I could watch this every day if I had the time!
The difference between a good and a great movie is being its ability to make the viewer FORGET that he/she is watching a movie! The first time that this happened to me was watching SEVEN SAMURAI in high school!SEVEN SAMURAI is one of those movies; I probably will never see another movie that meets its standard of excellence (I will keep searching, though)!
Every and every scene seems to be in concert with each other scene; I have watched it several times and the only mistake I have ever seen is the rapid fire of the old matchlock in rapid succession (the samurai had already stolen the first two matchlocks from the bandits, leaving only one in possession of them!). But I still give it a perfect 10 anyway...
He uses the elements, music and other segways to change scenes and to enhance your understanding of his masterpiece;
if you get a copy of the DVD and listen to the commentary provided, many unknown facts about the director, cast and the set itself is revealed; this runs the entire length of the full movie if you wish to see the commentary in its entirety; you can turn the commentary on/off if you want the movie only with the DVD as well.
Although there is violence and death in this movie, there is no gore, another reason that it has survived the test of time in cinematic history.
For the romantic, there is a 'love story' segment running concurrently with the major theme, but no nudity to satisfy the romantics in the audiences around the world.
An arts instructor in high school played this movie to our class, which extended past the normal hours of school in order to see the whole thing uncut. The only thing wrong with that showing was it being in the original language and I was so delighted when an English subtitle version came to my knowledge online.
The first time I saw this, an arts teacher told the class what was being said and the second time a Japanese student I was tutoring in English as Second Language told me what was being discussed in the dialogue; having an English version of this made me so much more respect the director's genius in making this film, as I was able to follow the dialogue directly.
Being a history buff, I love the scenery and history conveyed by this movie; as well as the traditions portrayed. Also, as the main samurai Kambei Shimada (actor Shimura Takashi) said near the end, only the farmers won after the third day of the fighting between the samurai and bandits.
Farmers have always been the mainstay of every culture and society throughout history; however, those who mooch off of society always consider them the lowest form of human beings in order to justify their theft of a farmer's livelihood at no or little cost.
Every time I watch this movie, i see something else that I missed in the last and previous viewings; it is like a jewel chest that, when opened, shows some other facet of itself each time you open it...only a movie like THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW comes close to this genius part of the movie!
I also like how each samurai, besides being a master of the sword, lent their individual skills training the farmers in fighting techniques or contributed their organizational skills in setting up the defenses of the village or their leadership in the battle itself (as samurai Katayama Gorobei [Inaba Yoshio] did).
Lastly, there is a story of class division which I was not so much aware of until an English version came out; sadly, no progress came from this in our world but as always, the elite of every society wish to keep the military of a culture and its citizenry at odds with each other for a reason.
The entire cast worked well together in making this a masterpiece of Japanese cinema; however, I know from other readings that they also were allowed to improvise somewhat in their individual scenes, which Kurosawa Akira allowed. Only a great director can blend a script and an individual's improv in making of a movie.
This great movie has been translated into over 275 languages! If you know of any other movie that beats this record, please let me know!
I now posses a DVD of this great movie and play it 2-3 times a year.
The only other director who brilliance could come close to making a movie as great as SEVEN SAMURAI would be the director of ROSHOMON...in my opinion.
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Quiet, thoughtful and beautiful film. One of my absolute favorites.
I saw a low-res version of this about a year ago. I loved it but could tell I missed some subtleties in the acting, which was brilliant all round. I have just watched it again in better quality and enjoyed it even more. Sure I'll come back to it again at some point and I hardly ever watch things more than once.Sometimes when watching a film with a gay storyline I'm grateful just to see two actors on screen who aren't uncomfortable touching each other, though I wish that was a given. In this, it's not just a matter of good chemistry that can be duplicated from drama to drama; the two male leads are completely immersed and connected. In their one-on-one scenes especially I they both had an incredible intensity and I felt the relationship they created was one unique to this story.
The film tells of how the people in his life are affected by Nagisa's choices and how they gradually come to terms with how things are, take responsibility, care for and respect each other. I'm glad the film attempts to describe the impact made on his wife. There aren't nearly enough depictions of this situation from that perspective - I guess because it's not as appealing to watch.
I think it could have been cut a bit shorter in the second half, but if it was shorter and had a director's cut I'd be watching the extended version for sure, so that's a non-comment :'D
It left me feeling *emotional* but happy to have seen it. And the little girl is a complete joy.
