Bollywood films do not receive a huge amount of attention outside India however the filmmaking industry in the country creates more films than Hollywood each year. Aside from the impressive development of filmmaking in the country, the digital age also ushered a selection of well shot and written films that can easily rival Hollywood blockbusters.
The following are the top five Bollywood films. Some of them are known for their impressive digital rendering while others are just plain amazing when it comes to acting and storytelling.
3 Idiots
The movie is an instant hit in Bollywood and has become a sort of cult movie in the west. Aside from its impressive story and great comedic sketches, the film is also helmed by some of the most popular actors in the country.
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Rowan Atkinson is back with “Johnny English 2”. For the unfamiliar, the movie is practically a spoof of all major spy films with a twist and that twist is the main character himself. Rowan Atkinson’s flavor of comedy is really unique that the film is almost useless without him.
The plot of the film is almost unexpected except for its setting. It is a direct follow-up of the first movie but he opted to hone his training somewhere in Asia instead of the traditional grounds of MI7.
The fact that Rowan Atkinson made this film special doesn’t mean his co-stars are just 2nd rate actors. Some of the popular actors such as Gillian Anderson, Rosamund Pike and Dominic West have been part of the movie and their performance is noteworthy. It’s actually very hard to imagine having a straight face while the great Atkinson makes his trademark awkward antics.
The movie doesn’t attract a lot of attention or even praise from well known critics. But the movie is not trying to be Oscar worthy or something that wants to get the attention of film experts. It’s actually a movie made for fans of Rowan Atkinson. If you’ve seen any of the “Mr. Bean” episodes and learns to appreciate its goofy humor, this film is perfect for you.
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Warrior is one of the most surprising films in 2011. The trailer and posters can easily give you an impression that it’s just another film that takes advantage of the increasing popularity of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). The actors are not even popular (Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy) with only Nick Nolte being a recognizable actor.
But Warrior is actually a very well made film. It’s a story about two brothers who ultimately have to face each other in the octagon. Each fighter has something to prove and winning is the only way to get to their objective. Along the way, they go through different challenges and each of them overcomes these challenges. Although there are some difficulties in these challenges, they ultimately beat everyone in the end. Of course, as an action film, it’s expected that they fight their way through to get to their objective.
Warrior is an action film but with a heart. Nick Nolte is someone you expect to perform and he does with ease. But instead of taking the center stage, he allows the two main characters to become the real star of the show. Nick Nolte plays the father of the two main characters. Think of his role as Rocky’s Mickey who trains the fighters to reach their potential.
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One Day is a film adapted from a bestselling novel with the same title. The film follows the meeting of two characters, Emma played by Anne Hathaway and Dexter played by Jim Sturgess. The plot is actually very unique: the film chronicles the interaction of two characters meeting every July 15 for twenty years. This means the film basically chronicles the twenty meeting of the characters.
The plot of the film alone could easily grab the attention of serious movie goers. Imagining how the director (Lone Scherfig) would work on such a challenging plot is already an interesting talking point.
The film is laudable because of its picturesque settings and must-listen dialogue between two characters. Jim Sturgess easily made the film his own due to his ability to carry the very challenging character. Although Anne Hathaway is impressive in the film as she tries to work as Emma, there’s a strange feeling that something is amiss with the character. The reason could be Emma’s personality doesn’t really quite fit to Anne Hathaway’s aura. She’s good but it’s just not right.
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“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is a science fiction film starring James Franco as a scientist who helped develop “Caesar”. The ape is played by Andy Serkis who is known for his portrayal as “Gollum” in “Lord of the Rings”. The film is directed by Rupert Wyatt.
For the past few years Hollywood has been working with various remakes and sequels with often disappointing results. Fortunately, Rise of the Planet of the Apes comes in as an exception. It’s a well made film that doesn’t try to be preachy. It’s simply a sci-fi film that tries to tell a story and does it with remarkable fashion.
The acting in the film will not draw any attention from the people who run the Oscar’s but its good enough to keep you entertained. Starring James Franco with the aid of other supporting actors (Frieda Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox and Tom Felton), the movie simply looks great and the cast works well together.
