Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 222

Sandler’s Saddled Up In ‘Hustle’ Trailer

Come June 8, 2022 and viewers will get to see Adam Sandler in those rare serious roles he chooses to now and then. This time around, he is playing a Basketball scout Blake who discovers a promising player in Spain and takes it upon himself to make the young man’s career in NBA.

Netflix dropped the official trailer for the film and it’s slightly reminiscent of the 2009 hit ‘The Blind Side’ starring Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron. Sandler looks scruffy and tired, but it fits in right with the workaholic-globe-trotting scout he plays. In an interesting choice of cast, the makers have paired Sandler with Queen Latifah and the two make a great onscreen couple, at least in the brief glimpse we get in the trailer. Same goes for the casting of Juancho Hernangomez, who makes his acting debut as rookie player Bo Cruz, who Blake plans on turning into a NBA star. Hernangomez is both Spanish and a professional basketball player in real life, so sports fans will have a ball watching him move on court.

Going by the trailer, it looks like director Jerehmiah Zagar has a winner on his hand with this typical underdog NDA tale. Adam Sandler fans cannot wait to see the actor in the film and flooded YouTube comments section with a lot of love and support.

Along for the Ride Review – A Long Tedious Journey

The 2022 Netflix movie ‘Along for the Ride’ based on a novel of the same name by Sarah Dresden is too long for it’s simple, slow, ‘seen too many’ times kind of story. Tagged under ‘romance’ and ‘drama’, the film directed by Sofia Alvarez would’ve worked a lot better as a buddy flick, since the little moments between the leading lady and her new girlfriends are the best bits about it.

Emma Pasarow plays asocial protagonist Auden, who moves to the small sea-side town Colby for the summer before college, to work in her step-mom’s (Kate Bosworth) store and hopefully bond with her father (Dermot Mulroney). However, Auden’s main goal is to live a ‘different version’ of herself in Colby, because back home she has no friends and hence no fun memories. Luckily for her, she also meets fellow insomniac Eli (Belmont Cameli), who is in need of a new friend too.

The film is leisurely paced, and while it works well for some parts since it’s a summer romance and has some beautiful beach-y cinematography, large parts of it is just tedious. The camera-work is a little annoying, with unnecessary lingering shots… for example, why do we need a close-up of Auden’s finished plate of dessert? Also, Emma Pasarow and Belmont Cameli have close to zero spark between them as Auden and Eli. For no particular reason, Pasarow isn’t very convincing as a teen girl with an old soul, neither is Cameli for that matter, which is weird since both of them are in their early 20s and older actors have pulled off teen roles with way more ease than them.

Mulroney gets a stock father kind of character – generic narcissistic author who couldn’t care less about anyone else. Kate Bosworth plays a young mompreneur Heidi who is one argument away from a nervous breakdown, but at least she isn’t the stereotypical step-mother and is super-supportive of Auden. Andie MacDowell in her brief cameo as Auden’s mom was all right.

‘Along For The Ride’ does have its sweet moments, the climax surprisingly was sweet, filled with a summery optimism that’s all about friendship, laughter and fun. That said, the long runtime and lukewarm romance doesn’t add up well.

It’s a 5/10 from me.

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

Listen To Ep 73 – Cobalt Blue, A Book Vs Film Review

LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS VOL 3 LOOKS RAD

“They were mean to robots and then robots killed them!” a familiar looking character cackles in the official trailer for ‘LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS VOLUME 3’. The award winning Netflix animated anthology is back with 9 new shorts and they all look freaking amazing, at least in the trailer. The teasers for all nine stories play against a haunting rendition of Beethoven’s ‘Für Elise’, creating just the right kind of intrigue around them.

Death, Dystopia, Steampunk, Space-travel seem to be the dominant themes again and the distinct art styles of different creators makes this series just as exciting as ever. The animation quality looks top-notch like its predecessors and there’s a little something for all kind of animation fans, right from fantasy to history and horror (maybe just not some good-old romance). If you’ve seen volume 1 and 2, you already know what to expect. One short is titled ‘Night of the Mini Dead’, which has the horror fan in me completely whipped.

