Particle Fever (2013) – Follow the largest human endeavor

‘The things that seem like the least important for our survival are the very things that make us human.‘ – Savas Dimopoulos.

Directed by Mark Levinson Produced by Mark Levinson David Kaplan Narrated by David Kaplan

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is one of the biggest scientific endeavors that we humans have ever embarked on. We have launched manned missions to moon, built hi-tech machines, connected the entire world, and sent a probe into deep space. It is in the same spirit that we have built the LHC, an engineering marvel, to understand the fundamental building blocks of nature.  It is inherent to our human nature that we seek out to understand the unknown. Particle Fever follows the journey to the discovery of the Higgs boson by shadowing 6 physicists from the start of the LHC to the discovery of the particle.

I should begin this review with a disclaimer: I am a particle physics myself. I recommend this movie with all my heart not just because I want to share with you all why my area of research is so awesome, but also because this is an excellent movie celebrating the human spirit and the scientific endeavor.

The documentary follows 3 theorists and 3 experimentalists. David Kaplan who is the brain behind the movie narrates the movie for us, and Monica Dunford (then a post-doc at CERN) turns to be the rockstar of the movie for the enthusiasm she exhibits throughout the movie. Savas Dimopoulos and Nima Arkani-Hamed are the two theorists that explain the popular theory that the LHC is hunting for. Fabiola Gianotti and Martin Aleska guide us through the experimental journey of the ATLAS collaboration though the LHC start, the accident and finally to Fabiola announcing the Higgs discovery on July 3, 2012. The cast has been well utilized to portray a wide spectrum of physicists, and by telling each one’s personal stories, the makers of the movie add a personal touch to these scientists. 

 

The theorists (above) and the experimentalists (below).

A problem that scientists struggle with is the perception that they are weird people and lack social skills. While many academics do not obey social interactions like most business, corporate, or people otherwise, they are passionate and funny people and come in all types, races, and gender. Kudos to the crew for reinstating this and preserving the true flavor of the above scientists. 

As the LHC progresses along, the physicists also explain what we expect to see at this machine and why it is important to pursue this ambition. In the beginning, Kaplan gets asked about the economic return of this endeavor. (I often get asked about this too and I do not think you can put price tag on human curiosity.) Of course, Kaplan answers it with much more style – ‘It could be nothing – except for understanding everything.’  And best yet, is the answer given by Wilson (of Fermilab) to a Congressional committee: ‘It has nothing to do directly with defending our country, except to make it worth defending.‘

The movie showcases most of the trials and triumphs the community went though in the last few years and I was lucky enough to be a part of this community through this wonderful time. I left the movie with nostalgia. You will too and I hope you will also be inspired to learn about the mysteries of the universe. The movie ends of a high note with the discovery of the Higgs but sadly, the same cannot be said of the funding situation for students, post docs, and faculty in the field. In spite of the significance of the field, it remains a challenge for scientists to sustain in the field. Yet, the show must go on, for in the process of producing scientists you create great teachers, sharp quants, and savvy data scientists and software developers and more over educated citizens.

One of the unforgettable memories I have had is a trip to CERN and a lucky trip to the CMS (the other) experiment of the LHC.

The Master

This is not a review. Just an attempt to spark some discussion about this film, compilation of my thoughts. Master was mostly snubbed at the award seasons this year. But this film is something like an iceberg, more than what meets the eye. I believe in years to come ‘The Master’ will be talked about a lot.

That’s Joaquin not giving a fuck, at the Oscars.

If you have seen ‘There will be blood’ or ‘Magnolia’  you would know that  PTA isn’t someone who would spoon feed you. You cannot expect normalcy in his films. Magnolia is a huge testimony to this fact.

