Rising above a regular 'epic finale'

Good Morning/ Night! 

After 8 days of struggle, I finally got to see The Dark Knight Rises. After watching a late night show, I walked past the door and picked the laptop up, because I just cannot go to bed unless I gush about the movie.

Just for the record, Christopher Nolan just got placed at number 2 in my list of excellent series' makers. (First one is, and always will be, JK Rowling for the Harry Potter books.) Clearly I'm bowled over with the movie; but what is it that makes me, like so most others, crazy about this epic end to the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy. 

Christian,no, Bruce, oops, Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises!
Isn't he a marvel? *swoons*

Story

By far, the strongest factor of the Dark Knight series. What the Nolan brothers did with the story and script writing is pure magic. They have revolutionized the comic character to a completely different, large and real personality. The Dark Knight Rises, I noticed, had more emotions packed than the previous movies in the series. Batman and the surrounding characters could all be picked as case studies for psychology lessons; and I bet the discussions wouldn't stop. Because that's what they have done: added so many layers, good and bad, to each character. 

The star performers in The Dark Knight Rises

I can't help but make the comparison, however, much the Harry Potter series, The Dark Knight Rises concludes the stories of the previous two magnificently. In both the series, everything that happened in the stories earlier, finally makes sense in the finale. I don't want to give a summary of the movie's story, because if you haven't seen it, make some time available and go watch it. 

However, I feel, the movie could have been a little shorter. Although they must have been important to make sense of the whole plot, some scenes of elements could have easily been cut short. There were moments when I felt like the movie was going a bit slow for me; and the story is where I placed the blame. 

The New Batmobile in The Dark Knight Rises

Cinematography, Photography and Production Design: 

What a job they've done! Excellent, excellent visual execution. This is by far the most important element to make the movie what it is. Though I have always wondered why Gotham city looks like New York city; it looks good. The locations, the principal photography, the effects, the designs of the costumes, the sets, the Batpod and the new Batmobile are all tres magnifique. 

Music

If you too had 'deshi basara' playing in your head hours after you left the theater, you's understand why I have put this section is a review for a 'war' movie. It is effective. That's how simple and powerful a tool the background score was to the entire script. It added a very raw kind of an appeal to the movie, thus adding strength to the story. Three Cheers for Hans Zimmer.

Characters + Actors

Christian Bale deserves a standing ovation from us all. I do like George Clooney a lot (he has played the character of Batman before), but no one can be as perfect a Batman as Christian. He truly turned himself into Bruce Wayne's body, mind and soul. Like I said, the characters in this movies, especially Bruce Wayne's had a lot more emotional aspect to it than ever before. And Christian mixed into Bruce just as a river does into a sea. Unidentifiable-y. (If only that was a word).

Anne Hathaway as Cat Woman.
P.S.- Did any of you say a woman can't drive? 

Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Morgan Freeman were all as brilliant actors as you and I would expect them to be. however, I was pleasantly surprised with Anne Hathaway as a cat burglar. She was sassy, swift and fit as you'd like anyone in a 'Cat' suit to be. For me, this for the first time that she truly broke out of her innocent, girl next door features. Good for her. 

Tom Hardy as Bane was... hardly effective. That was one role I thought that anyone could have done and for which Tom wasn't required to put on a zillion kilos for. Really. His features didn't matter much, and his voice didn't matter at all. He was hardly as effective an antagonist as the Joker was. I didn't find him menacing enough and they could have picked any body builder to have the 'Bane' effect. 

Here's some very technical information of the team of the movie. These names should be remembered. The Dark Knight Rises is their legacy. An epic legacy.

Direction- Christoper Nolan

Producer- Emma Thomas

Christopher Nolan

Charles Roven 

Screenplay- Jonathan Nolan

Christopher Nolan

Story- Christopher Nolan 

David S. Goyer (who I believe left this project early to work on Man of Steel) 

Music- Hans Zimmer 

Cinematography- Wally Pfister

Editor- Lee Smith 

If the movie has kept me, an eternal early-to-bed kinda girl awake till 3.30 am, The Dark Knight Rises sure has something in it. 

Overall, great film. I had MASSIVE expectations, and apart from a couple of moments where I thought the movie could have been shorter, I have NOthing non-positive to say about the film. Emotions, actions, great visuals, greater background score... Money and time well spent. I could not have imagined an end to a Batman series like this by anyone else. Christopher Nolan does justice to the real Batman's career. 

Go watch it; and watch it in Imax if you can. You might just see me around, because I am going for Round 2 of The Dark Knight Rises. 

Au revoir,
Miss Bee.

I tweet on:  https://twitter.com/#!/DevikaBharadwaj
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Friday the 13th 2012, came true to its notoriety.

After a long, hectic week at management gyaan, I put the internet on hoping for some 5 meager minutes of chatting before the work pressure of the weekend took over; and here's what I see:

• A young girl is publicly molested for 20 minutes. Disgusting excuses of human beings are committing the crime. Those weak enough to join watch and enjoy. And a journalist looking for a 'story' records. The police... oh, you know what. 
• Women under 40 are not allowed to go shopping & are not allowed to use their mobile phones outside their homes, in Asara Village. (Apparently for their own safety).
• Those involved in a love marriage will have to leave the village. (Good riddance for the couple). 
• Even after 9 years of being a victim of an acid attack, Sonali Mukherjee and her family are still threatened and harassed. She is still begging the government to intervene or at least give her permission to die. 

Charming. 

