Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 177
March 30, 2023
“A Shoulder to Cry On” Series Review
Unlike Lee Da Yeol, I am not going to let Jo Tae Hyun’s beauty blind my senses while I try to write this review. Singer-actor Kim Jae Han plays ace archer Da Yeol, who almost loses his scholarship when the gorgeous Jo Tae (Shin Ye Chan) falsely accuses him of molestation in the Korean mini-series “A Shoulder to Cry On”. Their first interaction sets the stage for a classic “enemies to lovers” tale to unravel.
The seven episode long high-school romance is based on a Korean webtoon with the same name. However, the writers of the show made a few tweaks that make the live-action adaptation slightly more sensible and believable than the comic version. Nevertheless, just like the comics, both lead characters are underdeveloped, and things keep escalating at a rapid pace. Lee Da Yeol suddenly develops a passion for a new field, and his motivations aren’t explained. Jo Tae’s character flits between an arrogant bully, who doesn’t think twice before falsely accusing someone of harassment, and a weird teen who comes from a broken home. So, why does a hardworking athlete fall for a guy who clearly has a few screws loose? The answer is simple: he is beautiful. At least it’s something the creators don’t shy away from emphasizing. A lot of us are suckers for good-looking “bad boys” after all.
“A Shoulder to Cry On” marks the acting debut for both Kim Jae Han and Shin Ye Chan, who are both K-pop idols from the same group. Kim Jae Han plays the serious yet naïve athlete Da Yeol with enough charm, while Shin Ye Chan is shiny as the playful Jo Tae who is capable of being extremely mean. Ye Chan however can’t shoulder a crying scene in one of the later episodes and his acting skills need more work. Actor Shi Si Ye plays Jo Tae’s friend Se Yeong and is adorable in the cameo, her character develops a huge crush on De Yeol and she serves as some comic relief. The archery sub-plot was an interesting visual break from all the school shenanigans that unfold through the runtime.
Navigating through romance as a teenager can obviously be very challenging, so the story captures the confusion of first love quite well. However, things get random in the last episode, which serves as a sort of epilogue and takes place four years after the boys finish high school. Strangely, both the leads behave more like strangers, asking each other about their likes and dislikes, and you are left confused about what were they talking about for all the months they knew each other? The writers should’ve just avoided the time-leap or treated the characters like adults instead of teen boys in fan fiction. But otherwise, “Shoulder to Cry One” is a decent enough one-time watch.
It’s a 6 on 10 from me.
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Death & the Winemaker – Short Film Review
What happens when you trick and capture Death itself? This question is explored in the animated short film “Death and the Winemaker” (Le Vigneron et la Mort) by Director Victor Jaquier, which tells a fable-like tale of a young winemaker who captures Death when she asks to taste his wine.
Set in the middle-ages, the movie begins with a winemaker falling in love with the daughter of a wealthy man. When he asks for her hand in marriage, he is asked to find someone impartial to endorse that he makes the best wine in the world – the Pope. As the young man sets off on a treacherous journey to Rome, he meets Death on the way, who offers to be the judge of his wine.
The animation in the film is simple, with heavy gothic influences, creating a dark and twisted tale of love, greed, and human fragility. The artwork is cleverly designed, such as the exterior of the wealthy man’s home resembling his evil visage. Victor Jaquier delivers an intriguing horror tale that should delight animation fans.
Class of ’07 – Lord of Flies’ Fun-Farcical Version
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
William Golding’s 1954 novel “Lord of the Flies” is a classic survivalist tale about a group of British schoolboys who get stranded on an uninhabited island. The children are forced to grow up and establish a governance system to thrive. In contrast, the 2023 comedy survival series “Class of ’07” follows a group of women in their late 20s who regress into their school selves as they try to survive the “end of the world”, after the Earth begins to crack up and seawater completely drowns out most land on the night of their reunion party, leaving the ladies stranded at their school campus. The basic similarities between the two works are uncanny, but while “Lord of the Flies” makes you seriously think, “Class of ‘07” is pure entertainment and an ode to female friendships. It’s a little like “Lord of the Flies” mashed with “Mean Girls”.
