Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 93
June 24, 2024
Kleo Season 2 Trailer: Jella Haase Is Still A Killer Spy!
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Jella Haase is back as killer spy Kleo in season two for the German action-thriller series “Kleo”. So fans who loved the first season, have lots to look forward to in the next one, which also features other familiar faces from the 2022 installment.
Netflix unveiled the trailer for season 2, which opens with a hilarious shot of a naked man holding a gun and a Soviet Union flag in a green bushy patch. A top-secret suitcase is once again at the center of the action. This time, the story extends beyond Kleo’s revenge mission to eliminate those who betrayed her when she was an unofficial East German Stasi assassin.
Dimitrij Schaad reprises his role as Sven Petzold, an ambitious police officer who ended up teaming up with Kleo in the first season. Judging by the trailer, the two continue their hilariously uncomfortable relationship, where either could kill the other if necessary, but they also help each other when needed. Vincent Redetzki, who plays Uwe Mittig, also rejoins the cast. As one of the antagonists who vowed revenge in the climax, vengeance is likely to be a dominant theme again.
The 1 minute 51 second trailer doesn’t reveal too much of the story, showing Kleo in different disguises as she once again goes into spy mode for her new mission. It promises to be a gritty, retro action comedy. Mark your calendars for the new season – July 25.
Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc – Ep 7 Review
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This edition ends with the biggest cliffhanger in the history of the Demon Slayer anime! Minor story spoilers ahead, but before we get to the crazy ending, let’s start from the beginning.
The Gyomei Himejima origin story, which some of us were hoping to see in episode six of the Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc, is finally unveiled. Titled “Gyomei Himejima the Stone Hashira,” episode seven begins with Tanjiro Kamado putting his whole life and soul into clearing the task of pushing a giant boulder to complete Himejima’s training. Impressed by Tanjiro’s grit, passion, hard work, and honesty, the Stone Hashira narrates the tragic events that led him to become one of the strongest demon slayers.
Also Read: Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc – Episode 6 Review
This chapter marks an emotional high point in Tanjiro’s journey, as he receives high praise from the intimidating Himejima, which is even more significant in light of Sanemi Shinazugawa’s refusal to acknowledge Tanjiro’s worth. “No matter how good a person appears to be, their true nature is revealed in dire situations. But you did not run away, you did not look away, you did not lie. You were honest and earnest. It might seem simple, but few can maintain such qualities in some circumstances. You are a special child,” Himejima tells Tanjiro, praising his valiant effort to fight high-ranking demons in the Swordsmith Village. Meanwhile, his peers are still struggling to finish the boulder challenge, and Zenitsu receives a mysterious letter that completely changes him.
As far as Gyomei Himejima’s past is concerned, it is just as tragic and dark as some of the other prominent characters, most of whom lost someone dear to them in brutal, bloody attacks by demons. While the first half of the episode focuses on the Stone Hashira’s past and training, the last few minutes bring the biggest surprise of the season – Muzan Kibutsuji breaches the Demon Slayer Corps!
Even though this is a spoiler, it’s just not possible to write about episode 7 without mentioning the epic entry Muzan Kibutsuji gets in the episode’s climactic moments. Ufotable animators give Muzan a grand, spooky entry scene, complete with smoke, theatrics, and gritty background music, the kind worthy of a hero’s arrival. Considering Muzan’s history and stature as the greatest demon in the “Demon Slayer” universe, he merits the slow-burn theatrics, each of his steps echoing ominously as he inches closer to enemy territory.
Episode seven of Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc ends with a tense, dark scene, and the entire fandom is going to have a hard time waiting for the next episode!
You can stream the series on Netflix, CrunchyRoll and JioCinema.
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June 23, 2024
Maharaj Review – Engaging addition to the OMG-verse
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Director: Malhotra P. Siddharth
Writers: Sneha Desai, Vipul Mehta, Kausar Munir
“You said you’d not question my faith…”
“But I can question blind faith! You went to school but learnt nothing.”
Inspired by the real 1862 Maharaj Libel Case, the 2024 historical drama “Maharaj” stars debut actor Junaid Khan as Karsandas Mulji, a young journalist and social reformer. Karsandas finds himself in a legal battle against revered religious leader Jadunath Maharaj (Jaideep Ahlawat), who sues the journalist for publishing an article accusing him of fraud and sexual exploitation of devotees.
