Best Child Psychology Films ever made (10+1list)

Best Child Psychology Films ever made

written by Souranath Banerjee

Best Child Psychology Films ever made: From birth to adolescence, the period loosely termed as our ‘childhood’ seems to be the most important chapter of our human life when seen from the point of view of a psychologist. Make no mistake, your nature, personality, Child-Psychology-Filmshabits, characteristics, hobbies, passions and fears all have their seeds deep embedded in your youth!

And thus Child Psychology is not only a significant subject for the scholars but an equally important concern for the parents if they really want to know their children and nurture them, love them and raise them in the best way possible.

There are many movies that have tried to get an insight into a child’s mind, the world from a kid’s perspective, an effective way of portraying their innocence, their emotions and the unconditional love they seek and share. But only a few films have honestly dealt with the various sensitive problems a child faces while growing up!

And so here we are with the Best Child Psychology Films ever made. Watch and if possible learn!

10. Broken (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8AmM54kf1M

Child-Psychology-Films

For children violence in any form (even if they are only the observer) has a huge impact on them. It robs their innocence and makes them feel in a way ‘broken’.

It’s about a young girl, her family and her neighborhood and how her life changes after witnessing certain violent events.

A highly engaging British film directed by Rufus Norris, humorous yet intense; superb acting by Tim Roth, Cillian Murphy and Lily James!

9. Taare Zameen Par (2007)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn_2Ie_jtX8

Child-Psychology-FilmsChildren are so prone to academic pressure from such a small age, strict parents and rigid school regimes doesn’t allow them to discover their passion, face their problems and overcome them.

Directed by Aamir Khan (and Amole Gupte uncredited), the movie brilliantly explores the mind of an imaginative child Darsheel Safary and probably the best teacher-child relationship I have seen on screen!

8. What Maisie Knew (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHHt5eYl95c

Child-Psychology-FilmsDivorces are always a painful affair for the adults but it is the children who really suffer.

Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, an emotional film from the perspective of a young girl who is caught right in the middle of her parent’s bitter custody battle.

Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård, Steve Coogan and Onata Aprile as the tormented girl Maisie who knew … 

7. Mean Creek (2004)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZESQyJX_pis

Child-Psychology-FilmsBulling has always been a serious issue specially among children.

But in this case a bully is being lured to a trip into the woods – a planned revenge from one of his earlier victims. But the problem with young children is that they don’t know where to stop!

Directed by Jacob Estes, this is a highly underrated yet brilliant movie and one of the best insight into teen-psychology!

6. The Hunt (2012)

Jagten (original title)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK9cO7QN8Ak

Child-Psychology-FilmsMinds of children sometimes play cruel tricks and their one innocent playful lie – may be it’s just a game for them but it can certainly ruin the life of an adult forever!

Directed by Thomas Vinterberg, the Danish movie touches a sensitive subject where a young girl’s false account of a molestation story turns a Kindergarten teacher’s life upside down! A superb drama brilliantly performance by Mads Mikkelsen.

5. Ordinary People (1980)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdjlLq1tqmU

Child-Psychology-FilmsChildren react to death of their close ones in most unexpected ways, their pain can often turn into guilt that eventually leads to strain and emotional instability.

Directorial debut of Robert Redford, a film that dares to explore the complexity of relations within a family after the death of their older son. Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton at their very best.

4. Lord of the Flies (1963)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtzU3gfLV3M

Child-Psychology-FilmsIn the complete absence of adults how does the children act, what are their priorities and instincts?

Directed by Peter Brook, this film is a savage case-study of a group of young survivors of a plane crash and what they do to survive and declare their dominance over one another!

Based on the famous book by William Golding, undoubtedly one of the best works on child psychology till date. Though as in most cases, the book is much better than the film!

3. Children of Heaven (1997)

Bacheha-Ye aseman (original title)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqxvZeQsVzY

Child-Psychology-FilmsIranian directors are globally acclaimed for their children oriented dramas, simple stories and absolutely brilliant performances and this film by director Majid Majidi is no exception.

A young boy (Amir Farrokh Hashemian) has lost the shoes of his little sister (Bahare Seddiqi) and he is determined to find them! A film that explores a child’s unconditional love and devotion!

2. The 400 Blows (1959)

Les quatre cents coups (original title)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i89oN8v7RdY

Child-Psychology-FilmsA childhood without the care and affection of the loved ones (specially parents) is the worst suffering for a child.

