Reviews

If you didn't like the series, you'll probably like the movie!

So, basically, this movie took the original Episode 0, the 12 episode series and the final special episode and turned them all into a 2 hour movie.

For people who didn't like the series because Nine & Daonuea took too long to get back together, there was too much drama, it was too chaotic, there was too much back story without enough forward progress, Ep.0 promised spiciness and there was almost none in the original series, the side stories took up too much screen time ... whatever the reason... chances are good that it was either removed or altered slightly in the movie and it is now less messy, better paced and just tells the core story without an excess of drama or side story.

Now, for those who really enjoyed the original series and liked seeing all the back story, the history and super messy drama they most likely will not favor the movie because most of that was removed.

Personally, I really enjoyed both. I liked the series, but I still had a few issues with it, but overall I enjoyed that there was so much going on. I liked how Nine & Daonuea should have met during university and Tee messed it up, but fate chose for them to still come together. I didn't like how long Praew stayed in the picture, she was a great character and I'm glad she had a part, but I think her part should've ended sooner. So, I was happy they did that with the movie. Sure, we don't get the full story behind Tee & Ice before the after credits scene -- but isn't it good enough just to know how things ended for Tee after what he went through with Daonuea? We don't *really* need more than that, but for those who want more then there's the series to watch.

So, overall, I think the movie was a great addition to the Check Out line up. I recommend it to both those who liked the series and those who wanted to like the series and didn't.

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"I'm happy as I am"

Ozu's 2nd to last film, The End of Summer, starts off with a sign of changing times. We see neon lights in the nightlife of a city (Osaka it seems). One of the earliest scenes is in a posh cocktail bar. Despite these signs of 'modern' times at the time of the film (1961), Ozu brings us back to much of the classic or traditional cues his stories are primarily based in. The film takes place in classic looking towns with traditional style homes and clothing.

With the End of Summer, we are treated to variations of Ozu themes yet again. Setsuko Hara plays the lead in Akiko, which was also the name of her character in the previous Ozu film, Late Autumn, but it is a different Akiko. There's another character in End of Summer, named Noriko, but it is not played by Setsuko. Ozu must have had a blast with vanilla characters and repeated names. It's as if he was saying it doesn't matter who the character is - their name, their role, their relationship - because what he wanted us to see was the common denominator of all these characters - the humanness.

Ozu films have this interesting juxtaposition of similar characters, plots (family themes), and storytelling mechanics. But the setting changes as the times change. It doesn't matter if we start off with silent films, then move on to black and white, then to color, or that it is pre-WWII or post WWII, or whatever else has changed in the external world; no, it doesn't matter because being human remains the same regardless of country, era, and place. Did neanderthals keep secrets from one another? I'd wager they did.

The similarity of Setsuko Hara's Ozu roles is not by mistake. She is not a one-note actress. Ozu purposefully keeps her character roles and temperaments limited. Hara's character Akiko, says "I'm happy as I am". It's a summary of all of Setsuko's Ozu characters. It's as if the character/Ozu are saying, "Let me stay this way in a world that is constantly changing; let me hold on to this beautiful moment, savor myself - my life- as it is right now; what more could I ask for in this life?". However, change indeed happens to us all, and keeping that happy moment forever with the accompaniments, companions, and scenes of that moment are impossible.

The music in this film was more experimental and versatile. It opens up with a Baroque music aesthetic. It certainly caught my attention more in this film compared to other Ozu soundtracks. However, some of the music is a bit jarring or doesn't quite fit the ambiance.

This film was solid, but it wasn't as emotionally impactful as other Ozu films. Many of the support roles felt insignificant or less compelling compared to other Ozu film characters. This film, while very visually stimulating, felt a bit tiresome in terms of plot and character development. There wasn't quite enough variation to Setsuko's role in this film and her character came across a bit bland. Still, it is a worthwhile film to watch for the veteran Ozu filmgoer.

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Power of Kindness and Connections!

We’ve seen many times how one life touches so many, and how one act of kindness can be like a pebble dropped into a pond. Its ripples stretching all the way across. People should never underestimate what one act of kindness can do for someone. We never know if a smile, a kind word, or act might will have an effect that we can’t possibly predict or fathom.

Life is about connections. Connecting with ourselves as well as connecting with others. Chihiro is a former sex worker who now works at a small bento shop in a seaside town. Initially, a person may scoff at her former life as a sex worker and judge her as someone of little/no value. Ah! How often do we judge a book by its cover? The film invites us to understand how a connection and a small act of kindness can help someone in need, while also learning how to dispel our own judgments about people.

The film opens with Chihiro paying attention to and playing with a cat. Initially, one might wonder why this is such a compelling scene. Because more often than not, how a person treats animals is often an insight into how a person treats people. Chihiro greets the customers warmly, and we can see her warmth is genuine. It isn’t fake or an attempt to win anyone over. It’s simply how she interacts with others.

