Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 217

‘Live Is Life’ Review – Slice of Spanish Summer

Set against the expansive greenery of rural Galicia, the 2021 film ‘Live Is Life’ is a laid-back summer story about five friends spending their vacation together in 1985. So there’s a lot of talking, cycling, swimming, laughing and some fighting. I’ve never even been to Spain, but some scenes reminded me of the summer vacations we would spend at our grandparent’s village in the 90s, without the luxury of technological distractions.

Directed by Dani de la Torre, ‘Live Is Life’ is largely shot outdoors, against thick forests and lakes that look like post-card pictures. The five teen boys plan go hiking on a mountain known for a magical flower, each has their own reason for seeking it out. For example, one of them hopes to fix his grades, while another hopes the flower could help wake his father from a coma. The boys are often bullied or chased by mean older college boys riding motorcycles, which seemed a little far-fetched, but added a touch of excitement to the otherwise leisurely paced story.

The friendships between the boys is sweet, they behave like kids their age, and chat about things that range from completely silly to rather profound. All the young actors do a great job slipping into their roles, while the adults have very brief cameos, mostly only to mind the boys. Dani de la Torre and team strike a fine balance between the serious and silly, it’s what makes a lot of moments from the film very relatable. And anybody who has ever spent a school summer vacation in the countryside will get reminiscent about being a kid.

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

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‘Let Them All Talk’ Review – Mundane

My blind belief and love for Meryl Streep made me have a ‘watch party’ on Amazon Prime to stream the 2020 movie ‘Let Them All Talk’. One girlfriend joined from Mumbai, the other from Krakow and the three of us watched this film about three friends in anticipation of a crescendo… that never came. The problem is, the characters don’t talk all that much, and when they do, it isn’t as engaging as you’d expect it to be.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the film is about a famous Pulitzer winning author Alice (Streep), who is traveling on a cruise to receive an award in England and has invited two estranged friends on the luxurious ship in a bid to re-connect with them. Dianne Wiest plays practical friend Susan who works with domestic abuse victims, while Candice Bergen plays the only interesting character in the entire cast – the divorced Roberta who sells lingerie and thinks Alice ruined her life by writing about her. So, she attempts to lure rich men on the cruise and blatantly ignores Alice on the trip.

Streep-Wiest-Bergen are terrific trio, but since their friendship in the story is fraught, they never really talk heart-to-heart and come off as a bunch of boring old ladies. There’s a mundane sub-plot involving Alice’s nephew Tyler (Lucas Hedges) who accompanies her on the ship and tries to spark a romance with his aunt’s agent Karen (Gemma Chan). Now Tyler and Karen are young, but they are just as dull as a lonely old person waiting to retire so they can stare at empty spaces the whole day.

Maybe there is a lesson for viewers, about how life can be terribly lonely for famous eccentric authors, and that you won’t necessarily be forgiven if you’ve wronged a friend… but do we need to watch a boring film to learn life can be mundane, painful and sad? I don’t think so.

It’s a 5/10 from me.

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Reading ‘Blue’ by Emmelie Prophete

I’ve been trying to finish ‘Blue’ by Emmelie Prophete, and I tried even harder to stir up enough interest within me to keep reading a few more pages each day… but it didn’t happen. I gave up after reading half the book, because despite the author’s beautiful poetic writing, there’s is no coherent narrative and things start to feel repetitive.

Translated by Tina Kover, it’s written in first person and the narrator starts off by talking about her mother and aunts and what it’s like to grow up as a girl in a country “when it was no place to be born and no place to be female”. She speaks of leaving home, of dreaming of a better tomorrow, of happiness always being a little out of reach. The reader at the beginning of the novel is informed this is a work of fiction, the characters imaginary, yet the words feel deeply personal, like your are thumbing through someone’s private diary meant for the eyes of those near and dear. While works like these can be engaging, here it felt like you needed to know the women personally to care about the narrator’s thoughts. And those thoughts are all over the place.

Blue is like a long never-ending poem, where the poet rambles on and on and on… reading this book is like watching a river flow through a forest, sure, it looks beautiful, maybe even calming, but after a point, you are going to get bored and move on to doing something else.

After over a week of struggling through the first sixty pages, I stopped reading it. So no rating from me. It’s just not meant for everybody. Maybe you’d like it. Or not.

