Midnight Deliberations

Clouding Visions,
Blurring that thin line,
Is it the fiction games that nights play?

A Slamming Door,
beyond the threshold of misunderstandings,
more than a lifetime of outpourings.

A Stupidly earnest mirror,
Tied by its own mercenary conscience,
Remains true to all emotions you don't want to see reflected.

A pompous old clock,
Stuck up, married to its own foolish ego,
Just refuses to heed your cries of just pausing and letting go.

The Teakwood bed,

Though itself bedridden with termites,

Waits faithfully to lull me into that aimless soulless sleep.

Unfair!

Strings of my old guitar,
I need you to catch in the tune today,
The Cobwebs I've cleared,
I just need to strum,
need to strum along
need to strum along..

All night Long!

-Palash

Reel Review : The White Balloon

Perhaps It's a cliche in itself, but most of us "the learned" consider ourselves as great movie critics. Savouring and commenting on script,direction,acting, cinematography and what not.

Had always been pondering on penning down a movie review, but never in my "day-dreams" had I thought that my first would be that of an Obscure Iranian Movie. It being an uncomfortably warm Sunday Night, I had been browsing through the movie channels as sleep was eluding the senses as usual. Jurassic Park was on in HBO, Tranformers in Star Movies & Phir Hera Pheri in Zee Cinema. And I was rewatching and reliving all of them alternately.

Due an unfortunate timed ad-session in all the 3 channels,was forced to look for other pastures. It was then when I came across that movie "The White Balloon" in UTV World. A sad-faced little Iranian Girl talking to her mother. The whole scene had such a symphatetic touch to it. I decided to savour the movie then & there.

After Darsheel Safary's heart-wrenching act in Taare Zameen Par, Aida Mohammadkhani's portrayal of the 7 year old girl who just wants a pretty goldfish for the new year, is probably THE most convincing child act I have ever seen in my life. Such Brilliance! Such Innocence! Every single shot of the movie exudes a certain on-the road kind of charm, as if it could be happening anywhere, to anybody, at any time. The Bustling Roads of Tehran, the courtyard of an Iranian Family, the tensions in the stuggling household have been picturized to the point of perfection. The Girls helplessness in losing her gift money, her brother's attempts to help her at all times and the acts of numerous people who come to their assistance are the scenes worth watching.

It was a time well spent in pursuit of that 500 Tomar Note. Hoping to catch glimpses of such more gems soon.

(N.B : The While Balloon was made in 1995 by Zafar Panahi in Iranian/Persian. It earned acclaimed reviews and International Movie Awards including the

• Gold Award, Tokyo International Film Festival, 1995
• Best International Film, Sudbury Cinéfest, 1995
• International Jury Award, São Paulo International Film Festival, 1995)