Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 233

Kotaro Lives Alone Review – A Bubble Of Its Own

The animated Japanese series on Netflix ‘Kotaro Lives Alone’ starts off weird. It takes a while for viewers to understand just where the story is going. “Who is this little boy? Or is her a dwarf? Or perhaps a man stuck in a boy’s body?” are some questions viewers may ask themselves.

Turns out, Kotaro is just a 4-year-old boy living by himself, in a building filled with one-room-kitchen flats. So DO NOT DEPLOY LOGIC (like asking yourself why someone from the social-services hasn’t put him in a home). Nope, don’t ask questions, and just go with the flow. The protagonist Kotaro makes you wish more kids were as thoughtful, mature and helpful. A skewed expectation to have… children should be allowed to be annoying, silly and cranky; adult anxieties will break them soon enough.

As the series progresses, the bizarre but delightful story explains why the little boy loses his innocence at such a tender age. Three very different neighbors – aloof manga artist Karino, kind club-hostess Miki, shady gangster-type Tamaru – become attached to Kotaro and try to look after him in their own ways. How the 4-year-old deals with his friendly neighbors, kindergarten, friendships and life as a boy on his own forms the crux of the story.

The animation is simple, colorful and has typical manga elements. Once I got the drift, ‘Kotaro Lives Alone’ became my comfort show, the 10 episodes we leisurely seen over meal-breaks. It’s the kind of series that doesn’t demand to much of the viewer, filled with both hilarious, heart-warming and sad events. The makers explore a lot of themes surrounding growing up as a lone child with no parents, including childhood trauma and grief.

The kind of bond Kotaro builds with his adult neighbors is the most touching thing about the show. All three neighbors are the kind of people who wouldn’t traditionally be considered responsible caring individuals. Kindness can be found in the unlikeliest of corners, seems to be the message. Karino has the best character trajectory in the anime, growing from a listless directionless artist to motivated man.

If the hard-to-believe adventures of a child-man sounds like something you would be up for, stream the series on Netflix. It’s a 8/10 from me.

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

Episode 72 – The Mountains Sing – Book Review

The Mountains Sing – Book Review

Spread over a little more than 300 pages, ‘The Mountains Sing’ by Nguyen Phan Que Mai is a historical-fiction book set in Vietnam. It starts off in Ha-Noi (1972), the protagonist is a young schoolgirl called Huong, walking to school with her grandmother – a teacher. In an ironical twist of fate, in the very second page, just when Phuong’s granny promises her favourite meal would await her to celebrate a brief break from bombings in their city, a siren pierces through the sky, warning citizens that the Americans Bombers are approaching…

Listen in to the latest podcast episode of Abstract AF, for a spoiler-free review of the book. And don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.

Licorice Pizza Review – A Snappy Slice Of 70s

Set in 1973, ‘Licorice Pizza’ pulls the viewers back to an era in a way that you’ll lose track of time. Directed and written by Paul Thomas Anderson, the movie has an earnest honesty that makes it so entertaining, doesn’t matter if have no clue about what life in the 70s America was like.

Plot Overview – 15-year-old actor Gary Valentine falls in love at first sight with the much older Alana Kane while getting his school picture clicked. He asks her out on a date, and while Alana laughs it off, she ends up going to dinner with him. What follows is a long friendship, where Alana takes different roles for Gary – crush, chaperone, driver, friend, business-partner etc. The two try to run a business, dive deeper into showbiz and even dip their hands in politics – all of this leads them into meeting larger than life characters in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley.

Paul Thomas Anderson has made a fun, breezy film that is sort of a Hollywood montage of different people doing different things and it all just collides with Gary and Alana’s world. ‘Licorice Pizza’ marks the feature film debut for both Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim, the lead pair, but they deliver flawless performances. As the film starts, viewers might be put off by the idea of a teen pursuing a much older woman, however this discomfort is blunted by the fact that Cooper exudes the confidence and demeanor of an adult (he was 17 or 18 at the time of filming). It’s not a sexually charged story about an age inappropriate ‘romance’ like Lolita, rather, it’s about two individuals going through the chaotic motions of life.

Now, this is a ensemble film, where a lot of older actors get meatier parts, while Alana-Gary just witness their madness. Sean Penn plays a megalomaniac 70s stars ready to please a crowd at the drop of a hat, Bradley Cooper has a hilarious cameo as hot-headed Jon Peters (who was dating Barbara Streisand at the time) who threatens kids, Christine Ebersole plays a Lucille Belle inspired character, Benny Safdie gets to be a closeted Joel Wachs running to be Mayor.

