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Soon, the abyss will have a face

While I was watching '12 Years a Slave' last week, I thought about India and the kind of people who want to run it. In the movie, Mr Parker was the man with a conscience, a man who knew right from wrong, as was Samuel Bass who had the sense to be frightened when asked to do the right thing and the sensibility to do it anyway. Watching Mr Parker's face, I thought of the face of the man who will be India's Prime Minister after our May elections. He is everything Mr Parker is not. He has no conscience, only hubris. He has no values, only a thirst for power. He has no idea what to do with power, responsibility is not an adjunct, as far as he is concerned. His face, and oratory, in fact, give him away. The smug delivery and the calculation in his eyes are as terrifying as staring into the abyss. His face is the abyss staring back.

But all that is secondary. What is beyond terrifying is how so many ordinary Indian citizens think this man is the chosen one who will lead India into some kind of superpower status bar none. Who are these people? Do they imagine economics trumps humanity? That a venal man is alright as long as he makes us money? Oh, if only man stopped at that. But think of the scorpion and the frog; a man's nature is All.

In any case, surely we know by now that a superpower status is overrated. Our PM-in-waiting, He Who Must Not be Named, is not the only one who doesn't know what to do with power/responsibility. Exhibit A-Z: Invading countries whose presidents you don't like; sending drones to kill children on their way to school; jailing musicians or boys who love boys. Or murdering those who believe in a different God from yours. That's not being a superpower, that's pure kryptonite.

He Who Must Not Be Named is the chosen one alright, but not in the way people think. He will lead us, as televangelists would say, into damnation and hellfire. We will all become slaves when he takes his throne, perhaps not for 12 years, inshallah, but even five years is a lifetime we will never get back.

But I watched Mr Parker's face for another reason: In every frame of History, there are also men like him in it.

The kind of rake we could go for

I remember seeing Greg Kinnear, really seeing him, in 'As Good As It Gets', a remarkable movie except for making Jack Nicholson a love interest; Jack's a perennial Joker, who would want to kiss that twisted mouth? But Greg, ah, he's another story. Those guileless blue eyes and That twisted mouth is as adorable as it gets. In the new TV series 'Rake', I didn't get what the show was about in the first episode. Keegan Deane is a lawyer with a gambling problem and the only woman he has a long-term relationship with is a prostitute....and so? Then the second episode aired and I was hooked.

Kinnear is a solo treat. You can watch him all day long, it doesn't matter who he's playing off. He has a charm that I want to and can't see in younger, more obvious heart-throbs like Jay Ryan in 'Beauty & the Beast', (which doesn't mean that I don't watch B&B because Ryan's extremely easy on the eyes and I am extremely superficial).

Anyone who's seen Kinnear in 'The Matador' knows what a fine actor he is, too. But also in that second epi, I noticed a yearning in his face when he had his favourite prostitute straddling his lap and I thought: Is SHE a love interest? Now that would be a very interesting spin on relationships which, after watching the movie 'Last Night' an hour ago, I have absolutely no faith in whatsoever. Not that I ever did. What do people mean when they say “I love you, baby”. The minute the going gets tough, it's “Sayonara, baby”. And as I've always bemoaned, the conversation between lovers is stunningly dull; just watch 'Last Night' if you don't believe me. It's always about them. Do you think we got married too young? When did you realise you loved me? I saw the way you were looking at her! But I was feeling bad and you didn't ask me why!........... Sorry, what? I was watching paint dry there. Yes, so if all we can do is appreciate Kinnear as he navigates a fictional life, well, I dunno, might be more satisfaction in that.

Flower Day