Directed by Kacie Anning, the eight episode show stars a string of talented actors, but Emily Browning, Megan Smart and Caitlin Stasey serve as the leading trio of the tale. Emily Browning plays Zoe, a failed reality-show star, who drives to her high-school when “apocalyptic tidal waves” begins to sweep everything. Turns out, her class is having a reunion party and none of the women believe her when she tell them the world is probably coming to an end. Not until too late. Megan Smart plays Zoe’s estranged best-friend Amelia, who leaves school mid-term, without telling anybody why. And Caitlin Stasey plays the bitchy Saskia, who becomes the leader to help the group survive on the island. How the oddball group of women manage to battle nervous breakdowns, build electricity, grow food, and not kill each other forms the rest of the story.
As a viewer, you need to understand that this is a farcical comedic take on the survival genre, only then will you be able to thoroughly enjoy “Class of ‘07”. I mean, I just LOVED this series, it’s hilarious and binge-worthy up until episode seven. The writers begin to lose their witty sense of humour in the last episode, but otherwise, the characters keep you amused through the runtime. A lot of things don’t make sense in the show, and those things just make everything so much more funnier. For example, while the women are slowly starving and have less and less to eat with each passing day, Saskia gives strict instructions to everybody to keep their hair well-groomed every day. So the girls look great for a bunch of people who have little supplies and are constantly exhausted.
The cinematography is bright, colourful and looks nothing like what you’d expect from a post-apocalyptic survival drama. “Class of ‘07” instead gives of sparkly-teen drama aura, has a soundtrack laden with dance hits like “That’s Not My Name”, “Milkshake”, “I don’t feel like dancing”, “Maneater”, etc. Despite all the fun bits, the series also explores themes like bullying, suicide, abuse and poignantly portrays the deep impact of school interactions and friendships on a person’s life.
While the lead trio was fantastic, I really enjoyed watching Steph Tisdell play Phoebe, a scholarship friendless student who grows into a shrewd calculating boss-woman. Sarah Krndija had a smaller supporting role, but was hilarious as the annoying exchange-student Sandy, who throws a tantrum about her designer bag instead of focussing on surviving. Chi Nguyen and Bernie Ban Tiel addes extra comic-relief as stoners/best-friends Megan and Tegan, who always managed to stay high and happy through all sorts of situations. Seriously, I just loved the cast so much, I can write an entire article on all the actors and their performances. Only the last episode was a slight disappointment, until then it was such a binge-worthy show!
It’s an 8/10 from me. Stream in on Prime.
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March 29, 2023
Be Prepared – Graphic Novel Review
Vera Brogsol’s graphic novel memoir “Be Prepared” follows her nine-year-old self trying to fit in with her American school-friends, while her mom tries to keep the kids in touch with their Russian roots. Vera’s cute expressive artwork makes this book a fun ride and reminded me of Maggie Thrash’s memoir “Honor Girl”, even though the two works are a world apart, both in terms of the illustrations and the themes explored.
“Be Prepared” is quite simple in its premise and focuses on Vera’s experience at her first ever summer camp in Connecticut and her struggle to fit on with the other girls. The camp is for both boys and girls of Russian descent and the kids engage in activities such as hiking, playing, fighting, drawing, and attending church services. While the story is centered around the classic “camp sucks until you make friends” trope, the book’s illustrations make it an enjoyable read. There’s a slight “mean girls” situation going on in the story, so there’s mild bullying in the tale, but nothing too horrifying or sad.
The creator’s art style is slightly different from their debut work “Anya’s Ghost,” but both graphic novels are entertaining in their own right. Vera Brogosol delights readers at the end by attaching a photocopy of a letter she had written to her mother from camp as a scared unhappy little girl trying to figure things out. “Be Prepared” is definitely targeted at a younger audience, the protagonist is only nine after all, but it manages to be quick breezy read for adult readers too.
It’s a 4 on 5 from me.
Subscribe to our Podcast by the same name on YouTube.
‘Obsession’ Sounds Like E L James
The trailer for the steamy Netflix series “Obsession” looks like it was written by “50 Shades of Grey” author E. L. James. Now depending on whether you loved or hated the erotic series, that was meant either as a compliment or the opposite. However, the mini-series about a man having an affair with his son’s fiancé is based on a 1991 novel called “Damage” by Josephine Hart.
