Category Archives: Must Watch

Action, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

The Man from Nowhere

The Man from Nowhere – is a South Korean action thriller released in 2010. A pawnshop owner whose past whereabouts are unknown befriends and develops a bond with a little girl in the neighborhood. When she is kidnapped he would have to use his skills from the past and go the lengths to save her.

The movie is very thrilling and engaging right from the first scene. Although the plot is similar to Taken, the story has much more darker shade and some brutal action scenes. The narration is crisp and stays to the point and does not wander much. Won Bin’s performance is very commendable and is the strength of the movie. His hair style for the major part of the movie is mysterious covering half of his face. Director Lee Jeong-beom has cleverly used the police investigation angle to reveal his past rather than using clichéd sequence of him justifying his past. As his past is revealed you see his hair cut off and see his full face. It’s a simple but clever use of metaphor for the mystery surrounding him.

A Bollywood movie in the making based on this story is slated to be released in 2015. If you are fan of movies like Man on Fire, Taken,  Old Boy then this is a must watch for you.

Must Watch

Crime, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

Memories of Murder

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Memories of Murder – is a South Korean crime thriller released in 2003. The movie is based on true incidents of serial killing that occurred between 1986 and 1991 in  Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. In a small city, a woman is raped and murdered. Soon the detectives realize it is just one of the many serial killings that occur. A local detective and a detective from Seoul with conflicting personalities have to team up to track down the killer and stop future murders.

This movie is directed by Bong Joon-ho prior to The Host. If you are fan of crime thrillers and serial killings this would be a must watch for you. The story is so intriguing and plots open up with even more complicated knot as the movie progresses. You might have seen similar plots in many movies in the recent times (I will leave that for your guessing :)) . But still this one is class apart from all those I have seen. As you see in The Host even in this movie there are some strong social takes. Weaving the current state of affairs into a script is brilliance of Bong Joon-ho. The lead actors Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-kyung have given very engaging performances and the transfer in their personalities as the movie progresses is brilliant. 

Overall this movie is one of the best movies made on serial killing. This one is a must watch for all movie buffs.

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Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, SciFi, Thriller

The Host

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The Host – is a South Korean science fiction and thriller released in 2006. As a side effect to the release of toxic waste into the Hans River an unknown mutated giant creature originates and starts attacking people. An affected family stands against all odds to fight the creature.

I was not very fascinated by the plot of a creature coming out of a river but still wanted to watch this because of the rave reviews it has got. I ended up liking this movie! For the firsts, it is not another Godzilla type movie. This has a very strong political statement against the US military dumping toxic wastes into the river. The movie has it scary, satirically funny and emotional moments. Apart from the socio-political statement what stand out in the movie are the way the screenplay has been written and the characterization of the people in the family. Everyone character is carefully thought and is a representation of various people in Korean society. There is a scene where in the father describes why his first son is so dumb and blames himself for the upbringing of his son. You would see many such instances which have been crafted in a satirical fashion. The lead characters Song Kang-ho and the girl Go Ah-sung playing his daughter has performed very well. Director Bong Joon-ho should be credited for taking up such a subject and telling a compelling story!

If you do not watch this movie superfluously but pay attention to the details of the scene and the plot you would enjoy it. This one is yet another master piece of South Korean Cinema.

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Comedy, Drama, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, War

Jakob The Liar

Jakob The Liar – is an American war comedy film released in 1999. During the Holocaust in a ghetto in German occupied Poland a rumor spreads that shopkeeper Jakob has a radio. Playing along with the rumor Jakob starts telling lies to people in the ghetto to keep up their hopes. This is not the only lie he is telling but he is also hiding a young Jewish girl who had escaped from an extermination camp deportation train. Jakob soon becomes the symbol of hope for the community and he goes a long way to give everything for his people.

The movie is made from a Novel by Jurek Becker. It is a remake of the East German DEFA film Jakob der Lügner from 1975. But I felt it was tailor made for Robin Williams.The movie has a tone of the movie Life is beautiful. However here the protagonist is spreading belief and hope for an entire community and gives everything in the end for his people. A very nice tale told in the background of one of the cruel times. Robin Williams brings Jakob’s character from book to life. This is a must watch for all Robin Williams fans.

