MY TOP 10 HEROES

A couple of days back I went through AFI’s (American Film Institute) list of 100 heroes, villains, films etc. I agreed with many choices, disagreed with a few and missed a few deserving ones though I had no idea about many choices. Either I haven’t watched those movies or never heard of them. A thought came into my mind to prepare my own list of top heroes, heroines and villains. So, in this post, I’m giving the list of my favorite heroes, and also furnishing brief information about the role and the actors who played them. This list consists of Hollywood heroes. Bollywood’s top heroes would soon follow.

P.S. The heroes appear randomly in the list. I haven't ranked them from 1 to 10.

 Marlon Brando as Veto Corleone in THE GODFATHER

This was an Oscar winning performance. I had heard a lot about Brando’s performance in this movie from my father. He hadn’t exaggerated. When I saw the movie, I was in a complete awe. The ease with which he had played this character was unbelievable. The acting is original and dialogue delivery is superb. The Godfather part 2 might have featured greats like Al Pacino & Robert Di Neero and won more statuettes, it surely missed the original ‘Godfather.’

Mel Gibson as Benjamin Martin in THE PATRIOT

The movie has a lot of flaws as per the different reviewers and historians (I don’t care much about it. I love the movie with its flaws too.) But Mel Gibson shone brightly. He played the role of a doting father as well as a ruthless warrior with a lot of energy. It is more of an extension of a role he played in ‘Brave heart’, with a no. of more facets. Worth mentioning is the scene in which his son Heath Ledger dies in his arms. Absolutely riveting.

All the actors who have played James Bond so far

James Bond is going to turn 50 on silver screen in 2012, but the spy isn’t ready to hang his boots yet. In the last 46 years we had seen Bond in different avatars, from a kind gentleman to a ruthless assassin, from a sexy hunk to a flamboyant and flirt person. It is the charisma of this character which has kept it alive and kicking since 1962. Before ‘Casino Royale’ bond’s character had been less human who is almost non-vulnerable and infallible. Post 9/11, Bond too had decided to change, and for the good. Invincible superheroes, Rambo etc. are strict no-no now.

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in THE BOURNE TRILOGY

Robert Ludlum’s creation is in stark contrast with the Ian Fleming’s spy. Here’s a guy who is being chased by his own agency and who has no weapons and gadgets other than his pistol and mobile. Jason is more human than bond and the role has been portrayed superbly by Matt Damon. It is difficult to imagine anyone else in this role. Damon’s guy next door looks has helped a lot and he has essayed this role of a survivor on run with consummate ease.


Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN TRILOGY


I liked this character moment he appeared in the movie. The attire and the looks of Sparrow had been attributed to Keith Richards, but rest of the character has been developed by Depp himself. Jack sparrow is some what complicated creature. He is downright funny most of the times, but is as clever as fox too. At times he’s coward and treacherous, but is a brave fighter too. Johnny depp has played every aspect of sparrow’s persona superbly. His Jack sparrow was the only savior in otherwise chaotic and confusing third part.

Brad Pitt as Achilles and Eric Bana as Hector in TROY

I don’t know why this movie underperformed in the US. It is almost considered as classic in my friend circle and I have found its name in many orkut profiles. Achilles wants his name to go down in the history as one of the greatest fighters while for Hector his country and his family held the highest respect. Both Pitt and Bana had rendered their roles marvelously. By the half time you are in love with both the characters so much that you almost regret when they decide to engage in a combat. The fighting sequence too is an absolute delight and when Achilles strikes Hector with a sword, u can feel a pain inside your heart too.

Tobey Maguire as Spiderman aka Peter Parker in SPIDER-MAN 2

For the first time superheroes didn’t seem coming from another planet. The character of Spiderman is essentially human. He is vulnerable, feels pain of being loser and goes through inner conflicts between love and responsibility everyday. Tobey looks totally convincing in his portrayal of Peter Parker. The troubles that Peter often faces are very general and we can connect with them. This role delivers this message that every human in fact is a super hero who battles out with the problems almost everyday and wins them on sheer strength of his determination


Tim Robbins as Andy Dufrease in THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Andy is a banker who is falsely accused of his wife’s murder and spends almost 2 decades in a prison where warden is corrupt and guards are ruthless with no compassion. It was a difficult role as this character is more of an introvert. It isn’t aggressive, rarely bellows and doesn’t have a screen presence that fills you with awe. Andy is a simple but intelligent man who never let the conditions dampen his spirits and hopes. This simplicity of the role makes it dear to the audience and complicated to play. Tim has played this role with complete control. Andy’s silence, his rare outbursts and other emotions seem so natural. This performance needed an Oscar nod. Unfortunately, it didn’t even get a nomination.


Russell Crowe as James J Braddock in CINDERELLA MAN


The movie is based on the life of a US boxer who was forced to give up boxing after breaking his hand. He had to work as a labor and even beg once to support his family during ‘The Great Depression’. He rose to stardom after re-entering into the ring and winning heavyweight title again. His rags to riches story and dramatic turnarounds in his life made people call him “Cinderella Man’. The movie didn’t do well and even the performances went unnoticed. That was one of the reason I decided to include it in my list. Russell Crowe has put his heart out in this film. The scene showing him begging for money to bring his children back is absolutely moving. The role was at par with that of Maximus. Only this movie wasn’t a special effects and heavy sets laden extravaganza.

Tom Hanks as Andrew Beckett as PHILADELPHIA

This was a difficult role to play. It is about a gay lawyer who is fired by his firm owing to his being diagnosed as HIV positive. The film is based on a true story. For the movie, Tom hanks had gained weight for the first part of the movie and shed a lot for the second part as the character of Andrew weakens due to AIDS in the film. His portrayal of a person suffering from AIDS and the subsequent trauma and pain brings tears to your eyes. I rate Tom hanks’ this performance above that of ‘Forrest Gump’.