Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 173
April 23, 2023
Freddy – Quick Movie Review
Kartik Aryan stars as the shy and asocial but successful dentist, Dr. Freddy Ginwaala, in the 2022 romantic thriller of the same name. In a turn of events, he finds himself caught up in an affair with a married woman, Kainaaz Irani, played by Alaya F. However, the relationship quickly becomes complicated, leading to unprecedented consequences.
Directed by Shashanka Ghosh, the movie starts off on an interesting note with Dr. Freddy visiting the same cafe for five years, meeting women from a wedding website. However, due to his social awkwardness, his dates never materialize, as he tends to stare at their breasts. Quite a creepy protagonist really. So, it’s almost a miracle when the beautiful Kainaaz takes an interest in him after getting her wisdom tooth extracted at his clinic.
Kartik Aryan’s last serious role in the 2021 movie “Dhamaka” left much to be desired, but he delivers as the invisible Dr. Freddy Ginwaala, a 27-year-old who believes in soul-mates and is haunted by a traumatic childhood. Alaya F looked a little too young for her part, but she is riveting as Kainaaz. Her dual character as the young housewife trapped in an abusive marriage seeking comfort in her dentist is more challenging. However, Dr Freddy’s borderline creepy behavior makes it hard to root for him.
The pace of the movie may test the patience of many viewers, and it takes a lot of time for things to get interesting. When the more brutal parts of the thriller are unveiled, they may not be compelling enough. The music by Pritam, especially the romantic number called “Tum Milo,” is surprisingly nice and helps in establishing the chemistry between Dr. Freddy and Kainaaz.
The film’s cast delivers their brief performances well, but much of it is too familiar, silly and almost mundane. “Freddy” is a decent one-time watch for those who aren’t used to watching dark thrillers but find the genre entertaining.
You can stream the film on Disney Hotstar.
Bed Friend Review – Slightly Spicy, Mostly Muddled
After a steamy night together, colleagues Uea and King who don’t get along during the day, decide to be bed-friends post office hours. But will the sparks between their sheets spread to their hearts? Directed by Cheewin Thanamin Wongskulphat, who also directed the campy rom-com “Secret Crush On You,” the 2023 mini-series “Bed Friend” stars James Supamongkon Wongwisut and Net Siraphop Manithikhun as Uea and King respectively.
What could have been a raunchy and entertaining romance with the reliable “enemies to lovers” trope, unfortunately becomes chaotic with several sexual harassment sub-plots. At one point, it becomes bizarre to see every second person trying to sexually assault Uea, and these conflicts are forced into the story rather superficially. James Supamongkon Wongwisut plays the beautiful but cynical Uea, and looks great with King (played by Net Siraphop Manithikhun) but struggles with the more emotionally challenging parts of his role. Net is a lot more nuanced as the flirty King who longs for Uea’s attention and love.
The series looks great, with scenic cinematography in both indoor and outdoor locations. However, the weak script gradually diminishes interest in the tale. For instance, Tom Ratchaneekorn Phanmanee does a good job portraying Uea’s mean and nasty mother, but viewers never get a convincing explanation as to why she is such a greedy and selfish character. Yim Pharinyakorn Khansawa, who debuted as Syn in “Cutie Pie,” plays Uea’s clueless but sweet best friend Jade, providing some mild comic relief in the series. The actor playing Uea’s evil ex boyfriend is completely forgotten after a few appearances, even though he is introduced as a guy who refuses to back down.
The creators of “Bed Friend” should have either fleshed out the sub-plots or stuck to keeping it a sexy-romance series with fewer episodes instead of over-stretching it to ten.
It’s a 5 on 10 from me.
April 22, 2023
Cat Fight Issue #1 Review
Meet Felix, a master thief who lives life on his own terms, in the 2023 comic-book series “Cat Fight” by Andrew Wheeler and Ilias Kyriazis. In issue #1, readers are immediately plunged into Felix’s thrilling world of thieves and extravagance. But when a heist goes wrong and a mysterious villain targets Felix’s only surviving family member, he finds himself in more trouble than he ever bargained for.
