Her : by Spike Jonze

Theodore Twombly played by Phoenix is an introverted man.

Set in a futuristic world , 'Her' transposes the audience into a deep-rooted journey of love.

Twombly has a job of writing personal letters on behalf of people who have a difficulty in expressing their feelings. One fine day , in a jiffy he decides to buy an AI operating system. He is anyways in a mess due to his impending divorce & is a big time loner.

The OS names itself as Samantha and is an adaptive eco-system gauging the feelings and emotions of its user.

She picks out the name Samantha for herself  & Theodore grins!
‘Was that funny?’, she asks. ‘Yeah,’ he says. She laughs. ‘Oh good, I’m funny.’ She is delighted.

So Twombly is in love!  Sigh!

The voice over of Samantha is played by Scarlett Johansson and connects with Theodore in a surreal way.The sensual undertones & the comforting conversations between S & T are endearing to say the least. There is a 'joy' evident in the explorations of Samantha & content in Theodore's wish for a companion.

Their love, 

Their brickbats , 

Their quarrels, 

Their excitement , 

Their desires , 

Their passion , 

Their fervor  ................

Yearning Performances by - 

Phoenix as the lonesome, unsocial ,vulnerable Theodore.

Johansson playing Samantha  - stimulating , delightful , sensual - at her finest.

Her is, by far, the best picture of the year, and miles ahead of the other lot!

This is a film about fondness , affection , tenderness. A film to love.

Rating : 5.0/5.0

The Dark Knight Rises : by Christopher Nolan

As a fan boy ,  I waited and waited for this very day!

2008 , seemed a long time ago , when Joker said 'Why So Serious'.

Now this was really serious , and so was Nolan about his largest magnum opus since 2005.

Begins ...

Falls ...

The Dark Knight Rises!

The film picks up where the events in the second part ended. Harvey Dent got killed and Batman became the fall guy. Gotham city lost a hero and Batman aka Bruce Wayne became a recluse.

The key characters in this edition are so well etched that the audience is sucked into the narrative.

*Alfred played by Michael Caine as the indefatigable butler 

showing his emotional turmoil towards Bruce.

*Lucius Fox played by Morgan Freeman is the gadget-all-done-it-all saviour 

for Wayne Enterprises R&D. 

*Commisioner Gordon played by Gary Oldman is going through 

hell losing both Harvey & Bruce.

*Selina Kyle aka Catwoman played by Anna Hathaway springs a sexy sultry act.

Her repartee with Batman is one of the highlights of the movie.

*Bane played by Tom Hardy is purely physical , intellectual and a devious foe

Joker who was all chaos in ruins , Bane is mean , methodical & superior in strength.

A cross between Hannibal Lector & Sean Connery!

 *John Blake a young GCPD detective played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an idealist

who needs to unravel the mysteries surrounding Bruce Wayne and Gotham City.

*Miranda Tate played by Marion Cotillard is member of board at the Wayne enterprises giving Bruce the much needed support and in process discovering love!

*Christian Bale , as convincing a superhero can get , plays Batman , hardcore.

Pulse of the Trilogy!

Nolan as a director has been so well prepared that a Superhero film is embodied with an in depth  screenplay of such guile & stature.

Dark , grim , anarchy driven.

The Musical score is slam bang to the core.

The Action set pieces are simply jaw dropping

The Characters are so human yet vulnerable.

An Exhilarating Spectacle & Culmination .

An accomplished end to much loved superhero trilogy of all time!

If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal... you become something else entirely. A Legend!

Rating : 4.5/5.0

The Amazing Spiderman : by Marc Webb

Marvel Comics - yet another treat for the fan boys after The Avengers

Here comes the slingy saviour - The Amazing Spiderman!

The character of Peter Parker has always been a fascination for me , a true blue hero yet a human at heart ... very real.

This franchise is a re-boot of the 2002 Sam Raimi classic - Spiderman starring Tobey Maguire.

What a Web of  Action has been woven here !