The series is out on May 20 on Netflix. Trailer below.

Spy X Family Episode 5 Review

What a fun and pointless episode 5 of ‘Spy X Family’ the anime series turned out to be! Okay, well, not completely pointless… Anya Forger doesn’t make it to the first list of the prestigious Eden school but the headmaster has some encouraging news for the Forger family.

Titled ‘Pass or Fail’, episode 5 begins with a generous dose of unfortunate incidents that will be relatable to a lot of fans around the world. For example, a black cat crosses the family’s path while they are on their way to find out Anya’s results, so Yor begins to panic, taking it as a sign of ill-omen. From U.S, Europe to many Asian countries, a lot of people believe black cats mean bad luck. Viewers get a lot of hilarious scenes following an extravagant request by little Anya, which Loid agrees to… like a good father. It’s like the spy has taken a real shine to his adopted daughter.

(Read Spy x Family Episode 1 Review if you have no clue what the show is about)

The mood completely shifts in the series, instead of the sombre school setting, viewers get playfully extravagant outdoor scenes that scream ‘action comedy’. Loid’s informant Franky serves as great comic relief without taking up too much screen time. The animators have done a fantastic job with slipping in subtle expressions on character faces, like how Anya gets excited while Yor thinks of some devious stuff – even though the focus in the scene is on Yor, those who catch Anya’s change of facial expressions will get a good laugh out of it.

The Forger family is on their way to becoming a trio does care deeply about each other. Anya already sees Loid as an inspiring father-figure and displays significant respect for Yor too. ‘Operation Strix’, the whole basis for the show has only just begun, but it remains to be seen if Loid and team will be successful in their mission. ‘Pass or Fail’ serves as an entertaining break before things gets heavy and serious!

You can stream the series on Netflix.

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

Yes, Heartstopper The Series Is As Adorable As The Comics

America Chavez – Movie Vs Comics

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduces fans to a new superhero via the 2022 movie ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ – AMERICA CHAVEZ. Strange has no idea who the girl is, what she wants and why powerful monsters chasing after her. He has never seen her before, yet, the fate of the multiverse lies in her powers. However, for comic book fans, Chavez isn’t a new face, neither is she anything like the naive young girl from the movie.

We quickly compare the Chavez from the cinematic universe versus the one in the comic books so far, take a look –

Mishan Impossible Review – Kids Keep You Entertained

Three kids from a village near Tirupati dream to catching wanted underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, to win the large bounty on his head in the 2022 movie ‘Mishan Impossible’. In a twist of fate, they cross paths with a investigative journalist, who is quick to use their naivety and ignorance to her advantage.

Directed and written by Swaroop RSJ, the movie’s poster may imply Tapsee Pannu is the star of the story, but it’s the trio of boys who play Raghupati, Raghava and Rajaram (yes, like the hymn) who are the heroes of this flick. The child actors hilariously portray rogue village boys who are naughty, dumb and live in their own bubble… hence the silly plan of hunting down a terrorist by themselves.

The first one hour of the movie is incredibly entertaining as a comedy-family movie, it focuses on the boys, each with a distinct personality – Raghupati is an aspiring filmmaker who worships Ram Gopal Verma, Raghava is a compulsive liar who’s already dropped out of school, while Rajaram dreams of being a spin bowler but cannot bowl to save his life. They like to call themselves ‘RRR’, a direct allusion to the blockbuster Telugu film by SS Rajamouli; in fact, the boys keep making little pop-culture jokes that will have movie enthusiasts in splits. While the humor is exaggerated at times, the village setting is quite authentic, it doesn’t look like a cosmetic film-set and adds a touch of reality which will make it relatable to any viewer who’s ever lived or visited rural India.

It’s the second-half of the movie, where the pace slightly slows down and the mood gets drastically sombre. From a funny plot about three village bumpkins running away from home to make money, it turns into a serious story about child-trafficking. But the director is able to make it work, managing to slip ample comedic moments even when the story takes a dark turn. Not only does ‘Mishan Impossible’ has all the ingredients of a mainstream entertainer, it also touches upon a serious issue (even if superficially) that will make the viewers take a moment to think. Tapsee Pannu has an interesting cameo, which is brief and doesn’t take the spotlight away from the child actors.

