Setting aside my embarrassment, I watched it at home again without any kids or grannies around.
To be honest, this was the first film that I have appreciated Ando Masunobu in. I've first seen him in "Synesthezia" with Aoi Miyazaki, but I didn't like his character there too much. Here in Sakuran I loved the way he acted as Seiji who was the "keeper" or "care-taker" of the Oiran, (the highest ranking female prostitute in the house) which was eventually transferred to Kiyoha (Anna Tsuchiya). I loved the way she played the hot headed TOP Woman. Even though she wasn't the Oiran yet, she already had the attitude of one. She was spunky and feisty for a woman who lives and breathes the life in a brothel. Though this was her role, her life as an Oiran in the making was bitter and sad, she's witty and beautiful but was kept in a container, thus her life is compared to a goldfish in a bowl.
The story was manga based, so it had a bit of a shoujou-ish plot line going on. Nonetheless, it was a great movie. The ending was just my taste, the setting was perfect and beautiful, as well was the over all cinematography. Everything was vibrant with hues such as red... red... and more red. I think that color has so much significance for this movie. It makes sense that the bright colors used for the film was very appropriate for its theme. The sound track was fit for the whole movie and it has caught my attention so much that I researched about the singer Shiina Ringo and discovered the band Tokyo Jihen, hence I now have the collection of their songs.
I have already re-watched this Movie several times and would re-watch it again in the future.
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Why? As the five characters slowly investigate among themselves the truth behind the death of their gravure idol during her 1 year memorial anniversary, they unfold each other's personal lives and connection with the dead idol. During this time, they are all cooped up in a small apartment formulating reasons as to what really happened before and during the time of their idol's death.
If you think this is a boring film, well watch the movie and think again. This isn't your average film full of talk, mystery and well… more talk. This is one of those films that would make you scratch your head in the beginning, then seat straight-look-forward-to-screen in the middle and finally say "So that's what happened" in the end.
Its very entertaining to watch not that their acting was over the top, it was simply perfect. Every character portrayed themselves so well. The way they analyzed each other, puzzled things together and draw a conclusion to each scenario... it was very smart and witty. There were flashbacks to give a better visual of the scenarios they come up with and that definitely helped in building up the story and make the unfolding of the mystery more fun. I give kudos to the writer of this movie who made everything interesting.
Cinematography wise, it wasn't much since the focus is more on each characters who are talking inside a small room and as for the music I wasn't able to remember it much but it did somehow help as a background to build up the mood of the film.
Recommending this to those who like watching films which are more on the conversation side with mystery and comic relief on the side lines. BTW, there's no other film that I could compare it with since I think… it is one of a kind.
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The storyline… it kept me hanging on until the very end.
If you are a very curious person like me when it comes to mind-boggling stuff, you are definitely one to hang on till the last scene even though this movie has a lot of draggy moments. The camera tends to focus on everything and anything, but then at the end of the movie, I got to understand the significance of those lens focuses.
The cast was great, I like Miyazaki's character as Mari, I thought the characters in this movie did not seem complicated but I got that all wrong. The lead actor was a bit too good for this movie though, I felt that he could have done better on other films, his acting here was a bit wasted. But still, he was awesome and brought his own character to life. He was able to pull off the kind of role for a person who sees different perspectives in simple stuff and yet trying to live a normal life.
The ending confused me a lot and there are also scenarios where I had to analyze or think too much to actually understand what was going on but overall this movie is a good watch once I came to terms with the fact that there were a lot of meanings on the different scenes that were shown.
This film made me watch it twice so just I could re-analyze and understand everything that actually happened. The soundtrack was okay, but what really got me listening was the ending song entitled "Gerbera" in the last scene. That song gave me the meaning of synesthesia altogether. It was a significant title once I was able to understand the whole meaning of the film.
Giving this 8/10 for everything I have mentioned and recommending it to those who don't mind draggy stuff and would love to have their brains twisted into analyzing the film.
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A fantastic story and cinematography! I enjoyed every second of this strange and calm movie. The main point of the movie is even if the person happens to know his/her future, he'she is not going to give up the any second of happiness to avoid the consequences... Really touching and intriguing little story...
In the middle there was a point I stopped the movie, and started thinking for myself 'hmm... what's going on, now he knows her, she doesn't know him, and it began like she knew him and he didn't know her, which is the dream? which is the reality? what time is it now?' As I analyzed and collected in my mind all the details I knew for the moment, I just pushed play, as all I came up with were the collection of facts I had seen until the moment was stopped. And then the answers just flowed into my head with the beautiful scenes and dialogues (which by the way are rare in this movie)... Also the best characteristic of this movie is that the events are in wrong and chaotic chronological order... which makes you think and think and give freedom to your imagination... Which part is the dream? When is the past, the future, the present? Who's going to disappear in thin air? Is going to make the decision? Is anything going to change? So many questions...
Fantastic movie, really... I hope I'd do the same as the main female lead...
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I am a total Ji Sub fan...he plays dark and scary very well.
If you are looking to watch something violent, then this is so the movie to watch!!! It is great!!!
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I love movies with symbolism, and this movie fed my hunger for it wholly and the most satisfying way...
It's been 20 minutes I have finished watching it, and my eyes still see and my ears still hear the main character playing the piano, be it during the duel, or with one hand, or two pianos at the same time...
There are scenes in the movie that just refuse to leave my head... The bicycle turning back after being asked to ride slower, childish games between the two leads, their piano duet, the apples, the nature... and music, music, music...
