The Expression Hub

  • When people are blessings…

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Starring: Francois Cluzet, Omar Sy, Audrey Fleurot, Anne Le Ny, Clotilde Mollet

    Directed By: Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache

    Genre: Comedy-Drama

    “My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.”

    Henry Ford

    There are certain people who act as a blessing in one’s life because they kind of leave an impression on the people they came into contact with. Those impressions might be in the form of kind words, or maybe the attitude they possess or maybe they possess a distinct charm to their personality. Whatever be the case, such people are memorable and people never forget them especially the people who form a bond with such people. Do you have such people in your lives? If you do , you can share your experiences about the same in the comments section. Believe me, if you do have such people in your lives, it is good to keep them with you for life. They just bring out the best in you by adding zest to life. They are the ones who will never let you feel lonely. They are also the ones which will help you challenge the normal. The reason why I am talking about such people because this week’s pick also revolves around one such person who lightens up the life of one such soul. Who is he ? Read on to find out more.

    Story line: This week’s pick is called The Intouchables. It is a French movie which is based on the true story of Phillipe Pozzo De Borgo and his French-Algerian caregiver Abdel Sellou. It celebrates the special bond shared by the two. Phillipe is a wealthy quadriplegic owner of a luxurious hotel particular(in simple words, a house that resembles a hotel). He along with his assistant Magalie are interviewing people for the post of potential live-in caretakers. Enter Driss, a man who has no ambitions to get hired but just needs a signature on a document which proves that he was rejected so that he can continue receiving the unemployment benefits. He is told to return to the mansion to collect the document next morning.

    The next day when he returns to collect the document, he is hired for the post on a trial basis.Though he has a horrible past, he manages to do a good job taking care of his employer by adopting unconventional methods. This impresses Phillipe as he feels his caretaker is the only one who does not pity on him. With time, the bond between the two deepens and Philipe starts opening about himself. Driss too encourages his employer to live his life and not be crippled with his disability. Does the bond last forever or will the two have to part ways? Also, does Driss reform himself or does he live life as usual?

    Scrutiny: This is a movie which explores a lot of themes like friendship, loss , relations and life. It tries to highlight the fact that even though one might be crippled physically, he or she must not be crippled by mind in order to enjoy the little pleasures of life. It also tries to highlight the point that people who might have the smarts of handling life or to put it in other words think unconventionally are the ones that make the best employees. Driss has a past as a criminal but that fact does not deter Philipe from hiring him . So, out of the box thinking can always beat people having degrees from the best educational degrees. This movie also highlights that one should have a sense of adventure so that one does enjoy what life has to offer. This in other words might be pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to become something which you might have not imagined in your wildest dreams. Or maybe it is about learning to face your deep fears irrespective of what the consequences will be. The best part is that these lessons are given with a tinge of adult stuff and lots of comedy that it makes you smile. Omar Sy steals the show as Driss while Francois Cluzet nails the role of a quadriplegic person to the fit.

    The Sentiment: This one is a movie which celebrates life through the unique bonding of two different people. They both teach each other a lot of things. Philipe teaches Driss to appreciate the finer things of life and work for it while Driss teaches Philipe to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Driss teaches Philipe to be more upfront about his needs while Philipe teaches him to enjoy the adventures of life. Though you might find some stuff pretty raunchy, but the best thing is that they do not go overboard with it. So, watch it for the stellar performances as well as the unique bond between the two people and enjoy this beautiful tale. This movie also has some beautiful references to art. So, if you are a person who is an art enthusiast , do watch it for the same.

    Rating : *** and a 1/2 stars(would have given a 4 star were there not any lewd jokes but considering the fact where Driss comes from it is understandable)

    The two men sharing a moment

    Que: Which painting is displayed in the firm where Driss applies for a job?

    a. Spider of the evening

    b. The Meditative Rose

    c. The Elephants

    d. The Persistence of Memory

    Continue reading →: When people are blessings…

  • Reminder to self?

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Author: Jen Sincero

    Genre: Comedy/Self-help

    “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

    Eleanor Roosevelt

    I am not a big fan of self-help books because I just find them too preachy . But there are times in life when you do need some deep insights or you do need to find out as to how to traverse through the life that seems to throw curve balls at you. Those curve balls of life are intended to make you stronger as a person but it just seems pretty frustrating at that point. That is because those times are just testing everything you possess- your patience, your resolve and every piece of strength you possess in your body. When such times arrive, then you do feel as if you are going to break down as an individual and that there is no way out. But someone has aptly said, there is light at the end of the tunnel. You just need the courage to walk through the end of the tunnel to witness that light.

    I have been facing such times of late . But I have promised myself one thing that no matter how difficult things seem, I am not going to let an iota of self-doubt be instilled in my body. Instead I am going to do things which are in my control and not worry about what is not in my control. Let people think whatever they want to because they might be having a lot of free time to think about the affairs of other people. I really do not have time for being so nosey. I just want to keep myself so busy that I do not have the time to criticize others nor blame others. So, while I continue to figure out things, I decided to read this book after all you do need insights don’t you?The reason why I actually decided to go for this pick was that its title really attracted me . So was it a good choice or was it a duh ?Read on to find out more.

