hbashv Reviews

Made in Heaven (2019– )

Disappointing S2

[14 August 2023]

S1: 8/10

• Too depressing

S2: 6/10

• Every episode feels like a chapter being studied out of a textbook (Ch.1: colorism, Ch.2: domestic abuse, etc.). It becomes tiresome and predictable.

• The depiction of Karan's drug addiction was so cliche, I felt very bored watching him go to a club, gamble, etc. We didn't need 4 -5 sequences of him getting high.

• Jazz and Kabir's relationship seriously lacked chemistry. Super boring.

• The Jauhari family plot line was very poorly executed. Felt very choppy. None of the characters and their belief systems were believable, and the dialogues felt like a fever dream.

• I am losing track of Karan and Meher's many romances and partners, I felt my head spinning trying to remember whom they met where and when.

• Faiza was a very interesting character but her constantly bringing up the divorce didn't build tension like it should have.

• The addition of Gauri to the show could've been more interesting.

• Wanted more of the Khanna family drama and more of Tara's divorce.

• Overall theme of the show felt very preachy, which would've been fine if done better.

• I don't feel invested in any of the sad storylines, like Karan's mom, Jazz's brother, Adil's dad's death, etc. Not enough emotional connection built.

• Kabir's character is very irritating, and his storyline was just not necessary (gf breakup, career struggle, etc)

• I don't get the hype around Mona Singh's acting as Bulbul Jauhari. She was introduced as a change maker at the office, but she never really estaished herself as a powerful part of the team or a force to be reckoned with. She was brought in with cheery music in the background a jump in her step but I never witnessed her actual cheery personality.

• I liked how Tara became more morally ambiguous as she tried to make weddings happen for the benefit of their company even at the cost of the bride.

• I liked the wedding plot of episode 3, could've made it more dangerous though. Episodes 4 and 5 were boring.

• I didn't get to see much of the tiny luxurious details of the lives of the rich when it comes to wedding planning.

• A lot of the actual wedding planning parts had a lot of shouting, complaining and hassle and that was it.

• Raghav doesn't feel like an interesting rebound for Tara. Too tame, doesn't challenge her in a way that's interesting on the screen (other than his demure personality contrasting her coldness).

• Tara's scenes with the purse, cab, helping Adil's mom and her niece, going to the art exhibition, etc felt nice but not cohesive.

• Pallavi's brother's hesitations weren't ever resolved?

Dubai Bling (2022– )

Great drama, perfect reality show

[14 November 2022]

Yes, it feels dramatic. It feels exaggerated. It feels fake at first. But just stop scrutinising it while you're watching, and just relax. The story gets better with each episode, and it's a perfect vapid, fun trash tv show with great characters and dramatic scenes.

It's so nice to see non-American reality TV, especially from the UAE, which there isn't much content on. I really enjoyed the cinematography, the outfits, the views of Dubai, and the flashy cars and lifestyles!

Yes, these people aren't the super rich. This probably isn't authentic Dubai/ UAE culture. But it's just a fun show, not a documentary. So give it a go.

Tár (2022)

Waste of time and money

[29 October 2022]

Don't be fooled by the great reviews, if you're someone who's not particularly interested in orchestras, conductors and random old musicians from times past, this movie is an utter bore. The first 10 minutes are CREDITS. JUST CREDITS. Then it drags on with the most absolutely annoying, long, mind-numbing scenes where rich, white people just talk to each other about the most esoteric stuff, with cameos of the actress talking to her orchestra about which string needs to be pulled in which direction.

I'm dead serious, 1 and a half hour later, you still can't tell what the hell's going on. It's just scenes of her talking about the most mundane stuff, and playing instruments.

It's a pretentious movie, that appears completely different and way more interesting in the trailer, but in reality is just an elitist blob of nothingness aesthetic. If you value your money and time, don't watch this movie.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021)

Shallow plot, characters

[9 June 2022]

So much unnecessary nudity. They spend more time showing that than actually developing the story and characters. Started out interesting, got super boring as it went on.