Friday, December 28, 2012

THE BEST MOVIES OF 2012

If you think I should have added a movie that should have been on the list, but is not, then it's probably because, either I haven't watched it yet or I didn't wanted the list to go on and on.

Without any further ado, here is my list of the best/must watch movies of 2012 in no particular order. I will be updating this list over the next few days.

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
(Director: Benh Zeitlin, Language: English, Genre: Drama/Fantasy)

A wondrous drama about survival instincts, life, and death having an existential and a post-apocalyptic tone to it. A little gem of a movie that is imaginative, fascinating, and magical


HOLY MOTORS
 (Director: Leos Carax, Language: French, Genre: Drama/Mystery)

A theatre bizarre comprised of several vignettes—amusing, engaging, exasperating, mournful, weird, funny, and vague, as we the audience take a trip around Paris for a day with Oscar, a man of many faces, exceptionally played by Denis Lavant.

A beautiful mindfuck of a movie!


THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
(Director: Stephen Chbosky, Language: English, Genre: Drama/Romance/Comedy)

A high school romantic drama about a misfit trying to blend in while searching for friendship and true love.

The underlying poignancy of the story and the charming mix of characters lend it a certain maturity, genuineness, and a sense of nostalgia that gives it an unconventional quality not often seen in a teen romcom/drama.


AMOUR a.k.a LOVE 
  (Director: Michael Haneke, Language: French, Genre: Romance/Drama)

A masterly executed tender love story that examines deterioration and determination during the tough times in a relationship when death is looming around the corner. Observational, grim, and bittersweet.


I WISH a.k.a KISEKI 
 (Director: Hirokazu Koreeda, Language: Japanese, Genre: Drama)

A brilliant examination of familial relationships, adolescence, and childhood longings. Koreeda crafts a mesmerizing kids' adventure full of goodness, joy, innocence, and magic.

The poignancy of the subject combined with the natural performances by the cast especially by the kids make it a delight to watch. Highly Recommended!


END OF WATCH
 (Director: David Ayer, Language: English, Genre: Action)

A visceral, raw, and a gritty cop thriller, where the series of police encounters propel the story forward, all done in the handheld format lending it a mockumentary feel.

The handycam treatment, the powerhouse performances, and the deft execution of the story together make it an engaging and a gripping watch.

The chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña is incredible and they bring out the authenticity of their kinship with great honesty and sincerity.

One of the best cop movies in recent years. Highly recommended!


PARANORMAN
 (Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell, Language: English, Genre: Horror/Comedy/Animation)

A spooky paranormal adventure in the vein of a Grimm Fairytale that evokes not only laughs and scares, but also empathy.

ParaNorman is gorgeously creepy, atmospheric, and splendid. Briskly paced and very engaging.

One of the best horror movies of the year having one of the best and visually dazzling climaxes you'll see on the screen this year.


SLEEPLESS NIGHT
 (Director: Frédéric Jardin, Language: French, Genre: Action/Thriller)

An adrenaline powered action thriller full of energy, tension, double-crossing, and twists that take place in a labyrinth-like discotheque. It grabs you by the balls and doesn't let you go until it ends. One of the best chase films you will see this year.


LOOPER 
(Director: Rian Johnson, Language: English, Genre: Sci-Fi/Action)

A kinetic paced dystopian action thriller that displays sheer ingenuity with respect to the concept and the gripping storytelling making it not only entertaining, but also thought provoking.

It's a fairly coherent time travel movie, which is for obvious reasons embellished with ambiguity, but the deft execution assures your craving for nitpicking are kept at the lowest.


RUBY SPARKS 
(Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris, Language: English, Genre: Comedy/Romance)

A bittersweet romantic comedy that blends magical realism, delusion, love, and obsession to give a charming, poignant, and a believable product.

The wonderful cast casts a spell that is captivating and hard to let go. The beauty lies in the writing (written by Zoe Kazan, who also plays the part of Ruby Sparks in the film) where the characters make you feel a range of emotions through their credible performances.

It's at it peak in one particular intensely dramatic and emotional moment, which is ought to take you by surprise.

Ruby Sparks leaves you with an experience that is not only heart-wrenching, but also heart-warming.

For the most parts, it's gentle, sweet, and cute. Also, it doesn't shy away from delving into the gray area of human emotions and what we are finally left with is a bittersweet aftertaste.



WHORES' GLORY 
(Director: Michael Glawogger, Language: Thai/Bangla/Spanish, Genre: Documentary)

A compelling triptych about the life of prostitutes from around the different parts of the world and their love/hate relationship with their work.

The observational and the non-judgmental approach makes it crushingly honest, bittersweet, disturbing, and funny at times.

Every segment is seductively lit with a touch of poignancy, bleakness, and distinction giving the film a tragic yet beautiful quality.


SOUND OF MY VOICE 
(Director: Zal Batmanglij, Language: English, Genre: Sci-Fi/Thriller)

Clocking in at a mere 80 minutes this occult thriller is fresh, intriguing, and hazily mysterious. The introduction of new, but vague characters, motives, and twists makes this not only thoroughly watchable, but also thought provoking.


MOONRISE KINGDOM 
(Director: Wes Anderson, Language: English, Genre: Romance/Comedy)

Having a "magical bedtime story" quality, it is set on a group of picturesque islands following the adventurous journey of an adolescent boy and a girl whose love for each other is endearing, adorable, and unconditional. The natural performances by the entire cast brings out the purity, hilarity, and sincerity in this lovely romantic comedy.


THE CABIN IN THE WOODS 
(Director: Drew Goddard, Language: English, Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi/Action)

The idiom "more than meets the eye" becomes essential while describing this film. It's one of the most original and innovative horror films of recent times.

