Reviews

More than friends in a homophobic country whose army punishes homosexuals with triple humiliation

'Just Friends?' (친구사이? / Chingu sai?) follows two young people who are not just friends, but something more. Seok-i (Lee Je-Hoon) and Min-su (Yeon Woo-jin, sometimes credited by his former stage name, Seo Ji-hoo) met during their mandatory two-year tour of duty in the South Korean army. The first, who has already graduated, visits his boyfriend who is still serving in the armed forces. They are both a gay couple who hide their relationship from their parents and those around them.
For some time they have planned to enjoy a romantic weekend, but it will not go as planned. While having fun in the city, they meet Min-soo's mother, who has also gone to visit her son and is unaware of the bond between the young people.
When the mother (Lee Seon-joo) asks him about their relationship, to avoid suspicion, Min-soo replies, "...we are just friends."
In this way, Kim Jho Gwang-soo, as writer and director, is weaving a story in this short film of the youth romantic comedy-drama genre with an LGBT+ theme that, released in 2009, aims, in addition to telling us about another cycle of release coming out of the closet, showing, with naturalness and simplicity, the relationship between gay men and their families in a conservative society where parents consider any homosexual act a crime, as well as making visible the risks, including criminal ones, to which homosexuals are exposed in the South Korean army, as a complaint.
Considering that South Korea is a conservative society and the only developed economy in the world in which consensual sexual relations between two men are a crime under military law, and if discovered and charged, every South Korean officer or soldier potentially faces a triple humiliation: a criminal conviction, an exclusion from the army for unworthiness and a forced coming out of the closet in the face of society and his parents, who describe themselves as "conservative and devout Christians", as the short film in the Min-soo's mother, Kim Jho Gwang-soo places her protagonists involved in the army of a nation in which, according to article 92.6 of the military penal code, soldiers who have homosexual relationships face two years in prison and work forced if convicted by a court-martial.
Based on his own personal experiences as a gay man, the director and screenwriter expressed: "I wanted to create a real gay film with 99.9% purity, after observing that many Korean films in the past contained misleading depictions of homosexuals." Kim also stated that after completing her 2009 short, 'Boy Meets Boy', which focuses on a first romantic encounter of two teenagers, she wanted to create a successor that involved more mature themes.
Produced by the company Generation Blue Films, in collaboration with Korean Gay Men's Human Rights Group Chingusai, which shares the same name as the film's Korean title, 'Just Friends' had its world premiere at the 14th Pusan ​​International Film Festival on October 10, 2009. Before its theatrical release on December 17 of the same year, it was screened at the 35th Seoul Independent Film Festival. The following year, the work was screened at film festivals in Italy, the United States, Japan and Hong Kong.
With music by Kim Dong-wook, photography by Kim Myeong-Joon and editing by Nam Na-yeong, the film, due to its exposed theme, has been involved in a rating and censorship controversy.
Before its release, the Korea Media Rating Board (KMRB) called the film's trailer "harmful to youth." In November 2009, KMRB gave the film a "restricted to teens" (19+) rating, citing "sexual situations" and "risk of imitation."
This decision generated criticism from artists, intellectuals, and politicians, who argued that the KMRB was reviewing homosexual-themed films with different criteria than heterosexual-themed films.
In September 2010, the film's producers, Generation Blue Films and Chingusai, filed an administrative contentious lawsuit against the KMRB, asking the Seoul Administrative Court to cancel the film's classification. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiff on September 9, stating that the film "provides understanding and education about minorities." Despite this, 'Just Friends?', 15 years after its release, continues to be condemned by the most conservative members of a society who still claim that the film contains scenes that "would provoke sexual curiosity in young people."

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A lot of layers to this one. Complex and gripping.

Seiyoku/(Ab)normal Desires is a challenging story which presents the viewer with many societal issues that are confronting and complex.

With an overarching focus on where sexual minorities fit into this world, we are shown main characters struggling to accept themselves, and struggling to be accepted by the outside world for their sexual fetishes and proclivities(In this case a fetish for water).

Shame has played a large role in molding these characters into who they are, and the actors do a fantastic role at depicting the weirdness that develops within people who can never truly be themselves, for fear of ridicule and rejection. My favourite line from the film being from one of the leads saying 'Being on earth makes me feel as if I am studying abroad'.

