You better believe it when Aamir says that Ghajini is not like Memento. He’s right; it’s not. I sit here depressed after watching Memento for the nth time. I saw Ghajini yesterday for the first and the last time, depressed that a film like Memento can never be compared to Ghajini, depressed by the feeling created by Lenny, depressed that my hero of many years, whom I liked, no loved, for his intensity, choices and more so for his integrity has finally lost it. For what? For a two cent competition over who’s the best. I’ve changed sides. I think the other person, who for all these years has just done “commercial” cinema is much more dignified. At least he is honest about it.
I needed to wash my memories of a horrid experience which gave me a migrane. It was like washing my sins in the holy ganga. That is what Memento means to me. When your central idea is the same, at least have the audacity to say that you are inspired. It will not make you a lesser person. After all, Memento is that kind of a film. I have never felt, while watching a film before, that a director can be so insecure. I thought that was only an actor’s domain. Never before have I seen a director being so apprehensive that the audience might not get it; a film can be started with the explanation! Does he really think we, the audience are that stupid? Please Sir, find another medium for your insecurities. This one is not for you. You might make a lot of money. Well, if that is your thing then who am I to complain? I want to ask you sir, how do you sleep at night? Maybe the bed made of currencies can give you some sleep? I should try it some time.
Memento is about this person stuck in his disability so much so that every minute is a challenge for him. In the end, there is no redemption. In fact there is no end. Ghajini was this Indian; sorry I forgot the word, Bollywood molestation on not only Memento, but also the greats like Fight Club & Amelie. Please tell me, you have a spine. For 3 & ½ hours I was sitting in the second row from the front, wishing it wasn’t so. But, scene after scene I was convinced there’s no redemption now. Memento is about 110 minutes. I told you they are not the same! You get my drift? I’ll try and be analytical for the benefit of my audience! (I’m getting tired of using that exclamation mark!)
First of all the differences:
· The length as I mentioned is not the same. How? How can anyone do this mass torture? (Is Genocide a better word?) (195 mins v/s 110 mins. You do the math.)
· Memento sticks to one person’s disability and makes me feel for him; Ghajini? No. Can’t feel a thing. The list of issues they tried to address is not funny. Never making me feel anything for any one particular issue.
· The narrative. Memento’s narrative made me think, made me feel I had short term memory loss. Ghajini’s narrative made me wish I had a short term memory loss.
· The characters. Each one had a motive in Memento. No black & white. Lenny’s every move was calculated. What was this Sanjay’s motive? Kill everyone in his way. Lenny was this real character with a lean body and an analytical mind, which he has achieved over the years as an occupational hazard. Sanjay was this super-human being who could destroy anything never showing a shade of his past. It’s like his past and him were two different people.
Mr. Murugadoss made a statement saying people think it is like Memento because of the central character. In your dreams.
Now, the similarities:
· Tatooed body.
· Polaroid photographs & Camera.
I might have to eat my words. The differences are more than the similarities!
What disturbs me more is the audience and not just the Indian one. An audience would rather watch a 3 & ½ hour film with little or no concentration than watch a 110 minutes film with full concentration. Do we suffer from ADS? Are all of us like Lenny / Sanjay? I don’t want to believe that, because a wise person once told me that audience knows everything. I want to believe that. Sir, please re-affirm my beliefs. These are disturbing times. God bless us all.
More on Ghajini. It’s a film about a person suffering from short-term memory loss but, there is only one place in the entire film, where he actually has a lapse, how fascinating! Throughout the years, we have come to depend on A.R. Rehman’s music, we have in fact taken it for granted that it will be good. Two of the best A’s loosing it almost at the same time, not surprising at all. By now I have stressed a lot about the length, so naturally editing was something the makers decided to skip. One good thing I really liked about the film was the cinematography. Ravi K. Chandran also did Rab Ne… which was disappointing from the visual standpoint, but this one, he did his bit. The dialogue “translation” was too literal; it required a realistic hindi twist, which was absent. This could have been the hindi dubbing script of the earlier Ghajini (2005). You know how one of those hindi dubbed tamil movies used to sound? Throughout the film I got that feel. I really think that was the case. Aamir Khan in whatever he was doing was convincing. He’s a professional after all. But, why would he do this? Why? Don’t miss the jerky head movements or turns which really nailed it for me what the director really thought of the character. Asin is good, but I don’t know about her looks, she looks too, what’s the word, south-indian? Jiah, well, I think she should get laid, oh wait, sorry, I take my words back! Please darling find another career to do whatever it is you wish to do.
