49
163
10
The Butterfly
This review may contain spoilers
"Even before we entered the world we were marked by karma."
Lady Snowblood is the film that inspired Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films. Yuki's blood spewing revenge is a cautionary tale of feminine vengeance. Splendidly filmed with an impassioned OST, the unique style based on a manga, and the excellent acting make this film one worth seeking out if you enjoy this genre.Born to a dying mother in a prison on a snowy day, Yuki was charged with her family's vendetta against the villains who murdered her father and brother and viciously raped her mother. She grew up trained by a ruthless master to become the hand of death to the group that had decimated her family. One by one she hunts the villains down, in her lovely kimonos with a deadly umbrella to gracefully slash her way through the people who had inspired this life she'd never asked for. Beneath her beautiful veneer lay a dark and fiery need for payback for her dead family, one she had never known. Tasked with never feeling emotion, Yuki retains shreds of compassion as she interacts with those she comes across in her rampage. Ironically, she opens another cycle of vengeance by her actions.
The film lays the blood spewing on thick, every slash sends the gooey red paint flying everywhere. Puddles of blood enough for a slain army float around the unlucky bodies. As the story begins on a snowy day with a child born pure but commissioned with her first breaths with the bloody job of vengeance, so the ending scene leaves the beautiful assassin with her butterfly kimono covered in blood in the snow wondering if there is life after revenge.
There were some subtle and not so subtle political messages about corruption in the upper echelons of the military and government. And though the plight of the poor was pointed out, it dispelled the myth that the poor are always good hearted. I wish there had been more of an attempt to understand what a woman must feel growing up with brutal training and an unbreakable oath for people she had never met.
As many older martial arts films with swordplay tended to do, this one used the almost dance and slash technique. Best to not think too hard about the fight choreography from a realistic stance but to admire it for the stylistic forms.
Lady Snowblood was in many ways similar to other revenge fueled martial arts movies but elevated by the haunting music, colorful cinematography, and the stellar acting of Kaji Meiko. If eyes were knives, her targets would already be dead with the cold steely glare she honed in on them with. Kaji's expressive face and graceful moves enhanced the tension filled moments of her hunting her prey even when she had to settle for satisfaction instead of revenge.
If you are looking for a modern movie you may be disappointed. This is a film rich in character with old style effects. Revenge is a dish best served cold and Lady Snowblood served it on a silver blade.
"Forgive me! Spare me!"
"I shall do neither."
3/2/23
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
An affair tells the story of a married woman in her late thirties drowning in a gray world of mediocrity and what happens when she is confronted by passion and desire. Seo Hyeon’s reserved life is comfortable but devoid of color and dreams. She is married to a man she has never been in love with. Her uninspired life is reflected by the traffic report station her car radio is set on.
U-in returns to Korea to start a new job and prepare for his marriage to Seo Hyeon’s sister. He is a young man bound by his father’s expectations. He falls in love with Seo Hyeon at first sight despite their age difference. Slowly and deliberately he pursues her. She tries to take refuge in familial duty but succumbs to his advances.
Seo Hyeon’s time with him is awash in colors, feelings, and dreams. He exchanges her traffic station for romantic guitar music and her predictable existence for one of excitement. For the first time in her life she falls deeply in love.
Ultimately she has three choices:
Choose to destroy her family and leave for a new life with U-in.
Maintain her duty to her family and stay with a man she has never loved.
Take a chance on herself and leave the gray world that has enveloped her.
Each choice has consequences involving loss. The question is which choice can she best live with?
The loves scenes are sensual in this movie and a bit of a shock after watching the guppy kisses of Kdramas. There is a sense of intimacy even in the scenes where they don’t touch as well.
The movie never seeks to excuse their relationship, more to understand her need for a lifeline out of the dark ok-ness she has settled for.
Lee Mi Sook and Lee Jung Jae bring these characters to life, their passion, love, and guilt.
The musical was okay, but not particularly memorable.
As far as rewatch value goes-just like U-in’s love for Seo Hyeon, An Affair is highly addictive.
Was this review helpful to you?
"If you call me sister you have to be worthy of it"
I set the bar pretty low for these ultra short dramas, but Revenge of Royal Princess taxed my patience all while getting me to click on the next episode to see how the writers would dig themselves out of the hole they put themselves in. I’m still not sure that they did. There were a number of “what the what?” moments or times I thought I must have accidentally skipped some episodes.Li Yan Chu is the fierce princess who helped her hapless brother become emperor and fend off a coup. She saves the hostage Han Shu from execution and trains him to be her brother’s sharpest blade. Knowing she’s dying she plans her assassination to tie Han Shu tighter to the emperor. Instead of just becoming a bodyguard, somehow Han Shu is made a Regent and has a complete personality change. The deceased Li Yan Chu has her own transformation when magically her spirit inhabits the body of a murdered warrior who looks like her. Uh, what? She goes back seeking revenge and keeps her true identity a secret from both Han Shu and her brother.
