2012 was the best year as
far as blogging is concerned for me. Well, the fact that this was the ONLY full
year of blogging I have had thus far made it very easy. But, Still it was pretty
incredible year. First full year of blogging, documenting and cataloging the
movies I have seen throughout the year and my brief thoughts on them and off
course, other bloggers that have already done similar lists made me want to do
this list. So, this is the list of 20 movies that I liked the most out of 305
movies that I saw in the calender year of 2012 for the first time. In all
likelihood, as and when I update my Top 100,
most of them will make it into that list, if they already aren't. Most interesting part of making this list was sifting through all the movies I have seen and realizing that it has been less than a year since I have seen, City Lights(1931) or The Game(1997). For a strange reason, I feel like I have loved these movies for a long, long time. And yes, I have left all the 2012
releases out of the list since at some point of time, most likely mid-February,
I will eventually do the list of my favourite 2012 movies. So, they will have
there time in limelight. It's time for some older movies to shine. Lets get to it then.
20. Black Narcissus(1947): After watching The Red Shoes(1948) last year, which really impressed me and introduced me to the duo of Powell and Pressburger, Black Narcissus took it a step further. I am arguably a little partial towards it because of the Indian settings and using them well but then I look at that last scene and it feels like it deserves it. It really does.
19. Paths of Glory(1957): Let me start with the usual. Not a big Kubrick Fan but that's what makes Paths of Glory special that despite not belonging to the Kubrick camp, I loved it. It is Kubrick at its usual acerbic best. He still uses the platform to criticize but it is little restrained and is for the right cause which makes it exploratory and not exploitative.
18. The Birds(1963): I live less than 100 miles from Bodega Bay and the fact that this happens on that location made me scare for my life. Not Really, just
joking but this is true that I was more scared while watching this
movie than most of the so called scary/horror movies I have seen. Over
the time, this has even made into my favourite Hitchcock's as well.
17. Life of Brian(1979): After being long overdue, I finally caught up with Monty Pythons last year. This year, I caught up with Life of Brian. It sure still is one of the funniest movies of all time but I have been amazed by its power to infuse a discussion and to prove my point I will point you to the only thing that is even better than this film is this interview.
16. The Discreet Charm of Bourgeoisie(1972): Bunuel's movies are a challenge. However the fact that this is not the only Bunuel in the list should certify to the fact that I like this challenge. Walking into this movie, almost without knowing anything about it makes it an even bigger challenge and I think I almost gave it up but I realized what's happening at the last image. It all suddenly made a lot more sense then. I have rarely had such 180 turns based on 1 still.
15. A Separation(2011): Last year at around this time everyone was getting excited about this movie. As usual, I arrived little late but this movie hit me equally hard, just like everyone else. I flat out deny to draw any conclusions from this about Iranian policies but what I really do admire is earnestness and honesty of the script and in the performances. It is also really hard to believe that there is absolutely no sappy melodrama in it.
14. The General(1926): I can say that one of the highlights of my self movie education this year will be my introduction to Buster Keaton. What I appreciate the most about this movie is that it is not just a collection of some gags but there is a real story to it. I still belong to the Camp Chaplin but if Buster Keaton can make anything as funny and fluent as The General, the other side has got a damn strong case too.
13. The Double Life of Veronique(1991): After his Three Colours Trilogy last year, this was the next logical step for Kieslowski for me and personally, this was even better than anything in the trilogy. Even in the trilogy, Red was my favourite and there is one big reason for that - Irene Jacob. There is something in her face or the way Kieslowski presents her that keeps me fixated on her, almost hypnotized.
12. Viridiana(1961): As I said, there are more than one Bunuel on the list. Cynicism of this movie astounds me. There really isn't much worse that you can do to defame any regime. Spanish authorities promptly banned this movie right after they saw the final cut. I wouldn't have been surprised if they tried to kill it completely and we never would have known that such a film once existed. But it takes real courage to make such movie and do it so well.
11. Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf(1966): In the past year, quite a few of my fellow bloggers turned in their lists of various favourite performance. Truth be told, I won't be able to do such a list. I only know that my favourite male performance is Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will be Blood(2007) and its female counterpart would be Elizabeth Taylor in this movie. I swear to god that I never imagined in my wildest dream that anything like this was ever possible.
10. The Game(1997): It feels a little weird that it has been less than a year since I saw The Game for the first time. It feels like it has been quite a while because it is the movie that made me fall in love with the city of San Francisco. Off course, it does have a great concept executed exquisitely which keeps your adrenaline pumping and which doesn't fail you in the end, once the secret is revealed.
