Day #40 - Gone with the Wind

Movie #38

Gone with the Wind

This is one lengthy movie! - nearly four hours, But ...

It is also one of the best dramatic movies of all time; whose principal character - Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) is one hell of a woman, who struggles through two loveless marriages, war, poverty and death. With a really amazing supporting cast -- that includes Clark Gable, Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland; no wonder it has gone on to garner ten Academy Awards (which includes Best Picture, Director, Actress and Supporting Actress).

2012's Highly Anticipated Movies

2012 is going to be bigger and (hopefully) better than 2011 with the caliber of movies that are going to be opening; this list includes 15 of the most anticipated movie coming out this year.

Hopefully, they would live up to their billing -- fingers crossed.

• Underworld: Awakening 

Opens: January 20, 2012  Genre: Action, Fantasy

Day #39 - Princess and the Frog

Movie #37

Princess and the Frog

A warm classical Disney fantasy befitting for this season, the jazzed-up fairy tale story set in the deep south (New Orleans); with really wonderful and fun characters. The traditional hand drawn animation was really amazing and the story was really fantastic, mixed with all that jazz, New Orleans and the Shadow Man - whose evil genius put the 'S' in Swagger!

Now this is a really good holiday movie.

Happy New Year!!!!

Movies #35 & #36 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Happy 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Day #37 & #38

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1 & 2)

This is a befitting finale to arguably the best (and most successful) movie franchise of all time - eight movies in total.

Part 1
This was a perfect prelude to a finale that has been anticipated since the first movie came out (2001). The build up was grand and epic, making it the finale much more enticing.

Best Movies of 2011

Besides hauling a ton of crappy movies this year, Hollywood released some really fantastic movies like Super 8, The Descendants, Contagion, X-Men: First Class, The Muppets, Winnie the Pooh, The Help, Fast Five, Source Code, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Jane Eyre, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2, 50/50, Rio, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Melancholia, Rango, The Ides of March and Hanna.


Here are the 10 best of 2011 (in Pictures):


       10.  Bridesmaids

Movie #34 - Carnage

Day #36

Carnage

The performances by Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet and John C. Reilly were outstanding! Based on the play "God of Carnage" by Yasmina Reza, this Polanski directed feature star revolves around two sets of parents who try to resolve a simple situation But soon everything goes berserk. This is a dark comedy whose actors were clinical and a riveting direction to accompany it.

A lovely movie!

Day #35 - Midnight in Paris

Movie #33

Midnight in Paris

The highest praises should go to writer/director Woody Allen, the supporting cast (Rachel McAdams, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, Marion Cotillard, Carla Bruni and Adrien Brody) --- and Paris!

I loved the fact that Woody Allen didn't waste any screen time explaining how Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) travels back in time, but instead concentrated on the story and its characters; invariably telling us to enjoy the movie for its content. The structure of the movie is poetic, and the manner through which humor was quite amusing.

And finally, Paris --- You have to fall in love with it at the end of the day; such an enjoyable movie.

Movie#32 - Hugo

Day #34

Hugo

The biggest surprise of this masterpiece is its director, Martin 'freaking' Scorsese! The king of gangster movies!

Hugo is the best movie of 2011, with an amazing director who did a REALLY brilliant job, a children's story that "metamorphs" into a movie about -- Movies, and the acting is (following its french theme) incroyable -- with brilliant references from everyone down to Sacha Baron Cohen's Inspector Gustav's dog! And a majestic mise en scene.

This is one emotional--brilliant piece of art.

Richard Corliss (of Time) -- "Scorsese's love poem, rendered gorgeously in 3-D, restores both the reputation of an early pioneer and the glory of movie history — the birth of a popular art form given new life through a master's application of the coolest new techniques". Now that's how you end a review about an awesome cinematic experience.

Day #33 - Scarface

Movie #31

Scarface

Al Pacino's Tony Montana is one of the most influential characters to ever grace the movies; and Oliver Stone's writing is legendary with its graphic language and memorable lines. This one stylish, foul-languaged, super-violent, drug-fueled gangster Epic.

Movie #30 - The Godfather

Day 32

The Godfather (Part 1)

The is the best movie ever made!

This epic movie gets everything right, from powerful performances (from Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall etc) - brilliant script - redolent set design - wonderful direction - the theme! 
All this from a movie that resonates around a Family/Loyalty/Mafia theme. And for a gangster movie, it sets itself apart by telling the story from an Insider's perspective of the Mafia without scenes depicting the nature of their businesses -- Gambling, prostitution and other forms of racketeering.

A great movie!

NB - Don Vito Corleone: "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" - this is one of the most memorable line ever!