Hi everyone!
If you're a Shahrukh Khan fan, then you won't want to miss "Don 2" Farhan Ahktar's rousing and rollicking sequel to the hit 2006 Bollywood action-thriller "Don." SRK and the lovely-as-always Priyanka Chopra are back. This time around, the action centers on a very elaborate bank heist in Berlin. I won't give away too much of the plot because 1) I don't want to deprive you of experiencing the many twists, turns, and surprises it holds in store, and 2) the whole thing is put together so slickly and moves so fast that I don't think I even grasped everything that was going on, at least not on a single viewing.
"Don 2" is big old-fashioned popcorn movie fun. The production values are top-of-line and are more than comparable to any Hollywood film of a similar genre. There are car chases, shoot-outs, jaw-dropping action sequences, and cheese galore. SRK clearly is having the time of his life. It's evident why he is India's biggest film star, (he has mass popular appeal), though I have to admit, I've never really found him all that great of an actor. If we're talking Bollywood I've always preferred Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan. I recently saw Saif's latest spy caper "Agent Vinod" (2012) which I admit I actually liked even more than "Don 2." What appealed to me most about "Agent Vinod" was its tongue-in-cheek send-up of 1970s action movies and, most obviously, James Bond. I also think Saif and Aamir are more subtle and understated in their acting approach. While SRK genuinely moved me to tears in "My Name is Khan" and "Kal Ho Na Ho" (Tomorrow May Never Come), typically I find him a little too emotive for my tastes...and he certainly chews the scenery in every scene he's in, although it works for him in "Don 2."
And while Priyanka Chopra is a better actress than what she's given to do here, she is more than adequate as Roma, the Interpol agent betrayed by Don in the first film who is now hell-bent on putting him behind bars. Lara Dutta also appears in a smallish role as Ayesha, Don's moll, and her item number with SRK 'Zara Dil Ko Thaam Lo,' is not only fun to watch but it kind moves the plot along, which is more than you can say for most such numbers.
At its best, "Don 2" recalls such Hollywood franchises as "Mission: Impossible" and especially "Ocean's Eleven." At its worst, it's a fast-paced, gorgeously shot 2-1/2 hour's entertainment. Don't try to figure it all out. Just sit back and enjoy. And yes, the ending leaves room for another sequel.
Ciao.
Showing posts with label Bollywood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bollywood. Show all posts
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Birds of Dreams: Free downloads throughout the summer
Hi everyone!
I haven't done this in a while--a shameless pitch for my novel "Birds of Dreams"--but I just wanted to let you all know that I am uploading the entire novel to Scribd.com, a new chapter/section every day through the summer. You can click on the links below and access it for free.
While it is nowhere near as steamy as "50 Shades of Gray," it is a fun summer beach read and I certainly wouldn't mind replicating the online success of "50 Shades" prior to that book's print publication. A salesclerk at my neighborhood 7-11 just told me that she's not only missed her train stop because she's been so engrossed in "50 Shades," she's walked into things because she can't put it down...much to her grown son's embarrassment. And mine, for that matter...though it does have me curious.
I continue to be delighted by the fact that to date the majority of Facebook likes for "Birds of Dreams" (not to mention downloads) have been from college-aged kids all over India. It probably has to do with the fact that Bollywood plays a fairly significant role in the story.
At any rate, click below and check back daily for the latest installment.
Part One:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/96068324
Part Two:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/96160750
And "Like" the page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Birds-of-Dreams-A-Novel/265750846787433
I'll be reviewing Ayad Akhtar's beautiful debut novel "American Dervish" and Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster "Prometheus" at the weekend. So stay tuned!
Ciao.
I haven't done this in a while--a shameless pitch for my novel "Birds of Dreams"--but I just wanted to let you all know that I am uploading the entire novel to Scribd.com, a new chapter/section every day through the summer. You can click on the links below and access it for free.
While it is nowhere near as steamy as "50 Shades of Gray," it is a fun summer beach read and I certainly wouldn't mind replicating the online success of "50 Shades" prior to that book's print publication. A salesclerk at my neighborhood 7-11 just told me that she's not only missed her train stop because she's been so engrossed in "50 Shades," she's walked into things because she can't put it down...much to her grown son's embarrassment. And mine, for that matter...though it does have me curious.
