Reviews

so much pressure

I just finished the movie a little while ago and I'm still thinking about the characters.
I was so invested that my eyes were glued to the screen!! I felt tense, scared, and angry, so I'd say it's a good movie because it managed to convey such emotions to me.

The actors did a great job and it was the first time I saw Kim Nam-gil and Lee Byung-hun acting!

But some negative points I have are: Im Siwan's character died so quickly 😭 I wish he had more screen time. I felt that the ending was very rushed, they could have shown the reunion of the survivors with their families and the recovery of the infected people. Lastly, I don't know if that was the purpose, but certain parts of the soundtracks just ended abruptly, without that "fade out" so it seemed kind of strange...

anyway, it was a great movie! i recommend if you like tension

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Just Beautiful

This is going to be a rant while simultaneously convincing you to watch this beautiful movie.
The movie at first is seemingly about a young boy named Minato who is being “bullied” by his homeroom teacher. The homeroom teacher is convinced the boy Minato is bullying his classmate Yori. We come to see different perspectives on different situations throughout the movie that truly just make your heart ache.
This movie is not only outstanding with the cinematography and breathtaking acting but the overall ending to the story.
At first you’re left with an “open-ended” feeling being to what was such a beautiful movie but to me there was nothing open ended about it.
To me the ending symbolized the end of suffering for both Minato and Yori for just being who they were as humans.
This movie does a great job at showing the subtle behavior of someone who is questioning their sexuality at such a young age.
I saw many people say they haven't watched it yet because “they’re children” and were afraid that this movie was grooming them.
First, if you’re worried about them being “groomed” then congratulations because you are part of the problem in the world with such negative lighting towards the queer community. What does it matter how old they are? If you think people don’t already know or experience their queerness before becoming an “adult” then maybe you should seek out more queer stories from the queer community.
People who clearly think other wise only watch queer films to further fetishize the gay community.
Overall I just can’t simply talk about how beautiful this movie was and will still be years to come.
You should watch it because it’s a 10/10.

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Speaking in baseball terms... this is not your thing

Phukan (Akarawat Prathumthong), Paper (Natthaphak Witsiri) and Bell (Sasikarn Singsi) are students at the Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design. To complete an assigned task, they must join a team of three people to develop a school project together as part of the final evaluation of a subject.
Phukan will confess to his friend Bell that he is attracted to Paper, but is not sure whether or not he should declare his love, but he will soon discover that the boy has also developed feelings for him.
The first question one must ask is why there are few students in a classroom at one of the Thai Colleges of Architecture, Art and Design. And from this question, others arise: how in this short, which has no great pretensions, are the two main boys, especially Paper, much more handsome and attractive than his study partner, not perceived as attractive people by their colleagues? feminine? Why aren't they popular with girls? How is it possible that there isn't a fight between the few females in the classroom to have them on their respective teams? Only Paper's table neighbor will invite him, very timidly, to join him, but most likely it will be for the comfort of sharing nearby seats. While Bell, obviously, is already a duo with his friend Phukan, so the only thing missing is the incorporation of another person to make up the required shortlist.
If they are already assigning tasks, it is assumed that the course, even if it is the first year of the degree, has already made some progress. Anyway, by now the students should know each other, at least by their names. How is it possible that they have to resort to text messages in a digital chat to know how to call each other and also serve as an introduction to the viewer?
While they visit museums, exhibitions and art galleries and write the assignment, without the viewer realizing it, which demonstrates the little connection achieved between him and the characters, Phukan's love for Paper blossoms, only to discover that the latter has been loving him for some time. secret.
The actors in 'As Always', a short film by Thai filmmaker Patcharaporn Thiangsantia, do not achieve the necessary control of their bodies and voices to convey the emotions of their characters. Theirs are not empathetic characters, capable of allowing viewers to connect with them and their experiences. The audience does not feel and understand the emotions of the characters, so the emotional connection is null and void. This is where the failure of the audiovisual lies, in addition to its poor script.
Positive emotions such as joy at discovering love (another emotion), humor and happiness (as ways Bell reacts when learning about his friend's sexuality, or when the two boys mutually declare their love for each other), are not transmitted; nor negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, insecurity, fear of rejection. Likewise, ambiguous emotions, such as surprise at being reciprocated, and hope, are not externalized.
In this minor work of the BL universe, repeated clichés, boring scenes, a non-existent chemistry between the lovers, and childish actions, are its main characteristics in a romance with little to prove to fans of the genre.
The short lacks a convincing plot and shows little imagination, contributing little to the genre, which has come a long way in recent years; If anything, the discovery of two new and potential talents within the BL, but with a lot to polish, as well as demonstrating the rich architectural and plastic arts culture of Thailand.
If what you are looking for is a declaration of love of fireworks and butterflies fluttering in the stomach, of those that are born under the influence of emotions, intoxicated with the nectar of the first months, those in which the loved one seems to be a perfect being and hormones awaken the most lively and intense passions... I repeat, if that is what you are looking for, speaking in baseball terms, pick up the bats and balls and turn off the television, this is not your thing.

