Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 41

‘Picture This’ Review: Simone Ashley Deserves a Better RomCom

Rating: 2 out of 5.

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A few minutes into ‘Picture This‘, I realized that Prime Video already has another movie with the same plot, the 2024 Australian romantic comedy ‘Five Blind Dates’. Both films are written by Nathan Ramos-Park and Shuang Hu. So, I don’t get it—why make the same film twice? It’s like they thought, “Oh, so what if the Australian one didn’t do great? We’ll make a British adaptation with more famous actors.”

Directed by Prarthana Mohan, the British version stars Simone Ashley as Pia, a single 29-year-old running a failing portrait studio with her gay BFF, Jay (Luke Fetherston). When Pia returns to her hometown for her younger sister Sonal’s wedding, her mother, Laxmi (Sindhu Vee), pressures her into finding dates after an astrologer predicts she will meet her “soulmate” within the next five dates.

I feel like even I can simply copy-past most of my review for ‘Five Blind Dates’, because a lot of my criticism for the script still holds. For instance, why make the girl go on several dates if you’re going to make her eventual choice pretty obvious in the very first ten minutes? And again, with less than 2 hours of runtime, there’s simply not enough time to establish significant chemistry with anybody in the cast.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays Charlie, Pia’s childhood sweetheart, for whom she still has lingering feelings, but their screen time is minimal, and the sparks just aren’t there. Instead, Pia shares sizzling chemistry with her friend Jay, making their time together at Sonal’s wedding far more enjoyable to watch. As her mom says in the movie, Jay was made for Pia… too bad he’s gay.

Simone Ashley has great screen presence as Pia, a small business owner who insists she doesn’t need a man yet goes with an open mind and positive spirit to the blind dates set up by her family. Some of these dates are truly awful, but the settings aren’t as hilarious as they could have been. The subplot about Pia’s struggling portrait studio lacked the emotional depth of the artisanal tea business run by the protagonist in Five Blind Dates.

Overall, Picture This is disappointing as a romantic comedy, though it does have some redeeming moments.

Rating: 2 on 5. The film is on Prime Video.

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‘Anuja’ Review: Sweatshops, Sweetmeats, and Hardships

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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Anuja is a short but poignant tale about a bright young girl with excellent grades who, instead of attending school, works at a clothing factory alongside her elder sister to help make ends meet. When an opportunity arises for a fully paid scholarship to a boarding school, little Anuja faces a difficult choice, leave her sister behind for a better future or take a new job at the factory to earn more money.

Written and directed by Adam J. Graves, Anuja stars Sajda Pathan as the titular protagonist, while Ananya Shanbhag plays her older sister, Palak. The film opens with a touching moment, with Palak narrating an old tale to Anuja at bedtime in their rundown home. The two are orphans, surviving without adult supervision and relying on meager wages from a sweatshop to get by.

Just a little over 20 minutes long, Anuja offers a fleeting but heartfelt glimpse into the struggles of orphaned children forced to fend for themselves. The sibling bond between Anuja and Palak is captured tenderly, from bedtime stories to working side by side, they are inseparable. Despite their dire circumstances, they find small moments of joy, like sharing a packet of jalebis. The cinematography portrays their poverty with stark simplicity, avoiding excessive dramatization.

Palak wants her younger sister to pursue an education and escape the cycle of underpaid labor. However, Anuja is too young to fully grasp the long-term benefits of financial independence through education versus the immediate security of a higher-paying factory job. For Anuja, it’s a choice between future dreams and present duties, although in an ideal world, a child shouldn’t be in a position to make such decisions.

So, what will Anuja choose? Unfortunately, the film ends on an abrupt cliffhanger, leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions, a decision that may feel unsatisfying to some.

Rating: 3 on 5. Watch the film on Netflix.