From stealing diamonds to escaping cops, navigating a high-fashion masquerade party, and negotiating with a shady criminal mastermind named Schrodinger, Felix goes through a roller-coaster ride within the first few pages of “Cat Fight”. The artwork, with its slightly retro style, perfectly fits the neo-noir story and keeps readers engaged in the tale.
What makes Felix a flamboyantly fun protagonist is his larger-than-life personality. He’s witty, charming, and fearless, but also has a vulnerable side that readers will discover as they delve deeper into the story. In a surprising twist, the creators also pack in some flashbacks to Felix’s family history, adding layers to the tale.
As the plot thickens, readers are left hanging with an explosive climax and an amusingly dangerous twist. Overall, “Cat Fight” issue #1 sets up the series pretty well.
It’s a 4 on 5 from me.
April 21, 2023
Tooth Pari Review – Bite Into This Vampire Dramedy
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
At the end of 2022, a friend asked me to create a list of my favorite Indian movies from A-Z, after he sent me his own list. He listed “Rang De Basanti” for the letter “R”, and I chose Ram Gopal Verma’s 1992 horror flick “Raat” for my list. So I was excited to see its heroine Revathi in the 2023 vampire-horror series “Tooth Pari” as a witch. However, Tanya Maniktala is undoubtedly the star of the show, playing the rebellious Rumi, a vampire who loses a fang while feeding on a succulent human. This event leads to an unlikely romance between the bloodsucker and her unsuspecting dentist, while a bloody revenge drama unfolds around them.
Directed by Pratim Dasgupta, “Tooth Pari” will immediately remind Bollywood horror fans of the Ramsay Brothers. Despite being set in the present day, the show has a slightly grainy feel and a noir color palette. The makers rely on standard Western tropes of vampire fiction, such as their inability to step out in the sun, fear of silver and garlic. However, instead of vampires versus werewolves, we get vampires versus witches. Rumi and her kind are banished to live beneath the sewers in Kolkata, a realm they call “neechey”. A handful of rebels sometimes sneak out at night in search of fresh blood, but they make sure they never kill or convert. However, a group of vampire hunters called “Cutmundus”, led by the magic-wielding Luna Luka (played by Revathi), are after their heads.
While Tanya Maniktala didn’t leave a strong impression as the protagonist in her debut series “A Suitable Boy” and was eclipsed by other actors, she is a lot more charming in “Tooth Pari”. She is buoyed by a talented support cast, with Shantanu Maheshwari playing her shy gullible dentist Roy. The two make a sweet pair, however, Shantanu sometimes falters as the romantic interest. Sikander Kher made a perfect fit as an alcoholic Kolkata policeman Kartik Pal, who investigates the case of young man who claims to have been bitten by a ghost. Tillotama Shome and Saswata Chatterjee, who were last seen in Amazon Prime series “The Night Manager”, are entertaining as hell as centuries old vampires, who are filled with historical tales about their adventures and serves as guides to the young Rumi. Tillotama Shome is an entire mood as a dancer-vampire and would make a perfect pick for the Indian vampire general if the Netflix animation series “Castlevania” ever gets a live-action adaptation. Adil Hussain’s portrayal of the evil AD, who serves as a broker between the vampire and human world, felt more like a caricature character. Similarly, the character called Ora, who is the leader of the vampire clan, was completely lackadaisical.
There’s an interesting balance of both drama and comedy through the runtime. However, the pace begins to waver in the last few episodes. Instead of stretching the story into eight episodes, “Tooth Pari” could have been edited to a crisper six episodes. The climactic fight was hilariously mediocre, with some jarring special effects. Bollywood viewers who have never seen vampire/dracula themed stories might not enjoy this series as much as regular horror and horror-comedy fans. Nonetheless, I think it is a laudable and exciting attempt at the genre.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me.
Stream the series on Netflix.
April 20, 2023
Boys Planet Top 9 Winners – ZEROBASEONE
Before revealing the top nine winners in its final episode, the MC of the Korean K-pop variety show “Boys Planet” announced the name of the debut group: ZEROBASEONE or ZB1 in short.
Eighteen finalists competed for a spot in the 5th Generation K-pop group, and the following trainees made it to the final lineup that will be known as ZB1:
Rank One – Zhang Hao
Rank Two – Sung Han Bin
Rank Three – Seok Matthew
Rank Four – Ricky
Rank Five – Park Gun Wook
Rank Six – Kim Taerae
Rank Seven – Kim Gyu Vin
Rank Eight – Kim Ji Woong.
