Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 53
January 4, 2025
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 Review: Vidya, VFX Carry Unfunny Film
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
If it weren’t for Vidya Balan, some of us would simply not stick around until the end of the horror-comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 to find out what the final climactic twist is – if there is one. Surprisingly, this very unfunny film, which is never scary (courtesy of a ghost introduced in the first few seconds wearing a hideous, outdated mask), does have a pretty good twist at the end! But it rests on the shoulders of the wrong actor.
Created by Anees Bazmee (director) and Aakash Kaushik (writer), Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 sees Kartik Aaryan back as Ruhaan Randhawa AKA Rooh Baba, the fake baba who dabbles in driving ghosts away, just like in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. In this new spinoff, Ruhaan takes on a case brought to him by Princess Meera (Triptii Dimri) from the royal family of Rakhtghat, who seeks his help to exorcise the spirit of Manjulika, a deceased princess haunting the palace after being burned alive for conspiring to claim the throne.
When two mysterious women arrive at Rakhtghat—Mallika (Vidya Balan), a restorer keen on sprucing up the historical palace, and Mandira (Madhuri Dixit), a royal interested in buying the property, the family begins to suspect that one of them could be the legendary ghost Manjulika. So there’s quite some suspense until the end over who the real Manjulika is, but the story in between is completely insipid.
Kartik Aryan is simply annoying as Ruhaan, and the rest of the cast also gets on your nerves, largely because the script is simply awful, with flat jokes. Vidya Balan is the only one in this ensemble cast who manages to make her part seem authentic, unlike the rest, who seem stuck in a stage play from the 90s.
Vikram Bhatt set a new benchmark for awful VFX in movies with his 2024 horror movie ‘Bloody Ishq’, so in comparison, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 looks pretty good in terms of special effects. However, the ghost is often show with a comedic mask, which completely scuttles any element of surprise or spookiness. This flick is neither scary, nor funny. If you’re looking for some Bollywood horror comedies and haven’t seen Stree 2 yet, watch that instead.
Rating: 1 star on 5. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 in on Netflix.
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January 3, 2025
The Six Triple Eight Review: Unsung Heroes, Uneven Drama
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Soldiers, you do not have the luxury to be good. You have the burden to be better.”
Just when some of us think we’ve seen enough movies on World War II and believe there’s not much new to learn, a fresh cinematic experience comes along to prove us wrong. Before watching The Six Triple Eight, I didn’t know anything about the 6888th Postal Battalion of the US Women’s Army Corps (WAC), who were responsible for delivering a backlog of millions of mails during the war. For those already familiar with the battalion’s history, the movie might not be as exciting.
Directed by Tyler Perry, the 2024 war drama The Six Triple Eight is based on true stories and stars Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King, a young woman who joins the U.S. Army to fight Hitler, training under the fierce Major Charity Adams, played by Kerry Washington. Dominated by Black American women, Lena’s all-women battalion is tasked with clearing a staggering ten months’ worth of mail, amounting to 17 million letters and parcels to and from soldiers.
“When there is no mail, there is low morale,” Major Charity Adams tells her soldiers, even though she initially finds the task insulting – that the women are considered good enough only for handling the mail. But once the magnitude and psychological importance of the broken mail system becomes clear, the women dedicate all their time and wits to ensuring the soldiers get their letters. All this while they also endure racial discrimination, humiliation, and disrespectful behavior from their white counterparts. For instance, Adams is often put down by the racist and sexist General Halt (Dean Norris), who thinks Black women are dumb, stupid, and inferior. However, the racial depictions in the film often feel more caricature-like than authentic.
The Six Triple Eight opens with the personal life of Lena Derriecott, giving viewers a glimpse of the events that motivate her to join the army. Unfortunately, Ebony Obsidian fails to pack a punch as a pivotal character, lacking both the energy and onscreen charm to make her sentiments and experiences compelling. Moreover, disproportionate time is given to her romantic life instead of the wartime tension and challenges her squad faces. On the other hand, Kerry Washington shines as the tough, loud, and ambitious Charity Adams, her seething anger at the racial injustices her battalion faces tearing through the screen.
