Small Space and small Cast
The use of this very small space and this very small cast of actors is the incredible thing about this movie. It doesn't need a huge cast to make an impact and the directors and actors did such an incredible job utilizing these very few resources. I've been into Zombie movies when I was younger but very quickly realized that a lot of them don't have any real depth and the struggle that is being portrayed feels "fake" - this movie is an excellent opposite of all that I've just mentioned. All in all it's not necessarily a typical zombie movie, but it is worth watching, especially when you are not totally keen on the typical zombie movies.Was this review helpful to you?
It was just a recommendation in a youtube shorts and watched it yesterday. I totally loved the movie and story plus actors did a good job in their role. But the only drawback of the whole movie was park shin hye's acting who played the adult version of the kid.
It looked more of her character from "the heirs"
All her scenes made me remeber that character as if she did not come out of that character yet when she portrayed this role.
Even in her monologue scene where she was standing for her father, the scene looked more of her fighting for her love for her boyfriend. She looked more of that poor girl rather than the character she had to play.
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Just a simple romantic fantasy movie
I have been following this movie since it came out and just heard the reviews are unfavorable regionally and internationally. Yet i encourage you to watch this movie without any bias, but based on the fact that you love a good simple romantic film.Plot summary:
Childhood friends who lost each other and found each other again after many years, thanks to fate! However, life happens along the way and their love is tested. Fantasy elements are introduced and the unfortunate couple tries to change their destiny to stay alive, but this time without each other. Yet as the saying goes, what is meant for you will find you no matter what.
Acting:
I saw CFY in Lighter and Princess and i dare say he is improving. he is a young actor and is in the learning process. then again, in this very particular movie, he portrays a very normal youngster who is in love but goes through hardships in life.
Zhou Ye is also quite decent and depicted a very cheerful yet faithful lover. Both had good chemistry together. i just wished we could see more kiss scenes, albeit the ones shown were ok imo.
Writing:
It's a movie so we can't expect to see many details and elaboration of how things are. everything is fast-paced. Also, this movie is a fantasy romance, so many things cannot be explained with logic. it's just how it is. One thing that was a bit questionable to me was that they keep saying their love is tested and that we can't fight destiny. Yet in the end, we see a different scenario. Like are they gonna suffer again? the curse was gone? did they go through the loophole again? but the ending was kinda nice. they got what they deserved.
Production and soundtrack:
The movie is rather simple. It has been filmed in very simple locations as it is in most movies. The soundtrack was kinda nonexistent. I didn't hear anything playing Lol
Overall, it's a beautiful romantic movie. Nothing that extraordinary, but very beautiful if you're into romance. Don't pay attention to the overly negative or overly positive ratings.
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However, despite the poor technical quality and performances that may elicit amusement, the film remains watchable due to the intertwining of the two main characters' stories. It is interesting to observe how these young aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters depict school bullying alongside an unstable family situation and the pressures exerted by parents who compare their children, leading to sometimes disastrous consequences.
This film made by high school students is a testament to their creativity and dedication, despite the limitations they had to face. While there are aspects of technical execution and acting that could be improved, it deserves to be appreciated for the important themes it tackles and the evident determination of the young filmmakers to share their vision with the audience.
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You will cry
I don’t know if I was too emotional watching this today but honestly I cried for almost every scene with Mija and Okja…Part of me felt connected because me and Mija’s names are similar, and also since i’m a huge animal lover. I don’t know, it struck my heart.
I can’t help but feel unsatisfied with the ending albeit it being realistic to some extent. I watched this movie for the first time when it came out but I didn’t remember much from it except for the factory part. I decided to rewatch it today solely to remind myself of how it is.
I know them saving the whole super pigs isn’t realistic or palpable especially in the short amount of time, hell they would probably need a whole new movie for that, and even then the new movie would probably need a new movie to get some damage on the company.
I’m happy Okja and Mija got their happy endings with each other, but still my heart aches everytime I remember that there’s still those super pigs suffering and dying for those horrible peoples profit.
I don’t know, maybe I did get a bit too emotional. But I can still feel my heart ache a lot.
It’s also 3am…lol
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Zombies with vampire teeth
I feel pity for zombies after watching this movie. Because it's a shame for them. A minute silent for poor zombies.Why I watched this movie?
