Silver Week Edition

We are reaching a numerical milestone of 25 continuous weeks of publication. I would like to thank each and every one from the 49 countries across 6 continents who found something interesting to read here. This edition is a celebration of love and features 25 of the most romantic movies I have ever seen.

25. The Yellow Handkerchief (Japan, 1977) [ IMDB: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 79%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAOl7Ii-TKI

The Best Line: Too many to mention. Not really. I don’t know Japanese.

The Plot: Three unrelated people take a road trip, one of them an ex convict who is on his way to meet his wife for the first time after his release from the prison.

Where is the romance: Some endings are truly sensational. This is one such ending.

24. Roman Holiday (1953) [ IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIFo0txAvuE

The Best Line: “Tell you what. Why don’t we do all those things, together?”

The Plot: A princess enjoys her day in anonymity with an American newsman and falls for him.

Where is the romance: Everywhere, except in the end.

23. Atonement (2007) [ IMDB: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWPZDi723Eo

The Best Line: “Had they let me, every day, I would have been there every day.”

The Plot: A young girl changes the love story of her sister.

Where is the romance: In the book in the movie.

22. An Affair to Remember (1957) [ IMDB: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 87%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFWwFfRvClM

The Best Line: “There must be something between us, even if it’s only an ocean.”

The Plot: A playboy meets the love of his life on a ship. They decide to meet six months later at the Empire State building.

Where is the romance: When you want Cary Grant to know what you know, in the last scene of the film.

21. Titanic (1997) [ IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCy5WQ9S4c0

The Best Line: “Where to, Miss?” “To the stars!”

The Plot: An aristocrat lady falls in love with a poor artist on the doomed maiden voyage of the Titanic.

Where is the romance: In the tragedy.

20. When Harry Met Sally (1989) [ IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8DgDmUHVto

The Best Line: “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

The Plot: Harry and Sally have been friends for a long time. It takes time for them to realize that they were meant to be together.

Where is the romance: For such an out and out sugary romance, the most memorable scene is the one in the restaurant.

19. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (India, 1995) [ IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes 94%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U9SpwJ9TCs

The Best Line: ” Iss ladke se zyaada pyar tujhe koi aur nahi kar sakta” (No one can love you more than this boy).

The Plot: After Raj met Simran, love was never the same.

Where is the romance: Mustard fields got the biggest makeover in terms of reputation. After Raj met Simran, mustard fields were never the same.

18.  The Apartment (1960) [ IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4OXm9-E8OQ

The Best Line: “That’s the way it crumbles.. cookie-wise.”

The Plot: The girl of his dreams is seeing his married boss.

Where is the romance: It is about finding true love and the triumph of the underdog.

17. Gone With the Wind (1939) [ IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mM8iNarcRc

The Best Line: “You should be kissed and often; and by someone who knows how.”

The Plot: A woman loves someone so blindly that she is not able to see the man who loves her the most.

Where is the romance: In the roughness.

16. Doctor Zhivago (1965) [IMDB: 7.9, IMDB: 85%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAWrXTn5Www

The Best Line: “There’s an extraordinary girl at this party.” “I know. I’m dancing with her.”

The Plot: Doctor Zhivago is in love with two women and in the background is the Russian Revolution.

Where is the romance: All the scenes at railway stations, especially the last one.

15.  Annie Hall (1977) [IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBzHphcc2Jw

The Best Line: “That is the most fun I’ve ever had without laughing.”

The Plot: The compelling romance of a comedian and a singer.

Where is the romance: Love fades but the idea of love is intact.

14. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) [ IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIzbwV7on6Q

The Best Line: “I knew you’d be watching.”

The Plot: A game show is his only hope for finding his long lost love.

Where is the romance: Every question brings him close to his love.

13. Before Sunrise (1995) [IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes; 100%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v6X-Dytlko

The Best Line: “Isn’t everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?”

The Plot: A man and woman meet on a train and spend an evening together in Vienna.

Where is the romance: If they did not make ‘Before Sunset’, you would still be thinking about the possibilities.

12. Breathless (France, 1960) [ IMDB: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJFFy3soy9Y

The Best Line: “Informers inform, burglars burgle, murderers murder, lovers love.”

The Plot: A murderer and a girl escape and hide in Italy.

Where is the romance: In the ambiguity.

11. Wall-E (2008) [ IMDB: 8.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alIq_wG9FNk

The Best Line: “Computer, define ‘dancing’.”

The Plot: A robot goes in search of his love.

Where is the romance: The moment when WALL-E falls in love with Eve.

10. Notting Hill (1999) [ IMDB: 6.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%]

The Best Line: ” I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”

The Plot: The unlikely romance of a superstar and a bookseller.

Where is the romance: In the park.

