Tag: movies

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Favourite Watchable Movies etc..

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Recently, there was an event where actors, producers, directors in Hollywood were asked to provide their list of their top 4 movies. Many of them struggled with their answer. Especially for those in the industry, movies are surrounding them and to narrow the selection to the top 4 can be very challenging. I know I have already listed my favourite movies on a different post, but I realized that this list can change.

At an industry even recently, I asked a colleague this question and before answering, he said that what he defines his favourite movies to be are movies that if they are on television, he will watch them over and over again.

Because I am always considering various criteria – ensuring my selection represents diversity, has a drama, comedy, older movie, new movie….I can get steeped down and if I were asked on the spot, I would answer, but I don’t know that my list would be accurate because there are so many great movies that sometimes get forgotten.

For instance, the other night, my husband and I came upon The Road to Perdition, which we both had not seen in a while and even though it was 1/3rd through, we watched and just admired what a great movie it is. First of all, the direction by Sam Mendes is brilliant, the cinematography is on point for the era it depicts, the soundtrack is haunting and the acting and group of actors is simply compelling. Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Daniel Craig, Stanley Tucci, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law….. magnificent. And the boy playing the son, Tyler Hoechlin – just scene stealing. That movie is just riveting and it gets missed from my favourites consistently.

My list of watchable movies, where no matter if I had just watched it, will watch again, is quite long. It includes movies such as a Few Good Men, Legally Blonde, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Heat, Rocky Aur Rani, Pathaan, Gone With the Wind, Any Equalizer movie with Denzel, Gladiator, Funny Girl, Any Star Wars movie, most MCU movies, but especially Thor Ragnarok, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Black Panther and End Game, The Fugitive, Patriot Games, The Bourne Identity (only with Matt Damon), The Ya Ya Sisterhood, How to Marry a Millionaire, Breakfast at Tiffanys, The Ocean 11 movies, especially the Oceans 9 movie, the original West Side Story, The Philadelphia Story, 10 Commandments, Rear Window, Vertigo, In the Line of Fire, Mission Impossible 4, the John Wick franchise, Elf, Anchorman, Zoolander, Beverly Hills Cop, Hidden Figues, Trading Places, Get Out, Daddy’s Home 2, Goodfellas, The Godfather movies (1 and 2), Hilary and Jackie ……honestly, I could probably provide a never ending list because I adore movies.

These past couple of years, I have not seen many movies that I adored, but there were a few – Sinners was amazing and I love great horror movies. I thought Conclave was brilliant and provided great insights into the selection of a Pope, which was on point. I really enjoyed Materialists and am a big Celine Song fan, and lastly, I really liked the Wild Robot, which I watched with my son and thought it was very innovative and touching. Although formulaic, I did enjoy F1 also, just because I like a good blockbuster.

I look forward to discovering old and new movies, never watched and always knowing that I have the comfort of previously watched movies, like a warm blanket, or catching up with an old friend.

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

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Wicked, books and rant – oh my!

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I grew up loving The Wizard of Oz. I was fortunate to play Dorothy in our public school’s production and therefore, have known the entire script since the time that I was 9 years of age (we used the original MGM script). And so, I had another full circle moment, when I took my girls to see Wicked, the prequel, on the week-end. I had seen the Wicked stage production many moons ago, but there was something special seeing the new Wicked movie with my girls. We had a blast and I have been playing Defying Gravity non stop on my commute and at home.

The words really speak to me, because I have been dealing with an issue, and I find the words very inspiring. I pushed back against the status quo and instead of engaging in a healthy discussion, I was just immediately shot down and basically told to know my place. It was an upsetting exchange because it was not private. It stung.

And listening to the lyrics in Defying Gravity, make me feel understood:

I’m through accepting limits
‘Cause someone says they’re so
Some things I cannot change
But ’til I try, I’ll never know

Because the exchange described above was draining, and I am at a place where I am mindful about conserving my energy and being selective on how it is used. And I now find that I have to give myself a pep talk going into a lot of meetings because although I would like to stay quiet, I cannot because that would not be true to me. And it would not be true to the future I would like my kids to encounter and the changes I would like to see enacted to make things better. And so I steel myself, because although we would like to think that we are at a time where diversity is embraced and the people are my mindful of others, at the end of the day, it is a live issue and I see more back sliding than forward motion.

