Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

Perhaps one of the most entertaining movies of the year, Sherlock Holmes strikes audiences as a captivating tale complete with plot twists, plenty of chemistry, and tons of bone-crushing action. Playing Sherlock is Robert Downey Jr., famous for his previous role as Iron Man. With movies like Charlie Chaplin, Tropic Thunder, The Soloist, and now Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey Jr., once again delivers as a thoroughly remarkable character, except this time with an eccentric new spin. Sherlock’s cynical sidekick Watson is played by British actor Jude Law, while Sherlock’s female interest, Irene Adler, is played by the beautiful Rachel McAdams. Holding his own as the cunning antagonist is Mark Strong, known for his work in Body of Lies and Tristan and Isolde.

True to the original literary inspiration, Sherlock Holmes is a wildly peculiar detective, famed for his brilliance and deductive reasoning. Towards the beginning of the film Holmes becomes a hermit, stripped of interesting cases and his close friend Watson, who is soon to be married. Meanwhile Irene Adler, notable thief, seductress, and long-time love of Holmes, reappears with a new case, finding the missing ‘Ginger midget’. Holmes is tempted out of recluse only to re-recruit Watson for another all out mystery. The plot unfolds as Lord Blackwood (Strong), reeks havoc throughout all of London, only to be repeatedly fazed by Watson and Holmes.

For the science lovers, Sherlock Holmes is a flash-back into pre-modern times, with scientific and industrial advancements being prominent recurring themes.  Magic mixes with science in a clever ruse that leaves audiences wondering which one is which. With the help of Watson and Adler, Sherlock uncovers several innovative scientific tools and methods, each of which helps him to further unveil Lord Blackwood’s evil plans. 

Both McAdams and Downey Jr., play their parts with convincing chemistry, only to be bested by the unbreakable bond of friendship between Sherlock and Watson.  Law and Downey Jr. seem to have both an onscreen and off-screen friendship, cleverly portrayed through a humorous and well-written script.

Perhaps the most critiqued aspects of the film are the slow-motion action montages, of which there are plenty. Holmes plays out several scenes in his head before they actually happen, and then proceeds to repeat them in excruciatingly slow movements, drawing from both the suspense and thrill of the actual fight. Other critics have dubbed the film’s plot as ‘overcomplicated’ and ‘difficult to follow,’ even though the story stems from the original book series.

Sherlock Holmes succeeds in mesmerizing audiences so that they feel straight out of 19^th century London. Amidst detective work, romantic pursuits and plenty of action sequences, this film revives the age-old legacy that is Sherlock Holmes. Don’t miss this action-packed adventure romance while it’s still in theatres, or you will lose out on an excellent movie experience that will leave you with the urgent need to hunt down notorious criminals. After all detective work is quite elementary, my dear [Watson].

“Is Religion Outdated?” A lecture on the adaptive ability of Islam

A modern society is one that promotes peaceful coexistence and progress in scientific and technological fields, among others. Many of our generation today believe religion to be exactly the opposite of modern, instead finding it backwards, old-fashioned, and often – unfortunately – corrupt. Wednesday night’s lecture in West Hall, entitled ‘Is Religion Outdated?’ discussed these issues from an Islamic viewpoint, beginning with its vast history and accomplishments and ending with the modern- day perspective.

The first half of the lecture was given by Adnan Rashid, notable Islamic historian and philosopher. He began by addressing the four aspects of modernity – political stability, economic prosperity, moral grounds, and the pursuit of science and arts. Rashid went on to say that none of these features would be possible without the presence of security and tranquility, without which civilization would be utterly nonexistent.

Rashid then delved into the various histories of the three Abrahamic religions, with the prime focus of his discussion being Islam. Beginning with Jewish history, Rashid discussed how they were once a great civilization that was oppressed and attacked by tyrants for centuries. He then went on to explain their ties with modernity and progress, for at the time Jews were valued as some of the most brilliant scientific and literary minds of the day. Under Muslim rule Jews found protection and religious tolerance, providing the means for scientific advancements.

Rashid discussed Christianity’s views on modernism in ancient times. With the reformation of the Church, Christianity was at odds with science, leading to the repression and even murders of prominent scientists and philosophers, such as Galileo and Copernicus. 

