1"I'm a public hand grenade"
Honest Candidate gave Ra Mi Ran a chance to shine as a lying politician suddenly cursed with the inability to tell a lie during the final days of a campaign.Ju Sang Suk appears to be an honest politician who honors her dead philanthropic grandmother at every turn. All is not as it seems in her familial paradise. Ju is intwined with corrupt officials who are all making a killing from her time in office. After a special prayer is offered up for her, Ju finds the truth spilling from her lips in every situation she is in, threatening not only her political career but also her freedom.
Honest Candidate was based on a Brazilian film which was itself adapted from the 1997 film Liar, Liar starring Jim Carrey. Instead of a lawyer, HC revolved around the occupation with the one of the highest percentages of liars---politicians. Ra Mi Ran gave a charming and comedic performance as Ju Sang Suk’s truths at first entertain the voters, coming across as a breath of fresh air. As Ju’s skeletons or lack of a skeleton were revealed, Ju found herself painted into a corner. Ra dialed up the emotional nuance as the curse forced Ju to face how far she’d fallen and whether or not she could salvage her career. Kim Mu Yeol made for a loyal Man Friday who believed in Ju’s abilities and career even more than she did. And always reliable halmeoni Na Moon Hee could once again be counted on to not phone her performance in. Ok Hee was the heart of a story filled with money hungry, unethical people. She also had a savage “bird.” It was disappointing that Ju’s husband and son weren’t particularly likeable or invested in her returning to her earlier ethical ways.
Honest Candidate was entertaining and had many funny moments but didn’t draw me in as much as I would have liked it to. Perhaps it was too close to Liar, Liar’s gimmick or maybe it was because Ju’s actions in the earlier part of the film were blatantly corrupt and selfish. I do love a redemption story and while I’m not sure she earned it, I will nearly always root for a person to acknowledge their mistakes and work to overcome them. One thing for sure, regardless of who she is praying to, a loving grandmother’s prayer is a force to be reckoned with---don’t make yours mad!
10 September 2025
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Pretty good
Not sure what the low rating is about but i believe this was a short set movie. It explored not just looking for love, but how to handle rejection and learn from it. The guy knew it may not work with his crush however he was bold enough to ask him and learn from it. The teacher was friendly and kind, supporting the boy and encouraging him at the same time. Great movie for someone like me.Was this review helpful to you?
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Love Untangled: A Mess of Everything, but Special in Nothing
Sorry guys, I don’t know about others’ opinions, but I honestly expected it to give “Lovely Runner” school vibes or even something like “20th Century Girl.” Sadly, it was nothing like that, and I was totally disappointed.It felt like the makers tried to pack in everything—love, friendship, love triangle, school life, college life—all at once, which made it feel messy. I especially felt bad for the second ML. If the FL already realized her heart was with the first ML, then why go as far as calling the second ML out for a proposal? She could’ve just dropped the plan.
Honestly, I lost interest halfway through, and the movie just didn’t feel special to me. 😞
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Great action film: visually breathtaking, brutal, and explosively message-driven
Watch this if you:• love wartime action
• appreciate great cinematography
• want to check out some underwater wire fu
• are up for epic statements about inhumanity and war
• are willing to go with iconic characters and broad symbolism
• want to see Zhu Yi Long’s amazing acting and 9.5% body fat abs
• want to see Wu Lei's wonderful acting and his ability to embody goodness and justice
• want to watch Ni Ni's awesome acting and her character's role as a force for change
• are curious about why “propaganda” is not an insult in the Chinese filmmaking industry
Don’t watch this if you:
• can't take brutal violence
• prefer realism and naturalistic character development over powerful message delivery
• are never okay with demonizing villains
• are sadly insensitive to the awesomeness of Ni Ni, Zhu Yi Long and Wu Lei.
• always judge a film by the same standards as those of Oscars voters
• think “propaganda” is only and always a bad thing
This is a powerful action movie that made me cry buckets. It's a:
Stunning visual experience
Enraged condemnation of a Japanese war crime
Grueling, devastating ride
Hymn to justice and kindness
After seeing it, I needed a few days to move out of the loss and sadness.
A week or so later, I started getting curious about where Dongji Island's filmmaking style fits in Chinese filmmaking history. Because it's quite strongly message-driven. I mean, I usually notice ideological content in films and tv shows, whether that's a cultural stance in Hollywood products or political messaging in cdramas. And after some preliminary internet searching, I learned that being propaganda is not a movie flaw in China the way it would be in my country. It seems like within Chinese filmmaking, propaganda can be art.
Anyway, in my opinion, Dongji Island has elements of extremely well made propaganda, but overall it's great art.
Because of its propaganda side, though, I don't have much hope for it to become popular in the West. I think Oscars voters go for stories with realism, psychological growth and complexity that privilege the individual. Dongji Island is fueled more by the message than it is by psychological arcs. While its characters have individuality and uniqueness, their symbolic weight is emphasized. And the movie subordinates the individual to the collective.
