India Film to Miss: Good Newwz (2019)

 

Good Newwz (2019) 

Viewing Platform: Amazon Prime

Varun and Deepti Batra have been trying to conceive for nearly 6 years, and the constant hinting from well-meaning family and friends has put a strain on their relationship. Varun's sister finally suggests they meet with a fertility specialist, who suggests in vitro fertilizaiton (IFV). Varun is skeptical about the entire endeavor, mocking the pamphlets and whining about his contribution, but Deepti convinces him to cooperate. Less than two weeks after the embryo is implanted, Varun and Deepti are called back to the clinic, with some astonishing and disturbing news: the lab technicians mixed up the sperm samples with another couple whose last name is also Batra! Will the couples try another round of IVF, or keep trying on their own? If both couples move forward with the mismatched genetic material, what does this mean for their families and their babies' futures??

*The premise is quite interesting; any time a story has these kinds of improbable, yet not entirely impossible scenarios, it draws the listener in and allows them to engage on a meaningful level. This is probably the best aspect of the film. The characters do consider abortion, but luckily the writers do not go that direction, instead valuing life. I didn't love the musical numbers, and some of the humor didn't translate well (I think some of the wordplay was between English, Hindi, and a third language I couldn't distinguish from Hindi, so those jokes were lost on me). I wouldn't watch this again, not because it was particularly bad, but because it was just "meh."*

ChDrama to Maybe Watch: Accidentally in Love (2018)

 (Chinese Drama) 

Accidentally in Love (2018)

Grade: C+

30 episodes, 30 minutes each

Viewing Platform: Netflix

Heiress Chen Qingqing is being forced into an arranged marriage, but after a dream-visit from her deceased parents, Qingqing decides to attend the same college where her parents met. While dodging her grandfather's henchmen, she runs into famous idol singer Situ Feng – who then uses her to disrupt his father's marriage, with Feng declaring he is engaged to the now disguised, scruffy-looking Qingqing. What happens when Qingqing and Feng realize they're attending the same school? Will the resident “mean girls” manage to drive Qingqing away before she finds out more about her parents, or will her grandpa find her and drag her back home? And how will Feng take to constantly being paired up with the outspoken, dorky-looking Qingqing?

*This is probably one of the better Chinese dramas I've watched. The lip-synched dialogue is not as annoying as usual, and it has a more sincere feel overall (compared to the times it felt like the script was written by a bunch of “suits” sitting in a board room, simply checking the boxes off for common/popular tropes). It did feel a bit juvenile with all the high school type antics, but the writers managed to give at least some depth to the characters. I disliked the inclusion of an F-bomb and a couple suicide attempts; it brought a darkness to the drama that didn't quite fit. I also didn't like how the “bad guy” treated the [rather flat] female best friend; he never became likable. Bright colors, decent music; possibly worth at least one viewing, but I wouldn't watch again.*