A black & white, silent film, with only orchestral music playing during its screentime. Does it sound boring and monotonous? 'cause it's definitely not! This is a real gem, that is really worth watching. A captivating story of motherly love, sacrifice and dignity, a timely social commentary on many issues valid till today, and a riveting performance -only with gestures and micro-expressions and without uttering a single word- from a talented, beautiful and tragic actress who left us too early. A must watch!
“How wonderful it would be if my whole life so far turns out to have been a dream. And suddenly I awaken and I'm someone else entirely.” Equally frustrating and captivating, this sad family drama is a bitter social commentary on japanese patriarch family stereotypes, the lack of communication and trust, the secrecy, the monotony, the role-playing of each family member when put on the edge of a financial crisis. But, among all the lies, the desperation, helplessness and isolation caused (or actually enhanced) by this bleak reality, there's still hope and a chance to make things right.
A thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction drama-special based on real facts, with lots of wonderful paintings, picturesque landscapes and an intriguing 'friendship' between two of the main leads. [Though I'm sure that seeing Nagayama Eita and Nakagawa Taishi with those particular hairstyles wasn't something anyone can really like...]
With a brilliant use of a non-linear backward narration, this quirky, inventive multi-genre film tells a story from 5 different perspectives, showing the intertwining substories of 5 different people during the same Friday evening, while slowly revealing their characters, motivations and intricacies. A fun, underrated little gem!
An emotional, deeply affectionate slice-of-life story, full of warmth and compassion. Minimal with words and dense with feelings, this is a poignant observation, serving also as a social commentary, on the life of young people through the reflective journey of the protagonist while meeting her old band-mates. Elegant, subtle but powerful acting from Esom, masterful cinematography and lighting in a tribute to bigger life dreams and smaller life pleasures.
This short black & white film is a biopic of the life and art of Katsushika Hokusai, one of Japan's greatest artists, ukiyo-e painter and print-maker of landscape and floral art, erotic prints, caricatures and realistic everyday life scenes of the Edo period. Though it would have been more captivating if it was filmed in colour, thus his beautiful prints would have been given full life, it still is an interesting watching experience and introduction to his work.
Though the plot was a bit cliché and rather predictable, the young talented cast, the unique narration approach and the clever use of the fantasy & mystery elements made this bittersweet story of first love and friendship an enjoyable youth drama.
Though the plot was a bit cliché and rather predictable, the young talented cast, the unique narration approach and the clever use of the fantasy & mystery elements made this bittersweet story of first love and friendship an enjoyable youth drama.
Hunger and ambition spiced with a bitter socioeconomic commentary on culinary extravaganzas in a long, dark -and slightly overcooked- thought provoking story, beautifully served through talented Aoy.
Intense, intriguing, very dark -and in some scenes extremely disturbing- psychological thriller about a sadistic & manipulative serial killer and a law student who tries to solve the mystery of one of his murders. Clever use of camerawork, editing and flashbacks in a well-knitted narration, as well as elegant and measured performances from Abe Sadawo and Mizukami Koshi made this admittedly difficult watch a memorable experience.
A fast-paced, plot-driven political crime thriller with corrupted officials, organized crime, city redevelopment plans, and every possible political machination one could think of. Top level acting from Jo Jin Woong and Lee Sung Min, tight writing and direction, well-built revenge and betrayal plot-twists in an intense and very engaging story.
Auteur's Wong Kar Wai debut film isn't exactly a masterpiece, but flashes of his talent depicting superbly his characters, full of loneliness, longing, and desperation, and his well-known neon cinematography style with his distinctive melancholic vibes are already evident in this violent gangster/melo romance film. With outstanding performances from Andy Lau and Maggie Cheung as the main leads, this story of love and friendship is a rewarding watch for Wong Kar Wai's fans.
