Reviews

This is what life is for some people.

This was a raw view of a bad relationship. Getting together and staying for the wrong reasons. Unfortunately we are given very little information on the why’s that result in this. The end also has to be assumed. These unhealthy relationships happen and continue to this day. Regardless of the gender.The actors did a good job with what they had. The main couple was disfuncional and their vision towards life was hopeless. Our second North Korean on the other hand. Stayed the course. We can assume that even though the pain, made an effort to integrate himself to society.

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Just go watch Lost instead

Anatahan is a fictional retelling of the Japanese soldiers stranded on the Pacific island of Anatahan from 1944 to 1951. In both the real story and this one, they refused to believe the war was over.

This film features a Japanese cast and has dialogue all in Japanese, but the director (who also narrates the story in English) is a white dude who lathers the story with a heap of racist exotification and sexism. All in all, it's a pretty Western production.

As such, the story ends up as a crude Lord the Flies with the one woman on the island tossed around as part of the ongoing power struggle. The narrator and the other characters spend the entire film objectifying and harassing her (also content warning for domestic violence and rape, if you plan on watching this).

It's a shame because the premise of the story is an interesting one. Holding out on a stranded island for years on end has been the premise of many of a good piece of cinema. Yet this film flops. Badly.

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Hollow

There wasn't enough of an emotional connection (with any character or between any of them) to make up for all the disturbing and shock-value scenes (sexually and non-sexually). Gruesome in parts. It's not philosophical or psychologically interesting either.
I wish I hadn't given it a try.

The "bond" between the student and teacher is thin and forced. Their motivations, especially regarding each other, are weak and shallow. They had very little chemistry. The "romance" is flat and actually had me rolling my eyes a couple times.

The acting was okay but no one was charismatic.

Out of the many sexual scenes, the 2 that weren't disturbing weren't good either. They felt blocked-out and not natural at all. Rather awkward and perfunctory.

To me there was nothing redeeming or in any way enjoyable about this story.

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Perseverance is really Important

Just finished the movie and I gotta say that it leaves such a warm feeling by the time you finish it. The song at the end specially would give you such a feeling of warmth. I watched this movie after listening to that song repeatedly. The acting by our two main leads was good. If felt natural for high schooler even though it is a fantasized version. No unnecessary plots. I specially loved how both the leads focus on perfecting their craft for not only because of the promise but also because of the passion and respect they have for each other. Only problem with this series (not the movie) is that the manga is not fully translated in English and there is no anime version. What the hell are you waiting for Japan. Make an anime adaptation of this Shoujo. It would sell like hotcakes. Sorry to go off on a weird tangent but the point is this movie is not only wholesome but also inspirational. It would inspire you to be best at your craft while also encouraging others to do the best.

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Inusuale, "antico" ma godibile

Tenuto conto che si tratta di un film che ha quasi vent'anni, girato in Corea, tanto di cappello. E' ovvio che non può essere paragonato ad un'opera dei giorni nostri.
Un Lee Joon Gi ancora in boccio, ma che già prometteva quel che ha poi mantenuto, e anche tutto il resto del cast ha funzionato alla grande. E' normale che nella lunghezza di un film si perdano molte sfumature, la storia si sarebbe forse potuta migliorare con un breve drama, ma anche così è stata soddisfacente.
Forse un po' oscuro e sospeso il finale, in linea con le ultime inquadrature che vedono i protagonisti sospesi per aria.
Un'ottima visione, per me.

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Cute retelling

This was a re-telling that was fun. It has a happy ending, yet leaves the door open for future re-telling. As is often the case with Japanese productions, there are always one or two people that overact. The witch was such a person, but finally settled into her role.

There was a fun twist to the story that I didn’t see coming. The actress playing Little Red Riding hood was very good. I just wish they hadn’t made her hair red, it blended too much with her cape. Small quibble. Since there is a requirement for a certain number of words in reviews, I’ll say that I would recommend this if you don’t want to make too much of a time commitment.

Leia Mais

A cute watch

This drama starts of like any other enemies to lovers kind of trope. Except the lead is a tutor and the male lead is a high school student?!?

It’s a bit odd at first and I found myself disliking the female lead at the start- she just seemed very annoying at times. But after the first couple of tutor sessions it’s really funny to see their dynamic.