Notes from the Underground: Rants of a Self-Loathing Man

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‘Tedious rants of a fictional man for his gentlemen readers,’ could’ve been the alternative title for ‘Notes from the Underground’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Modern readers could turn the book into a drinking game – take a shot each time the narrator addresses his readers as “gentlemen,” immediately excluding female readers (or whatever one identifies as) and treating them as intruders in his “boys’ club” rant about the world.

It’s essentially just that, an unknown narrator, a bitter civil servant living in St Petersburg, who loathes himself, compares himself to a sewer rat, then goes on rambling about the absurdities of life, the futility of free will, and a whole bunch of random things. He lives an isolated life, has no friends, or family, calls his life ‘the underground life’ (hence the comparison to rats), and when he goes to work, he enjoys making people miserable.

My first impulsive reaction was to rate ‘Notes from the Underground’ a 1 star out of 5, but then, since I haven’t read it completely, it seemed wrong to do so. Also, it is filled with quote-worthy stuff, but unfortunately padded with mind-numbingly repetitive thoughts. I started reading the book on January 11, 2025, and as of 19th March of the same year, I’ve finally given up on trying to finish it. I only read over 40% of the book and couldn’t take it anymore. At one point, the narrator says, “Reading, of course, was a great help—exciting me, giving me pleasure and pain. But at times it bored me fearfully.” The last part perfectly sums up my feelings about this book.

And every time Dostoevsky addressed his readers as ‘gentlemen,’ I felt personally attacked…. like, am I not worthy of reading this as a woman? Sure, it was written in a different time, but whatever, he sounds like a total patriarchal snob. Although, paradoxically, the narrator views himself as someone extremely worthless, someone who isn’t even worthy of being an insect. At the same time, the narrator admits to feeling both inferior and superior than everybody around him. Bipolar much? Yes. 100%. One second the dude wants nothing to do with anybody, next second he basically sings P!nk’s song “I wanna get in trouble, I wanna start a fight”.

I mean, well, this book was just not for me. It’s an interesting attempt at painting the innermost thoughts of a vile protagonist, but the non-stop complaining about different things is grating. I was in complete awe of Dostovesky’s ‘Crime & Punishment’, especially of the brilliant stream of consciousness employed in the novel to detail every thought of the protagonist. In ‘Notes from the Underground’ too, the author uses a similar technique, except that there’s no plot, just a man whining to the moon.

This is probably a good pick for male readers going through an existential crisis and feeling exhausted by everyone around them. However, ‘Notes from Underground’ will only pull someone deeper into despair, it’s not a book one can draw strength from. Unless, of course, finding someone even more miserable provides comfort, in which case Dostoevsky’s unnamed narrator serves as the perfect inspiration to feel better about yourself.

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Dakota Swipes Right on Pedro Pascal & Chris Evans in ‘Materialists’ Trailer

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A confident young woman strides down the street, dressed sharply in a black skirt, white shirt, and sleek black jacket. As she passes a handsome man, they exchange smiles, until she abruptly turns and asks, “Hey! Are you single?”

But the follow-up isn’t what he expects.

“I’m a matchmaker. Give me a call if you wanna meet somebody.”

Well, that’s one way to land a client! She’s clearly got the skills to make things happen.

Dakota Johnson stars as Lucy, a successful matchmaker, in the trailer for Materialists. But soon, instead of setting people up, she finds herself caught in a love triangle between a charming millionaire (Pedro Pascal) and a handsome, down-to-earth server (Chris Evans). The fresh pairings already look intriguing, with palpable chemistry in both relationships. The trailer exudes major early 2000s/late ’90s rom-com vibes, especially since phones seem surprisingly absent from most scenes.

Written and directed by Celine Song (Past Lives), Materialists promises to be an engaging drama exploring matchmaking, love, and what truly matters in relationships. Chris Evans plays a hopeless romantic who, by the looks of it, is struggling financially, while Pedro Pascal embodies the wealthy, confident, and effortlessly suave older man who seemingly has it all.

So, who will the matchmaker choose? Or will she decide not to choose at all?

