A peak into the life of an autistic youth who went on to prove society wrong by excelling academically with a Masters in Animal Husbandry and a Doctorate. Plus designing a humane system for beef slaughter which is used in half the slaughterhouses in the States.
She sees things in pictures and lines and connects the dots very well. And details and words. She can memorise them at a glance. Not good in Math (too abstract) or French, she's real great in Science.
Played by Claire Danes and was the opening film of the MINDS Film Festival 2017 with Catherine O'Hara as the aunt. She invented the squeeze machine after observing how cows at her aunt's ranch calm down after being in the machine.
She overcame her fear and went to college where she tested fellow classmates' reactions to the squeeze machine, and sought companionship with a fellow blind classmate, who sees in sounds.
The only woman to work in male-dominated farms, she designed systems based on her observations of cattle moo-ing (and wrote a thesis about it), persevered by getting a press pass in order to access these farms after graduation because it was only for male access, her favourite Science teacher's mantra about doors opening stayed with her throughout life.
Monday, July 31, 2017
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Back To The Future (1985)
Am on a roll so here goes
Teenager Marty Mcfly is sent back 30 years in time in a modified DeLorean car, a time machine invented by his scientist friend, Doc Brown. He encounters his dad who is about his age now and his young mom and tries to help them meet so that he would not cease to exist.
He screwed up time by interrupting the moment that his dad gets knocked down by a car in front of his mom's house. Instead of his dad, Marty gets carried into his mom's house and good mom falls in love with him instead.
This incestuous scene is hilarious. His mom is quite a tiger and advances on him. He successfully gets his dad to save the day and helped him fight his own demon by not being a push over.
At the same time he managed to get back with the help of young Doc Brown by harnessing the lightning thereby saving the town hall from being damaged.
He tries to warn Doc of his impending death but could not in time.
His efforts in making a man out of his dad paid off and altered his current life. The bully who used to make his dad do his homework as a kid, and bully him at work, now works for guys dad, they have a beautiful house, car and two sexy crazy loving parents.
I love the film and the many possible other scenarios that could have happened.
Teenager Marty Mcfly is sent back 30 years in time in a modified DeLorean car, a time machine invented by his scientist friend, Doc Brown. He encounters his dad who is about his age now and his young mom and tries to help them meet so that he would not cease to exist.
He screwed up time by interrupting the moment that his dad gets knocked down by a car in front of his mom's house. Instead of his dad, Marty gets carried into his mom's house and good mom falls in love with him instead.
This incestuous scene is hilarious. His mom is quite a tiger and advances on him. He successfully gets his dad to save the day and helped him fight his own demon by not being a push over.
At the same time he managed to get back with the help of young Doc Brown by harnessing the lightning thereby saving the town hall from being damaged.
He tries to warn Doc of his impending death but could not in time.
His efforts in making a man out of his dad paid off and altered his current life. The bully who used to make his dad do his homework as a kid, and bully him at work, now works for guys dad, they have a beautiful house, car and two sexy crazy loving parents.
I love the film and the many possible other scenarios that could have happened.
Collateral Beauty
Will Smith is lead character Howard and co-partner of an advertising firm. The show begins with him giving a spell about "What is your Why?" And talks about how Love, Life and Death are the basis for advertising.
3 years later we see Howard meticulously setting up this Domino set, and tripping them all, crazily cycling head-on into traffic. He had list his 6 years old daughter, Olivier, and lost his will to live. His colleague and co-partners hire a PI to spy on him and found out he's been writing letters to Love, Death and Time. His partner's mom has this crazy idea to impersonate these abstractions, based on his interactions with his mother suffering from Alzheimer. Love (played by Keira Knightly) bumps into this partner and gives him the perfect line for an ad, gives him the slip and I must say they both have great on screen chemistry. She lures them into her practice session and there, Death (Helen Mirren) and Time (Jacob Lattimore) are hired to impersonate these abstractions and provoke Howard into giving up his share of the company.
They managed to successfully and we notice how Howard's partners are also finding Love (from his daughter), buying Time (to find a sperm donor and have a baby), and learning to face Death (he's unwell and dying but not told anyone).
Howard himself finally signs the papers, goes for the grieving parents session and meets the lead facilitator. They hang out at the café for a nice meal and chat. On Christmas Eve he came over and she asks him the same question- what is the name of your daughter and how did she die? That's when i finally realise this lady facilitator is his wife. According to the show 79% of married couples divorce with the death of a child. That's really high!