Yan Chu was ruthless and treated Han Shu like a trained pet. Even as Xie Yu Gui, she offered him no kind words. All of her kindness was saved for her worthless brother. Han Shu’s temperament could cause whiplash with how quickly it could change. Aside from Yan Chu and Han Shu, there was also the Prime Minister seeking power and his conniving daughter with the most annoying voice seeking to be Han Shu’s wife. The acting ranged from adequate to please stop you are making my ears bleed. The story had a tendency to skip forward and around without any warning or logical consistency, even for a short drama trying to wedge as much story in as possible. There were many times I checked the episode number when my brain went, “Wait, what just happened?”
If you can handle the jumps in story and lapses in logic, there is entertainment to be had. This was a tale of ruthless people trying to outsmart and outruthless the others. If you are looking for romance or a sweet story, this ain’t it.
5 April 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"The truth depends on who tells it best"
Copycat Killer was a copycat of numerous serial killer stories, set apart only by its relentless and gratuitous images of young women been tortured and murdered. Told in a time before social media, it tried to paint television news as bringing as much chaos to society as the brutal murders of imperfect victims.The drama utilized character types we’ve seen before. Chris Wu played the brilliant and moral prosecutor with a tragic past who is a thorn in everyone’s side for not tolerating any dishonesty and doggedly devoting his life to solving crimes. I found this confusing. Prosecutors in my country use the evidence police bring them to go to court and try the cases, they don’t dig up the evidence themselves. Cammy Chiang was the overly earnest young reporter disillusioned with the news media. The criminally underused Ko Chia Yen was Wu’s ex and a psychologist to help him make sense of the killers’ motivations. Ko is a gifted actress who had few scenes and none of which showed her range. Ruby Lin’s news anchor and producer had potential but the writing let her down as well. The villains ranged from mildly complex to laughable.
Copycat’s writing was uneven and the pacing slow. The first three episodes were more confusing than world building. Story lines that promised follow-ups were dropped. In the initial episode, a killer made the statement, “As long as the evil in your heart is triggered, anyone out there has the capacity to become a killer…Do you think there’s no evil in you?” The writing clumsily tried to push Wu’s prosecutor into that ethical corner. The news media was shown as morally bankrupt, uncaring of how much damage their coverage did to victims and their families as long as the ratings were high. Due to their race to air the most graphic or emotionally volatile content they became complicit in the killers’ crimes.
Aside from the writing and pacing issues, the main problem I had with this drama was its depiction of women. It tried to have it both ways-repeatedly show scantily clad women tortured and murdered in a titillating manner and then call out the media and society for blaming the victims. One character that was written for us to empathize with due to his loyalty and connection to main characters simply emphasized how unimportant young women’s lives were. The noble citizenry vilified the imperfect young women as being unworthy of justice and finding their killers a waste of tax payer money. The old myth of only the perfect victim, the chaste and obedient woman from a good family, being worthy of our sympathy or help was trotted out again and again. Perhaps Copycat was highlighting how victims and their families are often victimized as much by “righteous” people as the criminals who committed the heinous crimes but the lingering shots on chained women or extended scenes of gratuitously murdered women muddied those waters. The drama also briefly addressed the troubling old belief that the family of a perpetrator was as guilty as the criminal and not worthy of a happy life even if they had nothing to do with their relative’s actions.
Copycat Killer was a disturbing drama, not because it dealt with serial killers or had gory scenes, which it did, but because in trying to show society’s misogynistic and limited views of women they simply reinforced violence against women as a means of entertainment.
11/17/23
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Microhabitat reveals the choices, sacrifices and comprises people make as they become adults.Miso, the title character, makes a living cleaning houses and lives on the edge of homelessness. Her joys in life consist of cigarettes, a glass of Glenfiddich whiskey, and her poverty stricken boyfriend. When her rent increases and the price of cigarettes doubles she makes the decision to move out of her unfurnished room.
Miso then begins the adventure of visiting her old band mates who have moved on and become more of what society expected of them. It’s a movie divided into chapters, each with a different friend she encounters with her meager belongings on her back.
Each of her friends have changed so much she barely recognizes them. They are all tethered to their own suffering—a stressful job, a loveless marriage, unwanted motherhood, divorce, etc. Despite her situation she brings understanding and kindness to each doorstep even when she is met with a lack of understanding from her former friends.
