Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 267

Oculus – Quick Horror Film Review

The 2013 horror movie ‘Oculus’ directed by Mike Flanagan is one mind-bending story that will keep you glued to your screen. Actors Karen Gillian and Brenton Thwaites play siblings Kaylie and Tim who are haunted by the violent deaths of their parents.

The official story on the deaths is that the father brutally murdered their mother and was killed by Tim in self-defense. The 10-year-old is convicted for his father’s death. However, Kaylie believes that her parents were driven to their deaths by a sinister antique mirror. Known as the ‘lasser mirror’, Kaylie claims it can induce hallucinations and can protect itself from any damage. When the two siblings are older, they attempt to document the mirror’s power to prove their Tim’s innocence and hope to eventually destroy it.

Co-written by Mike Flanagan and Jeff Howard, Oculus is an engrossing psychological horror tale. It first seems to flit between the past and the present and then one just cannot tell the difference, because the two seamlessly merge into one time dimension at some points. The viewer is left baffled, wondering if it’s the mirror that’s playing tricks on the siblings, or if their minds have been corrupted by the horrifying deaths of their parents. The makers throw in a pretty solid background to the mirror, tracing its origin to as far back as the 1700s, crediting it with the deaths of several of its previous owners.

Director Flanagan doesn’t rely on too many jump scares, but instead plays around with reality and illusions to create a dread within the minds of both the characters and the viewers. It’s hard to tell the hallucinations apart from the truth. There are a few graphic and gory scenes that would unsettle those who cannot stand blood and violence, but it’s what help make the film leave a more lasting impression.

The writing is compelling and tries to cover as many plot-holes as it can. However, the biggest question that is left unanswered is “how did Kaylie & Tim plan to destroy the mirror without any help?”. If you don’t let that basic question bother you too much, Oculus makes for an intense and interesting movie-watching experience.

Considering I am a big horror fan, it’s a 7/10 from me. It’s available to stream on Netflix.

Do check out our podcast on Youtube by the same name – Abstract AF.

Listen in, show support and subscribe (embedded below)

‘1000 Stars’ Sparks Up A Good Old Romance

The 2021 Thai series ‘1000 Stars’ is like a peaceful retreat versus all the city lights burning up other Bangkok tales on our screens. Directed by Backaof Noppharnach Chaiwimol, the series is about rich brat Tian (played by newcomer Mix Sahaphap Wongratch), whose life changes when a timely heart transplant saves him from the clutches of death.

The first episode starts with the shot of a casino, where college student Tian is gambling with his wealthy friends, two of the other protagonists are introduced in contrasting montages – Torfun a volunteer teacher is writing in her diary while travelling in a bus back to the city, Phupha (Earth Pirapat) the chief forest officer is leading his men in a night attack against intruders near the Thai border. Their worlds are poles apart, but it collides when Torfun tragically dies and her heart finds a home in Tian’s body. Curious to find out who his donor was, Tian learns all about Torfun through her personal diary. He then decides to become a volunteer teacher at the border village of Pha Pun Dao where Torfun taught and vows to live out her wishes. It’s where he meets Phupha and finds himself drawn to the strict but kind officer who is tasked to look after the new volunteer teacher.

Ten episodes long, the rest of the story follows Tian’s struggle to adapt to the frugal life of a volunteer teacher, having to live in a simple hut with no electricity, no network and just the bare minimum. Can the rich young man used to living a luxurious life in the city survive through the volunteer period and find love? Those answers are slowly unraveled in the leisurely paced episodes that capture the essence of the Thai countryside, culture and food. A lot of Tian’s interactions with the village children add an innocence to the story.

‘1000 Stars’ delivers a ‘good old romantic’ story, it’s not something we haven’t seen before, but it’s the charming characters, the cinematography that captures the picturesque and lush Thai countryside, and sweet little romantic tropes that would make most viewers fall in love with the series. It doesn’t have any of the modern toxic complexities of most competing shows in the genre, nor does it exaggerate plot devices to bring in laughs. The core plot of the heart transplant that makes Tian romantically drawn to Phupha, just like Torfun, reminded me of the 2004 Bollywood film “Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha”, which has a similar story – A dying Pari donates her heart to Dhani, and when Dhani crosses path with Pari’s husband Risabh, she finds herself instantly attracted to him. Although that’s where any similarity ends. While “Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha” miserably bombed at the box office due to a weak script and weaker performances, ‘1000 Stars” shines due to the lead actors, their crackling chemistry and smaller non-romantic sub-plots. The lead pair make even tried and tested tropes look good. The series also has the classic “class difference” that makes a romance between Tian and Phupha seem difficult.

