Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 165
June 13, 2023
Embrace – Short Film About Asexuality
“Embrace,” a short film created and directed by Latesha Merkel for her grad school thesis, beautifully portrays the journey of a young woman as she explores and embraces her asexuality. The title cleverly plays on the word “ace,” colloquially used to describe individuals who identify as asexual, while also highlighting the significance of sexual minorities understanding and accepting themselves for who they are.
The animation in the film is simple yet clear, and the story begins like any other romantic tale—a young woman goes on a date with a man and enjoys his company. However, as their physical connection deepens, she experiences a sense of discomfort, leaving her questioning what might be wrong with her.
With a concise runtime of just five minutes, “Embrace” effectively conveys the confusion and anxiety that many young individuals face when they realize that sexual intimacy is not something they desire. The film concludes on a joyous note, with the protagonist fully embracing herself and understanding that she is not alone. It beautifully portrays the message that despite her asexuality, she can still have a fulfilling romantic life.
You can watch the short film on YouTube or it’s also embedded below.
June 12, 2023
Kajol Suits Up In “The Trial” Trailer
The title of Kajol’s upcoming series, “The Trial,” will immediately remind literature enthusiasts of Franz Kafka’s surreal novel of the same name, which delved into the absurd and oppressive nature of the legal system. However, Kajol’s legal drama seems to be a lot more straightforward, judging by the looks of its official trailer.
Directed by Suparn S Varma, the show follows Kajol as the protagonist Noyonika Sengupta, a housewife who is forced to return to work after discovering her husband’s infidelity and his subsequent arrest in a corruption scandal. While Noyonika initially takes on pro-bono work for a firm, she is surprised when her husband requests her to represent him in court. Jaded by his betrayal in their marital life, will Noyonika put personal grudges aside and fight for her husband to obtain justice?
Kajol looks sharp and is accompanied by an interesting ensemble cast that includes Kubbra Sait, Sheeba Chaddha, Jisshu Sengupta, Suchitra Pillai, among others. Although the trailer lacks intrigue and mystery, viewers can only hope that there is more to the series than what the teaser reveals. All episodes of the series will be available on Hotstar starting July 14th.
Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc – Ep 10 Review
Yasss! “Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village” has got its gritty groove back with episode 10, the penultimate edition before the finale. It is action-packed, with the right amount of humor, and features a flashback that reveals how Mitsuri Kanroji became a slayer. Slight spoiler alert: her past is not as heart-rending or tragic as Genya and Muichiro’s origin stories, but instead, it provides an amusing break from the tense face-off. Also, like all the other throwback timelines, Kanroji’s past is revealed just when you think somebody is going to die!
Also Read: Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc Review
Titled “Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji,” episode 10 picks up right where the previous episode left off. Kanroji arrives mid-battle as rank 4 demon Hantengu is on the verge of beating her juniors Tanjiro and Genya to death. Not like Nezuko is doing any better despite her demonic powers. With her bright pink hair and her bizarre bendy pink sword, Kanroji is a killer Hashira. Fans will undoubtedly be cheering for her, just like Tanjiro and his team, as she comes to their rescue.
While the team spirit of the demon slayers is heartening, Hantengu’s ominous demonic form, appearing as a young angry boy beating a drum and unleashing powerful attacks, adds a significant amount of drama and excitement to the tale. The action animation is the first few minutes was fantastic, even though the rest of the edition isn’t as bloody and nerve-wracking as some of the earlier fight sequences.
Thanks to the relentless spirit of Mist Hashira Muichiro, half of the battle in Swordsmith Village is already won. However, can the Love Hashira also prove to be formidable against a demon who holds an even higher rank than the one Muichiro defeated? We will soon find definitive answers in the season finale. Until then, episode ten was a worthy build-up to the last episode!
Stream the series on Netflix.
