The Isis and Osiris angle was super romantic and a terrific love story (which will remind you of Game of Thrones). I had no idea before I read this book that mulberry fruit was actually white and not purple, how it turned purple in due course of time or what was the legend behind it was another terrific story. Ironically he has titled the book so aptly that even if you want to believe the stories, you won't but the way he puts the reason like just imagine why Winter is only of three months (at least in our part of the world) and why not longer? there actually is an amazing reason for that too. It was an experience of its own to know that there were or still are a loads of Greek Gods but what is even more hilarious is to know that even the king of Gods (Zeus) was afraid of his wife (Hera). Now King of Gods with his unending uncountable powers yet he becomes a mere mortal when it comes to handling his own wife :). On top of that he has uncountable sons and daughters (even wives), so many that after certain time I actually lost the count :). Yet the poor mans love story is heart touching, yes! yes! he did falls in love with a mortal and what his wife does to his mistress, you've got to read it yourself to know and what is this mistress connection with making of a Peacock is another fantastic episode. My favorite among the 35 stories is the story of a one eyed cyclops, he is such a cutie pie yet pays the price of being a monster, the way he takes his breakfast, lunch and dinner had me in splits. Plus the kind of knowledge that these cyclops (there is a community of cyclops if the legend is to be believed) have is simply unparalleled. You think Asgard was on or actually was some different planet? No Sir. Asgard was very much on earth itself and so were Thor and his naughty brother Loki very much on our planet only. They even have a day named after their name, take a wild guess which one or which one sounds closer to one of their names :) Just when I thought I have read enough stories about not only the Greek Gods or the Gods of the west of Japanese and Chinese Gods, he didn't shy away from giving us in details a great myth of an Indian wife tricking the God of death and how she wins her dead husband's life from the God is something you must have read earlier but you've got to read the same story in Anthony's words to enjoy it more. Whatever said and done about the myths and the legends, but one thing that I will recommend this book at least to all the males is that it does indeed answers the most unanswerable or shall I say most sought after question that "What women desire the most or What women actually want". Wow! Bravo to the answer as I just couldn't agree more. Not only the stories and the characters that this book is all about, its a must must read for its amazing illustrations too. On top of that they are all pencil sketches, black and white yet so amazingly beautiful that I haven't see something like this in a book ever. Have you read "Myths & Legends" or a similar compilation from any other Author? Do let me know how you liked it. And if you have read anything from Anthony Horowitz, do tell me which one is your favorite, I would definitely love to read more of him now at the earliest. PS: If it was you who requested me to get this book for you :) time to raise your hand and claim your book now.

Joker (2019) - Movie.

Joker (2019) - Movie. Sunday night we watched "The Dark-Knight" yet again, me and my daughter who is a huge fan of not only Joker :) but of a bit of Batman too. Her special interest is in Commissioner Gordon as the same guy plays a very important role in Harry Potter series and she and I both have a kind of crush on Harvey Dent too. On top of that we both love Batman's gadgets, his car cum bike, his man-servant and even his man Friday :). And I refuse to talk about Batman's love interest for obvious reasons. Even after all this the hero of the movie for all of us is no one other than the "Joker" especially the way Heath Ledger put so much heart in the character with his outstanding portrayal and with Christopher Nolan doing total justice to the entire cast, story, built up and the grand finale. As soon as we were done with the movie, I went back to check my movie record (Yes, I do maintain a record) to check how many times I have seen the Dark Knight every year and to my sheer shock and surprise the movie didn't even show once in my list :D that means right from the very start I watched it (and loved it) the very first time, I never put it in list and now I have lost count as how many times I must have seen this movie to date. If I have to finish my blabber and feelings about the "Joker" that we saw today afternoon, I will say Joker takes the story a good thousand steps backwards and gives us the making of the Joker in a fantastic way. It is dark, complicated, depressing, violent, emotional, a bit of comedy too and an out an out Joker movie which is not only at par with its previous counterpart, I rather found it better than the Dark-Knight. One viewing is definitely not enough and I have to see it a few times more to pick so much more from the movie which I guess I must have missed in the first helping. Joaquin Phoenix is an incredible actor and that he has already proved with his previous movies, my all time favorite Joaquin movie is "Her", I fell in love with the man big time in that one and never looked back at any other movie. Now he just surpassed his own previous best performance with the Joker and I guess there is no looking back for him. And I am super glad to read that the filming finished for the movie in December 2018 and we get to watch the final outcome now in October 2019. As soon as we walked out of the theater the first question my wife asked me was "Is this guy alive?" and I gladly answered that he is not only alive and doing well but also definitely (if an atheist's prayers are answered) going to pick up the coveted trophy in February 2020. Joker is a terrific example of an Author backed role and of a perfect casting, I am totally sure that no one could have come any closer to this character and the huge audience expectations after the last success of the antagonist on screen. A heart touching and totally emotional story of a mentally sick man, all he wants to be is a stand up comedian so he could make people laugh. All his life his mother tells him that he is supposed to just that and make people happy, she even calls him Happy. What goes wrong and the man who wants to be a clown becomes a Joker is the story all about. Who gives him that name is super important as well as that one thing broke my heart so badly. I read somewhere in someone's review where the writer said that he wanted to get inside the screen and hug Joaquin, I exactly felt the same. A man betrayed by all, almost everyone shoots him down big time in life, although he does gives us glimpses of him being a good man too, you've got to watch out for a heart in the mouth scene to see his goodness. Yet, he is wronged at every turn of his life and what he becomes is what we had and have seen again today. A close friend of mine told me that he sort of broker a record of having maximum goosebumps watching a movie, seriously I couldn't believe what the movie did to me. I mean the built-up is so strong especially when as a learned audience we already know where it is going to go, it did give me so many goose-bumpy moment, brought tears to my eyes while putting a constant smile on my face for the much unloved man that I can't tell you more. There was no hope, yet not only he but we also hope so many times for the impossible to happen and in the end we all see the inevitable. Incredible movie and unbelievable story. I haven't seen a better movie in a long time and this will definitely show up in my ten best from now onward. I will leave it here as I can talk about the movie all day and on top of that I don't want to be a spoilsport for those who haven't seen it yet. Have you seen the Joker yet? if you have, you precisely know how am I feeling and if you haven't so far, do yourself a favor, go watch it at the earliest. And for those, who have seen it, do tell me which one is your one favorite seen :), mine definitely is the midget one :). So much heart in that man.

