JohnnyRobinson
Springfield, MO
1998 shorts that were two of a four-part as part of Gakkō no Kaidan G
Also Known As: Katasumi (In a Corner) and 4444444444 (Ten Fours)The short films that started the Ju-on/The Grudge franchise.
The original was part of a four-story shorts by Takashi Shimizu; he impressed Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who arranged for him to make the first two movies:
Ju-on: The Curse (February 11, 2000) and
Ju-on: The Curse 2 (March 25, 2000).
Shimizu was taking a film-making class under Kurosawa at the time.
The combined films are 6 minutes, 42 seconds long, but can be found online in shorter versions.
There seems to be a confusion over the 'names' of the two girls. Yoshida Hisayo (Omura Ayako) is fine but some list the second girl as Kayako Saeki or Kanna Murikam and played by Fuji Takako or Kanna Kashima...and to think some people really do care!
This short is also available on the Grudge 2 dvd extra disc.
The plot is so short and simple that I am skipping this part.
First off a little history...
In both films we have a Eastern concept of onryō, which can be more than a ghost if you want to study up on them.
Being a Religious Studies major, with a lot of reading also in mythology, folklore, et al, onryō are only a tiny portion of yurei, or 'dim spirits'; the most dreaded type of these are onryōis or onryō, vengeful spirts that can be found in cities, shopping malls, any type store, or anywhere else.
They are vengeful spirits usually born when people are wronged: a husband kills his wife, a walker is intentionally ran over by a driver in a car, a soldier is offered to live if he surrenders but us killed instead. Most are female spirits, but many exceptions exist
Instead of just wandering, they transform into powerful, wrathful spirits who seek vengeance on everything they encounter. Often they were victims of war, catastrophe, betrayal, murder, or suicide—and they many times display wounds or marks received at the time of death.
The stories of onryō go back to at least 8th century Japan and are found in all areas where people have lived and are especially are prevalent during bad times and times when there is no justice for the poor and weak.
The important thing you should remember is that "vengeance." is what all of them want, and "strange sounds" are characteristic of all of them as well!!
I enjoyed this but it wasn't scary to me. I sat laughing at the characters as they were acting!
Good short for a person's first try or so. I had heard about the Grudge movies before but had never had the time to see them.
I will try to catch them in the future!
444-444-4444, second part
As I just explained in my review for Cursed (2002), numbers has significant 'meaning' in Japan and other Asian countries
Again, a little history,...
"Numbers" are very important in Japan and most of everywhere else in Southeast Asia, full of symbolism for both young and old alike; there is even a full page of the similar ways that the number '4' is pronounced in different SE Asia dialects, but basically the kanji for 4 四 can be pronounced "shi," which in another kanji 死 means death
While he's an onryō, he is still a child as well. Keeping his childish disposition makes him more eerie
Again, it wasn't as so scary as it was humorous, but I will try to watch some of the sequels if I can find the time!
RE-WATCH VALUE" Yes!
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"I Can't Go..I Can't Go Inside...I Cannot Go Inside That Place...Because...Because This Place Is..."
Since whomever uploaded this movie information refused to add all the main and support cast, I am listing them here in my review:Kyôko Akiba as Ryôko Kagami, the rep for the convenience store chain taking over this haunted one
Takaaki Iwao as Komori, the male night-shift clerk, also called "Paulos"
Hiroko Satô as Nao Shingaki (female part-time store worker/clerk)
Osamu Takahashi as Store owner
Etsuyo Mitani as Store owner's wife
Susumu Terajima as Akira Tejima ('no legs', bit part)
Yuko (actress name unknown), young female able to sense presence of ghosts/tortured souls in the store.
This movie started out with a fast and bloody surprise which most people won't be expecting!
The simplest methods to scare people are usually the best! This under-rated movie combines horror with mystery. The director gets well-deserved kudos for the simplicity of this flick!
The 'scares' are not overdone in this movie, as in many Asian horror movies (The Ring comes to mind as one!).
Even though this looks like a low-budget movie, it has some great scenes in it!
There are a couple of places where the action is very, very slow, but I personally believe this is made up in the scenes where they surprise you with eerie situations; there were even a few funny parts as well!
I also thought the 'refrigerator' scenes were different for a change. I never expected it!
The whole movie is very dark, and the director used dark scenes in this movie to portray the impending ghost activity here, but it also made part of the movie hard to watch. The girl being stalked in the hallway also looked a lot like the main female character; only by watching it that scene a few did I realize that it was the customer rather than the new manager.
Even time is subject to change in our Japanese "konbini/conbini" where this movie for the most part takes place.
As a Religious Studies major, I have read about religion, mythology and other countries' folklore (religion, myth and folklore are all related, but this is not the place to discuss that!)...I had to go back to my school books, but found the story of the "girl between the gap", which was referenced here; also, the numbers '334' '444' (if you want to make a Japanese person mad, use this number in your conversation or such with them!) '666' and such. I even believe that the '999' may be just writing the '666' upside-down in this movie..there you have to have some knowledge of Japan, China, Vietnam, et al. These numbers occur frequently in this movie, especially just before incidents!
What I am trying to say is that some knowledge of Japanese culture will make this more scarier for you!
I liked the scenes where the different ghosts exhibited their unique ways of haunting; the acting was really good, and the "gotcha" moments were interesting. The parts which were left for your imagination also made this movie worth watching.
Since this was a horror/ghost movie, i intentionally paid more attention to the music. which surprised me as being synchronized to the acting/upcoming incidents here.
The camera angles were used to add to the 'bizarre' feeling that the movie tried to portray; and the rest of the cinematography was also good.
This, however, was not a big-budget movie, but did well for what it tried to do: scare you just a bit!
The movie shot around the female lead Ryôko Kagami (Kyôko Akiba), hence no love story for her; but there was a side love story between Nao Shingak (Sakata Memeko,/Sato Hiroko)) and Komori/Paulos (Takaaki Iwao ), which was cute!
The actors did an excellent job through facial expression and dialogue making this a really good horror movie; all the support cast also did a great job supporting the main female actress and the stories that unfolded.
The major downside is that this was a low-budget film; although the camera angles were good and such, you could tell that money was tight on the set.
All in all, it was a great little movie, not Golden Globe- or Oscar-quality, but I would re-watch it occasionally, if for nothing else, the weird characters and their interactions occasionally.
RE-WATCH VALUE: Yes!
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"All Of Us Have Someone Who Is Hidden In The Bottom Of The Heart...We Will Feel Like 'Umm'""
I glanced at some of the other reviewers and they said that it ended 'badly'...how do they come to this conclusion?