The male lead is absolutely amazing - I have seen him in other dramas and he always nails it. I think he really saved it for me - he was able to encompass all the emotions so well (jealous, anger, happiness and love).

There are also many side characters like the high school friends, those scenes were really funny. It also felt like a time capsule ( gave me flashbacks to older kdramas).

The premise of the drama is not really complex- but I think what makes it so intriguing is the chemistry. It really grows throughout and you begin to root for them.

The music was not really memorable and I would not really say I remembered much of it.

I would definitely rewatch. It’s a cute watch would recommend if your feeling a bit down.

Leia Mais

A perfect conclusion

Oh hell yeah, that's how you do a story climax right!

Where the first half focused on introducing the characters and setting up the plot, this second half gives us some more insights into the characters' inner lives. It explores the fascinating seesaw of power between the two - the restrictive labels of Senior and Junior, the class difference, and Seiryo's relationship with Shino which lends him a certain amount of power in Yuzuru's eyes.
It also dives a little deeper into the euphoric sense of vertigo that comes with finding someone who likes you, just you, as a whole, and adores the things that other people have repeatedly criticised you for. This not only endears the viewer further to the characters (although if you've not grown incredibly fond of them at this point I don't know what to tell you), but also serves to make the ever-building, all-consuming tension not only bearable but enjoyable as well.

The camera work and editing continue to enhance each scene until the story finally culminates in a truly fantastic and incredibly touching penultimate scene that genuinely made me pump my fist in the air and go "Now THAT'S how you do buildup and breaking of tension!"

I don't think I really need to say anything to make you watch this movie, this is the second half after all, if you're here you've already started watching anyway.
But if you're just scrolling through these reviews and fondly remembering the movie, let this be your sign to go rewatch it, rewatch it right now! You already know you'll love every minute.

Leia Mais

A masterpiece that has stood the test of time!

When I stumbled across this movie for the first time I thought "Huh..." and somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind I started to vaguely recall having read the manga years ago.
So I thought "Why not" and decided to give the movie a shot. And absolutely nothing could have prepared me for how much I've grown to love it.

From the very beginning the movie has a distinct quiet feel to it, a sort of understated grace that is incredibly hard to pull off without becoming boring. But bore me this did not!
The, let's be honest, fairly shallow and fluffy story is given depth by absolutely stellar performances and gains an undercurrent of authenticity and, for me personally, an aching sense of nostalgia. It effortlessly conjures up the absolute, razor sharp, stepping-around-landmines tension of being a queer kid, who maybe isn't even aware they're a queer kid yet, making a queer connection for the first time with such incisiveness that I found myself absolutely speechless.

And that feeling didn't let up. The entire movie is an absolute masterclass in tension. From the recurring theme of archery, the creaking drawing of bowstrings, to the ceaseless push and pull of the main characters' dynamic - that hesitant reaching out and pulling back of two people who are terrified, terrified of wanting but much more terrified of not being wanted in return - to the long static shots, the lingering close-ups, and the drawn-out continuous takes. It all adds up to steadily build a breathless sort of tension until you feel as if you're being forced to walk a tight-rope of emotions.
It's absolutely incredible.

If you like slow-building romances, stories with lots of tension but very little angst, or movies that speak volumes by deliberately saying very little out loud, then I couldn't recommend this movie more.
It's also a very faithful adaptation of the manga so if you're a fan of the source material you'll very likely love this as well.
Go watch it and then go watch the sequel, I promise you'll be in for an absolute treat.

Leia Mais

Beautiful movie

I started this movie because of the edits I saw on tiktok and it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed at all!

The love story build up between the main characters is beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time. From their first kiss to their love confession, everything was just so beautiful.

I loved how angsty their love story is the most, there was so much unsurety between them but both of them knew that they liked each other, even that boss in the end could tell they loved each other so much…

I was going to be very mad if they didn’t end up together but thankfully their love won!!!

Beautiful story!!

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Awful

That's not to say the film-making is awful. But this story will devastate you.

**CW: domestic violence, rape**

If you're not one yourself, you would likely be well aware of the intensity that comes with being a true fangirl. In this case, Jane is a typical pop fangirl, willing to go to extreme lengths to be in the presence of her idol, Paulo. She attends a fan event and semi-accidentally ends up in the back of Paulo's ute. He starts driving home, unaware of his passenger.

