Reviews

This movie left me with a hole in my heart because I don't have the kinda friendship they have.

Story
I personally felt that the plot was a little bit fast faced and we were rushing to complete it. I know there is a drama version of this and haven't watched that yet, but I wish we could have this cast in the series instead because man I really loved the relationship of jae hee and heung su.
I got to know that this movie only covered the first part of the novel 'Love In The Big City' by park sang young(there was a little foreshadowing in the movie lol). And that made sense because we kinda got very less back story of jae hee and I will like to know it. I also wished to see more of jae hee's love story rather than directly jumping into the marriage.
I really wish they complete the other three part of the novel too.

Other than all this, loved the story. It was wholesome. Them fighting and then switching to caring each other, man that was so wholesome. I cried like a baby in the scene when jae hee was being assaulted by jae seok (that bastard) and how instantly heung suu knew what happened. The way both of them helped each other be truly themselves, loved it. After jae hee broke up with ji seok, she started to feel more like herself and went back to her carefree self because heung suu said so. Heung suu coming out because jae hee pushed him a bit. Loved all these moments. It was a comforting watch to see wholesome friendship moments.

Judging purely on the basis that it was a movie and might not have other parts, I will give it a 7.

Acting/Cast
Do I even need to say anything? Ugh, another kim go eun banger perfomance. I have been meaning to watch her whole filmography and this just makes me want to binge watch her. Steve noh was so good too. The cast was perfect, no complaints.

10/10 rating, without a doubt.

Music
Nothing much to say but the french songs were good to hear. So I will not use it to rate the movie.

Rewatch Value
I will definitely rewatch this! This movie left me with a hole in my heart to find a friendship like theirs, so pure and supporting. I will rewatch this just to cry that I lack a friendship like theirs for sure.

Oh a definite 10/10.

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This is just all over the place

Quick preface by saying I have not read the manga.

I tried to give this movie the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes we can take movies at face value and just turn our brains off and enjoy, but this movie is messy in its execution.

The acting is all over the place. Momo the main character is carelessly thrown about with no real reason for character growth. Her goals and grievances are very haphazard. It doesn't help that her acting is not very believable. It's hard to root for her when you don't feel any sort of attachment. The crying scenes especially felt very off. Like the crying was good the emotion seemed misplaced if that makes sense?

The movie also seems to focus way more on Kairi then her. Kairi's story is decently ok but he is extremely irritating. His family acts so hilariously like typical drama family that none of it feels like it matters. The father especially feels like a completely different story is going on. Toji is extremely just there to be cool. And Sae is just a maniac with no good reason to actually hate Momo. I like both Mackenyu and Mei so it was disappointing seeing their characters so one sided. I also think the cast had really bad chemistry together. Every interaction felt extremely forced or awkward.

Each plot point just goes so quickly and there seems little build up to these characters. It's like they were just rushing to get to each plot point. Every new plot introduced just made it feel like this would of been better as series. There seems to to be a lot missing perhaps found in the manga. This hurt the pacing quite a bit as they tried to cram so much into the movie.

Not recommended at all.

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Great Little Zombie Movie

I usually take notes on the shows/movies I watch as I go but I flew through this one so quickly I didn't have time. I thought this was a great movie. It was definitely a nice break from the 16 episode, hour long dramas.

I thought Yoo Ah In (Oh Joon Woo) was great in this movie. I was a little disappointed that Park Shin Hye (Kim Yoo Bin) was in it. My first time seeing her was in Pinocchio and she drove me nuts. Even when you hit the part of the show where she's supposed to be a better person, she just wasn't. She didn't really redeem herself in Heirs either, but this one went much better. I was actually rooting for her character which has been hard to do in past dramas. lol

I wish they had made it a bit more clear if his family made it. I'm guessing since the calls came through in the chopper all that time later that they must have after that voicemail but I wished they'd maybe showed them being with their family.

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The Paradise of Thorns weaves such a powerful and unforgettable tapestry, blending elements that deeply resonate and stir emotions. I’ve never felt so many emotions during a movie, and I’ve certainly never cried so much while understanding each character’s pain.

The brilliance of this film lies in how its characters lead us to reflect on different facets of love and loss. It transcends its initial premise around LGBTQ rights, pushing us to think about what truly matters in life. It’s intense, with a heavy storyline, yet at the same time, it’s captivating and moving, leaving you with a persistent feeling of unease.

The performances are nothing short of incredible. The actors embodied their characters with such precision that I genuinely felt their emotions as my own. I have to say I consider Jeff Satur the most complete artist of today. He sings, he dances and he acts. And does it all with remarkable perfection. His portrayal of Thongkam was outstanding, perfectly capturing the vulnerability of his character.

Engfa delivered an acting masterclass, and I honestly can’t imagine anyone else playing Mo as brilliantly as she did.

