Reviews

"Why did you have to come to this place?"

The silent film Daybreak aka Tianming was a political melodrama from 1933. Li Lili, one of the brightest stars at the time led the cast as the wholesome heroine done wrong by the big city and warlords. Ling Ling would seek her revenge through the coming revolution.

Ling Ling and her beau Zhang leave the countryside for Shanghai hoping to make a better life for themselves. They move into the same building as her cousin and her husband, “Fatty.” At first everything is going their way as they happily work at the factory. When the factory bosses notice Ling Ling’s beauty she is assigned to night duty. Zhang takes exception to their actions and is fired. He ends up working on a ship and later joins the revolution. Ling Ling’s cousin sets her up unknowingly on a “date” with the boss. From there Ling Ling’s fortunes take a downward turn. After a tragedy she learns to use her body and her wits to help the workers and revolution.

The countryside was shown as idyllic and alternately as devastated by taxation and war. The big city and its modern ways was an inherently evil place while the countryside was considered uncontaminated by modern ways. Not for the first time the squeaky-clean country girl was sullied for daring to leave home. Unashamedly a propaganda film, it leaned in hard and used a sledge hammer to drive its points home. Happiness, the individual, and life were meaningless, only the revolution mattered. Only the revolution would bring the solutions for their problems.

Li Lili’s life played out much like one of these films. Her childhood was traumatic. And while she became famous from starring in Sun Yu’s films she drew the ire of Mao’s jealous wife Jiang Qing. Li and her husband Luo Jing Yu were jailed and tortured during the Cultural Revolution. Her husband did not survive the experience.

I’ve watched several of these old silent films. The acting was more overwrought than usual in Daybreak. The makeup might be recognized today as heroin chic or maybe consumption chic. Through no fault of the film makers, the film was off center at times, the frames would freeze and there was significant pocking on various frames.

While I could appreciate the political fervor during a volatile time, the exaggerated acting and martyr complex of the heroine dimmed its impact for me. Despite being historically relevant, the well-worn trope even by this time of the country girl soiled by the big city was less than compelling for me.

2 June 2025

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bland....at best.

I didn't watch the series meaning I didn't have any previous attachment towards this story. my opinion is solely based on this movie.

it s hard to rate this movie.
the plot could have had some potential but the fact that a literal kid is a bodyguard is too ridiculous.
I laughed my ass off when he started beating up the president 's personal guards.. c'mon guys.. that's a teen ager.

there is some chemistry between the actor and that s probably the only good part.

there aren't any significant secondary characters. the "girlfriend" pops out of nowhere and plays basically no role in this movie.

the fact that actors all looked over 28 didn't help that much.

the love story could have being intriguing but there isn't much of an explanation about their past together.

in the end the plot had potential but they didn't do much with it.
the love story isn't flashed out, we don't nothing on that side.
should you watch it?
I think no.
the cinematography is good but the film just isn't enough.

p.s. they take themselves so seriously in this movie I laughed many times

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A decent, if disappointing, adaptation that takes its own direction

This adaptation definitely stayed more truthful to the Webtoon in certain aspects, but veered into new territory in others, with one notable twist, and several minors ones. Thus, the movie offers a new experience, even if you've watched the Kdrama or read the Webtoon.

Personally, I much prefer the characters in the Kdrama. While this problem may partially lie with lacking screentime, I think I take issue with the writing too.

Here I find Yu (Jongwoo) entirely unsympathetic, and lacking in depth. I felt little pity for him. While this may have been intended, the movie loses some necessary tension by not making us care more about our main character's safety. Additionally, unlike in the Kdrama, the gangster literally told Yu he didn't plan on leaving. I expected the writers to have added this interaction so Yu would suspect the Ark's residents earlier on, but this was not the case. Instead, you have more reason to shake the screen in frustration. One other thing I found a bit strange is that Jun was given the role of "suspense writer" (here, "showmaker"). Not sure why they did that.

The movie equally stripped Kirishima (Moonjo) of some dimension. He tells us he's an artist, but we're never really shown his artistry. In the Kdrama, he creates jewelry. He reads classics. Here... he wears a colorful shirt. Kirishima lacks the creative spirit of his Webtoon and Kdrama counterparts.

I found their dynamic unfortunately weaker, and less compelling in this movie. The at times questionable writing decisions are the reason I docked 3 points compared to my rating of the Kdrama.

On the positive side, like the Kdrama, the movie offered fun cinematography, with a particular focus on color and patterns. The acting was well done, particularly Kirishima's. I believe the new twist to be decently written and aptly foreshadowed.