If the 2012 hit film “OMG: Oh My God!” was about a man dragging God to court for damages, “Maharaj” is about a godman challenging a young man in court for defamation. Both films question blind faith and the misuse of religious beliefs by powerful figures. While “OMG” did it brilliantly, “Maharaj” musters up an engaging show of strength too. I’d say its better than OMG 2 but not as good as the original 2012 “OMG: Oh My God!”. Bollywood films like these aiming to generate debate on religious beliefs and practices should get their own genre name – the OMG-verse.
There are countless instances of religious leaders across religions being corrupt predators, but the way “Maharaj” sets up the premise for its primary conflict might immediately stir up feelings of outrage among viewers, making one wonder if people were so ignorant they’d offer up their women to godmen. Regardless of historical accuracy in the depiction of events, “Maharaj” has the right intent—to show the seemingly unbelievable influence of blind faith. Besides, remember that Sati, the practice of women jumping to their deaths by throwing themselves on their husband’s pyre, was an acceptable practice until it was banned in 1829.
Debut actor Junaid Khan convincingly slips into the skin of historical character Karsandas Mulji, with his facial features echoing an old-school hero look and his acting having just the right amount of dramatic flair that fits well with the retro plot of “Maharaj”. My dad, who didn’t know anything about Junaid, expressed, “he looks like Raaj Kumar’s son” (the famous actor whose breakthrough role was in the 1957 cult-classic “Mother India”) within the first few minutes of the film. Despite her limited screen time, Shalini Pandey is charming as the naive, simplistic Kishori. It takes a while to adjust to the idea of Jaideep Ahlawat playing a religious leader, because he looks more like a warrior with his hulking figure, but as the plot progresses, he overpowers all the other characters in “Maharaj”, standing out as the despicable, arrogant, drunk-on-power Jadunath Maharaj. The character itself is so repulsive that Jaideep Ahlawat has to do very little to make him villainous, and the costuming team dresses him in fabulous robes, making him look every bit a greedy, corrupt religious godman. Sharvari Wagh is cheery-cute in her cameo as an aspiring journalist who joins Karsandas’ fight against Jadunath Maharaj.
For those expecting a tight, pacy drama, the over two-hour runtime can be tedious in the first half. The makers also squeeze in two songs, one of which could’ve easily been omitted, and neither of the two are catchy enough. The cinematography doesn’t necessarily conjure up an accurate picture of 1860s Bombay, but it offers viewers an engaging enough cinematic view of the city, with the costume department stepping up to distract your attention away from the sometimes flaky backgrounds.
The screenplay and dramatic ethos feel like an ode to 1990s/80s television. There’s a theatrical nature to it all, some parts akin to stage plays—something that I quite enjoyed but other viewers might not. I do wish the court drama could’ve been longer; only the last 30 minutes of “Maharaj” are focused on the legal proceedings, where Karsan finally faces off against Jadunath Maharaj in court. The best part of the legal drama was Jadunath’s entry—he gets a grand reception at the court from his posse of followers, like God himself has descended on earth on a heavenly chariot.
Not to be upstaged, Junaid Khan’s Karsan gets a decently moving monologue in court against leaders who take religious texts out of context and play around with words to mislead those who don’t know any better. It’s the quintessential “good versus evil” fight, where the wolf in sheep’s disguise falls from grace in the end. If you enjoy movies like “PK” and “OMG: Oh My God!”, “Maharaj” might be up your alley too.
You can stream “Maharaj” on Netflix.
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The Boys Season 4 Episode 4 Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Antony Starr deserves a whole bunch of new awards as best villain in a series for Homelander! Within the first few seconds of “The Boys” Season 4 Episode 4, I was holding my breath in anxiety, even though the scene features Homelander holding a cake and greeting people with a smile. An unnerving smile. Because you never know when he’ll brutally laser someone to death. Starr’s Homelander is simply synonymous with terror in each scene.
