Reviews

Revenge vs Protection

Across the Furious Sea is a cinematic ride for those who like their drama grim, gritty and in constant unpredictable movement. A cat and mouse game of revenge versus protection that conveys in subtext the disparity of parenthood between the classes.
Ultimately this is a story about facing the truth , whether about oneself, or those we love and accepting responsibility for our actions & treatment of others.
It has violence both bloody and sexual but the real darkness is in the characters.
While it was messed up, sad, tragic , thrilling and so well done at same time ,the end message of the movie comes across the sea loud and clear.

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Is 365 days enough for someone to move on?

First of all, I give this movie a clap for Bela Padilla for being the woman on screen and behind the camera. It’s worth noting that she is a triple-threat actress. This movie shows how she brilliantly conveys all emotions with her acting and visual direction.

The premise is not something that we haven’t seen in a romance genre movie before, but it's still something you can enjoy despite its clichés. The movie moves at a nice pace with two different tones. The first half is filled with the weightiness of grief and pain, letting the melancholy mood sink in immediately as the movie opens, which, in my opinion, managed to draw the audience in and invite them to stay in the emotional depths of the movie. The second half has a lighter mood and slowly turns into corny romantic plots, but the transition seems abrupt, and it alters the seriousness of the movie. The back-and-forth change in tonality slowly affected the story flow and the emotional rollercoaster this movie intended to give. It’s kind of a bummer to me. There are also some loose ends that detract from the overall quality of this movie.

Here are two aspects of why I think this movie deserve a 7. 1. The cinematography. The indie-like camera work boosted all sorts of emotions this movie has to offer: love, happiness, pain, loneliness, heartbreak, despair, and encouragement. 2. Acting. While the emotional rollercoaster is not crazy enough, the acting is what stood out the most. Bela did an excellent job portraying a bereaved lover, showing the genuine and realistic way that grief is expressed through character and narrative. Even though JC Santos is not the ML and he didn’t have many scenes he shared with Bela, this tandem still managed to show their good chemistry and make you feel the sweetness they were showing from their few scenes together.

The movie subtly makes the point that letting go and moving on are two different things. It also showcased the guilt in moving on. It’s okay to keep old memories without necessarily erasing them, but knowing when to let go is crucial to healing. Time heals everything, as the saying goes. However, a person's willingness to truly let go of the past and go on, no matter how painful it was, is what matters most.

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rom com of the year and it's only feb

Haven't watched a rom-com this good in a long, long time. Every scene felt natural, not a single thing reminded me that this was a script these actors were reading off. Both the leads and the cast looked comfortable around each other. This was a joy to watch. I am a sucker for these kind of plotlines so I ate this story up and thoroughly enjoyed it. Would recommend anyone and everyone to watch it.

acting- goooooooooooood
nsfw - in the kmovie industry its ok, no closeups just feelings which was extremely adorable and personally i loved
heart strings tugged: yes! but could have been a bit more but no reason to pull the rating down i guess because i worked with what i had.

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This drama told story of 2nd change or redemption. Primo and George (Jo) a young couple that separated due to misunderstandings, different focus & also little yet piling others things.

Sometimes the beautiful things about youth is time to dream. Primo dream about to be a singer, but as usual this dream never easy to achieve. He still insisted about his dream even when everyone around him already start moving forward with their life, cause life happen & we can't always stay in the bubble of our dream.

And that's exactly the biggest problem with Primo & Jo relationship. Primo that's stay persistent with his dream, while Jo carried the heavy burden of their life. And one day she can't take it anymore & just explode.

Their story restart again when suddenly, 2 years later, Primo back to Jo's life. Bring all the beautiful yet painful memory for Jo. It's also happen align with the time Jo decide to sell her grandma's house, where they used to lived together. And that's make them lived together again in that house.

Everything happen for a reason. The 2nd change in their relationship open a new sight about their separation years ago & rekindled their old feelings for each other.

Overall this one good movie about 2nd change or redemption.

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Idk

Even though the duration of this movie is only about 100 minutes they tried to cover each and every aspect. If only they could have increased the runtime and showed us some character development, then it would have felt way more content while watching the movie.

Even though the story is something common - Arranged marriage to drive away misfortune, leads already met when they are kids, and the horror part is also something kind of similar plot which we are already familiar with(I don't want to spoil it). Everything was extremely supernatural and way beyond science(Well what else can we expect when the story was set in 1960s hahaha). Like I said they could have made the whole plot in a more detailed manner(Not saying it is not detailed enough LOL).

Acting wise, the actors did a really good job. The music is also pleasing and suited the movie and the situation really well. Like we already know NuNew is a great singer right!! My only complaints are regarding the story elaboration, other than that it's a good movie.

[Ahem...the headline is a hint regarding climax]

P.S. - I have not read the novel. But the movie's a solid one time watch. Go Watch it!!

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O que é?

Fiquei com a impressão de que a história não contada talvez fosse mais interessante.
O quê levou ao reconhecimento da necessidade de uma vida com menos responsabilidade, menos preocupação, com momentos contemplativos que a cada dia menos temos oportunidades de ter?
O final me causou real angústia ao perceber que tudo o que foi apresentado pode não ser.
O que realmente é visível aos olhos, é?
Acredito que eu esteja no ponto de vista da ansiedade, e não do medo, como é discutido no filme.
Não tiro o mérito do enfoque dado pelo filme, mas as entrelinhas me parecem gerar um incômodo muito maior e questionar o porquê de, eu mesma, não escolher o simples, o monótono, o repetitivo, e o contemplativo para minha vida.

Valeu a indicação ao Oscar, mas alguns dos concorrentes estão gerando muito mais incômodo e reflexão do que Perfect Days.

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"Do you want to stay in the darkness forever?"

Huang Bo wrote, directed, and starred in The Island. A hapless worker sets off on a business retreat that goes terribly wrong when a meteor hurtles toward Earth on the same day his luck with the lottery changes.

Ma Jin and his cousin, Xiao Xing join the rest of the office and their boss on a water bus cruise for a team building exercise. Ma Jin has a crush on the beautiful and elusive Shan Shan who is also on the trip. Fate brought together a meteor and a winning lottery ticket, both of which will not only change Ma Jin’s life, but everyone on the bus as well. After plunging through a ginormous wave that hurls them far from home, the bus lands on a deserted island. The group discovers themselves cut off from the “real” world and completely dependent on each other for survival. A new social hierarchy takes place when they vote on a leader.

I was afraid The Island would be another version of Lord of the Flies. While it did show how society breaks down when people are desperate for food and shelter, it didn’t devolve into a murderous melee. Four different people wore the crown at different times and all four succumbed to the allure of leadership. The first dictator led through intimidation and punishment with his mighty shushing stick. The 2nd claimed to be a leader of thinking and bartering but was a liar and cruel capitalist. The 3rd brought two factions together and gave the group hope, but also slid down the slippery slope of popularity and success which led him to lose track of his moral compass. The 4th leader was a man who finally had power after too long being invisible and it broke him.

“Since all the past is gone, life can start over again.”
Ma Jin held to his lottery ticket like a life line, willing to do anything to stay alive and return home and collect his money. A divine coincidence occurred that caused him to be reborn at the time of his deepest despair. The stranded group had to come to terms with what was Real. Real living? Real hope? And Real land? Money became irrelevant in their society. Believing the world to be mostly underwater, they had to eventually rise above their selfishness and work together for survival and harmonious living. Characters learned to trust and love in their microcosm. Ma Jin even found his confidence that had long been missing.

Huang Bo gave a solid performance as Ma Jin, a character who evolved throughout the film. The gorgeous Shu Qi as Shan Shan was not given enough to do other than look beautiful amongst the bedraggled shipwreck survivors. Lay Zhang as the friend and often perplexed Xiao Xing showed his character’s loss of himself quite well.

The Island remained compelling though it did drag in places. The dark comedy took its characters to the ledge of cruelty and madness but decided to err on the side of hope and love. What it did well was to show how the castaways reacted to the stresses of survival and what it revealed in themselves and how a community can thrive when the people set aside their greed and need to dominate if only for short periods of time. Most importantly, it proved that even on a desolate island, there’s always time for a choreographed dance sequence.

12 February 2024

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Zombieshark?!

Okay I had no idea what I was expecting when I watched this show. I came for Eiji Akaso and was hit with something crazier.

The makeup in this movie is amazing! The zombies look insane and to be honest, I actually watched this movie in two parts. I felt sick looking at these zombies and had to resume it later. Maybe I just have a really weak stomach but their faces are awesome.

The visuals of this movie aswell as the makeup are great too. The colours are vibrant and they look so cool because they all contrast well with eachother. Even though I haven't watched the anime, from what I've seen, they match the animation well.

I wasn't expecting to see some naked zombies but we'll overlook that because I felt so bad for Akira when his office romance went straight out the window! However, with his other relationships, it was great to see them grow throughout the show. The same with Akira himself, he really developed and overcame the trauma of his failed football game. I mean, I was never expecting him to use that to fuel his fight against a zombie shark but it was great character development!