Andrew Garfield plays Spiderman aka Peter (He has come a long way from The Social Network).

The initial reels of the movie talks about how Peter unravels the secrets of his parents in particular his father's research at the Oscorp lab on cross species genetics!

His dilemma , his confusion , his inner turmoil , unanswered questions makes him unravel more. His transformation post Uncle Ben's murder has been enacted by Andrew to the 'T' , he actually makes Tobey Maguire look amatuerish and dumb in the previous franchise!

Gwen Stacy is introduced for the first time in this series as Peter's love interest at high school. Emma Stone plays Gwen with upmost confidence.

The crackling awkwardeness between Peter Parker and Gwen has been performed exceptionally well by both the actors There are a lot of sweet tender moments which makes this film a lot more human than just another Bad vs Good plot.

Rhys Ifans plays Dr Curt Connors ,  Oscorps leading scientists whose work on regeneration of human tissues is unparalleled. Things don't fall into place for Dr Curt and his experiment goes horribly wrong to turn him into The Lizard!

A word on our very own Irfan Khan , plays Dr. Ratha at the Oscorp and performs well in a not so important role yet he makes his presence felt.

The action in The Amazing Spiderman is pure adrenaline rush - in 3D. Manhattan at night , with the spidey suited Peter slinging from the skyscrapers is pure joy! .. though I would still prefer The Avengers this year!

Marc Webb of (500) Days of Summer fame , was given an oppurtunity to re-boot a successfull fan boy character and he has achieved outstanding results here !

The screenplay is terrific , hardcore super hero , wild , heart pounding , warm!
The background score takes the film to another zone!
The sling is taut , the slinging is pure magic in 3D!

Andrew Garfield is perfectly picked - with power comes responsibility & how!
 
Go for it .. an enthralling web slinging ride !

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Hugo : by Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese , this name rings a series of hard hiting , gut wrenching dramas and thrillers. He has been in the Jake LaMotta (Raging Bull) of the Hollywood fraternity.

Hugo is a masterclass in film making!

As introduced in my opening lines , film of this stature  from Scorsese is mind boggling.

A simple fairy tale of a young boy who lives alone at the Paris railway station maintaining the clocks , stealing food and working on his father's ambitious piece of art  - a automaton - a mechnical man who writes with a pen upon wound up.

The film's pace is easy and unfolds layer by layer flowing like a river.

Hugo , one fine day is caught by a sho owner stealing his spare parts.

There in starts Hugo's journey , an adventure of a lifetime where he unearths the truths.

Hugo played by Asa Butterfiled is believable and affable.

Ben Kingsley plays the Georges Melies , a renowned illusionist and filmmaker who has not got his due.

The supporting cast is able in particular the station inspector who is a hard-boiled man cleaning up the station

of the orphan kids.

3-D is a technology which pushes all boundaries , and Scorses had to use it to pay rich tributes of the pioneers of illusion and special effects.

The panoramic beauty depicted of Paris is breathtaking . The joy of seeing the camera move like silk from the cityscape and right in to the busy platform ending at the clock tower , Hugo peeking out.

Awwww... Bliss! 

 

Golden Globe for best director and 5 oscars including Best Cinematography speaks volumes of the splendor in front of the cinegoers.

Mesmerising Grandeur in 3D

Rating : 4.5/5.0

The Descendants : by Alexander Payne

The Descendants is a drama film set in Kauai , a Hawaiian island.

This film traces the journey of a land baron , Matt King played by quintessential George Clooney. He owns a trust with a 25,000 acres land in his name.

The King family decides to sell it off to a Kauai inhabitant , Don Holitzer.

A sudden turn of events - Matt's wife suffers a major accident on a boating trip forcing her into a coma. Matt is left with the guardianship of his 2 daughters Alex and Scottie.

George Clooney plays the dad to perfection , considering himself as a 'back up parent' , being not very close to his daughters.

His anxiety and helplessness is executed brilliantly and forms the crux of the storyline. Matt accidentally comes to know about his wife's secret affair and all hell breaks loose.

