Reviews

Hidden Truth

Originally, Yi wanted to shoot the film in the PRC. In mainland China, homosexuality is not forbidden, but it is treated as taboo. However, after the temporary disappearance of actress Fan Bingbing, there was an appeal from the film bureau not to make certain films. For this reason, Yi rescheduled seven months before shooting began and decided to move to Taipei, Taiwan. A two-year casting process in China had preceded, but actors had dropped out after accepting commitments. According to Yi, it would not have been possible to engage Taiwanese actors because the audience would have noticed the language difference immediately. So for pragmatic reasons, among others, the Chinese actress Zeng Meihuizi took on three roles in Yi's film.

Filming took place over 39 shooting days from May to July 2019 in Taiwan. The production was supported by the Austrian Film Institute, the Vienna Film Fund, Eurimages, Creative Europe MEDIA, Aides aux cinémas du monde, Taipei Film Commission, Belgian Tax Shelter, the Ministry of Culture of Taiwan and Totem. The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation and Arte were also involved.

The film is about the tension between traditional life with children and starting a family and free life in the anonymity of a city. He found a beautiful, unobtrusive aesthetic form for this tension. In the film, one can clearly see how quickly progress in China has torn the generations apart.

The film is visually appealing and cleverly deals critically with the issues of prostitution and homosexuality. However, a few lengths and many plot lines that go nowhere ensure that the hoped-for social criticism and tragedy of the film fizzle out.

The film's clever use of colour should be emphasised. Different spaces and places (e.g. the village, the hip spaces of the big city) are characterised by colours in the film, which also mix again and again in individual scenes. The director is particularly interested in the colour gradients, the "movements" between the different spaces. The complexity of the film saves it from obvious genre formulas, the "sense of images" protects it from narrative conventions. In the process, the director's visual interest in the cinematic world creates a film that is as consistently ordered as it is emotionally stirring, penetrating the rigid structures of world cinema.

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The main-leads…!

Honestly worth watching.
I regret not watching it sooner, but honestly I think it was a perfect time for me to watch. I missed them so much! The two actors are amazing. I’ve been their fans for years and it’s nice to see the two of them in one drama.
The plot was satisfactory. Got emotional at some point but their dedication to the drama inspired me in real life. I actually took Law Enforcement in College and it's nice to bring back some knowledge.
Their chemistry is so funny and cute.
This drama motivated me to stay strong, have perseverance, and have faith.
It may be cliche for me to say but regardless of being a comedy slash action slash yeye I love how they input the struggles of thinking what's right. If you should listen to the upper people or believe in what you believe is right.
I don't know what else to say but thank you for the inspiration even for a little bit.
It motivated it.
12:40 am 9/4/23

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A masterpiece from the early years of our most beloved Korean A-list actors.

This was one of the first Korean movies that I watched a few years ago and to this day, I have left a little spot in my heart for this masterpiece. We have all seen animal-turned-human concept before, but not quite like this. The movie has an overall darkness to it that you can't shake off and makes you not want to blink for a second. So much is conveyed through the actors eyes and it felt like you were there with them through it all.

This is at the tip top of my Korean Movie recommendations and I don't think it can ever be replaced. Get your tissues and some popcorn ready because you are in for a ride!

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What is love really?

Beautiful portrayal of different aspects of relationships, without the storybook gloss. An anthology of 4 stories, unrelated.

The first tale explores how meeting someone can set your life on a new trajectory, and explores that feeling of being known by someone else, and feeling fate at work in your life.

The second tale explores how relationships can alter as the balance is thrown off, and how no one is really at fault, but it’s important to remember why you want to be together in the first place. Giving each other grace and choosing to return and love deeper each time.

The third story was truly gripping, as you aren’t sure who the bad guy is, or if there is a bad guy. When is love about true commitment? When all is laid bare, can you face it all with the one you love, truly?

The last story was a bit confusing at first, until it became clear what is reality and what is metaphor. Another example of how far would you go to be by the side of the one you love? I would say this tale shows a stunning conclusion of what it means to be truly selfless.

Beautiful movie. I would recommend it for any film class, as there is so much more that can be explored with the symbolism and themes explored. As a casual viewer, however, it’s a memorable film that made its mark indelibly.

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Complex excellent film

I didn't read the reviews and played the movie and after a while I wanted to delete it because I thought it was like snot dragging crap. I haven't done it yet!!! A difficult film and not for everyone... to perceive, to watch, but once you get on the ropes, you already know for sure that this is a completely extraordinary film. I'm still thinking about it, and the more and with the distance (I saw it two days ago), the higher I want to give it, and I gradually realize how much the creators of this film actually conveyed through the slow shell of processing. Relatively boring, dragging plot, impersonal and cold relationships, recurring pacific monsoons... and a high rating from me and you can judge me all you want.

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If you've got an hour to spare.

I stumbled across #Alive one day on Netflix and was drawn to the cast since I've got a soft spot for Park Shin Hye and Yoo Ha In has been in some great dramas. I loved the acting and desperation throughout the movie, but other than zombie apocalypse it doesn't scream ANYTHING else to me. It was a decent time filler if you are flipping through Netflix and does not require too much if any brain power.

