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Movies to watch for sure :-

Preface : Folks, people often ask what is a good movie is.....typically i believe there can't be a straight answer because it's about taste, something like 'good food'.....different for different person but it should be well prepared and well served I should say food or Movie.

However from what I have felt -- A Good Movie Is One In Which You Forget That You Are Watching One -

I am putting forth some of the movies which I liked immensely, for different reasons of course. I would try to put in words that why I liked that movie but I believe in some case it would really be far from possible or sensible.

So Here we go.

1. 
   

   The Sting

   
   
   
   
   Why??
   
    You would enjoy it, for sure. The movie maintains a low expectation with it's 1932 set-up, I think this works great deal in favor of itself. You are part of a big game plan, you are having all the little details and yet it surprises you. Story is awesome. Characters are well played, Specially Paul Newman as the big con, the chief architect of the game plan and also performing well beyond par. I became a fan of Paul Newman from this movie though "Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid" has more cult status with the same pair. Robert Redford seems young, willing, fast learning and risk taking in this movie, Everything that is needed for the role. Talking about the negatives I really don't find anything in particular.
   What it's about?
   
   A young con finds his good friend and partner murdered when they accidentally fool one of the man of some big mob boss. With mafia and Police behind him he goes to a big con Henry Gondorff which his late friend told him to and Then they both with their partners prepare a set-up to nail the very mafia leader. What ensue is a very delicate execution which at points will keep surprising you and climax always is somehow little unexpected.
   Who can see??
   
   Everyone in my opinion. good investment of time.
   Last words?
   
   I feel "The Sting" is a less glamorized and more realistic version of 'Ocean Series' movies.
2. 
   

   Network

   
   
   
   
   
   Why??
   
   This movie startled me like hell. I first saw this movie over two year back just out of boredom and still I consider it one of the very best of the movie I have ever seen (right!! there are more to see). This movie isn't about starcasts though it has its share. Its about us human, where are we going in the progress and development? If I try to assemble the movie in single words then few words would be desolation, purpose, awakening, obsession, fame, corruption, manipulation, frustration, greed, humanoids and philosophy. Whenever I see the movie (which is frequently) I usually fast forward or rewind or both to the parts where Howard Beale(Peter Finch) preaches the people his ideology. Whatever he says creates an effect and when the people claps it all seems like an irony too strange to laugh.
   What it's about?
   
   An old news reader/anchor is fired in a week's time due to his falling TRP on a news channel. This propels him to take a few extreme measures specially on screen which quickly raises him to fame and recognition, While other member in news channel see as an unconventional and bad event, A young and ambitious girl (Faye Dunway) sees a true opportunity to bring a makeover to the network system. She transits that successfully and her particularly matching Boss Hackett(Robert Duvall) gains a lot from this until one day the tables are turned that leads to quite a mayhem.
   Who can see??
   
   Anyone who is not desperately looking for a cheesy or romantic or action or horror or fantasy movies. Specially for the person who questions the flow of life, who questions the change, who wonder about the role of media, who gets confused in between capitalism and populist ideas. Anyone who is aware of the world.
   Last words?
   
   In last words I would only put a few quotes
   

   We're delusions, man! None of it is true! But you people sit there, day after day, night after night, all ages, colors, creeds – we're all you know. You're beginning to believe the illusions we're spinning here. You're beginning to believe that the tube is reality and your own lives are unreal. You do whatever the tube tells you: you dress like the tube, you eat like the tube, you raise your children like the tube, you even think like the tube! This is mass madness, you maniacs! In God's name, you people are the real thing, WE are the illusion!
   - Howard Beale

   It's too late, Diana. There's nothing left in you that I can live with. You're one of Howard's humanoids, and if I stay with you, I'll be destroyed, like Howard Beale was destroyed, like Laureen Hobbs was destroyed, like everything you and the institution of television touch is destroyed. You are television incarnate, Diana: indifferent to suffering, insensitive to joy. All of life is reduced to the common rubble of banality. War, murder, death are all the same to you as bottles of beer. The daily business of life is a corrupt comedy. You even shatter the sensations of time and space into split-seconds and instant replays. You are madness, Diana, virulent madness, and everything you touch dies with you. Well, not me. Not while I can still feel pleasure and pain and love.
   - Max Schumacher

   
   
   
3. 
   

   Mulholland Drive

   
   
   
   
   Why??
   
