Reviews

Feelings for the deceased brother's partner or between stepsiblings: a challenge to the norm

For some time now, Korean cinema and television have been committed to showing characters from the LGBTIQ+ community. The works of the filmmakers demonstrate the evolution of an audiovisual panorama interested in expanding its sense of inclusive diversity.
This is the reason why among the films of this Asian nation that reflect the various aspects of seduction and attraction, couples and commitment between characters of this human group, that is, lesbians, gays, transgenders, bisexual, intersex, queer and more, titles such as 'Yeoldaeya' ('열대야'), also known in English as 'Tropical Story' or 'Tropical Night', appear.
Mixing drama and gay romance, this 2017 Korean-Thai collaboration from director, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor Kim Hun revolves around Kim Min-ki (Khan), a young Korean man who travels to the city Pattaya, Thailand, to find Park Jae-Hee (Park Hyun Soo), the lover of Kim Min-hoon (Choi Hong Joon), his older brother. Interested in finding out why Min-hoon committed suicide after escaping military service, he will try to contact his boyfriend. Min-ki suspects that his death is due to Jae-Hee's indifference. Therefore, look for him to express his regret.
Will Jae-hee be indirectly to blame for the tragedy? Did Min-hoon think about how much damage he would cause to those who love him? Is his death related to the harassment to which homosexuals are subjected within the Korean army by their superiors? Doesn't Article 92 of the South Korean Military Penal Code consider sexual relations between members of the same sex to be "sexual harassment", punishable by a maximum of one year in prison? Isn't the illegality of homosexuality and discrimination towards LGBTIQ+ people in Korea due, among other factors, to the fact that the country's army maintains a conscription system? Doesn't the military have a strong influence on the way Korean men's gender identity is configured?
Isn't it true that conservative South Korean society encourages homosexuals to feel ashamed of themselves? Don't you want homosexuals to blame themselves for not being able to satisfy society's criteria of heteronormality? Is it the purpose of the film to accuse South Korean society as a whole for the suicide that Min-hoon is forced to commit? So is it a suicide or a crime? Wouldn't society itself be to blame for the tragedy? Although this would be a good song, 'Tropical Night' opts for romance, perhaps to avoid finding other reasons for censorship and rejection in that homophobic society.
However, the film does not hide in presenting social themes that are extremely strong, such as homosexuality, the possible romantic relationship between step-siblings or between the ex-boyfriend of a deceased person and his brother, suicide, guilt, how taking steps forward in the face of problems and limits, and the fragile thread that sometimes exists between friendship and love. Generating controversy and having the ability to educate and offer a different point of view is an essential objective of 'Tropic Night'. Could Kim Hun have set out to prove that life is not simply black and white, and sometimes addition and subtraction can yield different results than expected?
The fundamental message it transmits is love, despite the situations of each character. The film teaches us how the transformative force of love can overcome and overcome every obstacle that comes our way.
Without being guilty, Jae-hee reflects the complexity of human emotions, especially the weight of guilt and the internal struggle that it generates in those who carry it. Meanwhile, Min-ki carries the pain of not having understood his brother in time and not having been by his side in his most bitter moments. Then it will hurt him to have recriminated someone who was always faithful and loving to Min-hoon.
Initially, Jae-hee appears uncomfortable with Min-Gi's presence in her house. He does not agree to give him an apology for his insistent demand to express "I'm sorry", because he does not consider himself the cause of Min-hoon's suicide, in addition to accusing him of being selfish for not valuing his life and not taking into account the suffering that the decision committing suicide would cause the people who love him.
However, Lee Tae Kyung (Lee Geun Joo), Jae-hee's stepbrother and who suffers from a fatal illness, with his jokes and laughter, will be the catalyst for the rapprochement of both boys. What first emerges as a rivalry will soon give way to friendship and from this to love. The meeting of Jae-hee and Min-ki will cause strange feelings to arise for each other. As Min-ki slowly stops blaming Jae-hee, a strong connection begins to develop between the two. Will it be morally correct to establish a loving bond between the ex-boyfriend of a person who committed suicide and his brother?
For his part, Tae Kyung struggles with the duality between the bonds of brotherhood that bind him to Jae-hee and the romantic feelings he also has for his stepbrother. If, on the one hand, the relationship between Jae-hee and Min-ki can generate a lot of controversy, especially when we base ourselves on patterns that consider a brother's partner untouchable, and especially when he has died, the fact that A young man is secretly in love with the son of his mother's husband, even if they are not related by blood.
Facing the possibility of developing feelings for a brother's partner or between step-siblings, as occurs between the three protagonists, challenges the norm, and can make the viewer who is not used to consuming strong and delicate themes in television productions feel uncomfortable. cinematographic. However, this is a challenge that can be real.
The plot seeks to explore how to deal with complex emotions and the difficult decision between preserving the friendship that could unite Jae-hee and her late boyfriend's brother, or following the path of love. Although some may consider this situation embarrassing, I believe that addressing these taboo topics is essential to enrich the narrative and provoke reflection in the audience.
Tae Kyung, knowing that he has little time left to live, prefers to hide from Jae-hee the feelings that he has kept silent for years. “I want you to remember me as a brother,” he will confess to Min-gi, who did understand the secret early on, and will encourage him to follow the dictates of his heart. “You two make a great couple,” he admits. "Do not go. “Stay a few more days,” he will instruct him, so that he can comfort Jae-hee when he is gone, in addition to giving them time for both of them to open up to love. Dying, he will seek the same fate as Kim-hoon.
The viewer must be alert to how the situation develops to understand the characters' decisions and attitudes. Only in this way will you come to recognize that despite circumstances and limits, friendship and love sometimes intertwine, generating dilemmas that are difficult to resolve.
With this film, Kim Hun challenges taboos and breaks norms to successfully guide how the characters face these complex situations. The three protagonists do not stagnate, they evolve and face twists, generating emotions and interest, giving rise to discussions among the audience.
Winner of the 'Pink Money Award' (Audience Award) at the 2017 Seoul Pride Film Festival (SPFF), 'Tropical Night' features Jeon Il-hwan as music director and Lee Sang-woo as executive producer, producer and costume designer.