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Titled “Wisdom of the Ages,” there’s a whole bunch of things happening in “The Boys” Season 4 Episode 4. Hughie is dealing with his dad’s hospitalization, Annie AKA Starlight (Erin Moriarty) and her PR team are at their wits’ end over Firecracker’s (Valorie Curry) malicious media campaign, while the rest of the team is scrambling to figure out what Sister Sage’s (Susan Heyward) game plan is. And everybody, of course, is also dealing with their personal struggles: Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) over her dark past which led to her mutism, Frenchie (Tomer Capone) about the new boyfriend situation (still not warming up to this contrived sub-plot), Mother’s Milk/MM (Laz Alonso) is trying to rein in Butcher (Karl Urban), while Butcher is still hallucinating and losing his mind. Amid all the multiple subplots, you just cannot shake off Homelander’s bits—Episode 3 of “The Boys” had ended with him deciding he must go back to the “beginning” to fix his existential crisis.
While the first three episodes of this season felt somewhat trite, “The Boys” gets its groove back with this edition, which begins with Homelander going back to the lab where he was experimented upon by Vought’s minions right from his birth. I mean, damn, Antony Starr has hit the sweet spot of making Homelander appear scarily villainous by simply existing. You never know when he’ll swoop in and kill off a character. As Homelander confronts his traumatic childhood in a bid to erase any shred of humanity he might still possess, the new recruits of his team (The Seven) are busy working to destroy the Boys.
Valorie Curry is amusingly divisive as conspiracy theorist Firecracker, who sure knows how to push Starlight’s buttons the wrong way. Vought International gives her a live show called “#TruthBomb,” where she joins celebrity guests to “expose” Starlight, instigating an unexpected reaction from the otherwise composed Annie. Significant damage is done in this episode to affect the upcoming elections, and The Boys are nowhere near getting either Victoria Neuman (Claudia Doumit) or Homelander out of the picture. Butcher (Karl Urban) has some plans, but nobody is happy to have him back on the team and his current state of health is doing him no favors. At this point, Karl Urban’s charm as the British pottymouth of the group has significantly faded, so it’s great that his screen time is limited, even though he continues to dominate the show posters.
Despite Homelander’s constant unhinged murderous streak throughout the show, Vought International emerges as the biggest antagonist in this episode of “The Boys.” Vought manufactured a generation of superheroes who cannot keep their powers under control, and some of them are so out of control that an anarchic America seems like a possible reality. Homelander thinks he is some sort of Jesus, who is meant to rule the masses and crush normies like ants—a reality extremely vexing, which is why there’s a desperate bill in the works to keep superheroes out of politics. A bill that might become a law, but not when America seems to be divided into two big factions: Homelander fans and Starlight fans, both superheroes.
Expect gory violent deaths, blood-splattered screens, and a whole lot of vengeance in this episode, which is undoubtedly already the best chapter of Season 4.
You can stream “The Boys” on Prime Video.
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June 22, 2024
High School Return of a Gangster Review: Goon Uncle Turns Teen Oppa
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It’s divine intervention for Kim Deuk Pal, a 40-something dreaded gangster who ironically dies while trying to stop a boy from killing himself and wakes up in the body of the high-school student in Korean drama “High School Return of a Gangster”.
Directed by Lee Seong Taek, the eight-episode Korean show is based on the web novel “I, a Gangster, Became a High Schooler” (조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다) by Ho Rol. Lead actor Yoon Chan Young (“All of us are Dead”, “Hope of Dope”) is first introduced as the glum teenager Song Yi Heon, who hides half his face with his hair and attempts to kill himself by jumping off a bridge. However, instead of dying, it’s Kim Deuk Pal’s spirit that wakes up in Song Yi Heon’s body. The middle-aged gangster must now return to high school and live the teenager’s life.
Kim Deuk Pal soon learns that Song Yi Heon was being incessantly bullied by classmates and desperately wanted to be friends with class topper Choi Se Kyung (Bong Jae Hyun). “High School Return of a Gangster” is essentially an action-comedy that follows Kim Deuk Pal’s misadventures as he tries to pass off as a re-christened Song Yi Heon, a more confident, friendlier version who teaches his bullies a lesson. While most others at school find the change weird, only Choi Se Kyung strongly suspects Kim Deuk Pal to be an imposter. However, the two classmates become unlikely friends along the way.
Yoon Chan Young plays the protagonist with gusto and is almost unrecognizable as the two different versions of Song Yi Heon: the original introverted emo-looking teen who was being bullied and the new clean-cut, confident Yi Heon guided by Kim Deuk Pal’s spirit. Joo Yoon Chan plays Hong Jae Min, Yi Heon’s primary tormentor, who is in for a rude shock when Yi Heon fights back and scares the crap out of them. It’s definitely satisfying for viewers to watch the victim teach his bullies a lesson in their own language! And even though “High School Return of a Gangster ” attempts to tackle the issue of school bullying, it doesn’t come up with concrete solutions to the problem.
