Thoughts on all the movies I've watched

This powerful film portrays the deliberations of the Joseon leadership when the royal court is besieged by the Qing army at Namhansan Fortress. Its depiction of the difficulties of suffering through a harsh winter while outmatched by a superior force is evocative, and the final conclusion of the conflict is quite poignant. It explores contrasting ideologies, the king’s responsibility to his people, and how the decisions of leaders impact those below them. The acting (Lee Byung Hun, Kim Yoon Seok, Park Hae Il), directing (Hwang Dong Hyuk), writing (Hwang Dong Hyuk), cinematography (Kim Ji Yong), and soundtrack (Ryuichi Sakamoto) are all excellent.

My full review: https://mydramalist.com/profile/xinya/review/102883

Directed by Derek Tsang, this coming-of-age story depicts the effects of extreme suffering on two youths. It's about bullying, the pressures placed on students, bad parenting, and how the adults and the system fail the abused youth. But most of all, it's a beautiful romance. It remains engrossing and engaging throughout, despite the long runtime. The actors (Zhou Dong Yu, Jackson Yi) were great and the cinematography (Yu Jing Ping), especially the colors, was striking. I don't remember the music as much, but that may be my fault for watching it on an airplane (I'll have to rewatch at some point). It's certainly a film that leaves a profound impression. Bring tissues.

Another entry from director Lee Joon Ik that takes an insightful look at a historical figure and successfully walks the line between accuracy and fiction to create an affecting piece of storytelling. This film is based on the life and writings of late Joseon scholar Jeong Yak Jeon and Chang Dae, a young man he met while in exile at Heuksando, whose knowledge of marine life helped Jeong Yak Jeon to write the Jasaneobo (The Book of Fish). The juxtaposition of the two characters and the growth of their relationship over many years is the core of the story told here. This film also serves as an intellectual portrait of Jeong Yak Jeon as well as early 19th century Joseon, a time during which new ideas from the West came into conflict with the traditional Neo Confucian ideology that was the foundation of the country. Sul Kyung Gu and Byun Yo Han offered excellent performances in the lead roles, and the black and white cinematography provides a perfect balance between offering beautiful visuals while also achieving a visual simplicity that keeps the focus on the characters and ideas central to the story. 

My full review: https://mydramalist.com/profile/xinya/review/173935

This was a really beautiful movie, directed by Lee Joon Ik. It intersperses scenes of poet Yun Dong Ju being interrogated in a Japanese prison with scenes of his life, his friendship with his cousin Song Mong Gyu, their life as students and involvement in the Korean Independence Movement. If you're looking for something with a fast-paced and exciting plot, this is definitely not it, but if you like poetry or are interested in the Japanese Colonial Period, I definitely recommend it. Perhaps because they incorporated so much of Yun Dong Ju's poetry, I felt like it really gave a lot of insight into the emotions of life under Japanese rule, more than the other portrayals I've seen of the period. Much of this movie was quiet, slow, and calming, but there were also parts that were rather tense. The performances were great, especially Kang Ha Neul, who was both understated and emotional. I loved the black and white cinematography (Choi Yong Jin). I think it had a moodiness that matched the melancholy of the story. The soundtrack (Mowg) was actually not really what I would have expected. Guitar seemed to be the main instrument. Still I think it worked. Very simple and mellow (and used sparingly), but with a little more "character," shall we say, than whatever it was I probably was expecting. Lovely.

Directed by Lee Joon Ik, this is a story about the life and death of Joseon Crown Prince Sado (Yoo Ah In), which focuses on his strained relationship with his father King Yeongjo (Song Kang Ho). It is told as a moving family tragedy in which members of the royal family from four generations play a part. The extent of Sado's madness and crimes are somewhat downplayed compared to what has been recorded of him, but many details are quite accurate, and most importantly, the story is effectively told. The performances are the highlight of this film, though the score (Bang Jun Seok) and cinematography (Kim Tae Kyung) and are also worth mentioning.

This is Lee Joon Ik's most famous film. Unlike many historical dramas, it is not very focused on politics, rather it depicts the close relationship between two street performers (Lee Joon Gi, Kam Woo Sung), who are invited to perform in the palace by King Yeonsan (Jung Jin Young). Though it doesn't stand out in terms cinematography, I think it is pretty compelling in terms of character and relationship drama and has strong performances. Moreover, Lee Joon Gi is especially beautiful here. If that's not enough reason to watch it, then it's really not my fault you have questionable taste. :P

This is sweet love story based on an interesting concept (it's kinda hard to describe the premise without spoilers). The music and cinematography weren't that memorable to me, but the cast (Fukushi Sota, Komatsu Nana) was charming, and it made me cry. At some point I'll rewatch this and write something better about it.

This film begins with a rapid-fire detailing of events as various actors trying to conceal or reveal the circumstances surrounding the death of college student Park Jong Chul, then as it goes on, slows to a more emotional finale, depicting the start of the June Democratic Struggle through a personal lens. The combination of storytelling styles made the movie feel a bit long and slow-paced compared to what one would have expected at the beginning, but I did find it moving, and there were even a couple surprisingly humorous moments. The large ensemble cast (led by Kim Yoon Seok) delivered strong performances and the facility with which the film managed to juggle the stories of all these characters without becoming confusing was impressive. All the technical aspects, but especially the editing (Yang Jin Mo), were well-executed. Not a perfect film, but definitely a good one and it’s worth watching to learn a little about these events if you aren’t familiar with them.

This is a slow-paced slice-of-life film that follows a number of characters with interwoven stories, but is primarily centered around Boku Sato (Miura Haruma). At times I wasn't very interested in the side stories, but each aspect built on each other and came together to communicate the story's themes about finding love and mustering up the courage to move one's life forward. Overall, I found it warm and quite relatable, but perhaps a little too long. 

My full review: https://mydramalist.com/profile/xinya/review/115113

Though pretty much entirely in Mandarin, this is a Japanese co-production directed by Yukisada Isao based on a novel by Honda Takayoshi. It's a little difficult to explain what it's about ... A Japanese man living in Shanghai falls in love with a woman, who has a twin sister, with whom she had frequently switched identities with since childhood. I liked this film's vibe. The clocks, the colors (lots of blue, gold, and green), the reflections, the long silences, the simple minimal soundtrack. It's definitely slow-paced and it's not particularly suspenseful (which is actually a good thing in my book since I hate suspense, others might disagree), but it is rather intriguing. Though it definitely had a couple nice moments, the romance is not particularly memorable. Given that this is a romance-suspense film, perhaps that is why it seemed that it perhaps could have been more compelling than it was. Still the concept and story was interesting. The acting (Cecilia Liu, Miura Haruma, Joseph Chang) was pretty good, especially from Cecilia Liu. Overall, I found it enjoyable, though I do think it's a bit more memorable for the cinematography (Nakayama Koichi) and other aesthetic elements than anything else.

This is about a radio DJ (Cha Tae Hyun), who one day learns he's the father to a teenage mother (Park Bo Young), when she shows up on his doorstep with her son (Wang Suk Hyun). As a minor celebrity, he's worried what the scandal will do to his career. It feels a bit like a rom com, but rather than a romantic relationship, it's about a father and daughter. I remember this being very funny, charming, and even a bit heartwarming. I recommend this one if you're in the mood for something fun and feel-good.

This is an angsty teen romance to watch when you want to cry. This is probably the type of thing some people would say is just bad, since it's quite hard to believe one seemingly-average high school girl could experience so many harsh things in so little time, but it's somehow really good at tugging on the heartstrings, because even rewatching it thinking the whole time about how unrealistic the story was, I still kept crying. In terms of the filmmaking, the style is pretty standard, so it's not that memorable, but it was effective.

Much of this film has a soft, light color palette, and I think those words could be used to describe it's tone as well. It's a simple, youthful romance and friendship story about an introverted, outcasted, socially awkward girl (Tabe Mikako), and three of her classmates, who reach out to befriend her and help her come out of her shell. The plot is pretty standard high school drama, so there's nothing terribly exceptional or unique about it, but it is quite charming. And honestly, it’s worth watching for Miura Haruma’s smile alone, especially if you’re in the mood for something sweet and heartwarming.

I've always found Bae Yong Joon to have a really mellow, calming presence. Sure enough, this was quite a relaxing film, despite the subject matter (adultery). Two people (Bae Yong Joon, Son Ye Jin) meet after discovering their respective spouses were having an affair when they are in a car accident together. As they wait for their spouses to recover and wake up, they spend time together as they try to deal with their emotions. It's probably the most down-to-earth movie I've ever seen. Slow-paced, simple storytelling, minimal plot, sparse dialogue (Hur Jin Ho), understated direction (Hur Jin Ho), quiet music (Jo Sung Woo). No frills. Had I not been in the right mood for it, I think it might have bored me to death, but I actually enjoyed it for its subtle portrayal of emotions.