So a lot of the characters are inspired by real life people, Gary Valentine the protagonist is based on Gary Goetzman, a friend of the director. This is a nostalgic tribute to a lost era, shot on 35 mm film, with older lenses, to five the movie that retro touch. Funnily enough, the music didn’t stand out much, even though the makers use a large roster of tracks from the past throughout the runtime. But the whole 70s theme works really well and will make even those who were born much later feel a little nostalgic about a time when you had to run around the neighborhood to find your if you had something important to say, and not simply slide into their DMs on some app.

The climax felt abrupt, rushed, but ends on a typical happy manner for a ‘coming-of-age’ film, even though I had hoped the director would end it on a more unconventional note. It’s a 7/10 from me.

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

Ep 52- Book Vs Series – The Haunting of Hill House (20 Differences)

Fans Hyped About Joker’s Deleted Scene From Batman

Warner Brothers shared a deleted scene featuring Joker’s interaction with Batman in the 2022 Matt Reeves movie starring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader. While in the final cut that made it to the theaters, viewers only get a foggy glimpse into the most notorious DC villain, the deleted scene fleshes out the character better.

Actor Barry Keoghan disappears into layers of make-up, and his Joker look has some fans gushing how this might be the creepiest version of the antagonist yet. Comparisons with Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal is obviously inevitable, and some viewers are never going to accept another actor in their shoes. But if the top YouTube comments on the official deleted clip’s page are anything to go by, most fans are quite hyped to see a new actor take on role of Bat’s arch-enemy.

Sample some of the viewer comments –

“Wow. Not only creepy AF, but a Joker that actually looks like he fell into chemical waste. Really well acted. Love that they have a symbiotic history already.” – Dan Romens

“Oh man, Heath’s Joker is creepy enough but I never imagined a Joker as unsettling to look at as well as to hear like Barry’s. The way it slowly reveals how disfigured and grotesque he is, his creepy laugh, the dynamic between him and Batman, the history they clearly share. Truly hope we get more of this in the future.” – DrKnocker05

“This is the creepiest joker by far and the cinematography really adds this sense of fear and almost discomfort which matches the batman as a whole. I wish they had this as a post credit scene it would have been so cool” – Eloise

“Excellent scene. Slow reveal is pretty perfect and really looks like he could be a fantastic joker for future movies but ultimately I’m happy they cut the scene as it would have taken away a lot of the gloss on what was a fantastic performance from dano as riddler and would have stole some of the thunder too. The future looks bright (or bleak haha)” – Daniel Wortley.

The clip clearly establishes some history between the Batman and Joker, but it remains to be seen if Barry Keoghan will get to reprise the role in upcoming Arkham themed movies or series. Here’s the clip –

Fans Are Hyped About Joker’s Deleted Scene From Batman

Warner Brothers shared a deleted scene featuring Joker’s interaction with Batman in the 2022 Matt Reeves movie starring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader. While in the final cut that made it to the theaters, viewers only get a foggy glimpse into the most notorious DC villain, the deleted scene fleshes out the character better.

Actor Barry Keoghan disappears into layers of make-up, and his Joker look has some fans gushing how this might be the creepiest version of the antagonist yet. Comparisons with Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal is obviously inevitable, and some viewers are never going to accept another actor in their shoes. But if the top YouTube comments on the official deleted clip’s page are anything to go by, most fans are quite hyped to see a new actor take on role of Bat’s arch-enemy.

Sample some of the viewer comments –

“Wow. Not only creepy AF, but a Joker that actually looks like he fell into chemical waste. Really well acted. Love that they have a symbiotic history already.” – Dan Romens

“Oh man, Heath’s Joker is creepy enough but I never imagined a Joker as unsettling to look at as well as to hear like Barry’s. The way it slowly reveals how disfigured and grotesque he is, his creepy laugh, the dynamic between him and Batman, the history they clearly share. Truly hope we get more of this in the future.” – DrKnocker05

“This is the creepiest joker by far and the cinematography really adds this sense of fear and almost discomfort which matches the batman as a whole. I wish they had this as a post credit scene it would have been so cool” – Eloise

“Excellent scene. Slow reveal is pretty perfect and really looks like he could be a fantastic joker for future movies but ultimately I’m happy they cut the scene as it would have taken away a lot of the gloss on what was a fantastic performance from dano as riddler and would have stole some of the thunder too. The future looks bright (or bleak haha)” – Daniel Wortley.

The clip clearly establishes some history between the Batman and Joker, but it remains to be seen if Barry Keoghan will get to reprise the role in upcoming Arkham themed movies or series. Here’s the clip –

Pam & Tommy Review – Entertainingly Un-relatable!

