interesting movie

The movie doesn’t take long for the action to kick in. The intro is fairly quick and the kidnapping takes place within 10 minutes of the movie’s start. Also, there were some humorous scenes to keep the movie from going too serious. There weren’t too much of the comedic elements, but just when it felt like it was needed, they had them.

If you know me, Hwang Jung-Min is one of my favorite actors, and he was great as always. In the production trailer, he stated that it was really hard to play himself, and that a lot of people assumes that it should be easy to play oneself. However, he states that it’s actually really hard, as he’s never actually been kidnapped before.

But then again, I feel like that also doesn’t really make sense either, as you can play the role as if you, yourself were to be kidnapped. Like what would you do if you were in the situation, in real life? Nevertheless, he did great in the role, and who else better to play Hwang Jung-Min, than Hwang Jung-Min himself?

And because he played himself, it brought a new sense of thrill that’s unseen in other movies. It brought a new element to the film, breaking the fourth wall in a new way, or possibly the fifth or sixth? Anyways, it wasn’t just Hwang Jung-Min that was great, but the other roles were casted very well as well.

The main antagonist, Kim Jae-Bum, was a perfect fit for the boss role, and his acting was chillingly good. There’s something really freaky about him and his expressions; it’s hard to put into words, but there weren’t much expressions on his face, but that in itself put a chilling tone to the aura that he put out. A quiet but scary, total psycho character.

There were some very obvious suspense points with the background music and camera angles/movements the movie had, which made it a little cringe and forced. I feel like they could’ve done a little better being less obvious in the emotions they were trying to deliver.

Moreover, the story itself wasn’t anything very special. It had cliches and borrowed from a lot of other similar thrillers. The movie dragged a little near the end, and I think this was the case because it felt like the story resolved, but started back up again a few times. Almost as if it was repetitively showing a resolution, only to open the conflict back up. The duration of the film is only about an hour and a half, and for a movie with that runtime to feel like it dragged, isn’t a good thing. Definitely could’ve been better in terms of the progression.

《Verdict 》:

is a thriller/chase/crime/action film that’s a pretty good watch. The movie had a good balance of suspense and action, and the biggest positive of the film was the acting performances given by the cast members. Although it lacked in the story development and progression departments, the movie was still a decent action thriller. I mean, the movie starred Hwang Jung-Min, so that in itself calls for a watch.

Read More

Nice drama, but not up to expectations

Doom At Your Service was one of the highly anticipated dramas of 2021. It brought some amazing actors together. A new fictional character,“doom”, was introduced and from the original plot reveal it looked intriguing. It also looked promising when the Ost track list was released which included TXT, Ailee, Gummy, Davichi, EXO’s Baekhyun and Seo In Guk himself.

Outstanding Leads

Tak Dong Kyung played by Park Bo Gum is a very practical and strong character. Park definitely justified the character but at times she looked pale(since the storyline demanded it). Dong Kyung lacked the spark, may be because she was already dying, but still,who goes back to work and lives monotonously for the last 100days ofher life? However, SeoIn Guk, who marked himself as an actor in The Smile has Left your Eyes, was fresh and outstanding. Every move of his will swoon you.



Drama will forever be thanked for bringing out Lee Soo Hyuk to the light. His deep voice and heart melting looks are going to kill you every time he is on screen. Kang Tae Oh put emotions powerfully on the screen while the other leading lady, Shin Do Hyun, was beautiful and performed very well too. Overall, the leads were brilliant, convincing and eye-soothing.



Equally brilliant supporting cast

Personally, I loved Dawon of Korean boy band SF9 as Dong Kyung’s brother. He as an actor has got all the potential. His screen time was less but he managed to pull out the smile on viewer’s face with his earnest and cute acting. Woo Hee Jin's characteris the family we crave for. The cameo role from the budding actor Nam Da Reum was commendable, but the best performance was given by Jeong Ji So; she nailed the role of a deity.



Storyline Review

It started off so well that fans compared it to one of the legendary fantasy series Guardian: The Lonely and the Great God. Cinematography wise, it is visually mesmerising.The representation of humans and their deeds, the deity, good and evil, the world and its caretakers was beautiful but at the same time the conversation in the drama made it difficult to interpret and all the theory seemed to be confusing at times,one of the main reasons why its ratings dropped.

It was one heck of a roller coaster ride till episode 6 but from thereon the drama slowed down and became extremely mundane. This weakening of such a potentially strong storyline made it highly predictable like you already know what’s coming up next. The fantasy soon came out as a very light-hearted drama which had nothing to do with thrill, excitement and suspense. It’s something you might have experienced in the past fantasies of Korea.

