12 Angry Men

Prejudice always blinds us to the truth. A young boy is accused of murder. The Jury is out to debate on the verdict. Of the twelve men in the room, eleven think he is guilty, one thinks not. The entire movie takes place inside a room where twelve angry men debate on each others ideals, convictions and prejudices. An amazing journey exploring the way humans think, make decisions and respond to arguments. A story of how one man's conviction for truth liberates eleven others from the burden of their prejudice.


2001: A Space Odyssey

The greatest cinematic experience you can ever live through. Every second of the movie, every single frame, you are spellbound, unable to breakaway from the sheer force by which Stanley Kubrick unwinds Arthur C. Clarke's tale using by his camera. The film was shot before Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. If you are a fan of the novel, you will be blown away by the way Kubrick conceived it. Not a single word is spoken for the first 30 minutes and the last 20 minutes as Richard Strauss' music runs in the background. My undoubted #1 movie !


A Clockwork Orange 

An ultra-voilent movie that features an outrageous rape, an unconventional interpretation of sex and is outright disturbing for any sane viewer. In a futurisitic society, a gang of teenagers go on a reckless path of voilence, until their gang-leader is caught and sent to prison. He comes back as a "cured" man, neither able to commit acts of violence nor able to exercise moral choice. Can you control human thought ?

 

Apollo 13

 "Houston, We have a problem" - Famous words from Commander James Lowell of the Apollo 13 mission, as his capsule was half way to the moon. A fire breaks out in the oxygen tanks and one after the other, the components of the service module start failing. This is the narration of the extraordinary but true story of how three men on board a defunct space capsule manage to return back to earth despite severe constraints and odds. Tom Hanks at his ever brilliant best. Spectacular true storyline. Great direction from Ron Howard.


Batman Begins

I dislike almost every Comic book superhero movie except this one ! This one stays true to the spirit of "Batman". It is the story of how Bruce Wayne was destined to become Batman. It is a great movie because everything "fits" - The Batmobile, The Cave, Batman's athletic skills, His fear of Bats - Everything has a reason. Chris Nolan's interpretation of Batman makes it more worthwhile than any of those special effect super-hero movies.


Casablanca

Rick blaine is a cynical man who lost the woman he loved. She comes back into his life after many years, with her Husband who is a freedom-fighter.  What would you choose when torn between love and virtue ? Would there ever be forgiveness between two enstranged people who were in love once ? A brilliant and heart warming tale told in a way no other "romantic" story has ever been told. Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa is stunningly beautiful and that alone is a good reason why Casablanca is #2 on my list of all time favorites.

 

Smultronstället

Ingmar Bergman is one of the most brilliant film-makers of all time. He was an artist with unmatched integrity and vision. His acclaimed Swedish film Smultronstallet (Wild Strawberries), is a surrealistic story that covers one day in the life of old, lonely and cold Professor Isak Borg. He drives to the university to get his honorary degree and on the way, life unwinds itself in the form of dreams and memories. The movie does not have a single scene of outright sentimentalism but the viewing experience is devastatingly moving and matched only by Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odessey". #4 on my all time list.

 

Forrest Gump

 "Mama always says 'Life is like a box of chocolates'"  begins Forrest Gump to a stranger sitting at a Bus Stop. And thus he begins to narrate the story of his extra-ordinary life. Forrest is a "dumb-witted" nitwit who just happens to have a talent to excel at whatever he does ! From Vietnam to Watergate he manages to cause the world to change in a humorous tale with a sensitive side to it. What eludes him is his true love Jenny. The world is very different when you look through Forrest Gump's eyes.

 

Fight Club

"The first rule of Fight Club is - you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is - you DO NOT talk about Fight Club.....". Frustrated in life. Unable to decide on his convictions. One man wants a change in his life but does not have the guts to undertake it. He does the easiest thing possible. The protagonist in the movie is the Narrator and he doesn't have a name. He befriends Tyler Durden and watches as Tyler unfolds Project Mayhem. Ed Norton and Brad Pitt star in this thought provoking thriller.

 

Memento

One of the reasons I end up watching movies of a different generation is that modern films are unbelievably predictable. Christopher Nolan has been refreshingly different with Following, Memento, Insomnia and Batman Begins. Memento is a movie that runs backwards and forwards at the same time in multiple tracks. If that alone is worthy of being credited with a Top 10 slot, it has an extremely thought provoking story line. A man with a Short Term memory loss has to avenge his Wife's death. Is he being used ? By whom ? What is truth ? Is it what we believe in our hearts to be right ? Is truth independent or is it dependent on the observer ?