    About the book: You Are A Badass: How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life is a book which is written by one of the best selling authors of New York Times, Jen Sincero based partially on her own experiences and the lessons which she amassed after reading and listening to a lot of people who have made it big in life. She was an author who until the age of 40 was very broke . She lived in a converted garage and seemed to live life in a very defeatist manner. But with time, she was able to turn her life around and become a successful business owner. How did the turnaround happen is what she documents in the book which is written in a very sassy and practical manner .

    Analysis: This is a book which tries to awaken the greatness in us which we hide under the guise of not having enough time or giving excuses or just being content with whatever life gives us(in other words, not being able to convince ourselves to put our best foot forward in every work we undertake). The author gives us lot of advice as to how we can be our best versions and not limit ourselves which is what majority of us do. The best part of human life is that we can be anything we set our minds to be . But often we do not have the resolve or the passion to be the person which we want to be. Or we are pretty scared or doubt our potentials that we just end up living a life which just helps us to barely scrape or at most live a life which is somewhat better than others but does not realize our entire potential.

    Verdict: This is a great read especially if you want to live a life which is supposed to be your best. Things will not turnaround in a day but if you keep developing and practicing the good habits , one day your hard work will eventually make you live the life of your dreams. If you are an individual who wants to achieve things which others think is impossible and do not know how to this will be a great guide. After all, you never dull your shine for somebody else. This is the best gift you can ever give to yourself .

    Rating : *** and a 1/2 stars

    Cite Bite: “The only failure is quitting. Everything else is just gathering information.”

    Que: What is the one advice which the author frequently gives in the book?

    a. Never give up

    b. Travel a lot

    c. Keep smiling

    d. Love yourself

    Continue reading →: Reminder to self?

  • A one-sided lovestory or a scary intruder?

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    Genre: Comedy/Drama

    No. of episodes:16

    Presented by: Amazon Prime

    “The only love that lasts is unrequited love.”

    Woody Allen

    Well, celebrating self-love also includes body positivity. No matter what your body size is , you should always love yourself . But we are always surrounded by people who love to body shame us or chide us for eating that extra bite of our favourite food. Afterall, you are supposed to be having that perfect body which people would die for. While it is important to eat healthy and exercise, it is perfectly okay to have a body which might not be appreciated by all . This is because the definition of beauty varies from one person to another. What might appear fat to one person might appear beautiful to some other person. So, maybe it is high time that we as members of society stop imposing unrealistic beauty standards and embrace the person in front of us for his or her personality. Since a book might have a dusty cover but what if the contents of the very same book is interesting? This and many more issues are touched upon in this week’s pick.

    Synopsis : Pushpavalli is a story of a girl of the same name who meets a charming man named Nikhil Rao in an event in Bhopal. Nikhil finds her to be cool and spends time with her so that she doesn’t feel left out. This creates a misunderstanding in her mind that he has feelings for her. She ends up finding more about Nikhil and starts stalking him in various ways. This includes foregoing her career and relocating to Bengaluru to work in a children’s library. What starts out as an innocent fetish ends up into being an unhealthy obsessive behaviour. This leads to a string of lies and a series of manipulation which will end up creeping anyone. So, will Pushpavalli be able to get over her obsession of Nikhil or will she end up being creepy?

    Assessment: This is a show that screams out a major RED FLAG in a lot of aspects and is supposed to justify irrational behaviour in the name of love. It deals with all the unhealthy issues which exist in the society and tries to act as a mirror for the same. Like for instance , it deals with the obsession of having your daughter marry a guy to keep her happy. Or for instance the mother chiding her daughter and making her resort to unhealthy practices so that she can be married off. The biggest issue for me was how can someone forget the fact that the person has a career to make and end up falling so madly in love that it turns into an obsession? The only thing I found somewhat relatable is the issue faced by the hostel girls as regards to their safety. The only comic relief you get is from the super annoying antics of Shraddha who portrays the character of Vasu and the character of T-boi with Naveen Richard who uses a lot of swear words though. And don’t get me started on Nikhil, who is just another ******* .

    The view: Just as you would avoid a person who screams out being toxic and a major RED FLAG while considering a person who is supposed to be your life partner- do the same for this one as well. What is supposed to be an attempt to tell a stalker’s tale while advocating the message of body positivity just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. And a request to the people who are involved in making of a show- make a show which entertains the viewer instead of acting like a headache. We watch shows to destress ourselves and not add stress to our already stressed out lives. Don’t sell us **** in the name of entertainment even though it might be fictional in nature.

    Rating : * and a 1/2 stars

    Baap Dialogue:Not worth banging your heads for :p

    Que: What is the name of the library that Pushpa works in?

    a. Books Nook

    b. Sunny Side Up

    c. Granthalaya

    d. Book Cafe

    Continue reading →: A one-sided lovestory or a scary intruder?

Hello,

I’m Roshani

Welcome to The Expression Hub! I’m Roshani, who loves to express herself through the medium of writing. This blog is my little corner of the internet where I dive deep into the world of movies, books, and web series—reviewing, analyzing, and sometimes just ranting about the stories that make us laugh, cry, and question everything.

Beyond reviews, you’ll also find my personal musings—random thoughts, life reflections, and the occasional deep dive into the things that inspire me. Think of this as a space where art meets emotion, and where honest opinions matter more than star ratings.

Join me as we explore incredible stories together, one post at a time. Have a recommendation? Let’s talk—I’m always up for discovering something new!

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