This review may contain spoilers
A Hidden Gem (light spoilers ahead)
"Gonin", or "The Five" (1995) feels like a lost 90s cult classic. It's difficult to find online, but if you're looking for a film that feels both familiar and new at the same time, I recommend this one. The film tells the story of a disco owner, Mikihiko Bandai, who plots to steal a large amount of money from the local yakuza. To do so, he decides to recruit Junichi Mitsuya, a con-man who specialises in blackmailing affluent queer men, and Kaname Hizu, a former detective. Along the way, he also recruits Jimmy, a pimp with ins to the yakuza, and Shohei Ogiwara, an down-on-his-luck salary man.The thing about the plot to steal from the yakuza, however, is that it all goes terribly wrong. TERRIBLY.
They group is identified immediately and the yakuza send out two hitmen to take them all out and recover the stolen cash. It's a straight forward enough plot, and one that even feels vaguely familiar if you've seen any sort of heist-goes-wrong movie. What keeps "Gonin" interesting is not just the overarching mood of mystery and anticipation, but also the extra details that it adds to the characters. It's a heist movie that isn't really about the heist at all because in the aftermath, we in the audience begin to learn more about the original five; in a horrific twist, Ogiwara is revealed to have a truly sinister reason for being as wacky and high strung as he is; Jimmy has his own motivations and problems; Hizu probably ought to have known better.
And it would be absolutely unforgivable of me to fail to mention one of the biggest subversion of the typical yakuza or heist movie that this film brings to the table: THE GAYS. While films like this where 95% of the characters tend to be men have always had homoerotic trappings (indeed, most gangster/crime movies brimming with machismo end up circling back around to something queer), "Gonin" takes it a step further in a way that truly feels fresh even 26 years later.
The film opens with a dream sequence from Bandai's point of view that reveals some version of the events of their first meeting: Bandai is walking through a glimmering, brightly lit alleyway, having found the dropped driver's license belonging to Mitsuya. He finds Mitsuya beating a man with a bat, and rather than appearing horrified, as Mitsuya turns to look at him, Bandai is struck by awe. He sheds tears as Mitsuya's face is revealed. The over-exposed alleyway in his dream is reminiscent of something celestial. Later, they meet again in real life and there is something unmistakable charged in the air between them. Without revealing exactly what takes place: "Gonin" contains a gay love story that is both understated and RIGHT IN YOUR FACE. Critics at the time of "Gonin"'s release described the film as "Reservoir Dogs but gay", which is a feat in and of itself, if you've ever seen "Reservoir Dogs". Another component of that is that the scary hitmen that the yakuza hire to track down "the five" are also explicitly introduced as a queer couple. Truly, there is something in this movie that speaks directly to things I have always wanted to see in a movie. It's a hot mess. It's a horror story. It's a romance. It's a tragedy. It may seem slow moving at times, but even in the slow moments, it seems only to be lingering in the world of the film.
I could just be hyping it all up a little with that last part, but I truly think this is a good film, and one that appears to have been quite overlooked by many audiences today (at least of the people I know, which is why I am writing this review to let them know about it, haha). I think it's probably due to the fact that this film seems so... unavailable for streaming. But if your interest is piqued, IT'S WORTH A WATCH, OKAY?
The music of this film also deserves a special shout out, I think. The soundtrack keeps things moving along and keeps the sense of mystery alive. I mentioned briefly in this review that the mood is quite good throughout the film, and it is. The fact that this movie was captured on film gives it that tasty film quality that makes you want to rub your hands all over it. The city nights are lit by neon lights and a beautiful, sickly green. Lighting is done with purpose here; highlights are utilized to their full dramatic potential. The opening credits of the city in green and blue tones alone will excite you for the colors and pictures to come.
All I can say is that I hope more people watch this movie. I've been talking about it to people non-stop since I watched it a few days ago (probably to the point that they will be disappointed if/when they actually do see it, but oh well lol). There's just something about it that is so unique to me. It's something I would not have expected to have been made in 1995 (never mind today), but I'm glad it was, and that I stumbled across it.
(Review crossposted to letterboxd)
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Simple, mundane and intimate.
The movie was "banal" in a good way.Their misfortunes therein were not exaggerated, nor was their special bond overdramatized.
The leads chemistry felt effortless and ordinary, which made them feel like a real couple. Consequently, their romance felt genuine and natural.
