Reviews

It will make you cry...

This movie was released in 2006 so I was expecting some cliché scenes. The plot is a bit typical of the romantce movies produced at the time. But I liked it.

This movie was really good. There were some funny scenes, but it's definitely a tearjerker too. It made me feel so much emotions and cry a lot.

I liked the friendship between classmates. They were so kind and funny.

Actors did a really good job. It was so easy to feel their emotions.

My favourite scene is the one when Eun Hwan and Jae Kyung were blowing the dandelions out. In some ways, it was really comforting. Of course, it was also sad because of Eun Hwan's wish.

I recommend watching it when you want to cry your eyes out.

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A rumor can ruin lives

I watched this movie because there are millions of such real-life cases that have ruined the lives of people. they either live with the guilt or commit suicide leaving behind their sufferings.
I myself had been a victim of rumor, it wasn't a big deal but still, as I had a cheerful personality and tend to forgive and forget things. but that rumor had a bad stamp on my teen life when I heard about it and how people misunderstood and badmouthed me behind my back. so I always believe and stay strong towards the girls/women. even if they might be wrong and rumors are true, I do not forward them. I stop the rumor myself and ask my friends to also not to believe them.

coming back to a movie where the teen girl is rumored to be in a sex clip. the word travels from mouth to mouth as a rumor and some boys also rape her based on the rumor.
my feelings are 1> the teacher was wrong for approaching a minor for love/sex. It's a punishable offense so he is guilty.
(2) sexual relationships should not be recorded. It's a personal secret box, and if found by others might ruin their lives.
(3)even if she is the girl in the clip, no other guy has the right to touch her body without consent. whatever she did with her boyfriend is her personal choice. touching a girl in any manner against her will is a punishable offense.
(4) spreading false rumors without any proof causing a damaging to reputation, honor or dignity before a third party. It can be oral or written and is considered defamation.
the movie had a conflicting sensitive concept as the storyline was powered by top-notch acting. the actors are new to me but they are excellent.
(5) family should support and believe their kids. also even if they are wrong, punish them but also support them and save them from such a bitchyy and selfish world.
lastly, watch the movie till the end,, you will see the sex clip-making. the makers did a fantastic job of not making the actors uncomfortable. they had taken complete care of her.

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Awesome

Awesome
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Another high school survival film - a genre of its own that I never seem to get bored of.

It's a pretty self-explanatory concept - a bunch of kids are locked in school where they must do their best to survive.
Yes, it's relatively predictable, and doesn't necessarily offer something new that hasn't already been done, but it's still interesting and a fun, mindless watch. Of course despite this, there is a lot of gore. So be mindful if it's not your thing. Especially since most of the deaths are by suicide.

The cast did a good job, with some actors playing roles I had never seen them do, which was refreshing to watch. You don't find out too much about the characters' backstory, but their individual personalities are made quite clear, and you find yourself aligning with certain characters and rooting for them.

Definitely something to give a try if you're interested in this trope/genre and like the actors.

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Summing it up in two words: brilliantly crafted.

To be honest, I didn't expect this to be that explicit. I wouldn't normally watch films like this so I was really uneasy at first but I gotta admit, that was one astounding cinema. Every little thing from the plot, the score, the shots, the characters and all other elements this was comprised of was just topnotch. You'd know there were some genius and creative brains who worked behind this because this was an actual masterpiece. Phenomenal. I am especially blown away by how this film was divided into parts and in each part, the whole story shifts. You think you know what's happening, but really, you don't.

I watched this because of Kim Tae Ri and yes, I wasn't prepared for what I have seen. I didn't expect that she'd actually have scenes with nudity. I first saw her in Twenty Five, Twenty One so seeing her in scenes like that made me a bit uncomfortable. That doesn't change the fact that she has proven her range and prowess in acting and she is exceptional. Kim Min Hee was also amazing in this. They were both sensational.