His parents have also sorted out their battles. Overall i think its a beautiful movie with a few moments of reflection. Especially the lines which Love delivers- I'm sad, sometimes I cry, sometimes I'm sexy and sometimes I'm happy. I'm also there in your sadness and grieve. I'm in you.
Howard's last note to his wife, which she found romantic was "wish we could be strangers again." They ultimately did and got to start anew.
Read another review here https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/collateral-beauty-searches-meaning-heartbreak-and-death
3 years later we see Howard meticulously setting up this Domino set, and tripping them all, crazily cycling head-on into traffic. He had list his 6 years old daughter, Olivier, and lost his will to live. His colleague and co-partners hire a PI to spy on him and found out he's been writing letters to Love, Death and Time. His partner's mom has this crazy idea to impersonate these abstractions, based on his interactions with his mother suffering from Alzheimer. Love (played by Keira Knightly) bumps into this partner and gives him the perfect line for an ad, gives him the slip and I must say they both have great on screen chemistry. She lures them into her practice session and there, Death (Helen Mirren) and Time (Jacob Lattimore) are hired to impersonate these abstractions and provoke Howard into giving up his share of the company.
They managed to successfully and we notice how Howard's partners are also finding Love (from his daughter), buying Time (to find a sperm donor and have a baby), and learning to face Death (he's unwell and dying but not told anyone).
Howard himself finally signs the papers, goes for the grieving parents session and meets the lead facilitator. They hang out at the café for a nice meal and chat. On Christmas Eve he came over and she asks him the same question- what is the name of your daughter and how did she die? That's when i finally realise this lady facilitator is his wife. According to the show 79% of married couples divorce with the death of a child. That's really high!
His parents have also sorted out their battles. Overall i think its a beautiful movie with a few moments of reflection. Especially the lines which Love delivers- I'm sad, sometimes I cry, sometimes I'm sexy and sometimes I'm happy. I'm also there in your sadness and grieve. I'm in you.
Howard's last note to his wife, which she found romantic was "wish we could be strangers again." They ultimately did and got to start anew.
Read another review here https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/collateral-beauty-searches-meaning-heartbreak-and-death
Shaun of the Dead
Directed by Edgar Wright starring Simon Pegg as Shaun
This was a hilarious take on the zee -z topic infused with Brit humour. The famous line "... Go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over." was these guys idea of dealing with those zombies which are amazingly slow, will resurrect again unless you bash them up the in brains.
The uncanny resemblance between Shaun and zombie behaviours really early in the morning is hilarious. The shots of people on this supermarket assembly line working away listlessly is so zombie-like. I love it. The comparison to real life is so real.
Shaun lives with his loser friend, Ed, who does nothing much for the household except eat all their food and fart and play loads of computer games. Their third roommate is Pete who is this high achiever.
Shaun's life is a terrible mess. His girlfriend Liz complains that all they ever do is hang out at the local pub, the Winchester, with their loser friends. They never get to spend quality time together, he never brings her out somewhere else nice and basically he's not working the relationship. She breaks up with him when he couldn't get them a nice date place. (Too bad loser, you had your chance).
Shaun hates his stepdad of 17 years. They chance upon and confronted a girl zombie at their backyard, who was the same face in the beginning shots (one who is a cashier at the supermarket). From using LD to attack the zombies, to formulating the plan to rescue Liz and her loser roommates, to getting too his mom's place to save his mom (and the stepdad tagged along), the ideas are refreshing.
Passing by their friends along the backyard, where the female leader asked where they were going and heard it was the Winchester, says Good Luck! They obviously had a better plan of action.
Shaun had some redemptive chances- made up with his stepdad who professed love for him, had no choice but to kill zombie mom, and finally gets rescued by that lady leader who went to get the military.
I really thought they were going to die.
Oh and the part when they pretend to be zombies to get into the Winchester? That was hilarious.
This show was obviously written from a male point of view. After the dust has settled, Shaun asked Liz, obviously living together now, what was the plan of the day, to which she named a list of frivolous things like watch TV, have a beer, whatever. What made her change her mind about his lazy, purposeless lifestyle?
And oh they got to keep Ed chained up as a pet for gaming purposes.
It is a funny but totally unrealistic depiction of life.
This was a hilarious take on the zee -z topic infused with Brit humour. The famous line "... Go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over." was these guys idea of dealing with those zombies which are amazingly slow, will resurrect again unless you bash them up the in brains.
The uncanny resemblance between Shaun and zombie behaviours really early in the morning is hilarious. The shots of people on this supermarket assembly line working away listlessly is so zombie-like. I love it. The comparison to real life is so real.