Like a warm breeze blowing through their lives, each person’s quiet desperation is revealed and Miso’s contented nonconformist life doesn’t seem quite so absurd.
Microhabitat is more observation than strict storytelling. Esom brings a serene almost ethereal quality to the screen as she shows Miso’s quiet determination. Her friends’ “normal” lives seem almost manic in contrast.
Microhabitat touches on what we value, the compromises people make, the economic fragility of people’s situations, and the depth of friendships. It’s a slow film with moments of humor, tenderness, and biting revelation. Miso’s choices may not sit well with everyone but they raise questions about what brings us joy, what we are willing to sacrifice, and the need for safety nets we all need whether emotional or financial.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The Goddess is a superb example of what storytelling can be through the medium of the silent picture. Ruan Ling Yu who played the mother driven to prostitution to feed her child gave an emotionally compelling performance. It was one of the best performances I've seen from any era, and she does it without the audience hearing one sound from her. Her performance alone is a convincing reason for movie lovers to watch this story of love, shame, and prejudice.
The mother runs afoul of a gangster known as "The Boss" one evening and he lays claim to her as his property. She takes her child and runs but he finds her. She manages to hide enough money from him through the years to send her child to grade school. Her desire is that her child have a better chance to find his way out of poverty with an education. Not only does "The Boss" create problems for her but parents in the school have learned what she does for a living and are determined to have her child removed from the school so that he's not a bad influence on their kids. The school's principal sees her love for her son and tries to stand up for her, but his integrity goes unrewarded.
Depending on the version you watch, there may be no music, only piano, or orchestral music playing during the scenes. I saw the latter and thought the music fit perfectly.
The Goddess is a movie showing social realism. Subjects that are still relevant today like prejudice and tolerance were on full display. The story was timely when it was filmed. It is estimated because of the poverty and political conflicts in the country that up to 1 out of 13 women in Shanghai had committed prostitution during this turbulent period.
The story and performances were heartrending. My heart clenched when the little boy sang about a child working and his parents not knowing if they could buy food. I couldn't hear a word he sang but it was moving. This mother showed the most physical affection for her child that I've seen in any Asian movie, the love tactile and palpable. Ruan displayed a wide array of emotions without delving into sentimentality and overacting.
The Goddess requires a high level of attention to follow the silent story and to immerse yourself into the facial and body expressions of the actors. The reward is an engrossing story of a mother's love and sacrifice for her child and the need for tolerance and open-mindedness. I highly recommend it.
Was this review helpful to you?
The miniatures were more intricate and had more detail than other Godzilla movies. This movie did a good job of interspersing people with the miniatures to give us a vested interest in their lives and sorrow when an unforgiving monster sent them to their doom. When Godzilla unleashed his atomic breath, the results were tragic and all too real whether it be on humans or property. As the citizens and military waited for Godzilla’s arrival, the tension was palpable. The carnage was unflinchingly shown as Godzilla cut through the city with his slow, unmerciful gait.
Dr. Serizawa, played by Hirata Akihiko, had developed his own terrifying weapon and refused to use it for fear it would fall into the wrong hands. Ultimately, he had to decide whether to deploy his weapon to stop the immediate destruction being rained down on his country or to withhold it for fear of unimaginable destruction that could take place if people were to use it as a weapon against other people.
The movie is not perfect, there is a love triangle even in Godzilla. The story can bounce around. The acting style is dated, but didn’t distract from the actors expressing the emotions the characters were feeling. The special effects were exemplary for 1954, viewers expecting spectacular CGI will be disappointed.
Whether conveying the urgency of people fleeing or ominously announcing the arrival of Godzilla, Ifukube Akira’s score was spot on.
My rating reflects how I rate movies and dramas. Only my first love in a particular genre receives a 10, the one that all other movies in that genre will be judged against. Godzilla who meshes the prehistoric with the modern and forces us to look back on the consequences of society’s actions is far deeper than a giant lizard destroying a city. Thus far, no other Kaiju has measured up to the original Godzilla’s standard.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story-The Good
A lot of US shows I’ve watched have a 6 to 2 or 7 to 2 ratio of male to female characters unlike real life. Strong female relationships are often sorely lacking. The writer of OSN has about a 50/50 ratio of male to female characters. The FL has close relationships with her sisters and friends! And surprisingly the mothers aren’t harpies. I found this encouraging and refreshing. I will seek out future dramas by this writer.
The Bad
I have no problem with slow burn romances but someone forgot to turn the crockpot on for this one. As of episode 18 the story was still trying to find traction. I struggled to connect with the FL’s motivation, the ML’s and her ex’s.
