1This review may contain spoilers
Tried too hard to be deep and complex and made a garbage movie
So I started the movie, really enjoying the ambiance and how it was filmed. But as I get further into the movie, I was confused about if the guy's ra**** is supposed to be the movie's love interest. But then I found out that Kai wasn't his ra****, but still, the things he said to him and how he treated him were not okay. That made the movie unnecessarily triggering. Including all the police scenes. And the dynamic between them was strange and so that was bad.Also, it's like the movie refuses to see him as an actual victim. Like I can understand if they did that in a satirical way like that's how society actually treats men who have experienced s3xual abuse, but no; the tone conveys that he isn't one and shouldn't feel or be treated as such, and the real victim is Kai. (Kai is a victim but MC was one aswell.)
Also the rap is such a random and unnecessary element of the movie. It's so weird that rap is an integral part of the story. The rapping isn't even that bad, but it just comes across as cringe.
Overall the movie was bad and unnecessarily messy. I wasn't looking for a happy ending because someone who goes through that kind of trauma isn't gonna be all rainbows and sunshine in the end, but still, his death was dumb. The movie was just bad okay!
If you rated this movie high, something is wrong with you. It's like the aesthetic of the movie won you over and how it talks about serious issues, but the truth of the matter is: the movie was poorly written and thought out
Was this review helpful to you?
Murky line between the hero and villain
Great suspense from the start as the bomb threat started to activate right away and time is tickling down, but it took quite long for the grand reveal to uncover, and the reasoning behind the threat is a bit ridiculous to be honest. However, the way they murk the line between the hero and villain is pretty respectable, the intention of the villain is one that is easy to symphatize with, just as they faced with the biggest question on humanity, that right there is the whole vision the movie aims to present.Was this review helpful to you?
Loved Hawaii Pistol
Assassination (2015)It was Jun Jihyun's birthday a few days ago so I thought of watching this old movie of hers.
The story is about a secret mission to assassinate 2 important people who favored the Japanese. And several factions try to outmaneuver each other to either prevent or succeed in the mission.
The movie is quite long at more than 2 hours but I wasn't bored!! The story is a little complicated because there were too many characters so I had to slowly watch to understand what was going on. It had lots of action, and double crossing, and deaths, and even managed to put in a little romance. The meet-cute at Hotel Mirabeau between Okyun and Hawaii Pistol is đ
The main lead is Jun Jihyun and the men were great support, esp Ha Jung Woo who sometimes stole the scenes. And I finally watched JJ's famous court scene that is always reenacted in shows.
Rating: 9/10
Was this review helpful to you?
Sometimes Blood Isn't Thicker than Water
Chronicle of A Blood Merchant (2015)Review:
I didn't read the synopsis, I always thought this was a comedy, but it was so much more. This was adapted from a Chinese novel by Yuhua and changed to Korean setting. Ha Jung Woo is the director and the star of the movie. It's about a guy, Sam Kwan, who sold blood to earn money to marry the prettiest girl in town, Okran. 11 years later with 3 kids, there are rumors that the eldest son is not Sam Gwan's biological son but is from Okran's ex-boyfriend. The movie shows the love between father and son. Even though they were not blood related, Ilrak basically grew up with the family and have always known Sam Kwan as his dad and vice versa.
The first half was light comedy but in the middle, when Sam Kwan found out Ilrak, who is his favorite child, was not actually his, he stopped showing him fatherly affection. It was heartbreaking to see Ilrak look so confused from suddenly being the favorite eldest son to a shunned illegitimate child, whose fathers (real and step) refuse to acknowledge him.
Four major scenes (and SPOILERS so don't read if you want to watch) that made me cry were when Sam Kwan told Ilrak to go away and not join the family's dumpling dinner and Ilrak went to his real father's house, asking for dumpling but he got rejected. Eventually Sam Kwan couldn't resist and found Ilrak crying and hiding in the alleys and brought him home. Another was when the real father was dying and Ilrak was being forced to say "Father come back, don't leave me" as part of a ritual, but then he sees Sam Kwan watching from a window and Ilrak starts begging for Sam Gwan to come back and take him home. Sam Kwan interrupts the ritual and takes Ilrak home. Then Ilrak falls ill with the same illness as his real father, and Sam Kwan almost died going town to town selling blood to earn money for his surgery. They finally meet in Seoul and their reunion was so touching.
