winner-98765 Reviews

Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (2020)

It's a glorious spectacle!

[9/10 · 12 January 2020]

I loved this beautifully shot epic which fortunately sidesteps the common place tropes and hackneyed characters that seem to befoul our film industry now a days. The dialogues were on point, and are sure to invoke some awe-inspiring reactions in any viewer. The acting was great, as to be expected from stalwarts like Ajay Devgan, Saif Ali Khan and Kajol, but even the supporting cast did a great job in making the scenes and set-pieces look as authentic as they can for a period movie. The story while simple was deftly executed and directed, and not a dull moment is to be found in its over 2 hour run-time. Even the songs, which while not great, were shot well and didn't seem a slog to go through.

I wasn't planning on watching this movie having experienced huge disappointments such as panipat and kalank, but this one was a breadth of fresh air. And even if all these cinematic feats don't interest you, the 3D, which again was surprisingly good, along with the beautiful shots are enough to engross you and hold your attention. Do yourself and our industry a favor and watch this movie!

Barfi! (2012)

A touch of brilliance

[10/10 · 2 October 2018]

I love love love this movie. This movie was full of sweet, charming and beautiful moments that never allowed my smile to leave my face until the heart warming end. I can't thank the creators of this movie enough for making such a sweet soulful movie.

Sure, a few scenes here and there might be imitated from other classic movies, but there are very few movies out there that will tug at your heartstrings like this movie does. An intricately written plot, with exquisite cinematography, brilliant acting and wonderful direction, has ensured that this movie will go down as one of the best that Bollywood has to offer.

This has to be on every must watch movies lists. This is a gem!!

Seeking True Love (2017)

A sweet and funny movie that bollywood needed

[7/10 · 2 October 2018]

Apart from a weak beginning and a predictable and loose ending, I thoroughly enjoyed Bareilly ki Barfi.

After a lousy start, I was pleasantly surprised by how cohesive and tight it became. Rajkumar Rao's introduction and everything following it was brilliantly written, acted and directed. It would leave you laughing with a smile on the face up until the final act.

Wild (I) (2014)

Like a sparkle in the dark this movie shines brightly

[10/10 · 29 September 2018]

I was making a list of movies that I was going to see this week, and this wasn't on my list, but something made me pick this up at the last moment. I am extremely glad for it. This movie is very inspiring, has a strong message and has a lot of heart in it. Aspire to be your best self no matter what life throws at you. This message will never get old because each of us suffers from a severe case of ADD and suffers from memory loss, forgetting most of the things we decide to do with our lives. Thus, we need to be reminded of it continuously. It is challenging but it is worth it since that is our only goal in our life.

Cheryl is a flawed character, like all of us, lost in the tiny space that was her life. She tried to cope with it by denying it, escaping for it for some long years. But like every action you take she suffered their consequences, and gave up her faulty ways in the end. Now she was empty, filled with guilt for her choices, wanting desperately to feel something different but couldn't. She decided to do something extremely challenging which she had no idea about to discover something different in her life. With hope of a new future, she embarked on the untraveled road leaving behind everything familiar to her. She lost her faith in herself many times along the way but never gave up her decision to see it through the end. She realized that despite all the challenges she faced, she was still here. All the things that happened to her had led her to this place. She had faced her deepest fears and realized that they don't hold her back anymore. Just the decision to face them had set her free as if they were nothing but an illusion in her head preventing her from going ahead. Forgiving herself for everything she had done, she rediscovered herself unbounded, invulnerable and ready to face anything this mysterious life throws on her.

This was beautiful, and the director conveyed this tall task convincingly with the help of stellar performance from all the actors, the cinematographer, and amazing music developers.

Black Mirror: Hated in the Nation (2016) Season 3, Episode 6

A good episode, though I felt like it was made in a hurry

[7/10 · 30 April 2018]

Right from the onset, I knew this would be your typical Black Mirror stuff, in the end leaving me ruminating about this weird reality that we have found ourselves in. I wasn't disappointed by the content, though I did feel that the editing and the dialogues needed some polishing.

