Completed
Recalled
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 8, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 4.5
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

I enjoyed the twisted events and the strong plot
But why this Sh**** end
Why they should kill the ML why T_T
Why I'm doing that in myself
Why I forgot that all their movies epilogues are sulk, depressing and frustrating
I almost pull my hair

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Completed
But Always
4 people found this review helpful
Jun 8, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Love means having to say hello and good-bye and hello and good-bye...

As young children Zhao Yongyuan (Nicholas Tse) and Anran (Gao Yuan Yuan) both suffered tragic events after an earthquake. They met as children and we in Dramaland know what this means: D-E-S-T-I-N-Y. Though they are torn apart again and again, pass just close enough to each other without seeing the other, suffer through lack of communication and noble sacrifices galore, we as the viewers know such obstacles are no match for Destiny. Or is the evil F-A-T-E in control?

Spoilery opinions will follow so reader beware...

Yongyuan lived with his grandmother as a child, barely able to afford clothes. Anran's father provided well for her. Through one act of kindness the two children become inseparable with Yongyuan always following Anran, a heavy-handed foreshadowing. Fate tears them apart for the first time. They are offered a second chance in their twenties and yet again fate thrusts them apart. Along with broken hearts, misunderstandings and noble sacrifice the two suffer alone on different continents. Amran goes to the United States as a graduate student to Columbia (daddy must have made really good money). Yongyuan goes to jail where he learns impeccable English and how to become an international trading mogul in one year. (None of which you see.) Beijing prisons must be awesome! Anran, all alone in the US, suffers a horrible tragedy that is glossed over quickly.

They collide in the United States during their 30's where the tables have been turned. Yongyuan is outrageously wealthy and Anran can't get a job anywhere with her measly graduate medical degree from Columbia. Apparently, Daddy must have spent all his money on her Columbia degree leaving her no inheritance. Oops! Spoiler! Well, the writing was on the wall when she left for the US and he gave her his watch that stopped when her mother died. That's okay because his death is dealt with in one sentence. She washes dishes as well as being a "tour guide" for a living. Her job as tour guide entails escorting wealthy clients in clothes they provide for her and going to dinner and a show. I'll stop with the spoilery plot developments except to say through minimal conversation and no honesty between the lovers they get back together and through one of the worst tropes in Dramaland and are torn apart...again. And then again...

I'll start with what I enjoyed. The first two times they were together when they were young were quite entertaining, even moving. Nicholas Tse and Gao Yuan Yuan were lovely to look at as their young adult and adult selves and the child actors who portrayed the young lovers/friends were cute as well. Veteran actor Lam Suet made a brief appearance as YY's uncle.

What didn't work for me: The tragedy upon tragedy with no time to process them, lack of any adult communication and honesty, the heavy-handed foreshadowing for just about all the tragedies, no subtlety involved including the overwrought OST, many of the tragedies and heartache happened offscreen so there was no way for me to connect or feel any empathy with their unseen pain, Yongyuan's ridiculously fast rise to super wealth, and the fact that he waits for her and follows her for over twenty years (not including all the childhood years). It was hard to feel any sympathy for characters who kept their feelings and secrets locked down tight. The love triangle with a childish and unlikeable character was unnecessary. The writer mistook characters suffering tragedies, many of which were off-screen, as character development and reasons for the viewer to feel sorry for them.

The actual camera shots of them wandering around, alone and forlorn in China and the US would have been lovely if they hadn't blown them out to the point the film looked like it was a faded forty-year-old movie. I get they might have been going for a gauzy romantic feel, but it didn't work for me, it was one more blurry barrier to connecting with these two. When the final tragedy struck, which again was foreshadowed in the opening scene, I felt nothing but relief that the film was almost over except that I had to sit through a propaganda announcement at the end.

I need somewhat coherent and consistent plot and character development and relationship development, But Always gave me none of that. This felt more like two people who wandered into each other's lives, messed everything up when Fate wasn't hurling everything she could at them from dead parents to national disaster after national disaster (think Remember Me with Rob Pattinson, if you liked this movie, you should try that one out). All the pain and angst felt manipulative by the writer and director instead of organic to the story. They could have cut the tragedies in half, developed the characters and their dialogue, given them more realistic reactions to each other and their tragic lives and the tsunami of suffering (they missed using a tsunami!) and these gorgeous cardboard characters could have come to life. I know this is an unpopular opinion on MDL because this movie hit a lot of people in the feels, but it missed the mark with me.


