20th Century Girl

This was well done and acted. I'm not a big fan of rip out your heart dramas. I like things more uplifting, than bawling my eyes out. I cry too easily for heartbreak. That's just personal preference though and has no bearing on my rating. The only place I low rated is the rewatch because the ending was too sad to go through again. This story is really similar to the J drama Heavenly Forest. If you really liked this you will probably like that as well. This was well casted and acted. I loved the father's character. He was so warm and funny. My only complaint is I wish that we had some time of them really being together. It kept being almost... almost... oh now he has to leave.

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I was not expecting to be Destroyed by the feels

I went into watching this as a pretty light high school rom-com with some angsty moments but boy I was taken a bit aback.

The story albeit usual, takes you through a visual journey of 1999 and hits all the sweet spots of being nostalgic in the right way. The phone booths, the pagers, the music, everything is an ode to that era. It has its funny moments, I found myself smiling ear to ear on these people and their situation. The pace of this movie is good.

Half-way through the movie, you'd feel there is a twist. The response to it is predictable on all ends and the ending overall is tinged with sadness.

The actors are delightful. Kim Yoo Jung and Beyon Woo Seok are a pleasure to watch. Rooh Yeon Seo is a believable bestie.

The production and cinematography was of high quality with decent music backing it up. It is definitely worth a re-watch.

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What the heck?!

I put off watching this for the longest time because I had heard about the ending. I decided to pull up my big girl panties, suck it up and give it a watch. Well, I do have to say that the ending really affected my rating.

The concept for the story was cute. Bo Ra's best friend has a crush on a boy and wants Bo Ra to find out everything she can about him while said friend is in America. Bo Ra's detective work was very cute. She was certainly creative in the means that she used to glean information! In the process, Bo Ra starts to like Woon Ho. When her friend comes back, she finds out that Woon Ho is the one she actually likes. This is where the power of friendship was displayed very well, between Bo Ra and her friend. It was sad, you could feel the emotions of the girls, but their friendship was beautiful and strong.

Kim Yoo Jung as Bo Ra, and Byeon Woo Seok as Woon Ho were terrific. They made such a cute couple. Bo Ra beginning to feel the emotions of love that her friend had described to her, her journey of discovery in her first love was a treat to watch. And I thought that Woon Ho was written really well. His emotions just showed on his face every time he looked at Bo Ra, he didn't try to hide it, he was feeling the feels, and he went with it. I can't count the number of times I was taken with his beatific smile. There was no hidden agenda, no game playing, it was just there for the world to see.

So, for three quarters of the way through the movie, I was thinking that I was probably going to rate this pretty high, such was my enjoyment of it. Though there was one head-scratching moment early on, I probably could have overlooked that, but the other two points, just no:
1) There was mistaken identity because Woon Ho had worn his friend's school uniform. There is no way he could have worn his friend's uniform, Woon Ho was about a foot taller!
2) Why in the world did they feel the need to have a different actress play Bo Ra as an adult? That ruined the flow.
3) And the WORST? A ton of time goes by, and she finds out that Woon Ho died years ago!?!? The first thing out of anyone's mouth would be to ask how he died. That is never explained, and it remains this huge clunky rock of disappointment to an otherwise good movie. I mean, just why? There are certainly more satisfactory ways this movie could have ended. I'm just mad.

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Review of 20th Century Girl: 8.5/10 Stars

"20th Century Girl" is a nostalgic and heartfelt film that beautifully captures the essence of teenage love and friendship in the late 1990s. The lead actress delivers a sincere performance, and the chemistry among the cast feels authentic and engaging.

The film's vibrant cinematography and nostalgic soundtrack perfectly complement its setting. Though the plot treads familiar ground at times, its genuine heart and compelling characters shine through.

Overall, "20th Century Girl" is an emotionally resonant and charming film that earns its 8.5 stars. It's a delightful watch that will leave you reflecting on your own youthful experiences. Highly recommended!

