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I was excited about Lucy Foley’s latest novel ‘The Paris Apartment’ as I had loved ‘The Guest List’. The book had an Agatha Christie vibe to it and was outlandish and ominous at the same time. Narrated from six different POVs, the story was fast-paced and gripping. Foley gave me a much-needed break from reality. I desperately wanted her to tell me another story. I wanted to be under the same spell. The Paris Apartment is about a journalist who mysteriously disappears from an apartment in Paris. His sister then arrives on the scene and starts poking around. It sounds like an engaging plot, and it’s not bad at all. It’s just that my expectations were sky-high after reading The Guest List. Most of the reviews on the GoodReads app say the same thing. Readers have liked The Paris Apartment a lot less than Foley’s other two books—The Guest List and ‘The Hunting Party’. In the book, we are introduced to Jess, who is lonely, and she’s broke. So, she asks her half-brother Ben if she can crash with him in order to get her life together. Surely, things will be better in Paris, she thinks. When she lands there from London, she finds a nice apartment that she’s not sure how Ben could have afforded in a journalist’s salary. But Ben’s not there. He wouldn’t have just deserted her like that. She knows something is wrong. She starts wondering if the other people in the apartment building know more than they are letting on about Ben’s disappearance. Everyone appears mysterious and each of them seems to have a motive. The more Jess starts digging around, the more suspicious she becomes that the neighbors are involved in something they want to hide. She repeatedly puts herself in harm’s way as someone isn’t happy with all the questions she’s asking. The Paris Apartment is dark and unsettling but there’s nothing new here for thriller and murder mystery lovers. It’s a classic locked-room mystery. It’s just that there’s no sense of urgency or claustrophobia which is what makes stories like these menacing. The pacing is also a bit slow. Foley, while trying to flesh out her characters, has sort of dragged on the plot. But a respite comes in the form of short chapters and the book does take off in the second half. All in all, it’s not a great book but you can pick it up when you want something light to read. Three stars Fiction The Paris Apartment Lucy Foley Published: 2022 Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers Pages: 410, Paperback    

Bollywood doesn’t make many movies about fat people. In the Indian film industry, roles for overweight people are limited to playing punching bags for insensitive jokes and tools for comic relief. The scene might be changing a bit with films like ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ (2015), but there’s still a long way to go for Bollywood to accept people as they are. With Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi in the lead roles on Netflix’s recent release ‘Double XL,’ I expected a more mature, albeit comic, content that has nuances of body positivity. The movie does disguise itself as a thought-provoking story that challenges the societal norms that restrict women’s career and clothing options based on their weight and body size. But there is very little thought put into its making. Double XL is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language comedy movie that tackles the important themes of body positivity and female friendship. The film follows the story of two plus-size women, Saira Khanna (Sonakshi Sinha) and Rajshri Trivedi (Huma Qureshi), as they navigate life and embrace their bodies despite societal pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards. The movie is directed by Satram Ramani and also stars Zaheer Iqbal and Mahat Raghavendra in lead roles, with guest appearances by cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Kapil Dev. At the start of the movie, we are introduced to Rajshri, an aspiring sports presenter from Meerut who faces rejection from a big sports channel due to her body type. As she tries to make a name for herself in the industry, she is constantly subjected to cruelty and criticism, whether it be from strangers or even her own mother, who blames her for not being slim enough to find a husband. Despite these challenges, Rajshri remains determined to succeed and sets off for Delhi in search of opportunities. There, she meets Saira, a fashion designer who is also struggling with body image issues following a recent breakup. The two women quickly bond over their shared experiences and decide to team up, with Saira offering Rajshri the chance to direct a travelogue for her fashion label. The two embark on a journey to London, where they not only work on the project but also discover themselves and celebrate their friendship and bodies along the way. Double XL is a well-intentioned movie that addresses important themes of body positivity and female friendship. The performances by Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi are strong, and it’s refreshing to see these popular female actors tackle these issues on screen. However, the film falls short in its execution, lacking the necessary comic zing and style to fully engage the audience. The male leads, played by Zaheer Iqbal and Mahat Raghavendra, also take away the essence of the main story with their annoying and unnecessary antics. Iqbal’s character, in particular, seems to be there purely for comic relief, constantly pulling outdated impressions and taking up screen time that could have been better utilized to further develop the female leads and their stories. Additionally, the movie suffers from a lack of originality and personality, relying on didactic conversations and cliched plot points to convey its message. While Double XL follows in the footsteps of other successful Bollywood movies that address unrealistic beauty standards, such as Dum Laga Ke Haisha and ‘Bala’, it fails to stand out and make its mark in the same way. Double XL is a disappointing film that fails to live up to its weighty theme of plus-size ambition and body shaming. The actors struggle to make their points, with over-the-top performances and a one-size-fits-all approach that results in double trouble. The writing is banal and fails to create authentic, empathetic portraits of the main characters, played by Sinha and Qureshi, who are reduced to perpetuating stereotypes. Overall, Double XL is a flimsy, padded movie that fails to make a meaningful statement. Rating: 2 stars Actors: Sonakshi Sinha and Huma Qureshi Genre: Comedy Director: Satram Ramani Run time: 2h 8m  

