The Month that was May

          Sorry for being so late again, guys. This month has been a hectic/anxiety-inducing/avoiding any type of work kind of month so far. I've finally chosen where I'm going to do my masters. It's in a place called Noida which is near New Delhi. I'll be living on my own for the first time in my life- it's really exciting and scary. I don't know what's going to happen to the blog when college starts. We'll see when the time comes, I guess.

          Anyway, May was a fairly good month in terms of movies and books. Not *as* much TV because I took a vow to give it up for two weeks if my flight from Delhi which was experiencing loads of turbulence would stop shaking so fucking much... and it did. Honestly though, I just wanted to see if I could do it. The number of TV shows below appears large but they were shows I was following weekly. No binging apart from Mad Men. This gave me time to read more, although I hardly read anymore so it's still not that much. Also, I caught up on some older movies that I had been meaning to watch for a long time but had been putting off to watch more recent stuff/TV.

Firsts:

1) While We're Young- It was funny but it's probably my least favourite Noah Baumbach film I saw.
2) Wake Up Sid- It's been on my watchlist for the longest time. I quite liked it. Konkana Sen Sharma is so pretty.
3) Ex Machina- It's my favourite film of the year so far. It's really smart, and the kind whose brilliance dawns on you after you think about it. I loved its gender commentary and subversion. It's gorgeous to look at and fantastically acted and goddamn, that dancing scene!
4) Piku- It was very sweet although I did think that constipation as a theme was pretty weird. Irrfan Khan is so attractive.
5) Slow West- I liked it although I think you need to be familiar with/actually like the western genre to understand what it does differently, and I don't qualify for either of that so I don't really get the acclaim apart from how stunning it looked. Plus, Fassy in long-johns *adds infinite points to rating*
6) Mad Max: Fury Road- Excellent. Amazing. Gorgeous. Everything everyone said about it was spot on. Second favourite of the year currently.
7) Girlhood- Joining the ranks of all the people who said this is better than Boyhood. I especially loved the "Diamonds" scene (and I've been listening to that song non-stop ever since).
8) Fire- Super late blind spot. Pretty good, weird tantric porn music in the sex scenes notwithstanding, of course.
9) All That Jazz- Blind spot- Quite brilliant, especially Roy Schneider's performance.
10) The Age of Adaline- I watched it for the insanely hot Michiel Huisman and in that regard, I wasn't disappointed. Everything else in the movie is meh.
11) The Verdict- I read "Making Movies" so I thought I should watch a Sidney Lumet film after that.
12) Million Dollar Baby- I really expected to hate it but it was fine. I really did not like the score though.
13) Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!- Stockholm syndrome brought to you by Technicolor! I liked it :P
14) A Prophet- After Jacques Audiard won the Palme d'Or for Dheepan, I had to check this out and lo and behold, I absolutely LOVED it! So, so good.
15) Spartacus- It was good but god, it went on forever.
16) Safe- Getting ready for Carol. It was terrifying and incredible.
17) Tomorrowland- Don't get the hate for it. I thought it was lovely and uplifting and beautiful to look at.
18) Alphaville- The story was interesting but god, the voice of Alpha 60 was painful.
19) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof- I really thought I had watched it but apparently not. I was surprised at how sexy it was. I prefer the play slightly more but good lord, how attractive were Liz Taylor and Paul Newman?!
20) Killer's Kiss- So I thought that I have finally finished Kubrick's filmography with this but turns out there's another feature he made before it. Anyhoo, I quite liked it. The acting wasn't the greatest but it was shot really well and the kisses were indeed great.
21) Results- It started out well but I think it lost its way in the middle. Guy Pearce is so fit in it.
22) Kramer vs Kramer- I'm also consciously trying to slowly make my way through the Best Picture Oscar winners. I thought this was great and very affecting.
23) La Jetée- Fantastic. Never seen anything like it but I absolutely loved it.
24) Much Ado About Nothing- Very fun especially because of Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. Although, dafuq Keanu Reeves?


Rewatched:

1) Black Swan- My friend went a little nuts over Vincent Cassel and that rubbed off on me so I *obviously* had to rewatch this.

2) The Avengers: Age of Ultron- Better the second time 'round imo. The excitement has settled down and one can focus on the script better.

3) Kingsman: The Secret Service- Fun! Fun! Fun!

4) Spring Breakers- I made my Lambcast debut! Woo hoo! Love this film.

5) The Usual Suspects- I'm also trying to rewatch old favourites that I've only watched once. The movie is as excellent as I remember.

TV shows: (skipping quotes because of the number of shows)

1)Parks and Recreation, season 7- Like the fucking idiot I am, I forgot to include this in my last monthly round-up. I love this show, forever and always. It was an excellent season with beautiful and hilarious episodes and great acting all around. I can't choose an MVP because all these characters were so special. My favourite episode, if I had to choose one, was probably "Ron and Leslie" because I loved the emphasis on the friendship of these two wonderful characters.

2) Mad Men, season 6 and 7- AAAAAA I finished watching the episodes just in time! I saw the last two episodes ever of this show with everyone else and it was awesome. I just wish I had started the show sooner. Again, it's difficult to choose a favourite season 7 episode because of the way I watched the show but it's probably "The Strategy" because of the Don and Peggy dance. Uhh MVP is hrd as well. I love Peggy, Sally, Roger, Joan and Meredith but everyone's acting is excellent. I suppose Jon Hamm, Elizabeth Moss and January Jones gave my favourite performances over all.

3) Brooklyn Nine-Nine, season 2- It had a lot of breaks so I am not sure whether this season was better than the last but I loved it all the same. a) Favourite episode- One image from this season that has forever been burned in my mind in the room with all the dolls. So I guess "The Road Trip" wins this title. I liked Sophia. b) MVP- Everyone in the main cast is great but I'm going to choose Kyra Sedgwick's Madeline Wunch. She's such a worthy opponent to Captain Holt.

