Top Movies 2015

2015 had some good movies but nothing that I thought blew me away. Some impressive performances and good storytelling, but I did not think anything really stood out for me this year. Here are my top 5 movies of 2015 followed by the movie ratings for this year for everything I managed to watch this year. 

1. Spotlight
2. The Revenant 
3. Ex Machina 
4. It Follows
5. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

★★★★★
Spotlight

★★★★
The Revenant
Star Wars: The force awakens
The Gift
Ex Machina
Black Mass
It Follows

★★★
 The Man from U.N.C.L.E
Sicario
Bridge of spies
Hunger Games: Mockingjay
Everest
The Martian
Ted 2
Cinderella
Entourage
Tomorrowland
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
Home
Terminator: Genisys
Ant Man
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Kingsman: The secret service
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Inside out
Shaun the sheep movie
Mr Holmes

★★
The 33
Southpaw
Furious 7
Chappie
Jurassic World
Mad Max: Fury Road
Focus  

★
Fifty shades of Grey
Penguins of Madagascar
San Andreas
Minions

Top Movies 2014

As is customary, it is the time of year when I share my annual list of movies with you. This year was full of some amazing movies in a lot of different genres. One thing is for sure, this is the beginning of years of comic book movies as studios have been spending (and earning) big on some known and some not so known comic book characters. Marvel has already been doing it and DC is just getting started, it remains to be seen how far this goes. Anyway - I can spend a long time writing about Marvel vs DC so I'll stop. Here are my top 5 movies of 2014 followed by my Oscar picks and the rest of the movie ratings for this year. 

5. Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal has shown once again what a great actor he truly is. He was well and truly creepy in his role. There were several times when I kept shaking my head on how crazy this character was. It slowly builds up but once it gets going it’s a non stop sprint to the finish. Although he stole the show and gave a performance of a lifetime, the story is great and shows the ugly side of media these days. Loved it!

4. Whiplash

What a ride - this movie came out of nowhere. I had little to no expectations when I first watched it and it just blew me away. Both the main actors have given amazing performances and I was engaged right to the very end. There was tension throughout the movie and even though this wasnt a thriller or an action movie, I felt like I was at the edge of my seat from start to finish. Definitely one of the best of the year. 

3. The Lego Movie

I absolutely loved this movie. Even though I went to the movies with my son, I ended up enjoying it much more than him. From the start, this movie was full of laughs. The voice actors Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Will Ferrell etc. have done a great job - although, the awesome dialogue may have something to do with that. All of us left the movie smiling and singing 'Everything is awesome!' It's a shock to me that this did not get an Oscar nod as I thought this was a shoe in for the big prize this year. 

2. Interstellar

This is another director who's movies I just love. Like many of Chris Nolan's movies, this one kept me thinking for a while after watching it. It's a science fiction action movie but also has an intelligent and thought provoking story at the same time. This one definitely had mixed reviews from people and I think this is one of those you either love or hate. I personally enjoyed it a lot, especially the blend of fiction and real science, which made this a much more believable story.

1. Gone Girl

I was anxiously waiting for this movie from the first time I heard about it. I love David Fincher movies and this did not disappoint one bit. It was dark, intelligent and kept me at the edge of my seat throughout. Of course, a fantastic score by Trent Reznor just adds to the whole atmosphere. The performances of both Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike are fantastic. Best of the year 2014!

Oscar Picks: 

Best Movie: Want to win: Whiplash, Will win: Boyhood

Best Actor: Want to win: Benedict Cumberbatch (Imitation Game), Will win: Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Best Actress: Want to win: Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Will win: Julianne Moore (Still Alice)

Best Supporting Actor: Want to win and Will win: J.K.Simmons (Whiplash)

Best Supporting Actress: Want to win and Will win: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)

