Strings band broke up after 33 years of musical excellence
And after Daft Punk’s sad split, our 2021 has gone down the drain as we heard the news of Strings splitting up last night after 33 years of making music and memories.
I remember growing up listening to Strings songs, it seems like an identity. It is one of my father’s favourite bands. So, whether it’s a long drive or a simple hangout, there is always a list of Strings songs that comes on and we enjoy it thoroughly. And it’s not just me, everyone who has a good taste in music know this band and why not? It has carried Pakistan’s rock music on its shoulders. And we all love it wholeheartedly.
The news was hard for most of us last night as we heard that the band broke up after almost 33 years. That’s long! From Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar to Pyaar Ka Rog. The band never failed to amaze us with great music.
Strings the Band
Strings was a Pakistani hard rock band consisting of a duo [plus four live band member] from Karachi Pakistan. The band originally was found in 1988 by four college students Faisal Kapadia [vocals], Bilal Maqsood [vocals and guitars] Rafiq Wazir [Synthesizer] and Kareem Bashir [Bass guitar]. They disbanded in 1992 after their song ‘Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar.’ The band came back as a duo in 2000 with their album Duur, which was widely received and loved by fans and followers. The duo released Dhaani in 2003, marking history for the rest of their lives.
Strings reached to Bollywood with their songs Yeh Hai Meri Kahani [Zinda], Aakhri Alvida [Shootout at Lokhandwala], and Chaaron Taraf [John Day]. And that’s not all; the band also sang Najanay Kyun for the Hollywood movie Spiderman-2.
The band was fortunate enough to produce Coke Studio Pakistan Season 7, 8, 9 and 10 featuring variety of artists from different genre bringing them to one platform. They released singles throughout the years including Ab Khud Kuch Karna Parega, Mein To Dekhunga, Sajni, Urr Jaon, Humsafar, Piye Re, Mil Gaya, Chal Para, Hum Dono, Naina and Raat Shabnami.
With various awards and accolades under their name, Strings brought a wave of great music throughout the years for rock and pop in Pakistan and revived music in the country.
Strings band sad breakup
Strings announced the news on Thursday leaving many fans heartbroken.
“Hey, guys. This post is a bit different from the usual. We have decided that today, 25/03/2021, is the day we graciously get to conclude STRINGS,” the band said on its Instagram and Facebook.
Strings band split reason
However the duo did not have an actual reason for the split they both just needed a break from it now, the post further says,
“The past 33 years have been incredible for both of us (Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood). It’s so rare to have the chance to be able to do things like this and we are infinitely grateful to all of our fans for making it possible. We hope you found it worthwhile as well.”
Moreover, the post added that while the band technically may not be together anymore, both of them share an unbreakable bond that will connect them no matter where life takes them. “Thank you so much for everything,” the post said further.
We have lined up our favorite songs down below. Let’s get ready to shed a tear or two as we hop on to the nostalgic journey with Strings…
Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar
Sar Kiye yeh Pahar Lyrics
🎵Sar kiye yeh pahar
Daryaoun ki gehraiyon ne tujhey dhunda hai
Aa bhi ja ek baar
Mere aanay se na luto mere man ka qarar🎵
Zinda
Zinda Lyrics
🎵Ye hai meri kahani
Khamosh zindgani
Sannaata keh raha hai
Kyun zulm seh raha hai🎵
Humsafar
Humsafar Lyrics
🎵Tou chal para un rastoun per
Jo jatay they tere ghar
Wou raste tere or mere Humsafar🎵
Duur
Duur Lyrics
🎵Duur se koi aaye
Kahin chupke se wou dil mein
Samaa jaaye saajna…aa🎵
Anjane
Anjane Lyrics
🎵Dekha tujhey to hua
Hua mein deewana
Dekh ke aesa laga
Laga sathi purana
Huey…begaanay kyun
Huey Anjanay kyun🎵
Mera Bichra Yaar
Mera Bichra Yaar lyrics
🎵Duur ek gaaon hai
Wahan thandi chaaon hai
Behti nadiyaa hai
Jana hai nadiya ke paar
Kar mera, intizaar mera bichra yaar
Mera bichra yaar🎵
Najanay Kyun
Najanay Kyun Lyrics
🎵Dil bujh gayaa
Ghar jal gaya
Najanay kyun…najanay kyun
Yaadon ka phir aanchal urha
Najanay kyun… najanay kyun🎵
Hai Koi Hum Jaisa
Hai Koi Hum Jaisa Lyrics
🎵Josh kitna hai zor kitna
Aur jaaye yahan
Hosh urhanay ko jaan larhane ko
Saray aaye yahan
Ay o ay o ay o aaa
ale ale ale o🎵
Dhaani
Dhaani lyrics
🎵Boondein baadal ke saiye may lehraye gi
Mujhe tarpaye gi, chali jaye gi
jaisay bijuriya
Mastaani🎵
Sajni
Sajni Lyrics
🎵Laao hath
Jaldi se ek wada tou karlain
Idhar dekhou
Kahou to jeelay ya marlain
Sajni, mere tere gun gawa tu hai meri thandi chawaan
Mein ranjha tu hai heer🎵
Farewell boys, you gave us 33 years of memories and great music, we will miss you!
