5 Films #8: Matthew McConaughey

For part 8 of 5 Films, I chose Mr. Southern Smiles himself, Matthew McConaughey. His career can be divided into three eras: Promising, Punchline, Powerhouse. In the 90s, he had a bright career with strong supporting roles and big parts in ensemble dramas that seemed to signify he was on the way to Big Things. Then his career took a turn into Rom-Com Junction. While some of his rom-coms are actually good, most of them lacked whatever a movie needs to be memorable and exciting. But then McConaughey reignited the fire of his career in the late 2000s and has been hitting home runs ever since. Now he's on the road to an Oscar nomination with the film Dallas Buyers Club (in theaters now).

1. Dazed and Confused (1993; Richard Linklater)
McConaughey's first movie role was as David Wooderson, the charming rascal who hits on girls several years his junior. "That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age" is the kind of line only someone like McConaughey can pull off. The laidback, carefree Wooderson is what most people think of when they hear the name McConaughey. I'm sure he brought his natural charisma to the role or maybe this role was so iconic it shaped his entire offscreen persona. There are times when Wooderson shows his quiet intensity and the cool guy mask drops off. So even back then, McConaughey was showing traces of the actor he would become 20 years later.

2. A Time to Kill (1996; Joel Schumacher)
Even with a cast that includes a number of Hollywood heavyweights like Sandra Bullock, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Ashley Judd and Donald Sutherland, a young McConaughey manages to stand out in this popular legal drama. And I think that is because he's playing a lawyer, Jake Brigance. There's something about McConaughey's Southern drawl and winking charm which makes him perfect for playing a criminal attorney. He has the ability to stand for justice without sounding preachy. He's charisma and he has the intensity to back it up. This was the movie that brought him to the big leagues, his first adult starring role. And it's not surprising it made him a legit star.

3. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003; Donald Petrie)
The McConaughey rom-com era officially started in 2001 with The Wedding Planner. But the best of the bunch is clearly 10 Days, which pairs McConaughey with a totally game Kate Hudson in a zany battle of the sexes screwball comedy. This is still early enough in McConuaghey's rom-com era so his performance is genuine and spontaneous (unlike in later movies like Ghosts of Girlfriends Past or Fool's Gold where it feels phoned-in). As Benjamin Barry, he uses his charm and good looks in fun ways and is able to keep up with Hudson's full-bodied, over-the-top comic performance. Modern rom-coms don't get a fair shake but this one shows that with the right writers, cast and director, a PG-13 mainstream studio comedy can still be have a few tricks up its sleeve.

4. Killer Joe (2011; William Friedkin)
In 2011, McConaughey bounced out of his rom-com era and into the good graces of filmgoers in the taut legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer. Around the same time, a little trash-noir indie was being shown around festivals only to have a limited release in June 2012. That was Killer Joe, one of McConaughey's most interesting and menacing performances. He completely discards his Southern charmer persona and becomes rather frightening and creepily vulnerable as the titular Killer Joe Cooper. As a cop who moonlights as an assassin-for-hire, he abandoned his normal star charisma and truly inhabits the role of Killer Joe. It's remarkable work, the culmination of almost two decades of perfecting his craft.

5. Dallas Buyers Club (2013; Jean-Marc Vallee)
As Ron Woodroof, a homophobic, skirt-chasing Texas man who tests HIV+ after an unprotected sexual encounter, McConaughey tries to balance his movie star persona with his Killer Joe intensity. And it works. Beautifully, I should add. While most actors who play real people try to disappear into the character, McConaughey brings his whole career with him into the character. For that reason, this very Oscar-y performance feels genuine and heartfelt instead of manipulative and hollow. As much as you want to hate Woodroof for his hateful view of the world, the way he tries to correct his life is admirable as is his desire to help people in his same situation. Woodroof feels like a real person on the screen instead of just your typical soapbox-cipher character. McConaughey could very well win the Oscar for this performance (his main competition is Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 Years a Slave) and that would be all right, all right, all right.

Other remarkable films starring Matthew McConaughey:
1. The Lincoln Lawyer
2. Magic Mike
3. Mud
4. Two for the Money
5. Amistad

Hope you enjoyed part 8 of 5 Films. Stay tuned for Part 9, starring Oscar winner Natalie Portman.

My Top 10 Favorite A.R. Rahman Songs

A.R. Rahman is perhaps one of India's greatest composers, if not the best. His eclectic, experimental style redefined Indian film music in the late 1990s and he has been churning out startling compositions ever since. He is a chameleon-like composer, adapting to the needs of the film. He can do a rock song or a classical mujra and it is evident that is a Rahman song, making him a true musical auteur. So here are my top 10 favorite A.R. Rahman songs.

