SohamChak Reviews

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)

Interesting concept

[8/10 · 9 January 2019]

Well this a very unique experience.

The story and the character development progresses based on the choices that the user makes thus giving a deeply personal experience to every user. Netflix has quite successfully delivered on a very innovative challenge.

In the end, there was just a smile on my face on seeing how far technology has advanced in the last 10 years...This made me nostalgic to the time when I used to go through every option of a Goosebumps book to find all the alternate endings. :)

However, having said that the kind of choices that the movie gave to the user, were not that impactful to the story...For example, how to destroy computer rather than whether to destroy or not and same with the other choices as well...I understand this was done probably to keep the narrative simple, but would love to see more compelling narratives surely in the future.

Tamasha (2015)

A Genius act

[10/10 · 24 April 2016]

Life is an act and you are a character. The character you choose to play in the act is what makes the act good or bad. So its up to you to decide whether you want your life to be a good or a bad act. Don't listen to what people say. A flower always blossoms in the right weather. The right weather for you can be decided only by your HEART. Irrespective of how absurd it may sound to the outside world, always and always follow what your heart says. Choose that race to compete with which you love, you'll always be a winner.

I salute Imtiaz Ali for writing this wonderful movie and for making an admirable attempt to convey the message. Though there were some unconventional moments in the movie, however they can all be neglected. The performances by Ranbir Kapoor(as Ved) and Deepika Padukone(as Tara) were just mind blowing. This may be Ranbir's second best performance after Barfi...and a commendable mention of the pleasing-to-the-eye cinematography.

This movie may not be for everybody due to its non-linear narrative and being divergent from the traditional Bollywood masala, but the message is definitely for everybody!

Mardaani (2014)

A genius attempt!!

[9/10 · 22 August 2014]

The cover page may show how the country is honored and reputed with her inordinately enriched culture, but beneath the radiant covers lie some of the darkest stories listening to which one might flinch with disgust and pain. Pradeep Sarkar and his team made a masterful attempt to narrate one of them, Child trafficking.

After Pradeep Sarkar's dual debacles(Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Lafangey Parindey), with "Mardaani" he manages to strike the bull's-eye this time. With a crisp, fast-paced and to-the-point screenplay, the movie keeps you glued for the entire two hours. Though dramatic and filled with intense emotions, the sequences of the film are quite within the realistic domain(the climax however may seem another typical- Bollywood-hero-villain-clash).

In terms of characterization, Shivani Shivaji Roy (Rani Mukherji) the daring protagonist is an elegant amalgamation of Mother India and Bajirao Singham. She breaks every barrier for the girl(who she thinks of her as her daughter), she fights everyone gallantly(but staying within the realms of human power)...Rani Mukherji totally justified the role. Karan Rastogi alias Walt (Tahir Raj Bhasin) also manages to tingle the nerves with his villainous performance. Pyari(Priyanka Sharma), the abducted street girl, also makes her presence felt with her obtrusive performance.

I salute and applaud the team's effort to raise awareness of such a gruesome issue which preys over 40,000 innocent children of the country every year.

2 States (2014)

An elegant entertainer!!

[7/10 · 24 April 2014]

IMHO...

With a mixture of realism and fantasy, 2 States manages to entertain throughout. Though the film was quite predictable, melodramatic and lengthy, it sure was a great entertainer. I have read the book but I went to watch the movie without any expectation. I suggest the other viewers to do the same or else one might end up being disappointed.

After her phenomenal performance in "Highway",Alia Bhatt managed to deliver another mature performance. But I felt Arjun Kapoor was much more dominant in the movie(probably because of the characterization in the story). He managed to paint an entirely alternate picture of Krish as compared to that of the book. Ronit Roy was brilliant too. However, I felt his characterization was slightly weak and his behaviour was unjustified. But the father-son embrace scene at the end made me forget everything. The mixed feelings of shock,fear and emotion in the father and dad-everything-is-alright-I-forgive-you feeling in the son was portrayed in an epic fashion. Loved it!! Probably the best scene in the movie!! Amrita Singh also made a spectacular comeback.

