Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
MOVIE REVIEW
CAST: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry with Rachel McAdams
RATING: 4/5
The much awaited sequel to the 2009 flick Sherlock Holmes hits the screen, once again giving to us Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, the most famous fictional detective world over and his faithful sidekick, the war-wounded Dr John Watson, brought to life by Jude Law. This edition follows on from where the previous movie ended, i.e. by bringing into foray the criminal mastermind of Professor James Moriarty, enacted craftily by Jared Harris.
The background is shown to be teeming with tensions between, as Sherlock’s elder brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) puts it diplomatically “two countries who shall not be named but who speak the languages French and German.” Into this political upheaval steps Professor Moriarty who simply wants to make money out of creating firstly the demand and following it with the supply of arms and machinery to the alliance groups between which a war seems inevitable. The plot unwinds through the damp, morbid looking London streets to a brilliantly lit Paris onto the drop-dead beautiful sceneries of Switzerland, as Holmes and his gang must match their wits against an equally formidable opponent, Professor Moriarty in a bid to foil his plans to spark off a world war for pure monetary gains.
Before we comment further on this film, we must acknowledge and raise the top of our hats (if wearing one) to the pure, unadulterated visual appeal of this movie. Guy Ritchie, literally, goes all guns ablaze and firing on all cylinders, from the word go. The much-loved fight sequences from the previous instalment in this series are but enhanced here. The pre-planned punches-jabs-kicks salvo-ed with panache by RDJ here, are shot in further slow motion, with crystal clear HD effects that are oh-so-appealing to the eye. The brawl sequences too are smartly executed and one cannot help but envy the talents of such a man as Sherlock is shown to be. Add to this his foresight, his acute sense of timing and Robert Downey Jr.’s incorrigible sardonic wit; you have in his embodiment of Holmes a very lovable character. Jude Law also is found here in his element and assiduously walks along with RDJ as a highly loyal sidekick.
Rachel McAdams as the enchanting Irene Adler gets but a cameo in this edition, but one may further be disappointed with Noomi Rapace, the female partner-in-adventure to the dynamic duo of Holmes and Watson. Jared Harris as James Moriarty seems a tad less fearsome than he is made out to be in the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, especially if one considers that Brad Pitt was rumoured to be playing the role of Holmes’s nemesis. Stephen Fry, in what little role has been allotted to him, makes you grin if not laugh with his enactment of the laidback elder brother Mycroft Holmes, enjoying his undisclosed job in the foreign ministry of Britain, walking around naked in his villa at the top of one or the other mountain in the Swiss region.
The movie might seem a tad stretched through the first half, but be not mistaken, movie-goer! The second half more than makes up for the gradual build-up in the preceding one hour. The absolutely mesmerising train fight sets the tone for all the other scenes brimming with action that unravel in the second half; as the plot thickens, the guns get bigger and the games of shadow truly begins.
However, there are a few concerns one might be bothered about. Guy Ritchie in his fervour seems to have reinvented the age-old character of Sherlock Holmes of 221B Baker Street a bit too much for the liking of one who has religiously read all the stories of Sir Arthur. The agitated, nicotine smoking, statesman-like figure, who had dazzling powers of deduction and the incredible capability to coherently organise his findings into solutions for the most baffling of cases, is now transformed into a trigger-happy, brawny figure with much more developed sense of humour than was allowed to him by his creator. Perhaps a handful of this and a handful of that might have led to a better result, more mixed, more evolved albeit not totally different, Sherlock Holmes.
But overall, this movie is certainly one that can give your new year a jump start and is one which will give literal meaning to the phrase “new year bash”, what with all the bashing up of bombers, snipers, criminal masterminds and un-noted others.
So watch it, definitely maybe. For the action, for Robert Downey Jr., for Sherlock Holmes – the much-adored sleuth and for the superbly thrilling climax that the movie offers to you.