One of the best parts of the entire drama was the love triangle of second leads Lee Soo Hyuk, Kang Tae Oh and Shin Do Hyun. It had nothing to do with the major plot and title of the show but to be honest, it was still a better and more engaging storyline than the main. One of the best parts of the script was that this filler plot wasnot side-linedeven in a single episode.It held almost half of the screen time and sometimes looked as if it was the main plot and not the doom’s story. - Prashansa


Through the editors and novel writers in the show, the writer of the show himself continuously tried to convey what he thought throughout the drama and it looked nice to keep noticing his point ofviews. It somehow made the drama interesting of what actually going to happen but it is sad that it still remained too regular and predominantly missed the spark. Like most of the fantasy it brought back the person from death, simplistic love-hate relationship between Doom and Dong Kyung fluttered a bit but stayed dull. The last episode was way better than the rest and to a surprise it ended very well leaving no knots. Overallit didn’t meet high expectations and would be difficult to call it as a best drama of 2021. It is still good but there are better fantasies in the line.

Read More

》Aquatic crime-action epic《

This year’s festival provided a refreshing plethora of non-English language films for TIFF-goers to flock to. Another big film for South Korea this year’s fest premiered at TIFF 2023 to an ecstatic and enthusiastic crowd, all gathered to see the red carpet talent and experience the North American premiere of “Smugglers,” a film by director Ryoo Seung-wan. Written by the director and co-writers Kim Jung-youn and Choi Cha-won, they construct a twisty heist tale brimming with action and women empowerment that is more than a joy to witness. The film has been marketed as an “aquatic crime-action epic,” and that description just about sums up this delightful surprise the best anyone could.

Ryoo Seung-wan is masterful in his direction at balancing comedic moments with an overarching theme of women empowerment in this exciting, tense, triumphant adventure flick. His characters have impeccable comedic timing with quick quips or long-winded jokes. Still, he’s able to flip the switch and bring back the heart-pounding intricate action scenes or intense interrogation moments. The underwater antics are more than impressive, with much of the film involving his characters holding their breaths and swimming, fighting, or working underwater. Despite this added element of difficulty, both Ryoo Seung-wan and the teamwork with his noble cast make them able to pull these stunts off effortlessly. His “Smugglers” is a refreshing new addition to the action-crime-drama genre, and with his focus on female leads, female empowerment, and female ‘badassery,’ he knocks it out of the park.

The performances by the entire ensemble are a joy to witness, from depictions of the ultra-talented haenyeo women and powerful teahouse ladies to cartoonish crime-lord villains with impeccable fighting techniques. Kim Hye-soo and Yum Jung-ah have a phenomenal and believable on-screen relationship as former best friends, both before and after the fallout their characters go through. They depict stubborn yet clever individuals who will each do anything to get ahead of the opponent, and watching their antics play out is extremely enjoyable. Go Min-si portrays a seemingly mousey and quiet teahouse girl, Go ok-bun, who we witness go through a satisfying character arc from beginning to end. There’s also the three men — head honcho Kwon, the hoodlum Do-ri (Park Jeong-min), and the officer Jang-chun (Kim Jong-soo), who all give entertaining, intentionally cartoonish performances in which they fully commit to their roles. So when the women decide to turn all three men against each other for their own benefit, well, it’s as hilarious as it is satisfying.

“Smugglers,” being set in the 1970s, is also an absolute treat to the senses. From colorful costumes, immersive set pieces, and a funky score, the audience is plunged just as much into the depths of the Kunchon region’s sea as they are into the aesthetic of the time period. There are Farah Fawcett wigs galore, groovy pucci print clothes with more than enough bellbottoms, polyester pantsuits, and wide-collared blouses to go around. Ryoo Seung-wan even edits a fun, celebratory post-heist shopping spree segment with the ladies in split screens, loud colors, and complete with the music of the era, and it’s more than enjoyable to witness. Composer Chang Ki-ha’s immersive score fits in well to compliment the flashiness and fun on-screen, aiding in the delight and antics. This juxtaposition of the 1970s era with its very modern theme and message of women empowerment and leadership is a satisfying mix, lending to the level of gratification one may feel at the end of experiencing this film.

