The bridges of Madison County - A tale of what could have been

I have read the book by Robert James Waller once, and seen the story come to life under the direction of Clint Eastwood thrice. Well, today was the third time, and since they say third time is a charm, I've decided to try to write in words what I feel.

The story is about a photographer named Robert Kincaid visiting Madison County for a few days on a project that has him covering the bridges of that place and his meeting Francesca Johnson who is a housewife whose life revolves around her family. The story is about their love, the intensity of which is so much that four days of togetherness change their lives for ever.
The beauty of the film are the moments that have been captured with just silence, a touch or a smile. The undercurrent of emotions in every frame is something that Clint Eastwood is known best for. It is an eternal love story and as the film progresses you tend to relate to the characters and the emotions they feel.
Robert is a free-spirit wanderer, his life is a journey from one place to the other, whereas Francesca has spent all her life in Madison County in the comforts of her home and family. Yet, there is a strong sense of sadness that looms around her and we get a glimpse of it when she admits that this was probably not what she had dreamed of when she was a girl. 
For Francesca, Robert is someone she could never be, she is fascinated by his stories, his life. When he mentions that he got down from the train to stay in Bari for the place was pretty, Francesca keeps questioning him about it twice just to understand that someone like him exists. As they get to known each other they both realise that it is only in each other's company they come alive.
For Francesca, Robert becomes an outlet to the world she had long bid goodbye. Her old dreams and desires resurface in his presence. The family dinners that were spent in silence gets replaced with dinners full of conversation when it comes to Robert. He makes her feel desired and needed, her companionship is valued by him, whereas in the case of her family  her role in their lives has been taken for granted.
But the crux of the film was the choices they had to make. They both are aware that these feelings no matter how strong would come to an end when Francesca's family would return. It is about the pain and anguish they feel once reality hits them. Is it worth taking a chance? Can you leave behind your life, family just for love? Does love really conquer it all?And will you be able to accept the consequences of your choices? For as Francesca says, "We are the choices we make."
For me Bridges of Madison County is a story of love that we all seek, but choose to believe is non-existent. We believe that it is okay to let routine life consume that passion which was once felt. It is okay to take the other person for granted. And it is okay for the fire to fizzle out, for after a while love is replaced by familiarity. So, one more Francesca is born, waiting for some Robert to make her feel alive. 
As the movie ends I wonder would their love remain eternal and chaste had Francesca made a different choice? 
I still love the book and the movie for it's complexities and for immortalizing love, but I am left to wander would their love too become a victim of routine? Watch it understand a little more about love and life thru a tinted glass. :)

Robert Kincaid: This kind of certainty comes but just once in a lifetime.

The lunch box - All we want is to be heard

The Lunch Box is a film that won many awards at Film festivals, and also touched the hearts of million viewers. But let me tell you this is not another review about the film, story-line, screenplay, direction et al. I don't think I have any expertise for that. This is just about what the film did for me.

The film is set in Mumbai, and explores the feeling of loneliness that consumes those who live in this city at some point or the other. If you live in Mumbai, you'll fall in love with this place for its live and let live attitude but also cringe at the fact that sometimes you get lost in the herd of faces.Some where down the road you will miss the intimacy of a small town where everyone knows you. And you long to be heard.

This too is a story of a widower Mr. Sajaan Fernandez and a housewife Ila, who live in Mumbai and are lonely in their own way. Fernandez lives alone after his wife passes away and is a loner who envies those who are blessed with families to share their lives with. His dinner is made of take-away and dabba's delivered to his place. Ila, longs for her husband's attention who is busy with his work and his phone, to a point where she assumes he is having an affair. The only companion she has is her neighbour whom she addresses as 'aunty'. We don't get to see her, we only hear her voice. 

Due to some uncanny circumstance Saajan and Ila strike up a friendship over a dabba (Lunchbox) that is delivered at the wrong address. The dabba that Ila religiously prepares for her husband ends up in the desk of Saajan. So, she writes a note to him telling him that it was meant for her husband not him. Sajaan relpies to her in a single sentence.That is when the story begins. They speak to each other through letters, and discuss their lives, happiness and problems with ease over a period of time. Sajaan advices her on how she can work on her marriage that is falling apart, and she tells him how smoking can be harmful for him. One of Saajan's vices.