I can't believe Nam Dareum was so young in this drama!! So cute and great acting, from him. He had great chemistry with Ha Jung Woo. And now in 2022, he's grown up and serving the army.
Rating: 9/10
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"The Shadow of a man can never stand up and walk on its own"
Kurosawa Akira had long dreamed of making Kagemusha. When Toho finally agreed to fund it, they were unable to finish financing it. In stepped George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola along with 20th Century Fox and Suntory Whisky to see that the movie was completed.The story was based on real people and events leading up to the 1575 Battle of Nagashino. The warlord Shingen Takeda had longed used a double to protect himself during the tumultuous time. When his current double tired of the role, they found a thief ready to be executed who was his spitting image. When Shingen is killed the shadow has to take his place, convincing friends, family, and enemies that he is the real deal. Only a handful of advisors and guards know the truth. History would lead to a tragic end for the clan and the shadow.
This was not one of my favorite Kurosawa films. There were very few closeups and with a huge cast made it very difficult to identify people and their particular contingencies. Nakadai Tatsuya made a great foil for Mifune Toshiro in earlier films, but I found him lacking in this role. He didnât have enough charisma and intensity to win me over. Despite the three-hour running time, little of it was spent on character development. Many pivotal scenes took place off camera. I had difficulty connecting with any of the characters and didnât feel invested with any of them. They felt like distant obscure images.
The long still pauses Kurosawa used to great effect in his older movies became one long film this time. You have to be very patient to watch three hours of slow, quiet interactions from dozens of characters. If they had spent some of that time delving into the imposterâs feelings and life, giving me a better sense of who he was, I would have enjoyed it more.
Most of the battle scenes were underwhelming, often filmed in the dark. Two battle scenes used red lights in the background to simulate a castle burning, much as if it were a play on a small stage. Instead of seeing the action, a character was shown hearing the battle sounds. Even the final climactic battle left much of it unseen, mostly shown through the imposterâs reactions. I did find the final scenes of stunned, wounded horses attempting to rise to their feet deeply disturbing as the human carnage lay around them.
By all accounts, Kurosawa took liberties with the final battle. A ridiculously large rainbow over the ocean, while beautiful and unrealistic, was some distance from where the army would have traveled, but it did make for a nice shot. Kurosawa wanted to show the destruction of the Takeda by its enemiesâ fire power even if some aspects of the battle went differently in real life.
In the end, as a body drifts past the clanâs flag, weâre shown that the currents of time are sweeping away not just the Takeda but a way of life as well. I learned several things from this film. There is a price to be paid for an unbridled ego. Blind loyalty leads people blindly to their doom at times. And never bring a sword to a gun fight.
Kagemusha didnât have enough character development to make it a good character study and not enough quality battle scenes to make it a good war movie. In the end, I found it to be an impersonal, dryly told story at a glacial pace. Perhaps Mifune could have elevated it as he did other Kurosawa films, but thatâs only wishful thinking.
12/2/22
Was this review helpful to you?
Just like the classic Kmovies
20th Century Girl (2022)This movie reminds me of classic Korean movies in the early 2000s like Ditto, The Classic, Lover's Concerto etc about friends, youth, falling in love, and sad endings. I kinda guessed that Bora got mixed up with who Hyunjin was, since she didnt have a picture and it was hard when there were no cellphone cameras back then. Watching the movie I thought Hyunjin dodnt look THAT handsome for Yeondoo to fall in love that quick and turns out I was right đ€Ł
I love the girls' friendship, they were willing to sacrifice or let go of love for the other person. My only comment is I wished they showed a little more of what really happened to Woonho, not just one scene with the younger brother. I thought if we were still in the 2000s we will get a full heartbreaking scene where he was supposed to fly to Seoul but had a car accident and they couldn't meet in the airport or a terminal illness he hid from Bora or any other tragic ending that will make people cry.
