Film saved by Jang Hyuk's particular set of skills
The Killer tread a familiar action movie path. Did it matter? Not with Jang Hyuk showing off his particular set of skills as many times as the writers could work a fight scene in. His quiet confidence and proficient use of a body well honed by real life martial arts training kept me engaged from beginning to end.Retired killer, Ui Gang, is maneuvered into babysitting the seventeen-year-old daughter of his wife’s friend when the two women embark on a three-week vacation. A reluctant sitter at best, Ui Gang finds himself dragged back into his profession when Yoon Ji is repeatedly kidnapped by human traffickers. The killer never breaks a sweat or even raises his voice as he works his way through the bad guy hierarchy. There’s never a moment when he doesn’t look completely in control, even when facing a gang of axe wielding thugs.
If I laid out the plot in detail, few people would find it surprising. If you’ve seen Nowhere Man, John Wick, or Taken or a jillion other movies with a similar story you’ll have the whole thing figured out in a matter of minutes. With this kind of genre, execution matters, and The Killer executed it well. As in there were executions aplenty. The action drove the story and rarely slowed down long enough for the viewer to start counting plot holes.
Jang Hyuk is an accomplished martial artist in real life and it showed in his agility and quick moves. The brutal and bloody fights were well choreographed and exciting to watch. Ui Gang dispatched the baddies with a number of different weapons or whatever sharp object happened to be nearby. Shadowy scenes were often Illuminated with neon lighting making the action seem otherworldly.
The Killer didn’t have the most inventive script. Luckily this genre doesn’t require uniqueness, only thrilling action. Would the film have worked without charismatic Jang Hyuk and his martial arts skills selling the action? Thankfully, we didn’t have to find out.
4 February 2024
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Whirlwind of love and revenge on a tourist island
He works for a dolphin and sea lion show at Fantastic Ocean. He works at a karaoke bar on a beach on the Chinese island of Hainan, where they both live. He is a talented trainer of aquatic mammals. He succeeds in his traveling business, in part because he bears a striking resemblance to the late Chinese actor and singer Leslie Cheung. He waits for him with dinner ready and both of their underwear clean. He is a daring and handsome boy who also has sexual relations with women and walks around the beach, the streets and the house half-naked. He, in silence, awaits your return. He, drunk, comes home late after playing with other men. Both help in an illicit business, while committing petty robberies and other mischief, such as recovering their assets seized by the police.Li Qi (Shen Shiyu) and Ren Yu (Zhao Bingrui) are two young men who live a wonderfully simple life as a couple. Happy, between the two of them they have built their own earthly paradise.
However, things change when an attractive young woman, Bai Ling (Yue Yue), comes into their lives and drastically shakes their reality. When the daughter of the illegal beach food vendor joins the two men, a three-way relationship seems possible. Li Qi shines around him. She shines around Ren Yu ('Marriage Proposal Say Yes!', 2013 and 'Love in Late Autumn, 2016'). In this classic love triangle, does the girl know about Qi and Ren Yu? Does he know they are a couple? The truth is that the three of them intend to test the limitations of their own sexuality.
The lovers now face difficult decisions because they want to explore their sexuality further and include Bai Ling ('A Woman', 2022; 'Mother in the Mist', 2021), in their relationship. At times, the loving trio disappears to become a secret couple again, but now between Bai Ling and Ren Yu. But the latter will not accept his proposal to be her boyfriend and live in a distant city. Could love for Li Qi be the reason for his rejection? Don't you want to enter an uncertain, but promising future? Why then does he kiss her and while they are living their idyll, the tragedy occurs that will shake the three of them to the depths of their being?
The film, which begins at the end, initially tells us how one of the main characters commits a heinous crime motivated by revenge and then goes to the roots of the conflict to expose the reasons that motivated the revenge.
Also skillful is the location of the plot in one of the tropical and paradisiacal beach areas of Hainan (in Chinese, 海南; pinyin, Hǎinán; literally, 'South Sea'), the smallest and southern province of the People's Republic of China. The site surprises by becoming another protagonist, the fourth, of the film. Its streets and shops show the wounds of the passage of successive typhoons that hit what is now the largest Special Economic Zone of the Asian giant.
