Frames And Angles

Not restricting myself to the movies that were released last year – here is my list of favourite movies that I watched last year.

The Motorcycle Diaries

Spanish – 2004

Movies can be interesting, intriguing, devastating or entertaining – but this one was exciting! Oh boy, I wanna go on such an exciting motorcycle ride after watching this movie! Adapted from the book by the same name, “The Motorcycle Diaries” is a picturesque account of Che’s life-changing motorcycle ride across South America. Che not only discovers his own country’s landscape, but himself! With a very subtle political tone, this movie can entertain everyone, whether you know Che or not. Brilliant cinematography and a delightful soundtrack add to the movie’s charm. And My favorite actor Gael García Bernal is as brilliant as always.

The Band’s Visit

Israel – 2007

A little gem! A band – group of old and young people – from the ‘Police Orchestra’ of Egypt, land at a deserted town in their rival nation Israel – thanks to the confusion between two similarly sounding town names. An interesting mix of people – they are forced to spend a day and night’s time till their embassy can help them. Generally, ‘plotlessness’ is a turn-off for me, but I simply loved this movie for its unexpectedly hilarious situations, amazing cast and some genuinely moving sequences. The leading lady just stole my heart And that Oscar would reject this submission, an interesting tale about languages/communication, because ‘it has more English dialogues than foreign language dialogues’, is just one more reason to hate the Academy!

12 Angry Men

English – 1957

12 distinguished gentlemen are requested by a uninspired judge to decide the fate of a young boy accused of killing his father. The general idea that ‘these-slum-boys-would-do-anything’ rules the minds of the jury, but a single man takes charge and leads the jury. Arguments, arguments and arguments is all the movie is about! At the macro level, this can be seen as a question against the judicial system as such, where as at the micro level it is all about how to influence a group of people. Simple and good method-acting, neat cinematography, great dialogues delivered brilliantly – you might love this movie or would just brush aside this as ‘verbal-diarrhea’

Tricks

Poland – 2007

Watching a good movie suggested by someone is one thing, discovering one by you is a different thing. I ‘discovered’ this little gem during my watching-foreign-films-submitted-for-2009-Oscars-spree and I am really glad I watched it. ‘As luck would have it’ or ‘As Kids see it’ could be an apt tag for the movie. Stefek, a 10 year old boy, tries to answer his unanswered questions about luck, fate, chances on his own and devices his own ‘tricks’. On one bright sunny lucky day, he uses his tricks to reunite his long lost dad with his mom. Would he succeed? Not everyone’s cups of tea as there are many digressions initially, but if you could get past that, you would be treated to a brilliant 40-minute finish. And Stefek’s play area is the not-so-active local railway station! Ah, what a lucky kid!

Poo

Tamil – 2008

A simple (short) story of love and loss adapted to a bit lazy screenplay, Poo is an absolutely honest work by Sasi. Poetic rather than cinematic, Poo progresses as a usual childhood-love story, but Parvathi Menon lives the role of Maari that you would actually pardon all its flaws. In spite of Good cinematography and a soundtrack with strong influences of vintage Raja (and so obviously likeable), it sank without any trace at the box office! And so I got this uneasy doubt - Do the welcome-change movies are running for their content or only the shock value?!

Three Colours – Red

Poland – 1994

What a genius could make such a stunning and befitting finale for an illustrious and influential film career? A Kieslowski like genius! This should be the only movie for which I have done so much of reading after watching it. In his familiar terrain of missed-encounters, double lives, luck and chances, Kieslowski would leave you in awe with this masterpiece. When I say Kieslowski’s name, it is very well implied that the film would have haunting score and some breath taking cinematography. This movie would be there in my final list of best movies ever seen!

A Wednesday & Aamir

Hindi – 2008

Two small films from bollywood last year, with striking similarities and interesting differences in execution (one has a lovable soundtrack; the other has none), are definitely in my list. ‘Aamir’ got into a controversy that it’s a complete rip off from an unheard movie, but the director brushed it aside as ‘just a coincidence’. Nevertheless, both of them are absolute crackers. And Naseeruddin is one gem of an actor. (Incidentally, I watched another naseer-anupam kher(-shabana) starrer – Pestonjee – an old Hindi film – and I just loved it)

Edge Of Heaven

Turkish – 2007

Possibly the best of what all I watched in 2008. I don’t remember how I was initiated to watch this one, but now all I remember are those beautiful montages of a car running at full speed with a haunting song in the background in those endlessly long roads; those redundant shots of coffins moving in and out of planes at the airports; the brilliant screenplay which traverses through the lives of three parents and their children across two rival countries and the serenity that hold me back from skipping even the (marvelously shot) end credits. Fatih Akin, the director, has arrived.

Ore Kadal

Malayalam – 2007

Random quotes from my old review – ““Ore Kadal” is like a whirl of a turbulent current of water. Before you realize, you are taken into it. It is so familiar, intimate and intense that, from the word go, you start grieving as though you are continuing from where you left it last time.” “The complete visual black-out that you often witness elevates the movie watching experience to the task of reading a novel, chapter wise.” ”Half way through “Ore Kadal” (The sea within), anyone who is unaware that it is an adaptation of novel might think of such a possibility. With an intensity that can be achieved only by a well written novel, “Ore Kadal” is a soul stirring movie experience that you feel lost between the pages helplessly flipping in a strong gush of air.”

Spring Summer Winter Fall and Spring

Korean – 2003

Set in a floating Buddhist monastery on an isolated lake, this brilliant film has five chapters, named after each season in the title. The film traces the relationship between a monk and his child disciple, goes through different stages of their relationship and ends on a striking redundant note. For every chapter, an animal is used symbolizing the most prominent emotion of that stage – dog, chicken, cat and snake. With minimal dialogues and stunning visuals – the movie often conveys more than what you ‘see’. Meditative experience

The Class

French – 2008

The winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes and the surprise finalist at this year’s best foreign films of academy, The Class is a movie from a true auteur – he wrote the book based on his experiences, he adapted it to the screen, directed it and acted in the lead role too! To put it plain, it would be shocking that there is absolutely no drama in this 2 hour long movie but what is more shocking is that the movie is absolutely absorbing. Being a teacher is a tough job man! Watch it for its terrific acting. And yeah, the ‘quasi-documentary’ style can be a turn off though!