Reviews

Atonement or violence?

Am I allowed to say I did not like this?

Maybe because I did not understand it? Maybe because I did not find the plot and the acting convincing enough?

The movie was all over the place:is it a police vs. gangsters movie, is it a human drama, is it an attempt at redemption?

The only moment I actually felt that the policeperson (the main lead) is maybe trans, was in the last 30 seconds of the movie when he lifted a little finger and looked wistfully at another trans person! Before that: he was a macho policeman,extremely well trained, killing without regret gangsters. Yes, women can be the same: just look at Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. He hid really well his true nature. Is it possible to be so convincing in real life? How exhausting it must be to pretend to be someone you are not for years....

But here his desire to change sex stems mostly from regret: when he was young he refused his best friends who ended up killing himself in front of him while he did nothing to stop him! Regrets can make a person do all sorts of things to atone for past mistakes. Maybe only at the moment he realized who he really is? Allow me to doubt. The actor, himself, looked highly uncomfortable wearing dresses and make up.

The movie is extremely violent, dark and unforgiving. The world is a scary place and happiness is not for people who make mistakes.

Leia Mais

Innocent and sweet, but some grown ups suck

A short film that shows childhood at its sweetest, kids playing around on a beautiful beach, having fun and I guess just being kids. At times it made me wondering where are the grown ups but once one showed up I figured they could do better without them.

There is very little dialog, and not a lot of drama however one word is all it takes to change the course of a story and that part was done really well. Reminding me of parts of my own childhood and how grown ups kind of sucked back then too.

So if you are in the mood for some pretty scenery and kids being kids while teaching us a lesson or two this is a good place to find it.

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Real old fashioned pantomime

We thoroughly enoyeded this, finding it by looking out for things featuring the fabulous Maya Miki, who doesn't feature very much but it was still very good. It has much of the flavour of a real old fashioned British stage pantomime, which often had a lot of fairytale characters mixed together, It was indeed very 'stagey' which was fine for us but seems to have disappointed people who wanted more opened-out action. It was funny - laughed out loud a couple of times - and the plot was intricate enough to be a surprise without being confusing. Perfect Xmas holiday viewing. (There are a lot of negative reviews on IMDB, mostly people complaining about this film not being something that it didn't set out to be. ) Good to see Hashimoto Kanna in something other than schoolgirl killer mode (loved ANIMAL SQUAD!) and would definately want to see more of this Red Riding Hood's adventures.

Leia Mais

Du très grand Lee Je-Hoon

Un très bon thriller, avec une intrigue classique, mais un super casting !
Dans un monde où tout va mal, une bande de braqueurs débutants s'en prend à un casino illégal tenu par la mafia... qu'est ce qui pourrait aller mal ?
Un chasseur est à leurs trousses, et il ne fait pas dans la dentelle !
Le film est bien rythmé, on ne s'ennuie pas du tout. La musique accompagne bien les moments où il faut qu'on s'angoisse !
Lee Je-Hoon est excellent dans ce film, il peut être téméraire, apeuré, en mode berserk, ému...
Clairement il faut un 2e épisode !

Leia Mais

Film that tells us the importance of family

First off, Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes's acting is just wow. Their chemistry is unbelievable.

The film has a lot to do with family and it's importance and how we should value them more while we're still here. The film also touches on the subject of how we should just trust God and His plans. I honestly didn't focus much on that aspect since I'm not exactly a devout Catholic. But, I do believe even if you're not a devout Catholic, like me, you'll still be able to enjoy the film.

There are a lot of serious moments, but there were also some fun and light moments. It also made me ugly cry inside the theater (and I heard others sniffling, too), so I suggest bringing tissues haha. It didn't help that they kept playing Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay by Ben&Ben.

One quote that stuck to me was:

"Naintindihan ko na kung bakit bata pa lang pinagtagpo na tayo, dahil hindi pala tayo sabay tatanda."

Leia Mais

Old School Courting with burning angst

Something normal to brighten up your mood. Explains this one perfectly. The context of diary exchange is very familiar of diary exchange, but that one lie made things complicated and beautiful. The storytelling came out beautifully with the acting, music and the way it was captured.
The scenes even with mute can be predicted not only due to the familiarity but also due to the way the actors convey it. Their eyes and expressions speak louder than words.
1. The way Nozomi's character is sketched out was a bit off for me, this might change with perspective.
2. The start felt off, I had second thoughts but trust me it gets better. You just have to make it past about 15 minutes or so.
3. The limited plot. A very hard concept to find nowadays. People just prefer dramatic twists and turns. This one for a change stuck to the main theme and concluded on it.
4. The smaller chunks of portraying friendship amongst teenagers had me hooked. An important aspect right there: Apologize. You will know once you watch it.
5. While the lie kept me on edge burning with angst till the end. The revelation felt so so so good. I can't describe it in words.
6. Apart from those initial 15 mins, this will keep you engaged. A lot of parts were really heartwarming...
That's it for this one. But definitely a rewatch worth movie when you just want something cozy and sweet.