★★★★★

Gone Girl

Interstellar 

The Lego Movie  

Whiplash 

★★★★

Nightcrawler

Babadook

The Imitation Game

Citizenfour

Unbroken

★★★

American Sniper
John Wick
The Drop
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
Selma
Hunger Games: Mockingjay
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Maleficent
X men: Days of Future Past
Rio 2
Captain America: Winter Soldier
Guardians of the Galaxy
Ninja Turtles
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Gambler
Equalizer

The Judge

★★

Penguins of Madagascar
Divergent

★

Snowpiercer
Lucy
Transcendence
Godzilla
I Origins
Exodus
Noah

Top Movies 2013

It's that time of year when I publish my annual list of top movies I have watched this year. This year has been a great year for movies and I have seen some fantastic movies this year. The Academy Award nominations for this year are a very strong list but of course I do have my favourites. Given I am very interested in the Academy Awards, I thought I'd also do my Oscar picks for this year. 

So, without further ado here are my top 5 movies of this year. As before, I have also rated every 2013 released movie I have seen so far.

5. Captain Phillips
I thoroughly enjoyed this movie - Tom Hanks is at his best and showed once again why he's one of the best actors of our generation. The story keeps you on edge and the performances of both Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi have made this movie a must watch for 2013. 

4. Nebraska
This movie has a simple story but also at the same time showed the complexity of our lives involving family and relationships. It's about fathers, sons, mothers, missed opportunities and taking a leap of faith. I loved the humor in this movie and I was always engaged by the characters and the fantastic performances of all the cast.

3. Star Trek: Into Darkness
Being the Trekkie that I am, I just loved the new Star Trek movie. This movie is not only about bringing back an iconic villain of Star Trek or thrilling action, but more about how the relationship between some of the main characters has evolved. Benedict Cumberbatch has become one of my favorite actors going around these days and he has definitely stole the show in this movie. Super fun!

2. Gravity
The visual effects in this movie are amazing. It's a non-stop exhilarating edge of the seat fun, a story about human survival and the will to carry on. Fantastic movie!

1. Her
Totally unexpected! This movie caught me off guard completely! It's amazing how this movie has used just a voice of a computer program to tell a simple yet compelling story. It's set in a not too distant future and shows how technology is on its way for making us more and more socially lonely. Even though I knew what the movie was about, I loved the story telling and the performance of Joaquin Phoenix - he's always come in interesting roles and this is no exception. I would love for this to win the Academy award this year but it won't - I still hope it still wins the screenplay award and it's a unique and amazing story. 

★★★★★

Her 

Gravity

★★★★

12 years a slave - My pick for Academy Award for best motion picture

Captain Phillips

Man of Steel

The Wolf of Wall Street

Star Trek Into Darkness

Dallas Buyers Club

Nebraska
Rush

★★★

Iron Man 3

American Hustle

The Hobbit: The Desolution of Smaug

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Turbo

The Conjuring

★★

Thor 2

Oblivion

Planes

Walking with Dinosaurs World War Z ★

Jack the giant slayer

Paranormal Activity: The marked ones

47 Ronin

Top Movies 2012

This year was a great year for movies. There were some great dramas and equally good big budget movies. As has been the tradition, my top movies list for 2012 is here. 

5. Zero Dark Thirty

The one thing that impressed me the most about this movie was the screenplay. It's amazing how such a long period of time and such a long and complex manhunt was packaged nicely in a movie. The storyline keeps you well engrossed from start to end. 

4. Life of Pi
After watching the previews, I was not really looking forward to this movie. The movie is a fantastic story that has been visualised amazingly by Ang Lee. Definitely one of the best of the year.

3. Argo

Ben Affleck continues to show he is not just a pretty face. After one of my top 5 movies of 2011, The Town, he has made this fantastic follow up. The tension in this movie is nicely built. It's a shock to see Ben Affleck not nominated for an Academy Award for Direction.


2. A Separation
This is a fast moving thought provoking drama, where everyone involved has performed brilliantly. You are constantly going from one person's point of view to the other and disagree and agree at the same time. Loved this movie and kept me thinking even after the movie had ended. One of the best of the year!