Debutant Mix Sahaphah Wongratch as lead actor Tian is the absolute life of the show, he looks the part of an arrogant but gorgeous looking youngster, who transforms into a kinder, hard-working teacher. He captured the imagination of international watchers, with publications comparing his look to that of K-pop icon Jin from BTS, who is also known as “world-wide handsome”. Earth Pirapat as the stern yet caring officer Phupha delivers a nuanced performance. In the support cast, while the child actors weren’t very convincing in their parts, the older support cast act as pillar of strengths. Nammon Krittanai as Doctor Nam was one of the most likable characters, he nudges his friends to be more straight-forward about their feelings and is always giving good advice. White Nawat who plays Tian’s best-friend Tul had very few scenes, but whenever he does appear, it’s easy to see why the two are close – he is fun, easy-going and is supportive of his friend.

One of the other strong points of this series is the background score, it is riveting, with a lot of traditional Thai sounds that give the story an old school charm. Some sub-plots did feel a little dragged and could’ve been shorter, like the ones where Tian is trying to win over the village kids or the ‘villagers versus local goons’ story. The child actors could’ve benefited from some more acting workshops, because they have a lot of scenes and it feels like they were forced to participate in a school play. With a very solid support cast (most of the side characters have played main roles in other series), perhaps the team did not have the budget to have more experienced child actors.

But all the little flaws are made up by the season finale, episode 10 was poignant, touching and heart-warming. Like Tian’s exceptional growth as a person due to his trials and tribulations of living in a secluded rural village, the climax was a befitting culmination to Phupha’s and Tian’s tale. Their love is patient, unselfish, giving and mature; it’s not without complications, but is devoid of the dramatic trivialities of modern love.

Director Backaof Noppharnach Chaiwimol delvers a wholesome series that one can watch with the entire family. It’s definitely setting a new benchmark for Thai dramas. It’s a 8.5/10 from me.

Do check out our podcast on Youtube by the same name – Abstract AF.

Listen in, show support and subscribe (embedded below)

10 Book Reviews Under 10 Minutes

So I read ten books in the month of March – ranging from some intense non-fiction, to some light Manga. All those ten titles are quickly reviewed under ten minutes in the latest podcast episode of Abstract AF. So if you are looking for some interesting new book suggestions, do give it a listen –

Also, please subscribe to the channel. The podcast is all about books, movies, poetry and other such stuff.

‘Paper Lives’ Review – Of Lost Childhoods & Broken Men

“To All The Children Who Grow Up All Alone On The Streets”

Thus begins the dedication of the 2021 Netflix film from Turkey called “Paper Lives”. It’s almost ironic, because most of those children won’t have the opportunity to watch it. Maybe it’s to sting us – who’ve had the privilege of a roof over our heads all our lives, with mothers and fathers looking into our well-being, sparing time and money to ensure we grow into productive individuals with the luxury to ‘Netflix and chill’ in their free time.

Directed by Can Ulkay, ‘Paper Lives’ follows the life of Mehmet, an ailing man who runs a solid-waste warehouse. Most of his employees are poor orphan boys who would’ve been sleeping on the streets if not for the little money they make out of collecting scrap. With no family himself, Mehmet is sympathetic to the boys. So when he finds a bruised little boy crawl out of one of the sacks his men collected, Mehmet quickly becomes a foster father of sorts to the lost child. Next begins a quest to possibly re-unite the boy with his mother.

Shot largely in Istanbul, the film offers a mixed slice of Turkish life, from dingy lanes where homeless kids sniff glue, to sparkly blue waters where happy families picnic on sunny Sundays or the waters of the traditional Turkish baths, where men meet, sing as they wash their fatigue away. There’s an interesting juxtaposition of two parallel worlds, one with bright city lights, of material pleasures; the other of these orphaned overworked men, who are constantly pining for their mothers. Mehmet’s own bucket list has “find mother” on the first line.

Actor Çagatay Ulusoy as the benevolent Mehmet delivers a measured performance, while Emir Ali Dogrul as lost boy Ali was just as vulnerable as his character demanded. However, the pace is slightly slow and the plot is melodramatic. The director could’ve toned down the intensity with which Mehmet strives to protect Ali. While the bond between the two was heartwarming in parts, Mehmet’s emotional attachment to the boy within a day felt slightly absurd and over the top. The mood flits between being dark-oppressive to light and touching. The makers deceptively portray waste-collection like a fun job in some scenes, like the one where Mehmet and Ali happily hop around town looking for cardboard, boxes and bottles, as if they are on a treasure-hunt. But these little sequences save the story from becoming a tedious sob-fest.