Leia Mais

A Definite 'Must Watch'

I am a lover of Rom-Coms, they lift you up and make you believe that your perfect romance might be out there somewhere. 20th Century Girl is one of the ones that makes you think that may be some day someone might love you more than you know, that love could be reciprocated and it was all worth it. Teen romance is something so magical and this film really makes you feel it.
I cry every single time I watch this movie and I've seen it repeatedly, trust me! The acting was amazing, the story is both heartbreaking and beautiful in equal measures and the cinematography really got me too. I would recommend this one to anyone who wants to feel all the emotions of a first love, it's such an excellent movie.

Leia Mais

Sometimes we all need a good cliche in our lives

This movie was cliche in every sense of the word, yet it never feels bad in any way, if anything, its the same 'cliches' that really complete this movie. The way It uses old cliches we've seen over and over again and presents them in such a great way that they don't feel like tired tropes, but instead fresh ones, is so great. Not once did I feel bored watching the movie no matter how 'predictable' the plot can become, and that's all in part because of the terrific performance between the 2 main leads. Darren plays the bad boy persona soo well, he's a true heartthrob which works perfectly well (seriously, the way he smirks gives me heart eyes every time) and Vivian was a natural in this role. The way she plays the quirky unpopular girl and it not being forced was great. Place these 2 great actors with even greater chemistry and you have the recipe to a wonderful romantic comedy film.

And that's what this is, a wonderful feel good romantic comedy film. Seriously, give it a shot. I promise you'll enjoy it.

Leia Mais

Super Fluffy and funny very nostalgic

A literal live-action anime film. I felt like I was watching an anime with how the scenes were filmed and acted out. I did enjoy myself and it was straight-up fluff. I does feel strange watching this 10+ yrs later I feel like I'd probably like most of those clothes most of the actors wore in the 2010s but with how my taste in fashion has changed I kept feeling myself cringe but that's how it goes when your preferences change over the yrs. The male lead is still super hot I still find his aesthetic hot. It was so nostalgic feeling even tho I've never seen this film before, but I still recommend this film. It was super cute and it did get a happy ending. Crazy to see how much has changed in 10 yrs.

Leia Mais

Story has potential as a psychological thriller.

General spoilers at the bottom. If you want more specifics on the ending, I've added a few hidden spoiler comments to the posted review. Direct link: https://mydramalist.com/profile/Zii3/review/327061

A good stopping point for a happy and hopeful ending is at 55 minutes & 55 seconds in! Or watch until 58 min & 58 seconds AT THE LATEST, though an underlying tension that leads to the ending starts to become more apparent.

I'd say this is more an M/M story, or even a psychological thriller, than a BL. If you like BLs but are not familiar with darker Japanese dramas, you may have a very hard time enjoying this (any appreciation likely requires a bit of a masochistic mood).

I'd say only watch if you're in the mood for something weird and likely unsettling but intriguing and with some bits of sweetness. While there are sexual themes and lots of shirtlessness, there isn't much physical intimacy shown by the camera. Some things are implied, but even the kisses are head-blocked (so lips aren't seen). Which, honestly, I was thankful for as the two brother characters are under 18. Some situations were unsettling enough without actually watching through them.

The plot and it's multiple twists is interesting and clues/explanations are revealed at a slow but even pace. In that regard, I thought the film did a good job. It kept me mentally engaged.

It's not a great film but it will linger in my mind for awhile. Yet I don't feel mentally scarred by it, unlike I was by The Shortest Distance Is Round, for example. I almost wish a longer remake of this was made because the foundation of the story is strong and has a lot of potential for a gripping psychological thriller if things were fleshed-out and if the production had a higher budget so more could be done with cinematography, lighting, sound, and costumes.

GENERAL SPOILERS below.

I knew the ending was going to be disturbing because everyone says so. I even knew the basic plot point of why it ends tragically. Yet I was STILL shocked by the final minutes and the ending tableau, lol! Wow.

The ending is tragic and creepy and there are Machiavellian characters, though who exactly is the driving force and for what reasons are revealed slowly. The audience doesn't get all the puzzle pieces until the end.