Perhaps I will be playing Defying Gravity in advance of meetings, as my pep song? It will take the place of Eye of the Tiger; I will keep you posted!

However, the other thing that stood out to me about Wicked, was a particular scene, that caused me to quickly groan. If you are South Asian and have seen the movie, you will know what I am talking about. But for those of you who are not, when I was growing up, I was taught to be respectful of the written word, in any form; newspaper, book, magazine – it was to be respected. And in our culture, the highest form of disrespect would be to put your foot on a book. As a child, not stepping on books was instilled in me as a form of respect for knowledge, and it is a tradition that has been passed on to my kids. We do not steps on books!

So when I watched the musical number in Wicked, where they are in the library, and are stepping and dancing on books, I gasped and had a hard time watching it. And when I went on social media, and saw that it was a common observation of many South Asians, I felt a sense of community.

Oh well – you can’t please everyone. It still did not take away my enjoyment of watching Wicked.

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

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This Life of Mine

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I am new to the podcast world. However, I have fallen for the James Corden podcast, This Life of Mine. Even when I do not know the guest, such as some of the athletes, I am always inspired by their stories, their drive and their insights. The show comprises of each guest choosing their favourite person, place, memory, song and movie. For athletes, they are asked to choose their favourite sporting memory.

So in no particular order, I decided to tackle these questions. Often the guests comment on how difficult it is to narrow the answer down to one and agree – it is challenging. But I think that it would be interesting to determine if 10 years down the road, whether the guests still agree with their answers.

Favourite memory

I have a lot, but one that sticks with me a lot is a memory I had with my Dad. My Dad and I were very close and although we had our disagreements, we had a lot of common traits and likes. Because he was my primary caretaker when I was a toddler, he left an indelible mark on me regarding music, movies and structure. And so my memory takes me to when I was 12 or 13 years of age. We had a time share where the primary location was in Thornbury on the Georgian Bay.

We were there for a couple of weeks in the summer and I have such great memories of that time. My parents allowed my brother and I to rent Dirty Dancing, and we watched it back to back one night, after my parents went to sleep. But the memory that sticks out for me is that my Dad and I planned one morning to get up super early to jump from the docks into Georgian Bay. Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I hate cold water and that it takes me 1200 minutes to get into a pool, or body of water.

That morning, the air was crisp. We got changed quickly, so that we would not wake my Mom and brother. The sun had just risen, and it was a beautiful morning. No one else was out. My Dad jumped in first and after a brief moment of hesitation, I jumped as well. It was bone chilling but then glorious. And we swam for a while, in Georgian Bay, with the sun starting to rise over us. It was peaceful and bonding and that moment gives me a lot of comfort. It taught me that I could overcome my fears and that the reward was greater than anything that I could have imagined. And I learned that shared moments, often make for the best ones.

Favourite song

This was very challenging for me. I love music and to narrow it down to one song is very difficult. However, I wanted to choose something happy, inspiring and long lasting for me. I went with “As”, by Stevie Wonder and closely following by the interpretation by George Michel and Mary J Blige. The chorus is what always uplifts me, no matter what:

Until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky
Always
Until the ocean covers every mountain high
Always
Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea
Always
Until we dream of life and life becomes a dream

That last line in the chorus is just pure beauty.

And for me, even before the lyrics, the dynamic melody is essential for me. My kids will tell you that I am horrible with remembering lyrics, but I can hum the melody of any song perfectly, and place me in front of a keyboard and I can bang out the melody fairly quickly.

We played the song at our wedding. I still remember hearing the song for the first time, and the pure joy I felt. I remember watching it became a big part of the movie, The Best Man, which I love and loved the symbiosis.

When I was in law school, my classmate, Michael, who was also a George Michael fan, told me that George had re-done the song with Mary J, but it had only been released in the UK and never in North America. I searched to find a copy and when I did, I was not disappointed. And if it is playing in the car, I am not changing the station and you will see me singing along as if I were on stage with the greats!

Favourite Movie

This was a quick answer – Gandhi. As has been previously chronicled, I saw the movie when it first came out and was only 7. And again, I know that many friends take issue with the historical accuracy and the depiction of events, which I respect.