Sex and eroticism are major themes of this film. That may seem off-putting but when you get a grasp of the whole picture and what's it's trying to tell you, you'd realize that this film is sending a strong message. Females are often regarded as objects of sex and desire and no matter how disgusting that may seem, that's the reality of this world which prevailed even during the modern times. This film has strongly and bravely presented women rejecting this sickening belief that they are obliged to serve men and satisfy their pleasures all the while discovering their own desires and allowing themselves to actually enjoy their bodies and sexualities.

Well, okay, I don't think I would rewatch it simply because as I've mentioned, I am not a fan of watching heavily sexual films especially in Korean media in which I am used to watching wholesome Korean series and dramas. However, I won't deduct a point because that wouldn't really be fair to this work of art. This was perfect in every sense of that word.

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Excellent Stage Musical!!

This isn't a TV show or movie style BL that also has music and singing -- it is an actual recording of a live stage musical performed in front of a live audience. So, it has a very different feel and may take some getting used to at first if you are not a big theater fan.

The first half starts out slow and isn't super engaging, but once the story really gets started then it's hard not to be drawn in. The social commentary through the older couple is beautifully done, and the generational changes seen in the younger couples makes me smile.

Most Asian countries couldn't put on this stage show, but seeing as how Taiwan is the *only* Asian country (out of all 48 Asian countries) which both allows and legally recognizes same sex marriage, this is artfully done in a way that only Taiwan could do it. I enjoyed this show far more than I thought I would.

Short version: give it some time, 15-30mins at least, and give it a chance. This may really surprise you. 😊

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Twisted, dark, fantasy

I saw this movie yesterday and I can't get it out of my head. Aside from some of the most beautiful cinematography, No call No Life is a very deep complex story that I believe would need a second viewing as all good movies do. It's at the forefront an eerie mystery with a starcrossed romance. The cast play their roles brilliantly especially the two leads, Inoue Yuki and Yuki Mio.

I also noticed quite a few things that may be missed or overlooked.
*The theme of elements:
Earth (dirt plays a significant part in certain scenes) The characters feeling tied down to the place they live and the hope of being able to uproot oneself and start over.
Air: I believe air is represented as literal airwaves of space and time. The mystery of the odd phone calls...
Fire: Fireworks play a significant role in how the two leads meet and is used in pivotal scenes throughout the movie.
Water: This element is the main one that is symbolized in the movie. The Female lead is named Umi meaning ocean/sea. The male lead is named Harukawa meaning spring river. I don't think this a coincidence. Umi also has the surname Sakura, which are found in the springtime. Basically both Umi and Harukawa are the same (The season Spring (renewal) and the element water). Umi's cousin mentions how similar she is to Harukawa more than once and warns that them being together could only end in tragedy. Also, water is brought up a lot..from a bucket of water in a love scene, the omnipresent ocean representing escapism and freedom, a broken glass of water that leads to confession, even a water maintenance man showing up in one scene. Umi and Harukawa symbolize water afterall and this is their story.

Not everything is explained, but that's okay here and it just adds to the unsettling dark atmosphere of this film. I give it a 9/10.

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Special Delivery delivers something special... perfection!

PROS
+ Every single car scene is exciting, impressive, and thrilling
+ The main characters are wonderfully likeable and show great chemistry that conveys an emotional response
+ Even the music is fitting and adds a charm to the action (although it's not as memorable as the "playlist" in something like Baby Driver)
+ This is one of those action thrillers with a good amount of substance to digest with some emotion-swaying drama elements

CONS
- Sometimes the plot takes a backseat to the action due to its simplicity
- Eun-ha (main character) is such an interesting character, but there are only a few details about her background
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This is definitely one of the best movies released this year!

I really hope a lot of people see this. It's unusual to find an action movie with this much heart.