Overall, while I prefer both the Kdrama and the Webtoon, I think this adaptation is worth a watch because even if I don't agree with all the writing decisions, it brings something new to the table. You experience the same awesome "what" moment you did in the Kdrama's finale. For first time viewers, though, I would suggest the Kdrama.

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"When will there be no more need for girls like us?"

Once again Mizoguchi Kenji showed the plight of “geishas” in The Woman in the Rumor. It starred Tanaka Kinuyo as the owner of a relatively high-end, low-end brothel and the mother of a daughter who resented the family business.

Hatsuko has brought her daughter, Yukiko, home from Tokyo. After her boyfriend broke ties with her due to her mother’s business, Yukiko attempted suicide. At first Yukiko was hostile and cold toward her mother, the women, and the doctor who looked over the "geishas.” She came to fully realize how the money her mother spent on her education and living expenses was earned. The geishas weren’t morally bankrupt, rather girls from poverty-stricken farm families with few career opportunities. What Yukiko didn’t know was that the same doctor who had taken a romantic interest in her had also been romantically involved with her mother for some time.

Other than the problem with the doctor being an opportunistic jerk, a female character once again found herself in the unenviable position of being older than the man she was involved with. Tanaka was 11 years older than Nakamura Jakuemon IV (aka Otani Tomoemon) who was 11 years older than Kuga Yoshiko. Of course, the latter pairing was not the horrific societal hurdle that the former was. While Hatsuko had the audacity to fall in love with a younger man, her business was also not honorable enough for a penniless and ethically challenged doctor. Mizoguchi liked to show women suffering and poor Hatsuko’s ego took a merciless beating.

The geishas in the house were shown caring for each other even as they bemoaned their pitiful pay. Mizoguchi didn’t delve into the darker side of prostitution and the toll it took on a woman’s mind and body. He did, however, have a character lament the sad cycle of young girls entering the profession as others aged out, all for the pleasure of men. It also showed how few opportunities there were for a girl or woman to provide for herself and/or her family. This film primarily focused on Hatsuko and her relationship with her daughter. The rift between them could only be healed with Yukiko coming to understand her widowed mother’s position and feelings.

The Woman in the Rumor was the last film Tanaka would make with Mizoguchi, in part because he died a few later and in greater part because he tried to thwart her from becoming a director. This film ultimately worked for me as mother and daughter learned the valuable lesson, 'sisters before misters' or 'mothers and daughters before calculating doctors with wandering eyes and hands syndrome.'

"...most men hold questionable views."


1 June 2025

This film is also known as The Woman of Rumour

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During a recent trip to Stratford, Ontario, I had the chance to visit The Little Prince Micro-Cinema, recognized by Guinness World Records as the World’s Smallest Movie Theatre! This 13-seater gem was fully decked out in charming old-fashioned theatre decor, making it such a cute and fun experience. We were lucky enough to catch this film playing during our visit (the other option was Ju-on, the original Japanese Grudge, but both my boyfriend and I aren't horror fans, so we skipped that one). Throne of Blood didn't seem to be the most popular pick that day because we were the only ones there so it was basically a private screening, which was awesome. The theatre does actually offer private shows for a couple hundred dollars, so honestly, we lucked out!

While chatting with the super nice lady that worked there after the show, she shared a bit about why she chose this film to screen and how it connected to the Stratford Festival that was going on. At the time of our visit, the play being performed at the festival was Macbeth, and she explained that the production was actually more inspired by this film version than Shakespeare’s original. Honestly, when we walked in, we had no idea the film was related to Macbeth, but when she explained it, we both had that collective “ohhh!” moment as it all clicked into place.

The film itself was very intriguing. It’s a black-and-white film, and we watched it with English subtitles. There were a few moments where the scenes dragged a bit (like a five-minute horse-riding sequence that kind of pulled you out of the story), but overall, it flowed and transitioned nicely. The acting and music were genuinely very captivating, and some of the effects and scenes were super impressive for the time. We really enjoyed the film, though to be fair, that might’ve been partly because of the whole experience of seeing it on the big screen. I would love to check out some of Akira Kurosawa's other works as well after this.

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Review: Love Letter (1995) — A Beautiful Film That Left Me Cold

After watching 18x2, which referenced this film, I was curious to finally see what Love Letter was all about. I’d heard so much praise over the years — how poetic and emotional it is, how it’s considered a classic of Japanese cinema. And as someone who genuinely loves romance and melancholic stories, I expected to be moved by it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t.

Visually, Love Letter is beautiful. The snowy landscapes, soft light, and quiet tone give the film a haunting atmosphere. The acting, too, is subtle and sincere. But for all its beauty, I found the story strangely hollow. The pacing felt slow in a way that dulled the emotional impact rather than deepening it, and I struggled to connect with the characters.