“Smugglers” is a refreshing combination of classic crime, heist, and adventure film tropes with a mix of 1970s influences and modern themes. His characters are intriguing and easy to root for or against, as they are portrayed fabulously by the attractive and personable cast. The writing is fun and funky, even involving double and quintuple crossing that occurs, causing the director to take us back in time to relive scenes from new perspectives, challenging the audience on what they thought they knew. The groovy aesthetic is addictive as it is immersive, and both the above surface and underwater action sequences are a high-energy delight. It’s nearly impossible not to have an enjoyable time with “Smugglers,” so it’s fair to say Ryoo Seung-wan hit the nail on the head with this one.

Read More

Jackie Chan’s Sentimental Stuntman Comedy Is a One-Trick but Fun-Trick Pony

Jackie Chan’s recent output has been somewhat hit or miss and I still consider The Foreigner the best film he has done in years; the trailers made Ride On look like it was going to be more of the same and although there is still plenty of classic Chan humour I wasn’t expecting to get as emotionally involved in the story with Jackie giving one of his best performances in years.

I’ll admit I was nearly sobbing by the end as I’m a softy for anything involving animals and Ride On’s greatest find is the horse Red Hair. It must have taken an age to train the horse to do all the tricks he does in the film but it could be argued that he actually gives a performance; I know that sounds crazy but if you see the film you’ll understand.

Ride On is a love letter to the stunt industry with Jackie playing aging stuntman Luo whose career has seen better days but when he reunites with his estranged daughter his fortunes change and his life takes a dramatic turnaround.

It must be the hardest thing for someone who has relied on their body be it in stunts or action movies to make a living but when age catches up to them they have to face the harsh reality that they can’t really do it anymore. Jackie uses footage from his classic films throughout so this feels like it’s a biography of his life disguised as a movie giving it extra emotional heft.

Although this is more of a drama there are still plenty of fight scenes with Jackie proving that even despite his advancing years he still has what it takes in the action department; his dedication to the craft is unmatched which is why he is one of the greats.

Despite having several fight scenes Ride On is a little slow at times and may put some viewers off who are just looking for a straightforward fight film. I found my patience rewarded as I was fully engaged with the story and couldn’t wait to see how it would all work out in the end.

Wu Jing shows up in an extended cameo but he has no fight scenes so if you’re expecting that you’ll be disappointed.

Overall, Ride On is a heartfelt love letter to stunts and the action industry with Jackie Chan at his best and an almost scene stealing turn from a horse (never thought I’d write that). There are a few fight scenes to keep viewers interested but this is more character based than action driven.

Read More

A film that lances the rage and exasperation that can mark a family relationship

At the centre of this very touching social study are a mother and her daughter. They share the apartment mentioned in the title of the film. Besides that, their bond is rather loose. Indeed they could be as well some random flatmates – some that don't get along well. The more Yi-jung (Im Jee-ho) tries to win her mother's affection, the more fiercely Su-kung (Yang Mal-bok), the latter, rejects her.

It's nearly embellishing saying that the relationship between the two is tense. They can't communicate without being passive aggressive or snappish. Yi-jung clearly gets on her mother's nerves, but there doesn't seem to be a particular reason for it. Her mere existence seems to provoke Su-kung. Their mutual frustration unloads itself from scene to scene. One of the first confrontations escalates when the two argue, Yi-jung leaves the car and Su-kung in anger steps on the accelerator and hits her daughter from behind.

As a spectator we could have been prepared for this. The camera sits in the car, we have the same perspective as Su-kung watching out of the front window. We feel the tension, we see the contracted muscles of the protagonist. Still her reaction comes unexpected. Why doesn't she come down as most other persons in her situation would have? But no, she really does it. And this is a feeling that stays with the audience during the whole film.
Su-kung doesn't match our expectations. She does not act like we would like a mother to behave. She contradicts the, in most societies nearly holy, ideal of a mother. There is no trace of tenderness towards her daughter. At one point, Yi-jung says to her colleagues from work that she believes her mother would be capable of killing her one day. That evokes an embarrassed silence among the present ones. And they are heavily relieved when they suppose it was only a joke. But in reality it's not that easy.

Yi-jung's situation is desperate. It is difficult for outsiders to relate to her. The love of a mother is considered by most as one of the few things in life on which we can count unconditionally. It is sure a taboo to scratch this certitude. We feel pity for Yi-jung. She has nobody to whom she can turn to. No father, no friends. She longs for affection. In the relationship with her new colleague at work, it appears clear that she doesn't know how to cope with closeness. At the slightest sign of friendship, she tries to hold on to it with all her might. With the result that she scares away the person in front of her.

