My five…

Munich Steven Spielberg A gem of a political thriller from the master of genres, Steven Spielberg, this movie deals with the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian gunmen in the middle of the Munich summer Olympics in 1972 and the retaliatory covert action taken by the Israeli intelligence on the persons believed to be the mastermind behind the heinous crime. Spielberg's narrative doesn't take sides in this politically explosive movie. The mindset of both sides is superbly encapsulated in a conversation which takes place in a Greek safe house between the Israeli undercover agent Avner and the Palestinian group leader Ali, which brings out the underlying tension between them. Saving Private Ryan Steven Spielberg This war drama explores the journey of Capt. Miller and his band of men (brilliantly portrayed by Tom Hanks and an ensemble cast) from the time of their landing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day till their success in their mission to find Private Ryan (Matt Damon). Entrusted with the mission of finding Private Ryan whose unit is fighting behind enemy lines the journey undertaken by Capt. Miller and his men is brilliantly captured. The opening 20 minutes of the film transports you right into the scene of action with the horrors of war and gradually leads to the climatic confrontation between the Germans and the Americans as they hold a supply line bridge. This film is a salute to the human spirit. Apocalypto Mel Gibson Apocalypto follows the journey of Jaguar Paw who along with his tribe is captured and taken prisoner by the Mayans. His eventual escape and his dangerous journey back to his forest to save his family in a race against time and Nature, with his captors constantly at his heels makes for a breathtaking adventure. The visual rawness and the background score of the film elevate it to a different plane altogether. Mel Gibson has used the Yucatec Maya language for the dialogues in the film underlining his penchant for telling stories in the dialect which was prevalent at the place and time in which the story unfolds. Inglourious Basterds Quentin Tarantino This film is directed by cult filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and pits Nazi hunter Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) against SS Colonel Hans Landa played to perfection by Austrian actor Christoph Waltz. Waltz won the best supporting actor for his cool headed and ruthless portrayal in a game of one- upmanship. The film narrated in Tarantino's chapter-by-chapter style with its rock music background score is a delightful watch for Tarantino's imaginative screenplay. Maachis Gulzar Maachis looks at the years of insurgency in the Punjab through the eyes of Chandrachur Singh who takes up arms after seeing his friend unlawfully detained and tortured by the police. His chance encounter with Om Puri strengthens his belief to fight against the State. Directed by Gulzar this film is a sensitive portrayal of those dark years in Punjab. Maachis had excellent music by then first-time music director Vishal Bhardwaj. Those that almost made it: The Pianist: Roman Polanski Life is Beautiful: Roberto Benigni. Hey Ram: Kamal Hassan The Lives of Others: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck The Manchurian Candidate: John Frankenheimer Missing: Costa-Gavras H. Narayanan is a student of Chartered Accountancy and works for an MNC in Chennai. He is an avid movie buff with a fondness for war and political dramas.