And that’s, to quote the last words of the movie which indeed seem to promise a third instalment in this franchise, “The End?”]]>
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
MOVIE REVIEW
CAST: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry with Rachel McAdams
RATING: 4/5
The much awaited sequel to the 2009 flick Sherlock Holmes hits the screen, once again giving to us Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, the most famous fictional detective world over and his faithful sidekick, the war-wounded Dr John Watson, brought to life by Jude Law. This edition follows on from where the previous movie ended, i.e. by bringing into foray the criminal mastermind of Professor James Moriarty, enacted craftily by Jared Harris.
The background is shown to be teeming with tensions between, as Sherlock’s elder brother Mycroft (Stephen Fry) puts it diplomatically “two countries who shall not be named but who speak the languages French and German.” Into this political upheaval steps Professor Moriarty who simply wants to make money out of creating firstly the demand and following it with the supply of arms and machinery to the alliance groups between which a war seems inevitable. The plot unwinds through the damp, morbid looking London streets to a brilliantly lit Paris onto the drop-dead beautiful sceneries of Switzerland, as Holmes and his gang must match their wits against an equally formidable opponent, Professor Moriarty in a bid to foil his plans to spark off a world war for pure monetary gains.
Before we comment further on this film, we must acknowledge and raise the top of our hats (if wearing one) to the pure, unadulterated visual appeal of this movie. Guy Ritchie, literally, goes all guns ablaze and firing on all cylinders, from the word go. The much-loved fight sequences from the previous instalment in this series are but enhanced here. The pre-planned punches-jabs-kicks salvo-ed with panache by RDJ here, are shot in further slow motion, with crystal clear HD effects that are oh-so-appealing to the eye. The brawl sequences too are smartly executed and one cannot help but envy the talents of such a man as Sherlock is shown to be. Add to this his foresight, his acute sense of timing and Robert Downey Jr.’s incorrigible sardonic wit; you have in his embodiment of Holmes a very lovable character. Jude Law also is found here in his element and assiduously walks along with RDJ as a highly loyal sidekick.
Rachel McAdams as the enchanting Irene Adler gets but a cameo in this edition, but one may further be disappointed with Noomi Rapace, the female partner-in-adventure to the dynamic duo of Holmes and Watson. Jared Harris as James Moriarty seems a tad less fearsome than he is made out to be in the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, especially if one considers that Brad Pitt was rumoured to be playing the role of Holmes’s nemesis. Stephen Fry, in what little role has been allotted to him, makes you grin if not laugh with his enactment of the laidback elder brother Mycroft Holmes, enjoying his undisclosed job in the foreign ministry of Britain, walking around naked in his villa at the top of one or the other mountain in the Swiss region.
The movie might seem a tad stretched through the first half, but be not mistaken, movie-goer! The second half more than makes up for the gradual build-up in the preceding one hour. The absolutely mesmerising train fight sets the tone for all the other scenes brimming with action that unravel in the second half; as the plot thickens, the guns get bigger and the games of shadow truly begins.
However, there are a few concerns one might be bothered about. Guy Ritchie in his fervour seems to have reinvented the age-old character of Sherlock Holmes of 221B Baker Street a bit too much for the liking of one who has religiously read all the stories of Sir Arthur. The agitated, nicotine smoking, statesman-like figure, who had dazzling powers of deduction and the incredible capability to coherently organise his findings into solutions for the most baffling of cases, is now transformed into a trigger-happy, brawny figure with much more developed sense of humour than was allowed to him by his creator. Perhaps a handful of this and a handful of that might have led to a better result, more mixed, more evolved albeit not totally different, Sherlock Holmes.
But overall, this movie is certainly one that can give your new year a jump start and is one which will give literal meaning to the phrase “new year bash”, what with all the bashing up of bombers, snipers, criminal masterminds and un-noted others.
So watch it, definitely maybe. For the action, for Robert Downey Jr., for Sherlock Holmes – the much-adored sleuth and for the superbly thrilling climax that the movie offers to you.
And that’s, to quote the last words of the movie which indeed seem to promise a third instalment in this franchise, “The End?”