Like an island from which you can only leave by air or sea, our protagonists will also find themselves unable to escape their own destiny. This is marked from the very title of the film. The main reason to chew Asian betel nut or areca nut is for its stimulating and slightly euphoric effects. The person who consumes it obtains a greater feeling of alertness, a sensation of heat throughout the body.
Subtle and masterful use of metaphor to mark the destruction of the paradise in which Li Qi and Ren Yu have lived with the interweaving of the Chinese tradition of consuming betel nuts with the risks to human health associated with the prolonged use of these seeds. , since this practice has led thousands of people to an early death.
Released in April 2017, the film, by Chinese director and screenwriter Hu Jia, won the China Stard Best Film Award 2018. It was also presented at the Berlin International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Hong Kong International Film Festival, in its 2017 editions.
The yaoi genre romantic drama 'The Taste of Betel Nut' (槟榔血) depicts a story of revenge and young love, a story about the growing desire for intimacy between two men and a woman.
Very cleverly, Hu Jia makes unique decisions in writing the script and developing the plot of the film. The choice to include few dialogues does not discourage the viewer. On the contrary, it awakens in us an interest in discovering where the film story will take us. This way, the audience will be able to appreciate the images and focus more on the characters' actions.
The writer and director creates a fractured storyboard that unfolds like a puzzle: fundamental pieces are missing to finish the work. Together, he and the viewer, we will have the task of, as the footage rolls, compare the fragments we have with those intentionally omitted, in order to advance through the incomplete scenes that have kept us in the dark until we reach the light. and with this the understanding of the narrated events.
The ending is open. The viewer, once again behind the cameras, has several pieces of the puzzle in their hands. According to his wishes, only one of them may be the right one to complete the puzzle: on the terrace of his house, between sheets swinging in the air, Ren Yu, with obvious scars on his shaved head and with a slow, hesitant step, has been able come out of the coma and now turns his face and smiles at someone who approaches. Is it Li Qi who has been able to escape the fury of the bullies? Has Ren Yu waited for him during his years in prison for the crime committed? Is it just Ren Yu's imagination? Like Ren Yu, Li Qi has also died at the hands of the gang and they both meet again in another paradise, but this time heavenly?
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Tetsuya Watari is just Lupin III in this
and I'm okay with that.Weird, wild, and nearly incomprehensible, Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter directly responds to his mounting boredom and dissatisfaction with the common yakuza thriller, reimagining it as an excessive pop-art James Bond cartoon. Absurdly funny yet strangely surreal, the studio-imposed limitations on Suzuki never become a hindrance, radiating with excessive coolness and often filled with flights of outrageous excesses and ballistic action. An anything-goes, in-your-face rampage of narrative disorientation and inspired lunacy, Tokyo Drifter incredibly sends up its own genre identity with a degree of flagrant and rapturous craftiness in a total gunbutt attitude to everything conventional.
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An obscure slice of brilliance
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this is hands down Jun Fukuda's best movie. ESPY knows its premise is utterly bonkers and just runs with it; part 007, part B-grade exploitation and with a dash of Scanners, it's all exceptional fun. It's a film that fits right at home with old ITC shows like The Protectors due to its gorgeous globe-trotting gentlemen spy aesthetic but with that classic 70s tokusatsu twist. Fantastic direction, incredible music, deliciously camp with just the right amount of head explosions and teleporting nonsense to keep anyone entertained. While I may not love his Godzilla flicks, by god I will champion ESPY as Fukuda's finest till the day I die.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
Don't watch it dubbed
A movie crying out to be seen in its original language (and widescreen), Carry on Wise Guy is a relatively straightforward and sometimes painfully unfunny martial arts adventure featuring Gordon Liu, one where whenever he's not onscreen becomes borderline intolerable. Even in the cropped and super crummy VHS-level transfer this movie has, you can tell that the choreography of the fight scenes goes hard, the major saving grace of this otherwise relatively low-budget comedy. Unfortunately, the plot is super generic, where things happen with no rhyme or reason. One minute it is a jiāngshī horror comedy scored with Walter Murphy's A Fifth of Beethoven, the next minute it's a serious foot-flying adventure to deliver a map of Japanese movements to Chinese troops. Sadly, the disingenuous dub isn't doing this movie any favours, (I swear one of the voice actors was Eric Idle of all people, sounding like he does in Casper ?) and as it stands, Carry on Wise Guy is worth a fleeting look mainly for Liu kicking arse.Esta resenha foi útil para você?
