COVID-19 Special: 'Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai' (12)

ArtStation - Choked Movie Poster | Nakul Anand | Netflix, Nakul Anand

Director: Anurag Kashyap

Cast: Saiyami Kher, Roshan Mathew, Amruta Subhash

Where can I watch?: Choked is streaming on Netflix

Rating: 4/5

Review: Netflix's attempts to diversify its entertainment collection seems to have accelerated rapidly during lockdown, with a number of new international offerings becoming readily available in amongst all the nostalgic 90s releases. One such film is Choked, a Hindi-language film that centres around put-upon bank worker Sarita (the engaging Saiyami Kher) and her disintegrating marriage. Setting the scene in a tumbledown set of flats - paint-flaking ceilings and a drain that constantly leaks and gurgles are as much characters as their human counterparts - we're hurled into Sarita's tiring existence, but could salvation be at hand? Marrying Bollywood-esque musical sequences with grainy news footage capturing the fallout of Modi's monetary reforms, director Anurag Kashyap effortlessly moves from fantasy to reality, all from the perspective of our long-suffering protagonist (and believe me, Sarita is long-suffering!), expertly demonstrating how national news impacts the domestic sphere. It's well done, if a little far-fetched come the conclusion, and certainly entertaining, making it a welcome English-language alternative. Although a dubbed version is available as default, I watched Choked in its original format with subtitles for a more authentic experience.

A COVID-19 Must-Watch?: Something a little different for UK viewers, this understated thriller/black comedy highlights some of Prime Minister Modi's controversial reforms via a very believable domestic setting, with an excellent performance by Saiyami Kher's at its heart.

Comments

'Mary Queen of Scots' (15)

**** Arriving on the shores of Scotland, Mary Stuart moves to reclaim her title and her position as Queen. A Catholic and with a claim to the throne of England, she immediately poses a threat to Queen Elizabeth, a Protestant and the last of the House of Tudor. The relationship between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth Tudor is one that has fascinated historians and artists alike for centuries. In a history that's dominated by male sovereigns, Mary and Elizabeth ruled alongside each other until Elizabeth had her cousin executed - surely that means that the two hated each other? In his play which premiered in 1800, Friedrich Schiller portrays Mary's last days, and the fraught relationship between the two women - one that is far from the 'black and white' dynamic that you might expect. Since then, numerous historians have revisited this momentous moment and dissected the connection between the two. One such biography is John Guy's Queen of Scots: The True Life ...

COVID-19 Special: 'The White Tiger' (15)

Director: Ramin Bahrani Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra Jones Where can I watch?: The White Tiger is streaming on Netflix . Rating: 4/5 Review: Aravind Adiga's novel The White Tiger rocketed into the international bestseller lists when it was published in 2008. A darkly satirical study of Indian's caste system, the Man Booker Prize winner tackled everything from class to corruption, religion to rooster coops. It's perhaps strange, considering the novel's success, that it took so long for The White Tiger to be adapted into a film, but as director Ramin Bahrain shows, it was probably worth the wait. Taking on the central role of servant Balram is Adarsh Gourav: a mercurial screen presence, Gourav guides us through Balram's development from wide-eyed, eager driver to disillusioned servant and beyond with a deft, dependable hand. Balram's evolution from start to finish is entirely believable and, more importantly, wholly watchable - it'...

'Eternals' (12A)

Director: Chloé Zhao Cast: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Angelina Jolie Where can I watch?: Eternals is in cinemas and available to stream on Disney+ Rating: 2.5/5 Review: When watching a Marvel film, you must suspend some level of disbelief to fully enjoy it. However, Eternals really does push the boat too far. I'm all for a bit of fantasy and a splash of sci-fi, but I found myself drawing the line at big red robot things floating around in space - and I'm not even going to try to explain (or remember!) everything else that was revealed during this strangely boring, yet rather beautiful, superhero experience. Chloé Zhao, fresh from her Best Director win, helms the 26th film (yes, really) in the Marvel franchise, but she fails to make any sort of impact. At times, it feels as though we're veering towards something of a character study, but unfortunately all the characters are painfully shallow and one-dimensional, making the 'intimate' tal...

Eleanor Reviews

Search This Blog