I'm a lover of Korean zombie movies and series and I'd rather Korean version of zombies to American or Japanese versions. So when I first read the title of movie I said I should give it a chance and WHAT A WASTING.
What was the story about and how did it go?
The movie started with a scene that male and female lead are running away from zombies and it goes straight to the main point but after a few minutes the thrill of it vanished and story became so childish. Just a beautiful girl and handsome boy that had a crush on the female lead without any chemistry, kicking zombies and fight with them, falling on the floor and standing up again...
The make up was terrible and zombies were just humans with weird acts and noises. Let me be fair sometimes you could see ketchup around their mouth. Belive me it was the weakest make-up that I've ever seen in a movie especially in a movie with the horror genre about zombies.
But wow this movie represent you a new thing: zombies with vampire teeth. THAT WAS A NEW THING LOL.
What about genres?
Horror: not even a little. A child could afraid me more.
Comedy: it was that akward to make you laugh though yes. (yes but NO!)
Finally watch it or not?
It's not worth watching and it's not about taste. As a person who watched all of the zombie K-drama and K-movies it was just a weak movie in director and actors CV.
Don't give it a chance as you don't give a chance to your ex.
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A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Asshole
Sure, lots of writers are famous for being self destructive, substance abusing assholes (Ernest Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, and Norman Mailer, to name a few). But a biopic should not simply be a portrayal of an asshole writer doing lots of asshole things in cliched romantic ways as if to excuse his being, oh you know, an asshole. It should be somehow revelatory as to who he is as a complete, fully faceted human being. Even if he's unlikeable, we should still feel the authenticity of his humanity. This movie, however, has not given us a human being. It has given us a caricature.And let's talk about the dialogue, which is god awful and packed with exposition. Characters continually have conversations that are exclusively designed to give us a cram-course in their backstories. The only thing worse is the dialogue delivering lectures about the exceptional nature of the Artiste (oh yea, make that a capitol A and spell it French, because that's how cliched it is). Naturally, it usually comes down to the Artiste's special license to be, yep, an asshole.
But I will give praise to the cinematographer. It was shot gorgeously.
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the show
I wouldn’t say I’d rewatch it again but it’s definitely worth watching at least once. it’s so sad and tells and amazing story. I definitely recommend watching. every character tells a story and some are even brutal but you can see how they build a trust around each other towards the end. ahhhhhhhhhhh so beauuuuuuuuuuutiful. I feel sorry for the main girl especially and what she went through. even getting pregnant ☹️☹️☹️☹️ it’s unfair what these woman go through in life. i give it a ten out of tenWas this review helpful to you?
An Afternoon that Can Change Everything
Xiao Yu is accustomed to following his older brother and stumbles upon an unexpected scene one afternoon. This raises several questions: does he feel lost, confused, angry, surprised? One of the strengths of the screenplay is to let the audience draw their own conclusions about Xiao Yu's feelings.Another intriguing aspect involves the father. I wonder to what extent he is aware or pretends to be ignorant. This ambiguity adds additional tension to the narrative.
While the focus primarily rests on the younger brother, the short film subtly hints at Feng's perspective as well. I was left questioning whether he doesn't feel secure enough to fully embrace his life, if he's waiting for the right moment to reveal himself, or if he simply values maintaining his privacy. It is evident that he cares for his brother while giving him the space he needs when he sees that Xiao Yu is drifting away from him. This decision may stem from the same reason he creates a boundary between his home life and love life—to preserve his personal space. Feng loves freely, yet simultaneously keeps it a secret.
Ultimately, "One Afternoon" brilliantly demonstrates that not everything needs to be explicitly stated for the story to convey its message. The unsaid and the silences contribute to the narrative power of the short film.
It's delightful to see Huang Chun Chih again, whom I previously enjoyed in "HIStory3: Make Our Days Count." His natural interaction with Lin You Quan and Ping Chen Wu is remarkable and brings authenticity to the entire performance.