The climax gives the boys an unrealistic heroic ending, but it’s feel-good, funny and will leave you in a good mood. Watch it for the boys.

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

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

Ep 39 -15 Horror Films You Might Want To Skip

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Is Dwarfed by the Witch

Director Sam Raimi dives straight into conflict, chaos, action and horror in the 2022 Marvel film ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. Doctor Strange and a young girl are in some other-worldly dimension, having a hard time fighting a formidable monster. To defeat an unknown super-villain, Strange turns to Wanda AKA the Scarlett Witch for help, but things don’t go as planned.

Benedict Cumberbatch is sharp as usual as the eccentric and sarcastic Doctor Strange, however, Elizabeth Olsen completely overshadows him; not only does she get a meatier part as Scarlett Witch, but delivers it with a grit that steals the titular protagonist’s thunder. While Cumberbatch gets to play different versions of the great sorcerer in alternate universes, Olsen brings profound duality to just the one character, her emotions seeping through her voice. Xochitl Gomez plays America Chavez, a young girl who is being hunted for her rare superpower and is under the protection of Strange.

As far as the ‘Multiverse Madness’ quotient goes, the makers set up high expectations with the title, it rings with the promise of the kind of entertainment Taikia Waititi delivered in ‘Thor Ragnarok’, but is nowhere nearly as fun. While the plot is packed with several action sequences, Sam Raimi’s soft spot for macabre surfaces in this film, he sneaks in several horror-like sequences and they are the best highlights of this film. In the trailer, viewers gets a brief glimpse of a zombie-like Doctor Strange and that little twist will have horror fans absolutely thrilled. Visually, the movie is dual-toned, flitting between bright gorgeous outdoors and dark ominous surroundings, including ancient places filled with magic. The VFX team has done a fantastic job with the creepy creatures Strange fights throughout the runtime.

Now to the question on the minds of some fans who haven’t seen ALL the Marvel – do you need to have seen them all to understand this one? Not really. But you’ll definitely appreciate it more if you’ve seen the ones featuring Wanda and Strange, and also if you’ve watched the 2021 animated series ‘What If…?’ which is all about the multiverse. Although, those who’ve seen ‘What If…?’, won’t be surprised with any twists and will find the plot slightly repetitive. What starts off as a intriguing story about saving the world, soon turns into a tale of grief, love and personal trauma.

Compared to the build-up and multiple universes, the climax was rather tame. Written from an emotional/inspirational point-of-view, it feels more like a soap-opera than a start-studded super hero film. A last minute twist with the promise of more ‘Doctor Strange’ movies might mitigate the disappointment. But this felt more like a Scarlett Witch film.

It’s a 7/10 from me.

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

Listen to Ep 73 – Cobalt Blue, A Book Vs Film Review

Slaughterhouse-Five – Graphic Novel Review

“Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time”… and so begins the graphic novel version of Kurt Vonnegut’s famous antiwar work With some brilliant artwork in retro style, the graphic adaptation by Ryan North and Albert Monteys will keep you hooked till the end.

Set between World War II and 1970s, the story follows Billy Pilgrim an optometrist who is a chaplain’s assistant in the war. Barely 21, a scrawny Billy is bullied by his own fellow soldiers, before being taken as a prisoner of war by the Germans. He is among the few lucky ones who escape the bombing of Dresden, once the capital of the German empire, the entire city was turned to rubble by high explosive bombs dropped by the Allie. An incredibly lucky survivor, it’s at age 22 that Billy becomes ‘unstuck in time’, traveling back and forth to different periods of his life. He has no control or idea as to what date/month/year he would jump to at any given moment.

