Month: August 2013

The Help: Movie Review

movies

 

Dirctor: Tate Taylor

 

Writer: Tate Taylor (screenplay), Kathryn Stockett(novel)

 

Cast: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer

 

Introduction: Slavery was abolished, but did it really change the mindsets?

 

Premise: A young woman decides to write a book detailing the African-American maids’ point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

 

Plot: Skeeter  is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives — and a Mississippi town — upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Aibileen , Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, is the first to open up — to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter’s life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories — and as it turns out, they have a lot to say. Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unwittingly — and unwillingly — caught up in the changing times.

 

Trailer:

 

 

Acting: one word: Fabulous!

 

Awesome moment: When Hilly discovers what was in the pie she got from Mini

 

OOPS moment: When Minnie agrees to work for Celia, Celia shakes her Coke and almost all of the Coke comes out. Later, when they walk into the house, her Coke is nearly full again.

 

Quotable Quote: 

 

You is Kind,
You is Smart
You is Important

 

Brownie points: 5 out of 5.

 

Watch the full movie online:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAeot28ooaw

 

 

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Cyberbully: Movie Review

movies, Victim Blaming

Dirctor: Charles Binamé

Writer: Teena Booth

Cast: Emily Osment, Kay Panabaker, Meaghan Rath & Kelly Rowan

Introduction: Internet, we can’t live without, nor can we live with it!

Premise: This is a story about a girl who joins a popular social network and gets bullied by the entire school online.

Plot: ‘Cyberbully’ is a deep and exemplary film about the effects of cyber bullying. Taylor Hillridge joins a popular social network to talk to her crush. From here, her life goes downhill as people post fake rumors about her and then bully her about the same online as well as offline.

Trailer:

Acting: The depth that Emily Osment gave to her character would put many senior actors to shame.

Awesome moment: The cafeteria scene where Taylor finally confronts her abusers offline.

OOPS moment: When Taylor is dumped at the side of the road by Sammy, we see the license plate of her Jeep Cherokee. In a later shot, at the school, the girls pass by a Subaru Forester with the same plate as Sammy’s Jeep.

Quotable Quote: 

Don’t know unless you try. Don’t hide behind your fear.
Do what it takes to stand up for yourself, and for each other.
– Counselor

Brownie points: 5 out of 5.

Watch the full movie online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shnAPc3wYbA

Related articles

Stay Hungry. Stay Oppressed.

Feminism

It was Rakshabandhan Yesterday and hoards of guests had come to our house.

As per my this post, all sly references to my getting married were ignored, this time especially as we were discussing about a cousin’s marriage these comments were bound to come. When someone asked “So, your turn is next!” or “When will you call us for a similar occasion”, instead of entertaining such BS, I just stopped conversation, looked at another person and started another conversation. This strategy has worked so far! Many took the hints and now know better to not interfere in the business that was never about them anyway! 🙂

Other than that, I was appalled that as it was Holiday and everyone was at home, I was the only one expected to ‘help’. I fail to understand what is that science in cooking and cleaning that brother cannot understand? Why a son is never expected to ‘help’ around the house, is it not his house also? It is not that I ENJOY the mopping and the sweeping, still I have to do it as good girls are supposed to help around the house. What are good boys supposed to do? NOTHING! How nice, na?

Another thing that REALLY got on my nerves was that I was expected to have my food AFTER the men have eaten, and had to serve them while they ate.

Now I have absolutely no problem in serving the old, the disabled, the needy or the poor. But as the men in the family were neither, I really could not understand WHY they could not fill up their own plates? What is so hard? You pick up the plate, put the food in it, sit, eat, get up and fill it again, repeat the process as many times you want.

And what is more, the men NEVER asked to be served! In fact, dad was adamant that he will make his own plate.

For this, I said, let’s have a buffet, were everyone would take their plates and eat together like a family.

The idea was appreciated and applied.

In a way that few ‘kids’ were told that they could fill up their plates from the buffet.

The men had their plates ready-made.

Not only did this increase the food wastage (as how would any body else know what I want to eat and how much I want to eat), it again reminded that no matter how much I try, patriarchy still keeps popping its ugly head every time.

On top of all this, the women (Not me, I took up my plate with the first lot, why should I stay hungry for anybody? What have they done to deserve this special place?) kept picking bowls from the buffet table and kept serving.

And finally those who prepared the food, ate it when it was cold and what was left.

Why can’t they see how wrong this all is?

Why am I labeled as a rebel for wishing my mom and aunties to be treated to be as important as others, especially by my mom and those aunties?

What is so glorious and romantic in staying hungry and serving? I have posted about his in detail here.

I get that in old times, men would go to farms early in the morning with a little food and come back tired, while women ,who used to be at home would have had lunch in the afternoon. So, when the men came back in the evening they would be hungry and so had their food early.

But now, men do not go to fields. They go to offices. So do women. So why this custom, which has obviously lost its value, continue to be practiced in the name of tradition? Why can’t people just THINK and decide what is right and what is wrong instead of just following others like a bunch of sheep?

Why, oh why, Patriarchy, don’t you just die!