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"Man is too small when faced with the vastness of nature"
Dersu Uzala was based on the real lives and friendship of Dersu Uzala and Vladimir Arsenyev in the Siberian wilderness during the early 1900's. The impressive film about friendship won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1976. Aside from its famous director, Kurosawa Akira, you aren't likely to recognize any of the names in this Soviet-Japanese film, but don't let that deter you as the performances were all first rate.The film begins with Capt. Arsenyev and his men doing a topographical study of the Ussuri Region. Local hunter, Dersu, enters their camp having followed them for much of the day. The next thing he knows he has become their guide. Dersu is wise, kind, and generous as well as being a skilled hunter. The soldiers are largely unaware of the world he sees and hears around them. "Got eyes but don't see." At first the men are amused at his views, such as fire, wind, and water being alive and "strong men" to be wary of. It doesn't take long for them to come to respect him and trust his guidance. He also teaches them compassion for people and animals in ways they had not thought of in his special lessons on wilderness etiquette.
Arsenyev learns the hard way what disregarding Dersu's advice means in the life and death world of winter in the dangerous world. The two men slowly build on their trust and respect to develop a deep and abiding friendship. The movie could have comfortably ended at the 70-minute mark, and I did find the first half more compelling. When Arsenyev returns to the wilderness he finds his friend older, but largely unchanged. They race to each other and embrace as if soul mates and maybe in some ways they were. Only after an incident with a tiger, do Dersu's facilities begin to decline. The aged tracker and hunter finally relents, acquiescing to his friend's invitation to come live with him in town. Dersu understandably struggles to adapt to the confinement of city living. The film hauntingly ends much as Arsenyev's 1923 memoir.
This film is one that will find itself with a divided audience. There was almost no conflict which could be a deterrent for many, especially with a 140-minute running time. The characters found themselves in few perilous moments or facing life altering events. At the same time, it was an expedition into the beautiful world of the Siberian taiga and the development of a devoted friendship. People from disparate places came to understand each other. The film could almost fall into a slice of life travel drama with its languid, graceful pace.
Kurosawa's signature style appeared throughout the film. An encounter with a tiger leads to a mystical moment for the tracker, a seemingly innocent encounter that had profound effects on his psyche which reminded me of other Kurosawa characters affected by surreal events. Kurosawa's own particular blood red sky and sun also reflected in the ice was used in several scenes, reminiscent of Dodesukaden's sky. A faint rainbow appeared at a hut in the misty woods as happened in several of his films. At times, Kurosawa's signature winds and fog obscured the scenery, heralding in moments of significant changes. The film was beautifully shot in the Russian wilderness and accompanied by an elegant musical score. Rivers, forests, snowy marshes, and a frozen lake shared the screen with actors trudging through and over them. Despite the exquisite landscapes and evolving seasons, Kurosawa kept the story focused on the two men. In one particular segment Dersu and Arsenyev become lost when returning from a frozen lake. At Dersu's bequest they desperately cut the tall marsh grasses in a blinding wind storm for a makeshift shelter in order to survive the bitterly cold night. This scene with few words was stunning and emotionally gripping.
George Lucas has eluded that Yoda may have been loosely based on Dersu. With Dersu's broken Russian and oneness with nature it would be an easy leap in logic. At one point when Dersu was in danger after saving the rest of the men, he had to orchestrate his own rescue advising the men how to accomplish it. While his abilities seemed almost magical to the city folk, his skills were honed over a lifetime living in the harsh conditions needing to always be aware of his surroundings to survive. I believe he would have agreed with Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no try."
Rather than a man against nature theme, the story advocated man living peacefully and reflectively with nature and other people. Nature may be unforgiving, but it was also possible to learn from her and receive her gifts. Kurosawa showed not only the best of humanity but also the cruel face of humanity as well in the way heartless men treated animals and other humans. Though he touched on several subjects the overriding core of the film and its main focus was the friendship of two men from different walks of life who bonded in the wilderness.
It would be hard to overstate the skill Kurosawa used in the making of this film. The raw, scenic landscapes seemed to have personalities of their own, much as Dersu believed. Though the story was simple it was not simplistic. The unbreakable friendship of Dersu and Arsenyev resonated deeply with me. Even at over 2 hours long, I would happily watch this film again.
6/6/23
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Gripping and unsettling revenge story with some interesting narrative and production choices
This extremely dark movie is a revenge story centred around a crime committed in a middle school background. The plot is unsettling as the viewer witnesses a patchwork of criminal acts, toxic behaviours, mental health issues and disturbing scenes. I found the pace of the story really good as the film progresses and the motivations of some of the characters unveil. It might feel a bit over-the-top at some point but it succeed in being frighteningly believable somewhat. I appreciated the ambivalence of the ending and the fact that there is a greyish morale to it...Acting-wise, the cast was overall pretty good. Matsu Takako is good as this distraught, cold and relentless character seeking revenge. She is a bit over-shadowed by the performances of the three teens actors: given their young ages and the darkness of their scenes, I found them pretty impressive and convincing, even though sometimes their acting might have been a bit too "over-the-top" or uneven.
