The Roads Less Travelled …

I just saw the most incredible game of football in my life. For today it was proved that even today in the era of big money clubs, their talented squads and great managers what matters most in the game is still the character of those who play the game. What matters most is to stand up and be counted on the day of reckoning.

3-0 down to the imperious AC Milan, Liverpool looked like a bunch of juniors playing against a senior side. When Kaka delivered an absolutely amazingly threaded ball for Crespo to score the third for AC, Andy Gray said this is how football should be played at the highest level. Liverpool came out in the second half and showed the world how exactly football should be played at the highest level. With guts, determination, passion and a never say die attitude. When fifty years from now people remember this day, they will be remember it not for the exquisite passes of the Rossoneri but for the spirit of the Merseysiders.

I have been a big fan of AC ever since I remember. Their judicious mix of offense and defense, neat passing game and the quality of players they have had over the years have made the side a pleasure to watch. But they did not deserve to win today - they did not even deserve to get into the finals. PSV outplayed them 3/4ths over the two legs only to be disappointed with late goal from Milan. On both those legs PSV showed the same qualities that Liverpool showed after the first half today. But tactics ruled that day. Today three goals up, with the trophy all but in their bag Milan became complacent. Yes, complacent on a Champions League final!! They started the second half as if they were warming up for a practice session. And Liverpool punished them in a six minute blitz scoring three goals. Maybe tactics can take you so far; to make the final jump you need to stretch when you think you can go no further - hold your chin up when the chips are down - like Gerrard, Hyppia, Carragher, Alonso and every Liverpool player did today .

The current Milan squad except probably Kaka (who still hopefully has many such days ahead of him) has won everything in the game. With that experience and one of the world's best stoppers in Dida, AC would have been more comfortable with the penalties. And what did we see - a skier from Serginho and tame efforts from Pirlo and of all people from Shevchenko. What a contrast to the Liverpool players - who seemed to put all their energy into striking that ball to the back of the net. The penalties showed why some new blood is needed in the Milan team, why some hunger needs to injected into players.

And did I forget Rafa Benitez? He made a mistake by starting with Kewell, but did everything correct after that. That he managed to keep the team motivated after the half time is a feat to be acknowledged. That he realized his error and changed his tactics in time is a true measure of his tactical nous. He created the wonderful Valencia team which broke the Madrid, Barcelona duopoly in the Primera Liga. He is doing to do the same in Premier League. Watch out Man U, Arsenal and Chelsea.

The saddest part about the whole episode was that Paolo Maldini will probably not see another final to make up for this loss. Probably the greatest left back the world has seen, he is the only player of the last decade along with Zidane fit to be counted with the greats of the game. If he retires this season (he is 37 after all, however young he seems and looks), it will be a sad finale for a career marked with so many highs. And unusual in this era is the fact that he did it all at one club. A true legend.

As strains of "You will never walk alone" ring out from the Ataturk stadium in Istanbul, I am again reminded of what is football.

TIME got its list of 100 all time best movies out recently - ranked in no order. The list can be found here.

The list in my opinion reduces to a vehicle for lip service to the world of cinema and while maintaining a politically correct stand.

In the list we find no mention of cinematic classics like Godard's A bout de souffle, Fellini's La Dolce Vita or Di Sica's Ladri di bicicllete. Incidentally the later insipred the Apu trilogy of Ray which is there in the list. The selection comittee's criteria was that the movie should leave the viewer with some sense of awe. An subjective benchmark - but the non inclusion of classics which have revolutionzed the way films have been made and seen does not lend much credibility to the list. Missing also is The Battleship Potemkin, a film that virtually gave the world the language of cinema.

Also consider the entry of Kandahar. If one had to choose a representative for the brilliant humanist cinema out of Iran one should probably look at Cyclist or Close Up. On seeing Kandahar in the list, I somehow got the feeling that it is there not only for its cinematic abilities but for the fact that it was shot in Talibanized Afghanistan. Similarly lip service is paid to Kurosawa (on selection of Yojimbo) and to entire film industries by the inclusion of Pyasa and Nayakan. While the aforementioned two movies are brilliant (they are amongst my favorites), I am sure that Indian cinema has more to offer than these two entries. For the sheer pleasure of viewing not many movies of the era match Mughl-e-Azam for that matter.

