Ash Is Purest White (China,2019) [IMDB: 7.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 99%, My Rating: 7.0]
Trailer
At a macro level, this movie is about loyalty and the value of relationships with the background of gang rivalries which play out in a town in China. When you look closely enough, the movie is about China itself: its transformation over close to two decades, the changing values and expectations, and the forces that control the lives of the ordinary people in a behemoth of a nation. It is also a story about love. The love story of a gangster and a dancer. Slow burn.
Movies I Saw This Week
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood (2019)[IMDB: 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 85%, My Rating: 7.0]
Trailer
For those unaware of the real setting of this movie it is worth reading about Sharon Tate and the Tate murders. As for the movie itself, Tarantino is at his subversive best and borrows heavily spiritually from Inglourious Basterds (if you did not notice, that is the correct spelling of the title). Di Caprio plays an actor in the last legs of his career with his sidekick Pitt trying to get through Hollywood in 1969. Di Caprio also happens to be the neighbour of Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate. The film starts at a languid pace but picks up the tempo as it progresses leading to an eventful climax. I found it strange that the bloodshed in this flick is a few notches below what one would expect from Tarantino. Tarantino has a field day with his pop culture references. The lavishly produced sets and authentic locales add heft to the movie. ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ is Tarantino’s love letter to Hollywood and to himself.
Blinded by the Light (2019)[IMDB: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%, My Rating: 7.5]
Trailer
I have had opprobrium for most of the work that Gurinder Chadha has produced after ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ (which was a watchable movie). She redeems herself with what is her most accomplished film and one of the genuine crowd-pleasers of the year. A young lad in Luton in England finds meaning in life after he listens to the songs of Bruce Springsteen. His drab life becomes filled with hope and optimism even helping him gloss over the unfolding crisis at home. This movie not only has breadth and depth but also never shies away from reflecting on the state of the British society in the 80s. Highly recommended.
Framing John DeLorean (2019)[IMDB: 6.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 91%, My Rating: 7.5]
Trailer
John DeLorean was a star at General Motors before he decided that he should be an entrepreneur. This part-film part-documentary sheds light on his life and times. The hard hitting parts are in the documentary format especially when it comes his son. DeLorean had it all: a supermodel wife, a great career and a bright future. He took a mortgage on all the three and lost everything. Though the movie does not answer the ‘why’ part of the deal, it is a compelling watch. Was Delorean a victim of the circumstances or was he just plain stupid? Did his ego get to him? Some of the answers can be found in the movie. As a side note, I like the way they ended the movie which exploits the unique format of this feature.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)[IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%, My Rating: 7.5]
Trailer
Tarantino who is assaulted for the violence in his flicks looks like a toddler in front of John Wick. I tried counting the body pile up in this chapter of the John Wick franchise. I soon gave up because I realized that it was a pointless exercise. Everybody kills and almost everybody gets killed in a series of choreographed moves. Horses kill. Dogs kill. Humans kill. Chinese get killed. Americans get killed. Half of the population of Casablanca (in Morocco) gets killed. They kill in theatres, hotels, markets, glass houses, bridges, railway stations, shops and many more places. In this bloodbath, somewhere there is a fine story and good acting. I shudder to say this but this is the best chapter so far that John Wick has delivered. Recommended if you can sit through people getting stabbed, sliced, punched, kicked, shot and generally dying in awful ways.
Toy Story 4 (2019)[IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%, My Rating: 6.0]
Trailer
When any movie comes with a fourth installment it is often a case of studios milking the udder till the blood comes out. Toy Story 4 avoids that sad predicament but only by a whisker. I have come to believe that the animation movies get a soft touch from reviewers compared to non-animation movies. Toy Story 4 is a very basic film with a wafer thin plot but with some good animation. The kids may love the movie but it is too convenient and contrived. This film is more of an indictment of the studio system lacking in daring and originality.
Long Shot (2019)[IMDB: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 81%, My Rating: 6.0]
Trailer
I believe that the basic premise of this flick would have been ‘what if Seth Rogen romanced Charlize Theron?’ and then they developed the plot from this starting point. So Theron gets to be the Secretary of State who was once a babysitter for the journalist played by Rogen. The film walks the tightrope between being a romantic comedy and a political satire. It trips. It goes wayward and then finds the most conventional endings possible. Sure there are some light moments but the film sticks strictly to the quality you would expect from Seth Rogen: average.
