Reviews

..WHERE BEING ALONE CAN STILL FIND HAPPINESS..

..the plot of the story is so enough for me to watch and plus factor as Kasumi roled the FL..
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..being A-LoneLY is sometime my daily routine..
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..as I watch the movie, there are some part that kinda weird for me, thinking that I won't do the same thing like her - feeding a homeless person or burying a dead bird as I once I noticed..
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..there are something that are not worth to see but for her what she is is everything..
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..another genre of empowering women that shows a bad past is not a hindrance to go forward and step for a better life - it is not the work but the attitude you shows toward other people - to stand on your what you believe what is right and fight for it - we can't please people after all..
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..and never thought the FL will do THAT kind of scenes since it my first to see on her *blush*..
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..well the runtime of the movie is kinda long but very worth to watch, I never looked bored even if the story always focus on her - just a slice of life we encounter everyday that we might relate or not yet very relaxing to watch..

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A box of tissues is a must!!

I was looking for a good cry and didn't want to watch any long dramas and this movie made me feel anything but disappointed in that aspect. It was heartbreaking to watch, to say the least, but I am so glad to have watched it because this is the sort of movie that has the potential to make you rethink life and look at living in a different light.
The e cast just nailed it, so much so that you won't feel like they are not actually living their life, even for a second. Even the little girl! And the fact that there are actual people that had to go through that is even more heartbreaking.
Also, some might argue that even if they didn't make it out of gwangju and told the whole world about it, someone would have. Yes, they would have and maybe the story would have been a little different but the suffering would not be any less. It's also important to talk about the people who didn't make it out - my heart goes out to them.
I hope everyone involved in that massacre finds peace. And I wish the two of them meet before either of them dies, they both deserve that - the peace.
Overall a great watch!

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Heartwarming Holiday Movie ♡

Did I watch a Christmas/ New Year movie in Apirl?
Yes yes I did ?
I have had this one on my list for some time now & happy I was able to watch it.
PROS:
◇The Cast! Amazing actors of all ages & some legends as well! ??
◇The chemistry it was believable and everyone did a great job!
CONS:
◇Some of the stories were slower / less interesting then others to me personally.
◇Some insta love ❤️ but it's a Christmas ? film so it wasn't surprising.

Over all I had a great time watching would probably rewatch but this time around the holidays ?

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Watch this movie!!

I'll admit right up front, this movie confused the heck out of me. I'm math-phobic, and time travel and space-time continuum type things relate to math, and you see my dilemma. But that's just me.

The story was beautiful and sad. I need happy endings, and unless I completely missed what was going on, this did not have a happy ending. I spent the time getting to know and love the characters, and once they knew what was going on, I could almost feel their pain in the knowledge they had gleaned. Japan knows how to do beautiful filming that is kind of "slice of life". Everyday places and everyday stories take on new and deeper meanings, and I love that.

Both actors did a wonderful job with their parts. I've only seen either of them in one other work, so I'm going to need to check out their filmography and expand on that.

Music - was there music? I wasn't paying attention to that.

Rewatch value - I'd say definitely, if for no other reason than trying to figure out the timeline.

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A hero origin story for the archer of myth

It's a nice little fantasy movie, revolving around a mythological figure, the archer Hou Yi. Evil demons are about to break a seal, once again threatening to take over the three realms.
The hero of the story lives as a shepherd and hunter in a rural/tribal community. He has a sister and his father is the leader of the community. The heroine is a cute fairy, who has waited 1000 years for the appearance of “the son of prophecy”, a warrior that is said to be able to stop the demons, because she wants to support him in the fight. There is no palace or officials involved, everything plays out between the tribal villagers and the demon forces.

Sets, CGI and costumes are not amazing, but decent enough to make it a colourful and entertaining performance. In some scenes, the choice of music is questionable.
If you are looking for a simple story, with a little bit of action, love and magic mixed together, this movie might suite you.

random information: Hou Yi is played by Ma Jing Han, who recently played Wu Xin's white-haired Uncle, Mo Quishi, in Wuxia-drama The Blood of Youth.

