Ryan's Daughter (released in 1970) - Starring Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, John Mills, Christopher Jones, and Leo McKern

The screenplays of this movie - Ryan’s Daughter is by legendary author and screenwriter Robert Bolt, he collaborates once more with director David Lean - the duo who gave cinema classics like Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago. Bolt pens a captivating war romance, which was the highest earning movie at the box office in 1970 despite having almost no critical acclaim; it also won two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (John Mills) and Best Cinematography (Freddie Young), winning nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Sarah Miles, who was married to Bolt at the time) and Best Sound. The year is 1916, in Ireland. The Irish Republicans want to end British rule and launch an offensive that history would refer to as the Easter Rising, for the festive week in which it took place.
Elsewhere in an imaginary village called Kirrary (on the Dinge Peninsula, in a real part of Ireland) during WWI. Rosy Ryan is the youthful, pretty and somewhat rose-tinted daughter of the local pub owner Tom Ryan (Leo McKern); she reads Byron, is in love with the chivalrous Peter Blood and believes in happily ever after; shielded and kept eons away from the reality of the War, secluded in her part of the picturesque village, where a modest British garrison is about the only reminder of the troubled history of the times. Her father, however is an informer of the British, although he puts up an act of  regret that ‘our boys’ couldn’t hold the uprising against the suppressors.
The charming yet somewhat petulant Rosy is above the attentions of the local lads and would much rather set her eyes on someone with a ‘standing’ in society, a fact that Father Hugh Collins (Trevor Howard) is well aware of when she marries the staid, calm and much older than her school master - Charles Shaughnessy (Robert Mitchum). The elders of the village including the priest are disapproving of Rosy, yet can do precious little to change her from being a spit fire to a docile housewife!




Soon enough, Rosy is disillusioned and loses sight of the charm she associated married life with; Major Randolph Doryan, a British army officer, arrives to take charge of the garrison and as a result - with Rosy. Randolph was awarded the Victoria Cross for his contribution to the WWI, which left him crippled, and reeling from what we know today as post traumatic stress, then called ‘shell shock’ - for the helplessness soldiers felt when unprotected in the wake of shelling. His physical shortcomings seem lost to Rosy, who finds herself falling in love with the Major. What ensues is a riotous, torrid love affair, rendezvouses in the nights and hush toned sweet nothings. Although he suspects it, yet Charles decides against confrontation, even if the evidence of the affair is glaring and enormous.
All seems well, until the ubiquitous village buffoon Michael (John Mills) unintentionally discloses the secret affair to the villagers - who at once label her indiscretions with choicest epithets. Things take a turn for the worse when Rosy’s father Tom – rats on the plans of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, represented by Tim O’Leary (Barry Foster) to bully the pub owner into helping them recover a cache of  arms that belongs to the Germans. Loyalty gets the better of him as Tom immediately alerts the British. Maj. Doryan confronts the IRB comrades, a gun fight ensues leaving in its wake a wounded O’Leary.
On the family front, Charles decides to let Rosy know that he is aware of her affair, and hopes that she would ‘come to’ - that night Rosy returns to her lover the Major, only to be seen by Charles, who wanders away, hurt and dismayed. He is discovered on the beach by Father Collins. The villagers, meanwhile get a whiff of the fact that their cause has been betrayed by one of their town - and the obvious choice is Rosy, given the palpable evidence there is of her affair with the British Major. In vigilante-style justice, the mob bears down on the couple, almost killing them, whist lynching and shearing Rosy’s hair - she however realizes it’s her father who is responsible for the deception all along, but does not give his secret up - bearing all the humiliation.
Doryan is dejected and feels responsible for her misery, he is led to the cache of yet undiscovered arms on the beach, and in a fit of guilt charged hopelessness, detonates the dynamite - committing suicide. Rosy leaves the village for Dublin, with her husband, Charles, who has decided he’d leave her, although the priest asks him to reconsider. Not a very well acclaimed film by critics, yet it grossed almost $31 million - a number to reckon with in the ’70s. Audiences liked the star crossed lover - meets - patriot ism-meets a whole jumble of human emotions - perhaps more the kind that suit normal movie buffs, as opposed to intellect seeking critics!

Conquest (released in 1937) - Starring Greta Garbo, Charles Boyer and Reginald Owen

Conquest is a movie about Countess Marie Walewska who becomes the mistress of Napolean Bonaparte to safeguard the interests of her country. This enigmatic polish countess was the mistress of Napolean and even comforted him during his days in exile.
This movie stars Greta Garbo as Marie Walewska along with Cajrles Boyer, Reginald Owen, dame May Witty and others. The movie was adapted by S. N. Behrman, Samuel Hoffenstein, Helen Jerome and Salka Viertel from the novel Pani Walewska by Waclaw Gasiorowski and it was directed by Clarence Brown.
Marie Walewska is the beautiful wife of the polish count Walewska. In the winter of 1807,the pillaging Russian soldiers over run Eastern Poland, the land of Count and Countess Walewska. They make fun of the aging Count and his young wife and they become mortally afraid of the Russian Army. Marie's brother informs her about the exploits of Napoleon and when Marie briefly meets him at a church she is suitably impressed as he is enthralled by her beauty. After two months she is formally presented to the French emperor at the court and she is grateful that Napoleon makes no allusion about their earlier meetings.



Napoleon is totally taken in by Marie and send her love notes begging her responses. She confides in her husband who tries to take her away. But the Polish leaders, seeing a chance to liberate Poland, urge her to give in to Napoleon. A patriotic Marie gives in and begins to have an affair with Napoleon. Even though she trades her virtue for her country, she slowly falls in love with the charismatic emperor.
Marie's husband leaves for Rome and gets a divorce which enables her to stay with the emperor. Napoleon takes up his quarters within Marie's home and their idyllic trysts are only marred by Napoleon's frequent absences. Soon Marie is pregnant and she awaits the birth of her baby in secret. She leaves to meet Napoleon in Vienna where she comes to know that he is to marry Princess Marie Louise of Austria of the Hapsburg dynasty. He tells her the blue bloodline of the Hapsburg's would enable him to create his own bloodline of rulers.
A devastated Marie returns to Poland and gives birth to a son Alexandre. She never informs Napoleon about his son. Soon the fortunes of Napoleon change for the worst and he suffers successive defeats at the hands of the Russians and the English. After the disastrous campaign of Waterloo napoleon is exiled to the Island of Elba. Marie and her son live with him till he dies.
This movie was one of the most disastrous movie in Greta Garbo's career and was a loss making venture for MGM studios. Actually it is said to have marked the downfall of Greta Garbo's career with her being more and more reclusive. The costumes, cinematography, sound, music and art are to perfection and Garbo looks the part of the ethereal beauty Marie. But it is still a critically acclaimed movie which presents the facts with considerable accuracy. The movie was nominated for two Oscars namely, for the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Charles Boyer) and Best Art Direction (Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning}.

