Reviews

Too many trigger warnings to mention!

Sep 2023
I had read various reviews, but a friend with similar viewing tastes to me, said it was actually a really good story... warped and shocking, but excellently done. So, in I stepped.
Along with the captive, Makoto, the viewer is assaulted pretty quickly.
Chained to a gurney and bound, so begins a relentless regime of horrendous sexual abuse, using a variety of sex aids and the captor's own fingers.
Makoto is kept clean, spends a lot of time alone and is quickly allowed to move around enough (though chained by one ankle), to reach a toilet and table containing water and nutrient / vitamin tabs; no food is given.
Beyond the scenes of assault, we learn what lead Katsuragi Makoto to attempting a drunken suicide, from which he is saved by his captor, Yoda Ryoji.
We also learn why Ryoji appears to be numb to the suffering his intolerable levels of abuse cause, for what he sees as a therapy to awaken Makoto's senses and make him want to live.
It surfaces that both are suffering crushing levels of guilt for similar reasons.
Over time, Makoto begins to form a weird but inescapable bond with Ryoji; it's almost like he has become addicted to the intense pleasure he ultimately experiences, even though at the same time, he is visibly disgusted, shamed and hurt physically by it (for obvious reasons ~ he's a straight guy, so it's going to hurt).
As time goes on, however, and the pain diminishes, he seems to lose the shame and humiliation he felt, too. Ryoji tells him that his desire to live is there (basically, suicide should never have been an option ~ he didn't really want to die).
How this ended, I kind of saw coming and wasn't surprised.
Whilst Ryoji sexually assaulted Makoto multiple times, he actually raped him once and that was the culmination of his 'therapy'. He was then left alone and realises it appears he is able to leave.
The ending is poignant and I find that utterly bizarre; yet it is.
I mean, this should be an impossible piece of work to watch. I actually hate scenes of intense bullying and/or where a character is walked all over and too weak to do anything about it. I've dropped dramas like that, which are actually like a kid's programme compared to this.
So I cannot explain why I felt I just had to finish this and, more to the point, could!
Perhaps it's because there isn't any actual cruelty from Ryoji. He is calm throughout, and explains his actions, even though what he's doing is appalling. He never verbally humiliates Makoto and is totally clinical in his attitude. There is no violence with the sexual acts at all; he does not go out of his way to hurt Makoto (in fact there's an instance where he himself was totally vulnerable).
It really is the most visceral, disturbing and yet compelling thing I've ever watched.
It is not simply BDSM porn, that's for sure.
Totally and utterly warped, but it gets away with it. Just.
I could never watch it again though.

Leia Mais

"I don't have time to die"

When Jimmy Wang Yu jumped off the Shaw Brothers ship, he sailed to Taiwan and made seven films there in 1971. Blood of the Dragon aka The Desperate Chase was one of those films. This film boasted many Taiwanese regulars-Lisa Chiao Chiao, Yi Yuan, Lung Fei, and Miao Tian. The fights, as many were from this time, utilized weapons instead of fists and kicks.

A young beggar is asked by a dying rebel to take a small bamboo container with a SECRET LIST to the prince. Jimmy Wang Yu's White Dragon uses his silver spear to save the boy when Lung Fei and his goons capture him to acquire the list. The White Dragon/Lung Tai and Ni Chiu take the list to the prince but are attacked as the prince is holding a grudge against Lung Tai. The prince uses a trick sword and Lung Tai's ambivalence about fighting the prince to wound the legendary warrior in white. Lung Tai and the boy escape to Lisa Chiao Chiao's restaurant where more bad guys are waiting to attack. After defeating or running off the bad guys all while bleeding copious amount of blood, Lung Tai explains that the hotheaded prince is actually a true patriot and at the top of the Secret List's names of rebels. The prince and Lung Tai make nice before Miao Tian and Yi Yuan bring their forces against the restaurant to retrieve the list.

I know that Wang Yu has been revered by kung fu fans but I've never cared for his acting. He tends to come across as stiff and smug and his fighting sluggish. I was pleased that he was looser in this film and his fighting quicker. Lisa Chiao Chiao didn't have much to do except wring her hands and stand around. You Long as Ni Chiu did a good job and thankfully the kid wasn't written as distractingly annoying as so many were. Miao Tian, Lung Fei, and Yi Yuan had limited scenes but could always be counted on to be properly menacing as the bad guys.

