very good
I was rather skeptical before watching a movie from 2013 (my experience with older korean dramas has been so-so) and the title sounds cheesy as well(at least in english language). Fortunately, I was proven wrong.This is a great thriller in vein of "The Call" and "Forgotten". Expect dark and gory scenes, complex psychology and lotsa plot twists. I think too many actually; the final plot twist was really not needed and came out of nowhere. This didn't really spoil the "journey" of getting there, but the ending could have been better.
There are also several plot holes, mostly related to FLs past and behaviors.
The acting also could have been better, while the performance of main characters was very good(especially Uhm Ki Joon, he's so different from his roles in later dramas here!), the side characters were overacted.
For these reasons, I can't rate this drama more than 8/10 overall. Which is still a very good rating and I recommend it.
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This review may contain spoilers
"You'll learn to love me, the lessons are free." Don't bet on it.
The Lower Depths refers to a group of impoverished tenants living in a building that is propped up with beams and the cliff it leans against. It’s a dark comedy about people who have no hope for tomorrow, living close to the edge of death and pennilessness.The film is based on the Russian playwright Maxim Gorky’s 1902 play. Most of the film is set inside the dilapidated tenement as if it were a play with characters walking on and off stage. The technique can make for a claustrophobic experience as if you were trapped in the room with straw covered floors and unlikeable characters and like them have no means of escape.
The film is one long unending conversation between the different characters. They spend their time complaining about their lot in life and complaining and gossiping about each other. There’s a tinker, a prostitute, a husband and wife, a thief, a cheating gambler, and an alcoholic cohabitating in the great room with bunk beds. Their usual tirades are broken up by the appearance of an older man, nicknamed Grandpa, who brings a bit of wisdom and compassion to the bickering group.
This was my least favorite Kurosawa by far. I didn't find any of the characters or performances particularly compelling. Even the charismatic Mifune Toshiro struggled to bring the thief having an affair with the landlord’s wife to life. The characters complained about their lives incessantly, but even when Grandpa tried to tell them there might be something better away from the toxic environment none of them took a chance to make the move. Only one did and it ended in utter disaster. Kurosawa at least got his consistent view of women out of the way in the first scene by having a character state that all women are liars.
There is much discussion about when telling the truth is bad and telling a lie is good. The benefits and downfalls of money is also discussed. “Money buys your fate in hell.” “Human kindness can’t be bought with pennies or silver.”
I suppose I need more white space, and this film had too many words crammed together from beginning to end with scarcely a breath or compelling action taken between them. Acts of compassion were few and far between causing the characters to not resonate with me. This room full of characters failed to enlighten me on the social plight of the poor, the failings of the state, or how people even in dire situations look out for each other. Though there were moments of almost grudging kindness there weren’t any likeable characters, with the possible exception of Grandpa. Truly by the last moments of the film with its extremely abrupt ending, I wasn’t sure what I was to take away from this story other than a window into a deeply flawed group of impoverished people trying to get through the day knowing that when tomorrow comes it will not be any better.
If you are interested in watching a Kurosawa film, this is not the one to start with. If you are a Kurosawa fan, this is a must see, as it differs from the films preceding it and is worth a look.
1/6/23
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Great film.
This is the first film I watched in 2023, and even though I didn't expect too much from it, the bar was set high.I've read some reviews and noticed quite a bit of variety in interpretations of "3-Iron". Which I think is very cool and confirms that Kim Ki Duk did not give the viewer a clear explanation of his vision.
The story itself is a bit weird but very engaging. If there is anyone in the world who would react to a stranger in their house like the FL, I would be surprised, but that's the whole point of this film. It wasn't meant to be just another ordinary story with the probability of happening in real life. This is an unbelievable picture of "love at first sight". The main characters communicated without words. They didn't say anything to each other throughout the movie. This made Lee Seung Yeon and Jae Hee's acting stand out in itself. They didn't need any words to play their roles perfectly and show a lot of emotions. It also gave the impression of watching this film as something more private for the viewer. Interestingly, only characters who were or could be an obstacle to the relationship of the main characters had spoken.
I have to mention that the music fits perfectly with the story presented in the film. I checked the translation of the text (song: Natacha Atlas - Gafsa) and it also really fits the presented relationship.
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The movie is not fully comedy but its extraordinary, I highly recommend watching it!!!
I like how it is a partly comedy movie and is also filled with a lot of lessons and the happiness and satisfaction I felt soon after finishing the Movie was immense, I would highly recommend this movie to every Human Being out there.The actors have done an exceptional job from main leads to the thugs. I wasn't expecting much out of this movie and started to watch it only because it was a comedy movie, but turns out I did the right thing by watching it . I highly recommend this Movie!!!