Read More: RAAT BY ATIF ASLAM IS A BEAUTIFUL TALE OF LOVE, ROMANCE AND DEFEAT
Women Empower Wednesday: Reaching heights on wheels Samar Khan
This week in the Women Empower Wednesday segment, we are featuring athlete and cyclist Samar Khan who touched Biafo Glacier on wheels.
Some people are born achievers. They do things that they believe can achieve with greater results. Women in every corner are getting more and more into excellence with bravery and not leaving any stone unturned. One of the many strong females includes Samar Khan, the cyclist who had ridden the Biafo Glacier in the Karakoram Mountains in Gilgit Baltistan.
Cyclist Samar Khan
Born on 11th August 1990, Samar Khan belonged to a small town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khas Dir. Where women are not allowed to leave their houses without a veil let alone ride a cycle or be into sports. Samar’s dreams were also not very appreciated due to her strict family norms. But her love for nature especially mountainous terrains made her passionate about reaching heights where no one can reach. Moreover, the passion for paragliding and cycling became her favorite throughout time.
Samar Khan has done her Masters in Physics from the Federal Urdu University and from there she got introduced to the world of sports and once she entered into it, she never returned. Although she knew her challenges and hurdles she learned it pretty quickly and the rest is history.
Supportive Parent
Samar’s father passed away when she was very young and due to the added societal pressure, she had to convince her mother for her dreams. She shared the idea of her becoming a cyclist with her mother and that was a hurdle at first. But after a while, she got convinced and became a rock hard pillar for her passion.
Mount Kilimanjaro Summit
Her love for mountains also took her to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. The experience was adventurous for her. She carried the Pakistani flag with pride and rode through tropical forest, alpine deserts and it took her 6 to 8 hours to reach the final summit and she also hopes to summit other mountains in near future as well.
The achievements of Samar Khan
Samar Khan is the first woman in the world to cycle Biafo Glacier on 4,500 meters in the Karakoram Mountains of Gilgit Baltistan in 2016.
Samar also became the first Pakistani to climb the 6,250-metre Burbucho peak in the Shigar district in 2017. The peak was named the ‘Samar Peak’ after her summit.
She also owns a National record of riding 1000 km on 4693m to Khunjerab. Moreover, she is also a certified paraglider from Kakul. She has also founded the organization ‘Pace for Peace,’ Two Girls Ride. She is also awarded by Pk Travels for promoting tourism.
Samar Camp
Samar was selected by Global Sports Mentoring Program by ESPNW. She introduced the idea here in Pakistan through a Summer Camp, which helps women and young girls through different sports. These sports include snowboarding, cycling, and hiking, etc. But due to Pakistan being a naturally disaster-prone region, this won’t reach up to its professional potential but the aggressive training routine will make girls physically fit.
Pakistani youth has a huge responsibility on its shoulders to bring the country into the limelight. Be it any field either sports, media, or technology. People, especially women should come forward and make everyone proud. As Samar also believes in hard work, consistency, and unbreakable resilience, this is the key to her success and anyone’s success.
