The Princess Diaries : Ten Out Of Ten

“No one has ever died of embarrassment – never, not once in the whole history of time. Of which I am living proof, having a grandmother like mine.” ~Mia Thermapolis

And that pretty much sums up Meg Cabot’s last and final instalment in the hugely popular Princess Diaries series.

PROS: Mia or should we say Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo is at the tail-end of her senior year. She has mastered the reluctant art of being a princess of a small European Principality, Genovia. She also has an assorted clique of well-meaning(and slightly delusional) friends. AND…she has the perfect boyfriend : J.P.

CONS: So along the way, she broke up with the love of her life Michael Moscovitz (who went off to design a surgical arm in Japan), parted ways with her best friend Lilly Moscovitz and ended up in therapy. And oh…let’s not forget the Princess Lessons, from her singularly freaky grandmother, Dowager Princess Clarisse!!!

BIG SWEATY-PALM INDUCING CONS: She hasn’t yet chosen her college, despite having received acceptance letters from each and every one of them. (which she suspects has something to do with her being a princess). The book she has been secretly writing for the past two years gets rejected with alarming regularity by most of the publishers. Her father is running for Prime Minister of Genovia and according to the current polls.... he is far, far behind. Add to that the little fact, that Michael is back…his CardioArm has been a huge success and he’s looking better than ever(or as Tina would put it: he got hit with a stick of pure awesomeness!).

So what does Mia do? She freaks out, hyperventilates and writes. She writes in the weirdest places and at the most inopportune moments. She pours out her insecurities, her doubts and her guilty secrets. While this sounds quite alarming and tedious, it actually isn’t. Meg Cabot’s quirky sense of humour guides Mia through her angst. Questions are answered, mysteries unravelled and Mia slowly but surely grows up.

A must for all Cabot (and Mia ) fans…this is the perfect ending to a great storyline.

Stardust

For all those fantasy flicks/ fairy tales that claimed to be different, but turned out to be run-of-the-mill...this is originality, people! Based on the novel with the same name, by Neil Gaiman…the movie veers from the original, condenses the plot and still manages to deliver the goods.

The protagonist is Tristan Dunst (Charlie Cox), the quintessential country bumpkin who lives in a place called Wall (so named after a wall that separates the village from an alternate magical world). An ordinary shop-boy, he hopes to win the affections of the most-sought after girl in the village, Victoria (Sienna Miller, looking adequately snooty and empty-headed). She treats him like dirt and prefers the pretentious and well-turned out Humphrey. And Tristan in one of his many foolish attempts to woo Victoria promises her the stars or to be more precise…A Star, a single fallen star.

And thus begins his quest…

What our earnest hero doesn’t realize is that the Star is infact an injured, smart-talking girl called Yvaine(Claire Danes). And while she hasn’t exactly fallen from the sky, she was pretty much thrown to the ground by a ruby flung into the sky by a dying King (Peter O'Toole). Now why would he do a silly thing like that? The King is the ruler of a place called Stormhold. And his dying wish is that whichever of his surviving sons brings back the stone.....he shall be the next ruler of Stormhold. Easy-peasy!

So there’s Tristan…and now some throne-hungry kings out to get the star. But wait.....there’s someone else: a coven of three ancient and powerful witches known as the Lilim. Devouring the Star’s heart can restore their lost beauty and youth. So Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), the eldest and most powerful witch joins the mad race too.

Tristan and Yvaine have a rip-roaring adventure. They encounter unicorns, humans morphed into goats and ofcourse, Captain Shakespeare’s (Robert De Niro) flying ship. They burn Babylon candles, learn to dance, handle swords…and to top it all, get a spanking makeover too!

While Stardust doesn’t take itself as seriously as other fantasy flicks, it’s a delightful mix of a dream-cast, fabulous sets, seriously funny moments and a whimsical love-story. Charlie Cox is likeable, right down to his infectious smile and straightup honesty. Claire Danes shines (…and not just because she’s a star!!...couldn't resist that pun!) and renders a quip-a-minute. While Michelle Pfeiffer’s pixen features make her most suitable for the role of a fairy queen……she does resounding justice to the evil, conniving head witch. And then ofcourse, there is the ever-reliable Robert de Niro. As the crusty, rough-talking Captain Shakespeare who has a mighty secret in his Hollywood style-closet, he is a fantastic surprise.

In all, a good film that renews my love for all things extraordinary and unbelievable!

Megan McCafferty's latest.....

