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The Fab Five of 2006

Sudhish Kamath takes a critical look at the top five films of the year in English, Hindi and Tamil

TOPPING THE CHARTS (From left) "Rang De Basanti" and "Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu"

Here are the top five films of the year 2006.

English

5 : Casino Royale: Yes, the film is a little flimsy but Bond is back, as solid as he once used to be. It deserves the slot not because this is a decent film but because Martin Campbell manages a decent film despite a poorly written book full of corn. Thanks to a powerhouse performance by Craig, Bond just about beats Ethan Hunt at the finish line.

4 : Happy Feet: This animation film is near flawless in execution. The hurried ending is a downer but before you reach the climax, you've already made up your mind that this world of penguins had made you feel good, happy and moved you from head to toe, literally. Mambo dances his way to No. 4.

3 : Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: Johnny Depp. Period. Need another reason to put this right on top of the list? But it's number three because the tale is still incomplete and to evaluate it fully we need to see the final instalment. Bonus points for Keira Knightley, some more for director Gore Verbinski and a few more to the visual effects department and you have one of the most entertaining movies of the year.

2 : The Prestige: This Christopher Nolan flick is a super intriguing tale of deception and magic with potentially award-winning performances by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. The movie is all about the final act and there's absolutely no chance that you are going to guess what Nolan has up his sleeve.

1 : The Departed: The much-awaited Martin Scorcese flick has been due for release for a long time now in Chennai. This gripping drama laced with dark humour is full of style and attitude. Di Caprio turns in one of his career best, Matt Damon does the same with a smirk, Jack Nicholson plays a psychotic rock-star gangster with panache, Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin chip in with profanity that's never sounded more cool and Martin Scorcese hits back with a vengeance. The Academy's bound to sit and take note.

Hindi

5 : Don: Though most critics panned the film, Farhan Akhtar's take on the 1978 film, deserves a place in the list purely because it is one of those rare remakes that stays true to spirit of the original instead of blindly rehashing the plot. Not only does Farhan give a new twist to the tale, he also does a commendable job in referencing lines from the original, but in an all-new context, dropping clues all through the film and yet making sure you don't notice them. Farhan and SRK throw political correctness to the winds with a shocker of an end.

4 : Omkara: A close-contender for No.3, Vishal Bharadwaj's desi interpretation of `Othello' only loses out because of its commercial elements and rather slow pace. Excelling in most technical departments, "Omkara" is also exciting because of Vishal's ability to transplant a Shakespearean setting into the heartland of India with convincing credibility. Besides, Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi was simply mind-blowing.

3 : Dor: Name the best film on women's empowerment ever made by a man. In a society where melodrama is the staple of cinema, Nagesh Kukunoor makes a statement without sounding preachy. Who would've thought that the plot of "Perumazhakaalam," a tearjerker, could actually be presented in the feel-good genre. Kukunoor springs a surprise extracting superlative performances from glam girls Gul Panag and Ayesha Takia and pepping up the narrative with his brand of humour.

2 : Lage Raho Munnabhai: In a country of one billion people, over a thousand languages and differing cultures, rarely do we find one movie that almost everybody likes. If this was a list about the most likeable films of the year, Rajkumar Hirani's sequel to the super successful "Munnabhai MBBS", would have topped the chart. The biggest triumph for "Lage Raho Munnabhai" is how successfully it has enabled willing suspension of disbelief even in the most contrived of situations. We know there is no way that the whole city is going to tune into the life of one helpless caller calling Agony Tapori Uncle, let alone weep buckets as he reels out advice and enthusiastically celebrate the success of the prescription.

1 :Rang De Basanti: This is one film to have evoked extreme reactions. Yet, it is also the official Indian entry to the Oscars. Forget the political correctness for a bit, the reason we put it right up the list is because no Indian film ever has achieved this level of excellence in all departments of filmmaking in perfect synergy as Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's second film has. This film about a generation's awakening could not have had a fairy-tale ending. The nightmarish end serves as the perfect wake-up call. Even those who hated the film couldn't stop discussing what it addressed: Youth and their responsibility.

Tamil

5 : Sillunnu Oru Kaadhal: Director Krishna's debut reminds you of the rawness Mani Ratnam showed in the early phase of his career. The film is exceptionally good in parts and terrible when the director tries to sneak in Vadivelu and his brand of humour. But for such unwarranted speed-breakers, this leisurely paced film is an interesting watch, just about beating newcomer Vasantha Balan's "Veyil" for the slot. "Veyil" has an infinitely superior first half, but the second half ridden with nearly four songs in less than 30 minutes completely ruins the flow of the narrative.

4 : Pudupettai: Like "Veyil," this one too has an absolutely riveting first half. But the gangster saga loses steam and focus halfway through with its soap-operatic sub-plots before it redeems itself with a half-decent end. Though "Pattiyal" had a more cohesive narrative, Vishnuvardhan's gangster film did not have the rawness and realism that Selvaraghavan brought to the table. Had Selvaraghavan ended "Pudhupettai" at the interval point with the stage set for a sequel, it might have been the film of the year.

3 : Imsai Arasan 23 Pulikesi: The period setting in the time of rowdy films came as a whiff of fresh air. Hats off to Simbudevan and director Shankar to actually go ahead and make a film out of a script that many would've dismissed as a spoofy stage play. Vadivelu rises to the occasion, sparkling with comic timing and absolutely revelling in a role no one else could've played.

2 : E: If not for the cheesy visual effects in the end (the same used to publicise the movie), Jhananathan's take on biological warfare and its relevance in the Third World actually makes for serious cinema. With brilliant performances from Jeeva and Pasupathy, "E" has an engaging, fast-paced narrative and the raw energy of the streets.

1 :Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu: Yes, this is not half as good as "Kaakha Kaakha," especially with its weak villains. Yet, Gautham's cop-versus-killer thriller has to be the pick of the lot with a rather tight narrative but for the romantic deviation, a super-refined Kamal Hassan underplaying a super-cop role, energetic cinematography and creative editing. A worthy sequel but for the unevenly poised rivals: Experienced super-cop takes on two medical schoolboys? However, in the context of other films made this year, Gautham can walk away with his head held high. "Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu"' is the movie of the year.

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