1. The Dark Knight Rises

Can't get past the new Batman. Great ending to an amazing reboot trilogy. Even though there was huge hype around this movie, it still managed not to disappoint. Christopher Nolan has managed to make Batman cool again with this trilogy. He has once again proved that a blockbuster movie can also be with brains. Coming out of the theatre after watching the conclusion I felt I was satisfied with the end. 
Definitely goes down to being one of the best action movies of all time!

The full list of movies I have seen and rated in 2012:

5 stars ★★★★★	The Dark Knight Rises Argo A Separation
4 stars ★★★★	Zero dark thirty Silver Linings Playbook Life of Pi Django unchanged Lincoln Amour The Avengers Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
3 stars ★★★	Contraband Les Miserables The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Coriolanus Killing them softly Prometheus The chronicle Ice age 4 Madagascar 3 The woman in black The grey Skyfall Looper The Bourne Legacy The Hunger Games The Master
2 stars ★★	Paranormal activity 4 Man on a Ledge Men in Black 3 Dark shadows Snowhite and the Huntsman Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2 Wrath of the titans Cabin in the woods
1 star ★	Underworld awakening

Top Movies 2011

Another year gone and another year of movies to be reviewed! This year was lacking the wow movie that has happened in the last few years. There were really good movies but I felt there were none that I would call amazing.

As per prior years, my top 5 movies of 2011 are below followed by my ratings for all 2011 movies.

Enjoy watching!!

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (part 2) – As much as I didn't want to put this in the top five, I just have to. The hype was unbelievable around this and I didn't feel disappointed after watching the final installment in this series.

4. Senna – Whether you are Formula 1 fan or not, this movie is fantastic. Its inspiring and absorbing and a sad story about a brilliant racer. Definitely right up there for this year.

3. The Artist - This movie is incredibly original and delivers a masterpiece without any dialogue. Both performances by the leads are amazing and is great entertainment in this day and age of visual and sound effects.

2. The Help – I loved this movie not only for the great acting but also for the way it has portrayed that side of American society. The story is touching, emotional and there are some really good performances that are well worth watching.

1. Drive – I have to admit I wasn't expecting much when i started watching this. It had a certain retro feel that definitely caught my attention and I enjoyed the no frills approach to this. Great music to go with a great movie with style.

5 stars ★★★★★	Drive
4 stars ★★★★	Kung Fu Panda 2 Rio X-Men – First Class Senna The Help The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Descendants Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (Part 2) The Artist
3 stars ★★★	Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol Fast Five The Adjustment Bureau Source Code Super 8 Contagion Puss in Boots The Lincoln Lawyer The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn 127 Hours Apollo 18 The Ides of March Warrior J.Edgar Happy Feet 2 Moneyball Paranormal Activity 3 Rise of the planet of the Apes Midnight in Paris
2 stars ★★	Green Lantern Transformers Dark Side of the Moon Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Cars 2 Rango Thor In Time Mere Brother ke Dulhan The Tree of Life Captain America: The First Avenger Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Don’t be Afraid of the Dark
1 star ★	Ra One

Pakistan and Conspiracies!

I’ve been thinking about this for the last few days and thought I’d put my thoughts on paper/web. A few weeks ago, the cricket world cup was on, people were anticipating the biggest match of the tournament when India was about to play Pakistan. Of course, there isnt any India Pakistan game without some controversy. Many people talked about the close lbw decision that was overturned against Tendulkar. People posted videos from Youtube that showed how the decision video was doctored. As soon as I saw the videos, I thought to myself, what typical Pakistani thinking.

During my recent visit to Pakistan, there were many times that I had discussions with people about one conspiracy after the other. The fact that the three cricketers that were banned because of corruption and taking money for spot fixing, were in fact banned because the world knows that they were a big threat to win the world cup....people refused to believe that they were ACTUALLY corrupt.

Its very common in Pakistan, you can walk to anyone on the street and they will tell you that the IMF has a conspiracy against us and they want to control us by giving us loans, not the fact that the country will go bankrupt without them. They will tell you that the Americans and the western world want to take the nuclear weapons and ultimately destroy Pakistan by aiding the Taliban, not the fact that there are thousands of crazies wanting to blow stuff and killing people.