Shaun lives with his loser friend, Ed, who does nothing much for the household except eat all their food and fart and play loads of computer games. Their third roommate is Pete who is this high achiever.
Shaun's life is a terrible mess. His girlfriend Liz complains that all they ever do is hang out at the local pub, the Winchester, with their loser friends. They never get to spend quality time together, he never brings her out somewhere else nice and basically he's not working the relationship. She breaks up with him when he couldn't get them a nice date place. (Too bad loser, you had your chance).
Shaun hates his stepdad of 17 years. They chance upon and confronted a girl zombie at their backyard, who was the same face in the beginning shots (one who is a cashier at the supermarket). From using LD to attack the zombies, to formulating the plan to rescue Liz and her loser roommates, to getting too his mom's place to save his mom (and the stepdad tagged along), the ideas are refreshing.
Passing by their friends along the backyard, where the female leader asked where they were going and heard it was the Winchester, says Good Luck! They obviously had a better plan of action.
Shaun had some redemptive chances- made up with his stepdad who professed love for him, had no choice but to kill zombie mom, and finally gets rescued by that lady leader who went to get the military.
I really thought they were going to die.
Oh and the part when they pretend to be zombies to get into the Winchester? That was hilarious.
This show was obviously written from a male point of view. After the dust has settled, Shaun asked Liz, obviously living together now, what was the plan of the day, to which she named a list of frivolous things like watch TV, have a beer, whatever. What made her change her mind about his lazy, purposeless lifestyle?
And oh they got to keep Ed chained up as a pet for gaming purposes.
It is a funny but totally unrealistic depiction of life.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Alt Screen - In Transit: Born In Syria
The Journey of 7 Syrian refugee children escaping the Syrian Civil War 2011 through campus in Middle East to Europe. How certain countries like Poland, Austria, Hungary shut their doors and countries like Greece, Germany, Sweden (initially) opened their doors and welcome the 9 million Syrians.
Why do countries deny refugees the right to citizenship? What're the implications of giving them work? Aren't they human beings too?
It takes an average 20 years for a refugee to be given citizenship. The Rohinga people are still waiting for theirs, no? After 40 years.
A civil war which escalated to a European Union mess. Uncoordinated efforts on many grounds.
Yet the Syrians are so resilient, educated, tech savvy bunch of people who want to be connected to their families back home in e.g. Damascus.
The songs of a beautiful Syria no more is heart wrenching to hear. Even more heart wrenching are the anecdotes the children tell- dreams of beheaded people, bombs, destruction. Families torn asunder by border wars, a young boy burnt but not dead by a bomb blast, teens trying to start a new life in a different country, learning to speak the language of French, German, and being bullied by children of their host country.
Of the 7 children, 2 have not reported to any borders alive, 1 is this blossoming young woman who takes boxing lessons and is Catholic, 1 boy still lives on the Turkish border in due conditions heading from the blast, unaware that his dad had died, 1 boy finally had been granted the refugee status in Brussels, 2 brothers have finally reunited in the same state in Germany and living together with their 2 uncles who are themselves in their 20s.
What is UNHCR doing? Donations in cash and kind are not just the key to this complex crisis.
Why do countries deny refugees the right to citizenship? What're the implications of giving them work? Aren't they human beings too?
It takes an average 20 years for a refugee to be given citizenship. The Rohinga people are still waiting for theirs, no? After 40 years.
A civil war which escalated to a European Union mess. Uncoordinated efforts on many grounds.
Yet the Syrians are so resilient, educated, tech savvy bunch of people who want to be connected to their families back home in e.g. Damascus.
The songs of a beautiful Syria no more is heart wrenching to hear. Even more heart wrenching are the anecdotes the children tell- dreams of beheaded people, bombs, destruction. Families torn asunder by border wars, a young boy burnt but not dead by a bomb blast, teens trying to start a new life in a different country, learning to speak the language of French, German, and being bullied by children of their host country.
Of the 7 children, 2 have not reported to any borders alive, 1 is this blossoming young woman who takes boxing lessons and is Catholic, 1 boy still lives on the Turkish border in due conditions heading from the blast, unaware that his dad had died, 1 boy finally had been granted the refugee status in Brussels, 2 brothers have finally reunited in the same state in Germany and living together with their 2 uncles who are themselves in their 20s.
What is UNHCR doing? Donations in cash and kind are not just the key to this complex crisis.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Spider-man: Homecoming
Spider-man played by the young and handspme Tom Holland, gets an internship with Tony Stark, played by the ever charasmatic, Robert Downey Jr. Peter Parker, a very intelligent 15 year old in this school for gifted kids, gets the entire Spiderman suit for his internship. They totally skip that part where he gets bitten by the spider and they only hinted that - "It died". But Peter has this amazing ability to jump real high, superhuman strength, is totally reckless and bold like a hot-blooded teenager.
On the first day he does all this helpful things like help a granny with directions etc like a friendly neighbourhood Spiderman. Guess what. He wanted to do more.
Totally dissed by his friends except for the chair guy (his best friend who is geeky smart and can track things etc), he goes all out to find the folks behind the ATM robbery after discovering their super high tech guns.
Super brilliant guy, he improved his spider webs version to 3.0 during Science class by mixing compounds that I totally couldn't catch. According to my friend this is true to his nature of the actual comic, as biologically he is unable to produce the webs from his own body but uses these web cartridges.
Spider-man messed up the exchange between buyer and seller on board a cruise liner and almost caused it to sink. But saved his friends from plunging to death on the day of their curry of the Academic Decathlon. Iron man saved the day and gets Spiderman to return his suit.
Anyway he found the web lair by chance. Turns out the baddest ass mastermind was the father of the girl he was interested in. Played by Michael Keaton, Vulture was saved by Spiderman before he burnt to death in all that metal.
Happy, the chauffer of Peter Parker, injects quite a bit funny lines. Tony Stark has even more and his secretary even had some press release time in the show.
What was amazing was Captain American constantly educating the children of America during detention, Physical Education/gym and even in the final credits (there were 2) about Patience.
Peter Parker gets his suit back and as a sign of maturity refused Tony Stark's offer to stay in and join the gang, plus have his new and improved suit for ours release. He turns it down and chooses the normal teenage life.
These guys are damn rich and what the Vulture questions about the source of all this wealth may be not false. In the arms industry I would think there's money laundering etc.
There were geeky shirts apparently worn by Peter Parker such as "I lost an electron. Are you positive"? But for the life of me I saw nothing. The only one I remembered was "i surged NY school trip". Not geek but totally embarrassingly cute.
On the first day he does all this helpful things like help a granny with directions etc like a friendly neighbourhood Spiderman. Guess what. He wanted to do more.
Totally dissed by his friends except for the chair guy (his best friend who is geeky smart and can track things etc), he goes all out to find the folks behind the ATM robbery after discovering their super high tech guns.
Super brilliant guy, he improved his spider webs version to 3.0 during Science class by mixing compounds that I totally couldn't catch. According to my friend this is true to his nature of the actual comic, as biologically he is unable to produce the webs from his own body but uses these web cartridges.
Spider-man messed up the exchange between buyer and seller on board a cruise liner and almost caused it to sink. But saved his friends from plunging to death on the day of their curry of the Academic Decathlon. Iron man saved the day and gets Spiderman to return his suit.
Anyway he found the web lair by chance. Turns out the baddest ass mastermind was the father of the girl he was interested in. Played by Michael Keaton, Vulture was saved by Spiderman before he burnt to death in all that metal.
Happy, the chauffer of Peter Parker, injects quite a bit funny lines. Tony Stark has even more and his secretary even had some press release time in the show.
What was amazing was Captain American constantly educating the children of America during detention, Physical Education/gym and even in the final credits (there were 2) about Patience.
Peter Parker gets his suit back and as a sign of maturity refused Tony Stark's offer to stay in and join the gang, plus have his new and improved suit for ours release. He turns it down and chooses the normal teenage life.
These guys are damn rich and what the Vulture questions about the source of all this wealth may be not false. In the arms industry I would think there's money laundering etc.
There were geeky shirts apparently worn by Peter Parker such as "I lost an electron. Are you positive"? But for the life of me I saw nothing. The only one I remembered was "i surged NY school trip". Not geek but totally embarrassingly cute.
Monday, July 17, 2017
Hello...
It's me
I miss you so much
But I can't tell anyone else
Is it because I can't get you?
Is it because everytime I look at something it reminds me of you?
I can't move on
Help me.
Oh how my heart aches
It hurts
There is a hole in my heart
Is that a longing for what cannot be?
Is that a mournful blank
A dull ache in the pit of my stomach
Longing for what cannot be
Understanding the regrets of what could have been
How can I regret what has not begun?
How can I move on?
Will that ache ever go away?
How can I make new memories?
A part of my self has died
Will time heal such wounds?
Even if I make new memories
Your shadow lurks somewhere
I miss you so much
But I can't tell anyone else
Is it because I can't get you?
Is it because everytime I look at something it reminds me of you?
I can't move on
Help me.
Oh how my heart aches
It hurts
There is a hole in my heart
Is that a longing for what cannot be?
Is that a mournful blank
A dull ache in the pit of my stomach
Longing for what cannot be
Understanding the regrets of what could have been
How can I regret what has not begun?
How can I move on?
Will that ache ever go away?
How can I make new memories?
A part of my self has died
Will time heal such wounds?
Even if I make new memories
Your shadow lurks somewhere
Saturday, July 15, 2017
On the Beach At Night Alone
This beautifully sad show was the closing film of SIFA 2017
About a lead female actress who has an affair with a director and moved to Germany for a few years to think things through and escape the "scandal". She returns back to Gangnang to check things out and realises how everything around her is superficial and so restricted to social norms.
The lead female has great acting chops. The transition of her pining for the director and the pain of waiting is apparent in the beginning part of the film. Her innocence and hopeful nature is apparent.
The change to bitterness, jadedness and how everything around her is so superficial and constrained is shown when she returns to Korea. Her unrequited love from the director is seen in the chance encounter with the filming crew and what she hopes for is an expression of pure love from the director at the dinner table. Instead the director shows full remorse and the pain he feels every day is heart wrenching to watch. He lives with this pain every day. Pain of ruining her life as an actress in Korea, ruining his own family (seems like he's living alone now after the affair with her), and how he cannot express the love for her ever.
The erratic nature of the lead female is somewhat reflected in the frames. They are usually macro shots, zooming out to finally be able to see a larger view and i was so frustrated because i want to see the context. Yet i feel so stifled watching the show! The scenes are abrupt and somewhat reflected the "bomb" in her.
She wants to just be able to live for herself and to live purely and without restrictions to societal norms. After kissing another girl which was a pretty genuine scene and quite sizzling, she talks about weakness if one cannot live life honestly.
Honesty comes up a few times as one of the main themes. To express oneself honestly and being straightforward is to her being non-hypocritical.
A strange man appears randomly throughout the film. The first time he appears as Time or Memories when they could not tell time or inform him of the time. Is that amnesia? Is that memory caching up with her? Time pursues her like a mad man. He's always there as a memory that never fades, even in those peaceful moments. Like cleaning the glass pane. Is he trying to erase memories? Is he trying to elucidate things? He's always there.
Finally she wakes up from the dream on the beach. Not the answer of loving promises or declaration of love to her but an expression of extreme remorse. And a beautiful sentence from the book.
So much to reflect and unravel in this film. I'd like to watch it again.
About a lead female actress who has an affair with a director and moved to Germany for a few years to think things through and escape the "scandal". She returns back to Gangnang to check things out and realises how everything around her is superficial and so restricted to social norms.
The lead female has great acting chops. The transition of her pining for the director and the pain of waiting is apparent in the beginning part of the film. Her innocence and hopeful nature is apparent.
The change to bitterness, jadedness and how everything around her is so superficial and constrained is shown when she returns to Korea. Her unrequited love from the director is seen in the chance encounter with the filming crew and what she hopes for is an expression of pure love from the director at the dinner table. Instead the director shows full remorse and the pain he feels every day is heart wrenching to watch. He lives with this pain every day. Pain of ruining her life as an actress in Korea, ruining his own family (seems like he's living alone now after the affair with her), and how he cannot express the love for her ever.
The erratic nature of the lead female is somewhat reflected in the frames. They are usually macro shots, zooming out to finally be able to see a larger view and i was so frustrated because i want to see the context. Yet i feel so stifled watching the show! The scenes are abrupt and somewhat reflected the "bomb" in her.
She wants to just be able to live for herself and to live purely and without restrictions to societal norms. After kissing another girl which was a pretty genuine scene and quite sizzling, she talks about weakness if one cannot live life honestly.
Honesty comes up a few times as one of the main themes. To express oneself honestly and being straightforward is to her being non-hypocritical.
A strange man appears randomly throughout the film. The first time he appears as Time or Memories when they could not tell time or inform him of the time. Is that amnesia? Is that memory caching up with her? Time pursues her like a mad man. He's always there as a memory that never fades, even in those peaceful moments. Like cleaning the glass pane. Is he trying to erase memories? Is he trying to elucidate things? He's always there.
Finally she wakes up from the dream on the beach. Not the answer of loving promises or declaration of love to her but an expression of extreme remorse. And a beautiful sentence from the book.
So much to reflect and unravel in this film. I'd like to watch it again.
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