4) Outlander, season 1- I LOVE this show. It's become one of my favourite shows of all time already. I love the characters and the central love story and how the female lead is placed up and centre of it all. a) Favourite episode- Well, "The Wedding" topped my favourite episodes list of last year. It's still probably my favourite but one also has to mention the most brutal episode of television I have ever seen, the season finale "To Ransom A Man's Soul" which is the flip side to "The Wedding" in regards to the way sex and intimacy is dealt in both. b) MVP- Both Sam Heughan and Tobias Menzies are excellent but Caitriona Balfe's Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser is the show's heart and soul. Even in the last two episodes where the men have more memorable scenes, Balfe manages to equal them through her own subtlety.

5) Jane the Virgin, season 1- This has become one of my favourite shows of all time as well. I can't choose a favourite episode. I know I chose the first one in my year-end list but that's only because it needed to be represented. Every episode is great in its own way. I love all the actors, the Latin Lover Narrator, the visuals, the music, the telenovela elements mixed with the real emotional relationships in the show- ugh, everything is beautiful. Though I must give a special shout out to Jamie Camil who plays Rogelio, a character that would have been a caricature in lesser hands, and Anthony Mendez whose Latin Lover Narrator is a character in his own rights, the show would be nothing without the absolutely lovely and luminescent Gina Rodriguez. Her comic timing is matched by her ability to find new emotional depths in the crazy life that her character leads, and her chemistry with each and every actor on the show is top-notch. She can and she did, you guys.

6) The Flash, season 1- Heyyy this was fun! I don't love it as much as Agent Carter or Daredevil but I like the actors and the characters and the visuals are pretty good too. a) Favourite episode- "Out of Time". Just like, SO much happens! It's probably the most excited I was all season. b) MVP- Grant Gustin's Barry Allen is adorable but I have a soft spot for Tom Cavanagh's Harrison Wells. He's so deliciously evil. Love supervillains.

7) New Girl, season 4- This was a weird but a pretty good season. I liked that everyone was friends this season again. Much like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, this had wayyy too many breaks for me to judge it properly. a) Favourite episode- "Clean Break". It's a great episode but it would be here on the basis of that proposal alone. DAWWWW! b) MVP- I think this was a pretty good season for Damon Wayans' Coach. He will be missed.

Books:

1) Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides- I thought the ending was rushed but I loved everything else about it. It's so fantastically written.

2) Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn- Ooo this one was scary. I love the way Flynn's mind works. Also, I don't know how she imagines such awful women but it's fascinating.

3) Making Movies by Sidney Lumet- I have had this book for about two years now and I was done with hating myself for not reading it already. It's really good and informative and I have a lot of stuff underlined for hopefully the future.

4) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams- I was getting desperate to catch up on my Goodreads Reading Challenge (which is only 30. Please don't judge) so I decided to read the thinnest books I own. I know it's a play but I own it as a book so... :P I really liked it.

5) The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde- Trivial but so much fun!

6) Incest by Marquis de Sade- It was intriguing but I could have done without all the judgment throughout the book. Let me judge on my own! I know incest is bad ffs!

Final tally:

                                                          Firsts- 83                                                Rewatched-: 36

                                                                                          Total- 119        

      And that's it. No promises for what's to come this month :(

Mini Reviews- Blind Spot Edition

      Yes, I know I am terrible. All I can say is that it is actually a real shame that I haven't been able to write about (or even watch) my Blind spots in the past three months because I had a lot to say about them (or for at least three of them). Enjoy, I guess.

February- A Matter of Life and Death (Dir: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1947)

Basic plot: Before his plane crashes, British Air Force pilot Peter Carter contacts an American radio operator June and talks to her for a few minutes. This crash was meant to take his life but Conductor 71, who was supposed to take him to the "Other World", missed him due to a fog and Peter washes up on the shore where June finds him and they fall in love. This causes a great deal of confusion in the "Other World" and they try to get Peter back but he refuses because he now has a reason to live for. His "hallucinations" get treated by a friend of June's, Dr. Reeves, who becomes Peter's attorney in the appeal for his life.

          Oh I loved this film! I wanted to write about it on Valentine's Day but yeah, that didn't really happen. I love movies in which something as conceptual as love being stronger than death is explored not only in terms of drama but intellectually as well. It was beautiful to look at- the "Other World" was black and white, with huge halls and never-ending stairs and colossal statues, and earth was in Technicolour and as vibrant as other Powell-Pressburger films. I just felt so moved while watching it. The film also explores trauma suffered by soldiers and it keeps the visions Peter has ambiguous so we don't actually know if they happened or not. I think it depends on the person watching and I like to believe that they weren't simply hallucinations of a damaged mind but something real- that a person's soul matters so much that there is a humongous trial held for it and that a genuine tear born out of love can save that very soul.

          It wasn't perfect however. For most of its running time, I was sure that I will put this film in my top 100 but then something really odd happened. During the trial, there is a huge argument about which country is greater- England or USA. I can see how this would have worked when the film came out but it just made it tedious to watch now. It's the only thing in the film that makes it seem dated and it's especially jarring because everything else about it is so timeless.

           Coming to the actors, I thought David Niven as Peter and Roger Livesey as Dr. Reeves were both the best. I saw Tilda Swinton of all people praise Livesey in an interview a few months ago and I can see why. He was really wonderful in the movie. 

           This is my third Powell-Pressburger film and it's my favourite so far. 

March- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Dir: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, 2000)

Basic plot- Based on Homer's The Odyssey, the film follows three escaped convicts in 1930s Mississippi who try to find their hidden treasure and in their journey, they record a hit song, meet a bank robber, have one of them turned into a toad, save their black friend from a KKK meeting, reunite another one of them with his family, and stay out of the clutches of a relentless devil-like policeman who is after them.

