| Tuesday, September 25, 2007 |
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carpet floors and hollow walls have swallowed yesterday's naked simplicity
these corridors between which i spent what seemed like a lifetime
are now brazen and beautiful and tempered with nothingness to me
or maybe the nothingness is inside
the palettes have changed their colours
but they still play musical chairs with laughter and tears
manna both of formality and necessity
is still stuck to refrigerator doors and borrowed from the blessed
between temporary lulls and permanent lust
for a gratification unexplainable to and by most
images still roll in a frantic fervor
slightly greater than those who roll them
once, broken dreams would try in vain
to mend fragile vulnerable hearts
as they sang a midnight lament
in the arms of a kind stranger
strange faces resided in those cold rooms
obsessed with the flush of childishness
dim heartbeats burnt bright when it was dark outside
when dawn broke it was time to rest awhile
someone put a shine on this place when i was madly in love
with the delicate touch and fragrance of creation
the longing still destroys me but the shine has gone
or maybe i just don’t see it anymore. |
posted by n.g. at 09:32
(1) Peg(s) of Whisky
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| Saturday, September 22, 2007 |
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its like i cant stop what i'm hearing within
its like the face inside is right beneath my skin |
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posted by n.g. at 10:39
(0) Peg(s) of Whisky
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| Monday, September 10, 2007 |
| Samosas and the End Credit Song. |
There's a very good reason why they sell samosas in cinema halls.
The samosa has two parts. There's the soft center part that pretty much everyone loves to eat. And there's the hard crust on the side that has it's fair share of lovers and haters. People deal with this part in different ways. Some throw it away. Some eat it grudgingly. Some eat it with gusto. Some actually prefer it to the soft part. Irrespective of however people deal with it, it's there. And they can't deny it.
Similarly, a movie has two parts. The happy and the sad. Most people love the happy parts. It's the sad ones that raise contradictions. Most people dislike the sad parts. Few people like them. Some fall asleep during those scenes. Some watch them with great gusto. Some actually like the sad parts better than the happy ones. Irrespective of how people deal with the sad parts, they're there. And they can't be denied.
Here's where the end credit song comes in. The movie's over. You've seen the happy parts and the sad ones. The end credits roll to a song; one that encapsulates both emotions. One that reminds you of the parts that made you cry when they were playing out; made you feel frustrated, helpless, angry, defeated, disappointed, torn and confused. But at the end of it all, put in perspective, those feelings are left behind in the past and seem distant and unimportant. And the song also reminds you of the happy moments, which now stand vindicated, and gladden your heart as you leave the theater.
However, most people don't realise that only the ones who had truly FELT the unmistakable hopelessness of the sad parts are the ones whose hearts are the happiest as they walk out. They stuck out through the hard bits instead of going out to pee or smoke or call their broker to find out about the price of Infosys, and then enjoyed the lighter bits. And in the end it was all worth it.
Quite like what they did with the samosa. |
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posted by n.g. at 00:32
(0) Peg(s) of Whisky
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| Wednesday, September 05, 2007 |
| into the shining sun. |
I just watched Singaporean director Eric Khoo's third film, 'Be With Me'.
The film observes three beautifully defined and heartbreakingly real characters as they go about their daily life. There's only one common thread between them, the desire and the impossibility of being with their beloved.
One of the stories is the true life story of Theresa Chan, a spirited woman who has lost both her eyesight and her hearing. She lost the love of her live almost 40 years ago on Christmas, and there's a wonderful scene in the film where she confesses how she still loves him, will always love him, and how every Christmas, 5 minutes before 5, her tears betray her. Theresa Chan has played herself in the film, and I can't stop thinking how the director must've communicated with her and extracted such an amazing performance.
The other story is of a teenage girl Jackie, who finds her true love on the Internet. Sam is a teenage girl confused about her sexuality, and when she realises that she is straight, she cuts Jackie out of her life out of guilt, which leaves Jackie confused, clueless and heartbroken. The director has used sparse, even empty frames ... and slow rhythmic camera movements that poignantly portray Jackie's loneliness. You FEEL Jackie's loss, you see the pain in her eyes, you want to reach out and hug her and tell her it's okay.
The third story is that of a stupid, fat, ugly security guard of a private condominium, who is in love with a gorgeous tenant but cannot bring himself to tell her. He's the lowest rung of society, and all his life he's been abused by his father and older brother. The repression explodes superbly when he notices another child being beaten by his father, and he can't help but react.
The beauty about this film, which is diligently crafted to near-perfection, is that there are hardly any dialogues. In its 90 minute run time, there are just about 20 lines of dialogue. In the first 15 minutes the director establishes all the characters convincingly and does so with just one line of dialogue; and even that, interestingly, is completely irrelevant.
The film reminded me of several incidents, moments, places and people that were part of my life in Singapore. There's a scene where Sam and Jackie are lying outside Borders opposite Shaw Cinemas, looking at the stars. I couldn't help smiling at the impeccable visual recreation of a memory.
The film also reminded me of this unforgettable song by Pink Floyd.
where were you when I was burned and broken
while the days slipped by from my window watching
and where were you when I was hurt and I was helpless
because the things you say and the things you do surround me
while you were hanging yourself on someone else's words
dying to believe in what you heard
i was staring straight into the shining sun
lost in thought and lost in time
while the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted
outside the rain fell dark and slow
while I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime
i took a heavenly ride through our silence
i knew the moment had arrived
for killing the past and coming back to life
i took a heavenly ride through our silence
i knew the waiting had begun
and headed straight into the shining sun |
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posted by n.g. at 00:26
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Name: n. g.
Home: Bombay, India
About Me:
this fire is burning and its outta control its not a problem you can stop its rock and roll.
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