-By Vedatrayee Chakraborty

Here is a list of some heart–wrenching films and shows to watch this winter :

The Age of Innocence

 This film is undoubtedly THE MOST underrated Martin Scorsese film. Based on Edith Wharton‘s classic tale of doomed love, it is a magnificently faithful adaptation showing the life and personal hardships of upper-class New York folks. And what a film, what finery, what a feast for the eyes! The costume designers need a standing ovation for whatever they did to bring out the characters, their traits and a newly emancipated and developing America. But nothing looks better in The Age of Innocence than Michelle Pfeiffer, extraordinarily vivacious and unconventional and is the heart of the film. Also starring the auteur Daniel Day-Lewis and a charming Winona Ryder, watch the film because, believe me, nothing was more beautiful than this in the 90s.

Love Actually

A bunch of quirky British dudes and dames, Christmas time in London and a cameo by Donald Trump. What else do you need for Christmas! Love Actually is a very well known Christmas film and has decked up our childhood Christmas days like nothing. But hey! How do you resist THAT scene of love confession and how can you not break down when Emma Thompson breaks down ?! But my favourite in this film was the charming Hugh Grant who played the joyous and funny Prime Minister who knocks on every door to look for the girl he has fallen for. Imagine Boris Johnson doing that for you, ha !!!

Anna Karenina (2012)

This one is neither the best adaptation of the novel nor the best film of Joe Wright. But there is something about its depiction of the winter season and the cold weather that makes this Anna Karenina a perfect winter watch. The extravagance appears ridiculous sometimes and most of the scenes are so overly dramatic that they plummet the evergreen crisp of the novel. But what stands out is winter itself which appears very similar to Tolstoy's description – horrific and full of hardships. And Keira Knightley, in a period drama, with those costumes and that accent? Yes pleeeeeeaaaasse !!

Through the Olive Trees

One of the front films to represent the Iranian New Wave Cinema, this film reassures the fact that Abbas Kiarostami is more of a poet than a film director. The final installation to Kiarostami's beautiful Koker Trilogy, this film, a class-smashing masterpiece is considered the best film of the director. When Through the Olive Trees was screened in the Cannes Film Festival in 1994, it was clear how deeply Through the Olive Trees was embedded in the past. With beautiful performances by the lead actors and stunning cinematography, Emir Kusturica called this film 'A ray of hope.' The reason why this film is on the list is that this film is a window to a world where we can’t see the shimmering lights that beautify Europe and America during winters. It tells the story of a world,  where people of every age, gender, class and sect try to get into normalcy after the devastating 1990 Iran Earthquakes. This winter, watch this film to understand a world where weary winters succeed sultry summers, where it’s all a bit gloomy and yet, where it’s all real. Through the Olive Trees is the art of life.

The Crown

And finally, presenting to you all, the G.O.A.T of everything, The Crown of Peter Morgan. And winter is the best time to watch this awesome series, not just because of path-breaking performances and heart-touching screenplay, but also because of the gravity that the show holds. Non-British people may not feel the same gravity, especially if your country was a former British colony, but hey! Can we just appreciate how humane the show is! The sets of The Crown are not particularly lavish for its genre. But the way the series is shot will bring most lavish period dramas on their knees. One of the most beautiful scenes is when the former Queen, Mary of Teck, with her old face behind the black mourning veil,  slowly kneel in front of Princess Elizabeth, the new Queen (played magnanimously by Claire Foy), as the floors of Buckingham Palace crack (representing both Mary's and the palace’s age and its urge for a new, young representative), as Elizabeth stands perplexed, as the words of Winston Churchill echo, audiences throughout the world realise that a new epoch has begun,  a new Elizabethan Age. In another scene, as the former king, Edward The Eighth has seen the playing Scottish bagpipes with tears in his eyes in front of the setting sun, we get an indication that this is the age of The Queen. The King is long dead. Watch the series to witness a queen who no more represents an empire that subjugated half of the world. Rather this is the story of a queen who is always in affirmation for a more humane and just society.

As we enter a new year in the hope of a better world, don’t forget what truly binds us and what is worth living for, this winter.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !!