This is a movie which beautifully relies on simplicity to tell an emotional tale. It's a quiet tale, full of feeling, full of longing. It's a deeply felt journey.
The gist of it is simple: China, 80s, the moutains of Hunan. A son is taking over the postman position of his father, who is forced to retirement due to arthritis. And for his first time doing it the father walks along, to teach him. The job is fairly simple: Walk a certain designated route, dropping mail in villages. But it's not that simple, because the postman must understand the villagers- and their hearts and the relationships among them.
It is a story of a father and son- and the understanding that passes between them of how much sacrifice this job entails. The son already kknows this and yet the journey together, the journey of passage for one and initiation for another- brings them to a point of transition and deeper understanding. This journey becomes a touchstone of both of their lives. It is a story of mutual appreciation, and of strenghtening the father-son bond but also increasing the love for the heart of the family, the mother, and her own sacrifices.
For anyone who knows and identifies with the joy but at the same time heartbreak of solitude and/or who enjoys solitary walks in the moutains, this movie may just prove a beautiful sight. For anyone who knows the separation from family for a long time due to a sense of duty or because of job, this may also be something to identify with.
It may not be a film for everyone, for it is slow, perhaps too slow, deliberate and reflective and lets feelings unfold on screen, though it speaks through facts and situations. It's a story of a father and son, the story of inheritance, the story of a journey of initiation and of sacrifice. It is accompanied with beautiful scenery and calming music- at times soaring with nostalgia which pierced right through me, beautiful cinematography, breathtaking at times, as we witness the wide expanses of the great moutains, the significane of the job in such a rural area becomes even more pronouces, as is the sacrifice. There is also some very intimate camera work at times.
It may seem very dated to some, however.
The acting is very sensitive and restrained from both actors and their bond feels very real; there is good character development as they learn more about each other The dog is also very prominent. The Chinese title of the film is "Those Mountains, Those People, That Dog", where the dog refers to the dog that accompanies our postmen on the way, a trusted companion, almost the second son, in the solitude of the long path that takes the postman away from home for many long weeks.
It's a thoroughly beautiful piece, which very much affected me the first time I saw it. I was very much taken by the painting the film created. For that reason alone, this movie will always be special for me.
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Like Rita, I found this drama lovely to watch and well worth my time every single episode. Unlike Rita I am actually a fan of Hockey. I grew up in a Hockey family. My father coached and my brothers both played hockey and in turn now coach their sons. Never once did I feel the action on the ice was fake or poorly executed. The team spirit and pride of the players was also something the writer and actors captured quite nicely.
The story and plot played out in time with the 11 episodes and I never felt bored or as if the plot was dragging. The writer really captured the feeling of the players, their motivations, dreams and fears. I have to wonder if he/she was either a player or came from a hockey family. If not...I'd be surprised.
Kimura Takuya and Takeuchi Yoko had amazing chemistry together and more importantly, with the rest of the cast. Kimura Takuya as Haru was particularly good. He was so natural as Haru...so confident in his role that I might have trouble seeing him as anyone else. The love story between Haru and Aki is wonderful! They were what most people aspire to in a love match; comfortable with each other with a friendship that comes easy and a necessary undercurrent of passion. Lovely!!
The soundtrack is by Queen. One of my favorite bands when I was a kid. The tried and true anthem We Are The Champions was only one obvious fit for a sports driven drama. A lot of their other songs "I Was Born To Love You" spoke perfectly to, not only Haru's love for the game of Hockey but also his love for Aki.
My re-watch value is a 10 because I would enthusiastically watch this drama again. It is fun and such an easy, entertaining story. 11 episodes long and does not drag. If you don't like watching sports dramas I promise you this one is a perfect blend of the right elements. This is about the characters and the love story set within the world of Hockey.
I recommend this drama very highly. So much fun to watch!
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I'd say that its worth watching but is kinda difficult to get into.
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Han Hyo-Joo confirmed one more time her acting talent and bringing tears to my eyes.
If somebody asks me to tell them about this movie in two words, I'll say 'warm sun'... This movie gave so many warm feelings...
Director's and cameraman's work is brilliant... The game of lights in this movie, in my opinion, is one of the main positive effects... Because of the light in the movie... everything is printed in the smallest details in my brain... the girls clothes... the guys hair... the sun in the room... the beautiful kiss... the family feeling with the dog... the massage...the drama watching time...their field full of the yellowest flowers...her, touching his face to 'see' him... (I can go on, until I've told the whole movie..thehe).
Though the plot is not something brilliant and new for a Korean movie, actors and the crew makes the movie unforgettable, in my opinion..
Watch it, you won't regret!
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A MUST WATCH. A MUST OWN OST / DVD.
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The middle gets very repetitive, but I felt it carried through and you still wouldn't want to miss any moment. Because every single moment counts, even the tiniest moment will be burnt in your memory and making you feel all fuzzy inside. ^_^
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I've watched a couple other long(28-30 episode) dramas before without much trouble, but this one was more a test of patience. The plot crawled along at snail's pace, with situations, cliched as they were, happening over and over again; even the characters seemed to be bored of repeating themselves.
I couldn't sustain beyond halfway. It didn't seem to be worth the effort beyond that.
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M2F began with the right pitch; it was extremely funny yet preserved its characters' emotional depth. It wasn't empty comedy and handled serious issues like broken families, society's shallowness, and people's materialism.
I was excited for every new M2F episode more than I was for "Man of Honor", but in the end I was surprised that MBC decided not to do the last episode because MBC Broadcast Entertainers Awards was set at the same time the last episode was supposed to air. That's frickin' brutal.
Another thing which I didn't understand is why a lot of people made a big issue out of Yoon Si Yoon looking really boyish/young for his role and how Kim Jae Won would've been more convincing. OMG, are you sure we're watching the same show? I can't imagine anybody else but Si Yoon as Jae Hee. He didn't feel like an actor playing a character, he *was* the character. Love the guy.
The writer threw me off at the end though, why all the fantasy thrown in at the end when the drama was so realistic all along? That's another thing which made me feel it was because of the last episode being cancelled.
I'm really sad because this drama, as awesome as it is, could've been so much better.
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I really liked that Erika is practically a chameleon in every situation, shes smart, strong, but still longs for a simple life. She is easily likable because of her backstory , which they seemed to place perfectly in the drama. I like how she seems somewhat awkward as a housewife because it makes the character a little more believable.
I didn’t like how all the criminals seemed to give up the info so easily, it was quite funny though. The family part of the story was gray to me. I felt that the kid was just unlikeable and not cute, and that the husband was weak (although they may have meant for it to be that way). The way the husband never asked questions annoyed me a bit, but towards the end you understand a bit more.
There was some bad acting, and of course you could see the end of each episode coming at the opening scene, but it was still fun to watch it play out. I didn’t think I would like this because it sounded cliché and I saw the female lead in something else where the acting was poor- but I really enjoyed this drama. I thought I was going to do a lot of fast forwarding but I didn’t at all. Because each episode is less than 45 min its quick and easy to watch. There is an awesome twist at the end so if you are looking to get away from the emotional pull of all the romcoms watch secret spy Erika and put your brain on low.
- it didnt get a 10 because I couldnt connect to it, but thats also why i liked it (i know its a contradiction)
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It just isn't for me but that doesn't say it isn't for anyone else. You won't know unless u try
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