Reviews

The Joy and Pain of Life

This Indie drama is what you would call a festival film. It is not made for mainstream audience and it wont keep people entertained but it offers a valuable lesson and it is important that we have films like this. I appreciate it a lot because it is simple and real. The main character is an Aunt - Jeong Sun, working in a factory experiencing her own drama - a story that happens all around us but we don't notice them. Since my mother works a similar job, I could sympathize with Jeong Sun. The main actors are actually pretty famous but the acting overall was not on the top level. Still it was very believable and that is important. Jeong Sun (Kim Geum Soon) is acting very indifferently so the one moment of her happiness and another of her sorrow really had a big impact on me.

The entire film is pretty slow. I saw the film in Korean so i couldn't understand all of the dialogue (sometimes because of audio issues of the copy i had) so maybe i missed some important line, but i think i got the message: Life can put a lot of obstacles, but ultimately, you should be in a driving seat of your Life.

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I'm At Lost For Words

This is such an amazing movie, I felt so much during these 2 hours, and at first I thought I wouldn't like it too much because a lot of things in this plot weren't my cup of tea, but it all balanced itself out and it became a perfect mix of a rollercoaster of emotions, even though this doesn't have a happy ending like how I usually like or wish it had, it was still very well done, and it had its good moments and good chemistry, this is a devastating story but its beautiful regardless, it just shows so much emotion and so much realistic views on real life problems, marriage inequality, and economic issues. It depicts greed and the yearning of money so much, the actors do an amazing job expressing each character individually and being able to show across a screen how these characters were feeling. I am at loss for words so theres nothing else I can say, but in very short, I loved this movie, its been a while since I've watched something this good, I honestly recommend it with every part of me, but be warned about the rollercoaster of emotions and sadness you will experience. It's a tragic story, to say the least.

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We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021) – 8.6/10

This film broke my heart in the softest way. It’s not about a perfect love story—it’s about a real one. The kind that blooms beautifully, quietly fades, and still leaves something behind.

The chemistry between the leads was so natural, it felt like watching real people fall in and out of love. The writing was raw, reflective, and painfully relatable for anyone who’s ever grown apart from someone they once couldn’t imagine life without.

It’s tender, nostalgic, and bittersweet. A reminder that some love stories don’t last forever—but that doesn’t make them any less meaningful.

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"The Pig and the Pearl"

The Neighbor’s Wife and Mine was one of Gosho Heinosuke’s earliest films. The title of the play for which the main character was writing was called “The Pig and the Pearl.” Pretty much summed up the married couple in this story.

Shinsaku is walking on a country road and comes across a man painting a landscape. Because the area is quiet, he thinks it would be a great place to live and write. The “famous” writer asks repeated questions of the painter who becomes perturbed at the interruptions, and down right angry when Shinsaku disparages his artwork. The two end up in a childish fight broken up by a pretty woman from the village. Shinsaku rents a house for himself and his young family soon thereafter. To his chagrin, he finds that even quaint towns can be noisy at times.

Immature Shinsaku called his wife, a very young Tanaka Kinuyo, an “idiot” several times, berating her for not being quiet enough or the children not being quiet enough. When he asked, “Why did you have to have a baby?” I loved her reply, “You were responsible, too!” From there Shinsaku scolds her for backtalking him. He was malleable when people flattered him, but unable to use kind language with his wife. Kinuyo constantly nagged him to write so that they could pay their bills instead of him playing mahjong with the boys or hanging out with the neighbors. When he finally attempted to write, annoying sounds sent him into a tizzy. Perhaps all this was supposed to be a marital comedy, but I just found him ever grating and not remotely funny.

As this was Gosho’s first “talkie” he must have felt liberated being able to use sound. Scenes were filled with long minutes of people singing or playing in a band. An airplane was heard and shown which much like the music did little to move the story along. The movie felt less like a cohesive story and more like an experiment with songs and running gags. One song called, “Speed up!” at least gave Shinsaku a modicum of writer’s inspiration. It was also the mantra I repeated as the minutes dragged by.

21 April 2025

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It has nothing to do with horror movies

The movie is categorized as horror and romance, but why didn't I feel like I was watching a horror movie? There are so many mistakes in terms of the story and events. How can it be classified as horror when it only contains a few horror scenes? Why is it classified as a horror movie? Let me choose a sentence that fits the word horror in the movie. Do they mean by horror that the grandson of the family will be cursed because of what happened in the past because of his family? I'm sorry to say this, but the movie doesn't deserve to be classified as horror. Choosing the romance category is a good choice, perhaps because of the relationship between the two leads, but I'm sure the director had no idea about horror or how to make a horror movie. If there is anything worth evaluating this movie, it would be the choice of actors, cinematography, and the flow of events while watching it because you won't get bored, but in terms of directing, it doesn't deserve any evaluation due to the weak production

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Masterpiece, which you wouldn't dare to rewatch and won't forget.