Directorial debut of François Truffaut, the acclaimed French director tells the story of a neglected mischievous young boy (Jean-Pierre Léaudwho is hungry for love and affection.

This film starts The Adventures of Antoine Doinel, the epic collaboration between the director and actor which includes in total five films – four features and one short.

1. Pather Panchali (1955)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr4yNlLZ-uI

Child-Psychology-FilmsA poor family from a rural Bengal-village struggling for a better life but does kids really get affected by poverty? They seem to find happiness in the midst of the most simple and unexpected surroundings!

Directorial debut of Satyajit Ray, the first part of the acclaimed Apu Trilogy which deals with the innocence of a child’s mind and his attachment to his family!

and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)

+1. The Reflecting Skin (1990)

Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxlnDRqPUXE

Children are often very possessive of people whom they look up to or admire, especially their elder brothers and sisters. And they also have a vivid imagination!

Directorial debut of Philip Ridley, this brilliantly shot movie is about a young boy who is convinced that the woman his brother loves is actually a vampire. It’s a dark thriller that perfectly captures the vulnerability of a young mind.

Poster courtesy: www.impawards.comwww.imdb.com.

Best Comedy Films of recent times (10+1list)

Best Comedy Films of recent times

written by Souranath Banerjee

Best Comedy Films of recent times: Overdose of sex and violence. Overdramatic celebrities and never-ending super-hero battles. Best-Comedy-FilmsExcessive use of computer graphics and 3D glasses. At the end of the day it all feels so artificial and commercial and unreal.

Sometimes all you want is a good sensible film with believable characters and a realistic story line, an easy going comedy that simply makes you laugh – but nowadays such movies are pretty hard to find.

Well, you don’t have to look any further!

Here’s a list of the Best Comedy Films of recent times which will simply make your day a happy one! Enjoy.

10. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6raUs0CiCQ

Best-Comedy-FilmsA cool freshman pitcher who steers his way through various new life experiences, making friends and finding love!

(Film Review)

Directed by Richard Linklater, a classic take on college bonding!

May be considered as a continuation to either Dazed and Confused (1993) or may be even a follow-up of Boyhood (2014).

9. Captain Fantastic (2016)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1kH4OMIOMc

Best-Comedy-FilmsResiding inside a forest, a devoted father has a very different idea of parenting (home schooling his children). But his life philosophies are soon challenged by the regular norms of our modern society!

Directed by Matt Ross, a brilliant comedy with such a powerful embedded meaning to it all.

This movie though pretty differently conceptualized still reminds me of Little Miss Sunshine (2006).

8. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zru-1DbbcsA

Best-Comedy-FilmsThe epic story of a legendary concierge and his lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend!

(Film Review)

Memorable performances by Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray AbrahamAdrien BrodyJude LawBill MurrayEdward NortonHarvey KeitelWillem Dafoe and Tilda Swinton among others.

Directed by Wes Anderson, by far the most stylish comedy I have seen!

7. The Lobster (2015)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU29VfayDMw

Best-Comedy-FilmsAn extremely twisted and dark Greek comedy set in a dystopian near future where being single is forbidden by the laws of The City!

(Film Review)

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, and starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Léa Seydoux, John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw among others; a gem of a comedy, quirky and entertaining in the best way possible!

6. The Nice Guys (2016)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVd-EuoEf3U

Best-Comedy-FilmsA missing girl and a dead porn star kicks off an investigation lead by a mismatched pair of private detectives none other than Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.

Directed by Shane Black, underrated and yet a superbly subtle and dark, often a bit violent but overall a solid comedy that perfectly sets up the mood for some good laughs. Cool performance by Angourie Rice.

5. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAZEWtyhpes

Best-Comedy-FilmsBowled over by this brilliant vampire comedy where a documentary team follows a group of vampires trying to make a sense of their unique lifestyle!

Directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, this film from New Zealand has such a unique concept and some of the most funny characters, dialogues and situations that guarantees a continuous flow of laughter!

4. Deadpool (2016)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xithigfg7dA

Best-Comedy-FilmsPersonally not a fan of superhero flicks but this one is special!

Directed by Tim Miller, Ryan Reynolds comes out as the most witty and raunchy superhero ever and that too with a quest for vengeance.

(Film Review)

Hilarious dialogues with perfect comedy timing, complimented by lot of violence and foul language! Eagerly waiting for the sequel Deadpool 2 (2018).