The essence of the movie for me could be captured in a single dialogue, "We forget things when we have no one to tell to." 

Both these characters are longing for a little bit of attention, for friendship and love. They are longing for someone to converse with and share their fears and hopes with. And their search end when they find each other. Their love and affection for each other is far deeper than the love we romanticize about. And that is the beauty of the story. It is a search for a companion, not promises of bringing down the moon. It is about a desperate need to be heard. The relationship between Ila and Fernandez wins you over. 

The film delicately paints the pain of growing old alone, the longing of feeling needed and love itself.Through out the film the two never meet and yet weave a tale of love and understanding that could hardly be captured in an elaborate love affair.

There is more to this film yet I choose not to get into the many aspects of it. For me it is a tale of emotions that could be mine or my next door neighbour or the person sitting next to me in the local.

If human emotions and their complexities are your thing then this is a film that you have to watch.The ease with which the story flows is just the opposite of the emotions that it has captured. Do watch it to get a view of a city life thru a tinted glass.

God-shaped hole ~ Bono

I came across this quote by Bono on Goodreads.com, and as I read it, my first reaction was Thank God, I am not alone. Here is what Bono has to say: 

Yes, the God-shaped hole, that we carry with us every where, everyday. For me it is a little bit more blacker and wider, and when I hear the hissing of what's missing, I write. I write till my heart bleeds on paper and my thoughts have dotted the paper in black and white. Even on days when everything seems to be going great I can feel the loss of something which surrounds my existence. 
I have tried to fill it up with verses from books, musical notation from songs, laughter of my friends and the warmth of my family. But after a while, it grows a little wider consuming me with a sense of panic and fear. I do not know what that missing part of my life is, I do not know how to seal it up once and for all.
All I know is that it is a boon and a curse and it's my responsibility as to how I deal with it. And in all these years the only possible way has been to write, write and keep writing. I am no artist, I am just a girl who is in love with words. For me words are like souls, they bring my thoughts to life.
I have stopped running away from this feeling, I have accepted the fact that may be some where down the line this too will make complete sense to me. May be it will help me discover a new dimension of myself. 
Until then, I'll embrace it with all that I have and fill it's insatiable hunger with my words.  

Waiting on a day - John Mayer

I fall in a love with a song, when i fall in love with the lyrics. And for me John Mayer songs are the ones that I keep falling in love with. Be it Slow dancing in a burning room, or Edge of desire. So, here is yet another of his songs that got me falling. This one is from his new album - Paradise Valley called Waiting on a day. 

Mayer's songs remind me of Dylan, the strumming of guitars, joined in by the harmonica, with lyrics that are so simple yet the depth of emotion behind it is immeasurable. For me this song is about expectations we have from our loved ones, where we long for them to walk that extra mile. A life that goes beyond just mere existence, where your efforts are acknowledged. 

Waiting on the day,

When my thoughts are my own.

When this house is my home,

And plans are made.

When you’ll be there for me baby.

When you’ll love me all the way.

When you’ll take my side in every little fire fight.

When you’ll hang your things and stay.

Very often in life we settle for something, in the hope that at the end of the day the purpose is full filled, but the weight of this settlement burdens our soul. And we long for our desires. A life that is an adventure and love that is fueled by passion. And we hope that those around us see this and understand where we are coming from. A day when we are a little less misunderstood, and the love we get has a little more soul to it. To sum it all up, for me this song is about longing and longing alone.

Listen to it, and may be you will find your own thoughts in the tunes of Mayer. Listen to it and you might get a totally different meaning as you see these words thru a tinted glass. 

Can you love me all the way?

Will you tie me tight in little strands of paradise?

Will you walk with me before the morning fades?

I’m waiting on the day.

Waiting on the day.

