Movies are one of my most ardent passions to while away the time.A set interval bound presentation of any intriguing,pertinent,humorous, poignant,realistic wicked,wacky,incredulous,a payload of unbridled creative imagination unleashed through the nuanced enactment of the eclectic characters via scrupulous actors is what a movie is for me.It keeps me hooked on to it till the penultimate moment.It generally squanders away my precious time ensuing in procrastination .But those few hours of splendid enchantment have and will remain the most relishing and sometimes rejuvenating experiences.Even during end sems I certainly managed to ensconce one or two movies into my schedule.Throughout the year the almost HD movie trailers which I downloaded from iTunes created a lot of anticipation for them and most of them assuaged except one, Terminator Salvation.This year brought an incredible,heterogenous addition to my ambit ending with Michael Moore's hard-hitting and appalling movie 'Bowling For Columbine' which takes me to my new year resolution:
"I will watch more and more of Michael Moore's movies".
1.Into The Wild-
The film had an immediate and lasting transcendental impact and has that gnawing appeal thats enthralling and to some extent invigorating. The surreal journey of Chris unfolds with ethereal beauty that amazes you into the ambience and feel of Chris'vagabond lifestyle opting to go against the status quo mainly due to his distressing upbringing.The film's apt and brilliant soundtrack from Eddie Vedder consolidates the film.The hagiographic passion of the Chris is still something of a conundrum to me but it leaves a rapturous charm whenever I see it.
2. American Beauty-
A highly dramatic salvo enchanting with its slew of facetious characters set in contemporary times.Each character is frustrated with certain facets of his/her life and is at the verge of giving up on making endeavors to overcome their perpetual grievances.Kevin Spacey due to his acting prowess has played impeccably a disgruntled sedated character with his insipid life where he has lost face from his family,courtesy his languishing marriage and an insolent daughter.The untoward turn of events in his life after confrontation with his daughter's girlfriend resulting in an unrelenting infatuation and being fired from his job leads him to undergo an overhaul in his life that ends up with unprecedented consequences. By dint of his skill and versatility the director through the willful perceptions of his distressing characters signifies the inherent beauty in the most trivial and non-existent things around us.
3. Inglorious Basterds-
An inundating sadistic extravaganza deliberately haranguing the Nazis with callous treatment meted out to them by the gritty inexorable Inglorious bastards,a clandestine American Jewish group using inconspicuous means.The intriguing conversations form the core of the movie which got further refined by the fabulous and splendid performance of Christopher Waltz and immaculate direction by Quentin Tarantino.With undue regard given to the intricate details especially to capture the spontaneity in the scenes to make it more credible and absorbing shows the mark of an adept and maverick filmmaker.The prosaic ending,nevertheless,it is a brilliant and highly recommended movie.
4.Being John Malkovich-
As bizarre as the idea sounds it is indeed that much more interesting,inventive and out of the box.Its uncanny,wicked and the more I pondered over how awkward the whole concept was the more absorbing and rivetting it became.
5. 12 Angry Men-
A gripping classic that stands out among the plethora of crime dramas amazing with its engrossing and coherent content that streamlines with exemplary performances. An eclectic mix of importunately recalcitrant, truculent, chary, indolent, cognitive and astute jurors is being presented with a case with capital punishment as the only sentence. How the jury is bogged down by reasonable skepticism and credible explanations elaborating every aspect of the crime ensuing in unforeseen ramifications is the essence of the plot. The assiduous presentation of the various developments in the movie till the establishment of a unanimous decision all shot in one room is a truly remarkable feat achieved by the director.
6. Before Sunrise-
An indelible experience that can be classified as an aberration in its kindred genre of movies as regards the awry and wayward presentation, almost impromptu enactments and the sublime touch in ending the penultimate moment on a dithering and forlorn note. Ethan Hawke plays adroitly the loquacious, slovenly cynic character of Jesse who inveigles to railroad Celine, a mellow, graceful character with a knack for waxing lyrical, played elegantly by Julie Delpy, into spending an evening with him in Vienna. The movie has a nonchalant and austere feel to it and the scintillating conversations on a plethora of issues resulting in sententious and sometimes congenial conclusions made more intriguing by the natural performances from the lead actors is what sustains the interest.
7.Before Sunset-
The sequel to the riveting 'Before Sunrise' is idyllic to the hilt and has the kindred zing and appeal to it assuaging its fans with its somewhat cavalier approach to the irrevocable predicament of the characters with Jesse in a placid begetting marriage and Celine disgruntled with her boyfriend. En passant Jesse meets Celine 9 years after their indelible encounter in Vienna. Celine has become a little prudent and gritty as an environmental activist decimating her capricious attitude to an extent but continues to be feisty and certainly hasn't lost that sheen of eccentricity with a bewildering catharsis in the end. Jesse on the other hand underwent an overhaul in his ideology with him becoming more mature and wise maintaining a sanguine attitude. The canny attempt by the director to continue the dilly-dallying conversations, an integral part of these films works leaving the viewers to conjecture on the events ensconcing a rapt attention throughout.
