Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 299

Parasite – Worth all the hype?

Parasite by Bong Joon-Ho has probably gotten millions of reviews already, but that won’t stop me from sharing my two cents, even if nobody else ever reads it. Especially since I doubt anybody is going to agree with my opinion.

First off – I love Korean films. Those guys know how to tug your emotional strings all right. However, Parasite is not an emotional roller-coaster, but one of those rides, I don’t know if you’ve ever been on one, but the kind that first goes 180 degree up, then 180 degree down and then takes a 360 turn. So it has a lot of highs, some lows and then things just get out of hand.

The plot it simple – a poor broke family of four cons its way into a rich household of four through pretty dubious means, but are not ready for the unseen consequences. Bong Joon-Ho doesn’t even do any foreshadowing to prepare us for some of the plot twists, so you might gasp in surprise at some points. But there are also some scenes which are so irritatingly slow that you wish Joon had chopped some seconds.

All the actors deliver flawless performances, each fitting into the narrative perfectly. However, for me, it was Cho Yeo-jeong, the actress who plays the rich mistress of the house, who steals the show. She is so delicately gullible in the film that one cannot help but like her.

Kang-Ho Sang, who plays the patriarch of the poor family, gives a nuanced performance, making palpable his greed, envy and loathing for his rich overlords. I won’t get into the whole social/economic divide displayed in the film; too much has been written about it already. But you have to give it to the writers for the brilliant juxtaposition they use to subtly point out the differences between the rich and the poor. It’s all too witty and captivating.

The climax of the film was pretty damn good but things escalate too quickly. The pace of this film is all over the place. The ending was tragically comic but somehow not very satisfactory.

Although I do think this film was definitely Oscar worthy, but did it deserve the Oscar? I don’t know. Jo Jo Rabbit was a more fun and fulfilling movie experience for me. And I still have to watch 4 of the other Oscar nominees for the best films, which I do intend to do over the next few days.

SMZS – A Fun RomCom

So India’s first mainstream Bollywood Gay Romantic Comedy hit the big screens this Friday and what a joie de vivre it was.

The makers of Shubh Mangal Zyaada Savdhan deserve a standing ovation for picking up a taboo topic like Homosexuality and giving the Indian audience a wholesome entertainer. It’s a movie I could have happily watched with Mom and Dad but unfortunately we don’t stay in the same city.

Back to the film. This Bollywood offering is fun, farcical in parts but absolutely entertaining. The plot goes horse speed – galloping, with no boring bits.

And all the actors were so fantastic – Ayushman as the out & open boyfriend and Jitendra Kumar as the closeted & nerdy Allahabad gay boy. Gajraj Rao steals the show as the “scientist” dad who wants to “cure” his son’s gay away but in the end tries to remedy his own homophobia. Neena Gupta is brilliant as the paradoxical mom – both practical and emotional, the mom who is ready to adapt to the situations at hand. Manu Rishi as the underrated “chacha” who is bullied by his older brother. Oh well, basically, everybody was damn good.

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What’s really laudable is that the writers didn’t fall into the trap of trying to justify their theme too much and so they steer clear from the danger of becoming too preachy. It’s not just a gay romantic comedy, but also serves as a satire on how Indian parents force their kids into unhappy marriages, gay or straight.

I won’t go on and on. The reactions of the audience in the theatre spoke for the film. People were loudly laughing at regular intervals at the witty writing and jokes. There were two or three moments were most of the audience was even clapping! It felt so good to be watching a LGBT film where the audience was applauding what it saw. Well, that’s Bengaluru folks for you.

5/5 to the makers, 4 for the film and 1 for their heart It really needs a lot of heart to make a film like this.

A Horse Walks Into A Bar

So, I just finished reading the 2017 Man Booker International Prize winner ‘A Horse Walks Into A Bar’ by David Grossman. I can’t remember why I picked this book, but I’ve never read anything like it. At least no novel comes to my mind for now.

‘A Horse Walks Into A Bar’ is a tragicomedy that unfolds in just one evening. But it’s not the kind of book that one can finish in the same day. Grossman’s book needs to be patiently read over a few days or it would take a mental toll on the reader. It’s borderline depressing, not necessarily in a bad way.

