The Critique

 Luke H. Grollenberg, Interpreting the Bible , translated by Jeanne Nooijne and Richard Rutherford, New York: Paulist Press Deus Books, 1968, $ 1.75, pp. 138.  The book is the written form of 12 discussions on the bible which were aired in 1965 on Dutch television. The chapters are devoted to exposing a selected theme. Questions of spectators are interpolated within the body of the presentation. The themes dealt with are: The Bible, God, God-man relationship, God’s wrath and mercy, the problem of evil, warnings and threats, the message of Jesus, how the Gospels were written, understanding the Gospels, the words of Jesus, the paradise story and truth and fiction. The first chapter helps us realize the universality of the bible and its message. The second chapter helps us understand the Jewish conception of God. The third chapter takes us through the God-man saga: God’s faithfulness and mercy versus man’s infidelity and arrogance. The fourth chapter gives us clues to m...

I’ve been reading the life of Ś ri Adi Ś a ṇ karacharya, the great Indian philosopher and theologian and have been struck by certain facts and incidents. For one, he was only sixteen when he wrote his major philosophical treatises. That is hard to imagine! But this fact is alluded to in most accounts of his life. At sixteen, I was struggling to understand the ‘simple’ material being fed to me in higher secondary school. This lad was not only well-versed in the numerous Hindu texts but was writing commentaries on them. I find it astonishing. He was beyond doubt a prodigy. He lived a relatively short life of 32 years but he lived them fruitfully. Such was the impact of his life that he was a huge sensation in his day and still is one in ours. His philosophy is one of the most lucid and coherent systems in the world. His genius must be admired. One incident that struck me in his life was his meeting with a chandala (dalit). The rigid caste system was beginning to engulf society...

Dir: Jaum Collette-Serra Cast: Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Ed Harris Duration: 1 hr 54 mins Rating: 2/5 PG: Quite a bit of foul language used. It’s a pretty old tale dressed in a shabby new garb. It’s a story we all have heard about in different forms. Gang wars, mafia, drug lords and the like, you know what kind of film this is going to be. Well, it follows a similar story line too. Jimmy Conlon (Liam Neeson), was a mean shot in his heyday. Now, all he does is down glasses of whiskey and try to forget his sinful past. He’s the right-hand man of a powerful kingpin, Shawn Maguire (Ed Harris),who is also his good friend. Shawn’s son gets entangled in a sticky mess when he kills two members of another gang. Things get personal when he goes after Jimmy’s son, Michael (Joel Kinnaman) who was a witness to the crime. Jimmy is estranged from his son thanks to his profession. So, Michael isn’t too happy when he comes knocking with protection. Danny (Boyd Holbrook) makes h...

Dir: Shoojit Sircar Cast: Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachan, Irrfan Khan Dur: 2 hrs 5 mins Rating: 2/5 Piku is a family drama depicting the dynamics of a father-daughter relationship. Amitabh plays a hypochondriac, Bhaskor Banerjee (referred to in the film as Baba), who is suffering from severe constipation. His life revolves around his motion (pun intended). Deepika plays a strong, independent woman, Piku, who is balancing her work with her domestic troubles, particularly her father. She is often frustrated with her baba’s nagging and eccentric tastes, leading to disputes. Bhaskor  feels that his illness will consume him and wants to return to his ancestral home for one last time. After a lot of debating and adjustments, he and Piku set out. The two make an eventful journey to their roots, driven by Rana Chaudhary (Irrfan Khan), who helps them get in touch with themselves and look beyond their personal problems and issues. Baba is convinced that his death will b...

Dir: Miguel Arteta Cast: Steve Carroll, Jennifer Garner Dur: 1 hr 15 mins Rating: 4/5 Comment: The movie focuses on relationships especially within the family. A good film to watch with the whole family. This is a story of a pretty ordinary, young American family. The father is unemployed but is highly qualified (sound familiar?) while the mother is caught up with a lot of work. The children are of different ages: two teenagers, one on the threshold of teenage and a toddler, and have key roles in the drama. The film revolves around Alexander, who is on the threshold of teenage and all it brings with it. His life seems to be hopeless as compared to the rest of his family, who always speak about something new and awesome happening in their lives. The major portion of the film centres on the events of a single day. This day is an important day for every member of the family. The day is Alexander’s birthday but everyone else seems to have better things to do. The film p...

Dir: Scott Frank Cast: Liam Nesson Dur: 114 mins Rating: 1.5/5 PG: Foul Language used often, violence and blood shown explicitly. It’s not very often that you come across the genre of crime fiction in films; this genre is usually exploited in serials. I must confess that I am a fan of this genre and therefore was eager to watch this film. Sleuthing is a slow process even though the serials indicate otherwise. We know from experience how long our police force takes to solve a case, but of course this cannot be compared to fictional cases. This film stays close to the truth in as much as it accompanies the protagonist, Matthew Scudder (Liam Nesson), as he goes about attempting to solve the case. Matthew is a rare character. He is a retired or off-loaded police officer, who is spending his days in drunken ecstasy in an attempt to blot out his past. His drunken routine is invaded by a desperate call from a drug peddler, whose wife is kidnapped. Reluctantly he takes up the...