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Footfairy Review – Dry Dialogues Kill This Murder Mystery

Gulshan Devaiah plays CBI inspector Vivan Deshmukh, who heads the investigation into a string of peculiar serial-killings in Mumbai in the 2020 crime-drama ‘Footfairy’. An ingenious killer murders women around railway stations, cuts off their feet and leaves the bodies for the police to find. Without a trace of evidence.

Directed by Kanishk Verma, the plot about a bunch of cops trying to nab a serial-killer with a foot-fetish is definitely intriguing. However, for those who’ve lived in Mumbai, it’s hard to believe that a sparsely populated Bandra station can exist at 11 pm on any given day, or that roads can be deserted along local rail lines in a city that barely sleeps. But for the sake of enjoying a fictional murder mystery, we can let those details slide by. However, despite a riveting story, the banter and dialogues between the cops and characters in general are very dry and boring. There are a few clever or funny liners in between, but not enough to keep a two hour long film engaging.

The characters oftentimes over-explain situations, so the script feels patronizing; maybe the intention was to make things simpler for those who aren’t used to watching crime dramas or are unfamiliar with fetishes. However, in a bid to befriend those new to the genre, the makers alienate seasoned crime fans. Any episode of the Indian series ‘Crime Patrol’ is a lot more entertaining than ‘Footfairy’, in-fact Verma and team even borrow a dialogue or two from Crime Patrol officers; like a line that goes “kundali nikaalo iski”, metaphor for doing a thorough background check.

There’s a small romantic sub-plot involving Vivan Deskhmukh and a pediatrician called Devika (Sagarika Ghatge in a very awkward cameo) which is tied to the primary plot but could’ve been completely avoided. It does nothing but slow the story down and there’s zero chemistry between the two actors. Devaiah has better onscreen partnership with all the actors playing his colleagues.

An open-ended climax was the most disappointing aspect of this film, viewers are left to make their own calculations and for all you know, maybe the real murderer was never shown in the story. Had this been a franchise, say like a Sherlock Holmes, where amid multiple stories there is one case left unsolved, it might’ve been okay, but for a new standalone film with a slow-burn investigation, the ‘go figure’ ending was exceedingly frustrating.

It’s a 5/10 from me. You can stream the film on Netflix.

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Too Old For Fairy Tales Review: Low-Key Entertaining

Most kids munch chips while playing games, but little Waldek snacks on a bowl of chocolates as he fights opponents on the computer. The boy dreams of winning a gaming tournament with his team, but when his mother puts him in the care of an eccentric aunt for a few days, Waldek is forced to live a completely different life than he is used too. That’s the primary plot of 2022 Polish movie ‘Za Duzy Na Bajki’ aka ‘Too Old For Fairy Tales’, and if having to watch a pampered overweight kid deal with a disciplinarian old nut sounds like a fun film idea to you, definitely stream it on Netflix.

Directed by Kristoffer Rus, the family-comedy is based on a novel by Agnieszka Dabrowska. Maciej Karas plays protgaonist Waldec with ease, he is annoying at first, but slowly grows on the viewer. Dorota Kolak is wickedly amusing as the ‘psycho’, who takes away all of Waldek’s chocolates the moment mom is out of the building and tries to teach him the importance of moderation. From the poster, ‘Za Duzy Na Bajki’ appeared to be just another film about kids playing games and creating trouble, but it turned out be more wholesome than I was expecting it to be.

The cinematography is simple, bright and compliments the linear straightforward storytelling. In an interesting decision, the makers use minimal background music to enhance scenes and it works in making the characters and situations believable. There are a lot of little life lessons along with a generous sprinkling of subtle humor throughout the film; however the most important theme is perhaps a warning against helicopter parenting. Karolina Gruszka plaus Waldek’s over-protective mother Teresa, who is absolutely supportive of his gaming ambitions, but is also constantly hovering over him, doing everything for him. Kids needs some independence too.

Unlike the English title of the film, the climax does have a cliched ‘happy ending’ straight out of a modern fairy tale, so you will probably finish the movie with a smile.

It’s a 7/10 from me.

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Listen TO – Five Graphic Novel Adaptations Worth Checking Out

Valley Of The Dead – Quick Movie Review

The Spanish zombie horror film ‘Valley of The Dead’ ( Original title – Malnazidos ) is a comedic-period piece that will only amuse zombie-horror fans. So I was amused and entertained.