There are a lot of scenes that feel dragged out and the viewer is left to wonder why Mehmet gets so much of the spotlight, because the synopsis/trailer makes one believe that it’s a story about how an older man is forced to confront his childhood demons as he warms up to an innocent child. Director Can Ulkay attempts to tie everything up in the climax, scenes that didn’t make sense early on, fall into place like pieces of a puzzle. “Paper Lives” needed some snipping, despite being just one 1 hour 37 minutes long, the runtime could have been shorter and would have been more engrossing.

It’s a 6/10 from me.

Please check out our podcast by the same name on YouTube – Abstract AF.

Listen in and do subscribe to the channel (embedded below)

‘Caught By A Wave’ – Quick Review

Notice how the poster of the 2021 Netflix film ‘Caught By A Wave’ is reminiscent of ‘Fault in Our Stars’? They are both teen romance flicks, although ‘Caught By A Wave’ has only one dying protagonist, while the other one has both leads suffering from a terminal illness. Here’s a reference picture of both of them side by side –

Directed by Massimiliano Camaiti, ‘Caught By A Wave’ tells the story of Sara (Elvira Camarrone), who meets and falls in love with Lorenzo (Roberto Christian) while attending a sailing summer camp in Sicily. So expect beautiful blue waters under the Sicilian sun which will stir up a desire to travel.

The cheery Lorenzo falls for the feisty Sara, unaware that she suffers from a serious illness. Can the two young lovers weather it out? Director Camaiti uses classic tropes to carry their story forward and there is little left to the imagination. But the picturesque locations and an adorable lead couple might keep a lot of viewers invested in the film. Actor Elvira reminds one of Emma Watson and is exceedingly cute as the teen trying to keep up her spirit despite having a life-threatening condition.

‘Caught By A Wave’ is not nearly as dramatic or tragic as ‘The Fault In Our Stars’, and that’s probably a good thing. The chemistry between the protagonists is on point and what made it more believable was the fact that the two share the same passion – of sailing. While it’s not exactly a very memorable movie, it’s makes for a pleasant watching experience.

Check Abstract AF’s podcast channel on Youtube.

Listen in and do subscribe (embedded below)

Teresa’s Man & Other Stories From Goa

Finished reading book no. 30 for the year – A collection of 14 short stories by Damodar Mauzo. It starts with a quirky tale of a Goan couple that has never ‘swapped spit’ in their 5 years of marriage; the book then moves on to some sobering stories of poverty, philosophy & misplaced pride.

While ‘Teresa’s Man & Other Stories From Goa’ is a translated work, Mauzo’s story-telling prowess is not lost in translation at all. The writer sets up an intricate world for the readers with every new setting and makes one wonder with excitement about what’s going to happen next. Except for two stories that couldn’t hold my attention, the others were engaging and capture different moods of the Indian life. Some stories end rather abruptly and you wish for more.

One of the least likable stories was titled “For Death Does Not Come”, which is told through the perspective of a snake. While all the other stories had human protagonists, this one struck a little odd in the collection. Even the theme of the story felt insincere – it’s about a water-snake trying to protect her child through an unforgiving summer terrain. The thing is – most snakes are not maternal, some of them will even eat their kids if hungry; so out of curiosity I looked up water-snakes and true enough – the mothers do not take care of their offspring. Maybe the writer wanted to show us the non-existent maternal side of a creature that is often demonized, but it doesn’t really work. If one had to pick a favorite, it would perhaps be the last one that’s about a bunch of writers attending a literary conference in Delhi. It was intriguing and fun to read.

The title tale “Teresa’s Man” was disappointing, because it almost glorifies toxic masculinity & domestic violence. It’s important to note that the stories were written between 1960s & 2009, so modern readers might not relate to the outdated social mores reflected in a few of them. That said, it’s an enjoyable read & I loved a few tales. The book is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Do check out our new Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.

Listen in & please subscribe to the channel (embedded below)

Evidence of The Affair – Quick Review

Finished reading book number 29 for 2021 – Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It’s about how a woman called Carrie starts writing letters to David, whose wife is having an affair with Carrie’s husband. The two strangers use each other as a crutch to cope with the betrayal of their long-time spouses.

The story is set in the 1970s & the story unfolds exclusively via letters. We get to read letters written by four different people, but they all sound so similar that it feels like the same person is forging some of them. It’s perhaps understandable when a book has some dozen plus character and one or two sound alike, but getting repetitive with just four characters is disappointing. Especially because this is a novella sized book that one can finish in an hour or so.

While I haven’t read anything else by Taylor Jenkins, ‘Evidence of the Affair’ wasn’t particularly impressive. Although Jenkins does manage to convey how difficult ending a marriage can be for some people. The language was simple and easy to read, not very memorable and slightly boring in bits. While I did not hate it, it didn’t exactly have me hooked to every page either, but it’s a decent pick for a quick read. It’s a 3/5 from me.

Do check out our new Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.

