1. Great Gatsby - I love everything about this movie – the ambiance, the plot, the couture, the choice of cast – especially the soundtracks which I heard long before the movie came out. This film is the fifth movie adaptation of the 1925 novel written by American novelist Scott Fitzgerald. It did so well in the box office as it ranked second to Iron Man 3 in its opening week. It’s such a powerful story that ballets, opera, graphic novels and even computer games have been made from it over the years. Kudos to the cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Amitabh Bachchan and Elizabeth Debicki, for an excellent performance. I hoped Leonardo Dicaprio would actually win a Golden Globe Award for this movie after numerous nominations in the past but it turns out he won Best lead actor for AACTA Award from the Australian Film Institute for this movie instead. At least he was able to secure an 2014 Golden Globe for the black comedy Wolf of Wall Street, a true life story which was released on the 25th of December 2013.
2. The Conjuring – I don’t know why I’m drawn to movies made from real life events experienced by real people. This movie is captivating from the first supernatural manifestation to the last. Movie review sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritics rated it highly as a well done horror movie which was in the same category with originals like Exorcists and Poltergeist. It was produced by New Line cinemas and distributed by Warner Bros. This movie is one among others (e.g. Amityville Horror and Insidious) which is based on the lives of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Ed passed away on August 23rd, 2006 but Lorraine is still alive). Their paranormal investigations of Demons led them to prominent cases of haunting.
3. Now you see me – This movie is one in a long line of movies that explore the actual concept of illusions rather than the dramatic. As some critics described it, it’s the modern day Robin Hood story. The characters were simply amazing in their performance, the storyline and its twists were perfect and the magical effects were taught to the actors by the great David Copperfield, the world’s greatest illusionist. Many critics claimed it was a terrible movie, citing change in camera positions by certain actors as seen during one or two scenes but for me, if the movie was produced in May 2013 at an estimated $75million and by September it had grossed over $117million in USA only, I call it a success and a must watch.
4. Las Vegas – The veterans of Hollywood finally came together to make a light hearted comedy movie that explored the subjects of how older citizens deal with old age and romance. The dialogue was hilarious and believable and just thinking of this film makes me smile. This film reminded me of how I felt when I heard my grandmother - who has been a great grandma for almost a decade now - had a crush on a Doctor she met in the UK during a medical appointment and it gave me a realistic picture of how that was remotely possible. It was such a pleasure to have the likes of Michael Douglas, Robert Di Nero, Morgan Freeman and Kelvin Kline star in a movie directed by Jon Turteltaub (also the Director of National Treasure & A Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and even though it felt like an older version of The Hangover franchise, it’s still a must watch.
5. Runner Runner – This crime thriller started out very mundane and kinda stretched out till towards the end. Once the film was done, I could see why Leonardo DiCaprio opted to be one of the producers of this movie. Sometimes in the face of seeming truth, people choose to believe what seats best with their consciences. Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake put up quite a performance and the beauty of using intellectual knowledge in every day occupation was well highlighted. I usually don’t like sharing the plots of movies so as not to discourage anyone from watching it but it’s necessary for me to mention here that the lead character, Richie, was a former worker on Wall Street whose history of a lucrative career there, hindered his ability to get funds/tuition assistance at Princeton University where he set out to do his Masters degree. That’s how his journey into the world of crime and police bullying begins. Too bad there wasn’t any real running as the title suggested.
6. Captain Philips - Once again, Tom Hanks delivers an award winning performance as he showed us the emotions of the character in this movie. Beyond being a true life story for which the man in question is truly grateful for having his life spared, it was the first movie in a long while that made me shed tears. In the face of a death threat, all Captain Philip could think of was his family and how to save lives even that of his enemy. A straight forward plot but as with all good dramas, we get to see reality in a different light because the actors brought more to light by their understanding of the roles they played. This movie I would watch again any other day.
That’s all for now folks. Till our next review, do make out time to relax at the cinema or at home with a great movie.
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