Grand Hotel (released in 1932) - Starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore and Joan Crawford

This American drama film is directed by Edmund Goudling and is adapted from a the novel Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum. This movie stars Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lionel Barrymore and John Barrymore.
This movie opens with Doctor Otternschlag, a disfigured veteran who stays permanently at the Grand Hotel remarking “Grand Hotel....People come and go. Nothing ever happens”. After this seemingly innocuous remark, acts as a catalyst for a chain of events at the hotel. Baron Felix Von Geigern, a jewel thief and a master card player stays at the hotel undertaking small time theft and forgery. He is a noble man who has lost his fortune. The Baron befriend Otto Kringelein, a small time accountant who is fatally ill. He stays at The Grand to spend his last days in the lap of luxury. Kringelein's ex-boss is Director Preysing who is an wealthy industrialist staying at the Grand to ink a large deal. He hires a stenographer Flaemmchen who wants to be an actress. She shows Preysing her audacious photographs and hints that she is willing to do anything to be a star. Preysing soon starts an affair with her.



Another guest, Grusinskaya is a famous ballet dancer who is tired of the world. She unexpectedly returns home and finds the Baron rummaging through her jewels. She says ”I want to be alone”, mistaking him to be a part of the staff. But the Baron stays and engages in a conversation which brings them both closer. After the conversation the guilty Baron returns her jewels and Grusinskaya invites him to accompany her to Vienna. The Baron agrees and engages to meet her at the train station.
The Baron joins Flaemmchen and Kringelien for afternoon tea, where a coquettish Flaemmchen cajoles Kringelien to dance. Preysing who arrives is consumed with jealousy and imperiously tells Flaemmchen to stop. All are disgusted by his uncouth behavior and Kringelien gives him a piece of his mind. Preysing gets angry and the situation is diffused by the baron's intervention. The Baron tries to steal from the intoxicated Kringelien, but seeing his pathetic condition returns his wallet back. He turns his attention to Preysing instead.
But as fate would have it the baron is caught by Preysing stealing his papers and in the scuffle bludgeons him to death. Flaemmchen arrives at the scene and runs to Kringelien who confronts Preysing. They summon the police and Preysing is summarily arrested. Oblivious of the Baron's fate, Grunskaya waits at the train station for him and grieves when the Baron does not arrive. Flaemmchen and Kringelien leave for Paris to try a new cure and vow to be be with each other. As they leave the hotel, Doctor Otternschlag once again observes, "Grand Hotel. People come and go. Nothing ever happens.".
This movie may be a tedious watch for many as there are lot of a interconnecting events with no story to hold your attention. Btu it is critically acclaimed movie. The film is the only motion picture to have won the Academy Award for Best Picture, with that category being the sole category in which it was nominated. In 2007, Grand Hotel was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Another cause for its fame is Garbo's famous opening line “I want to be Alone” which is often alluded to her in real life. Garbo's reclusive nature fueled speculations that these lines were actually spoken by her in real life.

Camille (released in 1936) - Starring Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, and Elizabeth Allan

The movie Camille starring Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor has inspired countless songs and love sonnets for the cupid struck heart. This romantic drama made the song “I'll Love Like Robert Taylor, Be My Greta Garbo.” by Milton Benjamin is the great testament for the chemistry shared by the all time greats. This movie was directed by George Cukor was a success at the box office and was also critically acclaimed. The picture is based on the 1852 novel and play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas.
Marguerite Gautier is the Lady of the Camellias because of her marked preference for these flowers. This beautiful French courtesan was generous and large hearted which marks a sharp decline in her savings. To arrest the downward spiral of her income, her friend Providence urges her to find a rich patron. She plans to introduce her to Baron de Varville, a rich man completely besotted by Marguerite's charm. But at the theater Marguerite meets Armand and falls for him thinking him to be the Baron. But she is forced to leave Armand's side when the real baron arrives, but gives him the key to her apartment.
Marguerite becomes the baron's mistress and has a lavish life style. When the Baron leaves for Russia she stays back and again meets Armand. Armand tells her about his deep feelings and urges her to come away with him. Marguerite asks him to come later, but has to rebuff him as the baron has returned.



A heartbroken Armand asks his father for some money and plans to travel the world. Marguerite on receiving his bitter note of farewell goes to met him and he persuades her to come to the country with him. At the country Marguerite's health improves and they spend a gay summer falling in love with each other again. But Armand's father concerned about his son reaches his place and begs Marguerite to leave his son alone. He reminds her about her position in the society and the doom which would fall on Armand if seen in her company.
A grieving Marguerite returns back to the Baron who takes her back but on lesser generous terms. She resumes her life as a courtesan, but the rigors of this life ruins her health completely. Severely ill and in debt she writes to see Armand one last time. Armand returns to her and Camille dies in his arms assuring herself that she never was more happier.
This movie received four academy award nominations including the one for bEst actress for Greta Garbo. She won the New York Film critics circle award for the best actress. It also made the times list of 100 great movies ever made.
This romantic movie is one tear jerker ever made. It tugs at your heart strings and Greta Garbo as the beautiful and vulnerable courtesan with the heart of gold is splendid. Her chemistry with Robert Taylor is something unmeasurable. A really good watch for those rainy days with a blanket and popcorn.

The Big Broadcast (released in 1938) - Starring W.C. Fields and Bob Hope

This movie is a Paramount Movies release and is the last of the big broadcast series. It stars the irrepressible duo, WC Fields and bob Hope along with Dorothy Lamour, Shirley Ross and Martha Ray. This movie is directed by Mitchell Leisen and consists of a variety shows aboard a ship.
Buzz Fielding, the famous Radio host is incarcerated in prison because of the non payment of alimony to his three wives. His lover, Dorothy Wyndham pawns her engagement ring to get him out on bail. Two ships SS Gigantic and SS Colossal are engaged in a trans Atlantic Race from New York City to Cherbourg. France. T. Frothingal Bellows to help Gigantic intends to send his brother SB Bellows and his unlucky daughter Martha on Colossal because SB causes accidents where ever he goes.
But as luck could have it, because of a golfing mix up, SB' golfing cart ends up in SS Gigantic and the unlucky duo are inadvertent passengers. Buzz fielding is the entertainer at the ship and to his utter discomfiture, his three wives, Cleo, Grace and Joan, along with current flame Dorothy travel together in Gigantic.