I continue to be delighted by the fact that to date the majority of Facebook likes for "Birds of Dreams" (not to mention downloads) have been from college-aged kids all over India. It probably has to do with the fact that Bollywood plays a fairly significant role in the story.
At any rate, click below and check back daily for the latest installment.
Part One:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/96068324
Part Two:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/96160750
And "Like" the page on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Birds-of-Dreams-A-Novel/265750846787433
I'll be reviewing Ayad Akhtar's beautiful debut novel "American Dervish" and Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster "Prometheus" at the weekend. So stay tuned!
Ciao.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Ten Best Films of 2011
Hi everyone!
Okay, so here's my list from 1 to 10 of the Ten Best Films of 2011:
1. The Artist
I kept putting off going to see this for no other reason than the thought of sitting through a black-and-white silent movie just didn't appeal to me. But I knew that I'd regret not seeing it before the Oscars. So I bit the bullet and went to see it this morning. I'm so happy I did. Not to sound trite, but "The Artist" is one of those films that just makes you fall in love with going to the movies all over again. From the opening shot to the final tap dance sequence, this movie is a valentine for all people who care about movies. The two French lead actors, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo (both of whom are big stars in France), are a joy to behold and what's incredible about their performances is that somehow watching them act without audible dialogue is a testament to their skill as actors. Mr. Dujardin, in my opinion, gives the best performance of the year for an actor in a leading role. I'll be interested to see what the Academy says in a couple weeks.
2. A Separation
This Iranian film was my number one pick until I saw "The Artist." "A Separation" is a beautifully understated film about life, family, relationships, and religion in a country that many in the West have come to consider the world's greatest threat to peace. There are so many nuances and layers to the storytelling that it begs a second viewing. You find yourself throughout the film questioning the characters' motives and in so doing may even discover surprising things about yourself and about your perceptions of truth and justice.
3. Melancholia
Lars Von Trier's Cannes Film Festival Award Winner is unlike any film you'll see this year or any year, for that matter. Deeply disturbing yet not without it's moments of black humor, "Melancholia" tells the story of a manic depressive young bride, played with wit and genuine pathos by Kirsten Dunst; her severe and overprotective sister, played by Charlotte Rampling; and her sister's intense stargazing husband, a fine Kiefer Sutherland, who fearfully await the apocalypse. The ten-minute opening montage, set to Wagner's 'Liebestod' from "Tristan und Isolde" is a tour de force of foreshadowing that nearly stops the film in its tracks before it really gets going. This is one of those films that at times you may want to switch off but at the same time you feel strangely compelled to keep watching. The pay-off is spectacular. Of any film I saw in 2011, "Melancholia" is the one that--from an emotional standpoint--stays with you long after the final credits have rolled. It'll shake you up.
4. The Flowers of War
I said a few weeks ago this was my pick for the best film of 2011. That may have been a little premature yet from a purely cinematic perspective, it's still worthy of a top place on this list. Chinese film director Zhang Yimou paints an epic canvas with both broad and finely etched brush strokes, telling the story of a down-and-out American, played by Christian Bale, who finds himself in the unlikely position of protecting a group of young Chinese convent schoolgirls and a gang of local prostitutes from the brutality of the Japanese attack on Nanjing, otherwise known as the Rape of Nanking, in 1937. The violence of war is visceral but an unmistakable humanity shines through that is both stirring and devastating. This is epic filmmaking at its finest.
5. Shame
Michael Fassbender gives a brilliant and tortured performance as a young New York sex addict whose addiction comes at the price of terrible tragedy. While this is Mr. Fassbender's film, I found myself gravitating most to Carey Mulligan as his troubled younger sister, a nightclub singer who wants nothing more than the love and approval of her brother. Visually arresting and definitely not for the faint of heart, "Shame" packs an emotional wallop you don't see coming and leaves you gasping for breath as you leave the theater. In my opinion, both Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan were robbed of Oscar nominations for their performances here.
6. Circumstance
Another Iranian film though for political reasons, unlike "A Separation," this was filmed in Beirut. At the center of this film is an unconventional love triangle between two high school girls in Tehran and the troubled religiously conservative older brother of one of them. "Circumstance" shows a different, and perhaps more overtly critical side of Iran, set in the upper class neighborhoods of Tehran amid the backdrop of a Western subculture rife with clubs, fast cars, drugs, and alcohol. Stunningly photographed with richly understated performances by each of its three young lead actors, "Circumstance" serves as a worthy book-end to "A Separation" in that it brings life and humanity to a surprisingly sophisticated society we in the West struggle to understand.
7. Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen's latest is a lovely confection of a film and an endearing tribute to Paris both past and present. Owen Wilson does a wonderful job capturing the neurotic charm of a role that, in his younger days, would have been played by Woody Allen. The film makes you long to go back in time, re-read the works of Fitzgerald and Hemingway, spend an afternoon in the Louvre admiring Picasso, and finish the night drinking absinthe with the likes of Luis Bunuel and Toulouse-Latrec. From a purely nostalgic sensibility, "Midnight in Paris" is magic.
8. Tree of Life
Reclusive director Terrence Malik's film about life, global warming, and growing up in the 1950s, among other things, is unlike any other film I saw in 2011. I hated it at first but slowly as successive images arrested my attention, I found myself unable to look away from the screen. Brad Pitt gives, in my opinion, the best performance of his career here though admittedly it's difficult to rate because this isn't a film so much about acting or linear storytelling but more about impressions and memory. It is another film that warrants a second or third viewing--which I have yet to do--because there's deep complexity here that doesn't immediately jump out at you...at least I think there's complexity. In some respects, "Tree of Life" is a cinematic riddle, a puzzle that requires careful attention, a meditation on what it means to be alive. Again, not a film for everyone but worthy of consideration.
9. Delhi Belly
Shifting from the sublime to the ridiculous, the Hindi gross-out comedy "Delhi Belly" is, as I wrote in my review here a couple weeks ago, the most obnoxious and flat-out funniest film I saw all year. A Hin-glish cross of "The Hangover" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" with a little "Shaft" thrown in at the end for no apparent reason, this film had me in stitches from the very first minute and didn't let up until the very end. Young Bollywood heart-throb Imran Khan (not the Pakistani cricket player) leads an ensemble cast through 90 action-packed minutes of diamond heists, diarrhea, shoot-em-up action sequences, more diarrhea, and an end credits musical number starring great Hindi actor, producer, and Imran's uncle, Aamir Khan, that wouldn't be out of place in "Cleopatra Jones." I loved it though I think I'll think twice about ordering Tandoori Chicken.
10. W.E.
Madonna's labor of love about the romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson is by no means a perfect film. The narrative is a little muddied from time to time and the filmmaking itself suffers from occasional lapses into film school self-consciousness. Yet, despite its faults, "W.E." is an achingly gorgeous and romantic film that is very deserving of a place on this list. British actress Andrea Riseborough gives a captivating performance as Mrs. Simpson. You simply cannot take your eyes off of her when she's onscreen. It's a shame that Ms. Riseborough was overlooked by the Academy because I believe hers is one of the great screen performances of 2011. The film did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design and Madonna's song "Masterpiece" that plays over the end credits won the Golden Globe for Best Song last month. Having directed and co-written the screenplay, "W.E." shows that Madonna has the talent and the potential to be a true cinema auteur. As I said in my review a couple days ago, "W.E." is my pick for the most visually beautiful film of 2011.
Ciao.
Okay, so here's my list from 1 to 10 of the Ten Best Films of 2011:
1. The Artist
I kept putting off going to see this for no other reason than the thought of sitting through a black-and-white silent movie just didn't appeal to me. But I knew that I'd regret not seeing it before the Oscars. So I bit the bullet and went to see it this morning. I'm so happy I did. Not to sound trite, but "The Artist" is one of those films that just makes you fall in love with going to the movies all over again. From the opening shot to the final tap dance sequence, this movie is a valentine for all people who care about movies. The two French lead actors, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo (both of whom are big stars in France), are a joy to behold and what's incredible about their performances is that somehow watching them act without audible dialogue is a testament to their skill as actors. Mr. Dujardin, in my opinion, gives the best performance of the year for an actor in a leading role. I'll be interested to see what the Academy says in a couple weeks.
