Immortal Beloved

Nowadays, with hip hop and metal dominating the charts of the most popular music and MTV reaching out to audiences across the world with videos full of controversy, car chases, sword fights and extreme partying, classical music is perceived as stuffy and outdated.

However, movies like 'Immortal Beloved' show that composers like Beethoven were all but stuffy. 'Immortal Beloved' is a film enriched by drama and turbulence. It shows Beethoven as a man with more passion, ego and raw power than the Sex pistols.

There are also very touching scenes in the movie focusing on the fact that at a later age Beethoven finds out that he was going deaf, adding yet another dimension to his musical genius.

Sometimes, when my girl-friend asks me a question, I'm not always hearing exactly what she's saying. Therefor my prosaic reply isn't always a direct answer which causes confusion. However, after seeing 'Immortal Beloved', I feel that she should recognize as well now that my 'hearing problem' is actually adding a dimension to my genius ;)

The Ring

"The Ring" is a psychological thriller about the mystery behind a deadly videotape. Despite some flaws, it is a compelling film with a moody cinematography, focusing around the contrast of black and white, dark and light, and with images rendered in color only to provide clues to the mystery.

The story of "The Ring" centers on an urban legend -- a videotape full of terrifying images that heralds the death of anyone who views it. The tape comes to the attention of journalist and single mom Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts), who hears about it following the sudden death of her teenage niece. The videotape contains a string of odd and seemingly unrelated sequences – a solitary chair, a woman in a field, and footage of a sparkling, ring-shaped light.

Recently, "The Ring" has become a part of my life as well. Ever since my girl-friend showed me a book about engagement rings, I start to see them everywhere. Every women I see at a party is wearing a ring with a huge diamond, every magazine I read seems to contain full page ads with rings from Tiffany's. Even when I enter a Starbucks, there are couples sitting at a table to discuss their wedding with a photographer with the bride to be wearing a big ring around her finger.

I'm sure my girl-friend will tell me that I can escape The Ring... by giving one to her :)