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President Arif Alvi confers National Awards on Pakistan Day
President Arif Alvi conferred top civil and military accolades over famous personalities on Saturday. This list also includes 18 foreigners for their contributions in different fields for excellence in a variety of fields including medicines, social services, gallantry, art, acting, and others on Pakistan Day ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadar.
President Arif Alvi Conferring National Awards
Among them, Naeem Rashid was also honoured from the President as a Hero. Rashid tried to tackle the terrorist with bravery who was attacking Muslims at Christchurch last week.
Abida Parveen was also awarded for her singing contributions in the field of Arts.
According to the official statement, the president also conferred Nishan-e-Imtiaz over Sadeqain Naqvi and Prof. Shakir Ali for (Arts, Sculpture and Painting) and Ahmed Faraz for (Literature).
Muhammad Tahir Javed, Zeba Shehnaz, Hameedullah Shah Hashmi, Faisal Edhi, capt (retd.) Syed Amir Mehmood, Farid Ahmed Khan and Omar Saeed also received Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.
Celebrities receiving awards by President
Among celebrities President Arif Alvi also honoured Bushra Ansari and Sultana Siddiqui with Sitara-e-Imtiaz award.
Celebrities rejoiced and wished her congratulations, for her support and contribution to the industry.
Mahira wrote, ‘Mubarak!! Love you!’ Similarly, Imran Ashraf wrote, ‘Aappaaa bohat bohaaaat Mubarak.’ Hadiqa Kiani and Khalid Malik also send their wishes and love to her.
For utmost dedication, severe determination, and resilience, proving his mettle in the Bollywood industry. Ali Zafar was also awarded Presidential Pride of Performance.
For the contribution in the industry for more than 2 decades, Humayun Saeed received Pride of Performance. Moreover, his performance in the Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s written drama ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ was widely praised and his performance was well received by the critiques. Furthermore, his notable works for the Pakistani movie industry were also highly laudable.
Wife of Arif Alvi, Samina Alvi also attended the ceremony along with many notable personalities.
On the contrary, Prime Minister Imran Khan was not present at the ceremony due to his contraction of the Covid-19 virus earlier this week.
Read More: MAHIRA KHAN SHINES IN THE LIST OF 100 MOST INSPIRING WOMEN
The Snyder Cut: shocking and heartbreaking story of Justice League
Now that The Snyder Cut has finally released worldwide. The world has witnessed what Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League would have been if he had not left the film after a heart-stricken family tragedy. Which allowed the Warner Bros to get Joss Whedon on-board to push the 2017 Justice League to its ending. But originals remain the same as the creator put his heart and soul into it.
But now a four-hour film is streaming on HBO Max and that too during a pandemic. Enough to binge on to excellent!
Snyder Cut Tragic End in 2017
What befell Justice League was an emergency of endless uncertainty: a group of executives who lost confidence in the planner of their fluctuating comic book film realm, and a director amidst a family misfortune that drained him of the will to battle in 2017. Joss Whedon, a director from another universe, the Marvel Cinematic one, left the Avengers after two films and moved over to comics rival DC, getting Justice League not where Zack Snyder left off but rather changing it altogether with broad modifications and rushed reshoots, similarly as the studio requested.
What is Snyder Cut?
Zack Snyder became the powerhouse of DC Universe as Marvel was becoming the B.O champion. He practically came and saved the DCU. His ultimate goal was to push Warner Bros to the ascent. And while guiding Warner Bros he also continues to launch a new succession of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash. The idea was to make it real. Snyder launched Man of Steel, then Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice that introduced Batman and Wonder Woman, Cyborg, and Flash as well. And then came, Justice League. It was happened to be Snyder’s third movie in his trilogy, and the biggest one. But it did not happen the way Zack Snyder wanted it to be. Tragedy struck when Snyder’s daughter passed away, while he was in the production of Justice League.