The first performance on the ship is by Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm (themselves), who play "This Little Ripple Had Rhythm" for a cartoon sequence. Buzz introduces the Mexican singer Tito Guizar who regale the audience. Meanwhile Grace distracts SB and Dorothy who brings food for the ships power source inventor Bob, are attracted to each other. Dorothy and Bob sing "You Took the Words Right Out of My Heart”. Opera Diva Kirsten Flagstad sing “The Ride of the Valkyries" and is followed by Honey Child, a comedy routine.
In the mean time the Colossal is way ahead of the Gigantic and Buzz has a tough time manipulating his wives. As Buzz lean depressed on the hull, Cleo cheer him up and they reminisce their happy days. Buzz and Cleo realize they have feelings for each other and give the audience a slice of their heart through “Thanks for the Memory”. Mean while the Gigantic has a power failure and Dorothy and Bob work together to fix the power source. With the renewed power source Gigantic close on to the Colossal while the comedy routine by WC Fields and Martha continue.
At the end Buzz and Cleo renew their romance and sing “the Waltz lives on” which fine tunes, polka, Waltz and a host of other dances. Gigantic closes on to the colossal and edges past it to win the race. Dorothy and Bob find love along with the many other characters.
The film has a tame and abrupt ending, but lives up to its reputation as the last and best of the big broadcast films. It won an Oscar for the beast original song by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin for the song Thanks for the Memory. This movie has the unique distinction in being Bob Hope's first feature film. The DVD of the film has been released and one can enjoy it to this day as an ode to the simpler musical times far gone.

Star Wars – The Empire Strikes back (released in 1980) - directed by Irvin Kershner, and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher

Continuing where New hope has left, George Lucas pens the story of Luke, Leia and Solo's adventure's through galaxies, planets and space battles.
Despite the destruction of the Death Star, the rebel forces have suffered massive causalities and are forced in to hiding in an icy planet Hoth. Darth Vader, obsessed with the capture of Luke has sent in probes across the galaxy to find information. One of the probes reach Hoth and crashes as a meteor. Luke goes to find it and is captured by an evil predatory creature called a Wampa. Luke with the help of the force retrieves the light saber to slice the Wampa and escape. But he soon collapse out of cold and exhaustion. Hans Solo who rescues him and brings him to the base. Luke has visions of Obi-Van-Kenobi exhorting him to go to Dagohaath and train under the legendary Jedi master, Yoda.
The imperial probe sends in the position of Hoth as a rebel base and is destroyed by Darth Vader. But Rebel troops evacuate and Solo and Leia leave aboard Millennium Falcon. Darth Vader tries to capture them but they manage to slip away. Mean while Luke reaches Dagohaath and s under intensive training with Yoda. Darth Vader under takes Boba Fett a bounty hunter to capture Hans Solo. Hans and Leia reach Solo's friend Lando Clarissian's Cloud city for asylum. But Clarissium, threatened by Vader turns them in. Hans is frozen and is given to Boba Fett as a bounty to be presented to Jabba the Hutt. Leia and Hans fall in love with each other but are separated.



Luke under training gets premonitions of Hans and Leia and leaves to rescue them promising Yoda to return and complete his training. Meanwhile Lando Clarissium chastened by Vader's betrayal returns to rescue Leia and Hans. But Boba Fett flies away with Hans to Jabba the Hutt. Luke who goes to fight Vader is attacked and cornered wherein Vader offers him great riches to join him. But Luke rebuffs Vader's offer which angers him to slice away his hand. As an ultimate inducement he reveals to Luke that he is his father. A stunned Luke lets himself to be sucked in to the training chute and sends a telepathic message to Leia. Leia along with Lando rescue him and carry him aboard the rebel ship where he is fitted with a new hand. The film ends with Luke's new hand and the staggering revelation about his father.
The second episode was one of the most eagerly awaited movies and not surprisingly the box office scorcher of that year. George Lucas and his team had delivered an iconic classic and again was followed by audience adulation and critical acclaim. It won Oscars for the best special effects and best back ground score. In addition it also won the Golden Globes, Grammy and BAFTA awards. The Saga continues with new viewers and even in the face of more technologically advanced films of the century Star Wars holds its on through sheer brilliance. The Force is still with the movie.

Witness (released in 1985) - Starring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis, protecting a young witness

A thriller directed by Peter Weir starring Harrison Ford, Kelly Macgillis and Lukas Haas, it was released in 1985 to critical and box office acclaim.
The plot involves a young Amish widow Rachel Lapp who is taking her son Samuel for a trip to Baltimore to see the outside world. Samuel in the rest room witness a murder of a police officer Zenovich. Samuel sees only one of the murderers who happens to be a tall black man. Rachel and Samuel are taken by the police as witnesses and are introduced to captain John Book and Sergeant Carter. Samuel as the principal witness has to identify the killer and fails to find the right man in the police line-up. As he saunters around in the police head quarters he sees a newspaper clipping of a police officer Mcfee and recognizes him as the killer.
Book reports this development to his superior, Captain Paul Schaffer and is asked to investigate further. He informs Book, that Mcfee had raided a drug hideout and did not report his findings. Zenovich was killed for investigating Mcfee's drug offenses. Schaffer advices Book to keep the report a secret, till they can find some clinching evidence.



Book escorts Rachel and Samuel to a safe hotel where they are ambushed by Mcfee. Book shoots Mcfee and realizes that Schaffer would be the traitor. Book seriously wounded decides to go in to hiding with the Lapps. He calls up Carter and asks him to remove all the files relating to the Lapp's and his investigations. Book informs Rachel about the situation and escorts them to their home in Lancaster city.
A severely wounded Book, tries to leave the Amish colony after he ha safely escorted the Lapps. But he faints having lost a lot of blood and Rachel's father in-law reluctantly agrees to keep him there. As he recovers he helps Eli, Rachel's father-in-law around the house doing small carpentry and other odd jobs. He finds it difficult to adjust to the Amish way of life, but soon it grows on him. He takes Samuel under his wing and bond starts to develop between them.
Various culture clashes happens as Book adjusts himself to the Amish way. He is forced to surrender his fire arm as the Amish believe in non violence. He does the community jobs like building towers for residents and Samuel helps him to work the machines like a silo. Book enjoys his life with the Amish and also develops a soft corner for Rachel. He also fights others who mock the Amish. Rachel and Book are attracted to each other to the discomfiture of her suiter Hockleitner. Eli and other residents also disapprove of this alliance.
Book in the mean time telephones Carter for information and the villains kill him. Realizing that the game has gone too far, he calls up Schaffer and challenges him. Soon Schaffer and Co reach Lancaster and both Mcfee and Fergie are killed. Schaffer holds Rachel hostage, but the arrival of all residents, make him realize that his game is up. Book arrests and hands him to the Sheriff. But he also comes to the understanding that he cannot be part of the Amish for ever, and returns to the world with his love for Rachel.
Witness was a box office winner and was also nominated for 8 academy awards wining two for the best screen play and editing. It was also a toast at the BAFTA Awards. A good simple movie.

