Quick Reviews

Of late, much has been consumed in the form of books and movies. Here’s a quick look at which measured up and which didn’t:

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson

When the subject grants you complete access, the information will be insightful and thorough. And Isaacson does justice to a subject who perhaps lived four lives in one.

What comes across is the fact that Jobs was no saint. He wasn’t the best human being who lived. But he was honest in his work (if not his personal life) and a visionary to boot. Isaacson doesn’t idolize Jobs but does a great job of bringing out the human side to the man we have come to idolize.

The detail in the book is fascinating and if anything, it reads more as a thriller than a biography. At the time I was reading this, I had glanced through a couple of other books and there was a 5-hour marathon reading I went through of this book.

One-word review: unputdownable!

Hesher (film)

I normally wouldn’t condone violence. But towards the makers of this disaster, I would. I don’t know why I sat through this ‘coming of age’ film. No one comes of age. All that happened was I aged.

IMDB excerpt says:

A young boy has lost his mother and is losing touch with his father and the world around him. Then he meets Hesher who manages to make his life even more chaotic.

Oh my god. How misleading. Seriously, watch this movie if you enjoy the sound of nails on a blackboard. Or if you love to see paint dry.

Yes, I know that IMDB users have rated this 7.1/10. I’m in the 2.9 category! It’s definitely not appealed to my cultural sensibilities. It’s just f****d up.

Slumdog Millionaire — mandatory post!

Dev Patel and Anil Kapoor in a still from Slumdog Millionaire

So everyone, their uncle and his dog have had something to say about Slumdog Millionaire (SM). And not without reason. It is by far the most globally acclaimed Indian-subject film in a long time. And I say Indian subject since contrary to others’ views, I do not believe that SM is an Indian film at all. However, I do believe that with the amount of Indians involved, it is not unusual to feel the excessive affinity that we are currently experiencing.

I haven’t seen the movie yet. I will rush to the preview show tomorrow night if I can get the tickets. But I have been watching some rushes and trailers and I cannot understand what the brouhaha is all about. Especially this dude — some Nirpal Dhaliwal (hu?) — who seems to insist that no Indian could have made a film like SM. Obviously he hasn’t seen Salaam Bombay or the likes as Gaurav rightly points out. What’s he on? And who’s he?

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