I really hate zombies, because I hate gross, creepy, scary, horror things, but people talk about this movie so much and even people who aren’t into Korean films/dramas seem to know it, so ... There were some awful scary parts, but more than that it was just really tense. It wasn’t actually quite as gory as I feared, but there were still some scenes that were too much for my sensitive sensibilities. Still, I do get the hype, because if you do like zombie thrillers, it’s good at that aspect, and even if you don’t like zombie thrillers it works on an emotional level. It did become rather predictable who would die and who would survive, but I don’t think surprise was really necessary to the storytelling, which is more focused on the journey of the lead. Even though they don’t give you much information about most of the characters, I really liked all of them, except for the villainous one who I just really wanted to die. Anyway, it made me cry. It also does have some pretty shots and music I enjoyed, but those weren’t really the most memorable aspects.

An interesting and at times moving story, but I think it was a little longer than necessary and it was a bit over dramatic at points.

This is a dark teen romance, adapted from a shoujo manga, about a middle school girl (Komatsu Nana), who moves to a rural town where she is immediately drawn to a bizarre, ethereal boy (Suda Masaki). I found the portrayal of these youthful, impulsive, and free-spirited teens really beautiful. The emotional conflicts that developed in their relationship were interesting. The leads fit their roles very well and the chemistry between them was great. So I think this had the potential to be intense, compelling, and poignant, but it fell short of that mark due to bad directing (Yamato Yuki) choices and poor storytelling, which resulted in a failure to fully communicate the emotions. Essentially it was trying a bit too hard to be artsy, and often came off rather rough and amateurish instead. Even so it made more of an impression than many things I've watched, because I loved the things it did get right.

My full review: https://mydramalist.com/profile/xinya/reviews/144757

This one is about a quiet middle school student, who has a troubled relationship with her mother, finding solace from her loneliness with a member of a motorcycle gang. So you get a rebellious teens and some beautifully moody cinematography (Yamada Kosuke). Despite the bad boy biker cliché, this is definitely one of the most interesting stories I've seen that was adapted from a shoujo manga, because it gives a lot of focus to the coming-of-age aspect of the story, thus the adolescent angst comes from a deeper place than school crushes and there's even a life lesson or two. The protagonists relationship with her mother is as significant as her relationship with her boyfriend. I actually think the romance may have been the weakest aspect. The focus on the motorcycle gang plot could have been lessened in favor of more time spent on the relationship development. I don’t think we needed to know the details of what was going on in ML’s motorcycle gang, we just needed to understand how FL felt about it. I'm also not the biggest fan of heavy reliance on voiceovers. I would have liked to see more things communicated to the view through dialogue between the leads, which I honestly don't think we got much of. So though the atmosphere of the film was quite nice, somehow the emotions were pretty mellow for me. I guess I would have liked to feel it hit a bit harder. The acting (Nounen Rena, Tosaka Hiroomi) wasn't great but it's okay. I think Nounen Rena was the stronger of the two.

I was surprised to discover that this directed by Clint Eastwood, though I suppose that's why I had heard of it even before getting into Japanese dramas (apparently, despite all the dialogue being in Japanese, it's actually and American production). Overall, I thought it was decent. The story was pretty interesting as it not only depicted the battle over the island, but also examined the varying responses of different characters, from the patriotic general in command (Watanabe Ken) to the foot soldier there against his will (Ninomiya Kazunari), to their situations as well as their different perspectives on the war. Though I appreciated the time it spent on the characters, I felt that the way the flashbacks were inserted at points took away from the momentum of the story. And unfortunately, the film didn't resonate with me emotionally at all, which I think it should have, given the tragedy of it all. It was also shot with very stark, low-saturation visuals, which was clearly intentional as it emphasized the bleakness of it all, but I didn't enjoy that aspect much, personally.

I think I was expecting this to be more of a comedy than it was. It definitely did have some pretty funny parts, but it was also rather dark and suspenseful at points. The aspect I enjoyed most was the friendship between the leads. Kang Ha Neul and Park Seo Joon had great chemistry and played off each other really well. Crime/investigation isn’t really one of my favorite genres, but this was enjoyable.

