Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 29

Butter Book Review: Keeps You Hungry Yet Satiated

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“Why the hell is she messing my head with Rika and Reiko?!”

Three pages into the book “Butter” by Asako Yuzuki, and my tiny silly brain started complaining about the author using two very similar names for its primary characters, confusing me almost immediately. I instantly abandoned reading the book and started doing something else.

After a few hours, I thought about trying again, and not let the 3-year-old me with attention issues win, telling myself ‘Rika is the journalist, Reiko, the one who ends with o, is the one who is married, Rika is the loner (although she does have a boyfriend), Reiko has a more rounded life.’ Also, no, I don’t think Reiko has a more rounded life simply because she has a husband, it’s just a cheap mind trick for me to remember who is who. In-fact, my copy of ‘Butter’ confused Rika for Reiko at Page 360, a printing error I am not going to hold against the publishers and editors. If anything, I was totally thrilled to be vindicated.

Okay, let’s talk plot. “Butter” follows primary protagonist Rika, a journalist in her early 30s, working for a popular weekly Magazine in Tokyo, and trying to land herself an exclusive interview with Manako Kajii, a convicted serial-killer. Author Asao Yuzuki takes inspiration from the real-life case of Kanae Kijima, known as the Konkatsu Killer, sentenced to death in 2017 by Japan’s Supreme Court for poisoning three men to their deaths and defrauding several others.

Asako Yuzuki’s ‘Butter’, excellently translated by Polly Barton (I never felt things were lost in translation), is of course heavily fictionalized. Its primary focus is on Reiko’s increasing obsession with Manako Kajii, a gourmet food blogger who loved to cook, accused of killing three of her lovers, even though the evidence against her is largely circumstantial. The case attracts a lot of media attention, a lot of the focus being on the fact that Manako Kajii is nothing like the ‘femme fatale’ archetype. Manako is dubbed ‘fat’ and ‘ugly’ by most, her appearance at odds with Japan’s strict beauty standards that expects women to be slim, and petite.

Could a woman like Manako, lacking conventional physical charm, manage to lure several men into spending truckloads of money on her, mostly to satisfy her love for gourmet food, and premium butter, simply by cooking them elaborate home-cooked dishes? It’s an anomaly that perhaps infuriates, disgusts, or simply confuses people that have fixed idea about beauty, love, and attraction.

I’m glad I quickly got over my first three-page problem with Reiko-Rika, because after that, it was hard to put down ‘Butter’, even though I did take my sweet time to read the novel, unwilling to finish it too soon. You know, when you’re served a delicious meal and you want to savour all its flavours slowly and not regret devouring it like a hungry, homeless person?

Reading ‘Butter’ felt like that, even though there were a few elements that didn’t sit right with me. But I was wholeheartedly open to letting author Asako Yuzuki cook this tale however she wanted to. Well, okay, maybe not 100% wholeheartedly, because the climactic chapters gave me a scare: that things might end on an unnecessarily tragic tone. And even though that wasn’t necessarily the case, there’s more hope than tragedy in the end.

“There are two things I simply cannot tolerate: Feminists and Margarine,” Manako tells Reiko in their very first meet in prison. It made me think about how if not for feminism, Manako would’ve been burnt as a witch without trial. The thing is, Manako agrees to meet Reiko in prison after several failed request, eventually relenting when Reiko uses some advice from her best-friend Rika – if you must draw an elusive person who loves to cook, ask them for a recipe.

When Manako finally agrees to meet Rika, the killer upfront declares she won’t talk about her case at all but only wants to talk about food. Thus begins a sordid saga of Reiko meeting Manako multiple times in prison, forging a twisted bond, all in the hopes of a life-changing exclusive interview at the end of the tunnel. Reiko soon spirals into the world of Manako Kaiji and it all starts the latter’s recommendation of a gourmet butter brand and a simple rice recipe to go with it.

The story is interestingly set in the curious times of a butter shortage in Japan, and the opening chapter highlights this shortage when Reiko heads to meet her friend Rika for a meal. Reiko texts Rika if she needs something, a rhetorical courtesy that she hoped would be answered with a ‘no’, but instead she is requested to buy some butter, if she can find any. So right from the very beginning of the novel, ‘Butter’ becomes a powerful symbolic food, representative of desire, temptation, excesses, and a hunger for something sinful.

Reiko, who starts off an underweight, workaholic journalist who’s never stepped into her kitchen or bothered to buy butter, almost never indulging herself when it comes to food. But soon she starts to cook, putting on a surprising amount of weight, which draws instant criticism from almost everybody around. And what prompts the change? Her prison meetings with Manako Kajii, which begin to go beyond the professional exchanges between a journalist and her subject. And there’s a constant suspense over whether the woman will relent and give Reiko a career-changing exclusive.