           While I wouldn't call it a dud exactly, this is my least favourite Blind spot entry so far. Maybe it's due to that fact that I haven't read The Odyssey, or watched Sullivan's Travels (which is another of its inspirations), or how much I hate country music, or probably a combination of all of this that made the film kind of a blah watch for me. This film is more or less a musical so the songs played a huge part in it and also in how I felt about it. Sure, it was funny seeing George Clooney sing and dance, or just the faces that John Turturro makes, but it wasn't enough. I just didn't care for it.

           One thing I will say is that the film is absolutely gorgeous to look at and even though I didn't appreciate the story, I thought it was very well-made.

            The Coen brothers are a sort of hit and miss for me. I do however tend to like their films more upon a rewatch and that might happen with O Brother Where Art Thou? in the future, though I have a feeling that the country music is going to be a real obstacle even then.

April- Fire (Dir: Deepa Mehta, 1996)

Basic plot- For 13 years, Radha has lived with a husband who has purged desire from his life, calling it the root of evil. His younger brother, who is in love with someone else, is forced to marry Sita, a free-spirited girl who wants love but finds none in her marriage. Living together in a house, neglected by their husbands, Radha and Sita find love and desire in each other.

          While watching this film, all I could think of was the Whitman quote Robin Williams' character quotes in Dead Poets Society: "most men live lives of quite desperation." Watching it, I could see that most women, especially those bound in heavily patriarchal and tradition-filled communities like those in India, really do live lives of quite desperation. But to be fair, I feel like each and every character in this movie was restricted in their own way. It's just that Radha and Sita, played so wonderfully by Shabana Azmi and Nandita Basu respectively, had their restrictions put upon them and they finally rebelled. I like how the film slowly questions the ways women are oppressed in Indian societies, through religion, traditions and patriarchy. A woman's desire seems bound to that of her husband and the film shows how that is not true and that to desire for things is what living actually is.

            Again, it is not a perfect film. I had never watched an Indian lesbian drama. In fact, I thought of it more as a love story than a lesbian story, sort of like Brokeback Mountain was when it came to men. This is because, as many gay activists pointed out, to see it simply as a lesbian story makes it appear like lesbianism is caused due to marital neglect by women's husbands, which gives out a terrible message. For me personally, it was odd watching all of them converse in English because of the setting. Also, I thought that the music in the sex scenes was something out of one of those tantric porn videos which made them kind of pervy.

            I wanted to watch a film directed by a woman for my Blind spot series. This is the first film by Deepa Mehta that I have watched and I am definitely keeping an eye out for her. I like the way she mixed the Indian culture, often showing us the stories that birthed it, and the way it has Westernized. I hope more people make movies like this.

May- All That Jazz (Dir: Bob Fosse, 1979)

Basic plot- Joe Gideon, a musical theatre director and choreographer, lives a life of excess- whether it is his smoking, his women, his medication or his work. Starting everyday with an "It's showtime!", jazz hands and all, he immerses himself in this elaborate life, creating a huge musical and editing a film on a stand up, until this excess catches up with him.

         There are many things to love in this film. Obviously, there are the musical aspects. I could see how this film gave rise to things like Chicago- where the musical elements are a sort of commentary on someone's life. In this case it's Gideon, whether it is his beginnings, his illness, the five stages of grief or his end. The songs are from different genres, the set-ups are spectacular and they all look great. There is also the musical Gideon is working on and oh my god, this film had the sexiest musical number I have ever seen. "Take Off With Us" turns into basically an orgy and it is completely amazing. The other musical numbers are fantastic too but this one is sticking with me forever.

         Another reason I loved this film was Roy Schneider. I never, ever, ever, ever thought he could do a role like this. He was sexy and mean and cool and conflicted and damaged and cocky- gaahhh, so good! I mean, he was quite an asshole but he still managed to make him heartbreaking. Such an inspired casting choice.

         The film is based on Fosse's own life and though occasionally it is a bit indulgent, I like it when filmmakers reflect on their own experiences through their art. I did think that Cabaret, the only other film of his that I have seen, had a better story and a perfectly matched style, but this was more ambitious and, obviously, I respect that. I can also see myself liking it more and more as time goes by.

The Months that were February, March and April

          Welcome to another unnecessarily massive post because I was too lazy/busy with stupid exams to do one each month! All I want to say is that I watched an obscene amount of TV for someone giving her final college exams.


Firsts:

1) Beyond the Lights- I really liked it. It could've been totally cliched but it felt very raw and real.