Director Kim creates with Su-kung a very complex character. She is not only selfish and childish, it is also clear that life wasn't easy on her and that, as a single mother, she faced a lot of criticism from society. She built a cold façade to protect herself. For her friends, she is an entertaining bird of paradise. They envy her supposed freedom. But at the same time, they can't hide the fact that they look down on her. For them not having an intact family life is like failing life's purpose.

Being the portrait of these two women, the cast is of essential importance. Yi-jung is played by Im Jee-ho with a lot of sensitivity. She shows the fragility of the character and the scars that leave its unanswered needs. Still Yi-jung is not a victim, she knows she has to part ways with her mother and finally finds the courage to do so. Even though at some points we would like Yi-jung to react a bit more, to be more combative, we can relate to her at all moments. And this is exactly due to the capability of the actress. It was indeed not easy to stand up to her counterpart. Yang Mal-bok as Su-kung is namely a force of nature. She has recently played in the series “Squid Game”. She manages to evoke contradictory emotions in the spectator. Her character has something despicable, but also touching. Yang whirls through the film like her character through her life. In the moment of calm, we see in her eyes the deep sadness that lies in Su-kung.
Even though the “The Apartment with Two Women” lasts for 140 minutes, it doesn't feel particularly long. This is thanks the precise script containing a density of narrative motifs. The pace of the film is basically calm and not excited, but still each scene has its statement. The framing is well balanced, the camera under the responsibility of cinematographer Moon Myoung-hwan follows the protagonists closely. But it still keeps a certain distance that is necessary to reflect on your own life experience and the evoked emotions.

There are several apartments that are of importance in the film. The first one is the one shared by mother and daughter. Private space is difficult to obtain there for them. The rooms are very close to each other, there is a lot of personal stuff piling up and giving the impression of suffocation. Little light comes in, and the dark furniture supports a gloomy atmosphere. In contrast to the women's apartment, the flat where Su-kung wants to move to with her new boyfriend is brighter and bigger. Also the home of Yi-jung's colleague, even though small, is much more friendly than Yi-jung's and Su-kung's.

Concerning the décor and the setting, director Kim shows the same sensitivity as for the development of her characters. She creates a particularly intimate movie, which is at the same time uncomfortable and often besetting, but also immensely touching. “The Apartment with Two Women” is bewitching. A fantastic first feature from a talented young director, that hopefully will produce more.

Read More

Unfortunately, it was not up to expectations... boring

This South-Korean supernatural thriller is a surprising addition to the Tallinn Black Nights First Feature Competition. Directed by novelist and screenwriter Kim Jin-young as her feature debut, the film plays out like a formulaic thriller borrowing tropes from East Asian cinema as well as from Hollywood. Fast-paced to the point of being unable to deliver any character depth, it twists and turns with energy, but loses control under the weight of its own relentless movement. It presents us with the muddied narrative of a mother’s guilt over the loss of her paraplegic son, Han-byul. The father, a Reverend in an unspecified Christian church, blames the mother for having fallen asleep while her four children (including Han-byul) were playing near a lake after a picnic. When she awoke, Han-byul’s wheel-chair was empty and his body was floating in the water. Was she fully asleep? Could it be that she willfully turned a deaf ear to her own child’s cries before death? After the child is buried, the Reverend is convinced that the mother’s sins will be pardoned if they adopt an orphan, as a good deed to repent. They soon start taking the steps necessary to adopt the visually-impaired Isaac, but, once formalities are over, the young child finds it difficult to settle in the Reverend’s house, finding the behaviour of the three other children especially inauspicious.
The Other Child plays with an intriguing array of themes – the Christian faith in South-Korea, the guilt-complex of a mother after the loss of a paraplegic son, the ways in which religious texts can be interpreted by indoctrinated children. But the narrative never takes the leap necessary to explore any of these themes to any satisfactory level. It briskly glides over the surface of its best ideas, resulting in a film only interested in existing as a pure exercise in terror. It is regrettable, then, that the film should also fail from a purely stylistic standpoint. Indeed, its technical qualities are extremely shaky: the cinematography is glossed over with a lush filter which exaggerates all colours, removing all actions from reality. The visual effects sporadically appearing in the horror sequences are also of very poor quality. The story-telling is convoluted and unfocused, with characters appearing out of the blue to reveal vital plot elements, while our protagonists act in ways that seem to defy all existing motivations. The viewer struggles to navigate a world where all that is set up in the beginning turns into something else entirely.