I wish Korea (and asian countries in general) gave more light to the movie scene compared to full length dramas because sometimes I really need a two hour movie to scratch the itch, but this unfortunately didn't fill the shoes.

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A very clever headline

"Happy birthday to me."
...
Damn, I don't want to be thirty years old. Ahh, how I love people who think this is somehow brutal. It reminds me of "Postcards from London" or "The House That Jack Built". So yeah, it was a weird art film.

"Thirty Years of Adonis" is a celebration of youth. It's about a desire to be young. I guess it's also about the problem in society for most gay men (and women): when they're over thirty, they're not that desirable compared to the young blood.

Eating humans is linked to the saying that when you eat a human, the meat gives you their abilities and knowledge. Báthory (a Hungarian noblewoman and alleged serial killer) bathed in human blood because she thought it would make her younger. Everyone wants their youth back; every birthday is one step closer to our graves.

I liked the idea, but it was boring. Like every art film. The cinematography looked great, and I absolutely LOVED the reference to David Hockney's art. I saw the scene where Adonis jumps into the pool, and I was like, "Omg! It's A Bigger Splash by David Hockney!" Thank you, Mr. Director, this just raised my rating. Other than that, it was kinda mid.
...
"Death isn't that scary. Life can be like hell too."

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Welp, its no "Squid Game".

If you're a fan of movies with last-man-standing-survival-game-fight-to-the-death themes then you may be curious about "As the Gods Will". If you have ever seen a Takashi Miike movie before, then you kind of know what to expect already... lots of over-the-top creepiness and blood. I have mixed feelings about most of his movies because they tend to be more concept-driven than plot-driven. I like horror movies with great plots and that's what makes "As the Gods Will" so different from other movies that I like in this genre, This being brought up as the alleged inspiration for "Squid Game" is what made me decide to finally watch this and unfortunately the first scene/game is where the similarities begin and end. Sure, children's games are a big part of this movie but these games are very Japan-centric and are more visually creative than strategy-based.

There is a smart hero and a smart villain, but many of the other characters are just gore fodder, which is disappointing. The CGI is also very cartoony, so It's not as scary as it could be either. It's also school-based so it definitely feels more like "Battle Royale" and "Hunger Games" influenced, with the same teen crush and sociopath classmate tropes. Fukushi Sota is a great hero as Takahata Shun. He plays the emo empath role well and certainly looks the part. Kamiki Ryunosuke is also great as Amaya Takeru, although his character is much more one-dimensional, he was my favorite performance. Yamazaki Hirona is a great co-star as Akimoto Ichika but sadly due to gender stereotypes, she gets reduced to a typical female love interest role instead of coming into her own as a hero herself. That's another disappointing thing about many of Takashi Miike's films. There's also an angsty teen character that I just felt was added for no reason, and with explanation. Clearly, the writer judges apathetic teens but fails to create compelling characters, which gives the story "OK Boomer" energy.

Would I watch this again? No. It's interesting for a first watch but I didn't like it enough to want to watch it again. I did like some of the final twists, and themes about not taking daily life for granted, but in the end, it was more weird than entertaining.

Overall, the characters were too simplistic for me to really care and the concepts seemed to be grander than the story. If you are a bigger fan of Takashi Miike and haven't seen this one yet, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. If accusations that Squid Game plagiarized this story made you want to watch this then you most likely will be disappointed. If you're expecting a deep life changing message at the end just don't even bother to watch at all. This has a Crazy Manga vibe more than a Horror Thriller vibe. The gore is actually lighter than I expected from this director, which I personally appreciated. The Bizarre parts are probably better appreciated if you don't take things too seriously, but I really wished the story was less basic. The games are the best part and the earlier games are the better ones. Luckily this movie begins holding nothing back so you can tell early on whether or not it will be worth your time, or too much for you. I don't regret watching it at all, but I can't say I'm a fan. There are too many versions of this kind of story that do it better in my opinion, even if it's not as shocking to watch, I would rather have a well-crafted plot than a jump scare or a visual cringe.

Confession: I watched this right after watching "Squid Game" for the 5th time, so yes, I am biased.

I also think "Ichi the Killer" and "Audition" are overrated. "One Missed Call" is more my speed.

One thing I do know is that I will never look at a Daruma Head, Maneki Neko, or Nesting Dolls the same way again! lol

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Title confusion with Song Ci movies

note: In iQIYI The title of this movie is FORENSIC MEDICINE SONG CI aka Forensic Scientist Song Ci: The Fraud
In MDL if you search for the title you found in IQIYI, MDL will take you to another Song Ci movie from 2020.

I enjoy Dee Renji and Song Ci movies and surprised that there's no review for this movie yet.

Plot is around Song Ci - SC assisting the emperor get back his throne after being plotted against by his trusted Shaman.

The production is not a huge budgeted film. It is simple yet perfectly done for each scenes. The location shoot was minimized but it didn't affect the way the story was relayed on the screen. Wardrobe was perfect for each scenes and each character that you won't feel slighted as a viewer. Even though it wasn't elaborate, the focus was majnly on the story.
I like that the simplicity of this movie still provided a satisfying watch.
The artists who played each character were professionals. They portrayed their character well enough even tho there are couple who probably could have rendered their lines and facial expressions better. This didn't impact the overall outcome of the movie anyways for me.