2) The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him- God, James McAvoy is so underrated.
3) The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her- The best one and I really liked this order.
4) The Voices- It's kind of quirky but then it gets too depressing. Ryan Reynools is really good.
5) Chariots of Fire- I liked it a lot, surprisingly. I'm not one for sports movies generally.
6) Ordinary People- I really liked it although it's annoying that Timothy Hutton got an Oscar for this role and Logan Lerman got nothing whatsoever for Perks of Being a Wallflower.
7) Bananas- Super fun.
8) The Liability- Watched it for Jack O'Connell. It was pretty okay.
9) Roy- Worst 2015 movie so far.
10) Spanking the Monkey- Cannot believe that David O'Russell made this. Loved it.
11) A Matter of Life and Death- This was my February Blind spot which I didn't write on... yet. I loved it.
12) In the Heat of the Night- I don't think it's aged very well even though its message still applies, sadly.
13) Fifty Shades of Grey- Unintentionally hilarious. Johnson's pretty decent.
14) 3 Women- I didn't know this was going to be so surreal.
15) Wild Tales- Awesome. Best kind of humour ever.
16) Kingsman: The Secret Service- So much fun! The weird princess bit at the end notwithstanding, it's my favourite 2015 film so far.
17) Ugly- So unnecessarily bleak.
18) Charade- Fun!
19) Zero Motivation- I loved it. More films like this, please.
20) The United States of Leland- It was kind of terrible. Not all Gosling movies are good :/
21) The DUFF- I liked it a lot. Mae Whitman rules!
22) Romy and Michele's High School Reunion- I don't know why it took me so long to watch it. It's fucking brilliant!
23) All Good Things- All the talk about The Jinx got me to check it out. Both the Gos and Kirsten Dunst were v. good.
24) Focus- The leads were great. The film, not so much.
25) Cinderella- Absolutely lovely.
26) Thirteen- Wowsers, that was dark.
27) A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night- It got a bit slow in parts but I really liked it. Totes dressing up as the Girl at some costume party.
28) Office Space- Meh.
29) Dum Laga Ke Haisha- A really sweet and simple Bollywood film.
30) Mad Max- It's like a lame origin story.
31) Mad Max: Road Warrior- THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! SO GOOOOD!
32) The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover- I don't know why but I thought this was going to be a "light" comedy. Yikes!
33) Step Brothers- Laughed a lot.
34) It Follows- It wasn't that scary. I actually went with my dad and he fell asleep during the movie and he hated it. I liked it, especially the music and the way it's shot.
35) Fast and Furious 7- It's fun as long as no one talks.
36) A History of Violence- I've watched it in parts but never completely. Really good.
37) O Brother Where Art Thou?- I'm not the biggest fan of country music so that got a bit annoying but I liked it.
38) The Avengers: Age of Ultron- First day, first show! I was going to review it as soon as I came back home but my brother forbade me till he had watched it and now I kinda don't want to anymore... I still might but in short, I liked it a lot but it had issues.
39) Adult Beginners- I thought it was like a lesser The Skeleton Twins.
40) Lost River- Weird as fuck but not completely terrible. Never going to forget Ben Mendehlson dancing ever.

Rewatched:

1) Stoker- Margaret went Goode crazy and so I had to rewatch this *fans herself*
2) Run Lola Run- For our 90s episode. Still one of the craziest, coolest films I have ever seen.
3) La Haine- 90s episode. Cute, adorable Nino Quincampoix from Amelie made this. Like WOAH!!
4) Can’t Hardly Wait- 90s episode. Fun!
5) Election- Tracy Flick is such a fascinating character. I kinda hate her but I also have mad respect for how passionate she is.
6) Casablanca- Valentine's Day tradition.
7) Bridget Jones’ Diary- Ditto.
8) Chungking Express- New addition to Valentine's Day tradition.
9) The Breakfast Club- For it's 30th anniversary. I'm so scared that one day I will start identifying with Vernon :/
10) Kill Bill vol. 1- It's been too long since I had watched this. I should make a Withrow-esque "__ Things I Love About Kill Bill that No One Talks About" list because god, I adore this film.
11) Kill Bill vol. 2- Same.
12) Captain America: First Avenger- After watching Agent Carter, I got really thirsty for my favourite Avenger (if we don't count Peggy Carter herself)
13) The Avengers- See.
14) Captain America: Winter Soldier- Seeeeee.
15) Drive- It's been forever since I watched this too. I think it's kind of a perfect movie.
16) Zoolander- After the Zoolander 2 announcement, this had to be revisited.
17) Selma- Amazing
18) Star Wars episode IV: A New Hope- I think a huge reason why I can't ever love Star Wars (or the original movies at least) is because Luke bores the living shit out of me.
19) Star Wars episode V: Return of the Jedi- I kind of really like Lando.
20) Mommy- I cried so much this time. It broke me all over again.
21) The Heartbeats- There is maybe too much slo-mo but who cares if it all looks so gorgeous?
22) I Killed My Mother- Anne Dorval is aging like fine wine, isn't she?
23) Scott Pilgrim vs the World- Another one I hadn't watched in forever. I will never get bored of this film
24) (500) Days of Summer- Is the ending a happy one? Like really?

TV shows: (I'm skipping favourite quotes because there are so many)

1) Mad Men, seasons 1-6- I started watching this the day before my exams started because, duh. It's fantastic, of course. I am sorry that I waited so long to start it.

2) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 6 and 7- These aren't the greatest seasons but I love this show so much. For one thing, it has one of the best episodes of all time, "Once More With Feeling".

3) Grantchester, series 1- Anna lured me in by sending me links of the hot James Norton. He plays a priest in this show. What priest looks like that? (he's the one in the 2nd pic on the 1st row).

4) Daredevil, season 1- Really, really good. I especially loved the fight scenes (the hallway fight, amirite?) and the way the hero and the villain are so similar. a) Favourite episode: "Speak of the Devil". I liked how much we could feel Matt's mortality in this. Also, the two meetings between Matt and Fisk were both brilliantly handled. b) MVP- Though both Charlie Cox and Vincent d'Onofrio are excellent, I have a soft spot for Rosario Dawson's Claire. I wish we had more of her (one of the biggest flaws of the show for me).

5) The Mindy Project, seasons 1-3- They cancelled it, those assholes! Anyways, I really enjoyed it. An Indian woman who eats a lot and has a thing for hot, white guys and romcoms? It sure does sound familiar... Also, Chris Messina dancing is my sexual orientation from now on.

6) Agent Carter, season 1- SO FUCKING AWESOMESAUCE! I love it. I love the setting, the action, the banter and of course Peggy. Peggy is the badass goddess of my dreams. a) Favourite episode: "A Sin to Err" because we finally get Peggy showing those misogynistic assholes in SSR what a badass goddess she is. b) MVP: I loved James D'Arcy's Jarvis but this show belongs to Hayley Atwell's Peggy. She was already one of my favourite parts of Captain America: The First Avenger and in this show, she balances the action, the comedy and the emotions equally well.

7) Inside Amy Schumer, season 1 and 2- This show is the bestest thing ever and Amy Schumer is my god.

8) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, season 1- Really really fun. "Pinot Noir" is actually my ringtone. a) Favourite episode: "Kimmy Goes to Court" simply because who would have thought that *that* person is the father. b) MVP: As enjoyable as Titus Burgess and Jane Krakowski are, Ellie Kemper's Kimmy is my favourite. Her optimism is infectious even though my cheeks hurt just looking at her smiling so much.

9) Pushing Daisies, season 1- I suddenly had the urge to rewatch it. Watching season 2 is too painful because of how the show just ended after that :'(

10) The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst- After seeing the way people were losing their shit over this on social media, I had to check it out. That ending, man. WOW!

11) Broad City, Season 2- The show that is my life. Season 2 was actually better than 1. How did they do that? a) Favourite episode: "Knockoffs". We meet Ilana's mom, go underground designer knockoff bags shopping with them, deal with loss of a loved one, finally have Abbi and Jeremy go on a date, have Abbi and Jeremy do "pegging", see two people have a serious conversation about relationships while one of them has a dildo strapped on to their crotch the entire time- all of this in like a half-hour episode. It's incredible. b) MVP: I can't choose between Ilana and Abbi so this one is for Paul Downs' complete devotion to both Trey and his porn star alter ego Kirk Steele.

12) Fresh of the Boat, season 1- This is such a fun show too. I especially like the 90s aspects of it. And how totally adorbs Evan is. a) Favourite episode: "Very Superstitious" Jessica is my favourite part of the show so seeing her go nuts over the number 4 is hilarious. Also the freak out Louis has after removing his jade locket. b) MVP: Constance Wu is killing it as Jessica. I can watch her all day.

13) Better Call Saul, season 1- I have a weird feeling I might end up loving this more than Breaking Bad. Mostly because I feel so much worse for poor Saul/Jimmy. Really excellent show in its own right. a) Favourite episode: "Pimento" because of that long time coming confrontation between Jimmy and Chuck. Heartbreaking stuff. b) MVP: In Breaking Bad, I always thought of Saul Goodman as someone really sleazy but now I just feel the pathos of the character which is so beautifully brought out by Bob Odenkirk. He's doing truly wonderful work.

Books:

1) Tampa by Alissa Nuting- Oh this book is so filthy but so fun! I enjoyed it to bits. It's a blast being in the head of someone so heinous.

2) The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes- Ironically, it's the ending I didn't like. Really beautifully written otherwise.


Final tally: 
                                                   Firsts- 59                                    Rewatched- 31
                                                                             Total- 90

Here's hoping I'm better this month onwards.

"I fell in love with him the way you fall asleep: Slowly, and then all at once."- MY FAVOURITE 25 FILMS OF 2014

          I saw 132 2014 films which is probably the most I have ever seen of any year. My first 2014 film was Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and the last one was The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her, which also gives you a sort of idea of the range of the films from last year. It had everything and I mostly loved all of it. I mean, if you go through my Letterboxd list, I honestly only really dislike the last 15-20 movies. So, it has definitely been a task choosing my top 25. I wish I could have gone with a smaller number but it wasn't possible because of the caliber of these films.

         One thing I noticed about my list is that most of the films are either bleak as hell or full of exhuberance and humour. In fact, the higher one goes on the list, the more fun my choices become. I think I chose heart over matter this time but I don't regret anything. I like films that make me happy. These films did. So without further adieu, these are my picks:

25.

The Double

I am a crazy Submarine fangirl so I was super excited to see what Richard Ayoade does next and The Double didn't disappoint. One of the most unique looking and sounding films of last year, it also features a spectacular Jesse Eisenberg performance (or two). Plus, it has Fight Club-esque elements so, obviously, I was pleased.

24.

Starred Up

I don't know how else to put it but to say that this film explores emotions through violence. It actually made me cry at the end which I wasn't expecting at all. It's very gritty and scary but there is a sensitive side to it as well. It also has fantastic acting all around and it has put my man, Jack O'Connell, in the well-deserved spotlight.

23.

Force Majeure

Many of the films in my list have to do with expectations put on people based on their gender. Starred Up was one, Force Majeure is another. This is a very darkly funny look at the male ego and what happens when a man doesn't react the way he is required to. It is also a gorgeous film and has the best crying scene that I have ever watched on film.

22.

Only Lovers Left Alive

Oh it's just so cool and romantic and dreamy. The cast is perfect. Even smaller roles like that of Mia Wasikowska and Jeffrey Wright stick with you long after the film is over. Also, it made vampires awesome again.

21.

The Babadook

I feel that the best horror movies are rooted in something real and emotional and The Babadook has that. It's a film about a mother's anxiety and guilt about her troubled son and their complicated past and all of this manifests in the form of the dreaded Babadook. It is also very cleverly made, my favourite thing about it being the Babadook book itself.

20.

PK

Rajkumar Hirani is my favourite Indian filmmaker and PK once again proved this. Tackling religion in a country like India is one of the most difficult things one can do, but then also managing to make a wholly entertaining film with lots of heart in it- that needs to be lauded.

19.

Locke

I had no idea what Locke was going to be about when I started watching it. Turns out, it is also about the male ego- the way one man, because of his past, has envisioned his life and during this car journey, everything he has ever built is put at stake and it is up to him to come to terms with this situation. It's riveting in terms of its story, acting (a phenomenal Tom Hardy is our sole hero) and the way the whole thing executed.

18.

Selma

One of my favourite things about Selma was its focus. I haven't seen many biopics that are centred like that, especially not in 2014. It is a story about one event and how it affects everyone connected to it and how that has repercussions not only in the time of when the film is set but even till now. It is a fantastically well-made film and one that is painfully relevant in the intolerant and oftentimes inhumane world we live in.

17.

