The Sixth Sense(1999) - English

 

Another Night Syamalan touch on the screen. Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osmant add attraction to this wonderfully picturized thriller movie. Dr. Malcome(Willis) is a children psychologist who keeps a regret for being unable to help a boy, Vincent, with hallucinations. Also he finds that his profession caused a distance between him and his wife Anna. After a long time of rest, he meets another boy, Cole(Haley) whose condition is much similar to that of Vincent. He decides to help Cole and thereby satisfying his regret for Vincent. Cole reveals to him that he can communicate with dead people. On Malcome's advice Cole helps a lot of ghosts to fulfill their desires. The end of the movie is really marvellous. Syamalan's style to keep such suspense upto the end is really something!

A must-watch movie.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest(1975) - English

 

The movie centred on a Mental Hospital tells the story of Randal McMurphy(Jack Nicholson) who is brought there for evaluation after he has been arrested for crime many times. McMurphy is very peculiar and kind of a rebel. He becomes favourite of the other patients there and his different attitudes help in the progress of them also. He outsmarts the oppressive nurse Miss Ratched who was a dictator there. He could inspire others also and help them acquire a self-esteem. One such man is Chief Bromden, who is ending the story in very touching manner. Performance of Nicholson as McMurphy is stunning and no wonder he bagged Oscar for it.

Priyadarshan's താളവട്ടം seems to be a remake of this classic movie, with added comedy and Keralite sentiments.

Field of Dreams(1989) - English

 

This is a drama-sports-fantasy movie telling the story of a farmer Ray. While walking through his corn field, Ray once hears a voice telling "If you build it, he will come" and he visualizes a base ball field. He decides to obey the voice and so he ploughs his corn field and builds a baseball court. Neighbors laugh at him for this, but he goes on with his field. One day, to his surprise, he finds a player in the field whom he identifies to be Shoeless Jackson, an old dead player. Later number of players in the field increases, all of them being passed away classic players in their youth. Ray continues to hear voices and he sets out in search of their meanings. After meeting so many people, going through so many situations, at last Ray finds his father among the players. He remembers how he used to resent his father for his craze for base ball and feels so happy and emotional to see his father.

The movie is so beautifully cinematographed and the storytelling is very impressive. It is a movie worth watching.

The Silence of the Lambs(1991) - English

This is one one of my most favorite horror-crime thriller movies. A young lady police officer, Ms Starling is assigned to investigate a murder series where the killer is just known as Buffalo Bill. No one knows anything more about him. Ms. Starling decides to seek the help of an imprisoned cannibalistic killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter(Antony Hopkins) who was a brilliant psychiatrist too. Dr. Lecter agrees to help her if he is moved away from the prison  where he is now and where he dislikes. But Lecter is so dangerous a man and a transfer of him is very risky. Starling takes the risk. Now there are two equally dangerous people she has to take care of. 

This is one of the top five thrillers ever made. The sole role of Antony Hopkins as  'Hannibal the Cannibal' made me a fan of him.

Saving Private Ryan(1998) - English

 

I have two prime attractions to point out here, Tom Hanks and Spielberg! This is one of the best war movies I have ever seen. While preparing letters to the family of the soldiers killed in the World War, the clerk notices that three of the letters are addressed to the same lady. It gives them a shock to realize that that lady lost her three sons in the war and her fourth son is still in war front. So they decides to bring the fourth person back from war and send him home with the news of his brothers' death. But that fourth man, Private Ryan is missing and no one knows whether he is alive or not. So a mission is constituted to find Ryan, save him and to send him home. Captain Miller (Hanks) is leading the team. They have to struggle a lot to save Private Ryan.

The picturisation of war fronts and the emotional sequences of the soldiers are stunning. It is a must-watch movie.

Lola Rennt(1998) - German

Lola Rennt, also called 'Run Lola Run' is a thriller movie. The movie consists of three segments, each of which has same beginning but drastically different outcomes. Manni, Lola's boyfriend is a small scale criminal. In an operation he lost a huge amount which he has to return to his boss immediately. Lola tells him to wait for 20 minutes, she would arrange the money. That is the beginning of Lola's three runs. She leaves the phone receiver and starts running. The movie shows how a second of delay changes the outcomes of the runs drastically. It's a full-length thriller and is comparatively short also.