Who doesn’t like whodunit murder mysteries? I certainly do. I love watching movies that make me exercise my brain while trying to solve the puzzle parallel with the protagonist/s. So, when Netflix released ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’, I couldn’t have been happier. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a thrilling and intricate addition to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series. Following the first movie’s success, Johnson has brought back Daniel Craig’s character, Benoit Blanc, to take on a new mystery involving tech billionaire Miles Bron and his friends. The all-star cast, including Edward Norton as Bron, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista, add depth and complexity to an already compelling plot. The story takes place on a private island in Greece, where Bron has invited several of his friends and the famous detective Benoit Blanc to participate in a murder mystery game at his mansion, the Glass Onion. However, things take a turn when one of the guests ends up dead for real, and Blanc must use all of his detective skills to uncover the truth behind the murder. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, tech billionaire Bron hosts a murder mystery game at his mansion on a private island in Greece. Invited to the game are five of Miles’s friends—Alpha head scientist Lionel Toussaint, Connecticut governor Claire Debella, fashion designer Birdie Jay, men’s rights streamer Duke Cody, and Alpha co-founder and ousted ex-CEO Cassandra  ‘Andi’ Brand—as well as detective Benoit Blanc, who was not invited but joins the group anyway. Tensions rise as Blanc solves Miles’ pretend murder mystery and one of the guests, Duke, collapses and dies after drinking from Miles’ glass. The group becomes panicked and suspicions turn toward another guest, Andi. Both Knives Out and its sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, delve into the dark and deceitful world of the wealthy elite, showcasing their inability to trust even their closest friends and family. However, Glass Onion takes a slightly lighter approach, presenting a group of mischievous friends who all have their grievances with the tech billionaire Bron. But they also rely on his wealth and power to maintain their relevance in their respective industries. This creates a dynamic in which each character is both a suspect and a potential victim, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the movie. Overall, the sequel delivers a clever and thrilling mystery that keeps the audience guessing until the very end. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery brings back the beloved character of detective Benoit Blanc, this time with a touch more humor and age. Craig, known for his role as James Bond, does a fantastic job portraying an older version of Blanc, nailing his Southern American accent and bringing Blanc’s childlike curiosity and keen observational skills to life. As the master detective tackles a new case involving a tech billionaire and his innermost circle, audiences are treated to a thrilling and clever mystery full of twists and turns. With Craig leading the way, it’s clear that there could be no one better suited to step into the shoes of Benoit Blanc. The movie boasts a complex and twisty plot, with a satisfying reveal at the end that ties everything together. The secluded setting of a private island in Greece enhances the sense of mystery and danger, as the victims have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide from the killer. The movie also delves into relevant themes such as corporate greed and the influence of technology on society. Overall, this sequel delivers a thrilling and clever mystery that keeps the audience glued to their seats, unable to peel their eyes from the screen. Who should watch it? With its clever twists and turns, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The movie’s intricate plot and talented cast make it a must-see for mystery fans. Rating: 4 stars Genre: Crime, mystery Actors: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. Director: Rian Johnson Run time: 2hrs 19mins

‘My Year of Rest and Relaxation’ sounds like a chill, laid-back book that you could probably read on a holiday. But Ottessa Moshfegh’s second novel which was published in 2018 narrates the story of a young girl who starts relying on prescription drugs in order to sleep for an entire year. Loss and grief feature heavily in the story which tackles serious subjects like relationship issues and mental health. The narrator is a young unnamed woman in New York. She is just out of high school and is working as a receptionist at an art gallery. She has a lot of problems, and childhood trauma to deal with. Her father ignored her, and her mother was a drunk who used Valium to pacify her when she was a baby. She thinks of their deaths as just another way in which they rejected her. Worse, she doesn’t like her best friend, Reva and she has always felt used by her boyfriend, Trevor. Now he’s her ex, but she can’t stop obsessing over him. Thankfully, her inheritance allows her to do as she pleases without having to worry about money. So, she decides to take a year off and recover—by taking as many drugs as possible and sleeping for days on end. She believes a chemically induced chrysalis is the only way she can fix herself. Her partner-in-crime in all this is Dr Tuttle whose go-to medical advice is ‘dial 911 if something bad happens’. Moshfegh has been criticized for writing characters who are repulsive or repulsed by themselves. But by doing so, she hits home the fact that people are never perfect. We all have a dark side to ourselves that, as much as we might try, we don’t always succeed in hiding. My Year of Rest and Relaxation is darkly humorous and makes you feel seen and heard, despite not always being able to relate to the narrator. Fair warning though, it could be a little triggering for those dealing with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. About the author Ottessa Moshfegh is a fiction writer from New England. Her first book, McGlue, a novella, won the Fence Modern Prize in Prose and the Believer Book Award. Her first novel, Eileen, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and won the PEN/Hemingway Award for debut fiction. She is also the author of the short story collection ‘Homesick for Another World’. Four stars Fiction My Year of Rest and Relaxation Ottessa Moshfegh Published: 2018 Publisher: Penguin Press Pages: 304, Paperback