Twelve angry men (released in 1947) starring Henry Fonda, a gripping drama set in a jury room

12 Angry Men is a courtroom drama adapted from the tele-play of the same name by Reginald Rose. It was directed by Sidney Lumet and is the only film co-produced by Henry Fonda. It tells the story of a jury, made of twelve men, who has to find a defendant guilty or not guilty and also come up with the appropriate sentencing. This entire 96 minutes of the movie takes place in the jury room adjoining the court room. So ultimately this movie utilizes only one set and is said to have been shot with a very low budget.
This jury of twelve men has to deliberate whether the defendant, a slum boy, is guilty of killing his father. The two witnesses are one old man and a lady across the street. The boy has a very weak alibi and there are considerable number of witnesses who heard cries or saw him checking the wound. The most interesting part of this movie is the fact that almost all the characters are unnamed except for the two jurors, at the end. At first, all the jurors except juror No. 8 vote for a guilty verdict. Since American law states that for a criminal offense, all the jurors should give a unanimous verdict, or it may result in a mistrial.



At the insistence of juror No. 8, the others start examining the evidence again and soon start having doubts. Soon juror No. 9 switches sides, and votes with No. 8 resulting in a stalemate. Soon other dissenting voices crop up as they further examine the evidences. Juror Nos 5, 6 and 11 also vote with No. 8 and No.9. These deliberations tire No. 7, who just takes their side to get it over with.
Soon the personality clashes wand psychological conflicts come up to the surface. Angry exchanges and outbursts also undermine the process. Juror number one is so consumed by racial hatred that he just thinks the boy guilty because of his Hispanic origin. The last jury member, No. 3, confesses that his own past would have colored his actions. No. 3 has a running feud with his son, who had raised his hand on the father for trying to mend his ways. These deliberations bring forth the buried feelings to the fore and he breaks down and cries. Juror No: 3 takes out the photograph of him and his son and tears it apart and votes for the “not guilty” verdict. Juror No.8 comforts him and slowly a consensus is build among the members.
The jury gives the verdict of “Not Guilty” and the defendant is acquitted. At the end of the movie, juror No. 8 and juror No. 9, who have become friends exchange pleasantries and names. This movie was not a big box office success, but is considered as a classic. It is preserved in the US National Film Registry as a very culturally, nationally and aesthetically significant film. It did not win any Oscars even though it was nominated for 3 categories, best picture, best director, and best screenplay. It won the Golden Bean award at the 7th international Berlin film festival.

Grapes of Wrath (released in 1940) starring Henry Fonda - A great movie based on the book by John Steinbeck

Grapes of Wrath is a cult film in the era of motion pictures. This Oscar nominated movie has been adapted from John Steinbeck's novel of the same name which in turn has been a literary milestone in its own right. Grapes of Wrath has won Steinbeck the Pulitzer prize and the ultimate Nobel prize for literature. Even though nominated for eight categories, Grapes of Wrath had only won 2 Oscars, for the best director and the best supporting actress. But nobody can deny the social relevance of this amazing saga which depicts raw human emotions and travails.
Grapes of Wrath opens with Tom Joad on his way home, paroled from prison for homicide. He meets preacher Jim Casy who has seen so much of hardships that his faith is shaken. They reach Tom's homestead, which is deserted and repossessed by the lending authorities. Muley Graves, one of the neighbors takes Tom to his now destitute family living with their uncle John Joad. Joad's have lost everything in the dust bowl of Oklahoma and being impoverished are seduced by the advertisement about a promising life in California. Even though Tom Joad cannot leave Oklahoman due to parole restrictions, he risks the journey to California to find a better life.



So the Joad family of 12, along with Casy loads everybody into the old 1926 Hudson super six sedan and set out west on route 66 to California. But soon they realize that they are not the only ones making this journey, the route is filled with families in a similar predicament. Portents of bad news comes along with experienced travelers who warn them not to expect anything but hardships in California. The arduous journey takes a toll on the Joad's with grandpa Joad dying and has to be buried on the wayside and Connie Rivers, husband of Tom's pregnant sister Rose, deserting her.
The Joads on reaching California, enter their first transient migrant camp filled with jobless vagrants and laborers. They have a tough time finding a place to sleep and have a showdown with a group called the agitators. They move to another camp called Keene Ranch where situation is still more precarious. After a hard day of work they find that they still cannot afford food from the camp store. Soon they are attracted to unions and Tom and Casy try to attend meetings organized by a striking group of migrants. Here tragedy strikes as the group is discovered by the guards who attack the strikers. Casy is killed by one of the guards and Tom is wounded and inadvertently kills one of the guards in self defense. The Joad family hides Tom and they are able to slip away from Keene Ranch to reach the federally operated clean camp called Farm workers wheat patch camp.
Tom realizes that he must change the world and find a better deal for every worker. He leaves to join in a mission committed to social justice and the Joad family supports him. Ma Joad concludes that the hardships have made them tougher and nobody can wipe them out from this world. Grapes of Wrath has been in the list of the best films made in the 21st century. It has been well received by the critics and has been a discerning film for a student of the the craft of film making.

The Hustler (1961) - Starring Paul Newman - a huge hit, a modern classic

The Hustler (released in 1961) was a movie ostensibly about a pool game, about the efforts of a talented pool player to defeat the reigning pool champion, about the tribulations that he had to suffer in this process, including the losses. In reality, The Hustler is now defined as a movie defining the character of a person, the winning and losing that makes up the character. The movie is classified as a classic movie, continuing to rate positive reviews. The characters look like real characters, with their anguish, their weaknesses, their obsessions, and how they shrug off adversity in the face of an ambition. The movie also benefited the game of pool to a very high degree, since pool was declining in popularity for decades; but the movie had a big role to play in pushing the popularity of the game into reverse direction, making pool popular again. The movie is now compared with the later 'The Color of Money', but while the later movie is more smooth and polished, The Hustler is a much more raw look at human emotions, about what makes a person win or lose. The Hustler got a number of Oscar nominations, 9 in all, and won 2 (Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White (Harry Horner and Gene Callahan) and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Eugen Schüfftan)).
Newman was nominated for Best Actor role, but did not get the award, instead getting it decades later for a role that was a continuation of the movie, The Color of Money (with some critics calling the Oscar award as a recognition that he should have got the award for the Best Actor role for The Hustler).