3. Frances Ha (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBn5dgXFMis

Best-Comedy-Films

The combination of director Noah Baumbach and actress Greta Gerwig presents one of the most endearing film of recent times! 

A brilliant black and white comedy drama that tells the tale of an ordinary yet hilarious New York girl named Frances. She is quirky, childlike but superbly entertaining!

Beautifully shot by Sam Levy, the film is as spontaneous and free-spirited as it’s leading lady.

Don’t miss another cool comedy from the same director-actress combo is Mistress America.

2. The Hangover (2009) 

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcdUhdOlz9M

Best-Comedy-FilmsThe most commercially popular Hollywood comedy of this decade and certainly one of the best laugh riots ever made!

Directed by Todd Phillips, the story of four friends and their memorable bachelor party in Las Vegas of which they don’t seem to remember anything!

Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha – they absolutely rock the show!

Don’t you miss out the two awesome sequels The Hangover Part II (2011) and The Hangover Part III (2013)

  1. The Intouchables (2011) 

Intouchables (original title)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34WIbmXkewU

Best-Comedy-FilmsThis french film is about a young man from a difficult background who takes up a job to look after a rich paralytic aristocrat – and then of course it’s about their eventual bond of friendship.

Directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, and such brilliant performances by François Cluzet and Omar Sy; this film is undoubtedly the best comedy film of this era!

and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)

+1. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014)

En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron (original title) 

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7pna4laaAk

Best-Comedy-FilmsThis Swedish film is an altogether different kind of comedy (don’t expect any periodical gags or laughs), this is humor so dry and often tragic even!

Directed by acclaimed Roy Andersson, a series of absurdist episodes maintaining a thin line between reality and fantasy, apparently nonsense but then again it’s deeply philosophical, in a way questioning the very essence of our human existence!

Similar Interest: Best horror Comedies

Similar Interest: Best Bollywood Comedy Dramas of 2015

Poster courtesy: www.impawards.comwww.imdb.com.

Loving Vincent – Best Of 19th Mumbai Film Festival 2017!

Loving Vincent (2017)

written by Souranath Banerjee

Loving Vincent Review: Only on a few rare occasions when the visuals of a film enthrall you to such an extent that you gaily forgive the banality of the storyline! 

My Ratings: 4/5

Loving Vincent is the world’s first fully painted feature using oils on canvas!

A team of total 125 classically trained professional artists created 65,000 frames that finally resulted into 853 different oil paintings, each of them hand-painted using Van Gogh’s iconic style and technique!

Loving-Vincent-reviewAnd the result is irresistibly disarming; watching your favorite Van Gogh masterpieces coming to life in front of your very eyes is more like a dream (that you didn’t know you always had in your subconscious) coming true!

The plot concerns with an unopened letter from Vincent Van Gogh (the artist’s final letter) for his brother Theo, that needs to be delivered by a not so keen young man named Armand Roulin. Armand finds his traveling to Auvers-sure-Oise for the sake of this one-year-old-letter utterly pointless since he soon comes to know that both Vincent and Theo are dead!

But then once arriving at the village where Van Gogh used to reside till his last day, knowing the place and the people, Armand becomes fascinated by the life and death of the troubled Dutch painter! Did he really shot himself as most of them are convinced or was he murdered?

Overall decent acting performances by Douglas Booth, Eleanor TomlinsonSaoirse RonanJerome FlynnHelen McCroryChris O’Dowd and Robert Gulaczyk (who played Van Gogh) but then honestly neither the actors nor the storyline of Loving Vincent will keep you engrossed till the end. What does is the remarkable dedication of directors Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman and their team who over a period of 10 years have managed to breath life into some of the most popular paintings by the acclaimed impressionist of the 19th century!   

Well complemented by Clint Mansell‘s soulful music, 120 of Vincent Van Gogh’s finest works have been integrated into this amazing film!

Loving-Vincent-reviewFirstly the actors performed the whole movie in-front of the green-screen, their action turned into black outlines which was then projected into the artist’s painting-boards where they painted the full scenes using Van Gogh’s paintings as references. These paintings then photographed and put in-sequence, and then edited to create the final magic!

Probably the slowest form of film-making but I must say it certainly is the most satisfying visual experience ever!

If you are a fan of Cinema, a fan of Art, a fan of Van Gogh, or a combination of any of these three – you better go watch Loving Vincent!

Similar Interest: Mr.Turner (2014) Review

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com