Half of the movie was a love triangle, and I was loving it, then BOOM! it turns out a whole another story...and I'm still marveling it.
I was praying during the last moments of the movie, I was honestly praying...
The effects of the movie and the sudden changes in music left me breathless, absolutely beautiful movie...
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It can seem the most ordinary 'follow your dream' plot, but it's not, it somehow made me wonder 'Hey, these 4 guys are grown up people and more or less are on their own feet in this world (not in music industry), how come they still want to dance, jump on the stage and compete with youngsters?' And then, while watching the parts when they were visiting hospitals and schools... it hit me... why not? Is there a childish dream in the world? (look who's talking...haha~) Seeing their passion and strive for their dream, made my eyes tear...
Music is very sweet and heartwarming, very fitting to the mood of the movie, both songs "Summer Dream" and "Unfinished Song" (especially the latter) are brilliant songs.
All through the movie, I was thinking: "I like this, though it's a little simple, maybe 7... yes, 7"... then the last scene bought me wholly... The sweetest scene EVER! You should watch to be able to understand my unstopping tears at that moment...
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What piqued my interest is how they showcased a weird story line, (aside that I also checked this movie because of Aoi Miyazaki) It may sound a bit sci-fi-ish but there were no aliens involved only the made-up disease as the main problem. The film may seem to have no direction at first and I was also getting too frustrated with all the silence and sullen looks until I realized how important those actions were for this film. Those scenes with the focus on seemingly random things were actually vital in these movie so as to make sense of everything in the end. Cinematography was grainy, maybe because it was an old film? But still... it gave a rather bland feeling to a supposedly modern and colorful world.
The actors did somehow try their best to portray a depressive state, not just in actions but in the mind as well. However, the acting didn't really feel all that satisfying because I felt like something was still missing. It was trying to give a message about human connections and empathy but it's hard to internalize that sort of meaning because of the lack conversation between the characters.
Setting those complains aside, I was still able to enjoy something really weird. It's not refreshing, but it's something new to watch. It's not everyday I pick a movie genre like this, so basically it gave me a wider perspective on indie kind of films. Music wise, it was eerie and yet it was another key point for the whole thing, without it, there would be no story at all. The tones are really out of this world and completely weird, so don't expect something melodious, because it's not.
Surely this film is not for everyone. If you're the type who likes to sit down and analyze what is happening in an almost silent film for the whole 60+ minutes... this was made for you.
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Takumi-kun Series 1: And The Spring Breeze Whispers
11 people found this review helpful
The storyline is interesting, but the plot was pretty cliched and also very rushed.
The characters are very likeable and just as we start to understand them, they do/say something that makes it feel like we missed something in between. So, it wasn't very believable.
What I appreciated about it was the feel of the movie. Even being about such a different aspect as love between boys, it didn't feel strange at all. Rather it showed a very natural and beautiful relationship.
The cast was very good. The boys were perfect for the roles they played.
In all, here's a movie with lot of potential, but it falls short of being great.
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The story in itself is a little plain, as the entire thing is played out in school over a short period of time, leaving us with very little info about the characters. Either way, due to the suspense of solving the case, the movie does not get boring and is definitely worth the watch!
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-great soundtrack
-great cast
-great humor
what i didn't like
-weaker story this time around. the movie discusses events happening a year later from the drama but while the plot is the same (get the girl), there's not much else to the movie.
-rehashing the same scenes from the drama despite that this takes place a year AFTER the drama. redoing the same scenes from the past seems weird given the context
-flat ending. we get a resolution however um, that's it.
bottom line: the weird/sad thing about this film is that you HAVE to watch the drama in order to get the movie. if you don't, the movie seems even more empty.
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All my friends watched it and fell for it; they kept recommending so I watch it in order to find out the fuss that went around it.
2) Storyline/Plot:
This rom-com doesn't have the usual boring concept of other films, it has a new story that bumps out from crowd.
Positive points:
*There was a great self-introduction at the beginning of the film: it was a cool start.
*The love story was just great from how they met and all the weird yet sweet acts that would keep anyone interested.
*So much laughter in this film, it was really hilarious most of the time.
*Beside romance and laughter there were also some sad moments and captivating twists so it sort of got it all.
Negative points:
I couldn't find any, even if there was, they weren't so serious that would ruin the general story therefore there's no need to mention them.
Story: 9.5/10.
3) Acting/Cast:
*Jun Ji Hyun : This was the first and only work that I saw with this actress; she has a lot of potential since she prtrayed her role perfectly since I don't believe that there's any other actress that would portray the sassy girl the way she did: she was convincing, brought me laughter and some sorrow near the end: *Claps*
*Cha Tae Hyun : I really liked that actor, he has held the main lead male in a great way. The character was appealing to the point that I feel sorry for him since he always get hitted by both his mother and the girl he loves, so much laughter in those scenes xD
*I loved the chemistry between the leads and the way they acted in the park and in the club with school uniforms: I loved those scenes.
Cast: 8/10
Acting: 10/10
4) The ending:
It may sound weird but I saw it comming while it's supposed to be a "surprise".
Anyhow, it was a smart move to gather events in a way that would make the film end that way. Great end overall.
The ending: 8.5/10.
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*This film made my day, I kept wondering why I haven't watch it sooner.
*I laughed a lot while watching this, it was a great K-film classic that deserves to be remembered.
My impression 9/10
6) Overall:
*If you like rom-coms then this is a must watch.
*If you like unusual yet sweet love stories then you would like this.
*If you like hilarious films with a strong female lead then this is for you.
Overall: 8.5/10
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