Master, tell the story about a relentless, wayward war veteran , played by Joaquin Phoenix and ‘the Master’ played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. It tells the viewpoints (not a story, mind you) of the ‘Sheep’ and the ‘Shepherd’. The sheep and the shepherd are the two characters of any religious faith in this world. It has various interpretations, representations as the God and Devotee etc depending on the faith. We have all had this internal conflict within ourselves, the endless questioning of our faith. Is there a God, why should we devote to him, why follow these ‘rules’. A conflicted sheep we all are. The Master is an exploration of this.

Freddie is a war veteran. He has lost it, all from the killings and turmoils of the war. He is a raging alcoholic struggling to fit into post-war society. He is a ticking time bomb, ready to blow up any time. Uncontrollable. That’s when he meets Lancaster Dodd, who is spearheading a cult called ‘The Cause’ (the film is supposedly loosely based on Scientology) who sees something special in Freddie. He decides that Freddie needs help. Here begins the exploration of the master-servant relationship in any faith.

Master is fluid in nature. Its free flowing, casually paced. Aggressive and passive at times. We are often shown this magnificent shot of this ocean current. Its like Freddie’s mind and what he is going through. Constantly relentless, never still but he is striving for that calmness. Most of the rants about the film was its pace and incomplete picturing. The pace attributes to this fluid narrative. I felt the characters never transformed and this duality was in them through out the film. It was like I expected them to transform, change, discover answers. This gives the incomplete sense to the film. But these are questions that we all face and try to comprehend even now. Film is only as incomplete as our lives. Duality again.

One of the most interesting things about the film was presenting the point of view of the Master, Lancaster Dodd. On his first encounter with Freddie, Dodd states “.. but above all I am a man, a hopelessly inquisitive man, just like you.”. He is a man like the servant itself. He has partial answers or answers which he can only partially comprehend, a set of procedures that seems to help people. He has some theories and philosophies regarding this. But he is just another inquisitive man like us. He doesn’t have all the answers. That is why he retorts when intimidated about his theories.

The film is enormously overwhelming. Electric performances by the whole cast. That is the highlight of the film. One should just watch it for the performances. I haven’t watched Lincoln but having watched this I half believed Joaquin Pheonix might win the Best Actor. Not to mention Philip Seymour! These two were trying to top each other. Brilliant piece of acting. My comments about acting would be incomplete if I did not mention Amy Adams. Brilliant portrayal of the loyal sheep to the Master, the one with unflinching, confident faith to ‘The Cause’.

Mihai Malaimare’s cinematography was beautiful and dreamy. It all the more added to the flowy narrative. It was extremely surreal at places. There are many other aspects of cinematography which I had in mind but I will reserve that after some multiple watchings of the film.

Another wonderful aspect is the background score. Those of you who have watched the trailer, must have noted the peculiar bgm score, those seemingly un-tuned notes on guitar. Somehow for me it emphasized more of Freddie’s character. Untuned, raw natured. That was brilliant for me!

‘The Master’ is an iceberg. There are more things that are depicted about faith, religion and our minds. It is not a film for everyone and it definitely requires multiple viewing. The whole point of this write up is to spark some discussions. These are some of my vague thoughts about the film. Please add your views in the comments section.

Master was brilliant for me. I hope you enjoy it too.

MissRepresentation(2011) – Stirring

I am just back from watching the documentary MissRepresentation as part an activity with the Graduate Women in Physics at the Ohio State University. So why would I review a documentary? Because, it angered me, agitated me, made me want to act, and act soon. And more importantly, because it was good!

Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom

MissRepresentation, which premiered at Sundance 2011 talks about the portrayal of women in the media. Statistics are shown, and the data speaks. Women are severely under-represented in every sector, from politics to Hollywood. Women share their stories and they are stories of discrimination and misogyny.  Pictures and clips are shown and they all capture women simply as objects of physical pleasure.

