Reviews

Magic, Pain, Dreams and a Love-Story that unfolds in the exotic city of Barcelona where the main-leads Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo once again shows us what true love is and how to pick yourself up again and fight whenever you think you have failed. Through the characters of Ely and Mia it is easy for us youngsters to relate to the personal character developement they go through. Ely thinks he is unworthy of love, the hardships he go thorugh mentally is so much more than the heartbreak of losing his fiance...but it is also about the emotional trauma of being abandoned by his mother in such a early stage of his life as a child. In Mia he meets a kindred spirit. She was the one to push him forward and to face his fears...finally moving on and and eventually find the courage to love. Mia has such spirit, who also could crumble whenever she thought of her past and the reason why she came to Barcelona in the first place. She also learn how to be hardworking , responsible and brave throughout the harsh conditions life have given her-but ah what a lost cause she would have been if it weren`t for Ely,who always helped her pick herself up again. There are so many beautiful moments in this film, one very memorable moment is when Mia dances for Ely and he films her while being captivated by her moves and beauty...she eventually come into his arms and he can`t help but kiss her ! Ah,i just love romance !!!

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Love its imperfection

this movie is not perfect, time gaps, the reasons, the sudden conflicts felt too fast or... left questions that weren't really answered as the film continued.... but why the fuck do i love it? the music was great, acting on point.... yes i love crying at times that i need reasons to tell people why my eyes are red not just because i want to off myself... except the fact that i love kim go-eun and currently simping for jung hae-in, the satisfaction of them getting a happy ending was something that made me feel.... hmm? something that i can't even explain, it was heavy yet not with sad nor happy feels... it was merely satisfaction. maybe because i'm a teen who's currently curious how and why do people fall for other people? why love is complicated and stressful yet many want to experience it... so yeah, my point is i can't explain the reason... i just love it and the feeling it left me. plus, go enjoy what you want to, watch what entertains you, as long as it doesn't harm you or other people.... enjoy... its your life anyway and if u have the power to choose what u want then why not?

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My heart aches

Ahh I must say the movie is very well made , the actors are v good I usually don’t really watch movies/series without skipping at least one scene but I didn’t skip any scenes sooo must be a good movie!! I was soooo invested in the story but the ending !! I cannot be any more heartbroken , I thought they were going to end up together low key thought he died at one point lmao but vvvv good movie , realistic ending I guess? I feel like they should’ve made it a drama cause I feel there could be so much more to the story like his relationship with his father?
Also I want to want to go to an electronic festival now lol looks so much fun!!

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Realistic Touch

I found this film through Netflix's upcoming movies and loved the trailer. The synopsis was interesting and after looking at the cast to see if there was any familiar actors/actress' I decided to watch it.

This was a very cute and often lighthearted film that really tackles two of the challenges that teenagers face the most. One being the separating parents that the female lead (Chen Chen) faces and the other being the love-struck boy who faces the challenges of love. These things that most teens have or have been through are portrayed in such a great way that some can actually relate. The feeling of mixed anger and sadness after finding out Chen Chen's parents are divorcing is something I was able to relate to that made me enjoy the show more. The feeling of being abandoned by someone you love and not receiving an explanation the Zheng Yu faces is something others can relate to.

This film is unlike any other c-drama film I've seen even though it is softhearted and cute it still has a realistic story that makes it even better. Something I'd point out is the lack of backstory in the parents especially Zheng Yu's (male leads) father. I was looking forward to Zheng Yu confronting his ex-girlfriend with Chen Chen but we never get to see it because he decides to let her go. After kissing Chen Chen and telling her he can't reciprocate her feelings which really threw me off.

I enjoyed the film because of the moments like Zheng Yu chasing after Chen Chen to ask her about the situation and she'd just run away while the other students hype them up. These were really hilarious scenes that make you forget the depressing ones.

Once the story starts reaching its climax we witness the downfall of the lead's relationship. Chen Chen is being forced to sign a paper that blames Zheng Yu for everything so the school will let her go which made me really confused because they decided to run away during the weekend so I didn't get why the school became so mad but I don't go to China for school so I don't really know their regulations. Chen Chen confronting her mother about the divorce. Zheng Yu losing his hearing which I felt was kind of unnecessary and the main lead's going their separate ways.