While the list does make up a good collection of movies to be watched, I would hardly rate it as a good list of the best movies of all time.

An inveterate Star Wars fan, I had been disappointed with the last two releases (Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones) and I was looking forward to the last episode of the series which would tie everything up. Though Revenge of the Sith [RotS] is a better movie than its predecessors, it still left a lot to be desired.

RotS seen in the big picture is a filler movie, just as Empire Strikes Back (my personal favorite) was. I have heard praises for Lucas for daring to give audiences a bleak ending; but from where I stand Lucas could not have gone any other way without compromising on the basic rubric of the entire series.

The key event of the movie - the transformation of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader - was pitifully handled. The passing over of Anakin to the Dark side is the transformation of his mind. And I believed it is in this aspect the movie fares woefully. Anakin's feelings were never conveyed realistically by the director. As a result the transformation seemed like a knee jerk action. Anakin's fear for Padme's safety - his motive for turning over to the Dark side was not portrayed with enough conviction by Hayden Christensen. Neither did the Jedi Council regular putdowns to Anakin show his anger and frustration to the full extent. And the worst part was the Emperor poisoning his mind about the Jedi Council taking over the republic - one expects Anakin a member of the Jedi order for so long to understand the council a little better.

Lucas sense of humor also leaves a lot to be desired. Any comic reliefs seemed like they had been put there so as to add up to some necessary magic number. In fact as a general observation if anything is intolerable in the series of prequels it is Lucas sense of comedy.

Where though the movie succeeds is in tying up the entire series nicely. The original trilogy comes in as logical conclusion. From the ascension of the Empire to the birth of Luke and Leia everything is taken care of. In fact just after his battle with Anakin, Obi-wan picks up the his former pupil's discarded light saber (to be given to Luke many years later). Also as usual Lucas sets new standards in graphics and special effects.

Any Star Wars fan would probably see this movie regardless of how bad it is supposed to be. And it is not a bad movie. Just that it does not compare with the originals and even less with Empire Strikes Back, with which it has been equated.

Just read this article … [Thanks Arun]

What flumoxxed me after reading the article is the fact that a society can become so paranoid with fear, that it refuses to grant their next generation the freedom of expression.

Is it just another manifestation of the "American way"? Can any conflicts in actions and ideas be equated with sedition? Or is this a newer definition of patriotism that I am not aware of?

“Viva Barcelona” or whatever the equivalent be in Catalunya should be the chant of all fans of the Primera liga. For this has truly been the season for Frank Rijkaard and his wonderful attractive brand of soccer. While in rest of the major leagues it has been mean defences (Juventus, Chelsea) that have triumphed, Barca have played throughout the season an attacking brand of football that epitomizes the epithet “The Beautiful Game”. The best part of the entire campaign is that Barcelona FC achieved their first title in 6 years after losing many crucial players to injury (Sylvinho, Edmilson, Gerard, Larsson etc). Their exit at the hands of Chelsea from the Champions League might be the only sore spot in this years’ campaign but I think it did them good by allowing them to concentrate solely on the league. For the race to title heated up in the end and any more slips might have been harmful for Barcelona. However the team still needs to find it defensive bearings - for success in Europe, as teams like Chelsea and Milan have demonstrated, is based on a mean backline. Also they need to reduce the profligacy in front of the goal. But for now, its party time in Barcelona.

Is it the last flourish of the famed “Los Galaticos”? Probably so. Luis Figo is leaving, Zidane talking of early retirement and rumours about Ronaldo, Beckham and Raul abound. Occasionally brilliant, sometimes mediocre and most of the times just average sums up the season for Real Madrid. With a set of players named above all that is needed is one glimpse of genius to win a match. However the team looked jaded most of the time and was pale version of the all conquering armada it was it was a couple of years back. Last year failures for Madrid were blamed on their defensive frailties. Summer transfers Jonathan Woodgate and Walter Samuel were supposed to strengthen the backline. It did not work. Samuel never lived upto his nickname “the Wall”, he earned at Roma. And as for Woodgate, he did not even play a single game. But the problem lay not so much in defense as in the holding midfielder role - a position where Makalele played in the heyday of this Real team. Christmas signing Thomas Gravesen was brought in to fix this leak but probably too late for Barca had surged ahead by miles. However it did help them to get to the second spot and automatic qualification for Champions League with a series of consistent displays. Changes are due in this club and they will probably happen this summer with a large scale clearout and introduction of new blood.

