Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 180
March 16, 2023
‘The Great Weddings of Munnes’ Review – Comedic Circus
An Indian marriage ceremony can be a cyclonic roller-coaster ride that very few dare to ride again, but the protagonist of 2022 Indian series ‘The Great Weddings of Munnes’ has a bunch of ‘almost marriage’ attempts that take viewers on a pretty funny journey.
Spread over 10 episodes, “The Great Weddings of Munnes” stars Abhishek Banerjee as the titular character, a middle-class man who finally meets the girl of his dreams, only to have his hopes shattered soon after. The beautiful Mahi (played by Barkha Singh) agrees to marry Munnes, but an astrologer interrupts their ceremony midway, claiming that misfortune will soon befall the couple. The astrologer suggests that Munnes must marry and divorce another woman to lead a happy marital life with Mahi. Well, at least it’s not a tree or an animal. But human beings are always more challenging. A desperate Munnes goes bride-hunting with a motley crew of family members and even gets hitched to a witch!
Buoyed by an ensemble cast, Abhishek Banerjee romps this comedic drama, which has a generous dose of quintessential Indian humor, sprinkled with witty sarcasm throughout. Paresh Ganatra and Sunita Rajwar are effortlessly hilarious in their roles as Muness’ uncle and aunt. It was great to see Pankaj Dheer onscreen after a long time, he plays Mahi’s strict but supportive grandfather. Chetan Sharma was the only character to represent the younger generation in the cast – he plays an annoying cousin who constantly records everything on his phone.
The story is obviously grossly exaggerated and pretty predictable in parts, especially the episode leading to a horror-comedy break in the series where Munnes meets a ghost bride. Some of the stuff is blatantly racist, like a sub-plot about Munnes and gang pretending to be African royals and painting their faces with what looks like shoe polish. But it’s a gag, some will see the humor, some will take offense. Depending on the kind of mood you are in, you’d either love this show or be bored soon. I think it’s a great weekend pick to watch with the family and have a laugh.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me. Stream it on Voot.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
Listen/Watch – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
March 15, 2023
Ali and Steven Sharply Spar in ‘Beef’
Whoever decided to cast Steven Yeun and Ali Wong together need a nice big pat on the bag, because the duo look like they are going to be packing an entertaining as hell performance in the Netflix series ‘Beef’.
Directed by Lee Sung Jin, the series stars Ali Wong as wealthy but unhappy entrepreneur Amy Lau who crosses paths with Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) a ‘failing contractor’ in a road-rage incident and the two instantly become sworn enemies. They have their own separate lives to live, but choose to pursue a life of vengeance and bring out the worst in each other. The trailer doesn’t give too much away and promises to be a fun-filled ride with an interesting cast.
‘Amalia’ Book Review – Brims with Chaos & Hope
The opening pages of Aude Picault’s graphic novel ‘Amalia’ are filled with domestic chaos, as a couple tries to keep everything under control in their household. Between Amalia’s torpedo like toddler who is always creating a mess and her teen step-daughter who is constantly picking a fight with the dad, things always seem ‘too much’. She is forced to take a step back when she is diagnosed with a ‘burnout’ and asked to go on two weeks leave.
So, essentially, ‘Amalia’ is a chaotic but charming graphic novel about just how stressful life can be for an average middle-class couple, especially on the back of a pandemic that makes the future seem uncertain. Aude Picault’s simple, doodle-style artwork with its abundant use of whites and peachy tones, is a delightful feast for the eyes. The artist intentionally avoids boxing the artwork inside any set pattern, meaning there are no lines or borders demarcating one scene from the other. This choice may cause the story to seem a bit disorganized at first glance, but it is undoubtedly deliberate. The free-flowing messy art perfectly complements the book’s content. Aude also gives readers a break in between all the crazy stuff with some beautiful nature-themed pages in between.
I like how the author shows life from both Amalia’s and her teen step-daughter Nora’s perspective. On one hand Amalia is overwhelmed with her daily responsibilities, Nora goes through the usual teen motions of being enamored by a social-media personality and ending up being disillusioned by real life. Overall, ‘Amalia’ turned out to be a breezy read that I finished in one go.
It’s a 4 on 5 from me.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
Listen/Watch – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
March 14, 2023
‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ – Some Style, No Sense
A ‘fallen’ former cop breaks out of prison to solve the ongoing unsolved case of a global serial-killer. Directed by Jamie Payne, the 2023 Netflix movie ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ is based on a BBC series and has such a ludicrous plot that you would want to hit the fast-forward button multiple times.
Idris Elba stars as John Luther, the main character who battles his way through a swarm of prison inmates to get out of jail, then goes on to solve an outlandish case while being pursued by half of the city’s police force. What’s the case? Several youngsters across Europe go missing and then are either driven to their deaths or found murdered. Andy Serkis portrays a stock-like villain who would have fit more appropriately in a Batman or possibly a campy horror film. If the filmmakers aimed to create an exaggerated action flick with lots of violence and a psychotic antagonist, they should have injected more entertainment value into it. There’s not one witty or funny line throughout the runtime. Not one.
‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ suffers from lackluster dialogue and underdeveloped characters. For example, Cynthia Erivo plays DCI Odette Raine, who is in charge of the case Luther was looking into and we don’t know anything else about her. Interestingly, “Red Rose,” a teenage technological thriller, shares some similarities with this adult drama and manages to be far more gripping.
The biggest problem with this movie is that the filmmakers seem to assume that viewers will automatically believe Luther is a good guy, or perhaps they intended the movie solely for existing fans of the series. Either way, on its own, this Idris Elba flick doesn’t have much to boast about, apart from a star-studded cast whose potential is sadly wasted
It’s a 4 on 10 from me.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
Listen/Watch – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
Fuji Kaze Love All Serve All Concert
An aerial shot shows a packed stadium brimming with thousands of music fans awaiting the star of the show to appear on the stage. And then, slowly, Japanese artist Fuji Kaze emerges from a elevator lift draped in white garments, sitting peacefully in a meditative pose, like Buddha, but the ‘wise old man’ aura is dispersed immediately by his youthful voice filling the air. Kaze and his band enthrall the crowd for over an hour, with his energy never dipping. And the entire dreamy Osaka concert is available for fans to watch on Netflix.
If haven’t heard the Japanese star yet, maybe it’s time to discover some new music. Here’s a snippet from the show –
March 13, 2023
Blue Lock Episode 22 Review
The epic four verse four battle is still ongoing on ‘Blue Lock’, which is essentially turning out to be an all out soccer war of wits between Isagi Yoichi and numero uno Rin Itoshi. Those who read my review of episode 21 may recall my complaint about Bachira having an existential crisis in the middle of the most exciting match of his life. However, in episode 22, Bachira’s thoughts made more sense due to his follow-up actions.
(Read ‘Blue Lock’ Episode 1 Review if you have no idea what the show is about)
Titled ‘Voice’, episode 22 start off with a focus on Isagi’s mental strategy to defeat Rin, meanwhile, Bachira feels like an outsider despite being on-field and begins to seriously palpitate over how to dominate the game. Viewers get to see some demonic dribbling from the fiery-eyed player. Amid all the serious possessed thoughts, there are some hilarious moments during the tense face-off, mostly due to Barou and the bulky-jittery number 3 Aoshi Tokimitsu. I would’ve liked to see a little more of Aaryu, the guy who obsesses over ‘glam’ factor, because he is ranked at number 2 after all.
It feels like the animators are starting to slack off a little with the effects, because the animation was very choppy during close-up shots of the players running through the field. Even their body proportion felt a little off. Usually, the animators tend to show the faces, so viewers aren’t likely to notice the problems with the CGI, but it was quite apparent in this edition. I hope they buck up with the effect, otherwise the show continues to be an exaggerated but fun watch.
Those who expected the match to end with this episode are going to be disappointed, because it ends at a crucial maneuver and we still don’t know who is going to emerge victorious.
Stream the series on Netflix.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
isten/Watch – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
‘My Riot’ Book Review – Go Girls!