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Action-filled movie but not so comedy as advertised

The story is quite meh although it makes sense. A North and South Korean joint operation which initially started with different goals in mind towards the end, it becomes a really cooperative partnership. Who would've known that this two completely different detectives will find a common ground to work together despite the doubts and mistrusts at the beginning. The overall plotline is logical somehow but nothing extravagant or really big is going on. I find it linear with no much twists.

I love the action scenes which for me is executed well. Who doesn't want to see HyunBin in action? The chemistry between the two as partners while unique definitely works. I didn't expect them to complement each but they did.

It was a good weekend watch although I watched it on a weekday. It was intense yet light so I recommend it if you came across this movie on Netflix, it's worth a watch. I'm so excited to watch the sequel of this.

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Not my type

I didn’t like this movie, I was bored but confused. But hold on am not biased to the story concept cause I have watched such things way more than you think not just movies but real life too. I am not sensitive to the topic but the storytelling is slow and tedious. It is like a documentary film with an unstable camera view and natural sounds. Nothing grasped my interest throughout the story, the characters, the kiss, the confusion, and more.

The camera angles went more unstable whenever the leads were close and showed half of the faces, if anyone thinks it's art then it is fine. Cause I don’t know anything about it but I wanted to see the subject properly.

The acting was average, not exemplary. It felt like seeing two people around the corner or the house trying to hide their feelings from themselves and the world.

I really liked the sounds. walking tone, water flows, rains, winds, cars.

If you want to watch, you can just 2x or cause there is nothing to skip. But there are more good movies, I won't recommend this movie Kissing Cousine.

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A heart-wrenching film about the importance of friendships

When people think about the word soulmate, most of the time, the first thought that comes to their mind would be related to a significant other/a lover. But what if I tell you that your soulmate is the pure and deep friendships you've made throughout your life? A soulmate isn't just about finding "the one", a soulmate is someone who understands you significantly, someone who treasures you, and that person can be anyone in your life: a lover, a parent, a pet, or a friend. And this film: "Soulmate" excellently captures this concept. If you're coming into this film with the thought of wanting to know who the ML (Byun Wooseok) ends up with, then you're going to be disappointed because the ML isn't the film's focal point.

Rather, it is the relationship between Miso (Kim Dami) and Haeun (Jeon Sonee). The film takes us from the beginning of their friendship until the end, the conflicts that they have in the middle, and a heart-wrenching conclusion/ending at the end. Miso and Haeun come from different worlds, with different personalities yet they stick together like magnets. With such differences, the film also touches upon the societal expectations for girls such as getting a decent job and marriage and these aspects can be clearly seen in Haeun - an ambitious young woman who wants to paint and draw but had to conform to her parent's expectations of becoming a teacher (something that she is not passionate about). Miso, on the other hand, is more adventurous and she does things her own way. However, she had to cope with harsh circumstances and had to learn the hard way to earn a living by going against social norms. In the end, the only time these 2 characters feel at peace and can be themselves is when they're with each other.

I have already watched the original before watching this and the Korean remake definitely has made some changes, but it did not steer completely away from the main storyline, instead, it adds more substance to it and I really appreciated that. The actors did an amazing job portraying the characters. This film will leave you sobbing after so have some tissues prepared. Definitely recommend this film.

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I Can Feel The Female Empowerment

I don’t know if the purpose of this movie was to empower women or to give a woman a role that is normally gatekept for men but wow was this great. I love action movies especially those involving assassins and this has to be my favorite so far. Having a female lead who is the assassin adds a layer to it that makes it not like the rest! Bok Soon having to grapple with what it means to be a mother on top of her not so ordinary job made this super unique. I loved watching the mother daughter dynamic grow as well as the sapphic daughter being included! As a sapphic person myself that has dealt with my issues with my mother during teenage years it brought a new perspective to me while making it very relatable. I loved this movie and I would highly recommend the watch!

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Slick like John Wick

If John Wick was a woman, her name would be Gil Bok Soon. I quite enjoyed this movie. I just love stories with strong, exceptional women who can kick ass!

This movie is bloody, but the cinematography is exquisitely slick. On the surface, it is about an assassin and the organization that she works for -- similar to the John Wick franchise's world-building of assassin factions/orders with hierarchy and sets of rules. The main character, aptly nicknamed 'Kill Bok Soon' is a highly skilled assassin and at the top of her field - you can see this by what her colleagues have to say about her, both in admiration and jealousy.

The real story (IMO) is Bok Soon's relationship with her daughter and her attempts to understand her as a blossoming young adult. Even though Bok Soon is successful in her field both financially and skill-wise, her role as a mother is an alien concept to her. Her ability to read people and predict their next move just doesn't work on her daughter. Although it is shown as more of a 'side story' (probably due to the time constraints of movie form), you can read between the lines. If this were a drama, I'd definitely be interested in watching it.
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*The following contains spoiler scenes, DO NOT READ if you don't like spoilers!!*

Personal thoughts on scenes and things of interest:

* scene with Shinichiro Oda, both sitting on the ground and conversing while having a cigarette as if they are long-time friends (before the fight) -- had me giggling

* when she foresees her death while looking in the puddle of water (fight scene with Shinichiro Oda), right before she asks to change her weapon -- scene is somehow funny, surprising (I was like "What? She dies so quickly in the movie??), artistic, and a parody (of the iconic "who am I" scene from Mulan) all at the same time.

* scenes with Lee Jae Wook ❤️❤️❤️, who plays a young version of Cha Min Kyu -- had me smiling literally from ear to ear. What can I say, I'm a fan of his, he is sooo sexy and absolutely magnificent . . . what I would give to [insert daydreams of possibly X-rated wishes and situations with Lee Jae Wook ;P] . . .

* the sex scene with her younger colleague, Han Hee Sung (it's not explicit) -- the expression Hee Sung makes when Bok Soon holds him down and denies his request made me cackle hysterically and then wheeze from being out of breath :D

* Can you believe that Jeon Do Yeon is 50?!?! Wow, I hope I can look that fantastic when I'm her age!! Other than this movie, I have only seen her in Crash Course in Romance and Memories of the Sword - but I can totally see why she is known as a chameleon with her ability to transform into her characters. She looks super cool as Bok Soon, her outfits, her demeanor, her expressions and actions as both an expert assassin and an insecure mother were all top-notch and believable. She is a talented actress indeed.

*when her daughter finally tells her why she hurt the ahole student -- I can't imagine how difficult this was for her character nor how difficult it would be for people IRL. It's not often you see LGBTQ themes in Korean content unless it is BL genre - so it's nice to see it gaining more exposure and provoking empathy and thought (one would hope anyway - NOTE: don't read the comment section of this movie here - it's really shameful to see that bigotry and downright stupidity still exists. . .)

* when Bok Soon confesses that she knew she was in the wrong regarding her initial reaction upon learning that her daughter prefers women -- I like that she admitted it, brief moment but poignant. It's an idea and thought process that could have been expanded upon if it was in a series rather than a movie.

* when Bok Soon tells Cha Min Kyu she knows that SHE is his weakness - made me wonder how long she knew this fact; did she ever have romantic feelings for him?; were they ever an item and/or is it possible that he is the father of her daughter??

Negatives:

* would be even better as a drama since there were several questions left unanswered

* characters could have been more developed (downfall of a movie structure)

* Cha Min Hee's character was confusing. It is stated that she is Cha Min Kyu's younger sister, but the way she was portrayed seemed like she was possessively and obsessively in love with her brother -- gross.