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That's the best Japanese content I've ever watched
I honestly love this movie. I've rewatched it soooo many times I can't count it.1. The story is straightforward with a small number of important people. By that I mean, no irrelevant people slow down the plot. The main antagonists make you understand the worth of the female lead.
2. The romance is light but so heartwarming. There are no kiss but you can feel the romance blossoming from beginning to end.
3. I usually don't like Japanese content because of the overly "Kawai" or some weird stuff that could make foreigners (by that I mean those who are not used to Japanese culture) uncomfortable. But in this movie, there weren't any, like the abuse was reduced to necessary without making it overly uncomfortable. [I don't want to offend anyone, but JP content is really special]. There's not too much overacting.
4. Did I say I've watched a thousand times?
5. The story keeps so captivated from beginning to end. Tho there are a few questions left unanswered no matter how many times I watch it.
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could have been great, but has the same toxic tropes as the manga
Unfortunately, the story suffers from the same issues as the original anime and manga. So many of the main couple's intimate scenes contain non-consensual kisses, touching, and borderline r*pe attempts. I don't understand why the mangaka thought this was necessary when the characters and story would be incredibly good without these elements. Ryoma is constantly ignoring Izumi's boundaries. The family and their agent turns a blind eye to this and worse, actively allow Ryoma to meet Izumi at home, at school, etc. Sexual harassment is not funny and should not be the baseline for a future romantic relationship. I was hoping they'd change these things for the live action drama, especially since they seemed to have no problem updating the wedding ad to show a same sex couple, but disappontingly the rest of the show was not updated.The base plot would work so well, if they simply just allowed for Izumi to fall in love with Ryoma organically. Ryoma having a crush on Izumi first and wanting to get to know him would have been perfectly okay if he had even an ounce of self-control.
The actors played the characters well, and I immediately recognized Shougo's actor who also voiced the character in the anime. Ryoma's actor is yes, very over the top, but that is literally how the character is in the source material.
I am really sad about this one, because the writing and comedic scenes are otherwise great. The screenplay seems to be written by the mangaka too and they did a great job with transitioning the story into a live action drama and it flows really well. The actor really look like their characters, I love how their hair was styled to match the original designs.
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Short but nicely done coming out story
overall pretty good story.acting wasn't bad. Jaffe was a little over the top with that laughter.
Chai did well.
interesting way to move the story forward, using music and action, but no dialogue in several parts.
mostly easy watch.
warning- their is a hard slap in one scene.
watched on YT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFifCdlf9e0
SPOILERS
TBH, I'd slapped that girl's hand away much sooner. lol. how annoying.
Bottoms up when drinking is so distasteful. And if you can't hold your drink, don't do it.
Drinking and driving, just don't.
"I'm not going with a gay." uhhh honey, you are in a gay bar. I mean, the place is called BLOW, and there is a rainbow attached to a banana at the entrance. eyeroll
For Jaffe to say it was no big deal, that he's been spoken to like that lots of time, and he's used to it, is really sad.
I hate when parents ask their kid a question, but then don't let them speak to actually answer it. smh
Dang pops, that was one heck of a slap!
I like how they focused on pop's grief. Finding out his son is gay, the dreams that he had for his son, future, family, etc going up in smoke so suddenly. That's a lot for him to handle. But if he'd listen to his son, there is no reason why he can't be happy and understand that the future may look differently, but ultimately it's HIS future to live, and as a dad, he should want his son to be happy, fulfilled, and successful in his own way.
1 yr time skip
Even Yok came around. wow. Love her little cherry tattoo on her arm. :))
as did pops.
and oh what a good wedding kiss. I man, they've been together a year, so I'm glad it wasn't just a lip press. lol
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More engaging than expected
The synopsis of this movie sounded rather unpromising by focusing on the real Tang Shenwei's achievements, and I expected a lot of pompous propaganda about how much better Chinese culture is than the rest of the world. (There is a bit of an untrustworthy enemy included, but not too heavy.Nevertheless, I took a chance on it and it was surprisingly engaging. Of course, the movie is probably totally fictionalised, as the only real bio info I could get didn't mention any of the exciting events. But throw in a good-looking foreign princess, unsympathetic bosses, and family tragedy and it ended up quite an easy watch. Not a groundbreaking work or wildly exciting, but nice characters and good acting from the ML (pity about the mustache in the later part of the movie). Decent subtitles, and a nice pacifist message. I watched it on CCTV6 China Official Movie Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHCgvE7_4Ys
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Game of love?