10. "Rehnuma" from Blue (2009)
Lyrics by Abbas Tyrewala; sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Sonu Nigam
Blue is one of many mediocre, forgettable films for which the producers have inexplicably roped Rahman to provide the soundtrack and score. Blue is a pretty good soundtrack, featuring a number of eclectic songs ("Aaj dil gustakh hai," "Fiqrana," "Yaar mila tha") but the best one is the James Bond-ish "Rehnuma." This song, with strong, twisty vocals from Nigam and Ghoshal, features some slick arrangements. The underwater motif from Blue is most evident in this song as it brings thoughts of marine life to the mind. It's a very cool and addictive track, and the under-the-sea opening credits video matches it quite well.

9. "Banarasiya" from Raanjhanaa (2013)
Lyrics by Irshad Kamil; sung by Shreya Ghoshal, Anwesha Datta Gupta and Meenal Jain
This soundtrack features about 5 really good songs. But "Banarasiya" is the crown jewel of the soundtrack. For this Banaras-set romance, Rahman abandoned his usual electro-Western/Arabic fusion style and adopted a folksy, totally Indian-based style. What is so brilliant about this song is that it is both inventive and experimental but completely accessible. Rahman uses a variety of Indian classical instruments (sitar, bansuri, sarangi, tabla, etc) and creates a nuanced and surprising song. Ghoshal, already an incredibly versatile singer, is at her best with Rahman and the two take what could have been a situational number about Banaras the city and make it a modern classic. The way Rahman's music and Ghoshal's singing interact with each other is just brilliant, creating a playful back-and-forth between composer and singer.

8. "Kaise mujhe tum mil gayi" from Ghajini (2008)
Lyrics by Prasoon Joshi; sung by Benny Dayal and Shreya Ghoshal
Whenever a Hindi movie (or in this case a Tamil movie remade in Hindi) has any sort of connection to a Hollywood movie, comparisons are inevitable. When it comes to the Memento v. Ghajini battle, I prefer the latter. The love story is more fleshed out, giving the film the strong emotional backbone that Memento lacked. The ballad "Kaise mujhe" is emotionally raw and powerful. Rahman ingeniously places the melody of Ghoshal's verse into the musical interludes, hinting at a ghostly presence (much like Asin as a ghostly presence in Aamir Khan's mind). Benny Dayal delivers such a tragic performance and Rahman's music is fittingly sad and haunting. He uses the piano and sitar to great effect, making this romantic song full of longing. Ghajini is but a very violent love story and "Kaise mujhe" highlights the romance and heartbreak at the center of the film.

7. "Na shiqwa hota" from Tehzeeb (2003)
Lyrics by Javed Akhtar; sung by Madhushree
Tehzeeb was a little-seen comic-melodrama directed by screenwriter/journalist Khalid Mohammed based on Ingmar Bergman's 70s classic Autumn Sonata. With music playing a big role in the film, Rahman created a wholly unusual soundtrack blending together techno, Arabic music, and traditional ghazals. This resulted in an interesting but uneven soundtrack with two truly great songs "Meherbaan meherbaan" and "Na shiqwa hota." The latter is notable for Akhtar's poignant, forgiveness-themed lyrics and the powerful vocals from Madhushree (credited with her birth name Sujata Bhattacharya). The song is a piano ballad that is backed with a drumbeat that gives it a sense of urgency. Merging those two together makes the song feel timeless, both modern and traditional.

6. "Taal se taal mila" from Taal (1999)
Lyrics by Anand Bakshi; sung by Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan and Sukhwinder Singh
Taal is arguably one of Rahman's most acclaimed soundtracks and for good reason. The album spawned a large number of famous, if not iconic, songs like the twin versions of "Ishq bina," "Ramta jogi," "Kahin aag lage" and "Nahin saamne." I highlighted "Taal se taal mila" because it introduced Alka Yagnik into the Rahman troupe of singers. The Yagnik-Rahman pairing has been very successful and this debut song feels like two old friends collaborating on something magical. When Udit Narayan comes in, the song does dip in quality but that's because the lyrics of his verse are too situational. But the song isn't ruined at all. I like the rustic and rainy feel of the song, with the musical interludes evoking a heart-of-India feeling. And I especially like Sukhwinder Singh background vocals, possibly foreshadowing the "western remix" version of the song.

