This is the End

Because words have blood in them.

back to school

Japanese audience loves its school dramas. Whether it is a romantic comedy set in school like Hana Yori Dango or it’s something like Great Teacher Onizuka where a former thug comes to school to make a difference in the lives of his students. The newest addition to this genre is 35-year-old high school student, where a woman returns to school to complete her graduation.

School dramas mostly deal with issues like bullying, isolation, friendship and peer pressure, lawlessness, depression, and relations between teachers and students. Baba (whose name means an old woman) joins a high school class teeming with such issues. There are class bullies, girl gangs, troublemakers, victims and teachers who are unable to do anything. Baba, who has scars from her previous school experience, this time, tries to help others by being a strong and trustworthy character. While at school she helps the class get closer with each other and tackles issues which the school staff wants to avoid or brush under the carpet.

Films like Billy Madison, etc deal with this issue in a lighter vein but Japanese television takes school issues very seriously and churns out school dramas every season. However, the only drawback to this is that the themes and issues get repetitive. Also, as these dramas are usually led by a strong main character, this would mean that the lead has to be convincing and do a stellar job wooing the class and the audience.

Through her eyes

What Maisie knew tackles divorce and separation through the eyes of a young girl who is caught between her parent's feud and distance. The film follows her and what she sees and it is her perspective and vision that the audience is shown. Maisie’s life with her paranoid mother and withdrawn father might play out like “a Jacobean tragedy”, but the film does not focus solely on that.

Although the subject of divorce and what it does to the child isn’t something new, the film keeps the girl at the centre and also does not use her vantage point to build stories about the parents and the separation. We do see the shuffling between parents and their new spouses, picking up the pieces and adjusting to life again. We also see that the interests of the child, who is being vied at the time of the divorce proceedings, seem to take a backseat to personal demands and and petty ego.

Although in transferring from parent to parent, the child becomes a casualty of misunderstanding and never-ending feuds, sometimes Maisie’s innocence and brightness seem to make the mishap around her seem less damaged. There is a sense of flow in Maisie’s life as she travels from one guardian to another and even though she might seem suddenly lonely, she immediately pops back to being a happy kid when she is shown love, affection and attention. The movie is precariously balanced on Maisie, who as a child is undergoing sudden and disturbing change in her life. The film and her life may collapse at any moment but somehow, through her vitality and through the kindness of strangers, she manages to stay afloat. 

Grim little sleepy town

ITV’s Broadchurch is about a small town that comes to the forefront when an 11-year-old boy dies under suspicious circumstances. Mostly, the show deals with the aftermath of a young boy's death as the family and the town copes with the onslaught of grief and attention.

The show stars Barty Crouch aka David Tennant as an ill and tired DI Alec Hardy supported by DC Miller, played by Olivia Colman. Doubt is in the air and suspicion fall on everyone who is even remotely linked to the case. Both follow leads and clues and often end up reaching nowhere. There is a lot of misdirection but slowly all the false clues are eliminated.

Small town murder mysteries often remind me of Miss Marple mysteries that are teeming with undercurrents. There are incestuous dealings, gossip and rumour mills, nosy neighbours, and just plain people hiding truth that have nothing to do with the murder. 
(Also reminded me of Murder she wrote, where a sleepy town in Maine becomes the victim of a grim crime, much too often.)

There is a lot of similarity between Broadchurch and the Danish hit Forbrydelson (also called The Killing), which also deals with a single murder throughout the series: A town rocked by an unexpected murder but while Forbrydelson had a political angle attached to it, Broadchurch focuses on the lives of people shattered by the tragedy. I would recommend this series. Although the end might not be very surprising (at least it was not for me), the ride is enjoyable. The scenery is wonderful and spectacular, the dialogues crisp. How a single murder can set off a series of onslaughts has been explored quite well.

Saving the damsels in distress

Lucius Malfoy… excuse me, Jason Isaacs stars in this fast-paced mystery drama about a former cop-present detective who has a penchant for finding lost people, especially girls.

The mysteries are intriguing and the chase by the lone detective are rewarding. The stories are intertwined and flow into each other and sometimes we have to follow three cases at once. From finding a girl who went missing 20 years ago to aiding a crime novelist in his who gets embroiled in an accident, Scottish detective Jackson Brodie is the unlucky detective, who is always at the right place at the wrong time and loves his old American country songs.

What I liked about the series was that it did not try to be more than what it is. There is the mystery that is tackled and sometimes we are made privy to Brodie’s internal struggle as he continues to deal with the drowning of his sister when he was a child. Comparing this to Wallander, I found Case Histories to be a better drama in terms of pace, storyline and action. Wallander mostly took place inside the mind but Case Histories takes you where you want to be.

The failings of House of Cards

House of Cards is a political drama about a Congressman Frank Underwood who has a promised Secretary of State post taken away from him. The story charts how he follows through on his thwarted ambitions. A man of means, Underwood shows you all the dirt and is of course not afraid to get his hands dirty in the process.

House of cards starts off strongly. The first 5 episodes are enough to convince you that it is a must-watch series. There are sneaky machinations, string-pulling, corruption trails, revenge plots, and some political absurdities along the way.

But the excitement soon fizzles as you realize that it is the same thing happening all over again. Deceit and lies are served as the main course but the dishes become monotonous as you keep being served.