At the end of the movie, Akira was happy, I was happy and everyone was happy really. To be honest, you'd have never thought there was a zombie infection going around since it ended so positively!

I don't think I'll watch the anime but if you can pack this much into a movie and still make it incredible then what's the need to? Watch the movie Zom 100 right now!!

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No depth

Without knowing anything on the real history of the princess, this fictional account left me unsatisfied. I feel like there wasn't much going on here. The princess is sent to Japan as a hostage, but it only touches the surface of her situation in Japan. There isn't much character development and I'm left with a sad story with no real depth.

The acting was good. I felt for the princess who tried so hard to be a beacon of hope for her people, but was thwarted by the enemy. Our main leads were both invested in their roles and their performances were noteworthy. Unfortunately, the storyline wasn't very riveting, so there is only so much they can do with the script. I felt like some of the talent was wasted and underused in this film. Not worth the time.

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In the smallest details there are hidden points to detect. Take a risk

The topic of drugs can be quite sensitive, and even more so when it comes to teenagers. Throughout its history, the seventh art has given us films that have marked generations for their delicate themes or strong scenes that narrate the horror of being tied to an addiction or the crime of making something as harmful as the drugs. Or, even worse, the danger it can represent for younger people.
Films such as 'Trainspotting' (Danny Boyle, 1996), 'Kids: Lost Lives' (Larry Clark, 1995), 'Requiem for a Dream' (Darren Aronofsky, 2000), 'Clímax' (Gaspar Noé , 2018), 'Beautiful Boy: you will always be my son' (Felix Van Groeningen, 2018), and others, address the issue of drugs, and other types of addictions, such as alcohol and violence in adolescence and early youth.
Although it is not exactly immersing us in the underworld of addicts, the Thai film 'Tell the World I Love You' tells a story of personal growth and exploration of romance between two different boys from two different worlds forced to overcome tough tests that will change their lives forever: Kheng (Bas Suradej Pinnirat), a young man who left his hometown to study in Bangkok, and Boang (Perth Tanapon Sukumpantanasan), a drug delivery man, who gets into trouble with a group of drug traffickers when he tries to leave of the same.
However, what Kheng expected to be a short period in the Thai capital before continuing his journey to China to search for his mother, whom he has not seen in many years, unexpectedly turns into an adventure full of action and chase, which does not lack romance, after meeting and falling in love with Boang.
Keng accidentally witnesses an attack by traffickers on Boang and helps him escape. Failing to eliminate Boang, they will send other pursuers after the two boys. As a result, Keng has to leave the home he shares with his friend Tai to live with Boang in a remote location while they hope to outwit those who seek to hunt them.
While being pursued by a gang of thugs led by Nick Kunathip, the two teenagers must overcome unexpected events that invite viewers to get involved and join, and they will face a test that will change their world forever.
In a desperate race for life in a world full of violence, drugs and crime, a story of friendship and love is born between the two teenagers.
'Tell the World I Love You' is one of those movies that does a good job of bringing together the lives of different people. We will witness the life stories of two boys who are different from each other, but who are equally similar.
The other three characters to be introduced are Tai (Net Siraphop Manithikhun), Kheng's friend, who is the same age and who offers Kheng a roof over his head to live in the Thai capital, and Hia Song (Songkran-Rangsan Panyaruen) and Nick (Nick Kunatip Pinpradab), two members of the gangster gang. The lifelines of these five people are about to merge in a way that will profoundly affect their existences.
With this film, which aims to tell us what Thai society is like and help change attitudes towards homosexuality and violence related to drug trafficking and consumption in Southeast Asia, its director, Poj Arnon, once again explores the love between people of the same sex and other social taboos in their country, but which are, without a doubt, topics as universal as life itself.
With dialogues full of meaning and a variety of emotions, its director once again tells a story of love, friendship, dreams and life with the same intensity with which he showed his skill in '18 Rain, Dangerous People' (2022), 'Friend ...I Love You (2007)' and 'Crazy', with which in 1996 he became known on the national and international film scene.
Not without reason Poj Arnon has suggested that the film is a mix of the first two films mentioned above: while '18 Rain, Dangerous People' takes the bitter and sad, 'Friend...I Love You' brings influences such as love that arises from being close to each other, including common points of revenge and a romantic relationship that surpasses friendship.
This romantic action drama film that reflects Thai society with a touch of the 90s of the last century, continues the filmography of a filmmaker who on multiple occasions has dealt with both the issue of homosexuality and drugs, crime and violence. Let us remember that Poj Arnon is the director of the film 'Bangkok Love Story', from 2007, which won him the Grand Prize at the Brussels International Independent Film Festival. With this film, the following year, he won the Best Screenplay award at the National Film Association of Thailand Awards.
