Whether it is 10 for 2 or whether it is 200 for 2, when Sachin and Dravid are in the crease one thing is certain to happen i.e game becomes drab when they both compete who scores lesser runs or who leaves more balls to the wicket-keeper. It is such a miracle how these guys have done this time-and-again i.e to kill the spirit of the game.
1999 India in Australia - First Test in Adelaide - the infamous test in which Sachin got out lbw to a McGrath bouncer(which sadly did not bounce). When Laxman got out after a quick 35 runs in which he was freely pulling/cutting/driving McGrath and other Aussie fast-bowlers (Laxman was kind of hinting to us all on what he is going to do in the next tests(he scored 167* in Sydney then) and in all the future matches against Australia), Sachin and Dravid started their patnership. The next hour or two probably saw the worst defensive batting one can ever see in international-matches when Sachin and Dravid were competing each other as to who is a better leaver of the ball. Once Aussies knew these guys are playing a drab innings they nailed us and India never lifted its head all through the series including the one-dayers. Imagine what other batsman in the dressing room will infer if Sachin gets to play such a pathetic knock in a pitch like that of Adelaide(which historically is kind of similar to India pitches i.e conducive for batting)!
Both these guys did it again in the recent series in South Africa when they needlessly went for another hugely irritating defensive tactic while setting a total for SA for the 4th innings. SA attacked and India kind of went kneeling from then on. What a shame, at one end we had Kumble/Sreeshanth/Zaheer struggling very hard playing attacking cricket high-priests of Indian cricket Sachin and Dravid spoiled the party.
Sachin did something similar in 1998 test against Pakistan in Chennai too i.e when he and Nayan Mongia played atrocious defensive cricket against bowlers of the calibre of Nadeem Khan(who is like a Mr.Nobody in international cricket) or Shahid Afridi. Though a good thing about that test is when, Sachin suddenly let loose and went on to play a memorable attacking shorts of Saqlain, though sadly we lost that test by a whisker.
Sachin has this rather irritating habit of looking at the pitch when he gets out to a ball which did not bounce as much as he had anticipated, and my god you have to see the commentators reaction when Sachin does this glare on the pitch immediately one gets to hear some mumbling by Gavaskar/Shastri(and other Sachin-crony commentators) as to pitch not conducive for test cricket and all that blah. The worst part is the kind of signals Sachin sends to other players in the dressing room who are bound to get psyched with all this and will stop playing attacking cricket.
But it s such a surprise how Sachin ups his game from nowhere for World Cup series alone. One has to look his World Cup average to realise how much of a big-match series this player is. Hopefully he does some justice to that reputation this world cup.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Movies by weekends - Directors copy themselves !
Me, You and Dupree:
Ordinary watch this movie. Did not expect such a drab of a movie.
There is hardly any comedy worth and worst part Michael Douglas too has a bad role.
The Departed:
Too good a movie. Mark Wahlberg character was total fun right from the start.
The starcast of this movie made this movie an enjoyable one.
I am reminded of Kamal Hassan's 'Kurudhi Punal' while watching the undercover agent plot, but this one was more fun to watch thanks to those all those f words, b words, s words and the chiding comments by Mark Wahlberg made this movie a really entertaining one.
But I trust this movie will find it hard to break into the Oscars, cause this movie is not really all that feel-good.
Surprising, how Scorcese left his NY backdrop for Boston.
Yet to see 'Infernal affairs' though, would love to see that.
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion:
Fun movie. Woody Allen calls the shots all along. Helen Hunt looked a bit old in the golden blonde hair style.
Cars:
Decent watch this movie. The history part of Route 66 and Inter-State made this movie more interesting.
The way Hollywood brings in a little bit of history/social consciousness/political activism into the movies and making the plot relate to that is pure genius. Range De Basanti tried something similar and it was a brave attempt.
My Super Ex-girlfriend, Step Up, Miami Vice, Step Up:
Watching the above list of movies in-flight, helped me doze off.
Definitely not worth the view.
Tightrope:
Ordinary Clint Eastwood movie, not much of a plot to follow.
Crimes and Misdemanours:
Good movie. Woody Allen parts are fun to watch.
The 'luck' part in this movie plot seems to have been reused in another Woody Allen movie 'Matchpoint'.
One gets the feeling that it is kind of impossible for any directory to copy himself.
Manhattan:
Good movie. Fun to watch all of Woody Allen antics again.
Best part of the movie is when Woody Allen runs towards his former girl-friend in a sudden moment of realisation and tells her about his love for her - that part was so Hollywoodish, but the ending was certainly not. It is truly remarkable how Woody Allen movies end.
Small Time Crooks:
Fun movie again. Woody Allen carries the movie all the way.
