What makes for cinematic brilliance, in your opinion?

Give some examples of movies which are cinematically brilliant, and what, in your opinion, makes for cinematic brilliance? Is it the story, the plot, the characterization, the editing -- or a combination of all? Also, which is the last movie you watched which was brilliant?

For me, I loved Sir: Is Love Enough, and that's the last movie I watched which I feel was brilliant in its execution. As someone said, I shudder what would have happened with a less careful and measured writer or director. It was sensitive, poignant, and heart-warming too, and dealt with a very delicate topic in an intelligent manner, and best of all, went straight to the heart.

Apart from that, I consider movies like Andadhun, Kahaani, Ludo, October, Dangal, English Vinglish and Thappad as cinematic gold.

1. The movie should have repeat value

2. Should be entertaining and yet meaningful

3. Not necessary to have a message, but even if it has one, message should not be dealt with in a didactic or heavy-handed tone

4. Challenges your worldview (not a pre-requisite but nice like a cherry on the cake if it has)

5. Acting should be up-to-the-mark

Would love to hear your opinions.

Comedy - Jaane Bhi do yaaro, Andaz apna apna

Horror - Bhoot

Romance Drama - Lamhe, Sadma

Fantasy - Mr. India / Makkhi (bahubali director's previous telugu movie dubbed in Hindi, where hero dies and reincarnates as a fly to save the heroine from the villain and take his revenge)

Thriller / Action - Kahaani / Border / Commando 1 (Vidyut Jamwal)

Musical - Taal / KhamoshI / Hum dil de chuke Sanam

Stuff like this I can watch time and again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTDUGxB4UwA

The aim of cinema is to tell a story..

Films, like any other medium of storytelling, need plot, character, setup (which includes camera work, editing, acting, etc.)

BW unfortunately doesn't focus on plots and employs tropes instead of developing characters.

Imtiaz Ali being one of the prime examples. Every one of his movies is the same trope in diff setups. SLB has the same setup, characters in diff plots😆. So on and so forth.

I saw your poll re: acting. This above problem is why Rajkumar Rao is a much better than either RK or RS. He seems to understand each character is diff at his or her core, not just externals like setup and plot though those also impact how a character reacts. The other 2 don't, no matter however soulful they might make you feel. It's the same character over and over for them in same settings (RS) or same plot (RK).

Originally posted by: HearMeRoar

The aim of cinema is to tell a story..

Films, like any other medium of storytelling, need plot, character, setup (which includes camera work, editing, acting, etc.)

BW unfortunately doesn't focus on plots and employs tropes instead of developing characters.

Imtiaz Ali being one of the prime examples. Every one of his movies is the same trope in diff setups. SLB has the same setup, characters in diff plots😆. So on and so forth.

I saw your poll re: acting. This above problem is why Rajkumar Rao is a much better than either RK or RS. He seems to understand each character is diff at his or her core, not just externals like setup and plot though those also impact how a character reacts. The other 2 don't, no matter however soulful they might make you feel. It's the same character over and over for them in same settings (RS) or same plot (RK).

I agree with your points

However I want to know if actors really have a choice in terms of what roles they do.

Ranbir Singh is typecasted as urban manchild

Tigershroff as beefcake stuntman

Varun as remake raja

But so are Ayushman Khurana and Rajkumar rao as small town or middle class struggler.

We have not had Ayushman in an out and out action role or Rajkumar as city yuppie.

The directors are stuck too.

Ashutosh who was highly creative has lost his mojo with mohenjodaro and panipat and trying to copy SLB

SLB though has different set up in each movie is now typecasted for period drama. Cant he try a breezy contemporary college rom com.

KJO is stuck on glam romance.

Anurag Kashyap on gangsters.

And let us just not even bring in music that was essential part of Indian cinema. The movies I mentioned were famous for their music including Kahani and Bhoot and Jaane Bhi do yaro which were songless but famous for their BGM.

Other than Kahaani which was the last decent movie to make my list,

None not a single movie released between 2010 to 2020 have anything worthwhile to classify as cinematic experience.

Other than probably Bahubali but that is not bollywood.

Every movie released this past decade is strictly one time watch or total trash.

I have watched very few films so my opinion is based on those. For me: Combination of Vision, Direction and Screenplay is of utmost priority.

Hindi: Baahubali 2.

Story was basic but the vision which the director had and screenplay was Cinematically Brilliant.

English: Interstellar.

Christopher Nolan made this film with a subject which could be looked as not serious or comical. But his vision and same point the screenplay made it Cinematically Brilliant. The film and its concepts felt real and convincing. Even Gravity is below par than this. Best space movie ever!