The Ugly
The FL had the characteristics of MLs I dislike. She was domineering, selfish, and unsympathetic. Just when she seemed to have some character growth she would revert back. The one time the ML showed vulnerability she pulled back instead of reassuring him and later punished him in a humiliating way. I couldn’t figure out what he saw in her and why he fell so hard when he had been burned badly before. I wanted to feel caught up in their romance but it felt flat to me.
Acting
I was underwhelmed by Han Ji Min and I loved her in Hyde,Jekyll, and Me. And who took the light out of Jung Hae In’s smile and the salt out of his tears? The baddies seemed tired and toothless as if they couldn’t figure out why they were doing what they were doing. Overall the acting wasn’t terrible but I’ve seen several of these actors do a much better job.
OST
As always, I love Rachael Yamagata’s music. However, the music clips often didn’t match the mood of the scene.
Rewatch Value
Not likely. Or maybe one day I’ll try again when I’m in a different mood and it will speak to me. Sadly I don’t think that it will as much as I will want it to.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Humans don't recognize an opportunity even when it's handed to them"
Death’s Game Part 2 came out of the gate strong, stronger than part one. The question continued to be whether Choi Yi Jae would win the game and what did that really mean?Starting the second part with Kim Jae Wook playing an evil artist is never a bad place to begin. He has a dangerous intensity hiding behind that chiseled beauty. Once again Choi Yi Jae is thrown into seemingly disparate lives with the orders that he cannot kill-others or himself. This ultimatum becomes more difficult with each life he leaps into. As he discovers the deadly tentacles of Taekang Group’s Park Tae Woo and how it has affected his life and of those he loves, he ventures near the precipice of hell.
The guest stars in Part 2 were even stronger than Part 1. Kim Mi Kyung finally had a chance to shine in the drama as Choi’s mother. The strong older actors threatened to outshine Seo In Guk as the lives he was reincarnated in. The production values were once again high as well.
I was completely absorbed in this tale of what seemed like revenge more than a journey into the soul. The elements of the revenge story were tied together nicely as Choi used what he learned in each life to bring down Park. Ultimately, the game was about Choi Yi Jae’s life. With the pieces finally in place to end a murderer’s reign of terror I still wondered if Choi had learned anything about himself and what the point of the reincarnations was. He was a difficult character to like. Self-absorbed, self-pitying, and arrogant he took a long time to understand that his actions had consequences for others.
***Spoilerish comments below***
Finally, the story took a turn into a path toward enlightenment. He hadn’t learned much in 11 of his lives, only in the last one did he understand what true pain was. I was actually quite disappointed in the final minutes of the drama that undid everything prior to it. And I’m not sure about the message on suicide. Torture people into understanding how their actions have effects on others and that some people have it worse than them? When a person is seriously depressed and suicidal, they may not be able to see that. Therapy and medications, interventions and social/financial assistance may be more helpful than the threat of a worse hell than the one they are in.
The ahjussis and ahjummas did an amazing job bringing their characters to life as well as Kim Jae Wook. The story brought all the revenge pieces together in a satisfying manner although they never did answer who the woman was that died at the bottom of the building with Choi which was disappointing. I honestly thought her death was one of the reasons he was being punished. The last episode was deeply moving in regards to a mother’s enduring love and sacrifice. Having learned how to live his life without being in constant fear of failure and rejection, I only hope Choi Yi Jae took what he learned about the people with their lives in the balance and reached out to help at least a few of them or else it feels like everything he went through was for nothing, to say nothing of the murderous Park Tae Woo being on the loose again. Death’s Game P2 progressed in a strong, emotional gait to the end and then left me disillusioned with the final outcome.
5 Jan 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Our mouths can tell lies, but our hearts don't believe it"
Analog Squad was a heartwarming made family and biological family drama that reached inside and touched me. Execution can make or break a story that’s been told before in different ways and this story nailed it. Without becoming maudlin the characters all faced secrets that they were keeping or were being kept from them.“We lie to make other people happy”
Pond is a mysterious character when we meet him. He’s hired his ex-girlfriend to play his wife, a guy who works at a pager company to play his son, and a young woman whose family owns a video rental store to play his daughter. They head south to visit his dying father whom he hasn’t seen in over a decade. When his father makes a miraculous recovery the fake family has some tap dancing to do to keep the charade up.
“Everyone lies for their own sake”
Each of the family members is hiding a secret or several. Pond keeps secret why he left home, why his wife and children left him, and a host of other problems. Lilly/Mam is hiding a health problem. Keg/Mon hides the fact that his mom whom he adores is a nude model and that he’s going to the United States. His mom is hiding a whopper of a secret from him. Bung/Mag is hiding the fact that she’s a lesbian from her family, plus a family member is hiding a devastating secret from her. Pond’s biological daughter discovers a secret as she’s preparing to be married.