9/10

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the melodius voice of PCY is everything you need

growing up watching bollywood movies, loaded with dozens of songs, lifts up the mood. when the story is happy feels like dancing to the upbeat songs and when the story is sad sometimes cry with the actors.
also, I think this movie is kind of inspired by singer MARSHMELLOW, who's haven't shown his real face and wears his trademark BOX on his head to cover his face. which has become his unique identity.
a guy aspiring to be a singer but having stage fright is not new, I have seen this so concept before but PCY voice had a hallucinating charm to pull the audience. Ji Hoon grows up and overcomes his stage fright with alcohol was somewhat unbelievable but yeah alcohol sometimes kicks in and gives a whole ocean of courage to do something one hasn't done, so it's taken.
Acting wise PCY didn't impress me where he could have shown the depth of fear struggling from his inner fears mentally which as developed into stage phobia. I had seen him showing diverse expressions but in the movie, he didn't work for me. but then the music part is a genius. when he picks up the guitar and opens his lips is like the God of music is singing himself.
You pick any song in the movie the visuals, music, and lyrics fit perfectly. and am actually a fan of Chanyeol singing more than acting so that part worked for me well.
Bad Guy (Billie Eilish) Cover really overpowers the movie's musical journey and hooks up the audience to what the next piece would be.
Break The Box is healing and motivating song for me now. for its lyrics just reminds me to do better than before nd overcome my fears.
A Sky Full of Stars (Coldplay) cover felt better than the original. this one has gone to my favorite list without a doubt.
Rewatch TBH is a NO for me since I didn't like the movie. But I enjoyed the music immensely so am just going to watch the songs over and over again.

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Disillusioned life scenario, yet spiked with moments as the ego steps aside + heartopening happens

A wonderful movie in many ways.

This KMovie is aiming straight at the heart. This is already indicated in the international title "Keys to the Heart". Also, that the piano plays a key role - i. e. its 88 white and black keys.

The original title is more like "This only is my world" and refers in its own way to the piano, because this is the world of the autistic protagonist Jin-tae. However, this also refers to the (also limited) world of his brother Jo-ha, to which Jin-tae starts belonging. Additionally, revolving around Jin-tae (and Jo-ha) is their mother. "Keys to the Heart" is a story about that mother and her two very different sons. She left one of them decades ago as a little boy under dramatic circumstances and to date he hasn't forgotten, let alone forgiven. The other is autistic with savant syndrome.

It´s a given that the story intends to bring tears to your eyes. Yes. The story wants to get to the heart. But not generally in a tender, comforting and blissful manner. In fact, there is nothing but pain drifting around those hearts in this story. The framework of the plot draws a disillusioned, depressed scenario of the lives of ALL characters - regardless of whether they are rich or penniless, or otherwise have a more or less comfortable living. (The exception to the rule here is the autistic Jin-tae.) As if it were the most natural thing in South Korean everyday life for people to suffer. There is a good deal of social criticism in this KMovie. I think that's often overlooked in its critics or reviews.
There's the drinking, beating father; the abandoned son; the penniless son who can do nothing but box; the brutal world of dog fighting, where boxers beat each other bloody for money; the single mother with cancer; the mother with guilt; the autistic son; the depressed, suicidal, rich, once famous invalid; the Jaebeol CEO, whose money doesn't help her to be able to buy back her daughter's happiness. Eventually "Key to the Heart" is a dreary, sobering contemporary document. Not a picture of society of the crisis-ridden 1990s, no. It is a simple, unpretentious social inventory of the South Korean affluent society from the year 2018...

Now, some heart-warming light is shining into this fundamentally gloomy everyday world. (And in those of the audience as well.) In rather small spots though. These are brief details, inconspicuous moments (apart from the big spotlight of the finale, which is a bit more spectacular). However, those little spots make all the difference. Not a flash of inspiration, rather a flash of the heart, in which the injured ego steps aside for a moment: for a moment of clarity for the essential: actually, what´s NOW. For a moment, people can just let go of all grief and become open to what life has to offer just NOW: beauty, warmth, joy, hope. This NOW can transform, heal, completely change the view of the world. The world on this earth itself is the same, yes, the planet does not change its orbit because of it. It's not suddenly 'everything will be fine again'. And yet it is something like 'everything-IS-good'. ... That brings us to the KMovie's favorite quote: "Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion." (Muhammad Ali)

Admittedly, a button is pressed when it comes to the piano music. The classics take their space. But here, too, the story does not fail to take the opportunity to point out the ego-driven business with it - the talent and passion of the musicians may be on the one hand, but the very personal interests of teachers and directors are on the other...
Of course, with Jin-tae as a young man with an autism spectrum disorder with savant syndrome, the KMovie is deliberately pressing another selected button, with the intention of moving hearts. Nevertheless, even this developmental disorder is not romanticized, yet shown as demanding and exhausting to deal with.
Particularly pithy and powerful: The contrast between the world of the buttoned-up, reserved, respectable, reasonable and properly dressed classical music scene and the childlike, impulsive and playful but brilliant Jin-tae, whose piano playing tears down walls for a moment.