The director Kim Jin-young should be praised for her work with the young child actors who all deliver very accomplished performances, especially given the faults of the screenplay. While the cinematography suffers in general from looking too inauthentic, the scenes at the lake are especially well-photographed, giving the film its only memorable images. These scenes also present us with a gorgeous selection of costumes worn by the three children, who look particularly eerie when singing near the blue backdrop of the lake. These shots will stay firmly fixed onto the viewers’ retina. It is unfortunate that the quality shown during these scenes is not sustained throughout the rest of the film, for, overall, The Other Child is a very disappointing genre film, which brings together themes, characters and events that seem to constantly elude its grasp.

Read More

Just a nice movie

Directed by comedian Park Sung-kwang, this is played for laughs, but as such all ideas feel half-baked, with no one really putting in the effort. It feels a throwback to 90s US comedies, where all characters are caricatures, rather than rounded individuals. As such, you struggle to really feel much for any of them. The plot is rushed and glosses over details, and you spend the whole film knowing which way this will go.

There isn't much here that hasn't been done before, with the main focus being on how its lead is a bit slow. Park is suitably gormless as Woong-nam, but doesn't offer a huge amount as Yung-hak, with the supporting cast hamming it up a little too much in parts. Woong-nam's mannerisms feel straight out of the Stephen Chow school of “Kung-fu Hustle”, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but is unoriginal a couple of decades along; as is the “Drunken Master” parody.

And this is “Bear Man's” problem. The comedy, story and special effects largely belong back in the 90s, and feel very outdated in this day and age. They do produce some laughs, but they're hidden in some very simplistic comedy; and Yung-hak's take down does have some good fight choreography, while also providing some of the film's stronger comedy moments.
If there is anything new on offer here, it is the comment of how Mal-bong's social media is a greater news source than mainstream media, with the police reliant on it. But this fails to place itself as a central theme, and so is perhaps incidental rather than social commentary.

You can grow into this as it progresses, and it's entertaining enough, but is very limited by its own lack of effort. It puts in little, so asks little of you in return. Popcorn fodder? Yes. But you can find much better options out there.

Read More

Enjoy your day as if it were your last day

I am a fan of categorizing dramas, but I have been searching for a movie to watch for a while, and I found this movie.. ＼(^-^)／
I liked the story of the movie, so I decided to watch it... After watching it, I can say that I really enjoyed watching it.. The comedy in the movie is neither vulgar nor boring.. I laughed a lot.. I was longing to watch an interesting movie..
If you read the story, you will think that the movie will be sad and just a movie about a deadly disease and sad feelings...
I can say that the movie is very interesting and comedic, and goes beyond limits, and it is a symbol of friendship and brotherhood.. The film conveyed several messages about friendship, life, family, and all of this in a comical manner, and this is what distinguishes the film... If you want to get away from action, mystery, and all complex classifications, I recommend this film because you will really enjoy it..(^∇^)

Read More

Great movie..it didn't disappoint me ♡

, or just “Confidential Assignment 2” for short from hereon out, is the sequel to the 2017 K-movie, , and picks right back up from where it left off. The film was directed by Lee Seok Hoon, who also did , , and , and saw the two main leads, Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae Jin, return for the sequel, as well as Yoona, and two new faces of Daniel Henney and Jin Seon Kyu. And I must say, excellent performances by all of them – I’ll get more into this later.

|>>The Good<<|
starts off with full out action, and then turns into a comedy once Yoo Hae Jin comes on screen. And man oh man did this movie do both genres so well. There were numerous humorous scenes, ranging from chuckle-worthy to laugh-out-loud funny throughout the film, and also executed the action sequences superbly as well. Yoo Hae Jin and Yoona were mainly in charge of the laugh department, and Hyun Bin and Daniel Henney commanded the action division – but that’s not to say that there wasn’t a blend of the two. All actors had some degree of both genres mixed into their roles, and I must say, they gave good individual performances, but all together, they shined and were amazing.

And that goes to show that the film had great casting. Each and every one of the actors fit perfectly with their roles, and there was amazing chemistry between the cast members. You can tell they had a good time filming this, as that translates to the audience when watching, and the members seem like actual good friends in real life.

The returning members Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae Jin were as great as they were in the prequel, and with the addition of Daniel Henney, the greatness doubled. But what made the film even more better, were the comedic tone of Yoona as well as the new face of Jin Seon Kyu. Yoona has really made a name for herself as an actress, and she’s so good in that comedic genre – I first noticed this with her performance in . Moreover, Jin Seon Kyu returned to the villain role following his breakout performance in , and my oh my was he just as good in this.