Richard Armitage plays the older lead William, Rish Shah is his son Jay Farrow, while Charlie Murphy is Anna Barton, the woman becomes an object of obsession for both father and son. The trailer looks like a basic erotic drama, with uninspired dialogues, but since it’s a series, perhaps the creators have saved the best bits for later. One can only wonder how different it’s going to be from the 1992 movie adaptation starring Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche.
March 28, 2023
“Noise” – Quick Movie Review
The 2023 Netflix movie “Noise” has a tempting 90 minute runtime, the kind that makes you think “ah nice, only 1 hr 29 minutes, short and crisp”. However, once you start streaming the film, time slows down to match the pace of this boring thriller.
Directed by Stephen Geypens, “Noise” follows Matthias (Ward Kerremans), a social media influencer, who moves into his family’s large estate with his girlfriend Liv (Sallie Harmsen) and baby. As he settles into his old home, he begins to uncover dark secrets about his father’s past. While the film initially presents itself as a horror-thriller, it ultimately focuses on the theme of family trauma, which feels disconnected from the rest of the plot.
Rated “A” for dealing with dark themes like suicide, “Noise” begins with flashback scene of a woman drowning herself in a pond, which seems inspired by the famous painting called “Ophelia”; however, it also reminded me of the Netflix show “The Haunting of Bly Manor” as it features a ghost simply referred to as the “Lady in the Lake”. After the tragic opening, the makers try really hard to make things scary and intriguing, but the slow pace tests viewers’ patience.
Although the cast in “Noise” is relatively strong, the film suffers from weak character development, making it difficult for the audience to become emotionally invested in any of the characters. The movie ends up being an awkward and confusing blend of horror-mystery elements with mental health and generational trauma. They should’ve either gone for an out and out horror movie or worked on making a more nuanced psychological thriller.
It’s a 4 on 10 from me.
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‘All The Liquors’ Review – Drunken Babble
A handsome owner-cum-chef of a small boutique-style restaurant has a strict ‘no alcohol’ policy, so neither does his establishment serve drinks, nor do they let customers bring their own bottles. But for no good reason, he has a change of heart when he crosses paths with a marketing guy who loves to drink and works for a liquor company.
Directed by Kim Jin Yeol, the 2023 Korean romantic-comedy “All The Liquors” starring Won Don Hyun and Kim Jun Hyung falls short in both the romance and comedy departments. This is not surprising given that Kim Jin Yeol’s previous work, “Individual Circumstances,” was also forgettable. However, the series does excel in its aesthetic appeal, with visually pleasing scenes and mouth-watering food shots that will delight “foodies”. So, the quick eight episodes heavily feature food as a central theme, showcasing a variety of delectable dishes and ingredients.
Won Don Hyun plays poker-faced Park Ki Hoon, the chef who despises alcohol to the point of rudely throwing out customers from his restaurant. Kim Jun Hyun is silly-cute as the carefree Han Ji Yu, who is a day-drinker and firmly believes that good food must be washed down with some sort of alcohol. The writers don’t make any effort to build a slow-convincing love story between the two leads. It feels like the plot is a draft written by someone after a few drinks.
The chemistry is okay. The leads are cute. The story is blah.
It’s a 5 on 10 from me.
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Listen to – Chor Nikal Ke Bhaaga Review
March 27, 2023
A Game for Swallows – Book Review
“A Game for Swallows” is a graphic novel memoir written by Zeina Abirached, which chronicles her childhood experiences in Lebanon during the civil war. Fans of comic books may notice that the cover illustrations bear a resemblance to the style of Marjane Satrapi. In fact, when I first saw Zeina’s book at a store, I mistook it for a work by Satrapi, especially because her work “Embroideries” has a similar cover image. And even though Satrapi’s “Perspepolis” is one of my favourite memoirs, which is similar in themes, unfortunately “A Game for Swallows” failed to keep me invested in its story.