It reinvents and mashes up not one, but quite a handful of horror film sub-genres to deliver a refreshing and an exhilarating final product.

A nightmarish joyride - fun, tense, and heady


INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE 
(Director: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky, Language: English, Genre: Documentary)

Whether one is a video games' lover or not or one has ever felt like a misfit then this is a must watch film for anyone who appreciates creativity in any form!

An enlightening, confessional, and a sincere documentary about the independent game developers. Their passion, determination, obsession, and persistent efforts toward their work makes this a very emotional and an inspiring film. An essential watch!


THIS IS NOT A FILM 
(Director: Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Language: Farsi, Genre: Documentary)

Emotional, at times heartbreaking, fearless, scary, and absolutely captivating. A film that will not easily let you go even after it's long over. It deserves to be watched by anyone who loves and cherishes films.


21 JUMP STREET 
(Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Language: English, Genre: Action/Comedy)

It guarantees ample laugh out loud moments and keeps you glued to the screen with engaging goofy action. It's definitely one of the BEST comedies of the year! Watch out for that one surprising special guest cameo. It's ridiculously awesome. Simple storyline, brilliant execution, superb cast.


THE RAID: REDEMPTION 
(Director: Gareth Evans, Language: Indonesian, Genre: Action)

An intense and an invigorating action movie that keeps you glued to the screen from start to the very end. The premise is very simple, but the ball-crushing, back-breaking, brain-exploding, and heart-thumping action and music compensates for it. Highly Recommended!


MONSIEUR LAZHAR 
(Director: Philippe Falardeau, Language: French, Genre: Drama/Comedy)

An emotional, bittersweet, and a poignant film, which circles around the themes of death, loss, and separation. It's a beautifully written story sprinkled with heartwarming humor where the subject is handled with much care. Sad yet mesmerizing.


CAFE DE FLOR 
(Director: Jean-Marc Vallée, Language: French, Genre: Romance/Mystery)

An intricately woven story having transcendental undertones that explores infidelity, obsession, passion, and love blended with hallucinatory visuals and resonating music, the driving forces of the film


THE DARK KNIGHT RISES 
(Director: Christopher Nolan, Language: English, Genre: Action/Sci-Fi)

A gargantuan finale to one of the most epic trilogies in cinema comes to a full circle with The Dark Knight Rises. It's not only grandiose, but also enthralling, which leaves you wanting for more. The spectacular display of anarchism with post-apocalyptic vibes during the final hour is emotional and breathtaking


THE AVENGERS 
(Director: Joss Whedon, Language: English, Genre: Action/Fantasy)

The mother of all superhero movies is here. It straightaway plunges into action without wasting any time and delivers a marvelous product.

The strong point of the film is the characters' treatment especially the way every Avengers' member convincingly compliment each other throughout. Each and every character blends effectively in the environment around them.

Even though the story is woven around so many characters, it is taken forward seamlessly without ever deviating from the main plot.

Explosive, witty, and stupendous. A must watch!


SHALA 
(Director: Sujay Dahake, Language: Marathi, Genre: Romance/Drama/Comedy)

From the very first frame to the last, Shala fills you with warm feelings of nostalgia and sails you through the bittersweet memories of adolescent school days - First crush, love, heartbreak, fear, failure, and above all friendship.
Gorgeous cinematography and background score


BARFI 
(Director: Anurag Basu, Language: Hindi, Genre: Romance/Comedy)

A delightful romantic story told in an unconventional way paints a strikingly heartfelt, bittersweet, and an emotional picture. The soothing visuals, haunting background score, and the heartwarming music evoke a keen sense of nostalgia.

The visuals and the music will leave you blissfully intoxicated long after you've left the theatre. The charmingly excellent and measured performances by Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Ileana D'Cruz elevate the film to a new high.

One of the most beautiful movies you will probably watch this year.


EEGA a.k.a FLY 
(Director: S.S. Rajamouli, Language: Telegu, Genre: Action/Fantasy/Romance)

A ridiculously nightmarish revenge drama that is emotional, charming, and absolutely riveting. Packed with dazzling visuals and high octane action sequences this is one exhilarating ride you don't want to miss. Highly recommended!


GANGS OF WASSEYPUR I 
(Director: Anurag Kashyap, Language: Hindi, Genre: Crime/Drama)

The unrelenting pace of the film, the stellar cast, and the masterclass storytelling makes this bloody revenge saga irresistibly delicious. Everything is kept fresh here with dollops of sardonic and goofy humor, the introduction of new characters, and some interesting plot twists.

Watching Gangs Of Wasseypur is like getting a point-blank headshot. Brutally FUN and EPIC!


GANGS OF WASSEYPUR II 
(Director: Anurag Kashyap, Language: Hindi, Genre: Crime/Action)

The gloriously bloody revenge saga comes to a fitting end with this sequel. On one hand, the tense atmosphere of the film keeps you on the edge of your seat, and on the other the celebratory mood of the film and the regular spurts of wry humor will keep you applauding and cheering.

Stellar performances by each and everyone especially by Nawazuddin Siddique (Faizal) and Zeishan Quadri (Definite)

Monday, April 9, 2012

SHAME


Year: 2011
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

A provocative slow burner that presents sexual obsession, loneliness, and a bittersweet brother-sister relationship through captivating visuals. The natural lighting and the background music give a grim, realistic, and a sober touch to the film. Shudder-inducing, depressing, and mesmerizing.

Rating: 3.5/5

Links
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Trailer:

CAFE DE FLORE


Year: 2011
Genre: Romance/Drama/Mystery
Language: French
Runtime: 2 Hours

An intricately woven story having transcendental undertones that explores infidelity, obsession, passion, and love blended with hallucinatory visuals and resonating music, the driving forces of the film

Rating: 4/5

Links
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Trailer: