Reviews

"It takes time to get used to things"

Chungking Express is more a mood than a story, more style than substance but an entertaining and colorful watch. Lonely and heartbroken people brush up to the edge of madness as they look for love or try to reclaim it. Lives touch briefly with unexpected outcomes.

In the first short story, Officer #223 is attempting to win back his girlfriend May, unable to move on. Most evenings he hangs out at the snack bar using the pay phone to try and get in touch with her through relatives and friends. Each day he purchases a can of pineapple with the expiration date of May 1, coincidentally his birthday, and vows after eating thirty of them if she hasn't come back, he will move on. His love lines cross paths with Brigitte Lin's Blonde Wig Woman who is a drug dealer and smuggler who has been double-crossed by the trafficking mules she has prepared.

The whole May 1 expiration date bit was too on the nose, feeling more and more contrived as the bit went along. Brigitte Lin in sunglasses, a trench coat and armed with a gun was at least interesting. It took a while to care about a guy who couldn't get over being dumped. Brigitte Lin's drug dealer, who was never given a name, was more compelling. I eventually began to vibe with this strange emotional bump in the night. At least it got #223 to stop talking about pineapples. "Do you like pineapples?" Yeah, that's a player move. I honestly would have loved to see this relationship play out with both people on opposite sides of the law.

My interest perked up with the second story when Tony Leung looking sexy in a police officer uniform entered the scene. Officer #663 was also nursing a broken heart after his flight attendant girlfriend soared away for new sexual adventures. Faye, the new worker at the snack bar took an instant liking to him. When his girlfriend's letter with the apartment keys ends up in her hands, the movie nosedived for me. Using the keys from the envelope, Faye began breaking in to #663's apartment every day-cleaning, buying new bedding and decorations, restocking items, and generally making herself at home. #663 with his keen observation skills carefully honed by his years as a cop never noticed the differences. He had a habit of psychoanalyzing his soap and dish towel and thought the soap was just getting fat because it couldn't move on from his ex.

Maybe it's a male fantasy that an invisible woman will clean, decorate, and restock their apartment like little cookie elves but if the roles were reversed instead of quirky, we'd find it creepy. A male character hanging out all day uninvited sniffing a woman's things and making himself at home would be stalkerish and not romantic. I quickly lost interest in this story. And as much as I love the Mamas and the Papas' "California Dreamin'"after hearing it for nearly 45 minutes, I'm not going to want to hear it for another decade.

The frozen action overlaid with sped up action, swirly camera action and stop motion running was a director's creativity on overload especially when dazzling colorful lights joined the artistic fray. As I said, this was all about the mood. Different people will see this film through their own expectations. Character development and story resolution were beside the point. How did it make you feel watching the lonely people connecting amid the kaleidoscope of lights?

Rather than being romantic, the stories showed just how desperate some people are for companionship and will latch onto the first person who pays any attention to them. With the exception of maybe the drug dealer, the rest of the characters seemed to being hanging onto their sanity by a thread. Were they lonely because their behavior ran people off or were they behaving strangely because they were lonely? Chungking Express was visually impressive, the narrative-not so much.

9/29/23

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Discover the right path to the solution

Well originally I thought this was a Korean rewrite of the original movie "Finding Forrester". In that movie it was about bitter old man who lost his brother and was considered a literary genius. He befriends a young man with huge potential but an education system that wants to just use him for what they need him for and the main bad guy is a stuck up literature teacher who was a failure in every sense of the word. Needless to say both stories are virtually identical in general plot the writers of "In Our Prime" ended up changing literature to math but essentially had the same story. But I will say that the Korean movie tended to show how the Korean education system seems to value getting money from "rich" people instead of actually wanting to teach students to strive for personal goals and achievements. It's sad that the educators in this movie wanted to cover up a scandal that essentially made them all accessories to the facts but they were too concerned about saving face and would actually throw an actual "poor" student underneath the proverbial bus because it was easier than to actually set an example to the students and tell the truth. The 3 main characters were amazing actors I'm not familiar with of them except for the actor who played the North Korean defector. Even with the pain and sadness when he thought of what he had taught the student he came back with courage and ended up finding a new path and a new life. Excellent movie. A little sad that I've seen so many Korean movies that seem to make their education system seem very corrupt and dishonest.

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Good story but not that scary

If you are fan of horror movies with different stories, you must watch this. It's a good movie as all of the stories showed how each stories of each characters are connected and related to each other. It's not that scary for me but I would say that this movie has a good story and it is well made. It's not confusing which I like the most. And also even though I did not got scared while watching, I really liked the acting of the casts. They are really immersed with their characters and I could really feel and get the messages with their acting. I don't know why I just got to know and watch this movie but it's worth to watch.

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China just shows it too can make a great fantasy movie

I found out that Creation of the Gods took five years to make, and their selection of young actors to play the main characters in the movie and the training they all went through .. needless to say, drew a deep curiosity to watch the movie. I am glad to say I wasn't one bit disappointed! I am so impressed with the movie. From the brilliant acting from the old cast, the familiar cast and the young cast they all excelled and made this movie superbly entertaining! The animation is just amazing 90% of it.. not to mention the high-quality production value invested in the movie, and I was totally enamoured!! It's so real, I felt like I was watching the mythology that my mum used to tell us as our bedtime story when my siblings and I were toddlers.

I have watched a few movie editions and dramas (Investiture of the Gods) and none really did the novel justice, until Creation of the Gods. This is one Chinese fantasy movie I will recommend highly for Chinese and non-Chinese alike. A word of warning though, if you are not exposed to Chinese Mythology you need to prepare yourself for a ride!

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I like historical Chinese films

I like historical Chinese films, spiced with a mystical and even fairy tale story and spiced with subtle BL relationships between the men of that time, and I want to thank you for the translation into Slovak. Here at gaytitulky.info, several such films are listed (China, Korea), but Han Zi Gao's film The Male Queen and The Untamed with a rating of 9.1 on MDL are missing here. Mermaid's Jade even boasts some minor BL scenes that I didn't even count on, apparently it got past Chinese censorship as a relationship between a minister and a mermaid (but it was a mermaid ha ha). Good acting, story a little rushed (but I don't mind at all) and a surprise ending that no one expects, with beautiful music and you can kind of guess the ending or rethink the story, which for me was the most amazing ending. For me, very beautiful, deep and I would like to watch it again sometime.

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A menagerie of kung fu styles!

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow was Jackie Chan's first hit and first hint at the comedic kung fu movie style he would go on to perfect. A 65-year-old Simon Yuen meshed perfectly with Chan and the old kung fu artist showed he was still spritely for a man his age.

Chien Fu is an orphan who works as a janitor and tackling dummy for a martial arts school. When he "saves" a beggar from being abused by another school he inadvertently meets his new kung fu teacher. Pai Chang Tien is a Snake Fist master in disguise and on the run from the Eagle Claw clan who are seeking to eliminate all those who practice the reptilian style. After an arduous training montage, Chien Fu learns the Snake style just in time to face the Big Bad. But in order to defeat him he will have to add another style to succeed in the life or death battle.

Simon Yuen was a delight as the crafty old master who could defeat opponents with chopsticks and a rice bowl. He may have had stuntman help but there were many scenes where he was still showing he had the moves that had kept him employed for thirty years at the time. His son, Yuen Woo Ping, alongside Hsu Hsia created the entertaining fights. While acrobatic and comic, the fights could be slow as Jackie Chan went through his elaborate moves. The movie did show why there need to be animal rights activists when Chien Fu learned Cat's Claw technique from watching a house cat fight a cobra. PETA line 1! Tino Wong made an appearance as an offended fighter who roughed up some of the school's fighters and in the end had to be taught a lesson by Chien Fu. In the final fight with Hwang Jang Lee, aka Thunderleg, the legendary kicker accidentally knocked out one of Jackie's teeth which was quite apparent. The screeching cat sounds were hilarious when Chien Fu used the Cat's Claw technique.

Snake in the Eagle's Shadow started out slow, but once Simon brought Jackie up to speed on his fighting skill, the movie also picked up speed. Aside from the initial slapstick scenes, the comedy also became better integrated into the story as it went on and wasn't so over the top. This was a fun kung fu flick that showed off a variety of styles which I always find interesting. The chemistry between Chan and Yuen made up for story plot holes and lapses. For fans of Jackie Chan, it's one to check out to see where his comedic style really began to take root.

9/28/23

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A Sentimental Journey

I started this film expecting a sweet, feel-good story of personal triumph. It was that, but it should also have carried a trigger warning: May induce brony bawling.

Another reviewer described it as uneven and illogical, and complained about the way it switched focus from a youth romance kind of story to one with much more pathos (the bawling bit). LIFE is uneven and illogical, and sudden shifts in the emotional tone of life are very, very real. I spent much of the last 30 minutes literally bawling out loud, thanks to the powerful performances from an old favourite, and an actor I've barely seen.

The old favourite is Lee Sung Min. I've loved him every since Miss Korea (best K Drama STP EVAH, if you haven't watched it, DO!) and he shone here as the self-repressed Dad. The actor I've barely seen before was Lee Soo Kyung. I absolutely lvoed her character and her performance and was watching to see how her story turned out. The answer was not the one I'd have hoped for. But I will be looking out for her from now on, hoping to see her shine in a brighter story,

I was also really impressed with Yoona. One reviewer said that the ML actor never looked like a high schooler while praising Yoona's eternal youth. That made me smile as she's only 3 years younger than the ML actor and she too NEVER looked like a high schooler in this film. But that didn't matter because both did well. I can't comment on the quality and authenticity of her satoori, but it sounded ok to me, and that she delivered real emotion in it shows how far she's come as an actor.

Overall, I'm very glad I watched this movie, and glad I did so alone, so that my loud crying didn't disturb anyone else ?

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Realistic modus operandi of tech crime

The storyline has a similar genre to Netflix's Unlocked movie, which is also about smartphone stalking, and the fear inducing hunting has almost the same level of terror as Tving's Midnight, a legendary Kmovie about stalking. Here the movie takes a more practical approach to the notorious tech crime. The plot is really innovative as it features the realistic modus operandi of the criminal, the pacing is great with nail biting suspense. Meanwhile for Shin Hye Sun headlining this movie, I knew she's gonna be great for this role and it really is, her acting performance is freaking insane. The ending is so crazily scary, I'm gonna get PTSD after watching it.

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SPOILER FREE REVIEW AS AN SOUTH ASIAN

I will keep this review short and worthy.So,I randomly stumbled upon this while scrolling for something to watch and I DO NOT REGRET IT.
The movie you will feel would not be relevant today considering its release time however its an all time movie .Its a very realistic one and truly shows how the matter of adultery can be handled in different ways and story is simple,pure yet unique.
The lead actors and supporting cast too did their roles justice however I feel the male lead could have been a little more clear with his expression.
The bgm was not something outstanding but still mixed with scenes very well.
This movie is the perfect watch if you want a warm, fuzzy forbidden trope romance and want a quiet watch.

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You're going to enjoy it !

That was a really cute ending to a beautiful story. !
When you first met the characters, you may think it's going to be cliché or cringe but they really put a lot of effort to craft the characters, their personnalities, their stories and their relationship perfectly.
The relationship is super cute to watch and you just love them together. You want even more when it ends.
Also, the other characters storyline are really interesting to follow and add to the main plot without dragging the story !
I can see that the entire team did this movie (adn the all serie) with love and passion and I'm thankful for that !
I hope to see them in an other story soon maybe as grown adults ?

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felt empty

Okay, so I am giving this 7.5 stars out of 10 because I love the series so fucking much. This was a wreck, bro. Oh, my god. So the whole drama, which was already a wreck and an absolute dumpster fire, but in a good way, was put into this shitass movie. This movie was an actual dumpster fire, and I don't even know what they were thinking with this shit. This shit was ass.

I love the series so much. It was so good, well. Eh I don't know. But I have rewatched it more than once so it was good. I don't have a lot to say on this besides it was terrible. They got rid of a lot of the good scenes and I am lowkey mad about it. Like it just felt empty and it felt like the speech and debate event humorous interptration. Like someone has never watched the series and tried to make it into a movie. It just felt weird as fuck and I hated it a lot. This is my second movie done and review on here, so thats pretty cool. Good for them. If only this was not ass. There was no devlopment between anyone because they cut out the good parts and I will forever be mad about this. Missed opportunity and bad interprtaion of a pretty good show. They did not do this show any justice. That's it. I wouldn't recommend this. Okay bye!

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If you don't have an interest in pink films, this probably isn't for you

Gun Attaphan fans will be better off rewatching Not Me.
However, if the first Thai pink film is what caught your interest, you're in for gorgeous cinematography, haunting acting and a great soundtrack. It's the last day of The Gang of Cherry as it's unravelling after a deal gone to shit, and no, the story does not always make sense. It's a stunning and mesmerising film nonetheless. Sometimes the acting is a bit stilted, and I'm docking some points for the story as I'm left with what feels holey and jarring rather than understated a fair bit of the time, and I actually have a great deal of patience with arthouse imprenetability... But the production is terrific and the film overall captivating. It slots neatly into the pink film tradition.

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The best kind of catharsis

Is this short ridiculous? Over the top? On the nose? Why yes, yes it is. And for once I truly mean that as a compliment.
This film has a very clear message and that is: Queer women are done with your shit.
The endless struggle to find funding for queer media, the non-stop fight for monetization, the never-ending stream of straight men trying to lay claim to female sexuality... no more.
Most of the time the fight for progress is a slow, drawn-out process of fostering good-will and understanding but sometimes, just sometimes, it's an actual fight. Sometimes you have to stand up and very literally kick your opponent directly in the nuts... and then make out with your girlfriend about how cool that was just now.
This film is a giant, joyous middle finger towards anything and anyone that has ever kept queer women down and I for one enjoyed the hell out of it.

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