Shreysi Mehndiratta, who has scored 98%, stood second in SRCC. “I was just not expecting these marks. Although the exams went well, no one expects to get in 90s, not in Economic Honours at least.” She added, “I can’t really say if DU is doing this just to prove that the semester system is any good because I’m not sure if the result has been the same for all the courses.” On asking her how she changed her mind from engineering to Economic (Honours) even after having science without Economics in school, she said, “I always had an interest in the subject (Economics) and I got the marks to get into the best college for the course.”
Rachit Dua, one of the students who scored 99%, is studying in SRCC. When asked about the result he said, “I was expecting somewhere around 95%, but definitely not a 99%. The paper’s difficulty level was quite normal. It wasn’t very difficult and it wasn’t even easy.” On asking whether he thinks it has been done to vindicate the efficacy of the semester system, he said, “Well, It can be. You never know.”
Gaganpreet Kaur Chadha of SRCC who also scored 99% said, “I was expecting somewhere around 85% as that is the highest anyone expects in Economic Honours, from what I’ve heard. The 99% was quite a surprise really.” When asked further about the unusual result she said, “I think the checking must have been very lenient as there are so many who have scored well. And the papers were also quite easy. So I too feel that this has been done by DU in order to show that changing to the semester system was the right thing to do.”
Milan Bindal of Hindu College is the third top scorer. She said, “Was I expecting this result? No! In previous years, the top scores had gone up to 90. I was aiming for a 92. My only objective was to secure first rank in the University. To be honest, the result is a little shocking. Although I do think students have been rewarded this time for their efforts; moderating doesn’t mean you deduct marks that students deserve in the first place. There was tremendous pressure on us from day 1 and I think that has helped our result. I couldn’t get through SRCC by one mark and I’m glad I joined Hindu College. The faculty has done a great job in giving us a lot of extra time apart from the college hours. The exams were easy and I don’t think we’’ll have such scores in the coming semesters. Also social networks like Facebook don’t fascinate me and I guess that helps me remain focussed. I want to do my majors from London School of Economics.”
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This brings us back to the University. The University obviously has the capacity to induce such a jump and the motive too. It needed something to redeem itself and support its decision to implement the semester system. Thus many people are of the opinion that the University itself has engineered the fiasco. If such is the case, the University must surely be cursing itself. Is it totally oblivious to the first and the most important law followed by all cheaters the world over, to wit, ‘never get a ninety’?
It is very clear why the University cannot make a habit of playing a Santa for its students. Colleges the world over follow a certain calibration of marks and if all of a sudden students start scoring 99 per cent regularly; that calibration may not apply to DU. LSE for example admits students scoring above 70 per cent. I cannot see the college continuing to do the same for DU unless the current crop of first years proves to be full of raving geniuses, our University scores might lose all their credibility. ]]>
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She said the reason the teachers are filing the RTIs is to ask the University if this practice is now being used to boost students’ scores like this. “What we need now is to ask the VC what is happening, what is leading to such a scenario today”, she stated.
Ankita Dhanda
[email protected]
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Just when you thought The Great Indian Education System couldn’t spring any more surprises, out comes DU’s first semester results. If 100% cut-offs for admissions raised eyebrows, these results are a whole new bolt from the blue. While the highest for English (Honours) was a never-heard-of-before 78%, three Economics (Honours) students top scored with a staggering 99 per cent.
Is this the dawn of a whole new era of the super-geeks in DU, or a people-pleasing attempt by the University board to show how well the semester system does for its students?
Ms Nandini, an Economics teacher from Miranda House certainly believes it is the latter, “It’s [99 per cent in Eco] absolutely shocking! These were not multiple choice type papers. The marks don’t show what actually went on in the classrooms, the kind of pressures on us. Teachers had specific instructions not to fail anyone. Internal assessment records had to be submitted before the terms ended! All this is just an attempt by the University to prove the efficacy of the semester system to everyone. The students are happy, but the University is only belittling the [Honours] degree! Oxford, other foreign schools won’t recognize us anymore!”