While Yoon Chan Young captures all the nuances of his character convincingly, Bong Jae Hyun struggles a bit in his more emotional scenes as Choi Se Kyung. Se Kyung’s character is a lot more complex—he has an impeccable academic record and is friendly, yet the first few episodes make him out to be a little shadier than he really is. His intentions are unclear. At the same time, it turns out that Se Kyung is a victim of severe mental abuse and sometimes even physical abuse at the hands of his domineering father Choi Mung Kyun (Seo Tae Hwa).
The first few episodes are entertaining, especially as the middle-aged man awkwardly struggles to get comfortable in his new teen body. However, the gags become boring by episodes 5-6. In the very first episode, Kim Deuk Pal is shown to be decisively dead, so a lot of potential twists in the plot are already eliminated—we know Kim cannot go back to his body. So if Yi Heon’s spirit finds its way back to its body, it’s game over for Kim Deuk Pal. There are only two ways the story can end: either Deuk Pal lives on in his new life, or Yi Heon comes back to enjoy the new freedoms afforded to him by the gangster’s overhaul of his school life. It’s a 50:50 scenario, and some viewers are definitely going to be disappointed if the ending doesn’t swing according to their expectations.
The writers underutilize the comic potential of the show by limiting Deuk Pal/Yi Heon’s interactions largely to Choi Se Kyung and a few other classmates. Also, for a gangster boss, Deuk Pal’s character makes so many silly faux pas moves that are just annoying and not funny. Except for the bit where he refers to his own classmates as “kids,” not many of his slip-of-the-tongues are comical. There’s a whole world of possibilities that “High School Return of a Gangster” misses to make its body-swapping theme more hilarious. For instance, the use of social media is weirdly limited—you’d think the show is set in the early 2000s, even though it’s not.
The title of the show—”High School Return of a Gangster”—sets up expectations for some killer fights, but the action sequences are surprisingly and disappointingly few. The end felt hurried and contrived but is in the spirit of “happy endings,” which might thrill some viewers and others not so much. Watch the show if you are in the mood for a non-romantic Korean drama about a gangster uncle becoming a young, handsome high-school Oppa.
Rating: 6 out of 10. You can stream it on Viu.
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The First Omen Review: Seldom Has Horror Looked So Good
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
When Margaret, a young American travels to Rome to take her vows as a nun, she discovers a disturbingly dark conspiracy afoot to revive an evil to help spread the fear of God among an increasingly faithless populace.
Director Arkasha Stevenson has co-written “The First Omen” with Tim Smith and Kieth Thomas (he directed “Pickman’s Model” in “Cabinet of Curiosities”), which immediately establishes itself as a atmospheric, visually arresting horror offering. Nell Tiger Free plays protagonist Margaret, who arrives at Vizzardeli Orphanage and almost immediately becomes aware of sinister activities within its walls. Margaret’s faith is severely tested when Father Brennan (Ralph Ineson) seeks her help to prove that ‘bad things’ happen around a young girl named Carlita Scianna (Nicole Sorace) and that a misguided faction of the Church is up to monstrous deeds.
“The First Omen” takes place in 1971 and serves as a prequel to Richard Donner and Gregory Peck’s 1976 classic horror movie “The Omen.” The cinematography is immaculate, filled with impressive compositions of Rome, its streets, and historical churches with gorgeous stained-glass windows. Even simple scenes of Margaret chatting with her flatmate Luz (Maria Caballero) are shot in a way that makes the viewer appreciate their picturesque representation. The stylistic, cinematic shots reminded me of “A Haunting in Venice”, a Hercule Poirot mystery, whose strongest suit was its cinematography. For instance, look at the still below from “The First Omen”: it’s a stunning gothic-toned scene of Margaret praying to Mother Mary, surrounded by a row of candles that appear to float mid-air.
Almost two hours long, “The First Omen” takes its time to set up the primary conflict of the tale, generously spending time delving into Margaret’s character and her journey in the new city. She is taken under Luz’s wing, who convinces Margaret to let her hair down and enjoy life before she officially becomes a nun. Their friendship is cleverly juxtaposed against Margaret’s efforts to befriend the asocial Carlita Scianna, who is often kept in isolation by the nuns for being a “problem child.” Nell Tiger Free and Nicole Sorace as Margaret-Carlita feel like long-lost sisters, both orphans raised by nuns, and their onscreen friendship is tenderly poignant.