What’s stayed with me the most are not only the deep emotional impact and the amazing visuals, but also the performances. Besides the leads, Wu Lei, Zhu Yi Long, and Ni Ni, who are all on fire, I keep remembering moments from supporting actors, especially Chen Ming Hao, Ni Da Hong and Yang Hao Yu.
I’m really grateful for the limited American release, because I was able to see this on the wide screen! The lowest score I gave it was for rewatch value, because I would have to take a lot of deep breaths before I walked into a theater to see this a second time. But it will remain with me from just the one experience.
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Goofy charm
Second time through and I found the love story which develops especially touching. Which was probably half being distracted by the fun surprises and humour the first time through and half starting it far too late (only meant to peek in, really, and how is it past midnight already =)). It's gone up in my estimation now. It's light, sweet and silly, and moving. The ghosts aren't scary, the cameos are entertaining (Pompam's expression), and it does that lovely thing of a two hour Thai movie where it takes its time to explore its world before revealing its layers, with a story grounded in emotion more than driven by events.It was perfect for a day when I needed a break from both reality and fictional drama, like a wee holiday.
This is very much one to watch without western expectations and just let it take you along as it reveals its world.
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if you want a drama thay feels real.
Here’s your text with grammar, flow, and clarity polished up while keeping your original tone:---
To be honest, I accidentally clicked on this one and almost stopped watching at the start. I thought it looked a bit too indie and slow for me to get into. Luckily, I had nothing else to do, so I let it play in the background. Pretty quickly, I was swept up in the emotions of the film. It was so refreshing to watch a drama that didn’t feel overly scripted or follow the same old narrative. I guess it has a bit of an enemies-to-lovers vibe, but not quite.
I love how raw and rough around the edges it was, and how it started small. You really see how each emotional roadblock came about along the way. From being completely closed off due to a life of trauma, to slowly opening up and letting someone in. To wanting to break from the past and just be someone else. I could go on and on, but I’ll just say I highly recommend it if you’re looking for an emotional journey.
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Confusing story but with enjoyable to watch actors.
Getting into the movie can be extremly confusing as it starts off giving little information to the watcher. Multiple times along the storyline the plot will change/alter slightly and the watcher has to pay close attention to follow along or else you will feel lost. The weak story is held up by the actors who make it still a relatively good HK comedy if you are really trying to find something to enjoy in downtime. The age of the movie does show a bit through the production and set/prop pieces, but I think it still held up well for an alright watching experience.Was this review helpful to you?
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Simple Review
This short film is about two guys that were most likely friends and one of them moved away to shanghai to study there. He comes back for the summer and they spend some time together until one of them gets angry cause the other guy decided to read his diary (?) . They stop talking for a little but they also realise their feelings for each other and the boy soon has to leave.The acting felt a little awkward and some scenes felt long but besides that its not a bad film. Also let me add that the cinematography was absolutly GORGEOUS.
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it's cute
I'll admit, I was drawn to watch this film because of the hype. No need to beat around the bush, it didn’t live up to my expectations. The acting is fine, but the storytelling is the real issue. honestly, I can't blame the audience. The hype probably came from the lack of strong k-dramas/k-films this year. it reminded me of the c-19 era when everyone was suddenly releasing good music, simply because people were hungry for something to hold on to. However, I’m not the kind of person who can survive on crumbs; I need a full meal. This plot has been done hundreds times in other EA films, (especially in China and Japan), where seems to be a strange obsession with killing off characters in romance films. Within the first ten minutes, I guessed the entire story arc, and I haven’t done that in a while.Was this review helpful to you?
I watched this for Ha Hyunsang
I watched this to see Hyunsangie (their son) but after watch this I have a lot of good impression for this movieFirstly, I startled because I didn't realize this is musical movie, every song they put it's good and enjoyable.
The story of Seyeon's life made me touched so much, how a person need to enjoy their life until the end and always put on beautiful smile even though your life is suck. She's a good mother to her kids
But for the husband, he's so annoying in the middle of movie, he's a jerk but I realized he's a a good boyfriend to her, that's right that he didn't gave her a lot of support since the beginning of their marriage, but he can be a good person to her
Overall, Hyunsangie brought his little guitar (pado) in this movie aaaaaaackkk, I literally fangirling so much
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YES YES YES
This is literally such a cute movie. It portrays emotions so well and the actors are SO good at their jobs. I could feel the struggle, love, and yearning as if I was actually in their shoes. The tears I shed were so worth it. This might be odd but this is lowkey my comfort movie. It's because of how real it felt and how I could relate to some of the things both characters were feeling.Was this review helpful to you?
A classic!
A story of loss, confidence, and fate.As heartwarming and heart breaking as "200 Pound beauty," which is a very sentimental Korean movie from the 2000s that I'd reccomend to any who likes this.
this story is well written and delivered by two actors who perform well in their roles. Story is tightly written not giving any hints until the very end while the first & second half display an girl in pain resulting in her over use of control and physical abuse to others & self. The boy is just another lost young man who gets ignited into life by this explosive girl who he grows to love. The final half is really the beginning for both characters, allowing fate to work its magic. Would I watch again? too many to see!