In a coming-of-age movie, Nam (Baifern Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul) has a crush on Shone (Mario Maurer) since around 7th grade; he is a10th grader at the beginning of the movie. handsome, good at sports, and all-around nice guy to the school girls.
However, as many young inexperienced girls having their first crush, Nam doesn't believe that she is 'pretty enough' to be Shone's girlfriend. so she admired him from afar but still tries to arrange to see him and be around him at school as much as possible.
Knowing that she is interested in Shone, her girlfriends, who have hung together since 1st grade, do home 'beauty treatments' on Nam, which adds to the comedy of this movie!
While name is occupied with her crush, Uncle Chang (Jaturong Mokjok) arrives from America, where her father (Off Pongpat Wachirabunjong) is working to feed his family and get ahead. Uncle Change tells Nam and her sister, Paeng (Kajathaneeya Srirotwattana, not listed on MDL: last column on cast at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Love_(2010_Thai_film) that their father will pay for their ticket to America if they score at the top of their class.
Although she is ranked mid-class, Nam starts giving her all to be able to go and see her father!
The majority of the story centers around friendships, normal school activities, et al (I will let you watch the movie for that part!) and Nam being chosen for the part of Cinderella in a school play, which makes her become more visible to the -pubescent boys.
Of course, a new girl enters the scene, Pin (Wittawat Arisara) who becmoes nam's adversary for Shone's affections, and Top (Not Akkaranat Ariyaritwikul) another friend of Shone, who becomes an adversary for Nam's love during the last year and a half of high school.
The side stories are also interesting; but I will let you watch them yourself as well!
The high school year for Shone ends with Nam confessing her love for him, and being heart-broken when she finds out that he started dating someone else just before she worked up the nerve for her love declaration. She gives him a momento of his (which becomes another misunderstanding) that she had kept since an altercation between Shone and another high school boy a few years earlier.
A unexpected 'twist' happens just as Shone is going away for training as a professional soccer player; it seems that Shone, an amateur photographer has been secretly been photographing Nam throughout the years; I haven't the faintest idea why some high school boy like Shone would be taking copious photos of Nam, especially since Nam doesn't feel "pretty enough' to be his girlfriend, would you?!
Fast forward - 9 years; after Nam has graduated high school in America's I believe and made a name for herself in the fashion industry as well here.
I was so heartbroken when I saw Shone taking a baby to Pin's place of work, but breathed a sigh of relief when Pin said she wished her baby's father loved the baby as much as Shone did! He hadn't married her!
Returning to Thailand, Nam is honored by a television show for her contributions to the fashion industry in the States and promoting Thailand as well; the hostess of the show has a special guest waiting backstage for Nam, someone who waited 9 years for the 'love of his life' to return from the States, where she went to live with her father and study fashion...
He is now a professional photographer after playing professional football for some years in Thailand...
I don't think that your eyes will be dry when the two get back together!
('Soccer' outside of America is called 'football')
I don't understand how some reviewers thought that this ending was so terrible!
I loved the attraction that the two main cast members portrayed for each other; perfect acting from both of them!
Baifern Pimchanok Luevisadpaibul portrayed the young Nam, who considered herself ugly, perfectly...she went into squealing, and congratulating herself every time Shone gave his attention to her, or when Shone smiled or spoke to her...all are well done, making the screenwriter and director portray Nam as a real girl who goes bananas when Shone communicates with her.
Mario Maurer also portrayed the young man very well, showing that he also was interested in her, excellently. However, the director didn't allow him to show his interest in Nam until near the end...this story reminds me of Su-ki-da (2005), and the laborious time it took for the main cast in that movie to proclaim love to each other.
The support cast, as well, were excellent both in the side stories and also supporting the main story that the lead cast were telling.
The music was different, but nice, and the cinematography is excellent, as far as I am concerned. I do like th4e 'twists' that the directors added in places, both for the main and support cast' stories; this movie si romantic, comical, and dramatic, all wrappe d into one movie!
I want to give an extra kudo to Teacher Inn (Sudarat Butrprom), who was a great comic relief in the movie. She has to either be a comedian or have comedy training in her past! Her 'exploits' during this film filled in the segways between the main story and side stories as well.
This movie was slow in the beginning but picked up speed during the 2nd half; probably to fully develop the characters in the first half. This movie is also family-friendly, as Nam's parents are both hard-working and seem to care about their daughters; and Nam mentions her mother as one o f the reasons for coming back from the States.
This movie is geared toward the 12- to 18-year old range, but would make a great after noon or weekend movie for the entire family...
This is a half a box of Kleenex movie, by the way.
I am looking forward to watching more of Puttipong Promsaka Na Sakolnakorn's movies; however, i think I have already seen his "Yes or No (2010)" already!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Yes!
If you like this movie, may I suggest Su-ki-da (2005) or By Stealth Like You (2021, available in one combined film at YouTube movies).
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"...Beautiful Sound Like In The Tautness Of A Bow. I Want To Live Like This Until The Day I Die"
Any movie which you watch directed by Kim Di Kuk has to understand his (I don't know whether to call it 'idiosyncratic' or 'eccentric') outlook on making movies. You have to use your vision; watching the faces and actions of his characters, and you also have to watch how the character acts, or doesn't act, as a normal person would in the situation in which the director places that character..Kim Di Kuk uses the full abilities of his actors and actresses when they appear in one of his films. Being a screenwriter for many of his films [or not, he only directed My Mother, (2013)] he gives them very little dialogue to use to portray their characters or their emotions here, or his other films.
It was the third time I watched this movie that I realized that absolutely NO ONE had a name in this movie!
Every time you watch a Kim Di Kuk film, you will notice something 'different' that you missed before!
Also, until you see the film yourself, don't believe what others say about it; one reviewer said that the 'young man' became interested in the young girl first, which is not true. It was the other way around.
An old man, who many called 'Grandfather' (Jeon Sung Hwan) brought a young, 6-year-old girl (played by Han Yeo Reum, 10 years later) to his boat off Korea's coast. 'Grandfather' charges fisherman to come fish off of his sanctuary from society; after a visit or two the fishermen start gossiping about the relationship between 'Grandfather' and his supposedly 'grand-daughter.'
Both the grandfather and young girl have grown fond of each other; this is shown in various scenes in the beginning. The grandfather has told others that they will marry on her 17th birthday, just a few months from when our look at their lives again. The grandfather uses his bow and arrows to protect the young girl from other men trying to take advantage of her, and she herself is capable of using them as well to protect herself.
Grandfather also tells the fishermen their fortunes, in a very eccentric way!