Justice League disowned by the creators
In 2017, when Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman, Cyborg, Aquaman, and The Flash didn’t do much in theatre, it was judged by critics. Justice League got disowned by those who made it, and that was not it. Whedon was also highly criticized due to his unprofessional and abusive behavior during shoots. And after that, he disowned his name from the movie and shared the credits with Chris Terrio. Chris also wrote Synder’s 2016’s Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Fans revived The Snyder Cut
With popular hashtag #ReleaseTheSnyderVerse and #RestoreTheSnyderVerse was surfacing over social media. Fans campaigned for the Snyder Verse to complete Justice League. As Warner Bros entered the streaming competition with HBO Max, The Snyder Cut has actually become realistically possible when a petition gained 180,000 signatures. Warner Bros then decided to move forward with the production in February 2020. And now that the cut has been released, fans are emotional.
Their daughter’s death was the main reason the Snyders walked away from Justice League, realizing they needed at home with family rather than in a losing battle with a powerful studio. Now their daughter is the main reason he decided to come back. At the end of the movie, it says ‘For Autumn,’ Snyder says, “Without her, this absolutely would not have happened.”
Read More: NEW SUPERMAN MOVIE COULD INTRODUCE A BLACK SUPERMAN
Priyanka Chopra goes controversial again
Priyanka Chopra is no new name when it comes to controversies and now the actor has landed herself into yet another strange controversy after giving an ignorant remark in a recent interview. The famous Bollywood star that has made her mark in Hollywood as well has been under massive trolling for her remarks about being a part of a secular household and growing up in one.
Controversial comment about Islam by Priyanka Chopra
Last week, Priyanka Chopra appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s new talk show. And since then multiple clips surfaced over social media that have gone viral, causing a stir. Below attached the clip where the Quantico star can be seen sharing her views about her secular household and bringing Islam and remarking on it.
The Text For You star Priyanka Chopra got going by depicting how she had been impacted by various religions for the duration of her life, from Christianity to Islam to, obviously, Hinduism. At the point when she was questioned from Oprah concerning her profound excursion, she said, “With the number of religions that we have in India… I grew up in a convent school, hence was aware of Christianity. My dad used to sing in a mosque and that made me well aware about Islam. Being a Hindu and coming from a Hindu family, I adapted the rituals and teachings of Hinduism. So as far as spirituality is concerned, it’s part of my country and I cannot ignore it.”
Chopra added how her deceased father educated her about all the faiths. “I am a Hindu and I pray and have a temple in my home. I do it as often as I can. But truly, to me, I am a believer that a higher power does exist and I like to have faith in that,” she stated during her interview.
Twitter getting mad
Her statement made Twitter divided, some of them are angry and some are defending. One user said, “Everyday she just becomes more and more unlikeable i dont mind what she said but still v unlikeable lol.”
People are actually calling her out on her ignorant approach towards different religions,
One user said, “Dear @priyankachopra How is singing in a mosque makes one aware of Islam? Do many years in India didn’t let you know about muslims around you? By this logic- my dad argues cases in court so I am aware of the law. #PriyankaChopra #Oprah”
Regardless, this remark by Priyanka Chopra about Islam and Mosque would pose a serious question towards any religion’s sanctity let alone Islam. One should have ample knowledge before making a comment; religion is always a very sensitive issue. And one should educate or rather refrain from talking about it altogether.
Read more: PRIYANKA CHOPRA WAS DROPPED FROM 2 MOVIES AFTER HER NOSE SURGERY MESSED UP
Friday Flix Movie Review: Cake
Over the years, Pakistani cinema has grown and proven its mettle in the industry. There has been a competition between the commercial-level movies of India and Pakistan. And with time, efficient directors and writers are surfacing in the Pakistani industry. The level of web-series, commercial movies, and short films has reached a certain stature of maturity. Out of many films, one is, Cake!
Cake – Cast and Crew
The 2018 movie Cake is a comedy-drama movie written and directed by Asim Abbasi. The movie cast includes Aamina Sheikh, Sanam Saeed, Adnan Malik, Beo Zafar, Muhammad Ahmad, Faris Khalid, Mikaal Zulfikar, and Hira Hussain. The Cinematography is by Mo Azmi. The Abbasi-Azmi dynamic duo was also seen and widely appreciated in their recent web-series Churails.