Teen Deewarein:
Thought the movie was slowly taking the 'Shawshank Redemption' route with all the slow shots on jail-life and the plan to escape, but the movie took a rather tame turn in the end. Decent watch.
Babel:
Fantastic movie. The way different stories are shot in different geographies and the way all the stories bind together made the movie an enjoyable one. Think this movie has the potential to win a few Oscars. Great actors and great story.
Kind of in the same mould as 'Traffic' or 'Crash' or 'Syriana', but still a lot different.
Wonder Boys:
Decent watch this movie. Both Frances McDormand and Katie Holmes were a treat to watch.
Happy Feet:
Not really a good entertainer. Ordinary view this movie.
First Daughter;
Bad movie. Surprised that Forest Whitaker directed this movie, did not know him much as a director.
Bad chick-flick (is this a deadwood?) :-(
Everyone Says I love you:
Good movie this one. Funny musical. Woody Allen parts again is great fun to watch.
When you watch a Woody Allen movie, one gets to see all characters in the same Woody shade.
Old or young or poor or rich or male or female - you can see a little bit of Woody in all the characters.
The Purple rose of Cairo:
Fantastic movie. Mia Farrow was a treat to watch.
It s truly a ripper of a fantasy story.
The best part is the ending of this movie.
The end seems to be so real to all the magical reality that one got to see all through the movie.
Magnolia:
Good movie. The story is so complex that there is no way out while watching this movie. You are glued to the movie from minute one and you have to go all the way till the movie ended, the director gets the credit for making a movie like this. The toad rain was another unexpected part of the movie. Another movie which totally caught me was 'butterfly effect', movies like these kind of grips you to find out what the ending is ...
Ask the Dust, Bandidas:
Mexican sub-plot in Hollywood is pretty irritating at times cause of all the type-casting that have gone through in all the movies that have been made till now. Salma Hayek or Penelope Cruz probably were too naive to get type-cast like that. The credit for making good Mexican sub-plot in movies must go to Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, these guys romanticised the Mexican sub-plots in their movies.
After the Sunset:
Decent flick this one. Certainly not as classy as 'The Thomas Crown Affair', but still pacey movie.
Enjoyed this dialogue,
the FBI guy says, "Just because you're English doesn't mean you need to hide your emotions."
Pierce Brosnan replies, "I'm Irish. We let people know how we feel."
And then says, "Now fuck off."
Frida:
Good movie. Probably a once in a lifetime role for Salma Hayek.
Very complex story as any biopics are always are.
Still, this is a superb attempt.
Colour of the night:
Bad plot, not worth the watch.
Get Over It:
Small role for Colin Hanks, who I thought is a good actor after seeing his 'Orange County'.
This is an ordinary movie, and Colin Hanks comes across as a bad actor who can never challenge Sean William Scott of American Pie fame in potraying a happy-go-lucky dude of American teen comedy movies.
Chasing Papi:
What a bad movie - chick-flick again.
The Mexican type-cast really sucks.
Guru:
ManiRatnam movie. One would get a feeling of deja vu while watching this movie.
Hardly anything original, probably re-ascertains the fact that directors end up copying their own old movies/ideas.
Abhishek certainly has played his part well, probably once in a lifetime role for him this.
The final sequence when Abhishek gives a lecture to the court, appeared to be totally senseless and totally stupid.
Thought ManiRatnam maybe tried a lift-off of 'The Aviator' in this sequence, but it comes across as a really poor attempt.ManiRatnam has shot this movie mostly in Mysore and one cannot miss out lots of landscapes or backgrounds which he had earlier used for his other movies like 'thalapathi'. I wish ManiRatnam can try something novel in his next attempt rather than copying ideas from his own earlier movies.
The Kid:
Decent watch this movie. Entertaining in parts, particularly the fat-chubby kid and the way he expresses himself to Bruce Willis.
Ordinary watch this movie. Did not expect such a drab of a movie.
There is hardly any comedy worth and worst part Michael Douglas too has a bad role.
The Departed:
Too good a movie. Mark Wahlberg character was total fun right from the start.
The starcast of this movie made this movie an enjoyable one.
I am reminded of Kamal Hassan's 'Kurudhi Punal' while watching the undercover agent plot, but this one was more fun to watch thanks to those all those f words, b words, s words and the chiding comments by Mark Wahlberg made this movie a really entertaining one.
But I trust this movie will find it hard to break into the Oscars, cause this movie is not really all that feel-good.
Surprising, how Scorcese left his NY backdrop for Boston.
Yet to see 'Infernal affairs' though, would love to see that.
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion:
Fun movie. Woody Allen calls the shots all along. Helen Hunt looked a bit old in the golden blonde hair style.
Cars:
Decent watch this movie. The history part of Route 66 and Inter-State made this movie more interesting.
The way Hollywood brings in a little bit of history/social consciousness/political activism into the movies and making the plot relate to that is pure genius. Range De Basanti tried something similar and it was a brave attempt.
