Sharing some movie reccos with you
I’ve been sitting on this blogpost for the past few weeks. At any given point of time, there are multiple ideas to deal with but the best part about working on several thoughts at once is none of them get done. And even when something is indeed completed, it feels like it could have been better. Such is the downside of non-singular approach to an idea. Or maybe, it’s just me. There was an era, so to speak, when I could churn out short stories, composition of one-liners, bad poems, etc.—amounting to anywhere between 3 to 5 blogposts per week—but that proficiency is long gone. I’ve got greater headaches in life now and if I manage to compose 20 good lines and one blogpost in 10 days, I am well within half a mile of happiness.
Anyway, today’s random blogpost is on the many movies that I recently consumed (and which I believe, you might like as well). Last year, I shared 24 movies worth watching and then I topped it up by recommending 55 must-watch, too. Later, some of you reached out to me, asking me to do regular recco posts. Turns out there are readers who miss my movie-related tweets, which I used to do regularly. Not anymore. I don’t know why I stopped tweeting about the movies I’ve watched. Similarly, I (gradually) stopped reviewing movies as well. Maybe the truth is, I don’t enjoy writing long essays about how I felt about a movie.
For two reasons:
1. I am just a spectator in this game of voyeurism.
2. Whatever I feel is bound to change with time.
Also, some things—like Federer’s effortless one-handed background—aren’t supposed to be explained in words. Just shut up and witness it. All things said and done, here we are… on the verge of another movie recco fest!
As you may know, being a decent reviewer, I never give out the plots. Hope you find whatever it is that you expect cinema to nourish you with.
An Irish Goodbye (2022)
This short film will touch your heart and you will later google the meaning of the title. Oh, just make sure you have the subtitles on. Gaelic accent is quite a trickster.
The Son (2022)
A piercing tale of how a broken family affects the child more than anyone else. Before watching this, do go through The Father (2020) by the same director.
Summer Hours (2008)
I can’t stand French pretentiousness in the name of art but this movie felt like a genuine ode to that crack you hear in your head when a memory dies.
Living (2020)
There are very few oldies as excellent in front of the camera as Bill Nighy is. Yet, it’s fair to suggest that this film could have been chopped by 15 minutes or so.
Rye Lane (2023)
From the beginning to end, you’d notice (and appreciate) newness: the way the dialogues are being delivered, the way angles are captured and the way the story is related.
It All Started With a Stale Sandwich (2019)
The most tiring documentary I’ve watched in a long while. Best to avoid it. For the next 50 years, at least. Or maybe you should watch it and let me know.
Gulmohar (2023)
If you liked Kapoor & Sons (2016), you are going to relish this family drama. My favourite character was the matriarch played by Sharmila Tagore.
Tetris (2023)
Chances are you’ve played one of the most popular video games ever. You will now learn the story behind its making, and more importantly, how it got so damn popular.
A Tale of Three Sisters (2019)
Subtlety thy name is Turkish cinema. While watching this colour feast, you will walk through many unrequited dreams, unfinished sentences and a lot of mad sorrow.
Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed (2013)
If you are a John Lennon fan, you can’t miss this road movie. If you aren’t very fond of the Beatles, you will find other reasons to like this movie for a bit.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Rewatched this Ang Lee classic. Throughout the film, I was wondering how did a Taiwanese filmmaker got all those Victorian nuances so close to perfection.
A Good Person (2023)
Your life can change in a minute. Or maybe less. By the end of it, you can only wonder what did you do to deserve it? And maybe, just maybe, you aren’t a good person at all.
Cairo 678 (2010)
Arguably one of the most important movies ever made on women’s rights. Gives you a peek into the claustrophobic world the Egyptian women were expected to embrace.
The Third Page (1999)
Expect the unexpected in this seemingly innocuous looking story. There are many intrigues, effectively played out the two main characters. Well played.
Great Freedom (2021)
If you’ve got homophobia, this film might cure you. One of the finest in-prison performances in recent memory.
Thalaikoothal (2023)
Euthanasia is seldom spoken about in Indian context but this Tamil film bravely spins the dilemma around it. A son’s love for his indisposed father gets tested.
The Inspection (2022)
A motivating story about a man who is keen on proving his naysayers wrong. The big question remains: will his mother love him back?
Emily the Criminal (2022)
I wasn’t fond of Aubrey Plaza as an actress (she seemed better off as a staring contest champion). This movie made me think that maybe she is not bad at all.
Athena (2022)
Whenever you watch those disturbing videos of streets burning in Europe, especially Paris, you wonder what went wrong? You’ve got your answer now.
Hit the Road (2021)
Iran makes about 250 films a year and most of them are deeply humane and warm. For a change, this one is pretty much against the system and a brave call for freedom.
Speak No Evil (2022)
After watching this Dutch/Danish film, you will try to be extra-cautious about the people you meet and interact with during your holidays in faraway lands. Sorry.
The Devil All the Time (2020)
A splendid cast, followed by a striking story about good and evil, followed by moments of long pauses. You will remember this for a while.
Close (2022)
A tragic tale of friendship and intimacy in a language that is so devoid of adulthood and hence, sacred.
The Forgiven (2021)
Don’t think there are many celebrated male actors who have balded as significantly as Ralph Fiennes and yet manage to hold onto meaty roles. Even in the middle of a desert.
The Good Boss (2021)
What a yarn! Like tiny little kisses, there are moments building to the finality. Here is a man who wants to be fair but isn’t entirely sure whether he can be fair.
Watcher (2022)
This could be one of the most hard-hitting ‘tribute’ to the stalker culture that social media has enabled in the past decade or so.
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
A very raw representation of what transpired in the final days of World War 2. It’s not as haunting as 1917 (2019) but there is something intimate about seeing something end.
Argentina, 1985 (2022)
Argentina was the richest country in the world in the 1890s and then it went down the route of decline. This film pauses for the most pivotal court case in Argentinean history.
Babylon (2022)
Remember when they made Troy (2004) and it flopped miserably at the BO? Well, people eventually realized it was an epic movie (quite literally). The same could be true for Babylon.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)
Just when you assume that there can’t be innovation in storytelling for the big screen, you come across a cute out-of-the-box storyline like this. Do watch it.
She Said (2022)
I genuinely feel the #MeTooMovement deserved a much stronger movie but this one comes close. It’s not as evocative as Spotlight (2015). Until we get a better one, this is it.
The Good Nurse (2022)
What makes this movie hugely disturbing is it’s based on a true story. Also, Edward Redmayne’s deadpan expressions.
To Leslie (2022)
There was some controversy around Andrea Riseborough’s Oscar nod but in my opinion, she delivered a stunning performance here as a hopeless mother.
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Dedicated to the bird lover in you. As well as the murderer.
The Quiet Girl (2022)
Started with an Irish production so makes sense to end the list with something Irish. I just loved this movie from Ireland. That’s all.