A host of big names make cameos in the movie – Susan Sarandon, Oprah Winfrey – but their bit parts are completely forgettable and, frankly, unnecessary. With its 2-hour runtime, this war drama could have been sharper, tighter, and more impactful. Despite its uneven storytelling, The Six Triple Eight deserves brownie points for shedding light on a remarkable story of courage and determination. It’s a war drama that may not deliver a knockout punch but still leaves an impression.
Rating: 3.5 on 5 stars. Watch The Six Triple Eight on Netflix.
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The Girl On The Train – Book Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The Girl on the Train is a collection of short stories by Ruskin Bond that begins with a charming tale about a blind man’s encounter with an intriguing young girl on a train. Through his leisurely paced narratives, Bond transports readers to picturesque hill stations and sleepy towns, often introducing protagonists who forge new friendships or romances while visiting these locales.
The collection comprises 12 stories, and the most memorable for me was the fifth tale, Time Stops at Shamli. It follows an author’s impromptu trip to Shamli, an obscure little town, after his train is delayed at the station. Instead of waiting for the journey to resume, he decides to explore the town. In Shamli, he lodges at a near-empty hotel but encounters curious locals who keep him amused, including a surprising meeting with a beautiful married woman.
While some stories are entertaining, others feel repetitive in theme and execution, making the book a mixed experience. For instance, the penultimate tale, The Night Train at Deoli, starts similarly to the Shamli story, with the protagonist crossing a station and wondering about the town’s mysteries. Several stories center on an author-protagonist meeting and becoming infatuated with a woman he has just encountered.
The final story, Bus Stop, Pipalnagar, is the longest in the collection and, unfortunately, the most mundane. However, it stands out for its refreshing focus on a writer’s friendship with an orphaned street seller. Both dream of saving money and moving to Delhi for a better life. Until then, they share small-town adventures, including cooking chicken together and cycling in the rain.
Overall, this is an easy-to-read short story collection with a mix of memorable and forgettable tales about encounters with strangers, friends, and lovers.
Rating: 3 on 5 stars. ‘The Girl on the Train’ is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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January 1, 2025
A Quiet Place: Day One Review – Lupita & Cat Outrun Aliens
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“A Quiet Place: Day One” might be the prequel to John Krasinski’s earlier horror films about the Abbott family’s adventures in a post-apocalyptic world overtaken by sound-sensitive aliens; however, it has nothing to do with the Abbott family and only takes place in the same cinematic universe. Directed by Michael Sarnoski, who has co-written the story with Krasinski and Bryan Woods, the 2024 prequel follows cancer patient Samira (Lupita Nyong’o) and her service cat Frodo (Schnitzel), who are trapped in New York City on a day when grotesque alien creatures invade the Earth and kill humans ruthlessly. The only way to keep safe from the creatures is to keep quiet and not make any sounds.
In terms of plot, the only new ingredient that stands out in “A Quiet Place: Day One” is the cat, who is consistently present through the runtime. So, well… it’s a big ‘yay’ for cat fans. On the flip side, watching the protagonist look out for a cat while humans are dying by the dozens will probably be an unnecessary irritant for those who aren’t fond of pets. I am ‘team cat,’ so Frodo was one of the best parts of this prequel, in-fact, Frodo is the quasi-protagonist of this horror flick. Kinda…!
Also Read: A Quiet Place 2 Review – Splintered But Swift
“A Quiet Place: Day One” begins by introducing Samira as a cynical, cancer-ridden patient at a hospice who reluctantly agrees to go for an outing when her nurse promises she’ll get to have pizza in the city. When the aliens attack New York City, Samira knows her numbered days are on a tighter timer, so unlike others rushing to ‘safety points,’ Samira is intent on what could potentially be the last pizza of her life. Maybe that should’ve been the tagline of the film: when aliens attack NYC, a cancer patient and her cat race against time to get her favorite pizza. Not the most exciting horror-drama plot, but fun enough.
Joseph Quinn plays supporting character Eric, a timid British lawyer who runs into Samira somewhere in the middle of the runtime. As if rooting for a dying protagonist who isn’t keen on living isn’t hard enough in a post-apocalyptic horror story, the writers saddle her with a fearful foreigner who is constantly shitting his pants. But to be fair, Eric has a golden heart, and you cannot help but like him, even though he has a very hard time not attracting the vicious aliens. As viewers you have to remind yourself that this is “A Quiet Place: Day One”, and unlike us, the characters haven’t seen the first two films and are still learning about how the aliens function.
