Among all the movies that I watched last month, the top five movies that stood out include an almost forgotten Alfred Hitchcock classic, a movie that is considered a cult classic in Indian cinema and a dark musical that easily made me lose my appetite…

Satya (1998)

Considered by many as possibly one the best movies ever made in Hindi, Satya is a masterpiece at the least. The story of a young man who is thrown into the mumbai underworld, this is easily one of the finest works by Ram Gopal Verma. With some awe inspiring sequences, including the brilliant climax shot amid Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and some beautiful music; Satya is both engaging and highly entertaining.

Little Buddha (1993)

Little Buddha is the story of a Buddhist monk who comes to Seattle in search of t

he reincarnation of his dead teacher. His search leads him to young Jesse, Raju, a waif from Kathmandu, and an upper class Indian girl. Together, they journey to Bhutan where the three children must undergo a test to prove which is the true reincarnation. The story of Siddharta, later known as the Buddha is told during the storytelling and it traces his spiritual journey from ignorance to true enlightenment.

Starring Keanu Reeves, in a role that is light years away from the Matrix; Little Buddha is wonderful mix of an ancient story and modern faiths and beliefs. This might not be the most engaging of films but it tells a wonderful story that is definitely worth learning about.

Raajneeti (2010)

Having read the Mahabaratha only a few months ago, I couldn’t but admire this brilliant adaptation of the classic epic. I was amazed as to how well the characters were reconstructed in the setting of modern India and the concentration on the characters that truly mattered. Set in the forefront of brutal Indian politics, Rajneeti tells the story of the struggle for power within a political family.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(2007)

Sweeney Todd is a dark musical about the revenge of a barber who was wrongly accused and exiled by a lustful judge who had his eyes set on the barber’s beautiful wife. Returning to London under a new name, Sweeney Todd plans his revenge against the Judge, his associate and people of London. In the diabolical scheme, Sweeney would kill every customer to his shop by cutting their throat and Mrs. Lovette would cook their meat into meat pies and sell them back to the Londoners.

I love musicals and hence my opinion about this movie will surely be biased. Johnny Depp is immaculate playing the role of the hurt and vengeful protagonist. His constraint and sense of humor gets to you at times and you will be left admiring his performance. Helena Bonham Carter is perfectly cast in the role of Mrs. Lovette and the undertones that she brings to her performance is totally top noch. If you love musicals, dont miss this one.

I Confess (1953)

One of Hitchcock’s sober thrillers, I Confess, is the story of a priest who hears the confession of a murderer and is taken as the prime suspect for the same. The ethical turmoil is handled brilliantly and portrayed to perfection. In true Hitchcock style the mentality and motives of each of the characters are evident and the choice of ethical decisions is what keeps the audience rooted to their seats.

I have always admired the subtlety of the romance Hitchcock drives in his characters and this movie is another wonderful representation of his ideas of love and duty. A wonderful watch for anyone who loves the style of classic thrillers.

Previous Recommendations:
July
June

Ps: Feel free to leave your recommendations of movies that you want me to watch, hopefully they will make it to the next months list :)