My Super Ex-girlfriend, Step Up, Miami Vice, Step Up:
Watching the above list of movies in-flight, helped me doze off.
Definitely not worth the view.
Tightrope:
Ordinary Clint Eastwood movie, not much of a plot to follow.
Crimes and Misdemanours:
Good movie. Woody Allen parts are fun to watch.
The 'luck' part in this movie plot seems to have been reused in another Woody Allen movie 'Matchpoint'.
One gets the feeling that it is kind of impossible for any directory to copy himself.
Manhattan:
Good movie. Fun to watch all of Woody Allen antics again.
Best part of the movie is when Woody Allen runs towards his former girl-friend in a sudden moment of realisation and tells her about his love for her - that part was so Hollywoodish, but the ending was certainly not. It is truly remarkable how Woody Allen movies end.
Small Time Crooks:
Fun movie again. Woody Allen carries the movie all the way.
Teen Deewarein:
Thought the movie was slowly taking the 'Shawshank Redemption' route with all the slow shots on jail-life and the plan to escape, but the movie took a rather tame turn in the end. Decent watch.
Babel:
Fantastic movie. The way different stories are shot in different geographies and the way all the stories bind together made the movie an enjoyable one. Think this movie has the potential to win a few Oscars. Great actors and great story.
Kind of in the same mould as 'Traffic' or 'Crash' or 'Syriana', but still a lot different.
Wonder Boys:
Decent watch this movie. Both Frances McDormand and Katie Holmes were a treat to watch.
Happy Feet:
Not really a good entertainer. Ordinary view this movie.
First Daughter;
Bad movie. Surprised that Forest Whitaker directed this movie, did not know him much as a director.
Bad chick-flick (is this a deadwood?) :-(
Everyone Says I love you:
Good movie this one. Funny musical. Woody Allen parts again is great fun to watch.
When you watch a Woody Allen movie, one gets to see all characters in the same Woody shade.
Old or young or poor or rich or male or female - you can see a little bit of Woody in all the characters.
The Purple rose of Cairo:
Fantastic movie. Mia Farrow was a treat to watch.
It s truly a ripper of a fantasy story.
The best part is the ending of this movie.
The end seems to be so real to all the magical reality that one got to see all through the movie.
Magnolia:
Good movie. The story is so complex that there is no way out while watching this movie. You are glued to the movie from minute one and you have to go all the way till the movie ended, the director gets the credit for making a movie like this. The toad rain was another unexpected part of the movie. Another movie which totally caught me was 'butterfly effect', movies like these kind of grips you to find out what the ending is ...
Ask the Dust, Bandidas:
Mexican sub-plot in Hollywood is pretty irritating at times cause of all the type-casting that have gone through in all the movies that have been made till now. Salma Hayek or Penelope Cruz probably were too naive to get type-cast like that. The credit for making good Mexican sub-plot in movies must go to Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, these guys romanticised the Mexican sub-plots in their movies.
After the Sunset:
Decent flick this one. Certainly not as classy as 'The Thomas Crown Affair', but still pacey movie.
Enjoyed this dialogue,
the FBI guy says, "Just because you're English doesn't mean you need to hide your emotions."
Pierce Brosnan replies, "I'm Irish. We let people know how we feel."
And then says, "Now fuck off."
Frida:
Good movie. Probably a once in a lifetime role for Salma Hayek.
Very complex story as any biopics are always are.
Still, this is a superb attempt.
Colour of the night:
Bad plot, not worth the watch.
Get Over It:
Small role for Colin Hanks, who I thought is a good actor after seeing his 'Orange County'.
This is an ordinary movie, and Colin Hanks comes across as a bad actor who can never challenge Sean William Scott of American Pie fame in potraying a happy-go-lucky dude of American teen comedy movies.
Chasing Papi:
What a bad movie - chick-flick again.
The Mexican type-cast really sucks.
Guru:
ManiRatnam movie. One would get a feeling of deja vu while watching this movie.
Hardly anything original, probably re-ascertains the fact that directors end up copying their own old movies/ideas.
Abhishek certainly has played his part well, probably once in a lifetime role for him this.
The final sequence when Abhishek gives a lecture to the court, appeared to be totally senseless and totally stupid.
Thought ManiRatnam maybe tried a lift-off of 'The Aviator' in this sequence, but it comes across as a really poor attempt.ManiRatnam has shot this movie mostly in Mysore and one cannot miss out lots of landscapes or backgrounds which he had earlier used for his other movies like 'thalapathi'. I wish ManiRatnam can try something novel in his next attempt rather than copying ideas from his own earlier movies.
The Kid:
Decent watch this movie. Entertaining in parts, particularly the fat-chubby kid and the way he expresses himself to Bruce Willis.
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