"When will there be no more need for girls like us?"
Once again Mizoguchi Kenji showed the plight of “geishas” in The Woman in the Rumor. It starred Tanaka Kinuyo as the owner of a relatively high-end, low-end brothel and the mother of a daughter who resented the family business.Hatsuko has brought her daughter, Yukiko, home from Tokyo. After her boyfriend broke ties with her due to her mother’s business, Yukiko attempted suicide. At first Yukiko was hostile and cold toward her mother, the women, and the doctor who looked over the "geishas.” She came to fully realize how the money her mother spent on her education and living expenses was earned. The geishas weren’t morally bankrupt, rather girls from poverty-stricken farm families with few career opportunities. What Yukiko didn’t know was that the same doctor who had taken a romantic interest in her had also been romantically involved with her mother for some time.
Other than the problem with the doctor being an opportunistic jerk, a female character once again found herself in the unenviable position of being older than the man she was involved with. Tanaka was 11 years older than Nakamura Jakuemon IV (aka Otani Tomoemon) who was 11 years older than Kuga Yoshiko. Of course, the latter pairing was not the horrific societal hurdle that the former was. While Hatsuko had the audacity to fall in love with a younger man, her business was also not honorable enough for a penniless and ethically challenged doctor. Mizoguchi liked to show women suffering and poor Hatsuko’s ego took a merciless beating.
The geishas in the house were shown caring for each other even as they bemoaned their pitiful pay. Mizoguchi didn’t delve into the darker side of prostitution and the toll it took on a woman’s mind and body. He did, however, have a character lament the sad cycle of young girls entering the profession as others aged out, all for the pleasure of men. It also showed how few opportunities there were for a girl or woman to provide for herself and/or her family. This film primarily focused on Hatsuko and her relationship with her daughter. The rift between them could only be healed with Yukiko coming to understand her widowed mother’s position and feelings.
The Woman in the Rumor was the last film Tanaka would make with Mizoguchi, in part because he died a few later and in greater part because he tried to thwart her from becoming a director. This film ultimately worked for me as mother and daughter learned the valuable lesson, 'sisters before misters' or 'mothers and daughters before calculating doctors with wandering eyes and hands syndrome.'
"...most men hold questionable views."
1 June 2025
This film is also known as The Woman of Rumour
Was this review helpful to you?
While chatting with the super nice lady that worked there after the show, she shared a bit about why she chose this film to screen and how it connected to the Stratford Festival that was going on. At the time of our visit, the play being performed at the festival was Macbeth, and she explained that the production was actually more inspired by this film version than Shakespeare’s original. Honestly, when we walked in, we had no idea the film was related to Macbeth, but when she explained it, we both had that collective “ohhh!” moment as it all clicked into place.
The film itself was very intriguing. It’s a black-and-white film, and we watched it with English subtitles. There were a few moments where the scenes dragged a bit (like a five-minute horse-riding sequence that kind of pulled you out of the story), but overall, it flowed and transitioned nicely. The acting and music were genuinely very captivating, and some of the effects and scenes were super impressive for the time. We really enjoyed the film, though to be fair, that might’ve been partly because of the whole experience of seeing it on the big screen. I would love to check out some of Akira Kurosawa's other works as well after this.
Was this review helpful to you?
Review: Love Letter (1995) — A Beautiful Film That Left Me Cold
After watching 18x2, which referenced this film, I was curious to finally see what Love Letter was all about. I’d heard so much praise over the years — how poetic and emotional it is, how it’s considered a classic of Japanese cinema. And as someone who genuinely loves romance and melancholic stories, I expected to be moved by it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t.
Visually, Love Letter is beautiful. The snowy landscapes, soft light, and quiet tone give the film a haunting atmosphere. The acting, too, is subtle and sincere. But for all its beauty, I found the story strangely hollow. The pacing felt slow in a way that dulled the emotional impact rather than deepening it, and I struggled to connect with the characters.
One aspect that particularly bothered me was the relationship between the female lead and her new boyfriend. Instead of offering true emotional support, he came across as impatient and even self-serving — trying to speed up her healing so he could take the place of her deceased fiancé. It felt more like he was in love with the idea of her — or maybe even with who she reminded him of — than with her actual self. That dynamic left me uncomfortable, and the ending, instead of providing closure, felt emotionally unearned.
That said, there were a couple of scenes that really stood out: the quiet moment in high school when she tries to light his notebook with her bike lamp, and the rawness of her voice echoing through the snowy mountains. In those moments, I could feel what the film was trying to do — the weight of longing, the fragility of memory — but they were isolated flashes in an otherwise emotionally distant experience.