   
   Alright what about a movie which doesn't tell you a story, instead it makes you to create a story. How can that be? Mulholland Drive is just that. This is a movie where something happens and something even happens which defies logics and boundations of reality. While watching the movie if you are thinking that the what and why will be served to you then you would be hugely disappointed. So the best way to watch this movie is watch it, think over it and watch it again and think over it again and keep doing it until either you get bored or you come out with the answers to your what and why questions. I would not recommend this movie until you are not sure about it. Why I liked the movie is because I enjoy unconventional, weird and kafkesque.
   
   What it's about?
   
   A woman narrowly evades her death when she become a sole survivor in a car crash while she was to be murdered by unidentified people. In the crash she loses her memory and sneaks inside a house which is being evacuated by an old lady, eventually a young aspiring actress arrives there and finds the girl. the actress helps the girl in finding her identity by catching on all the linkage available. In Parallel A young arrogant director is manipulated and pressurized by various means from unknown people to cast a girl as the lead female character in his movie to which he eventually gives in. The aspiring actress starts having a relation with the girl she was helping and with her visits a mysterious show where she finds a box. In other but linked story a rather unsuccessful actress is coldly dumped and manipulated by her successful lesbian partner. When things goes beyond her control she takes an extreme step.
   
   Who can see??
   
   Not those who needs an answer to be given, Those people who like to think over, who likes to solve the mystery by their own. If you like unique and unconventional story telling techniques. If you like to imagine. If dark themes and neo-noir is not new to you and if you try to find out sense in senselessness. Go for it.
   
   Last words?
   
   This is interesting. Last word is either if you have already watched the movie or read it after you watch this movie. Then it would make sense or even if it doesn't you will know what I am talking about.
   I think and agree to the logic that Betty was actually Diane according to Diane subconscious and first part was dream of Diane. Betty was everything Diane was not. She was bright, talented, smart and satisfied with herself. It quite seems like that Diane dreamed herself as Betty and Camilla as totally dependent on Betty. She dreamed that Camilla survived the attempt on her life was to balance her supposed guilt. On the other hand her jealous surface where Diane subconscious subterfuge the idea that Camilla hogged the limelight due to the unfair means. Camilla was chosen and even Betty leaving the audition for the sake of Rita gives an idea that if Betty would have participated she might have turned the table. So in her dream Diane purposes Betty as a talented yet helpful and sacrificing girl. Even Betty looking Diane decomposed body represents the darkness of her real life. Diane life was decomposing in reality and she subconsciously put her life as rotting.
   
   
   
4. 
   

   Revanche (Austria)

   
   
   
   
   Why??
   
   
   This movie has nothing much as far as content goes, But the effect I felt was great. Somehow make me feel that to make a good movie you don't need lots of external factors, You don't have to touch a burning issue or lots of money on technical aspect. What you need is a good handsome story, equally good screenplay and some soulful acting by the actors. Revanche has this much intact. The emotions, the attachments, the loneliness, the guilt and frustrations all this when you feel you start being a part of the story. I felt that. And some of the scene (I am talking about depiction of nature) are very soothing, Now when I think I guess it add to the emotions of the story.
   
   What it's about?
   
   A prostitute and her lover who works for the same person plans to renew their life when the girl is pressurized by her boss to please some hot-shots and leaders who are not able to visit the prostitution due to their stature. They successfully runs away and as per the plan the man goes for robbing the bank, the girl insists on staying with her. Eventually a policeman fires at their car while they escape and the girl dies. The man cries and runs away to his father, on the other hand the policeman gets guilt feelings and gets into depression when he learns that the girl died due to him. The policeman starts having problems with his wife who helps the girl's lover's father. She gets attracted to the man and simultaneously the man decides to take a revenge on the policeman without knowing that it's his wife who is attracted to him. What ensue is basically entanglement of emotions of the three characters and their dealing with that.
   
   Who can see??
   
   Well, anyone who likes a good story and isn't exactly looking for anything else, no car chase, no gun fight, nothing flashy but some deep undercurrents of emotions which might touch you good. Just saying but the movie has some great sex scenes one is even violent of sort.
   
   Last words?
   
   I liked the scene when the male protagonist passionately cuts wood and gets apathetic toward the woman who is interested in him after the death of his lover. The cutting of the wood symoblizes his will to get away from the very revenge feeling he is getting, It feels that he wants to waste himself full in axing the logs. he wishes to overdo that so that he gets too tired so that he can't think about the death of her lover. It's a feeling when we all over do something to get rid of some feelings which is bothering us.
   