One aspect that particularly bothered me was the relationship between the female lead and her new boyfriend. Instead of offering true emotional support, he came across as impatient and even self-serving — trying to speed up her healing so he could take the place of her deceased fiancé. It felt more like he was in love with the idea of her — or maybe even with who she reminded him of — than with her actual self. That dynamic left me uncomfortable, and the ending, instead of providing closure, felt emotionally unearned.

That said, there were a couple of scenes that really stood out: the quiet moment in high school when she tries to light his notebook with her bike lamp, and the rawness of her voice echoing through the snowy mountains. In those moments, I could feel what the film was trying to do — the weight of longing, the fragility of memory — but they were isolated flashes in an otherwise emotionally distant experience.

I know Love Letter means a lot to many viewers, and I respect that. I can appreciate its artistic quality and understand why it resonates with others. But for me, it lacked the emotional depth I was hoping for. Sometimes a film just doesn’t speak your language, and that’s okay. This one didn’t speak mine.

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"Having a dream however small is a good thing"

Its a violent fun - a stylish action-comedy that perfectly blends brutal fights with dark humor. Don't expect deep storytelling here; this movie is all about over-the-top action and laughs. It fully embraces its genre mix, presenting all the killings from a light, comedic perspective rather than taking itself seriously.

Kanna Hashimoto shines in the lead role, effortlessly switching between playing an innocent young woman and a cold-blooded killer. Her deadpan delivery makes the character both funny and frightening. The action scenes deliver exactly what fans want - fast, bloody fights featuring guns, knives, and hand-to-hand combat, all filmed with manga-like energy.

The film adds an interesting layer with slight romantic tension between the leads, giving some welcome breathing space between the action sequences. The comedy works particularly well, with hilarious moments like Kei casually discussing murder during everyday conversations. These funny bits help balance out the extreme violence.

That said, the plot exists mainly to connect the action scenes, without much depth or surprising twists. The yakuza villains are also pretty generic and forgettable.

Overall, it's a decent movie that knows exactly what it is - violent, darkly comic action flick with just a dash of romance. If you're looking for serious drama, this isn't it. But if you want bloody fun with great dark humor, this is fine.

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Resilience in a tough and often unforgiving world

Zhao Liying always delivers solid performances in tough stories ; the resilience of the character she plays also comes from experience in life and acting although the character she played in "The Story of Xing Fu" was not as poor and desperate as Gao Yuexiang who sometimes reminds of the slave girl of "Princess Agents" in her dire straits. GYX is a light grey character with a low moral compass but a strong sense of faithfulness to those she protects, thinking of her daughter, such as deaf and mute Hei Mei (played memorably by Lan Xiya, already noticed as prominent in "She and Her Girls", the biopic series about the mountain high school for girls - she is still playing support with as much brilliance as if she was lead).

The two struggle against the hurdles that keep the poor on the threshold of desperation, saddled with that backstory of going through prison for minor or more serious crimes while the gang that forced Hei Mei to break the law went scot free ...until the bloody retribution in the literally dying out gang in the end. Former ways of thieving are on the way of disappearing in a cashless society where Internet fraud replaces lock picking, and animal trafficking is on the rise while kids abducting is still a menace. Going to prison being also to make inmates reflect and reform, there is a clear goal, but former inmates insertion into society, as in most countries, is not easy, even with the sum allowed to start anew, and they are expected to fend for themselves or find support in their families if they have one, even a bad one.

Deng Hong is not a typical prison warden, but does have some sympathy for the downtrodden women who become sisters in need, and is impressed by the more moral Hei Mei who instead of ripping off old relatives of their former prison cell enemy, goes to lengths to help them. Deng Hong has a back story that explains her sympathy : she was a baby saved from drowning by an escaped inmate and was raised by a police officer, as she tells her story in passing, not insisting. She genuinely wants her former inmates and charges to insert back and start afresh, away from law breaking.

There are a lot of ups and downs in the movie that depicts another side of city under world. But finally there is a happy end, where blood stains are aptly washed clean, while the former law breakers slate is wiped clean.

So, this is perhaps a tad over optimistic, not as realistic as a "Xiao Wu" pickpocket story told by Jia Zhangke in his famous independent movie, but this one also reminds of that underworld of ordinary people whose lives also contribute to building a country, shown over the years in movies such as "Platform", "Suzhou River" etc. and referring directly to the spirit of the famous Feng Xiaogang crime comedy "A World Without Thieves".

It is an interesting watch, indeed not depressing or boring, even thrilling, although there is not much humor in this one. I balanced between an 8 and 9.5 for rating, since the story is perhaps too simple and unremarkable, but the main actresses made it come to life.