“Because when you compare it to death, anger is literally nothing”
The secrets could be overwhelming at times but most of them were dealt with a loving and forgiving hand as the characters worked through their complex feelings. This made family became deeply entwined with Pond’s parents and with each other. Just as real families struggle to communicate and confront complicated problems, the fake family found themselves dealing with many of the same issues. As they worked together and spent time with the “grandparents” they began to untangle some of the knotted challenges in their own lives.
“You have to accept that mistakes are a part of life and you deal with them”
The made family began to develop deep feelings for each other and the couple they were lying to, including love and guilt. The journey that took the longest to traverse was the one that had started the convoluted mess everyone found themselves in-Pond’s. Running away from the truth had caused him to make decisions that went from bad to worse over three decades and brought him to a place where he was ready to take his own life.
“Sometimes waiting is its own form of happiness”
For those of us old enough to remember the 1990’s and Y2K, this will bring back some memories. People were afraid that computers would stop working and planes would fall out of the sky. The fear was that it would be similar to an EMP blast that would cause technology to cease. Some of the technology on display included portable CD players (the darn skipping!), videos and video stores, and ancient looking computers that held less than your cell phone and were slow. Then there was the now almost obsolete technology of pagers and phone booths. Pond’s dad owned a photography studio and used cameras with film. They did a good job of taking us back to 1999 after the financial collapse and the devastation it caused people. By setting most of the story in a small village it was believable that it was 24 years ago. The best part of the cinematography were the shots of the gorgeous Thai scenery. The forests, water, and islands were stunning.
“There are no real or fake bonds. If we feel it, we feel it.”
This story of healing, reconciliation, forgiveness, and growth both in the family and made family was satisfying on several levels. Not every problem was neatly tied up in a bow, but most were resolved satisfactorily. Each member of the newly expanded family discovered something that filled an empty place in their heart. The family might have been fake but the love was real.
9 Dec 2023
Was this review helpful to you?
"When raising a blade and bringing it down, just think of nothing"
The Double was a wild ride revenge lollapalooza that didn’t seem to take itself too seriously at times. There were plot holes deep enough to bury bodies in and 30-year-old actors playing teenagers. I didn’t really care that it was messy for the most part as the two leads were engaging to watch and I love a good case of comeuppance for evil doers.Long story short, Xue Fang Fei has to take the identity of Jiang Li in order to avenge both of them and right injustices. Despite looking exactly like XFF, everyone seems to accept the new identity since the real Jiang Li had been hidden away for 10 years. Duke Su is hard to fool and initially uses XFF as a pawn though he also enjoys “the show” that usually surrounds her as she takes down her enemies and Jiang Li’s one at a time, occasionally asking for his help. XFF’s compassion and intelligence help her make allies and friends along the way. A constant fighter for justice, she also makes numerous enemies prepared to end her life.
I enjoyed Xue’s calm demeanor as she plotted and planned. Her relationship with the equally scheming Duke Su who also needed to right wrongs and protect the country was a delight to watch. Xue Fang Fei was fairly well developed and while not realistic in some cases, I was happy they let her solve many of her own problems with an occasional assist from the Duke. She was laser focused, fiercely protective of those around her, and never stooped to her enemies’ methods in her desire for revenge and justice. Duke Su lacked the complexity of other characters but Wang Xing Yue’s performance at least made him moderately interesting as the fan waving mastermind. The murderous and increasingly deranged Shen Yu Rong was given more writerly care. However, I never connected with Liang Yong Qi’s bland portrayal of the cowardly, whining, court officer who simply could not cognitively accept responsibility for his heinous actions. Li Meng as the Princess Wan Ning made up for his stone face as she chewed the scenery when she wasn’t throwing it. Several of the villains were given all sorts of reasons for becoming the way they were which did not give me one ounce of sympathy for them. They made choices to pass the buck and pass on the pain.
For whatever reason, I’ve never had a problem with cross-dressing. I was even able to go along with everyone buying that Xue Fang Fei was Jiang Li. Where my brain seems to have drawn the line is 30+ actors playing 15–17-year-olds. The hardest part for me was in the early episodes when the writers kept reminding me that Jiang Li and her friends and sisters were teenagers. When the Jiang family said Li looked different, that was because the seven-year-old they sent away ten years ago came back a grown-ass woman! Despite some of the other actors playing up being immature, Wu Jin Yan didn’t look or carry herself like a teenager. The character was also written with a wealth of knowledge and experiences that seemed beyond her age. When they finally stopped mentioning how young she was it helped me to accept her as the crafty, complex, elegant adult she acted like.