Mr. Krishan Kumar, another Economics teacher from Sri Venkateswara College, seemed less appalled, “This semester had the scoring papers – Maths, Statistics and Principles of Economics. The explanatory technical papers only begin the third semester onwards. Besides, though the highest score may be this much, number of first divisions in Maths is quite low.”
As for the students, several echo similar viewpoints. However, the overall mood of the community is one of gross disbelief.
Professors from colleges including SRCC, Miranda House and St Stephens are now even considering filing RTI applications to review the answer sheets of students who obtained the highest scores. Click here for the full story
Click here for exclusive interviews of the Economics Honours toppers
Here are some of the student responses as expressed on Facebook…
Yes DU, we get it! The semester system is ‘perfect’! You don’t have to go CBSE to prove it
99% Ok…this aint the cut off for Srcc…but first sem’s highest score in eco(hons)…
DU GIVING CBSE TOPPERS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY….!!!
?99 highest in eco. 80 and 90 percent distributed like langar
Dear DU,
I hope you’re also planning on being Santa in June.
Sincerely, 3rd year student who just got a half-hour lecture from her parents.
Ankita Dhanda
[email protected]
Thirteen colleges including two renowned Delhi University colleges namely Gargi and Sri Venkateswara affiliated to UGC have been struck off from the status of ‘College with Potential for Excellence’ for not being re-accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Sri Venkateswara and Gargi were two of the 47 colleges that were awarded ‘College with Potential for Excellence’ status in 2004 by the University Grants Commission.
The other colleges in the list include Ch.S.D.St.Theresa’s College for Women (Andhra Pradesh), M.N.C.Balika Mahavidyalaya (Assam), St. Xavier’s College (Ranchi), Mount Carmel College (Bengaluru), St. Agnes College (Mangalore), Padmashri Vikhe Patil College of Arts, Science & Comerce (Ahmednagar), St. Anthony’s College (Meghalaya), Khallikote College (Orissa), Fakir Mohan College (Orissa), S.G.N. Khalsa College (Rajasthan), and Pt. L.M.S. Govt. Post Graduate College (Uttaranchal)
The principal of Gargi college, Meera Ramachandran said, “Though we have not been informed officially by the UGC, as no copy of such a letter has been received by the college yet, it is highly unfortunate that the college has to be penalized as the accreditation by NAAC has to be taken care by DU and not independently by colleges. Even after living up to the title and conducting many projects, it is highly disheartening”.
On asking if there was anything that was being done to make amends, she further exclaimed that further steps, if any, would be taken only after the receiving of the official letter.
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Thirteen colleges including two renowned Delhi University colleges namely Gargi and Sri Venkateswara affiliated to UGC have been struck off from the status of ‘College with Potential for Excellence’ for not being re-accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Sri Venkateswara and Gargi were two of the 47 colleges that were awarded ‘College with Potential for Excellence’ status in 2004 by the University Grants Commission.
The other colleges in the list include Ch.S.D.St.Theresa’s College for Women (Andhra Pradesh), M.N.C.Balika Mahavidyalaya (Assam), St. Xavier’s College (Ranchi), Mount Carmel College (Bengaluru), St. Agnes College (Mangalore), Padmashri Vikhe Patil College of Arts, Science & Comerce (Ahmednagar), St. Anthony’s College (Meghalaya), Khallikote College (Orissa), Fakir Mohan College (Orissa), S.G.N. Khalsa College (Rajasthan), and Pt. L.M.S. Govt. Post Graduate College (Uttaranchal)
The principal of Gargi college, Meera Ramachandran said, “Though we have not been informed officially by the UGC, as no copy of such a letter has been received by the college yet, it is highly unfortunate that the college has to be penalized as the accreditation by NAAC has to be taken care by DU and not independently by colleges. Even after living up to the title and conducting many projects, it is highly disheartening”.