‘Butter’ is a book dominated by women, the lead trio of Rika Machida, the primary protagonist, Manako Kajii, her subject, and Reiko Sayama, Rika’s best-friend. The men are incidental, kinda like Manako’s victims, be it Rika’s workaholic boyfriend Makoto, or Yoshinori Shinoi, a senior journalist who often gives Rika tip-offs about stories he isn’t interested in covering himself. There’s a strong sense pervading the novel that despite having close friends and partners, almost all these characters are lonely, repressed, held back by the strict conventions of the Japanese society. So entangled are they in their work lives and societal ‘goals’ that no one realizes how starved they are for human connection.

Manako Kajii is the only person who, to Rika, seems to have truly lived life to the fullest, now paying the price for her excessive gluttony and sexual appetites. Is she a modern-day witch on trial, or a manipulative murderer who did kill the men who desired her? Butter keeps the real truth open-ended, even as the law takes its own decisive course through punitive action against Manako.

If I really had to complain about something, it’s Rika’s questionable journalistic credibility, but only regarding the serial killing case. she gets far too deeply involved with Manako to be objective in her perspective. But of course, it’s precisely Rika’s twisted bond with Manako that spurs the story in Butter, leading to a chain reaction of events, and her unhealthy obsession with the murder-accused becomes a source of worry for other characters too. Asako Yuzuki illustrates how people can get swept away by larger-than-life personalities, and sometimes, it more personal or psychological, than the other person’s ‘influence’.

From cooking Manako’s favorite dishes, visiting her hometown, interviewing her family, friends, trying to get into an exclusive culinary school which might’ve triggered Manako’s murderous instincts, Rika as a journalist covers all possible bases to prepare the ground for her exclusive. Reiko, her ‘perfect’ best-friend, emerges as a dominant force in the second-half of ‘Butter’, revealing herself to be just as ambitious as Rika, and a lot more manipulative and pushy than she lets on.

Just a bar of ‘Butter’ for representational purposes.

You know how some people say that in friendships and love, three can be a crowd? It’s comically strange yet understandable how Reiko becomes envious of Rika’s growing empathy for Manako. So, she embarks on a personal mission to prove to Rika that Manako is a cold-blooded murderer, not a victimized gourmet princess body-shamed by cynics. The contrasting natures of the bonds between these three women is the best part of ‘Butter’.

However, the most dominant theme of these Japanese novel, is the way patriarchal and traditional expectations dictate people’s lives, overburdening them with self-censorship. ‘Butter’ takes a long winded, philosophically complex route to serving its ultimate lesson: that putting yourself before others isn’t something to be ashamed of. How does a journalist attempting to land herself an exclusive become a journey towards ‘self-love’? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out, which eventually celebrates food, friendships, and bond forged through either shared trauma or mutual interests. The celebration is slow, quiet, fulfilling and maybe sometimes challenging.

The final chapters of ‘Butter’ are absolutely engrossing, making it hard to put the book down. There’s drama, tension, suspense, hastily made dangerous decisions, and lots of gourmet cooking. I won’t be lying if I said I was constantly hungry while reading the book, but luckily I’ve never held back from consuming a dollop of butter with my food.

Rating: 5 stars on 5!

Rating: 5 stars on 5!

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‘Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem’ Review: The Rob Ford Diaries

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Rob Ford is one of the rare Mayors in political history to be caught on camera doing cocaine while still in office. But what’s more surprising about the case is his refusal to step down from the post and gaslight the media and the world about never trying crack cocaine. Netflix’s documentary ‘Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem’ revisits Rob Ford’s rise to the position of Toronto’s Mayor and his eventual fall as scandals about his drinking and drug habits came to fore with the first two years of his taking office. It’s the tale of a populist politician who couldn’t keep his personal demons in check.

Years before U.S President Donald Trump made is fashion to discredit the media and rouse hatred within the electorate against the ‘fourth estate’, it was Rob Ford in Canada’s Toronto, who ensured his voters didn’t believe a word that came out in print (or tv) against him. The journalists interviewed in ‘Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem’ recall following Rob Ford’s stormy political career, which was a wild ride of controversies, unhinged emotions, and shocking twists.

Less than 50 minutes long, Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem feels more like a snazzy news segment than a typical documentary, which attempts to get both sides of the story, although there’s not one family member of Rob Ford on camera. Instead, it features close political aides, a bodyguard, among others, who saw his workings firsthand. What emerges is a split personality: one of a surprisingly sincere and hard-working politician, who was willing to go door to door to help out his electorate, someone who got things done in his first year of office; the other is that of a raging alcoholic, maybe a drug addict, intolerant of criticism, and unfiltered in his emotional reactions.