2. A Separation
This Iranian film was my number one pick until I saw "The Artist." "A Separation" is a beautifully understated film about life, family, relationships, and religion in a country that many in the West have come to consider the world's greatest threat to peace. There are so many nuances and layers to the storytelling that it begs a second viewing. You find yourself throughout the film questioning the characters' motives and in so doing may even discover surprising things about yourself and about your perceptions of truth and justice.
3. Melancholia
Lars Von Trier's Cannes Film Festival Award Winner is unlike any film you'll see this year or any year, for that matter. Deeply disturbing yet not without it's moments of black humor, "Melancholia" tells the story of a manic depressive young bride, played with wit and genuine pathos by Kirsten Dunst; her severe and overprotective sister, played by Charlotte Rampling; and her sister's intense stargazing husband, a fine Kiefer Sutherland, who fearfully await the apocalypse. The ten-minute opening montage, set to Wagner's 'Liebestod' from "Tristan und Isolde" is a tour de force of foreshadowing that nearly stops the film in its tracks before it really gets going. This is one of those films that at times you may want to switch off but at the same time you feel strangely compelled to keep watching. The pay-off is spectacular. Of any film I saw in 2011, "Melancholia" is the one that--from an emotional standpoint--stays with you long after the final credits have rolled. It'll shake you up.
4. The Flowers of War
I said a few weeks ago this was my pick for the best film of 2011. That may have been a little premature yet from a purely cinematic perspective, it's still worthy of a top place on this list. Chinese film director Zhang Yimou paints an epic canvas with both broad and finely etched brush strokes, telling the story of a down-and-out American, played by Christian Bale, who finds himself in the unlikely position of protecting a group of young Chinese convent schoolgirls and a gang of local prostitutes from the brutality of the Japanese attack on Nanjing, otherwise known as the Rape of Nanking, in 1937. The violence of war is visceral but an unmistakable humanity shines through that is both stirring and devastating. This is epic filmmaking at its finest.
5. Shame
Michael Fassbender gives a brilliant and tortured performance as a young New York sex addict whose addiction comes at the price of terrible tragedy. While this is Mr. Fassbender's film, I found myself gravitating most to Carey Mulligan as his troubled younger sister, a nightclub singer who wants nothing more than the love and approval of her brother. Visually arresting and definitely not for the faint of heart, "Shame" packs an emotional wallop you don't see coming and leaves you gasping for breath as you leave the theater. In my opinion, both Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan were robbed of Oscar nominations for their performances here.
6. Circumstance
Another Iranian film though for political reasons, unlike "A Separation," this was filmed in Beirut. At the center of this film is an unconventional love triangle between two high school girls in Tehran and the troubled religiously conservative older brother of one of them. "Circumstance" shows a different, and perhaps more overtly critical side of Iran, set in the upper class neighborhoods of Tehran amid the backdrop of a Western subculture rife with clubs, fast cars, drugs, and alcohol. Stunningly photographed with richly understated performances by each of its three young lead actors, "Circumstance" serves as a worthy book-end to "A Separation" in that it brings life and humanity to a surprisingly sophisticated society we in the West struggle to understand.
7. Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen's latest is a lovely confection of a film and an endearing tribute to Paris both past and present. Owen Wilson does a wonderful job capturing the neurotic charm of a role that, in his younger days, would have been played by Woody Allen. The film makes you long to go back in time, re-read the works of Fitzgerald and Hemingway, spend an afternoon in the Louvre admiring Picasso, and finish the night drinking absinthe with the likes of Luis Bunuel and Toulouse-Latrec. From a purely nostalgic sensibility, "Midnight in Paris" is magic.
8. Tree of Life
Reclusive director Terrence Malik's film about life, global warming, and growing up in the 1950s, among other things, is unlike any other film I saw in 2011. I hated it at first but slowly as successive images arrested my attention, I found myself unable to look away from the screen. Brad Pitt gives, in my opinion, the best performance of his career here though admittedly it's difficult to rate because this isn't a film so much about acting or linear storytelling but more about impressions and memory. It is another film that warrants a second or third viewing--which I have yet to do--because there's deep complexity here that doesn't immediately jump out at you...at least I think there's complexity. In some respects, "Tree of Life" is a cinematic riddle, a puzzle that requires careful attention, a meditation on what it means to be alive. Again, not a film for everyone but worthy of consideration.