The tag line – When all hope was lost, he invented it. – how fitting it is for Robin Williams… we will miss him.

Must Watch – for all Robin Williams fans

Drama, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Suspense, Thriller

Old Boy

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Old Boy – is a South Korean suspense thriller movie released in 2003. A man named Oh Dae-su is abducted and imprisoned in a dark room for 15 years. In the meantime he learns his wife is murdered, he is the prime suspect for the murder and his daughter is adopted by a Swedish family. After 15 years he is released on the roof top of a tall building. He is out to find the reason why he has been tortured to this extent and vows to take revenge on his abductor.

The movie is known for its unique plot. It is strictly for mature audience for its content and it is gross in parts. The tone has been set like that to give the impact of the torturous life the lead character has gone through. As the movie progresses Oh Dae-su discovers the identity of the kidnapper and the story unfolds. The screenplay is done brilliantly and the climax would leave you dumb stuck. It is a movie that has the potential of keeping you disturbed and at the same time give a feeling of having watched a brilliant movie. The plot of keeping a man abducted in an unknown room for unknown reason has been used in various movies which had released later including the recent Tamil movie Ivan Vera Mathiri. Overall this is a must watch if you have open mindedness and have a strong heart.

Must Watch – not for the weak hearted

English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Suspense, Thriller

Rope

Rope – is an English suspense thriller released in 1948. Two friends commit a murder of another friend just for the pleasure of committing a murder and on the same eve with his body still in their apartment they host a party to the dead man’s family and few of their common friends. The movie is directed by Hitchcock based on a play by Patrick Hamilton

The movie has the usual element of suspense that you would see in a Hitchcock movie. But the specialty of this movie is such that the entire movie seems to be taken of a single continuous shot. There is a peculiar party thrown in celebration of a murder committed by two men. What happens through the party is the rest of the movie. The movie has some wonderful performances, great dialogues and good use of props. The set is extremely detailed. Overall a thrilling screenplay makes this movie a compelling watch.

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Action, Crime, Drama, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

A Dirty Carnival

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A Dirty Carnival – is a South Korean neo-noir film released in 2006. An upcoming film director Min Ho has to read a gangster’s life to create the script for his gangster movie. He follows and interviews his high school friend turned gangster Kim Byung-doo to understand the life of a gangster and make his movie. When the movie is released it is so close to the reality of the crime Byung-doo was involved in that he now has to kill Min Ho to save his secrets.

Sounds similar? Well this is the movie that many of the movie buffs have compared with Jigarthanda. Only the central plot is similar but the genre, treatment, the actual conflict and where the movie heads to is vastly different. They are two different movies with different story. So stop comparing the two movies.

A Dirty Carnival is a very serious gangster movie in itself. The movie is so realistic to the life of gangsters. You would see some realistic looking fights rather than the cinematic fights with visual effects. The movie right from the start follows Kim Byung-doo who is leading the life of a gangster and struggling to make his ends meet with an ailing mother, dependent brother and sister. The story is about his rise to power, his love for his childhood friend, his interactions with Min Ho for the movie script and the final conflict he gets into where he would have to kill his friend to live free. The story is very engaging right from the start. You would have the experience of looking into the life of a gangster. The performances, character buildup have been done very well. The editing of the movie is outstanding. If you are fan of gangster movies watch this one definitely.

Must Watch – for gangster fans

Animation, Comedy, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie – is an English animation movie released in 2014.  Emmet Brickowski, an ordinary worker in a construction site who goes about living his life as per the books, falls into a situation where he would need to break the rules to save the world from freezing.

I should confess that I never thought I would like this movie as I had not been a major fan of animation using Lego toys. Hence my expectation was super low for this one. However this movie turned out to outrun my expectation. Although it appears to be a spoof of many Hollywood movies and characters there is a very deep social message in it with respect to upbringing of kids. Of course the message targets towards increase in sales of Lego toys 🙂 Still this is a must watch for all animation movie fans.