Zeina’s artwork is characterized by bold black-and-white strokes and a cartoonish style, although the illustrations can feel repetitive at times. The book introduces too many characters too quickly, which can make it difficult to keep track of who’s who. Despite this, I did like the fact that the memoir takes place over the course of a single day. Zeina’s parents leave to visit her grandmother, who lives just a few blocks away, but navigating through a war-torn neighborhood is like walking through a minefield. There’s a palpable tension in the air as they assure Zeina and her brother that they will be back soon. However, kind and cheerful neighbors gather around the kids, swapping stories, food, and drinks, and making the war seem like a distant reality.
I was hoping for a lot more from this book, so the brief length, the lack of personal touch and an overload of characters was slightly disappointing.
It’s a 2.5 on 5 from me.
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Listen to – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
March 26, 2023
Daisy Jones and The Six – Quick Review
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Since I’ve already done weekly episodic reviews of ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’, this is going to be a quick spoiler-free overall verdict on the 70s rock-n-roll themed show that tries to piece together why a popular band broke-up at the peak of their popularity.
(Read: Episode 1, 2, 3 Review | 4, 5 & 6 | 7 & 8 | 9 & 10 Review)
Music – Just go watch “Daisy Jones and The Six” on Prime Video if you are a music fan, because its original soundtrack has some great songs, with lyrics that don’t read like they were written by a teenager after downing a few drinks. The track called “Honeycomb” AKA “We Can Make a Good Thing Bad” which tops Billboard does sound like it could’ve broken records if it were released in the 70s. However, my personal favourite is “Let Me Down Easy”.
Story – The plot is probably the weakest link of this 10-episode long series. The makers could’ve just picked any real-life band and served their story, because this fictional saga mirrors the stories of several musicians and in-fact isn’t as spicy or scandalous as some truer tales. A bunch of dreamy artists get together, struggle with small gigs, miraculously have their big break, get high on new-found fame, do drugs, sleep with groupies, have fights, affairs and eventually disband. Same old. Same old.
Cast – Riley Keough plays the titular Daisy Jones, a rich but lonely child who dreams of becoming a singer. From her vocals, to her confidence, everything about Keough’s Daisy is charming, even if the character comes off as naïve, ego-centric and too selfish oftentimes. Sam Claflin plays Billy Dunne but didn’t exude the persona of a rock-star, or it seemed so to me. Rest of the cast was pretty great in their parts and could’ve used more screen-time. Nabiyah Be as the closeted Simone Jackson, who is trying to make it big in the music scene was one of the most intriguing characters of the show.
Cinematography – Look, I am no 70s experts, so I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy of the sets, clothes, and other visual elements, but they all looked fantastic to me. The costumes for sure screamed rock-n-roll era, especially Daisy’s stage looks, that were inspired by some of the biggest stars from back then.
Overall, I’d give this show a 7.5 on 10. And 8 on 10 for the music!
Subscribe to our Podcast by the same name on YouTube.
Listen to “Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga” Movie Review
Blue Lock Episode 24 Review
Dudes! Not fair! Blue Lock’s episode 24 got over in what seemed like a second! Aaryu, Bachira, Isagi, Rin and Tokimitsu take on the world’s top five players at the end of last episode, building high anticipation over what’s going to happen next.
(Read ‘Blue Lock’ Episode 1 Review if you have no idea what the show is about)
It’s actually great that the match isn’t dragged on and gets over in a few minutes. Instead, the focus shifts on the future of the ‘Blue Lock’ programme, with Japanese officials criticizing Jinpachi Ego over the extravagant expenditure of funds to train the boys. Will he give in to the demands of the old guard?
Titled “The Time Has Come”, episode 24 reveals to viewers the names of all the players who cleared the gruelling stage 3 of soccer selection in the facility. The episode features some unexpected twists, and even Isagi, the main character, holds his breath to see who made it through.
Out of the hundreds of candidates, only 35 players now remain. Ego announces his daring plan to save “Blue Lock” from being shut down by officials who fail to understand his vision for Japanese soccer. Things are now crazy exciting in the series and I cannot wait for the next few editions!
Stream the series on Netflix.
Subscribe to our Podcast by the same name on YouTube.
Listen to ‘Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review‘