From its cover, story, characters, and songs, everything about ‘My Riot’ screams the ’90s, and I love it. Written by Rick Spears and illustrated by Emmett Helen, this graphic novel kept me engaged until it was over in what felt like a blink. While it may not be the most memorable book, it was fun while it lasted, and sometimes that’s all that matters.
Plot overview – 17-year-old Valerie Simmons is a ballerina who goes to an underground punk-rock show for the first time and immediately falls in love. So, she starts off a three-member girl band and realizes ballet isn’t worth all the effort.
The creators of ‘My Riot’ draw inspiration from many feminist girl bands, and the teen characters in the graphic novel are no less than rock stars themselves. The story begins on a slightly dark and grim note, as Valerie’s ballerina instructor is a strict and evil woman who expects her dancers to be unnaturally thin, even going as far as making veiled suggestions to underage girls that they should smoke to keep their hunger in check. The protagonist goes through a phase of self-loathing before discovering music and a rebellious new friend who helps her through her struggles.
The artwork is simple, expressive, and slightly grainy, a deliberate decision by the artist to give the story a retro touch. While the graphic novel isn’t black-and-white, the panels are mostly mono-chromatic and the pages are either in dull pink, purple or blue tones. Perhaps a more vibrant palette could’ve elevated the reading experience a lot more.
As for the plot and pace, Valerie’s transformation from a ballerina to a musician of sorts unfolds at a roller-coaster speed. Everything happens too fast and too conveniently, but it was still quite entertaining to read.
It’s a 4 on 5 from me.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
Listen to – 10 Graphic Novel Recommendations Under 10 Minutes
March 12, 2023
‘The Warp Effect’ Review – Wraps Too Much
What if your teenage self suddenly jumped to the future where you are a successful professional but apparently no longer best friends with all your high school buddies, whom you were literally hanging out with yesterday? Would you continue to live your current life to its fullest or instead try to fix all your past mistakes?
Directed by Ninew Pinya Chookamsri, the series stars New Thitipoom Techa-apaikhun as protagonist Alex, a high-school boy whose mother gives him a chastity ring, but he breaks his promise during a wild night of partying and wakes up in the future as a successful gynecologist. However, apparently he has burnt bridges with all his close friends and thinks solving their problems might help him go back to his original timeline.
Visually, the series looks great, it has an upbeat fun mood for most parts and a sharp looking cast. The plot however falters now and then. At a certain juncture, if feels like the creators made a long list of social issues they wanted to tackle and then portraying how they ought to be appropriately handled, ranging from underage sex and teen pregnancy to transphobia, infidelity, sexual preferences, unusual kinks and more. While the writers do handle some of the sub-plots well, they don’t do justice to all their themes and ‘The Warp Effect’ becomes a bit of a muddle. Ironically, the protagonist Alex has the most problematic plot as he wrongs his crush Jean (played by Fah Yongwaree Anilbol) and then simply expects her to forgive him easy.
The breakout star of this show is Fluke Pusit Dittapisit who plays Army, a jock who bullied Alex in High School but becomes his best-fried in the future as both become doctors. I last saw him in ‘Enchante’, where he played a supporting role that was more interesting than the leads, although he wasn’t as memorable in ‘The Shipper’, where he was one of the protagonists. As Army in ‘The Warp Effect’, Fluke is endearingly entertaining as a flirty gay doctor who wears his heart on his sleeves. His character could’ve been written in a better way, but Fluke carries of both sides of Army with ease – that of an insecure teen self who is in the closet and the older confident out-and-proud doctor who is sometimes too self-centrered. Thor Thinnapan Tantui plays Fluke’s crush Jo, and their chemistry was the strongest in this series. The other actor who stood out with her character’s portrayal was Gigie Chanunphat Kamolkiriluck as the beautiful single air-hostess Kat. Gigie is sassy, confident and sexy as Kat, a woman who has no interest in serious relationships and is vocal about what she wants, she doesn’t lead people on.
Viewers do get an interesting little twist towards the end to explain why Alex’s mother ‘cursed’ him, however, the resolution to his story is quite unrealistic. Regardless, ‘The Warp Effect’ was a fun show to watch.