   
   
5. 
   

   Sin City

   
   
   
   
   Why??
   
   
   It has all the ingredients a modern classics usually have. Car chases, gun fights, Gore bloodshed, great camera-works. But above all why I liked this movie was because it was different, it was light in the sense it wasn't emotionally demanding. And of course big star casts. The stories are in parts which intersects though not heavily, so its like watching four different short stories. The movie is very different when it comes to attaching it with reality.
   
   What it's about?
   
   The stories are in parts
   An old man saves a small girl from a psychopath pedophile who is son of some powerful congress man. In the process he is shot multiple time by his corrupt partner
   A large powerful man finds his lover murdered by his side when he wakes up, He gets on a trail for revenge. Initially unsuccessful and overpowered he comes back with better preparation to take his cold blooded revenge and even kills the brain behind that which leads to his own death.
   A gang of brats forces into a bar girl's home and misbehaves with her but soon the leader of the gang is humiliated by her lover. they leave and go on rampage where the girl's lover follow them. All of them are killed when they threatens a girl who turns down their requests. But soon it is found out that the leader was a top cop and then it leads to a weird plan and even stranger execution
   Last part tells the story of old policeman who saved the girl and is forced into prison but one day is indicated that the girl now grown up is in danger again, he gets out to save her but realizes that it was a ploy from the psychopath to get to the girl again and this again leads to the same situation thy once where in
   
   Who can see??
   
   Not for people who abhor gore and bloodshed, also not for people who don't like unconventional filming. But a treat to watch when you feel trippy or extremely bored. Watch it if you don't really feel the need of a purpose behind a movie.
   
   Last words?
   
   The idea I guess is to give the effect of the comics through film. The frames and sets are very much like comics, much of movie is technical(not conventional) black and white and whenever their is color it's too strong and evident. Many frames represents the picture as we see in the comics.
6. 
   

   Memories of Murder (Korea)

   
   
   
   
   Why??
   
   
   I saw it on recommendation, It quite often happens that when someone recommends you something, you get disappointed later since your expectations were say too high. You feel it was good but nothing extraordinary as described by that someone. Happens to me all the time, Still I must say this movie was not even a little bit of disappointment. In fact it was a rather different from what I thought it would be. One can name the movie crime-mystery however according to me it was far from it. Much more to me in it was effect of crime on the psyche of people who are trying to solve it. The frustration with each failure, the desperation to solve it, the conflict, the ego-clashes with a little smarter counterpart. The movie also not boringly try to show any human(e) side of psychopath. In fact it's noticeable that the there is a clear escalation in the brutality and sadism tendencies. Though the condition turns out to me is a bit melodramatic red dress, rainy night, and request for a song and then the crime however it is much balanced by the no available solid evidence against the supposed perpetrators. Also I feel at points the movie is bit blunt in a masculine form which makes sure that you remain engrossed. I liked the movie
   
   What it's about?
   
   In a small country side region in South Korea in the backdrop of much agitation against the government there happens to be two cases of rape and murder in a similar fashion bringing the chief protagonist detective in the middle to solve the serial murder mystery. He is arrogant, superstitious and believe much in torture, With little help from forensic team and almost no evidence he tries to catch suspects more on intuition and even tortures them into acceptance. He gets a volunteered counterpart detective from Seoul who is more organized and sharp who quickly gets into following the mystery with clues and theories. Both the detectives have different means and have ego clashes and what brings them together is more case of similar rape and murders and eventually they track down a very likely suspect. But that is not done they desperately try to gather evidence or most importantly witness and this leads to further frustration and desperation and gets them to their breaking point.
   
   Who can see??
   
   Certainly not for everyone. It's not a feel good movie. It's realistically inconclusive and blunt. It has elements of dark humor at places. It can be called creepy by few. So if you like such movies, go for it.
   
   Last words?
   
   The instance in the movie where Seo Tae-yoon suggests that since no hair was found on crime-scene it implies that the killer don't have pubic hair and is bald down there and then for example suggests some Monks. On the other hand his counterpart provide a more logical approach which when is followed by chief prompts Seo to ask what about his bald theory? And chief ridicules it that how he wants to investigate? by pulling people's pants down? But Seo is so desperate that he really visits the public sauna to find the suspects. This I guess though is funny, also implicate the frustration and pressure Seo is carrying with this serial murder. As I said it's not about the serial murder, it's about effect it has on people involved in it.