17.THE PURGE : ELECTION YEAR (2016)

17.THE PURGE : ELECTION YEAR (2016)

Language- English (United States)

Genre-       Horror, Thriller

Director-    James DeMonaco

*ing-           Frank Grillo (Leo Barnes), Elizabeth Mitchell (Charlie Roan)

PLOT

                                                         During the annual purge of 2022 a violent mob attacked a family and a man moves towards them to play a final game called  ”Mommy’s choice”.

                                                          Eighteen years later , Charlie Roan, the girl who survived from the 2022 incident is a candidate for the upcoming presidential election, her main agenda is to revoke the uncivilized practice of Purge. The New Founding Fathers consider her as a threat for their future plans due to her increasing popularity, as she claims that the Purge is a method for the capitalistic part to get rid of the weaker section and to facilitate their economic agenda. Edwige Owens, the NFFA candidate decides to use this year’s purge to get rid of her. As he makes plans to remove her, Leo Barnes, her special protection leader is trying to save her.

                                                          While making a series it is always seen that its quality get decreased by each movie, but here it is different, after each movie its getting better and better, in this installment you can see some fine action sequences and thrilling moments which are synced with the movie’s pace.

16.ACHCHAM ENBADHU MADAMAIYADA (2016)

16.ACHCHAM ENBADHU MADAMAIYADA (2016)

Language- Tamil (Indian)

Genre- Action, Romance

Director- Gautham Vasudeva Menon

*ing-        Silmbarasan (Tamil boy), Manjima Mohan (Leela)

 PLOT

                                                          A young cool, amazing tamil boy who leads a normal and joyful life with his friends with bike rides and parties. One day his eyes get hooked on Leela, a friend of his sister, who came to his home for a celebration (celebration for receiving degree). He gets attracted towards the girl, but didn’t get a chance to speak at that moment, later he finds that she is going to stay with their family to do a course with her sister. In that span he gets able to know her likes, ambition and all. When her course got over she joins with him for a south indian road trip, as it will be an opportunity which will not be getting for a girl like him, So they started their road trip without informing anyone, except his close friends, but their happens to be an unexpected turn of events which changed the life for both of them.

                                                         Acham Enbadhu Madamaiyada is a film written directed by Gautham Vasudeva Menon, which can be a reason for me to watch this movie, but the real fact is that the director was not able to produce a magical thing in this movie. During the first phase of the movie it was a typical GVM movie with all the elements in his previous movies (we can see similarities with Vaarnam Aayiram and Vinnaithandi Varuvaayaa), but it was really good with smooth narration,nice visuals and heart pumping songs of A.R Rahman (especially Thallipogathey, which make the theater go crazy). The second phase was really a slow paced and moved into some kind of action stuffs with non-logical elements, and ends with a rubbish climax, doesn’t feel like a GVM movie. It was one of the most anticipated movie of STR in this year but it was sincere to this expectation only in the first phase.

15.CINEMA PARADISO (1988)

15.CINEMA PARADISO (1988)

Language- Italian (Italy)

Genre- Drama

Director- Giuseppe Tornatore

*ing-  Philippe Noiret (Alfredo), Jacques Perrin (Salvatore Di Vita (adult))

PLOT

                                                           On a calm evening an old mother called for his son who is living in Rome, which is miles away from her home town, only to inform that a man named Alfredo has died. Salvatore Di Vita, who returns to home after his heavy work came to know from his girlfriend, about the death news of Alfredo. When she enquires about him, Salvatore flashes to his memories.

                                                         A six-year old boy who is mischievous, intelligent and a son of the war widow, discovers his love towards movies from a local theatre, cinema paradiso. The local projectionist, Alfredo finds him as a nuisance and tries to avoid him due to his naughty nature, but as much as he tries to avoid the small boy that much itself he is attracted towards the projector and reel. Alfredo promised the boy to take him to the projector room in return for a help in an exam, as the days progress their bond also develops, the fatherless boy finds a parent like caring from this oldman.  There begins the relationship between the boy and the Oldman, which shows some relations are far beyond blood.

                                                  Cinema Paradiso was a critical and box-office success and is regarded by many as a classic. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards, and also receives Cannes Film Festival Award.  If you try to explain the word beauty in relation with movies then the best example will be Cinema Paradiso. The kind of feeling it develops in a viewer is so mesmerizing. The special montage scene in the climax were all sentimental which will make a mark in all our hearts. If you are missing this one then it will be a great loss for you because you are missing one of the masterpiece and a movie which changed the entire Italian film industry.

14.MAMA (2013)

14.MAMA (2013)

Language- English (Spain)

Genre      - Horror

Director  - Andres Muschietti

*ing         - Jessica Chastin (Annabele), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Lucas)

PLOT

                                                                          Jeffrey Desange kills his business partners and estranged wife due to his financial loss in the crisis and takes his children three-year-old Victoria and one-year-old Lilly away from home, while driving fast he lost his control and his car slides down the snowy mountain, he takes shelter in an abounded cabin with his children and plans to kill them, but before pulling the trigger, a shadowy figure grabs and kills him.