It’s about an old stand-up comedian called Dovaleh doing his last gig in a small Israeli town. Through his last act, Dovaleh’s antics reveal to us just how hard the business of stand-up comedy is. His audience is torn between the urge to walk out or sit through it all and see if something spectacular will come out of it. But instead of getting a light night filled with fun and banter, they find themselves unwillingly pulled into his tragic past.

Grossman’s writing style is impeccably smooth. Although I had a difficult time understanding some pop-culture references that perhaps only an Israeli would get. However, despite being a tale set in a far off land, Dovaleh’s story is universal to any man or woman who is still fighting the ghosts of their past. Like Dovaleh’s audience, even the reader may find their attention flickering. There will be times when you just want to abandon the book, but if you manage to be stoic about it, you will find a satisfactory ending, even if it is not the kind of climax you were hoping for.

The most stunning feat that Grossman manages to achieve through this novel is write an ending that is applause worthy.

 

P.S – I am a GoodReads author and go by Sneha Jaiswal. 

American Vampire – A+

American Vampire is not just by Scott Snyder, but is also co-written by Horror king Stephen King, so that’s enough to draw a comic book enthusiast who loves the horror genre.

There is a panel in American Vampire that shows a pamphlet about a book that is said to “combine the western thrill of Zane Grey and the Horror Thrills of Bram Stoker!”, it’s pretty much the summation of American Vampire Volume 1.

This book pushes the envelope for the Vampire genre and thankfully reclaims the theme that has been ‘misused’ in soft romantic books written for teen girls in love. American Vampire brings out the fangs and blood and doesn’t romanticize its heroes. It is gritty, gory and gripping.

The characters in the book are fantastically drawn and when some of our vampire friends get ready to bite, they do not look the least bit friendly. They look like they should – unpleasant aberrations. Scott Snyder and King even throw some Hollywood in the mix to make the story more interesting, adding a dash of drama, damsels and broken dreams.

American Vampire is the perfect series to those looking to binge-read some good old Bram Stoker style story – only faster, flashier and fiendishly faultless.

1917 – Breathtakingly bland?

So I finally saw the much talked about Sam Mendes film and am slightly conflicted about what my opinion of 1917 is. As soon as the film was over, there was a sense of “I am so glad I saw this in the theatre” in my head. But despite being a war movie, 1917 didn’t make me cry, not even tear up.

I tore up while watching Jo Jo Rabbit and I think it was perhaps the better movie, even if just by a point. Not only did it draw laughs from the audience, but also brought out the waterworks. 1917 doesn’t bring out either. No catharsis.

But what 1917 did manage to do was, at least for me, was keep me at the edge of my seat. For most of the film, I was in awe of the camera work, even though it’s pretty easy to see all the cuts. I mention this because the movie has a got a lot of praise for looking like it was shot in one take.

“See, they paused it here and continued shooting from here,” my husband kept telling me in the theatre each time he saw an obvious cut. As the film progressed, I started doing it too (pointing out cuts).

The plot is pretty simple, two men sent on a suicide mission to cross over patches that may be occupied by the enemies and warn British troops against making an attack.

Mendes and his team capture all the brutal morbidities of war in a raw and visually stunning manner. But there is not one dialogue that is recall worthy. Also, none of the characters have a solid arc.

The film was a cinematic marvel due to the good camera-work and set designs. However, plot and script-wise, the makers did a pretty lousy job. For me that doesn’t change the fact that I was mighty satisfied with the film and would give it an eight on ten.

But husband disagrees. “I have seen better Tamil films. The second half was so bad” he declared at the end of it. Other south-Indian film fans might agree. Oh wait. That was Parasite! 

Final verdict – I think it’s definitely worth watching, but only if you can catch it on the big screen. You will either love it or be disappointed.

 

Bombshell – A Review

Bombshell’s teaser was the most intriguing teaser I had ever seen in years – just three big stars playing journalists crammed in an elevator, with palpable tension in that little space. “It’s hot in here,” says Nicole Kidman. You can feel that heat. The teaser gives away nothing.

The movie is about the fall of media mogul Roger Ailes, who headed Fox News and the women who were instrumental in bringing that about. Honestly, I didn’t know much about it, so for me, it was all very new.

The film starts off on a light note, with Charlize Theron, who plays star anchor Megyn Kelly, breaking the fourth wall and inviting the viewer into her newsroom. She tells us about who Roger Ailes is and how Fox News functions.