I know Love Letter means a lot to many viewers, and I respect that. I can appreciate its artistic quality and understand why it resonates with others. But for me, it lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for. Sometimes a film just doesn’t speak your language, and that’s okay. This one didn’t speak mine.
Was this review helpful to you?
"Having a dream however small is a good thing"
Its a violent fun - a stylish action-comedy that perfectly blends brutal fights with dark humor. Don't expect deep storytelling here; this movie is all about over-the-top action and laughs. It fully embraces its genre mix, presenting all the killings from a light, comedic perspective rather than taking itself seriously.Kanna Hashimoto shines in the lead role, effortlessly switching between playing an innocent young woman and a cold-blooded killer. Her deadpan delivery makes the character both funny and frightening. The action scenes deliver exactly what fans want - fast, bloody fights featuring guns, knives, and hand-to-hand combat, all filmed with manga-like energy.
The film adds an interesting layer with slight romantic tension between the leads, giving some welcome breathing space between the action sequences. The comedy works particularly well, with hilarious moments like Kei casually discussing murder during everyday conversations. These funny bits help balance out the extreme violence.
That said, the plot exists mainly to connect the action scenes, without much depth or surprising twists. The yakuza villains are also pretty generic and forgettable.
Overall, it's a decent movie that knows exactly what it is - violent, darkly comic action flick with just a dash of romance. If you're looking for serious drama, this isn't it. But if you want bloody fun with great dark humor, this is fine.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Resilience in a tough and often unforgiving world
Zhao Liying always delivers solid performances in tough stories ; the resilience of the character she plays also comes from experience in life and acting although the character she played in "The Story of Xing Fu" was not as poor and desperate as Gao Yuexiang who sometimes reminds of the slave girl of "Princess Agents" in her dire straits. GYX is a light grey character with a low moral compass but a strong sense of faithfulness to those she protects, thinking of her daughter, such as deaf and mute Hei Mei (played memorably by Lan Xiya, already noticed as prominent in "She and Her Girls", the biopic series about the mountain high school for girls - she is still playing support with as much brilliance as if she was lead).The two struggle against the hurdles that keep the poor on the threshold of desperation, saddled with that backstory of going through prison for minor or more serious crimes while the gang that forced Hei Mei to break the law went scot free ...until the bloody retribution in the literally dying out gang in the end. Former ways of thieving are on the way of disappearing in a cashless society where Internet fraud replaces lock picking, and animal trafficking is on the rise while kids abducting is still a menace. Going to prison being also to make inmates reflect and reform, there is a clear goal, but former inmates insertion into society, as in most countries, is not easy, even with the sum allowed to start anew, and they are expected to fend for themselves or find support in their families if they have one, even a bad one.
Deng Hong is not a typical prison warden, but does have some sympathy for the downtrodden women who become sisters in need, and is impressed by the more moral Hei Mei who instead of ripping off old relatives of their former prison cell enemy, goes to lengths to help them. Deng Hong has a back story that explains her sympathy : she was a baby saved from drowning by an escaped inmate and was raised by a police officer, as she tells her story in passing, not insisting. She genuinely wants her former inmates and charges to insert back and start afresh, away from law breaking.
There are a lot of ups and downs in the movie that depicts another side of city under world. But finally there is a happy end, where blood stains are aptly washed clean, while the former law breakers slate is wiped clean.
So, this is perhaps a tad over optimistic, not as realistic as a "Xiao Wu" pickpocket story told by Jia Zhangke in his famous independent movie, but this one also reminds of that underworld of ordinary people whose lives also contribute to building a country, shown over the years in movies such as "Platform", "Suzhou River" etc. and referring directly to the spirit of the famous Feng Xiaogang crime comedy "A World Without Thieves".
It is an interesting watch, indeed not depressing or boring, even thrilling, although there is not much humor in this one. I balanced between an 8 and 9.5 for rating, since the story is perhaps too simple and unremarkable, but the main actresses made it come to life.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Life is worth living even when it's tragic
Overall this was a very depressing movie. That doesn't mean it wasn't a worthy movie to watch. It did contain some very violent and tragic content. It's really sad that poor marginalized people can live a life that's challenging and hopeless. The twin that sought revenge for the violence perpetrated against his disabled brother was a brave and conflicted person. I rather agreed with his comment, "Why do the victims have to forgive?" The plot twist at the end of the movie tied together so many elements of the movie. The awful evil supposedly kind teacher deserved to die. He raped that poor disabled boy weekly. Then on Christmas Eve when he discovered him brutally beaten, raped him again. There was no justification for such evil! Then the POS selfishly said that he had had a bad day! Evil-- pure evil! It was a difficult movie to watch. The story, the acting and every element of the story was excellent. The low score for the rewatch value is simply because this was a tragic exceptionally sad movie that would be difficult to watch again.Was this review helpful to you?
