You could say the film shows the daily life of office employees, from their difficulties, joy and fatigue at work; but what I like is when the characters are gossiping about other people or just discussing something, which the characters bring naturally and make it feel funny, I feel like I am part of their conversation.
This film is only about conversations between characters but it's not boring in my opinion and that's good.
There's a weird twist in the end but somehow explain why the main character is a woman but has a man body,
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A happy Sawada's family consisting of father, mother and 3 daughters; the first daughter, Sachiko, who's about to married; the second, Yukie is trying to live independently and the youngest, Mayumi is enjoying her high school life, and they are as a family look so normal and happy.
Until one night when Sachiko and Yuki went to Tokyo and by chance Mayumi decided to sleep in Sachiko's room, Sachiko's ex-boyfriend breaks into the house, enters Sachiko's room, and pours sulfuric acid on Mayumi's face, thinking it was Sachiko lying in the bed. He then kills Mayumi's mother before being shot dead by her father. Mayumi survives the ordeal, but is left severely disfigured due to the sulfuric acid. This is where life of Sawada's family starting to ruin.
A cruel social life, enough to destroy someone, it can be seen here how rumors and gossip destroyed Mayumi even her friends were reluctant to befriend her because her face became ugly and her slit-mouthed. Actually the remaining members of family embraces her but yeah eventually they're holding psychological burden, especially the father. He lose her wife, killed a man, and he actually heard the rumors for sure, his life completely destroyed and can't hold it all.
You could say the ghost in the red dress that was seen by Mayumi appeared because his father died, not directly related but psychologically Mayumi is getting more down and bring up sort of mental illness which later will get worse and the ghost or demon takes full control of her.
It's definitely different with the first film, even though this film seems like a prequel but it doesn't have anything to do with the first film, different characters, different approaches, different focus. I'll say this is better than the first, this is more well-crafted even as a drama or horror. Not like the first that I think pushing too much to horror slasher and has cliche horror script.
This film is drama horror and use Mayumi's story to scare and spread horror, if you follow the story carefully it will make you feel horrified and there's a jumpscare but it doesn't seem like it's meant to be the main weapon. Fortunately, Kotaro Terauchi execute the film very well so the drama and horror can blend well together.
Lastly, you know Kuchisake Onna famous line? the "Am I pretty?" even though Mayumi appearance not that creepy but for me when she asked it to Sachiko in the end was more impactful and horrifying than in the first film that kinda make the words sounds annoying and no more sacred.
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Actually the kill doesn't matter because from the story, how they build up the emotion was enough for make this film a bloody reunion but they take somekind like serial killer path, kinda disappointing. It's okay if they stay on their path, even though it will be predictable but it's still gonna be satisfying but then they insert a twist, sure it a little bit shocked me but then I felt the emotions that were built up very good, now feel useless.
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Time to get married...
Actually I was thinking in the first 10-minutes that I'm not gonna enjoy this because it's a black & white film. But when dialogue starts, this film like give me a rope that makes me slowly enjoy the film.The dialogue feels like a conversations between ordinary people in real life, and I like it. And the plot is great, pretty well organized, even though it was laid out slowly.
I like Chishu Ryu & Setsuko Hara chemistry as Father & Daughter, I can feel the emotion when the marriage topic starts to be cooked, Noriko's unwillingness to get married and leave her father, I understand why she's like that. And then Somiya go home after sent Noriko to wedding and sit in solitude, enough to make my heart tremble.
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I think only Nogizaka46 fans who's gonna enjoy it to the fullest.
The plot is like anime called "Haikyuu" where a new students in a high school join an extracurricular but instead of volleyball, in this film was Naginata (a kind of ancient martial arts reserved for women) and they tried to get into the inter-high competition.From the story I like it but not that good, and there's a lot of Naginata Battle but the execution feels lacking and can't make me feel the thrilled.
And lastly the very good things about this film was there's a lot of heartwarming scene, when they're smile, cry, or anything, it's make my heart warm, and I truly love that.
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Parents love... you guys gonna cry when you watch this Yoshitaro Nomura film's.