In the end, we see Chen Chen finished with school and go to Sanya with her mother and Uncle Wang which shows that she finally decides to accept everything but we never get to see her with her father. After she goes to a concert and sees Zheng Yu finally being able to be on top of the stage and the film ends. I felt like the ending was lacking in some ways such as the lead's not interacting but I just like to think they became really good friends at the end or maybe even form a romantic relationship.

All in all, this was a good movie that I recommend watching if you are into soft and lighthearted dramas that have a realistic touch to them.

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Don't have high expectations; good but not the best

Sinkhole, as I had expected, is nothing sort of very wow. Sure, it's a decent one time watch that keeps you stick to it till the very end, I couldn't find a reason it broke records in South Korea.

The primary concept of the movie is nothing new, i.e. house ownership issues in modern Seoul days. The fact it being disaster survival movie plus a very powerful cast had interested me a lot but as I watched it, I ended up disappointed with it in overall.

I mean I also admit it's a decent movie but my disappointment arises from the news of its box-office records plus the cast but the movie not being anything very nice. There is a high standard of survival thrillers when we consider the Korean Entertainment Industry and their movie production quality. So I am simply saying that Sinkhole failed to meet that line. Also, it felt a lil short, as in, the movie ends even before you realize.

Different families move to a newly built five storey building with their hard earned money only to end up in a sinkhole which no one was aware of. After a few months the entire building falls into the sinkhole early morning which was very unexpected and the number of people fall into it along with the apartment are 9. So the story is how they survive the fall and get rescued in ghr end, accompanied by their back stories which are only narrated from the character.

The basic plot is short yet decent with many momentary peak points which are extremely enthralling, and somrtimes emotional. And as usual, this also has things to learn from and take a note about. Instances that makes you cry; either it touches your heart or stab it with knife, are suitably accommodated in the story. The movie starts on plenty of comedy that lasts for almost 20mins and in fact there were funny instances in between too but it's not a comedy movie, keep that in mind. The survival movie is a mixture of many emotions which were perfectly executed.

Storywriter successfully delivered an up to par work and the direction is reasonable as well; no complaints in that regard. The cinematography and VFX work definitely deserve brownie points. The setup inside the sinkhole is pretty much real to give the actual vibes and the camera plus editing work is intriguing enough to catch attention. The sound editing is somewhat dull, ngl. The screenplay is okay but screenediting is below average, like that of a pre 2010 movie.

Do I even bother talk about acting? Definitely, they are very excellent actors and justified their roles in here but given their skills and capabilities, this movie is a bad choice.

# Kim Sung Kyun as Park Dong Won, a hardworking section chief and a loving family man who saved for 11 years to buy a flat
# Cha Seung Won as Dong Man Soo, a single father of highschool teen, doing multiple part-time jobs to make the ends meet
# Lee Kwang Soo as Kim Seung Hyun, a nomad worker, always stressed about his financial and relationship status
# Kim Hye Jun as Eun Joo, a hardworking intern who gives her best but mad about the rude seniors and coworkers.
# Nam Da Reum as Jung Seung Tae, a student, not interested in schooling but cares a great deal about father
# Ko Chang Suk as the rescue team captain
# Kim Hong Pa as Department Head Seo

The ending of the movie was super overwhelming, I gotta admit. The way these people use their mind to rescue each other during extremely dangerous moments and also manage to get out of the sinkhole using their little intellect and comprehension was amazing and makes you tear up even. It ends with a mini reuinon of the survivors after years and that was a jolly closure to the misery.

FINE... SINKHOLE is definitely a good one time watch which is kinda refreshing too and best for a weekend movie slot. Don't expect too much from it but I'm sure it pleases you to some extent. Happy watching.

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So very sad but also so very touching, beautiful and even kind of sweet.

This movie is really powerful, to be honest it is a bit grey and slightly depressing in the cinematography and did start off a bit slow, but the pace picks up as the story uniwines it will keep you on your toes and have you feel a whole range of emotions from anger to being touched, to wanting to fight some one and just utter despair... but you will also feel allot of love and want to just give the kid and his dad a big hug.