We’ll have to wait until Materialists hits theaters on June 13 to find out. But if the title is any hint, we might already know who the frontrunner is.

Watch the trailer on YouTube, it’s also embedded below.

ThamePo Heart That Skips A Beat Review: T-pop Blues

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

From its trailer, Thai series ‘ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat’ looked like a fluffy romance about a top Thai-pop star falling in love with a director hired to shoot a documentary about his band, but is a lot more about the band’s troubles. The romance is thin, even though the lead actors are cute, their interactions are limited, so the eventual intensity of short term love story isn’t very convincing.

Directed by Mui Aticha Tanthanawigrai, GMMTV series ‘ThamePo: Heart That Skips a Beat’ spans 13 episodes and stars singer William Jakrapatr Kaewpanpong as Thame, the lead singer of the popular boy band Mars. Competitive swimmer-turned-actor Est Supha Sangaworawong plays Po, who is tasked with documenting the band’s final moments before their breakup. How these two fall in love and fight to stay together forms the heart of the story.

Interestingly, William Jakrapatr Kaewpanpong, the lead vocalist of the real-life Thai boy band LYKN (ไลแคน), gets to co-star alongside his actual bandmates in the series. So the fictional band Mars is composed of LYKN’s real members: Nut Thanat Danjesda portrays Junn, a singer aspiring to be an actor; Lego Rapeepong Supatineekitdecha plays Nano, the main dancer; Hong Pichetpong Chiradatesakunvong takes on the role of Dylan, the band’s rapper; and Tui Chayatorn Trairattanapradit plays Pepper, a singer-songwriter. Since the band is part of GMMTV’s label, several LYKN songs are featured in the soundtrack, including William’s soulful solo track, which he originally recorded for the Last Twilight series.

Episode one follows Po, a heartbroken young man working under a tailor while freelancing as a video editor for his close friend Baifern (Ciize Rutricha Phapakithi). After being dumped by his boyfriend for being a “failure,” Po is desperate to prove himself, so he seizes the opportunity to film a documentary on Mars, the boy band. William Jakrapatr Kaewpanpong’s Thame is first introduced as a moody, short-tempered lead singer who despises paparazzi and mistakes Po for a stalker, unaware that he has been newly hired to document the band’s journey. However, as the series progresses, Thame reveals his true nature – a soft-spoken, friendly, and hardworking singer who cherishes his bandmates like family.

Namfon Kullanat Kulpreeyawat plays Pemika, the CEO of Oner Entertainment, who often serves as the antagonist of the story. She leads the decision to disband Mars, citing financial losses – a reasoning that, quite frankly, is fair enough. However, Po and Thame team up to find ways to save the group from breaking up, forming the central conflict of the series. The series of-course explore the classic “idols cannot date” rule, so when a Mars member is caught in a relationship with a young woman, it sparks massive media backlash and controversy.

Nut Thanat Danjesda’s Junn is the most entertaining character in the show, he is a charming problem child, who develops a close bond with Po, adding a potential love triangle to the tale. In-fact, at some point in the series, it feels like Po and Junn have more scenes together, and to top it off, the actors have a good onscreen chemistry. The other three members of the band fail to make a mark with their acting, but their dancing skills are watch-worthy. They completely outshine the ‘Only Boo!’ dancing crew, another series from GMMTV that focused on Thai-pop and dancing. In-fact, the actors from ‘Only Boo!’ even make a small cameo in ‘ThamePo: Heart That Skips a Beat’ in the second part of the show.

But well, at its core, this series is supposed to be a forbidden romance between a lead singer and his documentary director, and despite some cutesy moments between Thame and Po, their love story is underwhelming. And even the whole ‘save the band from breaking up’ sub-plot is childishly executed, packing in several convenient twists. Also, it’s low-key funny how Po simply uses one hand-held camera to shoot the documentary (one would expect a more elaborate set-up for the project). While one would expect some serious industry insights into how artists are treated in big companies, viewers are served only generic glimpses into the world of Thai pop. And with several ad placements throughout the series, it sometimes feels like the entire show might just be one big promotional campaign for LYKN.