Soon, the makers dive into the plot at hand – how sexism and sexual harassment is a systematic problem in not just the industry, but the country. “To get ahead, you have to give head,” women are told.

Kidman plays an aging anchor, who has had enough of the sexism, of being put down and finally decides to bring down the head of her channel. Only after she is fired, a move she was anticipating.

The film is riveting and makes you uncomfortable, especially as a woman viewer. Margot Robbie plays a young, go-getter who wants to be on air, but is too naive to imagine the price she has to pay for her dream. She symbolizes all the young women who were  exploited by men in power in the industry. Doe-eyed, dolled up, Robbie really nails her role, she is the lamb that gives in to the wolf.

I remember holding my friend’s hand for a brief second, to overcome the discomfort I felt when Robbie is sexually harassed by Roger Ailes, who, in his own words, resembles “Jabba the Hutt”.  For those who don’t get the reference, Jabba is a character in Star Wars, an obese alien slug that is disgusting to look at.

None of the three heroines – Kidman, Theron, Robbie – are saints. But they decide to fight the system, the institutionalized sexual harassment of women, even if it’s too late. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” Theron’s character says, when she decides to get more women to speak up and expose her boss. It was slightly disappointing to see Kidman not get enough screen time, even though she is the one who spearheads the campaign against Ailes and sues him, putting all at stake.

The film was pacy and keeps one engaged throughout. The makers used real archival footage of Donald Trump to add to the authenticity of the film. The make-up artists have done a fantastic job in transforming all the actors to look like their part.

John Lithgow as Roger Ailes evokes the kind of emotions from the viewer that is expected out of him – of loathing and disgust. He is characteristic of all the rich, old, powerful men, who feel they are entitled to getting sex out of women who work for them.

Bombshell may not be as explosive as it’s title, but it sure brings in the fireworks that are worth watching. The film’s plot may be limited to one news channel, but it’s a universal tale of how sexual harassment is normalized and how women too are part of the problem.

 

To All The Boys: PS I still Love You Review

The sequel to the much loved ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ is now streaming on Netflix, and I streamed it as soon as I saw it on their home page.

I had seen the first movie with a bunch of my girlfriends and we all loved it. It was a breezy kind of chick flick you would want to watch on a girls’ night out. The second film picks off from where the first one ended – Lara Jean is officially dating and not ‘fake’ dating the hottest guy in school, Peter Kavinsky.

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The movie starts off with an adorable montage of 16 year old Lara Jean trying out different outfits in her almost picture perfect room, despite the slight mess. She excitedly sings a classic romance song from the 80s, until interrupted by her cheeky younger sister who subtly says she doesn’t look ready for her date.

Lana Condor is as adorable as she was in the first film and reminds you of what it felt like to be in love when you were a teenager. Michael Fimognari gets all those ‘feels’ right. I was smiling through the first few minutes, where Peter and Lara go for dinner, then go to a pretty place to light up sky lanterns.

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The makers pick all the right kind of songs for every scene in the film, the music carries the story forward. But all’s not rosy in Lara’s life.  While she thinks she has just entered an almost perfect relationship, the first plot twist comes right after her first date. She finds herself face to face with her childhood crush John Ambrose, who receives one of her old love letters that her sister had mischievously mailed to all her crushes. Her heart races again.

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Jordan Fisher as Ambrose is aptly cast as her childhood love interest and makes you wish Lara would pick him in the end. And our heroine too finds herself torn between Ambrose and her boyfriend, while she also battles insecurities over his ex-girlfriend.

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The movie seems to have been shot with a lot of love, almost every frame in this film is like a painting, you feel like you could pause at any scene and it would be picture perfect. That’s a rare kind of feat in teen romance films that are made to appeal to the masses.

But everything is not perfect about this film. While the first half was funny, endearing, in the middle, the story gets a little weary. I haven’t read the book, but there are some cliché tropes – like Lara always getting interrupted when she wants to say something important. The done to death ‘walking down the stairs in a pretty gown’ scene, where the boy find himself gasping for his breath.

Call me cynical, but while at first, I was all excited about the whole teens in love theme, however, towards the end, I found myself sighing and thinking that the makers are making the film a little too serious than necessary.

You really feel bad for Jordan Fisher in the end, the perfect guy who is undeservedly led on and rejected; while Lara manages to get an almost fairy tale like ending. The climax could have been better. But well, it’s a pretty good chick flick for a round two on girls’ night out. It’s a 7/10 for me.