   

Sputnik Sweetheart - Haruki Murakami

I had heard of Suptnik Sweetheart through a friend of mine. And out of sheer habit I first Googled some of its quote. What caught my fancy were these words,“Why do people have to be this lonely? What's the point of it all? Millions of people in this world, all of them yearning, looking to others to satisfy them, yet isolating themselves. Why? Was the earth put here just to nourish human loneliness?” ― Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart

And that is how I picked up this book. As I read the words of Murakami, I couldn't help but fill my books with tiny notes and underlined sentences. The beauty with which each of his sentence were crafted left me mesmerised and wanting for more. There were moments when I had to keep the book aside just to absorb the intensity of his words and thoughts.
The story itself was moving. I am not here to review the book or tell you about Murakami's writing style. I am here to share with you what the book meant to me. 
The character of K, our narrator and his bond with Sumire was the main reason why this book became my prized possession. They are best-friends, he is in love with her, she is in love with her boss who is a lady by the way. But it is not a love triangle. The relationship between K and Sumire, goes beyond love and attraction. It reaches a place where intimacy is measured not in the physical closeness you have with someone but the intimacy of thoughts.
He never confessed his love for her, but I would like to believe that she some where knew about it. May be even felt the same for him but decided not to venture down that road for reasons of her own.
What Sputnik Sweetheart did for me was make me look at love that sometimes does not blossom in the conventional sense of the word. Can two people love each other, yet choose to not acknowledge it? Does that make their love any less?
Or does acknowledging the emotion rob the relationship of its charms with its weight of expectations? 
Sputnik Sweetheart is a tale of longing, loneliness, friendship and most of all words that are left unsaid.Each character carries its own burden of loneliness that is shared with just the reader.
A must read for everyone to get a glimpse of how complicated we can be at times. It is about love, and unfulfilled promises.  It surely is about life thru a tinted glass. :) 

“In the end, like so many beautiful promises in our lives, that dinner date never came to be.” 
― Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart   

Elizabethtown - Life has its own plans

I stumbled across this movie a while back that too by chance. And as I sat through it, there were moments in it that I could relate to and moments that I wished were mine. It is a simple story that beautifully expresses the saying, 'Love finds you when you least expect it'.

So, apart from it being a love story what really got me was the crafting of the story. Orlando Bloom, the main lead has just hit rock bottom in every sense of the word. He has lost his job, his love and of course his dad. And is left with no option but to book his one way ticket to the other world. Don't worry this is no spoiler alert, for if you watch the movie, the first twenty minutes of it will tell you exactly this.
The beauty of the film starts now. As he makes his last trip to his father's side of the family, his journey of self discovery begins. Every character in this film is made of substance. And they all come together to weave a story of life, love, loss and happiness. Orlando's mom, portrayed by Susan Sarandon leaves you speechless with her 10 minutes screen presence as she delivers a speech for his late husband. During this scene she finally accepts the fact that he is no more, and makes you want to believe that love surely is the crux of our lives. 
But the one character that touched my heart deeply was that of Claire, brought to life on the silver screen by Kristen Dunst. From the very beginning she steals your heart with her vivacious nature and attitude towards life. She comes across as a happy go lucky kind of girl, just letting here guards down twice during the whole film. Once when she simply states, "I'm impossible to forget, but I'm hard to remember." and the next time when she says,"You and I have a special talent," Claire says to Drew. "And I saw it immediately. We're the substitute people. I've been the substitute person my whole life. I'm not an Ellen a. I never wanted to be an Ellen. And I'm not a Cindy either…I like being alone too much. I mean, I'm with a guy who is married to his academic career. I rarely see him and I'm the substitute person there. I like it that way. It's a lot less pressure." 
As she delivered these line, there was a new dimension to her character. And I believe a lot of viewers could relate to it. The guys who never crossed the friend zone, the girls who were always considered as one of the guys. 
But the highlight of the film was the connection that Claire and Drew shared. The endless conversation they had, where they shared their most personal thoughts with each other with such ease that lovers would be put to shame. Sometimes I believe it is easier to be honest to a stranger than someone who you've known forever. May be because you have nothing to lose. 
At the end of it all, Elizabethtown made me believe that love can sometimes show up when you least expect it, and life has a way of turning things around. Especially when you feel that there is no way out and even rock bottom seems to be way up from you.
So, let me end by saying that you don't need to be a romantic to watch this film. It's not a heavy duty drama or a chick flick kind, but it will leave you with a smile. And who knows it might just help you look at life thru a tinted glass - :)