For a horror film, the movie has very few scary moments in the first half, even though there’s significant dread pervading the story. Arkasha Stevenson and team keep you anxious for most of the runtime without delivering too many chills, but when the rare gory or scary moments do transpire, they will leave the viewer disturbed. The filmmakers astutely avoid garish, over-the-top supernatural scenes, omitting the need for too many special effects, instead leaning in on the horrors plaguing the human heart. The “Nun II” creators should be taking notes from this.
The climactic twist is excellently foreshadowed. It might seem a bit predictable to some, but the climax is accompanied by a few smaller surprises that will thrill viewers. An excellent background score, consisting mostly of ominous choral music that befittingly complements the eerie events involving the church, combined with an earnest cast, makes “The First Omen” an engaging experience. The ending will also make viewers who haven’t seen the original Omen movie, go look for the horror classic.
Rating: 7 on 10. Watch “The First Omen” on Disney Hotstar or rent it on Prime Video.
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June 21, 2024
At 25:00, in Akasaka – 25 Ji, Akasaka de Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Depending on the state of your mind, the opening episode of Japanese series “25 Ji, Akasaka de” (English title: At 25:00, in Akasaka) might either seem unrealistically weird/cringe-y or funnily amusing, but regardless of the mood, you’ll be able to identify that it’s sure as hell based on a manga. The protagonist Yuki Shirasaki is an aspiring actor who after years of struggle, finally lands a role in a BL drama with rising star Asami Hayama. Nervous about his lack of experience, Yuki decides to go to a gay bar and get laid to have a better sense of his character, only to be stopped in time by Asami himself, who offers that they could be in a pretend relationship during the filming to help Yuki with his method acting style. Soon, serious sparks fly between the two, but will the two introverts be able to muster up the courage to confess their true feelings for each other? Sounds like a Manga plot right?!
Directed by Horie Takahiro, Kawasaki Ryo, the 10 episode series is adapted from the manga series “25 Ji, Akasaka de” (25時、赤坂で) by Natsuno Hiroko. The show marks Niihara Taisuke’s first leading role, he plays protagonist Yuki Shirasaki, who suffers from intense low-esteem issues and self-loathing. Although, it’s weird how Yuki’s character has the confidence to audition for a lead role, it sort of doesn’t go well with his imposter syndrome. But okay, let us set that character anomaly aside for now, especially because Niihara Taisuka is fantastic in bringing Yuki to life, with all his angst, anxiety, and infinite hang-ups. Komagine Kiita (Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger/ Shotengai no Pianist) plays the introverted star Asami Hayama, whose character is a typical male lead archetype – he is handsome, popular, quiet, never expressing his feelings, which can be very confusing for those who are interested in him.
Since “25 Ji, Akasaka de”/”At 25:00, in Akasaka” is about the leads being in a pretend romantic relationship while filming a gay romance, it’s got an interesting “series within a series” situation going on. While the pace of the series is fine until episode five, which features a beautiful first kiss between the two characters near a rainfall, which is being shot for their show, that’s accompanied by glorious jazz-y instrumental ballad. The piano, saxophone/trumpet flourishes are the highlight of the series’ soundtrack, lending the otherwise slow love story a moody nostalgic likable tone.
Even though Komagine Kiita has more experience playing lead roles, his portrayal of Asami Hayama lacked an individualistic touch, some of it obviously has to do with the character itself, who is one-dimensional in nature – Asami is asocial, has no interests, keeps to himself. It’s easy to imagine several other Japaneses playing Asami whole watching “25 Ji, Akasaka de”/”At 25:00, in Akasaka”. Somebody with a more domineering screen presence would’ve added more punch to the role, since Asami is supposed to be a famous actor who makes everybody weak in the knees. Komagine Kitta gives off a more “shy college student” vibe than that off a super-star. For instance, Meguro Ren of “My Love Mix-Up” fame or Kashiwagi Haru from “Kimi ni wa Todokanai” definitely have more screen presence and have already successfully played characters like the socially awkward Asami.