Samira risks feeling like a cliché – the cancer patient in a horror film designed to tug at the audience’s heartstrings. However, Lupita Nyong’o transforms her into a feisty fighter who may have given up on the battle against cancer, but refuses to let a horde of ghastly aliens dictate how she spends her final hours. The aliens aren’t as scary as they were in the older films, since there’s little surprise over how they look. The creators cleverly focus more on the ominous sounds the creatures make to spook the human characters and the runtime does have some nail-biting moments.
Towards the climax of A Quiet Place: Day One, the film uncannily takes a slow artistic turn for a few seconds, during which Samira and Eric take a little break to celebrate life. That sequence felt too contrived and out of place compared to the otherwise tense pace of the plot. Thankfully, the ending minutes are packed with alien action and ‘life-and-death’ suspense, and Frodo’s journey culminates on a mixed note – there is both light and darkness at the end of the tunnel.
Rating: 6 on 10. Watch the film on Prime Video.
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December 31, 2024
A Random List of 24 Series Worth Checking Out from 2024
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Keeping up with all the new content these days is simply impossible, so I’m sure I’ve missed some incredible shows that came out in 2024, especially since I tend to stick to just a few platforms. That said, I managed to watch nearly 100 series this year, most of them mini-series with 8–12 episodes. Here’s a curated list of 24 shows I think are worth a one-time watch. Spanning a variety of genres, there’s something for everyone, though, of course, only explore those that align with your interests. For longer reviews, simply click on the titles! They are in no particular order.
1. Fallout (Prime Video): Based on the popular video game series of the same name, Fallout is an incredibly entertaining dystopian show that’s set in a post-apocalyptic America.
2. Nobody Wants This (Netflix) – A refreshingly modern romantic comedy about a Rabbi and a podcast host who isn’t religious at all falling in love, while everybody watches with skepticism.
3. Masters of the Air (Apple TV+) – This historical drama follows the 100th Bomb Group’s aerial campaign against the Nazis, drawing viewers into the harrowing realities faced by American Air Force officers stationed in England during the conflict.
4. Dragons of Wonderhatch (Prime Video): The magical realm of animated dragon-riding heroes collides with the mundane real world of humans in this Disney fantasy series that’s set in Japan. It’s a cool mix of animated and real worlds.
5. Dan Da Dan (Netflix/Crunchyroll): A wildly fun anime show about two teens who battle creepy aliens, ghosts, and monsters. This is like Jujutsu Kaisen, but much sillier, and with a generous dose of high-school romance and drama.
6. 3 Body Problem Netflix: Okay, I might not have enjoyed this show as much as some others on the list, but this epic sci-fi fantasy which begins with top scientists around the world mysteriously dying amid swirling alien invasion theories, is definitely worth a watch for sci-fi enthusiasts.
7. ‘Young Royals’ (Netflix): The third season of this Swedish drama concluded in 2024, delivering a heartfelt finale to its queer romance about a royal prince who falls in love with a classmate from a middle-class family.
8. The Boys (Prime Video) – Season 4 of this gory-superhero show dropped in 2024, and while it wasn’t a consistent season, it has its standout moments, with primary antagonist Homelander proving to be one of the best TV villains ever.
9. The Penguin (JioCinema) – This series follows Batman villain The Penguin as he schemes to take control of Gotham’s criminal underworld, featuring standout performances by Cristin Milioti and Colin Farrell.
10. Baby Reindeer (Netflix) – Johnny Dunn, a bartender and struggling stand-up comedian, finds that life stops being completely funny for him when a woman begins to stalk him in this disturbingly haunting series.
11. The New Look (Apple TV): An interesting historical-drama about Christian Dior’s rise as a top fashion designer during the end of World War II. It’s is a heady mix of art, war, and fashion during the times of Nazi occupation, inspired by real people and events.
12. Avatar: The Last Airbender (Netflix): For those like me who haven’t watched the animated series or read the comics, the 2024 Netflix series is a pretty fun fantasy show where a young boy embarks on a dangerous quest to bring peace to the world.