The final scene was executed with such skill that I needed a moment to compose myself afterward. The cinematography is stunning, and the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful. After watching the movie, Jeff Satur’s song “Rain Wedding” took on an entirely new meaning for me.

This is undoubtedly one of the best films I’ve seen in years. Thai cinema continues to win me over with its masterful storytelling.

The Paradise of Thorns is a film that will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend it!

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vanishing whales will reach the bay

this move is more than reality it's beyond the universe at first I was wondering why the name is not vanishing whales bay but after that I found that a balloon's landing says more about the story development and where the story reaches ; in order to reach the heaven along the whales they finally found the peace they needed through their tangled up story, for me that has a lot of things to say and meaning over words . it was definitely a complete journey followed by different shades of emotions , at first it was a simple story but the more it goes, the more things you feel like you wanted to cry but you don't know why till you get the hole thing and after it tears you up you see why somehow the euphoria therns to sorrow but the characters keep going and the hope goes to peace at the end which felt like more than just the ending.
there are a lot of things to add specially about concept of love it carries well people should think twice about their values. nevertheless I just finish my words by saying I just sow on this move true happiness of life.

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......it is a good watch

I will say this ....if you like serial unaliver plots that are semi complex due to emotion and dark family secrets, this is a good watch.
It was a creative spin. Solid, attractive cast.
The sibling hidden stalker love could have been done better or not at all.
With all things said, I do think it's a good drama to watch on a late Saturday night or Friday night. It's not really spooky. There aren't any real jump scares. There is gore with regards to the staging of the dead bodies, but I think that's all a good added effect that lets the story tell. I enjoyed the female lead, the male lead as well, and all the sub characters. The plot makes sense, I just feel like it could have been executed better considering the timelines they had in the movie. I love the theory that comes to light towards the end. It makes a lot of sense. There aren't any loose ends, they kind of leave, an open ending. I'm not a fan of how he looks at the camera at the end, but I'm guessing that has to do with some westernized themes of eeriness that the director is in love with. I would rate it an 8.5 out of 10

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decent

i dont like it as much as most people do and just see it as a mediocre basic movie..
i dont know if i didnt get the full message of the movie but i actually cant recall any significant scene from that movie as i just felt bored through out it all.. i know most people dont agree with me but thats just how i saw the movie and it was just a basic romance with a sad and depressing ending.. maybe if they made the ending differently it would’ve made a difference but really nothing about this was special. im not saying its not good but because so many people put so many high expectations on this movie i thought it was going to give more than what it gave so it disappointed me!

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Living with Two Words - Simple (yet) Profound

The moment I read the plot I knew I would need to brace myself and have a box of tissues handy.

We grow up with Dai and see the different seasons in his life. I love that we also get a glimpse in how Japan develops. From Dai's mother not getting a proper early education "because we thought she'd grow out of it and learn to hear", to Dai joining a community circle where he gets to develop his own identity through sign language. In some ways a simple slice of life film, but being based on a true story makes the film feel profound.

I really love these kinds of Japanese films because they are able to convey such strong and powerful emotions. Dai's realisation (and even guilt) balanced with his mother's unwavering love and his parent's wholehearted support. This is something we can all empathise with.

I think the casting was excellent- particularly Oshidari Akiko and the child actors. I'm curious to know Yoshizawa Ryo's process in learning Japanese sign language. I read that the deaf community commended him on his skills.

There seems to be more and more content in Japan about hearing and non-hearing inter relationships. It's great to see broader representation in mainstream media!

The rewatch value is low because I'm not sure I'm wanting to weep again ahaha

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Light, pacing & space set in the perfect ratio, honoring not only 1 but all K independence activists

PROLOGUE:
One might criticize that historical facts about the historical figure Ahn and his person are too brief. That too much poetic license was taken with regard to the fictional comrades and opponents in this case. Even, that these guys also remain too pale as individual characters. That too little pace and tension are built up, and that there is overall too much debate in the dark.
But then, it would have been a completely different film. With a different message.

From my perception, “Harbin” does not want to tell us about historic events as it was, but to stage the dilemma, the hurdles, the challenges, the performance, the passion, the agony of the Korean resistance struggle as an epic monument. We do not get heroes in shining armor, but desperate fighters for a fairer world - for their freedom, for their country, which is their homeland, for their families or the families they cannot have themselves. "Harbin" wants to honor their price, which they paid for all those who now can actually live in freedom and relative independence today. In addition, "Harbin" is choosing a critical approach - with its focus on the struggle for perspective, hope, morality, and justification in regard of the many painful sacrifices.


TERRA NULLIUS BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS, BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG
Anyone who has seen "Harbin" will not forget "Harbin". This is ensured by the haunting staging, with artistic ambition consistently composed in terms of film technology, to set light, pacing, and space in the perfect ratio.
Here, preferably filmic means like camera, light, powerful scenes that burn themselves unforgettable into the memory were used! Whereas dialogues provide less contextual information but convey the personal and collective struggle for the right attitude. It's about morality and the opposite of it.