June 11, 2023
‘The Easy Life in Kamusari’ – Book Review
Click here or scroll to the bottom for audio version
“Take it easy,” that’s the favorite phrase of the villagers in Kamusari, according to the young narrator in the Japanese fiction book “The Easy Life in Kamusari” by Shion Miura. And just like the title suggests, this is a book is NOT for impatient readers, which I usually am. Yet, I found myself reading this novel bit by bit every night before going to bed. Its leisurely pace, lack of action, and meandering plot about an 18-year-old city boy adjusting to a hard, tedious life in a remote village made for a stress-free night read. However, for these very reasons, a lot of readers may not enjoy it. There’s barely any romance, mystery, tension, and no twists in the story. But if you enjoyed “The Great Passage” by the same author, then you might enjoy this one too.
The protagonist Yuki Hirano is packed away by his parents from Tokyo to Kamusari, after they enroll him into a forestry trainee-ship that pays modestly. Yuki reluctantly takes a train to the remote region, but within a few days he is looking for ways to escape, as the village has no cellphone reception, no internet, no places of interests, one lone little shop and certainly no girls his age. How long can the youngster last in the hard life of a lumberjack, even if the village people seem to have an easy-going life?
I was blown away by the sheer amount of details and descriptions that Shion Miura weaves about a forester’s life in the mountains. If you didn’t know the book was fictional and the author was a woman, it would have been easy to believe that this was perhaps a real-life account of a young man who spent a year working deep in the mountains. From initially despising Kamusari and feeling like an outsider, Yuki gradually develops friendships with an interesting group of men and becomes entranced by the enchanting mythical tales surrounding the Kamusari mountain, its deities, and the ritualistic festivals celebrated in the region. One intriguing belief held by the villagers is that the daughters of the mountain God occasionally “spirit away” a child prior to a festival, and being chosen for this is considered an extraordinary bles sing.
By the end of the novel, you might also find yourself falling in love with Kamusari and being captivated by the warmth and vigor of Yuki’s host, Yoki. Yoki resides with his temperamental yet stunning wife, Miho, his wise old grandmother, Shige, and their loyal and adorable dog, Noko. These people eventually become Yuki’s second family and Kamusari sometimes feels better than home. If you don’t mind reading slow-paced realistic contemporary novels that’s just about regular people leading their regular lives, with the occasional ups and downs, definitely pick this novel up.
It’s a 4 on 5 from me. “The Easy Life in Kamusari” is available to download in Kindle Unlimited.
Custody Review – Tardy Jokes, Songs Disrupt Thriller
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Custody” features one of the most cringe-worthy “heroic” entrances I’ve seen in a while – the chief minister’s cavalcade is passing by a road with much pomp and show when a constable swerves through the crowd, removing barricades to allow an ambulance to pass. While he angers senior cops for halting the chief minister’s convoy, the politician appreciates his actions, praising him for prioritizing a citizen’s life over comfort. Ohoooo! This type of introductory scene is designed to elicit whistles and applause from the audience in a theater. However, it’s difficult not to feel some disdain for a politician who blocks roads for their own convenience and then feigns concern for inconveniencing the common man. But well, the film is set in the 1990s, a time when the “VIP red beacon” culture was rampant, and top politicians regularly brought entire cities’ traffic to a halt.
Directed by Venkat Prabhu, who co-wrote the script with Abburi Ravi, “Custody” stars Naga Chaitanya Akkineni as the honest constable Shiva. He finds himself pitted against the entire state police when he decides to assist CBI officer George (Sampath Raj) in transporting a notorious criminal from police custody to a court in Bengaluru. The film thuse becomes truly interesting only after the entry of Arvind Swami, who portrays Raju, the wanted criminal pursued by the CBI. Arvind is despicably entertaining as a drunk brash crime-boss, who kills people like squatting mosquitoes and is confident he’d get away with anything due to his political links.
Krithi Shetty plays Revathi, Shiva’s girlfriend, whose family forcefully arranges her marriage to Prem (Vennela Kishore). In an act of rebellion, she runs away from home on the same night Shiva is entrusted with the responsibility of escorting Raju to court. The decision to burden Shiva with Revathi’s talkative presence, while he is transporting a criminal, was unnecessary. While the creators try to provide comic-relief with her banter, it only serves to disrupt the pace of the action-thriller.