The Dead Don’t Die (2019)[IMDB: 6.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 54%, My Rating: 4.5]
Trailer
Maybe I did not ‘get it’. Maybe I did. What I got was drivel in the form of a movie. Director Jim Jarmusch is lucky. He got the money to make this self indulgent waste that needs to buried with its head shot in the graveyards of cinema. Such a waste of talent. The ‘plot’ is about a small town hit by a zombie apocalypse. This film made it to Cannes where it got the treatment it more or less deserved. Sometimes it felt as if the director was abusing the audience. I dislike scenes when the characters announce that they are in a movie (of course, we know) or discuss the screenplay in the movie. Truth be told, I dozed off for twenty minutes during the movie. That is twenty minutes of my life saved from watching ‘The Dead Don’t Die’.
Documentary of the Week
The Great Hack (2019)[IMDB: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 86%, My Rating: 7.0]
Flawed documentary on the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Since nothing better has been made on the subject, worth a watch.
Eagerly waiting for: ‘Rambo: Last Blood’
Did you know: Quentin Tarantino has a vow to stop making movies after he makes 10 movies. He counts Kill Bill 1 & 2 as one movie.
This drama on the lives of five free spirited sisters in Turkey, is in turns poignant and triumphant. In a deeply patriarchal society where older women are accessories to reinforce the system, the resistance of two of the sisters to chart their own course forms the heart of the story. Shot in Turkey, this film is also France’s entry at the Oscars and rightfully earned its nomination in the Foreign Film category. It may not be off the mark to say that the movie depicts the creeping religious extremism in a once liberal Turkey. Starting on a low gear the movie gains momentum and becomes a tour de force as it progresses. At some point in the movie it feels that in some societies the only expectation from a woman is marriage; a marriage in which she has no say whatsoever.
The cast and crew of the movie deserve plaudits for the original vision and performances. The climax of the movie is an optimistic one but feels out of place and unconvincing based on the narrative till that point. For all its infirmities, ‘Mustang’ is still one of the best films of 2015. Must see.
Movies I Saw This Week
Anomalisa (2015) [IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes:92%, My Rating:7.5 ]
Trailer
Charlie Kaufman is one of my favorite screenplay writers. I thoroughly enjoyed his creations like ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’, ‘Adaptation’, and ‘Synecdoche, New York’. In ‘Anomalisa’, he addresses the all too familiar issue of mid-life crisis with an unfamiliar technique. With only three actors voicing this motion capture format movie, the scenes are thankfully not belittled by the limited budget. A rock star sales professional who focuses on customer experience and his mundane life form the core of the movie. Mildly dull at times, Anomalisa’s saving grace is the philosophical tinge that permeates the movie. At its center, the movie is a deeply sad one with disturbing visions on solitude and love. Charlie Kaufman is in his elements when he taps into the small things that make life, dissects them and holds a mirror to the daily life. The only grouse I have with this movie is that it would have looked much better if it had been shot in the conventional format with real people.
The Stanford prison experiment(2015) [IMDB: 6.9, Rotten Tomatoes:86%, My Rating:6.5 ]
Based on the famous psychology experiment conducted at Stanford in 1971, the movie captures the behavior of students when they were segregated to prisoners and wardens in an experimental prison. As a classic case of how people respond to authority and power, the experiment itself was quite illuminating. This motion picture tries to capture the essence of what happened behind the scenes. At times revealing and at times painfully monotonous, the movie is dogged by the inconsistency of the material on screen. It is of interest to note that even unimposing characters show an air of supremacy when granted powers to lord over people. The high quality of research at top universities and the lengths to which researchers go can be understood with this showcase research phenomenon. The movie is recommended only for those with an interest in delving into the dynamics of power within a hierarchical system.
Sicario(2015) [IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes:93%, My Rating:7.5 ]
Trailer
Emily Blunt plays the role of a FBI agent who is coerced to ‘volunteer’ to be part of a team fighting the drug cartels in the area of US-Mexico border. The opening scene sets the mood and pace of the movie but as the movie progresses only the mood is retained. Painfully and unnecessarily slow in certain segments, the movie bursts into life in fits and then returns to dormancy. Sicario’s subject matter is not refreshingly different from movies which have dealt with the same theme. Its beauty is derived from the spellbinding cinematography of Roger Deakins and an engaging music score. It is a pity that Deakins may well lose out to Emmanuel Lubezki at the Oscars. Emily Blunt, whose vulnerability is exposed as the movie progresses, adds her weight to the proceedings. Her anger and fear as her role in the mission is revealed is where the movie rises a notch higher than the movies of the same genre.