13. Love in the Big City (Viki/TVING): Nam Yoon Su as Go Young brightens this Korean series, which follows his character over the years. It’s a vibrant, queer K-drama set in Seoul, blending romance, heartbreak, and humor.
14. Parasyte: The Grey (Netflix) – A Korean spin-off of the hit horror manga series “Parasyte” by Hitoshi Iwaaki, this gritty show follows a lonely convenience store who teams up with a parasitic alien living in her body to navigate a scary new world.
15. Heartstopper (Netflix) – Season 3 of this popular teen romance came out in 2024 and was just as entertaining as the previous installment, even though the protagonists face a lot more serious challenges.
16. Supacell (Netflix) – This six-episode British superhero series comes with a twist – ordinary folks discover extraordinary powers and don’t know how to deal with their situation! The new heroes band together to find out what’s happening and also fight a greater evil.
17. Sunny (Apple TV) – This quirky, futuristic series follows an expat in Japan investigating her husband’s disappearance with the help of a home-bot. Combining dark comedy, sci-fi thrills, and Yakuza intrigue, the series explores human-AI relationships with a neon, retro-futuristic aesthetic.
18. One Hundred Years of Solitude (Netflix) – Based on Gabriel García Márquez’s novel, ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ follows the triumphs, tragedies, and tangled destinies of the Buendía family, the founders of Macondo, an enchanting town.
19. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Prime Video) – Honestly, this show could’ve been a lot more fun, but it’s still a decent one time watch for Greek mythology fans, if they’re up for some modern touches. It follows school boy Percy Jackso, the son of a Greek God, who must go on a quest to retrieve Zeus’ bolt to prevent a war between the Gods!
20. Dead Friend Forever (iQIYI) – This Thai series is a guilty-pleasure watch for horror fans, especially if they also enjoy queer themes. When eight friends go to a remote bungalow in the woods to party, a shadowy figure begins to violently attack them.
21.The Gentlemen (Netflix) – Cartel wars, illegal boxing matches, bizarre Catholic cultist mafia gangs, thieving gypsies, and deranged scions, Guy Ritchie’s 2024 series “The Gentlemen” is a wide range of crazy.
22.Call Me Bae (Prime Video) – Another guilty pleasure watch for ‘chick-lit’ fans, this Bollywood series follows Bae, a wealthy young woman disowned by her family, so she must earn her own money for the first time in life & learn how regular humans live.
23. Wandee Goodday (YouTube) – This Thai romance follows a super cute doctor’s romance with a hot upcoming boxer, but first – they start as ‘friends with benefits’.
24. Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc (JioCinema/CrunchyRoll) – This of-course is from Demon Slayer fans, a filler season where the entire slayer corps trains hard for the inevitable battle with Lord Muzan. The last episode of this season sets the stage for an epic war at the infinity castle
That’s a wrap on the list! Hope you found a few titles you might want to check out.
Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii Season One Review
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“It’s easier for me if he just keeps behaving like a psycho… I think…”
When seventeen-year-old Yoshino Somei finds herself being wooed by Kirishima Miyama, who is the same age as her, she cannot decide if things were better when it felt like he wanted to murder her in her sleep.
Based on the manga series by Asuka Konishi, the animated adaptation of Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii is a slow-burn romance between two teens from infamous Yakuza clans, expected to get engaged to each other as a way to broker peace between their families. The series is produced by Studio Deen, the studio behind dozens of popular anime titles, including Fate/stay night, Ranma ½, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Fruits Basket.
Spanning 12 episodes, season one of Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii is faithful to its source material, so expect two volatile, unpredictable high-school students navigating the strange waters of young love in a violent world of guns, thugs, extortion, murder, and more.
Episode one sets up the premise well, just like the manga, introducing 17-year-old Yoshino Somei (voiced by Hitomi Ueda) as a young woman who’s led a very protected life, despite being the granddaughter of Renji Somei, one of the most powerful Yakuza leaders in the region. Renji arranges for Yoshino to get engaged to Kirishima Miyama (voiced by Akira Ishida), a boy her age who is also the heir of a powerful Yakuza family based in Tokyo. After much persuasion from her grandfather, Yoshino ends up going to Tokyo to meet Kirishima and finds him to be handsome, charming, and unlike a typical Yakuza.
