Castaway on the Moon (2009)

I ended up watching this movie since it had such high recommendations on MDL and elsewhere. Now here is what I think about it:

Story 10/10: I felt like the story was very original. It takes a very dark subject, and injects it with some comedy. Ultimately it had the right amount of darkness and comedy for me.

Acting 10/10: The actors were flawless.

Music 5/10: I don't really remember much about the music (i watched it a few days ago.) for that reason I gave it a 5/10. I didn't notice anything wrong with the music choice but at the same time it didn't stay in my memory long enough to be GREAT.

Rewatchability 5/10: I generally do not rewatch films. Although this is an amazing movie, I don't see myself rewatching this anytime soon.

Overall 10/10: Solid story. Solid movie. The perfect movie for a Sunday evening.

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This movie starts a but depressing but soon becomes quite funny as we watch the antics of a recluse and a man stranded on an island. I love the relationship they create even though they have no idea who the other is. I also like this because it follows strange people and not just the people who are going to a rich school or are about the achieve something , no these people are depressed and really don't have much to live for but we watch them and find out about them and how connections to other people are important and can help us even in the toughest situations and how even people we may brush off as being useless or un important may just view the world differently and enjoy their own comfort.

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The story is what caught my interest, since it's truly unique, but the way it unfolded left me a bit disappointed. Such a scenario had a great potential but it left some parts unexplored. They could have expanded on many scenes and cut short some others. I found it boring at times. But it had its bits of comedy too. Far less than I expected though. Overall however, the best word to describe this movie is 'weird'. It indeed has a big dose of weirdness in it. It's based on a rather tragic plot, so naturally it will have weirdness and depressive, meaningful moments, especially if you can relate to the characters' feelings.
The ending was fine to me. It fit with the movie's style perfectly.

I recommend this to anyone who wants to see something different. But expect something VERY different from most Asian movies.

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Castaway On the Moon is a very fun film to watch. But also highlights a major "problem" commonly seen in East Asian societies which is the need for withdrawal or escape from the world because of the pressure brought about by mostly social factors such as in this case: financial and relationships. It's no surprise that South Korea has a suicide rescue team stationed near the Han River (where the protagonist jumped). East Asian countries have this pressure subtly imposed on its people and throughout the films I've watched for this class, it's been a common underlying theme. While Castaway is comedic, this subtly social commentary cannot be ignored.

Of course, it's seen in the two main characters, Kim Jung Yeon and Kim Seong Geun. Both of whom are also escaping two different things. While male Kim's is more evident, female Kim's is not explicitly told. But that's fine. A hikikomori's reason for shutting himself/herself in has a very long list of reasons and perhaps even the hikikomoris themselves do not know the definitive one. But one thing is clear: escape and withdrawal.

We see how both characters try to live as normally as they can. Male Kim adjusts to the island life in just three months and with only a scarecrow as his companion (a symbol of his old self), he looks more lively than he did 5 months ago. Female Kim lives virtually, by having a virtual identity, she feels "connected" with the world and tries to live normally by doing normal things like as she said, go to "work" and exercise.

Here, we see how human connection tries to render boundaries useless. They break down the walls we have build once we have reach an understanding and to these two is began with the noodles. The noodles becomes a symbol of hope for the two lonely characters. And eventually, it's also each other that in the end, they long to see.

As cheesy and sentimental as this sounds, Castaway wants to show the light at the end of the tunnel. That through hardships, we can retreat to our own worlds but eventually, we will emerge, good as new. It's not a dead end.

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Hope is a complicated thing.

“Why?”

Sometimes everything’s just too much to take and you wanna end it. But no, you don’t really. It’s just there’s a tiny tiny string to hold onto. Why do it today when you can still do it tomorrow? Maybe something might happen tonight.

Maybe.

After many tomorrows, you might find something..beautiful. Something that keeps you moving. Something that makes you love the taste of the air you breath. Something to look forward to. You hold onto the string tighter.

But, what if...

What if it’s dangerous? What if I lose it? It’s a new thing. A new feeling. Something too huge to fit into my chest. Something that can blow away everything I’ve built!

Being hopeless was uneasy, but it was comfortable. Knowing what to expect was comfortable. But now, I don’t know anymore.

RUN!
GO HOME!
IT’S DANGEROUS!

Or..is it?


“Castaway on a moon” to me was a beautiful portrayal of feelings we lock inside. Despair, hope, excitement, fear, wind, light and the sea. Loved it!

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I didn't think I'd ever love a movie this much

Absolutely beautiful. From the beautiful themes to the acting to the wonderful soundtrack to the almost ridiculous, yet heartwarming humor, it is a perfect movie for me in every aspect.
I've never cried, laughed and smiled this much watching a movie.
It's the kind of movie that makes you glad to be human and alive.
This is actually my all time favorite movie and every time I feel life gets me down, I rewatch it and every single time, I love it perhaps even more than the last.
The way the story inspires you to live and never give up in an almost hopeful, simple, but innocent way just makes me tear up even thinking about it.
I am not one to say a movie is perfect easily, but it would be a crime to not call this one. It's imperfections just make it that much more beautiful.
There's just so much earnestness and heart in this movie and it really shines through.
I'll always be grateful for the comfort this movie had provided and will continue to provide me in my worst days.

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All this for a bowl of noodles!

But man, what a bowl it was, so worth it.

Really glad I watched this because the editing in this movie is simply splendid, especially the first two-thirds. Well, except for the foot chase.

I love how so many oddities made their way into this movie. From odd objects the main character managed to fabricate, to intricate and idiosyncratic life habits the girl had, it was great and creative. Like the toy robot in the elevator, amazing! All those sequences of the girl going outside with the biker helmet were sublime, so well made. Great directing.

The ending, although good, was the weakest part of the movie for me. I guess I was so blown away by the rest that I was expecting a bit more.

I have never seen CAST AWAY and now I just found the perfect excuse.

At least this time the American movie came first... Usually it's the other way around.

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