It’s the Award season right now. The Golden Globes just concluded and the Oscars draw ever closer. And yet we can always predict the winners nowadays. George Clooney is a sure-fire winner no matter what he makes. Personally, I feel a lot of outstandingly good movies have been given a miss over the last few years. So I set out to shortlist the top 5 movies I think have been overlooked either by the awards jury or the audience or both. You may never see these movies being screened at 9 pm on Star Movies, HBO etc. for whatever reason but you have to watch them at least once. Unless of course you for some reason fanatically enjoy movies like ‘Transformers’ and ‘Sex and the City’ in which case I pity you. Here’s the top 5 movies (in no particular order) that I think are the most under-rated of this past decade:

1. Charlie Bartlett

Instead of the usual teen-angst drama, this turned out to be one heck of a movie unexpectedly. Boasting a decently strong cast and some witty dialogue, it was a movie that lingered on in my head for days, so much so that I even downloaded the soundtrack for it. It’s a fun, chilled out movie but also explores some deep, dark issues and connects with everyone at some level or the other.

2. Into the Wild

Where do I even begin with this one? Everything about this movie is just ethereal, just absolutely beautiful. If you were ever feeling alone and insecure, give this one a watch. Every single person who I have recommended this movie to comes back the next day with the same dreamy look of awe and wonder on their faces. The story of a young bloke out to seize control back from the ‘System’ as it were, just makes you want to pack up and leave for the outdoors as well. One things for sure, this movie will make you restless and for the rest of your existence make you ponder “What if…?”. And the music by Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder is ideally suited to the movie, it’ll haunt you for days.

3. Green Street Hooligans

If you call yourself a man and still haven’t seen this one, then you don’t deserve that title any more. It revolves around football and hooliganism in England but it also revolves around men and their bonds of friendship. With the local Cockney slang thrown in, some amazing one-liners and unforgettable scenes this movie faded into obscurity for some reason. Do give it a try, watch it with your buddies and prepare for some awkward silences at the end.

4. Happythankyoumoreplease

The archetypical indie movie, it has three stories woven together, all sharing the same positive message, but there’s something about it that makes it click and immensely watchable. It can be classified as a chic-flick but it has that Men vs Women saga at its heart which means both genders can relate to it. It has Josh Radnor, the guy who plays Ted Mosby in How I Met Your Mother as the script writer, director and lead actor.

5. (500) Days of Summer

Barely 20 minutes into this movie I knew it was one I was going to remember for ages. It’s not your typical rom-com and has insanely witty dialogue, excellent performances by all the actors and a damn catchy soundtrack. Besides all that, Zooey Deschanel is indeed very easy on the eyes. The script itself is played out with a very intriguing narrative and a non-linear sequence, plus the story itself is quite funny and something most guys will relate to. It’s the gentle comedy, the unexplainable aura and ambience of every scene in this film that harkens back to those 1950-60 Audrey Hepburn movies that makes it all the more lovable.

This is just my opinion, there maybe several ones I may have overlooked and my due apologies for that. I have to emphasize the fact that I was very keen on extending this list. So just in case, the honourable mentions are :
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Thank you for Smoking, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, The United States of Leland, Rango, Harsh Times, Funny People, Adventureland, 3:10 to Yuma, A Good Year, Pan’s Labyrinth and so on...