Overall, ‘ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat’ is prolonged series, with some great music, fun dance sequences, and a familiarly underwhelming story. It could’ve been wrapped up in eight episodes.

Rating: 2.5 on 5 stars. The series is on YouTube.

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The Only Girl in the Orchestra: Documentary Review

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

A ‘nepo baby’ of famous movie stars who never attempted to start an acting career and chose to play music instead, that too a double bass in an orchestra of over 100 men? Interesting!

Directed by Molly O’Brien, ‘The Only Girl in the Orchestra’ is a 34 minute documentary that celebrates the trailblazing career of her aunt, Orin O’Brien, who became the first permanent woman member of the New York Philharmonic, and was inducted under the prodigious American conductor Leonard Bernstein. Her parents were famous actors George O’Brien and Marguerite Churchill, but she wasn’t interested in following their footsteps.

“I didn’t want the limelight to be on me. I just backed off from all of that. Everybody can’t be a general… somebody has to be a soldier. To me, that’s part of the pleasure of playing in an orchestra, you can join what everybody else is doing,” Orin tells the camera. And that’s the funny thing, she didn’t really want to be part of this documentary either. While she never says it outright, it’s clear that allowing cameras into her life to document her retirement was a reluctant decision, one she agreed to only because it was her niece, her only surviving relative, behind the lens.

Archival footage and old magazine articles highlight the kind of press Orin received as the first permanent female member of the New York Philharmonic. However, the documentary primarily focuses on her present life, which consists of teaching students and often playing the double bass. So the documentary is packed with some great classical pieces. Orin, in her late 80s at the time of filming, is absolutely radiant when playing or teaching music. Despite not pursuing an acting career, one can’t help but see that she could have made a great on-screen presence, her face and charisma feel like a blend of Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore.

As The Only Girl in the Orchestra already explores a niche subject, its scope is further limited by Orin’s reluctance to talk about herself. A no-nonsense, serious musician, she doesn’t see herself as an ‘artist,’ let alone a celebrated one. However, she candidly reflects on her tough, unstable childhood shaped by her parents’ fame and divorce. Music became her true calling, leading to a remarkable 55-year career with the Philharmonic, whose glimpses we see through her photo albums.

The documentary ends rather abruptly, with Orin wrapping up a teaching session and reflecting on the importance of following one’s passion. ‘I am an artist in my own mind, but I don’t want to advertise.’ And she truly doesn’t. Instead, her niece quietly observes, retracing her career and offering this film as a deeply personal tribute to an aunt she admires – not as a legend, but simply as Orin.

Rating: 3.5 on 5. Watch the documentary on Netflix.

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‘The Electric State’ Review: Its Wattage Is Mid

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

So many things about the retro-futuristic movie The Electric State are great: it has a intriguing premise, a cool cast, fantastic CGI, some lovable robot characters, and they are all shockingly underutilized. Okay, well, not ‘shockingly’, but it’s simply fun to to pun with the title – an element largely missing from the movie.

Directed by the Russo brothers, ‘The Electric State’ is based on the book of the same name by Simon Stålenhag which re-imagine 1990s as a dystopian era where robots & humans go to war after robots become more sentient, demanding more rights for themselves. Against this backdrop, the film follows orphaned teen Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) as she goes on a dangerous quest to find her younger boy-genius brother Christopher, along with a mysterious robot called Cosmo. They are joined by black-marketeer Keats (Chris Pratt) and his cheeky robot BFF Herman (voiced by Anthony Mackie) in their journey, while being chased by villains who want their robot sidekicks dead (or worse).