Listen in, show support & please subscribe to the channel (embedded below)

Nights by Kou Yoneda – Quick Review

What do you do when you spot a Yaoi Manga at an Indian book store at a crazy discounted price? YOU BUY IT.
So I did not think twice before buying Nights by Kou Yoneda and wasn’t disappointed by the impulsive decision. It is a quick engaging read, with interesting stories.

The first short involves the Yakuza, so it’s all about crime, drugs and some double-crossing. The last one is borderline-mundane but sweet – about a blossoming romance between a shy car mechanic & an introverted sales representative. The artwork is quite nice and not confusing, because for those who aren’t used to the Japanese style of reading left to right can often be left confused while reading Manga.

Kou Yoneda keeps his stories pacy, serious, with very subtle humor thrown in. What I liked about the tales is that they are not exaggeratedly smutty. Basically, it’s not a book that you need to hide under your bed, considering the “explicit content” warning on the corner of the cover. It’s going on the top rack of my bookshelf 

Reading Vikram & The Vampire From 1978

Every country had its favorite set of children magazines until the internet took over the world by storm and lured kids into staring at flashing screens all day long. In India some of the most popular comics for kids growing up in the 80s/90s were Amar Chitra Katha, Chandamama, Champak, Chacha Chaudhary, Pinky and Tinkle. However, Chandamama is the oldest of the lot and was first published in 1947, the year India attained independence.

Chandamama is a magazine that would have multiple generations nostalgic, right from my grandfather who was born in the 40s, to folks my age. My grandfather grew up reading Chandamama and would often buy us a copy when we were growing up too. I recently found an old copy from 1978 and started reading it immediately. It was inevitable that I turn it into a story-telling episode and share the joy of reading ‘Vikram & The Vampire’. So listen in to the latest episode of Abstract AF to hear a short-story from the 70s.

Pagglait Review – Refreshingly Sane Take on a Young Widow & the Indian Family

There is a pretty common joke in India – about how most students in the country decide on their careers after they finish getting their engineering degree. It’s funny because it is true for a lot of people. And I have been thinking how there should be another joke on women from middle-class families in India – about how they realize what they want to do only after they get married… but it’s probably not funny, because a lot of them don’t really get to what they want. Sure, they realize what they want, but that doesn’t mean they get to do it.

The 2021 Bollywood film ‘Paglait’ directed by Umesh Bist explores the emotions & aspirations of a young house-wife called Sandhya who is widowed within 5-months of her marriage due to the untimely demise of her husband. The ancestral home of her in-laws is filled with relatives, all grieving the death. But Sandhya is unable to shed any tears, it’s as if nothing has happened. A relative gingerly attributes it to ‘PTSD’ (post-traumatic stress disorder).

To make things worse, she finds a photo of a pretty girl in her deceased husband’s closet, making her wonder if he had been cheating on her. Sandhya then takes it upon herself to find out more about the girl & the two start to meet. All of this is happening while an elaborate 13-day death ceremony is being observed for her dead husband. Things take a dramatic turn when an insurance agent informs them that Sandhya is the sole beneficiary of Rs 50 lakh.

Director Umesh Bist wittily captures the internal politics of Indian families and how money can make strangers out of blood-brothers. From a pitiable widow who nobody really wants to take responsibility for… Sandhya becomes a cash-cow that’s target of petty schemes. Sanya Malhotra who plays the lead role is effortless and charming, almost reminiscent of Kangana Ranaut’s Rani from Queen – the film that won all our hearts in 2014. Although, it’s perhaps unfair to compare Sanya to anybody, because she holds her own in the film, even when pitted against veteran actors like Ashutosh Rana and Sheeba Chaddha.

Pagglait, which literally means a mad woman in Hindi, is ironically a very sane film about a young woman trying to find her voice and place in the world. A woman who at first had resigned to the whims of her family but now sees potential in doing more, who doesn’t want to be dependent on anybody.

The film celebrates female friendships, Sandhya’s best-friend Nazia is always by her side, standing by her through her mood-swings and whims. Sayani Gupta who makes a small cameo as the ‘other woman’, is a treat to watch even in her little scenes. A lot of viewers would be able to relate to the small family feuds and funeral rituals that are shown in the film.

The music in the film for most parts is great and has been done by Arijit Singh, the soft-melodious tracks, with lyrics often in sync with the plot unfolding on the screen add a lot of depth to the story-telling. Pagglait is funny, quirky, emotional and moving, with a believable climax. Sandhya is not without her flaws and even succumbs to a petty outburst at one point, but she realises her weaknesses and isn’t afraid to apologise and move on. And that’s what this film is about – about fixing your mistakes and moving on to brighter, better days.

The movie is available to stream on Netflix, so watch it whenever you get time.