"Everything ends. But there are always new beginnings."

       
        One thing that the great films of 2010 all have in common is that they justified the highly cliched saying "All's well that ends well". More than well; in fact the endings were brilliant. I have talked about how I love a film /book with good endings and that many a time the last line is all that separates from good to brilliant. So these are my favourite endings and also SPOILER ALERT!!


          Honourary Mentions- The King's Speech (Damn It- read note below) with Geoffrey Rush's face being the last shot, Never Let Me Go which is just so sad and beautiful, and Scott Pilgrim vs The World- classic example on how the ending somewhat ruins the film (except it's too epic to be possibly ruined).


Best Endings of 2010-


Those which can best be described by the following quote from the lovely Lewis Caroll- "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop."


        127 Hours- the last shot of James Franco's divine face as he looks on at the real Aron Ralston and his family, and the moral of the story of course "Never leave home without a note about where you are going" and we are made intensely happy at the thought that this man, with such an extreme tenacity for life, has not let his handicap come in the way of doing what he loves. It's the most uplifting ending of the year.


        I Love You Phillip Morris- The clouds, Jim Carrey's contentful smile and Ewan McGregor's loving look, and ofcourse the undying spirit of the conman and escape artist that is Steven Russel as he tries to breakout of prison yet again- all this comes together as the happiest ending because you know how Steven will never give up till he is with Phillip again.


         Toy Story 3- This was there in my favourite scenes list. The title of this post is totally apt for the ending of one of the best cinematic trilogies ever made. Our heart weeps (along with our eyes but you know what I mean) when two of the closest friends in the world- Andy and Woody bid farewell, but at the same time we know that there could possibly be no better ending. Those geniuses in Pixar really now how to surprise the public in the most wonderful and touching way, and Toy Story 3 is yet another proof of that.




And now those which totally express this quote by the uber-talented Bernardo Bertolucci- "I left the ending ambiguous, because that is the way life is."

         The Social Network- It is the ending that everyone is talking about, because in reality the story is far from over. The last scene of the film shows the amazing Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Facebook founder Mar Zuckerberg, refreshing the Facebook profile of the girl who started it all- Erica Albright and waiting for her to add him back. It shows us that the cocky yet insecure Mark is finally going to stop "pretending to be an asshole" and will "refresh" his life also, and he does so exactly as explained through the info being shown simultaneously. And accept it- we love it.


        Black Swan- "I was perfect." Sure Nina, played by the exquisite Natalie Portman, was but the ending is deadly confusing. I actually do not think she died at all because if one watches properly (as I just did again), the mirror piece must have gone into her stomach atleast two dance sequences before and there is no way in hell she could have "controlled" it. Yet many do think Nina died, while if you are like me, you think it was only the death of the white swan in her, who as Thomas played by sex-god Vincent Cassel had foreshadowed early on- "...in death finds freedom."


         Inception- This is a whole psychological battle and that total fucking Einstein of a man- Christopher Nolan, has his lips sealed. Limbo or Reality? Cobb's dream or Mal's? And most important ofcourse- did the top stop spinning??????? I, for one, thinks it didn't and that it is Mal's dream, played by the deadly gorgeous Marion Cottilard, and Cobb, the fantastic Leo Di Caprio character, is the one stuck in limbo...and the children are only figments of his subconscious. This ending will be discussed for ages, and believe me many many many will fight over it.


      So keeping up with the theme, I will NOT end by asing what were your favourite endings?

 

       Oh the NOTE- I liked The King's Speech(Screw You!) but not anymore due to the absolutely uncalled-for attention it is receiving. A film like this releases every year and a year like this, when so many groundbreaking films released, something as generic as The King's Speech(Burn in Hell) barely deserves anything. The only saving grace of the film is it's cast though, but being the faithful biased person I am, that appreciation will slowly fade away. So from now on, to show my complete loathing of the film, I will add a little obscene term in front of it.

She's making a list, and checking it twice- FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS FILMS!!

      Ho Ho Ho...it's that time of the year again!! While due to the many insignificant complications of my life, I haven't had a Christmas tree or anything Christmas-related this year, my favourite Christmas films do not fail me. I love Christmas films and it is absolutely essential for me to watch them on Christmas Eve/Christmas.
Now unlike the other lists I put up, these are ranked in order of my preference. Also I must add that if anyone has noticed, there is a "Recently Watched/Rewatched Films" list to the right of the page and those have been given ratings. These ratings directly refer to my love of the films and there is a great chance that they might not be "critically acclaimed" or "commercially successful" or both (a rare occurrence indeed), but I do love them if given a high rating or vice versa.