Plot – Cake 2018
The movie revolves around two sisters Aamina Sheikh (Zareen) and Sanam Saeed (Zara) in lead roles, depicts how close families are despite their geographical borders. An emotional distance can also be seen among the members of the family.
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Siblings bonding and love
Zareen and Zara, both have their struggles and problems to deal with, while juggling with their parents’ health back and forth. Zara lives in London while Zareen resides with their parents in Pakistan taking care of her family estate. Being the unmarried middle child Zareen is graciously stubborn. With an unnerving attitude, Zareen takes care of the family while keeping herself behind everything. This comes into realization for her that there is a lot more to think of than just her family when their father suffers from a major heart problem.
Zara flies back from London and her brother also comes back home to take care of their parents and YES… they bicker about life and their problems. Everyone complains that their problems are much more than the other and while this happens a point of realization comes for us as a viewer that, this is how families ‘operate.’ They fight and then they bounce back. In one particular scene where Zareen decides to have lunch on her own after a quarrel, both her siblings squeeze her in between shows no matter what happens, siblings share a beautiful bond!
Asim Abbasi beautifully explains the concept of a woman being an alpha and how they can be their heroes and can do anything without any hurdle. If we talk about the production Cake is beautifully directed. It gives out a modern feel and Mo Azmi’s soft-lighted cinematography is intelligently portrayed throughout the movie.
Finest Acting
The realistic set designing was amazingly aided by fine acting, which also gives out a very realistic feel. The movie did not fake any emotion or any character. The laughter, the family time, the open ‘fart jokes’ and honest conversations were raw and imperfect but leave a slight giggle. The veteran actor and comedian Beo Zafar and Muhammad Ahmad shared a beautiful and funny on-screen chemistry and since they both are maestros of acting, they knew how to capture the attention and grip the audience throughout.
The nerve-wracking climax
The climax is one of the most brilliantly achieved scenes in the movie, where the family secrets come out in the open with an unsent letter. A series of confrontations start from room to room, which feels like a grand theatre play. The 10 minutes were emotionally intense and perfectly played by the actors.
Cake is a cinematic masterpiece that deserves massive praise. It is sweet, layered with a strong idea of feminism and a topping of siblings bond [majorly sisterhood]. Take a bite and enjoy the beautiful ride!
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New Superman movie could introduce a black superman
DC Comics
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies. The majority of its publications take place within the fictional DC Universe and feature numerous culturally iconic heroic characters, such as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The universe also features well-known supervillains who oppose the superheroes such as Lex Luthor and the Joker. The company has published non-DC Universe-related material, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Fables, and many titles under their alternative imprint Vertigo.
The black Superman – Calvin Ellis
Black Superman, also known by his civilian name ‘Calvin Ellis,’ was actually based on a popular former US president. “Inspired by Barack Obama, this iteration of Superman is also President of the United States of America, and uses his superpowers to directly confront global politics, alongside his own iteration of the Justice League that includes Wonder Woman, Nubia,” DC Comics recently said.
A new black Superman in making for DC comics?
The new way to deal with the famous hero was as of late declared and will be initiated by J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates. The Hollywood Reporter recommended ‘this new Superman project is expecting to star a Black Superman’ and there could be a very notable name cast for the job.
Michael B. Jordan has recently communicated his interest in playing Superman in a film and the one he explicitly was keen on was Calvin Ellis.
Regardless of whether Jordan will seize the desired part in the new task is yet to be seen, albeit the 34-year-old is supposed to be high on the rundown of possible applicants.
There’s not much else known about the forthcoming project, but The Hollywood Reporter said, “it’s possible that this will be another version of Clark Kent, but more intriguing is the possibility that it will be either Calvin Ellis or Val-Zod, Supermen from within DC’s comic book multiverse.”
J.J. Abrams will produce the project under his Bad Robot banner, while Hannah Minghella will serve as producer. Ta-Nehisi Coates said in a statement to Shadow & Act, “To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honor.
