Reviews

"Even though I'm no better than a beast, don't I deserve the right to live?"

Oldboy was an unflinching violent revenge film that would have made a Greek tragedy blush. I watched this film during its 20th anniversary year and the production values held up. The storytelling's misogynistic overtones dated it and didn't hold up as well. I've not mentioned any of the major plot twists in this review.

Choi Min Shik as the deeply flawed Oh Dae Soo did a marvelous job transitioning from drunk, philandering husband to confused, bitter prisoner to vengeful vigilante searching for answers. Yoo Ji Tae made a decidedly creepy and vengeful Lee Woo Jin. The two men whose lives were intertwined by a careless comment were at their best when playing cat and mouse.

The action scenes showed that nearly anything can be transformed into a weapon. You may never see toothbrushes the same. A hallway fight leading to an elevator fight were truly iconic and I can see where they influenced many other fight scenes in television and film. Dae Soo's commitment verging on insanity was frighteningly powerful.

Where the film failed me were the women's roles. Their very existence seemed to be as vessels of the men's lust and "love". They played into the men's circle of vengeance with no real identities. Of course, they were necessary to have several gratuitous bare breast shots and being threatened with sexual violence. Mi Do accepted it as perfectly normal when Dae Soo attempted to rape her. And the final plot twist, sick as it was, once again left her without any choice or agency of her own.

While Woo Jin's revenge long game was vile, the film seemed determined to make Dae Soo as unsympathetic as possible from beginning to end. His one moment of empathy was cut short by self-gratification. In the end the film doubled-down on his troubling personality. There was no redemption arc, no moment of healing, no positive character growth, only primal animal instincts. As a thought exercise in tearing away the veneer of civilization, the film succeeded in a disturbing manner.

9/2/23

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Best idol stageplay

Takizawa kabuki zero is actually an amazing musical. It's quite refreshing because modern boy groups are introducing foreign fans to Japanese culture. It's an amazing mixture between a concert and a kabuki. There are scenes of modern dance and scenes of really amazing traditional acts. The traditional acts are really stunning. You can see the amount of effort and practice Snowman has done to achieve this.
The second section/act is also really amazing Omaru’s character is one of the funniest character i've seen in any media ever. The 4th wall breaks are also really funny.
The main complaint is that the story in the 2nd act doesnt make sense but it adds to the silliness of the whole act

Cinematography
It actually looks like a stage play. The interactive camera going backstage and through the wings of the stage when abe-chan cat/koala(?) is running to fight the bad guys. The director also did an amazing job making the whole thing look like it's a long continuous shot when in actuality there's a couple takes (i watched this with my dad and he thought it was a one take too). The camera movements it's just impressive. Capturing the vast movements of all the backflips and dancings.

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An absolutely delightful brain twister

Be With You is an delightful, esoteric, charming movie that will totally move you emotionally. It is about the love of a man for his wife, the love of a boy for his mother, and her love and sacrifices she made for the both of them. Because this is a 2 and one half hour movie, to say any more would spoil you enjoyment and experience. This movie is surprising and deep, and well written, with lots of twists and turns. It will create a lot of head talk in you for days. You do not want to know any more advance information on this movie. Please do not look. I am so glad that I knew nothing about this movie. I picked it at random because of the Star power.

Kim Ji-Hwan did an excellent job playing the son Jiho. This was the first and only acting role for Kim Ji-Hwan. Hopefully, it was not his last. Park Seo Joon makes a guest appearance.

It stars So Ji Sub as the husband Jung Woo-Jin and Son Ye-Jin as the wife Soo Ah. These two actors were a dream match from acting heaven. Both performances were so polished. The quiet moments when the two of them were together without speaking lines, really gives you a chance to study why So Ji Sub and Son Ye Jin are considered two of Korea’s best actors. ‘Be With You’ is worth your Korean drama downtime.

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Rene's acting debut, and I love this movie with all my heart. The calm relationship between characters really something that i need.

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A very engaging plot

A very engaging plot, which would be enough for a small series ... The whole work, even if it is certainly not perfect and has a decent rating on IMDb as well, needs to be seen with Asian eyes, which many cannot do, and I am not surprised. But if you try this, and get over the Asian naivety and, as someone already says, "unprofessional amateur" (= Asian again) processing, you will get a very strong story that you can think about for a long time, which is the feeling at the end of many other films I don't have it, and that's what I appreciate most about the film ... and also the memorable classmates and sensitively chosen pleasant music ...

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Powerful. Upsetting. Honest. Brilliant.

This film was not widely distributed in Japan because the subject matter was so delicate, and not distributed in theatres at all internationally. Nevertheless, it won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival in 1986 and holds a top spot on most of Japan's film critics' lists, such as the uber prestigious Kinema Junpo.

