Contrary to some comments below, strictly speaking this does not end on a cliffhanger i.e. not in the middle of an unresolved action scene. Much of the main story is resolved by the end. But there is significant backstory hinted at through the series, and the very end clearly shows that there is more to come, that the producers are expecting another season.
It's unmistakably flirtation going on between these two (I don't think friends play around like that) but Xu You Yi's childish demands are in rather poor taste, would be understandable if she was just a rich girl, but we know she had a humble past and therefore should be less of a prima donna when with Wei Wei. But that's typical of the poor writing in this series. Meanwhile, Yan Wei quietly smiles in pleasure as she panders to You Yi, even going so far as to inexplicably burst onto the scene and dramatically rescue You Yi whenever she's in danger and wherever she happens to be around the country. But this is China, and so I can't see them living happily ever after with their baby in the final episode.
Would have to add Bad Genius here, and it did well internationally. A thriller about exam cheating, would you believe. Well-produced and well-acted. The bad guy in the climax is a little bit over the top, though. A couple at least on your list look like remakes of Korean movies. They could still be good versions, though.
i felt bad the chinese government bullied her for acknowledging her taiwanese roots. the CCP will get their karma…
I just saw the film of her apology. I have to assume she was under immense pressure to say such outrageous things, which were surely lies. She waved the flag of Taiwan presumably b/c she was proud to be Taiwanese. The fact that China could pressure a Taiwanese entertainer on Korean television is evil, and her Korean production company should have supported her.
A tragic tale in which cycles of mutual hatred and violence, engendered by a patriarchal and classed society, lead to inevitable karmic retribution, only occasionally given relief in a sensual and passionate romance, represented by the colourful rolls of dying cloth. While each episode is dramatic, the underlying repetition seems to be expressed in the frequent shots of the monotonous village rooftops. Gong Li is beautiful, erotic, and the strongest character, surrounded by emasculated men, either the paraplegic master, the subservient adoptee nephew, or the grim and taciturn son.
I don't find it entertaining watching an immature, selfish and bitter man with no redeeming features consistently mistreat a young woman who is nothing but hardworking and undemanding. I understand his motivations, and a lot is explained by the way his just-as-bitter father treats him, but this certainly doesn't excuse him or make him endearing. Goodness knows what she sees in him, if it's anything more than just a safe place to stay after a lifetime of hardship. Even when her good example eventually wins him over, he keeps failing to provide what she needs, except for the climactic rescue scene, which unfortunately for budget reasons we are deprived from witnessing. This, along with the writer forgetting to address the matter of her guilt about her distant family, makes the ending feel rushed and unsatisfying.
Two children each ask their mothers, who are preoccupied with their work, for an explanation of the mysterious relationships of adults, and in each case are met with hostile rejection, because the women are ashamed of their own behaviour, although it's necessary so they can survive in the male-dominated world. So the children can only turn to each other for companionship and to dreams their dreams. But of course that can't last as the adults' lives of struggle are imposed on the children. I've mainly watched modern Japanese movies, so it was interesting to see Tokyo of the 1960s - the clothes, the cars. The acting and photography were a bit more stylised and less natural than we're used to in modern films.
Trying to figure out how these three stories fit together. The two adult stories seem to show how adults screw up relationships, and try to screw up the fresh relationship of the children The the teacher warns the children not to take notice of adults, as they're often wrong. Nice to see Seohyun acting, she's one of the better voices and prettier faces in GG, but let's face it, acting hysterically crazy is what most beginner actors like to do; a really skillful actor can do subtlety. Sad that a film like this still has to be made, and that a mother and daughter have to go through so much angst before they can accept each other; maybe the day will come when everyone will have got over themselves, and same-sex couples will be a totally ordinary part of life. The musician's arrogant boyfriend is played by the same actor who played the narcissistic boyfriend in Age Youth. What a bother to be typecast as a creep.
Totally different than Zhang Yi Mou's next film (Cliff Walkers), the style and symbolism of this movie makes it feel more like a stage play, even if several scenes consist of someone trudging through a landscape of unrelenting sand dunes. The repetitive and futile plot and the bleak landscape, even when the action is in town, give it the feel of Waiting for Godot, and perhaps that's the writer/director's comment on life in China during the Cultural Revolution, China anytime, or life anytime anywhere. I'd be fascinated to know who this was made for, and who it would appeal to in China. While it might appear an attack on the Cultural Revolution, including the theme of fractured families, there is also a vivid sequence on the power of collective action.
It's a nasty story about high school bullying; physical; online, sexual, etc. wielded by the students with money and connections, and about the attempt of some to fight back, driven by their own guilt in their complicity. But they struggle to find a means that won't leave them feeling just as guilty, and it seems the writer couldn't figure this out either. There's a lukewarm attempt at finding redemption at the end, but there aren't any insights into the nature of the problem or possible solutions.
The description and review above describe this well, so I'll just add some comments about this wonderful movie. We're normally unaware how mainstream actors and characters are "normal", and that minority groups only feature in movies that specifically represent the struggles of being in that minority. Gradually minority characters are becoming ordinary characters in mainstream movies. There have been a few movies about CODAs (children of deaf adults) and this one gives the Korean version, in a gentle and non-overwrought movie. The writer/director appears to know a lot about deaf culture, but there are a few inconsistencies: when some very important decisions are being discussed, the communication is severely limited and misrepresented - no attempts at writing, nor texting, nor interpreters, etc. I know this has been a problem for deaf people in the past, but surely not in contemporary times. The parents, especially the father are fluent signers, but seem to have no links with other deaf people. Where did they learn to sign? The father said he didn't go to school, and therefore he would have had no opportunity to learn to sign unless he had deaf friends. BTW the father is very expressive and it's a joy to watch him telling stories with the vivid combination of mime and sign-grammar that is sign language. My bet is he's an experienced deaf sign performer, but I see he has a long filmography, so maybe I'm wrong, maybe he hears!? The girl's signing is slower and my guess is she learnt it for the movie, while the little boy has a fluency that suggests he's a born-deaf signer. Interesting ambiguous ending that avoids the obvious cliche, preceded by a heart-warming and none-too-soon meeting of friends across the hearing-deaf divide.
