Favourite Movie Titles Blogathon!

Brittani at Rambling Film is doing her first blogathon, and after seeing couple of entries, I thought it looked like fun. So I am going to try my hand at it. Here are the rules:

1) Going through the alphabet, list your favorite movie title beginning with each letter.

2) You don't have to necessarily like the movie to use its title.
3) Use the banner at the top of this post in yours.
4) Please have submissions in by Friday, May 23rd. (But I'll be honest, if you send them to me after that date; I'll still add them to my post.)

Another rule I self-imposed was I only chose from movies that I have seen. It did bite me in the ass like in case of Q and V as I did not have many options but I have stuck with it as much as I can. Hope you like it!

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

Ace in the Hole

Before the Devil Knows You are Dead

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

The Gods Must be Crazy

Hold Me while I am Naked

In Bruges

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

No Country for Old Men

O Brother, Where art thou?

Paris, Texas

Que Viva Mexico

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow

To Kill a Mockingbird

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Viridiana

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

X-Men: First Class

Y Tu Mama Tambien

Z

Thank you Brittani for organizing this blogathon! I have participated in a blogathon after quite a while and I had lot of fun putting together this list. Cheers!

End of 2013: 15 Favourite films of the Year

I know it is too late but I am back with my final list for 2013 and it is big one - Favourite films of the year. I won’t do any honourable mentions here but if you are interested, here is a list of all the films from 2013 I saw ranked. Not much to add, let's get to movies!

15. Blancanieves: You can guess that I love Black and White films because there are going to be three on this list. But I don't think anybody, including me, would've guessed that I would have a black and white silent film putting its own spin on Snow white fairy tale, set in 1920's Spain that revolves around female bullfighter. Especially when I saw it on those small, crappy screens on flights. But it did!

14. Her: I had my doubts on whether Her would work based on its premise. But I was so engrossed in this film that for whole length of movie, I didn't even think about it once. It would have been ranked higher if I can figure out what exactly I thought of its ending but it wins on so many other levels to leave it out of this list completely - beautiful story, Phoenix's unexpected and charming portrayal, Adams, Johansson's voice work, just to name a few.

13. Frances Ha: I have said this before that this film came as a genuine pleasant surprise for me. Based on whatever little history I have with both Gerwig and Baumbach, I was fully prepared to be annoyed, irritated by it but it was lovely, heartfelt. Frances does a lot of crazy things in film but she was just charming or self deprecating enough for me to never feel like going off the rails, even when she goes to Paris for couple of days on whim.

12. 12 Years a Slave: Even since I've seen this, I've been trying to figure out how I really feel about it. If I am being very honest, as much as I liked it, it didn't hit me that hard like it did many others and I frankly think that's because I've never been there. But then I think of something like Mother India(1957), which is a kind of movie that is hard to sell to anyone if you don't get it and that makes me respect it more because I like Mother India(1957). I guess all I am saying is I may not love it but I really respect it for what it is.

11. Blue is the Warmest Colour: Blue has been in news since winning its Palme d'Or for various reasons. I am not really interested in how many of those things were true and how many were not but one thing is for sure - it is a damn fine film spearheaded by two amazing performances, especially by Adele Exarcholpoulis. It's incredible how natural she is in this role and actually it's not just her. Everything about this film falls exactly in place.

10. Captain Phillips: I have not seen a whole lot of Greengrass' work but he seems to know how to hold viewer's attention very well. He puts us right in the middle of things with the opening scene of film itself and it only builds from there till that final scene where Tom Hanks just kills it. This film is greatly assisted by two phenomenal performances that certainly elevate it to another level but Greengrass' stern direction also deserves credit for keeping tight control of this ship. It was always clear that he was the real captain of this ship.

9. The Wolf of Wall Street: I have said this before and I will say this again - if you think this films is trying to glorify Jordan Belford, his lifestyle or his unscrupulous ways, it is you who needs to check your own moralities than anyone else. Scorsese made this film as a passive observer and left it to us to make whatever we want to from it. Personally, it never felt like him glorifying Belford's hedonistic lifestyle because I was repulsed by its overabundance. If you feel attracted to them, who is to blame? Think again! 

8. Nebraska: Highest ranked film of the 9 Best Picture nominated films this year and last of the three B&W film on my list. Payne did not write this movie for a change but he is master of taking flawed, sometimes pathetic, sometimes irritable, unlikable characters and redeem them by the end by giving them real pathos. Woody Grant is perfect example of such a character and Nebraska is perfect example of how he makes them work. I know it never had any chance but if I had a ballot, this would be my choice.