The plot is centered on the true story of Japanese surgeons conducting vivisections on 8 American POWs. That's the ostensible subject of the film. But the real subject is Hanna Arendt's famous maxim, "The banality of evil." You see, we witness 3 ordinary individuals -- 2 medical interns and a nurse -- knowingly participating in the grotesque murder of 8 men for various reasons. For instance, because they were just following orders. Or because it was a way of pandering to superiors and advancing their career. Or because, in one case, they were acting out a personal grudge against another staff member. This particular person's motive was the most striking example of the Banality of Evil.

The writer, director and actors created believable characters whom the viewer cares about in a well paced plot that flies by over the course of 2 hours. It's a film of stunning realism and emotion. Highly recommended.

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The fifty-minute film

The fifty-minute film takes us to Hong Kong to two hetero + gay friends and their temporary cohabitation. Those who have been to HK will remember the hustle and bustle of the streets and the clatter of double-decker buses and trams. The film itself does not reach great heights, but it conveys to us in Asian nice what it wants to convey, including the relationship between Rick and his family ...
The fifty-minute film takes us to Hong Kong to two hetero + gay friends and their temporary cohabitation. Those who have been to HK will remember the hustle and bustle of the streets and the clatter of double-decker buses and trams. The film itself does not reach great heights, but it conveys to us in Asian nice what it wants to convey, including the relationship between Rick and his family ...

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Very open korean film

A solid and for 2009 very open Korean film with physical contact between two young men making love. The film was made with a sense of perspective and sometimes even comically, and it will certainly attract the viewer. Even around the 23 minute mark, the next CO song wasn't too bad and made me smile at the cute Asian naivety. But every viewer will surely understand why the filmmakers made this film, and for that they deserve a lot of thanks.
A solid and for 2009 very open Korean film with physical contact between two young men making love. The film was made with a sense of perspective and sometimes even comically, and it will certainly attract the viewer. Even around the 23 minute mark, the next CO song wasn't too bad and made me smile at the cute Asian naivety. But every viewer will surely understand why the filmmakers made this film, and for that they deserve a lot of thanks.

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KUNG IKAW BA MAY GF ITATAGO NYO RELASYON DAHIL LANG SA BFF MO???

COMING OUT IS HARD PERO SIS NAMAN ITATAGO MO TLGA YUNG JOWA MO DAHIL LANG MAY BFF KA??????????????????
Maganda yung movie and magegets mo kung saan nang gagaling yung reason bat sila nag break, aspiring actress jess na want sumikat kaya ang safest option is mag stay sa closet since hindi pa nya nafifigure out yung sexuality, and si alex na hindi pa masyadong move on sa ex ( HELLO SISSY MAG MOVE ON KANA ) and ayaw masaktan si jess at syempre ang sarili nya.

PERO SANA ALL MAY SUPPORTIVE AND ALLY NA MOTHER DIBA ALEX?? SANA ALL.

Hindi k lng magets is yung one scene na nakikipag momol si Alex sa lalaki everytime nalalasing?? Hindi ba sya bisexual kung ganoon? bisexual homoromantic? KASI SISSY KAHIT GAANO KAPA KALASING KUNG ALAM MO SA SARILING LESBIAN KA, BABAE LNG YUNG I MOMOMOL MO HUHU.

SANA MAY SEASON TWO SIKAT NA SI JESS AND NAG WORK SYA TOGETHER WITH ALEX PARA EX TO LOVERS DIBAAAAA.

( ikaw ba kung may gf ka itatago moba sa bff mo kung out kanaman sa mother mo?! , kung sakin to nangyari maiinis tlga ako ih kaya ang mature tlga ng ex ni alex jusq )

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Sometimes brave people can bring about change

As the Tibetan antelope numbers rapidly decreased from one million to around 10,000 in the 1990's, men from the Kekexili area formed the Mountain Patrol to deter poachers from the area. Based on a true story, in the nearly lawless, desolate land the patrol had no one to rely on but themselves. Outmanned and outgunned by the ruthless poachers they would have to be resolute in their convictions in the unforgiving terrain to save the endangered animals…and themselves.

A Beijing journalist with a Tibetan father, Gu Ya, succeeds in imbedding himself with the Mountain Patrol. Their leader, battle hardened Ri Tae, accepts him with the hope a story could bring more help to their cause. The patrol is mourning the loss of one of their own who was murdered recently by the poachers. Gu Ya scarcely has time to unpack his bag before the men head out on patrol to track down the murderers. Along the way they cover barren desert and forbidding mountains. Gu Ya discovers how harshly they interrogate witnesses and suspects, especially after they come across nearly 500 hundred dead and peltless antelope. The patrol reverently stacks the carcasses and burns them with a funeral rite. The small band of men have to resort to selling the pelts they discover to pay for medical care and supplies.

The patrol was decimated by illness and death. The earth reminded them that despite their noble cause, they were vulnerable in spaces without food and water, where snowstorms could erupt in a moment, and quicksand could swallow a man in a matter of seconds. The desert and blizzard winds mercilessly erased all traces that a person had ever been there. Ri Tae was a man possessed with catching the murdering poachers which endangered not only himself but also his men as they ran low on food and fuel. Tibetan actor Duo Bu Jie was perfect as the patrol leader who was relentless in his pursuit of his enemy and also loved his men and the land.