The background score was average except for 'Mast Magan', which I can't get enough of. Brilliant song!! Overall, it is a movie which will surely make its way to your heart!

The Internship (2013)

Teaching vital lessons of life, it just leaves you smiling!!

[10/10 · 1 January 2014]

I had been wanting to watch this one since I saw its trailer eons ago, but its reviews always held me back. Anyhow, I finally watched it tonight...and what I did not understand is the cause of its underrating despite it being such an amazing movie!!

How many people in today's digital world actually dare to dream big and how many of them actually go chasing them?? Few...very few apparently!! In this movie, the two friends Nick and Billy, two failed salesmen, dream of working for Google and fighting all odds they go down to chase it. Its not important whether they get the job or not, what's important is their belief in themselves and their perseverance to accomplish their goal despite being despised by everyone...what's important is the team spirit which they so beautifully displayed and thus lessened the cynicism amongst the team!!

Many reviews say that the plot line is predictable...well it is meant to be predictable to enhance the beliefs among the viewers!! In the movie there is a dialogue which struck me incredibly, "There are still some dreams floating around out there, you just got to reach out and grab them"...and times will be there when u fall real hard chasing them, but you have to get right up and fight to own them as if it is just meant to be!!

I say this is a very inspirational movie and it deserves much more accolades than what it has received!! I can watch this movie over and over again and still there will be a hearty smile on my face when it gets over!!

Real Steel (2011)

Real Steel - A reel excellence!!

[10/10 · 20 October 2013]

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, while going through my movie collection, I came across this movie and I thought why not give this epic another shot!! I had loved it the first time but had no idea that reliving this scintillating flick will give me goosebumps and fill my eyes with tears...again!!

In this 21st century, there are very few movies made which you can watch more than once and even fewer which you will enjoy...Well Real Steel is a movie which will leave you with emotion and delight every time you see it!! It just never gets old.

With a unique plot and some impeccable performances (especially Dakota Goyo as Max...you have a bright future ahead), this movie will always be one of my favourites. Thanks Shawn Levy!! Your masterpiece will always shine in people's hearts. You are a "people's champion" and "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me!!"

Elementary: Step Nine (2013) Season 2, Episode 1

Nostalgic but lacked element

[7/10 · 2 October 2013]

The plot of this episode was not very "elementary". There were not too many suspects to build much complexity. Moreover the conclusions drawn by Holmes were not very well justified. He built up his improbable hypothesis just on the basis of a "nail with a blackened tip" which was very unlikely of Sherlock Holmes.

What I admired in this episode was the nostalgia of Conan Doyle that was introduced. Agent Lestrade of Scotland Yard...221b Baker Street of London, the "sanctum sanctorum" of Sherlock Holmes...and Mycroft, Sherlock's brother with no ambition and energy. But the nostalgia will not be enough to survive the entire season if the successive episodes continue to be as dull and drab as this one.

Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu were brilliant in their roles as usual, though Watson did not have any significant part to play in this episode.

This series had been as enticing as the BBC one and I earnestly hope that the writers improve their stories and maintain their level of excellence that they had portrayed in the former season.

I would give it a 7/10 just for its nostalgic element.

Breaking Bad: Felina (2013) Season 5, Episode 16

And the bad finally breaks!!

[8/10 · 30 September 2013]

It has been one heck of a journey with a very apt and fitting ending to this terrific series. Though quite predictable, it was an emotional end to a memorable era. Vince Gilligan and crew have very beautifully delivered a story with a very powerful moral. And I can very well say that they have triumphed in their attempt to show what a drug world is like and the consequences one faces if he/she goes down that road.

Now speaking in terms of the story, there were some small yet baffling bloopers in this episode - How did Walt mix ricin in a sealed Stevia sachet and place it on that exact table where Lydia would sit? Walt,being a Chemistry genius, builds a machine gun which would fire across the exact dimensions of a room which he had not even seen earlier...well he was probably a Physics genius and an astrologer too!! And how does he go lurking around his own neighbourhood with the fbi on his trail and not get caught? They are searching for the most wanted criminal around the entire city except for his previous residing place? Well the story wouldn't have been the same if such a thing happened!! The most baffling one was why at the end Walt let Pinkman leave when he was the one who had ordered to kill Pinkman in the first place? Well with the memorable experience that this series has provided, these flaws can be overlooked.

