How knowledge and understanding of Philosophy & History shape politicans?

4 Types (stages) of Politicians

Goodbye to Langauge: review of a film by Jean-Luc Goddard

Decades back we'd queue up for a Goddard flick not to savor the layered meanings of his films but to watch unabashedly jump-cut images of naked women filling up the projector screens. Not that we were not interested in meanings but somehow they eluded us amid his multiple jump-cuts and his overt concern with material objects and the meanings thereof. The scenario hasn't changed since then although  there's no doubt that his movies give an insight into a very imaginative & boundary-less mind of their director.

Coming Home- Review of a film by Zhang Yimou

Today was the day of watching a Chinese film at the Kolkata International Film Festival and the only other time I’ve watched a full-length Chinese feature film , not counting the martial arts ones, was roughly 8 years ago in Hyderabad inside  a quaint theatre within the complex housing the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Banjara Hills. Coincidentally the director of the film was same, Zhang Yimou . Zhang is a multiple award –winning, much acclaimed  director. The film I saw in Hyderabad was Zhang’s third film , Raise the Red Lantern which was originally made in 1991.

Chambermaid Lynn- Review of a film by Ingo Haeb

Chambermaid Lynn is based on Marcus Orth's award-winning novelette. Its a story of an OCD patient who is obsessed with cleaning and of prying into other people's lives. For the first disorder , she has her job at an hotel as a chambermaid .  For the second , she preys upon her single hotel guests and tries out their personal effects & clothes till she reaches an extreme point where she secretly find's out a male guest's keen desire for sadomasochistic sex. A discovery that helps her seek her own limits of sexual pleasures , more pleasurable than uninvolved sexual liaisons with  her boss who trades sex with Lynn for covering up for her "misdemeanor" in her job. While the narrative is detailed enough to provide the viewer with an unbiased view into a deviant's mind  without being judgmental about it; its  the sound (or the lack of it) and the cinematography that captures the dramatic moments on the screen; be it a sudden slap on the behind after a long passionate wait or the dream sequence  with her lover.

Rob the mob : Review of a film by Raymond De Felitta

The 20th Kolkata International Film Festival has just started.  This year, I have bookmarked four movies from the festival website that are being screened in City Center & Purbashree. Was just in time to catch the first one today.



Rob the mob is a fictionalized version of the modern-day Bonny & Clyde story , albeit a true one, on the short lives of two ex-convicts  Thomas and Rosemarie Uva . The duo started off by sticking up a florist but got arrested . After their release they set upon an  idea of robbing "social clubs" of retired mafia bosses anticipating correctly  that victims will not call the cops.

Arindam fails to reverse the fortunes of either ATK or ISL:- An ISL match report on the ATK Vs.PuneFC match in Kolkata

ATK , short form of Atletico De Kolkata, was playing against the less fancied side Pune FC today at Salt Lake stadium ; their home ground . The result was widely expected to be in favour of  ATK, who had not only been sufficiently rested but was with their coach, Habas  and key striker , Fikru back from suspension.  Pune was riding high with their first win in their last match in the ongoing first edition of ISL, the Indian Super League.


The wings aren't exactly fluttering for the ATK captain , LuisGarcia

Although ATK had started with a bang in the tournament-opener against Mumbai FC winning it by three goals to none and followed it up with a win against North-East FC and Goa FC, they slowed down on the way drawing three matches  and relied on taking succor from a pretentious record of not having been beaten, yet.  Against Pune FC  today  ATK’s mid-tournament-game ended with a whimper when they lost by one goal to three. Although all the goals were spectacular (starting with Dudu's powerful opening goal from a header & followed in the second half by a mind-blowing long-range inside-step shot from Kosta), the game was largely sedate and often a display of listless  football .  ATK scored the only goal through a penalty after Pune FC’s goalkeeper, Arindam , lacking anticipation & sense of proportion, made a needless charge inside the box against the eventual penalty-scorer Fikru . With the score line at 1-2, ATK was expected to rise , shine and draw level  but they flattered to deceive with their brand of football and eventually let in the third goal through a David Colomba freekick from outside the box that managed to sneak through the legs of the wall past the valiant Shubashish under the ATK goal.