Completed
Hidden Blade
10 people found this review helpful
Feb 19, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
What a fulfilling movie this was - gorgeous cinematography, top notch cast and crew, brilliant storytelling and amazingly filmed.

Leung Chiu Wai never compromises on his acting quality. He is unrelenting as the indomitable Mr. He. He exudes total professionalism. When you see his name in the cast, you can be assured of stellar performances.

Wang Yibo, where do I even begin? Acting opposite a veteran, gold standard actor like Leung Chiu Wai can intimidate some young actors but not Wang Yibo. He more than held his own, he is the king of micro expressions but I never had a doubt about him since I first discovered him in The Untamed. His Mr. Ye is a force to be reckoned with, he is steel yet shows his completely vulnerable side. Every single expression is not wasted, translating his thoughts and channeling his intentions, present or future. Wang Yibo’s future is now, he never stops improving even when he’s already so good. He shone so brightly in this movie and I am so looking forward to his other upcoming movies this year. May I also say his multi-lingualism is so satisfying.

The fight scene between the two leads was breathtaking and just A+! Brilliantly sequenced, nicely done.

The ladies are just phenomenal, Zhou Xun as Ms. Chen is queen, she’s grace and beauty. Zhang Jingyi as Ms. Fang had small but impactful scenes, already loved her acting since Lighter and Princess. Jiang Shuying is gorgeousness herself.

I feel like director, Cheng Er didn’t waste any scene, everything has meaning or impact. The food scenes gave a lot of insight into the overall plot. The non-linear narrative was not confusing at all. The end tied everything up nicely. Lastly, if you haven’t heard the theme song sung by Wang Yibo, please do check it out, it totally suits the movie’s noir vibes.

Am already planning to watch it again, truly time well-spent the first time around!

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Unlocked
4 people found this review helpful
Feb 19, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

A movie that makes you feel like you're in danger

Directed by Kim Tae-joon, Unlocked is a South Korean thriller starring Chun Woo-hee , Park Ho-San, and Yim Si-wan. The movie is new to Netflix from today, and is a decent little techno thriller which looks at stalking in the modern age.

The film sets up the idea that anyone can become a victim of digital surveillance, it is merely a case of momentarily dropping your guard. And then once someone gets inside your phone, they can get inside your life, and use your information however they see fit.

There is a little more to the film than just a bit of online stalking, as Unlocked also includes a police investigation, which plays in the background of the film. The two plot threads are of course connected, demonstrating just how deep and frightening this type of situation can be.

Director Kim Tae-joon has good grip on the material in this picture, and taps into the reality of the world we are currently living in. We have all become too reliant on technology, with most of us guilty of handing over a bit too much information online, and his film demonstrates the worrying side of all this.

He then backs this all up with a great cast, some strong shots, a fairly even tone, and a good soundtrack. Unlocked isn’t amazing, but it is pretty solid, and finds way to inject some thrills, a touch of paranoia, and plenty of drama into the story.

Unlocked may not rock everyone’s world, but it makes for a fine watch. There are some interesting ideas in here about hacking, spyware, and cyber-stalking, and it offers just enough story to make it all work.

You probably won’t come away thinking this is the best thriller you have ever seen, but you may have second thoughts about uploading so much information online. You may also consider super-gluing your phone to your hand, to deter anyone from trying to access it.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Hidden Blade
10 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

Beautifully shot, but hard to follow

Hidden Blade is a Chinese espionage film that takes place around the time of World War II in Japanese occupied China. It follows the stories of two men working for the Japanese government. Although it is a propaganda film, it doesn't feel as preachy as I was expecting it to be. It had a great cast starring some big names, such as Tony Leung and Wang Yibo to name a few. In my opinion, Tony Leung really stood out in his role compared to the rest of the cast. Before going into this film, it would help to have some historical context of this time period. Otherwise, the story is hard to follow as it is. The film drops you into the story and barely bothers to explain things. The main issue I had with this movie was the flow of the plot. There were a lot of times where the movie would jump back and forth to the same few particular scenes. It made it very difficult to follow the story and the timeline.

The musical score, though not bad, was a miss for me. There are some really great cinematic shots in this film. It is an art film after all. One thing I liked was the depiction of dogs in the film. There were various types of dogs featured that led very different lives. You can say their lives paralleled some of the characters in the film. If you've seen a lot of espionage films or dramas from this era, you might find the movie a bit predictable. Would I watch this film again? Probably not. Although it had some great shots and the climax was entertaining, the storytelling wasn't quite there for me since it was hard to follow. I also felt like there was a lot of subtext I might've missed. I knew a particular scene or moment was important, but couldn't quite put my finger on why. Even if I were to re-watch it, I don't think I will understand some of the hidden subtext unless someone explains it to me. It might be worth checking it out for the cast though.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Hidden Blade
31 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 1
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

An incredibly intense espionage thriller

Before getting into the review, here is some historical background for the film:

The film is set during the Second Sino-Japanese War and WWII. There are several powers in play at this time: the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party or Kuomintang, and Imperial Japan. Imperial Japan invaded Manchuria (located in northeastern China) in the early 1930s and established the puppet state of Manchukuo. It was here where they hoped to establish a base from where they would continue their expansion into Asia.

In 1937, after many years of conflict, Japan occupied Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing. The Nanjing Massacre occurred at this time. After the fall of Nanjing, which had been the capital of the Republic of China at that time, the Kuomintang moved the capital west to Chongqing, under Jiang Jieshi's leadership. During this time, the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang formed a temporary alliance, suspending the years of civil conflict between them, although their vie for power continued.

In 1940, Wang Jingwei, who was once a member of the Kuomintang but had always been in opposition against Jiang Jieshi, collaborated with Japan to establish the Wang Jingwei regime. They claimed to be the leadership of the Republic of China, when in fact they were a puppet government of Japan, overseeing the Japanese-occupied territory in eastern China, under Japan's control. They established their capital in Nanjing and used the Kuomintang flag. The Axis powers recognized the Wang Jingwei regime, while the Allied powers still recognized Jiang Jieshi as the leader of the Republic of China.

From 1937-1941, Japan had left a few neighbourhoods in Shanghai unoccupied, because that was where the American-British joint settlement and French Concession were located. Many people fled to this area to live at that time. After Pearl Harbor in 1941, the entirety of Shanghai became occupied by Japan. Many cities were bombed during these years, including Guangzhou, which experienced bombings for 14 months in 1937-1938.

During this era of war, which is also called the War of Resistance in China, espionage networks were established to try to undermine the enemy. Hidden Blade tells a story about these individuals.

---

Even without knowing the historical context, Hidden Blade presents a visual feast of vivid characters and imagery. Cheng Er uses a non-linear narrative approach to reveal the stories of these characters. The main characters, Mr. He (Tony Leung) and Mr. Ye (Wang Yibo), are both enigmatic and morally ambiguous. We meet Mr. He, the charming man who hides intimidation behind a pleasant smile, and Mr. Ye, a rootless man who does not shy away from violence. Tony Leung does not disappoint as the veteran actor that he is, as the man who can tell stories with just his eyes or a slight smile, and he delivers a charismatic performance that reaffirms why he is such a revered actor. Wang Yibo delivers a phenomenal performance to match. Mr. Ye is a compelling character who is mesmerizing, perplexing, suave, and incredibly human at the same time. Wang Yibo does a fantastic job of portraying this complex character with mysterious motives, who seems to hide much more than he lets on behind his cool and composed appearance. He excels at playing a character whose inner turmoil is silently repressed.

The cast of side characters are also worth mentioning, with memorable performances from all of the actors. I take half a star off only because I feel that the female character stories could have been explored further. Zhou Xun makes a special appearance as Ms. Chen, and although her part is brief, she captivates the audience from the moment she walks onto the scene with her package of pastries and she leaves an emotional impact on the audience even in the short time that she has on screen. Jiang Shuying (Ms. Jiang) and Zhang Jingyi (Ms. Fang) are both charming as well, however their opportunity to showcase their strengths is quite limited.

The cinematography is well-executed and the attention to detail is remarkable. In one interview, Cheng Er reveals that even the ties that are worn by the characters are all actual ties from that era that have been collected. The music also compliments the scenes beautifully, adding further to the tension which Cheng Er builds so skillfully throughout the film. The choreography of the fight scenes is also top-tier and will not disappoint.

As a movie depicting times of war, there are several scenes that are difficult to watch and Cheng Er does not shy away from showing the cruelty of what people may have experienced. General content warnings without spoilers include torture, suffocation, death of an animal, implied rape (not depicted), as well as genre-typical violence that one may expect from an espionage war thriller.

Overall, the cast and crew have created a incredibly intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you thinking about many scenes even after finishing the film. There are many parallels drawn throughout the film and it is a film that only gets better with rewatching as one lets the details marinate. At the end you're left with a lingering admiration for the individuals who struggled to free themselves from the oppression that they lived under. In doing so, they have sacrificed their own lives, their relationships, and even their own values in their effort to forge a path forward, towards a future where the nameless ones might once again stand in the sunlight.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Unlocked
33 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 3
Overall 7.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

A good one-time watch.

For a remake/adaptation of a Japanese movie, the thriller component has been exhibited in a much better way. I've watched both the movies and this remake was definitely an upgrade. The actors acted well, but there was scope to juice out better scenes from them which could've looked way more intense.

As a thriller movie it lacked the maniacal intensity a tad bit. Watching it the first time was a decent experience. It made for a nice watch while having dinner. But I don't think I'd rewatch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Unlocked
11 people found this review helpful
by ahsiya
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 6.0

Worth your time

Is it an exceptional movie? Not really. But was it worth my time? yes! Everyone has their own taste and so my review is obviously more subjective than objective. But I'm here to share what I felt after watching the movie.

Usually these types of films are more centered around the criminal's life and his reasonings and what not. While we want the victim to survive, what really keeps the audience locked in is often the story of the psychopath. This film took up the challenge of doing the reverse. While Im Siwan plays an important character there's really nothing we understand of his character. While it can be a put off to some viewers, I really liked the fact that they tried to take the rare route with this film. The story is truly victim centered as we learn a lot about Chun Woohee's character and her environment. And due to this, it is her story and her story alone. No other victims of his is discussed in detail, as his crimes and his story is deemed as unworthy of screen time by the crew. And personally, I commend their choice. It is very risky as most audience who come to watch films like this have expectations, and this film will be unsatisfying to such people. But I am glad they took that gamble because I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The social criticism is also very relevant, but a lot subtler than expected. It does not give in-the-face preachy messages about how our generation is too dependent on smartphones. Rather it highlights how with the growth of social media and technology we have lost physical presence. We forget to check up on people closest to us and resort to think 'they must be doing well, they posted something the other day.' My only criticism would be that the final scenes felt a little too rushed. Apart from that I'm very satisfied and it left me contemplating about how heavily I rely on my devices. Where is the borderline? It's for each of us to decide for ourselves.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
A Year-End Medley
0 people found this review helpful
by raarmd
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

feels like Korean's love actually

the way this film has several stories makes me think that it's similar to love actually. however, i can relate to this film a lot more. so heart warming!? kang ha neul and lee kwang soo always makes me laughs hahhaha. superb acting by all actors & actresses!
those 2 hours felt like i was in a holiday season, although it's only a typical saturday night.
a small part of the story bothers me a bit, where the rich or the CEO likes the poor or their employee, why does many korean story includes that highly unlikely situation tho?
Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Same Same Is Not The Same
0 people found this review helpful
by Denny
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 3.5
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers

Confusing but not that bad

The sister was so fucking disgusting, but she was a way of showing the fetishization of straight girls who just see two guys making out and literally think it's so hot and cute. Its killing me that she didn't even think of helping but just stood there and recorded the whole thing and just chat about it with her friends. I didn't understand what happened at the end honestly.

The way that they decided to come out it just unrealistic but probably they thought that there wasn't any other way since he knew that she wouldn't get it otherwise??

Overall, confusing but its a 2015 movie, i didn't have high expectations

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Sing in Love
0 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Yes im in pain and might need to get admitted in mental hospital later

Alright, so this was a movie that touched my heart and want to me to jump up and down all day, heck yes this is messed up but i like it, The ending broke my heart, also the backstory of Kai,, these made my heart break down, but at the beginning of the movie, i was actually getting crazy because it was too messed up, tottaly not worth watching because im mad human now?? ok maybe im no longer a human, but reminder: watch at your own risk of breakdown
now i need more messed up dramas, pls suggest me if u can and thank you for reading if u did, and tomorrow my last day here, im going to mental hospital

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Veteran
0 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 4.0
Story 3.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0

Excessive savagery, dull storyline, unrelatable characters and the villain one-sidedly runs the show

I'm writing this review mostly to help others manage their expectations before watching this movie.

It starts slow and confusing. You get to chuckle a couple of times before being introduced to one of the most unnecessarily inhumane scenes. The antagonist is a monster and the movie doesn't stop driving that home to the viewers. Not once, twice or even thrice seems to be enough.
With all the chaos going on all the time, this movie still manages to feel draggy. The somewhat amusing scenes start to feel flat. The finale itself seems to drag on and on. The ending is unsatisfying.

I'll mention a few positives at the end.

Before continuing, I'll just point out that I was most disappointed because I was expecting an action-comedy movie I could watch with my family. Nope. To sum it up: it's too brutal with little to no context or character development to the point it gets boring and forgetful.

Most relevant characters are barely acknowledged. The opening scene that's supposed to introduce us to team good guys is a mess. It's 99% skippable and unnecessary to the main plot. You only get a gist of who the main character is and his surroundings but get nothing substantial that makes you really root for this guy.
The antagonist is at such a crazy level of monstrosity that at some point you don't even want him on screen anymore. His scenes just show you over and over again how disgusting of a human being he is. All that screen time could have been used to flesh out other characters instead.
Somehow this movie makes you feel like a passive bystander instead of someone truly invested in the story. Even though you want justice, you don't really get attached to anything. You simply watch things unfold almost indifferently.

So, some positives before concluding.
I found the level of chaos in the conversations, confrontations and fight scenes gave it a less "staged" or "clean" feel than what we usually find in other movies. Sorta realistic in a way. But somehow still less entertaining. Ups, this is supposed to be the positives section...
If I have to say something else good about it, I guess the actors did a good job.

To boil it down to one problem: ultimately, you don't really care about the good guys, you just want the bad guy gone and feel sympathy towards the victims.

Watching the trailer, reading the synopsis and some comments, I imagined something completely different: something fun, clever, with great teamwork, sacrifice, high stakes, etc.
How could it be so lacklustre instead? The victory at the end doesn't really feel earned. Protagonist and antagonist have no chemistry. They could be facing other people and it would be the same. There are no character arcs. Every character remains the same from beginning to end. There are too many small and not-so-small details that just quickly fade away into the background. Any intended message gets buried underneath all the overbearing violence, yelling and overly fast switch between scenes.

Alright, I've ranted enough. Hope this is useful to someone.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
I'm Stuck
2 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
It's a very short film, but it makes you think on many levels. I think how we feel after watching it and which side we take depends on where we are in our lives. As humans, we have very different experiences. We can suffer from our own disorders, as friends or partners of people with disorders. It is important to try to understand the other side, to be with the other person, but only if we have enough strength. Unfortunately, we are not always as strong as we would like to be and we are not able to handle everything well.

Whenever we see that we can't cope with something, that we may have some disorders, it's best to try to go to a specialist who is good for us.

Ultimately, we're only human.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
20th Century Girl
1 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

made the mistake of not checking the tags

(Vague spoilers only)

This movie was great -- wonderfully acted, so beautiful, so funny, emotionally resonant, and just really heartfelt. However, I made the mistake of not checking the tags here on MDL; I just saw the movie on Netflix and thought it was going to be a cute romance. And it was, but it's also a tearjerker for sure and Netflix didn't warn me!! I don't even know the last time a movie made me cry this much. Not even just the ending, but other moments throughout, whenever Bora cried it was like I was crying too. Everything about Woonho's story made me cry, and I'm tearing up right now just thinking about it haha. Their actors were absolutely amazing, though I thought Yeondoo's and Hyunjin's actors did really well too. Bora's dad was a really fun addition and gave levity when it was needed.

Definitely worth watching but bring tissues.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Early Spring
0 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

Is Spring muddy everywhere? Are salary workers resigned everywhere?

Seeing the run time at 2hr 24 min, I was concerned this film might not hold my interest or languish in pace. Nothing to fear, the film held my interest all the way through. It's remarkable how Ozu can keep such a low pulse without putting me to sleep. In fact, I am stimulated by his films. Early Spring is no exception and was an excellent representation of Ozu's oeuvre.

It seems Ozu covered riskier material in this film compared to earlier ones. The main themes covered were infidelity and the malaise of salary workers. While infidelity was addressed more often and explicitly, I believe the malaise of the salary workers was the deeper undercurrent of the film, despite its implicit narrative. There are common themes that are touched on less frequently or explicitly, such as industrial development, postwar grief, and gender roles in society (i.e. the rapid progress of strong, modern young women).

Sugi and Masako play their roles very well. The scene where Masako confronts Sugi on his transgression is quietly intense. Not even yelling or the breaking of plates could have amplified that intensity. It's difficult to tell what drives their broken relationship. Is it the death and grief of their child? Is it something problematic interpersonally with no external factors mediating the relationship issues? The filmmakers' ambiguity forces us to insert a personal interpretation to explain their circumstances.

Goldfish is less believable as a character, but so distinct and lively that I could not help but enjoy her performance. She symbolizes the salary worker's distraction from disillusionment, a chance to forget about the dull pain of repetitive boredom. One of the male coworkers, in a conversation on the suspicions of their colleagues' affair, comments that he disapproves of it, but is also envious. It might not be Goldfish, specifically, that is desired, but rather the excitement that comes with it. Many Salary workers desperately dream of something better beyond their monotony. Even the opportunity to gossip about coworkers fulfills that itch.

The support cast is a menagerie of workers, company workers, pub-restaurant owners scraping by, and so forth. It doesn't really matter what their jobs are; they're the same, just grinding, cooling themselves with hand fans, gossiping, and moving the cogs of society along.

The salary worker's life of drudgery is one I need not describe in detail. In fact, the following exchange from the film (with a few lines removed to streamline the point) says it all:

That's the fate of the salaryman
Only company directors have autos (everyone else crams on trains)
Sometimes I just hate my work
But it's difficult to change
Worse if you have children
Sure you still have your dreams
But a free life....
I'm a salaried man

Consider this selection of script from a 1956 Japanese film. If you're reading this review, chances are you are not Japanese nor are you 80 or 90 years old. Can you identify with those lines? I would guess many of us know intimately what the lifestyle of a salary worker is like. It's remarkable how cyclical and universal human life can be despite distance in culture, geography, and time/eras. Ozu isn't famous only for the fetishist filmmakers. His films are very relevant in this era for the common people. Things have changed on the surface, but the undercurrent of the salaried lifestyle is still going strong.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
Dreams
4 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers

"People today have forgotten that they are really just part of nature."

Over eight vignettes from Kurosawa's Dreams, you'll float through surreal settings with dolls come to life, tremble from the hellish landscape of a post-apocalyptic war and sit by a soothing river where life flows by, the past, present and future. Many of Kurosawa Akira's familiar themes run through the stories and some you may find more meaningful or interesting than others. If you've ever wanted to wander through a Van Gogh painting this is the film to do it with.

Kurosawa begins the film with a wedding with possibly tragic consequences and ends the film with a joyful funeral. The old film master certainly likes to shake things up when he bookends stories. The first two dreams are when the central character standing in for Kurosawa, I, is a child. In "Sunshine Through the Rain", young I disobeys his mother and runs off to watch a Fox wedding procession leading to one of the most beautiful and disturbing scenes in the film. "Peach Orchard" has little I confronting the spirits of the peach trees his family had cut down. The spirits have taken the form of his sister's dolls and have mercy on the young boy due to his love of the lost blossoming trees. The spirits cause the trees to bloom momentarily in a most creative manner.

The next dreams feature an adult I. In "The Blizzard", four explorers are caught in a deadly snow storm. One by one, they succumb to the cold and fall asleep even as I encourages them onward. A mountain spirit attempts to lure I to sleep and he must resist or they will all die. "The Tunnel" sees I returning from WWII and walking through a long rural tunnel. He's confronted by a bloody grenade carrying anti-tank dog, then a private who had died in his arms. Finally, his whole ghost platoon confronts him. He must deal with his guilt and grief of being the only survivor as he faces his men.

In "Crows", I is an artist who travels through Van Gogh's paintings and meets the great artist. What he finds is a man driven to madness by his need to work and create the perfect paintings in his mind on the canvas. Perhaps the story is a reflection of Kurosawa and his own relentless drive to work. He too, had contemplated suicide, but went on to survive and continue his artistry.

The next two dreams are dark and as subtle as the old man in his I Fear to Live. In "Mt. Fuji in Red" Japan is ruined by the explosion of a nuclear reactor which covers the island in radioactive clouds. I and the people he is with have no place to run and one decision to make. Do they choose to die quickly or slowly? "The Weeping Demon" has I traipsing through a barren wasteland burned away by a nuclear war. The only life are giant dandelions and avaricious survivors with horns forced to devour one another to survive.

In the last dream, I crosses a narrow wooden bridge over a pristine river with waterwheels flanking both banks in "Village of the Water Mills". He comes across an old man fixing one of the wheels and discovers they use no electricity and have no need for scientific inventions. Most of the villagers live until they are very old due to their simple healthy way of life. The old man leaves I to join a rousing processional for a villager who has died, a celebration of the fulfilled life she had led. Kurosawa took us from cynicism.

Kurosawa's signature fog and wind showed up in most dreams, from the gentle rain misting in the sunshine, to the blinding blizzard on the mountain, to the colorful radioactive winds after the explosion with Mt. Fuji ablaze in orange and red. Many scenes were either brilliantly swathed in colorful flowers or menacingly gray and windy, never letting you find a comfortable place to rest.

The music and sounds further brought the scenes to life. The heavy breathing of the explorers in the howling wind, fighting for each step in the waist deep snow portrayed their desperate situation and resolve to live. Something as benign as footsteps became utterly haunting as the officer stood at the tunnel hearing the footsteps of his platoon coming toward him echoing louder and louder and later growing fainter and fainter. Several vignettes used stylized music and dancing, makeup, and costumes, reaching back into the past for inspiration.

Kurosawa covered an emotional diversity during his wedding, 2 apocalypses, and a funeral--- forgiveness, survivor's guilt, human resilience, and love for nature, as well as human greed and hubris. As he often did, he showed how the powerful materialistic upper tier with their out of control technology and self-absorption might destroy everything and everyone. Because of the captains of industry and their willful destruction of the environment they would be given a special hell to live in. Those who made friends with nature could live peacefully and well. If we take care of the environment, it will take care of us.