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Could've Been Great
Ditto (2022) had the main essence of the story down already. The casts were also good in portraying their roles. Especially the main lead, Yeo Jin Goo. He was able to flawlessly show the emotions needed; from falling in love, being paranoid, jealous, up to being broken. The cinematography was also brilliant. The usage of colors to differentiate timelines and create mood was perfectly executed.The downfall of this movie was it's flow. It failed to show the relationship of the other characters to the main lead, Kim Yong. And these relationships are the backbone of the story. This is what would've make all the difference. These relationships are what'll make viewers invested to the story. Sadly, the movie focused on moving from past to present which led to very disorganized story.
As an example the past storyline:
The friendship of Kim Yong to Eun Sung. They were supposed to be best friends. But in the movie, it seemed like Eun Sung is the only one portraying best friend. Kim Yong was suddenly this overly jealous and paranoid boyfriend to Han Sol. Then his relationship with Han Sol also seemed rushed. We weren't given enough scenes to be invested in their story. We just see Kim Yong being really inlove with her, but on Han Sols part, there weren't enough scenes to staple or depict her feeling the same way. If the movie gave more light and exposure to their relationship, I think, viewers, such as I, would've felt more about their story.
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Story had a good blueprint, but could have been tighter.
First and foremost, that description is misleading.The idea was sound. It was a classic case of changing circumstances resulting in shifting feelings and emotional infidelity. I felt bad for Tar, who said from the very beginning to just let him know if anything ever changes in their relationship. It was a shame to see how their situation made him snap at the end. But it can be explained away by his desperation.
What can't be explained is how very little is actually communicated. Like, it seems like Wan never actually acted on his attraction to Ohm. The only thing he ever confessed to is having fallen for him and nothing is ever shown on the screen. So why wasn't that ever brought up? Also, Ohm is fully aware that the situation with the watch was a misunderstanding. Why didn't he try to defend himself and explain? And Wan told Ohm that he was having trouble with Tar because they didn't get to see each other much anymore. But yet, when talking to Tar himself, he said it was because they spent too much time together. Which one was it/ And why did Ohm's personality seem to change halfway through the film? So it left me very confused in places.
Everyone here is in the wrong. But as Wan himself stated, Wan was the most guilty one. Ohm blatantly pursued and flirted with Wan fully knowing that Wan was taken. But Wan let himself be swayed. Which makes it even worse when Tar had actually tried to open up communication on the matter multiple times, in a civil manner. At any point, Wan could have sat and reflected about what he was feeling. But he just went along with it, all the way until it blew up in his face. And then he still didn't communicate effectively. Meanwhile, Tar escalated the situation in his desperation, putting Wan on the spot on the radio twice and orchestrating a misunderstanding (which, I might add, put him in just as much hot water as it did Ohm).
There was an interesting proposition and set up to make them a throuple. And yes, they could have worked well together in theory. But that was before all of the mess they all caused. If they had gotten into the proposed relationship at that stage, it would have been very toxic moving forwards. So I must give props to Wan for analyzing that situation and not giving it a shot. I also appreciate that the writers didn't try to use it as some sort of easy solution for their conflict. None of them deserved to be with each other. And as such, the ending felt right for this story, even if it is labelled as a sad ending.
I watched this production to see some of early work of the many familiar faces in the cast and crew. As such, I wouldn't consider this a waste of time. But the story could have been tighter in terms of characters and clarity for viewers. I would have also appreciated seeing some references to relationship troubles having been building up even before the job change (or more references to the passage of time), so that it didn't feel as sudden.
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Great story!
I had a hard time finding the movie. I ended up renting it from Amazon Prime, as it wasn't available anywhere else that I had access to. I have read comments and they say that the Season 2 is the movie with a few more scenes. I would have preferred to see the Season 2 over the movie, but couldn't find the full season anywhere. I will probably go back and watch the episodes that I actually do have access to, just to see any missed scenes.As in Season 1, Pearl was a gem! (Pun intended haha.) Her love and support of the boys couldn't have been better. In my opinion, the boys other than Cai and Gav were just eye-candy, but who doesn't love a little candy??!! Gav and Cai were the main focus, and they had me smiling, giggling, and crying at various times. Poor Gav, dealing with his homophobic aunt....I seriously want to hurt people like that who spread their hate and misguided "concern." I'm so glad that the boys finally stood up to her. (I'm not violent, just angry that some people want to hide behind their religion in order to dictate how others should live.)
I saw someone write that they didn't think Gav's character should have broken down as he did, because he was so upbeat and happy other times. But this movie really showed the amount of pain that a lot of people went through because of the pandemic. You can only handle so much before you break, and with the real-world stresses on top of the pandemic stresses, it's a wonder that he didn't have a breakdown beforehand.