9. Delhi Belly
Shifting from the sublime to the ridiculous, the Hindi gross-out comedy "Delhi Belly" is, as I wrote in my review here a couple weeks ago, the most obnoxious and flat-out funniest film I saw all year. A Hin-glish cross of "The Hangover" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" with a little "Shaft" thrown in at the end for no apparent reason, this film had me in stitches from the very first minute and didn't let up until the very end. Young Bollywood heart-throb Imran Khan (not the Pakistani cricket player) leads an ensemble cast through 90 action-packed minutes of diamond heists, diarrhea, shoot-em-up action sequences, more diarrhea, and an end credits musical number starring great Hindi actor, producer, and Imran's uncle, Aamir Khan, that wouldn't be out of place in "Cleopatra Jones." I loved it though I think I'll think twice about ordering Tandoori Chicken.
10. W.E.
Madonna's labor of love about the romance between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson is by no means a perfect film. The narrative is a little muddied from time to time and the filmmaking itself suffers from occasional lapses into film school self-consciousness. Yet, despite its faults, "W.E." is an achingly gorgeous and romantic film that is very deserving of a place on this list. British actress Andrea Riseborough gives a captivating performance as Mrs. Simpson. You simply cannot take your eyes off of her when she's onscreen. It's a shame that Ms. Riseborough was overlooked by the Academy because I believe hers is one of the great screen performances of 2011. The film did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design and Madonna's song "Masterpiece" that plays over the end credits won the Golden Globe for Best Song last month. Having directed and co-written the screenplay, "W.E." shows that Madonna has the talent and the potential to be a true cinema auteur. As I said in my review a couple days ago, "W.E." is my pick for the most visually beautiful film of 2011.
Ciao.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Delhi Belly: The Best Comedy of 2011
Hi everyone!
What do you get when you cross "The Hangover" with "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" with a little disco madness in the form of the great Hindi actor Aamir Khan (who also produced the film) playing a character named "The Disco Fighter"? -- the madcap Hin-glish comedy "Delhi Belly," my pick for the funniest movie of 2011.
Never heard of it? You probably haven't unless you're one of the billion people who follow Hindi cinema, otherwise known as Bollywood. "Delhi Belly" was released last summer and grossed huge box office everywhere it seems except here in the U.S. But it is now available on Netflix in both DVD and streaming formats.
I just watched it and I have to say as ridiculous and vulgar as it is, I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.
The plot is too convoluted to really summarize but I'll try in a nutshell. Three down on their luck room-mates, Tashi (Imran Khan), Nitan (Kunaal Roy Kapur), and Arup (Vin Das) find themselves in the center of a drug and diamonds crime syndicate. A case of really bad food poisoning (hence, the Delhi Belly of the title) results in a botched drop-off involving stolen diamonds and a stool sample, a lot of shooting and chasing, a double--or was that a triple?--cross resulting in a burqa-clad getaway, and a wonderfully ludicrous end credits number to the tune of a 1970s blaxploitation pastiche called "I Hate You Like I Love You." (This is where Aamir Khan's Disco Fighter comes in.)
It definitely isn't your typical Bollywood film. Ninety-five percent of the dialogue is in English (though you may want to turn on those English subtitles for the Hindi bits) and it's running time is a brisk hour and forty-two minutes. The two musical numbers don't interrupt the flow of the story and are frankly totally tongue-in-cheek. If this had been made in the U.S. it would certainly have earned an R rating and it was criticized in India for the fact that it basically throws the Hindi film formula out the window.
I loved it.
Word of warning though: next time you order Indian take-out, you may want to rethink that Tandoori Chicken. Or, more to the point, don't order Tandoori Chicken from a street vendor in Delhi. Oh, and also...beware of living in an apartment beneath a traditional Indian dance studio. I'll say no more.
Ciao.