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Regret Is Always At The End

I have put off writing a review for this movie because, aside from that my account is still new, it is such a terrifying task to do. And a hard one because I don’t know if it’s possible to compile all of my thoughts on this movie into one review without making it too long for possible watchers to read.

I had the same experience with Rewind that I had with Just a Stranger which involved its trailer. I must really commend them since the trailer achieved what it set out to do! With news that Marian Rivera was set to star in the film with Dingdong Dantes, I was already tipping over since excuse me? Miss Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes? Hell yeah! What seriously convinced me was the trailer where Marian says the line “Minahal mo ba talaga ako?” (“Did you really love me?”) before the sound of a car crashing takes you by surprise. There were also the arguments and the amazing acting I immediately gleaned from the trailer alone. I knew then that I had to watch this movie.

Due to circumstances, I couldn’t watch the movie when it came out in cinemas for MMFF but I managed to watch it after a party right after I found out one of my best friends watched it. Boy, I just signed myself up for a rollercoaster of emotions with comical reactions.

I have nothing but praise for this film.

While others might say that this film has a familiar plot or that it concentrates on death and tragedy at the core, I say that all of it worked perfectly. Familiar plot? Maybe, but in my case, I don’t remember many films with a focus on trying to change the past. Like, it sounds familiar and I’d probably seen a myriad of films with that as their central theme but why can’t I remember any? We have that one movie, Click, sure, but it’s also comedy-heavy. The reason I love Rewind is the concentration on emotion. Focusing on emotions is the right decision for a film whose themes involve regret, cherishing what you have, and making it up to the people you love.

I saw that one of the comments says that the film focuses on death and tragedy. Yes, it does because it’s necessary to get their message across. It’s a heavy theme. This isn’t some badly written fantasy story that involves killing off characters for the shock factor. What happens in the film serves a purpose.

I have to stop myself from gushing about this film in all caps. I love everything in this film! From the lighting, the clothes, the camera angles, the acting, the characters, the plot, the arcs, the dialogue—absolutely everything!

Let me get this out of the way: Dingdong and Marian played these roles perfectly. Dingdong plays John Nuñez, the hotheaded, workaholic man whose priorities have shifted from his family to aspiring for a promotion. Marian plays Mary Nuñez, the housewife who was once a promising culinary student. Some part of me had small doubts about whether Marian could portray the housewife whose identity is marred by her role in the household. And while I like Dingdong, I am guilty of typecasting him since I assumed that all he was good at was action. I was proven wrong. Dingdong Dantes showed range and his breakdowns in the film broke my heart to the point that I wept with him. Marian Rivera, of course, made me feel pangs of sympathy with how she played Mary’s internal struggles. Their performances broke my heart and brought me to tears—no. Sobs. Full-on weeping.

Another thing I love about this film: its themes. The main theme of regrets and cherishing what you have before it’s too late resonates with me. It begs the age-old question, “What would you do if you could go back in time?” which I have nothing but love for because it’s a question you already know the answer to. To do right by those you love before it’s too late—isn’t that just painful?