Rating: 8.5
Was this review helpful to you?
This was insane
What the actual f did i just watched??! This was on another level, i heard that people were saying this was hard core but i never expected this. Tbh i was quite scared to even start watching this bc i knew this movie had really heavy topics that could get people triggered really easily but i really didn't expect this. I had to pause so many times to just let my brain process what i just saw bc it was insane, i could kinda see what was the message people who made the script wanted to give out to the world and i think their message kinda got to people but still this is definitely not for everybody, i even thought there for a second that im just gonna drop this movie bc it was a bit too much for me but i knew if i drop it now i will definitely never continue watching it so i somehow managed to finish it, i will definitely never rewatch this. Also actors did such an amazing job with portraying the characters it was actually insane.Was this review helpful to you?
in short - wonderful
Very sad but in some ways also uplifting. Reminded me so much of my own times, recognising myself in both roles. So perhaps a series/movie for those who are being introspective.Beautifully shot, great photography and this is perhaps the movie's greatest success. Sadly some of these shots linger a little too long and some are repeated more than once. Better seen in the movie version for this reason alone. Even so, the story is told as much by these visual shots than the acting out of the story.
An unusual plot for BL drama and a breakaway from traditional forms. The love is there from the outset and there is no chasing or feeling of unrequited love - though this is not expressed in any sexual way at the outset as this is very much a drama of innocence shattered instead. Ultimately the two leads come together and love is requited without undue drama.
A very interesting and technically beautiful series/movie.
In short, wonderful. Thank you
Was this review helpful to you?
Better than Expected
Itâs was actually pretty good. Not what I was expecting from a movie centered around a kpop groupâs concept. The acting was good enough to keep me interested in the storyline. Though I would like to know what role that little girl plays since sheâs not a part of P1H??Rewatch: possibly wouldnât rewatch because itâs b an extended concept video
Story: interesting, but I wish it was completely
Acting: good for rookies especially idols who havenât even debuted yet.
Music: usually I pay attention to the vibes of the music or the lyrics, but I wasnât really focused on it. It meshed well with the scenes they were played in.
Someone elseâs review on Viki said the MVs donât conclude the ending, which sucks cause thatâs what youâd expect for these concept videos. Iâm not really one to do research and spot Easter eggs in MVs either, so I guess Iâll just be confused.
I wonder how much money FNC spent for the cgi, props, and actors cause not all of the familiar faces were from the company?
Was this review helpful to you?
Great action and acting
This movie has some heartbreaking and jaw dropping aspects to it, but was interesting to watch - riveting, actually. I did turn off the TV and tried to sleep about half-way through as it was way past my bedtime, but couldn't do it. I just had to turn it back on and find out how it ended. Woke up today still thinking about different aspects, especially the brilliant acting and action and the disturbing plotline. I hope there is a special place in hell for those who sell children (or anyone else) for organ harvesting.Was this review helpful to you?
Sigh!
Read all the reviews and had a fair idea of the sister and ending yet had to watch this for the leads.I'm obviously a romcom venturer so could not give up on a movie with the ML.
I wonder what kind of a life he has with looks like that. He's just stunning to look at plus the intensity in his expression can flutter the hearts of women stepping into their graves. They could use his picture to revive women suffering heart beats.
Didn't care about the sister nonsense, but the story and romance are great.
Inconclusive endings are irritating in romance - think about it - we watch this genre for slurpy schweeet moments, so it's unfair that the end of the slurpee has a pebble that cracks our tooth and bites our cheek.
Was this review helpful to you?
There is a level of stupidity even horror movies should not cross - they crossed it.