I am recommending this movie for anyone interested in period, costume and mystery movie.

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Another Mystery of Song Ci

NOTE: After much confusion I discovered the title in iQIYI and the title here in MDL is different. This movie has a different title in iQIYI - Work Vain Song Ci. My feedback and rating is for (titled here in MDL )as Forensic Scientist Song Ci
: The Fraud


I enjoy Dee Renji and Song Ci movies and surprised that there's no review for this movie yet.

Plot is around Song Ci - SC assisting the emperor get back his throne after being plotted against by his trusted Shaman.

The production is not a huge budgeted film. It is simple yet perfectly done for each scenes. The location shoot was minimized but it didn't affect the way the story was relayed on the screen. Wardrobe was perfect for each scenes and each character that you won't feel slighted as a viewer. Even though it wasn't elaborate, the focus was majnly on the story.
I like that the simplicity of this movie still provided a satisfying watch.
The artists who played each character were professionals. They portrayed their character well enough even tho there are couple who probably could have rendered their lines and facial expressions better. This didn't impact the overall outcome of the movie anyways for me.

I am recommending this movie for anyone interested in period, costume and mystery movie.

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swift moves as its finest

• This is a film with a running time of 135 minutes. As I said, my expectations for Japanese adaptations are high. Altho hindi ko napanood anime nito since hindi nga ako mahilig sa anime, sobrang nakuha ako nito. Kung may irerecommend akong medyo ka-same vibes ng movie na 'to, i would recommend the "Word of Honor" & "The Untamed" series.

• Pinanood ko 'to kasi nakita ko nareco sa fb na ang sabi mas maganda raw 'to compared sa One Piece LA, and hindi naman ako nabigo. thnx!!

• The story centers on a former assassin who quit murdering, but his pledge was put to the ultimate test.

• For me, mas hawig siya ng Word of Honor, this is one of my favorite series. Nakita ko si Zhou Xu kay Himura Kenshin. They have a lot in common, since nagdecide sila both magstop sa pagiging murderer naging both lowkey wanderer sila, same sila ng pananamit, same na may unique sword (i think hindi nabanggit kung saan galing sakabato sword ni kenshin), both protector, & the damn swift moves!!!! Btw, i like the details of where Kenshin's scars came from.

• Maganda fighting stance ni Kenshin, well executed ang mga fighting scenes (this is the reason why i love historical drama). He's not Hitokiri Battousai without the stance of battoujutsu >>>

• Battousai vs. mask guy & battousai vs. fake battousai are my favorite fighting scenes.

• Sa scene bandang 94:25 - 94:30 pinakita 'yong swift moves at do'n ako napasabi na hawig talaga sila ng WOH. Napasigaw ako d'yan no'ng nakita ko 'yong familiar na moves, kuhang kuha ako ng mga gano'ng skills, Hitokiri Battousai luluhuran🙇‍♀️

• If i had to choose between battousai and zhou xu, potah saksakin n'yo na lang aq T____T

• Jin-e said to kenshin "No matter what hitokiri is hitokiri. You won't be able to pretend to be just a rurouni forever." siya 'yong kumuha ng old katana ni kenshin, that's why he was called fake battousai.

• "When someone is killed, hatred is born. The hatred brings another murder. To break this chain, is a purpose of this sword which does not kill." (Kenshin)

How long will Kenshin be able to maintain his word? Will he truly never murder again, even if innocent people are in danger? I have one more question, who is Kaoru in Kenshin's life?

• I liked the plot, camera angle, transition, and intense ost. Kaya gusto ko rin ng mga japanese adaptation kasi iba atake ng visuals nila!! For me, Kenshin resembles Boun, whereas in Kaoru, i see Kathryn. Altho nakulangan ako sa background stories ng mga characters as if i was still looking for smth but this is all goods.

• Baka sa sequel super masatisfy ako, pero binibigyan ko pa rin 'to ng solid 10/10!!!

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Disjointed from the drama, but has the best moments

This definitely feels like a TV movie and I have very mixed emotions on it.

Just to get it out of the way, I don't think this HAD to be a movie — it could've been added as a few more episodes for Liar Game 2 and the story might've been better for it, as I'm not sure the story or game was mind-blowing enough to warrant its own film.

The first thing that I didn't like was that some of this felt disjointed from the drama. I'm not sure if I missed something, but characters who had gone through development in the show backslid or completely felt like different people. I felt like some of the character relationships that grew on me were lost, or some scenes felt random.

The best part for me, however, is what we saw between Nao and Akiyama. Yes, some scenes were still disjointed and I felt like I missed something, but my absolute favorite scene between them out of the ENTIRE two seasons takes place in this movie. It is probably the clearest depiction of how much they mean to each other, and for once I really felt like the stakes were high.

Other than that, the ending is satisfying (albeit a little confusing where I felt like some dialogue just missed the point of everything), the editing is still very campy and hilarious, and I think the game was one of my better liked ones.

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