Unfortunately, grandfather brings to his fishing business a father and his young son, a student (Seo Ji Suk); the girl's eyes light up and she takes an immediate liking to him; also his headset which she has never seen before.
The young student also takes interest in the young girl, and senses that she has been isolated for years in her predicament.
"Grandfather' sees this and does not approve, but the two younger people develop a friendship; and things start to unravel between grandfather and the young lady, who no one believes is his grand-daughter. Plot twists from here one lead to an un-imagined ending to the story!
The main cast are great in this movie; the two main characters effectively portray their affection to each other in their somewhat bizarre relationship; and also effectively show the strain on the relationship as the third character is added.
The third main character, Seo Ji Suk, although his role is limited, shows believable concern and passion for the young girl and disdain toward Grandfather.
The support actors play their limited roles convincingly, which allowed the development of the story between the main characters.
Most of the 'story' is nonverbal, in that it is small details of interaction between the main characters, primarily the grandfather and young girl, that have to be watched and interpreted by the viewer; making the emotions of the film come from visual rather than auditory emotions.
The cinematography was excellent, IMO, but the sound from the bow instrument irritated me. Nothing personal, but it made my skin crawl some. I wonder if this was the 'effect' that Kim Di Kuk wanted, or not?
I like how you have to use all of your senses, except olfactory, to watch and understand this film.
I also like the portrayal of a bathroom onboard a small boat; many people do not realize that this is the 'traditional' was of relieving yourself on small craft!
The young girl grew to hate the grandfather after the many truths came out about her life, but she could not abandon him in the end! She found out what she was missing from life with him, but still had the love of his being her one and only mother, father, brother, sister, medic, confidante and 'grandfather' for ten years of her life!
Try abandoning someone who you love for a decade, even if and when you find how much they lied to you.
I also, the first time I was this movie, realized that the grandfather's last 'act' was the only one he could take; he had been found out as being a kidnapper and also marrying a female under the age of 17...and he couldn't get his (main) boat engine started or fixed.
One of the most 'eerie' things about this movie is the boat itself, in the end; although I am not going to tell you what happened!
This film is 'eerie' but 'tantalizing' at the same time! I keep telling myself that I am never going to watch it again; and also tell myself the same thing halfway through the next time I watch it. Oh, well...
If you are smart, don't ever watch ANY film directed by Kim Di Kuk to being with; you won't be hooked then!
No tissue are needed for watching this movie, but clip your fingernails first, so that you won't make fingernail scratches on your chair or couch as you are glued to your seat, as this movie slowly messes with your mind watching it.
RE-WATCH VALUE: no comment!
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This movie is listed under the name "Food Stall" at Dailymoton...
This movie is listed under the name "Food Stall" at Dailymoton, but the Korean name for it is the same.There are actually more cast for this movie, but it seems no one really cares about an accurate display for those who do porn movies...
Dae-ho, Man-soo and Jae-kyeong get stood up by a mutual friend, the groom on an 'after wedding' drinking party he promised.
Instead of talking about the groom and his new wife, they exchange sex fantasies about women they have met or have seen; Two make fun of the one who is into "dominant women" as his fantasies indicate. He leaves only to come back and continue the night of food, beer and fantasies!
What is hilarious is this is also a comedy; a major twist at the and shows you the reality, rather mom-reality. of their fantasies as the woman they are fantasizinng about comes to collect their bill!
The music was really appropriate, especially when the one female lead is stripping! Lee Chae Dam does an excellent performance at making the men's fantasies become real on film! Lee Chae Dam is also part of the "twist" as the end as she gives the three men the night's bill!
There is another female cast as well; and as soon as I find here I will add her and her name. The second female main did the most nude scenes.
The atmosphere is that of a "working man's bar" I experienced in Japan when I was stationed there; only difference was the symbols ans writing on the wall (I could have read the bulletins had they been in Japanese).
No support cast as the only scenes outside of the drinking establishment is very late at night, past everyone else's bedtime.
Filming was good;
RE-WATCH VALUE: Occasionally in the future.
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Drama Special Season 3: Don't Worry, It's a Ghost
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"Hold On To The Handle; The Bus Makes A Sudden Left Turn Soon."
Contrary to the film's ending, he was not the one responsible, he tried to prevent it!This was supposedly made specifically for Park Shin Hye in her popular period before her marriage, according to a KBS review of this movie online..
Lee Moon Gi (Bong Tae Kyu) is hit by a car whose driver was arguing with his female companion.
After being checked out for injuries, the police run his fingerprints; however, before the results are back a lovely female, later identified as Kim Yeon Hwa (Park Shin Hye) appears out of nowhere and tell him his name and address.
He goes home, only to find her hovering over him in the morning. She tells him that she is a ghost and takes him to her funeral.
She later tells him that there is a reason for her being there, but she didn't know why.
He later find out something bad had happened to her, and the rest of the movie is spent trying to find out "Who done it?"
Kim Yeon Hwa is a human in flashbacks in about 33 % of the movie; the rest she is a ghost who eats, drinks, and shows all kind of human emotions, although she is dead.
The main cast worked well together and seemed to fit perfectly and had enough attraction in their acting to make it seem true. We find out later that both of them met each other in the past, and that Moon Gi and Yeon Hwa had followed each other since, but never said anything.
The support cast also did a great job in their acting, lending credibility to the movie and supporting the plot being told by the main cast.
When I found out about who was present at the incident, I suspected the plot twist, which happened; however, if you go back and analyze the scene itself, the plot twist is a lie. Enough about this, already!
What is stranger still, Yeon Hwa must have forgiven Moon Gi...the ending scene proved this.
The ending was sad but this was probably among the the best love stories ever written.. I actually don't like sad endings but this really made me admire the ending of this movie
I really found this movie touching.. no commercial elements, no stupid romantic scenes, no vulgarity or nudity; just pure emotions from mainly Park Shin Hye ; when Bong Tae Kyu showed his emotion, it was beautiful, though.
This movie would make anyone cry; he loved her, and it showed that near the end. Had he had a different start in life this would have ended differently, but his ill-fated childhood made him shy and stand-offish to women.
He could have saved her, but he instead ran and hid after the incident took place.
Can you imagine the sadness, guilt, betrayal, and regret of his character.? To be involved with a lovely lady who was trying to tell him that she liked him, ever since her first meeting together.
This is a very good movie, but heartbreaking no matter how it ends. I thought the director, main and support cast did a great job, even with the limited time the director gave to this film (having a female director and screenwriter probably didn't hurt, either.) I am always saying that the director should have given another 10-30 minutes of some aspect of a movie, but this seemed to be the perfect length for the lesson being taught here!
