Two Great Hollywood Movies From 2016 That Were Criminally Overlooked by Indian Audience.

We are a country where Liam Neeson is famous for Taken franchise and not for Schindler's List. A country where David Fincher is relatively unknown compared to Michael Bay. A country which sees Hollywood only for a grand screen of destruction and not at the art and depth of films it can offer. On an average, two out of five movies that get nominated for Academy Awards do not get released in India with 2016's Best Picture Academy Award Winner not seeing light in India until after it's win. Yet, not a single feature from Fast & Furious or Transformers will be overlooked by Indian audience. 2016, was no different. Three critically acclaimed, Oscar buzzed movies, Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea and Hacksaw Ridge didn't get a release in India. There were other great movies that got their release but were not paid enough attention by the audience. Out of them, I pick two, which for all their brilliance, deserved a great deal of attention we were unable to offer.

1. Kubo and the Two Strings (RT- 97%, IMDb- 7.9/10, Metacritic- 84/100)

Kubo and the Two Strings is an emotional roller-coaster with stellar visuals, extraordinary performances and one damn good soundtrack. The story of a family, of the love of a kid for his parents and his parent's for him, with a mystical touch and magical moments. Laika has been in animation entertainment for quite some time now and after gaining a great trust and fame in the entertainment industry, they put together star power such as Ralph Fiennes, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey and Rooney Mara to create a classic animated movie. The music is the perfect mix of tension, emotion and downright creepy as per the frames demand. 
Image result for kubo and the two strings
Though it was praised by critics allover with an astounding 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.9/10 on IMDb, it failed to get such an attention in India. It had a limited screen release in India and didn't see first weekend in many of them. It's no surprise if this movie gets a Best Animated Feature Film Nomination for Oscars 2017 and gets a second release in India after that!

2. Hell or Highwater (RT- 98%, IMDb- 7.7, Metacritic- 88/100)

Hell or Highwater had it's primary release in August 2016. After postponing the release in India for four times, the Indian audience never got to experience it in theaters. A story of two brothers who turn into bank robbers to save their family ranch from being seized by the bank and of two rangers who want to bring the robbers down before they rob their last bank. The plot might seem ordinary but the movie is nowhere close to that. With Ben foster (one of the most underrated actors of all time), Chris Pine, Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham, the movie explores both the concepts of brotherhood and partnership. All four power-packed performances and the gritty western style settings makes this movie one of the best drama films of this decade. Jeff Bridges steals the show with what is arguably his best performance (after True Grit, of course). It is witty, crazy and perfectly crafted to keep you glued to the screen.
Image result for hell or high water
The movie didn't get a release in India, not even for limited screens. It unanimously boosted David Mackenzie into Big League Directors. It's no surprise if this movie gets Oscar nominations in two categories, Best Feature Film and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (for Jeff Bridges) and bags one of those. May be then, it might also get it's theatrical release in India, a much deserved feat.


There are a lot of gems from Hollywood and English films from various other countries that gets ignored in India for various reasons. The 2016 Best Picture Academy Award Winner didn't get a theatrical release in India for crying out loud! Here's to hoping for this year to be different!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Movie Review: An Improvement from "The Beginning", Yet Far from Greatness.- Baahubali 2- The Conclusion

Image
***Spoiler Alert!*** You'd be very well aware that I was quite disappointed with Baahubali- The Beginning if you've been following me. Though the movie had reached heights in case of VFX, the only department to credit is that of Cinematography and nothing else. Good Visuals doesn't necessarily make a good movie . As The Beginning ended on a note of ambiguity, audience of the movie craved for closure. This meant that the sequel already bagged all of it's audience from the first movie. With enough hype surrounding the movie, the producers didn't compromise on the quality of making it as it seemed as a safe bet. The first look and trailer, even with it's weird soundtrack, added to the hype. The movie is out and is making tons of money. However, a movie that makes a lot of money in India doesn't necessarily be a great movie. The movie starts off with a visual recap of important sequences from the first part, during the titles. The visuals are impressive d
Read more

Appreciation Post- Why Arjun Reddy is a Modern Classic!

Image
In the wake of Kabir Singh (Hindi) and Adithya Varma (Tamil), the most controversial of it's time, the original, Arjun Reddy (Telugu) is once again in the news. It's been over two years since Arjun Reddy hit the theatres and is still one of the most talked about in the film fraternity. While some are of the opinion that it's just another movie with glorification of drugs and alcohol and mistaking obsession with love, others are of the opinion that Arjun Reddy is one of those rare movies that reinvent filmmaking. Kabir Singh and Adithya Varma may or may not meet the expectations but Arjun Reddy will be remembered for generations to come. Before we dig deep, one important thing to be remembered is that Arjun Reddy is not a story of a perfect protagonist. It's the story of a person who is transforming. The essence of the movie lies in the raw feel it carries. Arjun Reddy is as close to reality so far from it. He has the same issues as every other college going kid an
Read more

Movie Review: Better Stay at Home and Stare into Nothingness!- Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Image
***Spoiler Alert!*** Thanks to my sisters, I had to watch this movie which I wouldn't have otherwise! The best thing about this movie? The whole controversy stirred couple of weeks before it's release. Yup, that was much more entertaining! Though I didn't have much hopes from Karan Johar, I've always been an admirer of Ranbir Kapoor's acting, especially when he cries and looking at sensible subjects he usually chooses  (barring a few like Besharam, Roy e.t.c.) , I was tricked into believing there'll be something new in the movie. Oh boy, was I wrong! The movie starts off with Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) being interviewed after he has become a successful singer. One of the questions from the interviewer makes him start his life story with Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) and Saba (Aishwarya Rai). Ayan has these obsessive feelings (ooh! creepy!!) towards Alizeh, a weak character who is obsessed (creepy part 2!!) with Ali (Fawad Khan). As Alizeh carries off to marry Ali af
Read more