Movie: Slumdog Millionaire

I finally watched "Slumdog Millionaire." I was not impressed by the movie. I don't see what the hype was about. I did enjoy the movie. I was not "offended" by the scenes in the slums as that is a reality in India. I did not care much about the title of the movie. It fits the content of the movie.

The actors were good. Dev Patel did a good job. I saw the "desipan" in him when he says "Arey Bhaiya, I am the dishwasher." Overall, he justified his character. Freida Pinto, the leading lady, was okay. I felt she was more of a pretty face than an acteress. She cannot act. I would like to see her upcoming works to see if she truly has the talent. The kid actors were excellent. They definitely deserve all the fame they got.

Comparison to the book: The book is much much much better. That is all I have to say. The movie is nothing like the book, as in quality and content. I think people should read the book.
The main character in the novel has no religion. His name is "Ram Mohammed Thomas." More about the book here.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie. However, I don't think it deserved all the Oscars it received. I did like the songs.

Respecting..

It is interesting how people DEMAND respect but they themselves do not know how to give respect. They demand respect based on either age factor or experience factor. I think in this world, everyone needs to be treated with respect, doesn't matter how young or old. However, at the same time, in order to get respect, you MUST GIVE respect.

If you are one of those individuals who treat others as a doormat, and then in return expect to be treated with respect, then I say shame on you. You are selfish and you will not get any respect from me.

Also, I have noticed how people belittle other's jobs because they have an office job. WTH? The other person is also working to earn money and feed mouths. All jobs are jobs, no matter how big or small. If a person is dressed as a monkey, jumping around, and getting paid for that, then good for him. If the other person is sitting in an office and getting paid, good for him too. Whatever keeps the person happy and well fed.

Mood: Annoyed

Confessions of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

I read my blogs from past months and I noticed that I only wrote about books. It is kind of sad. I am such a nerd. Today it will be a little different. As my label says "Book Review," it will be a book review but little later.

First of all, I would like to say that I am so so happy that Roger Federer won the match. He is truly number one and he deserved that title. But I must say that Andy Roddick was excellent in his game. He exceeded my and many others' expectations. But in the end, Federer remained victorious. With 15 grand slam titles, he is # 1 and even few loses to Nadal won't take that away from him. I just hope that he continues to win few more titles and set the highest and unreachable goal for others.

Little on the sad end: I was shocked to hear Michael J.'s death. That was quite unexpected, and for few hours after reading the news, I thought that "maybe they will come back and say it is a rumour." That didn't happen. I am sad for all his fans. I am not his fan, but this news did shock me.

Now we are on to my book review. While all this was going on, I was listening a comedy: Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I really enjoyed Kinsella's The Undomestic Goddess. I had also read great reviews about Shopaholic series. Anyways, I wasn't as impressed.

Pros: The book is good and funny. The storyline is different but at the same time, more than 50% of women can relate to the story. You will learn about brand names. The writing style was very simple. Lastly, Luke sounded very cute. :-P

Cons: Becky Bloomwood is an annoying character. I wanted to slap her few times, but her luck that she is not real. The story kind of dragged and at times I was irritated by events happening in the book. I felt that the end of the novel was truly the best part. There are some similarities (very few) between Shopaholic and Goddess.

Having said all that, I would give this book 7.5 out of 10. Surprisingly, I think I will pick up rest of the books in the series later. Our town library only had the first book in audio book format. I guess I will check out other libraries to see if they have the others. I have the movie on hold, so another movie to watch

Now I am listening to We the Living by Ayn Rand. Before that I tried listening to The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons and other Jazz Tales by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but sadly that CD was messed up. Damn people who cannot and do not respect books from the library. Nobody should mishandle books, and if you are one of the individuals who does, then buy your own copy. Don't ruin the experience for other readers/listeners. Signing out...entry too long...

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini wrote an excellent history-based novel. I had read many reviews about this novel and was looking forward to the book. I must say that if a book can move you in any way or in other words, forces you to show some sort of reaction other than "Boring," then it is an excellent read. This book qualifies as an excellent read for me. I was happy, sad, and angry at the characters and the author. The book is now part of My-Favorite-Books list.

In summary, the novel is about two boys living in Kabul, Afghanistan before the war, and how the war causes them to go separate ways. The two main characters are Amir and Hassan. Hassan is the son of the servant, and believes that Amir is his best friend. Due to a tragedy, Amir no longer wishes to be associated with Hassan. Amir and Baba, his father, leaves the country and move to America during the war. The novel continues and the readers see the characters grow up in their own two different worlds. There were times in the novel, where I wanted to scream at the author and say "WTH?" I think I have said enough. I definitely will recommend this book to whoever wants a good read. I do warn you that it is not a cheerful novel. I will give this book 9 out of 10.

As usual, there is a movie based on this novel, and I will watch it soon. As I read the books, my list of movies-to-watch also grows. I did read on Wiki about the movie and how the movie actors playing "Hassan" and "Amir" had to face so much criticism and had to go through difficult times. Some people take the entertainment industry so seriously. Anyways, time to sign out. Later!