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Beautiful
idk how else to describe this movie other than "Beautiful". The story looks simple but at the same time, it has depth to it. Talking about people's struggles, love, life, trauma was a very refreshing watch. I absolutely love this drama and it's worth the watch ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Was this review helpful to you?
Can you be hopeful in a hopeless world?
Time to hunt is a scifi crime thriller and is the most anticipated film of 2020. This is generally because of the A list cast But more on that later. I have sooo much thoughts on this film both good and bad, let's start.As soon as it starts, we are introduced to a dark and eerie society and gives off that atmosphere just right. The cinematography was stunning and made us feel that we we're living the dystopian world with them.
It was also shot well it was able to advance the story, show the hopeless world, reveal character motivations, and create emotions. The music also guides and invokes the suspense when it is needed and it heavily enhanced the film. The acting was amazing as well, they gave the right emotions for each scene that you can't help but wow. Furthermore it was a new side to everyone, it was a different Lee Je Hun in architecture 101 and a different Choi Woo Shik in parasite.(also the other casts)
My favorite parts were the heist scene and one towards the end where our main experiences hallucinations. I also loved how it wasn't super dark, there was a lot of humor points to balance it out. Furthermore, The pacing was great for like 2/3 off the film, I was always in the edge of my seat. Their are small details in the film that may seem like it isn't important but comes to play later on, so pay attention!!
The premise was tackled well, the general notion of the film is about friendship, sacrifices, and regrets of a person. Even if it seem like it wasn't the focus it was still delivered subtlety. The story was nothing special, we've seen so much dystopian films in the west but not as much in Korea, as a standalone it was top tier. Plot was also top tier until the last 50 minutes of the show, which I will talk about on the next part.
For the bad parts, I have quite the complaints.
1. The ending
I did say that my favorite scene was around the ending scene but this is different. The ending action sequences was very unsatisfying that I could have imagined 3 better scenario's this might be just personal preference though. However I'm not going to go deep into it because I want this reveiw to be spoiler free
2. The last 50 minutes
The plot progression and pacing went so slow for whaaaat?? this would have been better of around 95-100mins instead of the 140mins
3. Predictable and no shock value
I get it this isn't supposed to be plot twist left and rights but it went just the way it's supposed to, it was too focused on the chase instead of the characters development. Which leads to me not having enough connection between them, because we weren't shown anything, we just randomly follow these 3 friends and their heist.
Overall: time to hunt was an enjoyable thriller but honestly it could have been better with everything they had. I enjoyed the watch but not something I would be rewatching anytime soon. Don't get me wrong I still do recommend it to everyone it was a great film and landing on my favorite Korean thrillers
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This review may contain spoilers
Made me tears up
I watched this movie in cinema and I cried badly there. It's a heartwarming story with fantasy elements. But there are some of unanswered questions, mainly about the culture. It's a 123 mins movie, so there weren't (or I missed?) a detailed information about some cultures. The poster is also a little misleading in my opinion, I barely see the pink girl in the second part.I don't know much about the cast, I only knew Vivian before I watch, but the man's cry is really good, not overly dramatic, but enough to show the longing.
But overall it's good. Will watch again when available in global platforms.
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Nothing New or Phenomenol and a lot of wasted potential but still a Good Watch!
Let's start with the Acting. It is seriously so good! I just love every single actor's be it main or not in this. Also the Child actor he stole the show. Can find no faults in the characters at all. The budding relationship between the Priest and our MC is so sweet. You can see they mean a lot to one another and I wish we got to see more of it.As expected since this is movie instead of a Drama it feels rushed. The ending also if only this movie was longer with more exorcisms and a bigger trail to the main villain it would have been perfect.
One other problem I have about this story is that a subplot of the Hero getting haunted was not properly closed. I think they wanted to show more of it but was scrapped or something. That's how it felt like.
Most of the movie is wrapped up nicely I just feel like this movie needs a sequel or more hours for it feel complete.
The one thing I did love about the story is the Priest's complete belief in God and also how even though our Hero says he doesn't believe in God, it's not that simple. Our Hero is angry and sad that God didn't save his dad and the way he keeps coming to help the Priest with the exorcisms even though he keeps saying he doesn't believe in God shows he is a good person and hence why God chose him and gave him a way to help others.