In the next episodes, Yoshino moves to Kirishima’s high school, only to learn that he is a twisted, crazy sadomasochist and completely unpredictable. While Kirishima attempts to intimidate and humiliate Yoshino into rushing back to Osaka, the sheltered Yoshino proves herself to be a formidable foe, unwittingly winning over the bratty, arrogant Kirishima’s heart. He begins wooing Yoshino from the second episode of Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii! His sudden change in attitude and sweeping claims of ‘love’ keep Yoshino suspicious, wary, and confused for most of the season, maintaining a weird, comedic, and entertaining dynamic throughout.
However, Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii isn’t a straightforward romance between two youngsters from Yakuza families, and the character of Kirishima is shady at best. Even though he proves to be genuinely in love with Yoshino in his own twisted way, many episodes delve into the power politics of Yakuza circles. As heirs to two different major clans, both Kirishima and Yoshino often find themselves tangled in feuds, problems, or dangerous schemes orchestrated by enemies.
Since the story is set in the world of crime, with both leads knee-deep in Yakuza politics, neither of them resembles typical romantic leads. To add some drama to the romance, there’s also a potential love triangle subplot in the anime. Yoshino’s childhood friend, Shoma Toriashi, is properly introduced in episode 3 of the show. Also part of the Yakuza, Shoma was adopted by the Somei family and grew up with Yoshino. The two of them are very close, and there is some romantic tension between them. Due to their closeness, Kirishima often gets jealous, and a rivalry grows between him and Shoma, even though Yoshino tries to keep things amicable between them.
The second half of the series largely unfolds in Osaka, where Kirishima tries his best to get Yoshino to officially date him, but she is still unsure of her feelings for him. In Osaka, the two of them also find themselves targeted by hired goons as part of a larger, nefarious plot orchestrated by a mysterious new character.
While Kirishima is clearly the crazier character, shown to be extremely prone to violence, it’s Yoshino who makes Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii a hilariously entertaining watch. The show, of course, is exaggerated, with Kirishima carrying too much baggage for a 17-year-old, but the way Yoshino reacts to his bipolar mood swings and unhinged antics is very comedic. She is crazy in her own right, a weird mix of stupidity and intelligence. For instance, she tries to sell her kidney for some quick money or goes chasing armed goons without any coherent plan. But she also often thinks on her feet and is a strong, stubborn young woman who holds her own.
Watch the anime for the quirky characters, and if you don’t mind a bit of toxic romance. After all, it’s called Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii, so there are going to be plenty of red flags.
Rating: 7 on 10. You can watch the series on Crunchyroll.
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December 30, 2024
Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions Episode 26 Review
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Of all the things that could happen in the season finale of Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions, I wasn’t expecting the creators to take a direct dig at fans who’ve been shipping protagonists Ron Kamonohashi and Totomaru Isshiki together! The following is a conversation from episode 26, where their lives are in danger:
“Put me down, Ron. I don’t want to be misunderstood.”
“Misunderstood?”
“If our bodies are found together arm-in-arm, people might think we were a detective couple.”
“What? A couple?”
Toto then starts to laugh, and so does Ron. Despite the gravity of the situation, it’s clearly a joke meant for the audience. Ron simply doesn’t have the personality or social awareness to make such witticisms, especially when, throughout the last 25 episodes, nobody within the show’s story has ever mistaken them for a couple. Considering that both the manga and anime are post-2020 creations, it’s likely the creators borrowed this meta humor from the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring Sherlock, which frequently joked about Sherlock and Watson being mistaken for a couple.
Anyway…! Episode 26 of Ron Kamonohashi’s Forbidden Deductions marks the finale of season two of the anime. It’s a tense episode where the Auberge Serial Murders are finally solved, but after three people lose their lives. Ron surmises that Tiger Dan is the killer in episode 25, a member of the Moriarty crime family, who seems to be tying loose ends from a 17 year old case. Why bother after so many years? We get the answers in this edition, and even though not wholly satisfactory, they’re passable.