A clear portrait of a right-wing leader – overtly ambitious, ridiculously influential – emerges in the documentary, one who was never ready to let defeat bring him down. Even though the documentary makes some comparisons between Rob Ford and Trump, mostly due to their right-wing populist approach to politics, it’s also evident that Rob Ford was a lot more articulate and astute than Trump. His closest political aides reveal how they were kept in the dark about certain aspects of his life. Although, of course, who knows if they are telling the whole truth?

I really didn’t know anything about Rob Ford or his political career until viewing this documentary, so all I can say is that this was definitely very entertaining to watch as a foreign viewer.

‘Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem’ is on Neflix.

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Revenged Love Eps 1-4: Wild, Wacky, and Tian Xu Ning Brings the Heat

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The Chinese series ‘Revenged Love‘ (逆爱) follows protagonist Wu Suo Wei (played by Zi Yu), who is completely heartbroken after being mercilessly dumped by his ex. When he discovers that her wealthy new boyfriend, Chi Cheng (Tian Xu Ning), is also into men, Suo Wei hatches a harebrained plan to seduce Chi Cheng as an act of revenge. But what happens when he himself falls for the handsome, charismatic ‘bad boy’ Cheng?

‘Revenged Love‘ spans 24 episodes and is based on the novel ‘Counter Attack‘ by Chai Ji Dan, who is also behind the popular shows Addicted and Advance Bravely. Episode one comically sets the tone of the plot, introducing Suo Wei as a poor guy excited to have his girlfriend over for lunch. However, he is dumped for a rich guy, who in turn is ditched for an even richer guy: Chi Cheng. The girlfriend is so caricature-ly horrid, she is reduced to a joker-like vamp in the tale, just there to push forward the primary romance.

Suo Wei swears he’s straight and totally not into men, but he’s dead set on getting revenge on his ex by seducing her new boyfriend and breaking both their hearts. The only problem? Chi Cheng isn’t just rich; he’s young, hot, and very used to turning heads across the gender spectrum. Winning him over won’t be a walk in the park, it might just be a snake pit. In episode two, Suo Wei turns to his newly found doctor friend Jiang Xiao Shuai (Liu Xuan Cheng) to teach him the art of attracting men, since Xiao Shuai is openly gay. In a little twist, Xiao Shuai is aggressively pursued by wealthy playboy Guo Cheng Yu (Zhan Xuan), a close friend/brother of Chi Cheng. Yeah, the plot is a familiar combination of co-incidences, trickery, silliness and delivers some exaggerated yet entertaining drama, generously laden with comedic moments.

Chi Cheng (Tian Xu Ning) & Cheng Yu (Zhan Xuan)

So, ‘Revenged Love’ has a primary romance that follows the naive-yet-manipulative nutcase Suo Wei trying to entrap the even crazier, snake-fanatic Chi Cheng. Yes, Chi Cheng might be the heir to a successful business, but he prefers spending his time breeding and petting snakes, participating in snake-fights (like cockfights), and occasionally playing basketball. Whatever time he gets in between is spent in pursuing more physical pleasures, or at least that’s the word on the streets.

There’s also the secondary romantic storyline about Cheng Yu hitting on Doctor Xiao Shuai, even though the latter shows zero interest at being pursued. In fact, Cheng Yu is also obsessed with snakes, just not as much as Chi Cheng. A major subplot in ‘Revenged Love’ revolves around Chi Cheng trying to recover his pet snakes after his father steals his large reptile collection to force him into taking over the company and marrying a girl. Suo Wei of course doesn’t want Chi Cheng to marry his ex-girlfriend and works hard to accelerate their break-up. Although, funnily, he has no idea that their relationship is barely serious (the one between his ex and Chi Cheng).

While Zi Yu is comedically cute as ‘Revenged Love’ protagonist Suo Wei, Tian Xu Ning is pitch-perfect as the fiendishly good-looking Chi Cheng and reminded me of Japanese actor Ito Asahi from ‘Futtara Doshaburi’. While in the first four episodes they’re still in the courtship period, their onscreen chemistry is fun to watch, with Suo Wei often experiencing ‘gay panic’ around Chi Cheng, while the latter often looks like he would devour Suo Wei in one bite. Tian Xu Ning suavely portrays Cheng’s dual personality – cool as a cucumber on the outside, but a maniac on the inside. He has ‘crazy in love’ eyes and often unsettles Suo Wei by blatantly flirting with him, saying things like, “Stop talking philosophy, let’s discuss anal anatomy,” with a serious face.

A lot of the dialogues in ‘Revenged Love’ are wacky as hell! For instance, when Xiao Shuai advises Suo Wei to simply seal the deal with Chi Cheng if he wants to stop him from marrying his ex-girlfriend, Wei says, “This thing of mine isn’t just for show. Why should I let him top me?!” LOL.

