Tag: Stories

Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka- Book Review! 

Book that was recommended by a friend, who was reading The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida A Booker Prize winner book by the author. The author of Chinaman too!

The moment I heard about the title! The Australian bowler Brad Hogg came to my mind a bowler who is known as the chinaman bowler.

The book was indeed the concept of the spin Balling and Bowler but in contemporary fiction writing.

Chinaman is a story about a retired sportsman W.G Karunsena who is dying.

He spends his final months drinking arrack. ( A traditional alcohol from Sri Lanka) upsetting his wife, ignoring his son & tracking down Pradeep Matthew an elusive spin bowler whom he considers the greatest Cricketer in the world.

On his Quest to find this unsung genius, W.G. uncovers a coach with six fingers, a secret bunker below a famous stadium, an LTTE warlord and startling truths about Sri Lanka, Cricket and himself.

The Book is one of the best books on Cricket and Sri Lanka I have come across and read.

Explaining, the whole concept of the game. The rules and the type of delivery bowled by a spinner.

The writer also believes what a perfect team should look like by giving his breakdown.

A perfect team should be:

  • Two solid openers 
  • Three Aggressive batsman 
  • Two genuine all-rounders
  • One Agile Wicketkeeper 
  • Two unplayable fast bowlers 
  • One Genius Spinner 

The book is thought-provoking for a fan, reader and as a player from the sport. On the value and respect the sport offers. 

“But, once in a while, the very best of them will bowl a ball and bring an entire nation to its feet. There isn’t any practical use in that, but there is certainly value “

The book also touches upon The Superstitions in cricket , the Betting & fixing. 

The way he describes a single over is like a team going to war. 

“An over is six bullets in a gun! I don’t mind firing some into the sky if one hits the target” 

The struggles to keep dreams and hope alive for the sport We play because we have talent & passion. 

But, talent will leave the game if you earn no money 

With the pressure, outsiders have to deal with to prove themselves , Tamils have to be twice as good as Sinhalese to be recognised 

A few true incidents in the sport are highlighted too one of them being the use of 

Aluminium Bat by Dennis Lillee an Australian cricketer   in 1978 Ashes used an aluminium bat. 

On racism

On changing rules:

Whites have been writing the rules for centuries. It’s time we added ours. 

The writer also in the book compares cricket to other sports like  Table tennis: You switch services every 5 points and race to 21.

Badminton: You fight for service. only service grants you points.

Tennis: Four units of 15 constitute a game.

Games accumulate into sets.

Some keywords of the game: 

All arounder:

A genuine all-around should be able to make the team on either bowling and batting skill alone. A genuine one is as rare as a punctual Sri Lankan.

Maiden over: A over of six balls when there aren’t any runs scored.

Follow on: When the team can’t score the sufficient runs required for the other side to play.

Carrom Ball: The ball is released by flicking of finger between the thumb and a bent middle finger in order to impart spin.

Chinaman: Is considered to be a leg-spin delivery by a left-arm bowler

The Lissa Ball a type of delivery was invented by Clarrie Grimmet Aussie player in 1930. Snapped his fingers along the ball axis and made it skid off the pitch, keeping low and often connected with the wicket.

Floater: A Traditional chinaman, but bowled with an open chest and shrug of the shoulder causing the ball to linger in the air

Double Bounce Ball: The Mystery of Mystery Balls. A ball that bounces and changes direction twice.

Some of The Best Movies Now Streaming

  • Jojo Rabbit

    • A Movie I missed watching in the cinema theatres and wasn’t sure until how long would I have wait to watch this film, But a few months later It released on another streaming platform. And so I watched the film.

    A story about a boy who is nicknamed Jojo Rabbit after a summer camp weekend and a story set during the conflict of German-Jews and during a period where Hitler was hailed by Some of his Fanatics and how one had to be careful in the communication.

    But this film is a hilariously funny and slightly emotional film worth watching and When you have The director himself portraying Hitler it just can’t better.

    The movie is actually based on the novel “Caging Skies” by Christine Leunens.

    The novel centres on a young Hitler Youth who discovers a Jewish girl hidden in his house by his mother.

    Hitler in the movie is Jojo’s imaginary friend thus he is the Hitler that a young boy would imagine.

    He also pointed out that Hitler is an amalgamation of different people in his life, such as his father, the Nazis in town and even his friend Yorki.

    One of the tensest scenes finds Gestapo officers (led by Stephen Merchant) searching Jojo’s home. However, the scene is also hilarious with the Gestapo doing little more than greeting one another with the “Heil Hitler” salute which is made 31 times in the scene

    1. At the 92nd Academy Awards, the film received six nominations
    2. Including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Johansson, and Best Adapted Screenplay

    Johansson earned both her first and second Oscar nominations this year.

    In addition to being up for best supporting actress, she also nabbed the best actress nod for her work in Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story.

