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Our favorite karate boy Daniel LaRusso is back, fighting his arch-nemesis Johnny Lawrence again. But this time, the story of the Karate Kid is not as black and white as it used to be in the “Karate Kid” film series that started in 1984. Sensei Mr Miyagi’s prodigy Daniel san is not the same innocent, meekly, bullied kid we’ve known all these years, nor Cobra Kai’s best fighter Johnny the same brute, insensitive bully from 30 years ago.

In fact, the roles seem to have reversed a bit with Daniel now a successful businessman and Johnny a washed-up handyman trying to revive the notorious Cobra Kai dojo in their hometown of San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. But again, the latest installment of the Karate Kid series “Cobra Kai” is still not polarized into a hero v villain story. There is so much grey area for the characters to play in this 21^st century adaptation that taking sides becomes impossible.

Actors Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprise their roles as Daniel and Johnny respectively in “Cobra Kai” Seasons 1 and 2, consecutively released on YouTube Red (now YouTube Premium) in 2018 and 2019. The series, which did get critical acclaim on its release, only got its due recognition from a wider range of audience after its recent Netflix debut. Now at the top of the most watched list on Netflix, Cobra Kai—with each of ten episodes running 22-36 minutes—is something for everyone to enjoy over the weekend and reminisce the good old times.

Daniel and Johnny show the same bitter rivalry we saw 36 years ago, with their teenage students and children now doing the fighting for them. The coveted All Valley Under-18 Karate Championship that Daniel won in 1984 reaches its 50^th Anniversary in the first season and the battle for the prize is as tough for the two aging senseis. In the second season, the rivalry is taken up by the students of Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, as competition gets fiercer and the proceedings more violent.

Johnny finds his prodigy in the asthmatic teenager Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña), whom he rescues from bullies in a strip mall and decides to teach karate. Daniel, miffed by the possible revival of the Cobra Kai dojo, coaches his young employee Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan), who also happens to be Johnny’s estranged son. Both the newly turned senseis now carry forward the legacies of their dojos—Daniel teaching the defensive, pacifist form of Miyagi-do, with Johnny applying the brutal attack tactics of the ‘no mercy’ Cobra Kai dojo.

Directed episode-wise by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Steve Pink, Josh Heald, Michael Grossman, and Jennifer Celotta, Cobra Kai offers a modern touch to the story of the Karate Kid. While most movies in the series have been about underdogs fighting the evil, the Cobra Kai series widens in perspectives as it also narrates the point-of-views of the people that are considered dark. The web television series, in the most mature way, portrays the travails of broken families, a bullied individual’s coping mechanisms, as well as the fact that there is no sure right or wrong side between conflicting parties.

Although the story of rivalry and competition is similar to its predecessors, the content of Cobra Kai is more mature and personal as it offers many situations people can identify with. The series is more inclusive, diverse, and dispels many social constructs from the 80s. There’s a Season 3 in the pipeline and with what transpires in the first two, the third installment is already highly anticipated.

Who should watch it?

As a biased 90s kid for whom the Karate Kid movie series was an important part of growing up, Cobra Kai rekindles nostalgia not only with its characters and storyline, but also with a lot of classic rock music from the likes of Whitesnake, Van Halen, and AC/DC, to name some. But in all fairness, the web series may be as enjoyable for the younger generations that haven’t followed the original series. (We recommend you do.)

Cobra Kai

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Action/comedy/drama

Actors: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka

Directors: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Steve Pink, Josh Heald, Michael Grossman, Jennifer Celotta,

Run time: 5hrs approx. for each episode

Last year a friend gave me ‘Roar’ by Cecelia Ahern, a collection of 30 stories. I only got around to it this year, and that too because of the lockdown. I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if I could have gotten my hands on some of the titles I’d been meaning to read. But Roar had me hooked from the start. I couldn’t believe this gem of a book had been sitting on my bookshelf for so long and I had always overlooked it. 

I actually didn’t have high expectations from Roar as I wasn’t particularly fond of Ahern’s bestselling ‘PS I Love You’. The anthology has, however, managed to put Ahern on my list of favorite storytellers. Roar was great fun and I found myself smiling—often ear to ear—while reading the stories.

The highly imaginative stories—with touches of magical realism or science fiction—are uplifting and insightful. You can see yourself, or women in your lives, in these stories. Ahern’s writing might not be beautiful but it’s empathetic and relatable.

‘The Women Who Wore Pink’ lives in a dystopian world where there are strict gender codes. ‘The Woman Who Grew Wings’ struggles to fit in when she moves to America with her family. ‘The Woman Who Ordered the Seabass Special’ teaches a lisping waitress to embrace her flaws. ‘The Women Who Slowly Disappeared’ goes to South Africa to meet a woman consultant who treats unseen middle-aged women. ‘The Woman Who Was Kept on a Shelf’ sits next to her husband’s trophies, first being admired and eventually ignored over the years of her marriage. The ‘Woman Who Had a Ticking Clock’ is concerned about her biological clock and it stresses her out unnecessarily.

The premises of Ahern’s stories are simple but they leave a lasting impact. Based on women’s experiences that are rarely discussed, each story has a moral. But what you take away from a story could be very different from what another person might glean from it. A lot of how you perceive a story depends on your unique circumstances and how you view the world and those around you.

I read the book in one go but that’s not what I would recommend you do. It’s best to read these fables one or two at a time. That way you can better enjoy the stories as well as let the messages sink in.