For me, it was the first time that I saw visualized, what my parents had taught me about India’s Independence and Gandhi. The majestic manner in which this movie was produced, just filled me with awe.

From the opening where Gandhi is assassinated and his funeral procession with an inspiring soundtrack by legendary Ravi Shankar, I was lost. The emotions that this movie stirred in me and still ring true.

When the men attend the March at the Salt Mines, and row after row of men are struck down without fighting back, espousing the Non Violence beliefs of Gandhi, my heart breaks every time at the injustice but I am stirred with their commitment. The indelible mark this movie left on me remains and I cannot wait to share this movie with my kids. I have it both on VHS, DVD, digital – you name it, I have a copy of it. And to contextualize the movie, I was a child of the 70’s where in Canada, India was associated with extreme poverty and slums. And there really was no representation of the South Asian experience in any media forum outside of what was being generated by India. So for this movie to be a mainstream movie, on such a large scale with bold, memorable and respectful performances, was very important for me.

Possession

The possession that is my most important treasure, is my wedding ring. So funny story – the engagement ring my husband bought to propose to me, was something he picked up while he was out at sea, so that he would have a ring. But he asked me to return it (that’s a story for another day) and he and I chose my engagement ring and wedding bands together.

At the time, it was a very unique design. What gives me joy is that it foresaw our life together. It is 3 bands, which for me, represent each of our children. In the centre, there is a round diamond, with a round circle of diamonds surrounding it. I look at the centre to represent our entire family, and the round circle encapsulating it, to be representative of my husband and I, holding our family together.

The circle represents, no end and no beginning; just the constant that we as a family are. We did not think about the symbolism when we chose it, but we must have manifested our family as a result. My husband has asked a few times, if I wanted to upgrade it and my response is always a vehement NO. The meaning that this ring holds for me on a daily basis, reinforces that the best thing in my life ever to happen, is the life I have with my husband and kids, and it truly was a dream come for me.

Favourite place

My favourite place is not one specific place, but anywhere by the water. I find water, its smell, its presence, its sound, its feel, all very soothing for my soul. When I was a kid, my Dad would always take me for walks along Lake Ontario. I would find worn down pieces of bottles, and imagine they were jewels. He would take me to the Forks of the Credit River and we would cross the River, hopping from rock to rock and feeling the water rush past.

When I was older and visited the ocean for the first time, I thought – I am home.

My first place on my own, was a condo down by the Lake. I loved going for walks along the Lake, and later when I met my husband and then had my girls, our walks and adventures there always filled all of us with such joy and happiness.

On my birthday in 2008, we were in Dubai, and I remember dipping my feet in the Perian Gulf.

Now- with my kids, whenever the weather is nice and my husband is away, the kids and I end up at the Lake, throwing rocks and skipping stones, walking along the dock and getting an ice cream. The kids love our Caribbean get aways, and we have countless photos of them on the beach, playing in the sand and enjoying the sun.

Whenever I retire, whenever that might be, being close to the water is important for me. The water gives me peace and contentment. It is my happy spot for always. And not to be morbid, but a body of water is where I would like my ashes to be spread, when I have transitioned.

Favourite Person

My favourite person was a teacher of mine – Marg-Rheta Wright. She passed away many years ago (15), but she was my favourite person and had an amazing influence on my life. When I started high school, it was her first year teaching music. She was maybe 10 years older than us. She had elfin hair, a uniquely creative wardrobe, and a heart of gold. She fascinated me. She did not see me as a South Asian girl, struggling to find her fit in the predominantly white school I attended, but she saw me as a person. Someone with musical talent. Someone who came from a challenging home life and escaped in music and doing well in all aspects of school. She saw me as someone who read voraciously, and loved all things romance and historical. She gave me opportunities to shine and to push myself out of my comfort zone. When we had to choose a new instrument, she nudged me to choose the bassoon, which was the same size as me and yet, I loved the uniqueness of accomplishing a new instrument. She gave me opportunities to work in the summer in the music room, teaching music, re-organizing the music room -whatever she could do to help. It made a difference. She would bring giant shopping bags of books for me, to read. And she made an audition tape for me and application and sent it to a performing Arts school in New York, where I was accepted. And she came to my home and spoke to my Dad, knowing our family dynamics and advocated for me, even though we both knew the opportunity was not going to happen. And later, when I was in university, and she decided to go back and get her Masters in Arizona and assist Lorna Luft, Judy Garland’s half sister, she became a friend and spoke to me as if I were an equal. She never spoke down to me. She always believed in me. She was there at my wedding and I was there at her funeral.