The dark side of life, which we often try to ignore, even if it’s just the next block away. Some people are programmed to fail and deprived of any aspirations or future. This movie was transformative for me, like a reboot of life. It’s a powerful stimulant to re-evaluate my surroundings and be more appreciative of what I have. During the four hours I watched it, I felt my chest being squeezed and a lump in my throat nonstop. There couldn’t be a happy ending because it would destroy the essence of the lesson and erase the positive effects, such as gratitude for what we have.
The meaning of an elephant everyone can substitute by something else, ethereal or a dream goal.
The acting is astonishing. I’m used to seeing Peng Yu Chang as a bright and mischievous actor and his characters even when situations were bad, but here he portrays an abandoned and neglected teenager, at the beginning of his career which is even more commendable!
This is the heaviest Asian drama I’ve ever watched, and I’ve watched a lot. The director’s work reminds me of movies by Krzysztof Zanussi. I would put “An Elephant Sitting Still” on my list of the 100 best movies ever.
The movie would probably benefit from better music, but it could be overkill. It was already depressing enough. My advice is to watch it in parts and/or avoid watching it before a working day. I was postponing it for weeks myself.
Rewatching value is high and controversial because it will evoke a range of the same emotions, but do we really need to relive them? Hopefully - not. Similar art pieces from my list include “The Green Mile,” “American Beauty,” “Requiem for a Dream,” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”

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"Got backup?"

Chongqing Hot Pot was a strange amalgamation of buddies flick and thriller where most of the turning points relied heavily on coincidence and luck. Clocking in around 90 minutes, it felt much longer.

Three childhood buddies, Four-Eyes, Xu Dong, and Liu Bo are trying to peddle their failed hot pot restaurant that lies underground in an abandoned bomb shelter. Gambler Liu Bo owes a huge sum of money to the loan shark Seven. He’s hoping the sale of the restaurant will help him pay off the ruthless businessman. A buyer is willing to put some money down on the hot pot spot if they expand it. In the process of expansion, they accidentally knock a hole in the building above which coincidentally happens to be a vault in a bank. To steal or not to steal? And how to repair the floor so that no one notices it? They gain help from an old school friend who coincidentally works in the bank and is unhappy with her co-workers and had a crush on Liu Bo in middle school. Their efforts are thwarted when coincidentally a crew of deadly thieves picks that bank to rob on the day their plan is to go down.

Despite all the beatings Chen Kun’s Liu Bo took at the hands of the loan shark gang and the robbers, I found my mind wandering during much of the film. Aside from Liu Bo, the other friends were underdeveloped and not very compelling. It didn’t help that the buddies were supposed to be in their mid-twenties and the men’s ages IRL ran from 35-40. The story depended heavily on fate stepping in over and over again which detracted from the urgency and real threat to the characters.

Chongqing Hot Pot had an interesting premise as the down on their luck friends had to decide if they wanted to continue to be losers or become hunted criminals. Turns out the three didn’t have to undergo any character development as fateful coincidence lent them a hand in their decision and future.

21 April 2025

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Sorry I came for a Laugh

First of all I kinda expected the ratings to be this low due to the concerns the viewers had with the story. Nevertheless I enjoyed it a lot. I came for a laugh and it delivered, I even decided to skip some of the scenes that talks about issue's regarding, well the hardships of women in male dominated fields. I feel like the reason why the story was a little disappointing is that, they tried to differ from the usual, romantic route and the this is a message to the public route. They used the gender swap and showed some issues that a woman faces, and yet it never went full on redemption arc, it was lacking to viewers. Another is that they could've went with the usual, I was too bad, my life becomes shit, I learned my lesson, now I changed for this new woman I met, trope, ikyk. Maybe if they just decided to lessen the mom's involvement and rather focus, on the leads story together and or alone. Also no romance is an ok decision as I feel like it would be way too fast, unless they decide to forward time and add time for the lead in moving on, still that's marriage right there, I understand why they didn't go that route.
If you watch it just for laughs it's good. But if you care for it to be a masterpiece, it's not for you.

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The Korean Version of an Asylum Production

This was horrendous. I wouldn't even call it a natural disasters movie. I would just call it people's random lives that somehow intertwine with no logic with some disaster on the side. This was a typical asylum production that we have here in the states type of film. You can't get into the science of underwater earthquakes and tsunamis adequately because it's done in under two minute scenes. Furthermore, the obnoxious comedy that is unnecessary in the middle of the disaster just makes you roll your eyes.

Only reason it got a 4 and not anything lower is because the CGI was actually pretty decent. Otherwise, absolutely avoid at all costs.

