A powerful film of moral complexity
I was fortunate enough to be able to see this film the day it came out in the US. I was drawn to it because it was the last film of the late Lee Sun Kyun, but I found the film fascinating overall. Lee Sun Kyun’s performance as a man involved in the Presidential assassination of 1979 is understated, even stoic, as befits his character. Jo Jung Suk Is fantastic as the cynical attorney trying to save his client. The film uses light and darkness effectively to underscore its messages. I highly recommend it.Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful and contemplative
The plot summary makes this show sound like a travelogue but it’s a lot more than that. It’s more of a meditation on human connection.The main character deals with how she feels about her life but it’s not a straightforward narrative about that. It’s more contemplative. The acting, from the main character and the supporting characters is subtle and moving.
The cinematography is beautiful. The mood is sometimes melancholy but I didn’t find it depressing.
It’s very different from other dramas I have seen but in such a good way. I highly recommend it.
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Sweet story
I thought this short drama was very sweet - I only wish it were longer. I liked the serious girl/popular girl dynamic. In spite of the title I don’t think they ever really hated each other - just had trouble getting along. The acting was very sincere and the story was good considering it didn’t have too much time to develop. I definitely recommend this one to people who like GL. This company makes more short GL dramas that I am going to check out.Was this review helpful to you?
Thriller with Twists
This movie was loosely based on the book “The Dinner.” The book made me uncomfortable with its exploration of moral choices. The movie made several changes, such as a greater role for the children. I felt that change and many of the others were improvements, at least in terms of making it work as a movie. It still examined moral choices, and asked the question “How far should parents go to protect their children?” but took some turns I was not expecting, which I actually liked. The acting was very good and made me feel for the characters and their desperation.Was this review helpful to you?
Nothing groundbreaking, but fun.
As other reviewers have said, the plot is very cliche. The acting is actually pretty good overall though, and I did feel invested in the characters.I especially liked the ML, who was very humble and sincere - not popular and stuck with a hopeless crush but not self-pitying about it. The FL was grounded enough not to seem too vain, so it was believable that she began to soften toward the ML and his friends. There were also a few funny parts I liked too. It’s nothing new and different, but if you’re looking for something short and sweet you might want to check it out.
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Excellent adaptation of the original
I really loved the original so I was eager to see this adaptation and I was not disappointed. I just had to give everything the highest rating because it deserves it!The stories were great - granted, the original writers deserve a lot of the credit for that but the Japanese writers picked some of the best episodes and adapted them for Japanese society and culture. The acting was excellent- definitely comparable to the original. The music was well chosen too - some was Western music I recognized with some interesting choices such as “Let it Be” and “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)”
To be honest I don’t rewatch dramas as I have so many ones I haven’t seen lined up. But as this was already sort of a “rewatch” for me I’m going to give it a 10 on that score too.
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More Than a Romance
Netflix gives the genre as “romance” and it does center around one, but it’s about a lot more than that. It’s about how the pressures of life mess people up. It’s about family and found family and the terrible (and good) things they do to each other. It’s about the helplessness of feeling like one can’t change the past or the future.Some of the most moving moments in the show don’t even involve the main couple - though I did find them charming, especially Jang Ki Yong who seems to be a very versatile actor.
I also liked that it was something different. They had superpowers that had stopped working, and even back when they did work they were never superheroes. The FL was not insipid and sweet but a schemer.
It’s not a flawless show, and I was especially unimpressed by the use of the “self hating fat girl” stereotype. However even that is mitigated somewhat by the end.
This is one of my favorite shows of 2024 and I strongly recommend it.
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