Reviews

Being queer is a choice?

This film is about teenagers finding themselves and maturing. We follow them throughout their journey, and I believe they all grew and became different people by the end of the film.

I loved the cinematography, especially in the countryside setting. The OST is beautiful and could have been used more often throughout the movie. The script is also great.

I think the contents of the movie were well thought through, although the message in some scenes can be questioned. An example is the drowning scene at the end, where Ito told Yoshida that he could "kiss a boy if he tried", implying that being queer is a choice (which it most certainly is not).

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Strong characters

The movie is very interesting. The main characters are very well crafted, both in personality and appearance. The beginning of the movie is very good, and captures the attention of the audience in an instant.
The camera angles and clips are all very well done, and the acting is well delivered.

The movie is R15, but I think it would have been better to make it R18. I hate to say it, but the recorded rape scene wasn’t gruesome nor graphic enough. I also think that the movie deserves a sex scene (without rape in it).

All in all, it was a good movie and I would watch it again.

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Disturbing at first

Most people would probably find this movie extremely disturbing and traumatising to watch, and at first it might be that way, but as the story progresses, everything slowly falls into place, even the scenes that were hard to watch.
This is a good movie with an important message, but it's definitely not for everyone.

The acting was phenomenal, considering the number of uncomfortable scenes in the movie. Both leads did a really good job.

The camerawork is great, and there's an interesting use of horror elements in the scenes that were shot in "the room", although the lighting could have been better in some of those scenes. Certain scenes could have been constructed better, in terms of music and so on.

The movie also failed to include some important lines from the manga, such as: "Look at the people below" in the suicide scene. But despite this, I still found the script to be well written, and it takes up the theme of suicide without directly addressing it.
The ending was beautiful and perfect.

Overall, it was a great movie, and I would rewatch it again

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A slight awkwardness

I truly enjoyed watching this movie. The script was good, and there were no unnecessary scenes. All the actors did great, but Kakihara Rinka in particular, did an excellent job portraying Tomo's strong and unique character.

Some of the scenes were a bit weird, such as the boob-touching scene. The direction could've also been better. Numbers of scenes with Rinko and Tomo were awkward, in terms of body language and physical contact. This could also be cue to the lack of effort that was put into Rinko’s character.

Ending was superb.

It was a beautiful and educational movie, that is very much enjoyable if we look past the awkwardness.

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A movie with important topics

The contents of the movie is a bit questionable. All the kinks and fetishes distorted the message, resulting in a roundabout way of storytelling. The fetishes were an important part of the movie, but it got a bit too much at the end.

The message of the movie is good, and it takes up various important topics, such as prostitution and humans sexual desire. I also liked the story progression, despite the scenes that made me think “Oh Lord, me eyes,” or “What the F is going on here.”

The cinematography is definitely on the advanced side. The cold and dark themed atmosphere resonated really well with the plot and setting. I also really enjoyed the way they played with the lighting in the darker scenes. The acting was very good, but the ending was just 100% questionable, mostly in terms of editing.

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i loved it

very emotional love story . I felt connected with evry part of the story . i liked the way female protagonist character was portrayed . she was scared with the fact that she was got admitted to new school wher she was going to have new environment and new friends . But slowly slowly she started making friends but few took the advantage of her innocence but in return she didn't allow anyone to take the advantage of her weakness. male and female protagonist faced many ups and down and finally they met .
few parts of story made me cry .
very nice movie.
go for it .

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A film with a hazy message

This movie is packed with symbolism, and although there is some sort of meaning behind it all, it was to me, a film that simply lacked structure. The story is told in an unclear and roundabout way, which makes it hard to follow and understand.

There were numbers of dull scenes, due to the long duration of the clips. This style of filming is very common in old movies, but it would have been a lot easier to watch with more variations in the shots. There isn’t a clear conflict in the movie either. We know that there is some sort if inner conflict that the characters are each battling on their own, but it’s not clear what. The only time their emotions reached me, was in the final scenes of the movie with the last client.
There is also little to no character development. Shinichiro said he was going to quit prostitution, but never really did. Tatsuru never resolved the conflict with his family, and was unreadable throughout the whole movie.
So did they find what they were looking for at the end? No one knows.