9. Shame(2011): Just like A Separation(2011), Shame never made into my Top 10 in 2011 just because I wasn't able to catch up with it anywhere close to the end of last year. I got to it almost 6 months into 2012 but once again, just like A Separation, realized that it indeed is that damn good. Carrey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender's performances, only topped by very harsh and honest representation of an addiction.
8. Judgement at Nuremberg(1961): It was more than two years ago that I heard such movie existed. I spent almost one year trying to find a copy of this movie until I finally found it by complete off chance. I spent some more time before watching it even after owning a copy of it but when I did watch, I understood why people recommend it so highly. Since the day I have seen it, I haven't been able to shake off Burt Lancaster's monologue in the court.
7. Metropolis(1927): Thanks to Netflix, I saw the most complete version of it and I am thankful I did because I had no idea about the existence of multiple versions when I saw it. I am sure that many agree with me when I say that what amazes me the most about it is the vision of this movie. In my opinion, making this movie in 1927 was an exceptional feat. However, making it in such a way that it remains relevant even after so many years is nothing short of miracle.
6. Boogie Nights(1997): I had heard a lot of good things bout this movie and I found most of them to be true when I actually checked it out. It has the amazing opening tracking shot that introduces almost the whole cast in a single shot, it also has one of the most incredible ensemble cast assembled where every one delivers. However, what I find interesting about it is these are great actors playing bad actors on screen and doing a great job at that.
5. Pather Panchali(1955): Satyajit Ray is probably the most well-known Indian director in the world and his Apu Trilogy is his most well-known work. I was really glad when I got a chance to watch them this year because of a friend. Like lot of others, I really think this is one of the Best Trilogies in the history of cinema but out of the three, Pather Panchali made a greater impression on me because of the way it celebrates the small joys of life. It made me nostalgic.
4. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans(1927): If it wasn't for that ending, I would have killed everybody related to that movie. It should be a crime that they get us to care so much for the characters in such a little time and then send us home as a blabbering mess that I would have been, if not for that ending. But they did the right thing and so I am doing it too by including it in this list. Seriously, one of the most iconic silent movies.
3. Dr. Strangelove(1964): Did I say that I am traditionally not a Kubrick fan? And then sound like a hypocrite putting two movies on this list? Well, that's an occupational hazard I guess. But this was the perfect place, perfect scenario for all the criticism, cynicism that Kubrick's movies are full of; up to the brim. There are very few films that take a dead serious issue, turn it into a broad comedy and do in successfully. It also has one of the most iconic dialogues ever.
2. The Seventh Seal(1957): 1957 was an amazing year. There are so many movies made around the world in that year which are still considered as some of the best works of art. However, even if we only look at Ingmar Bergman, he made The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries. Two of my favourites and I love that they are really deep but at the same time so accessible. For a movie that is primarily about death, I was surprised by how much of hope there is in it
1. City Lights(1931): I have been watching Chaplin since I was kid. That's why I was really surprised when I realized that it has been less than a year since I saw City Lights. It seems like I have known him much longer. His Tramp has an uncanny ability of making you laugh so hard that it would make your stomach hurt but then do something so innocent, so pure, so beautiful that a single drop of tear would drop out of your eyes and you wouldn't even know it. Watch the last scene of this movie if you need any proof.
Last week,
on the occasion of Diwali, Ryan McNeil at The Matinee unveiled his Bollywood Syllabus that yours truly and Nikhat designed for him. Ryan has never seen a
Hindi movie and after his previous anime syllabus, when he showed interest in
doing something similar with Hindi movies, we jumped on it and this is what we
think will help him at least get acquainted with Hindi Cinema. I am really
excited to see how this panes out, hopefully he will actually like some of the
movies from the list and more than anything else, he will enjoy watching them.
When I thought about doing this Bollywood Essential post, I wanted to do
something from the list and then I remembered that one of the movies in the
list in being re-released this very month in its digitally remastered format.
So, it's time for me to talk about cult-classic film from 1983, certainly one
of the best comedies made in Hindi film industry - Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron(1983).
