Calm, bittersweet and girly road movie about an odd, emotionally suppressed young woman - who balances between her denial to embrace her adulthood and her hesitation to allow forgotten childhood memories affect her - and her return to her dysfunctional family and home village with the help of her zany, supportive friend. Excellent acting from both leads, and especially Shim Eun Kyung: despite not being Japanese she was so natural and convincing.
“I try to make the best of every day — but what does that even mean anyway?”
Raw, intense, gripping, thought-provoking and psychologically triggering in so many levels, but very captivating. Solid, condensed writing and directing, outstanding acting and impactful music gave a memorable watching experience.
A minimal, reserved, but very emotional and engaging study on memory, longing and loss, where every frame is a perfect picture, enhanced by superb natural lighting and subtle directing. What a great, captivating debut for auteur Koreeda Hirokazu!
Brillinant idea, beautifully written, with wonderful casting combinations! I'd definitely watched these xD After all, I'm the biggest fan of XingFly or ButterBack productions ❤❤❤
A subtle, whimsical indie art-house film, with some mild surrealistic and tragicomic touches and an eloquent aesthetic that is cleverly enhanced by its black-and-white cinematography. A Chinese-Korean enigmatic girl, who runs a rundown bar while coping with a paralyzed father, forms a flirtatious quintet alongside her epileptic landlord, a bipolar North Korean defector, a small-time gangster and a lesbian tomboy, all affectionately yet melancholically portrayed.
Hats off to Park In Hwan, who captured our hearts and soared like an eagle with his breathtaking performance! A wonderful family-friendship drama, elegantly portraying all aspects of this unique story. Time well-spent.
For those who are familiar with the melancholic, surrealistic world of Haruki Murakami and love Iggy Pop’s “I am a Passenger”, this indie movie is a rewarding watch. An honest, sensitive look on a mother experiencing the loss of her child and her efforts to cope with it and let go, through the subtle and eloquent performance of Yoshida Yoh and an excellent cinematography that highlights the beauty of Hanalei Bay.
A dialogue based story about fragmented encounters of people going through some kind of loss: of a partner, love, time, or memories. Slow-paced, with a hazy, drifting melancholic tone, it felt more like reading a book than watching a movie...
"- I envy you. Doing exactly what you want.
- No, I just don't do what I don't like. "
"But a sad person is sad in any country.
Anywhere you go, sad is sad.
And the lonely ones are lonely."
Excellent acting from both leads, and especially Shim Eun Kyung: despite not being Japanese she was so natural and convincing.
“I try to make the best of every day — but what does that even mean anyway?”
Always impressed and proud ❤
Glad to know you liked it too :)
Solid, condensed writing and directing, outstanding acting and impactful music gave a memorable watching experience.
What a great, captivating debut for auteur Koreeda Hirokazu!
I'd definitely watched these xD
After all, I'm the biggest fan of XingFly or ButterBack productions ❤❤❤
A Chinese-Korean enigmatic girl, who runs a rundown bar while coping with a paralyzed father, forms a flirtatious quintet alongside her epileptic landlord, a bipolar North Korean defector, a small-time gangster and a lesbian tomboy, all affectionately yet melancholically portrayed.
A wonderful family-friendship drama, elegantly portraying all aspects of this unique story. Time well-spent.
Bittersweet, equally sad and optimistic in a unique way only j-dramas can accomplish :)
Keep up the good work, dear @Cho Na xD
An honest, sensitive look on a mother experiencing the loss of her child and her efforts to cope with it and let go, through the subtle and eloquent performance of Yoshida Yoh and an excellent cinematography that highlights the beauty of Hanalei Bay.
Slow-paced, with a hazy, drifting melancholic tone, it felt more like reading a book than watching a movie...