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Life is worth living even when it's tragic

Overall this was a very depressing movie. That doesn't mean it wasn't a worthy movie to watch. It did contain some very violent and tragic content. It's really sad that poor marginalized people can live a life that's challenging and hopeless. The twin that sought revenge for the violence perpetrated against his disabled brother was a brave and conflicted person. I rather agreed with his comment, "Why do the victims have to forgive?" The plot twist at the end of the movie tied together so many elements of the movie. The awful evil supposedly kind teacher deserved to die. He raped that poor disabled boy weekly. Then on Christmas Eve when he discovered him brutally beaten, raped him again. There was no justification for such evil! Then the POS selfishly said that he had had a bad day! Evil-- pure evil! It was a difficult movie to watch. The story, the acting and every element of the story was excellent. The low score for the rewatch value is simply because this was a tragic exceptionally sad movie that would be difficult to watch again.

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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.

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Is it ever too late to become a good man?

The Scoundrels was director Hung Tzu Hsuan feature film debut. Starring Wu Kang Ren (formerly Chris Wu) and JC Lin it was a decent first film, though nothing groundbreaking and leaning more toward Korean crime films than Hong Kong.

Rui (translated as Ray in the version I watched) tickets cars and clandestinely stashes GPS trackers on luxury vehicles to be stolen later for the gang he works for. His life took a wrong turn when he was a professional basketball player and attacked a fan during a game leaving the man in the hospital. Racked with debt from the incident and labeled a criminal he turned toward the unsavory way of making a living. While ticketing a car late at night he is kidnapped by the “Raincoat Robber” which leads to a deeper involvement with the dangerously enigmatic crook.

The Scoundrels wasn’t very deep though it did try to make a comment about society treating petty criminals and murderers the same, which kept people from reforming and starting over. Rui wasn’t a very sympathetic character nor was his background or personality expanded upon. Hot-headed, always spoiling for a fight, impulsive, and quick to place the blame on others for his actions, it was no surprise he ended up on the wrong side of the law. He was unable to envision or accept consequences which didn’t help people give him the benefit of the doubt. Wu Shun Wei aka The Raincoat Robber also lacked character depth but Wu Kang Ren managed to grant the baddie much needed charisma and an underlying menace. Rui and Wu had a ‘don’t turn your back on your bro’ bromance. The two female characters were blank canvases never filled in. Jack Kao played a veteran cop who had Rui tried, convicted, and executed in his mind before ever gathering all the evidence.

Hung made use of dim, cramped alleys and dilapidated stairwells for much of the settings. There were numerous brawls between Rui and the gang and Rui and Wu against the gang and finally the no holds barred fight between Rui and Wu foreshadowed in the first scene of the film. A few of the fights had dark humor in them though the fights became more brutal as the film went on. There was an element of Wylie Coyote as characters survived steep falls and bloody blows to the head. Double-crosses led to more double-crosses and more fights.

The Scoundrels was fast-paced which helped the viewer not have time to puzzle over plot holes and lack of character development. Overall, it was entertaining even if it needed narrative help.

30 May 2025

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Worth watching

Hye Sun was amazing in this movie. The acting was amazing and the plot was well written. If I can say something negative about the movie it’s the way how slowly everything was. The idea with the hidden cameras was interesting but not something original. But of course we’ve had and plot twist which i didn’t expect. I can’t put the movie truly into the horror genre, more like a thriller/crime. The ending wasn’t truly what I expected but it was nice. The story of how easily something small can become so big caught me and my interes. The suspense was everywhere and of course the atmosphere was great.

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Interesting yet kinda weird

Quite a recent movie with the house haunted by a vengeful spirit clichee we all know. This one sounded interesting to me cuz the spirit is obese and I wondered if there was a reason for that (and there was, which is incredibly heartbreaking).
I liked the pace of the movie until about halfway, when the dementia-plagued (I think) grandma turns into a hippie ghost-repelling-pro, using sheer force of will and tai-chi or smth similar to literally beat the sh*t out of the spirit. It was just so random and totally took me out, given that almost her entire family was just murdered and she could've done something to prevent it, but didn't "transform" until they were dead.
The story of the spirit is unbelievably sad and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, but the part where hippie grandma effortlessly gathered her living family for her to murder and then having a boss fight with the spirit after that was just weird. The love interest of the protagonist being alive "inside" the spirit instead of being killed like the family members also seems convenient for the plot.
Overall it's just the usual haunted house with the family trying to get rid of the possession but ironically not using the shaman/religious route but beating the spirit with sheer will and determination. I like the concept of not giving into the fear and despair spirits, ghosts etc would want you to feel, but the random comedic elements feel so misplaced in this otherwise okay plotline

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