Paulo's public-facing mask slips quickly but it takes more than a couple of uncouth moments for Jane's fantasy to falter. With Jane trying to play adult, even after Paulo reveals his true character at home, events spiral into darkness. The contrast between the idol she revered and the mundane man before her is shattering.

Now, it's at this point where I feel iffy about this film. Paulo rapes Jane. And while it may not look like it on the surface, this is the point of rupture for Jane.

If you've ever had even passing knowledge of pop idol stans, you would know that sexual fantasies play an important (even if not always outrightly acknowledged) role in a lot of fan culture. The online proliferation of fan-created smut is testimony.

Consequently, we fully expect that Jane has had similar fantasies around sleeping with her idolised image of Paulo. The rupture occurs because when the encounter does happen in real life, it's literally and metaphorically a painful departure from the daydreams.

The rape scene also marks a turning point in Jane's own character development for the final part of the film. It's after this stage that she starts identifying Paulo's abusive behaviour with that of her mother's abusive partner.

I'm iffy about the rape scene because I'm not sure the full gratuity was necessary. However, I don't think censoring it would've really helped so perhaps it does have a place.

In light of the ambivalent ending of the film – (which I liked, with it's cynicism or hope, depending on how you read it) – the story would've likely have packed a bit less of a punch.

I was absolutely wrecked when I first finished this film and originally tried to forget it. But now that a bit of time has passed and I've rewatched the ending, I think it's brutality is its selling point.

It's a reminder as to why we use idol fandom as a form of escapism in the first place. The sweet manufactured nature of pop culture appeals because it's so remote from real life. Who wouldn't jump in the back of their idol's car when given the chance?

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It makes sense that a pen solves anxiety

After all, what Nervous Translation depicts so well is the eclectic reasoning of childhood. Following the character of Yael, I'm reminded of the way I made sense of the world at a similar age. Snippets of TV, bits of adult conversation, the intensity of school mathematics.

Yael's mum, Val, juggles exhaustion due to work, keeping her own private boundaries, and looking after family. She is real. We all know a Val or we are a Val.

Nervous Translation is a slice of life. I found the pacing to be a little too slow but, then again, the emotion did creep up on me near the end. At times, it verges on surrealism, sometimes with effect, sometimes less so.

A good film with a gentle touch on life's anxieties.

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A meta blend of fiction and documentary

Or as Peter Bradshaw, writing for The Guardian, put it: "Buddhist supernatural realism".

By the Time It Gets Dark has a clear point of departure: The 1976 Thammasat University massacre. The film draws its initial reflections from the few photographs available from the time, before spending the rest of the film shifting between gaps, silences and layers around and beyond the historical event.

The majority of By the Time It Gets Dark follows the journey of the film-making itself. Not in a behind-the-scenes way, but the struggle of the craft in attempt to convey meaning. It's self-reflexive while, at the same time, not shunning the audience. Don't worry, this isn't one of those arthouse films that experiments for the sake of self-indulgence. You can sense the creators' desire to grapple with the 1976 massacre while struggling to develop and articulate its meanings on multiple levels.

It's not trying too hard, nor is it a chore to watch. When you take this film for what it is, you're able to appreciate it more.

When Ben Kenigsberg from the New York Times said if there couldn't be explanations, then at least there should be "footnotes" and that it'll go over the heads of those not "in sync", I think it's important to note that being "in sync" is besides the point. The visual glitches and play with colour saturation near the end of the film show that that even the creators themselves aren't "in sync" with what is being (or not being) represented.

I don't have this film figured out and you're not meant to. By the Time It Gets Dark is one of those artworks, like poetry, where, if you're trying to figure out what it's 'saying', then you're misunderstanding its existence. If it lingers, then that is sufficient.

Peter Bradshaw's Guardian Review: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/16/by-time-gets-dark-review-bangkok-protests-massacre-anocha-suwichakornpong
Ben Kenigsberg's NYT review: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/movies/by-the-time-it-gets-dark-review.html
Mark Kermode's Guardian Review (I find his reading to be more generous): https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/18/by-the-time-it-gets-dark-film-review-dazzling-reflections-thai-history

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