KBS specials always have great plot twists and good acting; I knew somewhere near the end that would still be some surprise(s) left.
For all the movies that I've watched this is very different and mysterious The twist of this story is somewhat different than most KBS specials as well.
This movie full of emotions and the story is so well written.
This movie also shows the aspects of pain and sadness that can develop in a relationship.
I really recommend this to anyone who lokes a good movie.
This is about a one Kleenex box movie, give or take your personal crying style.
I dropped the overall score simply for the terrible ending!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Defijntely.
I want another movie, where Yeon Hwa assists Moon Gi when he gets out of prison and also helps him meet another great catch, like she was.
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"What A Nuisance.." "Are You Talking About Her or Me?" "Both"
This was a delightful short drama-comedy...until about 26 minutes into the film...I was glued to the screen throughout!Pam (Aom Sushar Manaying), is a fun-loving single woman who spends her free time partying with friends and enjoying life to the fullest, or at least that's what she wants you to think!
However, Pee, her sister (uncredited on MDL) comes calling with an immediate need: sister Pam has to babysit her naughty "niece" UK ( Ongsritragul Natthaya) while Pee goes overseas on a business trip; no other relatives available!
"Naughty" isn't the best word to describe her "niece"; I prefer "mischievous" instead!
Anyway, shall we say Pam is not too good at first taking car of the little one, but quickly learns about how to take care of a young "mischievous" girl. My heart stopped when I thought both her and the little girl were in danger, but fortunately it was just the next-door neighbor , Best (Best Anavil Charttong) who just may be as "mischievous" as Pam's charge is!
Pam goes through a maturing process over the 8-9 days that she is with her 'niece"; a maturing process that should have happened long ago. Even though she had never been with UK before, Pam grows to the be a perfect 'aunt' as the days progress.
However, just as things seem to be going right, an old 'flame' Tum (Yuan Nithichai Yotamornsunthornre)-appears, one that hurt Pam in the past. Pam is forced to face a long-overdue reality, which almost tears her apart. It's now UK who tries to comfort her "aunt" Pam.
I am going to have to try to watch more Nattawut Poonpiriy's films, as a last-minute "twist", the kind that only a director like Ang Lee or Kim Ki Duk are capable of, changed the whole perspective of this short but great movie! I had to rewind the film to see that it was a flashback rather than a linear scene in this film.
What started out as a simple family member helping out her sister with her "niece" became so more complicated but sad in the last 10 minutes or so!
The cinematography, music and overall effects for this short film were fantastic!
The main cast were great at portraying themselves as a "family" and the support cast also did a fabulous job playing their roles and supporting the main cast in their telling of the main story. I first laughed then wept all the way through and was shocked after the director's final "twist" on this short film.
A movie that will take you from laughter to shock, in less than 45 minutes!
A special kudo to Pompam Niti Chaichitathorn, who incidentally played a librarian here as he did in The Library (2013). His brief scenes were bubbly as in the other movies I have seen him play.
My only wish is that Poonpiriy had shown another 5 to 10 more minutes on the main cast together.
This is a full box of Kleenex movie, even though it is a short one!
WARNING: Although she is young, Ongsritragul Natthaya steals the movie from the adults in just a few scenes!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!
Charge (def):
the responsibility of taking care or control of someone or something. "the people in her charge are pupils and not experimental subjects"
a person or thing entrusted to the care of someone: "the babysitter watched over her charges"
a responsibility or onerous duty assigned to someone.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
First, it was very hard watching Cha Tae Hyun play the 'special' young man in this movie.Even though I have to give him credit for being able to play various roles in other dramas and movies, it was still hard to watch him play the role here. I would have been able to watch it easier had it been a newcomer actor who I had not seen act before!
However, I finally was able to get over the fact that it was hard watching him play such a role, it was a great movie!
Seung Ryong (Tae Hyun) had an accident at night while asleep inhaling carbon monoxide for a period of time when he was young; the same incident killed his father, who was also asleep in the same house where the incident occurred. After that, he was picked on by the students in his school (the same school where his little sister later attended) and he was also accused of things which were not his fault. Fortunately his mother believed him but he was still removed from school.
Later, his dying mother told him that he needed to care for his little sister for the rest of his life; which he did although his sister never appreciated it until it was too late! He prepared breakfast for her every morning, but remembered that his mother told him not to not bother her until she got up herself. Ji In (spelled Jee-in in the Eng sub movie, played by actress Park Ha Sun) never ate the breakfast he made her, but later regretted the way she treated him.
His 'simple' mind could not learn how to make anything except toasted egg sandwiches, something that any 6- to 7-year-old is capable of making at home when they begin to learn how to cook for themselves. Working out of a small street vendor's booth near the school where his little sister attends, he faithfully sold sandwiches for $1 apiece every morning to the students and staff and other customers (including JI-ho's father/local doctor, actor Song Jae Ho), and watched for his little sister to arrive for classes every day.
Afternoons saw him again at his toasted sandwich shop; selling his one and only sandwich and again looking for his little sister to leave school and head for their home by herself. The money he made went to pay for her school supplies, her school clothes, her other expenses, utilities...and all he had was one change of clothes and a bunch of shoes, which he always lost one out of every pair!
Seung Ryong liked a little girl by the name of Ji Ho (adult character played by Ha Ji Won) but since he was accused of a crime which destroyed her piano, she told him to " 'get lost' and never see me again." Even though he waited all his life for her to return, he remembered and still tried to keep away from her afterward, until he told her what she had said a decade ago and she removed the request.
Ji ho received inspiration from Seung Ryong when she froze in front of a school recital when she was a kid; suffering from stage fright, and stage fright again struck her at a European concert a decade later. Ji-ho left the stress of her European recitals and returns home for support from her father, and it seems also, the love and support that Seung Ryong had given her in her early days of her playing piano. Ji-ho had forgotten that he wasn't always 'special' before the home accident, and re-establishes her friendship with him after her aunt reminds her of how he became the way he was.
Unfortunately, Seung Ryong's best friend, Sang Su (spelled Sang-Soo on the Eng sub movie, actor Park Hee Soon) ] runs a low-cost 'booze and women' establishment in the vicinity, where women are forced to "work" to pay off debts to a mob boss. Sang Su/Sang Soo was actually the young kid who caused the fire that Seung Ryong was accused of in school! They were best friends however after Sang Soo finished school.
A girl that Sang Su likes is working there by the name of Hee Yeong (Park Gri Na). Hee Yeong is tired of working at this 'job' and threatens to quit, only to be told that the boss has photos of her! After a beating of the boss by Sang Su, the boss sends goons to teach him a lesson; and as Hee Yeong comes back to warn him to leave Sang Su alone, he tells his goons to "follow her" and she would lead them to Sang Su. Unfortunately he also tells them that they will know Sang Su by the 'bandages on his hands'...