Just like drag queens have fairy godmothers, Liu Xuan Cheng, who plays Doctor Xiao Shuai, is like Suo Wei’s gay godmother in ‘Revenged Love’, inducting him into the world of queer love and sex. Xiao Shuai has a flirty and feisty personality, and it’s subtly funny and endearing how he never holds back from admiring Chi Cheng’s good looks whenever he sees him. Suo Wei’s is much like a BL fan, rooting for Suo Wei and Chi Cheng to hook up for real. Guo Cheng Yu’s character motivations aren’t clear yet, so it’s hard to evaluate Zhan Xuan’s portrayal of the character at this point of “Revenged Love”. Although, he does look good onscreen with Xiao Shua, and there’s potential chemistry there. Ironically, Zhan Xuan also looks great with Tian Xu Ning, each time they share screen space.

If there’s one glaring problem with “Revenged Love“, it’s the weird dubbing. It’s evident that several actors in the cast have not done their own voiceovers. While this is fairly standard in the Chinese industry, it can be quite distracting for foreign viewers. This problem is of course going to persist throughout the show, but at least the background score isn’t too bad, although, some sections could’ve benefited from more music.

Going by the first four episodes, ‘Revenged Love’ is fun, chaotic, and a pretty entertaining adaptation for BL fans who are tired of censored Chinese adaptations!

You can watch the first four episodes of ‘Revenged Love’ on YouTube.

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Flat Girls Review: Tender, and Slightly Tangled

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Jane and Ann are childhood best-friends, neighbors, and daughters of police officer’s, living in a government residential complex for cops, thus the movie title ‘Flat Girls’. But Ann’s father is no more, so her family, comprising of a gambling addict mom and three other younger siblings, face the threat of eviction. The girls dream of spending their lives together, but the difference between their financial conditions threaten to break their bond.

Directed by Claire Jirassaya Wongsutin, ‘Flat Girls’ stars Earnearn Fatima Dechawaleekul as Ann, the overburdened eldest daughter with ambitions to become an air-hostess, while Fairy Kirana Pipityakorn plays the chubby-cute Jane, with fairly no real problems in life, except for an overtly critical mother who never misses a chance to body-shame her own daughter. Boy Pakorn Chatborirak plays Tong, a young police officer living in the same quarters, Jane & Ann’s new friend, badminton partner, and eventually a source of a jealous rift between the girls.

The first half of ‘Flat Girls‘ is filled with relatable realism about the complexities of teen love and everyday struggles. The police quarters where the girls live is old and proudly wears its tired, middle-class exterior, quite unlike the swanky apartment complexes seen in most Thai teen romances. Ironically, while Jane is content to spend the rest of her life in the same flat as long as she has Ann by her side, Ann cannot wait to escape the claustrophobic life in the flats. The dull residential buildings, bustling with families, with stale graffiti on the walls and paint chipping away everywhere, becomes an oppressive character in itself, courtesy the simple, straightforward cinematography.

Both girls love each other, but Jane begins to wonder if her possessiveness over the beautiful Ann is simply sisterly affection found in childhood friendships or something more. She is more confused when she starts to have a small crush on older cop Tong, who starts to play badminton with the girls. Tong however, seems to gravitate towards Ann more. The heart of the story lies in the emotional ups and downs the girls experience in their friendship and budding romance.

Earnearn Fatima Dechawaleekul is relatable as the fragile, hard-working, Ann, portraying the character with a tender earnestness that makes her the stand-out star of ‘Flat Girls’. Ann is forced to play mother to her siblings, while their mother spends most of her time gambling or creating trouble for them. Ann’s friendship with Jane is her primary source of comfort and escape, but with Ann’s mother constantly borrowing money from Jane’s mom, she begins to feel the friendship becoming unequal, while Jane remains blissfully (and annoyingly) unaware of her feelings.

At first, Boy Pakorn Chatborirak’s portrayal of Tong is endearing. However, the character’s evolution becomes questionable in the second half of Flat Girls. Tong, who is clearly in his early 30s or older, while the girls are barely 18, is introduced as a friendly guiding figure for the teens. But eventually, his character becomes an unwanted adult intruder in their lives – a confusing presence whose intentions aren’t clearly spelled out and are left to the viewer’s interpretation. Tong ultimately comes to symbolize how adulthood disrupts the carefree innocence of teenage life.

The climax of ‘Flat Girls‘ adds a small twist, revealing that Jane’s life isn’t as smooth or carefree as Ann had assumed. However, the last-minute complications in Jane’s family feel unnecessary: an overly forced attempt to drive home the “everyone has their own struggles” message. While its slowburn pace is leisurely delicious in the first half, the story’s scattered focus makes it lose its emotional edge.

However, the film finally with an open-ended climactic twist, again, leaving the events opens to interpretation, which depending on one’s view could seem like a happy ending or perhaps slightly tragic. Regardless, it marks the end of adulthood for the ‘Flat Girls’, as they leap towards new uncertainties in their life.