Other themes include the plight of the housewives. I mentioned this before in my review of “The Love Affair” starring Richard Gomez, Dawn Zulueta, and Bea Alonzo. Let me reiterate: these wives are left behind while supporting their husbands, left behind to take care of the house, left behind to raise the children. Their identities are reduced to their role but what if they want more? What if they want to be known as more than ‘the wife’?

There’s this detail that I noticed throughout the film. Some might say that I’m looking too much into this but I’m going in this with the logic that everything in film serves a purpose and means something. The clothes that the characters wear. For example, Mary constantly wears white clothes which is a nod to funeral dress codes. You know, mourning. At one point, John wears black clothes during a dark time in his character’s arc and as the story progresses and so does his character arc, his clothes change from black to white.

With every watch, I just notice more and more minor details and look into what they represent like the lighting. I remember some shots having John’s face clouded by darkness before his character arc starts progressing. I remember Mary being constantly illuminated in every scene. I remember John being bathed in a blinding light towards the end of the film. I love that they used the lighting to show the character’s state of mind, in a way.

I also love the camera angles. Most of the time, it’s fixed. But, subtly—so subtle that I end up gaping like a fool when I realise—you notice that the camera tilts to show the character’s state of mind again. This is mostly used to show the character’s state of mind, again. When something within them shifts.

Another complaint people might have is that it’s preachy because it involves God. I would say that’s not really the case. Aside from God being a part of the film, it’s not really trying to convince you that their religion is good or anything, only that God is trying to help John right his wrongs. This is coming from someone who doesn’t practise the religion, by the way. I would say that putting God in the film is more of a medium for John to go back in time.

The bits of comedy that we do get provides us with some levity. A reprieve after all of the heavy things we have to watch. Some breathing room. And let me tell you, the comedy actually made me laugh.

I’ve never loved a director’s work more than I did Mae Cruz-Alviar’s. There’s a reason that, after three watches in a short amount of time, I still cried. The first time I watched this, I was an absolute, ugly, sobbing mess even while eating dinner. The second time I watched this, I wanted to drag my older sibling into this pool of pain so I subjected them to it. The third time I watched this, I joined my older sibling and their online friend in watching this. I was a mess both times. All of this happened in a week, I think, which is evidence of the film’s brilliance.

Oh, right, thanks, I guess, for making Sa Susunod Na Habang Buhay (In Our Next Lifetime) impossible to listen to without sobbing and remembering the film’s events.

Massive kudos to Mae Cruz-Alviar, Dingdong Dantes, and Marian Rivera for their phenomenal work and performances.

Leia Mais

That town should just be named Hopeless.

This was great movie that everyone did live up to the title, each and every single person in that town was hopeless...even the guys in power.I fell in love again with Song Joong Ki, despite him being a leader in the gang,he had a soft spot for the young kid and really wanted to help him.I liked his character.The young actor indeed deserved the award for Best New actor he portrayed his character very well, strong yet fragile.He was not a bad kid but the circumstances around him were just not letting him win even an inch.Also why wasn't him mum ever on his side? That was just sad.The chain of events that led him in killing the one adult who had his back was indeed sad.The one who was suspected of tampering with his bike was not culprit yet got punished...the one who did tamper with the bike was in his own hell. Despite their bickering the step-sister cared for him deeply glad they left that town together.I would definitely rewatch it.

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Physically wanted to end myself after watching

Though I don't find myself to be sensitive to any topic no matter how gory or disturbing it is, i still found myself traumatized after watching, even though I have seen worse things.

I have never wanted to end myself more from any other series, even big dragon. This has scarred me for life and I will never ever want to see it again ( rewatching this would be pure self-harm.)

Though I like to admit that the story was good it just felt off especially the last scene, like Miss Girl was there really a point to pan at the dead guys face, while they were making out. Another point is what even are their names? All this and I don't even know their names!

This will be permanently stuck with me, every time I see anyone remotely close looking to the Policeman my eyes tear up and I am ready to run and lock myself in my room, go through the pain of remembering the movie and questioning why I am even alive.

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Before a reWatch

Writing this here because it's still fresh in my mind and it's worth a try.

There are movies with plots that don't require real attention, you're able to forsee the expected actions and development. Then, there are the award winning movies, they have something more to tell to the audience, even their silence is speaking.

To have a smooth watch, some knowledge about '20s in Eastern Asia is required, I'd say comprehension of politics and international situation plus cultural traits specific to the timeframe. I can't say I know nothing but also not much, so the session definitely made me more analytical (might not be the case for everyone, it's subjective here!). Though at the end the dots do connect, I still have at least one scene "the ribs order scene "that I cannot connect to anything and I feel I am missing a cultural background, because you don't add a scene for the sake of it in this type of movies.