Thriller with Twists
This movie was loosely based on the book “The Dinner.” The book made me uncomfortable with its exploration of moral choices. The movie made several changes, such as a greater role for the children. I felt that change and many of the others were improvements, at least in terms of making it work as a movie. It still examined moral choices, and asked the question “How far should parents go to protect their children?” but took some turns I was not expecting, which I actually liked. The acting was very good and made me feel for the characters and their desperation.Was this review helpful to you?
Is it ever too late to become a good man?
The Scoundrels was director Hung Tzu Hsuan feature film debut. Starring Wu Kang Ren (formerly Chris Wu) and JC Lin it was a decent first film, though nothing groundbreaking and leaning more toward Korean crime films than Hong Kong.Rui (translated as Ray in the version I watched) tickets cars and clandestinely stashes GPS trackers on luxury vehicles to be stolen later for the gang he works for. His life took a wrong turn when he was a professional basketball player and attacked a fan during a game leaving the man in the hospital. Racked with debt from the incident and labeled a criminal he turned toward the unsavory way of making a living. While ticketing a car late at night he is kidnapped by the “Raincoat Robber” which leads to a deeper involvement with the dangerously enigmatic crook.
The Scoundrels wasn’t very deep though it did try to make a comment about society treating petty criminals and murderers the same, which kept people from reforming and starting over. Rui wasn’t a very sympathetic character nor was his background or personality expanded upon. Hot-headed, always spoiling for a fight, impulsive, and quick to place the blame on others for his actions, it was no surprise he ended up on the wrong side of the law. He was unable to envision or accept consequences which didn’t help people give him the benefit of the doubt. Wu Shun Wei aka The Raincoat Robber also lacked character depth but Wu Kang Ren managed to grant the baddie much needed charisma and an underlying menace. Rui and Wu had a ‘don’t turn your back on your bro’ bromance. The two female characters were blank canvases never filled in. Jack Kao played a veteran cop who had Rui tried, convicted, and executed in his mind before ever gathering all the evidence.
Hung made use of dim, cramped alleys and dilapidated stairwells for much of the settings. There were numerous brawls between Rui and the gang and Rui and Wu against the gang and finally the no holds barred fight between Rui and Wu foreshadowed in the first scene of the film. A few of the fights had dark humor in them though the fights became more brutal as the film went on. There was an element of Wylie Coyote as characters survived steep falls and bloody blows to the head. Double-crosses led to more double-crosses and more fights.
The Scoundrels was fast-paced which helped the viewer not have time to puzzle over plot holes and lack of character development. Overall, it was entertaining even if it needed narrative help.
30 May 2025
Was this review helpful to you?
Worth watching
Hye Sun was amazing in this movie. The acting was amazing and the plot was well written. If I can say something negative about the movie it’s the way how slowly everything was. The idea with the hidden cameras was interesting but not something original. But of course we’ve had and plot twist which i didn’t expect. I can’t put the movie truly into the horror genre, more like a thriller/crime. The ending wasn’t truly what I expected but it was nice. The story of how easily something small can become so big caught me and my interes. The suspense was everywhere and of course the atmosphere was great.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Interesting yet kinda weird
Quite a recent movie with the house haunted by a vengeful spirit clichee we all know. This one sounded interesting to me cuz the spirit is obese and I wondered if there was a reason for that (and there was, which is incredibly heartbreaking).I liked the pace of the movie until about halfway, when the dementia-plagued (I think) grandma turns into a hippie ghost-repelling-pro, using sheer force of will and tai-chi or smth similar to literally beat the sh*t out of the spirit. It was just so random and totally took me out, given that almost her entire family was just murdered and she could've done something to prevent it, but didn't "transform" until they were dead.
The story of the spirit is unbelievably sad and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, but the part where hippie grandma effortlessly gathered her living family for her to murder and then having a boss fight with the spirit after that was just weird. The love interest of the protagonist being alive "inside" the spirit instead of being killed like the family members also seems convenient for the plot.