In addition to the poorly timed comedy, “Custody” suffers from an excessive number of songs throughout its runtime. These songs are mediocre and can be completely skipped. For instance, during the climax when the tension is high and the protagonists are in a life-or-death situation, Revathi coincidentally encounters a relative, and the creators insert a song that completely dispels the built-up tension and excitement that should have been maintained for the ending.
A significant number of the action sequences in “Custody” are reminiscent of a typical masala entertainer, and there is an amusing twist in the second half that resembles a scene from Kamal Hassan’s crime-thriller “Vikram.” Venkat Prabhu and the team should have trimmed at least half an hour from the 2-hour 28-minute runtime. Doing so would have made this a much more thrilling experience, instead of its current overstretched form.
You can stream the movie on Amazon Prime.
June 10, 2023
Barracuda Queens Review – When Brats Turn Brash Burglars
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Let’s be clear about something: “Barracuda Queens” is a story about a group of five young privileged women, one of whom is only seventeen, who decide to rob the people in their affluent neighborhood after getting drunk on holiday, spending excessively, and ending up with a bill that might lead their parents to disown them. It takes a while for the police to catch on to their activities, not because the women are particularly clever, but because it’s set in the 1990s and as one of the cops in the series puts it, “girls like these don’t need to rob anyone; they already have everything.” Their entitlement keeps them insulated.
Created by Camilla Ahlgren, the 2023 Swedish series “Barracuda Queens” on Netflix spans six episodes, introducing its protagonists at their best (or worst, depending on your perspective) — partying hard. Alva Bratt plays lead brat Lollo Millkvist, who needs to clear a debt of over 100,000 krona on her credit card, while her friend Klara Rapp (Tindra Monsen) faces an insane 75,000 krona fine for damaging her hotel bathroom. Lollo convinces their group to engage in theft to avoid being caught for their debts, leading to a string of heists targeting wealthy families’ homes when they are away, exploiting their insider knowledge.
The first two episodes are highly entertaining, providing viewers with an introduction to the main characters and a glimpse into the sordid lives of their parents, who throw lavish parties and occasionally engage in “wife-swapping.” However, from the third episode onward, it becomes hard to ignore the recklessness and foolishness of the girls, and their antics can become somewhat annoying. Nevertheless, their friendship manages to be endearing. Two of the gang members are sisters: Klara, who is studying to be a lawyer, and Frida (Sandra Strandberg Zubovic), who is still in high school. The two share a strong bond and are very protective of each other. Amina Khalil (Sarah Gustaffson) is the last to join the gang, an art enthusiast who assists in selling the paintings from their first heist. Mia Thorstensson (Tea Stjärne) is the only one in the group who doesn’t come from an incredibly wealthy family; she lives with her divorced mother and works part-time to help with the bills.
The lead cast is fantastic, and are backed up by an interesting set of supporting characters, some of who play their eccentric parents. Since most of the timeline is set against glitzy upper-class neighborhoods, the cinematography is aesthetically bright and screams “wealth”. Apart from the girls’ first world problems, the script delves into a few serious themes, such as sexual harassment and how it’s often the poor who bear the consequences of the rich’s flaws. While the “Barracuda Queens” steal from their affluent neighbors and lead an even more lavish lifestyle, others become collateral damage for their crimes. For instance, when Klara steals a watch from a friend’s place for the first time, it’s the housemaid who ends up getting fired.
Overall, the series is entertaining, tightly paced and has a slightly surprising climax that leaves scope for a sequel in the future. There’s drama, fun, tension, a touch of romance, a lot of anxiety, and plenty of thievery going on. It’s a 7 on 10 from me.
You can stream the series on Netflix.