Rating: 7 on 10. ‘Flat Girls’ is on Netflix.

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Outer Banks Season 1: Thrilling, Sun-Soaked Adventure!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sunita (Twitter | Instagram)

Outer Banks Season 1 delivers a thrilling mix of teen adventure, treasure hunting, and class conflict set against the backdrop of the sun-soaked coast of North Carolina. At its heart is a group of teenagers — the “Pogues” — who stumble into a centuries-old mystery involving a missing father, a sunken ship, and $400 million in gold.

What makes this series so addictive?

1. Fast-Paced Storytelling

The season kicks off with high energy and keeps the momentum going throughout. Each episode builds tension and ends with gripping moments that make it a binge-worthy must-watch.

2. Strong Chemistry Among Cast

The friendship among the core group Chase Stokes (John B), Rudy Pankow (JJ), Madison Bailey (Kiara), Jonathan Davis (Pope) feels natural and heartfelt. Their bond gives emotional weight to the series. The show masterfully balances intense survival drama with lighthearted moments of friendship and romance.

3. Stunning Visuals

The show is beautifully shot: beaches, boats, and backwaters offer a constant sense of summer adventure. The stunning beach backdrops, pulse-pounding chase scenes, and shocking twists make it hard to stop watching.

4. Engaging Mystery

The treasure hunt isn’t just about money; it’s tied to legacy, love, and betrayal. There’s enough plot twist to keep you guessing, without becoming incoherent.

So those were the factors that made ‘Outer Banks’ season gripping and entertaining. But here’s what Could Be Better

1. Some Stereotypes

The “rich vs. poor” divide (Kooks vs. Pogues) is a central theme, but at times, it’s painted a bit too black and white.

2. Unrealistic Teen Behavior

The Pogues often act beyond their age – taking on criminals, outwitting adults, and surviving nearly everything thrown at them. Fun to watch, but not always believable due to the exaggerated twists.

3. Soap-Opera Melodrama

Romantic entanglements and emotional betrayals sometimes feel overly dramatic, but hey, that’s part of the charm for many.

Final Thoughts

Season 1 of Outer Banks hits a sweet spot between teen drama and action-packed adventure. Think The Goonies meets The O.C. with a splash of National Treasure. It’s escapist, addictive, and surprisingly heartfelt, perfect for viewers looking for a fun and wild ride.

Rating: 4 stars on 5. Outer Banks is on Netflix.

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‘The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King’ Book Review: Quick and Funny

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Don’t be misled by the book blurb for ‘The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King’, it is so not “Heartstopper meets Derry Girls”! But it’s a fun breezy read nonetheless, about exuberant teen Patch, who like the title says, is a total drama king, exaggerating the most minor inconveniences as if they were major catastrophes.

This romantic-comedy by Harry Trevaldwyn follows 16-year-old Patrick AKA Patch’s resolve to find himself a boyfriend before prom in the new school year and land the lead role in the drama club. He ropes in the help of best-friend Jean, also his romantic advisor courtesy her two month long relationship with her ex-boyfriend. At school, Patch’s chances of striking a spark with someone seem extremely bleak, but at the drama club, which is also attended by other schools in the town, he sees two new potential candidates, a confident, handsome American called Peter, and Max, an equally attractive but shy local British boy.

Now, here’s the thing, I only read the blurb for ‘The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King’ AFTER I finished the novel and was submitting a review online for it. It was on a list of recommendations for ‘Pride Month’ readings, and this was the most affordable title, which is why I instantly bought it. And there were no expectations of reading something that was a mash of ‘Heartstopper’ and ‘Derry Girls’.

Protagonist Patch is a true drama king, loud, overtly chatty, theatrical, self-centered, quite annoying in parts, but also a hilarious over-thinker. ‘The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King’ begins with Patch writing a dramatic letter to a pen-friend called Pierre and then making a resolution to get his first boyfriend before prom, just like the very many movies he consumes. Predictable, but also cute. And like any dramatic lead character, he also has an ‘arch nemesis’, a girl called Tessa, who used to be his close friend, but she dumped him and Jean for a more popular clique.

Most of the novel follows Patch as a hyperactive over-thinker, torn between whether he should pursue the cool and confident Peter or the more reserved Max, before even befriending them or finding out if they’re into guys. His best friend, Jean, of course, reminds him of this, kicking off their awkward, comedic mission to learn more about the boys and see if Patch has a real chance with either of them. Jean turns out to be a sweet, endearing character, happy to play the supportive sidekick to Patch’s chaotic “main character” energy.

Despite Patch’s exaggerated view of the world, author Harry Trevaldwyn keeps many in the tale events grounded in realism and the tone is almost always comedic. Patch frequently finds himself in embarrassing situations, much like any regular 16-year-old with big dreams of becoming a famous actor but no tact when it comes to navigating people or emotions. Whenever he is utterly conflicted about something, he simply barges into a teacher’s room for advice, which was very sweet – that a teen student trusted a teacher enough to discuss his personal problems. Other times, he relies on his divorced mom’s self-help book for older readers. LOL.