Matt's inner strength and anger management is all there to see as he sets out in his pursuit of confronting the other man.

The Descendants is truly a rippling comedy with layers of relationship unifying at different moments of the film. George Clooney excels big time as a unaided parent in trying circumstances

The screenplay is superior and well adapted by Payne and his team. It is treat to watch a comedy yet have an emotional connect with the characters.

'A true vintage comedy with a pinch of salt'

Rating: 4.5/5.0

The Avengers : by Joss Whedon

Every fanboy's fantasy is to revere their superheroes , be in awe of them , worship them.

Superman , Batman , Spiderman , The Hulk , Iron Man, Wolverine , He Man ..

The list is endless in every child book tucked away in time!

The Avengers affirms this fact.

Iron Man - Tony Stark

The Hulk - Dr. Bruce Banner

Captain America - Steve Rogers

Black Widow - Natasha Romanoff

Thor - Thor

Hawkeye - Clint Barton

Team Avengers is activated by Nick Fury to stop the Norse god Loki from destroying the Earth

by opening up a portal using Teserract

The storyline is predictable yet humour is the surprise element in this super action adventure.

The constant banter and onemanship amongst the heroes is the USP of the film

The finale act of the film , with Manhattan burning in rage of the alien attack

is an absolute stopper for 3D awesomeness!

My personal favourite adrenaline moment from the movie ..

Captain asks Dr. Bruce seeing the Leviathan break out of the building, 
now is the time to get angry 

 Doctor : That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry!

Oh my ! Smashing!

High-octane  , exhilarating spectacle with a tinge of humour 

Every comic fans dream come true

Rating : 4.5/5.0 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo : by David Fincher

David Fincher returns after the critically acclaimed The Social Network.

Best selling novels are the most challenging to adapt for a motion picture.

First of the trilogy from Stieg Larsson , has sold 15 million copies till date.

This 2011 movie , has the 2 most unlikely pairing for the main parts

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth & Daniel Craig as Mikael.

Rooney plays a cold blooded hacker and researcher with a dark mental chronicle.

Craig is a co founder of a magazine company and a sleuth.

Henrik summons Craig to investigate the disappearance of his grand niece Harriet , 

40 years ago.

He agrees to the assignment in exchange for damning information on his just lost libel case victor.

The film is intriguing to the core, with each frame springing a surprise in this labyrinth of a case - The  mystery behind missing Harriet.

There are - many suspects

There is - no substantial evidence

There are - no witnesses

There is - no obvious logic

Finchers' at top of his game.

The mystery unfolds at the errie , serene , cold Sweden.

A taut thriller with edge of the seat screenplay.

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Carnage : by Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski has been one my favourite directors because his body of work is truly versatile. 

Here he is with a black comedy - Carnage

The locale is utterly simplistic yet engaging.

When 2 grade-school boys get into a confrontation in the park that results in one boy hitting the other in the with a stick, their parents meet in a apartment to discuss the issue. 

The parents of the boy wielding the stick, Alan and Nancy Cowan (Waltz and Winslet), 

visit the home of Michael and Penelope Longstreet (Reilly and Foster), who are the parents of the boy who was struck badly.

How interesting!!?  It is an absolute genius of a film.

The couples are in the zone of mind bending wordplay! 

Civility to Verbal Volleys!

Funny , Intelligent , Witty , Repartee , Banter

Writing at its best!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Rabbit Hole : by John Cameron Mitchell

Rabbit Hole is a heart trending story of a couple who are struggling to heal after the sudden accidental death of their son , Danny.

Story begins with Becca and Howie played by Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart respectively are in deep mourning after their 4 year old son dies in an accident crash when he ran out to chase their pet dog.

Becca wants to get rid all the memories of her son by giving away his clothes , toys & other belongings , move out of the house and other distressing objects.

Howie is angry on Becca for trying to eradicate Danny's fond memories and things which may remind of the kid.

Th couple also join a self-help group , where in people come together in grief and share their sorrows.