The movie was based on the 1959 novel (of the same name) by author Walter Tavis, and the book was adapted by Sidney Carroll and Robert Rossen for the movie, with Rossen directing the movie. The main stars of the movie are Paul Newman as Eddie Felson, Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats, Piper Laurie as Sarah and George C. Scott as Bert.
The movie is the story of "Fast Eddie" Felson (Paul Newman), who is traveling with his friend Charlie (Myron McCormick) chasing "Minnesota Fats" (Jackie Gleason), a famous pool player. He meets Fats at Fats home town, and they agree to play for money. Eddie is ahead, but gets carried away and refuses to quit even when Charlie asks him to quit; then a professional gambler Bert Gordon (George C. Scott) is called over by Fats, and he diagnoses Eddie as a loser, without character; and sure enough, by the time that everything is through Eddie has lost everything except for $200.
Eddie meets an alcoholic girl, walking with a limp, Sarah Packard (portrayed pretty well by Piper Laurie); she refuses to take him in initially, but after they meet again and again, she lets him into the house. Eddie continues to hunger to challenge Fats again, and Charlie and Eddie have a face-off and then separation. And then Eddie ties up with Bert, who agrees to back Eddie in return for a 75% take from the returns. And then Eddie will challenge Fats again, but at what cost to Eddie ?

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (directed by Martin Scorsese) (released in 1974)

Martin Scorsese is a very famous director, famous for his style of making movies. His movie style was a combination of bloody violence, a lot of macho stuff, guilt and redemption (inspired by the Catholic background of his subjects) and locales based primarily in New York. However, Scorsese also shot a number of other movies, such as this movie - "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". Released in 1974, it is one of his earlier movies, given that he shot his first full length movie in 1967 (I Call First). In 1972, Scorsese released "Boxcar Bertha" and then released "Mean Streets" soon after, and started getting noticed. He was then selected to make the next movie for the actress Ellen Burstyn, and he came up with this story of a central female character. In fact, Scorsese was selected on the basis of Francis Coppola's recommendation, to whom Ellen had gone to find a young director.
The collaboration went well, with Ellen liking the experience, calling it one of her best experiences in Hollywood. The movie recent overall positive critical acclaim, although some critics found that the story had various shortcomings. The movie did win an award at the Academy Awards:
Academy Award for Best Actress - Ellen Burstyn (won)
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress - Diane Ladd (nominated)
Academy Award For Best Original Screenplay - Robert Getchell (nominated)



The movie is the story of the adventures of a widow in her thirties, along with that of her pre-teen son as they move from her married town in New Mexico to her hometown of Monterey, California. Life changes for housewife Alice Hyatt when her trucker husband Donald dies in an accident, and she decides to try and resume the singing career she gave up when she married. She decides to leave, has a garage sale, and heads off towards Monterey. However, she has to temporarily halt in Phoenix Arizona and take up a job as a lounge singer since she is out of money. She has an affair with a younger man named Ben, when she sees the violent nature of Ben; Ben beats up his wife when the wife confronts Alice. Alice quickly departs along with her son Tommy.
She is still out of money, so accepts a job as a waitress in Tuscon to earn more money for their trip. She starts warming to the diners where she is a waitress, and also meets the divorced rancher David, who soon realizes that getting to be with Alice means that he should try to get close to Tommy first. Does this relationship succeed ? What about her wishes for her singing career ?

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn) (released in 1967)

The 1960's was a period of racial reform in the US, with a series of court judgments having come through in the current decade and the previous decade - the aim of these judgments was to enforce civil rights for all and ensure that society was the same for all. During the 60's, there were a number of states (from the former Confederate states, from the south) that had laws related to prohibiting marriage between the races; so a marriage between a white and a black was illegal in many states. This was a movie that touched on that topic, and received positive acclaim.
The movie was also the last movie in which the on-screen (and off-screen) pair of Spencer Tracy appeared together (this being their 9th such movie). Also, Spencer Tracy was dying when the movie was being made, with Tracy dying 17 days after the filming of the movie ended. As a result, Hepburn was never able to see the movie, given her memories of Tracy - she always claimed that the movie brought back too many painful memories.
The movie earned a few Academy Awards:
Academy Award for Best Actress (Katharine Hepburn)
Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay



The movie deals with the story of a San Francisco couple, Matt & Christina Drayton (played by stars Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn), whose daughter Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton) comes home from a trip to Hawaii, and then informs that she is now engaged to a Doctor - Dr. John Prentice (played by Sidney Poitier) with the following provisions:
- The man is 14 years elder to her
- He is black, while she is white
- The Doctor will not marry her until her parents agree to the marriage
- They have only 1 day to decide, since the Doctor needs to leave for Switzerland
What follows is the story of their indecision. Matt Drayton is a liberal newspaper publisher, but this decision of his daughter shakes him to the core; the parents are worried about the problems and challenges that the couple will face. They decide to invite the Doctor's parents from Los Angeles, and the Doctor's parents are equally worried by this decision. See this movie for an interesting insight into the challenges that America was facing with respect to its racial divide.
I also compare this movie with an example from Arthur Hailey's Hotel (where there is a comparison about how the hotel finally accepts a black guest who is well educated, and the only difference is the color of the skin. What happens if the person is not so well educated, or not so well behaved, or something similar ?

The Untouchables starring Kevin Costner (1987)

The story of Al Capone, and the mafia as such, is a popular story with dramatists. There have been numerous books and movies that deal with the story of gangsters, and many of them have been exceedingly popular. The story of Al Capone, his rise, the terror he inflicted on society, the way he fought his way to the top, his exploitation of Prohibition to smuggle alcohol, all these were part of his mystique. What was equally remembered about him was the St. Valentine's Day massacre that he committed on his rivals, first disarming 7 of them using his men in police uniform, and then using Tommy guns on them. Equally remembered about him were the efforts of the Government to bring him down (even when Chicago and neighboring towns were controlled by his men, with the police and officials on his payroll), and how we was brought down on a charge of tax evasion rather than for the numerous crimes he committed. The jail term on him was a stiff one, and effectively broke his empire.