Megan McCafferty, the author of the hugely popular and thoroughly entertaining 'Jessica Darling' series....is coming out with the fifth and last instalment :

To read her interview in the latest issue of Writer's Digest, click HERE

Food for Thought

This was a poem by Rudyard Kipling, which talks about strength of character, determination and how we can shape our destiny. While it could very well be a growing-up litany that a father imparts to his son......I was quite inspired by the words. Here goes....

If...

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
And make allowance for their doubting, too;

If you can wait and not get tired of waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies;
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating;
And yet don’t look good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream, and not make dreams your master;
If you can think, and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,
And treat those two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you have spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you give your life to, broken,
And stoop, and build them up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold On!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch-
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you-but none to much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And-which is more-you’ll be a Man, my son!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Rudyard Kipling

Cinnamon Girl : Starting Over

Another one about the mighty highs ‘n’ lows of an angsty teenager. The second in the Cinnamon Girl series, the book carries on India Jane’s travails as she starts off a new year in a new school. Plagued by first-day woes, she wonders whether she will fit in...make friends…and hopefully get things moving with Joe Donahue (…the boy she met on her last holiday in Greece).

But the path to fitting-in never runs smooth. With all the cliques and pre-formed groups……India finds herself floundering, putting her foot-in on more than one occasion…and watching her social life go slowly and steadily down the drain.

While the book is nothing out of the ordinary…it’s charm lies in the fact that India is a feisty teenager. She’s confident and witty and is someone who would come out fighting in any given situation. Her occasional rants are restricted to her chat sessions with her best buddy from her last school in Ireland…Erin. Erin is her smart-talking anchor. It's a good friendship which sparkles with wisecracks and tough-love. Something we all needed back in the good ol' days(......well, even now!!)

A light, lie-on-the-beach kind of read. Enjoyable.

10 Items or Less

I like to catch an indie-flick once in awhile….there’s something about them that appeals to the contemplative side of my nature. Quick-silver dialogue, strong yet quirky characters and a storyline that stretches out like a long unwinding road. And then ofcourse, there's usually a message lurking somewhere in the background. 10 items or Less fulfills all the above and much more......

Morgan Freeman plays a successful actor, pushing 70 (infact, himself most probably!). Doing research for a new role that he may consider, he makes his way to a dead-end grocery store in LA. And there he befriends (or more like gets on the last nerve of) a beguiling yet cranky young store-member, Scarlet (Paz Vega). She works the '10 items or less' checkout lane and is unwillingly drawn into Morgan Freeman’s incessant questions and observations.

When Freeman is stranded with no way to get home, Scarlet reluctantly offers him a ride. And as they drive around the seamier side of LA, they form a bond…a good-old fashioned friendship. In Scarlet, Freeman’s sees himself …a proud, independent loner. He listens to her problems, spouts wisdom and encourages her to take a shot at the big-job interview she’s nervous about. The original big-time 'Hollywood', he’s exhibits an unaffected delight in all the things he has left behind. From retail-therapy to take-out services to connecting with another individual who is so much like him….he soaks in everything. And spits out a lot of his feel-good charm in return.

Morgan Freeman is perfectly natural, wreathed in smiles and curious as hell. For all the gritty and onerous roles he portrays, once in awhile he comes along with light-hearted gems like these. He probes and questions and yet never gets offensive. The feisty Scarlet matches wits with aplomb, the dialogue flows freely and most lines give you something to think about.

I watched this movie on a depressing day. And '10 Items or Less' proved to be the perfect antidote for a sour mood and a grumpy disposition.

.......and the donkey canters home!

History was made….erm, yesterday! (* I know this post is a day late, but what with the flu, and the phlegm and the other nasties surrounding me, I just couldn’t get down to making a decent entry!*)

Barack Obama is now the 44TH president-elect of the United States of America . The first African-American President. Charismatic, intelligent, articulate and bursting with hope, Obama seems to have pushed all the right buttons. And when he made that now-googled-to-death acceptance speech……the swirling masses smiled, cried, cheered and repeated in hushed reverence : Yes, We Can!. A picture-perfect moment, something that will truly, setting all clichés aside go down as one of the most defining moments in history.

Reams of newsprint were dedicated to this event and our good ol’ Times of India was splattered with some choice headers:
- Mubarack Obama
-Dark Knight in White House
-Sultan of the Swing-States
and my personal favourite:
- Out of the bushes, Into the baracks!

This and many more all busy with opinions on the new messiah….wondering whether he will have feet of clay... whether all the promises are kept…whether he WILL restore world order….…and whether this is indeed a true beginning!!

