I. Kon-Tiki (2012) Kon-Tiki is an Academy Award nominated adventure film which tells the true story of Thor Heyerdahl (Pal Hagen), a Norwegian adventurer, who sailed around 5000 miles from Peru to Polynesia on a wood raft in 1947 to prove his point that it was possible for pre-Columbian tribes to populate Polynesia from the…
Category: Lists
4 Intriguing “International Crime” Films
I. Piracy Article 101 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea defines piracy as “any illegal acts of violence or detention… committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or aircraft and directed…on the high seas against another ship or aircraft…”. In 2017, there were 117…
20 Fascinating Films about Visual Art
1. Andrei Rublev (1966) It will be a crime not to begin this list with Andrei Tarkovsky’s masterpiece Andrei Rublev. A paragraph will not be sufficient to do justice to this largely black-and-white film which lasts around three hours, and, in some way, is a difficult watch. Andrei Rublev was a 15th century icon painter…
“My Evil Twin”: 10 Films Exploring Twins’ Polarity
Doppelgängers have been baffling people for centuries. Identical twins, in particular, have always held a certain fascination on the public, with some saying that they possess sinister abilities or are “mystically bonded”. However, it is the notion of “an evil twin” which probably holds the most fascination, as it involves the timeless tale of the…
Paris: 10 Great Films Set in the City
To follow from my Rome-location film list which I made last April, here is the list of 10 films that showcase the delightful City of Light – Paris, a permanent place for romance, charm, elegance and sophistication.
10 Oscar Injustices of 2018
If last year the Academy Awards ceremony surprised us all with an unbelievable envelopes’ swap, and hence, provided a lot of entertainment as a result, this year the Academy Awards had the distinction to be so predictable as to verge on absolute boredom. I am glad though that “The Shape of Water” won the Best Picture Award and that “Coco” was considered the Best Animation. However, the question still remains – what injustices the Academy committed this year?
Lost in Translation: 15 Film Titles Gone Astray
Film titles are important for marketing, and the correct translation of a title, taking into account cultural sensitivity, contributes to making that film a success. It is more surprising, therefore, that some English-language titles are being translated in such a way that leads to all sorts of problems, and at best, may sound funny and…
10 Oscar Injustices of 2017
1. Your Name Your Name has now the distinction to be the highest grossing anime film in history, suppressing the old record set by Spirited Away (2001). Makoto Shinkai has crafted something unique, emotional and memorable. The story of two teenagers swapping bodies randomly at night has everything which any anime could desire to have:…
5 Forthcoming Book-to-Film Adaptations that Can Go Very Wrong
1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch is the number one international best-seller which won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014. The story of a boy who lost his mother in a tragic event and who then clings to the only object that reminds him of her – the picture…
Ralph Fiennes: 5 Best Performances
Ralph Fiennes is 55 years old today, and “to celebrate” the birthday of my favourite actor, I am doing this subjective list of his 5 best performances. Ralph is not only a great actor, he is super versatile. Whether it is a romantic hero in a sweeping drama; a disturbed individual in a psychological thriller; a true villain in a historic or adventure film; or simply a caricature of a man in a comedy; Ralph can nail any role with ease and grace. In no particular order:
5 Novels that Deserved Better Film Adaptations
1. The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe This 1987 book is a modern classic, full of wit, satire and gripping narrative twirls. The book epitomises the 1980s, and was a giant critical success, becoming a bestseller. The hero here is one Sherman McCoy, a highly-paid Wall Street bond trader and a self-proclaimed “Master…
St. Valentine’s Day: 20 Unmissable Erotically-Charged Films
1.) In The Mood for Love (2000) 2.) Betty Blue (1986) 3.) Call Me by Your Name (2017) 4.) The English Patient (1996) 5.) The Handmaiden (2016)
10 Popular Films That Are Actually Remakes
A number of film remakes are coming soon or has already hit the screens, including Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Suspiria (2018), It (2017) and Flatliners (2017). Thus, it is also the time to revisit/draw attention to some others in existence. While such remakes as The Departed (2006), The Fly (1986) or The Italian…
Rome: 10 “Must-See” Films Set in the City
Being a cultural and historical centre for centuries, Rome has always attracted leading cinematographers. In the 1950s and 1960s, Rome was considered the European “Hollywood”, embodied in the famous Cinecittà film studio that produced such epic films as Ben-Hur (1959) and Cleopatra (1963). To this day, this historic city remains the one to which filmmakers flock…
25 “Must-See” Biographical Films
In no particular order: 1. Schindler’s List (1993) 2. The Aviator (2004) 3. Elizabeth (1998) 4. Gandhi (1982) 5. Milk (2008)
10 “Must-See” Films about Cults
In no particular order: 1. The Master (2012) 2. The Wicker Man (1973) 3. Rosemary’s Baby (1968) 4. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) 5. Ticket to Heaven (1981)
Girl Power: 20 Great Book-to-Film Adaptations
This list features book-to-film adaptations where either the film director or book author (or both) was female. This list excludes Jane Austen & Bronte sisters’ adaptations [1] to draw attention to other novels/stories. In no particular order: 1) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962): Harper Lee, author 2) The Virgin Suicides (1999): Sofia Coppola, director 3) The Talented Mr…
10 “Must-See” Animated Films from 2010s
This list was published on 12 September 2016, so only includes those animated films that were released before September 2016. I. Inside Out [2015] – ★★★★★ The winner of the Academy Award in the category of “Best Animated Picture”, Inside Out is a film about a little girl who moves with her parents from suburban…
20 “Must-See” Philosophical Films
In no particular order: 1) Rashomon (1950) 2) La Gran Belleza (2013) 3) Stalker (1979) 4) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 5) Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
20 “Must-See” Dystopian Films
What life could be in future? In no particular order: 1. A Clockwork Orange (1975) 2. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) 3. Ex-Machina (2015) 4. Never Let Me Go (2010) 5. The Fifth Element (1997) 6. Children of Men (2006)
Spotlight on Film 