I must remind you that I am living in the United States of America – the land of opportunity beyond race, color, and gender (At least we are told so). If such is the state of affairs here, then women in less fortunate countries must suffer a worse fate. Although the documentary focussed mainly on issues in the US and statistics from the US, MissRepresentation transcended boundaries for me. I do not see much difference in the way Indian media objectifies women. After all, we learn everything from the West!

You would that thought women in the west are better off – NO!

Maybe women of power are treated fairly – NOT at all!

And girl children? – Of course, not.

A young girl has to conform to the definition that her society sets, and as she grows older, the rules only get tougher. The only way a women gets to be a perfect women, is by looking perfect. It does not matter whether the young girl grows up to be an awesome journalist or a presidential candidate. The only thing the media cares about is what she is wearing and how she is wearing it! Don’t trust me? Watch the news tomorrow. This is the crux of MissRepresentation!

We have to fight to eliminate all sorts of inequality – be it based on caste, color, race, religion, or sexuality. When roughly 50% of the population is discriminated against, you know you have to act. NOW! It was nicely highlighted in the discussions after the movie by some fellow students (including male) that this issue can be resolved only when men also start changing their idea of masculinity. Kudos to that thought!

Recent incidents in India, debates in the US, and events all over the world, signal a possible paradigm shift. We have a chance to catalyse this change – and progress into a world where women are treated equally.   And, as Gandhiji said, “Be the change you want to see”.

The movie critique in me speaks: A bit too long! But, must-watch and be ready to get your soul-stirred!

 

Oscar Season: A Separation

Direction: Asghar Farhadi
Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi
Cast: Perman Maadi, Leila Hatami

Only 22 more days for the Academy Awards. So sticking to the theme party we will be reviewing some Oscar movies for some days.Watching this movie was one of the best things I did in 2011, and what a beautiful film it was. So we are kicking of the Oscar party with possibly the movie that will win the Best Foreign Film Award and the Best Original Screenplay Award.

A Separation is the story that unfolds with the divorce of a well to do couple in Iran. Simin wants to move out of the country to give a better life for her daughter but Nader has to take care of his father who is helpless due to Alzhimer’s disease. The film begins with this most routine act which could happen between any man and women in this society, and transcends into something that knocks at the doorsteps of concepts like religion, honesty and truth. This foreign language film starts becoming Universal.

Nadir is intelligent. He has his own ideals which he holds onto and which he imparts to his daughter. He is stern but at the same time encourages her to to think independently. We witness wonderful lessons in parenting from Nadir. Simin is an independent women herself but more suspecting and rigid. Stuck between them is the daughter who is studious, bright but confused. Beautiful characterizations. Each character we come across are wonderfully carved to perfection and they seem so effortlessly alive.

From parenting to commitments to our own parents the film begins its exploration of Truth. Everyone has their own version of truth. We choose to mould it to suit our needs, right? Harmless lies or holding back facts. As the film progresses all your perceptions about truth get twisted and skewed. But the beauty is the film doesn’t leave it open ended. It answers the questions and that too very well.

The film unfolds with a lot of characters and problems coming into the lives of our family, testing and taking them through. This film has this unfolding narrative which is unpredictable. That was what I loved the most abut A Separation. It was like learning, you never know what you discover through each scene. This is some exemplary work with the screenplay. It is surprisingly gripping but at the same time refreshing that it doesn’t take a toll on you.

Let me remind you that our story is taking place in one of the most religiously rigid places.  Apt arena to question religion, faith and values. There is a scene in which the housekeeping lady at Nadir’s place consults a religious head about a humane action she does. She knows she did it most selflessly and without any ulterior intentions but is unsure about the dictation her faith has taught her. Is that true faith or the one that guides us from within? Brilliant.

Top notch performances by all the cast. There is no melo-drama but a lot of subtlety. The characters seem to be in such a sync that you believe they are living on screen. Realism becomes a natural by product of this. The father daughter relationship, mother daughter relationship, a helpless husband, dying oldman, the rich poor divide what not! the story has everyone and everything from all stratas of society.

