Monday 1 June 2009

Rock On!!
(2008)

80%

This is about unfinished and unfulfilled teenage dreams that come to haunt one in adult life; this one examines the negative consequences of not developing one's talent fully.

This is also a story of a woman trying to understand her emotionally distant husband whom – she discovers – relinquished his rock and roll dream to become an investment banker. She wonders if her unhappy spouse really loves her and what this means for the fact that she is now pregnant and is somewhat hesitant to tell him this.

Here, your dreams stop chasing you the moment you stop running away from them in this well-scripted and well acted drama about the gestalt of friendship and music group creation. The dramatic conflict here is essentially between adult responsibility and obligations - or following one's dreams.

For once, in a Bollywood musical, the music springs naturally from the drama since the film is about musicians. And about the creative compromises that most negatively affect the most creative and the most talented. One cannot have everything, but how does one know best what to do before one has enough life experience to base one's choices upon. This movie uses its cliches imaginatively although the characterization is weak in some parts – yet you find yourself rooting for the protagonists come what may.

The only real problem here is one of length since the film does begin to wane before the emotionally explosive climax.


Copyright © 2009 Frank TALKER. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute it in any format; provided that mention of the author’s Weblog (http://franktalker5.blogspot.com/) is included: E-mail notification requested. All other rights reserved.

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No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power.



Jacob Bronowski… (1908 - 74), British scientist, author. Encounter (London, July 1971).


Sleep of Reason:



The dream of reason produces monsters. Imagination deserted by reason creates impossible, useless thoughts. United with reason, imagination is the mother of all art and the source of all its beauty.



Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes… (1746-1828), Spanish painter. Caption to Caprichos, number 43, a series of eighty etchings completed in 1798, satirical and grotesque in form.


Humans & Aliens:



I am human and let nothing human be alien to me.



Terence… (circa 190-159 BC), Roman dramatist. Chremes, in The Self-Tormentor [Heauton Timorumenos], act 1, scene 1.


Führerprinzip:



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