True Romance
Tony Scott
Written by Quentin Tarantino, the film is a roller-coaster ride on the framework of an endearing love story. Each performance is pitch-perfect but the spine is Patricia Arquette’s affable portrayal of Alabama. Amidst the highs of its dialogues and characters, the love story takes a back seat. Hans Zimmer gives a brilliant soundtrack again.
City Lights
Charlie Chaplin
This 1934 slapstick comedy tells the story of the famous tramp as he befriends a dejected millionaire and falls for an amiable blind flower-girl. Chaplin ingeniously accomplishes the near-impossible task of getting the perfect mix of all possible human emotions in a silent movie. Can only money buy you happiness? This timeless film gives the answer.
Deewaar
Yash Chopra
Filled with the finest quotable dialogues, the film is arguably the best and most influential thing to come out of Hindi cinema. Tackling with the themes of right and wrong, Salim-Javed’s multi-layered story does not take any sides. While every actor does justice to their roles, Amitabh Bachchan’s intensity stands out. This is the gem that tied me to Hindi cinema, forever.
Kikojiro No Natsu
Takeshi Kitano
Shown from a child’s perspective this bittersweet road-movie is suffused with hope. Takeshi plays a grumpy slacker ‘Mister’ Kikujiro, who accompanies nine-year-old Masao to meet the mother he has never known. The poignancy of Masao makes an instant connect, where he hides his sadness behind his controlled emotions. The ending may leave you feeling incomplete but it’s the colourful journey that matters. This film aesthetically depicts the humane side of society’s stereotypical misfits. Joe Hisaishi’s ‘Summer’ theme is melancholic.
The Big Lebowski
Joel and Ethan Coen
Coen brothers best entertainer till date teaches how to be cool and even started a new religion called Dudeism, which preaches a laid-back attitude. It starts as a case of mistaken identity followed by a complicated but inconsequential chain of bizarre events. Trippy dream sequences, wildly picturised classic songs, idiosyncratic characters, clever humour and one of the best screenplays ever — are all brought to screen with verve by its brilliant actors. One of those films which gets better every time you see it, you can quote its hilarious lines all day.
Those that almost made it
3 Iron: Kim Ki-duk
A Clockwork Orange: Stanley Kubrick
Bicycle Thieves: Vittorio De Sica
Dil Se: Mani Ratnam
Do Bigha Zameen: Bimal Roy
Satya: Ram Gopal Varma
Wall E: Andrew Stanton
Manas Sahu is an electrical-engineering undergraduate at IIT Delhi. He likes reading non-fiction and watching meaningful cinema.