The onscreen chemistry between Niihara Taisuka and Komagine Kiita as Yuki-Asami is just about passable, nothing to be excited about. I wouldn’t be interested in seeing them star as a romantic pair again, maybe with different actors in different genres, but not together. In-fact, there’s more sexual tension between Niihara Taisuka and Nagumo Shoma, the latter plays Yamase Kazuma, Yuki’s co-star in the series who has a devil-may-care kind of personality. Nagumo Shoma shines in his brief cameo, since his outspoken, flirty personality marks a fun change from the repressed lead characters.
The last few episodes of “25 Ji, Akasaka de”/”At 25:00, in Akasaka” mostly consist of flashback scenes and a conflict arising from a very silly misunderstanding, leading to unnecessary heartache. If some of these flashbacks had been included in earlier episodes, it would have made more sense, as it is heavily implied from the start that there’s more to their connection than meets the eye. Additionally, the last episode was frustrating to watch because it is shot from the viewer’s perspective, not the character’s. Asami says something to Yuki that should have prompted a volley of questions, but Yuki doesn’t ask anything since the viewers already know the answers through the flashbacks which were from Asami’s POV. While this omission prevents repetition, a brief 5-second scene implying that the two clear up their misunderstandings for good would have made more sense.
If you don’t mind the “miscommunication” trope, and are looking for an serious romantic drama with two leads pining for each other, “25 Ji, Akasaka de”/”At 25:00, in Akasaka” might make for a great pick. But in case you want to see something more fun and comedic, which features a similar plot – two co-actors falling in love – watch ‘BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita’ starring Abe Alan and Akutsu Nichika, it’s hilarious and is also based on a manga series.
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The Mystery of the Blue Train – Book Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
A luxury train ride, cursed jewels, beautiful rich people, and a murder? Sign me up for the ride! Every time I feel like I am really struggling to finish a long book, a good old Agatha Christie mystery is always able to jolt me from ennui (it’s my new favourite word thanks to “Inside Out 2”).
“The Mystery of the Blue Train” is a Hercule Poirot thriller, and the plot is centered around a young rich woman’s murder on a train from London to the French Riviera. Looking to divorce her good-for-nothing husband, Ruth Kettering, daughter of an American billionaire, was on her way to meet her lover, but she is found dead on the train. Missing from her person is a case that held a legendary ruby called “The Heart of Fire,” which was a gift from her daddy dearest, once worn by the Empress of Russia. Ruth, like most rich kids, was open to taking precious gifts from her dad, but not valuable advice like “dump your handsome loser lover, he is only after our money.”
So, the prime suspects in Ruth’s murder are her lover Comte de la Roche and her embittered husband Derek Kettering, who would’ve lost everything if their divorce was finalized. The only reliable witness in the case is Katherine Grey, a 33-year-old woman who was on the same train to meet some far-off relatives. And in a cute coincidence, retired world-famous detective Hercule Poirot was also on the same train, and he takes an instant liking to Ms. Grey, and the two try to solve the murder mystery together. Retirement doesn’t mean anything to a former detective if an intriguing murder and robbery occur right in their alley. If you saw the 2023 thriller movie “A Haunting in Venice”, you’d remember Hercule Poirot was coaxed out of his retirement to investigate a very curios case.
“The Mystery of the Blue Train” is set in the 1920s and is international in flavor, with characters of different nationalities interacting with each other, and Christie generously leaning in on the stereotypes attached to each country in jest. The Americans are rich, shrewd (not poor Ruth), the Greeks are connoisseurs of finer things in life, the Russians dabble in shady business, while the French get representation through a meticulous police, and the British of-course are prim and proper.
Apart from the friendly genius Hercule Poirot, the only likable character in “The Mystery of the Blue Train” is the humble, intelligent Katherine Grey, who doesn’t have any direct connection to the murder case but finds herself in the thick of things. And to spice things up in the novel, Katherine also gets herself not one, but two new potential suitors as soon as she arrives in France. Both men are poles apart from each other, and in a surprising turn of events, she is portrayed to have a soft spot for both of them, which didn’t seem believable, and Christie probably added the romance for some heightened drama.
“Katherine Grey was born with the power of managing old ladies, dogs, and small boys, and she did it without any apparent sense of strain. At twenty-three she had been a quiet girl with beautiful eyes. At thirty-three she was a quiet woman, with those same grey eyes, shining steadily out on the world with a kind of happy serenity that nothing could shake.” This is how the author chooses to describe Katherine. A young hard-working woman with a sensible head about her.