Throughout the film there is an undercurrent of something more sinister within the story itself, which we eventually see come to fruition right at the end of the film. Please be warned that whilst there is nothing graphic shown, there are some very confronting scenes to do with pedophilia within the last 15 minutes of the film.

A rewatch might be too much for people, but I think there is more to take from this with a second viewing down the line.

The film contains depictions of pedophilia, as well as a suicide attempt, so please be mindful of this when watching the film.

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"Your life is more meaningful when you are willing to face yourself'

The Heroic Trio was a weirdly, wildly, stylized superhero movie starring three of the most beautiful women in Hong Kong films at the time. Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, and Anita Mui were caught up in an evil eunuch’s plan to steal babies and install one of them as the new emperor of China. This film had a Saturday morning superhero television show quality to it, if that show had cannibalism, decapitations, and dead babies and children.

Tung is married to Inspector Lau. Little does her husband know that she is the much admired hero, Wonder Woman. When babies are being kidnapped with no ransom notes the duo springs into action in their own ways. Chat, The Thief Catcher, rolls in on her motorcycle armed with a pump shotgun and dynamite and saves the day when she rescues hostages at a chemical warehouse. A superhero for hire, she gives her card to the police chief whose new baby has been targeted. Ching, The Invisible Woman, works for the merciless and powerful eunuch who lives in an enormous fortress in the sewers. The eunuch believes that, “China cannot be without an emperor.” And by that he means an emperor he controls so that he would be the de facto ruler. By day Ching lives with The Professor who invented the Invisible cloak so that when it is perfected, she can steal it and kill him. She may not get the chance as the invisibility process is deadly toxic. The three women warriors collide as the kidnappings become more complicated and deadly. The eunuch’s superpowered minion, Kau, brings danger and loss of body parts whenever he appears.

This movie was off the rails bonkers and not for the faint of heart. In Western films, killing and torturing children is right up there with killing pets, it’s rarely done, or at least not done onscreen so the cruelty toward children was quite disturbing for me. The Flying Guillotine survived the ages from the 1975 movie and made a cameo here. There were also a variety of throwing weapons, explosives, razor bladed chains, and poison darts used. The women’s most powerful weapons were the humanity and sisterhood that had almost been trained out of them. Only through their combined powers could they take down the maniacal eunuch. Many of the actions scenes were filmed in low lighting as the characters climbed, leapt, and fell repeatedly. Despite the darkness, the wires showed at times, at other times the train broke through the fourth wall. While exploring the superhero genre, the film kept its feet firmly flying in Hong Kong wuxia history as well.

What was the draw to this absurd superhero movie? The cast! Michelle Yeoh was gorgeous with her flowing hair and impeccable timing, completely believable as the conflicted anti-hero. Ching had the most painful character growth spurred by her inconvenient love for the professor. It would take Chat and Tung to give her a reason to live and break free from the eunuch’s hold. Maggie Cheung went from cocky bounty hunter to the vulnerable middle child caught between two sisters she loved. Anita Mui alternated as the devoted wife and ferocious heroine who was the moral compass of the trio. The three women each had tortuous pasts that they had to come to terms with in order to move forward.

The Heroic Trio was not a great movie but it was entertaining. At times it veered into so bad it was good, especially near the end with an unhinged final fight. Regardless of the movie's shortcomings, it's always refreshing to have competent women warriors and superheroes even if the movie didn’t always serve them well. For fans of these actresses, if you can keep your expectations low, it’s definitely one to give a try.