While I loved the sentiment of the final vignette, humankind will need to evolve much higher to do away with hate, envy, and the need for power. Inventions themselves are not always a bad thing, they can be very useful. As quickly as technology develops though so does our need for greater wisdom and love. Simply abandoning technology will not be enough.

Dreams took us on a trip through the river of time into the past, alternate planes of existence, and to possible futures. Whether this film comes across as a self-indulgent exercise by the director or a fascinating look into the beliefs about humankind and art by one of the 20th century's finest directors will be up to the individual. Even though he could be heavy handed at times or completely enigmatic I found the dreams thought provoking, creative, and a delight for the eyes.

2/17/23

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?
Completed
OMG! Oh My Girl
6 people found this review helpful
Feb 18, 2023
Completed 0
Overall 1.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

PART 1 FULL REVIEW WITH SPOILERS COLLEGE ARC

OMG! Oh My Girl is probably one of the stupidest movies I have ever watched, periodt. It starts off as a cutesy college romance flick with the usual tropes such as unrequited love, but they actually like each other secretly, if it makes sense. The movie should have ended when Guy(MML) graduated and had apparently moved on from June(FML).

Instead, the next hour or so shows us the most abhorrent love story of this generation. There still was no romantic development between the two and June is still with her boyfriend from the first arc named Pete(SML). Pete’s a great guy, and another good thing this movie has blessed us is Tah and Lex’s relationship.

COLLEGE ARC

Guy. What a dumb fucking character. He is the usual “Oh I was friendzoned even though me and June are perfect for each other” but won’t make a fucking move or even one small hint that he actually likes June. Like, bro?? He victimizes himself stating that God hates him since the moments are perfect but he still isn’t with June. Like, HE HAD SO MANY CHANCES TO TELL HER HOW HE FELT??! Also, when they were in college, he dated this girl named Patty, and when Phing and June broke up(for the nth time because Phing is a jealous dumbfuck, ugh another irredeemable character), he breaks up with Patty IN PUBLIC, only to see Phing and June get together a few seconds later? The writing is so stupid oh my fucking god I swear.

After that dumb scene, he goes to a bar and decides to drink himself to death and meets this girl at a bar on the way to the smoking area so he bums a cigarette off of the bartender to hit on this girl but then she states that she just wanted to fart?? Kinda funny but wow, was Guy just useless. Lo and behold, June is in the smoking area too! And they have an actual cute moment and shit but GUY DOES NOT DO SHIT. LIKE LITERALLY, JUNE IS NOW SINGLE BRO, MAN THE FUCK UP??!!!!!

INSTEAD, He dares her to get a guys phone number in front of him as a bet, which is the dumbest fucking thing you want your crush to do just when she became single. ??Fortunately?? The guy did not give her the phone number so Guy was 500 baht richer, amirite? Stupid fucking writing I swear to god. ANYWAY, He decides to leave for some reason since he was jelly and a dick for some reason and it rained and he didnt leave and Tah arrived and left and shit. What the actual fuck. Anyway, the bar closes, oh wait, the guy that June was asking the number of was a bandmate of Pete(SML), so, in hindsight, dumb fucking move Guy.

So, the bar closes, the place is flooded, they have this whole cute but disgustingly unsanitary barefoot walk in the flood and a dead rat touches Guy’s foot and just cute shit happens ya know? LIKE A NORMAL FUCKING COLLEGE ROM-COM! HERE’S THE CLICKER THOUGH!!!!! AFTER THAT, June FINALLY meets Pete and the next scene, they are dating??

Like wtf? HELLOOOO??CONTEXT??Anyway, they get together and guy is all sobby and sad and shit cuz he’s a sad fucking boi amirite, and then there was this graduation which was cool, i liked it. But that was it. He graduates, brings the disgusting slipper June picked up off of the shitty flood, and this is where I wanted the movie to end. A bittersweet rom com.

If you thought I was done, I have only just begun.

Read More

Was this review helpful to you?