Heartwarming and cute family dramedy about alternative universe, second chances in life and character development. Though its story is predictable, with nothing new to add in this genre, it still is an enjoyable, relaxing watch thanks to the great cast and especially the kid actors, Park So- Yi and Kim Jun, with their vivid and natural performances. Time well-spent.
A great performance from Kuroki Haru and Matsu Takako in a slow-paced character driven story, full of subtle emotions and gestures, and a poignant, nostalgic depiction of pre- and post-war life in Tokyo.
I must admit that Woo Do Hwan and his charms were the only reason why I kept watching this below average drama. Though very weak on the romance and lukewarm on the revenge part, and with some awkward and untimely comic scenes, it did have some good points, especially during the first episodes where the focus was on the legal cases. But, the most engaging parts were WDH's interactions and bromance with his best friend Dong Chi, his rivalry and collaboration with Ji Sun and his friendship with the most likeable King I've seen in a sageuk lately.
Heavy on the dialogues, with a weak and rather unbalanced script spiced with black humor and gangster violence, this unusual road-trip movie owes most of its brownie points to veteran actor Michael Hui and Chung Mong Hong's cinematography.
A touching, tender story of love and deep bonding between two childhood friends, as well as their coming of age journey to maturity through hardships and misunderstandings. Beautifully filmed and edited, with complimentary bgm and soft colouring, its most beautiful part was definitely Zhou Dong Yu and Ma Si Chun's performances and chemistry.
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Does it sound boring and monotonous? 'cause it's definitely not!
This is a real gem, that is really worth watching.
A captivating story of motherly love, sacrifice and dignity, a timely social commentary on many issues valid till today, and a riveting performance -only with gestures and micro-expressions and without uttering a single word- from a talented, beautiful and tragic actress who left us too early.
A must watch!
Equally frustrating and captivating, this sad family drama is a bitter social commentary on japanese patriarch family stereotypes, the lack of communication and trust, the secrecy, the monotony, the role-playing of each family member when put on the edge of a financial crisis.
But, among all the lies, the desperation, helplessness and isolation caused (or actually enhanced) by this bleak reality, there's still hope and a chance to make things right.
[Though I'm sure that seeing Nagayama Eita and Nakagawa Taishi with those particular hairstyles wasn't something anyone can really like...]
A fun, underrated little gem!
Minimal with words and dense with feelings, this is a poignant observation, serving also as a social commentary, on the life of young people through the reflective journey of the protagonist while meeting her old band-mates.
Elegant, subtle but powerful acting from Esom, masterful cinematography and lighting in a tribute to bigger life dreams and smaller life pleasures.
Though it would have been more captivating if it was filmed in colour, thus his beautiful prints
would have been given full life, it still is an interesting watching experience and introduction to his work.
Clever use of camerawork, editing and flashbacks in a well-knitted narration, as well as elegant and measured performances from Abe Sadawo and Mizukami Koshi made this admittedly difficult watch a memorable experience.
Top level acting from Jo Jin Woong and Lee Sung Min, tight writing and direction, well-built revenge and betrayal plot-twists in an intense and very engaging story.
With outstanding performances from Andy Lau and Maggie Cheung as the main leads, this story of love and friendship is a rewarding watch for Wong Kar Wai's fans.
Though its story is predictable, with nothing new to add in this genre, it still is an enjoyable, relaxing watch thanks to the great cast and especially the kid actors, Park So- Yi and Kim Jun, with their vivid and natural performances.
Time well-spent.
Though very weak on the romance and lukewarm on the revenge part, and with some awkward and untimely comic scenes, it did have some good points, especially during the first episodes where the focus was on the legal cases. But, the most engaging parts were WDH's interactions and bromance with his best friend Dong Chi, his rivalry and collaboration with Ji Sun and his friendship with the most likeable King I've seen in a sageuk lately.
Beautifully filmed and edited, with complimentary bgm and soft colouring, its most beautiful part was definitely Zhou Dong Yu and Ma Si Chun's performances and chemistry.