With the exception of one fight most of the fights were one man against several or many. Lung Tai had his silver spear, while the prince had a magic blade, Lung Fei had a chain with a blade covered metal ball, and Yi Yuan had a sword that could transform into a chain and back again. Yi Yuan's general also had the equivalent of throwing stars. The fights ranged from well done to sloppy. When the big groups were fighting against one, there were times that stuntmen flipped or fell back when they were nowhere near the action. Bodies being thrown or kicked far distances looked absurd even for a wuxia. You could also see at least one person tuck the spear under his arm when he was supposed to be run through with it. Overall, the fights and there were a lot of them, were entertaining with high stakes and numerous combatants.

More importantly than Jimmy Wang Yu for me was director/writer Kao Pao Shu. She was one of the very few women who had the chance to direct these masculine movies. I wish there had been stronger women in the film but we can't have everything. The White Dragon was an anti-hero, the lone loner who wanted to be alone, but when the chips were down could be counted on to stand up and fight for what he thought was right no matter the cost. The pace of the film kept it engaging as the swords and spear flashed almost continually.

9/15/23

Leia Mais

Beautiful cinematography, lighting, costumes and overall quality.

I was surprised at how high the quality of this film was as the poster suggested it would one of many low budget low level demons and swords.
It is definitely not low budget, the camera angles, high definition, beautiful and perfect lighting as well as costumes, well choreographed fight scenes all point to a high quality production.
The colour choices were also lovely.

The acting looked good but the one thing I cannot discern is whether the story is good as I could not find subtitles for this so cannot comment on the story.

Visually though it is a treat.

Leia Mais

BWH&H 7: Shifting Away

Finally, we shift away from Hiroshima and the clans we have been familiar with. In fact, there are no crossover characters at all in this one, and Hiroshima and one of it's factions are only mentioned very briefly (blink and you'll miss it). The results, unfortunately, aren't great though.

The film felt like it was initially building to something more, but by the time we get to the main drama, it just devolves into the main character's many attempts at assassinating someone he holds a grudge against. There's an unimpressive car chase late in the game, and that's the only thing that really stands out. I think the motivations are kinda dumb for pretty much everyone involved, and just like with the previous film, I was bored by the end.

As an aside, this one does take place after the 5 main films in the original series, so it's technically an unrelated sequel rather than a sidequel (like New Battles 1 was).

Leia Mais

BWH&H 6: Bit of a weird one...

The first of the spin off sequels, although it's really more of a sidequel. I believe it takes place around the same time as the 2nd film, and though it features a lot of the same cast members, most of them play new roles. All except Yamamori... which is an odd choice. Even his right hand man is played by the same guy as in the previous films, but goes by a different name. It's weird.

The biggest drawback of this movie is that it often feels like a rehash of the first film of the original series. We follow the same main cast member playing a new character, but who is very similar to his other role. It almost begs the question as to why they even bothered to go this route when they could have set it in the future with all the characters we already know.

I was a little bored by the time I got to the final Act of this entry. Definitely nothing new or exciting going on, and it's pretty forgettable overall.

Leia Mais

BWH&H 5: The Real Ending

The director of the BWH&H was convinced to do one final, closing chapter with this fifth film, and we should all be very pleased about that. While not the best entry in the saga, this one really does conclude in a satisfying, yet realistic way. It focuses on the changing of the guard within the Yakuza factions of Hiroshima, and how the next generation is unlikely to avoid the pitfalls of their predecessors.

I think the best part of how they tie this up is that it does so without being too predictable. It would have been so easy (and lazy) to just kill everyone off in one last conflict, but they chose to actually study the effects on the characters we've been following instead. I think it's a great ending!

Leia Mais

BWH&H 4: The Initial Ending

This story closes out and attempts to tie all the loose ends from the third film. While they would go on to make another, final chapter, this one does a pretty admirable job of tying things up from the previous one.