Unfortunately, Seung Ryong has fallen asleep in his business waiting for his little sister to come by his shop after school a day earlier; she had taken another route home and he falls asleep at his griddle and drops his hand on the hot griddle accidentally, burning it enough for the hand to have to be bandaged (by Ji ho). The next day, with his hand bandaged, Hee Yeong stops to talk to Seung Ryong before going to find Sang Su, not knowing the boss's goons are following her, and looking for a man with his hand bandaged.
Earlier that very day, Ji In/Jee-in is taken to the hospital by Seung Ryong, after the kids are talking at his toast booth and casually remark that his sister was bent over in pain at school that morning; he runs to the school and carries her to the hospital. He tells a teacher trying to stop him that he is her older brother, in a way that showed his inability to communicate effectively.
Running without thinking about anything but getting his little sister to the doctor, he loses the pair of new shoes that Ji ho had just purchased for him; Ji ho waits in the visitor's lobby with him, letting him lay his head on her shoulder and sleep.
In the hospital, Ji In/Jee-in's doctor (and Ji ho's father) tells Ji in that she should be proud of her big brother and that all the money he makes from his toasted egg sandwiches goes to pay her bills and keep the utilities up; he points out that her big brother has NOTHING of his own except one pair of clothes. The doctor is a regular at Seung Ryong toasted egg sandwich booth, supporting him since he knows where Seung Ryong's heart is, a 'special' man with a 6-year-old brain who doesn't want or need handouts.
Ji ho buys Seung Ryong a new pair of shoes, warning him not to lose this new pair (again). As always, Seung Ryong smiles on receiving them.
Going home after the fateful meeting with Hee Yeong, Seung Ryong gathers things from his and his little sister's house which he thinks she will need in the hospital; on the way to the hospital the goons, thinking he is Sang Su/Sang Soo, beat him to within inches of his life. He barely makes it in front of Ji ho's family residence before collapsing.
Earlier he had asked Ji Ho to play her piano for the stars to appear; to show themselves while his little sister was being operated on.. When people die like his father and mother, Seung Ryong was told, they become stars! He doesn't understand that the stars are always there, but were being hidden by clouds that evening!
With Seung Ryong's insistence, Ji ho finally finds the nerve to play again, and as Ji ho begins playing again after a long hiatus, Seung Ryong is shown bleeding to death in front of her house, listening to her play and looking at a photo of his parents and his little sister in his hands, and trying to recover the shoe he just lost a few feet behind him, the last pair that Ji ho had just bought him!
The music was basic but very supportive to the plot when used; the cinematography, the locations, the ambiance, everything seemed perfect in this movie! All...except the ending, that is!
The main cast seemed interested in each other but as I said before, it was so hard watching the main male lead in his portrayal of a 'special needs' person here. Ha Ji Won had taken piano lessons as a child, and another professional actor/piano player brushed her up for the scenes where she needed to look like a professional pianist; her treatment of Tae Hyun's character grew throughout the movie as well: she played her part here well as in the other movies I had seen her in after this one: Ditto (2000), Sex is Zero ( 2002), 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant (2004), Sex Is Zero 2 (2007), His Last Present (2008), and Sector 7 (2011).
She, JI-ho, recovered her ability to play in front of crowds and she is seen in the last scene after a magnificent piano performance with a symphony in what I believe was Europe, recovering from her stage fright, and I believe remembering
Seung Ryong afterward in the process!
The support cast played their roles magnificently, supporting the main characters and the main plot.
However, in my opinion, Park Ha Sun as Ji In/Jee in stole the entire movie in her last scenes!
After the doctor told her how her older brother took care of her, she treated him nicer when he came back to visit her again, not realizing that this would be her one and only chance to make up for years of treating him poorly!
After her big brother's wrongful death, Ji in reads all the notes that their mother had made to tell Seung Ryong how to take care of her, his little sister, because 'he' is all that she (his/her mother) had to offer her daughter: make her food every day for breakfast; don't wake her up, don't bother her though; etc.
However, the scene that stole the movie from Ha Ji Won was her trip to the Recorder of Deaths office; I am not going to tell you about it, but I would have moved her last scene to after Ha Ji Won's last scene myself.
After seeing it, let me know what you think!
This is a two boxes of Kleenex movie...
If you are in the doghouse with your girlfriend/wife, watch this movie with her and she will forgive you for whatever you did to make her mad at you to begin with!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!
Cha Tae Hyun movies I have seen already are My Sassy Girl (2001), Lover's Concerto (2002), Windstruck (2004), Sad Movie (2005), and My New Sassy Girl (2016).
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"Oh, Are You Here For Mizue? Can We Take Up Where We Left Off?"
The main casts in this movie, Yuriko (Eguchi Noriko) and young Doi Tetsuya (Sometani Shota) start a relationship when Yuriko only wants to smell his hair after he has sweated.First, it just is not my bag of tea...
"Smell" does have a effect on relationships. For example:
In relationships, 'trust your sense of smell, it's often right'
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/in-relationships-trust-your-sense-of-smell-it-s-often-right-20190619-p51zay.html
The smelly truth about romantic relationships and health
https://theconversation.com/the-smelly-truth-about-romantic-relationships-and-health-131171
and
Love Stinks: The Association between Body Odors and
Romantic Relationship Commitment
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj3zuitraX2AhUTKH0KHckIBg8QFnoECAgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2F2076-3425%2F11%2F11%2F1522%2Fpdf&usg=AOvVaw252z_J2r3e-iWiYVnlnTwc
Napolean Bonaparte exchanged copius letters during his military campaigns with his wives: Empress Joséphine (m. 1796–1810), and Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (m. 1810–1821),
If you want some interesting reading try the letters between the wives and him!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I agree with Tom Mes of Midnight Eye, who called the film "sexy as sin'; but it is so WEIRD otherwise that I had a problem
watching the whole movie.
Second, I have nothing against nudity, Yuriko and Ayama (Saori Hara), Yuriko's trainee, both showed their breasts. Being a guy, it was erotic, but not in 'bad taste'. Most other guys would agree with me.
Third, the movie itself is not that bad and if you want to try something different, be my guest!
I just cannot wrap my head around someone sniffing my head all day like that!
The music and cinematogrphy was great on this film, and the main and support cast were effective in making the story seem real and such...and I thought the interaction between Ayame (Hara Saori) and young Doi Tetsuya was so cute and natural; best part of the movie!