Overall it was a good ending to a perfect series. Breaking Bad will always remain with me as a good memory. Thank you Gilligan!!

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra just awes with his skills

[8/10 · 17 July 2013]

He does it again!! Debuting with a flop(Aks), he amazed his audience with the ingenious Rang de Basanti which went on to bag numerous awards. Though it was followed by a crushing disaster Delhi-6, he made up for his blunder with an awe-inspiring Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. What a movie!!

The movie depicts the life of Milkha Singh - how he became the famous "Flying Sikh". When the movie started, it reminded me of Paan Singh Tomar but with its progress I went on to a completely different world. A slight editing may not have caused any harm, but the 3 hour long movie with an elegantly simultaneous narrative of the present and past life of Milkha Singh was a pleasure to watch.

No doubt about Farhan Akhtar's credibility. His prodigious hard work was booming throughout the film. But the kid who portrayed Milkha Singh (past) was exceptionally brilliant. Divya Dutta too blossomed after a very long time...probably after Veer Zaara.

Though certain flaws existed in the movie - being an Indian guy of 1956, Milkha would not smooch an Australian woman whom he had just known for a couple of hours OR a person who could not even speak in a normal pitch suddenly starts singing.

But considering the movie as whole, it is worth watching. 7/10 and +1 for the kid's acting.

Two and a Half Men (2003–2015)

From hilarious to irritating

[3/10 · 8 July 2013]

The show from being a blockbuster turned into an utter disaster in a span of just one episode. Well, what was missing?? The witty and inevitable Charlie Sheen. With John Cryer trying desperately to keep up the essence of the show, Ashton Kutcher is killing it. To top that, Angus Jones(Jake) is almost removed. And c'mon, he's not "half" any more!!

With excessive effort, I managed to complete the 9th season and the writers are planning on an 11th season now... Have they completely lost it?? Shame on them for completely ruining one of the best TV comedy shows.

I must say, without Charlie's subtle and raunchy jokes the show is a total waste. Either bring back Charlie or please stop this madness.

The Following (2013–2015)

A bullshit plot

[2/10 · 6 July 2013]

I must say that this show probably had the best pilot episode that I ever saw. But with every successive episodes, the plot became more and more irritating and the characters became more and more implausible(except for Claire Matthews) and the worst part - FBI became more and more stupid. FBI or US Marshals was never there to back up Ryan Hardy(the protagonist) at the most critical time. So irritating!!! Never thought it would be so difficult to complete the series.

The show started off showing Joe Carroll as a very strong and promising serial killer. Inspired and maddened by the work of Edgar Allan Poe, how Joe became a serial killer seemed very intriguing at the beginning. But shame on the writer, he horribly screwed it up.

A nonsensical series with a stupid and ludicrous plot. Strongly recommend not to waste your valuable time.

Elementary (2012–2019)

Sherlock Holmes revived

[9/10 · 6 July 2013]

I have been a huge fan of Holmes-Watson since eighth grade. So when I found out this show was about Sherlock Holmes I started watching it right away irrespective of its reviews. At the beginning, I was slightly disappointed with the changes. Sherlock was no where close to Sir Conan Doyle's version. Watson turned into a female. But after a couple of episodes I started watching it as any other TV Show containing characters I was completely unfamiliar with. My perspective changed completely.

Episode 12 blew my mind with the introduction of Moriarty and when the identity of Moriarty was revealed, it left me awed. I must admit...very cleverly and tactically written. Johnny Lee Miller's performance as one of the most shrewd sleuths of the fictional world gave Holmes a new look. Lucy Liu also portrayed "Joan" Watson really well. But kudos to the creator and the rest of the crew for taking up such a challenging task and pulling it off so beautifully.

Eagerly waiting for the second season.