All the prime murder suspects in the book (and there are more than two) are good-looking charming people, and like always – Agatha Christie keeps dropping red herrings to keep readers confused over who the real culprit is. Is the jilted husband Derek Kettering, the greedy Casanova Comte de La Roche, or someone else completely, who had their eyes on the “The Heart of Fire”, a ruby worth millions of dollars. A lot of people would’ve liked to get their hands on the ruby, so there’s plenty of reasons to suspect almost everybody in the novel. For no real reason, except to thrill fans of the supernatural genre, the author also adds just a dash of spookiness in the novel – a tiny little incident that occurs with a character, who imagines having seen the victim’s ghost trying to tell them who their killer is.
In the end, “The Mystery of the Blue Trains” turns out to be a twisty novel, with Hercule Poirot coming up with facts that were simply not available to the reader before. Although, the murderer doesn’t come as a complete surprise and the author does do some foreshadowing in the last few chapters, there’s enough interesting details in the end to make it feel like a satisfactory conclusion. If you haven’t read this one and are an Agatha Christie fan, it’s worth a read on the weekend.
Rating: 3.5 on 5.
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June 20, 2024
Lore Olympus Season 3 Review – Grand Curtain Call
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
The underworld finally has a Queen!
Rachel Smythe ended Lore Olympus Season 2 on a high note, with Persephone battling Kronos and reuniting with Hades after ten long years of pining and misery. Remember, she was exiled on Earth after Zeus put her on trial and banned her from having any contact with the other realms.
Season 2 of Lore Olympus was fantastic, not only did it give readers an epic climactic battle, but it also provided a cute romantic reunion between the lead couple. Rachel Smythe could’ve added a few more chapters in the same season and ended the webtoon, but instead, we have a whole new season with several long, winding chapters, some of which feel overstretched. “This is what an essay looks like when the student is simply trying to meet the word count,” a reader hilariously commented on one of the filler chapters.
Also Read: Lore Olympus Season 1 Review
For fans who love the artwork, the illustrations in the webtoon remain gorgeously engrossing, colorful and glossy as always. Those cheering for Hades and Persephone’s eternal happy ending will, of course, enjoy this final season. There are plenty of romantic moments between the two, with the slow-burn aspect of their romance continuing as they don’t get married immediately. It’s super cute how Hades fusses and frets over how he should propose to Persephone while everybody around them treats them like they’re already an official item. Except for Mama Demeter, of course, who, despite being a witness to blunt admissions of her daughter’s love for the King of the Underworld, chooses to remain in denial.
In a pleasant surprise, Lore Olympus Season 3 has some entertaining flashback scenes illustrating why Demeter despises Hades so passionately. Not just that, another throwback also reveals why she is excessively possessive of Persephone and treats her like a child who must be chained to her mother at all times. Rachel Smythe has breathed fresh life into all the Greek gods, and almost all of them are exceedingly likable, despite their flaws—except for Apollo. Of course, I am on team “we hate Apollo”; there’s nothing redeeming about that egotistical, manipulative, psychopathic god. Persephone is ten years older and stronger in Season 3, yet the mere sight of Apollo on a poster makes her freeze with trauma.
I recently saw “Blood of Zeus” on Netflix, and hated Hera’s character in it, even though she has solid reasons for behaving like a malevolent villain in it. But in Lore Olympus, you’ve got to admire Hera and the way she puts up with the cheating Zeus and cheers for Persephone. Nicknamed “the Golden Traitor” by Kronos, Hera continues to be haunted by him and plays a major role in ensuring he is unable to storm back to power. Honestly, I think I might even like Hera more than Persephone’s character in “Lore Olympus”, simply because she has so much more years of experience and baggage, making her a far more complex personality than the sweet-cute Spring Goddess. Among the male characters, Hades is hands down as my favorite, since Smythe consistently portrays him as a sensitive, loyal, patient, kind King, who is deeply respectful of Persephone’s feelings, space, and boundaries.
There’s also a mystery character introduced this season, a child deity said to be trapped with Kronos in Tartarus, which generates significant mystery and intrigue through the chapters, keeping viewers guessing who it might be. Hades works hard with Hecate and the others to free the deity but has a difficult time gaining access to Tartarus. Hecate should totally get her own spin-off series, so should Hermes, Artemis, and even Eros!