The characters in the movie are really well written and well played, the acting is spot on conveying emotions with both dialog and mimics as well as grey and depressing coloring, alongside some beautiful scenery. However the OST is barely present but the few music bits that are included may not be masterpieces but are extremely well fitted. To be completely honest the entertainment value is not very high but the depth, the issues and the story make up for it, life is not always about being entertained.

This movie deals with very deep and hard to handle issues, and has a bunch of potential triggers as well as some sexual content and though it did not make me cry I was pretty damn close to tears so do have some tissues or a good sleeve ready when you watch this.

All in all definitely a movie worth watching when you feel like seeing something sad...

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Not a comedy, but way less serious than any other disaster films!

Probably just like some of you, I thought this movie was a silly comedy. Judging by the trailer, and by having Lee Kwang Soo and Kim Sung Kyun as the main casts, how serious can it be? I decided to watch this movie expecting it to be something that could make me laugh, something lighthearted and silly, but I was wrong.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked it. Quite a lot. It did have some silly scenes, but as the film goes on, it seemed a little forced, and I don’t think the comedy would go along well if they continued it until the end. Lee Kwang Soo can be as silly as always, and I did laugh in a few scenes here, but as a warning so that this film wouldn’t disappoint any of you guys, THIS IS NOT A COMEDY FILM. This is a film about a natural disaster, which mostly consists of serious and nervewracking scenes, and a teeny tiny bit of heart wrenching scenes.

All the casts did well here! Bravo! But it’s no surprise if its Cha Seung Won, Kim Sung Kyun, Lee Kwang Soo, Nam Da Reum and Kim Hye Jun, right? They are all excellent actors and actresses! However, some of the CGI effects bothered me at some point. It’s not that bad, but compared to EXIT or Along With The Gods that is also shooted almost fully in front of a green screen, Sinkhole could be done better.

But overall, it’s a great movie! The teamwork was super duper great! Loved the casts, loved the storyline, and I loved the movie! Totally enjoyable, an 8.5/10! ⭐️

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Sunday Matinee Vibes

I love this story of girlfriends, friendships losing it and yourself and finding both again. Another great cast and both leads are great I love Shinohara Ryoko and I look forward to see the rest of her tv shows and movies. I loved Yuka Itaya as well and the young actresses who played their counter parts. Loved the scene where they got revenge for Yuko and I LMAO at the scene where Nami has beer for the first time.

There are a few slight changes from the Korean version and I like the Korean version better but all in all a really good movie. I cried at the ending like I did at the end of the Korean version.

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Totally had me enthralled 2/3 of the way, then everything got weird and discombobulated.

LOTS OF SPOILERS AHEAD. DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE STORY.

(I wrote this as a message reply to an MDL friend who recommended the film to me.)

Anyway, you're probably going to hate me, but I just finished Midnight Swan and so this is my immediate, off-the-top-of-my-head reaction: I loved it and was totally with it, deeply moved, until near the end when, for me, things went off the rails. Of course I hated Ichika's bio mom for showing up and dragging her back to the sticks, away from Nagisa and ballet. But given how horribly Ichika had been treated and raised, how she had been psychologically/emotionally abused almost to the point of being a mute and was regularly biting herself as a form of self-harm as a result, by that horrid bitch of a mother, why would she NOT go back to Tokyo with Nagisa when she came to get her? I don't buy that she had some latent streak of affection for her mother; that was not established at all in the beginning. Nagisa treated her like a human being, saw her potential as a person and a dancer and made huge sacrifices to support that, and then the girl goes back and stays with the mom? I think she would have run after Nagisa as she started to do after that horrible scene at the grandmother's house.