The Revenant (2015) [IMDB: 8.3, Rotten Tomatoes:86%, My Rating:8.0 ]
Trailer
With a dozen Oscar nominations and a few Golden Globe wins, ‘The Revenant’ is in the driver’s seat for the ongoing awards season. It tells the true story of frontiersman Hugh Glass who was left for dead by his team in the wild with only the crushing winter for company. Director Innaritu follows his trademark hard hitting style he has carried from his directorial debut Amores Perros (reviewed in the first edition of this blog). The film opens with a scene similar to the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan. Many movies have tried to copy that template of a high voltage opening scene to grab the attention of the viewer but very few have been successful. ‘The Revenant’ belongs to the latter category. Then the movie gets into its subject matter where DiCaprio is mauled by a bear. That scene basically checks out the Oscar for best makeup. Then our hero goes through all sorts of trials and tribulations. That checks out the ever elusive acting Oscar for DiCaprio. Finally the effort to act in such a demanding movie may be the only way for Dicaprio to get an Oscar rather than the acting itself.
The movie was shot only with natural light. That means that the crew had to plan shots and utilize the limited time in a difficult terrain to film. The scenery is engrossing and at times intimidating. Unlike last year’s ‘Birdman’, Emmanual Lubezki does not make the presence of his camera apparent and yet delivers one of the most exquisitely shot movie of our times. It is hard to see him not getting a hat trick of Oscar wins. The movie unnecessarily blends in other themes which are irrelevant to the central theme and create distraction. Now the question is about the best Film and Director. This will be a tight call because as an end product the film is spectacular but boring for much of the latter half. More on the predictions in my annual predictions issue before the Oscars. One category the film will not win is the Editing. As the film moves towards the climax you cannot be faulted if you are thinking of what to do after the movie. It does get tedious at some points but the movie is spectacular at some other points. Watch it for the spectacular points.
Creed (2015) [IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes:94%, My Rating:7.5 ]
Trailer
‘Creed’ has been in the news for the Oscar snub delivered to its African-American director and lead star. The truth is that purely on the basis of merit that is a fair decision and so is the Oscar nomination for Sylvester Stallone. Creed is a good movie but not a great movie. It plays highly on nostalgia and extracts every ounce of the popularity of the ‘Rocky’ franchise to build its story line. The only one who puts the nostalgia to good use is Stallone who delivers the best performance of his career as the retired champion who takes the son of his great opponent under his tutelage. Full of sports movie cliches, the movie succeeds by keeping it grounded and anchoring the story on the capable shoulders of Stallone.
Joy (2015) [IMDB: 6.7, Rotten Tomatoes:60%, My Rating:6.0 ]
Trailer
The third collaboration of the team of Director David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper after ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and ‘American Hustle’, this movie is the weakest of the lot. In a role which doesn’t suit her Jennifer Lawrence still delivers a very competent performance but the word competent cannot be associated with anybody else who was involved in the making of this movie that meanders like a river before fading into irrelevance. The story is inspired by the life of the inventor of a long lasting ‘revolutionary’ mop and sundry other products. The mop looks to be a very good product but the same cannot be said of the movie which is tiring and directionless in large parts. Wish mops could mop up the remnants of such movies.
An entertaining revenge drama told in the format of a thriller makes this movie one of the better independent films of 2015. A group of friends in a remote location face an unexpected challenge when one of them steps on a landmine. Their efforts to rescue him lead to a series of events which extend much beyond the landmine itself. Delightfully directed and enacted, the movie is definitely worth a watch.
Mistress America(2015) [IMDB: 6.0, Rotten Tomatoes:82%, My Rating:6.5 ]
Trailer
Well written comedy with good dialogues is a hallmark of Greta Gerwig movies. So is the case here. Greta plays a happy go lucky lady with a severely inflated image of her caliber. In reality she is just good at talking and has no plans or the will to implement plans. An episode in her life is told through the eyes of an outsider. The good thing about the movie is that the characters stay true to their roles and are able to connect with the audience. Good viewing especially if you have no great expectations.
Backcountry(2015) [IMDB: 6.0, Rotten Tomatoes:88%, My Rating:6.5 ]
Trailer
A couple lost in the woods get attacked by a bear. There could be an Oscar competition for the best bear between the bear in this one and in The Revenant but both of them are a tribute to the way computer effects have helped in movie making. As for Backcountry, it is a movie in which the tension builds up slowly but surely. All hell breaks loose in the last 20 minutes of the movie. Some of the scenes are too graphic and meant only for those who can stomach them. Otherwise, worth your time.
Documentary of the Week
Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom (2015) [IMDB: 8.5, Rotten Tomatoes:95%, My Rating:6.5 ]
Trailer
A documentary chronicling the popular uprising in Kiev against the government. Nominated for Oscars this year, the documentary follows a dateline to show the events that unfolded in the anti-government agitations but is restricted by its inability to get the point of view of the opposing side.