Tiger Dan, of course, has every intention of killing everyone, so the episode primarily focuses on how Ron and Toto attempt to save the remaining guests while unraveling the House of M’s motives. Along the way, Ron unlocks new memories of his father, which propel him further in the case. But as he told Toto before, will this really be the last murder mystery he solves? And what will it take to change his mind?
It’s an entertaining season finale that’s sure to leave fans eager for a season three… and shippers crossing their fingers that Ron and Toto finally drop the denial and become a couple. L-O-L!
Stream the series (Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri) on Netflix or CrunchyRoll.
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Red One Review: Fun, but why so scared of color & lights?
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The poster for Christmas themed action-comedy-fantasy film ‘Red One’ is a vibrant one, it’s got all the red-green hues of the festive season, promising to be a fun family flick. And while it did turn out to be pretty entertaining, I couldn’t help but keep asking through the runtime – ‘why are the creators so afraid of color and lights?’. Since I was streaming the movie on Amazon Prime, at one point, I began to wonder if the problem was with television, but somewhere in the middle of the plot, Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans visit the island nation Aruba, their mission takes place in the day, you can see all the colors and natural lights of their beach-y destination, and you know it’s not the television’s fault.
Created by Jake Kasdan (director), Chris Morgan (writer), and Hiram Garcia (writer), ‘Red One’ stars J.K. Simmons as Saint Nicholas AKA Santa Claus, who gets kidnapped hours before Christmas, so Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson), his head-of-security is forced to team up with Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans), a notorious freelancer cyber mercenary who doesn’t believe in Santa, to save Christmas.
In a deviation of traditional re-imaginings, J.K. Simmons as Santa is old but super-fit, with an elaborate personal gym for daily works outs, which was a nice little twist. Chris Evans plays the jaded Jack O’Malley with his usual onscreen charm, a not-so-nice guy, slightly reminiscent of his cocky capitalistic character from “Pain Hustlers”. Jack in ‘Red One’ will simply work for the ‘highest bidder’, that’s all it takes to hire him. Kiernan Shipka plays the primary villain in the tale, the one who kidnaps Santa for her own nefarious reasons. Lucy Liu is Zoe, the leader of a mysterious undercover organization that’s in-charge of protecting the mythical world, so she gets to play boss to Callum and Jack’s mission to rescue Santa.
The cinematography for a film like this should have been the absolute highlight. However, despite a star-studded cast, the visual effects and an overly dark palette were major disappointments. Santa’s secret town at the North Pole should have resembled a glittery, magical wonderland straight out of a Disney movie. Instead, its aesthetics evoke the dreary Gotham City from DC Comics. This might, of course, be an attempt to obscure some of the CGI weaknesses, as the story is filled with mythical characters.
That said, one of the strengths of Red One lies in its inclusion of two intriguing mythological figures in addition to Santa Claus – two characters rooted in European folklore. To keep this review spoiler-free, I won’t reveal their identities, but one of them is played by Kiernan Shipka. This means Jack and Callum Drift aren’t up against ordinary human kidnappers but face formidable, supernatural villains.
The two-hour runtime is, admittedly, a tad too long for a Christmas-action-comedy. Some trimming would have improved the pacing. Nevertheless, this is an entertaining film within its genre. My biggest gripe remains the lackluster color palette and the often dull tones of the film. A bit more Christmas cheer and sharper special effects could have transformed it into a true visual treat.
Rating: 6 on 10. Watch ‘Red One’ on Prime Video.
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December 29, 2024
Love in the Big City Movie Review: Friendship Shrouds Romance
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“How can being yourself be your weakness?”
When Jang Heung Su is approached by Koo Jae Hui, an infamous girl on campus known for ‘using’ men, he warns her that he won’t bend to her will just because she found out his ‘weakness’. However, within days, the two become best-friends, united in their rebellion against what’s considered ‘normal’. While Jae Hui falls in love too easily, constantly changing boyfriends, ready to try ‘everything’, Heung So grasps his ‘love’ card too tightly, unwilling to commit to a serious relationship.