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Not interested eventhough the beggining was on FIRE it quickly dropped...

Didn't want to start the second volume of this film because the first one was good to watch as a must-see but boring as a film itself but surprisingly, I decided as soon as I finished the first film to watch the next one. Maybe out of curiosity. To see what could be that new to the point they directed a second part to the film.
Then, let me clarify, I dropped it at 1:25:35 out of the 2hours. The beggining, to be precise, the first fifty minutes were just incredible !! Even better than the whole first volume of the film ! But then it started being boring asf. The acting had no flavour to me from then on (sorry to the actors) and the plot was just non-existent at that point of the movie...

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Will there ever be better days?

I started this movie without knowing anything about it, except for it being the highest-rated one on MDL. Naturally, I was expecting the best, and I wasn’t disappointed. It's one of the best I have ever watched so far.

The movie unfolds as a sad, dark, and consuming story. Chen Nian, a studious student with a mom working a bit too far away, lives alone with debt creditors knocking on her door regularly. Despite her hardships, she has one goal – to enroll in university. But, will they leave her be? No, there had to be a rich troublemaker with some issues, bullying the poor Chen Nian.

Somehow she meet Bei Shan, who becomes her protector. They start going to and from school together, with him always in her shadows, ensuring no one can hurt her. Everything seems fine until the bully decides to push Chen Nian to her limits.

The plot was awesome, and I loved how the main leads hit it off. The living dynamic and their journey towards healing were well portrayed. Every little thing they did together created sweet moments.

The acting was amazing; they expressed their feelings in a way I cannot ignore and portrayed the characters well. Jackson Yee, considering his age that year, was surprisingly mature, displaying wisdom, care, love, and sacrifice.

I'm not over this movie yet and, as always, wished to see more. It was worth the time!

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'Waterboys', the original and its derivatives

