Before Midnight

I watch a lot of movies...various genres...Have been impressed, awestruck, confounded, left speechless, dazzled by many, but no movie(s) has ever given me so much optimism and "hope" towards my future & personal relationships than Before Sunrise, Before Sunset & Before Midnight. It's been 20 years since Before Sunrise, & its been 20 years in Jesse & Celine's lives too. And it has been a fascinating journey indeed. Through a labyrinth of initial crush & the euphoria, amalgamation of 2 very different but intellectually stimulating minds, separation, reunion, euphoria, life altering events, twins, "no marriage yet" and ever increasing doubts & nagging, Jesse & Celine keep moving forward, keep revisiting their friendship which made everything possible, keep falling in love with each other. I hope I do not have to wait another decade to know what happens next in their lives but then I hope they keep growing & aptly still be together at the next sunrise

Spring Breakers

Wow...surreal...puts you in a trance like state....4 friends travel to Florida for their spring break, to get away from the daily mundane student life of theirs, to let their hair down, to soak in the sum and the sands...And it turns out to be a life altering break for them...James Franco is freakishly awesome...Florida has never been captured so beautifully.... Sad and tragic ending but they wanted the spring break to continue forever

Trance 2013

Danny Boyle & James McAvoy come together to really screw with your mind..Enough turns & twists to keep you glued on your seat..Rosario Dawson is the icing on the cake as the vengeful calculating hypnotist. What starts as an art house heist gone wrong turns out to be much much more complex & mind fucking..Satisfying conclusion & slick editing...Indeed takes you to a hypnotic high to a state of mind called Trance :)

Omkara

Very rarely u come out feeling stunned n totally breathless after watchin a Hindi flick...This is one such gem...Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Othello is indeed dark, dangerous and stunningly effective...It also gives Hindi cinema one of the most canny villains...Saif Ali Khan will forever be remembered as 'Langda Tyagi' regardless of the umteen trashy movies that he's since done...Background score and the music adds to the puzzle and the atmosphere...A must watch

Paranoid Park

Well...Different dish...not meant for everyone's palate...I just watched it coz of Gus Van Sant...Basically the story revolves around a skateboarder who accidentally is responsible for a guys' death.. How he copes with that guilt & some insight into he skateboarding community..Brilliant cinematography though

The Shawshank Redemption

A man wrongly accused of a crime plots to break out jail and he eventually does...Sounds so simple..doesn't it! But Shawshank Redemption is much much more than a prison break movie. It's a movie about redemption, introspection, corruption, friendship and absolute faith. It teaches one how to never give up despite insurmountable odds. It teaches one humility. The movie brings powerful emotions to the fore and makes you pine for the underdog like never before. It's also a movie about courage. Powerful, poignant, thought-provoking & finally irresistibly uplifting. Tim Robbins & Morgan Freeman brings their characters to life & takes you, the viewer, on an unforgettable ride.

Good Will Hunting

Even though I have watched this movie at least 25 times, I never tire of it. Matt Damon & Ben Affleck's academy award winning screenplay is just so refreshing & timeless even today. Matt Damon is bloody brilliant as the young prodigious protagonist Will. Ben & Minnie too support him flawlessly. But the cherry on top of this multi-layered cake is Robin Williams. His mentoring the troubled young genius is awe-inspiring & deservedly he won the supporting Actor academy award. The music score remains peppy n fresh and the bonds of friendship tugs at your heart.