Mountain Patrol could be disturbing with scenes of animals being butchered with numerous carcasses and bullet ridden pelts. Yet it also featured beautiful and stark landscapes. Director Lu Chuan filmed on location where the events were said to have happened in a land so remote a person's steps could be the first footsteps there since the dawn of time. The soundtrack was emotionally haunting, perfectly accenting a scene without intruding. The story was gut wrenching as the men with "dirty hands and pure hearts" suffered devastating losses. Yet their losses for a cause they believed in did bring about change. After their stories became published the government designated the land a natural preserve and the antelope population has steadily increased. Lu Chuan never fully answered what compelled these men to risk their lives in service to the graceful animals, but the world is a slightly better place because they did.

9/1/23

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It's not perfect but deserves attention

Story is takes place in a rural place in China. The characters are real villagers in poverty, not authentic or nostalgic. The scenes are as clean as real photos or a documentary. While I was watching, I could feel the dust of the field, the brown and thin people working in the field.
The lead male has a disease suspected of being epilepsy. That's why he doesn't want to get married and he thinks that someone who will like him will only be a 'flawed' person. However, his mother's efforts eventually get in the way of marrying a girl. But of course this isn't a k-drama. For the female lead, the situation is not a love marriage. Over time, secrets are revealed, troubles and separations occur.

Parts i liked:
Realistic representation, You can easily internalize the characters.
It's like a story set in the past, but we know it takes place in the present. The social structure is well reflected.
The integrity of the village, which consists of decorative details, architecture, places and fields, is strong.
The supporting characters are familiar from real life.
I love their wedding dresses and sleeping kitties :3


Parts i disliked
If you've watched Korean movies, you're familiar with the scenes where the characters are getting further and further away at the end. And you want to continue watching, thinking that there is a few more minutes in front of the screen, but the movie is over. It has such an ending.

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SUMPAH, BAGUS BANGET WOY!

Awalnya saya ingin menonton series ini karena ada Gun Attaphan dan Man Thanasarn di dalamnya ; Itu awalnya, setelah saya coba tonton ; ternyata film ini punya cerita yang sebagus itu woy!. Menceritakan kisah cinta antara Nai dan Gump, yang keduanya tiba-tiba LDR, namun saat LDR itulah mereka bertemu dengan pria-pria tampan. Akankah mereka tetap bisa menjaga hati? saksikan film ini. Dari segi warna, film ini punya ciri khas film 2013-an pada umumnya sepertinya warna flat dengan sorot lampu yang standard, tidak ada kombinasi warna yang terlalu siginifikan, warnanyapun tidak punya ciri khas vivid seperti film tahun 2020-an. Dari segi alur dan dialog, mudah difahami dan sangat menarik ya. Yang paling saya suka dari film ini adalah latar belakang ceritanya, ini sangat bagus dan komplek, relevan dan realistis! . Selain itu resolusi yang diberikan oleh film ini menurutku sangat bagus, pas dan menyenangkan. Romansa Gun attaphan dan karakter-karakter lainnya sangat dapet banget di film ini. Selain itu para aktor favorit saya berada di dalam satu film yang sama dan saya menyukainya ; antara lain: 1. Man Thanasarn, 2.Gun Attaphan, 3.Oaujun Korn, 4.Nonkul chanon. Selain itu, para pemain lainnya menurutku sangat goodlooking, punya karakteristik wajah yang sangat berbeda, membuatnya mudah dikenali. Saya sangat me-rekomendasikan film ini. Untuk para penonton yang ingin menonton, kebetulan saya membuat file *.SRT (sub.bahasa indonesianya) kalian bisa minta kepada saya lewat pesan langsung. Have fun watching!

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do what you’re passionate about with your heart, not your brain

When Chen Shuo incorporated E-mark individual signature moves in his 1v1 battle with Kevin, I thought he did it as a big F U to Kevin like, "See what you lost? Not the championship, but a good team, with talented dancers, who are great friends." He won the 1v1 not only because of his talent, but because E-mark had his back, and he had theirs.
The dancing was so enjoyable to watch, exhilarating even. The backstory was sad, I cried with Shuo when I saw his sweet supportive mama braving it up to cover for him just so he can have time to dance. And I felt so angry I wanted to kick Kevin every time he appeared.
And as an Yibo fan I have to say: Yibo didn't just embody Chen Shuo, he WAS Chen Shuo. The way he himself started from street dance and worked hard to be where he is right now, to be passionate (热烈? Heh heh) in doing what he loves... this movie and the character of Chen Shuo really was made for Wang Yibo. And you can tell how hard he worked to be Shuo too. Hats (helmets??) off Yibo and One and Only crew ??

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