Pride

This was originally going to be my favourite shot of 2014 not because it is some cinematographic gem (why I had to leave it out of my best shots list in the end :() but because it is one of the most beautiful moments in the cinema of last year. In it, a person comes out to a friend and then they just continue preparing bread for sandwiches because their relationship is based on something beyond sexual preferences and there is total acceptance of that between them. The film is full of these tiny but significant moments of human kindness and friendship and it is, therefore, simply a joy to watch.

16.

Birdman

I still feel terrible about not watching it in the theatre because I am fairly certain it would have been higher in my list if I had. Still, this film is a spectacle to watch and not simply because of the way it is shot but also due to its story, themes and acting. It is also very funny which I didn't expect it to be at all.

15.

Nightcrawler

Speaking of funny, there were so many moments of uncomfortable laughter during this film. But I couldn't help myself! It is a very clever film that gives us one of the most compelling monsters of our time in the form of Louis Bloom. It boasts of a game-changing performance by Jake Gyllenhaal and it totally makes the viewers complicit in the dirtiness that the film portrays. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

14.

Under the Skin

I really expected the film to go over my head and me hating it as a result. Instead, I loved it. The striking visuals and eerily fantastic score aside, this film subverts one's ideas about sexual predators, by literally putting the woman on the front seat. It is also about the beauty of this world and how it is perceived by an outsider. A wholly unnerving work of art that does get under one's skin and stays there.

13.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

This is the Wes Anderson film that even Wes Anderson haters like. And I love him so of course I cherish this film. It is as beautiful as it is funny. I do think it loses its footing a bit which is why it's not higher up on this list but on the whole, it makes one wistful for a place and time that probably never existed until Anderson made it real for us.

12.

Calvary

I have a thing for films about religion and Calvary had me hooked from its legendary first line itself (for those who don't know, it's "I first tasted semen when I was 7 years old." This is said during confession in a church- I know, right?). It is a bleak film that gives us a week-long look into a modern-day priest's life and the people and circumstances that he has to deal with while also trying to keep his faith alive. Of course, it has the McDonagh humour there too and a truly excellent ensemble lead by the one and only Brendan Gleeson, who gives his best performance to date in it.

11.

Queen

One of the first 2014 films I fell madly in love with and which remained in my top 10 until very recently. It is a very fun film about a simple Indian girl who goes on her honeymoon alone, which is where she finds herself. Much like English Vinglish from a couple of years back, this film also tackles the issue of the Indian woman's emancipation though on a broader scale. The film takes very smart decisions with the course of its heroine's adventures and I sincerely hope this is the start of a new trend in Bollywood.

10.

The Lego Movie

I really do feel that this is one of the most intelligent films of last year. It is full of contradictions that work almost miraculously. It is about a commercial product but it satirizes corporations. It makes fun of the "Chosen One" trope but it also pays homage to it. It is about creativity as much as it is about following rules. Most shocking of all, it has a fun Batman! Mind = Blown.

9.

Snowpiercer

This is the film which finally replaced Queen and that too upon rewatch. As much as the shock factor is responsible for the impact the film has on the first watch, knowing about it makes it even richer upon subsequent viewings. It is a very dark movie that explores questions about humanity and tyranny but also a really thrilling one where we never know what to expect. It has a truly tragic hero and one of the most fun villains of last year. The train itself is a marvel (no pun intended), through which we see some of the most spectacular sets and visuals of last year.

8.

Two Days, One Night

This is a movie that couldn't be more different than its predecessor in its setting and themes but is also something of a thriller. Of course it takes place in a very realistic backdrop and the conflict that drives the film seems very trivial but the amazing thing about the film is how it manages to give it its due importance because that's how real life is. It's the small things that matter and even those stand for something bigger like individual versus community, as shown in the movie. Added to that, we have the always sensational Marion Cotillard delivering yet another superb performance that elevates the film even more.

7.

Nymphomaniac, vol. 1

I chose not to consider Nymphomaniac as one big movie because to me, the first part can exist almost completely on its own. I mean, it does have my second most favourite ending of the year (#1 ending is coming next) and I don't particularly think of it as a cliffhanger but rather as another instance of Lars von Trier's twisted humour. 

Nymphomaniac, vol. 1 is the most entertaining von Trier film that I have seen and it's one of the most enjoyable films of last year for me. I found most of it hilarious, from the way numbers and angles appear on screen to Seligman's academic approach to everything Joe says to Joe's deadpan delivery, especially during the penis catalogue, to obviously the Mrs. H incident and so on. There are also moments of sheer beauty in this film and even the darker parts have an emotional resonance to them and are not for shock value (which, unfortunately, most of vol. 2 is). I think the movie is a very interesting exploration of a young girl's sexuality and I appreciate the way it is tackled. If only von Trier had not, well, von-Triered the second part, the whole story could have been so much richer.

6.

Whiplash

I just love how confident this film is. Nothing in it is out of place. It is a precise, stylish, gut-wrenching look at the beginnings of an artist and the ruthless teacher who gets him to that place. I have spoken/written enough about its ending. I love it to bits. In its entirety, however, there are other films I love more but it is definitely a game-changing movie for me because it has completely transformed the way I look at films now.

5.

Obvious Child

I just feel like gushing every time I talk about this film. An abortion romcom that never makes light of its issues but still manages to be incredibly funny and real and lovely. The writing, the characters, Jenny Slate's wonderful lead performance- all of it is on point. And of course, I have a soft spot for romcoms and any film which tries to find new directions in the genre, which Obvious Child does remarkably, has all my love.

4.

Gone Girl

(That btw is the funniest moment of the film for me.)

Gone Girl is just so many things- it's a murder mystery, an investigation into the lies that make a marriage, a satire about media, a look into societal expectations of what makes a "cool girl" and a "good guy" and how it tears it apart, a Hitchcockian thriller and so on. I basically think Fincher is God and in this film, he has teamed up someone with an equally twisted mind and sense of humour- Gillian Flynn. Both of them together, along with one of the best casts of the year, have given us this beautiful pulp masterpiece. I'm not even going to start with how great Rosamund Pike is in it because I'll never stop. It's just an excellent film that keeps on giving.