On asking if there was anything that was being done to make amends, she further exclaimed that further steps, if any, would be taken only after the receiving of the official letter.
“I’m going back to basics
To where it all began
I’m ready now to face it
I wanna understand”
So go the lyrics of a popular song by Christina Aguilera, and the same line of thought was followed by the students of the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, lovingly called DCAC, who in their maiden attempt at hosting a Model United Nations (MUN) conference, titled DMUNC (hosted between August 26-28), made sure they stood out from the rest.
For all those who are clueless about what MUNs are, we give you the official definition by the United Nations Association of the USA: “The Model United Nations is a simulation of the United Nations system. Students assume the roles of ambassadors to the United Nations and debate the current issues on the UN’s agenda. Through diplomacy and negotiation, Model UN students seek ways that the world community can deal with complex global concerns such as the environment, economic development, refugees, AIDS, conflict resolution, disarmament and human rights. Young people of all backgrounds and walks of life participate in these educational exercises to experience first-hand decision-making processes and diplomatic work at the United Nations.”
MUNing has become a verb in its own right and over the last few decades, it has seen a rapid increase in popularity amongst school and college students alike. For those who are frequent MUNers, it is nothing less than an addiction. For proof, search Facebook for a page titled ‘MUN Addicts Anonymous’. From actor Samuel L. Jackson to Chelsea Clinton (Don’t ask us who she is), many popular faces in law, arts and business have MUNed in their early years. Many claim that they have benefitted from this experience and it is regarded as a very engaging means to the development of important skills such as research, public speaking, problem-solving, cooperation, formal interaction and reporting. In India, the earliest MUNs were given an impetus by law schools, which deem it necessary for their students to have this experience. However, it wasn’t long before other colleges caught on, and schools followed suit too. College MUNs saw a relatively freer atmosphere than MUNs at the school level, because of the evident difference between the conduct of a school student and a college student, and it is a widely held opinion that school MUNs are relatively “stricter” in their rules and manner of running.
MUNs at the university level often witness a lot of frolicking and merriment, where flirtatious or cheeky exchanges between delegates abound in the formal course of the conference. Punning, mocking, innuendos and double-meaning statements are even more commonplace. While MUN Purists regard this playfulness as “degeneration” of MUN values, more liberal MUNers look forward to it as a good way of making new friends and added social interaction. Whether this takes away from the core spirit of an MUN, which involves stimulating debates and intense research, is a contentious question. Purists also believe that over the years, the quality of research and training, which a delegate ought to undertake before every MUN conference, has also seen a plunge. Participants are thought to be more concerned about the lunch timings than what they are presenting.
Sidharth Das, regarded as one of the best MUNers in the country (with a profile that boasts of 35+ MUNs), Secretary General of DMUNC ’11 and President of DCAC’s MUN society ‘MUNitions’, says about this degeneration: “A major difference between now and then is that almost every delegate was trained properly prior to an MUN and the difference between a trained delegate and the others was clearly visible when they stepped into council. Hours were spent in front of the computer reading through all possible documents that might help us in the council, that might give us an understanding of our countries’ foreign policy, or a flaw in another’s which we might point out and question them on.” He goes on to talk about the current scenario where most just browse through Wikipedia for information, how many are unaware of the rules of procedure, take greater pleasure in passing chits than raising a noteworthy point, and adds “While there isn’t anything wrong with having fun, but perhaps fun at the expense of the purpose of the Conference is a flaw that needs correction.”
When Das announced DMUNC, everyone knew it would be something to look forward to. And he proved them right by conducting a conference that followed the philosophy of “Back to Basics”, ensuring that everything in the conference would be just like a school MUN, minus any frivolity and solely for the purpose of competitive and stimulating debating. It was an effort that was much commended, and nobody could deny that delegates were enjoying the intellectual challenges posed to them.
It was an effort that was much commended, and nobody could deny that delegates were enjoying the intellectual challenges posed to them. Prakriti Kargeti, Undersecretary General, accrues the success of the conference to Das’ dedication and commitment, and adds that all their hard work and almost unfairly “rigorous sessions” of training paid off, enabling them to host an event that broke away from the tradition of contemporary Indian MUNs, from the initial application process to the closing ceremony.