Acting in Black Mirror has never disappointed me. It feels like all the characters know what is expected of them and do not want their acting to be the only thing not up to the mark. But this is the first episode where I felt like the writing and the script could have been better. Don't get me wrong, the concept is great. I just felt some finishing touches were missing. I felt like at times the dialogues didn't feel natural, many a times being expositional and only seeming to move the plot forward. Like most of Blue's dialogues, all she did was to explain things like IMEI no. or explaining conspiracy theories about ADIs or mentioning hateful messages on the social media when the murders weren't linked to them or tracking someone based on their feeds or the photos they've clicked or trying to reverse engineer the hacking of ADI infront of the guy who created them. Some of scenes just felt weird and unnatural - like there being only 2 people aiding the police from the massive company who created the millions of ADIs - there was no mention of any other employees even when they had to help trace the bees or even when they lost control of all their hives. Seriously something of that scale should have caused a nation-wide panic, rather this critical information seemed to be restricted to our four key characters. It also felt like each and every happening was being explained verbally to us using these unnatural dialogues. The pacing seemed off due to it and the script felt loose.

Maybe I am being an over-privileged nagger who has access to several mindb-lowing episodes of similar nature to compare with, but this is how I feel. Maybe we could have cut out a good 15 min to bring us our great 1 hour edge of the seat thriller. Contrary to some negative reviews, I rather liked the ending. In this day and age, you can never leave your indentity in the open and hope to be behind the radar, no matter how smart you are. And it wasn't your usual happy ending or karma gets you at the end - half a million people still died, folks. That's terrifying.

Black Mirror: Men Against Fire (2016) Season 3, Episode 5

A brilliant episode shedding light on the possibilities and consequences of mass manipulation, subtle propaganda and systematic control

[9/10 · 29 April 2018]

We all have different expectations of what an episode of Black Mirror should be, but this, for me, is it. The indirect exposure to the social ills that plague us, to the systematic exploitation of our brothers and sisters, to the possible disastrous effects of future technologies, to the brutal efficacy with which we are controlled.

This episode is brilliantly acted, written and directed. It takes you into the character's mind and you see and hear only what they know. We mostly look through the lens of our own beliefs and view points, and reject the others. And you, along with the main character, slowly stumble upon the truth, which can only be established by considering everything. You will slowly begin to realize what is truly happening here, and you couldn't help but praise the ingenuity with which this was done.

We as a species have always been invested in making progress, increasing our knowledge, and making ourselves smart. A soundproof way to doing that is by eliminating genes that inhibit us, and helping the propagation of only those genes which help us. This has been a key propaganda issue in the 20th century and this century and is very likely to be the focus as we make progress in DNA mapping and genetic engineering. Just as we have designed dogs to be cute, playful and loyal by killing those which lack these qualities, we can design our future population too. To do that we need to have control over the populace and have means to control them, you need to have enough power and sway to contain any rebellious elements. The episode conveys this effortlessly, not once appearing to try to hard.

A true Black Mirror episode. I only wish the ending scene with Doug could have been better executed.

Black Mirror: Shut Up and Dance (2016) Season 3, Episode 3

Damned if you don't, and damned if you do

[10/10 · 29 April 2018]

This was a hell of a episode, epitomizing everything you like about Black Mirror. Nothing too fantastical, nothing too out of the ordinary, but so alien to what most of us believe in that we look past it. This is something that's happening in the shadowy alleys of every city around the world. Dancing to the tunes of your secret-keepers.

This episode depicts a dark, grim reality where its characters are struggling for freedom from their past crimes, or indulgences. They are willing to do everything in order to escape their piercing clutches, even going as far as to making things worse if there is a slight chance that they can be free. But all their hopes are illusory as apart from a sense of pity, or justice, or fairness, there is nothing that is holding the invisible foe with the secret back. And we know that all these qualities have been in short supply over the course of human history.

The episode gradually shines light on the fate awaiting these characters as slowly each one of their illusory hopes are crushed. The episode doesn't sit back and triggers the main plot right from the beginning keeping you guessing as to what will happen next. The writing and the acting are great, and keeps you engaged. The pacing is great, the characters involved are brilliant, and the writing is top notch. Your heart will cringe at what happens to the main character over the course of just one day. Kudos at depressing all the watchers but still leaving them impressed with what they just saw and in deep contemplation. I was literally speechless.