Even this cute one gave an awesome performance.

Whatever I discussed is only the tip of the iceberg. I don’t feel the slightest exaggeration when I say A Separation is much more profound. With each re-watch you discover yourself being taught some thing new. I say it again, A Separation is a universal film. It has the intelligence, courage and wisdom which is lacking in the movies of our generation.

I thank Asghar Farhadi for making this gem and I hope many people do watch it. This is one of those movies which proves the saying that ‘films are medium of expression that transcends language, country and barriers’. Hats off !

Verdict: If you miss this, you are missing one of the best movies that released in recent times.

Good Night | Good Morning

[Note. GN|GM by Sudheesh Kamath is an low budget independent cinema that got its big (not that widespread) release through PVR. The film won accolades at many film festivals but had a hard time getting a proper release. Many of you might not have heard of this film. Even I heard about this only when I was reading the frustrated article by Sudheesh on the Long Live Cinema blog. Well his indirect marketing must have convinced some film buffs among us. So here is my take.]

“A Boy meets Girl romance” 

GNGM is a Boy meets Girl talkie that is set in New York on New Year’s eve. Moria is spending a lonely new year’s eve and that is when she is drunk dialed (not exactly) by Turia who is smitten after seeing her in a bar that night. How they open up themselves to each other through that all night conversation and (obviously) fall in love forms the plot.

 

“Opposites Attract. Law of Nature”

With just some visual elements and dialogues the personas of the characters are brought out. Expect a lot of fun from our Boy as he begins the ice breaking conversation. Moria reciprocates and keeps the fun alive. All through the film repeatedly tries to establish, through the various subtle metaphors, that it is this reciprocity or complementing characteristic that is vital for any relationship and not similarity in tastes. The title itself (Night and Morning) is testimonial to this inherent human nature. Kamath goes several notches ahead in describing this. Our couple discuss topics ranging from movies to sex to philosophy and love all with complementing opinions. Moira is very intellectual in her opinions. She is skeptical, realist. She tries to define love. While Turia speaks from his heart. He believes in love at first sight and who tries to live in the moment. An optimist.

 

“8 Stage of a love story”

Kamath dissects a typical love story into 8 stages: Ice breaking, the honeymoon, the reality check, the breakup, the patch up, the confiding in, the great friendship and the killing climax which is beautifully arranged in his script, silently hinted. We skim through each stage having fun overhearing their conversation and also unknowingly enjoying the essence of each stage of their love. Their isn’t any on the face drama or sentiments.

The film tries to break the monotony of the conversation with inter cut flash back scenes which stood out like a sore thumb from the whole texture of the film. I would have enjoyed a throughout conversation. Also I felt the music was played down a lot. Just wished many portions should have been aptly supported with a better score. Considering the low budget the film was made, music is decent.

Both Manu Narayan and Seema Rahmani (You would recognise her from Loins of Punjab) gave splendid performance. They had great chemistry. Loved the portion when then confide in each other and bonds. Manu’s friends dint come much into the fore ground of the film to be judged. Felt they were under utilized.

GNGM is not a highly intellectual lecture that would make you go “ZOMG, an eye opener !” or something. It just reminds you everything about the “physics of love”. In that sense it will stir you. It will remind you what being in a relationship actually is and needs. It reminds you that being in love cannot be explained in words and you cannot explain why some person is so perfect for you.

“GNGM is a testimonial to all those genuine love stories out there.”

The film is a total feel good movie. You actually think about the characters even after you leave the theatre and that is the success of any film. By now GNGM must have left the theatres paving way for biggies like Agneepath and Casanova. GNGM is worth watching. It is better than most of the junk getting released out there. Give your support at least when the movie releases on DVD.

This tryst with an independent cinema (usually you get to watch such movie in film festivals) taught me that there are random gems getting released which go totally unnoticed. But thats what we are here right, to direct your attention to sensible and good cinema 🙂