What do you get when you cross "The Hangover" with "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" with a little disco madness in the form of the great Hindi actor Aamir Khan (who also produced the film) playing a character named "The Disco Fighter"? -- the madcap Hin-glish comedy "Delhi Belly," my pick for the funniest movie of 2011.
Never heard of it? You probably haven't unless you're one of the billion people who follow Hindi cinema, otherwise known as Bollywood. "Delhi Belly" was released last summer and grossed huge box office everywhere it seems except here in the U.S. But it is now available on Netflix in both DVD and streaming formats.
I just watched it and I have to say as ridiculous and vulgar as it is, I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.
The plot is too convoluted to really summarize but I'll try in a nutshell. Three down on their luck room-mates, Tashi (Imran Khan), Nitan (Kunaal Roy Kapur), and Arup (Vin Das) find themselves in the center of a drug and diamonds crime syndicate. A case of really bad food poisoning (hence, the Delhi Belly of the title) results in a botched drop-off involving stolen diamonds and a stool sample, a lot of shooting and chasing, a double--or was that a triple?--cross resulting in a burqa-clad getaway, and a wonderfully ludicrous end credits number to the tune of a 1970s blaxploitation pastiche called "I Hate You Like I Love You." (This is where Aamir Khan's Disco Fighter comes in.)
It definitely isn't your typical Bollywood film. Ninety-five percent of the dialogue is in English (though you may want to turn on those English subtitles for the Hindi bits) and it's running time is a brisk hour and forty-two minutes. The two musical numbers don't interrupt the flow of the story and are frankly totally tongue-in-cheek. If this had been made in the U.S. it would certainly have earned an R rating and it was criticized in India for the fact that it basically throws the Hindi film formula out the window.
I loved it.
Word of warning though: next time you order Indian take-out, you may want to rethink that Tandoori Chicken. Or, more to the point, don't order Tandoori Chicken from a street vendor in Delhi. Oh, and also...beware of living in an apartment beneath a traditional Indian dance studio. I'll say no more.
Ciao.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Confessions of a Reality TV junkie
Hi everyone!
There's a lot I could write about today: how I've become (albeit reluctantly) intrigued by Denver Broncos' Bible-quoting quarterback Tim Tebow, the fact that yesterday's protests in Russia took place without any discernible conflict, or more on what's going on in the Middle East. Instead, I'm going to write a little bit about my novel "Birds of Dreams," what it's about, and how I believe it captures the state of popular culture/society today.
I will be the first to admit that I am a reality television junkie. Yes, I am huge fan of Bravo's Real Housewives franchise (particularly Beverly Hills) as well as A-List: New York and A-List: Dallas. I think it would be fun to know Andy Cohen and appear as a guest on his show Watch What Happens...Live. I haven't missed an episode of The X Factor and believe it consistently outshines American Idol in terms of talent, production values, and conflict (real or staged) between the judges. While I have never watched an episode of anything to do with the Kardashians, I did root for Rob on the recently concluded season of Dancing with the Stars and found myself surfing the Internet for the latest on the fallout from Kim's wedding. I have watched several seasons of Top Chef and never miss The Amazing Race when it isn't being pre-empted by Sunday afternoon football. Like many of my fellow world citizens, I have often envisioned myself starring in my own reality television show and was at one time depressed by the fact that I am officially too old to appear on The Real World.
I have embraced this about myself and decided to do something constructive about it. I wrote a novel. "Birds of Dreams" tells the story of what happens when Reality collides with Reality-As-Seen-On-TV. It follows the lives of several reality TV aspirants and the rather ruthless and embarrassing things they do to get famous on the small screen. I have fused their story with another of my favorite guilty pleasures: Hindi cinema, otherwise known as Bollywood. And to further ground the story in contemporary society, I have also included a healthy dose of global terrorism. Readers will be introduced to Jordan, the twentysomething wannabe socialite with a mother whose life's obsession is to be featured if only as a walk-on in an episode of The Real Housewives; Yasmin, the Bollywood beauty and celebrity chef who stops at nothing--including staging the assassination of one of her rivals at her restaurant opening--to get her own reality show; and Tristan, the thirtysomething trust fund kid who finds himself--not entirely reluctantly--in the midst of reality show madness. There is also Matt, the entrepreneur who uses his family inheritance to start up an international drug trafficking operation, and his mother, Candace, the North Shore socialite and philanthropist who contracts a South African mercenary to end the rather unwholesome intentions of an unwanted future daughter-in-law.