Becca is upset by the talk in the group and is not willing to attend it any further.

On fine day , Becca follows the Jason , the teenage driver to ran over Danny and starts conversing with him.

The conversations between the two makes Becca realize that Jason is truly feeling the guilt and she makes him know that it was not his fault.

The bickering between Howie and Becca over her meetings with the teenage boy takes the film to another level.

Nicole Kidman play role her character with dignity yet her downcastness & anguish is palpable.
Aaron Eckhart is just about ok.

Rabbit Hole is a cinematic experience with a positivity surrounding it.

An emotional & tragic journey of parents overcoming the loss of a child !

Rating: 3.0/5.0

Downfall (Der Untergang) : by Oliver Hirschbiegel

 The Downfall is a 2004 German Film based on the last 10 days of Adolf Hitler in his Berlin Bunker during WWII.

It is a cumulation of memoirs from one of the Hitler's secretary named  'Junge' and 'Speer' , German Minister of Armaments in Hitler's reign.

Bruno Ganz plays Adolf Hitler , the tyrant Nazi leader who has been humanized in this film despite protest from German public when the film came out in 2004.

The movie transports us to a bunker in the heart of the city of Berlin which is under siege of the Russians. It has been cornered and there is no way for the Germans to escape the inevitable.

Hitler loses his sense of reality that the war is all but lost! . His ego is burnt when his esteemed and loyal soldiers flee the country deserting him in the trenches.

The autocrat appoints new successor and makes him in charge to stop the Russian attack ,which is far from achievable.

He marries Eva Braun and orders all his officers not to surrender in front of the Red Army. When the realization dawns upon him , he is left with no choice and decides to commit suicide with his wife Eva.

Hitler in his farewell to the bunker staff - 'Tomorrow, millions of people will curse me, but fate has taken its course.'

Hitler to his officers on German civilians , his own people - 'The German people chose their fate and now their little throats are being cut.' - No Pity , No Remorse!

The film is true to the events of 1945 and depicts the downfall of the Nazi rule with command.

Hitler played by Ganz is a remarkable performance , be it from his anger to his mannerism to his walk to his Austrian dialect , simply reverent!

I saw it with subtitles since the film is shot in German language and it made me sit up & transport myself to the era of genocide by the Nazi's and its ruination!

Deserving of the Oscar nomination , 'Der Untergang' is an epic war story diving into the psyche of the dictatorial Nazi ruler ..

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Blue Valentine : by Derek Cianfrance

Hollywood traditionally makes slapstick romantic flicks which are high on crudeness and college humour.

Blue Valentine is truly a remarkable performance driven film about two individuals. An unknown director Derek has come up with simple storytelling experience and has extracted the best out of his limited resources.

Dean (Ryan Gosling) & Cindy (Michelle Williams) play a married couple at rural Pennsylvania with a daughter named Frankie. Cindy is a nurse and Dean works as a painter.

The film inter cuts between their young romance courtship days and the troubled marriage of the present. The juxtaposition of the scenes depicting their happy days of love and bitter arguments of today is done with tact.

The relationship goes downhill day by day as Cindy is totally engrossed in family chores with Dean not contributing at all.

One fine day , to resurrect their lost fascination , Dean takes her to a motel where they end up in an argument.

Dean is drunk big time & it results in a violent fracas at Cindy's clinic. The conclusion of the film is really despondent & despairing.

The performances of the couple are extremely natural and uninhibited.Michelle Williams is one of the talents to watch out for and truly deserved the Oscar nod.

Ryan Gosling is indeed a good actor and can be seen as a bright star in the making.

“How can you trust your feelings if they disappear?” Cindy asks.

A Tragic Side of  LOVE!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Good Will Hunting : by Gus Van Sant

I so wanted to see Good Will Hunting which came out in 1997 ,the same year as Titanic.

Finally caught this flick last week , and I must admit it was worth the wait!

Good Will Hunting is a drama film written by the actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck who also act in this venture.