9. Lost in Translation (2003) [ IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYAS92XPvIM

The Best Line: “Can you keep a secret? I’m trying to organize a prison break. I’m looking for, like, an accomplice”

The Plot: Two lonely people bond in Tokyo.

Where is the romance: You can feel it. You can only feel it.

8. The English Patient (1993) [ IMDB: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 84%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPKpU14Kqqw

The Best Line: “This… this, the hollow at the base of a woman’s throat, does it have an official name?”

The Plot: A spy and a married woman have a passionate affair.

Where is the romance: In the cave.

7. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (France, 1964) [ IMDB: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7bhJkQd1T4

The Best Line: “People only die of love in the movies.”

The Plot: The tragedy of lovers separated by war which leads them to take life altering decisions.

Where is the romance: The most practical film on love.

6. Before Sunset (2004) [ IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomaotes: 95%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvFosXeqmDg

The Best Line: “You can never replace anyone because everyone is made up of such beautiful specific details.”

The Plot: They meet again after  nine years, this time in Paris.

Where is the romance: Everywhere.

5. It Happened One Night (1934) [ IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALmnUBqbhuo

The Best Line: “I don’t know very much about him, except that I love him.”

The Plot: The mother and father of every romantic comedy ever made.

Where is the romance: In it and in all the movies made later using the same template.

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) [ IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ywpOFLHMY

The Best Line: “I’ve never felt that before.”

The Plot: A couple undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with. (From IMDB)

Where is the romance: When you know that some things are meant to be.

3. Cinema Paradiso (Italy,1988) [ IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes:96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2-GX0Tltgw

The Best Line: “Whatever you end up doing, love it.”

The Plot: Love and heartbreak in post war Italy.

Where is the romance: In the music.

2. Brief Encounter (1945) [ IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGDCTlVWduk

The Best Line: “This misery can’t last… Not even life lasts very long.”

The Plot: They meet by chance, they fall in love and ……

Where is the romance: Too many to mention.

1. Casablanca (1942) [IMDB: 8.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLU41jUnWM4

The Best Line: “We’ll always have Paris.”

The Plot:  Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into his.

Where is the romance: Whenever Ingrid Bergman is on screen.

Week 15

Movies: Non- English

The Class (France, 2008) [IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8HWJqgMAhU

Winner of the ‘Palme D’Or’ at Cannes, this film tells the story of a teacher grappling with a group of teenagers from different backgrounds in his classroom in suburban Paris. Hailed for holding a mirror to the new socio-cultural mix of the French society, this film is as powerful as it is simple. The characters are so believable that you will forget momentarily that they are acting and performing the scenes given to them. One thing I have always loved about French cinema is that it gives importance to the character and dialogues more than anything else. The banter among students about some obscure nations competing in the African Cup of Nations  point to the effect of immigration from former French colonies. The movie is also a pointer to the restrictions that the teachers face in the name of the rights of students. My endearing memory of this movie is a discussion on it with a friend when I was in France. I had watched this movie in India and in my keenness to impress him I started talking about it. His response, ” It is nice that you have seen it. It has not even been released widely in France and I don’t know anyone else who has seen it. At least you get to see such movies.”

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania, 2007) [IMDB: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZisE16JBUMA

Could the story of an abortion be a thriller? Yes, if it set in communist ruled Romania during the 1980s. This movie was the winner of Palme d’Or at Cannes and took the film festival circuit by storm, winning all the major accolades except the Oscar. The only reason why it did not win the Oscar is because in the USA people are still fighting the right of a woman to have control of her body. The film is a must watch for choosing to shed light on a dark period in Romania’s history. It has some disturbing images. If you are the religious type, please stay away. For more sensible people, it is a must watch. Two thumbs up from a bleeding heart liberal.

Hollywood Retrospective

Synecdoche, New York (2008) [IMDB: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 70%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIizh6nYnTU

This debut feature from the writer of gems like ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ and’Adaptation’ is one of the most devastating films I have ever seen. Chosen by Roger Ebert as the best film to have come out in the first decade of the 21st century, this is not for the ordinary viewer. In fact, most will not be able to fully grasp the story on first viewing. It is a little arty and the writing is also complex that the viewer will not be able to make much sense of what he sees on screen. At a simplistic level, it is the story of a man and the women in his life. At a more complex level, it supports the idea that our lives are predetermined and we do not have much control over anything. Philip Seymour Hoffman hits the high notes with his performance and his acting is an essential viewing for anyone who thinks that acting is a serious craft.

Are we so powerless that we cannot have a say in our destiny or is it that we are just playing out the parts written for us. Is it all about fate? Will the voice just say it? Die.

