My favorite 10 movies
A good movie is like a 24 carat Gold. Rare to find but immensely satisfying on seeing it . As an Avid Movie watcher , I have had the pleasure of seeing many such great movies . I prefer movies in the genre of comedy , History & Drama. Tear-jerkers and action flicks are not my cup of tea. Here is an ode to my favorite films ( 3 English , 4 Hindi , 3 Tamil) :
GODFATHER : ( Dir : Francis Ford Cappola , Cast : Marlon Brando , Al Pacino , Robert De Niro , Robert Duvall , Diane Keaton) adaptation of Mario Puzo's Novel about the Saga of Don Corleone & his family . It is the father of all Mob Dramas . Great Acting ( Brando , Al Pacino were awesome ) , Cinematography , Music and memorable dialogues ( I'll make him an offer he can't refuse) . The film scores high both on Screenplay & the visual effects . The Sequel(part 2) was as good as the Original ( Though God father Part 3 was a fiasco) . This film even today remains an institution and numerous clones have been spawned from this masterpiece.
SCHINDLER'S LIST : (Dir : Steven Spielberg , Cast : Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes , Ben Kingsley )
A poignant tale of how a Selfish industrialist later manages to save thousands of polish Jews from Holocaust .The wonder boy of Hollywood (Spielberg) shot the whole movie in B&W in a color era. Amazing Visuals , Moody Music and wonderful acting. The Last Scene Where Neeson breaks down in front of everyone is emotionally appealing. Well if you haven't cried during this movie , chances are you never will. "The List is life".
FORREST GUMP : (Dir : Robert Zemeckis , Cast : Tom Hanks , Sally Field) The amazing story of a simple , mentally challenged man who believes in Honesty & Trust . The underlying moral that innocence & honesty triumphs over anything else was told over a beautiful screenplay with some amazing visual digital imagery involving JFK , John Lennon . Tom Hanks just lives the Role . It won him a Consecutive Oscar in 1994. "Life is like a Box of Chocolates" .
PYAASA : (Dir : Guru Dutt , Cast : Guru Dutt , Waheeda Rehman , Mala Sinha , Music : S.D.Burman )
This largely semi-autobiographical movie has long been acclaimed as a masterpiece. It shows the disillusionment of an idealistic poet with the society and the recognition he gets after his supposed death . The beauty of this movie is its coincidence with real life where Guru Dutt died young and was later hailed as a icon in movie-making. The Stunning Cinematography & Screenplay conveys the mood of a confused nation disillusioned with the Nehruvian socialistic principles and social apathy . The life of the movie are the lyrics of Sahir set to memorable tunes by the maestro R.D.Burman . "Jaane Vo Kaise " , "Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind " , "Yeh Duniya Agar Mil" are some of those immortal songs .
ANAND : (Dir : Hrishikesh Mukerjee , Cast : Rajesh Khanna , Amitabh Bhachan , Music : Salil Chaudhury)A tale of two friends one who is terminally ill with Cancer and the other trying to save him. Anand's humor & zest for life is infectious and he makes you laugh when he laughs and makes you cry when he dies in the end.He enjoys & savors every moment of life and Rajesh Khanna immortalizes the role of Anand with Amitabh lending a good support . Hrishida's Direction is amazing. The sensitivity and the emotional appeal he brings to the movie is the hallmark of his direction. The movie has great music by Salilda ( Arguably his best ) with wonderful lyrics by Gulzar and some soulful singing by Mukesh . " Zindagi Kaise Hai paheli", "Kahin Door jab Din " , "Maine tere Liye" are songs that continue to haunt us even today. "Babumoshaai".
GOLMAAL : ( Dir : Hrishikesh Mukherjee , Cast : Amol Palekar , Utpal Dutt , Bindiya Goswami , Music : R.D.Burman ) To Think that Anand and Golmaal were directed by the same director is baffling which in itself is a tribute to the versatility of Hrishida. In my opinion Golmaal is the best in the humor genre with the antics of Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt providing one with non-stop laughter . A story of mistaken identities and the subsequent Golmaal to fool the boss form absolutely hilarious encounters . Amol Palekar is too good and so is Dr. Masoom Raza with his witty dialogues. "Aanewala Pal" remains an evergreen melody even today . "Baal Baal Bache".
DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE (DDLJ) : (Dir : Aditya Chopra , Cast : Shah Rukh Khan , Kajol , Music : Jatin-Lalit )A candy floss NRI romance which captured the nation and the spirit of the 90's . Shot in exotic locales with stunning visuals ,the on-screen chemistry between Shah rukh and Kajol lights up the screen. Aditya Chopra made a dream debut with some slick direction and terrific screenplay and dialogues .The movie was one of the biggest grossers in Bollywood . Mellifluous music by Jatin Lalit with songs like "Tujhe Dekha" , "Mehndi Laga", "Ho Gaya Hai" .
KAADALIKKA NERAMILLAI : (Dir : Sreedhar , Cast : Muthuraman , Ravichandran, Kanchana,Rajashree,Balayya,Nagesh) Humor rules supreme all through this wonderfully entertaining movie of forged identities by two close friends. Balayya is a Rich landlord with two beautiful daughters . Muthuraman loves the first daughter and Ravichandran the second . Muthuraman dons the rols of Ravichandran's Rich father to satisfy the greedy Balayya . The movie revolves around this plot with incredible humor provided by Nagesh , as Balayya's film crazy son. The episode where Nagesh recites an eerie story to Balayya is acknowledged as one of the best scenes in comedy even today . Sreedhar's screenplay , dialogues & direction are the sheer work of a genius. The film has wonderful music by Viswanathan-Ramamurthy with memorable songs like "Nenjathai Alli", "Yenna Paarvai", "Anubhavam Pudhumai" , "Naalam Naalam" . "O-Ho Productions".
MOUNA RAAGAM : (Dir : Mani Rathnam , Cast : Mohan , Karthik , Revathi , Music : Illayaraja)
The man who gave tamil cinema centerstage in the National Panorama , weaves a wonderful tale and explores the Relationship between a Husband & wife. Revathi was already in love with Karthik , who dies in a police encounter .She gets married to Mohan and starts hating him and the relationship from day one. How Mohan changes her and wins her over forms the rest of the Story. Mani's brilliance lies in the deft handling of human relationships and for well etched characters who form the backbone of the movie. All the Actors have done a fabulous job and the humor provides a welcome variation to an otherwise serious movie. The Locales around Delhi make up for stunning visuals and P.C.Sreeram's photography is awesome. The life of the movie is its music. Illayaraja proves to the world why he is hailed as a Maestro & Genius. Melodious songs like "Nilave Vaa", "Pani Vizhum" , "Manram vandha" combined with excellent background score where the BGM conveys the emotions of the characters with skillful choice of instruments .
MICHEAL MADANA KAMA RAJAN : ( Dir : Santhana Barathy , Cast : Kamal Haasan , Nagesh , Kushboo , Manorama , Urvasi , Music : Illayaraja)Kamal's talent shines brightly all through this humorous movie. Kamal Haasan proves his versatility in this comic caper where he dons 4 roles - Thief , Cook , Fireman & Businessman . Its amazing the distinctness he provides to all these characters and no wonder he is recognized as the one of the finest actors in the country . The story is a perfect masala story about 4 brothers separated at birth and how they avenge their enemies. The Palakkadu Cook & fireman Raju shine with some Hilarious scenes particularly the fish scene & Nagesh catch my point scenes. Crazy Mohan's every dialogue is a gem and makes the audience erupt with laughter. Nagesh , Manorama and the Paati have provided wonderful support . This film is a tribute to Kamal & Crazy Mohan's sheer genius. "Bheem Boy , Catch my point ".
OTHER HONORABLE MENTIONS : Shawshank's Redemption , Casablanca , Sunset Boulevard , Psycho , To kill a Mocking Bird ,Rear Window , Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid , Modern Times ,Life is Beautiful,Gandhi , Raiders of the Lost Ark,Singin'in the Rain, Taxi Driver,The Bridge on the river Kwai , Awara , Mughal-e-Azam , Madhumati , Mother India , Guide , Koshish, Dil Chahta Hai , Lagaan, Chupke Chupke , Karnan , Thillana Mohanambal , Thiruvilayaadal, Mullum Malarum, Sindhu Bhairavi , Samsaram adhu Minsaram, Devar Magan , Maha Nadhi ,Roja .