Directed by Alberto De Toro and Javier Ruiz Caldera, ‘Malnazidos’ is set sometime during the Spanish Civil War and starts off with a wedding horribly gone wrong. A community is gathered outside a church to celebrate a wedding in their small Spanish village, when a band of Nazis arrive at the scene and gun them down. Meanwhile, Captain Jan Lozano (Miki Esparbe) is sent on a dangerous mission with a young soldier and the two land in the hands of enemy soldiers on their way, but they have a bigger problem – zombies. Rival soldiers are forced to unite against diseased men & women who rise back from their deaths to eat those alive.

The plot-line is intriguing to say the least, there are enough zombie flicks out there, but ‘Malnazidos’ makes things crazy by setting the plot during the Spanish civil war, a time when soldiers would’ve never thought they’d encounter something worse than blood-thirty Nazis. What’s worse than a Nazi? A zombie Nazi! In large parts, the film is breezy in tone, it doesn’t get too serious, but is not an out and out horror comedy either.

For a timeline where people weren’t as familiar with zombies the characters in the film are quick on their feet and don’t make dumb decisions, despite struggling to understand what they are dealing with. And most characters are soldiers, they sure know how to work a gun and kill a walking dead person. (Reminds me of how irritated I was with some characters in the series ‘All Of Us Are Dead’, especially because they literally mention ‘Train To Busan’, yet not behave like they are in a life-and-death situation).

Unfortunately, this a very generic zombie flick, with little suspense and close to zero nail-biting scenes. While stories that explain the origins of a zombie outbreak tend to feel more satisfactory, ‘Malnazidos’ would’ve been better off keeping it a mystery. Overall, it’s a decent watch for horror fans.

For a zombie flick, it’s a 6/10 from me. You can stream it on Netflix.

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Listen to Ep 39 -15 Horror Films You Might Want To Skip

Five Graphic Novel Adaptations Worth Checking Out

By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

A lot of times you want to read a book, but just cannot squeeze in the time in your busy day. That’s why we have graphic novels – long standalone comics that make time fly by.

Listen to the latest episode on Abstract AF’s podcast where I recommend 5 graphic novel adaptations of popular fiction books. They may not capture the essence of the originals in their entirety, but are engaging and delightful nonetheless. These books are absolutely worth checking out if you’ve never had the time to read the long-form versions.

Shazam! Fury of The Gods Seems Bigger & Funnier

Warner Brothers and DC dropped the official trailer for ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’, a sequel to the 2019 Zachary Levi Starrer Shazam. Unlike most dark-themed DC films, ‘Shazam’ was on the brighter side, bringing some much needed comic-relief to DC’s superhero content, and the sequel promises to do the same.

Directed by David F Sandberg again, ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ follows from where the first film ended – all of Shazam’s foster siblings gain superpowers and the kids fight crime as a family. But two Gods are unhappy with the new superheroes and are after their powers. Helen Mirren plays Hespera, a Hela-like villain, along with Lucy Liu… and the two look wickedly good in the teaser. So it’s going to be a pretty cool duo against the Shazam kids. And… there are dragons!

It’s a pretty entertaining trailer, with some hilarious moments and Zachary Levi reprising his role as the feisty, silly but endearing Shazam. Watch the trailer below –

The Gray Man Review – A Shade Between Dull & Fun

By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Unlike its title, one of the first few scenes in ‘The Gray Man’ is a blindingly bright burst of colors and fireworks light up the Bangkok skyline. However, except for the literal colors, there aren’t too many shades or layer to the 2022 action movie starring directed by the Russo brothers.

Plot overview: Ryan Gosling plays ‘Six’, a CIA operative, who while on a mission comes in possession of an explosive pen-drive filled with incriminating evidence against someone powerful in the agency. This leads to a global manhunt against Six, led by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a ‘psychopath’ in-charge of an army of assassins.

Ryan Gosling is basically an American Rajinikanth in this stylish spy-action story, who has dozens of trained killers from all over the world on his trail, but he jumps from planes/trains/cars/buildings with just a few scratches to show for them. There’s too much money spent on lavish locations, instead of the actual storytelling and action direction. ‘The Gray Man’ does have a very satisfying amount of guns, grenades and fight scenes… but they all feel… generic. I couldn’t help but think how ‘The Man From Toronto’ was more entertaining than this, where Woody Harrelson played a character which was a mix of both Six and Lloyd Hansen.