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THIS MOVIE DESTROYED ME

20th Century Girl je film, který vás zasáhne přímo do srdce. Má v sobě krásu nostalgie, sílu první lásky a hluboké emoce, které v divákovi zůstanou dlouho po skončení. Pokud máte rádi romantické filmy, které nejsou jen o sladké lásce, ale také o životních rozhodnutích a emocích, které nás formují, tenhle snímek je přesně pro vás.

Jedna z věcí, která mě na filmu opravdu nadchla, je jeho atmosféra. Dokonale zachycuje devadesátá léta – od hudby přes oblečení až po způsob komunikace. Nemusíte mít s touto érou osobní zkušenost, abyste si tuhle nostalgickou cestu užili. Každý detail působí autenticky a přidává filmu na kouzlu. Zároveň není jen prázdným retro výletem, ale skutečně využívá minulost k posílení emocí a hloubky příběhu.

Další silnou stránkou filmu jsou postavy a jejich vztahy. Nejde jen o romantickou linii, ale také o přátelství, rodinné vazby a to, jak se lidé ovlivňují. Každá interakce má smysl a působí přirozeně, což dává příběhu velkou emocionální sílu. Postavy nejsou jen ploché figurky, ale mají své chyby, obavy i sny, což je dělá skutečně živými a uvěřitelnými.

Líbilo se mi, jak film pracuje s emocemi – není to jen dojemná love story, ale příběh, který ukazuje, že život není vždy spravedlivý a že některé vztahy mohou být krásné, i když nejsou trvalé. Melancholie filmu není přehnaná, ale o to víc působivá. Dokáže vás rozesmát, rozněžnit i dohnat k slzám, aniž by to působilo uměle nebo přehnaně dramaticky.

Vizuálně je film nádherný. Kamera a barevné ladění scén přispívají k celkové atmosféře, ať už jde o radostné momenty nebo ty smutnější. Hudba pak skvěle doplňuje emoce a umocňuje sílu klíčových scén. Díky těmto prvkům je film nejen příběhově silný, ale i audiovizuálně podmanivý.

Důvod, proč by se na 20th Century Girl měl každý podívat, je jeho univerzálnost. I když je zasazený do specifické doby a prostředí, jeho hlavní témata – první láska, přátelství, ztráta a vzpomínky – jsou nadčasová. Každý se v něm může najít, ať už si připomene vlastní mládí, nebo si uvědomí, jak důležité jsou chvíle, které často bereme jako samozřejmost.

Film dokáže být romantický, zábavný i srdcervoucí zároveň, aniž by působil kýčovitě nebo manipulativně. Je to pocta mládí, vzpomínkám a emocím, které nás formují. Pokud hledáte film, který vás nejen pobaví, ale také zasáhne hluboko do duše, 20th Century Girl rozhodně stojí za zhlédnutí.

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A Definite 'Must Watch'

I am a lover of Rom-Coms, they lift you up and make you believe that your perfect romance might be out there somewhere. 20th Century Girl is one of the ones that makes you think that may be some day someone might love you more than you know, that love could be reciprocated and it was all worth it. Teen romance is something so magical and this film really makes you feel it.
I cry every single time I watch this movie and I've seen it repeatedly, trust me! The acting was amazing, the story is both heartbreaking and beautiful in equal measures and the cinematography really got me too. I would recommend this one to anyone who wants to feel all the emotions of a first love, it's such an excellent movie.

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it was so good at first, until it wasn't.

Honestly, I love this at first. It's such a good choice for you if you want to get hurt by those "sad" movies you are always looking for. But then I realized that its ending was so unnecessary, such a waste. I don't think there's a good point for the writer to twist the plot at the end, they twist from a great start - a colorful and bright opening - to a waste of ending like the efforts that the characters bring all the time ended up fading away with a pointless ending just for wrenching viewers' hearts.

It will be a great movie if they execute them with another plot, the brighter one. Because sad movies aren't always the best.

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