Throughout the course of the film, we find Chihiro helping a variety of people. An old, homeless man down by the waterfront. She brings him a meal, gives him some company as they eat, and even invites him into her home so that he can have a bath. And sadly, when she’s looking for him in order to bring him another meal, she finds that he has died behind a small fence, and she takes the time to give him a proper burial in the middle of the night.

Chihiro also befriends a couple of high school girls who see themselves as outcasts within their own families. Chihiro treats them with kindness, accepting them fully as they are. Kuniko is one of these girls who’s basically told what to do in a family home with little warmth. When she’s given a meal by a single mother—as a means of gratitude for helping her son—Kuniko breaks down in tears, overwhelmed that she’s found more warmth from this stranger than she’s possibly received in her own home.

Chihiro also has to deal with the same, single mother who is outraged that Chihiro has been feeding and spending time with her son, Makoto, a lonely boy who has to spend much of his time fending for himself because his mother works. When the boy gets an idea from a TV commercial to buy flowers for his mother, the mother wrongly accuses of Chihiro of being behind it. After having the flowers thrown in her face, Chihiro calmly hands the flowers back, telling the mother that she will be making a huge mistake if she doesn’t accept the flowers and to see her son for what he is: a kind but lonely little boy who simply wants to show his mother how much he loves her.

Lastly, Chihiro also interacts with a woman in a hospital who has recently lost her eyesight. Little does the woman know that Chihiro is the woman she’d briefly had an encounter with, it becomes apparent that the woman is more of a mother to Chihiro than Chihiro’s own.

Chihiro is like a breath of fresh air, a gentle rain, a beam of sunshine as we quickly discover how she interacts and touches the lives of the various souls around her. Nothing about her is superficial or fake. She’s asked by her friend and former co-worker in the sex trade why she’s never fallen in love. It becomes apparent that Chihiro does not find romantic relationships appealing, largely due to their selfishness and propensity to strip a person of their freedom to be who they are.

Kasumi Arimura is a true delight in this film, and she shines brightly on the screen as she invites the viewer to look past her past. A person isn’t necessarily their job. How they treat others and interact with them counts the most. And like a passing rain—seeing that her job is done—she moves on to the next town, the next job, spreading her joy for life to everyone she meets. She takes pride in small moments of sitting on the dock in the sun or standing barefoot in the water.

I also found it interesting when I looked it up that Chihiro means, “A thousand questions.” This name is appropriate as one might have a thousand questions about her, but find that much like the wind, she can’t be pinned down to one thing or perhaps even grasped. Everyone could use a “Chihiro” in their life, and hopefully, everyone can try just a bit harder to be a Chihiro for others.

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A beautiful crime trust story

The Merciless is one of the few gangster crime movies that I've watched that does justice to the complex dynamics involved in a criminal lifestyle where trust is scarce and death is plentiful. Yim Siwan does so much more than justice to his character and every action he performed carried more than a 1000 words. Sol Kyung Gu played the role of the older brother in such a problematic manner that at some point his character found that its own contradictions had led to his downfall.

This movie always kept me guessing and really brings up the question of trust and conviction in one's own way and how others fit in that system.

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Nothing happened?!

We got like 20 minutes of new footage with nothing really happening. We simply get to see where everyone ended once the boys graduate, that's it. It's mostly just a recap of everythign that happened during the two season of the series.

This makes it hard for me to rate! I like the acting, but with there being no new story and mostly just old footage, there is no story to judge or rate. Rewatch value - none, you can just watch the series and get the less choppy version of events. It's not a terrible movie, I enjoyed the new scenes, but with there being so little of them, I have almost nothing to judge or rate.

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Another variation on a theme by Ozu

Late Autumn (1960) is Ozu's 3rd to last film. It is recommended not to start one's Ozu exploration with this film. Wait to have seen at least four or more Ozu films. Late Autumn is a strong film, but essentially a variation on past films. Yet, it is quite enjoyable and not boring even if this is your 20th+ Ozu film. In fact, this film is more appreciable for those that have worked their way through Ozu's films, especially the post-war ones in which Setsuko Hara is introduced. It is after viewing those prior films that we are well acquainted with Setsuko's roles in the Ozuverse.

There is something about Setsuko's roles that holds a 'constancy' to a certain human temperament. Setsuko's roles are often melancholic and pure, even if they are understated. Perhaps Setsuko's roles better convey 'mono no aware' than any other Ozu characters. Her characters are wholesome, wonderful, but it is transient; while we may catch glimpses of this human character in ourselves or throughout our lives, it is a rare quality, easily squashed in our brutish world, which distorts that temperament in people that can be pure, graceful, and delicate.