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Recommended

A very good movie if you want one that makes you feel tension and not get bored, then this is for you. It really is a very good movie. Personally, I was stressed out by how the killer always somehow managed to get close to killing her. It was so stressful and irritating. I was truly scared for her (so much so that I feel like you can get into her role and feel her fear and desperation too much).

I loved how, despite him underestimating her, she proved him wrong and ended up being his revenge for all the crimes he committed. Without a doubt, the best thing was that someone he never had faith in and only saw her as weak ended up being his end.

Although something I would have liked to see was Do-shik's past, the background or more about his past, of course as long as it is not to justify his actions, but to see how he became that psychopath, it would have been interesting to see but I know that was not the focus and I still liked the movie.

Wi Hajoon as Do-shik is too handsome (he always looks handsome but here he was on another level)

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I understand what they were going for but the execution was poor

Poor execution, but I get what story the writer was trying to tell.....at least I think I do.

The acting, lack of chemistry, poor writing (specifically characterization), editing or directing or whatever production work needed to be done just did not do the subtext plot justice, imo. But to be fair, they probably didn’t have much of a budget which would explain why this film was a mess.

This was just a bit short of a 90minute film, yet it feels like we did not get as much information as we were supposed to for the amount of run time. I couldn't really understand Shima and how exactly his attraction for Togawa formed. I couldn't understand his character exactly, because what do you mean your gay office romance gets outed in the most ridiculous way possible, you quit that job, find a new job and then decide to get into another office relationship with a man whose sexuality you're not even sure of??? Like, it was giving zero self love/ lack of self preservation on Shima's character. But again, I feel like if only Shima's feelings or head space was better conveyed, his decisions would have been better received by the viewers, or at least me. It would have been so much better if we were shown more of what Shima felt, he came across as so stilted and just plain strange.

Honestly, my issues with this film seem like a hallmark of the Japanese filmaking/watching experience. Idk if that makes sense, but watching this film gave me similar feelings of confusion, strangeness and discomfort in the way that only Japanese films do. It's the reason I don't watch much J-drama, so maybe it's just a personal thing and the Japanese filmaking style doesn't match with me. Though this is not my universal experience with J-media. I have enjoyed many a series, movies etc. Its just most of them are misses like this one, but it probably comes down to a low budget reason.

Anyway, I cannot recommend this if you're looking for something romantic to watch. It's more like a slice of life movie with a 'learning to love again after heartbreak' kind of theme but even that sounds more optimistic than this film made me feel. Give it a shot, if you want, but don't expect much.

P.S-So I see this was a 2014 movie which explains things more. My review still stands but is probably too harsh considering the time this came out, the BL space didn't have much quality to go off of. So yeah, *with my 2025 lens,* it wasnt a great film, but I understand what the story was trying to tell.

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"A wise man never endangers himself"

Stanley Kwan’s Lan Yu told the story of a decade long up and down love story of two men in Beijing starting in the late 1980s. Based on an internet book by an anonymous author, Lan Yu won Golden Horse awards for Best Leading Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, and Audience Choice Award.

Chen Han Dong intercepts a college student, Lan Yu, who was intended as a paid date for someone else. The night ends up being kismet for the two men. The older Han Dong may want to keep everything transactional, but Lan Yu has lost his heart. As always, the road to true love never runs smoothly. Through the years, Han Dong makes decisions based on fear of commitment and a desire for a life that is more normal in appearance, all to protect his heart which always ends up breaking Lan Yu’s.

Kwan resisted using outside influences as impediments to the men’s relationship. Family, co-workers, and friends seemed to have no problem with Han Dong and Lan Yu being together. While the two didn’t flaunt their relationship, neither did they carry it on in the dark. Han Dong’s own insecurities and selfishness caused the crises between them.

The film was beautifully shot and framed. You do have to make note of the small comments and changing seasons to determine when the story has shifted forward in time. Kwan kept the script spare, focusing on the high and low points. I wouldn’t have minded more development of the characters, but the director preferred the relationship lean and mean. Liu Ye and Hu Jun had a lovely chemistry with the characters often doing what couples do---talking, eating, or hanging out with friends and family. There was sex as well, but nothing gratuitous, with the exception of early in the movie casually showing full frontal nudity as the two talked. The ending was disappointingly common for the time.

The older and more financially established Han Dong ended up being the character needing the most growth. He could be maddeningly obtuse and unaware of his own feelings frequently expressing himself with his check book. The film wasn’t perfect and the title character could have used more depth, but overall, I enjoyed Lan Yu. Not all relationships work out perfectly, nor are all lovers perfect, even when destiny calls.

20 April 2025
Trigger warnings: Full frontal nudity (only in an early scene) as well as derrieres

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