5. "Ranjha ranjha" from Raavan (2010)
Lyrics by Gulzar; sung by Rekha Bhardwaj, Javed Ali and Anuradha Sriram
There's an unfortunate trend when it comes to Rahman's songs. The films' directors trim the songs to shreds or place them in unfitting situations. No director is as guilty of this as Mani Ratnam, who often takes Rahman's nuanced music and butchers them or keeps them in the background. "Ranjha ranjha" is one of Rahman's most inventive songs. It's a Sufi number about forbidden love and erotic intrigue that features some electronic modern flashes. Rahman so effectively conveys a mood of danger and intense emotion that is really addictive. The singing by Bhardwaj and Ali is fantastic, and their chemistry together is electric. Sriram's vocalizing in the background and the Sufi chorus add some mystery to the song. In the movie? This song is played in the background during a flashback and then is heard in a weird stripped-down version that bares no resemblance to the original. Thanks, Mani Ratnam, for taking this wild song and taming it down to the point of uselessness.

4. "Azeem o shah shahenshah" from Jodhaa Akbar (2008)

Lyrics by Javed Akhtar; sung by Mohd. Aslam, Bonnie Chakravorty and Chorus
There is but one word fitting to describe this album-opener from Ashutosh Gowariker's romantic epid: MAJESTIC. With thunderous percussion instruments, blaring horns and trumpets and rhythmic clanging of swords and shields, "Azeem o shah shahenshah" is a serious achievement for Rahman. It's a pumping number, pulsating with energy and excitement. This is a long song but Rahman keeps it fresh by introducing a variety of eclectic arrangements that are different but blend together quite seamlessly. While the rest of the album is very good, the other songs struggle to keep up with the breathless originality of this song.

3. "Rang hai" from Meenaxi: A Tale of 3 Cities (2004)
Lyrics by Rahat Indori; Sung by Alka Yagnik and Dallinda
A.R. Rahman takes a trip to Jaisalmir, Rajasthan (one of the three eponymous cities) and crafts a number that takes the traditional ghoomar song and infuses with Arabic flavor. Rahman manifests the playful, girlish lyrics into a very exciting musical piece. He uses percussion instruments to keep the song's pulsating beat but adds in clapping and bangles to make the song sweeter. Also, the song changes pace every so often--the interlude before the second verse is absolutely stunning music. Of course, the real star of the show is Alka Yagnik, backed by Lebanese vocalist Dallinda. Yagnik takes these admittedly conventional lyrics and delivers an expressive and somewhat surprising vocal performance. She takes Rahman's playful melody and subverts her normal style quite subtly. Despite being from an odd and forgotten movie, "Rang hai" has emerged as one of Rahman's coolest numbers.

2. "Satrangi re" from Dil Se (1998)
Lyrics by Gulzar; Sung by Sonu Nigam and Kavita Krishnamurthy
Dil Se is perhaps Rahman's most well-known album with the colossal hit "Chaiyya chaiyya." But I think the real achievement from the album is "Satrangi re." This song is deceptively simple. It keeps a steady beat throughout but adds in really cool touches. I mean, these are recognizable instruments distorted to delicious effect. The whole thing combined is one number full of sexual madness and danger (like a precursor to "Ranjha ranjha"). And of course this is really Sonu Nigam's best vocal performance. He and Rahman have crafted some great songs together but their work here is spellbinding. I realized that this is the only Kavita Krishnamurthy song on this list but her work here should not be underestimated. Without her operatic vocalizing and poetic whispering, the song would not be as effective as it is.

1. "Tu muskura" from Yuvvraaj (2008)
Lyrics by Gulzar; Sung by Alka Yagnik and Javed Ali
Not only is "Tu muskura" my favorite A.R. Rahman song of all time but it is in fact my favorite song of all time. Rahman brings together the serene sound of a cello and Alka Yagnik's beautiful voice to create a sensual, sweeping love song. It's sweet, stirring number that utilizes a steady percussion beat to contrast with the ups and downs of Yagnik's singing and the cello. Javed Ali holds his own against the powerhouse Yagnik and delivers a strong, unique rendition. The end of the song features an amazing jugalbandi jam session between the cello, Yagnik and Ali and it is a really thrilling piece of music. "Tu muskura" is emblematic of the A.R. Rahman discography as a whole. It is a song that evokes a powerful feeling, one that is technically flawless yet warm and inviting.

The Alternate Universe Top 10 aka Songs I Felt Bad About Leaving off the List (in alphabetical order by movie name):
"Kehna hi kya" from Bombay (1995)
"Jiya re" from Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012)
"Tauba tauba" from Jeans (1998)
"Ghanan ghanan" from Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
"Main vari vari" from Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005)
"Achcha lagta hai" from Nayak (2001)
"Khamoshiyaan gungunane lagi" from One Two Ka Four (2001)
"Kay sera sera" from Pukar (2000)
"Dekho na" from Swades (2004)
"Hai khuda hafiz" from Yuva (2004)

Sound off in the comments with your favorite A.R. Rahman songs!