Valencia were the winners of the past season and the summer signings of Corradi, Di Vaio and Fiore seemed to make a strong team even stronger. But what use is a aircraft without a rudder. For that was the state of Valencia throughout the season. They inexplicably let Rafa Benitez go and brought in Claudio Ranieri. It seems the Benitez had differences with the board on his transfer kitty. He had been crying out for a quality striker for years, and the board always showed him the empty coffers. But when Ranieri came they suddenly got a cornucopia and dished out quite a sum for the three aforementioned Italians. Valencia however never got into the Ranieri mode. Their game in the past seasons was the Benitez brand of restrained possession football interspersed with quick counters. Ranieri’s English long ball game just did not catch on at the Mestalla. Plus in the beginning of the season they had their two most effective offensive players, Vicente and Aimar, injured. The Italians never settled in, apparently due to discord in the training room due to their inflated wages. And Valencia went downhill. Ranieri was sacked mid-season but the team did not regain its composure and the champions of last year might be out of Europe in the coming season.

A spent force? Probably the term describes Deportivo La Coruna better than most. Last year was their swansong when they reached the semi-finals of the Champions league, eliminating giants AC Milan after a 4-0 win in the Riazor. And then it went downhill. However their problems were not thrust upon them overnight. The squad was tottering last year. Internal strife was rampant. And things reached a head when Pandiani was benched and subsequently shipped to England. No escape for these guys unless they start building up a new squad. In any case they are doomed to a few seasons in wilderness now.

Where Valencia and La Coruna have faltered teams like Villareal, Sevilla and Espanyol have gone strength to strength. Villareal look a good bet for qualifying into Champions League this year. Their heroes are two rejects. Forlan who had forgotten where the goal was in Old Trafford is suddenly finding the back of the net on a regular basis. But the real catalyst has been Juan Roman Riquelme, the Barca reject once touted as the best thing to come out of Argentina since one Diego Maradona, who with his vision and reading has the maximum assists in La liga. For Sevilla ex-Valencia striker Ricardo Oliviera does the striking, though their success is based on a more solid defensive approach based on the excellent season of Sergio Ramos. No wonder Real Madrid are said to on lookout for him. And Espanyol, the forgotten Barcelona club, might not be so forgotten after all. With the current standings they will edge out Valencia out of Europe. No mean feat definitely.

There are books you love or you hate. Art and Lies is one such book. This book questions the reader's preset views on issues ranging from morality, sex, science to what a story is supposed to be.

The novel is set in a train and revolves around three passenger's whose names should be familiar - Handel, a priest turned surgeon, Picasso, an artist mired in the search for her art and self and Sappho, the poet of antiquity remembered today not because of her art. The book follows the musings of these passengers - each reflecting on their lives gone past - the actions and consequences and how it has turned them into what they are. The narratives follow a "Stream of Consciousness" style with the reader going inside the heads of the characters, privy to their most innermost thoughts.

The book has numerous strengths. The language is exquisite. Not since I discovered Saramago and Nabokov, have I seen such virtuoso use of the English tongue. Winterson's prose is as daring as the bold strokes of Van Gogh in his paintings. In addition the writing has a poetic cadence to it that gives the reader a feeling of being at sea or in a train rumbling away. The thematic choice of the novel is also bold for Winterson unflinchingly questions and explores complex issues such as self, sexuality, art and science.

However I felt the book, especially in the middle sections, sacrificed tautness in narrative for philosophical interludes into its numerous themes. The characters remain shadows; the author does not (possibly with some reason) allow them to take shape. They move about in the narrative as phantoms.

But what ultimately rescues the book is the ending. The final movement with the three voices in unison was awesome. The characters come here together and for a moment I thought if this was a tale of three people or just one with three different traits.

This is not an easy book to read. As it says on one of reviews, it will stretch your mental muscles to limits you never knew existed. But then a good exercise is never harmful.

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I had picked up this book more out of curiosity; I had not read a Scandinavian novel yet. I believe that if you co-exist with some phenomenon of nature for a substantial period, you develop some bonding with it. I, for example invariably think of Rourkela where I grew up, on seeing the occasional rains here in Bangalore or when the wilting heat threatens to lay waste the entire city. And I felt snow is something about which Scandinavians should feel alike.