Matt Damon plays the title role of Will Hunting who is a young laborer going through an emotional turmoil and needs therapy sessions.

Will is a mathematics genius and exceptional with numbers. Professor Gerald from MIT is amazed by this prodigy , and gives him an option to study advance math.

On the condition of saving Will from being convicted of the assault crime & sessions with a therapist , Math learning starts.

The professor tries many a therapists but Hunting treats them with disdain. The film takes off to a new level  , with the advent of psychology professor Sean played by Robin Williams.

Robin Williams plays Sean brilliantly here ; showing utmost patience with the disturbed yet highly talented boy. He is able to overcome Hunting's non responsiveness and after a few sessions , he starts bonding with Sean.

The romance between Will and Skylar is one his emotional struggles in life. He shares everything with Sean resulting in a  strong trust between the two.

Sean motivates him to tap his full potential and reach greater heights in life. Will rejects his plea and does not give an honest answer to his future goals.

Matt Damon plays Will's best friend , Chuckie who pushes Will to accept a neat job offer arranged by the Math professor.

The film culminates at high point where Sean and Hunting have their last therapy session which is absolutely heart warming and heart trending!

The performances here are extraordinaire with Robin Williams taking the honours in "a never seen before taskmaster role" , a well deserved Oscar!

Both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did a brilliant job to write an original screenplay bagging them the Oscar too.

Alas! , Titanic called the shots in 1997 ....  but 'Good Will Hunting' will remain one of the more deserving films to be seen & revered.

"Relationships enhance your self-worth"  ; "Go find your true potential"

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Lost in Translation : by Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola , daughter of Francis Ford Coppola , the highly acclaimed director of the Godfather series has indeed left a legacy!

Lost in Translation is Sofia's second film and it just blew me away with its simplicity.

I had seen this feature in 2004 and saw it again day before yesterday!

A culture shock milieu yet sweet romance to look forward to , is its USP

Bob Harris played by Bill Murray is a renowned aging actor from NYC. He arrives in Tokyo for an advertisement deal for Suntory Whiskey.

Charlotte played by Scarlett Johansson is a young graduate who has come to Japan with her husband who is on a photography assignment.

Mid life crisis for Bob is evident , with his tired demeanour and lack of belongingness in his 25 years of marriage.

One fine day in the hotel bar , their paths cross , and so starts a unique bond. The meetings become frequent and Charlotte invites Bob to meet her friends.

Differences between the Japanese and the American culture binds them together.The non-inhibited sharing of their experiences inspite of the age aberration starts brewing.

As Bob's visit nears an end , both express their feelings of how they will miss each others company.

The film's culmination has a sense of unique sadness yet subtlety of the characters who wish to stay together and forever!

The private whisper which indeed is meant to be intimate and we are not allowed to hear it ...

Masterstroke!  Oscar for best original screenplay richly deserved!

Bill Murray , is funny , sardonic ,subdued , comic and yet sympathy drawn.

Scarlett is a sweet , curious , simple girl craving for love and affection.

I love this movie .. For relaxing times, make it ...Suntory time.

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Seven Pounds : by Gabriele Muccino

Will Smith is one of the most sincere Hollywood actors and it reflects in the choice of movies he has acted in.

After 'Pursuit of Happyness' , he is back with Seven Pounds.

Will Smith plays Tim Thomas , who is set on a mission to change lives of 7 strangers .

The film kicks off with the search for the worthy and the privileged , 7 lives whose transformation is in hands of Tim.

Tim confides in his brother of his intentions and sets out to donate his organs one by one to each of 7 strangers starting with lung lobe to Ben , his brother.

The second half of the movie sees , Tim falling in love with one of the strangers who has a weak heart . He goes through an emotional turmoil as this was not part of the deal.

Seven Pounds is an extremely poignant and intense screenplay. The culmination of the film has a massive shock value and hit me hard.