Other works of his take up themes such as the school environment, transgender characters, AIDS, homosexual relationships, friendship, Drag Queen, drugs, violence, bullying, racism, sexuality or the discrimination to which members of the LGBTIQ+ community.
Among these, 'Go-Six' (2000) stands out, about a love triangle between a young man and two women, which caused a great scandal at the time due to the ambiguous sexuality of one of the female characters; 'Cheerleader Queens' (2003), about a group of teenage Thai transvestites, or kathoey, who become high school cheerleaders, or 'Spicy Beauty Queen of Bangkok', in which she once again portrays the kathoeys in a crime comedy , starring Winai Kraibutr as the leader of a gang of transvestite bank robbers, or 'Haunting Me', a horror comedy about three elderly kathoeys who fight ghosts in their apartment building.
The film was supposed to be released on February 14, 2021, but had to be postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
With a script by the director himself, simple but raw photography by Tiwa Moeithaisong, and Giant Wave in the sound, the film presents situations so visceral and realistic that they generate in the viewer a feeling of repudiation and despair towards the world of drugs. , but also a story about personal improvement, love and hope, seen through a drug delivery man who intends to get out of drug trafficking and regain control of his existence, who will be accompanied on that trip by a stranger who entered unexpectedly. in his life and whom he will later love not only as a friend.
Dear reader, a director of Arnon's stature will not delight in making a film with a simple and uncomplicated story. The viewer has to be skilled and know how to detect that there are hidden points in the smallest details. Firstly, the film aims to 'tell' and reflect what is happening in Thai society.
Among these issues masked in a plot that aims to be seen as light and even superficial, is the struggle of the new generation to fulfill their frustrated and postponed dreams.
The aspirations of Thai adolescents and young people to build a future abroad and escape the sad political and socioeconomic situation in which they live are presented through Keng. He dreams of going to China to find his mother and continue his studies. To do this, he has set out to learn Chinese and pass the exam to obtain one of the scholarships. Even in the midst of the chase in which he will be dragged, there is no shortage of books, essential to achieve his goal.
Another veiled, but palpable theme in 'Tell the World...' is the systemic racism, discrimination and violence installed in that Southeast Asian nation towards members of the LGBTIQ+ community, reflected in the bullying and harassment suffered by Keng, who has have to face being bullied as a "transvestite" and sexually abused. But even defending oneself against homophobes, instead of achieving the goal of getting rid of barbarism, can make it grow even more. Keng is beaten and sexually assaulted and this will generate a psychological problem that will haunt him for life like a recurring nightmare.
Bas Suradej Pinnirat manages to convey to the audience the importance of this heavy burden that he carries on his shoulders through the internal struggle and difficulties that the character he plays must face daily in an intense and ruthless way.
One of the aspects of the film that we should not overlook is the illegality and danger that surrounds the world of drugs not only for those who consume it, but also the risk of early death or years of prison for those who use it. traffic. If it will be difficult, and even impossible, for a drug addict to get rid of the addiction, the trafficker also faces difficulties, even the loss of his life, if he wants to get away from trafficking these substances.
One day Boang feels that he needs to escape from the reality around him. He has seen the destruction of a family caused by drugs. He has recognized the pain of others caused by the illegal activity carried out by him. But by possessing secrets of people, organizations and complex and intertwined networks of drug production and distribution, they will see it as a danger and will try to eliminate it.
Perth Thanapon manages to expose before the cameras both the horrors of the industry and the emotions that overwhelm his character in an internal struggle to free himself from the nightmare in which he has lived.
And finally, we have the question of the romantic relationship between the two boys. Tai has feelings for Keng. He is a close friend who has cared for him and provided accommodation for two years. He has given him advice and helped him with his studies. She has protected him when he is harassed. But Khen doesn't have the same feelings towards him. To Keng, Tai is just a "dear friend."
Boang's entry into Keng's life, both of them escaping the dangers to which they have been exposed, working together to avoid dying, caring for each other in the midst of hardships, sharing what they own and being close to both of them. , especially in difficulties, but still know that “happiness does not matter how many times you smile. It depends on who you smile with”, will bring you together a bond that is stronger, deeper and indestructible than friendship.

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"Bitterness has its own flavor"

Coffee or Tea was a light hearted comedy about three young men who were at different places in their lives where their dreams were concerned. One had given up on his dreams and life. The second man was enthusiastically ready to bet everything on his dream. The third was swimming in circles with his dream, held back by his relationship with his father. They met up, forged a friendship and business that would guide them all in the same direction and help them each to grow as individuals.

