Of hope, change and the future

Had a blast on New Years Eve! Went to the shore to drown my worries and returned high on a cocktail of hope and anticipation.

I finally got the coveted job offer and this new step in my professional career promises to be better than I had ever imagined. Having officially said good-bye to my old job, I have now been catapulted into day-dreaming of a new apartment, a new car and shopping for career outfits. And of course… the fun stuff - paper work, drug testing and immigration issues. What’s worse is that my mom has also landed in dream-world and calls me from across the world every few minutes to advise me on what kind of refrigerator to purchase. No, I am not complaining. I couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to the year.

I started the year with 2 movies – ‘The Butterfly Effect’ and ‘Children of Men’. Both of which revolve around future and change – working towards making things better in life and living in the anxiety that they might not.

The Butterfly Effect – born out of Chaos theory deals with Ashton Kutcher’s celluloid life where he has the power to change little details of his past. He tries over and over to aim these precise changes at making his life ‘normal’ and repeats his early 20s in an assortment of scenarios. If only he had tried as many times to improve his acting skills, I wouldn’t feel like I was watching re-runs of ‘That 70s Show’. Every life he lives only gets worse, teaching a meddler his lesson. A great point is made – albeit a little late. On the DVD – Don’t forget to watch the Director’s cut!

Children of Men displays a future when humans, plagued by infertility, have stopped procreating and the youngest human (a celebrity simply by virtue of his birth) is murdered. Riots break out in the world that’s already in a state of dystopia. Clive Owen is now in charge of protecting a recently discovered pregnant immigrant in fascist Britain. His performance moves you as his indifference meanders into belief and he hopes to see the silver lining among the smog-laden clouds. The attention to detail and the excellent cinematography will make you run for cover in a bullet-strewn world waiting to combust. As a story, it might leave a few questions unanswered. Approach it as a ‘cautionary tale’ and it will have you riveted.

Let’s hope it’s a happy new year and an optimistic future ahead! :)