By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“Wait, is that actually Pamela Anderson?” we wondered out loud for a second, during the opening scene of 2022 mini-series ‘Pam & Tommy’. It starts with a TV interview of the Baywatch star with Jay Leno. Lily James who plays the 90s sex symbol was completely unrecognizable under all the make-up. So 10/10 to the team behind James’ incredible transformation for the show.

Created by Robert Siegel, the limited 8-episode series follows the incredible real story of how the world’s first celebrity sex tape got leaked/sold online in the days of dial-up internet. It’s aptly rated 18+, so expect a lot of coarse language, nudity and sheer madness. And for those of you who don’t know (neither did I) – there was a burglary in the celebrity couple’s mansion, someone stole their safe and found their private tapes along with cash, guns, jewellery and Pamela’s wedding bikini. All of these things were even listed in their police complaint, but by the time they realized they were robbed, their sex-tape had already gone ‘viral’.

Sebastian Stan (Bucky from Captain America) plays famous ‘Motley Crue’ drummer Tommy Lee, who meets popular Baywatch actor Pamela Anderson at a club and it’s sparks all the way. The ‘bad boy’ of rock dates the hottest babe on television and their whirlwind romance leads to a beach wedding within days of them meeting each other. There’s a hilarious scene where they inquire about their families and interests after the nuptials. The casting for Tommy could’ve been better, Sebastian Stan does justice to his part, but doesn’t have Tommy Lee’s killer jaw or the exuberant cocky rock-god attitude.

Viewers are either going to hate or love this show, it’s hard to be somewhere in between, because the story and situations are just too larger than life – we are talking about two famous as hell celebrities after all. If how a Rockstar & his Playboy Model wife got fucked over by a random dude doesn’t sound like something you’d want to watch, steer clear of this series. Or give the first episode a shot – it does a fantastic job of setting the tone for the duo’s romance/misadventures and is so ludicrously entertaining, the rest of the episodes have a hard-time matching its energy and pace.

Pamela Anderson wasn’t amused to know a show was being made about her and told the makers she wanted nothing to do with it. However, Lily James with her performance brings a humane side to Pamela, making the viewer empathize with her. With the amount of imitation put into Lily’s delivery, she could’ve easily reduced the protagonist to a dumb-blonde caricature, but instead makes you see Pam as a hard-working young woman who wants to be bigger than the ‘Baywatch babe’ label, but is typecast and boxed in a corner by a male-dominated industry. The kind of misogyny women face in Hollywood and the insane disparity in how the same event affects a man and woman differently is done on point. Pam is the slut to be shamed, and Tommy is ‘the dude’ to be congratulated.

Seth Rogen plays Rand Gauthier, the jilted electrician who Tommy Lee fired without paying up. So he set out to rob the rich couple and landed tapes with the couple’s intimate moments from their honeymoon. Gauthier is a dense dude, who had a brief stint as a porn actor and Rogen plays it to sheer perfection. The story is largely told from his point of view, the ‘bad guy’, who has a hard time understanding the illegality of his act, firmly believing in the saying ‘finders, keepers’, as if he is now owner of the home-made porno. You cannot decide if you want to slap the character or applaud the actor, it’s got to be one of the best supporting roles I’ve seen this year.

From the inception of the crime, Gauthier’s attempts to monetize the sex-tapes, to the trauma and legal troubles that engulf Pam & Tommy – the show seamlessly dramatizes all events. Robert Siegel and team bring to life the 1990s, complete with DVD shops, a booming porn industry, grunge music, slow dial-up internet and well, Pamela in the iconic red swim-suit from Baywatch. Despite never getting too serious, the show takes a deep-dive into the exploitative nature of the media industry and just how intrusively destructive voyeurism is for famous people. If there’s meat to be had, all the vultures of the world have their claws out.

‘Pam & Tommy’ is a satirical dramedy, but with characters who are very very real, even if completely un-relatable. Based on a brilliant Rolling Stones article about the tape by Amanda Chicago Lewis, it’s available to stream on Hulu and Disney Hotstar. For its genre, this show is worth a watch and is a 8/10 from me.

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

Ep 52- Book Vs Series – The Haunting of Hill House (20 Differences)

Jalsa Review – No-Frills Take On Integrity & Guilt

By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The literal meaning of the Hindi word ‘Jalsa’ is festivities or fun. However, the 2022 Amazon Prime Original movie directed by Suresh Triveni, has little to do with its title.