What I like about the series are the small pauses where the fourth wall breaks and the Underwood addresses us with what he really thinks; sometimes it becomes a welcome break from all the lies he spews and churns.

House of Cards falls bit by bit as the ambitions of Francis Underwood (played by the gracefully ageing Kevin Spacey) rise. The series fails to capture the characters and their development; Underwood’s wife Claire becomes small in comparison to her husband’s goals and aims and she often becomes a casualty of her husband’s plans. The growth of other characters is also uneven.

The series, a strong Emmy contender, is a good series, no doubt. But I have to agree with Alan Sepinwall, who says that the show might have been “a mid-tier drama for HBO or Showtime.” I started to lose interest mid-way and it is only Kevin Spacey who has manages to deliver a strong performance through out the 13 episodes.

Throne of Blood

I finally picked up Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood, which had been lying with me for a few years. Kurosawa’s films are a treat to watch and ofcourse, Rashomon is a must for film/literature lovers.

Based on Macbeth, the film follows the Samurai commander Washizu (played by the very charming and able Toshiro Mifune) who hears a prophecy by a forest spirit declaring him first, the master of the North castle and next, as the Lord of the Spider Web Castle. As the first prediction comes true, Washizu, pushed by his ambitious wife Asaji, kills the current lord and takes over his position.

However, the forest spirit also foretold that another commander’s son would become the Lord after Washizu, who then spirals into an endless and a frantic struggle to maintain his power.

The movie, like the play it is based on, deals with the question of predestination and free will. Predestination becomes the cover for actions that are fuelled by ambition and ruthlessness (classic Shakespeare!).

The film is beautifully-shot and has few dialogues. There is vast emptiness and ominous sounds, which just seem to highlight the troubled minds of the protagonist. Lady Asaji portrays her madness and villainy with ease and brilliance. Washizu, led by his wife’s direction, commits what he thinks is his destiny. (But we know better)

Themes of prophecy/predestination and free will are a source of delight and/or discussion, at least for me. Another recent reference that comes to mind is of course Harry Potter. I would love to watch more movies dealing with this theme. Any ideas?

p.s. Lord Krishna is another one!

Review: The Girls

I would usually avoid a series with such an obvious title. But I am not regretting picking this up. The series is a fresh take on girls living in New York and experiencing lives as an adventure. I think there is some Gossip Girl and SATC in this but I also saw some hues of Mad Men.

The series revolves around Hannah and her friends, trying to figure out their lives (aren’t we all?) as they traverse through their 20s. The series generates a lot of introspection and sometimes as you look through the characters’ anxieties, mistakes and misgivings, you oscillate through a sense of belonging and a sense of alienation.

But the series is more of a montage on living and experiencing. I really liked an episode where Hannah goes to apologize to a stranger for dumping garbage in his trash can and somehow ends up spending two days with him.

Overall, the series is worth watching and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in light watching and slight contemplation.

anime review

Just completed: Aku no Hana (Flowers of Evil)

Is Aku no Hana a story about teenage urges and desires gone awry or does it have a deeper meaning regarding teenage angst and ennui?

While we ponder on this, we have to watch the show move at a snail’s pace. Kasuga, the protagonist, fancies himself to be different from the rest. He thinks that by reading different/varied literature, he is a pioneer of sorts. Once, by mistake, he steals the gym clothes of his classmate Saeki, whom he worships as his femme fatale, his muse. Big words for someone in middle school. He is seen by the class oddball Nakamura, who then forces him into a contract.

What follows is a twisted and dark journey into teenage worries and anxiety. The under confident Kasuga, the all-embracing Saeki and the bullying yet needy Nakamura: the show revolves around these three and the only time we see the rest of the class is when they are commenting on these three.

But is it an over-reach? The manga is still on-going and the show’s first season spanned only 13 episodes. The story seemed to be going nowhere except spiralling through Kasuga’s worries and fears.
On the fence about it.

Current Servings

A nifty list of what I am currently watching:

Jormungand

Tells the story of an arms dealer Koko and her troupe as they negotiate with governments, competitors and assassins. Just three episodes in and I like the fast pace, music and characterization.

Chihayafuru

Based on the Japanese traditional card game karuta, Chihayafuru is an amalgamation of sorts. It is a sports anime, a romantic anime and a shoujo ‘bildungsroman’ anime. The characters are good and sparkly, the storyline strong but the weak link is the pace which progresses slower than the astrological signage. But the build ups are definitely worth it. Have finished season one (and rewatched it too) and about to finish season 2.

Iryu Sousa

From the long (and sometimes exhausting) line of Japanese detective series comes Iryu Sousa. Although each episode starts out fine with a strong mystery element, the end is always lacking and emotional. I guess the point of the whole series is that the protagonist is from the personal effects department, which also includes the family members of the deceased. So after each mystery concludes, this ‘cop’ goes to the relatives and explains to them the reason behind the death and the actions of the deceased , among other things.
Not at all to my liking. Sigh, a few more episodes to go in season 1.

Saikou no Rikon

A very interesting and funny take on love and divorce is Saikou no Rikon. The characters are crisp and relatable, the story line taut and pacy. While some elements could have been better out than in, the story always keeps its focus right. Of course, the acting is stellar with Eita and Ono Machiko as the leads. A must watch.
Two more episodes to go.

Apart from these, the usual still go on. Naruto, One Piece, Detective Conan are always on the backburner, being collected steadily and being watched intermittently.