Must Watch – for all animation movie fans

Comedy, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

The Grand Budapest Hotel

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The Grand Budapest Hotel – is a English comedy film released in 2014. The movie revolves around the adventure of Mr. Gustave, concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel and Zero, the Lobby Boy.

I did not have great expectations before I watched this movie. I was in for a very pleasant surprise. The movie starts off with switching multiple time context from the present to 1968 and then to 1932 where the actual incidents of a story take place. The movie is presented in a Novel format and narrates the incidents surrounding the Grand Budapest hotel, its concierge and the lobby boy. Wes Anderson has got a very good cast ensemble and the shots covering various sequences around the Grand Budapest hotel and the fictitious town of Zubrowka. One of the things impressed me was use of fantastic visuals for the establishing shots to cover the context of movie. You would have the satisfaction of finishing a novel by the end of it.

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Action, English Movies, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Superhero

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier – is an English superhero action movie released in 2014. Marvel’s next edition of Captain America sees him fight against a deadly assassin known by the name Winter Soldier. The assassin attacks S.H.I.E.L.D agents, his motive is unknown. Was Steve Rogers (Captain America) able to stop him, did he find out the reason behind his attack? –  is the plot of the movie.

The movie jumps into action right from the first scene and keeps the audience very connected to the movie. The action sequences are done well. Directors Russo brothers (Anthony Russo and Joe Russo) have built a very compelling plot and have managed to unfold the suspense at appropriate time. Atleast this time around the One of the big plus for the movie is that it is not just a Captain America’s show. It also contains equal importance for the characters Nick Fury, Black Widow and War veteran Sam Wilson. Overall Marvel’s third outing with Captain America is a very enjoyable commercial package. If you are fan of superhero movies this is a must watch, all Marvel fans you would enjoy this even better. Don’t miss the two post credit sequences one which is building up for the next Avenger movie and the other for the next Captain America movie.

Must Watch – for all Marvel fans

 

Drama, Genre, Malayalam Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Romance

Thattathin Marayathu

Thattathin Marayathu – is a Malayalam romance drama released in 2012. A Hindu boy living in Kerala falls in love with a Muslim girl. Were they able to get together in life is the plot of Thattathin Marayathu.

Thattathin Marayathu means “behind the veil”. A very apt title for the movie as it is related to the beauty of the lady behind the veil. A very well-known plot of an Indian romance movie, yet the movie is enjoyable for the way it has been presented, the characters are sketched and the sequences are tied together. The nativity of Malabar area is captured well and people from that area would be able to relate to the movie and its location better. Nivin Pauly and Aju Varghese have delivered a very convincing performance for director Vineeth Srinivasan. One of the big positives for the movie is that the scenes are very realistic and sketched with a feel good factor in it. If you are a fan of feel good romantic entertainers this one is a must watch for you.

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Comedy, Drama, Genre, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Tamil Movies

Pannaiyarum Padminiyum

Pannaiyarum Padminiyum – is a Tamil Comedy Drama released in 2014. A village head man falls in love with the Fiat Premier Padmini car left behind by his friend for few days. The car soon becomes a integral part of the family and the village. The film narrates a deep love between man and machine in a native backdrop.

Naalaya Iyakunar reality show has produced some gem of directors for Tamil Cinema. Director Arun Kumar joins the elite list. He has taken a simple joy of life and created a feel good entertainer. Right from the start of the movie you would find yourself laughing, smiling and connecting to many portions of the movie. Jayakumar and Thulasi are perfect fit for their roles. Vijay Sethupathi and Bala Saravanan have performed their part well. Tale of love between man and car has always been a successful formula like the Herbie series, Padikathavan (1985), Transporter, Ferrari Ki Sawari. Pannaiyarum Padminiyum recreates the magic once again in a different style and in a different backdrop. Watch the movie to feel good and come out with a smile.

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