7. Mud: I saw Mud on my way back from US to India. 30,000 feet above ground, pressure controlled cabin and small screens with no idea of what quality of print you get is certainly not the most conducive environment for movie watching, especially for someone like me who often gets airsick and to make matters worse I was flying 14 hours straight from San Francisco to Hong Kong. I guess it speaks highly of this films quality that it not only has stuck with me for past 7 months, it remained in my top 5 till start of February.

6. Before Midnight: Even though I had my doubts about this film, as I have for any sequel and even more if it is of a film I like, it was also one of my most anticipated movies of this year. This third installment also has everything that makes first two so great - long cuts, great conversations, beautiful locations and yet, like first two films, it ventures into places not many movies have before. As unromantic as it might be, it gives us what I think is most realistic stage in the relationship of Jessie and Celine and I love that they went there. And any scene that has anything like that dining table conversation scene is a win in my books. 

5: The Broken Circle Breakdown: Last two years I've been doing these lists, I've always had a foreign film topping them. If you scroll down a little, you will see that streak continuing but it's not just that. This year, none of my top 5 films is an English feature film. That in no way is a knock against mainstream Hollywood cinema; I've never had 3 BP nominees in my top 10 either so 2013 was a great year for them as well. But I think that makes this feat even more remarkable. As for the film, even though it has 'Breakdown' in the title, I never expected it to go as far as it did and it blew me away when it did.

4. The Lunchbox: I don't know what will it take for them to do it or if they ever will do it but I really wish Bollywood made more movies like this. It will probably take another Cate Blanchett to tell them - "The Earth is round, people!". As much as I like what makes it so different from everyone else and I am usually a proponent of most of it, it wouldn't harm them to start putting out more meaningful films that don't revolve around a love story. It is a very simple but elegant story told in a very straight forward but effective way. And it gets elevated to whole another level by extremely natural and charming performances by all three of its main characters.

3. Stories We Tell: I have loved Polley since I saw her first in The Sweet Hereafter(1997) and have always been interested in what she does. But I never expected anyone, even as talented as her, would do something like this. It has been months since I have seen this documentary but I still can not believe what Polley did with this documentary. Not only did she bring something buried deep into the family closet, she handles it with great poise. I am still in awe of frankness she brings into this and maturity with which she handles this whole thing looking at it from every possible angle and giving a voice to anyone and everyone related to that event. 

2. The Hunt: Obviously I loved this film, it would not have been at no.2 otherwise but what's more impressive for me is, even though this movie infuriated me like anything else, it doesn't incriminate anyone. Everyone is to be blamed and at the same time no one can be. You can't blame little girl, she doesn't know consequences of her action. You can't really blame her parents, teachers or even others in town because, frankly, I am not sure if I would've behaved any differently if put into anyone's shoes. And even then we feel so sorry that Lucas has to go through such an ordeal for no mistake of his own.

1. The Past: As I noted before, streak that started with Incendies(2011) and continued with Amour(2012) last year has continued this year with The Past. They are all foreign, they are all tragedies and they are all hard to watch and maybe even like but I not only like them; I love them. I have never seen either Incendies or Amour again after seeing them once and I have no intention of doing that anytime soon but they have firmly secured their place in my top 100 and it will be a while before they will be displaced, if at all they will be.

Farhadi seems to revel in bringing out dynamics of people going through divorce. He did that beautifully in A Separation(2011)(which, BTW, has become my second favourite movie of that year behind Incendies), he does that equally potently here though there is whole different dynamic of their kids here. But what made The Past special for me was the way everything just gets worse and worse as we get deeper into the story. And like The Hunt, I have no idea whom to blame. Maybe everyone or maybe no one!

End of 2013: Favourite Performances of 2013 - Ladies First!

I feel like I always say this at the end of the year but 2013 was a great year for films. Even though it took me two more months to catch up with it, with 70 films watched and Oscars done, I am finally going to call it done! Like last year, that comes up with End of the year lists but unlike last year, I am going to do them in reverse order starting with this list of my favourite female performances of last year. Probably not as rich as last year but this year offered many good ones to us to choose from. Theses are 10 that I liked the most, that I noticed more and have stuck with me more.

First, Honourable mentions: Amy Adams for American Hustle, Amy Acker for Much Ado about Nothing, June Squibb for Nebraska and special mention for Deshpande Aunty in The Lunchbox who we don't even see but she is such a quintessential character in our society that I loved her presence.

Berenice Bejo for The Past: I will have much more to say on this film a bit later but this films works as much as it does for me because of host of amazing performances from everyone involved. Reason Bejo stands out for me is because her character is at the center of everything. She is the reason previous wife of the guy she wants to marry is in the hospital which is why her teenager daughter and his son throw fits at her. You see that burden weighing on her in every scene, you see that guilt in her eyes all the time and that makes this film so much better(or worse!).