      Anyways, here are my most favourite Christmas films, in reverse order:

8) Elf- This is an adorable film about how a human baby crawls into Santa's bag of presents and grows up in the North Pole as an elf only to find out his "true nature" when he grows up. He then embarks upon a journey to New York to find his father, only to see that he has been in the "naughty list". Will Ferrel plays Buddy, the  human-elf who has to experience the greedy and often unkind world, that he changes with his true love for Christmas. The films also stars James Caan as Buddy's "naughty" father and Zooey Descahnel as his musical love-interest. 

7) Love Actually- This film shows us that during Christmas "love actually is all around". Of all the romcoms made on Christmas, Love Actually stands distinct. I love this film and it's enormous and fantastic cast. Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Rodrgo Santoro, Rowan Atkinson etc. The list goes on and on. I love Richard Curtis films because they end up leaving one feeling all warm inside, and that's exactly the feeling a Christmas film should leave behind. There are a whole bunch of intertwined stories in this film and all are set during Christmas time and all have some connection with love, whether it's young love, trans-lingual love, trans-Atlantic love, sort of nudist love, love between friends, love between the British Prime Minister and his worker, unrequited love, love between an old couple facing problems etc. (By the way, this paragraph contains 14 "loves" just in case you are wondering).


6) The Santa Clause- What happens if Santa falls of your roof and dies/disappears? Why, you take his place of course. This is exactly what happens to Scott. Obviously he isn't very keen on it, especially since he is facing problems with son Charlie and custody rights. Add to that, he starts growing this enormous white beard and gets a Christmas goodies-fetish. This film is sort of similar to Elf in showing how people do not care much about Christmas, but they need to be reminded of its magic. I love Tim Allen as Santa and the elves and his son are plain adorable.

5) Jingle All the Way- I love funny Arnold Schwarzenegger films!! While the best is Kindergarten Cop, Jingle All the Way is quite precious too. He plays a workaholic father, Howard Langston, who has to get the perfect action figure present, Turbo-Man, for his son on Christmas. Except, he forgets and goes to all extremes to buy it last minute. This is a hilarious films and one of my original favourites. Also, I like how it deviates from the whole "Christmas is not about presents" ideal. Damn right it is, and you know it!





4) The Nightmare Before Christmas- From this point on, all the films are technically on the same level but for rankings' sake... Tim Burton's and Henry Selick's animated Christmas feature has become on of the biggest and greatest cult classics ever. The story of Halloween Town and Christmas Town and Jack Skellington and Sally and all the weird Burton-esque characters is just brilliant. The idea that Christmas can be taken over by the most horrific festival- Halloween and what the outcome of it would be, how Santa Clause becomes Sandy Claws, and a blossoming love in all of this just shows the true friggin genius of Tim Burton! Oogie Boogie people!!!

3)  How The Grinch Stole Christmas- This can also be called How Jim Carrey and Dr. Seuss Go Together. They really do. I love the story of a green and hairy Scrooge-ish Grinch who hates Christams and the Christmas-loving Whoville. He has shunned Christmas like how the people of Whoville have shunned him. It suits both of them fine until a young Who called Cindy Lou decides to vote him as the recipient of Whobilation, a great tradition and honour in the little town. At first Grinch is hesitant, but he does come to join in the celebrations, only to be then insulted by the Mayor Augustus May Who. After creating much havoc, he decides to ruin Christmas by stealing all the presents, disguising himself as Santa and his dog Max as a reindeer. Even though his masterplan at first seems successful, he then realises that Christmas is about more than material gifts. A change comes over him, his heart grows three times its original choice and he decides to make Amends. This is the highest grossing Christmas film of all-time (in your face Avatar!), and it comes from the highly acclaimed and very cool producer-director pair of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. This is one of Jim Carrey's best roles, second only to probably Count Olaf in Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events. His Grinch is funny and tragic at the same time and we love him for that.