This drama loved its overly dramatic moments. So much twirling, whirling, and cape wearing. The drama world also suffered from insane climate change as one scene had petals falling from the sky, the next had snow, then back to petals, and for most of the drama, Duke Su’s tree at his mansion was ever autumn. Very few scenes passed without something falling from the sky or the Duke flying in for a visit. The wind usually only blew on the one showing emotions, even when characters were standing side-by-side! There were magic pigeons who always knew the address of the current villain- not exactly how carrier pigeons work. The non-disclosure agreements were lethal. And there was no shortage of knockout karate chops, people going insane, princess carries, and amazing guyliner! The only thing underdone was the anemic white makeup for the women.
While I enjoy corrupt officials and lying, murderous family members being brought low, the story had a tendency to become redundant in order to fill the episodes as XFF righted wrongs in the Xue family, the Jiang family, and in the country. Characters, conflicts, and backstory were being added right up until the last four episodes. There were times I lost interest as the villains (so many villains!) monologued about how they were going to bring XFF down. Maybe if they’d cut down on some of the villainous plotting there would have been time for a more well-crafted ending. It felt like they had a closing scene they wanted to show and tried to twist the plot to make it happen which came across artificially. I would also like to have seen more meaningful scenes with the leads. XFF and the Duke suffered physical and emotional wounds that were often forgotten the next day. I will not even get into that coitus interruptus candle.
If it sounds like I didn’t like The Double, that would be wrong. While it was deeply flawed, it was also fun and I have a high tolerance for cheese, especially with a truly strong female lead. Wu Jin Yan and Wang Xing Yue had great chemistry and I enjoyed many of the side characters, especially the bickering and loyal Wen Ji and Lu Ji. I liked Xue Fang Fei and thought she was a memorable heroine for being intelligent, resilient, and compassionate if not a little too perfect. What would have made it a better “show” is if the writers had developed Duke Su to be as memorable a player in the revenge tour ensemble as his leading lady.
7.75
26 July 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
"Why is it so hard to lead a simple life?"
I went into Scent of Time without reading the synopsis. I was more than a little trepidatious when I discovered in the first episode that it involved time travel. The Chinese government’s rule against hopping through time meant that it wasn’t going to really be a true time travel so I braced myself. That’s not a spoiler, that’s the sad fact with the current state of affairs. How the writers worked with and around the regulations would determine how satisfying it would be.Hua Qian has made some poor choices along with her family that has led to the deaths of nearly everyone close to her. As she collapses after being captured, she hears a voice asking, “If you had the chance to start over, would you change anything?” She says yes and awakens 2 years prior on her wedding night. From that moment on she endeavors to be a good person and to find a way to save her family and herself. She’s helped on her quest by her right-hand woman Qian Zhi, bodyguard Hua Rong Zhou, and the lord of an incense empire-Zhong Xi Wu. The damage to others from years of conniving behavior will have to be undone with few people willing to give her a second chance.
I thought this was an interesting take on a typical romance and historical drama. The scheming 2FL from the original story was given a redemption arc and the chance to put things right. Hua Qian methodically planned to save not only her family but also that of her rival’s, Mu Yao. After two years struggling to survive, she came back with new skill sets and sympathy to those in lower social positions. Because of her new life or death goals, romance was not on her list of things to do. That didn’t keep at least two men from falling for her---hard.
Zhou Ye brought a wide range of emotions to Hua Qian as the reformed selfish social climber. Wang Xing Yue also made the most of his portrayal of Zhong Xi Wu. The two had great chemistry even though Qian’s responses let him know she was aware any chance of them ever being together was remote given the social circumstances which kept her at a distance. Peng Chu Yue’s Zhong Ye Lan and Zhang Yi Jie’s Hua Rong Zhou were rather flat, both the acting and the characters. Zhao Qing didn’t create any depth to Mu Yao either. Zhou Ye, Wang Xing Yue, and the older cast provided the acting chops for this drama.
It took around 8 or 9 episodes for this drama to sink its teeth into me and once it did, I was hooked. Scent of Time was addictive even without much overt romance. I do love redemption stories and Qian was a young woman for whom suffering and loss became harsh but invaluable teachers. The ending I feared would “incense” me due to censor restrictions turned out to be tolerable.* (Thoughts on ending and TROP connection below) This drama may not have been “scent-sational” but it was entertaining.