For most parts, ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ is comical and absurd in nature, but it doesn’t make light of war in any way. If seen through Billy’s eye, the war’s a nightmare he endured like a walking corpse, always inches away from actual death. Semi-biographical in nature, Vonnegut’s tale shows readers different kinds of men-in-action, from the maddeningly cruel ones, to the ones with more heart, who’d look out for their comrades. There’s a lot of violence and death in the book, and each mention of death followed by the phrase “and so it goes”, a signature statement from the novel.

The aliens who kidnap Billy are called Tralfamadorians and teach him the concept of time and how there’s no point dwelling in the past or the future. The illustrations of the aliens is one of the most grotesque yet enjoyable things in the book. Since a character called Kilgore Trout is a failed science-fiction writer, we get a ‘comic-within-comic’ format, with his tales drawn in a very 50s format, setting those panels distinctly apart from the other stuff. Trout’s take on religion, Jesus and how humans think is succinctly portrayed through those brief comic-book pages. Those who take religion seriously might not be amused.

A lot of details, descriptions and nuances unfortunately don’t make it to this adaptation and it will become pretty apparent to even those who haven’t read the original work. So by the end you might feel a little unsatisfied, like things were left unfinished, but maybe those feelings will be washed over by the fantastic illustrations and the constant change of colors and moods across pages.

It’s a 4/5 from me.

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

Episode 74 – 10 Book Reviews Under 10 Minutes #13thEdition

Radhe Shyam Review – You May Want Your Time Back

First off, if the makers of the 2022 film ‘Radhe Shyam’ hadn’t shown Indira Gandhi in the film, viewers would have no way of knowing this film was set in the1970s, because the protagonist is an astrologer and he predicts that the Indian Prime Minister would impose a state of emergency in the country. The costumes and sets are so random, one minute you’d think it is the 1920s, the next could feel like 2020. Made on a staggering 300+ crore budget and shot over some stunning foreign locations, one can only guess they couldn’t spare any money on some basic research and better writers.

Directed by Radha Krishna Kumar, the film follows renowned Palmist Vikram Aditya (Prabhas), who never gets his predictions wrong. Vikram claims to have “no love line” in his hand and thus doesn’t pursue serious relationships. “I don’t do relationships, I only do flirtationships” he declares to a Caucasian chick who wants to marry him. But things change when he meets the beautiful Prerana (Pooja Hegde) who has a ridiculous entry scene – she is on a train, hair flying in a way one can barely see her face, yet three foreign men gape at her awestruck… Dikh kya raha hai tum logo ko bhai log? Chudail jaise toh baal udd rahe hai madam ke face pe… Anyway, we finally have a full face reveal and Prerana asks the men if they can handle her, she then throws her waist-belt at them and flings herself outside the train door, with her body hanging in the air, and the confused men hold on to the belt so she doesn’t fall to her death. Had she been an ‘influencer’ or Tiktoker, the scene would have probably made some sense, but it’s the 70s and apparently Prerana is a doctor. L-O-L. One can bet more doctors would like to have spare time like Prerana, to jump around in trains, doodle/deface public walls, travel around with strangers they’ve barely met and not take their careers seriously enough to give it all up for a boy.

The cinematography is gorgeous, everything is colorful, bright and many scenes look like they are out of a fairy-tale romance. However, the plot is so thin and silly, the lovely locations just cannot distract the viewer from the script’s failing. For most parts, the movie strongly tries to peddle astrology/palmistry as ‘99% science’, strengthening the belief that everything in a person’s life is already pre-destined. There’s obviously that little 1% rider, where they leave some scope for exceptions. “Only 1% people can fight their destiny and change their fate” we are explained.

70s was an interesting era, with distinct fashion styles and sub-cultures thriving around the world, and we see very little of that in ‘Radhe Shyam’. The music is mediocre and barely foot-tapping, even though some of the tunes do have a nostalgic touch to them, reminiscent of Bollywood numbers from the 1980s/90s. Prabhas and Pooja have such flat characters, there’s really not much to say about their performances. Some of their romantic scenes are a total snooze-fest. Prabhas needs to be lauded for doing his own dialogues for the Hindi version, but he has a slight drawl and isn’t as suave as his character requires him to be.