“I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America’s most iconic mythic hero.”
Abrams was also very excited and showed his gratification by saying that, “There is a new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with the brilliant Mr. Coates to help bring that story to the big screen, and we’re beyond thankful to the team at Warner Bros. for the opportunity.”
Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group said of the reboot and Coates’ involvement said, “Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me opened a window and changed the way many of us see the world. We’re confident that his take on Superman will give fans a new and exciting way to see the Man of Steel.”
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Raat by Atif Aslam is a beautiful tale of love, romance and defeat
From ‘Ab to aadat si hai mujhko aese jeenay mein’ to ‘Raat bhaari na houna,’ we all have grown up. With almost 16 years apart. Atif Aslam is still a heartthrob for many. Not just in Pakistan, but all over the globe now!
Atif Aslam – A gem!
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani playback singer and actor. He has recorded numerous chart-topping songs in both Pakistan and India and is known for his vocal belting Falsetto technique. He predominantly sings in Urdu and Hindi but has also sung in Punjabi and Pashto.
With a number of successful chart-topping songs in both Urdu and Hindi. He is regarded as one of the best playback singers in the Indian and Pakistani music industries of all time. In 2008, Aslam received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, the fourth-highest civilian honor award from the Pakistani government. He is also a recipient of a number of Lux Style Awards.
Atif Aslam has also tried his luck with acting; he made his debut in 2011 with Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol. In 2019, he was awarded a star in the Dubai Walk of Fame after his nomination for the best singer in Pakistan. He was also featured in Forbes Asia’s 100 Digital Stars, published in December 2020. Aslam has an extensively large following at home in Pakistan as well as in neighboring countries India and Bangladesh. He refers to his fans as “Aadeez.”
Creating magic with Atif Aslam’s new song Raat!
Atif Aslam has left his fans and followers bewildered with a beautiful song ‘Raat.’
Talking to Twitter, the artist shared the news on Social Media, and a series of Tweets started a trend where everybody was excited how amazing and star-studded the music video was.
Even the fans from India couldn’t resist!
Raat by Atif Aslam – the music video
The music video is completely star-studded, in a nine-minute video Mansha Pasha, Syra, Kiran Malik, and Gohar Rasheed dazzled the audience and walked us through the journey of Atif Aslam as an artist.
The storyline shows that Atif Aslam [called Asif Aslam at first] introducing himself as a struggling artist in the first scene-setting [dimension 1]. Then in the second scene sequence, he’s been seen with Syra as a super-star, as they share a romantic moment, donning a gorgeous suit, with the melody of ‘Atif Aslam’ himself, they get cut by a director showing how famous they are as actors as they both throw their tantrums! While in the third scene sequence, we see the star [Aslam] arguing with Mansha Pasha [presumably his wife]. They two fought while the child in the back listens… the argument then cause an accident.
In the final scene, the artist was seen walking down an alley quiet and broken where he saw Gohar Rasheed [a mugger] and while his attempt to mug Atif, he shots him and with a failed attempt the artist loses his life, alone and in dark.
The soft vocals, strong lyrics, and captivating cinematography make the whole song a perfect one. The video is directed by Umair Jaswal.
Raat by Atif Aslam – Lyrics
“Raat Mere Sath Guzarna
Ghumu Toh Ghumna
Kirno Ko Chumna
Raat Mere Sath Thehrna
Neendon Mein Jaagna
Sanatein Torhna
Ho Raat Bhaari Na Hona
Ho Raat Khwaab Na Khona“
Watch the whole song below
Definitely, Atif Aslam is a treat for everyone; we were not over with his rendition of ‘Kadi tey hans bol vey’ and now this masterpiece.
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Has Emma Watson retired from acting? fans are devastated
Fans and followers are devastated are rumors circulated that Emma Watson aka very own Hermione Granger has left acting to concentrate on her love life.
We all have been growing up either being a Potterhead or no Potterhead at all. And who didn’t love the studious Hermione making her potions and honing her charms to bedazzle Harry and Ron [and the whole Hogwarts] Emma after giving a whole lot of beautiful movies is rumored to be retiring from acting to concentrate on her boyfriend. Since she is away from acting after Little Women (2019) Fans feel emotional.