Based on Sang Young Park’s novel “Love in the Big City”, the 2024 Korean film by the same name stars Kim Go Eun and Steve Noh as lead protagonists Koo Jae Hui and Jang Heung Su respectively. But unlike the title, the movie adaptation takes a deep dive into the tumultous friendship between Koo Jae Hui and Jang Heung Su and only fleetingly explores their love lives. For a more faithful adaptation of the book, viewers will have to watch the series version of “Love in the Big City” starring Nam Yoon Su.
Unlike the novel, the movie tends to focus a wee bit more on Koo Jae Hui, the free-spirited college student, often victim to campus rumors and slander. Jang Heung Su on the other hand tries to keep a very low profile. He is in the closet and doesn’t want anybody to uncover the truth about his sexual preferences. So, when Jae Hui accidentally finds out Heung Su’s secret, instead of judging him or outing him, she becomes an ally, and very soon – his best-friend & flatmate.
Love in the Big City begins with a memorably striking sequence of Jae Hui in a stunning bridal dress, smoking on a terrace, while Heung Su joins her, dressed sharply in a suit, as her best-man. The background music swells nostalgically, striking an emotional chord even before the story begins. From the very first seconds, the creators get their visual and audio elements just right. However, the plot has its highs and lows, spanning several years, which are clearly marked by numerical graphics on the screen showing the protagonists’ ages. We see them evolve from carefree 20-year-old university students, partying the nights away, to struggling 30-somethings facing the challenges of their careers and the mundanities of adult life.
Through its protagonists, Love in the Big City delivers an emotional, feminist, sex-positive tale set against the conservative, homophobic backdrop of Korean society. While Koo Jae is branded a ‘slut’ by her peers for exploring all her options, Heung Su is shackled by his own fears of being discriminated against for being gay. Their problems are ironically different: Koo Jae loves too much, while Heung Su holds back too much.
Kim Go Eun is a firecracker as the spirited, bold Koo Jae, rarely afraid of trying anything new but almost always falling for the wrong guy – until the right one comes along. Steve Noh as the handsome Heung Su is charming, however, the character isn’t explored fully. The writers make a huge change from the novel by showing Heung Su dating the same guy for almost a decade, yet, we learn very little about the couple’s dynamic, except that Heung Su if afraid of commitment and being outed. Things already established at the beginning of the runtime.
Although Love in the Big City makes several nods to iconic queer artists and films, such as Leslie Cheung and Call Me By Your Name, it ironically holds back from boldly exploring Heung Su’s love life. If you’re watching for romance, you might be disappointed, but the deep friendship between the leads will likely leave you feeling fulfilled. The climax features a perfectly chosen song that Heung Su sings for Koo Jae at her wedding, bringing their story to an uplifting and celebratory conclusion.
Rating: 3.5 stars on 5.
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December 28, 2024
John Betjeman: Poems Selected by Hugo Williams – Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
He took me on long silent walks
In country lanes when young.
He knew the names of ev’ry bird
But not the song it sung.
And when he could not hear me speak
He smiled and looked so wise
That now I do not like to think
Of maggots in his eyes.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but the rhyming lines about a man who ‘looked so wise’ and reminded the poet ‘of maggots in his eyes’ struck me as the wittiest and most entertaining in the entire collection of John Betjeman’s poetry, selected by Hugo Williams.
I am not going to be able to rate this hardback edition, because, quite frankly, some of John Betjeman’s poems flew over my head. They were too British, colloquial, confined to regional phrases, references, whose meaning I couldn’t grasp as an international reader.
The opening poem, Death in Leamington, stands out as one of the most easy to understand pieces in the collection – a somber, melancholic account of a nurse discovering a woman’s lifeless body in her bedroom. Funnily, I initially misinterpreted the ending: the final line mentions the nurse turning “down the gas in the hall,” which led me to briefly assume the woman had taken her own life by leaving the gas on. However, it simply refers to the gas used for heating the room. Although my initial misinterpretation made me appreciate the poem even more. It added a layer of tragedy to the mundane death of the woman, with the final line serving as an unexpected twist (through my perspective).
From expressing harsh disgust over the excessive industrialization of towns and reliance on tinned goods to paying odes to town ghosts, this collection of poetry is definitely an interesting pick for both fans and newcomers to John Betjeman’s work. His rhymes, meters, and choice of words and phrases in most poems are entertainingly excellent, playful, and, most of all, poetic.
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