Kind of a Paranormal Activity meets The Exorcist, but worse. It did not have the fun campy feeling as paranormal activity had. Neither was it able to create the atmosphere The Exorcist delivered. Kind of all over the place, with a bit too exaggerated plot. I simply feel like they tried way too hard on this. It was also unnecessarily gross.The things the possessed girl did were so over the top I could not stop laughing. At times it felt like a poor attempt at a dark parody movie. The level of stupidity of other characters? Unimaginable. I could have excused it, if the main lady was not literally a professional shaman - she should have known better. All these characters could easily achieve Darwinâs Award. They truly contributed to human evolution by removing themselves out of the gene pool of that fictional world.
I mean, when the movie tries to tell you a person can be possessed by the grass, you know this is going to be a crack ride. Sadly⊠it was not even silly entertaining - the movie dragged so much I could not even finish it in one sitting. Itâs disappointing, because I actually enjoyed the first 40 minutes.
I donât really have that much to say about the movie. It was so stupid I feel like I have to restart my brain.
It was pretty though. Quite a few screenshots taken.
Was this review helpful to you?
He remembers
It's quite a straightforward premise but the attention to details is simply unbelievable, the plot is really precise from the start till the end, taking audiences onto the journey of a man's last mission. The intention of the protagonist unfolds just like him remembering his past as he latches onto the next target, with action sequences that will blow minds. As always Lee Sung Min never disappoints with his masterful class acting, but the more surprised performance from Nam Joo Hyuk really steals the scene a lot, the chemistry between them works so well it just makes the closing scene highly emotional, exactly like how a bittersweet remembrance should be.Was this review helpful to you?
its a puzzle with a vastly different picture from the pieces
this is really interesting. its been sometime since i watch something that keep me on the edge of my chair, wondering what the hell is this, where is this going, who is who, whats the story supposed to be, only to be met with the most hilarious revelation and cracked the longest laugh i have in the long while..............but that is not the end just yet, theres still some 'miracle' waiting for you at the end of it all.
all in all, really interesting POV and build-up, and as i wrote in my prev post, possibly one of the greatest elaborate prank of a twist.
Was this review helpful to you?
I do appreciate it when a film does not rely on emotional manipulation techniques to transmit a heartfelt stimulation. The emotions provoked are more genuine and authentic, rather than forced and assaulting. I do despise it when a film forces a melodrama only for the sake of breaking a heart, without having your soul or innermost being be moved.
This film is like the former for me. It didn't break neither moved my heart, but it really spoke to me: quiet, delicate, but so profound. This was a walking still life: food, nature, almost rugged, yet, so mellow. You might shed a tear or two not because you felt emotional nor understood, but because you can somehow learn a simple thing about life. It is not about being understood, but acquiring some understanding that evokes the greatest humanity inside of us.
Instead of the film displaying a hyperbole of feelings, the rhythm of rain weighed heavier as it climaxed. The wraiths of wisdom wrung by the waterfallâdon't read the characters (letters); see them as pictures. The rottenness and fruitfulness of her romances were portrayed rather vaguely. We have never seen the facade of her lovers neither the redness of a relationship, but we have witnessed the unaffected train leaving her in her sombre solitude; the heat of the sun callously flooding her room in the depth of her depression; and the warmth of the sun finally embracing the entirety of her cheek as she walked with her newfound love.
Science says that water possesses negative ions that enhance mental and emotional health. Even spiritual notions hold water as a vital healing matter. As such, we could see from the film how water affected the characters, especially Noriko. She always found herself in the sea, the river stream, or even drinking from a sĆzu (water fountain) during the toughest times of her life. As if the flowing waters spoke for her when she could not find the words or exact expression to expound what she thinks or feels.
The epilogue scene was New Year's day. In spite of the numerous times that the winter season was shown or talked about in the film, this is the only time that falling and covered snow was in sight. There was only rain and sunshine before, but now she has snow. As the new year changed, the old seasons withered away and Noriko has changed as well, except for one thing, she still goes to Tea every Saturday.
Noriko was portrayed to be slow and almost overly analytical. Perhaps, inside her mind was where her real world was. Though, learning about tea has changed her as a person; and now each time she could not find life, going to the teahouse gave her renewal and refreshment.
"By teaching, you are taught."
"Perhaps, my real beginning comes now."
Was this review helpful to you?
