Hollywood's best. Review on Ten Best English Movies

I don't know about you guys, but Hollywood is definitely one of the greatest gifts from the West :). I was never a movie freak, but I do watch them pretty regularly. It gives you a window into the mind of the movie maker - and can often be an interesting view. Heck, what am I doing, better get started with the review. These are my top ten, it wouldn't be fair to rank them at all. That would get me all flustered.Here goes:

1.BIG FISH:Tim Burton brought Daniel Wallace's novel onto the big screen in an Oscar nominated display of great direction and visual beauty. Billy Crudup plays Ed Bloom, who feels alienated from his father's true self (played by Albert Finney), as all he knows about his dad (Will Bloom) are his fairy-tale-like adventures. (The young Albert Finney played by Ewan McGregor). The movie begins with Will Bloom recounting his adventures over and over again to his family and friends - continues upto Ed's wedding day. They have a fight and don't speak to each other for a few years. Then Ed learns that his father is dying of cancer and he flies to meet him. What follows is his attempt to get to know his father's real story - told through a lot of endearing flashbacks with some great acting by McGregor as always. Danny Devito has a guest appearance. The entire movie has a fantasy feel to it, and has one of the best endings I have ever seen. Awesome camera work, a great soundtrack and a great cast!!!It beautifully comes together in the end. A MUST SEE!!!

2.THE MATRIX TRILOGY: Definitely one of the greatest feats of imagination to ever hit the screen. No other movie has ever given me an adrenalin rush as these three movies have and I doubt any ever will. I heard people complaining about the complexity of the movie when the first movie came out and decided to watch it for myself. What followed was a non-stop thrill ride. I can safely say I have understood enough of the whole picture to love it. The first movie starts off with Neo(Keanu Reeves) being jolted into 'true reality' by Morpheus(Lawrence Fishburne) and Trinity(carrie ann moss) - the world we live in is a computer program - and we are nothing but batteries that support a race of superintelligent machines (given birth to by humans of course). Morpheus thinks that Neo is the 'chosen one' who would liberate humanity from the clutches of the machines. The rest of the movies follow their battle to save Zion from the machines (the last true human settlement). The action sequences are the best I have ever seen (especially between Neo and the agents). Hugo Weaving rocks as Neo's prime adversary. The equations are amazingly balanced in the end. WARNING concentration and an open mind necessary

3.THE LOTR TRILOGY: This obviously has to be included in my list. Peter Jackson and Crew have done an amazing job adapting J R R Tolkien's epic masterpiece. Stunning New Zealand locales, well picked characters, and a monstrous but well spent budget make this a must see. To the uninitiated - this is a classic good v/s evil battle - but with Tolkien's leviathan imagination. Read the books before you watch the movies. It will definitely quadruple your fun. And yeah - you're guaranteed to come out a 100% satisfied.

4.FORREST GUMP: One of the few movies that made my eyes misty (:0). Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump - a simple but slightly dumb guy who is unwittingly tossed into a number of life changing events but still sticks by his principles - always does the right thing. Robin Wright Penn plays Jenny, the love of his life who keeps drifting in and out of his er... life. The one thing that usually comes to his rescue is his ability to run really fast. The scene where he breaks out of his leg braces as a kid while trying to evade bullies never fails to give me a rush. Its has the perfect blend of thrills, laughs and romance that will keep you hooked throughout. Well written , well directed, well acted - a movie without any flaws.

5.THE LION KING: I have seen this movie over a hundred times - easy!! There was a time where I could play each and every scene in my head with dialogues. Simba the lion cub is forced to run away from home when his Father Mufasa is cunningly murdered by his uncle Scar (voiced by jeremy irons). He makes friends with a meerkat(timon) and a warthog(Pumba) and grows up following their motto , Hakuna Matata(No worries). A chance encounter with his childhood friend Nala makes him rethink his decision to stay away and he confronts his tyrant uncle for the throne. A hallmark in animation - the emotions of the characters very easily capture the viewer's heart.

6.THE CRYING GAME: Unconventional, shocking and brilliant!!! Jaye Davidson has given one of the best performances I have seen in a very long time. Forest Whitaker is Jody, a British Soldier taken hostage by the IRA - Ireland. Stephen Rea plays Fergus, one of the terrorists who befriends Jody. Their demands not being met leads to Jody being killed. Prior to his death Jody shows Fergus a picture of his girlfriend, Dil. Fergus tracks her down and what follows is some great cinema. I wouldn't want to spoil the movie by revealing anything more.

7.E.T THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL:Spielberg's paints an endearing picture of the friendship between a boy and an alien. One of the best movies with aliens as the subject - mainly for the amount of heart that has gone into its making. The kid - Elliot, tries to unsuccessfully keep E.T a secret from his family and friends. When the secret gets out, the government takes control. Elliot and his friends then try to help E.T escape to his home planet. One of Drew Barrymore's earliest performances - extremely cute, emotionally powerful, again - a must see.

8.TERMINATOR 2:JUDGEMENT DAY:Few movies break the sequel curse. This particular movie shattered it!!! Arnie returns as the Terminator - but this time he's the good guy, assigned to protect John Connor - the future leader of the rebellion, who's now a teenager. Linda Hamilton returns as Sarah Connor - in peak physical condition - very impressive. Together, they battle T-1000 - played by a very sinister looking Robert Patrick. Arnie is an outdated version of the Terminator android- the T1000 can assume the form of the metal surface it touches. Simply amazing!!! Schwarzenegger rules all the way!!! And of course, the greatest movie line of all time :'I'll be back' GO ARNIE!!!

9.THE GRADUATE: Simon and Garfunkel lent their talent to the soundtrack of this movie - unarguably a landmark OST. Dustin Hoffman's dazed expression is a treat to watch. He plays Benjamin Braddock who has just received his undergraduate degree and is pretty confused on what to do with the rest of his life. His parents throw a grand reception on his arrival wherein he is seduced by his father's business partner's wife - Mrs Robinson (Anne Bankroft). He then falls in love with Elaine, her daughter (played by the beautiful Katharine Ross). This should be enough to give you an idea of what a nervous wreck he might be. Excellent!!

10.THE ROCKY SERIES: I see that action movies dominate my list, not that I'm going to change it, hehe. Rocky was Sylvester Stallone's baby, its what launched his career. I do admit that the movies get predictable, but I loved them nonethless - just for the 'hard work does pay off' endings. Stallone wrote all the boxing moves, punch for punch, which is quite an achievement. The first movie starts with Rocky getting a shot at boxing stardom and the rest of the movies follow his struggle to keep his titles, and the effects on his family. These movies have soul, not just blood and sweat. He rarely stays at the top, but keeps fighting to the end.