As mentioned, the chemistry between the actors translates and is reflected to the audience, and to expand a bit further on this, knows how to communicate and play with the audience. The screen-to-audience relation was wondrous, and is enjoyable by all people of all age. It’s, dare I say, one of the best comedic action flicks out of Korean cinema recently. I say it’s up there with another relatively recently released film, . It’s hard to live up to the original with sequels, but ironically enough, the two best Korean movies thus far this year were sequels; this and .

|>>The Bad<<|
As with majority of films of this genre, the story isn’t a very solid one. That’s not to say that it was bad, necessarily, but nor is it out of this world. There were some cliche and predictable parts, but then again, that’s kind of expected from a light comedy such as this.

Furthermore, there were some clashes of tones here and there. As mentioned, the movie starts off with full-out action and then also introduces full-on comedy as well. Sure, the film did both very well. However, I did notice that there were moments where the tone of one overrode, or moreso clashed with, the other. Again, not saying that the film didn’t execute the genre of action or comedy well. No no, it did both very well – but there were some conflicting tone overlaps at moments.
And lastly, another nitpick, but the film didn’t have the best CGI in certain parts.

|>>Verdict<<|

was a great comedic action flick that’s highly recommended if you’re looking for something to have a good, light time with. I’m sure you’ll find yourself smiling and laughing, while also enjoying the high action parts as well.

Read More

Ordinary and messy but fun

Feature debut of Cho Eun-ji, who has been making a name in the Korean film industry as an actress of films like “The Villainess” and “Concubine” since the beginning of the millennium, “Perhaps Love” is a romantic comedy that tries to stray away from the norms through a number of different ways and an intensely episodic approach.

Cho Eun-ji has a great comedic cast under her instructions, and she manages to make the most of them in that regard. Ryu Seung-ryong’s immaturity and awkwardness, Oh Na-ra’s frantic mood changes and short temper as Mi-ae, Kim Hee-won’s despair as Soon-mo and Sung Yoo-bin’s multileveled frustration as Seong-gyeong create an explosively funny mix that carries the movie for the most of its duration. In that fashion, the interactions of the many protagonists are hilarious to watch a number of times, with Cho including enough episodes to allow them to do so. Even Mu Jin-sung as Yoo-jin, who is the main “advocate” of drama here, has its funny moments, even if in a more subtle fashion, in an overall approach that both highlights and benefits from the chemistry of the cast. The fighting scene inside the apartment is a great testament to the fact.
Through this approach, Cho also manages to present her comments about love, parenthood, mentorship, creativity, all of which seem to showcase how difficult life can be both in professional and social terms. At the same time, though, the changes the protagonists undergo during the many events they experience and the way they change them induce the movie with a rather optimistic note, which works quite well here, particularly through the whole persona of Hyun.

What does not work though, is the number of episodes, and to the point, of characters, here, which prolong the movie to almost two hours, and become somewhat tiresome after a point, even if individually, they still make sense. Particularly close to the end, when elements of (melo) drama come to the fore, Cho seems to lose control of her narrative, resulting in a movie that could definitely have ended much sooner. This also dulls the effort of editor Kim Tae-gyong, who has implemented a rather fast pace in order for all the episodes to fit in, but could have trimmed the movie, particularly close to the end.

Kim Tae-soo’s cinematography is fittingly polished, with his framing being quite enjoyable on occasion (the fighting scene once more) without any particular exaltations.

Cho Eun-ji seems to have hit the reef of the first time directors, who frequently try to do as much as possible in the feature debut. However, the result is rather entertaining for the most part while she seems to have many interesting social comments to make, which deem the film hopeful.

Read More

Comedic Grief with Heart and Gangsters

On a script by Bae Se-young, who also penned the hilarious “Extreme Job”, “Stellar: A Magical Ride” combines comedy with action elements and some family (melo) drama, in a crowd pleasing effort that has both good and bad moments.

Kwon Soo-kyung directs a movie that moves into a number of distinctly mainstream paths. The car-chase elements are combined with a road-trip aspect that has Young-bae stumbling upon almost every issue a (professional) driver can stumble upon. Offensive drivers, mechanical issues, impolite “customers”, not to mention a number who are willing to resort to violence to solve their road problems, with this last factor bringing us to another central aspect of the narrative, action, which is aplenty here and also includes much hand-to-hand combat. The approach to the action is mostly comedic, but the scenes occasionally are quite violent even if not bloody. Comedy is another central element here, essentially encompassing all others in the film, with the things that happen to Young-bae being the main source of it, as much as the way the gang members fail to catch him or get their cargo back. Lastly, his memories of his father, and his childhood in general, bring in a family drama aspect that occasionally borders on the melodrama, even more so after the appearance of Dong-sik, although the general approach remains focused on the comedic.

