Best Movies of 2014 (Part 1)

Year 2014 saw few good movies.  Here is the listing of some the best movies I have seen.

Now that the most anticipated film of 2014 has released yesterday and none in pipeline for last few days of this year,  it is a good time to look back and list down the best movies I have seen in 2014.  Kindly note that the listing below is from the movies I have watched during this year.  There might be instances a movie may be very good but I am yet to watch it or movie got released before 2014, but was watched this year.  Further I am not a big fan of Sci-Fi, Lords-of-the-Rings type and Superhero type movies.  The list needs to be viewed from these perspectives.

1. QUEEN

Still of Kangana Ranaut from 'Queen'

Undoubtedly the best movie of 2014, Queen makes you laugh, cry, aspire, dream, achieve and conquer. This is a movie which will pep you up no matter how low you are feeling in your life.  Stunning performances, strong script, excellent production and electrifying soundtrack.  This film is a complete package on how the movie should be made.  There are many memorable scenes / characters in the film -  Lisa Haydon as Vijayalakshmi, Marco Canadea as Marcello, Mish Boyko as Oleksander, Jefferey Chee Eng Ho as Taka.  Even Sabeeka Imam as Rroxette leaves an impression in her short on-screen presence.  Add Kangana Ranaut's best performance till date to this.  Indisputably Queen is the queen (king) of 2014.

2. SNOWPIERCER

A still from Snowpiercer

Film by Korean directory Bong Joon-Ho, you know you are about to experience a gripping, hair-raising experience right from the word go.  Released last year, this film is set in 2031, when the entire world is frozen except for those abroad the Snowpiercer.  The train has its own class systems and economy.  An adaption from a French novel, Le Transperceneige, this film celebrates the cinema.
P.S.:  Not for faint hearted.

3. HER

Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams in 'Her'

Imagine you falling in love with your OS (Operating System)!! By love, I mean real love.  Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix and a man about to get divorce, falls in love with a newly purchased artificially intelligent operating system. OS becomes part and parcel of his daily life and he starts sharing his joys and sorrows with it.  Scarlett Johansson's voice as Samantha is mesmerising.  Though you can't see her throughout the movie, you can feel her emotions and instantly fall in love with her.  It would be unfair to the film if I don't quote few lines from the movie here.

The past is just a story we tell ourselves.

We are only here briefly, and in this moment I want to allow myself joy.

I feel like I can be anything with you.

I'm yours, and I'm not yours.

It's like I'm reading a book... and it's a book I deeply love. But I'm reading it slowly now. So the words are really far apart and the spaces between the words are almost infinite. I can still feel you... and the words of our story... but it's in this endless space between the words that I'm finding myself now. It's a place that's not of the physical world. It's where everything else is that I didn't even know existed. I love you so much. But this is where I am now. And this is who I am now. And I need you to let me go. As much as I want to, I can't live in your book any more. 

4. HIGHWAY

Alia Bhatt as Veera Tripathi in 'Highway'

2014 has seen few of the best movies ever directed in Bollywood.  These films are different, set themselves apart from the mainstream cinema and leaves you pondering at the end.  Highway, directed by Imtiaz Ali, is one such film.  Alia Bhatt (as Veera Tripathi) proves that she can even act in films which are not the usual masala types.  It is a journey of two people, burdened by their past, experiencing life and freedom.  Gorgeous cinematography by Anil Mehta and soulful music by A.R. Rahman makes this movie unforgettable.

5. HASEE TOH PHASEE

Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra in 'Hasee Toh Phasee'

Hasee Toh Phasee is at fifth position on account of strong performance by Parineeti Chopra. Bittersweet romcom triangle makes it an easy watch.  Besides the main lead, the supporting cast also add muscle to movie and makes its entertaining.

(to be continued...)

Check out Part 2 of Best Movies of 2014

Friendship, Trust and Respect

Trust is hallmark of all relations.  One factor which can withstand all other negatives in a relationship is trust.  If this trust is broken,  it has a significant effect on the relationship and can ruin  it.

How does friendship begins?

One can't be friend with all and sundry.  For a friendship,  it is necessary to have same wave length.  It is based on mutual respect.  You admire the person who is your friend,  feel proud of him and envy him for certain qualities which you don't have. And very rarely you find such person.

And what happens if after finding such a wonderful person, you break his trust. You do act which belittles you in front of him.  You lose his respect and friendship. It is nothing but a disaster for you.

Once this happens,  it is very difficult to regain it.  And even if regained, sometimes its never the same.

But if you have made a mistake,  broke a friend's trust,  lost his respect,  you can apologise, honestly and sincerely and hope that he shall return to accept you as your friend.

And if he doesn't, its your loss for the deed you do and only you are responsible for that!!

Suits, Deals, Oxford, et. al.

Have you ever watched Suits - an intriguing, fast paced drama depicting daily life of high profile lawyers in a partnership firm?

Imagine yourself as being one amongst them solving intricate cases and negotiating on behalf of your clients.  Though this is just a television serial and that the real life is very much different from reel life, imagine the job satisfaction after negotiating a key merger deal for your client or finalizing legal structure to enable corporate to minimize its tax pay-outs and maximize its profits.

Does looking at boring and long documents, mulling over interpretations of complex laws and not calling off a day until you have finalize the clauses of the agreement interest you?  For me, it's an adrenaline pumping work and makes me excited.

Law being my first choice of subject, the place which comes to my mind to pursue legal studies is Oxford.  Considered as mecca for law studies, it is a dream for every individual to spend few years of his / her life at Oxford and learn law.  

Oxford is rated as the best place to learn law and offers various courses and alternatives for students inspiring to pursue career in law.  One of the post graduate courses which I found interesting is Masters in Law and Finance (MLF). 

MLF has been recently launched in October 2010 and is jointly taught with the Said Business School.  It offers legal students an opportunity to integrate study of finance with advanced legal study.

Having studied law and finance in India and worked mostly on the related deals, MLF is the obvious choice for me.  It has 45 seats available in each batch and it's a challenge to get in with probability of getting the admission less than 20%.  The batch size of 45, 10 months duration, 29 years average age of its students, optimum background of work and study amongst the student fits well with my criteria.  The course also provides varied electives such as economics, taxation and competition.

MLF is surely my best bet for further studies in legal field in a country which is rich in knowledge, heritage and culture.

Source: 

1. Oxford: http://www.law.ox.ac.uk/

2. MLF: http://mlf-2.oxford-law.dev3.oneltd.eu/

3. British Council: http://knowledgeisgreat.in/

Disclaimer: This post is part of Indiblogger's Knowledge is Great contest wherein Indibloggers were invited to blog about any subject of their choice which they would like to study in UK.  There are some prizes to be won in this contest based on pre-selected criteria.  To that extent, this post may be considered as a paid post.