Taming Of The Shrew: Book Review

Books, Feminism
Taming of the Shrew, Diane Ciesla, Dan Souther...

Taming of the Shrew, Diane Ciesla, Dan Southern, 1983 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Shakespeare is a wonderful author. There are many works of his that I enjoyed reading.

BUT, there is one work of his that every time it is so much as mentioned I get uncomfortable.

The work being Taming Of The Shrew.

The story line revolves around a woman who is strong willed and has short temper. Her father is worried she will never find a good husband because of her temper.

Along comes a man who agrees to marry her in order to get his hands on the money her father would give.

This man takes her home, abuses her, keeps her hungry, does every thing possible to break her will, till she gives up and becomes obedient.

After which he takes her to parties and gives her orders so that he can show to everyone what an obedient wife he has!

The book left such a sour taste in my mouth.

Big NO from my side.

 

Am I The Only One Who Find Such ‘Jokes’ Offensive?

Feminism

I often find ‘Jokes’ that are often forwarded on Facebook, Watsapp etc that instead of making me laugh, like they are supposed to, make me see red.

9 out of 10 times they will be making fun of women.

Recently a distant relative forwarded a ‘joke’ which went something like:

Interviewer: What is Recession?

Candidate: When “Wine & Women” get replaced with “Water & Wife”, that is the critical phase in life called recession”

Another married relative had expressed his enjoyment on this.

What struck me here were both these men had an arraigned marriage. Which means that they were not able to find ONE girl who was ready to marry them and had to rely on their parents.

I mean seriously, had you been so surrounded by “Wine and Women” your mothers would not be calling strangers begging them the honor of letting their daughters serve you for life.

Believe me it is because of your parents that you could get “Water and Wife”, other than that you would be sitting all alone, maybe with wine for company.

Another friend had sent me a long message titled why do couples fight? (My comments in bold)

1. My wife sat down on a couch next to me as I was flipping channels. She asked “What’s on TV?”. I said “Dust”. And then the fight started.

Do you not have hands and legs? Can’t you stop being a couch potato, pick up a cloth and wipe the damn TV. Why do you have to wait for your wife to do it? Is it not your house too?

2. My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said “I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 100 in about 3 seconds.” I bought her a weighing scale and then the fight started.

Why a woman needs to be slim for anybody? Why is a fat woman a ‘joke’? How many women care how much they weigh had the society not told them to care? How come there are no such jokes on fat men?

3. My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school reunion. And my wife kept staring at a drunken man swinging his drink as he sat alone at a nearby table. I asked my wife if she knew him. “Yes” She sighed, “He is my old boyfriend. I understood he took to drinking right after we split, and has not stopped since”. “My God” I said to my wife “Who would think a person could celebrate for so long?” And then the fight started.

If you were so fed up of your wife, why not divorce her and celebrate yourself? Wait, no you can’t do that, who will be your unpaid slave, then?

4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. It warmed my heart to see her fave melt in sweet apprehension. She said “Somewhere I have not been in a long time”, so I took her to the kitchen and then the fight started.

A Woman’s place is in the kitchen, is it? I do not have words to describe how horribly sexist this is.

Seriously, am I the only one not laughing?

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The Oath Of The Vayuputras: Book Review

Books, Feminism

This is the third part of the Shiva Trilogy by Amish.

I had read the first two books before this blog was born, but as and when I re-read them I will be posting their reviews too.

I absolutely LOVE this third installment.

In this book, Shiva is now in search of his destiny.

He is to decide if the Somras, which, till date was used by the people of Meluha to extend their lives by a hundred years, has now become evil.

Apparently research had shown that the waste from the manufacturing of somras was responsible for the formation of cancerous cells that plagued people from Bhangra. As Bhangra received water from Sarasvati after the waste had been dumped in it.

Also, less number of women in Meluha are becoming pregnant.

Those who did manage to become pregnant had high chances of delivering kids with deformities also known as “Nagas”

The Manufacturing of Somras was also responsible for huge wastage of water from River Sarasvati.

I absolutely loved the fact that women in these books are not put in for decoration or to “support” the hero, but to stand shoulder to shoulder and FIGHT. Such a characterization of women is rarely seen in the Indian Literary world.

(If you have not read the book, below paragraphs contain SPOILERS)

Even when Parvateshvar was leaving Shiva’s side as he thought that his place in the war would be on the opposite side, not once did he expect his wife to leave her ideals and be with him! Even when she DID join him, it was HER decision.

I adored Sati’s character. Unlike in the Mythological TV series where she is shown as a beautiful woman standing with Shiva, here is a lady with a mind and courage, who can fight. Even in her last moments, she won the respect of her misogynist opponent.

I wish there were more characters like her!

The book also slams women who ‘support’ their husbands due to the societal conditioning even when they feel the husbands are wrong. This is clearly shown in Veerini, Sati’s Mom, during the last part of the book, when she wishes she had spoken up against her husband the first time he made a stupid decision instead of following him.

Beautifully written. Expertly Crafted. A MUST read.

Check out this amazing song on this book: