So you wanna watch something...
The Girl on the Train: This Bollywood adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ New York Times bestseller has big boots to fill. The 2016 Hollywood iteration starring Emily Blunt had left fans of the book disappointed. Now, it’s Parineeti Chopra’s turn to face the music. No reviews yet, but Firstpost has a handy guide to the film, and Film Companion did an interview with Chopra. It drops on Netflix today!
The Broken Hearts Gallery: Can we get enough of rom coms? Apparently not. The premise is cheesy: Hot hotel owner (Dacre Montgomery from ‘Stranger Things’) offers space to gorgeous gallery assistant (Geraldine Viswanathan from ‘Blockers’) to display heartbreak memorabilia from her past relationships (hence the title). The Guardian really likes its energy, and the New Yorker raves about Vishwanathan’s performance.
Canine intervention: We’re always a little ambivalent about animal training gurus. See: César Millán. But celebrity dog-trainer Jas Leverette focuses on training the humans rather than their dogs—which often have serious behavioural issues that may end in them being euthanized. Read his LA Times and Variety interviews. It’s out on Netflix.
Pelé: This documentary is more than a starry-eyed narration of the life of the legendary footballer. It takes on the political reality surrounding his career and the sport in Brazil—where the military junta turned the winning team into a propaganda tool. New York Times explains why this one is totally worth your time. Available right now on Netflix.
A list of good reads
- Reuters looks at amateur cash-flush investors who are switching from stocks and bonds to Pokemon game cards and handbags.
- Mel Magazine has an entertaining list of the least deserving Golden Globe nominations over the past two decades.
- Town & Country has an excellent read on the ‘Amenities Arms Race’ among US universities—competing to woo wealthy kids.
- Buzzfeed News reports on lesbian sugar mamas and their sugar babies.
- Shrabonti Bagchi pens a wonderful piece in Mint Lounge on Chandigarh Chairs—designed by Pierre Jeanneret in the 1950s—which have become a must-have luxury item for the likes of Kim Kardashian.
- Smiles are the easiest to fake—and why do we trust them? Psyche examines the reasons why.
- Times of India has an odd piece celebrating the ‘first world bubbles’ occupied by Indians.
- Rangan Datta has a fascinating read on the towers set up as part of the Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS)—a grand project started in 1800 to measure the Indian subcontinent with scientific precision.
- Know anything about ‘Clownfishing’? ‘Goldfishing’? ‘Conching’? Read the New Yorker’s hilarious list of dating terms inspired by catfishing.
- Supriya Vohra in Mongabay alerts us to the changing patterns of the consumption of shark meat in Goa—which is endangering their survival.
- In the mood for some home improvement? Vogue has a useful guide on the A-Z of picking and framing art.