Brian De Palma made 4 gangster movies, these 4 being Scarface, Wise guys, Carlito's way, and The Untouchables. The other 3 movies were all about the gangsters, while The Untouchables takes the action from the perspective of lawkeepers, the persons out on a mission to capture the gangster, even when they have to follow rules and laws, while the Gangster can use any kind of force, can subvert the authorities, and threaten whoever they want. The Untouchables is the real life story of the people who managed to break the power of a mob lord against all these factors, and the methods they used (who would have believed that you could send a gangster to prison for tax evasion rather than for the various crimes!).
The movie is based on a subject that has been created earlier as well, and is essentially based on the autobiography of Eliot Ness. Eliot Ness was the agent who was sent to bring Al Capone to justice, and to free Chicago from his destructive and criminal ways. The movie starred Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro and Andy Garcia. Sean Connery won a best supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of the Irish American cop Jim Malone. The movie does not fully present this as a good vs. evil fight, also portraying the parts where Capone showed support for the poor by running soup kitchens and other similar efforts, as also the role where Ness actually throws a hood off the roof of a building rather than bring him in for justice.
The movie is well choreographed, with the scenes bringing out the drama. The scene right at the end, where the juries are switched is gripping, especially if you don't know the story. An eminently watchable movie.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Untouchables_(1987_film)

Fugitive: A tight story of being one step ahead of the law

A fast paced action movie, with a fair amount of drama, a wrong court decision, and the need to get revenge (and clear his name) were some of the parts that made The Fugitive a very famous and commercially successful movie. The movie was nominated for a clutch of Oscars, and also earned more than $500 million worldwide. It helped that it starred 2 famous actors in the person of Harrison Ford (very famous for Star Wars and Indiana Jones), and Tommy Lee Jones. The movie also got good reviews from critics, making it really successful (it is not always seen for a movie to be both commercially successful and earn praise from critics).
The movie was released in 1993, and was based on a television series that aired on ABC between 1963 and 1967. The series ran for 4 years (interestingly, the first 3 seasons were in black and white, and the fourth season was in color). The movie has the same premise, where a doctor is charged for the murder of his wife, and escapes in order to prove his innocence.



The movie has principally 2 characters - Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, and Tommy Lee Jones as Deputy United States Marshal Samuel Gerard. Dr. Kimble has been charged for the murder of his wife, based on the fact that his wife made a call to 911 which apparently led to Dr. Kimble being blamed for the murder. In addition, there was no evidence to back the claim of Dr. Kimble that a man with an artificial hand was responsible for the murder (there were no signs of somebody breaking into the house, there were no other fingerprints on the gun). Dr. Kimble was charged for murder, and convicted by a jury, sentenced to die.
However, on the way to prison in a bus (along with other convicts), there is a disturbance inside the bus that causes the bus to fall onto the path of an oncoming train. In the disturbance. Dr. Kimble manages to run away and is now being pursued by the United States Marshal service, led by officer Samuel Gerard. Kimble manages to change out of his prison uniform, shave, and alter his appearance, but Gerard is soon on the chase, and manages to corner him inside a storm drain inside a dam. The only option for Kimble to survive is by jumping into the flow of water falling from the dam, and he does so in a fairly spectacular shot.
Now, Kimble is on a mission to find people who have received a prosthetic arm, while striving to be hidden from the police who is chasing him. In the middle of this, while hidden in a hospital, he even saves a boy by altering the diagnosis and sending him to emergency surgery. Kimble even heads to the jail to try to find the one-armed man, but is not able to find him. He eventually gets into the home of a former police office called Frederick Sykes (Katsulas). Sykes was there in Kimble's list since he had received a prosthetic arm. It is in Sykes's home that Kimble finds evidence of what could have caused the attacks at Kimble's home, as well as the involvement of somebody close to Kimble. Can Kimble save himself from the police, and expose the involvement of others ?

The Fugitive was nominated for 7 Oscars:
Won: Best Supporting Actor - Tommy Lee Jones
Best Picture (lost to Schindler's List)
Best Cinematography (lost to Schindler's List)
Best Sound Effects Editing (lost to Jurassic Park)
Best Film Editing (lost to Schindler's List)
Best Original Music Score (lost to Schindler's List)
Best Sound (lost to Jurassic Park)

West Side Story (1961)

There are many movies that have been adapted from screenplays or from books, and West Side Story is one of the most successful of the lot. The movie was adapted from a running screenplay of the same name, which was adapted from a very famous piece of work by Shakespeare called 'Romeo and Juliet'. The movie credits the direction by 2 people - Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. Jerome Robbins was the first director, and he was also the director of the stage version, as well as being responsible for planning and directing all music and dance sequences in the film, as well as all the fight scenes. However, when around 60% of the movie had been shot, the producer of the movie (Robert Wise) felt that the costs had not been in check, and Robbins was fired. In the end, when the movie earned 10 Oscars (out of a total of 11 Academy Awards nominations), Robbins got a special award.



The concept of 'Romeo and Juliet' is an extremely old concept, valid in different cultures and across geographies. The theory that a girl and boy from 2 rival clans meet, fall in love, and fall victim to the enmity between their clans (and getting killed due to this rivalry) is something that finds mention in a lot of different cultures. This movie is also based on the same concept, with the clans being modified to be 2 different gangs set in New York in the 1950's. These are 2 rival gangs called the American Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks (and these are composed of members from different racial backgrounds), fighting for supremacy over the New York neighborhoods in which they operate.
The romantic duo are Tony (Richard Beymer), who is a former member of the Jets gang (and also its co-founder), and Maria (Natalie Wood), who is the sister of Bernardo (George Chakiris), the head of the rival Puerto Rican immigrants gang, the Sharks. These 2 meet at a dance, to which Tony has gone to convey a message about a challenger between the 2 gangs, something that would decide the rivalry once and for all.
The movie is a musical, so there are several song and dances about the tension in the gangs as they proceed to a final rumble (the challenge) between them, along with the excitement in the life of Tony and Maria as their love increases. The story climaxes when Maria requests Tony to stop the rumble, and Tony is subject to ridicule from the gang members when he tries to stop them. His attempts are met with scorn, and the Jets head Riff cannot stand to see this ridicule of his close friend and starts fighting with Bernardo. In this tussle, Bernardo kills Riff, and Tony kills Bernardo in revenge. At this point, the police arrive and the gang members disperse.
Maria is informed by another gang member Chino (Jose DeVega) about the fight and about Tony killing her brother. When Tony arrives, Maria is very angry, but Tony manages to convince her by detailing what happened at the fight, and by offering to surrender to the police. However, the story happens in tragedy when Tony and Maria are about to meet, Chino comes in and shoots Tony. It is in this tragedy that the gangs unite, when member of both gangs carry Tony's body.