Is Go Hyun Jung the best actress in Korea? My definition is someone with a huge range of capability: The feisty young student in Sandglass, the stony-faced teacher in Queen's Classroom, the villainous Mishil in Queen Seondeok, and here the fragile writer in Dear My Friends.
This is no romantic escapist drama, but one about the grim realities of life, faced with warmth and humour. Early in the drama we are faced with domestic violence and in episode 6 it comes to a head. Although the drama's central theme is about ageing, male and female gender roles are also explored. We see that for some males, aggression and violence is their only means of expression and problem-solving, and when what is needed is expression of love for a daughter, that approach is severely limited and even destructive. I somehow feel that there is going to be a happy ending by the last episode, but it will be hard-won, with casualties along the way.
Only watched first episode and that's enough for me. Massive budget, gorgeous photography and scenery. But when propaganda and state control is in charge, can this ever produce something entertaining? Boring story, doesn't even succeed in its intention to inform. The meatiest part of the script was quotations from The Communist Manifesto. Otherwise the script was full of earnestly-delivered cliches. The subtitles didn't include some of the most essential information e.g. names of characters (shown on screen in Hanzi) and plot summary at the end (mind you, a good script includes the exposition in the action).
I was confused as to whether or not the part-timer and the transgender were just friends or maybe more?
look her up on youtube. also the duo with her brother in AKMU, also Akdong Musician also she's been in many episodes of the Korean musical reality TV series "Begin Again" - lots of episodes are on youtube. If you like Kpop, that is.
I was confused as to whether or not the part-timer and the transgender were just friends or maybe more?
I really like Lee Soo Hyun's singing and stage presence, so I was interested to see her acting chops. She didn't really get a chance in this drama. Some other singers haver developed into good actors (e.g. IU) so it would be good to see if she can too.
It's a murky print, and much of this movie is set at night or in dark rooms, but it's a gentle tale narrated in retrospect by a young Beijing woman during the Cultural Revolution who is sent to live in a remote tribal village, as part of the punishment of her family for being on the wrong side. She gradually learns that Han ways are not the only ways, that there are advantages in doing things in other ways, and by this becomes entwined with the community. The soundtrack is an evocative combination of field recordings of tribal songs, and brooding composed music. A fellow Beijing student she occasionally runs into, criticizes the idealogy they have been taught, and at the end of the movie when she has returned to Beijing, she yearns for that interlude in her life.
Meanwhile, Yan Wei quietly smiles in pleasure as she panders to You Yi, even going so far as to inexplicably burst onto the scene and dramatically rescue You Yi whenever she's in danger and wherever she happens to be around the country.
But this is China, and so I can't see them living happily ever after with their baby in the final episode.
A couple at least on your list look like remakes of Korean movies. They could still be good versions, though.
I've mainly watched modern Japanese movies, so it was interesting to see Tokyo of the 1960s - the clothes, the cars. The acting and photography were a bit more stylised and less natural than we're used to in modern films.
Nice to see Seohyun acting, she's one of the better voices and prettier faces in GG, but let's face it, acting hysterically crazy is what most beginner actors like to do; a really skillful actor can do subtlety. Sad that a film like this still has to be made, and that a mother and daughter have to go through so much angst before they can accept each other; maybe the day will come when everyone will have got over themselves, and same-sex couples will be a totally ordinary part of life.
The musician's arrogant boyfriend is played by the same actor who played the narcissistic boyfriend in Age Youth. What a bother to be typecast as a creep.
We're normally unaware how mainstream actors and characters are "normal", and that minority groups only feature in movies that specifically represent the struggles of being in that minority. Gradually minority characters are becoming ordinary characters in mainstream movies. There have been a few movies about CODAs (children of deaf adults) and this one gives the Korean version, in a gentle and non-overwrought movie.
The writer/director appears to know a lot about deaf culture, but there are a few inconsistencies: when some very important decisions are being discussed, the communication is severely limited and misrepresented - no attempts at writing, nor texting, nor interpreters, etc. I know this has been a problem for deaf people in the past, but surely not in contemporary times. The parents, especially the father are fluent signers, but seem to have no links with other deaf people. Where did they learn to sign? The father said he didn't go to school, and therefore he would have had no opportunity to learn to sign unless he had deaf friends.
BTW the father is very expressive and it's a joy to watch him telling stories with the vivid combination of mime and sign-grammar that is sign language. My bet is he's an experienced deaf sign performer, but I see he has a long filmography, so maybe I'm wrong, maybe he hears!? The girl's signing is slower and my guess is she learnt it for the movie, while the little boy has a fluency that suggests he's a born-deaf signer.
Interesting ambiguous ending that avoids the obvious cliche, preceded by a heart-warming and none-too-soon meeting of friends across the hearing-deaf divide.
also she's been in many episodes of the Korean musical reality TV series "Begin Again" - lots of episodes are on youtube.
If you like Kpop, that is.