A Spoiled Man

Written by Daniyal Mueenuddin.

Published in The New Yorker in 2008.

I liked the story. It is about those lives on the fringes of our moneyed existence, which grow and wither without anyone really taking notice of them. I appreciated the fact that Mueenuddin took notice of one such life even though I felt that parts of it lacked imagination.

Hancock

Directed by Peter Berg

Released in 2008.

Yuk yuk yuk! What a horrid movie. I had to wash my eyes with mouthwash to get the smell of that movie out of my pores. It was supposed to be a story about a hero finding his way and then halfway through loses it and becomes a sort of immortals' love story ala Anne Rice vampire novels. I felt very abused. Also Will Smith makes me gag. Also also Charlize Theron looks oooooold. Yuk.

Forrest Gump

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Released in 1994.

This is the director of Back to the Future? I had no idea! It was nice though. Gump was such a charming character. Jenny on the other hand was so annoying. Why doesn't Gump seem to age? That was kinda weird.

Have you seen this movie? Did you think it went on for too long? I was kinda sick of it by the end.

Drop Dead Gorgeous

Directed by Michael Patrick Jann.

Released in 1999.

Now this movie was an amazing piece of satire. Why am I not surprised that Jann directed Reno 911! For the record, Allison Janney is amazing! I love the part when all the girls lose it when they get to Alabama for the nationals and find Sarah Rose shut down. Double lols.

The Further Adventures of a London Call Girl

Written by Belle de Jour.

Published in 2006.

Ack! Not worth reading beyond the first fifty pages of raunchy call girl sex. I think Tiffanie has already read all the best parts to us. The call girl falls for her crazy, asshole ex and the rest of the diary is just her bitching even as she continues to see his adulterous ass. It is like a raunchier and more boring version of Bridget Jones.

A Case of Exploding Mangoes

Written by Mohammed Hanif.

Published in 2008.

Funny. It was really quite hilarious. Best piece of satire I've read in a while – but that could be because I don't read much satire. The portrait he drew of a sniveling, paranoid Zia was just delicious. You should really go read the book. I think you'll enjoy it.

Rock On!!

Directed by Abhishek Kapoor.

Released in 2008.

I hoped for a fun, modern, well-written movie along the lines of Dil Chahta Hai and Jaane Tu. But it was quite a let down. The script was sub par. Doomed the whole movie. Very disappointing.

Cakes and Ale

Author: W.S. Maugham.

Published in 1930.

I kinda liked it by the end. I really enjoyed his style of writing. Very sardonic first-person narrative. Very British. Everything understated and subtle. The dialogue absolutely hilarious in its stuffiness and subtext.

But the book did not have much of a plot. The narrator, who is a writer by the name of William Ashenden, is prompted by his writer-friend Alroy Kear to write about his acquaintance, a great writer by the name of Thomas Driffield, who died recently. Ashenden writes down what he knows of Driffield's early life, especially his time with his promiscuous first wife, Rosie.

The book is mostly a satire of the literati of Maugham's time and is at its best at such satirical moments. But I read that Maugham's main interest in the novel was Rosie. He had conceived her character a long time back and used this plot simply as a setting for her.

The Dark Knight

Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Released in 2008.

Fantastico! I am watching it again with my Mom in a few days. Yippy! Heath Ledger was amazing. 

My favorite moment is when Maggie Gyllenhaal realizes that she won't be saved. And she says with this quiet acceptance, "It's okay. It'll be okay." And is promptly vaporized. I was like, "NAHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

*tear*

She is so pretty.

The script was quite good too. Kudos, Chris Nolan. His scripts are usually very good; The Prestige and Memento being the best examples. He understands structure. If you haven't seen Memento, you really should. It is a murder mystery in reverse. Carrie-Anne Moss is in it. That screenplay is all about structure and timing.