I needed to wash my memories of a horrid experience which gave me a migrane. It was like washing my sins in the holy ganga. That is what Memento means to me. When your central idea is the same, at least have the audacity to say that you are inspired. It will not make you a lesser person. After all, Memento is that kind of a film. I have never felt, while watching a film before, that a director can be so insecure. I thought that was only an actor’s domain. Never before have I seen a director being so apprehensive that the audience might not get it; a film can be started with the explanation! Does he really think we, the audience are that stupid? Please Sir, find another medium for your insecurities. This one is not for you. You might make a lot of money. Well, if that is your thing then who am I to complain? I want to ask you sir, how do you sleep at night? Maybe the bed made of currencies can give you some sleep? I should try it some time.
Memento is about this person stuck in his disability so much so that every minute is a challenge for him. In the end, there is no redemption. In fact there is no end. Ghajini was this Indian; sorry I forgot the word, Bollywood molestation on not only Memento, but also the greats like Fight Club & Amelie. Please tell me, you have a spine. For 3 & ½ hours I was sitting in the second row from the front, wishing it wasn’t so. But, scene after scene I was convinced there’s no redemption now. Memento is about 110 minutes. I told you they are not the same! You get my drift? I’ll try and be analytical for the benefit of my audience! (I’m getting tired of using that exclamation mark!)
First of all the differences:
· The length as I mentioned is not the same. How? How can anyone do this mass torture? (Is Genocide a better word?) (195 mins v/s 110 mins. You do the math.)
· Memento sticks to one person’s disability and makes me feel for him; Ghajini? No. Can’t feel a thing. The list of issues they tried to address is not funny. Never making me feel anything for any one particular issue.
· The narrative. Memento’s narrative made me think, made me feel I had short term memory loss. Ghajini’s narrative made me wish I had a short term memory loss.
· The characters. Each one had a motive in Memento. No black & white. Lenny’s every move was calculated. What was this Sanjay’s motive? Kill everyone in his way. Lenny was this real character with a lean body and an analytical mind, which he has achieved over the years as an occupational hazard. Sanjay was this super-human being who could destroy anything never showing a shade of his past. It’s like his past and him were two different people.
Mr. Murugadoss made a statement saying people think it is like Memento because of the central character. In your dreams.
Now, the similarities:
· Tatooed body.
· Polaroid photographs & Camera.
I might have to eat my words. The differences are more than the similarities!
What disturbs me more is the audience and not just the Indian one. An audience would rather watch a 3 & ½ hour film with little or no concentration than watch a 110 minutes film with full concentration. Do we suffer from ADS? Are all of us like Lenny / Sanjay? I don’t want to believe that, because a wise person once told me that audience knows everything. I want to believe that. Sir, please re-affirm my beliefs. These are disturbing times. God bless us all.
More on Ghajini. It’s a film about a person suffering from short-term memory loss but, there is only one place in the entire film, where he actually has a lapse, how fascinating! Throughout the years, we have come to depend on A.R. Rehman’s music, we have in fact taken it for granted that it will be good. Two of the best A’s loosing it almost at the same time, not surprising at all. By now I have stressed a lot about the length, so naturally editing was something the makers decided to skip. One good thing I really liked about the film was the cinematography. Ravi K. Chandran also did Rab Ne… which was disappointing from the visual standpoint, but this one, he did his bit. The dialogue “translation” was too literal; it required a realistic hindi twist, which was absent. This could have been the hindi dubbing script of the earlier Ghajini (2005). You know how one of those hindi dubbed tamil movies used to sound? Throughout the film I got that feel. I really think that was the case. Aamir Khan in whatever he was doing was convincing. He’s a professional after all. But, why would he do this? Why? Don’t miss the jerky head movements or turns which really nailed it for me what the director really thought of the character. Asin is good, but I don’t know about her looks, she looks too, what’s the word, south-indian? Jiah, well, I think she should get laid, oh wait, sorry, I take my words back! Please darling find another career to do whatever it is you wish to do.