The funny thing about this entry is that it kind of spins out of control here and there, going places you wouldn't have expected it to (especially given its premise). I think the ending sums up everything this series is trying to say, even if it doesn't give us the definitely conclusion we are keen to see. No one is happy by the end, and those are haven't yet paid know that their time is coming soon. This is the realistic view of the Yakuza, rather than the sensationalized one, that the creators are wanting us to see.

The 3rd and 4th films really go hand in hand, so it's hard not to view this as its own separate tale sometimes. It doesn't take away from my enjoyment of it, however, as it is one of the more intense entries.

Leia Mais

A fun retelling

I clicked on this movie for two reasons: 1) The Netflix algorithm knows me pretty well and 2) I was bored and didn't have the energy to start a whole new show so I thought a movie was perfect.

And boy, was it. This isn't just a re-imagining of Red Riding Hood and Cinderella's stories, it's basically fanfiction just using the characters and giving them entirely different stories (but still using key plot points in a clever way). And I mean that in a good way. As the other reviewer said, Hashimoto Kanna played Red Riding Hood really well. I loved that they turned her into a detective that has flashes of inspiration - though I'm going to be honest that even now I'm not sure if they're visions or her mind just connecting dots. But even not knowing that, it was really cool to watch.

Everything about this re-imagining - from having two witches instead of a fairy godmother to the murder Red Riding Hood solves - made these classic stories feel fresh and new. And our prejudices of what we expect to happen in this story is clearly expected by the writers since they play on that in a fun way.

But it's not all solving murder and fairy-tale magic - there's love and humor and wit, too. I wouldn't call this movie a masterpiece, but it was really good in a lot of ways, and one I'd enjoy rewatching for sure.

Leia Mais

Knife fights with a side of kung fu

The Iron Triangle of Ti Lung, David Chiang and Director Chang Cheh set aside kung fu for the most part and picked up knives instead for The Duel aka Duel of the Iron Fist. The grand duel foreshadowed from the start would pit allies against each other in a fight that could not be avoided.

Set during the early part of the 20th century, Ti Lung's Tang Jen Chieh is the godson of a local Triad lord and brother to Ku Feng's Jen Lin. A hired killer, David Chiang's "Rambler," helps Jen Chieh when fights breakout. With buddy Hsiao Mao (Cheng Kang Yeh) they seek to protect Shen Tian Hung, but he is murdered during one of the huge brawls that begin the movie. Jen Chieh takes the fall for the fight, bids his girl Butterfly goodbye, and hides in the south until the heat is off. He returns home after numerous attempts on his life with only Hsiao and his now drunken brother on his side. The former accountant Kan has taken over the gang and is seeking his death. Jen Chieh is devastated to find that Hu Di/Butterfly is now a prostitute. With his world turned upside by treachery and death, Jen Chieh vows vengeance on those responsible.

The Duel's strength was the prickly bromance between Jen Chieh and the Rambler. Their complicated relationship gave depth to the impending collision. I've never been a David Chiang fan, but he and Ti Lung did have a nice chemistry together. I'm always happy to see Ku Feng, especially when he's a good guy. The problem I had with the movie was that the narrative felt poorly paced and needlessly confusing in others. Fortunately, the relationships between brothers and frenemies created a compelling movie when the plot lines didn't.

Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung Yan kept the fights interesting even when they were the few or the one against many. Close-ups were used which meant they couldn't have randomly flying bodies in a huge scrum. The slices and kicks were well timed and for a 1971 Hong Kong film---fairly fast. Instead of fists and kicks most of the fights involved knives or other sharp objects. The duel commenced after another free for all brawl in the rain with the two combatants wielding bamboo poles fighting in a puddle-filled courtyard. The death toll was high for this film, high even for a kung fu flick. I was disappointed that guns were brought in for the final battle. I don't mind trampolines, wires, and creative filming, but for me, guns don't belong in kung fu films. Because of the rapidity of skirmishes it was hard trying to distinguish the faces of the stuntmen extras and fighters-Chan Sing, Jason Pai Paio, and Yuen Woo Ping were among the many familiar names.

The Duel was an entertaining, if slightly different, film for the genre. The action rarely slowed down and the double crosses and revelations kept going until the end. Ti Lung and David Chiang displayed the special rapport that saw them through 20 films together. If you are a fan of old martial arts movies, this is one to try.