Dir: Nishikant Kamat Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta   Dur: 2 hrs 43 mins Rating: 3/5 Comment: The concept may inspire some to act likewise. A critical approach is necessary to avoid getting carried away with what is depicted. Indian films rarely create a sensation with their originality and innovation. Often they are re-makes or copies of films produced elsewhere. Original Indian stories often restrict themselves to the gross ‘hero-always-wins-against-any-circumstance’ level. Drishyam is a surprising and refreshing change from this tradition. The originality of the story and its intricate plot are a delight for cinema lovers (although traditional fans of bollywood may have ruffled opinions). The Salgaonkars’ are a normal middle-class family, living their normal middle-class life. They are close-knit and share exceptional family bonds. Nearly three-fourths of the first half of the film are spent on the normal life of the Salgaonkars’, perhaps t...

Dir: George Tillman Jr. Cast: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson, Alan Alda, Oona Chaplin Dur: 128 mins Rating: 1/5 PG: Few kissing scenes and one love-making scene. My first thoughts on hearing the name of the film were hopes of a fast-paced, action-packed thriller. The movie instead turned out to be a romantic story. Well, romance needs a couple and so the lead couple is Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood), a famous bull-rider and Sophia (Britt Robertson), an art enthusiast and student. Luke is making his comeback in the sport after suffering a horrific accident. He happens to meet Sophia at one of his events and sparks fly. As things begin to progress between them the story twists and a new story is inserted into the narration of the first story. We are introduced to Ira (Alan Alda), an old Jewish man who suffered a heart attack while driving but was rescued by Luke and Sophia. Ira has with him a box of letters written to his beloved Ruth (Oona Chaplin). Sophia offers to re...

Dir: David Fincher Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike Dur: 2 hrs 24 mins Rating: 3.5/5 PG: Foul language used. Little violence. Two sex scenes. Marriage is not as easy as young idealists think. It is a relationship between two individuals who unite themselves in a unique way. It is said that “marriages are made in heaven” but the reality is that no matter where they are made they are to be lived on earth. Based on a novel by the same name, Gone Girl , tells the tale of a missing wife and its repercussions on the husband. Nick and Amy seem like a happy couple. They adore one another and live happily together, until one day Amy disappears without a trace. Naturally, Nick is brought under scrutiny. He is hounded by cops and the media. Unable to live normally he seeks to get away from the commotion and lays low at his sister’s place. Clues are scarce at first, but dedicated police work reveals a sinister and meticulously planned plot. The games of deceit, lies and relatio...

Parenting is difficult. Anyone who says “it’s easy” is a poor parent. Life with a child or children is vastly different from single or married life. The child demands a lot of attention especially in the early years. One must see to the child’s needs, security, education, recreation and overall growth. When we talk about a person , we must take into account the multiple dimensions that are involved viz. physical, mental, affective, social, cultural and spiritual. Some might wince at the last dimension on the list but it is a fact; the spiritual too, is an important though often neglected dimension. All of us have a spiritual side, whether we acknowledge it or not. This spiritual side too, deserves attention as does the physical, mental and other dimensions. Parents may and often do, get so caught up in ensuring that the needs of the child in other dimensions are fulfilled, that they forget about the spiritual needs. Even though it may not be immediately evident, this deficiency s...

Making Moral Decisions , Edward Stevens, New York : Paulist Press, 1981, pp. 112, $4.95 We are constantly facing moral issues. We make moral choices ever so often. People often look for a guide to help them navigate the various moral choices they face, especially the challenging ones. This book is an attempt to answer that need. Even though the book is small, it covers a number of pressing moral issues. If one is looking for answers then this is not the book to look in. The author aims to stimulate thought and not to provide readymade answers, if there are any whatsoever. The author uses philosophy and not theology to explore and examine the issues. Religion, in the past had served as the determiner and guardian of morals. A religion-based morality can be extremely useful for the stability of a society. But religion is no more the dominant force in our increasingly post-modern world. It cannot supply moral answers in today’s pluralistic world. Moral codes are human constructs...

God of Surprises , Gerard. W. Hughes, Mumbai: St Paul Publications, 1990, ISBN 81-7109-091-5, Rs. 35, pp. 162.   This is a guidebook for the journey of life which began at conception and will end at death. It is written especially for bewildered, confused or disillusioned Christians, who have a love-hate relationship with the Church. God is a ‘God of Surprises’ because He is not remote or distant, dwelling only in tabernacles and temples of stone, but near to us. Smiling and waiting to embrace us despite our confusion, bewilderment, anger etc. This book aims to suggest some ways of detecting the hidden treasure in what may be considered a most unlikely field, oneself. The treasure is within us. The First Chapter illustrates this premise. The treasure lies hidden in our inner moods and feelings. Many people live without getting in touch with their inner selves. Our inner selves can tell us the direction our lives should take and supply the inspiration and energy to take i...

One of the three themes that formed the core of the 27 th General Chapter of the Salesian Congregation was ‘Prophets of Communion’. The theme is open-ended and reflects the ‘radicality of the Gospel’, which was the thrust of the chapter. It invites deep reflection and a lived experience. Who is a prophet? A prophet is one who is close to God and close to people. He listens to God and carries His word to the people. He also listens to the people and helps them understand God’s message. Every Christian has a prophetic vocation although they fulfill it in varying degrees. A married person is no less a prophet than a professed religious, but the religious however, is called to fulfill the prophetic vocation in a higher degree. We, Salesians, are called to be prophets, especially to the young. Our identity and work as prophets is not restricted to when we are among the young. We must be prophets in our communities as well! Community life is no bed of roses. Despite the fact that ...