The film 'Water Boyy', from 2015, and the drama 'Water Boyy: The Series', broadcast on the GMM 25 network in 2017, both Thai and from the youth genre, comedy, romance, sports and yaoi, are heirs of 'Waterboys' (ウォーターボーイズ?), the 2001 comedy written and directed by Shinobu Yaguchi, about five teenagers who start a synchronized swimming team at their high school.
Based on real events that occurred in 1999, the Japanese film recreates the idea from the experience of a group of students from the Kawagoe High School swim team in the city of Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, who were inspired by the exhibitions synchronized swimming Olympians on television to create a choreography for "Men's Synchronized Swimming" that they performed at their high school's school festival.
PLOT
Suzuki (Satoshi Tsumabuki) dreams of being a great swimmer, but reality conspires against him: in addition to being the only member of the swimming team at Tadano Boys' High School in Sagara, now the city of Makinohara, Shizuoka Prefecture, He's so slow that in his last competition he literally came out of the water after the pool closed. When he believes that all is lost for him, while retiring after his failure, he sees a team of swimmers practicing synchronized swimming, and is dazzled by the beauty of their movements.
With the arrival at the school of a new Physical Education teacher, Sakuma (Kaori Manabe), it is announced that she will take charge of the swimming club since until now it lacked a coach. Marveled by the young and beautiful teacher, all the students at the school decide to enroll. However, they flee with the same speed when they discover that he plans to turn it into a synchronized swimming team, a popularly feminine sport. In the stampede, Suzuki and four boys who fail to escape in time become part of the brand new "syncro" team.
Along with Suzuki, the other members are: Sato (Hiroshi Tamaki), the failed basketball player; Ohta (Akifumi Miura), a skeletal boy who dreams of some physical activity giving him muscles; Kanazawa (Koen Kondo), a math nerd who can't even float, and Saotome (Takatoshi Kaneko), an effete gay boy.
Against all logic, during her first day of work and a few hours after making the boys promise to become a syncro team and make a presentation for the school cultural festival, Sakuma reveals that she is pregnant and requests maternity leave for the rest of the year. . In this way, the five teenagers are left to their own devices, being the laughingstock of the rest of the students.
Amidst the ridicule of their colleagues, they decide to resign, but at the last minute they agree to move forward. But another setback appears on the horizon: the pool has been assigned to another club that has filled it with fish.
In response to their complaints, Sugita (Tetta Sugimoto), the teacher in charge of the club, agrees to give them the pool if they collect all the fish before the next day to return them to the supplier. Hard task for these slow and "lazy" guys: but the idea arises of taking advantage of the night to drain the pool and collect the fish without effort. Subsequently manipulating the water meter will allow you to refill the pool with water for free and everything will be fixed.
In this chain of absurdities, the boys are discovered and are required to pay for the wasted water. They will be forced to go out and sell tickets door to door. After completing this new mission, they will have to convince Sugita and Isomura (Naoto Takenaka), the supplier of the fish, to return the pool to them. Desperate to prove themselves, they improvise a synchronized swimming routine that ends in disaster. With Sato's head burned and banned from appearing at the festival, they once again think about dissolving the team.
On a date with Shizuko Kiuchi (Aya Hirayama), a beautiful girl from Sakuragi Girls' High School and a martial arts practitioner, Suzuki visits the city aquarium. To his surprise, he finds out that Isomura is the coach there. Seeing his skill with the dolphins and orcas in magnificent routines choreographed by himself, he begs him to train the team. At first he refuses, but finally agrees in exchange for athletic achievements and not questioning his strategy to train them as athletes.
It's time to convince Sato, Ohta, Kanazawa and Saotome to resume training, now with a new teacher. But in the agreement Isomura hides a trick to get rid of them. He will devise tasks in order to make them give up, such as cleaning the windows of all the orca and dolphin tanks in the aquarium under the excuse of strengthening their muscles.
In the first test in the pool, and against all odds, the boys can swim: they have improved their physical condition and by observing the mammals in the tanks they learned to imitate their movements.
Since their original plan failed, Isomura will require them to dance in time, arguing that "it's not synchro if you don't synchronize." But their plan suffers a setback again: Ohta brings his experiences in aerobic routine practices and gives them ease in dancing, which allows them to master the game and develop choreographic skills. Defeated, the coach decides to take his job seriously.
One night Sato, Ohta and Kanazawa discover Suzuki and Saotome talking secretly on the beach. Sato proposes that this is proof of his theory that Saotome is in love with Suzuki and is confessing. But Suzuki reveals that Saotome, whom he has always been in love with, is Sato, but he has never had the courage to declare himself, so he summoned him to tell Sato on his behalf.
The team only needs authorization from the school directors to participate in the sporting event. They achieve this by devising the plan to fake a mass drowning during training on the beach and with the arrival of lifeguards and the press to obtain news about the supposed rescue efforts, taking advantage of the occasion to promote their presentation on television. Pressured by the enthusiasm of the community and the television channels, they have no choice but to authorize them.
With the return to classes after the end of the holidays, many other students ask to join the club wishing to participate. Ohta teaches them the choreographies and Kanazawa calculates the rhythms, patterns and spaces to move. Suzuki, Sato and Saotome investigate the new members' skills to enrich the presentation.
A few days later the men's synchronized swimming team, now large and popular, is fully prepared for its presentation.
But new fears assail Suzuki: although he loves swimming and being part of the club, he is embarrassed to be seen by others, especially by Shizuko, whom he fears will discover him.
To make matters worse, on the eve of the festival, some students accidentally set the school on fire and the firefighters must use the water from the pool to extinguish the fire. Given the impossibility of filling it on time, the event is in danger of being suspended.
But the Sakuragi student council comes to the rescue by offering their pool as they celebrate their own cultural festival on the same day. With the participants and the public moved to the new stage, Suzuki reveals that he does not wish to participate, since the event will take place at the same Shizuko school. Faced with everyone's disappointment, Isomura encourages them and the team performs an amazing choreography that impresses everyone with all kinds of performances.
Just before finishing the aquatic routine, a sudden dip causes Suzuki to lose his swimsuit when he falls into the pool, but Shizuko, sitting in the front row, throws him a swimsuit that she has handmade for him, revealing that she has always She knows about the team and is proud.
The film ends with the team, baptized as Waterboys, thanking the spectators who applaud them, impressed and delighted by their performance.
In addition to the aforementioned Thai audiovisuals, which separate themselves from the original by focusing on swimming and not synchronized swimming, in addition to making explicit what is related to homosexual relationships between their characters, the Japanese film inspired a television series, with a total of three seasons: 'Water Boys', from 2003, 'Water Boys 2', from 2004, and 'Water Boys 2005 Natsu', from 2005.