Eagerly waiting for: ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ because three is a charm.
Did youknow: 94% ofAcademy Award voters are Caucasian and 77% are male. Only about 2% are black, while Latinos compose less than 2%. Oscar voters have a median age of 62. People younger than 50 constitute only about 14% of the membership. (Source: LA Times)
When I started this blog 50 weeks ago, I had never imagined that it would have readers from 73 countries and the average weekly readership would cross 70. For 49 weeks I have written ( at times, by burning midnight oil) about my experiences at the movies. The 50th week is a tribute to all the readers who found something worth reading here. For this edition I asked a reader who has read all previous 49 editions, for a list of that person’s 50 favourite movies. This edition is about those 50 movies.
1. Bucket List (2007) [ IMDB:7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 78%]
The Plot: Two terminally ill men from dissimilar backgrounds go on a journey together and try to do everything they always wanted to do.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson team up. If for nothing else, the film is worth a watch for the energy they bring to the screen. It is for the same reason and the high expectations from such a film that the viewer may find a little underwhelmed at the end. Still, a very good watch.
The Plot: Two top cops from Los Angeles are sent to a small town to investigate the death of a teen. The sting in the tale is that the sun does not set in the town.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Christopher Nolan’s early work saw a bunch of accomplished actors on screen but the real winner was the cinematography which set the right mood for the film. Even the small town feels like a character on screen. Its beauty and serenity are breathtaking but also add the suspense in the movie.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “I can’t judge. There are two kinds of people in Alaska: those who were born here and those who come here to escape something. I wasn’t born here.”
The Plot: How one event happening/not happening changes the course of a women’s life. The vicissitudes and glorious uncertainties of life.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Gwyneth ‘Conscious Uncoupling’ Paltrow who puts in her best performance after her Oscar winning performance in ‘Shakespeare in Love’.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “For God’s sake, Gerry. I asked you a simple question; there is no need for you to become Woody Allen.”
4. Shutter Island (2010) [ IMDB:8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 76%]
The Plot: Set in 1954, the film purportedly shows the investigation to find out the location of a convict who has escaped from a mental asylum.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Martin Scorsese and DiCaprio team up to bring their most provocative story which requires multiple viewings to have a full debate on; a conclusive interpretation being a difficult goal. In the end the story does not matter. All that matters is how much of it is real.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “No assumption, no, not at all. You misunderstand me. I said, you are ‘men of violence’. I’m not accusing you of being violent men. That’s quite different.”
The Plot: An immigrant from Cuba builds his fortune in the world of crime and drugs in 1980s Miami.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Al Pacino shows once more time why he is one of the greatest actors ever.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “I always tell the truth. Even when I lie.”
6. Groundhog Day (1993) [ IMDB:8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%]
The Plot: Bill Murray plays a weatherman who finds that he is living the same day again and again. The good thing is that he has Andie MacDowell for company.
Trailer:
The Highlight: It is a toast to the ordinary life which could be extraordinary if one lived it as if there is no tomorrow.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “I don’t deserve someone like you. But If I ever could, I swear I would love you for the rest of my life.”
7. The Help (2011) [ IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 89%]
The Plot: At the height of the Civil rights movement, a young white woman decides to write a book on the light of African American maids and their perception of their masters.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Viola Davis in an illuminating performance.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Courage sometimes skips a generation. Thank you for bringing it back to our family.”
8. The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) [ IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%]
The Plot: A rank outsider wins against all odds at the 1913 US Open in golf, beating his idol on the way.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Nothing exceptional but once in a while the right cliches at the right time make the right kind of movie.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Let me tell you something. I came here to win a trophy. And on the face of it Ted Ray or I should carry it off. Not for you, not for England, but for sheer bloody pride at being the best, that’s why we do this. And if Mr. Ouimet wins tomorrow, it’s because he’s the best, because of who he is. Not who his father was, not how much money he’s got, because of who he bloody is! And I’ll thank you to remember that.
The Plot: A group of interesting characters join the hunt for a missing diamond.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Unbridled action, peppy dialogues and lots of style.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Yes, London. You know: fish, chips, cup ‘o tea, bad food, worse weather, Mary fucking Poppins… LONDON.”
10. Roman Holiday (1953) [ IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 98%]
The Plot: An American newsman takes a princess on a trip of Rome on her day away from boring life.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Audrey Hepburn. William Wyler. Gregory Peck.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “I have to leave you now. I’m going to that corner there and turn. You must stay in the car and drive away. Promise not to watch me go beyond the corner. Just drive away and leave me as I leave you.”
11. American Gangster (2007) [ IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 87%]
The Plot: A detective trying his best to nab a drug lord.