Overall it's just the usual haunted house with the family trying to get rid of the possession but ironically not using the shaman/religious route but beating the spirit with sheer will and determination. I like the concept of not giving into the fear and despair spirits, ghosts etc would want you to feel, but the random comedic elements feel so misplaced in this otherwise okay plotline
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
a brutally honest portrait of love, change, and emotional accountability
this isn’t the kind of BL film that wraps itself in idealized tropes or gives comfort in romance. it’s an uncomfortable, messy, and deeply human story—and for that reason, it's one of the most powerful i’ve seen.at its core is kyouichi, a man who lives a pitiful and hollow life. a womanizer and emotionally vacant, he gets married not out of love, but out of a vague sense of obligation—because it’s what society expects of him. he’s never really stopped to think about what he wants, who he is, or how his behavior affects others. he moves through life selfishly, detached, never truly caring about those who try to get close to him.
then there’s imagase, who represents everything that challenges kyouichi’s emotional stagnation. his love is obsessive, manipulative—even predatory at times—but it’s also raw, honest, and unwavering. his searing line, “you have a weakness for people who love you, but you don’t trust that love in the end, and sniff around the feelings of those who approach you,” cuts deep, not just into kyouichi’s character but into the emotional detachment that defines many modern relationships.
and yet, what makes this film resonate is not the toxicity—it’s the potential for growth. kyouichi isn’t a likable man, but he is human. and for all his flaws, he proves capable of change. he begins to accept who he is, stops running from himself, and starts taking emotional responsibility—not just for his own life, but for the people he’s hurt. that willingness to grow doesn’t come easily or quickly. it comes from being challenged by someone who, despite everything, truly loved him.
this is beautifully encapsulated in the final scene. kyouichi sits alone at the barstool—on the same stool where Imagase always waited for him. the ashtray is no longer thrown away but placed gently on the table, washed and cleaned. the curtains are white and sheer, replacing the tacky blue ones. small, quiet details, but they say everything. he’s not waiting for someone to fix him anymore. he’s doing what he can, on his own. as he puts it, “i want to wait. by myself. i want to do what i can.”
in the end, imagase's love—unconventional, obsessive, but undeniably pure—becomes the catalyst for kyouichi’s growth. and in that sense, the film suggests that to truly love someone is for them to become your only exception.
it’s not romantic. it’s not easy. but it’s real—and that’s what makes this story unforgettable.
Was this review helpful to you?
Absolute masterpiece
Tears, tears and more tears. Even though this is not the complete story of Prince Sado, who was a cruel and monstrous man, it’s the story of how he became like one. The story of a King who didn’t show love or affection towards his son, wanting to make a king from him, turned differently. Truly a heartbreaking story, with nonstop crying. How a full of life person can became a madman due to his father’s actions. This movie is a complete masterpiece, showing us how actions have deep consequences and even more.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Yasuko and the men she loved.
Inspired by the story of actress Hasegawa Yasuko and her time with the famous poet Nakahara Chuya and prominent literary critic Kobayashi Hideo. The movie transports us to early showa and tells us the complicated story of the bond between Yasuko, Nakahara, and Kobayashi.Starting with the 20 year old Yasuko and 17 year old Nakahara, both spending their youthful days struggling in their craft as they carry a heavy sadness from their childhood. They are eventually drawn by each others' impulsiveness and start living together.
As Nakahara continue to pursue his literary career, they move to Tokyo and there Yasuko and Kobayashi meet through Nakahara himself. Kobayashi was captivated by Yasuko's beauty although his interest on Yasuko started because of his complicated admiration towards the genius Nakahara.
In the movie you could see how Yasuko uses a red umbrella at first which was handed by Nakahara. Further, the two enjoys a persimmon fruit. The flawless persimmon symbolizes the prosperity of each other when they were together—Nakahara recognized as a genius by his colleagues and Yasuko finally getting relevant roles as an actress. They seem to not struggle financially at all. However, the red umbrella symbolizes the intense and turbulent relationship between the two. Nakahara loves Yasuko but he is often immersed in his poems. They always quarrel and turn violent with each other. Nevertheless, he shows his appreciation of her through little things like praising her food despite it being actually bland. Nakahara could also easily match Yasuko's youthful playfulness as shown in the scene where the three dances together.
The shift of Yasuko's love for Nakahara to Kobayashi was marked by the bruised green apple eaten by Kobayashi. Eventually in the scene where the two decides to be together, Kobayashi hands a white umbrella to Yasuko. These two also symbolizes their relationship and life together. The bruised green apple is akin to how the two started to struggle individually when they started living together. Yasuko drowning in her love for Kobayashi, halts her career as an actress and spends her days at home waiting for Kobayashi to come home. Kobayashi on the other hand, struggles to make ends meet as he starts pampering Yasuko too much. Opposite to Nakahara he recognizes that Yasuko can't cook and so they either eat take outs or he cooks for the two of them. Like the bruised apple, they are slowly rotting each other as they spend more time together. On the other hand, the white umbrella can be compared to their relationship. A love that seem calm and clear. However, they could only love each others' good sides.