I loved the amount of love and happiness the two boys showed each other. I also saw that they didn't top and bottom each other, as you see in EVERY other BL out there. That was the most refreshing thing for me. I mean, it's not for everyone....some choose to be one or the other..... but the way it was handled in the movie did a good job in displaying the equality of their relationship.
I adored Season 1, and I loved the movie/Season 2. I hope they make a Season 3, but honestly, now that they've partnered with Japan on production, even if we have a Season 3 we international fans will probably not have access.
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A good movie as long as you completely disassociated it from the series.
Using my personal rating system of "loved," "liked," "meh," & "nah," this is a “liked/loved”.Things I liked:
I liked the way the movie was put together; I get impatient with long backgrounds or set ups and I like that they just jumped right in and then made judicious use of flashbacks to give the appropriate background. I liked most of the way the characters were portrayed.
The ML and FL were two socially awkward introverts (one of which with some childhood issues he still needs to work out) who found each other. I felt that their interactions were believable and that FL stood up to the ML when she needed to. I liked the always-supportive friends in the background. The first time I watched it, the beginning did not make a lot of sense, but it all wraps up nicely by the end. I also liked how they explained how the ML started to notice the FL and how he planned to get closer to her after learning about her personality.
I did not get SMLS (thank heavens, it’s practically pathological with me) but I liked the brother and sister duo—and that they started to get their lives on track by the end.
Things I did not like so much:
I wish this was truly a stand-alone movie without any relationship to the show. I’ve not watched the show, but from what I’ve read in the reviews here on MDL, it’s quite different in terms of character development and portrayal (and I’m really wishing I never read the reviews of the show…). To me, it kind of puts a shadow over the movie because the movie ML seems to be a much more sympathetic character than the show version and the FL much less of a pushover. In the movie version, I don’t see the ML being so much manipulative as a ‘mastermind’ who uses the resources at his disposal to protect those he cares about.
I do wish the ML would have acknowledged his childhood issues and agreed to therapy or something—he may have been angry at the kids who moved to his house when he was little, but it was not their fault. And if they had been reporting on him to his dad—what else could they have done? The guy was paying for their room, board, and education.
I was not too sure about the believability of stalker-guy’s character. He was so extreme. One moment he was violent and full of rage, the next cowering and horrified by all the attention. That character did not appear stable enough to maintain a university enrollment long enough to stick around and cause trouble—unless put there by the screenwriter/director/etc.
Final thoughts: I liked this and have re-watched it at least three times. I’ve never watched the drama. Just pretend it’s a stand-alone movie, not associated with any drama and I hope you enjoy. 😊
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Failed 'Comedy' Act
I'm basing my rating before reading the manga (although this movie discourages me from ever reading it haha).When I saw this on Netflix, the description of the movie read, 'Kanna Hashimoto stars as the pink-haired college student moonlighting as a 'John Wick' style assassin.' Of course, the words, 'pink-haired' 'assassin student' and 'John Wick' in one sentence caught my eye. However, after a quarter through the movie, I quickly realized it was nothing but a comedic act or a movie to shade action-assassin movies.
The premise of the movie was good, if they had executed it well, maybe this really could be up to par with John Wick. Unfortunately, it was nothing but flat comedy and bad CGI (this would've been a great movie to watch in 2014). The acting itself was disappointing, it was as if the actors and actresses were just given a script at that moment and were forced to learn it throughout their scenes. Of course, there were good moments but considering the almost 2-hour movie and the number of scenes I couldn't believe I was watching, the absurdity was real. With the music, there was nothing significant either. It happened to be your typical horror-like crescendos in tense scenes and mellow instrumentals in vulnerable scenes — quite predictable.
Now I believe this could be shortened quite a lot, I thought the majority of the scenes were irrelevant but I did stay watching. In the end, it flatlined horribly. I watched this with my sister so we had quite a laugh, still, I wouldn't recommend ever watching it.
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This habit sometimes makes me watch a film that I don't intend to watch, but there's no regret. KAWAII GIRL FOR LIFE!!!
This film is about bullying and its effect on Miyuri's life, depression is definitely experienced by her, until her life feels at the lowest point, and then there is Tsumugi who grabs her hand, helping to lift Miyuri's mentality. At that point, I felt this film was very heartwarming and not a depressive film.
How precious it is when someone who is experiencing difficult times in their life reaches out their hand and someone grabs it to help lift them from the darkness and let them know that the world is not against them. It's really pleasing to see Miyuri, who initially resigned to her life, turn out to be ready to live because of friends.