                                                                         After five years later a rescue operation sponsored by Lucas, the brother of Jeffrey finds the children in the cabin, they were in a kind of wild state. Lucas overpower their aunt jean in the court proceedings and takes the right to keep the children with him. So with his girlfriend Annabele, Lucas and the two girls moved into the new home. He gets help from Dr Dryfuse to bring them back to the normal state. But they doesn’t know that the shadowy figure who looks after the children for five years follows them to the house also.

                                                                    Mama is well crafted with elements of horror, as like in James Wan movies it uses simple elements to make the viewers to get frightened, even many of them feels similar elements like wardrobe and small kids like insidious and sinister in this movie also.   

13.THE DEVILS DOUBLE (2011)

13.THE DEVILS DOUBLE (2011)

Language- English (Belgian-Dutch)

Genre      - Drama, Biography

Director   - Lee Tamahori

*ing         -  Dominic Cooper (Latif, Uday), Ludvine Sagnier (Saarab), Raad Rawi (Munem)

PLOT

                                                                                Latif Yahia, an Iraqi soldier is choosen by Uday Saddam Hussain, the playboy son of Saddam to be his body double. He is forced to take the job due to his threat towards his family. Latif is provided with all the amenities as same as that of Uday, they provided him with high heel shoes and even plucked his two teeth to make him look like Uday. As the day passes Latif is exposed to the brutal nature of Uday, a molester, drug addict and a psycho. Whether Latif will be able to escape from Uday or he himself become a victim to the enemies of Uday?

                                                                              This is not only a story of Latif, but which shows the untold brutality happened during the reign of Saddam. Dominic Cooper provided a scintillating performance as both Latif and Uday. Anyway this is a worth watching movies for all, especially for all those who love historical movies.

12. TAXIDRIVER (1976)

12. TAXIDRIVER (1976)

Language -    English (United States)

Genre    -       Drama

Director    -    Martin Scorsese

*ing           -    Robert De Niro (Travis Bickle), Jodie Foster (Iris), Cybil Shepherd (Betsy)

PLOT

                                                                        Travis Bickle is an American war veteran and drives taxi to get away from his chronic insomnia symptoms. He usually spends his night by driving passengers around the city and by watching porn movies in the theatres. He can be considered as an eye through which the dirt of the city can be seen. Travis get infatuated with Betsy, a volunteer for presidential candidate Charles Palentine’s campaign. In fact he is able to get Betsy for a date and goes for a Swedish sex education movie which make her to leave the theatre. He tries to win her heart back by sending flowers, but she didn’t respond. He is obsessed with doing something useful in his life, moreover he want to clean the street from prostitution and all other crimes.

                                                                        Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese are the two names that is enough to watch this movie. This movie is considered as one of the greatest movies of all times by directors and critics from all part of the world. The film was nominated for more than four Academy Awards including Best Picture, It won the Palmed’Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival. This movie is really a guide to the night life of New York in the 70s. Apart from other classic stuffs this movie have a good pace and even Robert De Niro provided a fine perfomence throught out the film.

11.TABLE NO 21 (2013)

11.TABLE NO 21 (2013)

Language- Hindi (India)

Genre-       Psychological Thriller

Director-   Aditya Datt

*ing-         Paresh Rawal (Abdul Razzaq Khan), Rajeev Khandelwal (Vivaan Agasthi), Tena Desae (Siya Agasthi)

PLOT

                                                               Vivaan and Siya are on their way to the Island of Fiji to enjoy their trip which they won from a lucky draw. The entire expenses are going to be taken care by the sponser, and the duo experienced a great cuisine and accommodation in Fiji, on their 5^th Wedding Anniversary Celebration in a resort, they happen to meet the charming Mr Khan and he introduces himself as the owner of the resort. He invites the couple to participate in a live game show Table No 21, where they will be able to get the ultimate prize of 21crore by simply answering the eight questions which he asks and they have to complete a task in relation with the question. As the couple finds it difficult to meet both end of their life, they decided to participate in the show. In the beginning, it seems to be very fare and simple, but as the game progress they find it more mysterious and even more dangerous. Will they be able to win the prize? or is it something else in the name of game?

                                                                            Table No 21 stress on the Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The movie is very successful in creating a thriller element from the beginning to the end. Even after the end of each round in the game it makes the viewers to be more excited to watch the movie. I felt it that they can have a better climax, but they expressed a very fine message after the end of the movie. Songs were all not up to the mark, but Island Fiji is extremely good, it will give us a new destination while planning holiday trips.

10. SALO or the 120 days of sodom (1975)

10. SALO or the 120 days of sodom (1975)

Language- Italian (Italy)

Genre-      Drama

Director-    Pier Paolo Pasolini

*ing      -     Paolo Bonacelli (Duke), Giorgio Cataldi (The Bishop), Aldo Valletti (The President)

PLOT

                                                                      Four wealthy (Duke, The Bishop, The President, The Magistrate) men of fascist Italy decided to maintain their relationship by marrying their daughters each other, they select four teenage boys as guards and four teenage boys as soldiers based on their penis size, with the help of these soldiers and guards they kidnap 8 teenage boys and girls and took them to a palace. When they reached the palace, these four wealthy persons give instructions to all the kidnapped teenagers that they are dead in their records, so they are going to face the worst of tortures in their life. What are they going to face now?

