Therapy is expensive well this movie ain't?

"Losers are people who are so afraid of not winning that they don't even try," they say — and I agree. Now, you might be wondering, who are “they”? Well, in order to find out, you need to watch this marvelous movie: Little Miss Sunshine (2006), directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin (Alan Arkin guys — he's a legend or I'd like to call the synonym of sarcasm).

                                Available on Prime video

Movie name sounds so silly, right? Well, the movie is way sillier — and not to mention the comedy — Little Miss Sunshine is a thorough laughter riot. Although it’s a comedy movie, deep down at its core, it has something more to offer as it deals with things like success, failure, emotions, and the unruly nature of life. Little Miss Sunshine is not remotely close to regular cinema — and that’s the beauty of this film.

It kicks off with a child named Olive being selected for a beauty pageant competition in California, and since the family can’t afford to take a flight, they embark on a trip to travel all the way from Albuquerque to California in a mini bus — and the situations they encounter on their journey are what make the story. The plot may sound too simple, but trust me when I say this: many great movies start on such a simple note and turn out to be classics remembered for ages.

The most interesting thing about this movie is that every character in it is a failure, and unlike many films, it doesn’t try to teach or motivate us to become successful, it simply rewrites the very definition of failure. Little Miss Sunshine is a witty satire on a lot of things in life. Society has taken something as profound as life and reduced it down to a binary choice: winning and losing and we need movies like this to often disprove that notion.

Well If I write more I'd be giving you spoilers so I'll leave you at that but remember this guys amid all the things going on in your life, Don't forget what life is really all about -“suffering.” I hope you all have a sufficient amount of suffering in your life (before judging me, watch the movie to get the point). Please do watch the movie with my blog in mind you’ll appreciate it even more, I promise you.

Okay guys, catch you in the next blog.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: A SWEET AND WHIMSICAL RIDE TO BEHOLD

I like to presume that everybody has read the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or, at some point in your life, watched its film adaptation of the same name. Give yourself a pat on the back and kudos for having done it!

And to the next category of people — those who don’t even have an iota of an idea about it — were you living on Earth all this time? Got you! Psyche! I was just pulling your leg. It may sound like too much drama for a book, but I strongly recommend that you read it if you haven’t — or at least watch the film adaptation if you don’t have the time to read. But instead of just watching it, I suggest it would be better if you read the book. Or even better — read the book and watch its film adaptation. No loss in that, huh?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a children’s novel, humorously written by the legendary author Roald Dahl and quirkily illustrated by the quintessential illustrator Quentin Blake. The story revolves around the journey of Charlie Bucket — a poor boy — and other rich children visiting Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Now, I want to delve into something out of the box. This was the first book I ever read in my life, and I feel delighted to have begun my illustrious reading journey with such a wonderful story. Although Quentin Blake’s zany illustrations lend a helping hand in visualizing what Roald Dahl expressed in words, I rode the imagination elevator of my mind, which took me to some fantastic floors of crazy fantasies.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the first book in the Charlie duology. The second book, titled Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, is an awesome sequel to the first. And did you know — Roald Dahl actually planned to write a trilogy? The third book was even titled Charlie in the White House! But it was never written, as Dahl lost interest and became busy with other projects.

Here’s a little trivia about the book: while cleaning up one day, Roald Dahl found a box of his favorite chocolates — and that’s how the idea for this story was born.

I don’t want to spoil the reading experience for you by revealing too many details, but a little hint won’t hurt — I’m sure you’ll grow fond of the workers in the chocolate factory. They are one joyous bunch of characters you’ll meet in the book.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I highly recommend you read or watch it. You’re in for a ride — so get on with it soon!

HAPPY READING OR WATCHING!

PERFECT DAYS — “Next Time is Next Time, Now is Now”

You’ve probably watched many sunrises in your life. But I bet you’ve seldom — or perhaps never — truly observed a sunrise and felt grateful for experiencing that beautiful moment. I emphasize again: have you observed the sunrise?

The film Perfect Days perfectly captures the beauty of appreciating the little things in our daily lives. It isn’t a usual film with a three-act structure, a hero’s journey, or plot twists. This film simply happens — much like the perfect days in our own lives. It feels like a warm solace for weary souls who are fed up with this ever-running world.

Let’s dive into some film trivia for better understanding about the film:

The film was initially planned as a documentary about Tokyo’s uniquely designed public toilets, built as tourist attractions for the 2020 Summer Olympics. But Wim Wenders, the director, transformed it into a feature film — one that captures much more than just toilets — by shooting it in Tokyo over the span of 17 days.

The slow, peaceful life led by the protagonist Hirayama makes me envious. I believe being happy doesn’t mean you have to hustle every day while ignoring the world around you. Let life come to you. Observe and appreciate every little thing — that’s what truly makes life beautiful.

Surely, life is a race — but even at a slow and steady pace, the tortoise won it. So why can’t you? Set aside all your excuses, step outside, and watch the sunrise. My advice: therapy is costly — just watch Perfect Days and relax.

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A Little Assignment and Bonus Trivia for Those Who Watched the Film

1. ASSIGNMENT:

Find out the meaning of the word ‘KOMOREBI’ and experience it yourself.

2. BONUS TRIVIA:

A. Books Read by Hirayama in the Film:

1. The Wild Palms by William Faulkner

2. Tree(s) by Aya Koda

3. Eleven by Patricia Highsmith

B. Songs on the Perfect Days Soundtrack:

1. The Animals – The House of the Rising Sun

2. The Velvet Underground – Pale Blue Eyes

3. Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay

4. Patti Smith – Redondo Beach

5. The Rolling Stones – (Walkin’ Thru The) Sleepy City

6. Lou Reed – Perfect Day

7. Sachiko Kanenobu – Aoi Sakana

8. The Kinks – Sunny Afternoon

9. Maki Asakawa – The House of the Rising Sun

10. Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl

11. Michael Bublé – Feeling Good

12. Patrick Wilson – Perfect Day