If I had to sum it up in one sentence – Breezy beginning, boring in between, balanced in the end, but the boys deserved better.

Jo Jo Rabbit – Review

I saw Taika Waititi’s Jo Jo Rabbit in the theatres two weeks ago.

When I first saw the trailer, like many film buffs, I couldn’t help but find an uncanny resemblance of the cinematography to that of Wes Anderson’s movies. But I love Wes Anderson’s creations, so I couldn’t wait to see Jo Jo Rabbit.

Told from the point of view of ten year old Jo Jo, a German boy who has been brainwashed in a Nazi youth camp, this film has a refreshingly different take on World War II. Visually stunning, with exaggerated but funny characters, it is moving and an absolute crowd-pleaser.

Jo Jo, branded ‘Jo Jo Rabbit’ by his wicked seniors after his failure to kill a rabbit to prove his ferocity as a Nazi trainee, is a kind and innocent boy who worships Hitler and thinks Jews are monsters with horns.

The director Taika, plays Jo Jo’s imaginary friend Hitler, with a Charlie Chaplinisque swagger. While Scarlett Johansson plays his mother, a ‘rebel’ German who is secretly harboring a young jew girl in the house.

‘Ten year olds shouldn’t be celebrating war and talking politics,” she tells Jo Jo, who swears by Nazi propaganda and firmly believes that Hitler will win the war and wipe out all the Jews.

So when Jo Jo finds out that there is a ‘dirty Jew’ hiding in his own house, one wonders if he will out his family to the Gestapo or will he learn that Jews are as human as him? The plot explores the little boy’s change of heart in a manner that will warm your heart too.

Some critics have accused Waititi of paying too safe and not showing us the brutal and ugly side of war. Of staying away from the concentration camps. Of being too farcical and fantastical about Nazi Germany, almost making the third Reich seem romantic. But for me as a viewer, the film wasn’t a cautionary tale about the brutalities of war. It is the story of Jo Jo, the young Nazi boy, who is capable of change when he has access to the truth about Jews – that they are just like him.

The movie makes one question their blind beliefs and also gives you an insight into how fanatics are made – when they are young. So they are redeemable.

I loved everything about the film, especially the little boy who plays Jo Jo’s best friend in the film. The boy who only wants everybody who he loves to be happy.

At first, I thought I ll just do a fan art sketch to express my admiration for this lovely film. But on second thoughts, I ended up doing both, writing a review and sketching a scene from the film –

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Post Office – Review

‘What is the book about?’ a friend asked when I told him I was on the verge of finishing my first Bukowski book.

‘Aimless horny guy wasting away his life at the U.S postal service,’ I said.

That drew some laughs.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about ‘Post Office’.

But I would rate it a four on five because Bukowski clearly knows his way with words. His writing is engaging and makes even the mundane seem interesting.

The main protagonist, Chinaski, narrates how almost 12 years of his life go down the drain because of his boring, almost treacherous job. It’s booze, boobs and betting that keep him going.

So what we get in the book is elaborate details of the job he hates, little acts of rebellion against the system and a whole lot of dysfunctional relationships with women.

At some points I was uncomfortable reading the book because it uses the word “rape” too loosely. But given that it was published in a different century altogether, you have to perhaps view it under the lens of the times it came out.

Bukowski’s wit and ease with words pervades most pages. Making Post Office an interesting read.

This book makes you realize how life can just be an elaborate hangover.

Illegal – A Review

Tuesday Read – Illegal by Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin. This book powerfully illustrates what it’s like to leave everything behind, putting all at stake, for a faint distant dream that a better life might be realised at another shore. Very few make it to the shore alive. Told through the perspective of a young boy, Illegal is perhaps more on the innocent side of the spectrum. It’s about “broken trucks & broken promises” and how many migrants perish to their deaths on their way to a better life.

Wide-eyed Ebo is the hero of this book, who crosses the Sahara, lives a dangerous life that involves living in rat infested sewers to save enough for an even more terrifying boat ride across the Mediterranean sea. For a book dealing with a grim theme, ‘Illegal’ manages to be a story about hope, love and dreaming big against all odds.

The book is beautifully illustrated in apt colours. Each panel carries the story forward seamlessly, despite flitting between the past and the present.