    Contagion 

    Just Imagine have written, Directed a film almost a decade ago on the exact same way we have all been struck by the pandemic. It’s surprisingly an exact replica of the way the Coronavirus has come about. The Imagination of such accuracy is unbelievable.

    The last five minutes of the story – The way it has been shot & directed is the best explanation of the full film. You have to watch this film. The star cast has lived the story once already while filming, But today we are all living this in reality.

    Marriage Story  By Noah Baumbach

    Marriage Story is a true story based on Noah Baumbach relationship and separation of his marriage with actress Jennifer Jason Leigh as well as his parent’s divorce. 

    Marriage Story is about a relationship of an artist couple Charlie Barber played by Adam Driver and Nicole Played by Scarlett Scarlett Johansson While Charlie Barber runs a theatre company in New York City, Nicole was a teen film actress and they both are going through marital troubles. 

    At the same Time Nicole is offered a role in Television Pilot in LA and soon decides to live in NYC and live with her mother  Henry her son and follow her dream of being a Hollywood actress. 

    While Charlie stays back in New York and works on his play that he would like to showcase at the Broadway. 

    The Story then follows the couple mutually decide to divorce. However one day Nicole hires a family Nora lawyer and tells him the full story of their relationship and mentions a  few speculations of Charlie’s relationship with his stage manager in the theatre company.   In the meantime, Charlie flies to LA to Nicole to share his happiness of winning a prestigious Fellowship grant But instead has divorce papers handed over. 

    Charlie lawyer believes they should play dirty, but rather Charlie doesn’t want things to go bad. 

    While the movie moves ahead with both coming to a common conclusion for their separation while living on a different coast, they have different laws for the same. 

    The film brings out a lot of emotional and realistic feel as the story is based on true events  And  Since Scarlett Jhonasson too had a divorce just a few months before the filming of the film. The Acting too was very real. The movie was very well made and a well- deserved nomination for the film and Scarlett Johnson 

    Series To Stream on Netflix and Chill!

    • • Unorthodox : 

    The series was inspired by and is based on, the Memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman.  Satmar Movement in a  Hasidic group(Community), is a  Jewish Group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in Western Ukraine in the 18th Century and spread across Eastern Europe rapidly. 

    Today they are found in Israel and USA originating from the city Satu Mare Romania where it was founded in 1905 by  A Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum.  

    Following WW 2 it was re-established in NY becoming one of the largest Hasidic movements in the world. It’s characterised by strict religious codes – rejection of Modern Culture and Anti-Zionism (Movement of Jewish people that supports re – Establishment of and support for Jewish State in a territory)

     a Hassidic community In Williamsburg, Brooklyn  NYC. 

    Teachings – Emphasises God’s exist in the universe and the need to follow all religious practice and spiritual practices.

    This series is the first series in Yiddish for Netflix and adapts and represents Jewish culture.  it’ represents the culture very authentically. The  Music Academy Barenboim-Said-Akademie is an actual location in Berlin, Germany where  Bachelors &  Artist Diploma in Music is studied  Jews & Muslims play classical music together, as a whole utopia. We were inspired by this idea, as the sort of institution that could only begin in Berlin.”

    And in case you have read the book and are in two minds whether you should go ahead with series or not. How different is it?

    Then you could watch the making of Unorthodox a twenty minutes episode on Netflix itself. 

    And if you would just want to watch a movie instead to understand the Jew community you could watch. One of us – A movie you can watch. helps you identify the community and the who experience of the series is very 

    • High Seas : 

    High Sea – Netflix series is a mystery period drama series in Spanish. 

    Created by : Ramón Campos & Gema R. Neira

    Plot:

    The show is completely set on a ship Bárbara de Braganza and as the journey begins from Vigo Port to Rio De Janeiro. 

    There are few incidents taking place. The first season is a complete breeze with every episode ending in a dramatic twist waiting to be unfolded in the next episode. 

    The episode is 45 minutes each. The show is two-season long with eight-episode each and the whole journey is an exciting, thrilling and keeping you on the edge.

    Who Will like watching this?

    Audience Who like Mystery Thrillers.

    The Characters 

    In the show, the characters are introduced just at the right moment & the backstory or references about them are given when needed.

    In case you have already watched this show or would like to watch another series on the same lines  There are a couple of more shows by the creators on Netflix itself  Cable Girls, Grand Hotel & Velvet. 

    The creators particularly love periodic drama and Have done well with the whole production & storyline. I am sure you would love these shows. 

    Set Design & Production – Is very periodic and gives us the sense of a luxury cruise.

    The lighting is very cinematic with the long shot of the ship on the water in the evening is the most beautiful shot in the series. 

    The moment the crew pull the lever to adjust the ship is also very important details that have taken care of the whole set design.  (Slow, Half and full alphabetically written ) 

    The costume, styling of the character is very retro and giving you the sense of the series set in the 1940s. 

    The Music & Background score is suspenseful.  

    The show offers a cast That not only good looking but with most of the Spanish actors being established models & well known Spanish actors.