Revolutionary Road

Once in a while, there comes along a movie that probably jolts you out of your existence. That hits you hard. That makes you think. Makes you feel. Makes you forget where you are and sucks you into its world. Thats exactly what 'Revolutionary Road' did to me.


Its not an easy movie to watch. And you have to really like dramatic movies to like this movie. But then whats fascinating is that all its dramatic moments are so rooted in real life, that you dont for a moment think the on goings are dramatic. You just watch event after event unfold in April and Frank Wheeler's lives like you were sitting in their living room watching them.

He is a chauvanist. Trying to be the man he isnt. Whose concept of being a 'man' is conventional in nature. Who is bound by his own insecurities. One who loves her. But lacks the guts to say so.

She is the 'seemingly' picture perfect wife. Composed. Calm. But with a storm brewing beneath. A failed actress. One who fell for the concept of 'a happy countryside life with two kids'. Disillusioned. Searching for answers. Desperate to give her marriage a shot of heroine.

Together they struggle to find who they really are, who they were, what they have become and where do they go from where they are. The answers are not easy to come and change with every changing circumstance. From gloom, depression to serendipity to joy to gloom again, their relationship is as topsy turvy as one usually sees marriages as.

Whats best about this movie is the dialogues. The protogonists just rip through each other with their words leaving their real selves, their souls stark naked. Even as they speak they may be feeling within that they need to stop, that this hurts - both themselves as well as the other - and yet they go on. At one point in time, April says -

"And you know what's so good about the truth? Everyone knows what it is however long they've lived without it. No one forgets the truth, Frank, they just get better at lying."

Marvellous. Simply marvellous.

Another one from April Wheeler.
"This is what's unrealistic. It's unrealistic for a man with a fine mind to go on working year after year at a job he can't stand. Coming home to a place he can't stand, to a wife who's equally unable to stand the same things. And you know what the worst part of it is? Our whole existence here is based on this great premise that we're special. They we're superior to the whole thing. But we're not. We're just like everyone else! We bought into the same, ridiculous delusion."

Thats the best thing about Revolutionary Road. On the surface, its the story of a couple whose marriage is on the rocks and on the verge of crumbling. But beneath it all, it is just as much about the individual. The simmering aspirations that each one of us have. The way each of us crave to be with the people we love and yet find it difficult to let go of the person we are within, of our own ideas, our own definition of living. Of what we thought life would be at a point in time and what it turned out or is turning out into. April in fact is unable to come to terms with the fact that this kind of hope that life is going to be wonderful was in fact an illusion she had been imagining all along. How many of us have not felt that kind of thing at some point in time or the other? This is what April says - again it just hits you hard - like a slap in the face.

"For years I thought we've shared this secret that we would be wonderful in the world. I don't know exactly how, but just the possibility kept me hoping. How pathetic is that? So stupid. To put all your hopes in a promise that was never made."

Most of us if we see the movie, would identify atleast at some level with Frank's character. I am talking about the bit of going to a job that we really cant stand most of the time. Frank hates his job. And there is another wonderfully ringing true experience in the movie. After having that talk with April when they decide to move on, Frank goes back to job the next day and finishes his task on hand. As it turns out later, he exceeds so well at this last task and does such a good job on it, that he lands himself a much better profile and pay package. The very though of 'freedom around the corner', the very thought of knowing that he was going to quit the very place he so hated, made him perform superlatively. Cos now he had nothing to fear. The thing is that most of have the potential to excel. But the minute we are dragged into or do something we really dont like, we dont excel at it. Or atleast most of them dont. The day you actually feel free, or truly happy from withing, you actually realise a lot of latent potential. I have seen this ring true in so many cases of people I have known.

Watch this movie as a slice of life. You may or may not agree with the characters. The plot. The story line. Some dialogues. The way it ends. But you would be sure left thinking about some aspect of the movie or other. That I guarantee you.

Musings Over A Hot Cup Of Tea...

Its been a pretty ordinary day. And in a way I am glad. Have really not been able to enjoy a quiet nice weekend for a while now. So I did exactly that today. Read a book, arranged stuff that was strewn around my home, joined a gym (finally!!!), spoke to some friends, saw some TV and caught a nice lil' nap in between. Sometimes the mundane is what is interesting.