How can a short film tell more in 9min than many others in 90? The director's skills are amazing: the writing is original and the cinematography stunning!A man has to find his mysterious and quirky girlfriend every night by 3:01 AM based on a photo she sends him. If he does not, he will never see her again. His wanderings around HK at night are filled with light, shadows, foreboding and challenge. But he is getting tired of her not letting him get any closer: he realizes he does not really know her and one night he misses her by a few seconds and never sees her again. He is resigned never to see her again but a lingering regret remains: he does not remember her face any more but the memory of her is still overpowering. he moved on but he is still somehow stuck on her....
This short film is a testimony to how charismatic people leave a permanent trace behind them and how difficult it is to get close to them and at the same time break free from them!
The cinematography, here, beautifully illustrates the fleeting nature of the girl: it is fast, fuzzy and interspersed with flashed of light.
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It was aight
Okay, so picture this: you're settling in to watch this short film called 'Wedding', and at first, you're like, 'Wait, is this a documentary or what?' That's exactly what went through my head halfway through. The way the actresses were looking straight at the camera and interacting with it had me questioning reality for a second. But then I figured, hey, maybe they're going for that whole documentary vibe.Let me tell you, the acting in this thing is solid. The dynamic between the characters is on point. I mean, I wouldn't be shocked if someone told me they were a real-life couple because the chemistry feels authentic... for the most part. Sure, I didn't feel the sparks flying as much as I'd hoped, but hey, you win some, you lose some.
One thing that caught me off guard though – there's no background music. It's just pure dialogue and ambient noise, which, I guess, adds to the whole 'documentary' feel they were going for, but personally, I missed having a soundtrack to set the mood.
Overall, 'Wedding' is an interesting watch. It might throw you for a loop with its documentary-style filming, but stick with it for the performances. Just don't expect any romantic symphonies in the background.
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A ride exploring love's unexpected twists.
Ever stumbled upon a movie you weren't quite eager to watch, only to find yourself entranced by its story? Well, that's precisely what happened when I stumbled into "My Teacher,""My Teacher" invites you to witness the journey of Shimada Hibiki, a skilled high school archer discovering love for the first time. When she starts noticing the warmth beneath her strict history teacher, Mr. Ito, things take a turn. The film explores the challenges of teenage emotions and societal norms.
Hibiki's emotional rollercoaster, portrayed by Hirose Suzu and Ikuta Toma, feels genuine, adding depth to the story. The cinematography captures the essence of the narrative, creating a visually appealing backdrop.
While the movie touches on potentially controversial themes, it does so with a delicate approach. "My Teacher" is more than a love story; it's about understanding the complexities of human connection and the choices we make in the face of societal expectations.
The film offers an intimate look into the characters' lives, making it a heartfelt journey of unexpected connections and self-discovery.
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Better villain than Jang Chen?
After watching this film, people will compare Kang hee sang to Jang Chen and some even say Kang is better or stronger than Jang Chen but that's utter bullshit.If Kang hee sang is an assassin type, Jang Chen is a combatant type. With machete or knife, Kang hee sang got the edge but with bare hands or without weapons, Jang Chen wins by a mile. He's the one who gave most trouble to Ma seok du without any weapon while kang got obilerated while holding a weapon. Is this part Better than 1st part? Yeah but in a different aspect
It's a chase while 1st part is more of cops and robbers game. Both are enjoyable.
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Kinda forgettable not gonna lie
I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters. The acting is somewhat decent, except for the Male actor, though he only had a bit part.The whole setup of hinting at each other's feelings, like a tug of war who will slip up and confess was okay I guess, it was kinda cute.
There's not much cinematography, but that's understandable. Lastly, there's no background music at all even though music is the half of heavy lifting to make a scene more impactful.
I know it's a very short film, but I've seen some tiktoks where in a span of a minute, it'll be able to tickle your heart, so there's no excuse.
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