Trailer:
The Highlight: A simplistic story and an average performance from Russel Crowe are eclipsed by Denzel Washington in one of his best performances.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Success. It’s got enemies. You can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends.”
12. Kiss the Girls (1997) [ IMDB: 6.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 64%]
The Plot: A girl who survives a serial killer’s murder attempt holds the key to nabbing him.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Though there are enough loopholes in the movie, it is the sheer presence of Morgan Freeman that makes the film worth a watch.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Multiply your anger by about a hundred, Kate, that’s how much he thinks he loves you.”
13. Match Point (2005) [ IMDB: 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 81%]
The Plot: A married man falls for the girlfriend of his brother-in-law.
Trailer:
The Highlight: What you don’t expect from Woody Allen and what you absolutely expect from Scarlett Johansson.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “The man who said “I’d rather be lucky than good” saw deeply into life. People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It’s scary to think so much is out of one’s control.”
The Plot: A few people in the illegal diamond trade in Africa and their stories.
Trailer:
The Highlight: The acting of DiCaprio and the nose of Jennifer Connelly.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Sometimes I wonder… will God ever forgive us for what we’ve done to each other? Then I look around and I realize… God left this place a long time ago.”
15. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) [ IMDB: 7.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%]
The Plot: A man discovers his true love over four weddings, one funeral and many other disasters.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Hopelessly romantic scenes and outrageously funny scenes. Also, Andie MacDowell.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “The truth is… well, the truth is, I have met the right person, and he’s not in love with me, and until I stop loving him, no one else really has a chance.”
16. Enemy at the Gates (2001) [ IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 83%]
The Plot: Sometimes a man can inspire a whole nation. Russia found inspiration against the Germans in the form of sniper Vasily Zaytsev.
Trailer:
The Highlight: True story. Truly inspiring.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “He isn’t dead, and do you know why? Because I haven’t killed him yet.”
17. Shakespeare in Love (1998) [ IMDB: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 92%]
The Plot: Young Shakespeare who is in the doldrums, meets his love and this changes his life forever.
Trailer:
The Highlight: The germ of the idea and the way they brought that imagination to screen.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “All the men at court are without poetry. If they see me, they see my father’s fortune, I – will have poetry in my life. And adventure. And love. Love above all.”
The Plot: A girl poses as a man so that she can be trained in religious studies.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Barbra Streisand, who is the only person to have won the Oscar, the Grammy, the Emmy, the Tony, the Peabody and an AFI award.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line:”Why is it people who want the truth never believe it when they hear it?”
20. The Interpreter (2005) [ IMDB; 6.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 5.5]
The Plot: Intrigue in the UN, with an interpreter being the unfortunate beneficiary of a discussion on an assassination plot.
Trailer:
The Highlight: For a Sydney Pollack film starring Sean Penn and Nicole Kidman, this one disappoints but there are enough scenes which have edge of the seat stuff.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Vengeance is a lazy form of grief.”
21. Gone with the Wind (1939) [ IMDB; 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%]
The Plot: The US Civil War is the background for the doomed love story of a manipulative woman and a charming man.
Trailer:
The Highlight: A great novel made into a great film with great music, great acting, great cinematography and great dialogues.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “You’re like the thief who isn’t the least bit sorry he stole, but is terribly, terribly sorry he’s going to jail.”
The Plot: The only hope for a leukemia patient is to get a bone marrow transplant from her sister, a sister who is estranged from her for two decades.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Some stirring performances from Streep, Keaton and DiCaprio.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Most of the time I just keep to myself. I think like what it would be like to be… someone else.”
23. The Last King of Scotland (2006) [ IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 89%]
The Plot: How it was to be a confidante and physician of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Acting lesson from Forest Whitaker.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “You deserve to die. But dead, you can do nothing. Alive, you might just be able to redeem yourself.”
24. The Tourist (2010) [ IMDB: 6.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 42%]
The Plot: Angelina Jolie walks into the life of Johnny Deep while he is on a vacation in Italy. Wish that was true.
Trailer:
The Highlight: I can’ think beyond Angelina Jolie here.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “It’s the um… the Roman god, Janus. My mother gave it to me when I was little. She wanted to teach me that people have two sides. A good side, a bad side, a past, a future. And that we must embrace both in someone we love.”
The Plot: The rags to riches (through violence) story of a group of friends.
Trailer:
The Highlight: The perfect blend of style and substance.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster. To me that was better than being president of the United States. To be a gangster was to own the world.”
33. Jackie Brown (1997) [ IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 86%]
The Plot: An air hostess finds herself embroiled in the conflict between arms dealers and cops.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Guns and lots of it.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “You can’t trust Melanie but you can trust Melanie to be Melanie.”