This particular story did not need to overshare each aspect of their relationship. Instead, it focused more on the commonality of the little "meaningful" details that make their love feel as familiar -and comforting- as that bowl of rice they share in their daily life together.
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Just like an embrace, it needs the wisdom to know when to hold on and when to let go.
Unlike how most films or shows portray that growing up with your parents being absent can completely damage you as a person, Naomi thought otherwise. She didn't live in complete misery for her parents' absence, neither did she live as if yearning for the incomplete part of her.Naomi's search for her father was not merely about her yearning for him, but it was mostly about the need or desire to know. I think Naomi is a person who is filled with wonder and curiosity. It is even evident in this experimental documentary of hers. She's very observant and in awe even about the simplest of things that are surrounding her. She wants to know everything around her. I think this desire to know is what led her to live more in the wonder of tomorrows instead of living in wander in the past.
E M B R A C I N G
When we hear this word, the initial thought might be of encircling or enclosing someone in one's arms. Though, embracing can also mean "to welcome" or "an acceptance". It is not merely the attachment, but also the detachment—peacefully letting go of something or someone: embracing the reality of a certain circumstance or person because no amount of action or decision can change it anymore.
This experimental documentary of Naomi has been just that: an embrace. She desires to be close enough and really know those that she deems important to her and to accept and welcome them as they are. Then, letting go if necessary, because change is the only constant in this world. Her grandmother warned her about the search for her father, but she thought otherwise and refused the negative aspects that might come after. Her grandmother was afraid because of the ugly past, but she is willing to let the ugly past go since she was more curious about the present.
It might be that the past can happen again or the present and the future are another place—another canvas that need their own story and colour. Just like an embrace, it needs the wisdom to know when to hold on and when to let go.
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The Mains
This was a good movie but was very off topic from what I expected. The title says “The Left Ear” so I automatically thought that’s its gonna be about a girl who was deaf in left ear and about her life as if she was the main character. I was partially correct. This story sure did revolve around the life events of a girl who is deaf in left year but she was more of a side-main character(if that makes sense). The story was about Ba La and the Left-ear-deaf girl was her friend. I was confused till the end about what was happening which could’ve been avoided if I read the synopsis. China once again gives us a good story, I say you should give it a try, I liked where the story was headed to about those who are left behind. The ending wasn’t something I wanted it was rather unnecessary but hey that gives us a good end to think about what can happen next.So go and watch this movie now hope you like it.
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The acting is not overly dramatic which I think is fitting coz you get to concentrate on the story more.
The music is not remarkable. But in these kinds of films, I appreciate "silence" more.
On a side note, I like how the give-and-take friendship developed between Evelyn and her employer. It’s built on respect and does not necessarily have to break the language and cultural barrier, generational gap and the employer-employee line.
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This review may contain spoilers
Love is mind and heart
Loved itThe story is interesting and the pace is necessary.
Of course we can't try to understand the parallel universe or the future and past entwined...
I wish the end could be a little different, in the way he doesn't go to meet her.
It reminds me Krzysztof Kieślowski la double vie de Veronique. In the pace and love and the gap between time and places...
Never saw the American remake and don't feel any curiosity. It is for certain worse, as most of the American remakes... This is not fast food. This is something cooked for long and long time ...
If you like a love story and if you UNDERSTAND LOVE you should watch it.
The heart beats faster with the excitement and passion but it calms down and relax when a person is in love. Because love is slow...
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This was a roller coaster
Okay so this is probably going to be my first and only review. . Umm I'm not sure if these count as a little bit of spoilers but I'll keep the tag up in case.This movie was AMAZING. The acting was spot on and holy crap Wi Hajoons acting was scarily impressive.
It had me look away sometimes and gasp because of the jump-scares and surprising scenes.
By the end of the movie I was so so relieved. Still, all of the things the psychopath did was scarily smart and a little predictable at times. Not to mention what MC did near the end, I was super impressed. If I had to put one thing I didn't like, it would be the police or civilians not seeing what was wrong. I'm pretty sure it was obvious something was off about the guy but yep.
And yeah that's about it!
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This review may contain spoilers
A movie that is definitely worth watching. The story was so beautiful.