21 July 2024
**********************
Spoilers for Scent of Time and The Rise of Phoenixes
Hua Qian and Hua Rong Zhou’s relationship felt a little like TROP fan fic if Feng Zhi Wei and her bodyguard Gu Nan Yi had developed a relationship. Zhong Xi Wu had the same, “the business/country comes first” platitude that Ni Ying had which was detrimental to relationships. ZXW became rather overbearing in the rerun life near the end as well. Story-wise, Hua Qian should probably have ended up with Rong Zhou and stayed in the alternate timeline with him or had him available to go out into the vast world and start over with when she woke up. Overall, those writing choices would have made better narrative sense. Chemistry-wise Qian and ZXW had way more chemistry though not enough scenes with her showing she cared if they were truly endgame. By having her awake from the coma, she had to deal with the consequences of her actions which was decidedly painful but more realistic. Though it did make the prior 29 episodes feel irrelevant. I suppose the rerun life gave her life training lessons on how to be a better person. And realistic is a relative word, without feeding tubes and IV’s Qian would not have survived 26 months in a coma. The esophagus closes when a person is unconscious, making force feeding impossible. Despite logical and narrative lapses, I “whiffed” through this drama and its tantalizing “bouquet.”
Was this review helpful to you?
Powerful and inspiring short film
Beautiful Run was a powerful and deeply touching short film. I have watched it twice and cried twice-something quite unusual for me. I’m not sure how realistic it would be, but I hope with all my heart it could be.A young girl with a disabled leg who uses crutches cares for her bedridden father often missing school. Short on food and medication she applies for the most menial of jobs but is rudely turned down as people glance at her leg. She happens upon a flyer for a marathon with a cash reward and enters it. At first, she receives the same disdainful side-ways glances from the other runners, but during the arduous journey as she determinedly perseveres with one leg, her efforts begin to change the hearts of the other runners.
At less than seven minutes long the story is told with almost no dialogue. Only the careful editing and expressions on people’s faces tells the story. Near the end there is clarification through group messaging, but other than that everyone is silent. The music also nurtures the audience’s feelings. The nameless young woman never complains, never breaks down in tears, she just relentlessly keeps moving forward with her committed resolve.
This girl’s selfless persistence in a grueling physical act of love broke through people’s prejudices and began to bring out the best in others. The film stopped short of being patronizing. Beautiful Run made me believe that good does exist and people can open their minds and hearts to others. “Gratitude makes the impossible happen.” Let it be so.
10 June 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
Hidden Motives, Crouching Fire
The Longest Day in Chang’an is a drama that can make you rave and rage. The production values were excellent, building a world that seemed real. For the most part the acting was also above average. What was rage worthy were all the characters from the ruling class that lied, cheated, stole, tortured, and murdered to move up or keep their vaunted positions. Completely out of touch with the people’s reality, the more they talked about the great Tang or serving the people, the more they ignored the truth, often seeking to find scapegoats for any problems that arose.“Humans have always acted differently than their words”
The basic template was simple. Bad guys were in town to cause problems and the Crown Prince was about to be passed over for the Right Chancellor. Li Bi, a young prodigy, headed up the Peacekeepers Corp which had a database of information to draw from. The database picked death row inmate, Zhang Xiao Jing, to solve their problems. All he had to do was track down the bad guys and round them up before the Emperor’s giant lantern is lit at 2:00am on the night of the Lantern Fest and make the Crown Prince look good in the process. This being a drama filled with political intrigue, nothing was that simple when everyone was vying for position and trying to be on the winning side, especially when being on the losing side of power could mean death. Much of the action also occurred because of a military squad’s loyalty and near annihilation due to bad military management ten years prior.
“Kindness must be repaid, vengeance must be served”
Ex-soldier and ex-Sleuth Hound Commander, Zhang Xiao Jing , was a hardened warrior who was completely devoted to the surviving 9 from a disastrous military campaign and the daughter of their leader. He also held to the dream of what Chang’an could be for all people and would fight to protect the commoners with his last breath. Lei Jia Yin gave a strong, if not varied, performance as the super fighter who seemed to always be fighting large numbers or having to sacrifice to gain information. I was curious how a prisoner confined in a tiny cage for months would have had the stamina to run across Chang’an over and over all day and night as well as fighting almost non-stop.
“If I can’t save the present, I can’t save the future”
Jackson Yee as Li Bi, was more limited in his range as the leader of the Corps who found that despite his intelligence, he was often outplayed by people outside of and within the Peacekeepers. Rayzha Alimjan as Li Bi’s servant, Tan Qi, at least gave a strong female presence in a largely male cast. I was surprised and pleased to see Djimon Hounsou in the role of the Underworld Lord. Feng Jia Yi played the much older and retired on duty Emperor, with his white beard and eyebrows reminding me of Lo Lieh’s iconic character from Clan of the White Lotus. The most mesmerizing performance, however, was from Zhou Yi Wei as Long Bo. His every move was captivating in a nuanced and menacing performance that in lesser hands could have been ham-fisted.
