Top Hollywood Movies of 2011

There were some decent movies in 2011, but for me these two were the standout movies.

1) Hugo

This is one of the most satisfying movies in a long time. As a movie buff, I was always interested in movie history and Hugo reminds us of our negligence in recognizing the movie legends. Many classic silent films and talkies are now forgotten and Hugo stresses the importance of film preservation. Such is the genius of Martin Scorsese that the serious subject about film preservation is told through an engaging adventure story of Hugo Cabret. In the flashback scenes, one can find Georges Melies’s passion for making movies and directly relate it to Martin Scorsese’s passion for movies. There are some movies that entertain without needing us to think much and there are some movies that are artistic and satisfy us creatively. I enjoy both types of movies and Hugo falls into the second category.

The master craftsman has made this movie in 3D as if to show other filmmakers that this is how a 3D movie should be made. I usually get irritated while watching a 3D movie because of over usage of 3D effects. But Hugo in 3D is pleasant to watch and adds depth to the movie. It literally transports us to Paris in 1930s. This is a movie with heart and a must watch for movie buffs.

2) Drive

When I watched Drive in the theatre for the first time, I didn’t have much expectation. I had not seen any movie of the director or of the leading actor before. But this movie took me by surprise and it was a wonderful ride. Drive has an element of poetry attached to it. It has a perfect blend of art and commercial elements. Ryan Gosling's performance was exceptional and matured. The style factor he brought to the movie will stay in the viewer’s mind for a long time - the scorpion jacket, the leather gloves, the toothpick and the 'don’t care' attitude.

This movie reminded me of Taxi Driver in the sense that the whole movie revolves around the nameless driver in a similar way as Taxi Driver movie revolves around Travis Bickle. Cinematography was exceptional and it brings a dream like feel to the movie. The background score was used intelligently throughout the movie and it blends beautifully with the mesmerizing visuals. The opening chase sequence and the elevator scene will have a lasting impression on the viewers. Also, the scenes where there is a long awkward silent stare between the driver and the girl puts smile in your face. Scenes like these make this movie memorable. Not many movies these days surprise me and this movie did. This movie is dashing, unconventional and breaks the stereotypes.

In a recent debate in NDTV, I found an interesting argument – In a democracy every person has the right to choose the wrong. Well, I agree with this argument in the cases where one person’s choosing the wrong does not intrude into other person’s personal space or offend other person’s feelings. If that is not the case then the person choosing to do wrong is entitled to be punished. Say, for example, even though smoking is a wrong thing to do, a person can still choose the wrong thing (as in democracy), but should make sure that it does not in anyway affect others.

The most surprising thing that I noticed during the debate was that some persons were trying to justify the act of burning the National Flag as a mark of protest. The issue, which should have been out of debate, was being debated in a spiritless manner. While I agree that unintentional disrespect of the national flag can be forgiven, I believe that intentional disrespect of the national flag should be entitled to punishment. Disrespecting the flag that is respected by all the true Indians, would be an insult to their feelings. If a person insults or burns the national flag, the natural thing he is trying to do is insulting the nation and its people. I could not find any other meaning to their act. So, naturally they should be punished.

I sincerely hope that some day, people and media will become matured enough to stop justifying the unethical acts in the name of democracy and freedom of expression. Democracy does not give anyone the complete freedom - with the right to hurt other’s feelings.