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron opens up with opening of Beauty Photo Studio operated by two photographers, Sudhir and Vinod. They have been waiting for more than couple of hours for their guests and none have arrived so far. The problem is, nearby there is another studio opening which is much bigger and is stealing all their thunder. This studio is set-up by Ashok and his girlfriend Priya, who work for one of the biggest and most powerful but also equally corrupt builders in the city, Taneja. Taneja has asked them to set it up so that they can keep an eye on office of activist magazine Khabardar, right across the street from them. Run by its editor Shobha Sen, Khabardar has been trying for a long time to expose Taneja and his corrupt ways that have taken him to the current position. After knowing about the photo studio set-up, Shobha tries to hire Sudhir and Vinod to run her own sting operation on Taneja. Sudhir and Vinod are very straight forward kind of people that want to have their small photo studio and run it but they have a habit of running into their own trap every single time, without fail. They are kind of goofy, little stupid but are good at their jobs. Taneja has internal setting with municipal commissioner D'Mello which allows him to get all the permits for everything he wants the way he wants. He also gets all major contracts for the city as well as. As Sudhir and Vinod's first assignment for Khabardar, Shobha asks them to take few photos of D'Mello's meeting with Taneja. After meeting them, she realizes that both are incredibly stupid but at least they get their work done and she probably can use their goofiness for her own good. So, she offers them another job which is a little more dangerous - they somehow have to break into D'Mello's guest house where Taneja is going to meet him to get his 4 tenders for the fly-over's passed. She also expects a lot of money to exchange hands.
However, Taneja isn't the only one who has big dreams and is ready to get his hands wet in an attempt to achieve them. Among others, these is Ahuja - Taneja's main business rival. There is a very well thought contrast in the characters of Taneja and Ahuja suggesting the face you put on for everyone does not make you a person you are - Taneja is very sophisticated, soft spoken person who comes off as a otherwise likable whereas Ahuja is a drunkard, brutish even in his manner of speaking and a hooligan. Even though they are so much different, their final goal is same and even Ahuja knows that the only way to get his hands on any of those contracts passes through D'Mello's pocket. Unfortunately for D'Mello though, Ahuja pops up at his house at the same time Taneja is there to get D'Mello's signature. That night, they both realize that D'Mello is playing them both, basically to get more money. They decide to meet at another place to sort out their differences so that third person can not take advantage of it. While they are discussing this, they are told that neither of them has got those contracts as someone else has already signed them. Now that they have been double-crossed, Taneja decides that he has to take care of D'Mello. Sudhir and Vinod are following Taneja everywhere, even when they thing it is too dangerous for them. Shobha knows that they are more interested in her than her job and uses it brilliantly with everything she's got to coax them into doing anything she wants. However they discover something way out of their league completely inadvertently and what follows is a race of truth against power, integrity against money. Keep an eye out for the final chase sequence though as it is unforgettable, especially Mahabharat farce which is officially my 'most watched scene ever'.
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron was
much more like a passion product for most of the involved. Most of the cast and
crew were just out of their respective degrees from National School of Drama in
New Delhi or some other film school and none of them had any sort of stable
career by then. Lot of actors didn't even take any money to work in it, they
did it as a stepping stone for their career. In hindsight, it feels like
a miracle to see so many well known faces of the industry together in a film as
in 30 years since this movie, many of the actors have reached different heights
in their respective careers. With likes of Nasseruddin Shan, Om Puri, Sathish
Shah, Pankaj Kapoor and Satish Kaushik, this is probably the best ensemble of
the character actors Hindi cinema has to offer and despite that, director Kundan Shah made this movie in a budget of 725,000 INR. Now-a-days, movies have marketing budget that is 10 times bigger than that. Even the look and feel of this movie tells you that it is a low budget movie but what they lack with money, they compensate it with passion. Now this whole movie is played out as a dark comedy, a satire on deeply rooted corruption in almost every stream - in bureaucracy, business, media or even politics. One thing that I frequently go back to defend this movie is Monty Python and any of their movies. Their movies usually play like an all out farce but have a strong social commentary that goes with it. With a lot of over the top acting and many unbelievable situations like appearance and disappearance of coffin, characters feel like almost caricatures of themselves. Shobha seems like only person that knows what she is doing but as in Monty Python, that is pretty much intention here.
Every character in the movie is a parody of something similar that does exist in a real world, none of which is too subtle or even too smart, maybe a little too parodied for some. However at the heart of all this stupidity and parody is very serious introspection of society and its ways which holds surprisingly true even after almost 30 years since its release. As I explained above in case of Taneja and Ahuja, all the characters are well-thought. Script takes various turns, some of which may feel extraneous but even the small events have something more to say than meets the eye. Take scene under the bridge where a cop takes Sudhir and Vinod's ticket money from them for no reason for example or their fight with Shobha in the end. All in all, it is a remarkably timeless take on very human quality of greed or self-importance against moral or ethical standards.
Rating(out
of 5):
Previous Essentials:
Satya(1998)
Sholay(1975)
