La vita è bella
A classic Italian tragi-comedy that narrates the tale of a Jewish man’s attempt to protect his son’s innocence by re-imagining the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp as a game. The film succeeds in portraying the brutality of the Holocaust, arguably in a better way than many of its melodramatic counterparts.
Kimi No Na Waw
This animated love story of body swapping teenagers took Japan by storm, and became a highest-grossing anime movie. The exquisite art by Makoto Shinkai is mind-blowing.
The Dark Knight
The second film in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy featuring the comic book hero Batman. This dark, brooding adaptation of the caped crusader is widely regarded as Heath Ledger’s swan song because of his mind boggling portrayal of the Joker, which earned him a posthumous academy award.
Deshadanam
A haunting tale of a boy forcefully inducted into priesthood to honour the word of the family elder, and his parents’ struggle in coping with the grief and loss. Also throws light on the life and customs of the Brahmin community in Kerala.
Borat
A hilarious narrative of a Kazakh journalist travelling to the US to make a documentary on the country and its culture. Infamous for its use of satire, black humour and real-life recorded sessions with Americans, which exposed the deep rooted prejudices and hypocrisy in the country.
Readers can send in their top five movies to frkerala@thehindu.co.in. The write-up should not exceed 250 words. Include your phone number as well.