The combination of all these elements results in an episodic movie, whose individual moments are appealing, benefitting the most by Son Ho-jun’s acting as Young-bae, the function of the car, which eventually exhibits elements of humanity, and the fact that the villains are both dangerous and clumsy on occasion, with Kim Kyeon-woo as Sledgehammer, embodying this aspect to the fullest. Lee Sung-jae’s cinematography captures all these elements with a fittingly polished approach, with the exception of the flashbacks, whose “fogginess” could have been avoided. Shin Min-kyung’s editing results in an equally fitting fast pace that finds its apogee in the action scenes, where Jeon Jae-hyeong’s choreography also shines in its combination of comedy and violence.

At the same time, as a whole, the movie does not make that much sense, having too many things happening at the same time, too many characters involved, and the father arc occasionally bordering on the cheesy. Furthermore, and although there is nothing wrong with any performance, some more star quality would definitely benefit the film, considering its nature, with the comparison with “Extreme Job” highlighting the fact quite eloquently.

Despite some issues here and there, that do not allow it to reach the top of the category, “Stellar: A Magical Ride” is fun and quite easy to watch, and that is where its true value lies.

Read More

Alzheimer's disease closes all doors and exits. There is no escape.. unfortunately

The film seems rather rough in the sense that it neglects other contextual details to logically support the situation to give more weight, such as the origin of the father’s life. Su-jin’s relationship with her parents in the past Sujin’s marriage Gina’s life in America including solving problems in a concrete way at the end Instead, the film focuses on conveying Su Jin’s physical and mental suffering from Alzheimer’s. Squeeze the emotions of the audience in the most heartbreaking..

Her father decided to move in with her. At the age when the child is young He continued to work abroad. let the child grow on his own Now your child is suffering from a serious disease that impairs his ability to live, remember, speak, and regulate his emotions. faecal control They all went back to being like children again. So he tried his best as a new father. This is the main content where the film will convey the relationship between father and daughter to the audience with warm and heartfelt appreciation. ‘Thinking about Dad’ come up immediately

Of course, the most powerful moment was the moment when his father intelligently took care of Su Jin. Based on his wisdom and calmness, he tries to encourage in all forms. Extend your child’s normal, independent life for as long as possible. and he was by her side as the disease progressed to such an extent that she lost her ability to live with it.
especially anyone who has had an experience with someone close to a loved one sick with this disease will understand each situation better. to the point where tears burst surely must be raised to the beauty of the craft This is Hyun Jin Who is your biggest fan? which should not be missed..

So why is the film called Cassiopeia What? Apparently Gina doesn’t just like to look at the stars. And the stargazing activities together are the only meaningful memories of this family. But by implication the importance of the brightest constellation is Cassiopeia ‘star mother’ in order to be able to find the North Star more easily The North Star is the star that guides us to identify the North. Like a father who comes by his side to make life go in the right direction.

Read More

If you look with hatred, every grass is a weed. If you look with kindness, every person is a flower

One refreshing drama! We have a good number of school drama but almost all of them focus on the students meanwhile Black Dog focuses on the teachers. Probably, Black Dog is more suited to be called as a workplace drama that’s set at school as it focuses on the teachers’ life and struggles and school politics. Ha Neul (Seo Hyun Jin) finally got hired but only as a short term teacher at her old high school. She had it hard to blend in with other teachers because there was rumors of her being hired due to her uncle’s position at the school. Slowly, she got accepted by the crowd and the accusation was proven to be false. She also bit by bit proved it to people that she’s a great teacher not only at teaching but also at bonding with her students.

The early eps were a little bit slow to my liking but the pace picked up later. I liked that everything was calming and healing. At some point it felt relatable too. Some people might think it’s boring due to its laid back nature, not too fast pace, no drama and all but in my opinion it’s exactly one of its charms.

It wasn’t hard to get attached with every character. The writing for each character was great making it easy to understand their point of view. Not all character’s action was good, for example when they went against the majority (or what we wanted/expected) it wasn’t hard to understand their decision. There was no right or wrong in this drama but more like different point of view. Therefore, very pleased to say that there’s no bad character in this drama. It’s all about perspective. By the end of the series, I ended up rooting for each character.