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A great idea with weak storyline

This was going all good in the beginning with the mother dying , the father grieving and the daughter fighting for her land. But then the whole super power concept got shoved right into our mouths with no clear explanation, but I digress.
I just cannot believe how easily the daughter forgot her mother literally got killed by some people right in front of her. Like, u r fighting for the restaurant nd all but how could someone not think of revenge at that point. Just one funeral and everyone's gathering for freaking land protection meeting. WTF
The father's involvement was rather unhelpful in my view. He could've consoled his daughter but instead was trying to bring her with him in that shabby place. I digress tho. But then again, after learning his wife got killed, the father still doesn't use his powers for revenge, HOW??
I know I m getting desperate for the revenge plot but believe me, revenge was impending but yet the movie doesn't provide that. The mother literally be bowling her eyes out cuz her family not even filing a complaint for her murder.

If I talk about the whole superpower thingy, it was irrelevant. Just bcuz u added superpower doesn't mean anything happens after that would be understandable. U need an emotional story to back it up.

The characters were written vaguely. With the lady boss being the most hilarious one. She literally was shown for the joke.
And the police.🤣🤣🤣 Literally WTF. Who in the hell sends a whole two building worth police force a handful of common people. Like, who even gave the order for that. It was a complete joke.

In the end I would say, watch it at ur own risk. The movie will compel u to skip faster and faster to the end. So watch it only if u r out of ideas about what to watch.

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you must watch it. it's perfect

This film is really fun. I laughed a lot when i watched it . I love it.
I want to rewatch it.
I think everyone who likes BL and GL genre should see this movie.
This movie shows the hardships of gay life.
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This Movie is a pleasant drama break.

Well, this is a bold shot at classic Chinese film making. Have a wonderfully alluring story with a soft and sweet beginning, a challenging and complicated middle and a captivating ending, all keeping you glued to your seat. Take a visit with me to the ancient Qing Dynasty and share an endearing love story.

The movie The Palace begins with little girls being selected to serve in the palace as maids, as they are frightened into submission for easy training. There is much court intrigue and mischief. This is a well written simple story, which does not use sword fighting, twirls and thrills, and big movements to drive up entertainment value. The movie The Palace simply uses character study as fine art to give balance to the story, as you are drawn in and become fully invested into the lives and outcomes of the characters.

The story takes place during the peaceful reign of China’s longest serving Emperor, Shengzu or Kangxi Emperor of Qing (1654-1722), third Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The Palace is about the ambitions of two little girls who want to control their destinies.

A caution to the viewer. This movie is rated PG 13. However, there are two racy scenes in The Palace, which should bring the rating of this movie up to a strong PG 14, but these scenes are done tastefully.

Actors Corner

Movie actress Zhou Dongyu (Under the Hawthorn Tree) as Chen Xiang, Chen Xiao as Yin Xiang (Legend of Lu Zhen), and Zhao Li Ying as Lui Li (Boss and Me).

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SAD STORY

NO SPOILERS (I… think?):
Oh man… I love the story of these two guys. It’s so fricking sad and… Well... Very fast... I am actually sad that there is just only one episode:(( I like literally cried in every single scene. There was A LOT of cute and sad scenes.
SPOILERS:
It obviously wasn’t a slow burn. They are a couple just at the start. The huggies, holding hands, the kisses… Dayum!! I cried a lot when Beom said they should break up… Then he said they should be together again… And then Minha says that they should break up again. Then we have a scene when we know that Minha is missing… WAAAH BUT WHY IS HE MISSING??? WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM??? WHY IS IT ONLY ONE EPISODE?????

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I wish i can unwatch it

i watched it and didn't like it first off the ML has a legal wife (Hai Fu Rong [Maid]) Deng Yu Li because she can't birth a child and only a human can birth a child. that is the reason they need a bride. So when the legal wife found out the ML have feelings for FL obviously she went bad shit crazy and tries to kill FL oh just a bit of a spoiler so when a human birth their child they die by turning into dust so yeah they were trying to speed up the birthing process and they did that successfully but because ML give FL his essence she survives. Let's be real the legal wife had all right to kill the FL don't get me wrong but just think of it she married him for 600 years and waited for a kid and for him to love her but ML fell in love with FL, in short, the legal wife never got his love so when she found out ML love FL she becomes jealous and that's why she wanted the girl dead and gone I think when the FL is dead and gone the legal wife taught she could rise the kid with ML and have ML love. Obviously, it didn't play out the way the legal wife planned it to happen anyways this was prue adulterous love which is why i don't like it. I give it 4.5 plot was ok the FL acting was ok but seriously she didn't ask any necessary questions to the ML and don't get me started on how shitty ML is like really he locked her up to keep her safe. oh hell no it would have been better if he had communicated but there was barely any communication it's only to the end that was it revealed that he was the goldfish. if i could i would like to unwatch this but that's impossible. i really hate this i regret watching this if i could unsee this it would be great like i need this movie to be wiped out of my brain right now. I don't like anything linked to an adulterous relationship

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"All this for a sword"

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was epic storytelling and my highest rated wuxia. For this sequel without Ang Lee and being a Netflix release, I lowered my expectations and was not disappointed. Sword of Destiny was smaller in scope and storytelling, but still a fun movie. Yuen Woo Ping shot it like a more traditional wuxia, albeit with a bigger budget. More than that Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen reteamed again (loved them in Wing Chun!), and that was enough to make my martial arts loving heart beat with love.

