I’ve been watching a few movies over this summer, and have noticed that good movies fall into one of the two categories – the ones which make you think and the ones which entertain you.

There are plenty of great movies which entertain you – ‘The Godfather’ (both I and II) and ‘The Dark Knight’ come to mind. Only few movies, however, set you thinking. Such movies also tend to be more difficult to discover since they generally are not ‘blockbusters’.

Here is a list of movies which set me thinking, in no particular order.

Ladri Di Biciclette – A beautiful Italian movie from the 1940s, straight from the neorealist movement.

Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain – Recent French movie. Won an oscar.

Before Sunset – Two actors. No props. No plot. See ‘Before Sunrise’ first.

Pulp Fiction – Kick-ass non-linear storytelling. Love how the beginning and the ending of the movie really fits-in somewhere in the middle of the normal chronological ordering of the plot.

American Beauty – Little can be said of a movie which has five ‘official’ interpretations. Incredible cinematography.

Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi – Undiscovered masterpiece. Nothing more, nothing less.

Casablanca – Old Black/White movie. Half the hackneyed shit you see in Hollywood / Bollywood these days is lifted off this movie.