Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 214

Plus & Minus – Quick Review

By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Eight out of ten times, the phrase ‘quick review’ on our website means whatever it is that we are reviewing… is probably skip-worthy. And so is the case for the 2022 Taiwanese romantic mini-series ‘Plus & Minus’, which may have a good-looking lead couple, but a non-existent story and an absolutely unnecessary second lead pair.

Cheng Zi Zhou (Max Lin) and Shi Cheng Hao (Fu Li Gong) are childhood best-friends, who work together at the same law firm and even live together. They are evidently in love with each other, but hide their feelings, until they cannot anymore. Surprise, surprise. These two have to be the world’s worst divorce lawyers, because they seem to know very little about how relationships work. The way the script makes them pretend to be platonic friends is far too childish for protagonists who are well into their late twenties.

You cannot really fault the actors for this insipid series, because both Max Lin and Fu Li Gong do complete justice to their half-hashed roles and do look like two people struggling with their emotions. So, yes, there is plenty of sexual tension between the two, their chemistry is great, and a better story-line would’ve made ‘Plus & Minus’ a lot more watchable. And then there’s the random secondary couple, the pretty looking bartender Kato Yuki (Zhen Qi Lei) and Jian Ying Ze (Matt Lee) who runs a laundry service right below the bar where Yuki works. Not only do Zhen Qi Lei and Matt Lee look completely odd as a couple, their acting skills are quite questionable too.

Twelve episodes long, it was hard to keep my interest up after the first few, but I did watch it till the end, by skipping a bunch of scenes. If you’ve run out of gay romances to watch, you could just fast-forward the parts with the other couple and save some time. On the bright side, the series has a feel-good happy ending, with some watch-worthy romantic scenes.

It’s a 5/10 from me.

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Ep 73 – Cobalt Blue, A Book Vs Film Review (Spoilers Ahead)

Thor Love and Thunder: Waititi’s Goofy Little Wonder

Look, if you loved ‘Thor: Ragnarok’, you will LOVE Taika Waititi’s 2022 Marvel offering ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, even though the two films are world apart. Ragnarok was all about Thor’s awakening as the Asgard God and defeating his evil sister, while this later film is a little less personal and a lot more goofier, despite a diabolical antagonist.

The movie starts off with the genesis of the villain, so there’s no confusion or suspense over what he wants, which works out quite well for the story. Christian Bale plays Gorr ‘the God Butcher’, who is going around the galaxy, seeking the death of all Gods and the cause of his vengeful mission is explained in the first few minutes. He is ghost-like and terrifying in the role, really makes one think he could make a damn good Voldemort in the Harry Potter universe. Bale’s got his American Psycho mode on, but at an epic level, he isn’t seeking the lives of petty humans, but Gods themselves. It’s up to Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to stop Gorr and he he teams up Korg, King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) with his ex-girlfriend Dr Jane Foster AKA The Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman) who now wields his ex-weapon Mjolnir.

‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ is unlike most Marvel movies, it strays from the typical superhero realm, and almost feels like a lavish fantasy-themed play in motion, with Gods, superheroes, supervillains, aliens, talking trees, talking rocks, giant goats and what not! And most importantly, it’s made like a children’s film. Director Taika Waititi voices Korg and also serves as a hilarious narrator for the movie through the character. So to those who don’t remember much from the old Thor movies, Korg is always filling up the holes with his quick recaps of who is who.

Chris Hemsworth is back to being the ripped God he is, while the superhero looks sits well with Natalie Portman. There are a lot of killer photo-op worthy battle scenes in the flick, even though there aren’t as epic as the awakening scene from Ragnarok, where Thor descends from the sky, Led Zepellin’s Immigrant song playing at the back; that’s one of the greatest sequences in the MCU. The climactic battle isn’t firework inducing, but was super fun, due to a surprise element which some fans might find amazing, some might go ‘meh’.

After a lot of jokes, silliness, the climax was emotional and cliched, but considering the theme is “love and thunder”, the ending fit well with the overall story. And while there isn’t a lot of romance, this film goes miles ahead of other MCU movies in terms of LGBTQ+ representation, Valkyrie is a lesbian, Korg’s into dudes and there’s also a pivotal trans character. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough time for character development, nobody gets enough screen-space, and often-time it might seem like a chaotic mess. But a fun chaotic mess. The Guardians of The Galaxy have a amusing little cameo at the beginning, and that’s that.

I found the movie’s humorous casual tone to be entertaining as hell, not something we are used to seeing a lot. There are two post-credit scenes, so watch out for them. It’s a 8/10 from me!

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How America Chavez in Doctor Strange Is Different From The Comics

Major Review – Starts Slow, Gets Gritty & Stirring

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s story is the stuff legends are made of – the 26/11 martyr saved several lives and went down fighting terrorists in one of the deadliest terror attacks in India; NSG commandos remember his last words to be “don’t come up, I will handle them”. It’s with these very same selfless last words that the 2022 movie “Major” begins… a biopic celebrating the Major’s life and saluting his sacrifice.

Directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka, the film stars Adivi Sesh as Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and explores his life before he joined the army. So we get flashbacks of a little Sandeep completely in awe of men in uniform; the boy dreams of being joining the Indian forces when he grows up. Saiee Manjrekar plays Sandeep’s high-school sweetheart Isha, so there’s a romantic sub-plot before the story moves to how the Major and his team battled through the 26/11 siege at the iconic Taj Hotel.

The first 45 minutes of the film focussing on Sandeep’s personal life is slow, uninteresting and it’s largely because Adivi Sesh looks completely unconvincing as a teenager/high-school student. It makes you wonder why the makers didn’t use CGI to make him look younger/lankier, despite having an evidently lavish budget at their disposal; especially considering how older actors like Tabu (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2) and Aamir Khan (Lal Singh Chaddha) have had their youthful charms digitally restored in onscreen, they look more fresh than Adivi Sesh. Prakash Raj and Revathi play onscreen Mr & Mrs Unnikrishnan, and despite having small cameos, they kind of steal Sesh’s thunder with their powerfully poignant performances as parents who lose their only son.

‘Major’ shines best when the action-packed part of the 26/11 attacks unfold – from the terrorists’ arrival by boat, multiple bombings, the takeover of Taj hotel, a murderous massacre and the eventual face-off with armed forces. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan leads NSG commandos to battle an unknown number of terrorists rampaging through the gilded corridors of the Taj hotel. Some of the violence is surprisingly mellow, perhaps to make the material more family friendly, so the intensity of bloody-trail doesn’t register the way it otherwise would’ve. Sobhita Dhulipala plays a hotel guest called Pramoda Reddy, and is the only victim who gets some sort of story to herself. The rest are just nameless animals in a slaughterhouse.

The second-half feels like a completely different film altogether, it’s paced like an action thriller, with tense moments and well-crafted combat scenes. But just when the plot thickens, the pace is unduly disrupted by the nonlinear story-telling – we get a flashback of Adivi Sesh’s private life amid the carnage, to drive home the point how soldiers are made to put their family life on the backseat to drive the country forward. Prakash Raj literally says it in a voice-over – soldiers make many personal sacrifices for their nation. Sashi Kiran Tikka and team forget the golden rule of “show and tell” and feel the need to blatantly voice the obvious. But thankfully, they don’t do it too often.

The climactic battle is slightly over-the-top, Adivi Sesh is almost Terminator-like in his final moments, a one-man army against a gang of terrorists. The exaggerations felt unnecessary, because when the pall of death finally falls upon Major Sandeep, it feels unreal, since they made him seem invincible. The emotional catharsis comes only after the news of his death reaches his parents ears and the couple breaks down. Revathi and Praskash Raj deliver gut-wrenching moments of grief, making the viewers feel their devastation. The film wraps up with a tearful farewell to the martyr and honors his memory as the hero he was.

You can stream the film on Netflix. It’s a 7/10 from me.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – AbstractAF

Ep 76 – 10 Book Reviews Under 10 Minutes #14th Edition

Amsterdam Trailer – Looks Like A Fun Trip

David O Russell is pulling out all stops for his upcoming film ‘Amsterdam’, not only does he have Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington headlining the ensemble cast, he has an arsenal of popular names waltzing in and out of the story, enough to draw all kinds of cinema fans to the theaters. From Hollywood icon Robert De Niro to pop star Taylor Swift, it’s raining stars in Amsterdam!

Now ensemble films can either be entertaining as hell or plain forgettable, and going by David O Russell’s trailer for his new offing, looks like it is going to be the latter. The plot itself is intriguing, set in the 1930s, ‘Amsterdam’ is about three close friends who are prime suspects in the murder case of an old man. Christian Bale leads the quirky trio, he is a witty doctor with a fake eye, Margot Robbie was almost unrecognizable at first glance as a nurse from the 30s, while John David Washington plays an attorney who got his degree from Columbia Law School. Thick as thieves, the three friends must solve the murder mystery or it would be their lives on the line.

The trailer starts off with a confused African-American (Chris Rock) asking the friends why is there a ‘dead white man in a box’ and warning about them about the shit-storm that could ensue. Having directed hits like “American Hustle” and “Silver Linings Playbook” in the past, it seems like David O Russell has another delicious dark comedy up his sleeves! Watch the trailer below.

The Man From Toronto Review – Fun One Time Watch

By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Look, the first few seconds of this film is slightly misleading – it has Kevin Hart shooting ridiculous fitness videos that aren’t funny at all, and you’ll probably have your nose scrunched up wondering if you should continue watching it. Wait a little… it gets a little better and funnier. Maybe not rib-tickling funny, but it has enough ‘laugh out loud’ moments to make for an entertaining watch.

Directed by Patrick Hughes, Netflix film ‘The Man From Toronto’ is about how a dumb unemployed guy called Teddy (Kevin Hart) gets mistaken for a deadly assassin, due to a few goof-ups on his part. Woody Harrelson plays the titular character, a famous hit-man whose real identity is unknown. Miraculously, the dimwit Teddy doesn’t get himself killed and now the ‘Man From Toronto’ is on his heels, wondering why a jobless idiot has people convinced he is the world’s most dangerous killer.

Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson surprisingly make a fun onscreen duo, might remind some of the famous Jackie Chan – Owen Wilson pairing in action comedies, except that this 2022 flick doesn’t have enough action and well, nobody in this cast can kick butt like Chan. Hart’s Teddy is dumb, annoying and talks a little too much, even more than ‘Donkey’ from Shrek! Woody Harrelson plays the Canadian version of his character from ‘Zombieland’, a cool calm killer with a heart of gold. The banter between these two very contrasting characters is quite hilarious. Jasmine Matthews plays Teddy’s wife Lori, and is absolutely charming every time she comes on screen. “How did Teddy land such a girl?” is a million dollar question.

Thankfully, the romantic bits are very limited, and the makers keep their focus on the action-comedy bit. However, there aren’t many hand-to-hand combat scenes, but there are plenty of people dying and things blowing up to keep the action quotient up. One sequence in the second half reminded me of Rohit Shitty’s Bollywood films and his love for exploding cars. With a decent plot, ample witty one liners and a reliable cast, ‘The Man From Toronto’ might be exaggeratedly silly in parts, but it also makes it funny and good enough for a casual weekend stream. Watch it on Netflix.

It’s a 6.5/10 from me.

Old Fashion Cupcake Review – Sugary Mini-Series

By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The 2022 Japanese mini-series ‘Old Fashion Cupcake’ sucks you into a world which doesn’t seem contemporary and is yet very much set in the present. Directed by Kato Ayaka, it tells the story of handsome hard-working Nozue (Takeda Kouhei), who is almost 40 and still single. His mundane daily life is shaken up when his junior colleague Togawa (Tatsunari Kimura) takes him to a dessert cafe and suggests they hang out like young girlfriends do, in order for him to feel youthful.

Adapted from a fluffy-looking light Manga series of the same name by Sagan Sagan, the basic premise might seem a little silly to some – two men play pretend at cafes, to eat desserts, take selfies and gossip about stuff like women, because Nozue thinks girlfriends have it better, their friendships seem a lot more fun and fulfilling than friendship between men. Takeda Kouhei and Tatsunari Kimura however deliver their lead roles with such sincerity, they breathe an intense authenticity to the series about a 29-year-old who is in love with his older boss.

Amid the crush of teen romances, ‘Old Fashion Cupcake’ is a delightful break about two busy working adults trying to make some time for the lighter things in life. The first episode begins with a satisfying montage of Nozue’s morning routine, including cooking up a delicious breakfast spread. Takeda Kouhei is endearing as the technology challenged Nozue, blissfully unaware of his charm, happy to just go about his routine life. Tatsunari Kimira as the younger, attractive Togawa possesses a subtle sensual aura, which generates palpable sexual tension between his character and Nozue. The onscreen chemistry between the actors is off the charts, too bad there are only 5 episodes, but it gives viewers a crisp romance that can be binge-watched in one go.

The cinematography is simple, the makers use a lot of warm colors which add a touch of domesticity to the office scenes. International viewers get an interesting glimpse into the Japanese work-life and their concept of ‘mixers’, where single working professionals go drinking in hopes of landing a date by the end of the evening. Overall, ‘Old Fashion Cupcake’ is a sweet slow-burn romance, with the leads having known each for a couple of years. We get nostalgic flashbacks to understand Togawa’s fiery infatuation with Nozue; it helps that they make a strikingly good-looking pair.

Watch the show over a weekend for some ‘old-fashioned’ romance, that’s filled with dates, desserts, yearning, stolen smiles and a few tears. It’s a 8/10 from me.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – AbstractAF

Ep 73 – Cobalt Blue, A Book Vs Film Review (Spoilers Ahead)

Darlings Teaser – Intriguing, Gives Little Away

Netflix dropped the official teaser for the movie ‘Darlings’ starring Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma and Roshan Mathew. Directed by Jasmeet K Reen, the teaser is how teasers should be – it barely gives anything away.

Going by the first look, Alia’s character romances Vijay Sharma and all the protagonists belong to modest lower middle-class families. Alia narrates the famous frog-scorpion fable over the teaser, one which was interestingly featured in another Netflix production – Umbrella Academy (Season 2). For those unfamiliar with the fable, it’s a cautionary tale about how a scorpion seeks a frog’s help to cross the river, then stings it mid-way, dooming both of them to their deaths. What’s the moral? Evil people can be self-destructive and cannot be trusted even with their own lives. Basically – never trust a scorpion/snake (might as well go back to the Biblical example of Adam and Eve eh).

Anyway, back to ‘Darlings’, the teaser is very reminiscent the popular crime series ‘Crime Patrol’, where a lot of the murder cases were love affairs gone wrong. There’s definitely a murder mystery lurking in there somewhere in this film and both Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah make a formidable onscreen pair. Roshan Matthew seems to be the new Netflix ‘darling’, the Malayalam actor was last seen in the 2022 pacy political thriller ‘Night Drive’ ; he is starring in a pivotal role in feature-length Bollywood film for the first time.

The movie will be available to stream on Netflix on August 5. Watch the teaser below –

The Lost Carnival Review – A Rushed Ride

Before becoming Batman’s sidekick, the young Robin was Dick Grayson, an acrobat part of a family circus act called ‘The Flying Graysons’. Michael Moreci, Sas Milledge and Phil Hester re-imagine Dick’s circus life as a teenager in the graphic novel ‘The Lost Carnival’. DC fans will have to assume this story is set in a completely different universe, since Robin loses his parents when he just eight in the Batman comics, but here he is well into his late teens and quite angst-y about life.

While I was expecting lavish colorful comic panels, the artwork has a limited palette, but still managed to enthrall me. The book feels like a slow-motion vintage reel, set in a lost time, before the existence of invasive technology took over our lives. The story unfortunately wasn’t arresting at all. It’s a rushed muddled romance about how Dick Grayson falls in love with a mysterious girl who works for a rival traveling company called ‘The Lost Carnival’, that’s eating away the earnings of the circus Grayson’s family performs for.

So, there’s the age-old ‘star-crossed lovers’ trope – two kids from rival groups falling for each other, just as quickly and ridiculously as Romeo & Juliet. Grayson’s best-friend however finds out there’s more to ‘The Lost Carnival’ than meets the eye and trouble soon starts to brew between the two camps. Honestly, if it weren’t for the artwork, it would’ve been extremely difficult to keep my interest up in the story. Everything is too random, too cliched and even though it wasn’t predictable as such, it wasn’t enjoyable. It feels like the creators were a little lost about what to do with this tale or lacked the time and space to do better.

Anybody picking this up for a gritty dark Robin origin story is probably going to be disappointed. The story is far too different from life in Gotham, mixing fantasy, black-magic and what not. It would be best to treat it as a standalone comic that’s got nothing to do with the Batverse.

It’s a 3/5 from me.

To My Star 2 Review – Shines Brighter Than 1

There are times, when you do everything right in a relationship, and yet, love might walk out on you, leaving only a crippling heartache and a whole lot of questions behind. The ‘why?’ is never easy. Director Hwang Da Seul and team tell one such break-up story in the 2022 Korean series ‘To My Star 2: Our Untold Stories’.