34. The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) [IMDb:6.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 73%]
The Plot: Some people get married just to have sex. He gets married so as not to have it.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Jeff Bridges in a role you don’t expect him to be in.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “I don’t date these girls because they’re well-read. I gave one of them a copy of “Farewell to Arms”. She thought it was a diet book.”
35. The Aviator (2004) [ IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 87%]
The Plot: The eccentricities of the Hollywood insider Howard Hughes.
Trailer:
The Highlight: DiCaprio. As I write this list I see a lot of great movies in which he has had pivotal roles. I hope he gets due recognition some day.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “You don’t care about money because you’ve always had it.”
36. Milk (2008) [ IMDB:7.7, Rotten Tomatoes; 94%]
The Plot: The story of gay rights activist Harvey Milk.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Sean Penn sealed his Oscar win with the title role.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words.”
37. The Untouchables (1987) [ IMDB: 8.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 89%]
The Plot: Notorious gangster Al Capone has to be brought to justice but the problem is that he is well capable of buying out justice.
Trailer:
The Highlight: When Kevin Costner upstages Robert DeNiro.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “You just fulfilled the first rule of law enforcement: make sure when your shift is over you go home alive. Here endeth the lesson.”
38. V for Vendetta (2005) [ IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]
The Plot: The masked fighter and his friend take on a system of oppressive government.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Natalie Portman and her torture scenes.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: ” I’m not questioning your powers of observation; I’m merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.”
The Plot: A firefighter’s life told in flashback as he awaits to be rescued before he dies.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Reel life heroes find time to act in a movie that tell the tales of real life heroes.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “People are always asking me how is it that firefighters run into a burning building when everyone else is running out. Courage is the answer.”
42. The King’s Speech (2010) [IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%]
The Plot: A stuttering king has to inspire his nation in times of war. Some men are thrust into greatness and they learn to speak along the way.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Colin Firth who is otherwise very good with his dialogues, had to unlearn.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “If I’m King, where’s my power? Can I form a government? Can I levy a tax, declare a war? No! And yet I am the seat of all authority. Why? Because the nation believes that when I speak, I speak for them. But I can’t speak.”
43. The Holiday (2006) [IMDB: 6.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 80%]
The Plot: An American and a Britisher swap homes during a vacation and find their respective partners.
Trailer:
The Highlight: One of Nancy Meyers’ more accomplished works.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “You’re supposed to be the leading lady in your own life, for God’s sake!”
44. The Color Purple (1985) [ IMDB: 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes: 94%]
The Plot: Adaptation of the classic novel on the life of an African American woman.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Shoddy direction by Steven Spielberg.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “The jail you planned for me is the one you’re gonna rot in.”
45. The Day of the Jackal (1973) [IMDB: 7.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 90%]
The Plot: A conspiracy to kill the President of France.
Trailer:
The Highlight: The coldness of the assassin.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “You have to employ a professional. Your organization is so riddled with informers that nothing you decide is a secret for long. No, the job would have to be done by an outsider. The only question would be by whom, and for how much.”
46. The Usual Suspects (1995) [ IMDB:8.7, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]
The Plot: It must be easy to solve a crime when the suspects are limited and known. Or is it?
Trailer:
The Highlight: Kevin Spacey can tell stories.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
The Plot: Greenhorn Vinny has to defend his cousin in a murder trial in small town Alabama.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei make you laugh so much that your stomach hurts.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Well I hate to bring it up because I know you’ve got enough pressure on you already. But, we agreed to get married as soon as you won your first case. Meanwhile, TEN YEARS LATER, my niece, the daughter of my sister is getting married. My biological clock is TICKING LIKE THIS and the way this case is going, I ain’t never getting married.”
48. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) [ IMDB: 8.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 95%]
The Plot: A jailed serial killer is the only one who can help a young investigator reach another serial killer on the rampage.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Anthony Hopkins won the Best Actor Oscar for which his onscreen time was the least among all previous winners in the category.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”
The Highlight: ‘Hope’, with voice over by Morgan Freeman.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.’
50. Good Will Hunting (1997) [ IMDB: 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%]
The Plot: An erratic genius needs the right kind of guidance. Two other geniuses fight over what should be the right kind of guidance.
Trailer:
The Highlight: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck co-writing an original screenplay and winning an Oscar for it.
The Best Scene:
The Best Line: “You’re not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you’ve met, she’s not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you’re perfect for each other.”