All I can say is that for me, I am happy to witness History in the Making....and the truly fantastic campaign that led up to this moment! Cheers, Mr.President!

Girl Writer : Spies and Lies (Girl Writer, #3)

The travails of 12-year-old writer, Cordelia Arbuthnott continue. Her latest literary gem is “The Girl with the Golden Pun”…the nail-biting spy parody starring Secret Agent 0007 Jane Bond (yes…the younger, twice-as-daring but modest sister of James Bond).And as usual, real-life proves to be more exciting and dangerous.

There’s a new boy in class…Vladimir Vyshinksky.A strange but handsome boy (which explains why most of the girls in Cordelia’s class including Viola turn into a bunch of blithering idiots in his presence), Vlad the Lad is a strident supporter of the environment. But what devious scheme is he hatching under all that righteous indignation?? When a local pool near Vlad’s house is cordoned off due to the presence of harmful substances…..Cordelia’s suspicions are aroused. Thus begins another misadventure of plotting, planning ,spying, climbing up trees, rescuing reluctant cats, falling into mucky waters, and general all-around chaos.

However the third-instalment also deals with serious issues like global warming, carbon-footprint and others of its ilk, all nicely packaged in Ros Asquith's intelligent and humourous style. Cordelia herself, on the threshold of teenhood….manages to ponder over matters far-greater than boys and lip-gloss (as she puts it)…and displays a maturity very in keeping with today’s socially-conscious youngsters.

Contemporary, intriguing and thought-provoking...

Girl Writer: Sleuths and Truths (Girl Writer, #2)

Girl writer extraordinaire: Cordelia Lucinda Arbuthnott is back. The future (hopefully)best- selling author is penning her latest story: a spine-chilling detective novel featuring the shy but sharp Shirley Holmes(younger sister of the eminent Sherlock Holmes).

But carving out a dastardly plot seems to take second place when Cordy decides to have a real-life snoop-session. Best-friend Viola’s father is behind bars for a bank-robbery he never committed (atleast Viola, Callum and Cordy think so). Now it’s upto the three enthusiastic, armed with research sleuths to find out who’s really behind the robbery!! When all clues lead to an eminent multi-millionaire who has just moved back into the area…things promise to heat up.

Another tween-pleaser…the book alternates between the escapades of Cordelia and Shirley Holmes' latest case: The Bat of the d'Ubervilles(which bears more than a passing resemblance to the legendary ‘Hound of the Baskervilles'). And then ofcourse there is the generous smattering of helpul hints for writers.

Funny, light-hearted and right up your alley if you have a penchant for imperfect, smart-talking heroines with well-meaning intentions!

Girl Writer : Castles and Catastrophes

Cordelia Arbuthnott fulfills all the reqirements of an endearing, perfectly imperfect ya-lit heroine:
> She’s twelve years old, looks like a scrawny six year old…but has the wit and imagination of a much wiser, likeable adult.

> She’s blessed with a set of eccentric parents: Howard; the confused, balding teddy-bear and Candice; tall, thin, anxious and the mother-ship for struggling artists.

> Not to be outdone are the family pets: Blue; a goldfish who appears decidedly lonely and craves excitement...and Xerxes, the cat who is perpetually in a state of personal affront and indignation.

> A best friend Callum(..and most probably, future love interest)...whom she’s soon going to part ways with, as they head off to different schools.

> The new scary school from hell “Falmer North” which is full of “hoodies and banshees” …and her subsequent struggle to fit it and find some new, non-scary friends.

> And last but not the least, her one great dream : *To be a writer*…a full-fledged bonafide writer…a writer whose name will hopefully adorn the biggest, best-est selling book of all times!

..and thus begins the saga of Cordelia, writer extraordinaire. The book is in part Cordy’s personal ramblings and part her new novel ‘Lady Of The Rings’. The latter is a medieval romance complete with swooning maidens, moats, galloping princes, finely chiseled manservants and lots of ye, alas, alack, forsooth and woe betide thrown in for good measure. While she’s sure that she has an award-winning romance novel on her hands.....she also has to help Callum with his domestic problems (..... his father is apparently having an affair with a 16-year old from Cordelia's new school!!....alas!!...'n' also...alack!!!).

Cordelia is a lovable heroine…with spunk, insecurity, angst, loyalty and whackiness all in equal measures. Generously peppered with writing tips, the book is a treat for budding writers. The humour flows effortlessly and is in all a fluffy fun read for pre-teens (and adults like me, who are still bemoaning the fact that we missed out on a lot of fine books when we were twelve!!!)