Also Read: School of Lies Review – Twisted & Sneaky
American Born Chinese Series Review – Action, RepresentAsian
June 9, 2023
Star Struck Review – Few Sparks Here
The story of the 2023 Korean series “Star Struck” has the same basic plot as “Our Dating Sim”, except that the latter offers more story and entertainment. The following could serve as a synopsis for both: A guy is in love with his best friend, but when he finally confesses his feelings, he misinterprets the friend’s response and ends up ghosting him. What happens when the two meet again?
Directed by Park Sun Jae and Kim Hoon Gwang, “Star Struck” is spread over eight short episodes and stars Zuho and Kim In Sung as best friends who are about to finish school and become college students soon. Kim In Sung plays Seo Han Joon, the son of a single mother who struggles to make ends meet, so he takes on multiple part-time jobs to help out. He secretly harbors feelings for his childhood best friend, Jo Yoo Jae, who comes from a well-off family. The class divide leads to misunderstandings and tension between the two friends. An untimely love confession further drives them apart. Will they be able to reconcile?
Firstly, the title “Star Struck” feels rather random, and the writers try their best to downplay this fact. One of the protagonists enjoys stargazing, but apart from that, there is no substantial connection to the title throughout the series. It fails to live up to the expectations set by its name. Debutant Kim In Sung portrays Seon Han Joon with vulnerable charm, reminiscent of Lim Ji Sub, who played the lead in “The Eighth Sense.” However, Zuho’s portrayal of the hotheaded Yoo Jae comes across as excessively shrill and loud in certain scenes, lacking coherence with the character’s overall development. Moreover, the writers struggle to convincingly establish chemistry between the two leads.
The two protagonists engage in occasional fights, misunderstand each other, have more conflicts, misunderstand each other even further, and eventually have a conversation to resolve their issues. And that’s the story in a nutshell. The climactic tension felt rather abrupt, and the 15-minute-long episodes were unable to effectively capture the progression of this romantic drama.
It’s a 5 on 10 from me.
‘Swamp: A Summer in the Bayou’ Book Review
It’s late in the evening, and a small cottage is lit up amidst a dark swamp. Unlike its desolate exterior, its interior is filled with lively African-Americans, dancing the blues away in their secret getaway. The opening scene of “Swamp: A Summer in the Bayou” immediately reminded me of the 2022 movie “A Jazzman’s Blue,” which revolves around the unsolved murder case of a Black man called a Bayou. However, apart from their retro timeline and the theme of racial segregation, the two works are quite different from each other.
Created by Johann Louis G, this graphic novel follows Otis and Red, two eleven-year-old best friends who come from poor working-class families. They share a love for cutting school and embarking on small adventures around the swamp. However, their friendship is met with disapproval from others due to the racial difference between Red, who is white, and Otis, a person of color. Despite the social obstacles, the boys continue to meet in secret and further endanger themselves by befriending Shelley, a new girl who happens to be the daughter of a big city singer.
The artwork in this graphic novel is distinctly unique, combining a sketchbook-style illustration with the tonality of watercolor paintings. Johann Louis G incorporates numerous lines in the panels and opts for glum colors that complement the racial and serious undercurrents of the story. I liked how the creator plays with the color palette to reflect the mood of each scene, a technique commonly observed in many other graphic novels. For instance, pages with tense scenes employ a two-toned approach, while lighter moments, such as a scene where everyone is having tea, feature more colors and shades.
At first glance, ‘Swamp: A Summer in the Bayou’ appears to be a tale about three friends exploring their surroundings and enjoying a happy summer. However, there is a constant lingering sense of something sinister in the air. The story includes a subplot revolving around the disappearance of several Black individuals in the area, which instills fear and panic within Otis’ community. This subplot also threatens to drive a wedge between the friends. Overall, this is a gripping children-friendly graphic novel which delves into themes of friendship, class divisions, and finding happiness in life’s little moments. The climax felt a little abrupt, but was realistic, which also means that the readers don’t get a very conclusive ending to the tale.
It’s a 4 on 5 from me.