Late Autumn excels in utilizing its versatile cast without any character(s) dominating the plot or screen. All are enjoyable. The trio of old men are comical together; their old-fashion and subtle mischievousness contrasts with Sasaki Yuriko's forward communication and modern woman temperament. It was refreshing to observe Yuriko's forwardness in an Ozu world full of politeness and subtlety. Her character role helps break the ice and push through a few social impasses. The exchange where the young Yuriko chews out the old men is terrific. The old men's interactions with their wives, children, and maids is also enjoyable; their loved ones seem to know the old men so well. The comedy here is that the old men try so hard to be clever but are quickly found out by all.

One of the most accomplished aspects of Late Autumn, compared to other Ozu films, is the music. In this viewing, I found little to be lacking in the music. Late Autumn's music is sophisticated, precise, and synced to the action, and does a remarkable job of conveying 'soaring happiness' or 'resigned melancholy'.

Overall, Late Autumn's presentation is bright and cheerful. It belies the more melancholic themes of the film, which are disguised through frequent interjections of comedic scheming. Ozu also limits the melancholy we can access. Several times, we see Setsuko's character, Akiko, kneeling on a mat and looking away (we cannot see her face); certainly, she is sad but the decision not to show her sorrowful face is an interesting decision.

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Violence is all you get

If one is looking for a complete action filled, adrenaline rush without much story, then this is it. I personally prefer a story along with an emotional core in action movies like the "Kill Bill". Hence I was not impressed by this one. I found it to be unnecessarily violent and the action sequences too long. I could not sympathise with the central character and it's struggles. Because, it seemed to me that, the character itself was not fully committed to overcome those. The movie is an exhibition of how good and unbeatable of a fighter, Bok Soon is without much else. This will not be on my re-watch list.

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Basic youth rom-com lacking in a lot of ways...

The movie is a basic rom-com starting though with an interesting and quite refreshing concept, the love story happening in the 90's and being told in the present through the perspectives of other characters.

However, the plot was too soapy for me, especially in the last third of the picture with some non-sensical plot lines. It was really difficult to be invested in the romance which did not start on healthy basis and was full of already overused tropes.

Given the title, I was especting some real gangster vibe from the male lead, but it was not believable and more absurd than anything else. Overall, the performance of the actors was average at best but I'm not sure if the blame is on them or rather on the storylines making it very difficult for their acting to be taken seriously.

Production value and OST had nothing special going for them. It could have been so much better in terms of dialog, realisation and story...

I would not recommend this to people. There are much better youth romance movies than this one.

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a reason to live

like the title suggests, this movie is definitely a tear-jerking one and that's not a spoiler. After the midway point I was just trying not to tear up every 5 minutes. The movie definitely gets you thinking about life and the beauty of living life to it's fullest. It also gets you thinking about death, how nobody is truly prepared for when the time comes. Overall the film is so sad but so beautiful. I appreciate how the screenwriters kept it real up until the end.

Nana Komatsu and Kentarou are pretty solid, veteran actors so there's definitely no disappointment in the acting. The OST was so beautiful as well (radwimps..what could go wrong). Overall highly recommend if you're up for some super heartbreaking content. (preferably not in the middle of the night though) ^^

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The final act is the main highlight

It surprisingly turns out that this is less of an action movie than ever, in contrast to its movie poster and trailer that screams adrenaline. The focus on the tension between Hwang Jung Min as diplomat, and Hyun Bin as NIS agent is the main driver that pushes the movie forward, but that could be a hit or miss sometimes. The final act will be the main highlight of this movie, Hwang Jung Min's sheer amount of acting skills during the final negotiation is so prominent that it's keeping the audience at the edge of seats induced in fear. Overall the cinematography was shot with great attention to details, and a storyline that works well, it's still a brilliant movie to be fair.

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?

i'm kinda disappointed.... almost everything was predictable (including the plot twist). the scene where xiaoqing died in the fire was really really reallyyyy poorly made. it reminds me of journey to the west editing, that show is from the 1980's... thats how bad it is. her acting also wasnt the best, it lowkey looked like she was smiling while getting burned.. i also feel like wen ning has matured a lot.. didnt really like that either. why does this review have to be 500 characters. ig ill say some nonrelated stuff. if youve watched the blood of youth pls bmf begging i need someone hear me say all the things i love about wuxin and actually understand

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At age 31, Ozu's narrative mastery was already apparent

A Story of Floating Weeds (1934) is a silent black and white film later remade as Floating Weeds in 1959 in audio and color. I first watched Ozu's remake of "A story of Floating Weeds", then viewed the earlier version with a comparative mindset. At the time of the remake, Ozu was age 56. Floating weeds is absolutely masterful, and not surprising given the director-writer's experience and access to wider range of tools (audio, color, etc.). The precursor film, A story of Floating Weeds, is very similar to the remake. Many scenes are virtual copies. The characters, although with different names, are essentially the same.

