2013 has been another wonderful year for films. Although there has been no film as powerful as Amour or A Separation, but still we had some memorable and path-breaking films this year. Though I am yet to watch quite a few films including the much anticipated Ship Of Theseus and Bakita Byaktigoto and some foreign films like Omar, Bethlehem, A touch of sin etc., among whatever I have seen so far, here are my top 12 non-English language films this year.
The Lunchbox – The Lunchbox is a warm, charming bitter sweet tale about love, life and loneliness. A film that doesn’t have highs-lows or a dramatic climax and yet gives you a heartache, a lingering feeling that stays with you long after it’s over. Beautifully crafted with so many layers, it’s a film that comes once in a while and a rare gem in Indian cinema where every frame is cherish-able. I don’t recall any recent Indian film portraying the pain of loneliness; the ordinariness of routine life with such a magical realism. Lunchbox is the best Indian film in decades and will always hold a special place in my heart.
La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) – The Great Beauty directed by Paolo Sorrentino is about the life of an author/socialite Jep Gambardella (played by Toni Servillo), his realization about life, love and its un-fulfillment on his 65th birthday. The film is visually dazzling, emotionally overwhelming, a cinematic extravaganza and a modern masterpiece. The film is stunningly shot and I don’t have any other film in my recent memory which has portrayed Rome with such elegance. The sheer picturesque beauty of Rome, the terrific background music and the masterful direction made this one a memorable experience for me.
Phoring (Dragon Fly) – Phoring is the best Bengali film I have watched this year so far. It’s a charming story about adolescence, relationships, complexity of adulthood and heartbreak. It’s a brilliant film poured with heartfelt honesty and innocence which touch the right strings of your heart! Phoring brings out the uncomfortable awkwardness of adolescence and the purity of relationships so beautifully that it leaves one teary eyed. It’s really upsetting that the film was forced to be taken out of the theatres since a big budget Hindi film (which was ultimately a trash) was releasing.
(La Vie d’Adèle – Chapitres 1 & 2) Blue is the Warmest Color – The Palme d’Or winner at 2013 Cannes is probably the most controversial film this year due to its graphical sexual content and several other reasons but still it’s definitely one of the year’s best films. Its a heart wrenching emotional drama with impactful insights into homosexual relationships. The film, during its 3 hours running time, depicts the journey of Adele (played brilliantly by Adèle Exarchopoulos) and in its course touches, in an elegant way, different aspects of human relationships: the sexual awakening, the joy of first love, the evolution of a relationship in course of time and finally the heartbreak and how to deal with it. The spell-binding and sensitive performances by the two leading ladies create an exceptional cinematic experience. And Adèle Exarchopoulos’ smile, well that’s the best feeling I had this year while watching a film!!
Lootera – Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera is a masterpiece, a cinematic brilliance and a piece of art. The way Motwane portrays the romance of Varun and Pakhi is strikingly different from mainstream Bollywood films. It’s a rendering of soulful bonding between two people who are betrayed in love and it shakes you up. Motwane never tries to create crowd-pleasing moments by trying to play it to the gallery, he never opts for lines of monologue to express the feeling of their decaying minds, the pain of betrayal for Pakhi, but you can literally feel their pain with a lump in the throat. Lootera is a heartwarming and beautiful love saga that made me realize again – the essence of cinema is not just cheap entertainment. Its magic, a magic that satisfies your soul and stays with you long after the film is over.
The Hunt – The best thing about The Hunt is, it will never allow you to settle and the film will haunt you for quite some time after it’s over. I am an avid fan of Madd Mikkelsen and I am in awe of his performance in this film which also earned him the Best Actor award in last year’s Cannes Film Festival. It’s the story of Lucas – a kindergarten teacher, who is falsely accused of being a paedophile. A young girl, the daughter of Lucas’s best friend, develops a childish crush on him while in his care and when he gently explains the boundaries of their friendship, she begins to pout. The Hunt is a very intense, sensitive, and heart aching film which will shake your soul. It brings out certain uncomfortable truths of our society which we often tend to avoid.
Shahid – If 2012 belonged to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, 2013 is the year where another Indian actor (read actor; not star) is born. Shahid is one of the most powerful films made this year. Rajkumar Yadav carries the film on his able shoulders and delivers a superlative performance displaying wide range of emotions with sheer confidence. The innocence in his eyes and the determination with which he plays the role of a lawyer and human rights activist, shows how brilliant an actor he is. Hansal Mehta’s film is very low on melodrama and realistically portrays the life of Shahid Azmi unlike Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, which, I felt, was more of a crowd-pleaser than a biography.
Le Passe (The Past) – After the stupendous success of Academy Award winning Iranian film ‘A Separation’ , Asghar Farhadi is back this year with his new French film “Le Passe” starring Bérénice Bejo (The Artist Fame) and Ali Mosaffa (the lead of A Separation). Asghar Farhadi is one of my most favorite and undoubtedly one of the best contemporary filmmakers who belong to that section of the filmmakers through whose films cinephiles across the globe educate themselves. In his latest film The Past, which is also based on marriage separation, he captures layered emotions of human relationships. The way he penned down each of his flawed characters and the way he extracted unbelievably realistic performances from all his actors amazed me yet again. The Past is not as powerful as A Separation but still is a very strong and thought provoking film, which following in his signature film-making style, doesn’t spoon feed you with all the answers .
Kai Po Che – Kai Po Che, adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s novel, “Three Mistakes of My Life”, is one of those rare films which turn an ordinary novel into a brilliant film. Abhishek Kapoor’s perfect follow up after the much appreciated Rock On against the backdrop of communal riot and earthquake lays the foundation of another Bollywood star in making – Sushant Singh Rajput. Ably supported by the talented Rajkumar Yadav and Amit Sadh, Kai Po Che is an honest film which has its heart in the right place.
Wadjda – Wadjda is the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first feature film made by a female Saudi filmmaker. In a country where cinemas are banned and women cannot drive or vote, writer- director Haifaa Al Mansour has broken many barriers with her new film. Wadjda is a brilliantly made film about the simple aspirations of a 10 year old girl in a society which is so unfair against women. A charming, spirited and realistic tale of a girl who craves for freedom against all the odds! Wadjda is heart-breaking but strong and emotionally uplifting story about the moments of small triumphs. This is a many layered film and yet the core of the film is simple and beautiful where the sad drama is blended with charming innocence. Wadjda is a rare gem which speaks about humanity, delivers a strong message and yet remains enjoyable and rewarding for everyone.
Shabdo (Sound) – Shabdo by Kausik Ganguly is brilliantly thought but not-so-masterfully executed and yet it’s one of my favorite films of 2013 just for its extremely original and unique concept. Though I have complaints on the performances of some of the actors and the film’s abrupt end, I still was absorbed in the world of Tarak, the Foley artist around whom the story revolves. The ways and means Tarak uses to create sound effects for his films using various objects is fascinating. Among all the unoriginal Indian films around me, this one will definitely stand out.
Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud Capped Star) – Inspired by the life of the pioneer film-maker Ritwik Ghatak, Meghe Dhaka Tara has one of the finest performances from one of the most talented Indian actors of our times, Saswata Chatterjee. Directed by Kamaleswar Mukherjee, the film revolves around the life and works of Ghatak and how the socio-political environment of West Bengal had an impact on him. Saswata plays his part with utmost sincerity and dedication – brilliantly bringing out the madness and Ghatak’s inner struggle with himself on screen. This performance will definitely go down as one of the most remarkable performances in Bengali cinema in recent times.
Cinema Paradiso 