Vidya Balan plays successful web-journalist Maya Menon, known to ask ‘tough straight questions’, but an accident involving her house-help’s daughter makes her seriously question her own integrity. Shefali Shah packs a powerful performance as Ruksaana, who takes care of Menon’s specially-abled son Ayush. How an invisible conflict brews between these two women from disparate economical backgrounds, forms the rest of the tale. There are a few twists in the story, one so absurd that it serves as satirical comic relief in an otherwise solemn movie.

Writer Prajwal Chandrashekhar, dialogue-writers Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal weave an intriguing tale with a solid first half. There’s the realistic victim-shaming in the case of a late-night hit and run case, with cops wondering ‘what was the girl doing out so late?’. Different people want to cover up the case for different reasons and the cracks in the script begin to show. For a seasoned professional, they make Menon commit some very basic errors – like an extremely dumb online search… it’s almost as if the writers forget she is a web-journalist. Sure, journalists can make the silliest mistakes under pressure, but even a rookie reporter retains some wits about them while shitting bricks.

Balan does the dual shades of a confident journalist and a panic-ridden woman quite brilliantly, you see her both as an intimidating boss-woman and a nervous wreck enduring anxiety attacks to keep her life together. Rohini Hattangidi has a great cameo as Balan’s onscreen mom, she is a loving mother-figure supportive of her divorced daughter’s hectic schedule, stepping up to take care of her special-needs grandson. Child-actor Surya Kasibhatla is riveting as Ayush Menon, he lights up the screen during his scenes and shares a heart-warming equation with Shefali Shah’s Ruksaana. The actor has cerebral palsy in real life too, adding profound authenticity to the role. It’s hard to believe this is his first feature film. Vidhatri Bandi as trainee-reporter Rohini George makes for an interesting addition, convincingly portraying an enthusiastic but nervous newbie in the field of journalism. Another actor who stands out in a brief cameo is Shrikant Yadav, who plays a cop on the verge of retirement, but gets caught up in the accident case and tries to hush it up.

If not for some of the script-writing flaws, Jalsa makes for an engaging watch, slowed-down by long lingering close-up shots that should’ve been shorter. Suresh Triveni and team test the patience of average Indian viewers with a lot of such protracted sequences. What makes them unnecessary is the fact that all the actors do a splendid job with their roles, emoting so well that they don’t need extra focus on their facial expressions for us to understand what’s going on in their head.

This is a no-nonsense movie, with none of the usual song-dance Bollywood films come with, no cringe-y or awkward jokes, and thankfully – no moral lectures or monologues either. The climax felt a little weak in comparison to the rest of the plot, Maya Menon makes a cathartic climactic disclosure that was too casual for closure. ‘Jalsa’ ends with a cliffhanger, leaving viewers to their own conclusions. I wish there was a more concrete ending.

It’s a 7.5/10 from me.

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

Ep 70: The Fame Game Review – Like A Bollywood Christie Mystery

‘Not Me’ Review – Of Politics, Activists & Students Gone Rogue

The 2021-22 Thai series ‘Not Me’ has an intriguing plot – College student White pretends to be his twin to investigate a fatal attack on his brother. Directed by Nuchy Anucha Boonyawatana, the series has a rather ambitious plot, revolving around a bunch of college boys trying to take down one of the biggest/corrupt businessman in their country.

Actor Gun Atthaphan Phunsawat switches between twins White and Black with ease, while Off Jumpol Adulkittiporn plays hot-headed Sean who hates Black but has no option but to work in the same gang. While Black is in a coma, White joins his gang and realizes his brother was getting into a lot of dangerous activities and might have made multiple enemies who would’ve wanted him dead. So a steady suspense is maintained over who the real villain is, even though it’s foreshadowed well and doesn’t come as a surprise at the end.

The cinematography of this series is top-notch, a lot of the scenes are brilliantly shot, especially some of the early morning sequences, where the camera plays around with natural lights to create pleasing effects. Whoever picked all the background scores for the series has done a fantastic job, playing just the right kind of tones that blend beautifully with the mood of the moment.

However, it’s the writing that isn’t as strong as the rest of the show elements. The whole ‘idealistic students’ vs ‘corrupt system’ was overtly simplified and even silly in parts. It’s not like White and his gang don’t face hurdles, but their modus operandi is slightly juvenile and their successes come too easy. The character Gumpa who owns a garage and guides the boys into their missions against the businessman Tawi, is given no back-story at all. He is just one random dude who happens to know everything, but the viewers don’t know anything about his motivations. All that said, the makers do a decent attempt at exploring a topic that is rarely explored in college-romances like these.

