One line review: The original ROFL. The Coen brothers’ highly anticipated next outing after their debut hit, Blood Simple, defies all expectations. If Blood Simple was dark, this movie is giddy light. If Blood Simple’s characters were smart two-timers, this film’s characters ooze goodness but are sadly let down by their sub-par brains, much to […]
Raising Arizona (1987) Read More »
Herbert Simon rightly predicted that the wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. Little wonder that people are flocking to social media influencers to make choosing easy. But our brains still need more than Tik Tok-sized bytes to learn anything of substance. So what’s a surefire way to separate the chaff from the grain
Choose organic information Read More »
I recently heard an interview where an American comic said he realized how lucky he was when his Indian friend told him that in India, your shower ends when your bucket of water runs out and not when you turn off the faucet. It was unfathomable to him that anyone except you could decide the
One-line review: Tarantino’s epic Hollywood fairytale. The film is highly rewatchable, to begin with, but reading Tarantino’s swashbuckling novel makes you go back to it countless times. All those nuances that you took for granted as great acting, like Leonardo Dicaprio’s spitting and stuttering or Brad Pitt’s zen-like demeanor, now have a back story to
Once upon a time in Hollywood (2019) Read More »
Herbert Simon rightly predicted that the wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. Little wonder that people are flocking to social media influencers to make choosing easy. But our brains still need more than Tik Tok-sized bytes to learn anything of substance. So what’s a surefire way to separate the chaff from the grain
Choose organic information Read More »
One-line review: Slipping on a banana peel contest. Wes Anderson’s first film (co-written with college roommate Owen Wilson) is about three friends who want to find meaning through a life of crime but cannot overcome their inherent goodness. They are overgrown boys, drifters, weak, and their sum is greater than their parts, both in stupidity
Bottle Rocket (1996) Read More »
One-line review: Van Gogh’s “Beauty and the beast.” No movie with Willem Dafoe can be bad, but this Van Gogh biography is transfixing. The film is painter and director Julian Schnabel’s labor of love, where every frame pays homage to Van Gogh’s genius and humanity. Most people are familiar with the significant, mostly tragic events
At Eternity’s Gate (2016) Read More »
It is not surprising that the daily commute is the least missed activity for people working from home during the pandemic. Driving is stressful, and most of us have experienced some form of road rage. But driving is also a supreme example of our interconnectedness. In his brilliant bit about air travel, Louis CK chides
Coming of age with road rage Read More »
Being alive is a blessing. But, waking up with all your faculties intact is a miracle. While it’s true that collecting experiences rather than things is the key to happiness, what’s the point if our memories eventually fail us? All we have is today. And if all your senses are firing today, indulge and revel