10 April 2024

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A film about the realities of life and the beauty of friendship

Spoilers ahed:
Minor plot-holes (especially near the end) but still a very beautifully written and meaningful film about love and life. Realistic and amazing acting from everyone. Scenes fly by and the pace is good. Didn’t expect to cry at the end, but realizing the two girl’s love for each other and how the two went on to “live like each other” made me sob. At first I didn’t understand why they killed off Haeun but I realized it was necessary: it was her love for Jinwoo and want for a “normal life” that restricted her. And it killed her in the end. And her death, Mi-so expressed her love for Ha-eun. And it also changed Mi-so’s lifestyle. She continues to lie but now she does it out of love. And she works to care for others. Mi-so makes many mistakes throughout the film and I get frustrated with her at times, but she’s human. And you can’t blame Haeun for forgiving her because you realize that the two understood each other like no one else and grew up learning to rely on each other. Mi-so encouraged Haeun to live fearlessly. But they were both challenged with the reality of adult life. Even in the character’s hardships, ups, and downs, you can’t help but think “ah, so this is life indeed.” For people saying its just a movie about two girls fighting for a boy, they need to realize that this movie is not about the boy at all. He’s just a part of society’s expectations and the experience of growing up. In fact, neither girls liked him much to start with.

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A different film, it would fit on the boards that mean the world, a film about two characters and a constant conversation, a chamber piece where, after a bland beginning, when the viewer does not know what to expect, it develops into a cleverly written story full of surprises and tension, and both actors , both Elijas and Romnick proved that they can be trusted, they played it convincingly. Interesting...

Film jiný, hodil by se na prkna, co znamenají svět, film o dvou postavách a neustálé konverzaci, komorní kousek, kdy po nevýrazném začátku, kdy divák neví, co má očekávat, se rozvine v chytře napsaný přiběh plný překvapení a napětí a oba herci, Elijas i Romnick dokázali, že se jim dá věřit, zahráli to přesvědčivě. Zajímavé ...

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This was unexpectedly a great watch

So I'm a massive horror genre fanatic and i accidentally stumbled upon an edit of this show on Instagram and im so so so GLAD i did because this movie was MARVELOUS.

From the eery setting to the fast paced storyline, compelling characters, incredibly well executed lore of religion & demons, adequately placed jumpscares, everything was SPOT ON.

There were times when I was hooked to every second, biting my nails, anxious about what happens next and honestly it did not disappoint. A very VERY good watch for horror genre lovers, it almost fits in with the Turkish ones (the greatest horror treasure).

I also like the fact that the paranormal is kept mysterious. They reveal just enough to show us how snarky, cocky and despicable that thing is yet its motives or its point of origin is never discovered. That, in itself, is a great quality to take the horror aspect to the next level because there's nothing scarier than ambiguity & uncertain mystery.

There's an appropriate amount of gore but not so much that it becomes impalatable. I really like that.

Overall, I highly, HIGHLY recommend watching it if you're up for some spook bcs this one has got that in it. Definitely an add-in to my halloween rewatch list.

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Date jitters!

I wish it were longer. Here with eng subs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uT_r4dZP_s

I have never watched Dilraba in anything (I am not a c drama fan! lol) but I was looking for a short movie for the alphabet challenge and this one came out on top. And boy, aren't I glad i found this!

The story is simple: we see a girl getting ready for a date. She is annoyed when her hair clip breaks, so orders one on line and is again annoyed, when the delivery guy is late. She takes out her frustration on him but is immediately sorry when she finds out that he is deaf. Just like her!

This is a cute short film: and the actress is perfectly portraying a person, nervous and anxious before a date. I wish we could have seen more of the delivery guy: he had such a lovely smile and the sparks flew when their eyes touched. I was secretly hoping he would be her blind date. But unfortunately for me, the date was not blind, she met someone she's known for a long time.

It is a cute short watch. Silent but with a great big number of text messages which are translated in english!

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Happy ending ?

this movie is acting really good but I didn’t expect it to be like this. ??It’s actually very into detail and i actually felt bad for the boy ML cause of his ex dumping him like that ?? wanted to be treated like that is kinda weird but you do you I guess.. it was good but at the same time it was very corny and cringy bru ??. I LOST IT WHEN HE STARTED BARKING. ??I’d still recommend people to watch its tho cause it’s not bad at all?? but the barking REALLY? ? if you want to watch a movie and have different emotions this is the one.. I felt cringed, laugher, sadness, and happiness ?go watch it!!!??