When Islam came to power in the Middle East and Spain, it promoted progress for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Rashid explained that Islam had flourished in less than one century under just rule and provided a safe and stable environment for those who wanted to advance. In fact, Oxford University and the University of Naples were both based on manuscripts taken from Islamic Spain, a tribute to the marked growth of religion and progress.

So why the history lesson you ask? Why not? Islamic Spain and Muslim rule are excellent examples of modernity and religion combined, in that science and faith can push each other to greatness. Unfortunately, lamented Rashid, this is not always the case today. Many people misinterpret religion for their own uses, pushing followers farther and farther away from true religious ideology.

The second main speaker, Sary Farah, continued Rashid’s message, except from a modern standpoint. Farah began by reviewing the ‘need for Deen’ – fulfilling spiritual needs, allowing for moral guidelines, and answering philosophical questions about existence. He argued that without these aspects, humans would be left without a sense of meaning, much less a drive for development.

Farah then likened religion to a Ferrari, saying that the Ferrari, a perfectly dependable (and awesome) car was just like religion; it needs a driver to go anywhere. However, if the Ferrari crashes it is the driver to blame, not the car itself.

Audience members responded enthusiastically in the Q & A sessions, asking philosophical and religious questions to Rashid, Farah, and guest speaker Adam Deen, well past the lecture’s end. One question in particular set straight many female stereotypes in Islam and their relation in today’s world, to the pleasure of the female audience, and a bit surprisingly, much of the male audience as well. Business sophomore Hadi Inja, was one of many who debated women’s rights, but by the end of the discussion felt differently about religion: “I think these lectures really change the way I viewed Islam for the better” he said.

Others were not as appeased, such as ECE sophomore Ayman Jaber, who stated: “Historically, this lecture was very informative, especially for non-Muslims, even though there weren’t many. Nevertheless I believe that many of the notions were flawed and I disagreed with them.”

To those concepts that didn’t apply in Prophet Mohammed’s time, Farah explained Ijtihaad, which is the founding of new Islamic ruling based on principles of Sharai’a. Both Farah and Rashid touched on this concept, discussing its uses in the modern society.  Farah emphasized the fact that Ijtihaad is cannot be applied by just everyone, only those with a thorough understanding of the principles of Islam.

Modernity need not be the antithesis of Religion, rather the counterpart. Both Rashid and Farah emphasized that to really return to the golden age of Islam, we need to embrace the true principles of Islam, that of justice, faith, and equality, without misconstruing parts or phrases of religious texts to fit our own views. Guest speaker Adam Deen particularly emphasized this position, pointing out to one of the audience members “Islam is more than just one verse dude!”

Book Review :The Enchantress of Florence

Possibly one of the greatest fantasy writers of our time, Salman Rushdie has once again delivered with his latest new book entitled The Enchantress of Florence. Set around 14^th century India, the story features main protagonist – Niccolò Machiavelli, an Italian diplomat and captivating storyteller – as a regal young man with his heart set on captivating the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great.

Combing history, fantasy, romance, and just plain insanity, The Enchantress of Florence is a three part tale that is sure to make readers hungry for more. The tale begins with Niccolo arriving at Akbar The Great’s palace and delving into the Mughal emperor’s longtime history. Somewhere along the way readers are made aware of Akbar’s rather humorous insanity – in that of all his wives, his favorite, Queen Jodha, is not real. Met with both sarcasm and devout supporters, Akbar continuous to rule his Mughal court blissfully in control – until the new Italian diplomat challenges his right to rule.

Rushdie expertly weaves this tale with breathtaking imagery and flawless rhetoric.  Although a dictionary may be needed for some of the more lengthy monologues, the plot of The Enchantress of Florence is captivating enough to hold any reader’s attention.

Western and Eastern values are recurring themes within the book, with one main character being Christian, the other Muslim. An excerpt of the book reads as follows: “The citizenry’s growing interest in the drink-sodden daily life and sex-crazed nocturnal culture of faraway Florence… led some to suspect a hedonistic conspiracy to weaken the people’s moral fiber and to erode the moral authority of the One True God.” Though a bit thick on the uptake, The Enchantress of Florence is well worth the struggle and leaves readers feeling more knowledgeable than before.

The book rounds off with an entirely unexpected plot twist and another un-conventional romance between Akbar and a well known Mughal princess. History is seamlessly mixed with fantasy in such a way that this story seems to make more sense then what actually occurred. Featuring Babar, Genghis Khan, Queen Elizabeth I, and other notable rulers in history, The Enchantress of Florence does what all historical fictions are meant to do – it brings history to life.