Rank Nine – Han Yu Jin
Obsession Review – How To Make Sex Look Boring 101
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
A lot of viewers may be willing to overlook a weak story-line in favour of good sex scenes, however the 2023 Netflix series ‘Obsession’ disappoints on both fronts. Spread over 4 episodes, the series follows Charlie Murphy playing the protagonist Anna Barton, whose steamy affair with her boyfriend’s father William Farrow (Richard Armitage), leads to dangerous consequences.
Based on a 1991 novel called “Damage” by Josephine Hart, the story has large plot-holes and the dialogues sound blandly book-ish. The chemistry between the two leads is close to non-existent and makes you want to fast-forward all the sex scenes – a rather unfortunate consequence for what is clearly an erotic drama. Richard Armitage’s William Farrow is a renowned surgeon, whose character is so one-dimensional and dumb, they should’ve just given him a simpler profession to match his IQ. At least Anna Barton gets childhood trauma and past baggage to blame for her terrible behavior, but the wealthy privileged William has no excuses for being a selfish, hurtful father and husband.
Besides the lukewarm chemistry between Charlie Murphy and Richard Armitage, what makes “Obsession” a painfully frustrating watch is the fact that it’s made to sound like a horror-thriller throughout it’s runtime. The music keeps making viewers anticipate a sinister twist, one that never comes. There are some surprising revelations in the tale, but not deserving of the excessive creepy music where Netflix subtitles declare “suspenseful music playing”. The melodies scream “these guys are doing bad things”, like Anna and William are two demons going at it and need a priest to end their evil behavior. Although, like most Netflix productions, the cinematography is well-done, the sex scenes aren’t lewd but are as mundane as watching animals copulating on National Geography. And while National Geography’s content is educational, “Obsession” just falsely perpetuates the notion that if a woman does it with the “right person”, she can orgasm within three minutes of vaginal intercourse. Ha ha ha.
Supporting actors Rish Shah and Indira Varma were commendable in their cameos, but their parts aren’t enough to keep things interesting. Ironically, Episode 4 was the most watchable, it had the least amount of sex and dealt with the aftermath of Anna and Richard’s torrid affair. I really wanted to stop streaming after an episode and a half but kept pushing myself until the end just to see what happens. Really not worth it.
Stream the series on the Netflix if you want to watch it anyway.
April 19, 2023
Winged – Quick Manga Review
“Winged” by Laica Chrose is a webtoon that follows an unlikely friendship between a wild crow, who is constantly on the run, and a beautiful dove, who seems content in the comfort of her gilded cage.
The artwork in “Winged” is clean and expressive, but the plot is somewhat generic. It centers around the idea that humans view crows as pests and kill them, while preferring to keep prettier birds as pets in cages. Despite the theme of “humans versus birds,” it’s almost ironic that the winged protagonists are depicted as humans when they speak.
Overall, “Winged” is a mildly interesting short story that can be read quickly. While it has its shortcomings, it’s worth a read for fans of the webtoon format.
If it sounds interested to you, it’s available as an ebook on Kindle Unlimited.
Hunger Review – Of Greasy Joints, Elite Kitchens & Tyrant Chefs
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
After streaming ten minutes of the 2023 Thai movie “Hunger”, I had to pause it and grab myself a bowl of noodles, because that’s just the kind of food film it is. Good call, because throughout the runtime, there are plenty of scenes that might make you hungry for your own plate.
Directed by Sitisiri Mongkolsiri, “Hunger” begins with a team of chefs working meticulously in a kitchen before their strict boss Chef Paul (Nopachai Chaiyanam) arrives to inspect their work. Next, we witness an exaggerated display of culinary skills by the famous chef at a lavish private party, where gigantic lobsters are served with a suspicious-looking sauce. However, it’s the humble Pad See Ew being cooked by the sweaty Aoy (Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying) in a greasy little Thai restaurant that makes the audience crave for food. The plot revolves around Aoy, who works tirelessly at her father’s street-side joint, before joining Chef Paul’s team to cook for Thailand’s elite. However, she soon becomes disillusioned by his tyrannical ways.