No wonder so many tagged it as the ‘Das Model United Nations Conference’!
Aayushi Sinha
[email protected]
The cities of Bombay and Bangalore have played the part of the unforgivably cool kids who quirk their musically erudite eyebrows in mild amusement at Delhi, which is perceived (not very wrongly) as a city that is only too blissfully content in dhik-chikk-ing behind its tinted SUV windows and brightly lit pubs, to the exalting tunes of Amplifier (and perhaps a dose of Akon and Mahombi for the discerning lot). Sting as it may, but the bleak truth was that, even in the fledgling landscape of independent music in India, Delhi and its people rank nowhere on the radar.
However, if the success of the Gig Week, (an independent artists’ summit) is any indication, it seems that Delhi may finally be on the verge on rolling down those tinted windows and exposing itself to sounds of a new kind and timbre altogether. It may not have been a manic explosion of musical ideology, but such a first attempt was enough to give eager ears hope that finally, this city too could make music. And how.
We bring you some of the names, sounds and voices to be on the lookout for, as they up the ante for the scene of home grown independent sound.
KARANVIR SINGH
Jokes Apart, the Sri Venkateshwara college band, plays a mix of groove based progressive and funk rock with a tinge of blues to it, and has had quite a successful presence on the Delhi University music circuit. Formed on the first day of college itself, over two years ago, it has won several DU competitions (the most recent of which was winning Best Band at St. Stephens in February 2011), and just recently made the crossover from playing college gigs to playing their first commercial venture at Hauz Khas.
Masquerading as a reluctant third year English student, their drummer Karanvir Singh’s priorities have startling clarity when he voices his (not unfounded) apprehension about the future of a rock band in India, yet staunchly refuses to let it diminish his own involvement with it. In a frantic telephone interview conducted midway through his recording session with a friend, he acknowledged the lack of acceptance for quality music in Delhi. His focus now lies more on composition and production, as he believes that by producing music of impeccable quality, he can try to bring about a change the way alternative music is perceived in Delhi.
Catching hold of him proved to be an exhaustive lesson in patience and panic (with the threat of a looming deadline), but his focused, no-nonsense perspective on music made it well worth the chewed off fingernails.
RITWIK DE
Ritwik De grew up looking at his father play the guitar, and was 15 when he formed his first band. Trained in both western and Indian classical elements, Ritwik strictly eschews genres and espouses himself as a maker of ‘happy-sad’ music. Vehemently against the compartmentalization of music into library-like definitions, his oeuvre contains influences from every genre that is, and his inspirations include Steven Wilson, Radiohead and Sigur Rós. Helming an independent label aptly titled ‘Ghar Ka Records’ and with the release of his band Mindflew’s debut album ‘Seventh House and a Mofo’ in the offing, he too talks with some trepidation of the future of independent music in India, wondering that despite the gradual growth of live gigs, how many would actually purchase a CD or download a track. However, his skepticism still harbours hope for the future, as he continues spearheading his own brand of ‘happy-sad’ music into the world.
DHRUV VISVANATH
A geography student of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Dhruv Visvanath, who recently released his EP Chronicles (a huge step for his musical career, as he says), has opened for Swarathma and played on the stage of the Siri Fort auditorium, cites Andy Mckee, Joe Bonamassa and Antione Dufour as a few of his major influences. A self-taught guitarist, bassist and pianist, and vocalist too, at times, he sees a slow but gradual need for quality music developing in the city. The availability of venues, and technological platforms and the increasing frequency of live gigs, is according to him, an immense catalyst that is enabling more and more burgeoning underground musicians to emerge out and showcase their ability to a receptive audience. Having finally ventured into the ‘music market’ earlier this year, he counts himself as fortunate to be able to reach out to listeners and sees hope that this audience will grow and foster.