I am an absolute tea lover. A Crazy one. Not the kinds who has about fifteen cups a day. Nope. In fact I have only about two and on absolutely select few days three. But I am the kind of tea lover who dreams about it when I dont get it. Who cooks up various occassions and situations that would call for a tea. Who loves having random conversations while having a cup of tea in the hand. Who looks for the flimsiest of excuses to persuade others to join him for a cup. And whose thinking starts getting better after that cup of tea. I have tended to notice that some of the best thoughts usually come about in two situations - (a) when one is in the loo and (b) while having tea (coffee for some). Now I really didnt want my blog url to read 'musingswhilesittingoverapotofcrap' ;) And the rest I hope will be worthy of history!

My profile name reads Howard Roark. Now anyone familiar with Ayn Rand would know instantly that that is in fact the name of the protagonist of probably her most popular and accomplished work 'The Fountainhead'. It was a book that absolutely bowled me over when I first read it. It was a really lengthy read. But absolutely worth it. The protagonist is someone who believes that there is nothing wrong in putting ones desire first and then looking after the needs of others. Though the society usually looks at anyone who does things for personal benefit a little scathingly, for Howard Roark it doesnt matter. He chooses his own path to reach where he wants to in life. Does not listen to people around him at all. And his character is juxtaposed against several others who take a conventional path or who give in to a life dedicated to serving the society or others who are after power. Its an absolute must read for anyone who likes reading intelligent fiction. A book that makes you think. So is that the reason I chose this name? 'Cos I loved this character or somewhere relate to him or want to be like him or am probably already him? Nope. None of that. I just like the name :) Its a character that I wont easily forget probably 'cos I rate the book so highly. But the sound of the name is pretty good and kinda neutral. So I chose that name.

There are pros and then there are cons to anything. By choosing to remain anonymous, I may be missing out on a few things like getting the reactions of people I know pretty well and who may read my blog. But thats the whole idea. Like discussed in my last post, I really dont want whoever may be reading my blog (whether known or unknown to me) to know it is me here 'cos it may then influence what I write and how I write. The minute I know someone known to me who knows its my blog is reading this, it would just put a constraint on the way I would write here. And I say this after experiencing the exact same thing when I had blogged the last time around. Its something usually authors face too. It is believed that most of the 'first book' of any author is usually part autobiographical. I have seen many deny that. But I think there is some truth to that. Any fiction book that an author usually writes would undeniably have certain experiences of the author input across various pages. And if not personal experiences, then definitely how the author would usually react/behave in certain situations. 'Cos at the end of the day the way a fiction book progresses is nothing but the way an author chooses his characters reaction and situations.

I guess I have rambled enough for a night. Need to hit the bed now 'cos my eyes are getting all droopy!

A New Year, A New Resolution....

Happy New Year!!!!

Its a new year and with that come new resolutions. And resolutions as we all know by now are just one of those things you need to make so that the year seems to have some goal, some sense of direction which you eventually lose sight of within a month ;)

But you really can't escape these resolutions, can you? There is just something about the 1st day of a year that fills you with a sense of blinded optimism which in turn spurs one to 'decide' that the time has come to make a change! Come to think of it, may be I am being too cynical considering its only just the third day of the year!

Which brings me to my resolution for the year. There had to be one, else I wouldn't be rambling for so long :) Well, my resolution is to blog regularly. There are many resolutions in fact, but this one is the most 'publishable' :) No seriously. I have been trying to blog on and off for a couple of years now. Its one of those things I am always 'wanting to do' but have never really been able to push myself that hard. This is perhaps my fourth attempt. The one before this in fact did survive for a while. But then someone cracked it that it was my blog and in no time people I knew were reading it. Which is a thought that I somehow dont really gel with! There is a sense of anonymity that makes part of blogging fun. If I knew that someone I knew was reading this knowing me as I am, it would ruin my writing style. For the next time around, I would be all conscious that someone I know who knows this blog is mine is gonna be reading this post and then most of my time would go in appropriately wording things or probably not writing a few things, thus tossing my 'Captain Cook free-flow' thought process!

Anyways for now this is a new start to a new blog. And one that will hopefully continue for a long long while!