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Completed
Present Still Perfect
2 people found this review helpful
Jun 8, 2022
Completed 1
Overall 6.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 3.0
This review may contain spoilers

Too far fetched - unrealistic

Unfortunately, the plot was mixed, good to complete the incomplete plot from its prequel but the way it went is not something I agree with at all.
It's too far fetched, the wife being too supportive, direct to marriage when they were barely together.
Some characters were introduced without any reason.
Even the acting wasn't that good
I don't see why Kenta's character was introduced.
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Completed
Possessed
2 people found this review helpful
by Kate
Jun 8, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

Supernatural thriller about human’s weak minds.

Surprisingly well crafted and presented story, that despite its simplicity, was able to keep me interested till the end.

Expecting horror from this watch would be a mistake, and for me, the poster and the title were misleading in terms of the core focus of the movie - it’s not the wacky possession scenes Emily Rose style. The plot centers around the investigation of the missing kid - So Jin. While there is a fair share of creepy supernatural elements, the more important part is the human aspect.

How much are we willing to do in a dire situation? How easily can we be influenced and believe in unbelievable things when all the other options turned out to be futile? I felt like the true horror came from people, and not from the supernatural. Rather than a critical view on religious views, for me it spoke more on the desperation people face and how they are willing to try and believe anything as long as it might produce the needed results.

That said, I’m not the biggest fan of mixing different religions and folklore in one story (unless there is clear investigation of the origin that would validate it). A little bit of christianity here, some shamanism there, and big nothing big nothing by the end, since it’s neither one or the other in the conclusion.

The acting was rather good. I was not impressed with Shim Eun Kyung as Kang So Jin. She did not really have that much screen time, but the few scenes I have seen just did not convince me at all.

The production was good. Nothing outstanding and visually over the top. It had the usual thriller aesthetics with some darker suspense moments that were supposed to bring that horror out of it.

Overall, surprisingly fun to watch for such an overdone topic. Nothing new, but presented in a decent way.

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Jun 8, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

ALL’S WELL UNTIL *THAT* SCENE HAPPENED

This is from THE IDEA FIRST COMPANY, makers of GAMEBOYS, so I watched this with high expectations.

Paolo Ballesteros, Anne Curtis, Dennis Trillo, The Idea First Company. Winning combination! There’s also Sinon Loresca! Bonus, Yayo Aguila, and that drag queen role of Michael de Mesa! What’s not to love??

STORY. Nothing new but the presentation is quite fresh, so… still a winner. In the first scenes of the movie, you’ll feel that Kylie (Anne Curtis) and Diego (Dennis Trillo) are the end game here. Paolo (as Benj) is also in the main cast, but his role is more on the comedy side, and no romance angle for him, really. This Kylie-Diego pairing is reinforced at 37-minute mark (theater scene) and later in the fitting scene where the background music that played is “May Minamahal” (It means “there’s someone being loved”). And then, at the 49-minute mark, the song was sang by Kyle and Diego, so…. we know!

This singing of “May Minamahal” marks the turning point in the movie. This is the seed of realization on Kylie and Diego about their feelings for each other – though they still haven’t realized that at this point. The misunderstandings and incompatibility of Diego and Fiona are also starting to show. So, it’s really quote predictable from this point on what will happen next.

What is not believable is Diego asking Kylie to pretend to be Fiona (since Fiona is always busy) for their church interview (a requirement if one is to get married here in the Philippines) and the couples seminar (another requirement) where the two were forced to kiss each other. Wasn’t Fiona bound to find out about that?

Plus point is the inclusion of male/female/gay stereotypes (how one looks at one’s fingernails, for example). They were incorporated in very funny ways.

*****

Everything was going well until that party scene at 1:24 mark where a drunken Kylie accused everyone there of being gay (“Bakla! Bakla kayong lahat!”; or You’ll all faggots!”). It was a very awkward scene, one done without finesse, so all the sympathy that Kylie got since the beginning of this movie, was thrown out the window. To me, this was unnecessary and overdone. Being drunk is no excuse for being ill-mannered. Big minus points. She ruined the party, she ruined her friendship with Benj, she ruined their business deal with Diego and Fiona, and she ruined her reputation.

When she did this at that opening of the movie, it was fine because we were just establishing her character then. But to repeat it at THIS party, it was way over the top already.

Good thing Benj and Diego forgave her. If it were me, I won’t ever talk to her again.

*****

This is NOT a BL series because there is no M2M relationship here of any kind. Benj likes Diego, but that’s it. So, if you’re expecting a BL movie, you’ll be disappointed.

This is a 9, but because of THAT scene, it became a 7. But let’s add a half point for acting from Dennis Trillo, Anne Curtis and also Michael de Mesa (not so with Paolo medyo whose acting here is stereotypical).

*****

MISCAST

I think Alma Concepcion is miscast as Dennis Trillo’s mother. She’s 40 y/o and Dennis was 35 y/o when they made this movie.

FAMILIAR FACE

That actress who played the lady assistant at the church counseling is also the actress who played that dastard aunt of Gavreel in GAMEBOYS THE MOVIE (2021).

7.5 / 10

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Completed
Taboo
2 people found this review helpful
Jun 8, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 4.5
This review may contain spoilers
So first off there's just something about the background music that was kinda creepy I don't know why! It was just a little weird I guess.

So here's the low down, the main actor playing Kano was a little disappointing. That's the main reason for this not being a ten rating.

But there was something about the movie that felt very artistic and that's the part I loved. Gratefully pretty much everyone else was acting well, especially felt bad for Tojiro! But let's face it, all the sex with Kano was borderline non con or at least dub con.

It just felt like Kano let those men take advantage of him, even though he was so much more powerful than any of them ! But that's the thing I kinda loved about this story, it felt like despite being one of the best swordsmen in the school, Kano was mentally submissive - but I feel like that's also what causes his darkness.

I mean the guy basically admits that the only reason he joined the samurais was so he could kill. That means he had that darkness inside him all along, which he kept hidden underneath his beauty. I mean ffs poor Tojiro was clearly in love with him even when he finds out that Kano screwed him over, and pinned the murder on him, the second Kano said 'im sorry' he basically fell for it again and that's how Kano was able to kill him.

But then in the end, I feel like the Samurai who was telling the Captain the story of the two men, basically despite saying he was a homophobe, it was obvious he was also pretty much struggling with his own sexuality.

But what happened to Kano , they didn't show anything and it happens off screen but it's still impactful because basically Kano let the darkness take over and it drowned him too in the end.

I feel like it's also about the fact that giving anyone the power to kill is wrong because no matter how many Samurai codes you have, in the end, a person can still fool everyone and use the power of death to destroy.

And it's not really mentioned but it's obvious that Kano's story must have started from sexual abuse which turned him cold and murderous. It was like he couldn't believe that anyone could truly love him. And then he knew he was powerless to the men who were trying to get him in bed, so he wouldn't refuse them but ended up killing them after.

As for the sex scenes, they're pretty tame, but still serve the purpose to show us more about Kano and the other men.

Personally I also feel like because of whatever happened to him in the past, Kano was actually unable to feel love for anyone but kept saying things like 'i like you ' and literally even flirting with that one guy who the Captain appoints to take him to the Geisha place but Kano ends up not doing anything with the woman and instead acting like he wanted to sleep with that guy. Even though it eventually turns out that Kano doesn't have feelings for anyone, but uses these tricks to basically lure them to their deaths.


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Completed
Triage
0 people found this review helpful
by MC1966
Jun 7, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5

Just a Teaser

This is just a teaser and something you can watch and look for clues when watching the Triage series. This movie is probably made to test the marketability of Tae and Tee and how much interest the movie will generate. I’m glad it passed because Triage the series is fantastic and proving to be one of the best BL I’ve ever watched.
While watching the series, I catch myself reviewing Triage the movie for what may happen between the two protagonists, Dr. Tin and Tol. And this movie is consistent with it’s more substantial big sister. Watch this as a stepping board for the series.

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Completed
Forgotten
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 7, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Well written but very dark

This movie is a bit of a roller coaster that keeps you guessing until the very end. You think you know but you probably don't. You may get an idea but the detsils and the why really don't all come together until the end. It is definately worth your time to watch IF you like DARK mysteries. It is a bit soul wrenching so beware.

The acting is amazing and the story is put together well. It can get a bit confusing if you don't pay total attention to it. So be prepared to focus. It is not for doing something else while watching.

The re-watch value on this depends on how well you dont remember it. This was my 2nd time watching it. My first view was over a year ago so my brain was like I dont really remember this except for the fact that I remember it was really good.

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Completed
A Frozen Flower
1 people found this review helpful
Jun 7, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 1.0
Story 3.5
Acting/Cast 1.0
Music 1.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers
The most overrated piece of garbage.

I mean none of the characters are anything to link or relatable and the acting is literally just the worst.

I'm sure these actors must have gotten better now but this is just like the worst thing acting wise which is why whatever skin ship there was and I feel like people are liking it merely because it's Korean and with gay characters. I mean some people have acted in it who are popular now so people think this is good I guess I don't know.

Personally, just watch the Lee Joon gi movie, The King and the Clown, that one is just perfect!!! Ten star rating perfect.

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Completed
Mermaid’s Jade
4 people found this review helpful
Jun 7, 2022
Completed 4
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 6.0
This review may contain spoilers
Reviewing because I personally don't agree with the really bad reviews, but hey everyone is different so it's fine but I just wanted to give my own thoughts.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

First off, yes the direction is not perfect, nor the writing but I feel like I was still into it, and watched without getting bored.

A mermaid named Yixia gets saved by this guy who's a minister Yuanshan and married into the royal family and then things happen and Yuanshan falls for the mermaid pretty hard and cheats on his wife.

But there's a Dragon, a monster chasing the mermaid and trying to kill him but Yuanshan saves him again, but his wife ends up dying.

And so Yuanshan ends up abandoning Yixia, because there are other things happening in the background.

He's basically the person who becomes the guy who will be next on the throne because the current Prince is just so bad, doing all kinds of dumb things like hiring the same monster Dragon as his confidant.

But when Yuanshan abandons Yixia who is immortal by the way, he's hurt but comes back to face Yuanshan after three years.

By then things have severely escalated.

And when Yixia learns that despite abandoning him, Yuanshan actually does love him, he becomes emotional again and says he's going to protect Yuanshan with his life and we literally see Yixia go inside Yuanshan (no pun intended lol) and then we find out that Yuanshan now basically has the mermaids power and he has the mermaids jade silk in his hand as he lays on the bloody ground.

MAJOR ENDING SPOILER

Okay now for the controversial ending.

When I first saw someone say 'cut' and 'Yuanshan' takes off his wig and we see the historical movie set and the others actors etc are all interacting but Yuanshan just takes his food and goes to sit to one side like a loner.

Ngl I did feel cheated at first because I was like wth is this meta shit lol

Buuut hear me out.

I thought this for maybe two seconds till 'Yuanshan' or the actor playing Yuanshan still carrying the Jade silk in his hand, goes towards the ancient building which is where the movie was being shot, and he's going there as if in a daze and then we see all the love making scenes again, the one in the bathroom and in bed with the red sheets as though Yuanshan is remembering it and then finally we see him getting a little emotional, and then he just stands at this one point and gets tears in his eyes, until we see someone put their hand on Yuanshans shoulder - and then it's revealed that that person who was carrying a camera, was none other than Yixia.

Well, here's my interpretation.

Because of the Mermaid's powers, Yuanshan is now immortal like Yixia, and it wasn't an actor but the same Yuanshan and those scenes were his own memories from all those years ago.

Clearly Yixia also survived somehow, or maybe it was just his desire, to see Yixia, I don't know, but personally I feel like they're showing that their love basically transcends the boundaries of time and life.

So you tell me how it's not at least a little poetic?

Like I said the execution may not be great but for one things there's skin ship in this one that is just so good! Like full on proper Thai BLs level skin ship! You should at least give it a way h for this alone xD




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Completed
Let Me Hear It Barefoot
16 people found this review helpful
Jun 7, 2022
Completed 14
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

"I feel like there is an invisible barrier around me."

Gentle and sensitive LGBTQ+ drama that explores themes such as emotional repression conducted by society, family conflicts and the struggle of finding your own path in life.

Probably the strongest point of this film are the two main characters and the performances of the cast. Naomi and Maki are played in such a nuanced and likable way, you quickly feel invested in their story. I was happy when these two were happy, and I was devastated when these two were. It's an emotionally charged story that lives through its silent moments between Naomi and Maki and the immaculate performances of these two actors. I genuinely enjoyed the movies subtle approach to storytelling, since it avoids spelling things out and instead trusts the viewers enough to let them figure out the context themselves. You may not have the complete backstory of each character, but you know exactly what is going on and the emotions are loud and clear.

Given the audiovisual context of the story, it's probably no surprise the score and sound design was exceptionally well-done. Some of the most entertaining parts of the story were Naomi's and Maki's unconventional approach to sound-engineering. Watching them figure out how to recreate specific sounds was delightful. Apart from the sound, I have to mention the beautiful cinematography that seemed to almost intuitively capture the protagonist's feelings and thoughts.

Considering I've only praised this movie so far, one might think it's perfect, so I have to mention two aspects that might raise criticism. The first one is the somewhat repetitive nature of the storytelling. This wasn't something that bothered me in particular. At some point, the movie gets into this rhythm, repeating certain activities over and over. I can see why this might bother some viewers, however I thought this intensified the underlying feelings of the leads, and it felt different enough to see the progress of the story.

The second aspect is something that bothered me personally, so not everyone might have this issue with the story. Without giving anything away, I disagreed with a few narrative choices that were made in the later half of the movie, since they weren't in line with the behavior of the characters in the first half, at least it felt like that to a certain extent. This evoked strong emotions in me, which honestly just showed how invested I was in the story and how connected I felt to these characters. So, while I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this, even having thought about it for a day, I realized that while I might be conflicted about certain parts of the story, this movie managed to touch me deeply, and it has stayed with me.

Let Me Hear It Barefoot is a poignant movie with wonderful quiet moments, genuinely likable characters, and a story that lingers with you after you have finished watching it.

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Tokyo Chorus
4 people found this review helpful
Jun 7, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 3.0
This review may contain spoilers

A drowning man will clutch at straws...

Director Ozu tackles The Depression head on in Tokyo Chorus with his lead character and the man's family. Though a silent film, this quiet slice of life speaks volumes for the economic devastation of the time. The story follows a happy-go-lucky worker in a light-hearted manner with an undercurrent of tragedy.

The film begins playfully at a college with the boys being led in a calisthenics drill with Okajima Shinji in the role of class clown much to the drill instructor's chagrin. Soon he is shown as being a dad of three children and working in an insurance office. It's the yearly bonus day and everyone is excited. His son has asked for a bike and Shinji has made a list of what he will buy for his family. As everyone is celebrating bonus day, an older colleague is fired just before retiring and garnering his pension. Shinji stands up for him and is fired, too.

His son throws a fit when his father doesn't come home with a bike and his wife scolds him for not keeping his word. She soon realizes what has happened and comes around and is supportive. This is a pleasant pattern throughout the movie. When the little family is faced with setbacks and challenges, they let themselves hurt for a minute and then do what needs to be done.

Shinji is thrown into the world of the unemployed, the Toyko Chorus, which is substantial, even for a college-educated man with good work experience. Jobs are either not available or he's deemed over-qualified. When the family suffers a mishap, their dire situation is made clear. Shinji takes a job handing out restaurant flyers for his old professor/drill instructor. His wife sees him and is devastated that others will know they have lost their social standing.

Aside from showing the effects of a tragically high unemployment rate, Ozu excels in bringing this family unit to life. The children bicker and throw tantrums like children do, even if the son could be a bit much at times. His wife, Tsuma, may suffer a brief moment of tears or despair but then faces reality and refuses to let her children or husband down by wallowing in them. Shinji's fun-loving smile is often present though watching him closely you see the cracks in his effervescent personality. He's a man willing to suffer a blow to his honor to protect and provide for his family. One poignant scene portrayed this perfectly. After Tsuma's kimonos had to be sold, the family is playing a game on the floor. The children are unaware of the financial and emotional situation assailing their parents and laughing and singing. The parents join in the game initially downcast but let the joyful moment overtake them and bond together.

This film is in dire need of someone lovingly restoring it. Much of it was faded or had salt and pepper pock marks. Though I have seen films in much worse shape from only the 1970's. The music was jaunty and carried the story along, even when not much was going on. Once fully immersed, spoken dialogue wasn't missed much. The actors perfectly portrayed their feelings without resorting to hamminess to show the meaning behind their actions.