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Mellow and relaxing; painting together on a hot summer day

What I liked:
* The general atmosphere of the movie was relaxing, they managed to capture the feeling of sitting in nature on a hot summer day and falling in love perfectly.
* The storyline is a good fit for the length of the movie.
* All three main characters, especially the bodyguard. They all manged to convey their feelings without trouble. I liked the bodyguard's reaction to that suspicious person, his worry and gradual acceptance of what is to come. Also, I love that it remains unclear what his feelings are exactly -- loyalty, friendship, romantic love? Sometimes things are muddled and it's good to leave it open.
* Although I'm usually wary of timeskips, that one at the end worked. In my opinion, showing what happened directly after the return would have felt very differently to the rest of the movie. Good choice, there.

What I did not like:
* The last ten minutes or so feel weirdly paced, in contrast to the majority of the film, which is pretty slow. I think they tried to convey a sense of urgency, but why then this strange flashback to the conversation between the lady and the bodyguard?

Overall impression:

It's a nice romance, with okay-to-good pacing, nice scenery, and well acted. The story is captivating and although it is on itself quite predictable, the characters and their actors make it something special.
There are some questions that remain unanswered, sometimes I liked the ambiguity, sometimes it would have been nice to have it a bit clearer.

[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]

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"Someone went ahead of you again"

Lola Igna showed that a long life isn’t always a gift when a person has to watch as her family and friends all leave her behind. Veteran Filipino actress Angie Ferro portrayed the 118-year-old Igna who was in the running for oldest grandmother in the world. Lola Igna was a message of resiliency, quiet resignation, and reconciliation shown through the life of one woman and her tattered family.

Lola Igna’s great-granddaughter Nida takes the older woman to the mayor’s office where she is to receive an award for being the oldest grandmother in the Philippines. When asked what she hasn’t done that she would like to do by reporters, she tells them what she is looking forward to is death. While researching her age, the group Amazing People of the World believes she might be the oldest grandmother in the world which would come with a substantial cash prize. Nida is thrilled with this news and immediately seeks to cash in on Lola Igna’s newfound fame. On one of the tours to Igna’s house in the rice fields, her long lost great-great grandson arrives and makes his way into her life.

Director Roy depicted Lola Igna’s sparse surroundings without sliding into poverty porn. The flies, chamber pot, and simple meals didn’t come across as denigrating. Angie Ferro played Igna with dignity and a sense of humor while also hiding her sorrow at having lost family, friends, and even the man who was the first baby she ever delivered as a midwife. After some coconut wine her loneliness and her anger at God for leaving behind a person willing and ready to join her departed husband while younger people died spewed out. Yves Flores as Tim bounced into her world with his cell phone and camera and a healthy dose of respect for his great-great grandmother. He was also a reminder to everyone of his mother who left years before and never returned.

Lola Igna was a glimpse into the heartache people feel when they’ve attended too many wakes. The last sibling, the last child, the one who outlived those who were born after her was a terrible burden. Death is part of life, and Igna was ready to join her beloved unafraid of what lie ahead. While her final destination was delayed, Igna also gave freely of herself to her family and community. There were those who benefited financially from the centenarian yet the movie overwhelming showed the community’s and family’s loving generosity which led to heartfelt reconciliations. No life is free from sorrow but Lola Igna showed that it could be faced with grace and when necessary, a full chamber pot.