Black Mirror: Playtest (2016) Season 3, Episode 2

Blew my mind.

[10/10 · 28 April 2018]

This show is so good... You would be hard pressed to find anything similar in quality, execution, content, acting and production value anywhere else. This episode just soars from starting to finish, always captivating, thrilling and suspenseful. And in the end it is not just some cheap sensational reveal that you'd find in every other show. The climax stays true to the logical and realistic rules that you'd expect such a universe to follow. It's so simple, yet so effective. My mind is blown.

Many people have suffered tremendously at the hands of pharmaceutical companies and their phase tests to map the drug. We should expect something similar with all the other emerging techs whether it be A.I., VR, Genetic Design, Biotechnology or nanotechnology. It's in people's nature to be careless. And the consequences of carelessness with such powerful technologies are going to be tremendous.

This show has chosen to be the voice of reason and caution amidst such exaggerated excitement because it has identified with the lack of such awareness and critical thinking. We'd soon be in dire need of such pragmatism.

Black Mirror: Nosedive (2016) Season 3, Episode 1

A roasting critique of the current state of social media

[10/10 · 28 April 2018]

Once you accept the premise, which I didn't find too difficult, this is a terrific social commentary on the deep psychological effects social media popularity contests have on young adult psyches.

Brilliantly acted and written, this show carries you into the minds of your average people, and accurately portrays the level to which social media can multiply shallow, self-obsessed, selfish, and superficial behavior (beware of the s's). To convey this message, the episode just presents a reality where social status and popularity of a person is given more weight, and the sad thing is that this might just be a possible future for us if we are not careful. You'd just have to replace money, looks and status quo with social popularity, which may just accurately be the sum product of all those things.

The episode also tries to convey the grim reality that you can't just escape its webs so easily because one day your popularity might affect the jobs you can have, the house you can buy, even places where you are allowed to go. I am glad Netflix restarted this series. This is just too important, and everyone should see this and discuss on these topics.

Black Mirror: White Bear (2013) Season 2, Episode 2

Not convincing enough.

[6/10 · 28 April 2018]

We as a modern society sure are cruel and are prone to take pleasure at someone else's suffering. It is so easy for us to dehumanize someone. We look at them selfishly through a veil of a superior made-up altruistic self-image. This is the message that this episode tries to convey. I just feel like it missed the right road.

It is true that, behind closed doors, many people will sadistically indulge in someone else's suffering. What is missing though is that we also want to maintain a positive, kind facade of our self for the world. This show just wouldn't happen in today's hyper-modern, pseudo realistic information age. Several voices (though not as many as there should be) would scream at the brutality portrayed here even if the woman is an evil child torturer.

Maybe I am wrong, but I don't like it when I think the writers and directors play loosely with the rules. They tried to create an episode with a strong message, and they succeed in a way, but they stopped a step short in making the complete picture.

Black Mirror: Be Right Back (2013) Season 2, Episode 1

Diving in deeper to the depths of the terrified human psyche.

[9/10 · 28 April 2018]

Black Mirror touches upon the edges of what is possible and where we are heading. It also raises some warning alarms that might seem esoteric and far fetched at first but they ring so true if we just consider the already psychopathic exchange we have with the available technology. New diseases are now being coined as a result of our obsession with the internet and social media; we do not hesitate at all at denouncing someone at chats and obstinately sticking to our opinion without considering every angle; we are slowly but surely moving away from reality to a contrived virtual reality. More powerful technology is certainly going to cause more egregious side-effects.

This episode is so engrossing. The acting and the scenes are convincing enough in relaying the grief and misery Martha is going through. You can relate to her feelings and actions as she takes several steps in the wrong direction. The episode succeeds in conveying the addicting power of such a tech, and how it may adversely affect the terrified human psyche, that with every ounce of its being opposes the idea of death. It wants to cling on to happy memories and is so fearful of moving past.

A few plot instruments might seem inconceivable, but we are not far from the possibility of a virtual avatar with your voice, personality and behavior based on all the digital storage we have of us. But we need to recognize that there is another side to the veil as well.

Black Mirror: Fifteen Million Merits (2011) Season 1, Episode 2

Ask those questions.

