Recommendations for the month

Books:

World Without End (Ken Follett): See review below. A good read for one time, if you like Follett's style of writing, but falls short of the high expectation set by its predecessor, "The Pillars of the Earth".

The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia (Paul Theroux): Well-known for his travelogues, Theroux takes you along with him on his railway journeys across Eurasia - on the famed Orient Express, The Khyber Pass Local, The Frontier Mail, The Grand Trunk Express, The Golden Arrow to Kuala Lumpur and the Trans-Siberian Express. Theroux's account focuses on people and situations, and provides riveting reading, though a bit sarcastic at times.

Movies:

Zodiac: The story behind one of the unsolved crimes in history - the Zodiac killer used to terrorise the towns of California. After a much publicised manhunt, the killer was never apprehended. The movie takes a look at the lives of the people who were a central cog in the manhunt. Starring Jake Gyllenhall, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo, the movie moves along at a lively pace, looking at how the investigation affects the life of the three protagonists. Robert Downey Jr. excels as the eccentric detective who is determined to track down the killer.

Eight Below: An inspired story on the survival of a pack of dogs in the Antarctic winter, and one man's efforts to rescue them. Though endearing, it is a bit long for the average movie-goer, and tends to stretch one's patience at times.

All the King's Men: With an exceptional star cast featuring Anthony Hopkins, Sean Penn, Jude Law, Mark Ruffalo and Kate Winslet it would be natural to have huge expectations from this film, but it fails to live up to it. Based on the Pulitzer-winning book by Robert Penn Warren, on the life of Huey P. Long, the story follows Willie Stark on his rise to power and the inevitable fall from it. The plot has too many twists and moves at a pace which the viewer finds a little difficult to catch up with. Sean Penn's electrifying potrayal of Stark stands tall. The excellent cinematography and the presence of one of the most under-rated actors of our time - Jude Law - make the movie watchable once.

Miller's Crossing: A classic edge of the seat thriller from the Coen Brothers on the power struggle between gangsters, the movie features the extra-ordinary but not-so-stellar star cast comprising of Albert Finney, Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden and John Turturro - established actors in their own right. The story moves at an electrifying pace and even though there seems to be umpteen twists in the plot, is never difficult to comprehend.

The Lord of the Rings - box set: The LOTR trilogy of movies has established itself in film folklore. There's nothing more to be said about them. But the six feature DVDs packaged along with the set is a treat to the 'Rings' fans. It is a treasure trove that delves into the efforts of the creators, and provides an insight into why the trilogy is regarded as the "best movie to come out of a book". A must-own for any movie collector.