Overall, ‘The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King’ is a quick, easy-to-read teen fiction novel, where a lot might depend on how much the reader ends up liking Patch the protagonist.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

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‘Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft’ Review – A Jet, A Heist, A Global Scandal

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

A staggering 700 kg of cocaine were seized in 2013 from a private jet in Punta Cana, which carried one shady passenger, two French pilots, an unexplained third pilot, and 26 suitcases stuffed with the drug, earning the case the nickname ‘Cocaine Air’.

The three-part French Netflix documentary ‘Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft.’ (Y a -t-il un dealer dans l’avion) revisits the case, beginning with a disclaimer that reads as follows: The facts in this documentary have been meticulously verified. However, it’s possible that some people may not be telling the whole truth.

As a viewer, that makes one think: oh, so a lot of it is ‘their word versus ours’, so we’ll just have to treat everything ‘said’ in the documentary with a pinch of salt. In-fact, by the end of the documentary, it’s pretty easy to assume who isn’t telling the whole truth. For investigators, the case appeared straightforward: everyone on the private jet, including the pilots, was involved in the cocaine smuggling. The pilots, however, insist they had no knowledge of the drugs, arguing that a passenger’s luggage is not their responsibility. But the real question is… who was calling all the shots?

From the interviews of Pascal Fauret, and Bruno Odos, former elite war pilots who turned business aviation, arrested for flying the ‘Cocaine Air’ flight, to the really random but entertaining interview of Pablo Escobar’s former chemist, this Netflix documentary is packed with interesting accounts on the case. The most important being Christine Saunier-Ruellan’s side, the examining magistrate who led the investigation into the cocaine air business from the French side. She gets a very ‘James Bond’ entry, in-fact, almost all the interviewees in this docu-series get an entertaining introductory frame. “This story was made for Netflix,” she tells the camera. And she is quite right!

File photos of pilots Pascal Fauret, and Bruno Odos (Source: Netflix)

The “Cocaine Air” case became a global scandal, dragging some prominent names through the mud during the investigation. French pilots Pascal Fauret and Bruno Odos maintain their innocence in the docuseries, recounting the nightmare of being imprisoned in Punta Cana, where jail conditions were out of a horror movie. “We were sure we were going to die there,” they tell the camera. Archival footage of the prison shows they weren’t exaggerating. Fortunately, their military backgrounds earned them significant support back in France, elite pilots with clean records, suddenly arrested and swiftly jailed in a foreign country.

Revisited mostly in chronological order, ‘Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft.’ manages to get almost all sides of the tale, tracking its developments for over a decade. Since the pilots were arrested in Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana, the docu also features interviews of authorities from there. And in a good call, the documentary creators do not involve family interviews and keep this free from emotional entanglements.

If you’re an international viewer unfamiliar with the case, you’ll likely enjoy this true-crime documentary, which also features a daring escape straight out of a thriller. It’s well shot, backed by hilariously fitting background music, and filled with colorful interviewees, some of whom are clearly not telling the whole truth.

Rating: 7 on 10. Watch ‘Cocaine Air’ on Netflix.

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‘Good Boy’ Episode 6 Review: Romance, Rivalry & Rising Threats

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“Well, the usual. Nothing serious.” – Good Boy episode 6 begins with the doctor saying nothing’s wrong with Dong-ju (Park Bo-Gum) and everybody can breathe an immediate sigh of relief. Yay to no clichéd life-threatening diagnosis in what’s supposed to be a fun action-comedy. The way Dong-ju collapses at the end of Episode 5 while talking about Muhammad Ali dying from Parkinson’s was ominous, to say the least.

Quick recap of ‘Good Boy’ Episode 5: The villainous customs officer Min Joo-Yeong (Oh Jung-se) is arrested and interrogated by Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi), while Dong-ju and team leader Joo-Yeong (Heo Sung-tae) observe from behind a one-way mirror. However, Joo-Yeong reveals nothing and, to everyone’s shock, is soon allowed to walk free. While the team continues gathering evidence against him in the hit-and-run case, they’re also tasked with capturing a criminal nicknamed the “Drug Demon” (Lee Ho-jung), who is behind a new psychedelic candy spreading through South Korea’s streets. In a twist, the cops already get the Drug Demon in custody but mistake her for a human-trafficking victim, as she pretends to be one during a raid. The Drug Demon starts to show romantic interest in Dong-ju after he rescues her, however the episode ends with Ji Han-na (Kim So-hyun) kissing Dong-ju. And then he falls!

