Juice

There is an imbibed, but an unwanted custom of women looking after the snacks and drinks in the kitchen, while the men get-together in the home’s living room, in the society. I have likely seen it happening. Though I initially thought it might arguably be happening lesser, but since Juice has shown this vividly in 2017, it happens; majorly might be, in semi-urbans, but, is prevalent.

The Neeraj Ghaywan-directed large-short has underlining messages delivering hints, leading to its bigger message across - in the beginning when a television audio discusses upon “…women not being conforming to various feminist stereotypes…”, but is cut-short by the group of husbands laughing upon a joke – as if they were teasing off the issue themselves.

Their laughs and mindless-discussions continue as to how the ‘’onotomy’’, as one Bengali husband pronounces it, of women and men is much different; Emperor Akbar’s death ‘conspiracy’, to the ‘weakling’ Hillary’s defeat to Trump, et al.

Women are having their own talks, rather issues on. One, a suggestion of having children, for Pubali’s (Pubali Sanyal) future age, as to which she exclaims, “…are they children or fixed deposits?” Another being focussed on the pregnant wife, to leave work for the child’s caring, to which Manju Singh (Shefali Shah), frustratingly puts, “…why can’t both be done together? I mean, why the responsibility of changing diapers has to be only of ours’, because these men have their hands tied to the (TV) remote, right?”

Manju is gradually, somewhat stirred when the girl-child, while busy playing, is called upon her mother to then serve food to the men, but isn’t told the same to the likely similar-aged boy who she was playing with - lighting upon the notion the the patriarchal legacy may continue. Further incidents are the heat on the cake which then melts upon Manju’s mood and she, finally, takes a bold decision..

You can watch Juice here.

Lineage

Apart from the Justin Kurzel-directed Assassin's Creed (2016), also exists another live-action of similar universe. The short-feature seems to begin with an introductory monologue by our leading, Giovanni Auditore (essayed by Romano Orzari) who is dressed aptly as how his son, Ezio (played here by Devon Bostick) does in the game. Giovanni continues his monologue, highlighting "..family, justice, honour" as his bounding force, and stylishly he puts his weapons onto the holster as he prepares for the fore coming conflict – in Assassin’s Creed: Lineage.

The visual effects here will very much make you recall your memories of playing Assassin’s Creed II; though maybe that's how they were supposed to be made, and in fact seems more than decent enough for an internet released game-feature. 

The film's biggest highlight I feel though are its costumes’ design. They seem very well detailed, whether it was the all-black clothes of ‘father’-monks, the red clothing with a black robe of Borgia's, suit of Ezio and his brother (Jesse Rath); brownish skirt-dress of their mother Maria Auditore (Claudia Ferri), or of the leading man himself (most favourable, live-action adaption of the Assassin's costume as of); being likely parallel with the Italian Renaissance era.

I felt though if, there could've been better description of Ezio's traits. Here, he's somewhat brooding, mildly happy-go lucky and much curious about his father's work. Much unlike him, who was likely funny, carefree, and arguably a Casanova during his early years. Nevertheless, since the film is focussed on Giovanni, so.


The location of a key scene in the short which has tiles similar that of a chess-board, is then followed by a smooth transition – showing a close-up of a game of chess been played between Ezio and his elder brother. This makes the feature seem like a well-edited film, which it mostly is, though impressive transitions like this are then less focussed upon as the feature progresses.

For the admirers of Assassin's Creed universe, Lineage is worth giving a try (well if you're a fan you already might have), it adds much layers onto the storyline and is surprisingly better made for a non-mainstream feature of a video game.