A good movie is like a 24 carat Gold. Rare to find but immensely satisfying on seeing it . As an Avid Movie watcher , I have had the pleasure of seeing many such great movies . I prefer movies in the genre of comedy , History & Drama. Tear-jerkers and action flicks are not my cup of tea. Here is an ode to my favorite films ( 3 English , 4 Hindi , 3 Tamil) :
GODFATHER : ( Dir : Francis Ford Cappola , Cast : Marlon Brando , Al Pacino , Robert De Niro , Robert Duvall , Diane Keaton) adaptation of Mario Puzo's Novel about the Saga of Don Corleone & his family . It is the father of all Mob Dramas . Great Acting ( Brando , Al Pacino were awesome ) , Cinematography , Music and memorable dialogues ( I'll make him an offer he can't refuse) . The film scores high both on Screenplay & the visual effects . The Sequel(part 2) was as good as the Original ( Though God father Part 3 was a fiasco) . This film even today remains an institution and numerous clones have been spawned from this masterpiece.
SCHINDLER'S LIST : (Dir : Steven Spielberg , Cast : Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes , Ben Kingsley )
A poignant tale of how a Selfish industrialist later manages to save thousands of polish Jews from Holocaust .The wonder boy of Hollywood (Spielberg) shot the whole movie in B&W in a color era. Amazing Visuals , Moody Music and wonderful acting. The Last Scene Where Neeson breaks down in front of everyone is emotionally appealing. Well if you haven't cried during this movie , chances are you never will. "The List is life".
FORREST GUMP : (Dir : Robert Zemeckis , Cast : Tom Hanks , Sally Field) The amazing story of a simple , mentally challenged man who believes in Honesty & Trust . The underlying moral that innocence & honesty triumphs over anything else was told over a beautiful screenplay with some amazing visual digital imagery involving JFK , John Lennon . Tom Hanks just lives the Role . It won him a Consecutive Oscar in 1994. "Life is like a Box of Chocolates" .
PYAASA : (Dir : Guru Dutt , Cast : Guru Dutt , Waheeda Rehman , Mala Sinha , Music : S.D.Burman )
This largely semi-autobiographical movie has long been acclaimed as a masterpiece. It shows the disillusionment of an idealistic poet with the society and the recognition he gets after his supposed death . The beauty of this movie is its coincidence with real life where Guru Dutt died young and was later hailed as a icon in movie-making. The Stunning Cinematography & Screenplay conveys the mood of a confused nation disillusioned with the Nehruvian socialistic principles and social apathy . The life of the movie are the lyrics of Sahir set to memorable tunes by the maestro R.D.Burman . "Jaane Vo Kaise " , "Jinhe Naaz Hai Hind " , "Yeh Duniya Agar Mil" are some of those immortal songs .
ANAND : (Dir : Hrishikesh Mukerjee , Cast : Rajesh Khanna , Amitabh Bhachan , Music : Salil Chaudhury)A tale of two friends one who is terminally ill with Cancer and the other trying to save him. Anand's humor & zest for life is infectious and he makes you laugh when he laughs and makes you cry when he dies in the end.He enjoys & savors every moment of life and Rajesh Khanna immortalizes the role of Anand with Amitabh lending a good support . Hrishida's Direction is amazing. The sensitivity and the emotional appeal he brings to the movie is the hallmark of his direction. The movie has great music by Salilda ( Arguably his best ) with wonderful lyrics by Gulzar and some soulful singing by Mukesh . " Zindagi Kaise Hai paheli", "Kahin Door jab Din " , "Maine tere Liye" are songs that continue to haunt us even today. "Babumoshaai".
GOLMAAL : ( Dir : Hrishikesh Mukherjee , Cast : Amol Palekar , Utpal Dutt , Bindiya Goswami , Music : R.D.Burman ) To Think that Anand and Golmaal were directed by the same director is baffling which in itself is a tribute to the versatility of Hrishida. In my opinion Golmaal is the best in the humor genre with the antics of Amol Palekar and Utpal Dutt providing one with non-stop laughter . A story of mistaken identities and the subsequent Golmaal to fool the boss form absolutely hilarious encounters . Amol Palekar is too good and so is Dr. Masoom Raza with his witty dialogues. "Aanewala Pal" remains an evergreen melody even today . "Baal Baal Bache".
DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE (DDLJ) : (Dir : Aditya Chopra , Cast : Shah Rukh Khan , Kajol , Music : Jatin-Lalit )A candy floss NRI romance which captured the nation and the spirit of the 90's . Shot in exotic locales with stunning visuals ,the on-screen chemistry between Shah rukh and Kajol lights up the screen. Aditya Chopra made a dream debut with some slick direction and terrific screenplay and dialogues .The movie was one of the biggest grossers in Bollywood . Mellifluous music by Jatin Lalit with songs like "Tujhe Dekha" , "Mehndi Laga", "Ho Gaya Hai" .
KAADALIKKA NERAMILLAI : (Dir : Sreedhar , Cast : Muthuraman , Ravichandran, Kanchana,Rajashree,Balayya,Nagesh) Humor rules supreme all through this wonderfully entertaining movie of forged identities by two close friends. Balayya is a Rich landlord with two beautiful daughters . Muthuraman loves the first daughter and Ravichandran the second . Muthuraman dons the rols of Ravichandran's Rich father to satisfy the greedy Balayya . The movie revolves around this plot with incredible humor provided by Nagesh , as Balayya's film crazy son. The episode where Nagesh recites an eerie story to Balayya is acknowledged as one of the best scenes in comedy even today . Sreedhar's screenplay , dialogues & direction are the sheer work of a genius. The film has wonderful music by Viswanathan-Ramamurthy with memorable songs like "Nenjathai Alli", "Yenna Paarvai", "Anubhavam Pudhumai" , "Naalam Naalam" . "O-Ho Productions".
MOUNA RAAGAM : (Dir : Mani Rathnam , Cast : Mohan , Karthik , Revathi , Music : Illayaraja)
The man who gave tamil cinema centerstage in the National Panorama , weaves a wonderful tale and explores the Relationship between a Husband & wife. Revathi was already in love with Karthik , who dies in a police encounter .She gets married to Mohan and starts hating him and the relationship from day one. How Mohan changes her and wins her over forms the rest of the Story. Mani's brilliance lies in the deft handling of human relationships and for well etched characters who form the backbone of the movie. All the Actors have done a fabulous job and the humor provides a welcome variation to an otherwise serious movie. The Locales around Delhi make up for stunning visuals and P.C.Sreeram's photography is awesome. The life of the movie is its music. Illayaraja proves to the world why he is hailed as a Maestro & Genius. Melodious songs like "Nilave Vaa", "Pani Vizhum" , "Manram vandha" combined with excellent background score where the BGM conveys the emotions of the characters with skillful choice of instruments .
MICHEAL MADANA KAMA RAJAN : ( Dir : Santhana Barathy , Cast : Kamal Haasan , Nagesh , Kushboo , Manorama , Urvasi , Music : Illayaraja)Kamal's talent shines brightly all through this humorous movie. Kamal Haasan proves his versatility in this comic caper where he dons 4 roles - Thief , Cook , Fireman & Businessman . Its amazing the distinctness he provides to all these characters and no wonder he is recognized as the one of the finest actors in the country . The story is a perfect masala story about 4 brothers separated at birth and how they avenge their enemies. The Palakkadu Cook & fireman Raju shine with some Hilarious scenes particularly the fish scene & Nagesh catch my point scenes. Crazy Mohan's every dialogue is a gem and makes the audience erupt with laughter. Nagesh , Manorama and the Paati have provided wonderful support . This film is a tribute to Kamal & Crazy Mohan's sheer genius. "Bheem Boy , Catch my point ".
OTHER HONORABLE MENTIONS : Shawshank's Redemption , Casablanca , Sunset Boulevard , Psycho , To kill a Mocking Bird ,Rear Window , Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid , Modern Times ,Life is Beautiful,Gandhi , Raiders of the Lost Ark,Singin'in the Rain, Taxi Driver,The Bridge on the river Kwai , Awara , Mughal-e-Azam , Madhumati , Mother India , Guide , Koshish, Dil Chahta Hai , Lagaan, Chupke Chupke , Karnan , Thillana Mohanambal , Thiruvilayaadal, Mullum Malarum, Sindhu Bhairavi , Samsaram adhu Minsaram, Devar Magan , Maha Nadhi ,Roja .
posted by Cogito at
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
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