As someone who writes narrative, I really liked the plot structure in this movie. I would only evolve Mara's internal conflict a little more, and I would give Gali a more closed ending after his realization.But other than that, this movie was so worth watching. The acting was great and beautiful (my eyes were teary most of the time), the actors portrayed the characters' feelings so well. The special effects as in Gali's POV were so good. I think it is very important to be empathetic with the people around us, you won't ever understand their personal struggles, but you can choose to be a kind and understanding person to them (which is actually what we all should do), this movie also promotes that.
And, oh I desperately need to look for the movie's OST, it was just so perfect!
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Lo Lieh's Ho was sent to America to find his recently deceased Uncle's booty that ultimately belonged to the warlord back home. Lee Van Cleef's Dakota was a ne're do well thief that landed in prison for trying to break into the uncle's safe ending in the uncle's accidental death. The clues to where the treasure was hidden were tattooed on the backsides of four of the uncle's, uh, female friends. Ho broke Dakota out of jail where he had been canned and they began trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. They were tailed by a murderous religious fanatic sharing a dark history with Dakota.
The movie was not dubbed well, Lo Lieh's voice-over actor sounded like he took a hit of helium before reading his lines. The music as stated above was all over the place and didn't always match up to the mood of the scene. The fight choreography was bad, with fists and kicks clearly missing their marks and not particularly inspired. Lo Lieh has shown in his other work that he was capable of much more. Van Cleef looked like he was having fun, having done this type of role many times before. He and Lo had good chemistry and made believable on-screen comrades in search of the treasure. Ultimately, it was their friendship that made this movie enjoyable for me.
If you are lactose intolerant, best to skip this movie as it is a 1970's cheese fest of the highest order and bare derrieres abound. Some of the gags were funny, others landed on their rear ends, much like the puns I've used in this review. Despite it's many drawbacks, the combination of Lee Van Cleef and Lo Lieh was enough to keep me entertained from beginning to tail end.
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LIGHT is a Rare Gift
LIGHT is a rare gift that shines brilliantly in a sphere of emptiness. It has all the elements of a tragic story. It is dark, brooding, sad, and depressing. It visualizes graphically the level of pain an individual will endure until a point is reached that breaks his will. This is a short movie and defies the description of powerful. This is simply an outstanding movie, short as it is. It will no doubt be on my Ten Best of 21. It moved me deeply and immensely.My full review is on my blog site at BLBliss.com.
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Confusing
It was a confusing Movie. Hate love kind of things. Both characters were dysfunctional because of previous relationship. The female lead had more dysfunctional behaviors because of her also social issues that she had been put thru. While they were drunk they liked each other but when then the next morning came it seem like different people because of hiding there true feelings. There co workers did not help or his friends. The ending left me confuse and wondering. The actors did a great job but the story was just not funny. I found it sad and not enjoyable.Was this review helpful to you?
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
3 people found this review helpful
Palme d'Or of 2010 Cannes Film Festival
The Story is BIG AHH? I can't understand it and I don't know what's happening so this Review is basically non-sense.Uncle Boonmee have some health problems. On his last meal he meets his ghost wife who said that Heaven is overrated and his long lost son in weird gorilla costume that looks so fake with Red eyes. That's the only part that I understand other than that this movie is moving slow,boring and draggy.
All of the Cast are acting stiff.
Overall the show is weird and not that amazing but for some they found it beautiful. Sorry I failed to find the special of this Award winning Movie. If you are smart enough I will recommend it Lol
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't know why the most people doesn't like this movie. But in my opinion; I have been so excited to watch it. I think the love between the male main lead and the female main lead wasn't pure but it still a "love". We can judge the feelings of others only because we don't agree with there ways to express them. The 18+ scene; even it disgusting me a little; but still so hot and you can feel the love in those scene; it's so realistic. The ending is a tragedy for me; the male lead doesn't forget his love to the last second in his life though the female lead gave up on him and moved on with her life.Was this review helpful to you?
Riveting
What a brilliant movie from an excellent cast. From the first scene to the last I was enthralled by a story that I just had to keep watching. Roy Chiu is a brilliant actor and once again has put in an impeccable performance. The story was well written and the cast did justice to their characters and the emotional roller coaster that they seemed to ride on an almost daily basis. Personally I found this movie one that I would recommend to anyone who likes their movies with a bit more grit and realism. Yes the romance was heartfelt and the chemistry stunning but you wouldn't expect anything less from actors who have spent many years honing their craft. Well worth watching 10/10Was this review helpful to you?