Ps. Cha taehyun looks a lot like actor Ko Jun and Kang Daesung combined, the lips.
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Love Reset Review - ZyKuu
"Amnesia can hurt the brain, but not the heart" - The story is very playful and comedic. A car accident resets the memories of both our main leads Hong Na-ra and Noh Jung-yeol whom were planning on divorcing each other. This leads to them spending time together from a different perspective compared to what they were used to prior. Na-ra and Jung-yeol are opposites that attracted. Hong Na-ra is a movie producer who lives dirty and wants to stay indoors, meanwhile Noh Jung-yeol is a lawyer who wants lives clean and wants to be outdoors. Their dynamic is very funny and they have good chemistry. Jung-yeol's acting was the highlight of the film for me. His facial expressions and goofy nature was a spectacle to watch. The OST from what I recall was just background music used to to enhance specific moments, there wasn't really any songs that I remember hearing apart from what Na-ra's sister was singing. Overall this movie is entertaining, and I would recommend it to anybody who's interested in watching a laid back romantic comedy.Was this review helpful to you?
"We're all waiting for that someone to forgive us"
Heiward Mak directed Fagara, a story about three half-sisters who meet at their father’s funeral. The three women have different mothers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. Having dealt with a largely absentee father, the three have wounds to heal as they get to know each other.In Hong Kong, Acacia receives a call saying that her estranged father is in the hospital. He dies before she arrives. When she charges his phone, she discovers a secret, actually two, she has a sister in Taiwan and one in China. She invites both of them to the funeral where they awkwardly meet. Branch is a professional pool player while Cherry is a wannabe influencer in China. Acacia has to decide what to do with her father’s hot pot restaurant as there is another year on the lease. She discovers that her father did most of the work and is exhausted attempting to keep it open. The staff call in her sisters to help. The three grow closer as they search for the hot pot broth’s secret recipe, which might turn out to be a bit of a family scrapbook.
I enjoyed the sisters learning about each other and supporting each other. They all shared unfulfilling relationships with their parents, especially their dad. Through taking over the hot pot restaurant they worked through their feelings about him and others in their lives. I liked that none of the three relied on men to tell them what to do or to support them. They were independent, making choices that best served them in their lives. And they made a loving sisterly family where none had existed before. All three actresses created three very different characters that felt real---Sammi Cheng as the sullen, hurt Hong Kong daughter, Megan Lai as the pool player with a secret love life, and Li Xiao Feng as the effervescent influencer who adored her grandmother. It was fun to see Wu Yan Shu (Meet Yourself) play Cherry’s feisty grandmother. Liu Shui Chi looked like she could have been Branch’s mother in real life. The women's stories and relationships were heartfelt without plunging headfirst into melodrama.
What didn’t work for me---The dad was portrayed as a great guy, misunderstood, but always willing to give people a chance and helpful advice. He was still a man who created three children with three different women and wasn’t a real father to any of them. He withheld the words and time his daughters needed. Acacia and Branch felt rejected and tended to emotionally isolate themselves. Cherry quipped she had never been anyone’s choice. Her mother had moved with her to Canada, calling her a niece and not a daughter. Eventually, she ended up with her grandmother in China. All three dealt with resentments and feelings of rejection that were too often smoothed over or seen as overreaction. The film kept circling around trying to make the dad out to not have been a deadbeat and worthy of great respect, but I never made it to that point. That all three needed to come to terms with him and make peace with a flawed parent was understandable. Painting him to be better than he was caused me to drop my score. While I’m ranting, Andy Lau’s character mansplaining men to Acacia was grating. No Andy, “want to be with you” and “can be with you” don’t mean the same thing. Get a dictionary and a clue.
Aside from the writers trying to make the father out to be better than he was and expecting the women to accept the crumbs he gave them as better than they were, I really enjoyed this film about sisters coming together and healing through love and food. And I loved that Acacia not only learned how to drive, but learned when to drive away and when to drive toward something she wanted.
9 September 2025
I used the names given in the movie version I watched: Acacia Ha=Hsia Ru Shu; Branch/Blanche Ha=Hsia Ru Zhi; Cherry Ha=Hsia Ru Guo
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Explosive but Repetitive
Decibel starts off with an intriguing plot, but the bombing scenarios quickly become repetitive and a little too chaotic at times. What really stands out is the star-studded cast — it’s surprising (and exciting) to see such big names together, including some faces we rarely get to see on the small screen. Their strong, realistic performances help ground the tension and make the story feel more believable. The ending, while not mind-blowing, felt reasonable and fitting for the journey the film set up. Overall, it’s a decent watch if you’re into action-thrillers, but don’t expect too many surprises along the way.Was this review helpful to you?