(more…)
Friday Flix Movie Review: Her
This week’s Friday Flix Movie Review features a 2013 American science-fiction romantic drama film Her.
Disembodied, but oh! What a voice. Sometimes when you feel an overwhelming feeling of detachment from every emotion, you feel connected with something else. A deeper connection within, what if I say that connection happens with an artificially intelligent virtual assistant? Ironic, isn’t it? The movie Her has everything into it; love, emotions, helplessness, and more…
Cast and Crew
Her’s cast includes Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Chriss Pratt, Soko, Matt Letscher, Luka Jones, Spike Jonze, Portia Doubleday, and others. The movie is written and directed by Spike Jonze, and the cinematography is done by Hoyte van Hoytema.
Her Movie – Plot
Joaquin Phoenix is Theodore Twombly is an ordinarily tragic man in geek displays, frowzy mustache and a belt up to his navel (the future, it ends up, is the place where it is supposed to be). Unfit to proceed onward from the end of his union with his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara), he picks to turn on the female-voice choice while downloading the best in class ‘operating system 1’ framework onto his PC and meets ‘Samantha’ (as voiced by Scarlett Johansson).
In love with an operating system
Programmed to modify to his needs, Samantha always gets him. She re-organizes his confused sad self and generally gets his life in order. He, in turn, is soon enchanted by their easy intimacy, fuelled by late-night talks about big things. Via earpiece, handset (or “portal”), and omnipresent Wi-Fi they need never part. Samantha convinces Theodore to go on a blind date with a woman, with whom a friend has been trying to set him up.
The date goes well, but Theodore hesitates to promise when he will see her again, so she insults him and leaves. Theodore mentions this to Samantha, and they talk about relationships. Theodore explains that, although he and his neighbor Amy dated briefly in college, they are only good friends, and that Amy is married.
In all but bodily presence, Theodore and Samantha are dating, although the intimacy proves somewhat unconventional (Jonze conceives lively variations on verbal intimacy). In other words, they are fully compatible. So yes, you could think of Her as an aesthetic reboot of his Electric Dreams.
The feeling of everything
Confined in Theodore’s discreet presence, Phoenix is a model of sudden and expectation restriction. By far most of his presentation is confined to shaking and recoiling in close-up. Furthermore, Johansson’s imposing voice, if recognizable (you can’t resist the urge to picture her), accomplishes an astounding assortment of states of mind: pleasure, interest, curiosity, delight, happiness…
The film is elusive, a keen romantic comedy that catches the extravagance of beginning to fall in love, and the unavoidable disappointment. Set in a not-so-distant future that has strong tones and a marginally retro-look—flip-telephones that take after little picture casings or cigarette cases—its reality seems unique yet reassuringly natural, which helps the film play as a reasonable sentiment rather than some amiable variant of Catfish. Samantha is even modified to have a funny bone, and she helps dismal pitiful Theodore, who’s going to be separated.
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The paradox of silent connections
But the movie resonates more deeply because Spike Jonze captures the paradox of our connection to devices that can talk and text back: we can be alone with a touchscreen yet feel connected to a whole disembodied community; spill our opinions and interact on Facebook yet still feel hidden; have online relationships that are both soothing and sometimes false.
Samantha may be Theodore’s romantic ideal, but her emotions are not invested in his soul. And it’s not even science fiction. Samantha’s responses are based on algorithms, She is a system that only accumulates facts, and she never really will know anything more than that. This generation might be a tech-geek, but still, there will be no comparison of human emotion to a machine. However, Samantha will not give any stupid answer even if she is built by a human.
The movie is beautifully bound by emotions, which are artificial but felt real throughout and overall raises a question. Does Samantha’s reality matter? A creepy element that involves is how technology may be able to seduce us through different means, or it raises another question; are we ‘this’ alone to be emotionally dependant on an A.I.?
So, are you still thinking to watch any other movie this weekend? Go for this one. And let us know in the comments how you did like it?
IMDb: 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Empire: 4/5
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