The first instance of two actresses sharing the gong for the best actress (for the same film) at Cannes is reason enough to watch this little French gem. I was reminded of this movie after reviewing ‘Blue Is the Warmest Colour’ a fortnight ago. If ‘Blue …..’ is the adolescent version, then this one is the mature version. Two financially broke women share a flat and hope for a better future from the misery of routine lives. Once more characters enter the frame, their relationship unravels. Then the two actresses revel like veterans on screen. Watch it for them.
The Mirror (Russia, 1975) [ IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 100%]
A man facing death recollects his life. His sorrows, his triumphs, his childhood, his loves and much more. The nation’s history also plays out in the background. As they say, once your whole life will flash in front of your eyes. Make it worth watching. A timely reminder on that concept from (of all places) Russia. Classic.
Movies I Saw This Week
American Hustle (2013) [ IMDB: 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes: 93%]
I could not really figure out why ‘American Hustle’ is getting nominated at all major awards in so many categories this year. Agreed that it is a good movie but to call it a great one is a slight misrepresentation of facts. As the name suggests, it is a con movie but with a conscience. It certainly has some good performances going for it. Amy Adams delivers another competent one. I am a huge fan of Jennifer Lawrence and that makes me think that she deserves the Oscar for Supporting Actress but that would be an improbable win considering that she just landed the Best Actress Oscar only last year. At the same time, Bradley Cooper may consider himself lucky if he wins for the Best Supporting Actor because it wouldn’t be possible but for the sympathy votes he gets for his failure to win last year. Coming back to the movie, it creates the right ambiance and the credit for that has to go to the director. Other than that I did not find the movie to be special in any sense. Anyone with the IQ of a lamp post could have seen the twist in the end coming because such movies need to have one. I think the guys in Hollywood are all excited because someone finally made a movie in which the FBI is taken to the cleaners.
Blue Jasmine (2013) [ IMDB: 7.6, Rotten Tomatoes: 91%]
What they say for wine is true for Woody Allen too. Both get better as they age. For a change, Woody Allen is not putting some old wine in a new bottle. He moves to a new terrain and after a long time I was really impressed by his direction as he brings the best out of Cate Blanchett. I have not seen the movie ‘Philomena’ in which Judi Dench is reported to have given a great performance. If Judi Dench has not pulled off something spectacular (and she is well capable of that), then this year’s Best Actress Oscar will go to Cate Blanchett for her affecting portrayal of a former socialite going through emotional distress and penury. Her acting is simply stunning and it helps that the the whole plot revolves around her. For a profoundly sad tale, the trademark witticisms of the writer brings relief even in the gloom. Two thumbs up to one of the best written and acted films of 2013.
‘Rush’ recreates the fierce and famed rivalry of two Formula 1 superstars of the 70s, Niki Lauda and James Hunt. I expected more thrills and edge of the seat action for a movie based on a sport which has a lot of scope for spiking adrenaline levels. It disappoints on those two counts. In fact, it is not even about the rivalry between the two drivers. It is more about their personalities and the obsession they have for winning against all odds. Niki Lauda comes across as a calm and determined man who is organized and thinks about racing even during his honeymoon. James Hunt, on the other hand, is the brash character who has too many woman in his life that he does not really have to have a separate honeymoon. To slightly twist the title of a book that went from non-fiction to fiction (cycling, if you still don’t get it), ‘it is not about the cars’.
The true story of an US assault team which sees their best laid plans go for a toss in an operation in Afghanistan. The film is quite slow off the blocks but soon catches up with long strides shortly after. Once the action starts it is quite an interesting film. There is nothing to rave about but then the film is definitely worth a watch.
Some movies define a period in history. Some performances are so great that it is impossible to imagine someone else in that role. Some movies are unforgettable. Taxi Driver. Robert De Niro. No excuses for not watching.
Documentary Pick of the Week
Searching for Sugar Man (2012) [IMDB; 8.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]
How does it feel to be a rock star (pun intended) in one part of the world and be an unknown in your country of residence? One of the most uplifting documentaries ever made.
Eagerly Waiting for: ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ because it has a large cast and a fine director in Wes Anderson.
Did you know: After the release of the Tom Cruise film ‘Top Gun’,the applications by young men to the US Navy went up by 500 percent.
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.
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%]
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.
Germans are a curious bunch of people. They like things to be planned and dislike uncertainty. How such a society falls prey to radical ideologies is worth pondering about. After the disastrous fling with Nazism, Germans of the post war era have a shot at left wing radicalism. This film tells the true story of the group at the heart of this movement. The film is a copybook study on how idealism goes wrong and leads to bloodshed and crime. It also looks at how movements deviate from their path and ultimately fail. The movie is told at a good pace and the settings look authentic. The performances are nothing to gloat over but it is definitely worth a watch.