9/14/23

Leia Mais

Sub-mediocre plot, almost ESH (except maybe the FL)

I feel the need to write this because the only reviews I read about this are all above 8, and I am sorry, but this was subpar for me. Sure, it can be argued I am not necessarily a fan of Filipino rom-coms (not there is any "com-" in this, except maybe the outtakes at the end), but there are so many mansplaining scenes, the FL has her boundaries broken so many times, told to not cry, and she still falls for the guy? I'm sorry, the only realistic thing about this is how when you're an immigrant, you go for low level jobs, despite the qualifications you have in your home country.

The ML is very unlikable, very self righteous and it was very hard for me to empathize with his story, or understand the FL's infatuation with him after the first part of them being acquainted with each other (the summary puts it as "they struggle at first"). If anything, I liked her story arch and how, despite mistakes and fumbles, she managed to not just get to a better place herself and forge her own path, but also teach him a few lessons along the way.

For those who, like me, hope they can watch this to get a feel for Barcelona and some of its architecture, just pass this - the ratio is way too overwhelming on the side of the plot where I'm supposed to feel sympathy for the male lead and all I can do is white knuckle my way out of this.
Zero chances I might watch this again. If you want a much better love story, with a much better ending (and not skipping on the crying from the female lead or some traces of humour), go for Starting Over Again (2014).

Leia Mais

A Fairy Tale Murder Mystery That Casts a Magical Spell

"Once Upon a Crime" is a delightful comedy-mystery movie that keeps you entertained from start to finish with its quirky charm. This inventive twist on the classic Cinderella story elevates it from a simple fantasy tale to a captivating murder mystery.

The film's narrative revolves around the familiar Cinderella, a young girl mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters. However, in this imaginative rendition, she encounters our protagonist, Little Red Riding Hood, who possesses a unique power of deduction. When Cinderella's carriage accidentally strikes the royal hairdresser, she, along with Red Riding Hood, conceals the body and continues on her way to the ball. At the royal event, where she catches the prince's eye, things take a dramatic turn when the dead body is discovered. This is where Red Riding Hood steps in as the detective to unravel the mystery behind the hairdresser's demise.

What truly sets this movie apart is its ingenious blend of a murder mystery with a beloved fairy tale. Amid the enchanting backdrop of Cinderella's story, we find another iconic fantasy character, Little Red Riding Hood, playing a Sherlock Holmes-like role. The seamless integration of the murder mystery into the well-known fairy tale is a commendable feat. It never detracts from the fantasy elements of Cinderella's world. The intricate plot surrounding the hairdresser's murder and the eventual revelation of the culprit are handled with finesse.

Hashimoto Kanna, portraying Little Red Riding Hood, steals the spotlight with her exceptional acting, while Araki Yuko, as Cinderella, breathes life into her character. Iwata Takanori, in the role of the Prince, delivers an outstanding performance, and Sato Jiro's presence never fails to entertain. I was surprised to see Inukai Atsuhiro as one of the guardsmen and was hoping he had more screentime.

In conclusion, "Once Upon a Crime" masterfully blends humor and mystery within the enchanting realms of fantasy and magic. This film offers a unique cinematic experience, where the age-old fairy tale takes an unexpected and thrilling turn. Whether you're a fan of mysteries or simply love imaginative storytelling, this movie is sure to cast a magical spell on you.

Leia Mais

What's wrong with these Asian screenwriters??

I started watching this movie while I was ironing clothes and I didn't have any particular expectation. Halfway through the film I grabbed the iron backwards and burbed my hand so much I was captured by the plot, I was enjoying the funny scenes and the acting..and then it happened again..
Ok sending ML away and having him disappear at a certain point, it may happen, I can take it...but why did he have to die???
In Western films and series, the great problem would have been the reaction of the best friend when realizing that the boy she likes fell in love with FL and was reciprocated. Here she acts so mature (as they always do in kdramas) and friendship is saved, so why did it have to end like this???
I think I will watch this film over and over again, but alway stopping at the train station scene. A goodbye is always better than a farewell.

Leia Mais