Will Smith is admirable as Tim , and his character connects with the audience at different strata of emotions.
The film scores on its original screenplay and the performance by the protagonist

One of the best Tear-Jerkers!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Moon : by Duncan Jones

Duncan Jones , a first time Hollywood director came into limelight in 2009 with this feature "Moon".

Starring , Sam Rockwell , who plays an employee of a firm which sends people to the moon on a mission to extract  helium 3 for augmenting Earth's power base.

This sci-fi celluloid drama has two characters , Sam Bell , the employee on the 3 year stint and GERTY , his robot ally (voice over Kevin Spacey).

Lunar Industries has contracted Sam for a job to monitor the Helium 3 extractors on the Moon.

He is two weeks away from the end of the contract and the d-day of his return to Earth, to his wife and daughter.

As the film explores Sam's Lunar day to day proceedings , it takes a turn when he meets with an accident whilst travelling to retrieve H3 from the harvester.

GERTY rescues Sam but to his surprise he is not aware of any accident that happened.

Sam starts getting suspicious of the odd occurrences at the base and the next instance the audience gets a jolt from nowhere ! Boom !

This film marks the unearthing of the talent of Sam Rockwell as a leading man in Hollywood films who has always been a sidekick.

Moon is a gutsy effort by the British talent , underlying his prowess of screenplay and direction of a sci-fiction subject.

A hard hitting space fiction drama! Like!

Rating : 3.5/5.0

Groundhog Day : by Harold Ramis

Groundhog Day came in 1993 starring Bill Murray and Andie Macdowell.

It is a very significant story and is revered for being a socially and aesthetically important in today's times.

Phil Connors ( Bill ) is vainglorious Pittsburg TV weatherman who hates covering the annually held Groundhog Day festival in Punxsutawney.

He reaches there with his colleagues Rita and Larry to cover the event for the third year running.

February 2nd , the Groundhog Day , passes by and the next morning , Phil finds himself reliving the same day!

The time loop causes Phil to be confused at first and when it happens the following day , he tries to make the most of it in the negative sense.

He robs a bank with perfect timing , woo girls , drives heedlessly..

Eventually he becomes dispirited and desperate to finish the time loop at all cost even if it means attempting suicide in all possible ways.

Rita becomes his confidante and breaths new lease of life. Phil decides to use the curse in a efficacious way.

He uses his knowledge of the previous day events to help the neighbourhood , learn and rejuvenate himself.

This film is one heck of comic ride , thanks to Bill Murray's effortless humour timing!

It is also considered to be an important tale of virtue , self improvement & the power of giving..

Groundhog Day is easily one of the top 30 funny films of all time .. Have a good laugh!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

L.A. Confidential : by Curtis Hanson

L.A Confidential came in 1997 , the same year when Titanic swept everyone's feet with romance and tragedy.

L.A is an out and  out hardcore LAPD drama set in 1950's where crime ,deceit and corruption was at its peak in the city.

It resolves around an homicide at a coffee shop in downtown L.A and looks at the point of view of 3 LAPD officers in charge of the case.

Edmund Exley (played by Guy Pearce , a'la Memento fame)
  *** Honest , Intelligent , Idealist.

Bud White ( played by vulnerable Russel Crowe)
  *** Hotheaded, Obsessive , Violently Brutal


Jack Vincennes ( played by laid back Kevin Spacey)   *** Nonchalant , Witty , Polished

The case & the plot is extremely interesting , with lot of suspense for the audience to cling to.

Everyone is a suspect here!!

In comes, Lynn ( played by irresistible Kim Basinger) , a Hollywood look alike artist who holds the key to the entire proceedings.

At varied intervals, the 3 men investigate the killings and circumstantial events which in turn begin to unravel indications of corruption all around them.

The performances are exemplary by the entire cast leading to an electrifying showdown in the end.

No surprises for it to bag nine Oscar nominations winning two out of those.

A superlative crime drama! Not to be missed!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Kung Fu Panda 2 : by Jennifer Yuh

Kung Fu Panda is one most comical characters to come out in animation history. I was itching for the sequel to release .. and here it goes ...