At last, we are back at the beginning: a story about that mother and her two very different sons... There is hurt, sorrow, the pain of loss and guilt - all is there, what life has to offer to become estranged from each another, or to feel lonely and abandoned. And that's where love - no matter how screwed up - finds its screwed-up moments. I don't think predictability is a problem with this movie, because it doesn't want to be 'enthralling'. Yet, it wants to touch the heart, and it does. Eventually, that's good for everyone. With this movie, it is the HOW that is decisive: by sober narration of a basically rather depressing story that thrives on short, unspectacular moments (and the actors) in which 'new' NOW-decisions are made and heart opening becomes possible.

Great!





--------------------------- SIDE NOTES --- Savant syndrome ---

Savant syndrome has often been a topic in the cinema, for example in the US production "Rain Man". There are only around 100 "Savants" known worldwide (from the French 'savoir' = knowing, how to do it). Accordingly, the phenomenon has only been scientifically examined to a limited extent. In the musical field, there are various examples of Savants (like the fictitious Jin-tae here in the movie) who, without any music lessons, are able to play the most difficult pieces of music with accentuated detail after just hearing it once - solely thanks to their perfect hearing.

However, Savant syndrome usually goes hand in hand with autism spectrum disorders. This in turn refers to developmental disorders of varying severity. The people affected typically have little interest and competence when it comes to social interaction. They prefer to live in their own world. Generally, their perception is strongly focused on details and does not weight them like the otherwise socialized majority around them. Details that others usually overlook become subjectively crucial, while information considered essential to their environment may not play any particular role at all. Information is initially unfiltered, being of equal value in its perception. Thus, without the social-cognitive filters that non-autistic people learn to develop, the moment of sensory overload followed by stress is quickly reached.
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Hilariously cringy

Although this is a very (very) lightweight movie, I had a few laugh out loud moments. The lead actresses (it's one role played by 2 girls) are very funny.

The boys are incredibly beautiful and look like they stepped out of a manga. Since the lead girl is a fujoshi, this is just perfect for her to ship everyone with each other.

As happens in Japanese dramas, there's a lot of emphasis on looks and that's fine. They kind of tried to work in a message of 'it's your heart that counts' but it falls a bit short.

I would have loved if she ended up with the one guy who really seems to get her and know her heart. But no-one ends up with anyone. Shame.

There are some loose ends (why does the guy just get up and leave, what happened between him and his former gf?) but I really had fun watching this.

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How many twists and turns do you want? Yes.

First off, I was excited to see this movie because it was directed by the man, the myth, the legend, Lee Jung-jae himself. I was happy for him when he reached global stardom after Squid Game because honestly, this man is just phenomenal. Going back to the movie, at the beginning it will throw you right in the middle of the story. As far as action goes, the tension and adrenalin were there but were not maintained so when the climax came, I felt it was a bit dull. But all throughout I was absorbed in the story. I believe the lead characters' objectives are justifiable to a point. I'm convinced that, yes, this was the world then. Maybe, this is our world right now, too. The ending I kind of already guessed and I'm glad they took that route because it's far more realistic than having a Hollywood ride to the sunset. Jung Woo-sung and Go Yoon-jung were excellent in their roles. It's a film worth watching at least once.

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This World has a Finite life

If you have 10 minutes just watch this, it won't ruin your time.

The VFX isn't quite good. The animation seems a bit of noticable. But no matter with that; as this short was created in 2012. You can imagine what kind of artists & softs would have been available at that time. So don't let the VFX run all over you.

But what I liked is the dialogues. It starts with a simple sister-brother conversations. Then all the destructions starts. At 7 minutes everything becomes so much understandable.