So this evening all I found is my abysmally declined faith in humanity, a new height of security concerns and my dislike for the people of my own country. 

A long time ago, a friend of mine from another country told me somehting I'll never forget. She said, "In India, the lecherous, cheap men are scared of touching you, unlike in many places, such as South America for example; touching a woman's butt is almost as okay as shaking her hand. You won't be able to say/do a thing. Here, just scream if that happens to you, someone will help."

Her observation, or personal experience, I believe is almost absolutely true. Except now that last sentence is redundant. We have the Guwahati case as an example. People stood watching as she yelled and cried. Those molesters were smiling while they pulled, pushed, hit, groped her. SMILING. I, like many others, cried when I saw it. I could not help but think of myself or a friend in that situation. Many might add, make sure you have male friends along with you. Why? So they end up like Keenan and Santos? (You guys remember who they were, don't you? Yaa news gayi, baat gayi?) 

On the other hand, where the hell were that girl's friends? 

I have no words on why this happened, or what kind of a society this is, or what kind of people we are... No, none at all. I don't have hate left to send out to the universe.
We all need solutions. All I want to say is educate. Not just about science or history, but at least and more importantly about basic human morals and ethics. And if I may be so bold in hoping, I wish the government makes a good example of this case. They have proof and the victim's mother bothered to file a case (unlike the new year incident that happened with two NRI women a couple years ago. They did not file a complaint and left the country asap.) 

As far as the village of Asara is concerned, I am not surprised at all, because that is how the rural mind set is till date. But I hope they are educated about how the rules set by the panchayat are not legal and they can choose to do what they wish to. Shockingly, one of the rules that panchayat passed is that AGAINST dowry. 

However, Sonali Mukherji's case is one that baffles me. She and her family are now completely drowned in harassment and threats, has the police and government answered to none of their calls? 

I now hope predictions made by the Mayans come true. We have done a shoddy job with this planet.
With no more words left, I'd like to leave you with one brilliant and one stupid tweet, by two respected women of this nation and a great poem every woman should read when she's low.

Kiran Bedi's tweet: "Pubs attract hooliganism and violence just as holy places attract peace and devotion."
"Pubs breed lust, holy places reduce it."

Barkha Dutt's tweet: "Don't let the Mob win. Don't tell your daughter she can't go out alone at night. Don't restrict the clothes she wears. teach your sons better."   
Here's one solution for those who asked for it. 

Au revoir,
Miss Bee.

I tweet on:  https://twitter.com/#!/DevikaBharadwaj
Facebook Fanpage:  http://www.facebook.com/shoestopper
Website: http://www.shoestopper.com/

Where small cars and female drivers take over...

Salut!

Growing up as a girl in a city like Mumbai hardly meant anything tough. We girls have more or less lived without brutal gender discrimination all our lives; but every once a while comes up the universal, probably eternal, battle of estrogen vs testosterone. One such battle I've been constantly subjected to each day of my life for the past 2 years is that of driving. 

I, like many others in urban cities, have been blessed by the small, affordable yet efficient cars market. If you're a Mumbaikar, take a journey through the past couple years in your head and you will realize just how many small cars there really are now on the streets. Tata Nano, Hyundai i10, Maruti A-star, Chevrolet Beat, Chevrolet Spark are some of the most commonly seen cars on the streets now.

So who all are driving these affordable, efficient cars? 

The entire middle class. Youngsters. Women. The aspiration-ists.

These cars have not only given the aspiration-ists the ability to drive but also a certain amount of freedom and liberty. I can offer my own example here. I am a conservationist, so I still take or occasionally usurp (sorry, mummy!) permission by my parents to go anywhere. However, ever since I have started driving, my deadlines and permissions have increased. Why? Because I can drive. I can go anywhere in the city and can come back in a way safer than in pre-booked cabs. 

I am just one example. Personally, I know and have observed so very many female drivers driving all over the city confidently. Truth be told, it gives me a sense of pride and power. A woman can choose where she wants to go and when. (Though the issue of 'when' hardly matters now that the nightlife of this city is dampened by the latest hockey stick loving, moral cop).

This rise that I am talking about in the number of small cars, is both obvious and now evident; but even more evident now is the increasing girl power in terms of driving. Companies such as Mahindra and Nissan are actually conducting surveys to make cars and advertisements suited to the female audience. Furthermore, even the Indian District Transport office says there's a 40% rise in the number of licences issued to women and the number of cars registered to women has doubled. Godspeed, ladies. 

Another positive trend that has resulted out of the society is that of hiring female drivers professionally. We now have so many cab services that hire women as drivers. The reasons may include facts like it's an emerging market and there's a lack in male labour, or even the fact that women are now accessible to job opportunities and roles that predominantly belonged to men. 

With more small cars being manufactured in India as we speak, by almost every major car company, I can only see a lot more free, confident drivers out there; female and otherwise. I would really like to discuss the cons of that too (there are many), not to forget the brutal discrimination and looks given to female drivers; but for now, let's just drive down this happy road. 

Say what you may, but female drivers are here to stay. 

Au revoir,
Miss Bee.

I tweet on:  https://twitter.com/#!/DevikaBharadwaj
Facebook Fanpage:  http://www.facebook.com/shoestopper
Website: http://www.shoestopper.com/

P.S.- Don't forget to check my guest post on http://www.desimba.in/guest-post/from-paint-brushes-to-management-education-how-she-made-it-to-kj-somaiya-2012-2014/