Again, I am not knocking the cast members, main and support, but the movie 'subject' would not let me get into it the way I would another, better movie!
A kudo to Miho (Kijima Noriko) in a movie where she kept her clothes on for once
RE-WATCH VALUE: Not from me, but if you like weird movies - GO FOR IT!
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"If You Blow On It, Your Wish Would Come True...What Are You Wishing For? For You To Grow Up."
I was torn between using three quotes from the movie..."I'll Forgive You For Dumping Me...Forgive Me For Hating You."
(Your Grandfather) Told Me to Give It To You When You Found Something That You Value So Much To Give Up Everything Else."
I settled for the one in the headline, mainly due to its length.
Kang Jae Kyung (Hyun Bin) is the typical spoiled millionaire's grandson, arrogant, self-centered and making more money every day (through his grandfather's corporation he will inherit) than most people would be able to make in their entire lifetime!
However, the day after turning 18, he finds that his grandfather realized how spoilt and arrogant he was; and 'arranged' for his
being brought down a few notches before getting his inheritance...
Leaving for his grandfather's birthplace to learn how to be more human in order to receive his inheritance, he doesn't realize that his grandfather had made arrangements for his 'easy way out' being blocked!
More importantly, he meets someone from his past, a young lady by the name of Choi Eun Hwan (Lee Yun Hee), but it takes some time for him to realize it.
After travelling to his past, through memories, and finally being exposed to where he grew up, Jae Kyung begins remembering what is really important in life, but too late for Eun Hwan to be a part of it.
The scenery, music and cinematography were excellent in this movie! I personally would love to live in such an area portrayed in the movie myself. I found myself 'wanting' to live in this tiny, but close-knit community as the movie progressed!
The main cast were excellent together, and you could feel the magnetism, between the two cast members; the support cast also did an excellent job, making individual contributions to the story, while supporting the main cast in their roles and the main story as well.
My only complaint is that although some of the movie 'lagged' I felt the director should have spent another 10-15 minutes in developing the relationship...but still it worked for me!
A special mention of Choi Eun Hwan's mother (Lee Kan Hee), for her excellent expression when finding out that Eun Hwan was the child she gave up 19 years earlier was in front of her...great performance by her!
She teaches him how to love and he becomes the 'man' that his grandfather knew he could be, with a little encouragement!
As I have said before, it takes a woman to make a 'boy' into a 'man', in more than one way!
All I can say is WATCH IT and prove me wrong if you can, but I don't think that you can!
Even though the main character was Hyun Bin, Lee Yun Hee stole that designation from him halfway through this movie. Having shown this movie to others, everyone is rooting for Lee Kan Hee to live, and tears are very profuse at the end of every showing of this to others.
This is a one, to one and a half box of Kleenex, so BE PREPARED before watching!
Choi Eun Hwan got her wish; unfortunately, it was too late for her!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!
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"Only The People Who Yearn Over The Death Of Their Loved Ones Can See Me"
Being a Religious Studies major, I am attracted to movies with the theme of "religion" or "heaven" or such in their titles, and I am rarely disappointed with them!
This movie is built around the topic of people who loses loved ones and have unsettled questions, problems or such with their loved one passing without closure...and writing letters trying to find closure.
First, the cinematography was excellent, and I loved the music as well; it seemed to perfectly match the scenes and mood . I also loved the way bright lights were used by the director for a fantastic effect in some scenes of this movie (if you watch the movie, notice how his play with bright light made the scenes look 'other wordly!). The locations made the ambiance of the movie so peaceful and conducive to the story.
The subject of 'lying to make others feel better' was also a major theme in this movie; if you have ever had a girlfriend (or boyfriend, for that matter, you know where I ma coming from!)...and what mother has not lied to their children to soothe over minor problems, injuries or bullying by others?
Also, add the theme of losing a loved one (which everyone has, or will!), with or without issues still left unsettled and with a good, simple but moving script, it is a winner in my book...
The movie also touched on making others feel better as being a medicine for those who have been done wrong; relieving them of their pain by helping others...something that millions of volunteers do every day around the world!
What also was nice is that the movie was simple yet still covered the main themes/topics of the movie fairly well; however, it needed more development in two places. Everything together made this movie captivating through and through!
In the film's beginning , Jo Ha Na (Han Hyo Joo) writes a letter and posts it to a special mailbox, whose mail is collected by the special postman, Shin Jae Joon (Kim Jae Joong). Some narration attempts to give you an idea of what is happening, but one of small problems of this movie is that it fails; more on this at the bottom of this review.
After meeting the special postman she starts working for him, and finds out that her 'problem' with her former, dead,, boyfriend are minor compared to the ones other people have with 'their' parted loved ones!.
After being offered a job to assist Jae Joon, she starts trying to help those with unsettled problems or such with their past loved ones...the little white "lies" that made the letter writers feel better was so touching; something which I have not seen in many movies before! This and encouragement from Jae Joon helps her forget her grudge with the now-dead former boyfriend, the subject of the letter she sent to Heaven early in the movie.
While doing this, she develops a 'crush' on Jae Joon, which (unfortunately) leads to other problems not easily as fixed as those of other people's.
Not many movies address the concept tackled here, and except for the American movie Jacob's Ladder (1990,) its remake which I have not seen and the under-rated Asian movie Roadkill (2019), very few movies even tackle the subject of 'Pergatory' or those left behind with still-pending issues with deceased loved ones, either..
However, Shin Jae Joon seems to have some brownie points coming his way through his interaction with Jo Ha Na ; briefly hinting at Pergatory-like kudos from this movie's 'god'.
Ha Na was the most expressive of the main cast, and whose crying and such went far in the authenticity of this movie.
This is the same actress that gave such an outstanding performance in Always (2011, her next movie). Her ability to express emotional; extremes are shown both in this and the next movie she made.
I have never seen Kim Jae Joong act before (in the All About Dong Bang series) so all I can say is that he did a pretty good job here.
Both main cast showed a range of emotions and they seemed to pull off being individuals genuinely interested in each other as bf/gf, through their . The support cast also did a great job, both performing their roles and supporting the main cast members in making the movie seem real; I especially liked Moon Gyo's wife (Yook Mi Ra) and her interaction with Ha na, and their trying to get her father-in-law to be less depressed..
Denying it a full "10"...
I felt that both the introduction and ending were rushed; I would liked to have seen more explanation about the "letters" and also the ending seemed a little rushed as well. All of a sudden, NO ONE could see the postman, and he even acted surprised when this happened in the coffee shop once it happened!
