Reviews

"You wait"

The Recipe began with a transformative bowl of stew and then worked its way backwards to the origin of the enthralling recipe. There were slow moments where the film tended to get lost in the weeds of the intricacies of making Doenjang Jjigae, but all was forgiven as the investigation finally revealed the truth.

After his execution, Kim Jong Gu’s last request sets investigative reporter Choi Yoo Jin on his tireless quest to discover what kind of stew would be the murderer’s last thoughts. As Choi digs into the story he ascertains that the stew was so fragrant and delicious that Kim never felt the cuffs being put on. In fact, the officers were frozen at the tantalizing smell. In his efforts to track down the woman who made the doenjang, he meets one by one all the people who helped with the extensive steps she took to make the magic happen. Choi’s boss isn’t enraptured with the tale but that doesn’t stop the intrepid reporter until at last he learns how love and tears contributed to the story.

While I enjoy recipe detective work, the fine details of each step of the process often bogged the film down. If you are watching for Lee Dong Wook, you may be disappointed. He doesn’t show up until over an hour into the film. This was largely Ry Seung Ryong’s film as Choi Yoo Jin. The veteran actor showed Choi going from cynical to obsessed over the effects the stew had on people and the extraordinary details that went into it. Finally, his journey would lead him to the tragic love which inspired Jang Hye Jin’s recipe.

Anna Lee (Lee Suh Goon) directed and co-wrote this film. Her painstaking attention to food and ingredients and all the people whose hands touched the different elements was intriguing. In the same way Hye Jin had to wait on her soybean paste to ferment, this film will make you wait for the emotional payoff. Ultimately, the conclusion I came to was one any child or grandchild knows instinctively, food made with love and loving attention is the best.

17 June 2024

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A Visual Guide For Dating

One would have to be completely dead inside to not get a warm cozy feeling from watching this film. It is a joy to behold and drink in. And it is so astonishingly relatable because it is happening to ordinary people under very ordinary situations. It is a pure story of love with its only requirement being someone courageous enough to make the first move. Honestly, one does not need to read manuals, books, or listen to experts on how to find love; all one needs to do is watch this movie. It gives you a step-by-step visual presentation of what to do. This is a complete joy to watch!

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The plot is like an Ementali cheese - it is full of holes...

This movie (and it's previous part) has a strong cuteness factor, since the leading actors did a good job with what they'd got and they are both sweet, but the story is just a mess. Obviously, when it comes to TV shows, they don't have to be 100% realistic, but they still have to be believable and logical in their own frame - this movie didn't manage to do it.

We have Golf, who faked his death - why? What was the purpose of it? And how come all the friends at school knew it's fake death, but neither them nor Bank's mom had the decency to tell Bank the truth? Where did the baby from the end of the first movie disappear? If Golf was in contact with at least some people from home during the 5 years, how did he not know that Bank entered a relationship? Etc... - I have the impression that when they made the 1st movie, they didn't know they'd have a 2nd, so when they eventually decided to make one, they were struggling with finding out how to "resurrect" Golf for a happy end, and how to get there. The movie didn't really have a story, just a bunch of people with ununderstandable motivations for there unlikely behaviour, and this way even the happy end didn't bring much catharsis.

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ESQUISITO E INCOMPLETO...

Ontem à noite decidi assistir a esse filme e o começo parece bem promissor, as bases iniciais do filme são bem apresentadas e o enredo se mostra bem interessante e inovador. Afinal, a Coreia do Sul é um dos países que mais se preocupa com a opinião pública e muitas vezes as grandes corporações e pessoas com poder decidem manipular as redes sociais e a mídia para controlar a dita opinião pública.

Entretanto, a reta final do filme nitidamente estava desconexa e confusa, além de que os cortes de edição foram mal feitos e horríveis. Quando finalmente há algum esclarecimento inteligível, nos é apresentado que o garoto era um mitomaníaco narcisista que manipulou um jornalista que já estava em desgraça com o público e a imprensa, motivo? Sei lá, para os roteiristas pouco importava na verdade. Uma pena porque o elenco era muito bom.

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Classic style action-comedy done right.

Before I launch into any kind review, you do not need any context to enjoy this film. It can be enjoyed both in isolation and in context of previous works.

A very enjoyable action comedy that you could bring the whole family along to watch. Imagine a James Bond style film, but instead, place a pair of retired Japanese cops with a solid sense of humour and style in the spotlight.

The soundtrack was PERFECTION and I don’t have much else to say about that. The veteran actors still got it, a still stylish and legendary duo. The story was fun, and that’s the easiest way I can describe it.

The film didn’t let itself get bogged down in politics or agendas, it wasn’t trying to appease anyone or anything, it aimed for fun and hit the bullseye.

This made me want to watch the previous instalments of the series. I cannot recommend it enough. It’s the kind of fun that makes people feel nostalgic to about the fun going to the movies years ago.

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"Try what you can, then you'll find what you like"

The Moon Has Risen was a charming, sweetly funny film written by Ozu Yasujiro and directed by prolific actress Tanaka Kinuyo. A father living with his three daughters, all of marriage age, would have to brace himself as the matchmaking and romancing were about to escalate with the full moons.

Asai Mokichi lives in Nara with his three daughters. He has a hands-off approach with their love lives, letting his daughters do as they will. Chizu is the eldest daughter and a widow. She is traditional and loves caring for the family and her father. Ayako, the second daughter, is quietly shy, and falls somewhere between modern and traditional. Much to her consternation, her aunt is always trying to set her up with marriages she has no interest in. Setsuko, the youngest at 21, is effusive and effervescent. She is close friends with Shoji, a man who is currently living on the premises and unemployed. Shoji’s friend, Amamiya, visits for a while during a business trip. Setsuko and Shoji join forces to matchmake for Ayako and Amamiya when they see how much the two care for each other. The course of true love never runs smoothly, and that goes for Setsuko and Shoji as well!

Many Ozu story elements were to be found. A widowed father, played by Ozu regular Ryu Chishu, had daughters of marriage age. This time though, no one was overly worried about the father being left alone. Chizu enjoyed caring for her father, but even she may have had a love match. No older male friends were called in to help find potential mates, the sisters took care of their own futures. And each other. I loved the sisters’ relationships with each other. I worried that I might find Setsuko annoying as she attempted to bring Ayako and Amamiya together, but after the first few scenes, I found her to be a fun character and appealing. Watching the relationship grow between Setsuko and the aimless Shoji was compelling as well.

This was Tanaka Kinuyo’s second directorial effort and I thoroughly enjoyed how she framed shots. It might have been an Ozu script but she didn’t stay cemented to shooting from the mat as he did. Nor were there the head on conversations directly to the camera and overly controlled acting. Her characters moved fluidly and gracefully. She used beautiful outdoor scenes, tranquil temple locations, and gorgeously composed rooms to great effect. The characters were more tactile and looser than in an Ozu film. The family even had a pet dog! The humor was gentle and felt authentic to the story. I found Tanaka’s style of directing very relaxing.

The Moon Has Risen was an endearing film about three sisters as they carved out futures for themselves and when they faltered there was always a sister around to give destiny a little push in the right direction. Tanaka Kinuyo tied everything together with her own method of directing and extracted excellent performances from the actors. Only the second Japanese woman at the time to direct a feature film, she proved herself well. Oh, and Mizoguchi Kenji, you were wrong, she had plenty of brains to direct.

16 June 2024

*Mizoguchi was against Tanaka directing, stating, she “does not have enough brains to be a film director.”

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