Jack Black voicing the over confident , hilarious , master of goof ups! , dragon warrior , 'Po'.

Its been thirty years , Panda 'Po' is protecting the valley of peace , as the chosen one along with the furious five.

Master Shifu is still in shock on Po's Kung Fu craft and reveals that Panda is yet to achieve inner peace.

Lord Shen is the heir of the peacock clan who decided to annul the entire Panda clan upon a prophecy that a "warrior of black and white" would destroy him.

Po has flashbacks of the fateful night when his parents abandoned him to a duck - Mr Ping in a rush to save from the atrocities of Shen.

China , is in danger under the wrath of Shen who wants to wipe out Kung Fu tradition using a special cannon weapon.

The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five start their journey to save Kung Fu......

Animation is bigger and better , in particular the 3D sequences! The action is pure kick ass !

The supporting characters are equally strong in particular the Tigress (Angelina Jolie) and the villainous streak of Shen (Gary Oldman).

Po is adorable , clumsy & oozing with Kung Fu confidence , a true Jack Black tribute to the character.

Awesomeness is an addiction , My fist hungers for more , Panda!!!

Rating : 4.0/5.0

Schindler's List : by Steven Spielberg

Holocaust - Genocide of Six Million European Jews during WWII by Nazi - Germany

Oskar Schindler - A German businessman who was self reliant , independent , shrewd & money making Nazi supporter.

The List - A roll call of 1,100 Jews , survivors of the Ghetto.

Schindler's List is a true story inspired from a biographical book about a man , Oskar , who with his business acumen had a profound impact upon seeing the atrocities by Hitler led Nazis on the Jews.

Oskar played by Liam Neeson is a charismatic & alluring man. He has all the attention in the book and support from the military & SS.

He acquires a factory and starts his production  with his close associate Stern played by immensely talented Ben Kingsley.

Schindler had one simple objective - 'Maximize his profits by getting cheap Jews Labor' even if it means bribing the SS (Nazi Military).

Ralph Fiennes plays a SS Lieutenant who looks over the construction of the Plaszow concentration camp & orders his troops to empty all Jews with shoot at sight orders.

Stern & Schindler are distraught at the sight of massacre around them . Schilnder wants to save as many as he can in the event of  the orders to move all Jews to Auschwitz ,

They create the list of 1,100  Jews to work at his artillery shells factory thereby saving lives from the Nazis.

The performances by the actors is exemplary. The filming in black n white gave this film a documentary feel and a timeless sense.

A master craftsman , Spielberg used nuances which are heartrending , poignant , disturbing , sorrowful. The red color of the coat worn by the little girl used at the end symbolized hope & the bloodbath at the same time.

Crying was inevitable as the credits rolled , the pain of Schindler at the end comes a full circle.

Film of the decade (1990-2000) with 7 Oscars for Oskar!

"Whoever saves one life saves the world entire."

- inscription by the Jew workers on the ring gifted to Oskar.

Rating :   5 ⁵  / 5.0

Annie Hall : by Woody Allen

Alvy Singer , is one of the most crazy zany hysteric comic characters of all time conceptualized by none other than Woody Allen.

Make no mistake , this is a serious film (pun intended) by Woody's standard , still the genre is tagged as an American comedy film (1977) !

The film is about this comedian who is absolutely besotted by Annie Hall a vivacious and ambitious lady.

Alvy goes through the troughs and the crests of this dynamic relationship , and this makes the essence of the movie.

As the screenplay goes,  we are taken on a flashback ride of Alvy's childhood , to crosscut memories of Annie and Alvy's past.

Soon , the couple realize they are incompatible and have marked different personalities.

Annie moves to California to chase her dreams and Alvy continues play writing and standup acts.
Sooner he realizes his love has not diminished and meets Annie to convince her back.

Annie was the special one for Alvy , and the finale justifies the need for relationships and its complexities!

Woody 's best work till date , & the Academy revered it!

Rating : 4.0/5.0