sanchari
Agantuk/1991/Bengali
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Satyajit Ray
Why FiC recommends?
1. Satyajit Ray’s oeuvre of his four decades forms a complete circle with this film drafting a perfect epilogue.
2. Web of skeptisism, caution spreads up when the family receives the letter from a far and almost forgotten uncle about his arrival to their house for few days stay, but how things change as everyone spend good time with him forms the story.
3. It has some very interesting debates and discussions that lights up the thoughts and mirrors (mock?) the current human settings.
Piravi/1989/Malayalam
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Shaji N. Karun
Why FiC recommends?
1) A melancholic story that lay a ladder into the mind of aged father who is in midst of his dolour and longingness of his demised son and how he gradually settles the terms with the reality or reality becomes just as far as his son? forms the story.
2) Meanwhile also narrates the story of a sister who holds the truth of her brother and has no heart to express same to her father.
3) Definetly to be watched for Premji and Archana’s portrayal of father and daughter and the way the movie bulids an atmosphere of desolation.
The Social Dilemma/2020/English
FiC Rating: 5/5
Dir:Jeff Orlowski
Why FiC Recommends?
1)Documentary that speaks about the dark side of social media unveiled by none other than the former employees of those social media giants.
2)The very idea of AI advent are always pictured with robots overtaking humankind or a war with an I robot but in reality its just as simple as you hovering over your social media wall.
3)Narration acompanied with a fictional drama makes it an interesting watch.
A Summer at Grandpa’s/1984/Taiwanese
FiC Rating: 4.25/5
Dir: Hou Hsiao-Hsien
Why FiC Recommends?
1)Beautiful ode to nostalgia in association with time spent in Grand parent’s place, a country side town, a dip in the stream, country game with the local folks.
2)Coming of age drama that unravels the side of transition where the innocence slowly takes the shape of maturity and laying foundation for days to come.
3)It connects its viewers and stands very much relatable irrespective of cultural or geographical canvas.
The Wild Pear Tree/2018/Turkish
FiC Rating: 5/5
Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Why FiC Recommends?
1)Balad of self discovery and identifying ones worth as the journey goes on, father and son feud, urge to make a mark, identifying oneself in a societal dias, journey covers various layers of metamorphosis of a literature graduate who is trying to get his first book published.
2)Beautiful documentation of Turkish town that syncs well with the mood of the movie flow, point highlighted because Ceylan filmographs are also known for landscapes.
3)Its a delicate take on character’s conflict of choice who is valiant in surface meanwhile also representing Turkish unemployed mass.
After Life /1998/Japanese
FiC Rating 4/5
Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Why FiC recommends?
1) Its not a movie rather a meditation on a life.
2) Its an ode to Memories and nostalgia and a perfect filmakers movie but only to be set up in surreal scenario.
3) Though Koreeda explores the theme of after life never makes his viewers miss the realistic experience on screen as most of his character behave and act naturally which is very unusual in the movies that deal with similar subject.
Shatranj Ke Khilari /1977/Hindi & Urdu
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Satyajit Ray
Why FiC recommends?
1) Ray’s first Hindi language movie that tells the story of two wealthy men immersed in the play of chess that they become numb and heedless about the happenning in their surrounding.
2) Undoubtedly a timeless classic for Ray’s formidable deftness for the pick of subject which remains relevant in any timeline its watched.
3) This film credits some big names in performance space like Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffrey, Shabana Azmi, Amjad Khan meets the right chord with the viewer.
Aparajito/1956/Bengali
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Satyajit Ray
Why FiC recommends?
1) Second instalment from Ray’s Apu trilogy, this is the continuation of Apu’s saga from where Pather Panchali ends, rightly could be called as India’s best coming of age narrative.
2) The way it penetrates the psyche of an adolescent and slowly unsnarls the vulnerability, seek for stability and identity through the eyes of Apu is the journey to experience.
3) Undoubtedly one of the best work from the Master who is known for his prestigious adroitness in bringing ordinary life and people onscreen.