3.

Mommy

This film is the most alive movie I have ever seen. It is very hard to write about it because I don't have anything to compare it to. Sure, the plot isn't something very unique and Xavier Dolan himself has tackled many of its issues in his earlier films, but the film is bursting at its seams with energy and life. Even in the quieter moments, it gets to you because you are so involved with what you are seeing. And what you are seeing are these beautiful, flawed people who love each other but are also constantly hurting each other and it's just so immersive that you're left devastated by the end. Plus, there's the cinematography and the music and the acting and gosh, everything! Just like Whiplash but on a bigger scale, I will never look at movies and what they can achieve the same way again after having watched Mommy.

2.

Guardians of the Galaxy

As much as I love the space epic elements and all the fighting and cool shit in it, the ultimate reason why this film is so high up is its humour. It is precisely the kind of humour I love. AND there are like so many types within that! There's deadpan, sarcastic, plain fucking rude etcetera. Also, the humour has a place within the story of the film just like its amazing soundtrack does. As much as the film sticks to the Marvel formula, it also deviates from it in the ballsiest of ways and it actually references it IN the movie itself and I have mad respect for all of that. Finally, it is friendship that saves the galaxy. If that doesn't make you feel things, you're basically the grass that Rocket is made to kick.

1.

We Are the Best!
This film gives me ALL OF THE FEELS!
I have, again, spoken a lot about it on the podcast, but to give a gist of it, (I'm going to go into deep stream-of-consciousness mode now) the story of these three 13 year old Swedish girls from the 80s reminded me of my own teenage which took place in mid-2000s in Dubai and though the settings couldn't be more different, the fact is that this film is a celebration of female friendship at that age and I know what that feels like. I'm sure even guys can relate to it- when you have your own group of misfits and those moments when you feel like even more of a misfit but your friends are always there for you. And this is the age when adolescence is just starting and it's confusing and fun and the film captures all of that!

It may be set 30 years in the past but it takes place very much as the girls are living it. Therefore, it feels immediate and spontaneous, just like the song the make up. And oh god, that song was when the film had completely won me over because I WAS THAT GIRL! (In that I hated and still hate sports). There were numerous other places I connected completely with this film and even when I didn't, I had such a blast watching these three awesome girls find their way through punk and friendship.

This film is infectious with its warmth and sense of fun and I just love it with all my heart.

        And with that, I can finally and fully close the book on 2014. I don't know when we'll get a film year like that again or if I'll be able to watch so many films from one single year any time soon. It was definitely a transformative year for me as a cinephile and yeah, I loved it :)

My other Best of 2014 lists include:

Shots

Scenes

Heroes and Villains

Performances

Everything Else (i.e., Sexiest Characters, Favourite Characters, Ensembles, Objects and Quotes)

What were your favorite films of 2014?

The Month that was- January

        What the fuck? How is a whole month over?! I'm still scratching a "5" over  the"4" every time I write the date. And this month has basically been me catching up on more 2014 films so even cinematically, I have not moved on. Um, it was an okay month. I managed to watch 26 movies in spite of having annoying exams. I seriously cannot wait for the day I take my last exam ever. I've been doing this for too fucking long! Time is a weird concept.


Firsts:

1) Love is Strange- It was sweet. I was perhaps less impressed than everyone else because its basic plot is the same as this very popular (and v.v.v.v.v. melodramatic) Bollywood film and I had sort of seen it before.
2) Selma- Fantastic, powerful, important and interesting.
3) Birdman- Awesomesauce. Edward Norton, you beauty.
4) Into the Woods- It was good-ish. Loved Emily Blunt.
5) The Imitation Game- Becomes worse and worse in retrospect. Oscar bait 101.
6) Unbroken- This on the other hand, I actually liked. Not only because Jack O'Connell (though that was obviously a major factor) but because I thought it wasn't as emotionally manipulative as I had expected a film like this to be. Looked gorgeous too.
7) Inherent Vice- I saw this on the day my exams ended i.e. height of my sleep-deprivation so it felt like I had been watching it for 5 hours. Plus it was annoyingly confusing.
8) American Sniper- I didn't think much about it, positive or negative, but now, post-Oscar nominations, I hate it. 
9) A Most Violent Year- It was a bit too slow for my taste but Jessica Chastain was glorious.
10) Dear White People- Biting as hell but also with an emotional side I didn't see coming. Great!
11) Wild- Didn't expect to like it as much as I did. Powerful performances, amazing soundtrack.
12) Still Alice- I didn't really care for it.
13) Paddington- My first 2015 film! It was adorable.
14) Rashomon- Well, let's just say the rest of the blind spots this year will really have try and usurp it as my favourite.
15) Incendies- WOWZA!!! Mind = blown.
16) Finding Vivian Maier- Beautiful. I loved it.
17) Citizenfour- It was really good and thrilling. Snowden is hot #onetrackmind
18) Top Five- So good! It was very funny and clever.
19) Laggies- Awwwww it made me happy. Modern day Keira > period Keira. Also, Sam Rockwell is hot too #onetrackmind


Rewatched:

1) Guardians of the Galaxy- First film of 2015! We are Groot, you guys.
2) Whiplash- Ugh this film is soooooooooooo fucking amazing!
3) Starred Up- I watched it with subtitles this time and it went from #56 on my year's rankings to #25. 
4) Locke- I love this film and Tom Hardy in it. He makes concrete sound riveting.
5) The Babadook- Wrote a review on this in my paper in which they asked for a film that explores a parent-child relationship. Quite proud of that one.
6) The Double- Still amazing and stunning.
7) Snowpiercer- Brilliant. I love it.