22 February 2024

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Multiple Missed Opportunities

This movie offers a charming yet an uneven viewing experience. Although there are a lot of heart warming and emotional moments, it leaves a lot to be desired at the end. Truly a lost potential

The basic plot is rather simple. Golf, a miscreant at school finds that his father has remarried is now has to share his house with his step-brother Bank. Initially Golf mistreats Bank but slowly starts developing feelings for him. As the story progresses, we find Golf and Bank interacting with each other and the feelings blossoming between them. And as is customary in almost all love stories, there is initial jealousy followed by confession.

This movie lacks in the execution of the plot and rather falls for the cliched BL tropes. There is the initial jealousy when another guy shows interest in Bank. Post the confession, there are a few moments of tenderness and affection but the movie sways again to the familiar tropes of misunderstanding and societal pressure. This is followed by the mandatory third act breakup between the main couple and silent suffering. But I was certainly blind-sided by the last 15 min as the movie decides to take a hard turn. The movie also suffers from uneven pacing and terrible editing, thereby creating confusion. Also, the characters while charming, could benefit from deeper exploration.

In conclusion, “My Bromance” is a decent movie that suffers from uneven packing, choppy editing and reliance on cliches. Those seeking a more profound and emotionally resonant experience might find it lacking.

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Dropped at about 1h in. Logically, this is a wholesome comedy that deal with subjects like death, mental health issues and suicide in a creative and approachable manner. I think it is the first of its kind in Thailand to do that, and that's probably one of the reasons why it did so well domestically. They definitely deserve praise for raising more awareness for those topics. I've seen the topics dealt with in more serious dramas, and unfortunately, most Thais just weren't interested. As an example, take a look at the reception for Club Friday's Love Never Dies that deals with mental health issues, death and loss.

Emotionally, I just couldn't feel any connection with the story or characters. I got an hour in before dropping it. It's half the movie, so I feel like I gave it a fair shot.

If anyone feels like I do about the beginning of the movie and went on to finish it and it does pick up, please do let me know.

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The acting!!!

This Drama is so well acted, it blew me away! Probably one of the best I’ve seen. The story/plot is a bit confusing at times. It’s the kind of drama that goes back and forth between current life and past life to build the story. It gives each character involved their point of view on the subject at hand. It is frustrating at times, but only because you want the truth to come out for everyone involved. This is a well written, directed, produced, and especially acted Drama. The child actors have a bright acting future ahead of them! I will absolutely watch this again. I’m sure when I do, I will pick up on things I missed the first time around. I especially liked the ending. When you watch it, you’ll know what I mean. I finished this Drama days ago, but it is still in my head. It’s that kind of Drama. I’m sure all you Drama lovers will know what I mean by that. Some stay with you, and some don’t.

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Great Thai suspense

I found the story line very interesting. Overall the storyline was really awesome that adds the factor of consciousness for the audiences. The suspense are really awesome that feeds the mind and curiosity of the audience to watch till the end. The storyline puts questions to your mind that will keep your eye on the watch till the end and you'll definitely be surprise by the plot of the story. Also the acting of the casts add up pleasure to the audience. The two oldies are very well on portraying the roles that they portrayed. They are very awesome in switching their emotions and giving us the pleasure that we need in watching horror-suspense drama. This is very recommendable for horror movie lovers!

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Obsessed

Obsession is quite literally the theme of this movie but i too am obsessed with this. It is perfectly tailor made for me. I loved all the gothic elements.....Every scene, every frame was out of this world. The music too...its just altogether supreme film making. It is historically and culturally important. Japan should be proud of itself for producing this movie.

I dont wanna give spoilers but this movie potrays very wicked kind of love...something pure and bloody which can turn something inanimate into something beautiful and lively. The men in this movie are genuinely disgusting, entitled and driven by lust except one and thats what this movie about.

From a man's lense the woman drove men insane but from a woman's lense....she was honest and just wanted love. In the end she got what she wanted and when she achieved what she wanted in her life....fate rightfully put her to rest. Its not a tragedy....its a beautiful love story. The director managed to capture the essence of obsessive 'love' completely.

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