Production-wise, it manages to showcase the different perspective of the stakeholders in a gripping way. Even the more narrated parts (which are "telling" more than "showing") are captivating to follow due to some inspired mise-en-scene. There was some elements that I felt a bit too exaggerated (in terms of visual effects or for example with the blood spattering...) to the detriment of the poignancy of some of the scenes but it was still super impactful overall. The soundtrack was suitable for the film but not memorable to me.
I would recommend this to people looking for a gripping revenge story, quite different in its narrative style. If you loved manga such as "Teseusu no fune", you might love this as it gives some similar vibe. Given the crime committed as well as the various topics approached in the film, it features heavily (a lot) of really triggering components. I would strongly suggest to look at the tags before watching this if you have any triggers. If you don't, this could be better to go watch it blind in order to not spoil yourself of course.
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Is it worth watching?: Hmm... Kinda, if you have time and not-so-high expectations
After reading the movie description, it seemed so promising that I watched it immediately. The first thing that struck me was how much it didn't seem like a movie. While they did manage to convey the story, it was done in a somewhat inadequate manner. It could have been so much better...While the plot was interesting, the explanations about the baby and the father seemed like they were some absurd, made-up excuses just to keep it within the time limit. There were too many plot holes, and everything felt so rushed. I just felt that the execution could have been so much better.
That being said, it was a good watch. The character development was amazing, and the father and baby interactions are adorable. Well, except for the baby's inner voice, which we could have gone without.
Overall it was okay... Is it a waste of time?: No. Is it a productive use of your time? No for that too... But most importantly, I had fun, so I'd rate it as worth it.
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People, where is the condom ??
Many reviews have been made that I agree with so for me there is just one question left: Where is the condom ?Everybody is having sex with everybody but protection is never mention, not even once !! This is out dated.
About the plot: well I love you so I'll just send you to prostitution ... (eyes rolling).
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Disrespectful and consenting sexual abuse.
This movie is disrespectful to all women and the sinopsis doesn't even come close to what is coming. You go into that movie unprepared and this is not a tribute to women this is consenting crime, violence and sexual abuse, you should know that.Reasons why I do not recommend this movie:
- adult female lead is raped by a male coworker just like that and at the end he says "this is your fault" ... WTF ?? And apparently it never crossed the director's mind that the female lead could report that to the authorities... Unbelievable !! This is medieval.
As it is not enough:
- mature female lead has sexual relations with a schoolgirl, equals minor, equals pedophilia; even if is the schoolgirl that initiates the action it doesn't matter because adults should know better and should take the responsibility to say NO to that kind of actions;
As it is not enough...
- schoolgirl is beaten and raped by her father and in the director's mind explicit sex scene between father and daughter once is not enough so let's show it twice (at this time I just couldn't see so disgusting it was).
- as if there was not enough nudity already let's make the actresses topless in that last scene, well just because;
- that schoolgirl's skirt is too short please STOP!
I gave an 8 for the acting out of compassion for the actresses.
This is why I do not recommend this movie.
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Am not going to go over what this film is about as that has been covered in full quite adequately.
What I do want to say is this - in some entitled first world countries there are certain privileges and freedoms some of us take for granted, a number of us want want want or need need need and unfortunately we get so caught up in our own selves most of the time, that we don't always pay attention to what is happening in less fortunate countries or countries that are totally divided - like South Korea and North Korea.
This film may be fictional and not so new anymore, but it is likely based on elements of truth when it comes to what might happen when someone betrays their country.
As far as I'm concerned everyone should have the freedom of choice and not be made to pay the consequences for wanting something different especially if it is the opposite of oppression or not conforming to one way of thinking that is narrow.
Life is meant to be lived and it should be lived to the fullest yet some are denied this basic human right just for being born on the wrong side of the border and in a totally restrictive country.
"Secretly, Greatly" will likely be in my top 10 Korean movies for life!. AAA+++
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