Arguably, no other leading lady has done a more praiseworthy job of choosing projects in the modern era than Cate Blanchett. Since gaining international recognition with Elizabeth (1998), the Australian actress has proven she can express any accent, nationality, and emotion. Her remarkable range shines in films like Carol (2015), where she delivers a subtle yet powerful performance, and in The Aviator (2004), where she portrays the enigmatic Katharine Hepburn with authenticity. Even in lesser-known works like The Life Aquatic…

With 2017’s “A Fantastic Woman,” which not only won the Oscar for the best foreign language film but also featured in our yearly Top 50 Films Of the Year list, Sebastián Lelio is no longer just another filmmaker. With 9 films already in his oeuvre – including his nuanced, understated, and earnest observation of women in his “Trilogy Of Women,” Lelio is surely proving his mettle. However, to really understand his craft, one must also delve into his favorite films…

Fantasy is often listed as merely swords and sorcery. This is not to say it isn’t considered a serious cinematic force in the world. Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, as well as Game of Thrones, have helped catapult fantasy into the popular imagination, certainly, but often to a detriment. There seems to be a growing divide between what we call Fantasy and the Fantastical, although, of course, they are the same thing. What we do see is…

The beauty of Japanese horror movies lies in their subtlety. Instead of becoming CGI fests, these films solely depend on powerful storylines, elegant framing, and unnerving soundtrack effects. These ace filmmakers’ minimalist approach strikes us with raw, rampant scares. Among these selections are classics like "House (1977)", known for its surreal and nightmarish atmosphere, and Takashi Miike's unsettling "Audition (1999)", which slowly unravels into a horrifying descent into madness. Kiyoshi Kurosawa's haunting "Cure (1997)" delves into the depths of the…

The relationship between a father and his kids is strangely beautiful. Unlike the relationship you share with your mother, this is a pretty complex one. In one lifetime, the dynamics between you and your father keep changing. Sometimes, he plays an Authoritarian Teacher; on other days, he is a pal who is throwing balls at you. When you grow up, you two start behaving like acquaintances with little exchange of words until, one day, you see the wrinkles on your old…

Death, as the ultimate existential certainty, has captivated humanity for millennia and has long been a central theme in literature, art, and philosophy. It has simultaneously served as a deep source of fear, fascination, as well as critical inquiry. From ancient myths exploring the afterlife to modern scientific explorations of consciousness, we continue to grapple with death’s finality and its impact on the living. Cinema, as a powerful storytelling medium, has naturally become a mirror reflecting our complex relationship with…

This list includes films with female protagonists who have left an impact on me, moved me to tears, given me sleepless nights, and made me rethink the world around me. It includes timeless characters portrayed by women being real and raw, embracing themselves, and not merely playing out male fantasies. Films like Lady Bird, with its authentic depiction of adolescence; Arrival, showcasing intelligent communication beyond words Incredibles 2 and Frozen, redefining heroism and sisterhood; Birds of Prey, celebrating the emancipation of Harley Quinn; and Frances…

From refusing to wear clothes that weren’t accessible to his character in the year the film was set in, like in Lincoln, and contracting pneumonia, to demanding crew to wheel him around on set because his character can’t walk, as in My Left Foot, Daniel Day-Lewis will do anything for his character. In his character, rather. The English actor, son of Poet Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis and son-in-law of the great Arthur Miller, is currently retired by his own admission. In a…

Lars von Trier is one of those directors whose name evokes extreme responses. People seem to love him or hate him. What can be said for sure is that von Trier is an iconoclast who has questioned, defined, and redefined cinematic trends. From the haunting despair of Melancholia, the raw emotion of The House That Jack Built and Dancer in the Dark, to the controversial narrative of Antichrist, his work is not just with respect to visual style but also his approach to…