Review

The year that was…

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So I thought that I would do a customary year end review of the year that passed by in, what seemed, like a flash!

Professionally it was a mixed one. I was selected for a conference and I could not attend it due to visa issues. I took a sabbatical to complete the MBA. A lot of people from the team I was a part of have since quit, and it would be almost like joining a new place. The job search here at ISB has not started in earnest, but the things are looking positive so far and I think it will be a good 2010 for all of us on that front.

The biggest news was the ISB admit. After a lot of consideration, I decided that I wanted to join, and boy am I glad. The time here so far has been brilliant. Met a lot of new folks, made some life long friends, and learnt a lot of new stuff. In between the hectic schedule, also found a lot of time to party!! I know I will carry some fond memories from here even though I have spent very little time here. Special mention here for my study groupies – Kirti, Malavika, Megha, and Sunil – you guys were awesome. Almost forgot my quaddies here – Sam, Avin, and Raj – keep rocking!!

Another big change was that a lot of close friends decided to join the dark side to get married. Misra and Parul, Sudeep and Divs, Yatharth and Akanksha, and Kaustubh and Shubbu jumped on the marriage bandwagon. Congratulations and best of luck all of ya!! A few others are joining it in 2010 and the trend seems to be on the upswing 🙂

One major upside of all the marriages was meeting all the friends after a long time and loads of fun was had. Misra’s wedding trip was one I will never forget all my life!! The look on Sudeep’s face when Thax flew down for his wedding was another priceless moment.

As Misra RTed one of his friends –

Beginning of the decade – Started college, making new friends and aspiring for a great job! End of the decade, still doing the same! Life comes a full circle.

Happy New Year people!! May it bring joy, happiness, and health to you and your loved ones!!

One Weekend – Three Great Movies

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One great weekend. Three movies. All awesome. Things I liked about them below.

The Departed – 4.5/5.0

Who am I? I’m the guy that does his fuckin’ job! You must be the other guy!

The Departed is Jack Nicholson and DiCaprio’s movie. Matt Damon is good, the female (Vera Farmiga) is hot, but Leo and Jack make the movie what it is.

Okay. This is not a review. These are points I noticed about the movie.

1. The first one of the few movies I have seen with a Floyd song, Comfortably Numb at that, as a part of the OST. Just this alone made the movie worth all the money I spent on it. Though the rendition is not great, but still.
2. Fuck. Yes. You hear the word so much in the movie that Anoop requested that we shift to shit for sometime to recover from the after effects. Good shit man.
3. The movie has like a gazillion people getting killed, with only one dying a natural death. And that with no fuss at all.
4. I admit. I have started liking DiCaprio. I haven’t see The Gangs Of New York but The Aviator and now this. Martin Scorsese has picked a brilliant actor. In the current crop, no one beats Leo and Depp.
5. Two best scenes incidentally both involve Di Caprio. First, where he gets interviewed at the police headquarters by Mark Wahlberg. I mean the intensity on his face is just awesome. Second, when he is face to face with Jack Nicholson and tells him that he is not the rat.

You accuse me once, I put up with it. You accuse me twice… I quit. You pressure me to fear for my life and I will put a bullet in your head as if you were anybody else. Okay?

Best movie of the year so far, for me, and a sure shot Oscar contender in many categories. Better than V for Vendetta and Munich (which though are technically last years movies). So, all those who haven’t watched it yet. Guys you are missing something. Catch the movie ASAP.

Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels – 4.0/5.0

Its been emotional.

If Sanjay Gupta is the Indian Tarantino, then Guy Ritchie is the British version. I mean the movie reminds you so closely of Pulp Fiction that you sometimes feel it is the same movie hadn’t it been for the thick British accent the characters had. The movie with no big stars, yet creating magic out of nothing. Which proves that the absence of stars from a cast is not a good reason to label a movie bad.

The story of four small time criminals who dream to make it big by betting big. The lose big time and end up half a million pounds in debt of a sort of a mini mafia boss. After that it is almost like a comedy of errors.

Jason Statham (The Transporter) is good. And so are Vinnie Jones (Big Chris) and Little Chris. Another character I liked is that of Rory, the black mafia boss. Hilarious like shit. Also the movie reminds me a lot of Snatch, another Guy Ritchie movie which I incidentally saw before this one.

Must watch. And last but not the least.

The School of Rock – 3.5/5.0

This movie along with Independence Day and Big Daddy is amongst the very few movies that I like, even though they are rated pretty low on IMDB.

Those who know me know why I would have loved the movie. Rock music is something I adore. Story of a useless bum who loves music, is kicked from his own band, pretends to be a teacher to pay off debts. He hears the kids play during a music class and believes that they have talent to make it big and will help him achieve his dream of winning a rock contest. During his interaction with them over the next few months he, unknowingly even, helps many kids get over their doubts and believe in themselves.

God of Rock, thank you for this chance to kick ass. We are your humble servants. Please give us the power to blow people’s minds with our high voltage rock. In your name we pray, Amen.

They finally don’t win the contest but are loved by one and all. And man they put up one hell of an act.