Lost and Found

Denis Villeneuve has firmly established himself as one of the best filmmakers of this era. His artistry in editing and framing shots and reliance on stellar sound design to enhance storytelling place him on a pedestal reserved for the best auteurs in cinema history. While his recent films have been big-budget productions such as Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and Dune, Villeneuve has also helmed indie projects that are just as compelling as those that garnered him mainstream recognition. One such indie film is the critically-acclaimed psychological thriller Prisoners.

Serial killer movies follow a typical approach. Furnishing gruesome murders executed in cold blood, they try to depict sociopaths as those who just can’t help themselves when presented with an opportunity. To make matters even more horrific, these slayings are often committed without any remorse. Luckily, these crazed killers usually have an eye for a particular kind of victim which eventually helps narrow down their profile. But there are films where these serial killers don’t stick to a definite MO and their victims don’t share a common profile either. And for fans of such serial killer movies, today’s Lost and Found is dedicated to the 1995 thriller Copycat.

Filmmaker Ridley Scott has produced timeless classics over the years. Films such as Alien, Blade Runner, Kingdom of Heaven, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down remain widely regarded as some of his best films. However, his relatively lesser-known 1991 adventure road dramedy Thelma & Louise, deserves to be placed on the same pedestal as the aforementioned titles. It is therefore our pick for this episode of Lost and Found.

The hype surrounding The Flash leading up to its release was nothing short of monumental. There were even reports of early special screenings drawing significant praise from fans, filmmakers, and critics. However, the film underperformed at the box office, riddled with jarringly poor VFX and a disappointing third act. The film’s production itself was marred by controversies, from writers and directors leaving to lead star Ezra Miller’s altercations with the law on more than a few occasions.

Films that revolve around the lives of movie stars are typical. Giving us a peek into their personal lives, they hope to allow audiences a chance to get to know them beyond the veil of celebrity and through a candid lens. But there are films that also delve into their fragile existence and their inability to accept their forced obscurity when they fade from the limelight following decades of stardom. Aparna Sen’s Iti Mrinalini is one such poignant film and it’s our Lost and Found for today.

The 2000s can be described as the most unremarkable decade in Malayalam cinema. A slew of over-the-top films with problematic themes passed for flag bearers of the industry. But then there were a few films that bucked this trend such as Kazcha, Thanmatra, and the 2003 Sathyan Anthikad film Manassinakkare.

Bhramaram: Even before Drishyam, here’s a Mohanlal mystery about a deceptive man with a shady past

Malayalam cinema’s most prolific actor and undisputed superstar, Mohanlal has featured in a fair share of tragedies over the years. Most notably, in films such as Thalavattam, Ennishtam Ninnishtam, Kireedam, Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam, Moonam Pakkam, and Thanmathra. Filmmaker Blessy’s Thanmathra, which released in 2005, won several awards for the filmmaker and the film’s lead star Mohanlal.

The 2015 Bengali film narrates the fictionalised story of Kadambari Devi, who is better known as Jyotirindranath Tagore’s wife or Rabindranath Tagore’s sister-in-law. The unfortunate tale of her premature demise has been the subject of great intrigue for many years. And people have always been curious about the woman who was the inspiration behind several of Tagore’s works.

Feel-good films can singularly serve as mood-lifters when you’re feeling low. But there are those that can draw you in with a compelling narrative and evoke a range of emotions. Rituparno Ghosh’s National Award-winning Raincoat is one such film and is considered among the late legendary filmmaker’s seminal works. His vision is realised on the screen with much conviction by Ajay Devgn and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who play the central characters of Mannu and Neeru.

Joel Schumacher will, unfortunately, forever be remembered as the man who directed the universally-panned Batman films from the 90s, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Nevertheless, the late filmmaker did helm a few cult classics such as Phone Booth, The Lost Boys, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Client. A Time to Kill, which was released in 1996 and is arguably one of his best films.