Adele Exarchopoulos for Blue is the Warmest Colour: I saw Blue much later than many of my peers. By then, there were many singing praises of her acting but my first impression wasn't in line with them. To me, her performance felt like no performance at all. Then, I always felt like she is just being there and people feel she is so natural. When I finally saw it, I realized she does so much more than just being there. And her being so natural in those moments is probably her biggest strength, especially when cameramen is so close to you all the time that you could slap him hard on the face and he won't be able to do anything.

Greta Gerwig for Frances Ha: The fact that not only I actually really liked this movie but how much I adored Gerwig's performance in it has got to be the biggest surprise for me this year. Frances is a small kid in grown-ups body. She is oblivious to any social norms or responsibilities any person her age is usually bogged down under. Just this one thing could easily have made Frances an obnoxious, insufferable brat who thinks she is too good for all this nonsense. But Gerwig does an excellent job of making her endearing, personable and even relatable despite all her flaws. To me, she is leaving that life which most of us really want to but can't.

Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine: I think Natalie Portman must be the last actress to dominate awards season the way Blanchett did this season. She must have won every single award that is humanely possible for an actress to win for this role and all for a very good reason. Blanchett is one of those actresses who has always been good in any role she is given but she is absolutely on fire in every scene of Blue Jasmine. Not only her character has similarities to Blanche DuBois, she manages to stand toe-to-toe with one of the best performances of all time.

Veerle Baetens for The Broken Circle Breakdown: Even though there is word breakdown in title of this film, I am not sure I was ready for what I saw. Both lead characters of this film go through a lot but it's Baeten's Elise that goes through biggest transformation starting from a firecracker of tattoo artists to someone who is devoid of any hope or desires. I certainly did not expect it to go where it did till last minute but, as surprising as it was, it was her performance that took me there. It was first time I ever saw her and don't even know how to pronounce her name but she certainly has my attention now.

Julia Roberts for August: Osage County: August: Osage County is one of the films I liked way more than I expected to this year and majority of its credit goes to its script and performances. If it wasn't so hateful that all I wanted was to run as far away from it as possible, it might have made into my favourite films of this year. There is a whole bunch of performances I could have picked from this film including Meryl Streep and I really like Julianne Nicholson as well. Some of them might even be better than Roberts, but the only reason I am picking her over everyone else here is because I have never seen Julia Roberts in a performance like this before.

Nirmat Kaur for The Lunchbox: Whenever I make any kind of 'Best of' lists, I feel like I have to have a spot for Bollywood on them. Let me assure you, this is not that spot. Nirmat Kaur, like Sridevi Last year, is here purely based on her craft at display in another movie I will have more to say soon - The Lunchbox. I don't remember seeing her anywhere else and that probably works to her advantage as this is such a simple, non-glamorous role. Nirmat Kaur brings a lot of depth and honesty to this role and, like Adele, looks so natural while doing so that it is hard to imagine she is putting up a performance.

Sandra Bullock for Gravity: Gravity was a spectacle to behold. It remains to be one of the two or three films that made me think that 3D can be useful somewhere than just moneymaking machine for studios. Obviously, Lubezki's work with camera and Cuaron's direction, for which both deservedly won their Oscars, deserves much of praise for this but I kept on thinking that Bullock's equally courageous work somewhere took a backseat to them. Maybe Blanchett's clean sweep also has something to do with this as in any other year, she easily could have gone home with that statuette but I really liked Bullock's work as well.

Lea Seydoux for Blue is the Warmest Colour: These next two performances are supporting turns, sort of companion pieces that makes their leads, as good as they are and they certainly are great as both have featured in this list earlier, even better. Blue hs always been in the news since its premiere at cannes and as overshadowing sexuality of this film has been, what makes it work is brilliant understated and at the same time uninhibited performances by both its leads. Adele is more understated though she has many momemts where she lets her emotions flow. Seydoux is exactly opposite - as audacious, as extrovert as she is, her understated moments like one in the cafe near the end are what make her performance noteworthy.

Sally Hawkins for Blue Jasmine: As good as Blanchett is in this role, she probably would not have been if not for Sally Hawkins holding her own in every single scene and I am so happy to see her acknowledge that. Hawkins' performance in Blue Jasmine is probably 'the' definition of supporting turn. She makes every scene better just by being in it, and she is in almost every damn scene, but she never becomes the centerpiece of it. She never diverts your attention from where you are supposed to look at but somehow always manages to accentuate it. Those are the best kind of roles!

Keep your eyes and feeds open people! Men shall follow soon... and by soon I mean this weekend.