After playing the special kid who needs new friends to save her and the world in Stranger Things, it was refreshing to see Millie Bobby Brown take on the role of the one saving the special kid. Stanley Tucci plays the primary antagonist, Ethan Skate, a billionaire entrepreneur who copyrights a groundbreaking technology that allows humans to inhabit and control robotic bodies, enabling them to be in two places at once. It’s this tech that helps them to crush the robots in war and sign a peace treaty, which includes banning humans from harboring robots. Woody Harrelson voice Mr Peanut, leader of the robots, while Giancarlo Esposito plays ‘The Marshall’, an anti-AI figure famous for butchering several robots in the war. Ke Huy Quan is criminally wasted in a cameo as Dr. Amherst, someone who holds the key to finding out where Michelle’s brother is.

Throughout its 2-hour runtime, Electric State maintains an overwhelmingly underwhelming tone, sticking to familiar formulas despite an intriguing premise. The comedic elements fall flat, while the jokes aren’t necessarily bad, they don’t make you laugh out loud either. The first half suffers from a lack of energy, and the blame falls squarely on the scriptwriters, as the cast delivers strong performances.

Things do pick up slightly toward the climax, with a tense “robots versus humanoids” battle, though the direction feels somewhat chaotic. I remember watching the Fallout, the 2024 retro-futuristic dystopian series, and recommending it to everyone I knew. Electric State had the potential to be something similar, but uninspired direction really holds it back. Still, give it a chance if you’re open to a middling sci-fi film with a great cast.

Rating: 2.5 on 5. Watch ‘Electric State’ on Netflix.

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You Never Heard of Me Issue #3 Review

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Ah, the art in this issue simply swept me away! What a gorgeously drawn issue, especially the full panel scenes where protagonist William sees the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ moments of people’s lives. The power of being able to see glimpses of someone’s past and even their future just by touching them is a complex privilege. William witnesses a person’s most vulnerable moments, from their highest triumphs to their darkest lows, but can he truly alter their destiny?

In Issue #2 of You Never Heard of Me by Iolanda Zanfardino and Eliza Romboli (art), William learns that Rory is going to die soon. William’s new friend, Allie, pushes them to embark on a mission to change Rory’s future in any way they can. ‘Mission Save Rory from Dying’ it is.

Issue #3 follows Allie and William as they hover around Rory, trying to ensure he doesn’t do anything that could endanger his life. Some of their attempts are hilariously over-the-top – like dissecting a frog on Rory’s behalf in the school lab to avoid any fatal knife mishaps. The usually lonely Rory is thrilled to suddenly have two full-time friends around him, with their budding friendship emerging as an unexpected silver lining of William’s seer-like powers. He doesn’t realize it yet, but he is already changing the lives of people in a positive way.

The creators don’t need to spell out their primary themes through dialogues, the art and character expressions vividly illustrate how William’s powers are a way to connect people. There’s a beautiful sequence of the trio hanging out by the beach at sunset, which really stands out thanks to a vivid palette of orange and purple hues.

In the second-half, readers also get a ‘meet-cute’ moment between Allie’s sister Harper, who works full-time at a diner, and William’s sister Charlie, a basketball athlete. Now with this hint of romance in the air, I really want ‘You Never Heard of Me’ to have a few more issues in volume one and not just 5.

Can William alter Rory’s fate? Will Harper and Charlie’s paths finally for romance? There’s still much left to uncover.

Check out ‘You Never Heard of Me‘ if you’re looking for a new fantasy series.

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‘Be Happy’ Is a Formulaic Drag, But Inayat & Abhishek Score

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

This could’ve been a breezy-fun dance movie about a father-daughter duo fighting and bonding over the daughter’s ambition to become a dancing star by participating in a reality TV competition for kids. Instead, it turns into a formulaic ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ for dancers, without the memorable songs and romance.