The House on the Strand - Daphne du Maurier (Book)

The House on the Strand - Daphne du Maurier. 
Disclaimer:

I have only read two Daphne du Maurier books so far (including this one) and I am madly in love with her (and of-course her stories, characters and so much more) so please excuse my blabber and get all her books without fail and read them ASAP.

Last year I picked up only two books per Author (how I regret) from my favorite book store in Bangalore (Blossoms) at throw away prices and fortunately have still not run out of stock :) I am covered till July of next year judging by my speed of reading before I could lay my hands on any new books. This is the second from Daphne du Maurier that I just picked up seeing her name on top with no idea of its content or how fantastic its going to be (going by her fan following) and what a magical journey this short and sweet had been. If you have read "Time Machine" by HG Wells and think it is only him who could do that any better, boy O boy, how mistaken you are in thinking that. You've got to read this and see for yourself how Ms. Maurier makes not only her protagonist travel back in time but takes the reader into a journey of a life-time. On top of that my favorite point of the whole book is that it is written in first person form with the protagonist telling his own story to us that too from the point of view of a Man (I am really in love big time with Daphne du Maurier's sense of humor) especially the way she makes a man thinks of a woman or at least he tries to think what she must be thinking or why they do what they do, it was totally hilarious and I even quoted a few lines to my wife while reading the book and she grinned saying "See, nothing was different even 50 years ago".

One heck of a story of two close friends from Cambridge, one a maverick scientist experimenting on the potions that he made on his best friend who has no issues on becoming a guinea-pig for his mate. First of all I never expected this kind of a story from Daphne du Maurier especially after loving her "Rebecca" which was hauntingly amazing story that I will never forget for life. Actually the scientist uncovers a chapter from History from the area where he has his ancestral house and needs his friend to verify the same for him. The chapter is almost six centuries old, and how they uncover the dark past of a woman "Isolda" is the rest of the story told back in forth in past and present. Just like Rebecca, the reader falls head over heels for Isolda and joins the protagonist in uncovering the truth and to know more about the intriguing woman. He has his own family to take care of, with two step sons in toe and a demanding wife on the back, how he handles his time for experimenting with time-travel to uncover the story for himself is one heck of a story. It works like a perfect thriller, I was simply not able to put down the book with hardly 350+ pages I raced to the ending with so much going in my head. Fantastic is the way how she makes her character travel and merge his present with the past. She was not only able to kept me glued to the story but she even allowed to have my own imagination go past her writing :) like I started expecting a few things and the best part was that she even delivered on my imagination to an extent, how I wish to tell you everything about it right now but you will have to read the book to set your own expectations and see them fulfilled by Ms Maurier in full style.

It is indeed a beautiful story and she almost answers all the queries of reader in her own ways, like I was curious to know if the people from past would be able to see our man in their time? What if he touches anyone or tries to help them in some ways? What if he is standing at a place back in time where in present there is something else? will that impact his presence there? Because the entire story takes place in the countryside yet there is so much imminent danger to the man who is performing the experiment that too without anyone's knowledge and his own friend who invented the potion is miles away, the only way they communicate is through telephone that too much against his wife's approval of the said scientist. I guess this is the second book that I have read in the recent times on Time-Travel but no doubt the amazing way how she made it out in story is almost at par with Mr. Wells. The ending is simply mind-blowing as the reader keeps asking about the title of the book :).

Have you read "The House on the Strand" by Daphne du Maurier or "Time Machine" by HG Wells? Which one is your favorite on time travel? Is there any other book which comes any closer to these two gems? Do let me know as I would love to know what you feel about them and if you can recommend anything on the subject. I've got to get so much of Daphne du Maurier that too like NOW :)