It’s a 7/10 from me. Stream the series on YouTube.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
Listen to – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
March 11, 2023
Daisy Jones & The Six – Episodes 4, 5, 6 Review
By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
It’s songs, scenic sets, seventies vibes that keeps ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’ interesting! Episode three ended on a good cliff-hanger – Daisy finally met the band! But like a classic enemies-to-lovers tale, she obviously doesn’t get along with lead singer Billy Dunne. So, how are they going to share the spotlight? How is Billy Dunne going to deal with someone who stands up to him and calls him out on his BS?
Read: Daisy Jones & The Six – Episodes 1, 2, 3 Review
As I mentioned in my review of the first three episodes, the story feels a bit clichéd – a band dealing with drug use, hookups, fights, and eventually breaking up at the height of their success. The creators reveal much of the plot in the beginning, so there’s not a lot to anticipate. As someone who hasn’t read the novel, I can only speculate on what might have caused their “mysterious split,” which could be confirmed or disproven in the climactic episode. However, the beautifully shot show comes to life thanks to the original soundtrack by Tom Howe and Blake Mills. Riley Keough and Sam Claflin both learned to sing for the show and perform like professionals as Daisy and Billy Dunne, respectively.
Episodes 4, 5 and 6 focus on how Daisy and Billy get off on the wrong foot but eventually put their differences aside to collaborate on new songs. Together, the two start to write some of the biggest hits of the year and everybody around them can feel sparks between the two. While the lyrics in the series are great, the dialogues could’ve used more wit, charm and comedic flair. And I don’t really see the magical romantic chemistry between the lead pair. They are riveting in their “rock-star” roles, but just don’t mesh as lovebirds. ‘Daisy Jones and The Six’ has almost all ingredients write for a retro-rock-n-roll show, except for a gripping story and a “it couple”.
If you are a music fan, stream this series’ on Prime Video. It’s a 7 on 10 from me again.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
Listen to – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
Utsukushii Kare Season 2 Review – Bizarre-Sweet
The first episode of ‘Utsukushii Kare’ (My Beautiful Man) season two was so bloody entertaining, it made me wonder if the makers were really going to top season one? However, while the beginning was fun and comedic, the next two episodes completely change the tone and pace of the show.
Directed by Sakai Mai and adapted from a novel by Nagira Yuu, season two picks off months after where the first installment ended. Hagiwara Riku and Yagi Yusei reprise their roles as Hira Kazunari and Kiyoi Sou respectively. The two are now boyfriends and live together in Hira’s house. While Kiyoi has become a rising star in the entertainment industry, Hira is in his final year of college. As their peers begin to get part-time jobs, Hira begins to suffer from crippling doubts again, wondering if he is good enough for Kiyoi. Can the two weather the new self-deprecating storm Hira is suffering from?
It was Hagiwara Riku’s electric performance as the introverted intense Hira that drove season one and he continues to portray his frustrating character with perfection, but Yagi Yusei stands out as the dual-faced Kiyoi and poignantly shoulders his emotionally vulnerable scenes. Kiyoi keeps branding Hira’s excessive displays of love as ‘disgusting’ even though he enjoys every bit of attention, but he isn’t able to grasp the complexity of Hira’s feelings. So even though both men hope for a stable long-lasting relationship with each other, their fractured communication makes things needlessly stormy for them. Despite all the tension, their chemistry remains electric.
‘Utsukushii Kare’ an interesting study of how people prioritize self-preservation over love – Kiyoi refrains from verbalizing his passion for Hira, in turn, Hira convinces himself he is going to be dumped eventually and treats Kiyoi like his overlord instead of lover. On the surface, it looks like Kiyoi is the God and Hira his love-slave, but their relationship is steered by the emotional whims of the latter. Because of their needlessly complicated equation, some of the episodes feel frustrating as a viewer. You wonder why the leads are so cryptic, even though they have lived with each other for a while.
Just four episodes long, season two is aesthetically shot and introduces a few new characters but keeps a sharp focus on its protagonists. The climax offers an unexpectedly smooth resolution to the story and yet leaves a lot to be explored.
It’s a 7/10 from me.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
Listen to – Junji Ito’s Tomie – Quick Horror Manga Review