Academy awards:

Wins:

Academy Award for Best Picture – Robert Wise, producer
Academy Award for Directing – Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – George Chakiris
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress – Rita Moreno
Academy Award for Best Art Direction (Set Decoration, Color) – Victor A. Gangelin and Boris Leven
Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Color) – Daniel L. Fapp
Academy Award for Costume Design (Color) – Irene Sharaff
Academy Award for Film Editing – Thomas Stanford
Academy Award for Original Music Score of a Musical Picture – Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Irwin Kostal, and Sid Ramin
Academy Award for Sound – Fred Hynes (Todd-AO SSD), and Gordon Sawyer (Samuel Goldwyn SSD)

Nominations

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium – Ernest Lehman

Tom Jones (1963)

Henry Fielding had written a classic novel, called 'The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling' way back in 1749. The story of an illegitimate man, his love, his relationship with others, the hatred towards him by a rival, and how he gets saved right in the nick of time near the end; all of these make this a great story. The movie was acclaimed as a great comedy, was award winning, and was covered in a cover story by Time Magazine when it was released in 1963.
The movie was directed by Tony Richardson and starred Albert Finney in an Oscar nominated role (Albert however did not get the Best Actor Oscar). The movie was also interesting in terms of Academy Award since it was the first and only time in which 3 actresses were nominated for 'Best Actress in a supporting role'.



The movie is the story of Tom Jones. He was found by a Squire in his bed after he returned from a long trip, and the Square suspected that the was the illegitimate child of his servants. The good natured Squire decides to raise the bastard child like his own son (he had already kicked out the servants whom he suspected of giving birth to this child). The child, under this care, grows up to be a dashing and kind good man who can win hearts all around. However, in this society, he is still an illegitimate man, and cannot hope to marry the one whom he truly loves Sophie Western (Susannah York); she is from a much higher part of society. She loves him back, but cannot show this.
Her parents have somebody else in mind, somebody who would be more suitable for her. This person is Blifil (David Warner), the son of the Squire's sister. He is the exact opposite of Tom Jone, since he is of respectable birth, but otherwise possessing values that certainly do not endear him to Sophie. He is not particularly fond of Tom Jones, and after his mother's death he manages to convince the Squire to turn Tom Jones out (Blifil has also intercepted a letter from his mother to the Squire - and the content of this letter is not revealed till the end).
In his journey outside, Tom Jones goes through many experiences; he is robbed of his legacy, has to fight for the good name of Sophie, meets the persons who are supposed to be his parents, meets ladies out to get him, and eventually ends up in Jail, waiting to be hanged (since he has been framed by Blifil for robbery and attempted murder). He is facing the end, and this is when things start to turn right for him. The Squire rescues him, and finally they also learn that Tom Jones is in fact the illegitimate son of the Squire's sister, and not of servants. The Squire also learns that Blifil knew all this and yet concealed it, leading to disgrace for him. And so things end well for Tom Jones.
The movie won and was nominated for the following Oscars:

Won:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Music, Score - Substantially Original (John Addison)
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

Nominated:
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Albert Finney)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Hugh Griffith)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Diane Cilento)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Dame Edith Evans)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Joyce Redman)
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color (Ralph W. Brinton, Ted Marshall, Jocelyn Herbert, Josie MacAvin)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - movie about famous bandits

Bonnie and Clyde [Bonnie Parker (October 1, 1910 – May 23, 1934) and Clyde Barrow (March 24, 1909 – May 23, 1934)] were extremely famous outlaws, robbers, traveling through the United States from place to place in the Central United States, becoming notorious all over the country. During the time of the Great Depression, they were seen as having great appeal, and a legend has developed around them. Part of the controversy around them also rests in whether Bonnie was actually a full member of the gang, or had ever even fired a gun as part of the gang. She was with the gang ever since she fell in love with Clyde after meeting him in 1930, and died along with Clyde in a shootout with a posse of 6 officers from a combined force of Texas and Louisiana officers in a remote location, a desolate road near their Bienville Parish, Louisiana hideout. This was expected to happen ever since Clyde made a move against the Texas Department of Corrections in 1934 and engineered a breakout called the "Eastham Breakout" of 1934. Clyde managed to get the following to escape from the prison, Henry Methvin, Raymond Hamilton, and a few others. However, during this breakout, the killing of a prison officer by another escapee brought down the end of Clyde. He was marked as a hunted man, with the mission of the both the Texas and Federal Governments being to hunt down Clyde. In the next few days, Clyde was also involved in the deaths of 3 more police officers, ending the romantic feelings of the public towards him.



Bonnie and Clyde was a movie released in 1967, and a very famous movie at that, starring as the lead (and doomed pair), Warren Beatty and Faye Dunway. The film was directed by Arthur Penn, with screenplay by David Newman and Robert Benton. The movie also took a lead in enabling Hollywood to present more elements of sex and violence in movies. The movie also won 2 Oscar awards for "Best Supporting Actress" (Estelle Parsons) and "Best Cinematography" (Burnett Guffey). The movie is a greatly simplified version of the actual story of Bonny and Clyde, not detailing their full extent of the gang, the many crimes committed by the gang and so on. Even the person who betrayed them and led the police posse to them (and to their deaths) as depicted in the movie was a combination of multiple people. The movie deviated from the actual story to the extent that the family of the Texas Ranger who killed them, Frank Hamer, sued the movie makers (he was portrayed in the movie as having been caught by Bonnie and Clyde earlier and humiliated while he actually encountered them only in the final shoot out).
The producers of the movie, the studio Warner Bros - Seven Arts were not terribly impressed by the movie and did not have high hopes of success. As a result, they made producer Warren Beatty very wealthy (they offered him 40% of the gross instead of a fee, and the when the movie made $70 million, Beatty stood to benefit).
The movie is about the short life of Bonnie and Clyde, after they met and became the core of a crime gang. They recruited more relatives, including Clyde's brother and his slow wife, with a quick-to-start feud opening up between Bonnie and Clyde's sister-in-law Blanche. The gang starts increasing their operations to include robbing banks, and starts getting pursued by the police and other law enforcement agents. After the gang humiliate Frank Hamer, he retaliates by relentlessly pursuing the gang, turning them one by one against the gang, eventually reaching Bonnie and Clyde and killing them in a hail of bullets.

