Reviews

Story: It's predominantly about a sheltered, young man who strives to meet his parent's expectations but also wants to live a life for himself. So when Francis reconnects with Tommy, he follows the latter around town, neglecting his studies and piano lessons.

Acting: Decent enough to portray the relationship between two boys just hanging out.

Music: Nothing to write home about.

Rewatch Value: Once is enough.

Overall Impression: When I searched for other reviews of this short to serve as comparison, there's hardly anything that could be found. Instead another HK film of the same name, the one that uses the 2019 HK protests as a backdrop, was the one usually featured. So it made sense to me, that this particular short, barely registered on the radar. And so is my opinion of the film.

The only pivotal scene that I could commend is the one where Francis finally had his outburst in the final moments. He finally snapped after being subjected to other pursuits he really does not have any interest in. For his mother to profess to care about Francis, she did not do a good job of understanding where he is coming from nor what he really wants in life.

But even with this statement, I wasn't quite sold on what the film was trying to portray, aside from the reality of gay teens living in the shadows of their true nature.

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Story: It's about a boy telling a story about two boys to another boy. In the boy's story, the two boys are best friends. But wouldn't you know it: the boy telling the story is also the best friend of the boy who is listening to this story. What a coincidence! And that the boy telling the story, is planning to do a movie about this story. Or at least, that's what he said he was doing.

Acting: Good enough for two people sitting at a coffee shop.

Music: Barely noticed.

Rewatch Value: Short and adorable enough to repeat.

Overall Impression: What an ingenious concept for a confession. At least Dong Young is self-aware enough not to expect much from his best friend aside from maintaining their friendship. And it's a healthy reaction from Jung Min, accepting his best friends feelings without indulging in it. Nobody died, it's a win for me.

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"There's no such thing as easy anywhere these days"

Dokkoi Ikiteru aka I Still Live was a painful look at the most vulnerable in Japan post WWII. Director Imai Tadashi who dove into socially conscious movies after the war, made this film outside of the major studios. I will admit to only grasping the large parts of the film as the only available copy I could find used auto-generated English subtitles which were lacking to say the least. Until such time as someone who watches this who speaks Japanese or there is an adequate translation, I’ll leave a quick review for those who might be interested in this film.

The film centers on a Japanese family of four. They initially live in a small shantytown but are forced to move out when it is torn down. The father rises early every morning to apply for day laborer jobs along with crowds of desperate people. It is a daily struggle to earn enough money to eat and supply shelter. Many of the places where the father works amongst the rubble and ruins had been hit hard by the air raids during the war. At one point in time, the mother and two children take the train out of town. At first it looks like the father may find a manufacturing job and his luck will turn for the better, but alas, not in this melodrama. Everything goes from bad to worse, some of the injuries self-inflicted, until he reaches the point when he thinks they would be better off dead. A precipitous action will determine the course he takes.

While this film highlighted a desperate time for many after the war and has value in edification of its historical setting, I found the film to be too deliberately maudlin for me. The music was heavy-handed and overwrought as the little family suffered misfortune after misfortune. Yet the performances were strong and again, it covered an important subject, though at times it did feel more educational in nature. If you enjoy older films and especially ones set in this difficult time in Japan’s recovery, this would be a film to try.

14 May 2024

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I kept praying time would go slower so it doesn't end XD

I love everything about it from the outstanding cinematography to the perfectly "balanced" plot, it doesn't bore you with giving too much information and background story just enough to understand everything, and keeps you excited throughout the whole movie. I prefer these types of horror movies with eerie and gut-churning scenes with an interesting plot over movies with repetitive jumpscares and meaningless plots. The emotions the cast conveyed with their brilliant acting made me drown in the movie as if I were watching a real-life event live.
Sadly I had to watch this at home I wish they displayed it at where I live I would 100% go watch this at a cinema.

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Truly unhinged (in a positive way).

Well, when I first started the movie, I didn't had any kind of expectations, somehow waiting to see the typical Rivals to Lovers trope, or, don't know, a "Forbidden Love" kind of thing. However, the story has the perfect pace; unfolding in such a delicious and intense way that you can't help but watch everything till the end, without wanting to miss a single detail. It leaves you empty, even lost with such an ending, but it's really worth it.

Story: The story begins in a slow motion, almost making you feel bored and annoyed for Youngwoo's attitude, but seeing little by little Jaeha's persistence, talking with (and by) his experiences, trying to make Youngwoo a better actor; letting him change the way he delivers his lines and portraits his emotions, it really makes you feel like you are right there, in the same moment and place as them. At some point things starts to get really dark and distorted with the development of their relationship, but it doesn't feel sudden, like, they're Singer and Walter after all, right? But, yeah. It engulfs you, like there is no other thing in this world except of them. It feels natural how everything happens, even the ending, as open as it was.

Acting: The acting of both leads was mesmerizing, but I definitely need to give my hat to Oh Seunghoon for delivering such a breathtaking, almost intoxicating portrayal of Singer, and, of course, Youngwoo himself. His character development is insane, and those last scenes where he actually tried to kill himself (and Jaeha) in front of the crowd... speechless. At the end, both actors knew what they needed to do, and it really shows.