Titled ‘Counterpunch‘, Episode 6 of ‘Good Boy‘ splits its focus between Dong-ju’s efforts to find evidence against Min Joo-Yeong and the “Drug Demon” case. Trapped in a police safe house as both witness and suspect, Lee Ho-jung, who plays the drug linchpin, tries to get the cops off her scent by giving them some leads to a drug operation run by a rival. Yes, Dong-ju is back on his feet, not health red flags, and once again chasing the bad guys.

While there isn’t a lot of action in this episode of ‘Good Boy’, there’s significant intrigue in the investigation proceedings, and the entire athlete-cop squad also gets to go on an exciting drug bust outing. After Han-na’s kiss, Dong-ju is beaming with newfound confidence and charm, and his rivalry with Jong-hyeon intensifies. The men aren’t just vying for Han-na’s attention but are also competing to prove who’s the better cop, leading to some pretty comedic moments. Although the romance between Dong-ju and Han-na continues to move at its own sweet pace, Han-na still isn’t sure if she really wants to date him. Although Park Bo-gum’s puppy-like charm as Dong-ju is increasingly getting hard to resist for the tough ex-Olympic shooter.

It’s beginning to feel slightly far-fetched how carefree and fearless primary antagonist Min Joo-Yeong is, but actor Oh Jung-se sells the sinister part convincingly. Despite being under police scrutiny, Joo-Yeong unabashedly continues his criminal activities and not too surprisingly: he is also plotting to teach ‘Good Boy’ Dong-ju a lesson. In a significant development, Han-na and Jong-hyeon uncover a paper trail that reveals a shocking corporate-political nexus, one that’s only going to spell more trouble for their team.

Heo Sung-tae as Joo-Yeong, the leader of the special-crime-unit of athletes remains the biggest comedic relief in “Good Boy”. Despite being a senior cop, he is the defacto punching bag for everybody, especially the police commissioner and now he is also beginning to face some family drama. Sung-tae’s comic timing is a great asset to the series, but this episode also gave him some emotional scenes, which he doesn’t carry with the needed sincerity. Unless, of course, the makers deliberately directed him to play even his most vulnerable moments for laughs, including a scene where he’s expected to cry and reveal a more tender side.

This episode of “Good Boy” is an improvement over the last edition in many aspects. It balances the police investigation, violence, romance, and comedic elements well, serving viewers a little bit of everything. It’s fast-paced and also introduces a new supporting character who might stick around for the rest of the series. Things get quite tense in the final minutes, setting the stage for another tragedy, and a “counterpunch” no one expects.

“Good Boy” is streaming on Prime Video.

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Rachel Rising Volume 1 Review: Black, White, and Weird All Over

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

‘Rachel Rising’ by Terry Moore is a wild horror tale about its titular protagonist, Rachel, rising from her death, with bloodshot eyes, dried lacerations on her throat, and no memory of what really transpired. She hitches a ride home, meets her friends, and tries to come to terms with what’s happening to her. So she’s like a walking-dead person, but a lot more sentient than a zombie, and much less scary than a ghostly spirit. If anything, people seem to think she might’ve gotten hotter!

I absolutely loved the opening panels of ‘Rachel Rising’ volume one, which collects the first six issues of the comic book series by Terry Moore. The artwork looks like gorgeous ink-on-paper, and the opening pages have no dialogue – eerily carrying the story through pictures: a young woman walks through a forest path while a body slowly emerges from the ground, like a scene from a horror film. Think ‘Night of the Living Dead’, ‘The Dead Don’t Die’, or even ‘Evil Dead Rise’.

One of the first people Rachel meets is her aunt Johnny (yes, a very weird name for an aunt), a mortician who hilariously assumes Rachel is a figment of her imagination. After all, Rachel shows up at her workplace late at night, and it seems years of working with corpses may have made Johnny a little cuckoo. And honestly, nobody’s blaming her. Aunt Johnny is instantly likable, so it’s no surprise that the confused and disoriented Rachel turns to her for advice and support.

A panel from “Rachel Rising”

A subplot in ‘Rachel Rising’ also follows a creepy little girl doing dastardly things, while a mysterious older woman keeps an eye on her. How Rachel and this child’s stories intertwine remains an enigma in the first volume of the series. On the other hand, there are plenty of deaths and bizarre events to keep the reader turning the page, combined with the big puzzle of Rachel not dying despite her vital signs indicating she shouldn’t be alive. Interestingly, Rachel has a supportive best friend, Jet, who doesn’t freak out over the possibility that Rachel might be dead, instead, she promises to stick by her and help figure out what the hell is going on.

The story reminded me of the Japanese drama ‘Eien no Kinou‘, which follows a young boy who is killed in a road accident but rises as if nothing happened and continues his life, while others help him figure out what went wrong. But while ‘Eien no Kinou‘ was an eccentric romance about a walking, talking, loving corpse, ‘Rachel Rising’ is more sinister in nature. And while the characters don’t yet address the elephant in the room, it’s clear by throughout Volume One that someone murdered her.