The film tells the story of a husband and wife who has a daughter, and their daughter is exposed to tetanus.I thought this film would be a monster body horror film like Tetsuo but it wasn't. Although there is still horror, the drama is still thicker in this film. But I could say that the drama and horror genres were merged into one because the scenes that could be considered horror still didn't stay away from drama and didn't make the film scary.
Apart from the film that didn't meet my initial expectations, it turned out to be one of my best film viewing experiences this year. It was like found a gem. Truly a typical film I love, a drama full of emotions that could bring tears to my eyes and I'll explain later below.
What is certain is that this film feels realistic and relatable, at the beginning when Masako bit her tongue, the reactions from her father and mother really matched what parents would do in the real world.
Maybe the horror in this film tends to be more psychological, like the moment when the film starts to get into the 2nd act, Masako doesn't recover and is getting longer in the hospital, moreover, we will often be shown the moment when Masako had convulsions and as time went by; like her parents, I also getting tired and her parents psychologically began to slowly disturbed.
With the longer Masako was treated, making the hope to see her recover becoming more and more blurry, to the point that Masako's parents cried because they were mentally tired, but I was touched, they were good parents and still chose to keep taking care of Masako, standing by her side, guarding the shrinking hope.
And when the film began to reach its ending without realizing it, my tears flowed because I was touched and satisfied with the result of Masako's parents' patience in facing the tragedy that befell them.
Overall, this a masterpiece.
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This review may contain spoilers
I think this film was just too long or probably should changed the order of the scenes.I love how these bullies are nurtured for us to hate to the point that what they do exceeds the limit, so when our heroine who I believe in with everything that has been taken, really wants to kill the bullies, when she did it, it felt so satisfying. To be honest, when Nozaki killed Kuga it felt like it was nearing the end but I saw that the duration had not yet reached half.
Then later Nozaki kills again but there is a gap that makes the initial build up not feel effective anymore, plus later it will include an element of romance which in my opinion is very unimportant.
It's a shame, I think if only it's focusing on Nozaki taking revenge on her bullies is more than enough, there's no need for love between these characters that makes everything feel like the bridge is collapsing at the end. Had the order been changed maybe it could have been better.
Although implicitly, making this film only covers not many characters who are represent every kind of person involved in every case of bullying in schools is quite good idea; There are those who are bullied, the bully, former victims of bullying, students who stand up for the victims, neutral students, teachers who are not good at handling bullies, messed up families behind the bullies, etc. but I don't really care about it anymore since this film getting mixed up and draggy.
Oh yeah, there's a two twist near the actual end, at this point I can only sigh and almost crying inside because I don't think this film need it.
Potentially very good but why why why?!!!
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Basically, this is about a landlord who spies on his tenants and takes notes about their routines, but one of his tenants, a girl, gives him an idea about breaking the deadlock in life; the landlord takes her words to heart and decides to shatter his tenants' routine lives.
The way the landlord did it and how it really had a massive impact on his tenants was so miraculous. He set up the tenants one by one before eventually linking them all together in a madness. It's involved (an almost or is it?) incest, unfaithfulness, lust, and superpowers; that's all, if I'm not mistaken. The landlord sabotaged just a little thing in them tenants disciplines lives, leading to such a doomed fate but entertaining in my eyes.
Overall, I find the atmosphere exciting, like in crime films, but there are moments when this film could feel frightening, like when we are introduced to the mysterious tenant.
This film looked so beautiful; the set, the lighting, the shot, the effect, etc. were just impressive.
The acting, which all the actors did well without exception, is pretty much one of the strongest reason why this film could be engaging and enjoyable.
There's still more this film had, the twist that whether it's there or not wouldn't be a problem, but I like that this film had it. The twist made this film go full circle imo, and gave the landlord proper closure to his story, which ended with satisfaction.
That's all I think. Thanks.
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Accompanying each other in difficult times, being happy with each other when they have nothing, makes so many beautiful memories but at some point this relationship cannot be saved, and is presented here with bitterness.
I love the the two MC, Mugi (Masaki Suda) and Kinu (Kasumi Arimura), their chemistry is so good, in every phase of the relationship shown in this film, the chemistry feels quite real. Unfortunately, it feels weird with Kinu whose hair doesn't change much from year to year, unlike Mugi, who was different when he was unemployed and already working, I don't know if there might be a meaning to that.