Actors Son Woo Hyun and Kim Kang Min reprise their roles as lead pair Seo Joon and Ji Woo respectively. While season one of this series felt too rushed, the sequel moves at a slightly more relaxed place, even though things start sad – Ji Woo ghosts Seo Joon after dating him for a year and disappears without a trace. It takes almost a year for Seo Joon to track Ji Woo down so that he can ask him ‘what went wrong?’. The series tries to untangle their failed relationship and if they would get a second shot, all this while Seo Joon is facing problems in his acting career and Ji Woo is struggling to run an Italian restaurant in a rural village.

Quite frankly, I was expecting some sort of a nefarious villain, or some dramatic twist behind the break-up, but in a pleasant surprise, the reason is a lot more personal, simple yet complex at the same time. Woo Hyun is lovable and charming as the persistent Seo Joon, who continues to wear his feelings on his sleeves, speaking his mind, leaving no scope for any misunderstanding. Kang Min nails his part as the grumpy but cute Ji Woo who prefers to bottle up all his feelings and alienate those who care for him. He is not an easy man to be in a relationship with, but viewers get some flashbacks to understand why he is the way he is. Unlike some series, where a protagonist is made to do terrible things and those actions are defended through some sort of ‘childhood trauma’ excuse, Ji Woo doesn’t do anything evil, he just pushes himself away from others to save himself from getting hurt.

Spread over 10 episodes, season Two felt more engaging than the first one, not only because the characters are familiar, but Son Woon Hyu and Kim Kang Min are a lot more comfortable around each other, their chemistry as the lead pair is adorable in the romantic moments of the story. The cinematography was clean, simple and aesthetically pleasing. Despite the man character Seo Joon being a popular actor, viewers don’t get flashy or over the top scenes displaying wealth or celebrity culture. Thankfully, even the make-up department goes easy on the actors, so they don’t look like caked-up idols gearing up for a dance show. The focus remains largely on the emotional aspects, and the script is a lot more well thought out.

Despite its serious theme of heartbreak, there’s ample subtle humor peppered throughout the runtime to make this cold romance feel more like a summer breeze. Jeon Jae Yeong as Seo Joon’s talent+crisis manager Pil Hyun is amusing as the one who has to constantly handle things when they get out of hand. New additions Jang Hee Won and child actor Lee Ji Yun play Ji Woo’s new neighbors and their mother-daughter sub-plot is seamlessly woven into the primary story.

While there are a few plot-holes, a wholesome sweet climactic episode 10 might wash of any sort of complains most viewers will have. Son Woo Hyun and Kim Kang Min are freaking adorable together, like two sweet dumplings dishing out some super-cute romantic moments in the end. Someone should give them another series to star in as the lead couple. It’s a 7.5/10 from me.

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Ep 77 – A Look At Gender Queer The Graphic Novel

Flavor Issue 5 & 6 Review

‘Flavor’ the comic book series finally seems like its heading somewhere with issue #5, with protagonist Xoo entering in a culinary competition which seems like a BIG deal. Created by by Joseph Keatinge, Wook Jin Clark (Artist), Tamra Bonvillain (Colorist) and Ariana Maher (Letters), one of the best things about this series is the bright, colorful comic panels. The vibrant shades add a festive mood to everything, it feels like you really are at a market that’s wafting with all sorts of delectable fragrant foods.

Also Read: Flavor Issue 1 & 2 Review

The writers subtly explore class differences in issue #5 and #6, for example despite the culinary competition being open to all at a certain price, contestants get preferential treatment. Unlicensed chefs like Xoo are considered third class citizens. Story-wise, the comics don’t really pick up too much steam, although we do get hints of a mystery and some possible new twists, especially with regards to the character of Anant Kaur, the kid who lands himself a spot in a fancy cooking school.

Some more character building would’ve been nicer, we still don’t know anything about Anant or even Xoo for that matter, except for the fact that they want to be cooks and love cooking. All the bright colors and carnival like panels cannot make issue #6 as lively as a comic book should be. I found my interest dwindling in the series again and was disappointed with the lack of action. There’s just one very typical domestic fight between Xoo and her uncle over money and business, nothing else. Also, it seems like the series was discontinued, with no new issues since 2018. SO… DO NOT READ THIS SERIES.