It’s interesting that when I was growing up, I was told these conspiracies all the time as well. Things like, Waqar Younis the best bowler in the world didn’t play in the 92 world cup because Imran Khan didn’t want him to, not because he had a serious back injury. That iodine was being added to all salt because the ‘powers that be’ want to control our population and want to use this to make men impotent! I can go on and on and new ones keep coming up even sitting so far away from home.

One of the most ludicrous ones I’ve heard is that the young generations of Pakistan shouldn’t play network games like Counter Strike, because the computers connect to servers in the Pentagon where the US military is monitoring war strategies. The Pakistani young people who play the game are so talented; the US military want to copy war strategies.

It all comes down to this. Pakistanis think they’re special. I know this is a sweeping statement and there will always be exceptions to this rule, but generally this is the case. We always think we know better and are on to the other person’s devious plots. We would rather sit and talk about how the other person has a vendetta against us than to take action and do something about our situation.

I’ve always wondered why this has been the case. I don’t experience this living in a western country and haven’t heard people talking about conspiracy theories in day to day conversations. You do have some from time to time but not like this.

I don’t expect it to go anywhere from the households and conversations of Pakistanis. Maybe, living in a western country the thinking changes? Although, I have seen examples of Pakistanis living overseas who have the exact same point of view.

I’m not quite sure about why this is the case but just something that frustrates me when talking to other people of Pakistani origin who have this thinking.

There...I’ve said it!

Top Movies 2010

Well another year has come to an end and as per prior years this year's list of movies is here. This year, I thought of doing this a bit differently and I've put in all the movies I've seen this year that were released in 2010 in star categories. In addition to this, I've selected the movies that make this year's top 5. In my opinion, this has been a good year for movies and some really good movies were released.

Without further ado, following is the top 5 list of movies for 2010.

5. The Town – Ben Affleck impresses once again with co writing the screenplay and also directing this movie. Its fast paced and has good performances from all actors. Although this kind of story has been told many times before, it still is a great movie that does keep one interested till the end.

4. Shutter Island – How can a combination of Martin Scorsese and Leo DiCaprio go wrong? The movie is a great interpretation of the movie and keeps the spooky feeling throughout the movie. I was really looking forward to watching this movie and it didn’t disappoint.

3. Toy Story 3 – How can you use a tried and tested formula and don’t screw it up, make it better. Pixar never ceases to amaze me and have made this great franchise even better. The main difference between their movies and other animations is the storyline and this movie is also a great example of that.

2. The Social Network – Very hard not to make this number 1, but I guess I had to pick one. It’s a great movie with good performances from all the main actors, including Justin Timberlake. The score is fantastic and gives the movie the dark undertone it needs to make it great. This is my pick for the Oscars this year and I think it will do really well overall at the academy awards.

1. Inception – The best movie this year by a whisker. I am a hopeless science fiction fan and couldnt resist putting this on the top of the list. In the years of remakes and sequels/prequels, Chris Nolan has come up with a unique science fiction thriller. Its got a great story and pulls it off really well. One of the best science fiction movie for the ages.

As mentioned above, ratings for all movies this year is below. Enjoy watching!!

5 Stars ★★★★★

Inception

The Social Network

4 Stars ★★★★

Shutter Island

Toy Story 3

The Town

The King’s Speech

3 Stars ★★★

The Ghost Writer

The Book of Eli

The Green Zone

How to Train Your Dragon

Despicable Me

Paranormal Activity 2

Red

Iron Man 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1)

Black Swan

The Fighter

Tron: Legacy

The American

2 Stars ★★

Shrek Forever After

The Karate Kid

3 Idiots

Clash of the Titans

Salt

Grown Ups

The House of the Devil

Twilight – Eclipse

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

1 Star ★

The Backup plan

Sex and the City 2

Valentine’s day

Legion

My Name is Khan