It is arguable if Yasuko did love the two and vis-a-vis or are these three just dependent on one another. Kobayashi compares him and Nakahara to be Yasuko's crutches—she needed two of them to walk—and removing one will break her balance but removing both would make her strive to walk by herself.
Ultimately, the movie is a visual feast; Hirose Suzu dawning all sorts of costume and really bringing us the undeniable charm of Yasuko; the passage of time clearly depicted by the changing of sceneries through the seasons; numerous center shots; and that showa era yellow lights.
The main cast delivered well as expected of two seasoned movie leads and a promising rising actor. They even got the talented Emoto Tasuku for a very short part of a man who isn't even named. The director usually has famous actors for his movies so this isn't surprising.
The flow of the story on the other hand is a bit inconsistent. It starts with Yasuko clearly being the main lead, the focus was on her. However, as Kobayashi enters the picture, the focus shifts on the complicated relationship of the three. The time skips also sometimes feel too huge. The ending also felt a bit flat and somewhat makes the movie more of a tribute to Nakahara because of how it started with Yasuko meeting him and ended with Yasuko saying goodbye to him in his funeral.
I think the material is good. Although, there aren't that much source of what really transpired between the three, the only fact is that Yasuko was with Nakahara and she eventually left him for Kobayashi but the relationship also did not last. This lack of details in the material may have made it hard to make a cohesive story. They were grasping at Nakahara's favourite poems to find clues about his relationship with Yasuko. However, they made Yasuko the lead and the story isn't told on the point of view of Nakahara so it felt weird with all the poems inserted in the story. The poems may have made more sense if the story was told on the point of view of Nakahara. I would love this to be about Yasuko as told by Nakahara through poems.
Nevertheless, this is a good watch. I liked the dynamics between the three. There are scenes I really loved and overall I enjoyed this.
Was this review helpful to you?
1They not only combined two different fighting styles...
they also combined two different movies into one.Here's the thing: was it entertaining? Yes. Was it good? Ehh. I like both ideas of the plot they tried to fit into one, but you just cannot make it happen in one hour and thirty minutes. "Underdeveloped" was the theme.
Let's start with the story the synopsis describes, the ultimate fan service. The second half is THE Karate Kid movie you are expecting to see. Li Fong being trained by Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso in a painful, but entertaining fashion. All to get him ready so he can defeat "the bully". The core of the franchise is to never give up, always get back up and use that secret move you've been training during montages to give the final blow.
First half thought? Way more refreshing, more interesting and I wish it was used as a completely separate movie (also, it's weird how it was completely hidden from the marketing). It gives a nice twist to the known formula and now the kid becomes the master. Personally I had way more fun watching that part of the plot.
As a whole movie it's not the greatest, but it does have some great moments. Back alley fight behind the pizzeria? Probably my favorite fighting scene - it had that comedy Jackie Chan style to it. Existence of Alan, the most random character in any Karate Kid movie? Perfect. The number of times Li Fong gets his ass kicked by Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso? Pure chaos and fun. The boxing match and training (yes, there is boxing in it) - awesome.
But then we also have the bad. Conor Day was just painfully poorly written. The actual tournament? Barely existed - they fast forwarded all the fights, we saw close to nothing. Ming Na Wen practically being just a guest role was sad - her character could have delivered some good external conflict. Than we have the trauma that was less than a background.
Somehow, because nothing was truly developed I did not feel the grand victorious feeling when the movie ended. You know how Karate Kid movies make you want to learn martial arts? This one just made me want to rewatch previous movies in the franchise. It just did not have that kick to it.
The casting was great. The cast was criminally underused, but still great. Jackie Chan at 71 still has it. Probably on his worst day he is still better than 99.9% of people on their best. Surprisingly Ben Wang delivered probably my favorite version of "Karate Kid" as the leading character. Good personality with real flaws and fears.
Overall, it was fun. I'm kind of sad they did not make it into two great movies, and instead settled on delivering not that well blended mix.
Was this review helpful to you?
I really really liked this documentary.
As a fan, of course it will the best documentary that i watched in this life.The moments, the live action, the feelings shown are so true and there was not a single moment which I felt they are not doing great. Caroline really showed us what we've been waiting for. The camera director really captured those heartfelt moments. We have seen their tours and behind the scenes but we didn't see how Blackpink was formed and I happy that we got to see it today. The only thing that saddens me is that the video seems so short . It is short but it's worth it. I hope they continue to produce Blackpink's later journey in this form.
Was this review helpful to you?
