Reviews

an amazing but disturbing movie that will bring you to tears

I picked up this movie knowing that it was going to completely destroy me. I'd heard about it, but I had no idea it was based on true events. So I looked up the real case that took place in Gwangju Inhwa School, back in the 2000s. Aka the case that this movie dealt with. I must admit that, me searching and learning about it, contributed even more to how much impact it had over me.

In a general way, the aesthetics of the film, the music, the production were all on point. The acting too, I mean, all of them, including the children did an amazing job. I highly believe they did justice to the delicacy of the film. It was a "quiet" movie in the sense that every scene is handled with the utmost care (as it should be), yet it's not boring at all, nor is it slow. The movie practically rushes by, in a great way.

As for the story, it was incredible and very well executed. It's a story that touches us and is unfortunately very true, not just because it was a specific case, but because sexual abuse and child abuse is a huge problem that, however much we want to solve it, is often not solved as it should be. For that same reason, I think the ending of the movie was a good choice because the intention of it, I believe, was to convey a message, where not everything can be the fiction we would like. Of course, from a viewer's point of view, I would have loved a fair ending, where the perpetrators were punished as they deserved. But as I said, reality isn't always fair, and this movie, in my opinion, wasn't about entertainment. That's why it's such a real and heavy piece of cinema.

Rewatch Value: I put it at 1.0, but I can't really change the overall, as it would be unfair. It's a 10 regardless, great movie, but would I watch it again? Definitely not. I was already expecting it to be heavy, but when the first scene of abuse came along, I was really shaken. I could never bring myself to watch something like that again, so it's lower than the rest of the categories. Just thinking that there are lots of children around the world who are going through that or have gone through it made my stomach turn. It's really not an easy movie to swallow for anyone, especially if they're sensitive.

However, it's a movie I highly recommend. It deals with very real issues that need to be given more attention.

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A Heartwarming Tale of Love and Miracles

"Be With You" is a touching South Korean romance film that leaves a lasting impression with its heartfelt story and endearing characters. Adapted from a Japanese novel, the film masterfully blends fantasy and emotion, making it a must-watch for those who enjoy love stories with a touch of magic.
The story revolves around Woo-jin, a devoted husband and father, who is struggling to cope with the loss of his wife, Soo-ah. On a rainy day, Woo-jin is stunned to find Soo-ah returning to him, but she has no memory of her past life. As they rekindle their relationship, the film explores themes of love, family, and the power of memories.

Woo-jin (So Ji-sub): Woo-jin is a caring and dedicated father who is doing his best to raise his son alone. So Ji-sub's portrayal of Woo-jin is both poignant and relatable, capturing the character's deep love and vulnerability. His performance adds a layer of authenticity to the film's emotional core.
Soo-ah (Son Ye-jin): Soo-ah's return is a miracle that brings both joy and confusion. Son Ye-jin beautifully portrays Soo-ah's warmth and tenderness, making her character's journey of rediscovery and love deeply moving. Her chemistry with So Ji-sub is undeniable, enhancing the film's romantic essence.

Visual and Sound Design

The film's cinematography is stunning, with beautiful landscapes and intimate scenes that highlight the characters' emotions. The soundtrack is equally enchanting, with melodies that complement the film's touching moments and enhance its overall atmosphere.

"Be With You" is a feel-good film that tugs at the heartstrings and celebrates the enduring power of love. Its blend of fantasy and reality creates a magical experience that resonates with viewers long after the credits roll. With strong performances from its lead actors and a story that is both heartwarming and bittersweet, "Be With You" is a delightful watch for anyone seeking a romantic escape.

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Things could have been more obvious

I decided to watch this one on its release day to know what it is actually about among the queerbaiting news on media.

"Tian Yu, don't die. I'm here waiting for you"
"I'm here waiting for you"
"I'm still here waiting for you"

My first thought would be that the relationship between Tian Yu and A Xiang is completely vauge and yes, I totally feel they do have feelings toward each other. A Xiang has been guided by Tian Yu since childhood, which encouraged A Xiang to explore the world and break his own limit. What A Xiang did is all on purple since he knew all about Tian Yu from the first encounter. I surely bet A Xiang have more feelings toward Tian Yu while Tian Yu on the other hand, is kinda indecisive and unclear when it comes to express his feeling. Wished there should at least one more physical action to make things clear about them.