My Sister's Keeper(2009) - English

 

Well, this is purely a realistic drama in which emotions and sentiments dominate. It is centered on two sisters Anna and Kate. Anna is a girl conceived in vitro as a genetic match for her sister Kate who is suffering from leukemia. She was regularly used as a source of blood, bone marrow etc for Kate from birth onwards. When she is 15, Anna finds it bad to be brought up like a medical instrument and she seeks the help of an attorney to claim medical emancipation from her parents. Then follows a series of arguments and counter arguments between the attorney and Anna's parents. The way Kate approaches her death, how her illness affects the people around, her relations to them etc are picturized in an attractive manner. If you don't hate sentiments, try this movie. It is worth your time.

Man on Fire(2004) - English

 

One of my favourite Denzel Washington movies. Denzel plays the role of Creasy, an alcoholic man who happened to be a the bodyguard of a little girl, Pita. Creasy was an unsociable man and kept a distance with Pita who was very sociable. After a while, Creasy gradually began to love the child and they become friends. But, one day Pita got kidnapped and Creasy was mortally injured in the attempt to save her. After recovering, Creasy set out find out the ruffians behind Pita's kidnap. Then the story becomes a full length thriller. Denzel has shown marvelous performance. It is a movie worth spending time for.

Hotaru no Haka(1988) - Japanese

 

This movie, more popularly known as 'Grave of the fireflies' is the best animated movie I ever saw. It tells the story of a teenager Sieta and his little sister Setsuko who are orphaned after the World War II. Their father who was a soldier dies in war and their mother, of disease. The children get shelter in an aunt's home and becomes a burden for them. Then Sieta sets out with his sister to an old cave. The sufferings they undergo and Sieta's attempts to keep his sister happy are picturized in a very touching manner. I am not shy to say that at the end of the movie, I cried and the climax haunted me for days. The best of all movies based on World War, i would say. A 100% must-watch movie.

Forrest Gump(2004) - English

 

Yet another of my most favorite Tom Hanks movie. This tells the story of Forrest, an 'almost-retarded' man who knows only to love. He is portrayed as a person who has been part of many historical events without his being aware of the importance of those events. The movie extends from the beginning of Forrest's school days to that of his son. Movie depicts the events of how a retarded boy managed to study with ordinary children, how he becomes an excellent sportsman, then a soldier, a famous citizen, then a fisherman, a good husband, a good father etc. in a very funny and entertaining way. Watching the movie you will surely love the innocent Forrest Gump. The special effects used is very excellent, especially the scenes where Hanks appears with late Great men like John F Kennedy. The film won six Oscars including the Best Actor for Tom Hanks. No wonder!

A Beautiful Mind(2001) - English

 

'A Beautiful Mind' is a Beautiful movie which is inspired by the life of John Nash, a Nobel laureate in Economics.

Movie begins when John Nash is student of Princeton. He is an introvert and indifferent man having no friends except his room mate. He is constantly in search of an idea which is completely genuine. He succeeds in it and he finds his way into many top level issues in the country. After a series of mysterious incidents, Nash is diagnosed to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. His disease causes a lot of trouble to his wife and family. The rest is the inspiring sequence of how Nash fights with this illness and finally bags a Nobel prize.

Its truly an inspiring movie. Performance of Russel Crowe as John Nash is marvelous.

The Terminal(2004) - English

 

The Terminal is a comic Spielberg film starring Tom Hanks. It tells the story of Viktor Navorsky, a man from Krakozhia(an imaginary nation). While Viktor was on air to US, his country underwent a military coup and the passport and citizenship of the country got canceled. When Viktor lands in US, he is a citizen of nowhere. So he couldn't be allowed to enter US, neither he could be sent back to his country. The only place where the airport authorities can keep him is the international transit lounge. The authorities thought he would escape from there and would become somebody else' head ache. But Viktor stays in the lounge and establishes a life there itself. The strange methods of Viktor and the various tricks played by airport authorities to get rid of him makes this movie a full-length comedy film.

The Terminal is a must-watch movie. Performance of Tom Hanks is really superb!

Click(2006) - English

  

'Click' is an entertaining comic drama which tells the story of a workaholic architect Michael (Adam Sandler). Michael is very fond of his family, but he doesn't find time to spend time with them because of his busy schedule. One day while shopping he gets a universal remote control that can manipulate his own life as he controls a video playback. He can fast forward, rewind, mute, program preferences and a lot in his actual life. The rest is a series of funny, and of course sentimental sometimes, incidents in his life that he makes with that remote control. At the end of movie, Michael realizes the importance of family and the moments of mutual interactions.