The acting was better than I expected. I was rooting for the main couple and happy when they reconciled. I wasn't deeply emotionally invested though, which helped me watch through the end without being depressed about it. It did tug at my heartstrings a bit though.

I thought the screenplay and the director did a fairly good job with symbology and tying together visual repetitions. For example, Sho's favorite color is white. Ritsu held a white towel around Sho's head in the past to dry his hair. In a present scene, white cloth is held around Sho's head that Ritsu will turn into a shirt for him. Later, Ritsu holds up the shirt as he waits for Sho and we can imagine Sho's face there. The camera then shows that Sho's face is indeed surrounded by white, but someone else has subverted the sequence.

Leia Mais

Such a great movie. And really good story. ?

So i have wanting to watch this movie for a very long time and today, i found it where i got watch (watched it on b4watch btw) and this movie so freaking good. Even if there is not yet romance, fake kisses, not much chemistry and skinskip, ost and etc. I still freaking loved this movie. I would definitely rewatch this. Because after all this movie was great. Recently i hage been watching movies and all are sad endings so this made me happy and yet emotional because it felt like i havent seen happy ending in 10 years. If you wanna watch this movie, then ill say a DEFINITE YES. Yes. yes. Giving a try will be NO REGRET. Giving it a try will be really great and this is really enjoyable. Because there are cute moments, difficult moments, and good moments. Overall i give it a 8/10 or a 8.5/10 because ofc there are lots of things missing. The acting was great too. So its not a bad movie.

Idk if anyone is even reading this, u can watch this movie for yourself! U will really like it and its not that bad. And i love u! Take care and happy new year 2024! Bye-bye 2023♡

Leia Mais

Pretty good movie with a happy ending

I think the plot was good and the acting too. It didn’t feel this long and the ending was good, I wasn’t expecting a happy ending.

Damn, the love that sergent has for his wife, that was pretty intense him injecting himself with the virus. I was relieved he lived.

It was heartbreaking when they decided not to land and to die to not infect their families and the population. That was moving. I was tearing up when we saw the passenger saying goodbye to their families and the speech.

It was infuriating to see that company who didn’t want to get involved and talk when the virus came from their facility and they had the antivirus.

Leia Mais

Adorable, well acted, & feel-good short film.

An easy, adorable, feel-good, 60 minute film. Actors are comfortable with each other and skinship and intimacy are believable. I won't rewatch often, but probably will at some point.

The three uknown, young male actors are really impressive; they are natural in line delivery and interactions and convey emotions convincingly. At first, Sun seems rather flat as a typical happy puppy-dog personality, but the script does give the actor a few more layers to work with further in.

All the boys are convincing in the attraction they feel and it's completely believable that Earth and Sun are falling in love with each other. The make out kissing scene is really realistic for teenage characters. Both sweet and passionate.

I was pleasantly surprised with the whole production. It has some weaknesses, but over all it's very smile-inducing.

GENERAL SPOILER about the parents:

The biggest thing that didn't work for me was Earth's parents; they were written and acted flatly, as caricatures. Their complete turn around in how they interacted with Earth was SO not believable. At all. My annoyance with how the screenplay handled this situation is continued below.

Earth's responses and growing frustration/resentment WAS realistic and believable though!

SPECIFIC SPOILER about the parents:

...

Also, it was probably unintentional, but the film seemed to promote running away from home to make parents change (they not only said we'll let you do guitar, but we'll let you do "whatever you want", and Earth even got a car shortly after). The result was very unrealistic, thus, not a great message for kids stuck in a similar situation. Sometimes moving out early is necessary for one's own preservation, but there are other things to try first. And a severely controlling parent is more likely to crack down harder at a large sign of "rebellion" (like running away for a couple days) than they are to become unconditionally supportive.

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nice story which can live though test of time

The Classic (2003) - 8,5/10 kmovie

story is nice two generation romance. +- its about daughter reading love letters of her mother and learning about her school romance
Of course drama got another storyline which is daughters current romance.

Overall even this movie is quite old it was funny and melodramatic at same time. Whole movie got about 2 hours, but more or less first 1,5hours is slow storytelling for both timelines an last 30 mins are climax of whole movie which connects both timelines together.

plot - FL[1968] is daughter of high official, but one summer she was at vacation viciting her uncle in countryside and found her first love[ML[1968]]. Later on they both meet at Seul, but into their love comes third guy which is officially engaged to FL[1968]. Continues their lovestory.
FL[200X] is daughter of first FL[1968] she manages to read her loveleters from past. FL[200X] loves ML[200X] which is quite popular guy at school which is together with her best friend. FL[200X] got nothing else to do than secretly love ML[200X] from far away.

genre - romance, melodrama

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