In many ways, the film comes full circle at the end, with a wiser, sadder Shinji. This film is not perfect. The first half felt slow to me, barely making any progress. And then like a flower opening we see more sides to the characters as they work together believing things will get better. It was the love of this family that I enjoyed the most about this film. Tokyo Chorus was a sweet film of perseverance never letting itself be swallowed by melodrama. Ozu rarely disappoints, and for me, he didn't with this film either.





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Completed
13 Beloved
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 7, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

The Most Depressing Movie I've Ever Seen

"I may be an asshole, But did I ever beat you like he did?"


So two movies into the Dimension Extreme Terror 6 Pack, I was expecting the worst from the rest. Welcome to the jungle is a pure shit version of Cannibal Holocaust and Automation Transfusion was nothing but boring trash interspersed with some really awesome gore. So I decided to watch 13: Game of Death expecting more of the same d tier trash.

Instead though, I got a truly emotional experience that is as brutal as it is heartwretching to watch. It reminded me of when I watched Ab-Normal Beauty last year. Not only because it is a piece of extreme cinema from an asian country that was released in the 2000's, but because shook me to me my very core. I will say that Ab-Normal Beauty was a hair better, but still left me in an extremely depressed state after watching it. 13: Game of Death paints a haunting picture of society that never gets bogged down in it's own commentary and focuses on creating a captivating expirence from start to finish.

I will not go into too much detail here since it is easily available on tubi and vudu for free and it is best to watch and see it for yourself (that is if you are up for down right depressing and haunting psychological horror movies). Trust me, you will not regret it.

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Amor
2 people found this review helpful
Jun 7, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 5.5
Story 3.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 4.0

strange movie

I wanted to like this movie as I enjoy Jung Kyung Ho as an actor. Unfortunately, there is not enough information to become invested in the characters. From the beginning, you realize this movie will be melancholy. That is entirely understandable, as you know this is going in. But they introduce a new character and give no backstory in the movie. You are left to determine what role they are playing in the sad drama unfolding. Is the point of this character to say life goes on and there is a reason to keep living? Does the character show he is slowly losing grasp on reality?

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To My Star (Movie)
2 people found this review helpful
by Selma
Jun 6, 2022
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

My favourite....

Ever since I saw the series for the first time, it has been my favourite. I rewatched this movie numerous times. In fact, every time I need cheering up, I watch this!
Nevertheless, even though I love this story, I am not blind to its many flaws especially where writing and execution are concerned.
The story is nothing new: two people, an actor escaping from a scandal and a chef barely making ends meet, with opposite personalities, meet but they start on the wrong foot. The second meeting doesn't go much better but since they are forced to live together, actor's cheerful disposition melts the iceberg that is the chef. And there's all, folks!
Both main actors have great chemistry and are really skilled and play their respective characters to perfection.
The dynamic between the supporting characters (agent, journalist, manager) was excellent and often very funny!
The issue I have is mostly with writing. I watched this on Viki so I guess the translation is rather accurate. The story is full of clunky and illogical dialogue. For example: when they meet for the first time in the restaurant, as the actor is leaving, the chef stops him and tells him to stop bothering him and leave. Considering that the actor was doing just that BEFORE being stopped, I do not understand the point of this dialogue. And that is just in the first 5 min! There were few more moments like this in the movie! And don't start me with a few scenes of US fan, completely superfluous and nonsensical (i.e.they are in front of the restaurant but she takes photos of them leaving on a motorcycle?!? or the photo she takes of them in the night looks as if it were taken at noon!) On the other hand, the scandal subplot was treated well!
Production was mostly on the cheep side: empty scenes, no extras, cold and unnatural. It is obvious they did not have a lot of money but that does not excuse ugly cinematography (see Thai Wayufilm Production short movies to realize what a talent can do on a shoestring budget!). To be honest there were exactly two scenes where cinematography stood out: nightime basketball game and walk in the park and the chef's run through the autumn park/city towards the end. The rest of the movie is gray, lit up only by the main leads' smiles! Quite literally!
The movie has two hummable songs, nothing extraordinary!
A special shout out to the director of this movie: she is definitely hugely talented storyteller. I have loved every one of her works: Where Your Eyes Linger was the first bl I ever watched. She is amazing. I hope she will regale us with many more stories in the future and not necessarily BL ones!
To My Star stays firmly at the top of korean BLs. It is a sweet movie, full of clichés and misunderstandings but those are not annoying. It is a must watch for any BL enthusiast but as well for anyone who appreciates a good romcom!

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