There is no faulting the actors in ‘The Gray Man’, they do their briefs right. Ryan Gosling is interesting as Six, he might not be as suave or dashing as 007 AKA James Bond, but is just fine for the role he’s been given. Chris Evans does a fantastic job of playing a psychotic killer who has no morals and would blow up a room full of newborn babies if the mission paid enough. Ana De Armas plays CIA agent Dani Miranda, who gets caught up in Six’s troubles and decides to help him out. All the other actors have brief small cameos. A small sub-plot to show ‘Six’ isn’t just a cold-blooded agent who kills felt contrived, had it given more screen space, it might have evoked the emotional connect the makers for hoping for. Instead, the little cliches become annoying and the pace begins to grate. It’s the kind of film that thinks it’s brilliantly clever, but is actually trying too hard to be a cut above the rest.

As an Indian viewer, I kept waiting for the Dhanush cameo, which finally came in the second half of the film, and even though it wasn’t exactly a ‘blink & miss’ part, wish he had a few more dialogues or some more screen time. It’s evident they roped in him to ensure there was enough bait to get all the Indian fans to watch it. With a lukewarm climax, ‘The Gray Man’ might be a great looking action film, but quite forgettable and does no value addition to the action genre.

It’s a 5/10 from me.

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Listen To: Persuasion Review – Anne With A Drinking Problem

Triage Review: Curious Case of Time-Loop Trials

Emergency doctor Tin isn’t new to patients dying around him, but when he isn’t able to save a college student’s life, not only is he pulled up by his senior at the hospital for not doing better, he finds himself waking up the same day again and again, and saving the young man could be the key to getting out of the ‘time-loop’ nightmare! Tae Darvid and Tee Thanapon play leads in the 2022 sci-fi/medical-mystery ‘Triage’, a 13 episode long series.

Directed by Aum Natthaphong Aroonnet, ‘Triage’ is a surprisingly fast-paced thriller of sorts, with a dash of romance and two charming actors at the helm. There’s also an intriguing sub-plot involving an organ donation racket at the hospital, which is being run covertly by a senior doctor. So the writers also explore the rampant corruption, exploitation and medical malpractices in the field. How the fate of the two protagonists is intertwined doesn’t make a lot of sense, at least not logically, but it does work from a romantic point of view.

Tae Darvid is convincing as the young cynical Dr Tin, who finds himself stuck in a time-loop and must save a youth who he thinks might not deserves rescuing. Tee Thanapon is the patient in question, a handsome wealthy student called Tol, who is aptly described as one of the characters in the show as someone who likes a charming ‘Korean Idol’. Most viewers probably saw Tee last in ‘The Miracle of Teddy Bear’, where he plays a sweet grounded delivery boy, but it’s in ‘Triage’ where Tee gets to show off his acting prowess. His character starts off as an aloof arrogant rich boy, but as the plot progresses, he grows into a empathetic caring young man. Same goes for Tae Darvid’s Dr Tin. So none of the usual ‘opposites attract’ spiel here.

It’s hard to say how accurate the medical equipment and jargon thrown around by the characters in the series is, but for an average viewer with only basic knowledge of how hospitals work, ‘Triage’ makes for a gripping watch. There’s both enough hospital drama and events happening outside of the clinical premises to keep the plot engaging. Even though the organ racket plot felt a little to easy, for the way the ‘corrupt’ doctors were carrying it out, if that’s how it functions in the real world or in Thailand, they have some serious problems. Regardless, the clash of two very different worlds gives scope for some lighter moments. One one hand you have Dr Tin’s emergency ward and people dying, on the other there’s the laid-back yet complicated life of college student Tol. Thai-American actor Morris K plays the ‘time-loop’ angel who guides Dr Tin through his repetitive hell of watching the same guy die over and over again. So be prepared for a lot of ‘2nd chances’.

The slow-burn romance between Tin and Tol is sweet, the actors have been paired up in the past, but in ‘Triage’ their chemistry is a lot better than ever. Some more romantic moments between the leads would’ve been great. While 13 episodes seems like a lot for a thriller in this genre, ‘Triage’ could have had a couple of more episodes, however there was the risk of lot of repetitions, so perhaps it was a wise decision to wrap it up. Only the last episode was a mess, it didn’t seem like the writers had a clear hold on how to end things, so the climax is chaotic and trite. While one can absolutely binge-watch the first eleven episodes, things get slippery in the last two.

It’s a 7/10 from me.

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Listen To: Persuasion Review – Anne With A Drinking Problem