Other odd things: How in the world would Nagisa get and keep a warehouse job lifting heavy boxes when she was clearly unable to do the job physically? You keep on a worker who can't lift the boxes that need to be lifted?
Why not a job as a secretary, restaurant hostess, data entry, any one of a hundred other jobs that make more sense. That came off to me as being a deliberate plot device to make her seem extra-sacrificial and pathetic on Ichika's behalf and I didn't buy it.
When Ichika froze up on stage, which I don't understand either, why was it that lousy mom and not Nagisa who ran up there to comfort and stabilize her?
Why in god's name would a hospital and doctor that performed what appeared to be a first-rate medical procedure to give Nagisa female genitalia then leave her to bleed, shit and piss into a diaper at home alone most of the time? Hospitals keep patients for WEEKS after that kind of major-league surgery, and here she is rotting away at home, barely able to speak and apparently...blind?
How do you go blind from complications of a sex-change operation? Some kind of infection?
Nagisa said, when Ichika showed up, that she "hadn't been taking good care of herself" or something like that. Well, why the hell not? You spend all that money to get the operation you've wanted for decades and then you don't care for yourself properly? Was she passively suicidal? Why go through the surgery and THEN let yourself die? Why not just end things like Rin did?
Worst thing of all: Why in the hell would Nagisa, who I have no doubt loved Ichika deeply, purposely drag the poor girl out to the beach, force her to stay there as Nagisa began to die and Ichika begged her to let her take her back to the hospital? Seriously, that is a wtf? for me. So Ichika ends up at the beach with the dead body of her beloved Nagisa, who just allowed herself to die rather than save herself, get well and enjoy the rest of her life as a woman and in support of Ichika's dance career? So Ichika has to call the police or whatever, and deal with the horrible aftermath of that...talk about traumatizing someone. First Ichika's mom did a number on her, and then Nagisa tries to top that with a grotesque and selfish act of suicide right in Ichika's face.

I would say for about two/thirds of the movie, I was loving it and then it lost me.
Things I LOVED:
ALL of the acting across the board. I didn't sense a false note from anyone. The actor playing Nagisa was extraordinary in countless ways. His sorrow and horror at having been born into a wrong body was made so palpable and real that I lost it during that scene. Ichika was amazing as well. Her evolution was so gradual and believable, with fits and starts, not some fairy-tale, sudden change that instantly made her a different person. And of course her dancing...omg. SO beautiful. I want to read up on how she was cast. She has to have already been a dancer, surely. I can't imagine she got to that level just by training for the part in this movie.
All of the trans and gay characters at the nightclub were one hundred percent believable and relatable. None of them seemed like a cliche; they were real individuals.

AND HOLY SHIT...Rin's suicide. I feel like a psycho saying this, but that scene was spectacular. I got worried about her being up on a rooftop because of her mood already before she started dancing...and then as she kept going and then got up on that box...my sense of panic at the inevitable just kept building and building even as I kept hoping I was wrong about what was going to happen or maybe she would change her mind. But then she just went over the railing and sailed into oblivion. Strangely, the horror of that moment was made more powerful by the fact that the scene cut there, with no reaction from the assembled wedding guests included. One thing's for sure, that newly married couple will never forget the day they were married.

So obviously this movie got to me in a lot of ways and I'm glad I watched it and I thank you for the suggestion, but the last third just lost me and rubbed me the wrong way. I do NOT think all gay flicks have to end happily, but here I just saw people making all kinds of horrible choices that don't make sense to me, so that the ending could be tragic. So unlike you, my friend, I didn't shed one tear...and I cry pretty easily.

Fascinating how different audience members receive and react to the same material in vastly different ways

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Christopher Nolan eat your heart out!

This is a great film set around a seemingly useless time warp: a two minute gap between two computers. But it becomes very interesting and funny. None of the mind binding time manipulation of Intersteller or Tenet. This must have been so difficult to script, but the film flows as if it was the most natural thing ever.

During the closing credits we get to see some "making of" footage. Amazing the film was recorded on a mobile phone! And I think there were very few edits.

I look forward to watching it again sometime.

(Seen at Camera Japan, Amsterdam, 2021)

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It was okay.

This was confusingly dark but ended up really simplified into a traditionally dichotomous good guy vs bad guy story. It was interesting how they portrayed capitalism and its far-reaching impacts on war, modern slavery and corruption. All that being said, it didn't reaalllly make a stand of any sort. Just a passing glimpse at a bigger picture. Honestly, I think that's what happens when the comedy tag gets attached, but it's better than a vapid, toxic romedy that put the women's movement 20 years behind.