2) Home Alone 1 & 2- Kevin McCallister's epic survival tales take place during the lovely snowy time of Christmas. These are amongst the most loved children and holiday films of all time. This is because of the fantastic story of how a young boy left home alone, and alone in New York survives and protects himself from two of the funniest baddies ever- Harry and Marv. Macaulay Culkin's legendary role made him amongst the most famous child stars ever. Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and Catherine O'Hara are also part of the great cast. Chris Columbus has a gift of making evergreen and lovely children films (see Harry Potter) and these are amongst his best.

1) The Polar Express- Only animation can truly achieve feats that live-action cinema can only dream of. And I think Robert Zemeckis's The Polar Express is a testament to that. I absolutely love this film. True, not may paragraphs ago I said that Christmas is about presents. But it is also about believing in the good and the naughty and the magic in the world. The film is about a boy who is starting to think that Santa Clause and North Pole and everything is made up, and then he is visited by a magical train that takes him to North Pole on Christmas Eve. It is fantastically made film, slightly dark but heart-warming nonetheless. It is number one because while it does apply many of the Chistmas movie rules to it, the total effect of it, with the story, the images, the music, the characters, the mystery, the aura, the Christmas spirit make it absolutely unique and unforgettable. I love Tom Hanks with all my heart. The review is here. 


       A special mention to It's a Wonderful Life, which was quite lovely too, but not that Christmas-y for me. Also Robert Zemeckis's Jim Carrey-starrer A Christmas Carol. I haven't seen the other adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic, neither have I seen Scrooged or Miracle on 34th Street. I don't want to watch Santa Clause 3 or Four Christmases. I really do not want to see Bad Santa as it might scar me forever.


        So as the carol goes, "Tis the season to be jolly," have a great time on Christmas watching these films, if you would like.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

BEST ROMANTIC FILMS EVER

I’ve been meaning to put up such a list for quite some time now. Unfortunately I really believe I’ll forget if I don’t put it up now-in the disgustingly auspicious occasion of Valentine’s Day- proof that man has finally put a price on love. 

I have always aspired to be film critic, though now I prefer the profession of a filmmaker. Nevertheless, being raised up in a purely Bollywood environment, the most impactful genre in my life has been that of romance. Love makes the world go round, films seem more magical and Valentine’s Days more painful.

This is my list of the best romance films ever (in no particular order as I am incapable of choosing a best movie):

     ©     Titanic- Lets start with the obvious. The Epic Movie. I refuse to find Avatar better than this. To find love in one of the greatest tragedies that the world has known is incredible. This film covers the star-crossed lovers theme and brings to us two absolutely unforgettable performances- Kate Winslet is divine as Rose, the rich girl who hates her life, and of course, one of the greatest male characters of all time the gorgeous, protective, artistic and just sublimely human in every way-Jack Dawson played to perfection by Leonardo Di Caprio. This film was the biggest rage ever. The flying scene, the “I’m the king of the world”, the old Rose, the ship, the effects, the emotions, the sinking scene, the villain, all the characters, the ambiguous ending and of course Celine Dion’s ballad My Heart Will Go On cannot be but remembered forever. Jack and Rose’s love is one which will be remembered forever.

 ©     Wicker Park- True I watched this in my Josh Hartnett obsession period, but it has ended up becoming one of my favourites. This movie is more of an obsession-based movie than a love-based one, but in view of my obsession with love, I do not wish to differ. This is the story of a man whose greatest love in life leaves him without telling him anything. But two years, down the line, he sees her again and seeks to find an answer and their love again, despite being on the brink of an engagement to another woman. Josh Hartnett is simply superb in this film. One can feel his obsession, his love, his loss, his anguish and his happiness as one’s own. Diane Kruger is like a mystical creature in the movie, with whom one cannot help but fall in love with. Matthew Lillard is absolutely adorable as Josh’s best friend and the only unfortunate character in the movie. And obviously Rose Byrne is excellent as the obsessed, envious and desperate tragic villain, a character I strongly suspect I’m going to resemble later on in life. The music is amazing and the ending unforgettable.

©     Moulin Rouge- “To believe in Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and above all things, Love.” Need I say more? As I said earlier, I am incapable of choosing a favourite movie but if my life depended on it, Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge would be my answer. In the future I might be like Rose Byrne, but if I lived in the 19^th century, and was a man, who could sing- I would have been Ewan McGregor’s character Christian. I, the penniless, hopeless romantic who had to fall for the most beautiful woman in the world- Satine. Nicole Kidman’s Oscar-nominated role as a Parisian courtesan is the ephemeral object of every man’s desire. The diabolical Duke is your everyday villain who sings Just Like A Virgin. Add a whole lot of crazy, eccentric characters and popular 20^th century songs and viola, you get Moulin Rouge. Seems easy to describe but it really isn’t. Even after watching it for like 50 times. Everything, and I mean everything in this movie moves me to such an extent. The idea, the setting, the songs, the characters, the filming style- everything. This film made the world a simpler and more beautiful place for me as I truly understood what it meant to be a Romantic. After all,

           “The Greatest Thing you’ll Ever Learn, is Just to Love and Be Loved in Return.”