Chinatown (1974) [ IMDB: 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T37QkBc4IGY

As I have mentioned in one of the earlier posts, Roman Polanski is not a director who likes happy endings except for his masterpiece ‘The Pianist’. In ‘Chinatown’ also the dominant feeling is that of doom and gloom. The climax confirms the general pessimism of Polanski towards life, perhaps a reflection of the awful tragedies in his life. Nevertheless,  this movie is a compelling one with a solid story and outstanding performances. Jack Nicholson plays a private detective who is hired to investigate personal lives but as he begins his investigation he soon learns that it is as painful and complex as peeling onions. Chinatown’s final sequence has a dialogue; “It’s not worth it”. The opposite is true for the movie.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) [IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDw6VSSAVg4

This Western has Paul Newman and Robert Redford at their best. They essay the roles of two outlaws. Based on real life events, this motion picture is a delight to watch. The movie has enough action, adventure and comedy. In one of the scenes where they try to rob a bank in Bolivia, they do it by writing their instructions on paper slips in Spanish so that they don’t forget. The love Robert Redford has for the movie is evident from the fact that he chose the name ‘Sundance’ for the film festival he started. There must be a reason why he loves it so much. Watch it.

Movies I Saw This Week

Before Midnight (2013) [IMDB: 8.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euOJkb0U8v

The quote may be for books but it holds true for movies also. Some movies are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some movies are to be watched only in parts, others to be watched, but not curiously, and some few to be watched wholly, and with diligence and attention. Thankfully every movie in the ‘Before ….’ series falls into the last category. ‘Before Midnight’ may be the best in the series. The thing with the ‘Before…..’ series is that either you love it or you don’t understand it. How can they make movies one after the other every nine years, that has the same people speaking to each other and yet keep it interesting? Julie Delphy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater were perhaps born to do this. Nothing is forced: the dialogues, the acting, the story. It all looks so easy and that is the triumph of the movie. We find the couple nine years after their coming together but with some family and work related stuff to bother them. I have tried to figure out the formula for the series or at least the way dialogues are written. What I think are the key factors in keeping it engrossing are; a) never have long monologues unless it is an anecdote, b) have lot of anecdotes, c) discuss about the world and keep it civilized d) don’t discuss money e) don’t discuss any relatives outside the immediate family unless there is a death. All this does not take away the fact that ‘Before Midnight’ makes the mundane sound so exciting. I hope that at least this time the actors get Oscar nominations and maybe a win too. I also hope that they find another reason to make the fourth movie in the series after nine years.

Stand Up Guys (2012) [IMDB: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 48%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NApJNjPTqZs

When you have Al Pacino, Alan Arkin and Christopher Walken, you expect at least an above average attempt. This movie disappoints on that front. At best, it is an average film which might have nursed ambitions of greatness but then goes to sleep after the first ten minutes. It is a story of old con men trying to settle some accounts while trying to enjoy their last days. Nothing special but not bad enough for me to get excited and tear into it.

Fukrey (India, 2013) [IMDB: 6.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 64%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GT-lN6c6Uk

‘Fukrey’ has no ambition. It knows that its hatchet job is to pose as a juvenile comedy and recover its money in the first weekend of release. Many bollywood movies have done this carpet bombing of the box office and ensured that they get suitable returns on their investment before the word spreads that the movie is pathetic. There are no jokes in the movie, the joke is on the viewer while the producers laugh all the way to the bank. The movie is an insult to the people of Delhi. There is not even a single character who is not twisted. Men want to enroll in a college because girls also go there. Girls who go to college have other means of earning money. People who run those activities ask perfect strangers to sell drugs as if they were waiting for franchisees for their business. Think of ‘American Pie’. Remove the good looking girls and the humour (stupid as it is). You get ‘Fukrey’.

Mumbai Police (India, Malayalam, 2013) [IMDB: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 80%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REy6DziJwAQ

A cop who has just solved a murder mystery has an accident before revealing the culprit to anyone else. Sadly, he loses his memory when he recovers from the accident. Now he must start from scratch while his opponents now know that he cannot tell a friend from a foe. This thriller starts on such an interesting premise but then disintegrates into a character study rather than an investigation. Spoilers ahead. The central question of the movies is whether a person’s core character would change after an accident where he loses his memory. For example, will he be less violent than before? Or will he now become straight and cry when his gay past is revealed? I am not a psychologist to answer that but I think that even if such changes are possible, the character won’t cry over them. How unfortunate that we have to debate such things when we could have had an edge of the seat thriller. Disappointing.

Documentary Pick of the Week

Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids (2004) {IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AODZ6k8LgEI

Oscar winning documentary on the kids who grow up in a red light area in Kolkata, India. Frankly, I believe that this documentary is exploitative in nature and the only reason it was made, in my opinion, was to win some awards. I could not empathize with the film makers as they just show what is obvious and they don’t have any real interest in the children who are the subject of the movie. You can agree or disagree by watching this one.

Eagerly waiting for: ‘Kick-Ass 2’ because ‘Kick-Ass’ was kick-ass.

Did you know: Pixar takes up to 4 years to make an animation movie.