Fiction/Short Stories

Roar

Cecelia Ahern

Published: 2018

Publisher: Harper Collins

Language: English

Pages: 337, Paperback

So after a week’s break, my ‘Turkish trials’ restart and this time I turn to Google before committing myself to a movie from an industry that is still largely alien to me. A quick search on IMDB lands me on the page featuring “7 Kogustaki Mucize” (Miracle in Cell No. 7), a 2019 film that’s been given 8.3/10 ranking by more than 23,000 users—enough reason to spend 2hrs 12mins on a movie which requires subtitles.

“Miracle in Cell No. 7” is a remake of the highly acclaimed Korean movie with the same name released in 2013, with not much change in storyline besides the setting and a few minor adaptations. With the original film loosely based on a true incident, Miracle is one of those movies that continue to pull your heartstrings long after you have watched it.

Memo (Aras Bulut Iynemli), a shepherd in rural Turkey, suffers from an unnamed cognitive disorder and is said to be the same mental age as his daughter—Ova (Nisa Sofiya Aksongur)—who’s six. His family consists of Ova and grandmother Fatma (Celile Toyon Uysal), with whom he has a happy life in a village where people love and support them.

But tragedy befalls the little family when one day fate plays a trick on the mentally challenged Memo. He finds himself charged with the murder of a little girl Seda, his daughter’s classmate. Seda’s father is a high-ranking military official who uses his powers to get Memo arrested, tried and then sentenced to death, without giving him the opportunity to explain his story.

Falsely accused but unable to prove his innocence due to strong circumstantial evidence, Memo is jailed, and locked in cell number 7. There, he is treated with utmost brutality by jail authorities as well as his cellmates. Memo feels helpless. But then his cellmates and jailors quickly recognize his mental condition and start sympathizing with him. The rest of the story is about Memo wins their hearts with his childlike innocence, resulting in a real miracle in the climax.

Categorized as a ‘comedy-drama,’ Miracle is in a whole different league among whatever little Turkish movies I have watched. The execution of all aspects of filmmaking is nearly flawless, which changes my perception of the industry. While most Turkish movies I’ve watched have been frivolous ‘pass-times’, Miracle is a hard-hitting film made with all earnestness and deserving of every bit of attention it is getting.

Miracle is one of those films where everything goes right. With a storyline that is already strong, the screenplay adaptation gives a sense of authenticity. It becomes a Turkish movie, based on real incident.

Even with English subtitles, the original punch of the dialogues can still be felt. The writers have incorporated religion and philosophy into the script and presented it in a simple form, one of the most difficult tasks to pull off for filmmakers.

Besides excellent writing, the cinematography and direction deserve a big round of applause. The movie is a visual delight, to say the least. There are a number of visual cues and metaphors that play with the audience’s senses and create a mesmerizing sequence of scenes. Normally a two-hour plus movie tends to feel stretched and borderline lethargic, but not Miracle, where the whole cinematic cosmos comes together to make the film enjoyable throughout.

Also, a review of this movie would be incomplete without showering accolades on actor Aras Bulut Iynemli. Aras, as Memo, is a jukebox of different emotions in the movie. As a grown man with the mind and the innocence of a six-year-old, Aras performs his role with such dexterity and elegance that he can easily be ranked as one of the finest actors in global cinema.

Who should watch it?

“Miracle in Cell No. 7” is an emotionally charged, excruciatingly beautiful movie, meant to be watched by film lovers of all genres. Even for those not interested in tearjerkers, Miracle is worth a watch for its cinematic brilliance.

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Drama

Actors: Aras Bulut Iynemli, Nisa Sofiya Aksongu,

Director: Mehmet Ada Öztekin

Run time: 2hrs 12 mins

Laura Cavendish can’t wait to meet the girl her son, Daniel, seems to be smitten with. She wishes the two of them would be great friends, hoping this girl will be some sort of replacement for the daughter she had lost. But, when they finally meet, there’s something off about Cherry that makes Laura uneasy. Laura also suspects Cherry is not as great as her son thinks she is, and that Cherry is pretending to be someone she is not.

To make matters worse, there is a certain possessiveness in the way Cherry holds Daniel and caresses him—it’s almost like she’s telling Laura to back off. Then Laura catches her lying about little things, taking money from Daniel, and borrowing his car. It seems she is also trying to drive a wedge between mother and son. But nothing she says can make Daniel change his mind. He loves Cherry and Laura, he thinks, is just being paranoid.

But is she? Or is there really something sinister about Cherry?

The story is predictable but you want to know what Cherry or Laura will do next and thus it keeps you hooked. Stories and dramas of rivalry between mothers- and (potential) daughters-in-law are nothing new but Michelle Frances’ debut novel, ‘The Girlfriend’ takes it up a notch. Both women are ruthless and there’s no telling what they are prepared to do to get their way.

What I also liked about the story is how emotionally charged it is—there’s the rift between Laura and her husband, Howard, the love between a mother and son, how we tend to take our friends for granted, and people’s need to be understood and accepted. You feel all sorts of emotions—jealousy, rage, concern, hurt—well up as you turn the pages.

Though the plot is fairly simple and straightforward, there are quite a few twists and turns to make Frances’ debut novel a gripping read. There isn’t much I can say about the book without giving the story away. But I can tell you that The Girlfriend was one of the most enjoyable domestic dramas I have read. Though it has been marketed as a psychological thriller, there isn’t much of the thrill element in the traditional sense. However, there is enough tension and suspense to keep the story fast-paced and so at no point do you get bored.

Fiction

The Girlfriend

Michelle Frances

Published: 2017

Publisher: Pan Books

Language: English

Pages: 454, Paperback