©     Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind- The name is from the poem, as posted earlier, Eloisa to Abelard in which Eloisa prays to God to remove the memories of her lost love Abelard from her heart. In the movie however, Clementine removes the memories of her love-hate relationship with her present boyfriend Joel from her brain using a new technology on an impulse. The shocked and heartbroken Joel decides to do the same with her. Easy and scientific one might say. Except matters of the heart cannot be removed by destroying certain brain cells. This is an absolutely spectacular movie about love, hate, memories and the labyrinth that is life. Clementine is the brilliant Kate Winslet again- a blue/orange haired impulsive woman. Joel is played by funny man Jim Carrey who embraces the very different role of lovelorn and confused Joel. Their love is tumulous, cute and so weird and different, just like the movie, that it is completely believable. The cinematography is ground-breaking and the ending is one of the best and most realistic ever.

©     Edward Scissorhands- Tim Burton + Johnny Depp + Winona Ryder + Scissorhands = Pure Movie Magic. This absolutely incredible tale of a robotic social outcast with scissors for hands, who finds home and love in a colour-coordinated little sunny town because of a makeup sales-woman, is one of the best ever. This film made huge careers for Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. My personal favourite Depp character, Edward Scissorhands is an incredible man whose innocence, talent and love for the beautiful Kim moves one and all. One of my favourite moments in the film is when he makes the snow figure for her and how she dances in the snow. I also love the way Winona Ryder narrates in the end, “Sometimes you can still catch me dancing in the snow.” I just love this film for all that it is- dark, magical and lovely.

©     Forrest Gump- Though most people do not consider it a romantic movie, I seriously consider this Robert Zemeckis-Tom Hanks classic one. The narration, the brilliant cultural references, the storyline, everything is just to help progress the simple story of lifelong love. Forrest loved his Jenny and did everything for her. Though he has mental defects and doesn’t see life the way most of us do, but his devotion to the most important and necessary thing in life is extraordinary- love. His simplicity in absurd conditions and situations is the supposed idea, but it is only through his true love for Jenny and later their son Forrest, which makes us see that he understood all and felt all. I love Tom Hanks in this role and I love Robin Wright Penn as Jenny. This is an extraordinary film about love and thus I consider it as one of my favourites.

©     Pride and Prejudice- I strongly refer to the 2005 one with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Fitzwilliam Darcy. True there are other adaptations of the best-known Jane Austen novel, but nothing comes as close to the wonderful text as this one. The historic battle for pride, prejudice, and love has been read and re-read for ages. Keira Knightley’s Lizzy is sweet, caring, unconventional, and full of personal pride. Mr. Darcy is rich, cold, and handsome yet loving. This is the only truly brilliant Austen novel and watching t played out on screen is just brilliant!

©     Casablanca- For many, this will be considered as saving the best for last. Lets face it- this movie is just AWESOME! Forget Jack and Rose and Clementine and Joel and Christian and Satine and Forrest and Jenny- it was always Rick and Ilsa, i.e. Bogart and Bergman. This is the classic of all classics. Even as time goes by, we will never forget this film. The true origin of love lost and found comes from here. Set in Casablanca, Morocco, with the backdrop of the Second World War, we are instantly drawn to the aloof and charming owner of Rick’s Americano played by the legend Humphrey Bogart. While we are in awe of our hero, we are mesmerized by the introduction of the heroine- the goddess, Ingrid Bergman. Their love is legendary. This film is EPIC! And the line “Here’s looking at you kid” blows Gone With The Wind out of the friggin universe.

With that quite informal summary, I have come to an end of my list. Other notable mentions would be Memoirs of a Geisha, Unfaithful, and Vicky Christina Barcelona. One may notice that most of the movies, 5 out of 8 to be exact don’t have a conventional happy ending. Well, I love my tragic endings because for me, they make the movie so much more real.