A simple movie worth spending time for. There is good scope for laughter

El Laberinto del Fauno(2006) - Spanish

 

El laberinto del fauno, also called 'The Pan's Labyrinth', is a Mexican fantasy-thriller-drama genre movie and is my most favorite Spanish movie. The story is centred around a little girl Ofelia who is so fond of fairy tales. She, along with her pregnant mother is brought to a forest by her arrogant stepfather Captain Vidal. War against anarchists is going on in the forest, but Vidal wants his baby to be born where he is. Ofelia finds an abandoned labyrinth in that forest and meets a lot of fairy tale characters there. She becomes involved in the fairy world and the story develops to bringing down of the political anarchy and the end of civil war.

This movie has remarkable excellence in the technical and graphical perfection. The fairy tale world is beautifully incorporated into the political topic of Spanish civil war. It's full of thrill from beginning to end. A must-watch movie.

Finding Forrester(2000) - English

 

This tells the story of a Black boy Jamal Wallace and his meeting with William Forrester, a well known author. Jamal had good talent in writing, but he never let anyone see his writings. Forrester was a man who published only one book, became so famous and later never came into light. Jamal accidentally meets him and they become friends. Forrester reveals his personal secrets and pains to Jamal and also helps him to bring out the real talent in him. But he insisted on not to reveal Jamal's friendship with him to anyone. An envious teacher of Jamal accuses him of plagiarism and at last Forrester himself comes to day light to save Jamal's prestige.

Forrester is made memorable by the ever remembered Bond, Sean Connery. It is a movie worth watching due to the catching story telling and performance of actors.

Getting Home (2007) -Chinese

 

This is a Chinese comedy-drama movie which tells the story of Zhao, a chinese worker, who takes pain to fulfill the wish of his friend Liu. Liu used to say that if a person is not buried after death near his house, his ghost would wander like a destitute. Unfortunately he dies during construction from drinking. Zhao embark on a difficult mission to take his dead friend to his home which is thousands of mile away. That is where the movie begins. The adventurous trip of Zhao with the dead body of his dear friend is full of comedy accompanied by the portrayal of his loyalty. He meets people from different cross sections of society and different situations in everyday life.

Cinematography covers the brilliant beauty of Chinese greenery and culture. Its a worth-watching movie, of course.

La vita e bella(1997)--Italian

 

This Italian movie tells the story of a second world-war period family. The Director Roberto Benigni himself is in the lead role. He plays the role of an Italian Jew,Guido, who is very charming and funny. The first half of the movie tells how he meets his girl and marries and make a family with her. At the beginning of second half, the family is being captivated by military. In order to console his little son, Guido tells him that all the suffering in that camp is just a game and the winner will be awarded a Tank. Unto the end, the movie is full of positive energy and entertaining. The sacrifice Guido makes for his family is really moving.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button(2008)-English

 

 Another must-watch movie in my list.

This tells the story of Benjamin Button who was born old and died young! The curious idea of aging backwards is skillfully and beautifully interwoven with the human relations and adventures. Benjamin Button was born with the death of his mother. His father abandons him thinking him to be a monster born with wrinkled skin. Later Benjamin reaches the hands of an old-age home keeper and there they realize that that 'new-born old man' is aging backwards! The story is a long one, but at no point of it would we feel bored. Many scenes in the movie are memorable. Director has done very well in the drafting of this picture. In many of the scenes we seem to forget we are watching Brad Pitt on screen.
A first class example for the excellence of human imagination.

Le Scephandre et le Papillon(2007) -French

 

 Le scaphandre et le Papillon, also called 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' is a beautifully picturized french movie based on the true story of Jean Dominique Bauby. 

The movie tells the story from the view point of a paralyzed person, Mr. Bauby. Mr. Bauby was a very charming journalist who at the age of 43 happens to undergo an unexpected stroke by which he is completely paralyzed. The only part he can move is his left eye-lid. In that stage, he realizes that his body only is paralyzed, but his imagination can still fly like a butterfly. With the help of a patient young lady,Claude Mendibil, he writes a book using his left eye-lid, thats the main turning point of the movie. A few days after the publication of the book, Bauby died of pneumonia.

The Director's signature in the movie is well-felt during the course of the movie. Portrayal of incidents through the eyes of a locked-in man, his memories and imagination, and the people around him is very attractive. Really an inspiring movie. All movie buffs must watch this.