Wei Jin Bei is at the end of his rope after his most recent failed business attempt. Unable to sleep, he’s ready to give up on life when effervescent deliveryman Peng Xiu Bing steps in. Peng is going to his remote hometown to begin his own delivery business and takes an extremely reluctant Wei with him. Peng’s village relies on growing tea, but with the depressed prices has lost most of its young people. Peng is determined to reinvigorate the people and town even when he meets with failure. It will take a chance meeting to help turn both his and Wei’s fortunes around.

Peng Yu Chang as Peng was a bright ball of positive sunshine radiating energy on his more dour buddies. Liu Hao Ran played the glum business brains from Beijing transformed by the small village. He often seemed obscured by his floppy hair and large glasses. Yin Fang’s Li Shao Qun had the least development as the rebellious coffee grower who was alienated from his father. The acting wasn’t particularly nuanced, but then again, neither was the story. Along with the business elements there were whimsical animals. What movie doesn't need a talking pig?

Coffee or Tea was a feel good movie about friendship and determination with gentle humor that avoided being cringeworthy for the most part. The film streamlined the story and glossed over the obvious business hurdles as well as the timeline. Most of this could be forgiven as the focus was on the camaraderie of the young men as they healed themselves and their relationships. The film was respectful of traditions and the older generations. At the same time, it also showed that there were times when innovation and new paths must be cut in order to survive as the world evolves. The enduring relationships and new friendships forged proved to be the key to success and reconciliation. While Coffee or Tea could be simplistic and felt low budget, it’s one of those easy movies you can watch if you are looking for a mood lifter.


12 February 2024

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What is the Price of Stardom?

This film does really well in creating a parallel between Shizuka's life and the play she's a part of and eventually stars in. The people in her life all mimic the characters in the play as well, though some roles are switched around, like with Kikuchi taking on the "role" of Hajima's character at the end with trying to kill the person who took away the thing she cared about the most, and with Shizuka taking on the "role" of Mako's character with the character's life imitating her own.

The movie has some wonderful cinematography moments, such as in the hallway with bright red carpeting and eerie lighting just before Shizuka got caught up in the very thing that both shoots her to stardom and becomes her downfall, as well as the two times she's holding the bouquet of flowers--the first time after her breakdown of how she'd do anything to make it to stardom, and the second time after she realizes that achieving stardom at the price that she paid wasn't worth it in the end.

All of this is to say that the film captures the drastic lengths actors will go to in order to achieve stardom, even at the cost of their own wellbeing and others, in an eye-catching and intriguing way.

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Excellent screenplay and top class acting

Large scale of real historical events told with an excellent screenplay that is great in details and heavy in suspense. It is more towards story focused instead of action focused, and the storyline is actually quite complicated to present but it was done really precisely, somehow they've made the plot easy to follow and characters' motivation very clear to understand. Huge plus from the acting performances, all the actors are absolutely top class and the movie works so great mainly due to those intense face-offs, so much stakes on screen but so meticulously arranged, simply unbelievable.

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Great entertainment but not quite a Masterpiece

I love a strong female lead, and one that kicks ass is even better. One that kicks ass and has to play the role of a mother, pretty intriguing. While i thoroughly enjoyed the fight sequences, which were beautifully choreographed (fatal and feminine) and athletically executed, the movie lacked a sense of its own universe.

With the movie title, genre and timing of its release in contemporary times, it's inevitable that it gets compared with the likes of Kill Bill and John Wick, both cult faves. Although it narrowly manages to differentiate itself from the rest by focusing on the relationship between mother and daughter, and it was beautiful to witness how their relationship deepened and evolved within a very Asian context, the movie did not quite capture me as much as John Wick did. It was a waste that insufficient effort was spent building up an interesting universe around the characters as it had so much potential; i.e. developing the social structures of this world of assassins, and that could've captivated audiences more. Unfortunately, the characters stayed floating on the surface and didn't quite draw audiences in further.

That said, the casting was impeccable, right down to the choice actors for the younger characters of Minkyu and Boksoon. Jang Doyeon was and is a helluva femme fatale and Sol Kyunggu's voice just devours your soul. Some of my favorite moments include the last fight sequence (when Boksoon simulated the outcomes of the fight) and the moment Minkyu realised Boksoon was his soul mate. The ending was also subtle but appropriate, so people who enjoy embedded subtexts and symbolism in films would appreciate it.

Overall this was an entertaining watch, great actors, gorgeous fight sequences and great production, but I probably would pass if a sequel was made.

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