A Nation of Broth (Netflix)
From the K dramas we are familiar with seaweed soup, or miyeok guk, and Kimchi-jjigae, or kimchi stew. But there is a whole universe of soups/broths in that small country—Manhwa artist Huh Young-man and actors Ham Yeon-ji and Ryu Su-young travel through South Korea sampling the staggering variety. The broth simmers for hours and to this are added an assortment of meats, innards, seafood and vegetables. Given the Korean love for drinking, they are also an antidote to hangover. From birth until after death and every moment in between, broth is always by our side, says Ryu. "Soup is the great force that makes us eat rice," he adds. Vegetarians can skip the series. (Netflix)—Nipa Charagi
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Barry (Disney+ Hotstar)
The third season of Barry shows no drop in quality. We wrote: “There is no imminent danger of shark-jumping for HBO’s clever, taut series Barry, but Winkler, who plays washed up acting teacher Gene Cousineau, has certainly been demonstrating his larcenous tendencies all over again. The ongoing third season of this assassin-comedy (created by Alec Berg and Bill Hader) feels uneven compared to the first two sensational seasons — I have gushed about Barry here earlier — but a major part of that can be put down to Winkler creating a character so unfairly compelling that he is invariably pulling focus away from the titular protagonist played by Hader.”
Bang Bang Baby
Alice, 16, lives with her mother in a small north Italian town. It's the 1980s. She is fascinated by Big Babol ad and watches Dynasty. Her life changes when she finds out that her father, who she thought was dead, is alive and a mobster. Her nonna Donna Lina—who wields the frying pan like a gun—calls the shots in the 'Ndrangheta. She slathers traitors with honey and lets loose a pig on them—for vacuuming. Alice gets drawn into this world of crime. Besides the dark comedy and violence, the series is littered with 1980s' pop culture references. You will find yourself humming as Careless Whispers plays in the background. It's a sensory overload. (Amazon Prime Video)—NC
Jurassic World Dominion (in theatres)
The latest entry in the Jurassic franchise, Colin Trevorrow's film, set some years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, imagines what it might be like if humans and dinosaurs coexisted. It stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, though longtime fans will cheer the return of Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill.
The Iranian film A Hero, which had a limited release in theatres, is now streaming. We wrote about Asghar Farhadi's acclaimed but controversial film: “Amir Jadidi plays Rahim as someone who’s self-aware enough to know that his open nature and ingratiating smile might open doors that his moral strictness has closed. We know Rahim isn’t making up the purse story but it’s nevertheless interesting to see Bahram complain that he was taken in by his innocent manner when he lent him money. Farhadi, as always, builds tragedy as an accumulative, causal thing. No single action of Rahim’s is irretrievably damaging. But placed in order, they snap together like locks.”
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