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Way of Life

This is one of my favorite Korean movies, and the English name "Nostalgia" fits it perfectly. The movie touched me on many levels. From a cinematic point of view, it is filled with many shots that show the beauty of ordinary life. The characters are real people, not great looking stars, and it feels like I'm watching my neighbors. The acting is deliberately a bit comical to bring us closer to the different personalities of the characters. At the center of the plot is music, which gives meaning and magic to life's experiences. Several songs can be heard in the film, each with its own message and beauty, from traditional songs to folk ballads. Because of the music and the personalities of the characters, I can watch this movie again and again and enjoy it.

More than anything, the film shows an authentic life that many people run away from today, and therefore evokes nostalgia for the lost simplicity of life and community. We all want to be modern, successful, independent, everything should be perfect. But it doesn't have to be perfect, three chords on the guitar are enough for life to have meaning again.

And finally, my favorite verse from the movie: 인생은 함께 가는 사랑길, 혼자서 가기엔 외로워...

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life changing

eu percebi que eu estou tão inserido em uma bolha lgbtq+ friendly que as vezes a homofobia parece algo tão distante. e derrepente, eu paro para pensar e vejo no quão eu preciso tomar cuidado. é muito cruel o sentimento de estar sempre se sentindo aflito com a possibilidade de descobrir quem a gente é, nós abrimos mão de tanta coisa e sacrificamos nossa própria felicidade em nome de uma "segurança". até que a gente encontra a felicidade e as coisas parecem que vão começar a dá certo. você se permite sonhar, até que algo te lembra que as pessoas não te querem por perto, não importa o quanto você se esforçe e no quão generoso você é com essas pessoas. no final do dia, você é ainda o galho que nasceu fora de ordem e precisa ser podado. é um sentimento de exaustão constante, mas tá tudo bem, você sempre pode recomeçar em outro lugar :).



eu estou muito surpreso com o filme, foi uma montanha russa de sentimentos que terminou em um lugar muito triste. toda a questão técnica do filme é impecável. eu sinto que vou carregar ele comigo a partir daqui e mesmo lembrando de uma história triste irei lembrar que houve felicidade no meio do caminho.

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Great blend of Horror to Heavy Drama, but too short

Man! They had me in the first half. I came in thinking I was gonna be watching horror, It's going to be great, but I ended up getting sad at the end.

I didn't know this was the Chinese version of the upcoming Korean version as well and also, I didn't know it had a manhwa source to it. I wanted to read the original source at first, but I chickened out because I didn't wanna be that person who's like "No!!! It's not faithful to the original source TTTT". So, I watched this first to avoid being biased towards the manhwa.

The story for the first half was like sloooow burn light horror and mystery. I'm thinking... man, my TikTok brain rot attention span is slowly kicking in, when are they gonna start showing something scary? Because everything that has been shown so far has been vanilla af. I feel the eeriness, the color grading is very dark, the sound design is on point, and everything aside from FL is sus, I thought that, but she was sus as well, and then plot twist! things started happening and I'm like woah?!?!

In the Second half of the story, the genre started shifting, and honestly? They did a pretty good job transitioning the story and who to focus on. Like what is this that I'm feeling right now? And then I understood "Ahh, that's why they took their time to build up everything in the first half". There was like twist after twist, and they tried their best to tie everything, though not perfect, but good enough to make sense.

The characters, I must say, since it was a movie runtime, there wasn't enough for me to care, but they've shown enough story-wise for me to get invested and stick till the end. For FL, it's been a while since I've watched Zhang Ruo Nan. She became even prettier (ughhh!!!), like flowers around me every time she showed up on the screen. I was basically in love with this girl. Her acting? even great, she did a good job. ML, mostly about him was shown in the last minutes of the movie, but imo he's aight. The LGBT couple is what really tickled my heart because the moment Sun Qian's character showed up, I felt the feels man and they had a good chemistry. It's my first time seeing Sun Qian take on an LGBT role/pairing and honestly, you could take those two, have them do a GL drama and it'll probably work. The mother and daughter were also very sad, like goddamn. I went from hating the mother to understanding why she was presented the way she is and the child actress was so good, she didn't have to go that hard on her acting delivery. The old man was aight. His side plot was like another extra variety.

Overall, a good movie, would recommend you check it out. The upcoming Korean version is a series, so it'll probably fix what this movie couldn't show in the 98-minute runtime it had.

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