Just watch this. Couldn't write more, as the short itself is 10 minutes what else should I write?

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I'm a big fan of found footage horror, and this one is incredibly successful at it. It's a slow build, as they usually are, but it all serves to build up the tension and lay the framework for the climax.

The cast of characters was set up extremely well in the beginning. They all had distinct and seperate personalities that were at once believable and easily identifiable as you watched them continue through the film. They did a good job in setting up the dynamics through action and short dialogue to pull you into the group.

The setting is nothing unusual for a film like this, I've seen asylum movies before, but it was used very effectively. The plot delivers some interesting twists and turns from what you would generally expect from this sort of movie though and for that, I applaud it.

On top of it all, I think it was acted incredibly well. The characters were all so believable because the actors really did a great job. I believed them every step of the way.

Overall, very enjoyable.

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"Only sincere ones need apply"

If You Are the One is a pragmatic love story infused with gentle humor, but not your typical romcom. Stars Shu Qi and Ge You were able to cover over the obvious problems with the story with their enormous likeability.

Ge You played Qin Fen, a 40ish man, who had recently come into money and was ready to find a wife. He found a dating site and listed his honest qualifications and what he expected in a spouse. "Only sincere ones need apply". Of course, at his age and prerequisites he had several humorous takers including a woman selling grave plots, a stock broker who assessed his continually devaluing worth, and an old Army buddy who had hoped he'd changed teams. One of his blind dates was with Smiley, the luminous Shu Qi. It didn't take long for the two to realize that they weren't compatible but they ended up going for drinks and revealing their dark secrets in a very human moment. Smiley, it turned out, was in love with a married man who kept dangling marriage in front of her but who was unwilling to leave his wife.

Though the two swore to never see each other again, destiny had other plans. Serendipity kept dropping them into each others' paths. Smiley decided to become Qin Fen's girlfriend with the caveat that her heart still belonged to her ex-lover though she would never act on it. The two take a trip to Hokkien, Japan for her to make peace with her decision and hopefully leave the memory of her lover behind. The incongruous couple engaged in a long road trip with Qin Fen's tour driver buddy Wu Sang. Realizing his good fortune of a lovely, young girlfriend Qin Fen stopped at a Buddhist temple to pray only to interrupt a Yakuza funeral. He later went to a Catholic chapel where he confessed every sin since kindergarten to a priest who didn't speak Mandarin, finally driving the priest to tell him he needed a bigger cathedral to confess in because the chapel was too small to hold all his sins!

If You Are the One was not a typical head over heels falling in love film with a race to the airport at the end. It was far more practical as Qin Fen reflected upon his lonely life and Smiley realized her great love affair was not going anywhere, that maybe the two misfits could rely on each other and love would slowly bloom from friendship.

The second half of the film devolved into more of a scenic Japanese road trip, though the scenery was beautiful. There was also a nice tour of the West Brook Wetlands and Hangzhou earlier in the story.

It would be hard to fault the acting, Ge You and Shu Qi played their roles brilliantly. The lapses come in the narrative. The huge age gap between the two was never directly addressed. Why gorgeous Smiley was attracted to a bald, cranky middle aged man, especially when she was hopelessly in love with her sexy lover also was glossed over. Shu Qi did an amazing job as the emotionally wounded character, unable to find meaning in her life without her lover, utterly drowning in despair. As pragmatic as Smiley was though, it was difficult to understand some of the decisions she made over a failed love affair.

There were some interesting topics brought up that I haven't seen in recent movies. A gay character was introduced as something completely normal, clearly against more recent rules. During Qin Fen's blind date with a Taiwanese woman, the two debated whether there had been a liberation or a regime had fallen in regards to the exodus to Taiwan during the 1940's. And finally, a woman was reported to the authorities for wanting to find a way to stay in the United States. Usually, these sensitive subjects aren't broached.

For a slow burn romance with scenic cinematography and more than capable acting, If You Are the One is a nice change of pace from so many frenetic romantic comedies. It could be uneven at times but Shu Qi and Ge You managed to charm me enough to enjoy my time with them.


9/7/22

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