The acting was entertaining and the visuals were nice. Just turn off your brain and enjoy an enjoyable sageuk.

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A Hidden Gem (light spoilers ahead)

"Gonin", or "The Five" (1995) feels like a lost 90s cult classic. It's difficult to find online, but if you're looking for a film that feels both familiar and new at the same time, I recommend this one. The film tells the story of a disco owner, Mikihiko Bandai, who plots to steal a large amount of money from the local yakuza. To do so, he decides to recruit Junichi Mitsuya, a con-man who specialises in blackmailing affluent queer men, and Kaname Hizu, a former detective. Along the way, he also recruits Jimmy, a pimp with ins to the yakuza, and Shohei Ogiwara, an down-on-his-luck salary man.

The thing about the plot to steal from the yakuza, however, is that it all goes terribly wrong. TERRIBLY.

They group is identified immediately and the yakuza send out two hitmen to take them all out and recover the stolen cash. It's a straight forward enough plot, and one that even feels vaguely familiar if you've seen any sort of heist-goes-wrong movie. What keeps "Gonin" interesting is not just the overarching mood of mystery and anticipation, but also the extra details that it adds to the characters. It's a heist movie that isn't really about the heist at all because in the aftermath, we in the audience begin to learn more about the original five; in a horrific twist, Ogiwara is revealed to have a truly sinister reason for being as wacky and high strung as he is; Jimmy has his own motivations and problems; Hizu probably ought to have known better.

And it would be absolutely unforgivable of me to fail to mention one of the biggest subversion of the typical yakuza or heist movie that this film brings to the table: THE GAYS. While films like this where 95% of the characters tend to be men have always had homoerotic trappings (indeed, most gangster/crime movies brimming with machismo end up circling back around to something queer), "Gonin" takes it a step further in a way that truly feels fresh even 26 years later.

The film opens with a dream sequence from Bandai's point of view that reveals some version of the events of their first meeting: Bandai is walking through a glimmering, brightly lit alleyway, having found the dropped driver's license belonging to Mitsuya. He finds Mitsuya beating a man with a bat, and rather than appearing horrified, as Mitsuya turns to look at him, Bandai is struck by awe. He sheds tears as Mitsuya's face is revealed. The over-exposed alleyway in his dream is reminiscent of something celestial. Later, they meet again in real life and there is something unmistakable charged in the air between them. Without revealing exactly what takes place: "Gonin" contains a gay love story that is both understated and RIGHT IN YOUR FACE. Critics at the time of "Gonin"'s release described the film as "Reservoir Dogs but gay", which is a feat in and of itself, if you've ever seen "Reservoir Dogs". Another component of that is that the scary hitmen that the yakuza hire to track down "the five" are also explicitly introduced as a queer couple. Truly, there is something in this movie that speaks directly to things I have always wanted to see in a movie. It's a hot mess. It's a horror story. It's a romance. It's a tragedy. It may seem slow moving at times, but even in the slow moments, it seems only to be lingering in the world of the film.

I could just be hyping it all up a little with that last part, but I truly think this is a good film, and one that appears to have been quite overlooked by many audiences today (at least of the people I know, which is why I am writing this review to let them know about it, haha). I think it's probably due to the fact that this film seems so... unavailable for streaming. But if your interest is piqued, IT'S WORTH A WATCH, OKAY?

The music of this film also deserves a special shout out, I think. The soundtrack keeps things moving along and keeps the sense of mystery alive. I mentioned briefly in this review that the mood is quite good throughout the film, and it is. The fact that this movie was captured on film gives it that tasty film quality that makes you want to rub your hands all over it. The city nights are lit by neon lights and a beautiful, sickly green. Lighting is done with purpose here; highlights are utilized to their full dramatic potential. The opening credits of the city in green and blue tones alone will excite you for the colors and pictures to come.

All I can say is that I hope more people watch this movie. I've been talking about it to people non-stop since I watched it a few days ago (probably to the point that they will be disappointed if/when they actually do see it, but oh well lol). There's just something about it that is so unique to me. It's something I would not have expected to have been made in 1995 (never mind today), but I'm glad it was, and that I stumbled across it.

(Review crossposted to letterboxd)

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