“Numbers are the truth”
How many times did someone pull out mint to chew on? I stopped counting at 17 times. How many times was Zhang accused of being the perpetrator of a crime? Around 1,756, 230. The Emperor has indigestion. Dang that Zhan Xiao Jing! How many times did someone promise protection and then renege on it? The odds were not good for the person being promised. Pinky swears didn’t count for anything in Chang’an. How many characters did I wish would erupt into flames, but didn’t? Around 10. “A good man will be rewarded” or blamed by the bad man who will then be rewarded in his place. How many times were the good guys captured? Let me pull out my calculator.
“Truth doesn’t matter as much”
What Longest Day in Chang’an did well was world building. The excellent sets, teeming streets of extras, and costumes that looked worse for wear as the day went on, transported me back in time. The multi-layered narrative, intriguing characters, and well-choreographed action scenes were engrossing. Again, Zhou’s Long Bo was captivating and Zhang’s dogged determination was admirable if not exhausting. Where it didn’t work as well was when it became bogged down in the details and desire to give small history lessons. By giving many minor characters important screen time it side-lined others. Certain elements also became redundant. And a character that was talked about often, the Crown Prince, had relatively little screen time making it hard to tell if all the hearsay stories about him were true. Whereas, the despicable Right Chancellor's every loathsome move was shown. Despite focusing on numerous characters, the big reveal at the end was rather anti-climactic as the “mastermind” divulged pages of exposition regarding his evil plan in order for it to make sense and even then left a golden clue dangling.
“Human beings need to hold onto some kind of dream. That is what will drive them forward.”
Zhang and his buddy Wen, both knew Chang’an was not an ideal place, but both hoped it could be. There were people who fought to protect the citizens, even a Catholic priest who could do parkour! The suffering was largely due to the corrupt political system. The royalty and officials constantly looked for a way to destroy their rivals and rise in power with little thought for anyone else. Commoners, soldiers and servants were expendable and interchangeable. Even the terrorists who desired to set the system on fire had no compassion for those who struggled to make a life and living in Chang’an. The Longest Day in Chang’an was gripping and well worth the time even when I was ready for the day to end.
17 January 2024
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Everything will be fine when the sun rises"
From the moment you see four white circles dancing over frosted tree tops you know you are watching a master at work. Director Zhang Yi Mou takes on the spy genre with the grace and flare he has refined over the decades.Four Chinese spies trained in the USSR drop into Japanese controlled Manchuria to rescue an escaped prisoner of the dreaded Beiyinhe camp, where prisoners were tortured, experimented on and killed. They want him to tell his story so that the world will know what is going on in those devilish camps. Unfortunately, from the moment they hit the snow covered ground and split up they find themselves in even greater danger because a traitor has revealed their mission to the enemy.
Xiang Chen partners with Lan as Team 1, while his wife, Yu, and Lan's lover Chu Liang form Team 2. Both teams run into subterfuge and lies dipped in murderous intent. The pace of the film moves ever forward with enough chases through the snow on foot, in trains, and in automobiles to keep things exciting. It's often a cat and mouse and cat and mole frantic affair. The script took a sentimental turn at the end, which frankly, I enjoyed because I'm a big softie at heart, even when watching a spy film. That's not to say there wasn't violence, fair warning for the squeamish, there were some utterly brutal torture scenes and deaths.
Zhang Yi Mou took a flawed script and made it gripping as each of the team members had to get by on their wits as well as their training. His trademark stunning shots and framing were in effect in every scene. This truly looked like a frigid world, emotionally and physically. The Republican Era costumes were sharp and spy approved black with plenty of Fedoras and fur-lined coats. Cho Young Wuk's music perfectly fit the scenes regardless of the mood. The closing song's melody was hauntingly beautiful. As a whole the film was stunningly put together.
Zhang Yi as the team leader did an admirable job playing the skilled and stoic spy. Yu He Wei as Zhou, the man dangerously straddling two worlds had me rooting for him and hoping I wasn't wrong. Unlike many Zhang Yi Mou films, the women's roles seemed less well defined though the two female spies held their own as they struggled to find a way out of the traps they were in.
Cliff Walkers wasn't a perfect film but I found it engaging nonetheless and a treat for the eyes and ears. Zhang Yi Mou has run afoul of the censors before so hopefully, this more patriotic film will give him more room to work in future endeavors. Having said that, he kept the political propaganda to a minimum focusing more on the individuals, their strategies to overcome the terrible odds and sacrifices that had to be made. I found it to be a well made spy thriller and worth checking out, especially if you enjoy this director's works.
9/24/22
Was this review helpful to you?