Singing in the Rain (1952)

The musicals had a great season in American celluloid in a period of the 40's and 50's; and one of the greatest musicals of all time was 'Singing In the Rain' (released in 1952). The movie is also acknowledged to be Gene Kelly's greatest work (with An American in Paris released in 1951 being another great movie). This was a movie that Gene Kelly had thrown his heart and soul into, with not only delivering a great acting role, but also co-directing, and being the choreographer. The movie had some great dances, with the dance on the title song where Gene Kelly danced with an umbrella, with water pouring, dancing in puddles, and generally having a good rain soaked dance being one of the greatest. It is even more admirable due to the fact that the dance happened when Gene Kelly had 103 fever.
The movie also picturised the transition that the American film industry had from the age of silent movies, to the age of movies with sound. This was a major change, and impacted not only the art of film-making, but also had an impact on the film stars of the silent era. Singing in the Rain captures the transition of some of the stars, while others failed to make the transition, and also heralded the appearance of new stars who were more suited for the sound era.



The movie is about a popular star of the silent era, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly). He has risen through the industry while doing all sort of jobs, and is now the leading star. His leading lady is Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen); Don cannot stand Lina, while she feels that they have an ongoing romance (something created by the studio for more publicity). Once, Don gets to suddenly meet a lady Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) (he jumped into her car to escape from some fans); and after some initial back-and-forth, they start falling into love.
However, there is a major disturbance - a new talking film called 'The Jazz Singer' has been released by a rival studio and becomes a success. This forces a change of plans, with the studio boss R.F. Simpson (Millard Mitchell) deciding to convert the upcoming Don - Lina film into a talkie. However, it wasn't so easy, and they eventually decide to get Kathy to dub for Lina, and to make the movie into a musical. Lina does not like Kathy and her romance with Don, and makes sure that Kathy cannot get screen credit for her voice-over; however, in the premiere, after some delay, the inevitable happens. It is revealed that Kathy is the voice, and also the upcoming star.

Raging Bull (1980) - a great Robert De Niro movie

The movie stars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Cathy Moriarty. The movie was based on a biographical novel written by Jake LaMotta (published in 1970), with the biography based on his life - primarily about his life from being a young teenager, reform, his life as a boxer (and his fights with the mafia about trying to get the main title), his jealousy over his wife Vickie; it is also about his attitude, and also about the strong relationship with his brother Jeoy. The story was adapted by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin for the movie, that was eventually directed by Martin Scorsese and released in 1980.
The movie is a great black and white portrayal of the life of the boxer, Jake LaMotta. The movie was so popular with critics (after an initial mixed reception) due to its brutal portrayal of Jake's tormented life, going off into violent temper tantrum, suspecting his young wife Vicki, even with his own brother. His temper and attitude also moves his away from his own family. Robert De Niro is able to portray this incredibly, including showing the puzzlement he faces when he is not able to control his own temper tantrums, nor understand why they occur; the impact of these tantrums are very destructive for him.



The movie got such critical acclaim that it was nominated for 8 Oscars, and won 2 Academy Awards. The event was overshadowed by the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagen by John Hinckley Jnr, attempting to do a 'Taxi Driver' stunt of trying to impress Jodie Foster. Over a period of time, the movie got much more support from critics, being rated among the top movies of all time; definitely the best movie of 1980, and among Martin Scorcese's best movies. The Oscars for which the movie was nominated were Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Sound and Editing; the movie finally picked up the Oscar for Best Actor (DeNiro) and Best Editing (Schoonmaker).
The movie starts in flashback, where a much heftier Jake LaMotta (Robert DeNiro put on 50 kilos for this part of the role, after training to bring himself to a boxer's peak physical condition for the early part of the role) is practicing his comedian's act in 1964. And then the movie moves onto the meatier part of the role, to 1941 where Jake is into his boxing career, aided by his brother Joey who is a sparring partner as well as the organizer of his fights. The movies takes us through the fights he has, the fights that his brother has on his behalf, the wooing of his wife as a young adult upto the point where he becomes paranoid and accuses her of cheating on him. You really need to see the movie to feel the power of the movie.

Sense and sensibility (1995)

Jane Austen's novel, 'Sense and Sensibility', published in 1811, has been a fairly popular and acclaimed work of fiction; it is also used in English literature studies. The novel was the first work by Jane Austen to be published, and describes the lives of a English family, used to riches, and suddenly deprived of their riches. They need to fend for themselves, while retaining their pride and honor, and as was expected in those times, to make a good marriage for themselves. The sense and sensibility is in terms of doing the right thing, listening to both the heart and mind, and eventually making a good life.
The movie was written by Emma Thomson, who was initially hesitant to play the lead role, that of the eldest daughter Elinor, and who finally agreed after the age of the character was changed to 27 (from the 19 in the book). The movie (directed by Ang Lee) was both a commercial and critical success; it cost around $16 million to make, and earned a total of more than $130 million worldwide. In addition, the movie was nominated for 7 Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Actress), and won one of them.



The story is about the family of Mrs. Dashwood and her 3 daughter, Elinor (Emma Thomson), Marianne (Kate Winslet), and Margaret (Emilie Francois). Mrs. Dashwood was the second wife of Mr. Dashwood, and the family is horrified to find out that the estate of Noland Park left to John Dashwood, the son from the first marriage. John and his wife Fanny (portrayed as greedy, and snobby) move in, and the family soon realize that they need to find quarters elsewhere. They are left with an inheritance of only 500 pounds per year. Pretty soon, Elinor starts feeling an attraction towards Fanny's brother Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant), not something encouraged or liked by Fanny or by Edwards' mother.
The Dashwoods eventually find residence in Barton Cottage, a small house in Barton Park in Devonshire, owned by a cousin of Mrs. Dashwood, Sir John Middleton. There, an older Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman, playing a character 35 years old) also meets them and falls for Marianne, but Marianne ignores these feelings. She feels more for the young and dashing John Willoughby, who seems to reciprocate her feelings, but at the same time has made the ward of Colonel Brandon, Eliza Williams, pregnant. He is removed from his inheritance and moves to London, leaving an emptiness in Marianne.
The movie is all about the situation that the sisters and their related characters face, and how circumstances eventually lead them to loving relationships. They are not so wealthy as before, but both Elinor and Marianne make happy marriages and lead a good life.

Academy nominations:
- Academy Award for Best Picture (nominated)
- Academy Award for Best Actress (Emma Thompson, nominated)
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Kate Winslet, nominated)
- Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Won)
- Academy Award for Best Cinematography (nominated)
- Academy Award for Best Costume Design (nominated)
- Academy Award for Best Original Score (nominated)