It’s all the little side stories and the various subplots involving different gods and goddesses that make Lore Olympus such a joyful read. If you’ve read the first two seasons and didn’t mind the major deviations made by the author from what some would call the “original myths,” then you will enjoy this final installment too. The climax was somewhat convoluted, introducing a new villain (if you could call an old god new) and posing twin trouble for all the realms in the form of a massive conspiracy against the Olympians. Rachel Smythe could’ve kept things simple, but well, stories with gods need grand endings, don’t they? Slow-paced but with beautiful illustrations and a heartwarming romance at the center of it all, Hades and Persephone’s love comes to a well-deserved conclusion in this season.
You can read “Lore Olympus” on Webtoon.
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Black Barbie Documentary – Doll’s Eye View on Diversity
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
There’s a framed picture in our family bookshelf of a three-year-old me holding a doll almost my size. We’re almost dressed the same way, in frilly dresses, but I am a brown Indian brunette, and the doll is blonde with sparkly blue eyes. I did own a Barbie doll or two as a child, all of them gifts from an aunt, and most definitely white and blonde. It never even occurred to me that our dolls didn’t look like us, which could be because I quickly moved on to being obsessed with movies, books, and video games by age eight. However, the “Black Barbie” documentary by Lagueria Davis proved to be an interesting look at how dolls can shape a child’s idea of beauty and self-worth.
Director Lagueria Davis begins the “Black Barbie” documentary by explaining why she decided to focus on the subject. She was visiting her aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell, who is a big doll collector, and while Lagueria herself hated dolls, she wanted to understand her aunt’s doll craze, which led her to learn that Beulah Mae Mitchell was one of Mattel’s first Black employees. Beulah joined Mattel with a toy testing job in 1955 and worked there for over four decades, giving her a front-row seat to the historic inclusion and evolution of Black dolls in the mainstream toy market.
“Black Barbie” features interviews with a whole host of fascinating women, including Kitty Black Perkins, who was hired by Mattel in 1976 and was their first Black designer. Even though Mattel did manufacture Black dolls in the 1960s, they were only ‘friends of Barbie,’ and it was Kitty Black Perkins who had the honor of coming up with the design for Mattel’s first Black Barbie, a sassy fashionista in a bright red dress who hit the market in 1980. From there on, Mattel has continued to introduce a whole range of diverse dolls to represent different people of color, even though they still don’t represent the toy market the way the white, blonde Barbie does. Some of the interviewees who grew up in the 1980s or 90s didn’t know Black dolls existed (like I didn’t know until the late 2000s) at all.
What I liked about the “Black Barbie” documentary is the fact that Lagueria Davis tries to put in a lot of different perspectives on the niche issue of how dolls can affect a child’s worldview. From famous writer Shonda Rhimes to Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad, many different successful women weigh in on their experiences of what it was like to have (or not have) dolls that they could aspire to become like. “All the Barbies I had, they were white Barbies, and I felt like I needed to look like them. But having that to be a standard made me, myself, and other Black girls feel inadequate,” an interviewee tears up while recalling her experience with dolls. There’s a small section where an educator interviews children on their perception of different Barbies, which throws light on how kids don’t necessarily fixate on the color of their toys; however, they do form subconscious opinions about beauty standards. It would’ve been more entertaining to see more of the children express their views and citations of newer studies on the impact toys have on minors.
The 1-hour 40-minute-long documentary also briefly delves into the history of Shindana Toys, a toy company that aimed at empowering Black individuals and manufactured diverse dolls whose features were ethnically representative of people of color. Even though Shindana would go on to shut its doors, thanks to competitors realizing the market potential of Afro-centric toys, the makers played a significant role in promoting Black dolls.
“Black Barbie” of course packs in a lot of Barbies, including limited edition collectibles that Beulah Mae Mitchell and Kitty Black Perkins own, so director Lagueria Davis has plenty of Black Barbies to put on display throughout the runtime. The focus largely remains on Mattel’s role in bringing representation to the doll market and how there’s still a long way to go before it becomes truly “normal” for dolls of different hues to take their place on toy shelves instead of white blonde ones dominating the space.
Overall, “Black Barbie” is a well-made documentary that might feel a bit too long for its subject matter, but it’s filled with interesting interviews and perspectives that keep it watch-worthy until the end.
You can stream “Black Barbie” on Netflix.
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