June 8, 2023
Mixed by Erry Review – Rewinds to 80s & Piracy Boom
All Enrico Frattasio wanted as a young boy from a working-class Italian neighborhood was to be a DJ and play his mixtapes for the world. However, encouraged by his ambitious brothers, he ended up heading a pirate mixtape empire that became larger than some leading legitimate music labels. But nothing “too good to be true” lasts too long, and the Frattasio brothers eventually find themselves behind bars for their illegal business.
Directed by Sydney Sibilia, who shares writing credits with Simona Frasca and Armando Festa, the 2023 Netflix movie “Mixed by Erry” follows the real-life story of how three brothers became renowned in Italy for their bootlegged tapes. Luigi D’Oriano plays Enrico, who becomes fascinated with the world of music while working at a record store. When the store shuts down, Enrico is devastated but starts to pursue his dream of making mixtapes and selling them beyond his street in Naples in the 80s. Giuseppe Arena and Emanuele Palumbo play Enrico’s brothers Peppe and Angelo, who rope in cigarette bootleggers to sell their tapes around the country.
The gripping storytelling based on real-life events is the best thing about this Netflix film. Viewers are first introduced to the Frattasio brothers as little boys who help their father make and sell fake liquor. It’s fascinating to see three young men from one of the poorest localities in Italy hustle and become sought-after businessmen who drive around in Lamborghinis. Since it was the 1980s, piracy wasn’t even considered a serious offense and the Italian authorities had far more serious crimes to deal with. Which meant the Frattasio trio thrived for quite a while before finally getting into serious trouble for their activities.
While the actors don’t necessarily deliver award-winning performances, they all do justice to their roles. The cinematography is bright, retro and a nostalgic walk down memory lane for those who’d recognize the joy of listening to their favorite track on a walk-man. The movie entertainingly covers a lot of ground in under two hours, steering clear of complicating the plot with romantic subplots and emotional entanglements.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me. Stream it on Netflix.
Past-Senger – Quick Series Review
Ew, ew, and EW! The ending was so cringe! However, I will still explain my generous rating, taking into account that there are other shows where I’ve given out fewer stars. SO, read me out.
The 2023 Thai series “Past-Senger” is a low-budget sci-fi romantic comedy that may not always make complete sense but delivers many laugh-out-loud moments and doesn’t take itself too seriously for the most part. Cooper Patpasit Na Songkhla portrays the protagonist, Kiao, a boy who has just finished high school and finds himself transported 25 years into the future. Kiao seeks out his friends for assistance and discovers that he had vanished without a trace in the 90s. Trapped in an unfamiliar future, Kiao attempts to find a way back to his own timeline while also falling in love with the adorable Bamee (Marc Pahun Jiyacharoen), who, as it turns out, is his friend’s son.
“Past-Senger” is like a roller-coaster ride, featuring its fair share of hilarious moments, cute romantic scenes, a generous dose of clichés, and some strange, cringe-worthy elements. Cooper, in the role of Kiao, delivers an absolutely entertaining performance, skillfully portraying a college student who can be both reckless and responsible, depending on the situation and mood. Last seen in “Chains of Heart” in a completely forgettable role, Marc Pahun Jiyacharoen shows a lot more charisma as the introverted reserved Bamee in “Past-Senger”. Although their chemistry as a couple isn’t fireworks, they are sort of cute together and give off more of a best-friends vibe.
This is the kind of show where you can simply sit back, set aside logic, and enjoy the silliness that unfolds. To the writers’ credit, even though the time-travel element is arbitrary and amusing, at least they avoid confusing viewers with nonsensical complications like in the time-bending show “609 Bedtime Story”. The first half of the series had me laughing out loud with its comedic elements, even if the jokes felt like they were straight out of the 1990s. Instead of stretching the series to 12 episodes, they should have concluded everything within 10. The climax turned out to be surprising, albeit potentially very strange for many viewers (including me). Extra credit goes to the actors for pulling off this wacky script. While it may not be a show you can binge-watch and it has limited re-watch value, “Past-Senger” still makes for a decent one-time watch.
It’s a 5 on 10 from me.
