Author Archives: psm222

A Gut Wrenching Movie

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World War 2 based movies have always left me in tears. The Pianist did not turn out any different. A gut wrenching story of a Jew stuck in Nazi Poland, the story brings to fore the disastrous crimes committed during World War 2. With Nazis trying to gain control of Poland, the Jews were moved out of their houses, forced to live in miserable conditions and eventually shipped to labor camps. The pianist, the main character of the movie, had to live in horrible conditions, escaping Nazis from one location to another. The conditions in which he had to spend his days, sometimes made one think if it was even worth trying to survive.

The movie brought out the atrocities committed by the Germans during World War 2. However, it also showed us how some Germans were kind and considerate. One German supplying the pianist with bread, warm clothes, and water. The pianist was also housed by several Germans during the their occupation of Warsaw. The direction of the movie also conveyed that not all Germans were bad, and that some were indeed kinder than the protagonist’s own family.

A Story of Pursuit of excellence

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Having seen many snippets of the movie, as well as the trailer before, I was extremely excited to watch this gem of a movie. I was, initially, the most excited to watch Jim Parsons amongst the entire cast in the movie. However, as the movie went along, I was stunned by the acting by Taraji Henson and Mahershala Ali. Being the “lead couple” in the movie they describe the perfect mix of conservative and progressive lines of thinking in the 60s. While rooted in conservative beliefs and skeptical of women working, the change in Jim’s behavior over the course of the movie, given his love for Katherine was an example of splendid movie direction.

The movie is set in the time period where the Civil Rights Movement. Though the movie does make references to the sensitive times and the challenges 3 black women faced, it does not spend excessive time discussing social injustices. The movie is primarily driven by NASA’s mission to put a man in space. The movie also ends well with parallels to movie actors and the real life women who actually worked for NASA. The movie gave me goosebumps, teary eyes and immense hope. This was one of th best movies of my life.

European Flashbacks

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Having travelled the Italian countryside, along with road trips through Switzerland, Germany and Spain, in the summer of 2017, watching “The Talented Mr. Ripley” was a cozy trip down memory lane. Mesmerized by the beauty of Europe, I enjoyed the movie from the first 20 minute onwards given its setting in beautiful Italian places.

The movie has a quirky and interesting story. Watching a talented conman navigate his way through the struggles he faces in getting money and affluence and very amusing. Despite his wrong ways, I began to appreciate Ripley’s skills, especially impersonations. The scene where he alone sets up trails of communication between himself and another character in the movie (Dickie) brings up his attention to detail. Despite his wrong ways, I ended the movie with an appreciation for Ripley’s wits and ruthless execution of plans, with him killing his beloved partner to keep himself form being exposed the most ruthless executions of his plans.

A World I Wished For!

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Wall E is a Pixar masterpiece that I have appreciated for a long time. The movie released after Stanton, the director made a conscious choice to make a lesser-believable, movie after a couple of believable under-water animated films. I remember, as a 9 year old, eagerly waiting for the release of this movie. Having grown in a tech-driven family, all Pixar movies were always eagerly awaited.

Going through the movie, I especially appreciated the direction out of all the previous Stanton movies I had seen. This was because many of the characters in the movie do not even have voices. Most communication happens through body movements, body language, and minimal robotic sounds. This movie also represents an idealistic world. Shunning consumerism, moving towards a genuine, intellectual society, are things that I loved about the movie. This movie reminds me of my simpler life at the age of nine, where my dad took me on ice cream dates and we discussed ideological theories through movies and other sources. Thus, watching Wall E again, after so many days, was a delightful nostalgic ride.

Awesome Animation and a Subtle Story

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What caught my eye about this movie was the amazing animation used. Having a couple hours long worth of animation requires amazing technical ability. That is one of the reasons that I greatly appreciated this movie. The movie also made me realize, in a subtle and quiet way, that despite us trying our best to implement something, there is always a possibility of it going wrong. Thus one ought to be humble enough to adapt and readapt as one tries to do something new. I also enjoyed the concept of towns based off of different festivals and portals that helped connect them. Since that relates to the contemporary social and racial relations, I, thus, also found the movie relatable.

An Inspirational Movie

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Hacksaw Ridge  was a very inspirational movie for me. It reflected the combination of strong personal values, childhood beliefs, religion and true love in a triumphant manner. I felt very inspired and encouraged watching the movie. I felt the conviction of sticking to my beliefs even in the toughest of moments. The love story in the movie also reminded me of the deeper and more meaningful relationships people shared in the past, as compared to the ones we see in the present. The movie also reconnected me to some world war books I had read in the past, and helped me remember the joy of reading historical stories and books.

God’s own Country

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God’s own country gives a rather vivid description of a rural kid in the England who struggled coping with different aspects/events in his life. The kid was living an unhappy life, disgruntled about his friends leaving for college, uneasy with his father’s expectations from him and so on. His interactions with a Romanian migrant worker, especially the initial hostility towards him, reminded me of the political scenario in the UK during the Brexit vote. I also felt the film was a little too direct for me personally. Scenes like the two being involved sexually outdoors made me slightly uncomfortable. However, I also feel it exposed me to a different kind of cinematic art, and possibly a different life style, a rural and foreign one, which I have had no exposure to.

Dr. Peter Cortle – Cornell eHub Director

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I attended this event in Prof. Rosemary’s apartment. In a world of entrepreneurial enthusiasm, I felt this was a great event as it helped clear up certain pre-conceived notions I had about entrepreneurship. Peter talked us through his own journey in college. The fact that he started his own venture in college, at such a small scale felt very empowering and motivating. Peter was very welcoming for questions and he showed a commitment to take this initiative forward in the form of follow-up meet-ups.I liked the message Peter tried to give us, which was just get up and start doing something. The time and logistics may never seem right, but looking at his drive to search for the right idea and go into it head-on was very appreciable. I will definitely be attending a follow-up of this discussion with Peter.