I liked the cinematography a lot! It's enjoyable. You get glimpses of scenes that only get explained towards the end. I can't recall something similar elsewhere, only an anime series comes to mind. And then these complete 2-3 seconds of black screen!

About the silence, there are a handful of scenes- I find this trick wholesome, you don't just fill in the audience with content, you also let them wonder (here comes the knowledge in hand!), question, maybe digest even? You might face some gaps with no vivid coherency, but it's there if both details and bigger picture are understood.

I didn't pay much attention to the music tbh but one scene I remember well because music was too loud, unnecessarily so.

I am not familiar with this genre, especially in the asian cinematography so it's hard for me to compare it to anything. Acting is solid, solider than I expected. I watched it because of Wang Yibo and the fact that both him and the movie are nominated for AFA.

I do plan to rewatch it for a better comprehension, if I do I will come back to update.

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Fluffy and light feelgood

This movie is a great watch. It's well-paced, with humorous notes and some emotional scenes at exactly the right timing. The chemistry between the two leads is very present, and you can really feel their falling in love through the screen.
Representation is usually done well in Phillipine BL, and this one is no different. It's scenery is a typical high school environment, where competition, bullying and teen-angst are omnipresent. Furthermre, this is a catholic high school, with actual clergymen as teachers and headmaster. It's a delight to see that there is no condemnation from the faculty towards the openly gay community in the school, they are even welcomed as organisers of some kind of bible-camp where the students learn about the love of Chist.

The feel of this movie is very fresh and light, with some more serious notes here and there. Above all, it's a movie about falling in love for the first time and what that does to a person.

Highly recommend that if you watch this movie, you watch "Love Beneath The Stars" the series right after, where the story between Dominic and Luke is explored more deeply.

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Great actors but boring story

The film starts with very poor character introductions. Starting with Rawi's relationship with the monk, it was really too short. Then there was no urgency that was so important that Rawi had to live with Pharit's family. So it's a little difficult to feel the emotions the character is feeling at that moment.

The storyline was so fast that I felt the script was too to the point. Especially when transitioning from day to night, or from one day to the next. They only use the same scene, namely the house scene when it is light and when it is dark.

Even though there are so many black notes, there are several things that I still like about this film. Phloeng's acting is still better, although not the best. And the ghosts or spirits here are scary, I admit it makes me scared.

Unfortunately, in the middle of the film I started to feel bored. Especially considering that their dialogue was too to the point earlier. There was no drama spice presented so I didn't feel any emotions except fear when I met a ghost. I think this film would be better made into a series. So that the audience can understand the characters more deeply.

Maybe that's all from me, more or less sorry. Regards

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A 'moneyboy' with no love to give, and to give no love to.

This was very artsy. The way it was filmed, shot, directed-- it's like one of those indie films you'll fall alseep to if you aren't paying enough attention.

The story isn't anything extraordinary, but it sheds light on the lives of those who are engaged in sex work in a conservative society such as Asian countries-- precisely the life of the main protagonist of this film, who is a character I never truly understood or found myself rooting for. He's self-centered, pushes away or cuts off people who genuinely cares about him, and doesn't know how to appreciate the small but positive aspects of life. You want to care for him since his family situation is sad and frustrating, but at the same time, you can't find the urge to. You can't tell how he feels, if he cares or if he... well, anything. It's not the acting, because I thought the few actors this film had are great, but rather how the ML is written to be. He was, in conclusion, a snob-- and what's the good thing? This film is aware that the main protagonist is a snob.

One thing that bothered me, since I'm a pretty regular film person, is how this movie was entirely filmed. There are many gorgeous artistic shots (which I couldn't screenshot at all because I had to watch it in 360p lmao), but the single-camera stiff distant shots at a constant began to get on my nerves at one point. Besides that, they only ever play a single The Shining-esque background music every three scenes which suddenly makes you wonder "is there gonna be a jumpscare soon?" just for you to remember that you're not watching a horror film. The only reason I didn't rate this any lower than 7, though I could have based on how much I was entertained by this, is the club dancing scene because it made things feel alive for once.

Do I recommend this? Sure. At least it's not another depressing LGBTQ film where someone dies at the end or the couple can't get together. I appreciate their attempt at a different angle for LGBTQ films.

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r/aita - Am I The Asshole For Cheating On My Cheating Wife?