Beware however; this book is party to many controversial topics, a common aspect of many of Rushdie’s works. It is neither a light read nor a difficult one, though Rushdie’s vocabulary far exceeds that of a typical college student. So if you’re looking for a challenging, well-written novel, then look no further. The Enchantress of Florence is most definitely for you.

Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. About Twilight, that is.

So over the break I watched a dozen or so movies, among them classics like Gone With the Wind, Pride and Prejudice, and of course, the LOTR trilogy.  I also happened to watch a MTV link my friend sent me that compared the relationship of Edward and Bella to those of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, Mr. Butler and Scarlet, or even Hermione and Ron! When sparkly vampires get ranked with the greats, seriously people, there is a problem.

I refuse, absolutely refuse, to be part of a generation known for its vampire obsessions. I mean, what happened to dignity? Popular works of literature written by competent authors? Movies that don’t make my eyes bleed???

I find the entire Twilight series completely and utterly overrated, so much so that the next person I hear raving about how hot Robert Pattinson is shall get Avada Kedavara’d in the face.  The obsessions of teenage girls (and even some boys) fall into absolute ridiculousness – to the point where I have seen shrines dedicated to Edward and lockers covered with his face.

The thing that really gets to me is when girls mold their entire perception of the male population after Edward Cullen. I have seen people go for pale-skinned, bronze-haired guys that they don’t even know, the sole reason being his resemblance to a vampire. Okay chivalry is hot, but that doesn’t mean you need to look for a guy who will stalk you night and day for your protection.

Oh and people, listen up. Yes, Taylor Lautner is good looking. WE KNOW. So stop telling us every five minutes. We don’t need to know if he is your screensaver or pillow or whatever.

Hopefully, this insane vampire craze will ride itself out. Hopefully people will start re-focusing on normal obsessions, like LOTR, Harry Potter, or even Star Trek. So I ask you, people of AUB, let’s try and forget about glittery bloodsuckers – at least for a little bit. Make it your New Year’s resolution to read some decent novels, watch some decent movies, and fix your male expectations.

So don’t ask me if I am Team Edward or Team Jacob, or I will start screaming TEAM HARRY POTTER till your ears bleed. But hey, I’m sure Edward would go for that – and who am I to judge shiny, sadistic, pedophilic vampires?

Congratulations on Your Baby (Insert Desired Gender Here)

Boy? Girl? Which would you pick? How would you decide? 

If you’ve watched the news lately you’ve probably heard of how some people are electing to pick their child’s gender through in vitro fertilization, a process where the egg and sperm are fertilized outside of the womb. Of course this process is teeming with ethical and evolutionary issues all over the world. In fact, most countries have banned this ‘social sex selection,’ including Britain, China, Canada and Australia, among others. Unsurprisingly, this selection method is legal in the US, home of the liberal-minded and ethically diverse.

So what exactly does this mean? It means that over 70 percent of the people opting for this procedure come to the US from foreign countries and pay a ridiculous amount of money – just to choose a gender that they already have a 50 percent chance of conceiving!

I personally find the solution to this moral dilemma relatively simple – just DON’T pick your child’s gender! Let’s just leave girl sperms and boy sperms to battle till the death (quite literally) in order to win prime egg fertilization rights. It’s either that or years from now finding ourselves amongst an unbalanced gender feud where girls trump boys or boys trump girls (I vote the former). 

Evolutionary speaking, if this procedure becomes more commonplace it could seriously hurt the future populations of several countries. People from China and India – who tend to opt for males– could face a huge decrease in their female population- and therefore reduce later generations. In places like Canada, where girls are the ‘chosen sex,’ population could also diminish– and say hello to an increase in bigamy! 

Sure some countries like China have laws that regulate the number of children they have. Perhaps others really, really want two boys and two girls – ‘a matching set’ as I’ve so often heard it called. It’s still no excuse. Next they’ll want blond kids with blue eyes and Hitler to rule the world. 

Summing up the positive points, or should I say point – this procedure is effective in avoiding sex-linked diseases. So if all your male babies are destined to have muscular dystrophy and die at an early age, this method allows you to select only females without the disease, which is an understandable use.

To me, the cons outweigh the pros by far. So here’s hoping for a world with a bigger ethical capacity than that of a teaspoon. If we start with gender, then hair and eye color, then what next?