TL;DR: A visually striking movie with a badass female assassin who struggles with being a mom to her adolescent daughter. Beautiful and talented cast members. Highly recommend.

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very informative. must watch for newbies. might feel explicit in the start but is very good. even the acting is on point. the whole movie is on next level and i really recommend it to others. this movie is not stereotypical and breaks barrier of the k-drama industry.

Jung Ji Hoo is a competent and popular high-flying employee at work but one day this image threatens to fall apart when a fellow co-worker, Jung Ji Woo, mistakenly receives a package belonging to him and opens it to find a large dog-collar and its accompanying leash inside. What follows is a light-hearted introduction to a BDSM relationship between the two.

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Korea doesn't have too many female action fighters who's not stereotyped so when I saw the preview of this I decided to watch it.

I was thinking of a female version of John Wick and I read another review who thought the same, lol.

Aside from the slow action scenes this movie didn't have too much to go on. Yes we learn there's a company called MK but you don't know what's it about. You have men sitting at a table but you don't know who they are. There's no backstory about what this company is about. There were backstories of Bok Soon but what was the point of some of those back stories?

Then there's stuff that could've been left out such as the semi sex, lesbo, and small incest scenes. Didn't need to see any of that.

My main gripe has to do with the last part of the movie. It went down like a wimp.

This is why I don't care for Korean movies. It seems like they stuff a whole lot of fluff in a two hour movie but just completely rush the ending leaving questions to be answered. Definitely not the kind of movie I like to watch.

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Chinese version of The Holiday

I loved Ying Zhen in Love Me if You Dare, and I loved him here as well. He's got that nice guy next door quality about him. For me, he was the high point of this movie. Well, and the ending was very fairy tale sweet as well.

As for the rest, one of the female leads spent all her time yelling, the other one spent all of her time being self-absorbed. The "poor" FL seemed very immature and looked like she was about 12. She was loud and it was dubbed by the same woman that seems to do all the Chinese dubbing (baby voice, high pitched, irritating). The "rich" FL thought that every guy should fall all over her, and I just couldn't like her.

Plus, everyone seemed like they were overacting in this. It was cringy.

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Park Chan Wook at his most accessible

Park Chan Wook is responsible for seminal works in the movie industry, and he is known as a plot twist deity .

The genius in his works usually make for an unstable watch and most times an inaccessible moment for moviegoers but in Handmaiden he condescends to make an approachable and accessible watch. The themes of colonial Korea and the tension with Japan are enduring as well as the other themes explored that include feminism ,liberation and sexuality.

Its beautifully shot and wonderfully acted too.

I do find Park Chan Wook a bit of a difficult pill to swallow so if he is your fave then you will surely love this.

If you are just starting out in watching his films , then this is the more accessible he has and great for beginners.

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Such fun!

If you want to take a break for heavier drama fare, this is a great watch! It was laugh out loud funny in numerous places and had a cast of lovable characters.

It's a story about love, a love that is based on the person inside, not the outward appearance. Hae Joo (Shin Min Ah is wonderful, as usual. She is just gorgeous as well) and Dong Geum (Ryu Seung Beom - lovely to watch. He's great at physical comedy and his expressions are priceless!) are in love. He is her eyes, basically, as she is blind. I loved the scenes of him describing things to her. She is having eye surgery to regain her eyesight, and Dong Geum feels that he isn't attractive enough for her, so he decides to bow out of the relationship. He makes excuse after excuse to stay away from her and policeman Jun Ha enters the picture (Kim Kang Woo was terrific and one of the most well-written SMLs that I've seen), trying to win her love. Dong Geum takes up with Do Shik (Ahn Kil Kang - he was hysterical in this !), and Do Shik keeps trying to help Dong Geum kill Jun Ha off.

This was a movie that absolutely didn't take itself too seriously and I enjoyed the whole thing. I found myself smiling and laughing through the whole thing.

The music in the jazz club was excellent, as well.

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