Cinema Paradiso, Control Room, Like Water for Chocolate….zzzz.

The dirt-cheap DVD player that we gifted ourselves this X’Mas (along with the blender; I know you’re going, ‘Isn’t it time she had one??!!!’) is the reason we renewed our Netflix subscription. Hubby dearest was a big Netflix fan before I appeared on the scene. Now that sounds highly contorted but there is no logic in that, trust me! Finally watched Cinema Paradiso and LOVED it! It is bellisimo, one of my favourite Italian words! The kiddo is such a darling and a good actor to boot!

Also watched Control Room. This is one good documentary and for once, it is good to see something which tries to stay away from the endless preaching and moralising that the war has spawned. The film is about a bunch of honest and committed (?) journalists who try to stay true to their profession. One question though: How much of what you see through the lens of a photographer/journalist can you actually believe? Layers of perception, lack of articulation, pictures you never lay your eyes on, stories no one tells you… Can you totally take a historian’s word? History is written by survivors/victors?

I was reading Flowers for Algernon for a long time. The book is depressing, no doubt and I frequently wondered when it’d end. I have too many unfinished books on my list (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Lila included) and didn’t want to add another one to it. Well, couldn’t help it… One gloomy day, I chucked the book.

Completed reading Like Water for Chocolate in record time. Okay book, must watch the film. I think that the book was adapted into a Hindi serial some years back. Featuring Rajeshwari Sachdeva and Milind Soman, the teleserial was called Margarita, I think. The story was set in Goa and the family was a Goan Catholic one. Nice parallel, I think.

The books that remain with me are A Confederacy of Dunces and The Lovely Bones. What do I pick up next?

On a more thoughtful note, The Hindu has published a nice article on why Swades bombed at the box office… The writer seems to have made a point.