Army of Shadows (France, 1969) [IMDB: 8.1, Rotten Tomatoes: 97%]
This one charts the story of the French Resistance against the Nazis during the Second World War. France had easily capitulated to the Nazis but that did not stop a group of spirited people from putting up a resistance. This movie does not have supermen or gladiators fighting off the evil but it does have ordinary men doing extraordinary things in a very ordinary style. The story is written by two people who were part of the movement. The movie does not try to excite. It moves at the same pace throughout but as a viewer you are slowly drawn into the lives of the characters. The story is one of loyalty and deception, hope and heartbreak and many other hues. All this adds up to the best French movie on the Second World War. Highly recommended.
English Retrospective
The reason I am changing the name of the section to ‘English Retrospective’ is because some of the finest English movies are made outside USA.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (Ireland, 2006) [IMDB: 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes: 88%]
Ken Loach is one of the best film makers alive. This is his masterclass. It is the story of two brothers who take up arms for Ireland against Britain but then find themselves at the opposite ends after the bigger enemy is dealt with. Ireland is one of the political disasters of the 20th century and the British government sowed the seeds of discord among those who fought them in Ireland. The movie is a painful recollection of the events and how successful the British were with their ‘Divide and Rule’ policy. It is a formula they later applied with great success in India too. Coming back to the film, it is a movie shot exquisitely and has a great story to tell. It never gets melodramatic but then the despair on the screen is affecting. I would say that it is a must see if you are interested in making any sense of the conundrum in Ireland. No wonder it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) [ IMDB: 7.0, Rotten Tomatoes: 96%]
If you have seen too many movies on weddings with the same old story, take a break and watch this one. Genre defining movie with clean humour and too many laugh out loud moments. This is the movie which made a star out of Hugh Grant and is testimony to the power of great writing. The movie deals with the protagonist’s love life over four weddings and a funeral. One of the biggest box office draws of 1994, this film was loved by audiences across the globe. A really good comedy which is my benchmark for wedding movies. Watch out for Rowan Atkinson in his best movie performance.
The Coen Brothers are masters of crime cinema. This is one of their best movies with Frances McDormand in an Oscar winning performance. I haven’t checked who were her competition that year but she would have won hands down any year for her role as the local policewoman trying to find the missing links in a series of crimes that sweep a small town. The movie is about a kidnapping gone wrong and how things spiral out of control leading to disastrous consequences. This one is so astutely made that if you blink you may miss some of the best moments. A real edge of the seat thriller. I just love it.
Movies I Saw This Week
The Great Gatsby (2013) [IMDB: 7.4, Rotten Tomatoes: 70%]
I have not read the novel which is the source material for the movie and after watching the movie I don’t plan to. One thing I can say for sure is that the film is an early contender for the Oscar for ‘Set Decoration’. Though there are many scenes that have backgrounds that rely too heavily on technology to create the ambiance, the attention to detail is breathtaking. The film has been made with such dedication that every frame is so well thought out and it shows on screen. That is ultimately the failing of the movie because somewhere along the line the movie loses its soul in trying to look spectacular. I have not been a great fan of Baz Luhrmann who has made some below average films like ‘Australia’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’. Here he is let down by the fact that the baby faced Toby Maguire who is also the narrator of the movie, has a baby voice. Leonardo DiCaprio is not going to win the elusive Oscar for this one but Carey Mulligan is a delight to watch. The Great Gatsby is hailed by some as a classic American novel but then the film makes it look like an average masala novel with a very convenient ending. The film never soars but it is not exactly a disaster either. Sometimes too much publicity is a bad thing.
The Company You Keep (2012) [IMDB: 6.3, Rotten Tomatoes: 56%]
A reporter from a local daily uncovers the identity of a fugitive on the run from FBI for more than three decades. The fugitive was part of a dreaded underground group which violently protested against the Vietnam war. Veterans like Robert Redford and Susan Sarandon add sparkle to this otherwise average film. It is engaging to a point but not exciting enough. The cards are heavily in favour of the fugitive. So things are not difficult to predict. Not a bad movie though. Anna Kendrick is a fine actress but she needs to get out of the role of the office assistant / intern which she seems to always end up with.
Linda Lovelace was the star of the biggest grossing porn film of all time. This film takes you behind the scenes and details the seventeen days that Lovelace spent in the porn industry, gaining her a lifetime of infamy. It is a sympathetic portrayal of a lady exploited by her husband and how she shows the courage to come out of it all. Amanda Seyfried looks the part as the naive young lady. Fit for mature audiences only.
couldhavebeenacontender 