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After a decade, the Harry Potter franchise finally ends with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2”. Also released in 3D (unlike the first film), the film is set to show the epic battle of good and evil represented by Potter and Voldemort. The main characters have grown under the eyes of the world and their final film finishes their role with a bang.
Thinking about the pressure everyone has to go through to end a decade long saga can easily unnerve anyone, but director David Yates seemed to put everyone’s concern at ease by bringing out the best in the last. This doesn’t mean other movies in the Potter series are bad but the final film is an amazing interpretation of the final moments of the book.
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One of the biggest challenges for X-Men: First Class is how to tell the story of different characters in such a short time. Of course, they only have to deal with a specific period of time to explain how they became mutants but it’s not a movie that only focuses on one character (just like Wolverine ). If you only have 90 minutes to tell the story of some of the iconic comic book characters, you better be ready with your story telling skills.
Fortunately, the movie features one of the best scripts we have seen in a while. The movie unfolds in front of the audience is non-disruptive and easy to understand way. The movie provides enough clues for the audience to ponder but gives everyone a glimpse of the character’s psyche for them to understand what is going on.
The movie basically deals with one situation and one question for the mutants. Every mutant has to deal with their powers for the first time. The movie shows up how they try to have fun with what they have and movie goers are taken for a ride along the way. The question “How can I use my power to do good for men?” ultimately leads the plot that unfolds in the later part of the movie.
Overall, X-Men: First Class will give comic books, animation and casual fans a very satisfying take on the humanity and power of the mutants. It’s a summer blockbuster movie that takes full advantage of story telling without alienating the blockbuster feel of the film.
Limitless starts with a very interesting premise that immediately hooks the viewer. What if you could extend the capability of your memory? Instead of a mere 20%, what if you could use 100% of your brain’s capability? The movie then tries to answer the question with a little bit of side story.
Bradly Cooper stars as Eddie Mora and he plays the part of a run down, stuck-in-a-rut writer but after taking the pill he extends his brain functionality. His role somehow reminds the audience of his “Hangover” role where he oozes confidence as he can easily command the scene. All other characters simply complement the events and situations.
Unfortunately, Robert De Niro is part of the cast that simply complements Eddie’s journey. Although he’s one of the main characters with decisions that could affect the outcome of the story, viewers will simply see him as a pawn for something bigger. Anyone could have been chosen for the part and the result would have still been the same. The side story of the film is about a murder. While this provides an interesting twist in the story, the film could easily have not included the incident.
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Rango is an animated film about a green gecko and his role as the sheriff of “Dirt” town. At first glance, it’s a family film as it features a lovely green gecko character with the voice of Johnny Depp. But within the first few minutes of the film, any audience will understand that it’s not rated PG just for kicks. It’s actually a straight western movie with a few twists and jokes to make the movie appeal to kids.
The movie is such a great homage to western flicks it becomes a great film in itself. The green gecko accidentally becomes the town sheriff after a series of circumstances that make him appear to be a good fighter. The gecko has to deal with snakes, vultures and some of the townspeople who do not believe in him along with the town’s water problem.
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Fans of Liam Neeson and his recent blockbuster “Taken” should appreciate the film “Unknown”. Although, at first glance, the film could be mistaken as a second part of Taken, his previous action-film, “Unknown” provides a unique premise with another impressive performance from Mr. Neeson.
The plot is a classic conspiracy theory with a few twists on the side. Liam Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris who just woke up from coma after an accident in Berlin. He tries to contact his wife but she doesn’t know who he is and his identity is there is now another Martin Harris in his place. While trying to recover his identity, he has to search for what really happened to him while he was in a coma. However while he has to deal with his memory problem he has to also run away from a group of assassins that plan to kill him.
The film is shot beautifully with many great views of the attractive city of Berlin. But even though the plot is interesting, it does seem to get a little too farfetched at times. This realisation is something many will get while thinking back over the plot and story and not something you will realize while watching the piece as you’ll be caught up in the twists and enjoying the fast paced action. It could mainly be described as a fun film to watch with impressive action scenes.
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