It was the first time I opened up about what my home life was like to anyone and she never judged me or defined me by it. She consoled me and would always give my Mom a big hug when she saw her and was strong, but respectful when dealing with my Dad. She made me feel safe and that really helped me become me. Because she made me believe in me, my gifts, my talents and my future. She was such an important teacher for so many of us and she truly made her gift her vocation; being a true teacher.

So those are my choices. A lot of reflection and selection. It was definitely challenging but was a fascinating exercise, one which I encourage you to take.

But that’s just one Diva’s view.

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My fascination with the Arts

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One of my favourite memories growing up was listening to my parents share stories about growing up in India and Trinidad. There was something so fulfilling to learn about our history and ancestry and it definitely shaped who I am. My Mom shared stores of her fearlessness, climbing mango trees to the very top and roaming around in the countryside- they were inspiring.

However, one of the stories I was fascinated with growing up, was from my Dad. He was born in Calcutta and was a young boy during Partition in India. Calcutta was one of the cities which experienced a lot of strife and division and the State of Bengal was divided with half remaining in India and the other half, to form East Pakistan, later known as Bangladesh. My grandfather owned one of the first Bata shoe companies in India, and had gone to the Czech Republic, for training, before opening the store. However, as a result of Partition, the store was burned down. There was no insurance and the family was struggling as a result.

The folklore is that my Dad was on the verandah singing, when a movie director was walking by and heard him. He was looking to cast a young boy in a movie and my Dad was chosen. It was the answer to the family’s financial problems. My Dad was pulled out of school and made this film. The money was used to rebuild the family business. My Dad’s love of movies, was born and then passed down to me. However, my Dad did not get to enjoy the earnings, and he was asked to leave the school he was attending at the time, because he missed so much school to do the movie. The experience really fostered in my Dad a reliance on self education and constant learning, but I digress.

My Dad’s cousin brother, lived in the family compound. He went onto become a huge Bollywood star and growing up, we used to watch him in both Hindi and Bengali movies. Hindi movies were iconic for us, growing up and to know that we had a relative who was a movie star was “mind blasting”. We learned one of his songs, which we would perform and became one of my favourites – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kru9g_K5IPo

And from there and this legacy, my fascination for movies and the Arts was born. As previously described, I love movies. I love the process of making movies and learning about the origins of the movies, the production process, the direction of the movie by the Director and the actors. I love to hear the stories about the process about making the movie – the trials and tribulations and then I devour the promotion of the movie, the opening etc.. I love music and I don’t think a single day has gone by without music in my life. I love singing and enjoying great performances – it is soul fuelling.

It is curious because I was bit by the performing bug early on. My Dad would have me performing at cultural shows from the time that I was 4 before an audience of 200 plus people. My dance performances left much to be desired, by my singing and acting performances, really allowed my inner creativity to shine! I participated in school musicals and plays and was very active with our school’s music program- both singing and instrument wise. My Music teacher actually made an application for me to a New York Performing Arts school and I was accepted. But I knew that as much as my Dad loved this world, my parents would not support me pursuing this as a vocation. I had to be sensible and choose an occupation which would give me a steadier path and so I chose the career I have now, with no regrets.

But my choice in vocation did not temper my fascination for the Arts. I find the Arts and the creative process so fascinating. I find for me, music, movies and the history to be meditative, because I can immerse myself in it so fully, that my mind actually shuts down and enjoys the beauty. It is my escape. I have tried to learn to knit, sew or garden as beautifully as my Mom did, but it must have skipped a generation. It definitely did because my Son is right now focused on growing his Cherry Tomato plant. But I am so lucky that I have my passion for music and movies. It really allows me to keep my creativity going and given the chaos in the world, isn’t it nice to have an escape?

But that’s just one Diva’s view.