Music: It's there, and you hear it, but doesn't have anything memorable about it, until it does. I think it's beautiful that just a slight change in the music, with the right lightning can immerse you even more. It's great till the end.

Rewatch value: I... would definitely think twice before doing it. It's a real rollercoaster of emotions, so, you need to prepare yourself before going in for a ride. But we as humans tend to like what's risky and exciting, so...

Overall: If you love morally gray movies and you're not picky about open endings (and a couple questions without answer), give this a shot. You're not going to find another like this in awhile.

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gag

estou fascinado com esse filme aqui. tem uma atmosfera tão hipnotizante que eu não queria saber de nada além do aconteceria nos minutos seguintes. tem algo que torna ele extremamente sensual e eu aposto na melancolia que rodeia não só os personagens mas o próprio ambiente. é muito interessante acompanhar o modo como o filme escala pois vem sempre algo de surpreendente na história, e todos personagens são tão intrigantes que você sabe que pra onde o passo andar vai ser bom de se acompanhar.

p.s. a sookhee destruindo a biblioteca foi uma das coisas mais sensuais e românticas que eu já vi.

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"Nobody in this country follows the rules"

Barking Dogs Never Bite was a dark comedy that darkly commented on social inequalities and inadequacies. While director Bong Joon Ho cast his view on numerous topics, the result was rough and flat instead of subtle and biting. More of a scattershot approach than guided missile.

Yoon Joo hears once again why he has been passed over for making professor, made worse by the barking of a dog in the background. He thinks he’s tracked down the culprit, grabs it, and ultimately locks it in a wardrobe in the basement. Hyun Nam works in the building and helps a little girl put up signs for the missing pup. At this point different characters become involved with the four-legged dwellers in the crowded apartment building, most of which have ulterior motives for the pets.

Though the movie clearly stated no animals were harmed during filming, there was some rough treatment. Dog lovers may have trouble with a few of these scenes. The antipathy Yoon Joo felt toward the pampered animals and their doting owners turned out to be more than what he observed. He thought his life was tougher than others, but as it became apparent, his actions led to agonizing pain for the pet owners with devastating consequences for one.

Billed as a dark comedy, I only found two scenes funny and both involved the talented Bae Doo Na. This story played out like a sinister slice of life with few repercussions for bad behavior. Hyun Nam’s unending search for affirmation had its own strange results. I thoroughly enjoyed the close friendship between her and Jang Mi, the complete antithesis of Yoon Joo’s toxic marriage.

The laundry list of social grievances were thrown out on the screen continuously. Suffice to say, the director had complaints he wanted to get off his chest. Class distinctions. People don’t follow the rules. People embezzle money and make shoddy, dangerous buildings. Pregnant employees are treated terribly. School deans have to be bribed for job openings. Humanities professors make the worst husbands. Women with children are vulnerable when husbands leave. For a homeless person being arrested is a blessing because at least there are regular meals. Some drinking culture situations turn deadly. Gender inequalities. Abusive, loveless relationships. Dangerous pesticides thickly sprayed in the air. Exit doors and stairwells blocked by junk creating hazardous situations. People supplementing their diets with dead pets. People fired for caring too much about others. At least later in his career, Bong would grab a singular social criticism by the neck and devour it with satire and venom.

Fans of Bong Joon Ho will most likely see deeper into this film than I did and enjoy it more. I wouldn’t want to deter anyone from trying this film by the famed director. What it boiled down to was Yoon Joo and Hyun Nam were unhappy with their situations and unsure how to make things better or even if they could, given the employment climate and chose inverse approaches. Yoon Joo took the villain role and went to the dark side. Hyun Nam desired to be a hero and though her results weren’t glorious, she and her friend chose to live in the light come what may. The majority of other characters resided somewhere in the gray areas, just trying to make it through their days.

13 May 2024

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Simple films with a clumsy protagonist.

It's a movie with a simple premise and a well-known cast. We have to praise Yoo In Soo's consistently exceptional and well-developed performance as the villain in this film. Everyone knows that this actor usually plays comedic roles, but whenever he portrays villains, he transforms himself. In other words, he's an actor with great stage presence who can seamlessly transition from humor to drama and vice versa.

Now, it's necessary to mention that Yoo Sun Ho's performance as the film's protagonist is very lacking and stiff. It seems like he's holding back. He portrayed a very monosyllabic and emotionless protagonist.

The film has its flaws, for example, what's the backstory of Da Young's "stalker friend"? In three minutes, that could have been explained and developed. It felt somewhat random. What's the significance of that epilogue? What important post-film finale factor does that scene have?