‘Radhe Shyam’ is basically a train-wreck, and had Pooja’s Prerana fallen off the train and died, it would’ve seemed like a deserved ending. There’s a weird Titanic like dramatic climax, where Vikram Aditya is battling for his life, because well… how can you have a Prabhas movie without him fighting against something, so what if it’s not goons or Katappa?

It’s a 4/10 from me.

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

Ep 75 – Girl A by Abigail Dean Explained

The Miracle Of Teddy Bear Review – Just About Ordinary

‘The Miracle of Teddy Bear’ flashed on Netflix recommendations, and despite being aware of its pretty juvenile plot-line, and in-spite of having decided it’s best skipped, I ended up streaming it on a long bus journey, because… why not?

Directed by Paajaew Yuthana Lorphanpaibul, this 2022 Thai series is about a scriptwriter’s favorite teddy bear Tofu coming to life in the form of a handsome young man. Tofu’s first challenge is to remain in his owner Pheeranat’s house who mistakes him for an intruder/thief. His next challenge is to find out why he turned human and what’s his purpose. Over the course of 16 very long episodes (over 1 hour each), this romantic drama takes several twists and turns, and Tofu’s miraculous transformation is connected to a tragic incident (which obviously doesn’t make a lot of sense, but okay, let’s pretend it does).

The whole ‘teddy bear comes to life’ story is accompanied with little scenes of inanimate objects in Pheeranat’s home communicating with each other, like in the ‘Toy Story’ movies, but instead of toys, you have pillows talking to bathroom-slippers. Actor In Sarin Ronnakiat is adorable as the titular teddy-bear Tofu, exuding effortless charm that lights up the screen. Job Thuchapon Koowongbundit plays Pheeranat, a gay screenwriter, who hasn’t been able to get over his first love/boyfriend. Thuchapon constantly reminds one of Up Poompat Iam-samang who played a similar role in the Thai BL series ‘Lovely Writer’, it’s like the two are twins. That said, what could have been a simple romantic-comedy, turns into a convoluted family drama with a lot of unnecessary twists and turns. And the poor sweet teddy bear gets the worst treatment of all.

Pheeranat is given a sad but thorough back-story, explaining why he is such an angry stuck-up prick. He has some serious anger issues and isn’t likable at all. A terrible childhood is no excuse to glorify a shitty adult and his friends are constantly trying to calm him down and treat his mother better. The show however does a good job of addressing the kind of homophobia prevalent in Thai society, and the makers don’t try to pass of the protagonists as straight men who make an exception for a specific guy (happens in too many Thai shows). Pheeranat might be flawed as hell, but at least he isn’t confused about his sexuality or ashamed of owning it. Sarin Ronnakiat gets to be an innocent lost boy figuring out human-beings and makes the role his own, he makes a silly character quite lovable.

A long-drawn sub-plot about Pheeranat’s mother Mathana (Um Apasiri Nitibhon) dealing with serious mental health problems while being cornered constantly by a bitter sister-in-law, gets too random at points and feels like material for a whole other show. Apasiri as the ailing but caring mother will have the viewer’s empathy in the first half, but as the story unravels, one begins to question her helplessness and lack of agency when she was a young working woman. Joy Rinlanee Sripen gets to be the horribly written Satjaree, the nosy/bitchy sister-in-law who is a bizarre cross between a comic character not be taken seriously and a devious villain who means business.

The script is chaotic, while at times it tries to be a teen romance show, for large parts it appears to be a dramatic TV soap meant for an aging audience. Too many themes are crammed in – mental health disorders, homophobia, dysfunctional families, infidelity, corruption, murder, greed, revenge…. it just gets tiring. And no theme is done justice too, except for perhaps the mother-son relationship between Pheeranat and Mathana, which evolves over the course of the show.

I lost complete interest by the last few episodes, too many sub-plots, too many side-characters and a very random climax which will leave many disappointed. This could’ve been shorter, crisper and a lot more fun than it ends up being.

It’s a 5/10 from me.

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

Watch – Yes, Heartstopper The Series Is As Adorable As The Comics