Miyuri spent a lot of time with Tsumugi, and Tsumugi's presence made me interpret many things, whether she was just Miyuri's silkworm who became a human being, whether the one in the dream sequence is the real her, etc. but for me, she symbolizes depression itself.
And if only, you know... Tsumugi wanted to go to Okinawa with Miyuri, you know... if only...
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I think this is the weakest torture porn film I've ever watched, as I recall I have watched this subgenre several times and usually always gives an uncomfortable impression but not for this one.
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The film feels very much like a B class film, low budget but there's an effort. Unfortunately, P only uses this skill twice, after that she does things that are forbidden, then it made her turns into somekind of vampire, killing people using power that can kill from within the victim's body. Very strange, so random but the kill scene got some decent effect.
If this film can be consistent in the way of witchcraft, maybe it could be better.
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This review may contain spoilers
Loved the Movie Version Even More
I really loved this series, which got a lot of luke warm reviews with many comments directed to not believing late 20s guys wouldn't be aware of their sexual orientation. That's a fair complaint but certainly earlier generations were so far in denial that they got married, raised a family, and only later in life accepted their preference. I suspect that still goes on today, even with younger people. For me, this seems like a pretty realistic plot and we're spared a lot of the cliches of BL/Gay cinema. No one dies (always with the subtle message that straying from the "straight" path will lead to a life of misery or violent death). These are adults with established careers rather than college engineering students. There aren't endless scenes of anguish about coming out to parents, although there are two flashback scenes with each lead recalling a homophobic encounter with school classmates. I won't repeat my full review of the episodic version, except for a few highlights: The Korean film industry sets a high watermark for production values and I love the quirky, fast-paced direction of this piece. Nothing seems padded here. All three of the male principals are absolutely great together. Like other Korean BL dramas, this one is pretty timid. We get a couple of shirtless scenes and some lightweight kissing. There is one rather amusing scene where the main lead has trouble walking due to some sexual excitement. But this drama definitely doesn't push beyond conservative sensibilities. Aside from that the only real plot weakness is the unresolved fate of the third guy in the love triangle, but maybe there's a sequel where we meet him again? Anyway, this is one I could rewatch many times. Highly recommended.Was this review helpful to you?
When I found out that this film was from Asia, I thought I could relate to what the film would tell, but apparently not, this was like another horror film about people who came to a cult, then ran away while bringing a curse, and had to return to the cult (to what they thought) to end the curse. I'm not too concerned about it, though.
In my opinion, as a Found Footage film, this film has a decent execution, has a few tense moments that make goosebumps and shock, but there are shortcomings, like this film that I don't think has an adequate atmospheric foundation to supply help to make horror sequences feel impactful, relying solely on jumpscare to raise the levels of horror; sometimes this film also has a shot that does not come from Renon's camera and it is annoying.
I heard many who compared this film with The Medium, but honestly I prefer The Medium, which has a relateable material for me who live in Southeast Asia and succeed in providing authentic despair experience.
Instead of The Medium, I remembered Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin while I watch this film. The thing that makes me remember PA:NOK is the characters accompanies a character to go to the village of the character who turns out to be a cult nest; the creature that is worshiped lives in somekind of hole (PA:NOK - bottom of a pit; this film: tunnel); PA:NOK is more open that they use 3rd person POV which in my opinion are more acceptable than giving unclear shots that are not from Renon's camera.
Not bad, especially maybe for those who have never watched this kind of film probably would think this film is very good. That's it. Thanks.
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"There are not many paths to take. Only two, in fact. You need to make your own choice." - Itti
I like how the film uses the first act to tell the antagonist and main protagonist's stories very well, portraying Itti as an overpowered sorcerer and Santi as the determined cop who will be the one to stop Itti. With the first act executed well, their first encounter happened shortly after a ceremony, which gave me goosebumps and made me believe their encounter at the end of the film will be epic.The strength of this film is the plot wrapped in mystery, the atmosphere, and the characters. It's not scary, but it was so intense from the beginning to the end, with a gripping atmosphere surrounding it. In line with the synopsis in Letterboxd, we witness how Santi over time turned into the person he wanted to put in prison, to the point where he fell too deep and couldn't come back, and he himself became the same kind of person as Itti. Tbh, Itti, and Santi were played very well by the actors.
The thing I've been waiting for while watching this film is the final battle between Itti and Santi, but it ends up not being as epic as I thought. I know this isn't Harry Potter, but at least they don't just keep punching each other. They did show off some of their black magic skills, but nothing special. Disappointing.
It's good but not enough. I still prefer Art of the Devil II & III when it comes to black magic or witchcraft film.
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