I sensed an great aura from Masaki Suda, I felt Nana Komatsu found a perfect man for her. I hope they last long.
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If we become family now, we can make it work.
We'll have kids, call each other "Honey" and "Dear".
Can't you just imagine it?
The three or four of us will hold hands, walk along Tama River, go to department store.
Buy a minivan, go camping, visit Disney Land.
We'll take our time, live out our lives.
And despite our history, we'll have become that happy couple.
It'll be as easy as breathing.
Let's become those two.
Let's get married.
Let's be happy.
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With that great opening in mind then few more kills involving mirrors, obviously I started expecting another some supernatural things related to mirrors, but what I get is detective mystery thing. It's not bad but it's like I'm being kept away from a crystal clear diamond that I could get. I'm disappointed.
For the ending, I don't really understand how it came out like that, made me confused with the concept of the mirror world.
Overall, enjoyable, the technicality impressed me but also at some point kinda dissapointing.
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One of the most satisfying 2020 asian releases...
Initially, I didn't expect anything to this film, I didn't read anything about this film but instead this film become one of the most satisfying 2020 releases for me.This film is divided into 3 chapters, of course it's like orientation, complications & resolution. The orientation was so boring, actually it was good because we can get to know the character better but it's too cliche and standard, in this I thought it would be a horrible but I am patient and already bear almost half the duration of the film I watch.
When the complications started, i felt no regret to stay and keep watching this film because gradually the story started to get interesting and the quality of the execution has also improved in this Chapter 2. If you ever played or watch the gameplay of The Dark Pictures: Little Hope, you know when the ghost or the spirit touch the characters. it's gonna be bring them to flashback to the past to see the truth behind something, and in this film it's pretty much the same and wow, I didn't expect it, and it's used really well to explain the past of Joy's boss, Uma & Nirach.
Lastly, Chapter 3, the resolution here it shows what Joy is actually like, and it really shocks me, but that's also what makes this chapter 3 feel satisfying, really all-out, bloody, it ends the story very well and Ploy Somarin's performance as Joy is really crazy but good.
It's been a long time since the last time I saw a great Thailand horror, and I'm happy after watching this.
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60's Parasite
The first Kurosawa film that I finished, last year I tasted Rashomon but it was only willing to watch it until the opening.In the first half, I think it will be just a normal kidnapping drama, rather boring and a bit annoyed by his wife and his driver, Gondo, there is something wrong because the money ends up not being used to buy shares (somehow annoyed).
After finding the driver, this film starts to feel exciting, hunting the kidnapper while diving to the slum side makes you understand the kidnapper's feelings too, especially while looking at Gondo's house from the slum, he wants to bomb his house.
I really like it when the police hold a meeting, I feel like I'm putting up a puzzle, it's fun.
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The story itself, I think it's simply about a woman who kill to lower property prices to buy her Dream Home, other than that, if you look at the flashback, maybe because it was part of her wish since childhood or to fulfill a promise to her mother to buy a flat, but i'm still confused about her big urge to achieve it, is it because the canceled contract? i don't know.
This film has funny moments too, only briefly but "burst on to his face" made me laugh out loud.
i don't know what to type anymore. That's all. Thanks
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But...
They put a twist in the middle of the film, and I don't want to blame it at first for breaking the great momentum, but I did try to be optimistic. With the film becoming bad after that twist in this second half, I think I need to blame it; they just simply told the story I don't want to follow, even though it's still about the victim. Also, this second half looks like those generic trash horror films.
I really want to curse this freakin' film. Just damn, it's very disappointing.
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Probably, this film could be something like eat the rich but it ends up flimsy.
As a revenge film, it feels weird. I feel like the antagonist is anxious throughout the film about Amelie's best friend died while doing anal with him, but it seems forgotten by Amelie but still affects her in a way, with all the things going on in her life that she sees a guy as her oasis, then the guy become the reason she need to get revenge while the antagonist still thinking about what he did, that's what's in my thoughts tho.
There's bunch of flashback between Amelie and her father, quite touching but it seems like it just for setting up the ending, which is quite good.
That's all I think. Thanks.
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