For the average movie goer, especially those without much study or knowledge on Japan, Floating weeds is by far the more accessible and recommended film. A story of floating weeds is a great watch for those that really wish to view Ozu's oeuvre and study the filmmaker or some aspect of Japanese cinema or Japanese history/society.

In viewing both films, one can sense a difference in the technological tools, the state of filmmaking, and cultural/societal influences. It's interesting, for example, to compare the few scenes of domestic violence. In the 1934 version, the hitting looks 'heavier' but there is no sound. In the 1959 version, the hitting looks 'lighter' but the sound cues make it seem more aggressive. Both viewings are disturbing, nonetheless, but it is interesting to see these scenes present with a similar outcome using different techniques; that consistency of impact demonstrates Ozu's directorial and narrative skill. He obviously knew what outcome he sought in both his 31-yr old and 56-yr old selves and could achieve it with different sets of tools.

It's remarkable that, at age 31, Ozu had a very strong grasp of techniques to achieve narrative vision. That at age 56 he felt the prior 1934 film story, itself, was well-tuned and not needing major changes is truly incredible. It seems one cannot escape the director's urge to display ego in this day and age. We have so many filmmakers who modify original story materials they work with at will, often without any logical or aesthetic advantage, simply because they can, or because they feel impotent; they want others to feel their creative stamp even more than making great film. Peter Jackson and the Lord of the Rings is a great example of that phenomenon, changing Tolkien's sources severely and utterly changing the nature of characters, plot lines, and often not for the better. If one changes something, they should improve it; if they don't improve they either have a poor ego issue or are simply not good at assessing the quality of their craft. Again, it shows great maturity and confidence that Ozu understood what made a quality narrative and there was no need to try to one-up the prequel or even himself in the remake. Great pasta is simple; do we need to inject it with novel flavors custom mixed by a pasta bartender? Are we afraid our customers will get tired of the great pasta we made to begin with?

Compared to the 1959 version, the characters of Otoki and Otaka in this film were stunning when presented side by side. I couldn't help but think they were mother and daughter. They were visually hypnotic together.

The music accompaniment - or rather the 90 minute Piano sonata - was okay. I don't know enough about accompaniments to silent films to judge confidently, but I would be intrigued to hear something else, especially something more 'Japanese'.

The 1934 version, in a comparative side by side viewing to the 1959 version, feels less full and perhaps more rushed. It works with 30 less minutes of film time. Although the plot came through just fine in the 1934 film , the 1959 version allows viewers to savor the characters and emotions more satisfactorily. Nevertheless, the Story of Floating Weeds was impactful and certainly worth a watch for the more eager Ozu viewers.

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¿Qué pasaría si pudieras hablar con tu yo del pasado y del futuro?

De eso se trata esta historia, es una película de bajo presupuesto pero con una trama interesante. Una persona de pronto descubre que puede comunicarse con su yo del futuro, no se trata de un futuro lejano, por el contrario solo es una diferencia de dos minutos. Y, a su vez, logra interactuar con su yo del pasado, también a dos minutos de distancia.

Los personajes parecieran enteder muy pronto cómo funciona todo, sin cuestionárselo mucho. El protagonista podría actuar como una especie de razón que se pregunta qué tan correcto es comunicarse con sus versiones del pasado/futuro.

La propuesta es original, es algo distinto y, aunque las actuaciones me parecieron exageradas, comprendo que no es una súper producción. Utilizaron los recursos que tenían y lo hicieron bastante bien.

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A victory is a victory

I watched this movie for the first time a couple years ago. I remember liking it a lot, but I wasn't sure if it was just because it's one of the first BLs I watched, or because it was actually good.
Now that I watched it again I can confirm that, yes, I loved it.

- First of all, the story mainly revolves around marathons and I appreciated the fact that they didn't just use it as an aesthetic. It might sound obvious, but I've seen way too many movies and dramas where they start with a theme, only to put it aside and turn the story into something entirely different. Here the characters run all the time, make plans about marathons, worry about training and taking proper care of their bodies, all without neglecting the romance.
- Secondly, the main characters were great. Both the actors did a very good job portraying them - Han Se Jin in particular shines at all times, he did amazing and he made me want to watch other productions where he's part of the cast. Since Sang Ha and Jin Won are so different I was worried that the romance between the two would feel forced in some way, but instead I believe it was paced pretty well. Seeing Jin Won slowly but steadily warming up to Sang Ha and then caring for him and wanting him by his side was very satisfying. The problems they had were not the usual annoying couple misunderstandings or lack of communication either.
- There was no time wasted, at ANY time. Every single scene felt important for the sake of the plot or the character introspection. One could argue that the ending could use some more screen time, but to be honest I'm satisfied.

This one will stay in my heart and I'll probably end up considering it a classic as time goes by.

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