 

Miracle

It is the Winter Olympics of 1980 at Lake Placid, USA. At the height of the cold war, the United States fields an Ice hockey team made of amateur college players to compete against the best in the world.  The US team ranked seven fell behind in every single game and came back from behind to win the match. Their greatest moment of glory being when the beat the USSR. The character of the coach Herb Brooks is inspiring and the way he builds a team of winners from nothing is fascinating to watch. The best underdog story I've seen yet.

 

The Shawshank Redemption 

This is certainly one of the greatest movies ever made. Andy Dufresne is a Banker wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. He goes into Shawshank prison where he wins friends everywhere thanks to his simplicity and honesty. What will you do when you have given your best to life and you don't get paid back in the same coin ? This #3 on my list.

 

Murder on the Orient Express

For someone who is a fan of Ingrid Bergman, Agatha Christie and Sidney Lumet, this is an out and out classic treat. It is the year 1935. The Orient Express from Istanbul to Paris is stuck in deep Snow. Herucle Poirot is called upon to solve a mysterious murder onboard. A man is found dead with 12 stabs on his chest. Splendid performances from everyone including Poirot who proposes one of the most baffling solutions ever made in a crime story.


Taxi Driver

On every street in every city there is a nobody who dreams of being somebody. Taxi Driver has a dark psychological underpinning. A war veteran comes back to New York to work as a Taxi Driver. His disconnect from the everyday city life keeps growing until he decides to step in and try to be like "everybody else". Failing in his attempt, he plans to lash out at society. How do we manage the part of us that cannot identify with society ? The part that is afraid of being alone. Is it insecurity that motivates our actions and shapes our destiny ? A Martin Scorsese - Robert De Niro classic.


Psycho

Norman Bates runs the Bates Motel and takes care of an invalid mother. Marion Crane steals money from her employer and runs away for safety only to land up in the Bates Motel. Witness the most famous scene in movie history as Marion gets killed in the shower. This is Alfred Hitchcock's most famous creation and the one of the most gripping thrillers to be made.


The Shining

Jack Nicholson takes up a job as a caretaker of hotel during winter. He hopes to start a career in writing during this period even as his small boy starts seeing psychic forebodings. The Hotel seems to have a history of Horror. Scene after scene, you are unable to breakaway from Kubrick's camera. This is the most gripping horror tale ever directed.


Roman Holiday

Audrey Hepburn is a princess who is bored of life and runs away from her castle. Gregory Peck is a reporter desperately looking for a story. A Runaway Princess is the perfect story. Unless you fall in love with her. Would it be "happily ever after" if they end up marrying each other ? As kids we all grow up believing that life is wonderful until whatever we call reality tries to contradict. If you want to start believing in wonderful fairy tales again, watch Roman Holiday.


Schindler's List

The year is 1939. Hitler's Blitzkrieg defeats the Polish army. Oskar Schindler is a member of the Nazi Party and wants Polish slaves for his business. This great movie unfolds and shows how Schindler ends up doing what no other German had the courage to do. This one enterprising man saved more than a 1000 jews during World War II. Today there is a generation of more than 7000 "Schindler Jews". The movie inspires you at a very raw level. There are movies that glorify different good things in life. While they are all worth enjoying, this is one movie that glorifies one ordinary man and his conviction to value human life. This is #5 on my list.

 

Top 5 Movies Till Date

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)
  • Casablanca (Michael Curtiz)
  • The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont)
  • Smultronstället (Ingmar Bergman)
  • Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg)


Other Favorite Movies

This is a list of movies either I don't have time to write a review for or have reviews similar to ones mentioned above or I suspect of being a passing fancy. Anyway they are all capable of giving you a wonderful time.

  • Babel
  • Before Sunset
  • Blood Diamond
  • Chinatown 
  • Finding Forrester
  • Following 
  • Godfather
  • Good Will Hunting
  • Identity
  • JFK
  • Life is Beautiful
  • Mulholland Drive 
  • National Treasure 
  • Oliver Twist
  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
  • Philadelphia
  • Shrek
  • The Aviator
  • The Departed
  • The Matrix
  • The Sound Of Music

 

Favorite Directors

Great directors worth exploring:

  • Stanley Kubrick
  • Ingmar Bergman 
  • Sidney Lumet
  • Sergei Eisenstein
  • Martin Scorsese
  • Quentin Tarantino
  • Roman Polanski
  • Orson Welles
  • Manoj Night Shyamalan
  • Steven Spielberg