This is a spy thriller, set in the Japanese Colonial Period, about a former resistance fighter turned police officer (Song Kang Ho), who develops a relationship with a resistance fighter (Gong Yoo) when he is tasked with infiltrating the organization. The cinematography (Kim Ji Yong), which was shadowy, somber, and favored sepia tones, was by far the most memorable part for me. The depiction of the period was also really beautiful. Of course, it's an all-around well-made film. However, somehow the story didn't really grab me. Perhaps it was a bit too long or a bit too plot-driven for my taste. In any case, though I can't remember any specific complaints about it, it didn't quite work for me.

The actors (Gong Yoo, Park Bo Gum) were good. The cinematography (Lee Mo Gae) and special effects were beautiful. The storyline was ... fine. It could have been more interesting. Definitely not particularly memorable. Perhaps more could have been done to make me care about the characters aswell.

This film likely would have been better with no story at all, because then at least it might have touched me as a piece of visual art. As a piece of storytelling, I pretty much consider this a failure. The story centers around a struggle to take control of an important city, but it never gives the viewer any reason to care who controls said city. The characters were neither likable nor interesting. The action scenes were certainly creative and at times choreographed beautifully, but at other points the attempts at novelty were too much for me and just seemed strange. The cinematography (Zhao Xiao Ding), however, was striking. Though there is a touch of color, it was very nearly in black-and-white. Moreover, various traditional arts are also on display, from music to calligraphy. The interiors were full of beautiful painted screens. And some of the exterior shots almost looked like landscape paintings. The costume design and styling was the one weak point of the visual elements for me, as it was often too much to the point of feeling busy and unappealing. The soundtrack was lovely. It didn’t have any particularly memorable melodies and was rather sparse, but it was well suited to the atmosphere of the film, and I believe it entirely used traditional instruments. All in all, I think this might be worth watching for the aesthetics alone, because it does have a unique appearance and some shots from this film really wouldn’t look out of place in a museum photography exhibition, but there is really little else recommend it.

It was fun, though perhaps not quite as much of a comedy as I was expecting.  Towards the end it got a bit sappy. Good to watch if you want something lighthearted and humorous with a bit of action.

This movie isn't something to take very seriously. Lee Junho playing a man raised in a gibang, who becomes a gisaeng, was charming. The romance was meh, slightly touching at the end, but mostly I definitely preferred all the parts related to the gibang. The themes regarding the unfairness of Joseon expectations of women’s chastity were very heavy-handed. The last third of the movie takes a more serious turn. I wish it had just stuck to the comedy, to be honest. So, it overall, it was fine, entertaining, but not something I’d particularly recommend.

My opinion on the movie might be somewhat skewed by the fact that it took me a month to finish it, so I never really got immersed in it and by the end I had started to forget some of the earlier plot points. Of course, I have to wonder if it's not at least in part at fault for my lack of investment. The conflict (a war between Shu and Wu on one side against Wei on the other) was introduced extremely quickly right in the first couple of minutes. Given this, and the fact that some of the characters are such famous historical figures that I've heard of them, even with my lousy Chinese history knowledge, I think it may have been relying on the audience's preexisting knowledge of the conflict to make them feel invested and start rooting for the "good guys." It didn't really work for me, though. Especially when they're playing sad music in the first 10 minutes, but I don't even know who is dying, so why would I be sad? (Apparently a love for humanity is not enough to prevent me from being annoyed about the soundtrack trying to manipulate my emotions.) The story was pretty heavily focused on the military strategy and battle, though there was a love triangle, a couple performances of traditional instruments, as well as some attempt to flesh out the characters (I don't think it succeeded). There's no denying the battles looked good and were epic in their scope, and despite some zooms and transitions that would have seemed dated even in 2009, the cinematography was beautiful. 

Perhaps I should have prepared myself more before watching this. I wasn't expecting it to be so graphic (violence, drug use, nudity). And the subject matter was pretty horrifying too, even more so than the premise of rescuing a young girl kidnapped by a drug cartel suggested to me. It was surprisingly slow-paced at points for an action-thriller. I appreciate them spending time on the characters and relationships, but I still wasn't all that moved by the more emotional scenes. The action was very well done, but a bit gruesome for my taste. I guess it quite good as an action-thriller, but given the acclaim, I guess I would have expected a little more? 

Beautiful cinematography. Beautiful scenery. I never really got into the story, though. There's nothing wrong with the story, it just didn't hold my attention or make me care. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood or not paying attention enough.

This is a satirical depiction of both the food industry and animal rights activists about a young girl going on a journey to rescue the super pig she has grown up with from the corporation that originally genetically engineered it. It was wacky, dark, and just bizarre, which is not all that surprising for a Bong Joon Ho film. It was really very funny at points, but I have to say the humor was really the only aspect I particularly enjoyed. Of course, the cinematography (Darius Khondji), music (Jung Jae Il), and acting (especially from Tilda Swinton) was all good, but when it wasn't being comedic, I found it either to be rather boring or a bit disturbing. I also think it could have been shorter. So it's not a bad film, but definitely not my cup of tea.

I admit that this is a very well-made film, but I really didn't like it. In fact, I knew I wasn't going to like it before I watched it (depressing and disturbing psychological thrillers are pretty much my least favorite things), but it seemed uncultured not to watch it, so I made myself watch it. The irony is that now I may not be uncultured, but I can be accused of having bad taste for not liking it, hehe.

This is a biographical film about the life of Dōgen, a Kamakura period monk and founder of the Sōtō sect. There are definitely moments when I enjoyed this movie (quiet scenes of monks meditating are my type of thing), but I can't say it was particularly entertaining overall. It was pretty long and the execution was mediocre. It was nice in some of the more philosophical moments, but I wish it had delved into Dōgen's teachings and beliefs more. Perhaps it's because I already have some knowledge of Zen Buddhism, but this didn't really teach me much I didn't already know. I also felt that the prostitute's plot line was a bit contrived and the focus she was given seemed rather out of place.

This was quite appealing from a visual perspective. Yoo Seung Ho with long hair was pretty. The sets and costumes were pretty. The cinematography (Jo Sang Yoon) was pretty. I watched this 4 or 5 years ago and I still have a pretty vivid image of what this film looks like. As for the story ... lackluster. Why? I really can't remember well enough to say. I can say that Go Ara's performance certainly didn't help.

I love historical films. I love epic battles. I love Goguryeo history. But I actually fell asleep while watching this movie. It is pretty much one big battle (so at least the English title is accurate) for 2 hours, and there’s not enough focus on characters or any element other than the action sequences to make it compelling. This should have been one of those rousing, win-against-all-odds stories, but it was just boring. If you’re looking for action, and only action, maybe give this a try. If you’re looking for any intellectual or emotional payoff, look somewhere else.

Mostly I just remember that I didn't really enjoy it, and I can't really be bothered to watch it again just to articulate why that is.

I saw this on Netflix and thought, why not? Well, I can't say that was the best idea I've ever had, though I don't quite regret watching it. The cinematography was good and the acting was decent, at least as far as I can remember. The problem is the story ... I think it's supposed to be a coming-of-age story, but I really don't know what it was trying to show or say. It felt a little all over the place and none of it really left an impact on me. To its credit I will say it was less dull and forgettable than some of the other things at the bottom of this list.

This is a high school romance where the most popular guy takes interest in a socially isolated girl, so basically a very typical high school story with a lot of focus on the female lead's insecurities. It was rather cute at first, but it got old pretty fast and became boring. I also felt like the conflicts were repeating themselves rather than showing actual progression, which might be why the messages and character growth kinda fell flat. Basically, it's just really mediocre in every way. Also, I would have sworn Fukushi Sota was good-looking enough to pull off anything, but that hair was really pretty bad. There are A LOT of kisses in this, so if that's your cup of tea ...

This is about a pampered and naive rich girl, whose parents arrange for her to marry her crush, thus is forced to adapt to a much less luxurious lifestyle.  It's a little strange since they're in high school, but this is not really meant to be taken seriously. It has that very over-the-top manga adaptation style. I have to admit that it had it's charm, but I wasn't really a fan of the direction the story took in the later half and it kinda lost the charm and got boring.

I'm not sure there was a single element of this movie that wasn't a copy-pasted trope, so it's pretty much a mediocre adaptation of what seems to be a mediocre manga. Still, I have a weakness for cohabitation hijinks, so there were a couple parts in the beginning that I found entertaining. However, any scene that wasn't the two main leads (Gouriki Ayame, Yamazaki Kento) together, was completely boring, especially some of the long exposition narrating the male lead's past.

I just remember this being weird, without being interesting.