While watching “Hunger”, it’s hard not to think of the critically successful Hollywood film “The Menu”. However, comparisons between the two wouldn’t make much sense, as both plots have different intentions, even though both productions take digs at elite “foodies”. In fact, it’s difficult to ascertain the intentions of the makers of “Hunger” until the very end. Despite great ingredients, they try to stuff in too many themes into the story. The film explores the “rich vs poor” divide when it comes to how people perceive and consume food, delves into the hard work, passion, and sacrifice it takes to rise from the gutters to greatness, and takes a dive into the toxic work culture of kitchens. It seems like you have to be a despicable despot to run a successful team.
Nopachai Chaiyanam is almost pitch-perfect in his role as the megalomaniac Chef Paul, making it easy to dislike both his character and the way he functions. Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying as Aoy is engaging as a young woman burdened with her family’s finances. However, her character lacks layers, and it feels like she shuffles between a limited range of emotions. She is mostly angry or in despair. There’s a brief romantic sub-plot involving Aoy and sous chef Tone (Gunn Svasti Na Ayudhya), and the chemistry between the two actors is searing. The cinematography and background score do a fantastic job of heightening the drama in the tale. There’s one scene towards the climax where Chef Paul cooks up a grand “feast” at a costume party, and that sequence is brilliantly done. Despite the exaggerations, the cooking plays out like an exciting choreographed music video.
While “Hunger” looks like a well-edited indie art-house film for the most part, the storytelling flounders occasionally. The climax is completely at odds with the rest of the story and is disappointingly cliched and domestic in nature. With a runtime of 2 hours and 24 minutes, many scenes are overstretched. The makers could have made “Hunger” much crisper and gone for a bolder ending.
It’s a 6 on 10 from me. Stream the film on Netflix.
April 18, 2023
Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc – Ep 2 Review
Titled mysteriously as “Yoriichi Type Zero”, episode 2 of the anime series “Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc” continues with Tanjiro’s visit to the secluded and secretive community of weapon makers. Unlike the first episode, which was over 40 minutes long, this one lasts just 24 minutes and is over in a blink!
Also Read: Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc – Ep 1 Review
However, both the plot progression and the short runtime were underwhelming because not much happens, and we don’t get to see some of the other fun characters at all. It’s just Tanjiro getting familiar with a 10-year-old swordsmith and practicing his fighting skills. The title makes you wonder what “Yoriichi Type Zero” is, and viewers get the answer almost immediately in this episode. An interesting historical tidbit is revealed, and things end with an exciting twist. So this one felt more like filler.
You can stream the series on Netflix.
Scott Pilgrim Volume 4 Review
Scott Pilgrim’s stupid stupid antics are just what some of us could use on a bleak fucking day, where there’s nothing to look forward to, except for work that you don’t want to do. I want Scott’s slacker life (and I did type the word twice in the first sentence, it’s not a typo) – dude does nothing, mooches off his flatmate, gets to date hot people, gets to go everywhere without spending a dime and lives in a video-game like world where you can fight random people, gain XP and jump through space doors. Although volume 4 is titled “Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together”, where he finally gets a job and will maybe have to start living the life of a grown up.
Also Read: Scott Pilgrim Volume 1 Review
Volume 4 is obviously about Scott having to fight Ramona’s ex number 4, but our hero has two weirdos after his neck in this edition and both their identities have a comical reveal. For a change, we do get more of Scott-Ramona interactions that aren’t inane and completely pointless. I have no idea why Scott’s flatmate Wallace is on the cover for this volume, but since he is one of the most likable characters in the series, he can be on the cover of every issue for no good reason.
Bryan Lee O’Malley begins “Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together” with a fun summer beach break and the color edition is a definite plus as it adds an extra layer of fun to the story. Interestingly, I noticed that Scott and Wallace share a striking resemblance, and if it weren’t for the colors, I would have been confused between the two. In fact, I did get confused at one scene in this volume and had to double-check the hair colors to differentiate them. Although, going by the story so far, maybe Bryan Lee O’Malley deliberately made some of the characters look similar to add to the chaotic mood of the story.
It’s a 4 on 5 from me.