Directed by Remo D’Souza, ‘Be Happy’ is powered by Inayat Sharma as protagonist Dhara, a cute little firecracker with terrible grades at school, who must convince her cynical widower dad Shiv (Abhishek Bachchan) to move to Mumbai, so that she can fulfill her dream of dancing on India’s biggest dance reality show. Actor Nassar plays Dhara’s banker grandfather, who is her biggest cheerleader, while Nora Fatehi plays Maggie, Dhara’s inspiration and dance trainer. And in a contrived sub-plot, Maggie also becomes Shiv’s potential romantic interest.

Inayat Sharma is adorable and energetically entertaining as Dhara; however, her character’s dialogues feel too mature for a preteen girl. It seems like you could replace her with a college-going character, and the script wouldn’t need much adjustment. The writers should have focused more on making Dhara’s character convincing as a child, rather than relying on pop-culture jokes that aren’t even funny. For instance, when Dhara struggles to convince her dad, Shiv, to let her participate in a dance competition, she angrily quips that Thanos probably has a bigger heart. But, seriously – Thanos literally sacrificed his daughter for power. Besides, shouldn’t a Gen Alpha kid like her be making references to Demon Slayer or Spy X Family instead?

Abhishek Bachchan’s character, Shiv, is portrayed with a more realistic approach. His concerns about his daughter’s fascination with dancing over focusing on her studies are highly relatable. Like many Indian parents, Shiv wants Dhara to prioritize academics, achieve excellent grades, and view dancing as a hobby rather than a serious pursuit. He is flat out mean to dancer Maggie in their first encounter since she encourages Dhara to come to Mumbai. Now, Nora Fatehi (she plays Maggie) is a fabulous dancer, there’s no doubt about that, but her acting skills continue to be questionable and there’s little improvement in her delivery since ‘Madgaon Express’.

After the first 30 minutes, Be Happy begins to heavily focus on dancing. While much of the choreography is impressive, it soon becomes repetitive and monotonous. Dhara’s musical portions feel less about dancing and more about cartwheels and aerobics. Sanchit Chanana, who plays Prem, another child dancer training under Maggie, stands out in his brief dance sequences, which feature elements like breakdancing, locking, and popping. The reality TV section is done convincingly, given that the director has extensive experience working in that world. However, the rest of the story falls apart in the second-half.

Instead of stretching this dance-drama to over two hours, the creators should have made a crisp 90-minute film focused on a dad and daughter living their best life after moving to Mumbai, and Be Happy could have been so much more entertaining. Instead, the movie tries to be an inspirational tear-jerker, that becomes hard to watch toward the end and might induce tears of regret in some viewers. But brownie points to Inayat Sharma and Abhishek Bachchan for putting their best foot forward.

Rating: 2 on 5 stars. ‘Be Happy’ is on Prime Video.

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Baban Baban Ban Vampire Episode 10 Review

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Excuse us…?! What was that dark cliffhanger in Baban Baban Ban Vampire Episode 9?

A new vampire pierces a sword through Sakamoto in a dark corridor somewhere. Is our vampire hunter going to die so soon? Are we getting no context? Who is this new vampire anyway? So many questions are running through our heads (well, not for those who’ve already read the manga)!

Titled “Mr. Sakamoto and the Vampire,” Episode 10 of Baban Baban Ban Vampire answers almost all the questions left by the tense climax of the previous chapter. For instance, we finally learn the new vampire’s name—Nagayoshi, a bloodthirsty supernatural being determined to eliminate all vampire hunters. That’s why he targets Rihito’s teacher, Sakamoto. But that’s not all; it turns out Nagayoshi also shares a long history with protagonist Ranmaru Mori.

This episode dives into the details of what really happened the night Mr. Sakamoto was attacked by Nagayoshi, before shifting focus to the aftermath. While Nagayoshi’s character design paints him as a blonde bad boy, the animation of his movements in this episode was quite distracting – and not in a good way.

Overall, it’s a mildly entertaining episode with some unexpected twists in the final moments, including historical flashbacks that reveal the connection between Ranmaru and the new vampire villain.

Watch Baban Baban Ban Vampire on Netflix.

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