Yu Shu Lien thought long dead returns to mourn Sir Te and helps his son secure the legendary Green Destiny sword. The evil and ruthless Hades Dai, wants to rule the martial world and is determined to have the Green Destiny for himself. Silent Wolf, whose rumored death was greatly exaggerated puts together a team of five martial artists from the Iron Way to help protect the sword. Thrown into the battle is Snow Vase, a young martial artist who wants the sword to kill Hades Dai and Wei Fang, a young martial artist who works for Hades and has been tasked with stealing the famous sword. They have a connection that will draw them together all under the watchful eye of Shu Lien. While the warriors work together to keep the sword and each other safe, Shu Lien must decide if she can forgive Silent Wolf for his past mistakes.

The movie was only around ninety minutes long and relied heavily on Michelle Yeoh's and Donnie Yen's chemistry. The supporting characters were not given enough time to be fully developed on either the good guys' side or the bad guys', yet they were archetypes from the genre which gave the viewer a shorthand of what to expect from them-the lone warrior, loyal martial artists, a blind witch, ruthless evil fighters, etc. Snow Vase and Wei Fang were the young warriors who had to find their redemption and way along with a little flirting under the guidance of Shu Lien and Silent Wolf.

The fights were all well-choreographed which was to be expected by Yuen Woo Ping. Was there high-flying action? It was a wuxia, so you betcha! Whether it was Michelle fighting an ambush in the forest, Donnie nonchalantly taking out a gang of hotheads at a tavern, or a spectacularly filmed fight on a thawing frozen lake, they were all outstanding thanks to Michelle and Donnie's experience. Michelle still had a quickness and fluidity that made her captivating to watch. Donnie brought a playfulness and solemnity to his fights depending on the opponent. Watching these two veterans fight back-to-back brought me sheer joy. I loved that there was a tower for the final battle. It brought back memories of Cheng Pei Pei (Jade Fox) having to confront the bad guys with their tower in one of her old movies. And the ubiquitous outdoor tavern from many an old kung fu movie was the perfect setting for the audience to meet Silent Wolf and the Iron Way fighters.

Michelle Yeoh has a regal bearing and elegance that cannot be duplicated. Her expressive face and voice pull you into her character. Only she could make a line like "You will not find it there nor take it from here" believable. Much has been made of the movie being filmed in English and later dubbed with Mandarin. Selfishly, I'm happy it was. There was ferocious backlash over Michelle's accented Mandarin in the original. I tried watching the dubbed version of Sword of Destiny but the professional Mandarin voice actress sounded incredibly generic and flat, sapping all the energy and nuance out of Yeoh's performance. I find Michelle's voice acting essential to her performance and was relieved to hear it in the English version. Maybe it was the wig or makeup but Donnie has never looked better or more romantic than in this film. And as you would expect of him, he handled the fight scenes splendidly. Harry Shum gave a complex performance as the young warrior at a crossroads in his life. The weakest performance of the main characters was Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Snow Vase. This appeared to be her first role and it showed. Finally, Jason Scott Lee made for a sinister villain, even if he wasn't given much to do. This was a Chinese and Hollywood/Netflix amalgam, and an international one at that, with actors from Malaysia, Hong Kong, the USA, Australia, China, Korea, New Zealand, and Vietnam. How you feel about a multi-national cast in a kung fu staple may affect your viewing pleasure.

For me, I can look at this film as completely separate from the original. It was not a perfect film, but for the genre it was quite good, I've watched my share of terrible ones. It did take some time to alter my perception of it being in English and not Mandarin or Cantonese, which did take away the authentic feel to it. There was a bit of cheese in it, but the original had its share, too, most wuxias do. The cinematography was nice, fights were solid, the scenery was beautiful, the OST felt integral to the story, aside from that ugly green sword-the props, sets and costumes were excellent, and most of the acting was acceptable to exemplary. Most of all it entertained me. I have watched this film numerous times and still enjoy it upon each viewing. I'm able to watch Michelle Yeoh and Donnie Yen once again fighting side by side which makes this a winner in my book.

8/4/23

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