[9/10 · 27 April 2018]

Do you ever feel confused, static in a moment, knowing that something is not right? What do you do then? A difficult question, and one which if answered is perhaps a false answer we tell ourselves, and fool ourselves with to escape that deep nagging feeling of emptiness, of something being not quite right. You will get a lot or that watching Black Mirror.

This episode rings true on so many of our deep fears, gut-wrenching suspicions. Is what you feel real? Does the world care about it? How are you part of that world? This episode depicts a reality born and evolved from the consumerist, capitalist and materialistic society we are increasingly moving towards where what sells is important, and those who can sell are important and run the show. All the rest of average people are just meat running the factory to keep this consumerist world going. This is not a fair world. This is not a world where everyone is born equal and has equal opportunity. This is a world running on the principles of demand and supply. If your skill, no matter how beneficial, how valuable, is in less demand by the stupid people that populate the world, you will lag behind chasing tails of others less deserving than you. You would be forced to give up on your dreams and chase the dreams and goals of other people assimilating in the system you hate and becoming part of it.

You will not feel happy after seeing this show, but maybe you will ask yourself some questions which will define the course your life takes, and due to it the world takes.

Pelli Choopulu (2016)

A genre defining movie?

[8/10 · 15 March 2018]

I typically don't like romcoms as I think it is too easy for them to fall under the trap of the omnipresent, banal, and repetitious themes and character personalities that plague 95% of the the romantic movies that exist. But this is a great movie with a lot of heart that escapes most of the aforementioned pitfalls, and provides a fresh story with new ideas and characters. Movies like this are essential to keep the genre alive.

The director worked brilliantly with this script, and has created an entertaining spectacle that has enough substance to easily carry the movie past the predictable themes that it does contain. All the characters here are in some way flawed but also likable, which gives way to some lighthearted moments where you couldn't help but smile. Everyone also always stays in character, which I feel is vital for any film. There are many instances in this movie that will surprise you, and for a comedy all of it surprisingly holds well together. You know a movie is good when some scenes stay with you after it is over. Indeed, some of the scenes here are so clever and funny that you couldn't help but appreciate the ingenuity of it all.

Apart from all this commendation, there is one thing which is tugging at my stomach. On one hand it is the freshest take on a romcom I've seen in recent times, on the other, I kind of hate the apparent acceptance of dowry the movie portrays. There is even a scene in which Prashant, the male lead, says directly to Chitra, the female lead that there is nothing wrong with dowry and she says nothing to counter it. I understand that this indirectly comments on the social acceptance of dowry in our nation and this is how many Indians perceive it, but Prashant does not have to fall under that category. The movie industry has a tremendous influence in shaping our culture along with the mindset of the younger audience, and it's a shame that the director chose not to stand against it. I may be coming along as too harsh, so I am just dropping that awesome 9 to a solid 8.

Arjun Reddy (2017)

This is what cinema should be!

[9/10 · 15 March 2018]

Sitting in my room, my mind is still probing the edges of this one of a kind, beautifully executed, epic journey of a deeply flawed character that the director wanted to take us on. He has one message - love in any form is pure and free from any constraints that our culture might seemingly shackle us in.

In the first act, I hated this character that was supposedly the movie's protagonist. In fact, you will like any other character over him apart from the girl's father, and that sure is a warning sign for any story. I thought I would end up disliking the movie, which almost everyone has praised. But as the film progressed, I found myself getting hooked. This director, almost implausibly, made it work, and I couldn't praise him more for handling such a tricky, controversial plot so seamlessly.

With every scene, the director drags you into the messy life of Arjun Reddy. You will disagree with most of his actions, yet you find yourself relating to him. The director makes it work by focusing on the things which we all share, his emotions, his love for Prithi, and his passion for his field, the sincerity and candor in his dialogues. Every scene was shot beautifully, was interesting, and was important to the film, which is impressive considering the film was 3 hours long. It is also very easy to fall into the trap of using commonplace, hackneyed characters as your supporting cast with such a complex main character. You won't find any of that here. Each character is unique, and feels like a gust of fresh air in today's movie industry. More importantly, they all seem real. Not once, do you find any of the characters acting out of the personality and role the director has fleshed them in.

Kudos to the whole team of Arjun Reddy. You have sculptured a wonderful picture! You are the guys who are keeping cinema alive.