Neonika

Queen2014

This is such a landmark film to come out of Bollywood. A woman's journey from being dumped on the eve of her wedding, to her self-discovery and self-reliance. It will definitely go down in history as one of the game changers for the roles of women in Indian cinema.

Interstellar2014

Interstellar is the kind of film that makes you feel under-qualified for criticizing it. In fact, I refuse to pick faults with it because I don't remember the last time I was so taken by a science-fiction film. And Chris Nolan continues to dumbfound me with every element of his filmmaking. Interstellar is highly cerebral without being vague or throwing scientific jargons at you. It is a truly immersive, meditative and exhilarating movie experience. For the first 30 minutes or so, the pacing felt slower than we're used to, but before I knew it, my mind was locked (or 'docked') into the inter-galactic space travel, the laws of space-time continuum, the fragility of our life-sustaining planet and just how very little we know about the universe. Please take your children to watch this instead of movies that offer mindless entertainment and item numbers. They might come out of the theater wanting to become future astronauts and scientists.

Diana2013

To begin with, the chemistry between the lead pair is cringeworthy at best. And when that's the premise of your film, it's a major problem. The love affair that was probably the best kept secret of the princess' life, appears lop-sided, nearly one-sided for the most part. Maybe it was off limits for the filmmakers, but the lack of any deeper insight into the future queen's final struggles with the Buckingham palace adds to the film's unsatisfactory feel. However, it does throw light on the humanity and vulnerability of the people labeled as 'royalty', and that things can be very different from what they appear. A+ for hair, make-up and costume design, although it doesn't quite guise the fact that Naomi Watts is almost a decade older than Diana was at that time. Nevertheless, she does an excellent job portraying the most famous woman of the 20th century. It's a shame the movie couldn't do her the same kind of justice and takes liberties embellishing (and tainting for the sake of drama) a very personal story.

Haider2014

'Haider' may turn the tide for Shahid Kapoor, much like 'Omkara' had for Saif Ali Khan. He has long deserved to play a role like this one and he genuinely exceeds our expectations. I don't remember when was the last time I was mesmerized by a song and dance number in Hindi cinema, as I was by 'Bismil'. How refreshing to see a male star do that, in folk costume and tribal make-up. For once, the choreography is so powerful that I wasn't even paying attention to the lyrics. Situating Hamlet in the Kashmir situation is a pretty clever idea and Vishal Bhardwaj manages to stay faithful to the original play to a very large extent. The dark ominous undertones are present from the first frame to the last, so it doesn't make for a light-hearted family outing at all. The editing is patchy and abrupt at times, but it can all be excused for the powerhouse acting by Tabu, Kay Kay Menon and Irrfan. Shraddha Kapoor is also perfectly cast. The mother-son chemistry between Tabu and Shahid is so strong and arresting - not at all like the superficial 'ma-beta' stereotypes that we are used to.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire2013

I was disappointed with the first movie because it failed to capture the terror and some important nuances in the book. This movie is far superior. The characters are well-rounded, the acting is top-notch, the story is every bit worth the movie's length and the costume design and art direction is perfect. I have always loved Jennifer Lawrence for playing the 'fiesty young woman' roles - from 'Winter's Bone' to 'Silver Linings Playbook'. And as Katniss Everdeen, she embodies that unflinching quality with utmost ease. Young people around the world can take away some important messages from the series - about the virtues of righteousness, sacrifice and rebellion against an unjust society.

Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela2013

This is not exactly Bhansali's comeback or even fourth best work (the best being Devdas, Hum Dil Chuke Sanam, Khamoshi and Black - in that order), but there is a feral chemistry between the lead actors which drew me into buying this version of the classic. In my book, Deepika Padukone proves her mettle with this film. She is pitch perfect for the role. Ranvir Singh may not be a lady-charmer like Ranbir Kapoor, but he is sincere and endearing as the fearless Romeo. Visually, the film is beautiful in parts but not flowing eye-candy like 'Hum Dil De Chuke..' or 'Devdas', even though it's the same excess of fictional locales and costumes in Gujarat. Some of the scenes are straight out of Baz Luhrmann's 1996 film 'Romeo and Juliet' - like Leela leaning out of her balcony that overlooks a pool, to talk to Ram and some are repeat Sanjay Leela fare - like Garba and dhols. Supriya Pathak deserves the best villain award this year for her impeccable performance and accent. Rarely do we see an intimidating female antagonist in Bollywood, so that was greatly refreshing. The story feels baseless from the beginning and struggles to keep you invested till the end. But I did care about Ram and Leela.