Big Fish
Tim Burton
What’s the thin line between the world you want to see and the world you actually see? Big Fish is exactly about it, making people believe life could as well be a fairy tale. Adapted from a book written by Daniel Wallace, the film is based on a father-son relationship. While the father tries to spin a yarn for all the stories of his life, the son is intrigued to know what his father truly is. Tim Burton’s wizardry in shaping the script is brilliant. The cinematography deserves a special mention in merging two parallel worlds on one screen.
The Great Dictator
Charlie Chaplin
A humorous yet strongly recalcitrant take on the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler, the film is an outstanding example of Chaplin’s flair in all areas of cinema. Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, composed and acted in two different roles. The movie is about the life of a dictator and a Jewish barber who look alike, and the consequences when the dictator is supplanted by the barber. The climax features an arousing speech that urges people to treat each other with love and compassion. Chaplin’s action in both the roles surpasses excellence, and commands a definite watch.
Amadeus
Milos Forman
The whole movie can be summarised in one dialogue from the movie, when Antonio Salieri (played by F. Murray Abraham) says “God was speaking through this man”. The movie is about the life of musical legend Mozart through the eyes of Salieri. The key underlying asset of the movie is the characterisation of Salieri who depraves to the point of trying to kill Mozart. The movie reaches its pinnacle when Salieri himself offers to help Mozart in writing the immortal ‘Requiem’. If you are a music lover, this is something you can’t miss.
Iruvar
Mani Ratnam
Considered one of the classics of Indian cinema, Mani Ratnam tells us the story of two highly influential politicians, M.G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi. The movie revolves around different stages of their relationship going from friends to foes. Both the lead actors, Mohan Lal and Prakash Raj are flawless in performance. The movie is properly elevated by background score and beautifully composed songs.
Swathi Kiranam
Viswanath
Set in the backdrop of music, this film depicts the underneath layers of professional rivalry. Mammootty (playing the role of Anantha Sharma) stars as a Carnatic singer, and Gangadhar (played by Master Manjunath) is a child prodigy in music. Anantha Sharma, afraid that a young singer like Gangadhar would outdo him, offers to teach him music, with the intention of curbing his talent. The heart of the movie is the student-teacher relationship where the student considers the teacher as a god while the teacher considers the student a dead soul. The movie is supported by good music and perfect casting.
Those that almost made it
Pursuit of Happyness : Gabriele Muccino
Schindler’s List : Steven Spielberg
Inglourious Basterds : Quentin Tarantino
V for Vendetta : James McTeigue
The English Patient : Anthony Minghella
The Green Mile : Frank Darabont
Manikantha is a student of BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus. Passionate about music and movies, he loves watching dramas and biopics.