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Calm but sweet movie
I just finished watching so this review is fresh from my mind. The movie is enjoyable, and the acting and characters are interesting. You want to know more about them and their experiences because the movie shows the past, present, and future of the characters. The movie focuses a lot on the two main characters and the struggles they deal with personally more so than the relationship of the two. Yamato is adopted and struggles with his emotions and being open and honest, and Mitsuomi left the countryside to seek excitement in the big city. This movie focuses on character interactions and less on romantic scenes. The ending is open but positive. You can tell what will happen in the future after the movie, but you still want to see more scenes. The relationship of the two is a unique take from what is previously seen in BL. The characters embrace the unexpected same-sex attraction rather easily and are happy to be with each other. Overall, this is a good movie to watch. It is not flashy or show-stopping, but I am glad that I watched it.Was this review helpful to you?
BaLa BaLa BaLa
arrgghhh i wasnt gonna write anything but the more i think about the more it annoy me.honestly BaLa character is the flaw that disturb the flow of this story. when i remove BaLa from the equation it went from bad explanation to no explanation. why is everyone is so quickly and really fixated in BaLa. If they would slow the pace a bit and more carefully, BaLa relationship with other character would make more sense. I havent read the nove, so i have no idea if BaLa's story is originally like that or not.
I would have rated it 1.5 point higher if not for that.
edit: ok, i finally read the novel.
bala's story and relationship was better explained in the novel while despite the shorter length i find the later part was better in the movie, it felt more meaningful.
i gotta say both the movie and novel have their own pros and cons. there are some parts that the novel elaborate better and other parts that the movie summarized better.
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This review may contain spoilers
De title may b intense & de starting is intriguing but de story lacks a punch -
12 Suicidal Teens gave equal attention 2 telling all of deir stories & provided audiences wid an avenue 2 hear de problems dat compelled these teens 2 end their life. A lot of these problems are relatable & realistic & could serve as a wake up call 4 audiences 2 listen 2 wat is not being said by their own loved ones, friends or acquaintances.SYNOPSIS ~12 teenagers sign up 4 an assembly 2 commit suicide @ de basement of an abandoned hospital. Unlike any suicide attempt though, de assembly needs de consent of de entire body b4 dey can proceed wid de plan. B4 dey can even begin however, dey find dat another person has beaten them 2 de punch. Dey begin 2 suspect dat a murderer is among them & dey team up 2 unravel de mystery behind their uninvited guest.
All in all, 12 Suicidal Teens could be described as a boring film for some because of the lengthy dialogue and the general quiet atmosphere, but for me, it was ok. The twists weren’t very surprising neither it felt exceptionally mysterious but they were just enough to keep me on my sit untl the end. PREDICTABLE !! UT WORTH A WATCHH
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This review may contain spoilers
Occasionally kooky `~but thoroughly entertaining thriller
A good female-fronted actioner....Its cramming so much into the narrative dat it stumbles over itself on more than one occasion; it very often forgets its own internal logic and drags the final showdown out to the breaking point. The sequence’s style, energy and Kim’s coiled glee save it from tipping into overkill. Falls into a “tell” instead of “show” trap for character and narrative momentum; If a second part is in the pipeline, as the title suggests, there was no need to rush key revelations.Pounding, atmospheric score stands out among impeccable tech specs across the board.
The deadly charisma of the key performers, notably Kim Da-mi as the teenage Ja-yoon, and Choi Woo Shik should be well appreciated !!!
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It’s poignant, thought-provoking, bittersweet & extraordinary @ de same time !!GREG
BASIC INFO _ Greg Hsu's smile is 2 die 4! & DIS movie is de adaptation of de movie ^ ON YOUR WEDDING DAY ^ - ML in Korean original is in2 American football whereas here GREG is in2 swimming ...YEY~~Can’t lie; Greg was DE reason I put dis movie on my list, & den made sure 2 look 4 it. I just.. really wanted more of him on my screen, y’know ? Heart-eyes can b powerful things, heh. Dis very film gave me swimmer Greg Hsu, cheerleaderGreg Hsu,soccer player Greg Hsu, & i'll 4ever b grateful 4 dat😘
LINES I PRETTY MUCH LOVED :
--我的青春里所有的辛福都是你给我的。
All the happiness that had filled my youth were thanks to you.
--爱过你，我不遗憾。
I loved you, and I'll never regret it.