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Much better than shitshows I've seen before

As somebody who watched the love syndrome III first, compared to that this is so much better.i started watching w 0 expections and to get second hand embarrassment from the hardcore nc scenes (I expected nc scenes like forgotten night) but they were pretty good including the acting in those scenes. In my personal opinion the acting of the main leads are better, the budgeting is better because the sets and everything looks put together. But the only downside I thought was the the time limit and how they decided to utilise it this should be so much better as a series. Ig there would be a second part to this movie but I would definitely prefer this as a series w the same cast.
Honorable mention: the actor playing itt did an amazing job

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not a romance and not anything else

Overall: as someone who has enjoyed many bodice rippers, this 90 minute movie totally missed the mark. It didn't do the romance well and it didn't do any other genre (mystery, action etc) well either. I haven't read the books and am basing this movie on its own merits. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/2fs0u4bifngi23w/r4100rhuz4b

Content Warnings: rape (repeatedly), sexual assault, violence/beaten up, drugging, held against will, manhandling, non con recording/sharing, manipulation

What I Liked
- visuals and that mesh top
- other than how the characters are all related to each other, the premise was fairly easy to understand

Room For Improvement
- even when something is based on source material, the production can't assume every viewer has read the source material, they introduced a whole bunch of characters (some with their names written on the screen), did not explain everyone's relationships to one another well, never gave an explanation for why that horrible "plan" was concocted/carried out
- couldn't root for any of the couples, 3rd couple it happened when one was shown to be drunk, 2nd couple had a terrible redemption arc maybe if 6 months ago he had shown discomfort over what he did and then in the present he had not repeatedly violated the other guy's boundaries then I could have rooted for them, and the first couple....I think that's evident, was Stockholm syndrome happening, wth
- total nonsense things ie why first take revenge on a person who created a plan instead of the person who carried out the plan, character was gone for at least 3 days (or long enough for cuts/bruises to heal so weeks???) and no one was concerned about his whereabouts, he seemed totally fine after something completely horrific, he had access to his phone but didn't call the police, etc
- jarring tone of domestic bliss to something extremely horrific
- multiple flashbacks/time jumps
- cliffhanger ending with no guarantee of a sequel

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"The sun will show me the way"

While the world was falling into mortal turmoil and the stage was being set for a devastating war, Ornamental Hairpin found a group of people at a quiet inn nestled in the mountains where they could experience healing, friendship, and some moments of respite.

Professor Katatae has come to the inn and hot springs for the summer to read. His ruminations are often ruined by traveling parties visiting the inn, making noise and hogging the masseurs. Emi and her friend Okiku are two such pilgrims enjoying themselves. The Hiroyasus have befriended both the professor and a Go playing grandfather staying there with his two grandsons. A young soldier, Nanmura, accidentally steps on a hairpin in the hot springs, extending his stay at the inn. While Katatae continues to grouse about the injury, Nanmura sees it as poetic. Now everyone is concerned whether the hairpin belongs to a young beautiful woman so as not to burst Nanmura’s poetic bubble, misunderstanding his meaning. Turns out the hairpin belongs to Emi and she returns to collect it and apologize. The group takes her in and she decides to stay there with them for the summer, much to the chagrin of a man she left behind in Tokyo.

Ornamental Hairpin was a simple, tranquil story, but not simplistic. Emi may have been the focal point of the story, but this was an ensemble cast of disparate characters who fell into an easy friendship while on vacation. They ate together, soaked in the springs, complained about the food, and even slept uneasily together with the snoring Professor and Grandpa keeping people up at nights. The grandsons Jiro and Taro whined about the sameness of the days but also took time to help Nanmura recuperate and exercise along with Emi. It is in Emi where the story transcended an uneventful vacation romp. She learned to do laundry and enjoyed spending time with the boys. Here where the sun could touch her face she began to long for something more in her life. She was looking to find meaning. While she was drawn to Nanmura and he to her, his life was back in the military and the coming war. When everyone else was preparing to leave, she remained behind, unsure of where she wanted to be and more importantly, who she wanted to be.

The acting was quite compelling. Saito Tatsuo as the Professor, brought the comic relief with his constant state of complaining. Especially when he railed against the noise then kept everyone up at night with his snoring. But it was Tanaka Kinuyo and Ryu Chishu who gave the heartfelt performances. Tanaka and Ryu were forces to be reckoned with in Japanese cinema. Ryu was an Ozu regular, but often as the father, older brother, or patrician friend. Tanaka excelled at playing women in more desperate circumstances. Here they were youthful and the romantic leads, even if the romance was not fully developed. They supported each other, gently and playfully, one time literally when she gave him a piggyback ride! They were soft and almost unrecognizable in these strangely easy-going roles. Tanaka conveyed the longing of her character for the sun on her face and freedom in her life beautifully.

Ornamental Hairpin was the ideal summer vacation for a group of people who became friends over dinner and soaking in the healing waters. Idyllic scenes of bubbling rivers, mountains, and trees gave way to reality calling again. A hint of melancholy also floated through the mists with the already present food shortages and war looming on the horizon. Emi, walking alone on the paths they’d traveled together had to discern the path ahead for herself. This film captured a cozy, funny, bittersweet moment in time for a group of strangers who became friends and faced uncertain futures.

12 May 2024

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