Looking for Eric - a true fan movie

*SPOILER ALERT: TOOK THE LIBERTY OF INCLUDING DIALOGUES SINCE MOST OF YOU WOULDN'T WATCH IT :)*





There were two reasons for going to lengths at searching the download for this movie and watching it.
- First, it featured one of my heroes Cantona
- Second, it was about a football fanatic. Something I strongly relate to

The beauty of this movie is not so much as potraying Cantona as a superstar. (which it does in one of its dialogues:
Eric Bishop: It's sometimes hard to imagine that you are still a man
Eric Cantona: I am not a man ..... I AM CANTONA)
But, more so about trying to understand how the common man tries to get through his daily problems and difficulties by trying to emulate the people he admires/ worships. How a simple moment of brilliance or magic can take your breath away and make you forget your problems atleast for sometime.
(Again potrayed beautifully where Bishop is trying to understand what it Cantona's most sweetest moment.
EB: Remember Sunderland, Ah that was a beauty Magnifique
It was like a ballet, a dance. Kept me going for months that goal.
It sort of fills you up so much that you just forget the rest of the shit in your life. Just for a few hours)
This is true for any kind of fan:
A movie fan who thrills in the masterpieces the director provides,
A book you may have liked and can keep reading it more than once.

Yet, the movie also potrays how hard our superstars have to work to keep their fans happy, to drive themselves forward they strive for that something special which will keep them in the fan's hearts
(EB: Must have been amazing though.
60,000 people watching ya. Cheering. Chanting your name
EC: Scary? yeah!
EB: You? Scared?!
EC: Scared it might stop
I loved to surprise the crowd.
Every time in every game, I tried to offer them a gift.
.
.
Further discussion on which was Cantona's sweetest moments, EB keeps listing the goals and finally says:
EB: Alright sweetest moment ever?
EC: It wasn't a goal
EB: It has to be a goal.
EC: It was a pass.
EB: Ah god! To Irwin against Spurs.
EC: *Describes the pass leading to the goal* He took it in his stride and my heart soared
EB: A gift?!
EC: Yeah! Like an offering to the great god of football.
)

It's a true fan movie which completely captures the emotions of the fans for whom football isn't just a game. It's a religion. For whom going to a game means saving a week's wages sometime. For someone like me it's a dream to go there. Like a pilgrimage.

Definitely a must watch for a Man United fan. I would still go far as to say keeping your loyalties aside and watching it as a neutral will give you some joy.

The most defining dialouge of the movie is realated to Bishop's own personal problems, but is summed up by Cantona:
The sweetest vengeance is to forgive

I'll leave you guys with one of the few Cantona songs in the movie:
What a friend we have in Jesus,
He's our saviour from afar,
What a friend we have in Jesus,
And his name is Cantonaa!!

OOH AAH! CANTONA!!

"The Lost" Diaries - 1

When I flew out of India for the first time in my life on 4th Aug 2010 lot of my assumptions were thrown out of the window.
Firstly, nowhere in the world is my name pronounced correctly.
Secondly, whoever said Americans do not spit on the road did not have the privelege to witness what i did this evening.
Russel Peters was telling the truth about Italians using sign language for WTF :D (I had an Italian for company from Munich to Newark ... friendly guy named David)
The smallest size of coffee/tea is not our good old "cutting chai" back home.
It's hot in the East Coast at this time of the year!!

As soon as I landed at my final destination at Richmond apart from being tired (damn the 35-40 hours connecting flights) I was taught a good lesson immediately. A security guy asked me if I needed help which I politely refused. But, he kept insisting, so I was like ok. When he loaded the bags in the taxi he was there standing, I was like uh oh! what have I done! Thanks to Strabucks (where BTW the smallest cup of coffee you get is called "Tall") I had change to give him 5 bucks.
So, lesson number 1: "Nothing is free in life. Even if you didn't ask for it in the first place."

Cab ride was good. Afe (the driver) was scared of lightnings and well you guessed it ... when I landed there was a thunderstorm. He kept telling me he was scared and kept praying to Jesus. Well, I just flew through those storms ... Imagine if Afe was in the plane!!

Work is challenging and good here, luckily the CRM team folks are awesome and helpful. I can only say there's never a dull moment here. *Grinning*

Adjusting to life in Pardes. It's very expensive here(who said you could save here) and no local transport .... believe me Pune public transport is much much better. So, that means I gotta get a license here and quick. Hope that goes well. Bought a new camera so till the enthu is there I'll be clicking snaps here and posting on facebook.
That's pretty much it for this time .... Got an offshore call in an hour now :D

Take care and be safe
Marwin