I would liked to have seen more development between the two main casts before falling in love A few more minutes would have accomplished both these points, IMHO.
I would like to see more movies tackle this subject and to have cast such as this movie to bring it to life, keep you captivated and leave you begging for more!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!
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Religious Theme All Th e Way Through This Kim Ki Duk Masterpiece here!
This is the tenth movie written and directed by Kim Ki Duk...known for his "way out" movies and plot twists all through his films.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Significance of the word "Samaritan":
A Samaritan in the Bible was a person from Samaria, a region north of Jerusalem. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people of Galilee and Judea shunned the Samaritans, viewing them as a mixed race who practiced an impure, half-pagan, or in their eyes, "false" religion.
The historian Josephus and Jewish tradition trace the origin of the Samaritans to the captivity of the northern kingdom under Assyria in 721 BCE. Jews of the northern part of the old kingdom intermarried with Assyrians after their captivity and produced the half-Jewish, half-Gentile Samaritan race. When the Jews accused Jesus of being a “Samaritan” in John 8:48, they were rudely suggesting that He was a half-breed, born of an unfaithful mother.
The Jews of Jerusalem wanted NOTHING to do with them!
However, Jesus told a parable of a man in need, portraying the Samaritan as the hero in the story, the only one who would help the person in need. This story of the "Good Samaritan" shocked his audience of the other, stuck-up Jews. The Protestant Jesus showed that His love must transcend all human boundaries of race, religion, nationality, economic class, and educational status.
With this brief explanation, you can undertand the title of this movie better.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Girls Jae Young (Han Yeo Reum) and Yeo Jin (Kwak Ji Min) want to go to Europe; and without money, they must make it 'somehow'... therefore, Jae Young acts as a a "socail worker" and Yeo Jin schedules her "working" gigs with clients.
Everything is fine until Yeo Jin fails at her second half of her job (security) and Jae Young jumps from a hotel window to avoid arrest by the police.
Jae Young and Yeo Jin are very close, as in "kissing" and otherwise personal 'closeness', but Yeo Jin hates the businessmen whom 'work' with Jae Young; but she has to get the one business worker that Jae Young loved so much, (as she was dying in the hospital) she then is forced to take the plunge herself. Jae Young has said that she 'loved' the men she worked with, but I feel that she would never have left Yeo Jin for any of them, as she said to Yeo Jin earlier .
What follows is a kind of penance of Yeo Jin as she is returns all the money: however, I cannot decide if Yeo Jin is doing simple penance or simply regretting not helping in the "working" part of the business that they got themselves into. I am going to say a little of both!
I see so much in this movie that I have to watch it over and over, seeing more each time that I watch it. Kim Ki Duk combined so much in the three segments, especially in the first segment, setting up the relationship of the two friends and their differing opinion on the men they obtained money from.
Yeo Jin is thrown into turmoil over losing Jae Young, and she takes her notes and returns the money to the men who had paid Jae Young in the beginning. All of the men, if i remember right, have a catharsis of sorts after sleeping with Yeo Jin and having their money returned.
Another Ki Duk's movie plays on these same themes (maybe more, since I have not seen all of them yet!); Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring (2003, where Ki Duk plays the old monk).
I am pretty sure that Yeo Jin felt remorseful in her failure to protect Jae Young, and I believe to a lesser extent, for her not 'working' as hard as Jae Young in making the money they needed for their trip.
In the process of returning the money, Yeo Jon's father Yeong Ki (Lee Eol) catches her, as he is working a case where another young girl, possibly a under-aged prostitute, loses her life. Her father is already distraught over losing his wife, and senses that his daughter, for whatever reason, is about to become a homicide victim as well.
He starts following his daughter around after class, watching her see different men (not knowing her and Jae Young's former relationship with each man encountered.
I look upon his relationship with his daughter as with the father and daughter(s) in 'Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)' or ''The Gangster's Daughter (2017)' or even 'The Closet (2020)' a father who loses the wife/mother too early and has problems talking to his daughter; had he been able to think rationally, he could have asked her what she was doing with the men and not have taken his own personal vengeance on them!
I also believe that he called his police friends and turned himself in, knowing the last trip to his wife's grave, with Yeo Jon, would be his last for quite awhile.
The film's ending, with Yeo Jin desperately trying to catch up with her father in his car but spinning out after only one driving lesson is perfect, although I didn't at first. Both of their futures were changed by unanticipated turns f events.
I hope some young, free-thinking director in the future gets the two main cast members together again, and have him tell us what happened after years of prison for the father and years of isolation of his daughter, Yeo Jin...or did she find someone to trust and live happily with while 'daddy' was in prison?
I also liked Yeo Jin's dream just before the driving lesson, another example of Yeo Jin seeking forgiveness for what she allowed happen to jae Young! Again, I see more and more religious motifs every time I watch this movie.
There are 'images' in the film that also appear to point toward this as well, with under-aged prostitution and her father's self-serving justice being only the dressing for the more important underlying themes of redemption and penance.
As a Religious Studies major, I feel that is the reason that I fell in love wit this movie, from the first time i saw it!
The imagery (cinematography) is somewhat jagged but this adds to the story rather than detracting from it, and the music was fine for the scenes in which it was used.
The main cast members, the two girls at first and then Yeo Jin and her father in the last segments, acted perfectly, making their pairing in the segments play very well, with you believing the relationships as being real.
The support cast all did their parts as well, with their acting adding to the main story lines and making the main casts' work all the more believable.
My major complaint is that I would like for father and daughter to have talked, and possibly coe to some other conclusion.
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely, and watch for all the religious iconography in the film from start to finish!
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"You Should Say Something Wise"....Ma Yuan - "Shut Up"
I would recommend you NOT watch this movie.If I had known this was a Jackie Chan movie, I would have skipped it completely.
He is not funny, he is lousy in martial arts, and he is a pain in the butt, according to his co-stars.
Even so, I guess that I am gong to have to buy this movie as well; I buy each and every one of his movies because they are so bad!
When I have friends over, I always show one of his movies to show how BAD his acting and kung fu really is!
(Someone has to show people how bad Jackie and his movies really are!)
The cinematography was terrible; the music was terrible and the actors, main and support, are all terrible.
Especially, Yamaguchi (Ikeuchi Hiroyuki); the actors playing Yuko (Zhang Lan Xin) and Huang Yi Feng (Na Wei) probably had to get rabies shots after the one scene was filmed with him...Terrible!
Also, do not watch this movie is you have a bad heart; you could DIE from not laughing while watching this movie!
RE-WATCH: only to show your friends how bad of an actor Jackie Chan is!
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The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom
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1993 versions of this story were better, in my opinion...