TV shows:

1) Transparent, season 1- I really liked it. The characters are kind of assholes, but they're also deeply human. I want to marry Gaby Hoffmann.
2) American Horror Story: Freakshow- I quite liked this season. The main players were kind of the most boring part of it. I was so much more interested in the stories of the other "freaks" and it made me really care for them. Also, Twisty friggin haunted my nightmares. a) Favourite episode- both parts of "Edward Mordrake". I loved the music, the backstories, the horror, the look, Wes Bentley, the passing of the baton of being the psycho on the show from Twisty to Dandy- all of it. b) MPV- Finn Wittrock's Dandy Mott. He's my favourite AHS character of all time. I had expected him to be a minor character so it was surprising to see him as the main antagonist of the season but god, he owned every minute of it. As Desiree puts it, he's a motion picture dreamboat who ends up being the biggest and the best freak of them all. c) Favourite quote- "One door closes, another opens. And this body is America, strong, violent and full of limitless potential. My arms will hold them down when they struggle. My legs will run them down when they flee. I will be the U.S. Steel of murder. My body holds a heart that cannot love. When Dora died, she looked right into my eyes, and I felt nothing. The clown was put on earth to show me the way. To introduce me to the sweet language of murder. But I am no clown. I am perfection. I am greatness. I am the future, and the future starts tonight."- Dandy "That Boy Is A Star" Mott


Books:

1) Under the Skin by Michel Faber- It's been so long since I read a book not connected to my syllabus in any way and this was a great way to start. It was really interesting and very little like the movie which made me appreciate both it and the movie more.
2) Dark Places by Gillian Flynn- So, well, dark. Not as good as Gone Girl but still a one-sit read.
3) The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith- I had the same problem with this as I had with The Cuckoo's Calling and that was after so much build-up, the resolution is far too quick and short.


Final tally:
                                        Firsts- 19                                                     Rewatched- 7
                                                                         Total- 26


        And now on to the month of Oscars and lists. I have started making them and the TV one should drop shortly. Stay tuned :D

January Blind Spot- Rashomon (1950)

         I was very happy with my chosen list of blind spots until I found out that for some reason, the majority of those movies are really difficult to find here. Therefore, though I had intended to start with something simpler and with a lesser "classic" status, I had to go with Rashomon. And well, it will be fair to say that I won't be surprised if this ends up being my favourite blind spot this year.

         SO GOOD!

          I have wanted to watch Rashomon ever since I heard Aaron Sorkin talk about its influence on The Social Network. I think everyone has a faint idea of what the story is about because they've heard about the "Rashomon effect". I'm going to give the barest of bare plots and say that it's about the varied accounts that four different people give of the same murder that has taken place.

         I don't want to say more because the fun of the film is going in without much knowledge, especially in regards to two of its narrators. I did not see them coming at all and it just added an extra layer of intrigue to an already fascinating film.

          Of course the major point this film makes is how malleable even something like truth can be in a world like ours. There is no absolute truth and that can terrify us, like how it did the wood cutter and the priest, or turn us into cynics, like the listener who comes their way, or we can be the silent, unseen judges who listen to the whole case but whose judgments remain unsaid. It is an unsettling and profound idea that the film explores and one that I haven't yet made my mind about fully.

         I also loved the place of ego and societal expectations of what men and women should act like in the whole conflict of who is telling the truth. The main focus of the stories is an incident that takes place between a samurai, his wife and a bandit. In (SPOILERS) each of their narrations, they present themselves as the more heroic figure, whether it is in terms of strength or suffering or inability to live with shame on their honour. It is also interesting to note how all of them take the responsibility of the crime to prove this point, which is again something I did not expect at all because I feel the usual assumption is that most people would do the opposite. This is put into a sharper contrast by the last narration we hear because it subverts the portraits the others had painted of themselves in their own versions. (END SPOILERS)

         The cinematography is another huge reason why I was so impressed with this film. It is absolutely stunning. The film has only three settings- the Rashomon gate, the woods and the courtyard. All of them by themselves and in contrast to each other provide some great visuals. The interplay of light and shadow in the woods, the starkness of the courtyard especially in the scene with the medium, the closeups of the lady and the scene when she has been "had" by the bandit- all of these have left an indelible impression in my mind.

         The acting of the film is also very good. I especially liked Machiko Kyō who played the samurai's wife. I felt that she had great control even in her melodramatic parts because she was often on the brink of going overboard but then did something completely unexpected instead.

          Kurosawa co-wrote the film with Shinobu Hashimoto and it was based on two stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Many film theoreticians believe that the ambiguity of truth in the film reflected Japan's defeat in the second World War which was something added to the story by Kurosawa because the original stories were written before the war. I think that is an interesting little historical setting but it doesn't really affect my reaction to the film because it explores questions beyond just a specific time period. I was much more absorbed by the fact that even the actors kept asking Kurosawa which version of the truth is real and he refused to tell them because he knew that that would defeat the purpose of the film.

         As I wrote above, the film has only three settings. My final reason of loving this film so much is its apparent simplicity. It is under 90 minutes which seems improbable because of all the themes being examined but there is such economy and clarity of focus that it becomes obvious why it is regarded as a towering cinematic achievement all over the world. The only other Kurosawa film that I have seen in its entirety is The Seven Samurai and though that is 3 hours long, I had come to the same conclusion that I did with Rashomon which is that nothing in these films is unnecessary. Everything is full of meaning and significance and maybe it's just the English major in me talking but that enriches the film even more. That a film doesn’t have to be complicated and confusing in order to be complex felt like such a refreshing concept to me.

          Yeah, so, I loved it. It was everything I thought it would be and so much more and all the other clichés of the same ilk. If you guys haven’t seen it yet, please do. It is uber short, and cool and entertaining and thought-provoking! All the other blind spots this year officially have a lot to live up to.