The Critique

Rajendra Pillai, A Pocket Book of Humour , Better Yourself Books, 2007, ISBN 81-7108-353-6, Rs. 45, pp. 215 I have read Pillai’s previous two books and I liked the way he presented his matter. The same goes for this book too. In his opening address, he expresses his motivation for writing this book, “our sense of humour... make(s) things that much easier for ourselves and for those around us.” His Christian roots too make an appearance as he quotes from the Book of Proverbs. Life without humour would be dull and dry. Humour is the spice of life and when we live with a healthy sense of humour we make life interesting and worthwhile for ourselves and for others. The layout of the book is simple and ordered day-wise such that there is one joke and one witty remark for each day of the year. I felt that the general humour of the book was pretty sour and insipid but the witty remarks were worthwhile reading. The jokes lacked punch but the wisdom statements shared were the real one

Dir: Kevin Reynolds Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis Dur: 1 hr 47 mins Genre: Drama Rating: 4/5 PG: The violence is a bit gory. I’ve been looking forward to this film ever since I watched its trailer. The trailer promised a fascinating story of a Roman tribune’s conversion. The film delivered up to expectation and the cinematography was a treat. The story was permeated by a sense of urgency: The Romans are desperate to end the fiasco surrounding Jesus as the disappearance of his body has shaken up the Jews. Unrest is brewing in the countryside and Pilate is determined to show the higher ups that he has things under control.   The actors have given excellent performances. Particularly noticeable is the character of Bartholomew who is usually never given much importance. Here he is highlighted by being the only disciple brought in for questioning. The dialogues are powerful and well-scripted. They add to the drama, mystery and emotion of t