                                                                               Salo or the 120 days of Sodom is based on a book by Marquis de Sade. This is one of the most controversial movies in the entire history of world cinema due to its theme of political corruption, abuse of power, sadism, perversion, sexuality and fascism. This movie still faces ban in many countries due to its extreme theme. I’ am sure that those who are going to watch this movie will feel a kind of irritation or disturbance while watching it, especially in the scene where they all eat their excreta each other. Salò was named the 65th scariest film ever made by the Chicago Film Critics Association in 2006[5] and is the subject of an article in The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural (1986). Some critics even consider it as a masterpiece, but most of the common people will find it as a disturbing one.

Note: This movie is not meant for the light hearted peoples.

9.TELL NO ONE (Ne le dis a personne-2006)

9.TELL NO ONE (Ne le dis a personne-2006)

Language-French (France)

Genre-      Drama-Thriller

Dir- Guillame Canet

*ing- Francois Cluzet (Alex), Marie Jose Croze (Margot),

PLOT

                                                                             Alex is leading a normal life after the murder of his wife by a serial killer about eight years ago. One day two bodies had been dug out from the area near to the place where his wife was killed and he was beaten. Most of the evidence points out to the innocence of the Alex, while the time he got an anonymous email showing a street camera in which his wife was caught. These all events turn the life of Alex upside down, he decided to find out the mystery behind his wife but at the same time he is in pursuit with the police whom consider him as the suspect for the killing of his wife and other two persons.

                                                                           I watched this movie due to the high rating from rotten tomatoes (94%). As a usual French movie it moves with a medium pace with some fine backgrounds, some of the scenes in the movie are shot with so much realism (accident in the traffic). The most terrific part is the climax which gives a suspense to the viewers. 

8.THE PURGE: ANARCHY (2014)

8.THE PURGE: ANARCHY (2014)

Language- English (United States)

Director-   James Demonaco

*ing      -    Frank Grillo (Sergeant Leo), Carmen Ejogo (Eva), Zoe Saul (Cali)

PLOT

                                                                    The sixth annual purge commences on March 21, 2023 where there will be a 12-hour period in which all the crimes are made legal. The stranger from the 1^st part of the movie had started an anti-purge movement to show that it’s the way of NEW FOUNDING FATHERS to eliminate the group of people which they considered as garbage.

                                                                             Eva is a waitress in a hotel in the city, whom lives with her daughter (Cali) and her father in a small apartment. They made proper barricades to protect them from purging gangs, but they found out that their father had alienated them and made himself as an offering in the purge to a wealthy family in return for $100,000 to be paid to Eva and Cali. But they were attacked by an unknown military and forcefully made them to be on their knees, to be killed by the person whom they call as Big Daddy for his personnel purge. An unknown man(Leo) who is going to take revenge for his son’s death came for their help and protected them from the purgers. They were accompanied by a couple who was chased by a masked gang of purgers. How will all of them are going to survive in  this purging time.

                                                                                                     This is the second installment in the Purge series, compared to the first part this part have more action sequence and thrilling element. It’s a one-time watchable movie for everyone.

7.THE PURGE (2013)

7.THE PURGE (2013)

Language- English (United States)

Director- James DeMonaco

*ing-  Ethan Hawke (James Sandin), Lena Headey (Mary Sandin), Max Burkholder (Charlie Sandin)

PLOT

                                                              PURGE is a national civic tradition started by the “The New Founding Fathers of America”, to reduce the unemployment, crimes and stabilize the economy. It had been said that the Purge had succefully served its purpose from the year 2017.During the time of purge every crime has been legalized and all the security, police and medical teams will be suspended from the duty.

                                                                                               The time of annual purge has arrived where James Sandin, the top security system seller in the country is arriving to the home to make his family to prepare for the annual purge, while the time his daughter is making love with his boyfriend in her room. Mary is busy with making dinner for her family, and Charlie, the younger son is making a new mniature survillence vehicle. Zoey asked her boyfriend to go to his home before the purge.   When the alarm goes off to show the annual commencement of purge, james closed the steel barriors of his home and went to his room. Charlie finds a helpless man in the street crying for help in the street, so he disable the security system to make him enter into the home. The small boy doesn’t know that this sympathic act of him is going to be a serious trouble for their family, because soon a masked gang appeared outside of their home and make them clear that they need the guy whom Sandin gives shelter otherwise they are going to unleash the beast in them which signify that they will break the steel barrior and enter into their home to kill the entire family with the stranger. James was in a situation to either give him back to the gang to save his family or to fight against them.

                                                                                         PURGE is an American dystopian movie which follow the same format of other movies in this category. But it is not appealing as its theme, the director failed to have a good script even though the theme of legalized crime for 12 hours. It’s been  included in the horror genre but still it lacks all those elements in it. Hope that the remaining sequels in the movie are good.