05 best films of 2013

Every where around, they are talking about Gravity, Captain Philips, The wolf of Wall Street and 12 years a slave.. Why are we so obsessed with the Oscars. For me, none of them are even among the top 10 of 2013, let alone top 05.

05 best films of 2013 -  what I saw, from around the world.

La Grande Bellezza - The Great Beauty by Paolo Sorrentino - Italian

This Italian movie is a real master piece of cinema. It is like revisiting the grand golden age of Italian cinema. An age old story, but for the way it is told, it is so brilliant and soothingly beautiful.

Absolutely, cinema at its best.

La Via de'Adele  by Abdellatif Kechiche - French
Blue is the warmest colour, the English name has no connection to the French title, though

The (same old) love story of Adele and Emma will make you wonder if cinema could be any more honest. 3 hours will pass like as if we are on a break. Beautiful cinema with unbelievable performances and a warm cinematography
It is a pity that because of all the sexuality a movie like this is out of reach for many Indians.

Yi Dai Zong Shi - The Grand Master by Wong Kar Wai - Chinese
Yet another classic from this acclaimed director, however there is a possibility that one can either love or hate this film. It is an epic action movie, exploring all the avenues of cinema. May it be the choreography or cinematography or editing, the attention to details is simply brilliant. Beautiful cinema.

Paradies: Hoffnung - Paradise:Hope by Ulrich Seidl - Austrian
This third movie from the Paradise triology, is an example of cinematic brilliance and beauty.
A teenage girl has to spend her summer vacation in a diet camp, for over weights. This movie is funny and serious at the same time.

The Stories We Tell by Sarah Polley - English from Canada
I was drawn to this movie through another brilliant work by this director - Away from Her, a heart touching story of an old couple. If anybody wants to know about how much a director can improve, the answer is there between these two films. Stories we tell is in some ways the biggest experiment a director can attempt. A kind of documentary investigation into a family truth, it turns out that truth can have many faces based on the story teller. Intelligent and trend setting cinema.
In the coming years, we will definitely see many cinemas following the path created by Ms. Polley



And, the following ones definitely require a special mention.

Dirty Wars by Jeremy Scahill - A Documentary from America - Shocking (may be not!) and Brilliant

Valentinas Vienas by Simonas Askelavicius and 3 friends - Lithuanian
An incredibly funny movie about some people on the eve of Valentines day. A brilliant romantic comedy. I am sure soon, we will see this as a Hollywood movie.


Paradesi by Bala - Tamil 

Onaayum Aattukuttiyum by Misskin  - Tamil

Annayum Rasoolum by Rajeev Ravi - Malayalam

Soodhu Kaavum by Nalan Kumarasamy - Tamil


The following cinemas were special for its brilliant performances. 

Artist by Shyama Prasad - Malayalam - for Fahad Fazil and Anne Augustine

Dallas Buyers Club by Jean-Marc Vallee - English  - for Matthew McConaughey  


Paan Singh Tomar by Tigmanshu Dhulia- Hindi - for Irrfan Khan