I agree with everything said by the first person to write a review here: The Butterfly...There was also too much 'choose your side' moments in this movie; to would have been better to stick to the original story rather than add to it, as this one tried.
The 1993 versions placed more emphasis on the love story rather than the political story, which I believe were better.
The two main cast were great, in their acting and in their showing attraction/affection to each other, but the director tried to "rush" the love portion of this movie.
Some of the other support actors, although they were sufficient and all, had their parts re-written in this version of the telling of the great story from which they it came. Although, they did their parts well, and added mostly to the overall theme and support to the movie and the main cast, the script itself that they followed left many holes that no one even tried to fill nearer the end: first they were wanted; then they were forgiven.
The other main problem is that the director, Jacob Cheung, couldn't decide whether he wanted to make a martial arts/'carve-them-up" movie, a love story movie or a political movie; and since he tried to do all three, the movie failed miserably!
This could have been a great war movie, if properly developed; a great love movie, if properly developed; or a great political movie, if properly developed. However, none of these options were fully developed and that is why most reviews on the Internet give it a low rating, as I am.
It seems that all Chinese movie are pushing the "either you are For Us (China) Or Against Us" mentality over the last decade: I wonder if President Xi or the infamous party he belongs to had anything to do with this turn toward the "FUOAU" mentality?
I don't think that I really have to answer that question: President Xi became most prominent political leader in China, since 2012, two years before this movie was made.
I loved the cinematography and music, probably because I thought it fit well with the scenes where it was added: I did like the ending music as well.
I loved the costumes and such, giving it an appearance of a time when most in China were all poor, except the Palace people.
It is important to remember WHY the people were so poor then: greedy Ming Dynasty politicians...
I disliked how the events were rushed through; more time should have been spent to fully develop the scenes and the cast members and their outlook, giving us a better understanding of WHY they did what they did...
For example, first Wudong disowned Liang, then they offered the fight with him; no discussion of his actions in between the two actions or why they changed their minds.
What is funny: most reviews say that the red pills (delivered by Liang) killed the emperor and Liang becomes a wanted man; in reality, the head eunuch and not the emperor took the red pills, so why does everyone keep saying that the red pills killed the emperor?
I want to give a special mention to the character of Ke Ping Ting (Tong Yao): she seemed to be the only cast member that wasn't out for money or power; she simply wanted to be loved and begged Liang not to kill her father, chief eunuch Wei Zhongxian ((Ni Dahong) after the incident in the palace ; she is the ONLY ONE that actually thought about someone else besides herself, besides the male/female main cast, in this movie!
Today's directors should take lessons from the late director Akira Kurosawa, and his Seven Samurai movie: develop the movie and don's leave any loose ends in the telling of it!
Even though The Butterfly was right in her assertion, I still think that this is worth a re-watch occasionally.
RE-WATCH VALUE: moderate, but there are so many better love movies to watch out there!
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Drama Special Season 3: The Wedding Planner
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Another couple defeated for not being able to communicate of sacrifice for each other!
This is another example of the superb programming of the KBS Drama series from Korea...Chae Ha Kyung (Hong Soo Hyun) divorced her husband after only three weeks of marriage, due to both of them being immature and unable to communicate.
Five years later, she is a successful wedding planner with a promotion ready to come to her in a different city, after one last job where she started her chosen career.
The last local job is for the daughter Eun Min Se (Fujii Mina) of a very, very important investor to the wedding business she works for,. Although the young client is hard to handle, Ha Kyung handles her firmly but gently, knowing that her 'pie-in-the-sky' wedding plans she wanted would be changed before the actual big day arrived.
However, Ha Kyung is thrown a curve ball after only a few days into helping Min Se: the young lady's groom is none other than the man, Seo In Jae (Kim Ji Han), she divorced five years ago but still had feelings for.
She later finds out that he hasn't changed his door pass code (her birthday), he still has photos of her in his apartment and he still has her 'cheap' wedding ring he bought for her.
While helping Min Se. she starts thinking about all that went wrong five years ago: she was concerned about her mom buying expensive gifts for his family, but she didn't get anything in return; she gave him a lot of money; but got nothing in return; he bought her mom a fancy gift, but not her. His parents gave them a house in his name, but she is going to have to help pay the remainder of it off . He wouldn't ever let her inquire about a more expensive ring, and she still thinks that he bought her a cheap one. She was making more then than he was at the time; MONEY and equity were her shortcomings!
As far as In Jae, he admits to her that he was still a kid back then, he used to have to win unimportant battles with her and others and he was very insecure in the relationship with her. More importantly, he wanted her with him in the evenings, but her job as a manager made her routinely have to go into work at this time. He couldn't communicate his wants and needs at the time to her, his new wife!
More importantly, neither of them wanted to 'compromise' or 'communicate' about their problems and insecurities; they were too immature at the time.
Newlyweds cannot always spend the money they want on each other when they first marry; not can they always do want the other wants them to do, especially if they haven't matured completely yet.
We see these themes through other Korean and Asian movies as well, and everyone can learn that life’s little lessons can be found in these movies; this and Fall In Love Like A Star (2015), Jenny and Juno (2005), My Fuxxxxx Romance (2020), Ang Lee's "Father Knows Best" trilogy, The Library (2013), and especially On Your Wedding Day (2018) and My Love (2021),,,those mentioned movies where the couples or families (or group) practiced tolerance, self-sacrifice and communicated with each other found peace and harmony - with the individual's sacrifice for the others(s) in their lives!
The main cast were great and portrayed a couple who looked like they belonged together and showed mutual affection to each other once they were re-united; the support cast also performed their parts well and added to the
main cast telling of the story.
Min Se was bubbly as her ex-husbands new love interest and was used by the director to verbally say many things that Ha Kyung finally realized was true about marriage, things she wished she had grown to realize - five years ago when she was just married!
Although others reviewing this movie didn't think the music was significant to the story, it was perfect, adding ambiance and setting the mood for the individual scenes throughout (I am learning to pay more attention to this aspect of cinema!).
The cinematography was excellent and I just loved the church that was chosen to at out the last of the movie.
As the movie progressed, everyone is rooting for the two to get back together, since they have matured
I fell in love with this movie the first time i saw it, and I rate it at the same level as More Than Blue (2009), Wedding Dress (2010), Seven Samurai (1954) and the much under-rated Mural (2011).
My only suggestion for improving this movie is adding another 10-15 minutes in order to better explain some of the scenes of the movie, scenes that didn't explain themselves well.
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!
A word of advice: do not leave your seat or turn the movie off until after all the credits have ran; you will miss a very important part of the movie if you do!
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