It has been quite a while since I saw a movie in the theatre. 'Rocky 6' I did not watch. I sat and made sure no one else around me went through the torture. 'Blood Diamond' was really good. Not going to figure in my top classic movies list but then still worth the office bunk that I did for it. Did not really touch me or anything but I loved the pace of it and the way it was handled.
Anybody who talks to me will figure out in 5 minutes that 'Shawshank Redemption' is one of my all time favourites. It is for quite a few people. The twist in the tale, for the better end is amazing, though it was my favourite even before I got to the end. Morgan Freeman does one hell of a job there and his dialogue about the free birds was more of a 'heart warmer' than the twist.
Those final little twists in the climax do a lot to the pull up the story line, but without the background, it would end up to be nothing more than an excuse for onlookers to do other things.
'Adaptation' is not that famous a movie, but it does figure in my favourite list. It brings a whole new meaning to the word irony. Really love the way the rules are laid out in the first half and every one of them broken to itty bitty pieces in the second. I did not believe that was possible. It is a crazy movie and frankly i have seen nothing like it. Don't think I will either.
Then of course there is 'fight club'. The Brad Pitt and Edward Norton one. Any hindi movie watcher will know why I said that. Interesting thought about that being the story of Calvin and Hobbes grown up. Never saw that coming, but it does make sense in a lot of places that way. For a change schizoprenia is used and not misused in movie. These few movies stand out when I think of movies. Especially since they are not there because of the eye candy or the emotional arm twisting. They are there because of smart ideas and an even better presentation.
Empathy or the 'wow' factor puts a lot of movies on the charts. Wonder what happened to honest story telling for just the sake of the story, where there never was a hero you wanted to be or no situation you could connect to, or no funnies that made your heart happy. Maybe it never existed. I have nothing against the flashy, sentimental, heroic or the funny ones. They are pure entertainers but then I prefer the ones which appeal to the mind not to the heart. Tough to find those. Movies are still art and somehow my view of art is not what stays in the heart but what actually kick starts your mind. Sounds wierd? Art is something which has a different definition for everyone (some may not agree but this is my blog), and this is my definition.
I do watch movies that make me laugh. I watch stuff that makes me go 'hey I wish I could beat up 50 people all alone' or 'wish I could be the hero and not the villain for a change'. I have seen things which bring wierd fantasies to life. Not talking about porn, you pervert. Still make fun of the sentimental ones, but then I could never like them. That is all plain entertainment. Paintings, sculpture and music is art. Not all of it, I am sure you will agree. Otherwise I could draw a picture, make a statue and play the trumpet to show you why all of it is not art. Similarly some of these things are an art. Maybe not to all of us, but to a few like me.
P.S. Sorry just had to mention 'The Truman Show'. Totally forgot about it.