"Miss Smillia's Feeling for Snow" (MSffS) can best be described as Ludlum married with Alexander Dumas giving birth to a something looking like R.L. Stevenson. The book is a thriller, a social commentary and an exercise in character building all rolled into one. The plot is as complicated or as simple as all Ludlum plots are - a child falls from the roof and dies; an accident say the authorities; murder says Miss Smilla, to whom the tracks left in snow speak of a more gruesome tale. As Smilla, the protagonist of our novel delves into this mystery, the more complex and gargantuan it becomes. The plot has been in action for decades and the death of the child is nothing but a small link in this long chain of events.

However in trying to juggle various styles, the author in entirety does justice to none. Character building in a fast paced narrative is not a easy art to master. I really liked the first part of the book where the reader still does not know the scale of events to come, and the author's digressions into the past life of Smilla in Greenland, her displacement into Denmark after here mother's death, her inability to let go of her natural innuk attitude in favor of the manners of the west all provide for interesting reading. These also show that even in an (so called) advanced western society, the barriers of who are and who are not remain.

But as soon as the scene moved out of Copenhagen to Kronos, the ship on which the characters set sail to claim their golden fleece, the story became cumbersome. The author just could not balance the speed with his proclivity towards interludes on everything from social history of eskimos in Greenland to good culinary practices. And in my opinion, all threads of the story were not brought into a suitable conclusion in the end as should a good chase novel do. I felt I was cheated of my grand ending. Story telling on board a ship, a limited spatial space and character set is something only some authors like Stevenson or Melville have perfected. Høeg sadly cannot lay claim to this greatness.

In my opinion this MSffS can lay claim to neither the genre of "chasing the grand conspiracy" nor to realm of good old storytelling via the characters. It is an experiment, but a half baked one.

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Visiting one's past can be compared to Schrödinger's cat in the box. It changes once you open it and look at it. No wonder in all civilizations they have saying equivalent to "Let bygones be bygones". Rarely do humans pay heed to these, for getting in touch with your past often brings out some part of one's persona that would have otherwise remain dormant. And can past be seen in consonance with the future? A tough question, but one which the above book manages to answer in some clarity.

"Everything is Illuminated" (EiI) is the tale of the author visiting Ukraine, from where his grandfather had fled to escape the oppression of the Nazi regime, in hope of finding the person who had saved him then. It is also the tale of Alex who acts as the author's translator for this trip, and his hopes and dreams - for himself and for his brother of a better world to live in. Both of these tales encompass what is in essence, some say is the meaning of our lives, to make the world a better place to live in.

EiI is an interwoven tale of the author's search as well as the story of the village of Trachimbrod and his ancestors. It takes us from the day Trachim's wagon sunk in the river Brod, leaving amongst the flotsam, a baby who would be the very great grandmom of the author to the destruction of the village by the hands of the marauding Nazi troops. The story of the search itself is recounted by Alex who sends with each of his installments, a letter of his own giving the novel yet another dimension. I found these letters from Alex the most touching part of the whole story - a tale of one knowing of a world outside and the opportunities there, with a dream of making them his own someday and yet realizing at the same time that these are nothing but mirages to help him survive in the wilderness of his own existence.

Many believe humor to be the anti-thesis of tragedy. But in my experience if one can laugh at tragedy, there is nothing more heart rendering than that. Alex's constipated use of English, learnt probably by memorizing a dictionary without knowing the context of using the words, his inability to paraphrase routine actions in a comprehensible tongue are definitely funny; but they hide his desperation to escape from the drudgery and poverty of his existence. In Alex's grandfather, the driver for the trip, there is another person asking to be freed; this time from the memories of the past which haunt him making his life a living hell. The story is a melting pot for these three characters (and a bitch), each searching for his Eldorado.

As an aside, I think this novel would make a really good case study for any class in post-colonialism, neo-colonialism or any related fields. There are interesting patterns in the way the author, an American to the boot looks at Ukraine, a third world country that reminded me of the novels I read while doing a course on those subjects. But more than anything else this is a tale of hopes and dreams, some fulfilled some squashed but each charting the destiny of the bearer in an irrevocable manner.

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