Who wanted Rachel dead? The answers are clearly reserved for later issues. Until then, we know somebody is out killing people, though their motive is unclear. Issue #5 in Rachel Rising also introduces a wacky old doctor who examines Rachel and confirms she is indeed dead, but calls her an “angel” and seems weirdly happy to see her unnatural existence. Terry Moore throws in a wicked twist with this new character, and again, the follow-up is saved for later issues.

Well, so far, ‘Rachel Rising’ is fast-paced, mysterious, with the right amount of creepy thrown in for a horror book, along with some mild comedic moments too. The black-and-white artwork by Terry Moore is detailed, and terrifically complements the tale, never making the readers miss color. If anything, the stark black-and-white strokes lend more authenticity to the tale.

Rating: 4 on 5 stars. ‘Rachel Rising’ is also on Kindle Unlimited.

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‘Good Boy’ Episode 5 Review: Dong-ju’s Falling (Literally and Figuratively)

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There’s the metaphorical ‘breaking your back’ at work, and there’s ‘Good Boy’ Dong-ju (Park Bo-Gum) who literally breaks his bones on duty to stop primary antagonist Min Joo-Yeong (Oh Jung-se) from leaving the country!

Quick recap of ‘Good Boy’ Episode 4: Dong-ju and team work on tracking the smuggled car used in the hit-and-run that killed a customs officer, hoping to nail Min Joo-Yeong. In a comic twist, their boss Joo-Yeong (Heo Sung-tae) “borrows” the Police Commissioner’s fancy car as bait, successfully luring the car thieves. An action-packed, bloodied brawl with goons follows, and while several arrests are made, the key suspect is murdered before Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi) can catch him. Still, the squad, Ji Han-na (Kim So-hyun) and Jae-Hong (Tae Won-Seok) included, trace the black car, inching closer to the truth. A high-speed chase and rooftop pursuit ends with Dong-ju leaping in front of Min Joo-Yeong’s car, injuring himself but cleverly arresting the smug villain for hitting a cop and speeding in a school zone.

Titled “Punch Drunk Love”, Episode 5 of ‘Good Boy’ starts with a comedic flashback to Dong-ju’s training days as an Olympic athlete, and how it was ‘love at first sight’ for him, when he saw Olympic shooter Ji Han-na, jogging on the same track as him. Although the primary focus in the present timeline remains on finding dirt on Min Joo-Yeong, the romance between Dong-ju and Han-na sees significant progression in this edition.

Oh Jung-se is impressively despicable as Min Joo-Yeong, playing the antagonist with chilling deadpan and smug certainty that he’s untouchable. His quiet arrogance makes him all the more infuriating, leaving viewers rooting for justice to catch up with him. The suspense builds around how high up his connection goes, and which powerful figure lets him treat even senior cops like lapdogs.

But oh well, since ‘Good Boy’ is supposed to 16 episodes long, this chapter also introduces a bunch of new villains, all of whom don’t seem as intimidatingly evil as Min Joo-Yeong, not even a new sinister character called ‘Drug Demon’, whose street cred as a vicious drug-lord is almost mythical. Remember Joo-Yeong’s wild meltdown during a stealth op in ‘Good Boy’ Episode 2 after accidentally ingesting a psychedelic candy? Turns out, the ‘Drug Demon’ is behind this new spiked candy flooding South Korean streets and is also connected to Min Joo-Yeong.

Episode 5 is thus a mish-mash of new criminal angles, fresh villains, and continued investigative efforts by Dong-ju and colleagues to solve the hit-and-run case. It’s not as fast-paced as the last edition and while Park Bo-Gum continues to be the show-stopper of this series with his onscreen charm, the chemistry between his character and Kim So-hyun’s Han-na isn’t very convincing. On paper their love story sounds super cute, but onscreen, the spark is quite thin. Also, at this point, one wonders what happened between Han-na and ex-boyfriend Jong-hyeon, because their chemistry is more intriguing.

Also, for a high-budget series like “Good Boy”, it’s disappointing to see the tired old trope of the lead pair “accidentally” falling onto each other for a romantic moment. Really? Must people literally fall to fall in love? And there was no need for the contrived moment, especially when Dong-ju is the kind of character who wears his heart on his sleeve and could just flirt openly to win Han-na over. Thankfully, it’s not all just accidental falling, and viewers do get some cutesy flirting in the latter half.

Overall, this was arguably the weakest episode of “Good Boy” so far, ending with an alarming scene that hints at a possible chronic illness for Dong-ju. Given his mounting injuries, a serious neurological issue wouldn’t be far-fetched. Still, the show remains entertaining, and it’ll be interesting to see where it goes next.

“Good Boy” is streaming on Prime Video.

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