The plot was something realistic –even though I doubt any education institution would let their teachers go to battlefield without any preparation (Ha Neul’s first day at school). But other than Ha Neul’s tragic first day, everything else was something that I think could occur in real life school. There was no romance in this drama but it didn’t lessen the excitement at all. It was purely the teachers’ journey of becoming the better them and guiding their students to get accepted at their preferred university.

The cinematography was great and sleek. The acting was great from every cast. I also liked the post production work. There were many silence scenes especially during emotional scenes. For me it really accentuated the emotion, delivered better what the writer wanted to show.

>Overall<

A nice slice-of-life drama. Might be a little bit plain for some but for me it’s definitely one of the most comfortable dramas in 2020. The bonding between the teachersXstudents and also teachersXteachers were very nice to watch and it also served as one of the highlights.

Read More

Cinderella and Four Knights « The Magical Effect of a Woman »

Cinderella and the Four Knights was such a fun and easy watch. On the surface, it’s more of a fluff piece where we just get to enjoy watching the poor Cinderella girl get to live in a fancy house and draw the affections of multiple handsome guys. And all of that was definitely fun!

But it’s also a story of people finding happiness by coming to terms with who they are and reconciling past hurts in order to finally become a family. One girl is tasked with helping this fractured family come together. And while she helps them, she also goes on her own journey.

Park So Dam was fantastic as our leading lady Eun Ha Won. She is the absolute perfect mixture of sweet, cheerful, and strong. She takes no grief from any of the guys and can completely hold her own in any situation.

And Park So Dam is absolutely beautiful and adorable in this role. Her smile just completely lights up every scene, and I always can’t help but smile right along with her.

I also give a lot of credit to Park So Dam for having this effortless chemistry with all of the guys. She just comes off so natural and comfortable with each guy that it really helped bring out the best in each of them.

Jung Il Woo was very solid in the role of Kang Ji Woon. This role is very different from other roles I have seen him in. His characters are frequently loud, unique, and overly confident. Whereas Ji Woon is really a very normal character.

He’s that quiet, tortured, rebel who really needs some happiness in life. It took a while for him to really begin opening up, but it was great to see. I really enjoyed Jung Il Woo in this, and it’s definitely my favorite character of his.

We have Ahn Jae Hyun in the second lead role of Kang Hyun Min. He’s the cocky playboy of the group, and he’s the one who gets Ha Won involved with his family. I always find Ahn Jae Hyun a bit stiff and awkward, but I think his interactions with Park So Dam helped make him pleasant enough to watch since he got to spend a lot of time with her in the beginning.

Lee Jung Shin plays Kang Seo Woo. He’s the sweet and fun one of the group. As a popular singer, he keeps busy. It doesn’t take long for him to fall for Ha Won, and the two of them certainly had a cute dynamic.

Lee Yoon Sung (Choi Min Sung) is our resident bodyguard. He has a hard time letting loose and having fun, but Ha Won is even able to bring out that side of him a time or two. He is very loyal to the Kang family, and does his best to look after them.

Son Na Eun plays the other woman in our main love square, Park Hye Ji. Ji Woon has had feelings for her for a long while, but she only has eyes for Hyun Min who doesn’t seem to look at her as more than a friend. She added an interesting dynamic to the group for sure.

Ji Woon and Ha Won ended up being a completely adorable couple! There was just so much cute! I thought Jung Il Woo and Park So Dam had this wonderful and easy going chemistry between them, and I just couldn’t get enough of it.

I also really loved the progression of Ji Woon and Ha Won’s relationship. It had this very natural flow to it that took its time from moving from bickering to friendship and finally to romantic love.
Watching Ji Woon open up to Ha Won and start to feel some happiness in his life was such a joy to see. And these two had some fantastic couple moments! The big confession of feelings by Ji Woon is one of my favorites I have seen in a drama. It was such a sweeping romantic moment that gave me so many feels. I really loved this couple!
I really enjoyed that the drama had an actual love square. I loved the dynamics between the two couples as they all had to work out their feelings for each other. It made for a complex and interesting romantic entanglement.

Cinderella and the Four Knights also has a wonderful soundtrack that was utilized very well. I immensely enjoyed all of the songs and was so glad that they played them all frequently. It really helped set up a fun, romantic, and heartwarming atmosphere.

Cinderella and the Four Knights is just a good solid drama. It was tons of fun with a lot of heart. Park So Dam was the absolute perfect female lead, and Jung Il Woo really gave a wonderful performance as we slowly watched his character grow. And with one of the cutest couples around Dramaland, I was never short on smiles. All in all, Cinderella and the Four Knights was a joy and has left me with a lot of good memories.

Read More