If this sounds like farce, it is. The novel is meant as a social satire, an expose if you will on today's pop culture. Only a couple of these characters get what they want and when they get it, perhaps they realize that life in front of the cameras isn't what they had hoped it to be. The price they pay is enormous. "Birds of Dreams" is funny, irreverent, gossipy and vulgar. The reader may be repulsed by these characters while secretly admiring their tenacity. The novel isn't high art. It isn't going to change or inspire the reader to do great deeds. It's sole intent is entertainment. We may laugh at them, we may hate them, we may even finds ourselves egging them on. In short, the reader does exactly what we do when we watch any number of the reality shows that take up increasing space on our DVRs. The novel appeals to our worst fascinations and our compulsive need to "watch what happens...live."
Ciao.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: "What is your favorite reality TV show...and why?"
There's a lot I could write about today: how I've become (albeit reluctantly) intrigued by Denver Broncos' Bible-quoting quarterback Tim Tebow, the fact that yesterday's protests in Russia took place without any discernible conflict, or more on what's going on in the Middle East. Instead, I'm going to write a little bit about my novel "Birds of Dreams," what it's about, and how I believe it captures the state of popular culture/society today.
I will be the first to admit that I am a reality television junkie. Yes, I am huge fan of Bravo's Real Housewives franchise (particularly Beverly Hills) as well as A-List: New York and A-List: Dallas. I think it would be fun to know Andy Cohen and appear as a guest on his show Watch What Happens...Live. I haven't missed an episode of The X Factor and believe it consistently outshines American Idol in terms of talent, production values, and conflict (real or staged) between the judges. While I have never watched an episode of anything to do with the Kardashians, I did root for Rob on the recently concluded season of Dancing with the Stars and found myself surfing the Internet for the latest on the fallout from Kim's wedding. I have watched several seasons of Top Chef and never miss The Amazing Race when it isn't being pre-empted by Sunday afternoon football. Like many of my fellow world citizens, I have often envisioned myself starring in my own reality television show and was at one time depressed by the fact that I am officially too old to appear on The Real World.
I have embraced this about myself and decided to do something constructive about it. I wrote a novel. "Birds of Dreams" tells the story of what happens when Reality collides with Reality-As-Seen-On-TV. It follows the lives of several reality TV aspirants and the rather ruthless and embarrassing things they do to get famous on the small screen. I have fused their story with another of my favorite guilty pleasures: Hindi cinema, otherwise known as Bollywood. And to further ground the story in contemporary society, I have also included a healthy dose of global terrorism. Readers will be introduced to Jordan, the twentysomething wannabe socialite with a mother whose life's obsession is to be featured if only as a walk-on in an episode of The Real Housewives; Yasmin, the Bollywood beauty and celebrity chef who stops at nothing--including staging the assassination of one of her rivals at her restaurant opening--to get her own reality show; and Tristan, the thirtysomething trust fund kid who finds himself--not entirely reluctantly--in the midst of reality show madness. There is also Matt, the entrepreneur who uses his family inheritance to start up an international drug trafficking operation, and his mother, Candace, the North Shore socialite and philanthropist who contracts a South African mercenary to end the rather unwholesome intentions of an unwanted future daughter-in-law.
If this sounds like farce, it is. The novel is meant as a social satire, an expose if you will on today's pop culture. Only a couple of these characters get what they want and when they get it, perhaps they realize that life in front of the cameras isn't what they had hoped it to be. The price they pay is enormous. "Birds of Dreams" is funny, irreverent, gossipy and vulgar. The reader may be repulsed by these characters while secretly admiring their tenacity. The novel isn't high art. It isn't going to change or inspire the reader to do great deeds. It's sole intent is entertainment. We may laugh at them, we may hate them, we may even finds ourselves egging them on. In short, the reader does exactly what we do when we watch any number of the reality shows that take up increasing space on our DVRs. The novel appeals to our worst fascinations and our compulsive need to "watch what happens...live."
Ciao.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: "What is your favorite reality TV show...and why?"
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