Shuttlecock Boys (Hindi, 2012)
‘Shuttlecock Boys’ reflects the true entrepreneurial spirit that modern India is waking up to. It is a delightful Indie flick that takes us on a ride of friendship, betrayal, disappointment, and ultimately success.
Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (or) Amélie (French, 2001)
Amélie’s core story is built up with a profound child-like innocence which is very difficult to translate on screen. It is very much evident that such perfection has been achieved as it has become one of those films that never fails to bowl you over even after repeated viewings.
Kuraiondrumillai (Tamil, 2014)
Kuraiondrumillai is certainly a noble attempt for a debut filmmaker but its engagement quotient suffers as it straddles between proclaiming the need for farmer upliftment & reflecting the nature of modern interpersonal relationships.
Our Picks from Q3 2014 : Tamil Films
Over the first three months of the second half of 2014, there were a lot less stars on the Kollywood skies but it did shine bright as ever, nevertheless! If it was Dhanush's Velai Illa Patadhaari which kick-started the quarter pleasing the masses, the increasing significance of Content over the Star in a slow-but-sure shift in valuation of films by the general audience was evident when Karthik Subbaraj's Jigarthanda was the talk of the town in August & Ranjith's Madras took the honour towards the end of the Quarter. This was also the quarter that can be fondly remembered for the money-muscle Kollywood has that brought Schwarzenegger to Madras for the launch of 'I''s music.On the flip side, the biggest star outing of the quarter, Anjaan turned out to be a Box office disaster & took some toll on the public image of its director Lingusamy. Off to the SIX K-town films that were our picks from the quarter that flashed by.
Shahid (Hindi, 2013)
Heroes are not always born out acts of physical valor – Shahid had undoubtedly saved the lives of almost a dozen innocents from the hard end of the judicial system, ultimately to lose his own in the process. This movie is a fitting tribute to this ‘unsung’ hero with powerfully emotional performances from the cast enabled by some realistic portrayal by the director – definitely one to cherish and preserve!
Haider (Hindi, 2014)
In bringing out the struggle that the people of Kashmir faced with the AFSPA and twining it with the plot of Hamlet, Vishal Bharadwaj has managed to take a path less known to not only bring out the realities, but also hold the viewers in its essence and undulations! Haider will remain long to be spoken about for its depiction!
Yaan (Tamil, 2014)
With great hype comes greater burden of meeting expectations – ‘Yaan’ falls prey to this adage as it flounders at the start and fails to keep on its feet as it is dealt several body blows due to a weak script, poor execution and ill-advised knots in the storyline. A good one to give a miss!
Madras (Tamil, 2014)
For most of us it’s just a wall – For some it’s an identity. When the fight for identity breaks out from the confinements of individual desires, there can’t be neutrals. ‘Madras’ is a uniquely presented tale of a neutral person who is forced to take a side, presented in a natural yet impactful style!
Jeeva (Tamil, 2014)
Suseenthiran shows that even the so-called clichés can be crafted to one’s advantage & his non-manipulative handling of emotions makes Jeeva, a gripping MUST-WATCH drama.
The Hundred-Foot Journey (English, 2014)
Cuisses de Grenouille or Kabab??? Bouillabaisse or Tandoori Chicken??? This is what The hundred-foot Journey is all about – It is a splendid, mouth-watering recipe laced with emotions, (s)plattered with love, stuffed with fun and deep-fried in multi-cultural diversity that gets better with every passing frame and ends up providing you the pleasure of indulging in a really good movie.