In high-school, Zhou Xiaoqi fellin lub wid You Yongci @ 1st sight, only 4 her 2 leave suddenly without saying goodbye. Over de next 15 years, their paths cross & diverge several times. Will deir lub ever b endgame?
Ok ...TOTALLY LOVED GREG's acting -- it just made me bawl my eyes out within 3 seconds of their talk in the wedding dresser room. Him wearing de shirt she designed?? cried!!! also Eric Chou's 离开你以后 and Li Ronghao's 不遗憾,,,, Dis film has got some amazing osts!!From promising never 2 fight again, 2 training hard as a swimmer, 4 studying hard to get in2 de same university, Xiaoqi seems 2 never back down no matter wat hurdle is thrown @ him..........
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Ulan is an experience
Watching this as someone who enjoys extensive utilization of visual technique and subtle works of imagination, Ulan delivers a story for women to ask, appreciate, and love themselves.The story is a reminiscent of that one afternoon when you are lost, so you look for shelters, you look for roofs to be under of to ease your longing of your own home, of your own self.
This point of view takes another point where Filipino culture is served through innocent storytelling.
Personally, it takes sincerity to produce an art piece without leaning on what people will say, rather you are on your own. Ulan did that.
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Content Warning: dub con, very explicit sex scenes
What I Liked
- the Italian music
- that really muscular guy was so sweet (and he made me laugh a few times)
- showing the stress of caring for an aging/ill parent
Room For Improvement
- we needed more explanation, why did he go away for 7 years? I wasn't even sure why he returned/his relationship to the couple until I read the summary. I'm all for NSFW scenes, but they could have removed a couple and built the plot more.
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This review may contain spoilers
Tony Leung Ka Fai, Maggie Cheung, and Brigette Lin have the ultimate slumber party in the middle of the desert at the Dragon Gate Inn.The hero, Chow Wai On, sends Yau Mo Yan and some mercenaries to save the children of an executed loyal official who are being used as bait. The power mad eunuch is back at it again and this time he's cleaning house of anyone not loyal to him and he wants Chow's head on a platter. Chow and Mo Yan rescue the children and get as far as the Dragon Gate Inn in the middle of the desert. It's run by Jade who is ruthless in her own right and has an eye for Chow. Things get complicated when the Eunuch's men show up at the inn and everyone is trapped there due to the weather.
Tsui Hark did a good job of creating a claustrophobic atmosphere as deadly games were played within the inn. My problem with it was that he didn't slow the pace enough for us to get to know any of the characters. Maggie Cheung's Jade was the only one who came across with a personality. Tony Leung Ka Fai and Brigette Lin had little to do besides fight and call each others' names. He didn't have many lines, but I was happy to see Yen Shi Kwan in a supporting role. Donnie Yen was in what amounted to a guest starring role as the Eunuch.
Most of the fight scenes didn't work for me either. I have no problem with wire work but much of the focus was from underneath the fighting which made it harder to follow the movements. Swords missed by great distances. These martial arts directors usually do a much better job of interspersing real kung fu moves and narrowing the focus to show the action, here everyone seemed to be jumping around in a frenetic pants on fire style. If there was something I did really like it was that the women were capable fighters, especially Jade.
Though the characters were only in the Dragon Inn for two days it began to feel like two weeks with nothing aside from the random deaths going on. Even with hints of romance, a great cause, friendship, betrayal, etc., with all the random scenes it was hard for me to get invested in any of the characters or their relationships.
The final fight scene in a sandstorm was bonkers but couldn't make up for the messy chaos in the inn. Because this is post 1990 it doesn't get graded on a curve with me like earlier martial arts movies. If you like kung fu movies, and the cast is strong in this one with some of my favorite actors/actresses, Dragon Inn is worth seeking out. Just ask for the vegetarian meal if you ever go there.
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Sublime
Other reviewers have described this film as subtle and hypnotic. To this I would add intense and profoundly moody. The directors pacing is intense and the cinematography beautiful. The plot itself is somewhat perplexing, as one cannot quite figure out exactly what the relationship is between Seiryo and his female interest Shino. All of this achieves a kind of beautiful foreboding atmosphere.The chemistry between these two lead actors is such that their lack of any follow up projects together these past few years is a shame . Many films you can watch one time, enjoy them adequately and be done with them but not this one. It lingers and almost disturbs your conscience. Overall well worth the time.Was this review helpful to you?