Lead actors Off and Gun have established themselves as an onscreen couple, so their chemistry only gets better in this show. Gun who has the more challenging role of playing two polar-opposites twins is quite convincing in the clashing personalities. It’s really Gun who keeps this series together with his charming emotional deliveries. All the secondary actors do a good job too, however Fluke Gawin Caskey seemed a little too young to be playing a cop and struggles with the emotional nuances of his role. His good looks are probably the only thing that work here. Sing as White’s close friend Tod was also just about okay, they should’ve cast an actor with better screen-presence than him.

While the show is 12 episodes long, things get a little messy by the last two-three episodes and don’t fit in with the overall tone of the story. The makers get the romantic plots well, but aren’t able to get a good grip on the political/moral theme of the story. Again – everybody gets endings that are a little too convenient. Anyway… the last climactic scene between White & Sean on the shore however is gorgeously shot, accompanied by a romantic rhythmic flourish, giving the series an picture-perfect finish.

It’s a 7/10 from me.

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

Ep 66: 5 Things That Keep ‘All Of Us Are Dead’ Alive

Pilu of the Woods – Quick Review

What a gorgeously drawn book this is. I loved everything about the art in it, the simply drawn protagonists, the soft bright colors, clean cut panels and the lush green settings where most of the action unfolds.

Illustrated and written by Mai K. Nyugen, the story however was abstract for a children’s story book. It’s a little too poignant for kids, but not deep enough for adult readers. In-fact, there is very little plot – sad girl meets another sad girl, they talk about their family, moms and ‘monsters’ and then go back home. Sort of.

Readers first meet Willow, a little girl who has lost her mother, doesn’t have friends at school and is even bullied/made fun of by her peers. At home, she takes out her angst on her older sister and runs off with her dog to the woods to be on alone, that’s where she meets Pilu, a girl who seems to be her age, but isn’t an ordinary human.

Mai K. Nyugen’s art reminded me of the lovely animated movie ‘The Secret of Kells’, and while ‘Pilu of The Woods’ is fantasy fiction too, the story doesn’t have the charm, beauty or layers of the film. ‘Loss’ and family are the strongest themes in the book, but explored very superficially, like a customer skimming through a catalogue in a shop. So yes, the art is a treat to the eyes, but the story has no substance.

It’s a 3/5 from me.

Subscribe to our podcast on YouTube by the same name – Abstract AF

Ep 71 – Before The Coffee Gets Cold – Book Review

Rainbow Prince Review – One Shade of Cringe

The 2022 Filipino series ‘Rainbow Prince’ promised to be a Disney-like LGBT musical series about a fictional Prince fleeing his kingdom and falling in love with a commoner. Directed by Xion Lim, the show stars Adrian Dionisio as Prince Zeyn and Eurwin Canzana as Mikey. What follows is a absurd looking series, with an underwhelming story-line and bland characters.

Plot overview – Prince Zeyn who is next in line to be King, is forced to leave his country Zurbania with two trusted confidantes, because his uncle wants to grab power and get rid of him. The three then try to lay lie in a fancy hotel in the Phillipines under fake aliases, where Zeyn is immediately smitten by hotel tour-guide Mikey. So while hired-killers are in pursuit of the Prince, the Prince is in pursuit of Mikey, who in turn already has his hands full with a clingy ex-boyfriend trying to patch things up.

The two actors are mediocre at best, delivering performances that look like rehearsals for a school play and their chemistry is just AWKWARD AF. Adrian Dionisio who was only 18 at the time of the shoot, looks his age, so he gives of a regular average shy teen vibe than the suave-confident future King the character is supposed to be. He literally struggles with some of his lines and has a hard time delivering dialogues. Eurwin Canzana fares a little better as the actual average boy, but that’s not saying much.

‘Oxin Films’ the production house has visibly spent a decent amount of money on making this show, if only they had put a bigger fraction of their budget into better acting coaches, ‘Rainbow Prince’ would’ve been more bearable. I lost complete interest by episode 5 and just super-fast-forwarded the remaining episodes.

There are a lot of songs (remember, it’s a musical show), but the music is also very average, nothing one would want to listen to again. Most of them are skip-worthy, like the one featuring a dog in a pram (not even kidding), which was just cringe-y. They even give the evil uncle who wants to be the king a song! And it’s bad enough that the show has too many supporting actors, but pretty much all of them get a number to croon too. Why?

Okay, I don’t want this to turn into a never-ending rant, so time to end the review now. It’s less than a 5/10 from me, but it’s hard to put an exact number on it, so let’s leave it at that. Just watch something else.

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

Ep 66: 5 Things That Keep ‘All Of Us Are Dead’ Alive