4) Music by Ravi Shankar
Ganashatru/1989/Bengali
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Satyajit Ray
Why FiC recommends?
1) When Ray faced with harsh criticism for his work ‘Devi’ he answered the public outcry through Indian adaptation of “An Enemy of the People”
2) Brilliant in its depiction of the phrase “Religion is an opium of the people”
3) This piece of art paired up with some brilliant performance by Soumitra Chatterjee, Dhritiman Chatterjee and Mamata Shankar makes an exemplary watch.
Nayak /1966/Bengali
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Satyajit Ray
Why FiC recommends?
1) One of the original screenplay written by Ray himself narrating the snippet from the life of a person who is an actor by profession.
2) Very effortlessley but delicately divulges the layer of an actor’s potrait till the point where everything is laid bare.
3) Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore
The Third Murder/2017/Japanese
FiC Rating 4/5
Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Why FiC recommends?
1) This court room drama presents the slice of game about truth and perception.
2) The Third Murder is totally in different spectrum in comparision to Koreeda’s regular family drama.
3) the way Shigemori gets consumed by the case equally absorbs its viewers into its athematic tangle.
After the Storm/2016/Japanese
FiC Rating 4.5/5
Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Why FiC recommends?
1) “Simplicity” is the one word review for this movie
2) Its a soft, breezy story of the character and his perseverance that has lost its tenacity and the way world around him has started to look at his deeds.
3) “Are you who you wanted to be?” – “I am not who I wanted to be YET” – After the Storm
Still Walking/2008/Japanese
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Why FiC recommends?
1) Memories are indeed the most heaviest, this movie is all about that and the way every characters sway with those past memory in present.
2) A proper definition of ‘Slice of Life’, entire movie unveils as the family reminiscent the long lost son as everyone gather and speak, eat and play together.
3) One could connect with those characters irrespective of cultural differene, we have seen similar characters in our life, certain behavioural trait or the reaction are universal.
Our Little Sister/2015/Japanese
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Why Fic recommends?
1) A tale of acceptance and welcoming that beautifully brings varied characters on its canvas reflecting a thorough character study.
2) Koreeda is the master in bringing up intricate nostaligic references in the narration, this piece of work is rich in similar references.
Shoplifters/2018/Japanese
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Why Fic recommends?
1) Powerful story that unveils the immanent power of bond, love and relationship.
2) Movie that depicts the beauty in imperfection, incompleteness and vulnerability in the dysfunctional family which has a dark but not so important truth wthin only untile they fall into the radar of society.
3) Top notch peformance by every cast members uplifts the viewing experience.
I Wish/2011/Japanese
FiC Rating 4/5
Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Why Fic recommends?
1) Unsnarling the world of children Koreeda here explores the innocence and modesty of children in which he has become the master with each of his works.
2) Story that builds its pillar upon the foundation of belief and innocence slowly also touches the innate urge of children to live with family happily.
3) As always child artists in Koreeda’s movie are very natural and effortless with their performance here too.
Like Father, Like Son/2013/Japanese
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Hirokazu Koreeda
Why Fic recommends?
1) Is there something like ‘Good Parenting’ or ‘Bad Parenting’ or is it just a perspective ?
2) Beautiful story that raises questions and decision between valuing moral conflicts and hereditary lineage.
3) Delicate story on how parental figures imapact over child’s personality and behavioural carving meanwhile also sensitively depicting Japan’s competitive upbringing.
Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu/2016/Kannada
Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu/2016/Kannada
FiC Rating 5/5
Dir: Hemanth Rao
Why Fic recommends?
1) To be watched for its beautiful narration of father – son relationship as the time move, delicate potrayal of mental illness and being vocal about it is something rare in mainstream movies which is appreciable.
2) Anant Nag’s mesmerizing peformance is the major highlight of the movie, his transition into the skin of Venkob Rao truly makes the viewer connect with his every essence of emotions and innocence.
3) This is one such movie that anybody could keep revisiting as it makes its viewers slowly and steadily absorb in ones own nostaligic memory lane.