My reel list # 1
Here is the list of movies I enjoyed watching. According to me, these are worth watching and good entertainers. This is not a top 10 list or I did not list the movies under any criteria. I listed as per the year of the release, oldest first. This is not the entire list, more may come when I have the time to write about other movies. Enjoy!
Ethir Neechal (Swimming Against the Current)(1968)
Language : Tamil
Director : K.Balachander
Actors: Nagesh, Jayanthi, Sowcar Janaki
As every Balachander movie, this too has unusual leads. Even the characters in the movie are unusual, they have a depth in them. Nagesh, famous comedian in Tamil cinema, does the lead role as an orphan who does odd jobs to survive and to study and to climb the social ladder in a straight forward way. An inspiring movie filled with comedy, love, emotion and with the usual Balachander niche.
Mouna Raagam(Silent Symphony)(1986)
Language : Tamil
Director : Mani Ratnam
Actors: Karthick, Revathi, Mohan
Mouna Raagam takes you to an emotional roller coaster. The movie is about a newly married couple (arranged marriage) and their unusual problem. When Mohan, the husband, asks his wife, Revathi, what she wants as their wedding gift, she shocks him by asking for divorce. The movie takes you to her past and one of Tamil cinemas most memorable love story ever. If you are not into the flashy colorful romance that is shown in today’s Indian cinema, then this movie is for you.
Field of Dreams (1989)
Language : English
Director : Phil Alden Robinson
Actors: Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones
This movie was suggested to me by my uncle. We never talk about movies. When he suggested me to watch this, I was surprised and wanted to see it out of curiosity. I had to Google a lot after watching this movie, as my knowledge about baseball was nil. But once you know who is who, you would surely enjoy this movie. The movie has a message, a message that should not be missed by anyone. Now I know why he wanted me to watch this.
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995)
Language : English
Director : Beeban Kidron
Actors: Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo
The movie is about three drag queens and their experience during their journey from New York to Hollywood. Half way through the movie you would forget that they are men. The movie shows the societies prejudice towards drag queens or homosexuals in general. If you are homophobic, then I strongly suggest you to watch this movie. You would become gay friendly when the movie ends.
Get Real (1998)
Language : English
Director : Simon Shore
Actors: Ben Silverstone, Charlotte Brittain, Brad Gorton.
The movie is about 16 year old Steven Carter who is in terms with his sexuality but have to deal with his parents and homophobic peers. You don’t have to be gay to realize what Steven goes through. You would feel his pain and even you would relate him to yourself if you were /are a geeky introverted student in school.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Language : English
Director : David Lynch
Actors: Naomi Watts, Laura Elena Harring, Justin Theroux
Have you ever decoded your dreams? The movie has an unusual plot. Its totally a David Lynch film. If you are not into off the track movies, don’t dare to watch it. Its not for you. You need patience and a good eye to appreciate difference. And for sure, the movie would leave you confused when it ends, but would make you think about it for the next couple of days.
Mr and Mrs Iyer (2002)
Language : English
Director : Aparna Sen
Actors: Rahul Bose, Konkana Sen Sharma
Is it possible to show the rich diversity of India in a two hour movie? Yes, it is possible, proves Aparna Sen. The movie deals with contemporary problem that the world goes through today, terrorism. A must watch movie, will always top my list.
Anbe Sivam (Love is God) (2003)
Language : Tamil
Director : Sundar C
Actors: Kamal Hasan, Madhavan, Kiran
The movie has the most versatile Indian actor, Kamal Hasan. The story is between a middle aged communist man and a young capitalist and how they see the world. They are thrown together in a travel due to unavoidable circumstances and the rest is how they get along together. The movie is fun to watch and a sure entertainer.
Jhankaar Beats (2003)
Language : Hindi
Director : Sujoy Ghosh
Actors: Sanjay Suri, Rahul Bose, Juhi Chawla
Its the story of love, friendship, music and modern India. Rahul Bose yet again proves that he can do both art and commercial movies. Sujoy Ghosh really knows what he is doing. Its one of the few Bollywood movies that is in my list.
The Bank Job (2008)
Language : English
Director : Roger Donaldson
Actors: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows
The movie is based on 1971 Baker street robbery in London. A crime thriller and keeps you fixed to the seat. The movie has straight forward plot. And the movie is totally British. It may not be the best crime thriller as per regular movie norms, but given the fact that it is based on real incident it is intriguing.
My first reel list with these 10 movies ends. But they are not in any order. I tried to list movies of different genres and tried to make a list that is wide. Do let me know what you feel about the movies, if you have watched them already. If not, you can always watch these. You won’t be disappointed.