I can understand why people became completely frozen in shock because of the end. I was like paralyzed while seeing "cloned" character after their demise since I have witnessed what happened to them. I enjoyed a lot at the first half, but it got totally confusing and made me think a lot at the latter part. The movie did included some queer elements like Leslie Cheung and Nomad (I might be wrong since the red poster wrote Numad), Tian Yu did use Leslie's song lyrics so the Homoerotics Subtext tag here is relevant imo.

Otherwise, I appreciate the how good the cinematography goes to make the movie look poetic, nostalgic along with nice music and main OST, and the casts are top notch. Not mentioning how the crew and cast promoted this movie, I still consider this as a story about unfinished love relationship of two persons even though neither said love words. The plot is not really intense or highly twisted, and enjoyable overall. I would respect your view if you thought having no NC scenes or simply a real kiss is queerbaiting or brotherhood. Taiwanese movies have never been labeled as BL anyway.

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Go watch it if you like a "GL with a great plot"!

The movie was worth every second. I loved it. Great plot with great twists. if you love watching gls, this is the one you must not miss.I loved the chemistry between the couple, Everything was too real. You could see all in just their eyes. The cast was amazing. Both girls are great actors, No boring scenes , you might get confused at times trying to understand the story but the ending is the most satisfying one.

Do read the tags before watching its strictly 18+, the sex scenes were greatly produced , nothing censored, there are bdsm scenes but all just add to the story and make it more real and they are necessary, there is a little bit of comedy. The ost at the end is very beautiful and pleasant. I loved the transition of mc to a guy cuz she looked like one , I loved her and her acting too much, the other girl was also very pretty in the gown, I loved her, she acted great. It was a great movie and i must rewatch it some day.

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better as series

acting - bland and awkward, especially when it's only the two (the guy and girl main characters), when they found the remnants, it became bearable

story progress - the beginning and ending is confusing, the first 5 min mark was notable but typical, but the next scenes, when the girl main character entered the virtual world was confusing, the shift of events at first were not that clear - if it's a dream or virtual reality, the ending was also confusing, it wasn't clear when did she met South Pole again, after the restaurant w/ note scene, it wasn't clear anymore if the "Luxuria" was a dream, an illusion, reality (there's the floating spy camera surveillance something that caught them in the game so how), or game (but how when it was destroyed already?)

overall plot - this could be better as a series, even if it's just 8 eps long, this was, questions would be answered and the story build up would be better

if you want the same genre, I would recommend 19th floor, a chinese series, similar but better.

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"Your kung fu is good but you can't stop bullets"

Deadly Confrontation was a below average Taiwanese kung fu flick with low wattage star power. Chia Ling, Lo Lieh, and Yueh Hua had top billing but the actual leads in the movie were Liang Hsiu Shen and Pai Ying.

Mah returns home after three years in jail. He had been framed by his enemy Sung Teng Wai, the local warlord. While he was away his girl married Sung’s son. Hot headed Mah has nothing but revenge on his mind. Sung has no intention of letting Mah live long enough to reach that goal. Chow Sun arrives in town looking for a job and after beating most of Sung’s men is put in charge of the casino. Mah and his friends find themselves up against formidable forces, especially when it turns out Sung is also processing opium on the side!

Everything about this film was below average with a less than charismatic cast. Liang and Pai were adequate but didn’t command attention. Chia Ling had very little to do and was finally rewarded with one fight. Lo Lieh popped in to fight with Pai Ying. Finally, Yueh Hua showed up near the end of the film as another bad guy. The fights were okay. Guns were also used, something I don’t care for in martial arts films. The editing was abysmal. People who were about to be killed showed up later without a scratch on them. I don’t count off for cropped edges and wear and tear on the film, but it could be distracting. Typical of Taiwanese films from this era, much of the fighting took place out in nature.

This kind of film is the hardest to write a review on because it was so bland and poorly put together. Deadly Confrontations was far from the worst old kung fu film I’ve watched but far from the best as well.

27 June 2024

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Like squeezing a fist around my heart.

I loved this movie. Plain and simple, I loved it. 6 minutes in and I was invested. I did not know much of the plot going in, so I was very pleasantly surprised when it wasn't about two characters getting together but actually their lives, the story of their entire life past 17. People falling in love young and then growing together is one of my weaknesses, when done right it will always get me and have me in my emotions, and boy did they.