What got me curious about this movie was a list of intense confrontations by ABS-CBN. The scene featured Dawn Zulueta and Bea Alonzo and what completely convinced me was the exchange which goes kind of like this:

“Bitch.”

“Bitch?” Dawn smiled, “Not yet. But I won’t be so nice next time.”

“Is that a threat?” asked Bea.

Dawn’s eyes narrowed. “Are you threatened?”

By the way, I don’t consider that a spoiler since you barely glean anything important from that alone. It’s just some badass dialogue that had great delivery by the actresses.

Now, see, I’m a sucker for scenes like this even if they may not be entirely realistic. Still, I enjoy them so I decided to watch the movie later that night.

The one thing I loved about this movie was how they narrated the events to us. The film smoothly weaves in the things of the past to tell us why the characters are who they are and why they did what they did. Before I knew it, I knew what drove the characters and the vital parts of their backstory that caused them to be where they were in this mess.

This leads me to the elephant in the room and the reason for my headline: everyone here made mistakes and hurt each other, be it intentional or not. Some mistakes were larger and, for some people, unforgivable. This then leads me to the question: “How much is too much and is it ever possible to forgive that much?” The film tackles mistakes, owning up to them, and forgiveness, among many other things, of course. While the themes are great, I also can’t quite find where I fall here since there are just some things you can forgive but have to abandon because they caused you too much pain. This just goes to show the Filipino values that are taught to us by our families. We are all taught to be compassionate, to a fault, and to prioritise our family over anything else which can become problematic.

The thing is, I love the movie for the message it’s sending. It represents Filipino values but I can’t also act like Filipino values are always right. You don’t always have to forgive someone for hurting you, you don’t always have to fight for something that hurt you immensely and destroyed you, and you don’t always have to go back to the one thing hurting you. I’m conflicted about how I feel about the message because I like it but I also can’t completely agree.

Another theme they tackled that I love is the plight of the housewives—the wives who are left pushing their husbands whom they put on a pedestal. What about them? What happens to them? Are their roles and identities reduced to being a wife who cleans the house, raises the children, and supports her breadwinner husband? We see that in Dawn’s character, Tricia, and that’s one of the reasons I can’t hate her for what she did.

Regardless of the characters’ mistakes, I can’t find myself hating one character completely. Why they made their mistakes is just completely human and I understand why they did it. Does that mean that I approve? No. Absolutely not. I don’t like what they did but I can’t get angry at them for it. It just means that I see where they’re coming from. I can judge, though.

The acting is so good but I never expected less from actors of this calibre. I mean, this is Richard Gomez, Dawn Zulueta, and Bea Alonzo we’re talking about. These are three acting powerhouses. I never expected less. The acting was one of the reasons I enjoyed watching this too.

The only other thing I struggle with that I can think of is that sometimes, it sounds like there's a voiceover for one character that just doesn't sound right. If it isn't a voiceover, then what the hell is that dialogue delivery? Another thing is the scene on the beach where there are just these cross-fades and the music that begins playing just comes off as cheesy. They're not so bad that it's unbearable but it was just the kind that makes my brow raise in near-secondhand-embarrassment. The rest of the movie is great and doesn't involve cheesy scenes and songs.

In the end, I loved the film. I loved watching it because I enjoyed the plot, the themes, and the character arcs. The problem here lies with me and my beliefs and values contradicting the theme of the movie which isn’t the movie’s fault. It’s more so myself. Still, it’s a good watch.

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"Memory, time, and Camembert cheese"

Walang KaParis followed the ups and downs of an artist in Paris. The tropes were strong with this one and the foreshadowing let you know exactly where the story was going if you’ve ever watched a romantic movie before. Still, the actors were likeable enough to enjoy their romance in the City of Lights.

JoJo makes his living as a street artist and mime. His unique catch as a painter was to do his work in coffee. He’s haunted by his old paintings of a woman he doesn’t remember. How can he have a heart to share if he can’t remember the one who owns it? One day, a woman named Mary comes up to him and tells him she is the woman in the paintings which he doesn’t believe. She pushes hard for a romance to begin with a reluctant JoJo and for a while it does. Then the real story emerges which is bittersweet. Time would tell if they were fated or destined.

Walang KaParis covered nine years and two continents. Within five minutes I’d figured out the familiar plot. As with other genres, execution is key. This film didn’t add anything new, but the actors had a comfortable rapport with each other, though not sizzling. Each took turns chasing the other and as the song said, “And even if the time doesn’t come that you learn to love me back, just don’t stop me from loving you.”

If you are looking for an easy, cheesy romantic film to watch, you could do worse than Walang KaParis.

8 February 2024

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