Waltz with Bashir (2008)

Genre: Documentary/War/Animation/Action/Historical Event/Biography

Starring (voice): Ari Folman, Yehekzel Lazarov, Ron-Ben Yishai, Ori Sivan

The 1982 Lebanon War saw a ruthless attack of the Israeli forces against Lebanon which eventually led to the Shabra and Shatila massacre where civilian minorities were held in a fortified camp and mercilessly killed. Ari Folman (Folman) is an Israeli film-maker who recounts his experiences of war when he was serving in the Israeli Army during the Lebanon War. In 2006, he witnesses a dream where he is in the war with a friend and realises that the war is a memory that he does not recollect anymore. In a bid to refresh his memory and remember what happened, he meets various sets of people who could potentially help him remember what he went through. From traveling to Netherlands to meet Carmi (Lazarov) and meeting the infamous journalist, Ron-Ben Yishai, Armi slowly starts recollecting his thoughts right up to the massacre. The movie follows a very unique animation style that is a blend of typical comic book illustrations, rigid animations but contemporary  that use solid colours along with special effects that are extremely contemporary and advanced. This unique style is pleasing and lifts the heaviness and bloodshed from the movie but at the same time creates a very big disconnect from the movie. It diverts the movies core idea of war, death and destruction and showcases it in a light and cheerful manner. The movie is a Cannes Palm d'Or nominee along with numerous other global victories.

Thumbs up: Unique animation style

Thumbs down: Animation style tends to shift the core focus of the movie

Rating: 7.7/10

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Rush (2013)

Genre: Biography/Historical Event/Sports/Action/Drama

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Alexandra Maria Lara

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motor sport, it is what almost every racer who controls four wheels aspires to reach and it is also a deathbed for many. Apart from attention, speed and responsiveness, the sport demanded drives to push themselves and their cars to the very edge, almost to the tipping point where there is no coming back once you fall over. Nikki Lauda (Bruhl) and James Hunt (Hemsworth) have gone down in history for being one of the best drivers from the 70's and their constant on-track rivalry was something that fans yearned to look forward to. Where Lauda was the systematic, meticulous and focused driver, Hunt was the one who had a playboy image and lived an extremely public life. As two different personalities, they were bound to have clashes of ego right from their days of Formula 3 till the time they stayed in F1. The movie charts the journey of these two drivers, their ups and downs and their constant love and hate relationship that they shared. They might be on-track rivals but they soon realised that it is this very rivalry that gets them to go the extra mile, push themselves further and constantly sharpen their skills. The movie is packed with action and adrenaline rushing racing that would definitely thrill any F1 or motor sport enthusiast. Although the movie exaggerates the rivalry between Lauda and Hunt and a few more events, it shows a strong friendship along with an equally strong rivalry between the two. The only downfall in the movie is the occasional personal life stories that take the attention away from the track, perhaps some more on-track escapades could have helped the movie, not that there is anything to complain about. A sure-shot must watch for an F1 fan and a great movie to watch even otherwise.

Thumbs up: Adrenaline rushing action

Thumbs down: Maybe a little less of the personal life stories?

Rating: 7.5/10

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Black Hawk Down (2001)

Genre: War/Action/Historical Event

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Sam Shepard, William Fichtner, Ewen Bremner

Somalia, an east African country was locked in a civil war between the Somali government and an uprising with Mohamed Farrah Aidid proclaiming himself as the new ruler of Somalia. The United Nations, with the support of the US Army, entered Somalia to provide relief and bring peace to the nation. In a bid to take down Aidid and bring democracy to Somalia, the US Army fought the First Battle of Mogadishu between against Somali militia. The entire length of the movie recounts every move of the war from start to end and something that should not have lasted for more than one hour, turned out to become an overnight ordeal for the US soldiers. The US Army suffered 18 deaths and 80 wounded, in comparison to more than 1,000 Somali lives lost, both civilian and militia. Usually, recounting the events of a war, makes the movie dragged and slightly boring unless the war itself is eventful. There is a lot of high-drama and action to visually recount every move of the war and give the viewer a first hand re-count of the battlefield. Coming from Ridley Scott, the movie lived to its expectations in every aspect and ensured that it was a treat for its viewers. A large ensemble of star cast that did justice to their roles and represented all the soldiers that fought and lost their lives. A great war and action movie that would never disappoint.

Thumbs up: Brilliant performances

Thumbs down: Perhaps the story could be broader to capture more aspects surrounding the war

Rating: 7.7/10

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