I just love watching people fall more into love as they grow, and yessss Akira did make mistakes and Yuuki is so precious but it felt so human I was hurting with the characters. Equivalent to eating glass as I watched them battle with the voices of the outside world. I like that we got straight to the point, from the start. This is their story of two people who love.

Major soft spot for this type of stuff so I'm so heavily biased but I enjoyed my time and I did have misty eyes at the end of it. Two people loving each other longer than they have even been apart, actually evolving into a relationship that works for them, whatever that looks like. I only ask to see more of their life, even more than we got because I am greedy and I love their softness and dynamic.

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Interesting short stories only told at surface level, and a lack of understanding in AI

Okay, this movie is... weird. It feels like an incomplete draft with missing scenes, actually it's almost like they had shot a short series and edited the key scenes into a movie. There is not enough context and world building which makes it confusing. I get that the science fiction aspect of this movie is not its focus, but it really needed an extra 15-20 minutes at the start to properly explain how exactly this Wonderland service works. Like how are the AI characters programmed and what are they programmed with? There are so many ambiguities but they'll be spoilers. It's almost like the movie itself doesn't know the answers. I can't tell if the director is inexperienced in the sci-fi genre or they cut out those scenes because the basic foundation to make a coherent story wasn't there. At one point towards the end it was straight up a fantasy movie and not science fiction anymore lmao.

But then, I actually like the subject matter, the actors and parts of the movie especially in the first half. Most of the scenarios were actually interesting and complex -- but they weren't fleshed out at all. Which brings me to the point that this movie just has too many characters. Basically every story was only on surface level, some were just left hanging or abandoned. Suzy and Park Bogum's arc especially suffered from this, it needed way more screentime to be properly developed. I hate to say this but some of their parts felt half-baked and wasted their onscreen chemistry. Tang Wei on the other hand had the most complete arc and probably the most touching one.

It's a shame because I think if they expanded the material and went more in-depth for each arc, or removed all the arcs other than Suzy/PBG and Tang Wei's, it would have been way better. But alas the potential was wasted. Nonetheless, I think at the very least this movie can spark some interesting post-watch discussions.

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Korean action movie? Say less.

The trailers I saw made it look like a dark action movie. There is some noir to it but it's mostly action with sprinkles of comedy.

The story starts out a little slow but it snowballs and next thing you know you're 40 minutes in and can't take your eyes off of the TV.

The ML was cast, written and acted perfectly. The little bit of comedy written in it was just enough to give you a break from the action and while you're laughing you are able to digest what just happened.

I went in thinking it was going to be a movie just to kill time but found myself interested and curious. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys action movies.

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If you need an outlet to cry, this is the one

A good sad movie is one that made me cry really hard and this is one of them. From the get-go, I already knew the two leads are highly going to die but even with this knowledge, I am still not mentally prepared for all the emotional scenes. Those really hit very hard especially when it’s about coming to terms to one’s demise which personally once thought I was going too. The movie has also had many warm moments that melts my hard. I really like how the leads find strength from one another to continue living. How I wish I can find one too… Even though the movie is 2hrs, I never thought there was any wasted moments which Japanese movies tend to veer towards too. All the performers acted brilliantly and the music really supports well with the scenes. I would totally watch this again if I want to cry.

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For a movie that was supposed to give these characters more depth and present their perspective of the events that were part of what happened in The Untamed, I'd say they leaned too far into simplicity in writing. Little to nothing happens, and the whole movie consists for what feels like less than 10 scenes.

The CGI, still a bit awkward at some places, was still a huge improvement from the drama. What's more, I actually did like the last fighting scene. I would remove the "transformer spirits" from the equation though. There was not that much acting to be done, even though the movie was over an hour long, it felt more like 30 minutes - with that I don't think any performance had a chance to shine.

The best aspects of the Fatal Journey was the last shot of Nie Huai Sang that could be described as "ah yes, this is his origin story". Knowing what's coming next, that shot was truly impactful.

Overall, it's clearly movie that targets TU fans only. It's rather meaningless for anyone who does not have prior knowledge of the overall story.

Ps. Adding black eyes for 2 scenes is not enough to call movie a horror.

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