We do not learn much about the historic independence fighter Ahn, about whom one could have made a completely different film. His personality would certainly have allowed for that. And yet, in drastic scenes and moments, we learn what he deeply stands for: For an upright, just attitude that does not want to repay like with like, but wants to do better. Ahn fails in this, but he does not give up. Until the end, he stands for what he considers right. We do not learn in "Harbin" that he wrote a treatise during his imprisonment - a concept for a better world. But we have come to know him during those 108 minutes as a man to whom we can certainly trust that.

The others who work with him and against him are practically nameless and stand for the many nameless who struggled and suffered in their own way back then - under the cold, the cruelty, the hopelessness of this underground fight in the far north of Mongolia. And yet they made their contribution.


POETIC AESTHETICS OF DARKNESS
For a Western audience, "Harbin" may present a challenge in two respects. The KMovie is (like many other KMovies) not action-heavy but relies on the intensity of slowness. Even in this one, action is used sparingly. The subtle driving force is rather the aesthetic concept: This does not rely on light, but on shadow, on the poetic aesthetics of darkness and its subtle nuances, where diffuse light highlights textures and shapes. Adding sparse, precisely selected color impulses and contrasts, too.
With refined, powerful visual impression the icy bitter cold in the snow-covered forest, on the frozen river, and in the vastness of the desert landscape of Mongolia comes almost tangibly close to the viewers. Nature, in its powerfully aesthetic staging, becomes a symbol for the arduous path to freedom.

At the beginning, we are confronted with the inhospitable nature of underground life, where light is sparse and food consists of cigarettes. The cigarette smoke makes the dim light even more diffuse while the coats make the cold of the barren rooms appear even colder. And then the story catapults us abruptly and mercilessly into the unvarnished repulsive ugliness of this resistance struggle – in the scene in the icy, blood-smeared mud the bestial brutality becomes almost unbearable to watch.
All this represents and reinforces the sheer despair of the brave warriors who want to fight for their freedom from the oppressors despite all odds. Under almost hopeless circumstances. In an almost superhuman struggle with themselves and with what is right...


A TRIBUTE TO THE KOREAN UNDERGROUND STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE
This joint fight for justice, independence, and freedom deeply defines the Korean identity as a nation, just as the suffering that the people share due to injustice, dependence, and oppression - the 'Han' as a collectively shared, yet individually felt pain, mobilizing a sudden strength and unexpected collective resistance (in this case against Japan).

The willingness to make sacrifices as well as the necessity to make sacrifices are deeply rooted in tradition. This may also be deeply problematic in itself, but like everything: it has two sides. Right? Wrong? Everyone has to decide that for themselves.
However, "Harbin" is not about judgement. It is about honoring those people who had actually dedicated themselves to this conjoint resistance struggle: not wanting to be oppressed and treated as subhuman beings (by Japan). "Harbin" represents an aesthetically intensified tribute to those against all odds fearless fighters. Woo Min-ho did not want to create a historical film here. With the context of this legendary assassination the KMovie rather sets a cinematic monument not only to this legendary independence activist, but by doing so, to all of the others, too. Therefore, at the same time, with the example of this legendary assassination in Harbin it sets a monument to the entire Korean resistance struggle, too - then, before, and after.

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SO WHO IS MORE CRAZY, MORE DISTURBED, OUT OF THE THREE? haha

Good Psychological Crime Thriller.
Not bad n yet not so gripping too .
Just mediocre.

When Netflix listed this in "coming soon", I waited to watch this.
Expected a very Gripping Mystery thriller, seeing the MYSTERIOUS VIBE of "COVER PHOTO"
IT DECEIVED ME !! :( 🤭

****
Direction, Pacing n Cinematography are GOOD.

I accept every tradition n can tolerate religious rituals etc, shown in movies, especially in horror thrillers.
But One Minor Complaint here, in direction is, too much of in depth religious prayers are shown.
Maybe those are necessary for the scene or the story demanded but I personally lose interest when rituals or prayers are shown in excess tones.

****
Acting is OK, not so impressive.

In few scenes, Jun Yeol's (pastor Min Chan) expressions are more crazy n scarier than those of the killer 😂
Liked those scenes .

**** STORY:
The Story is Good.
A very simple one - a killer, a kidnapped gal, a pastor trying to punish the killer n a police detective trying to save the gal.

Narrated in a very straight forward manner without much suspense .
It is known who the killer is, from the beginning.
So cannot expect any suspense or mystery about the killer's identity, like in usual crime thrillers.
And so, Crime Thriller Lovers might find this as a not so gripping mystery but just a plain n mediocre thriller without much mystery n suspense :/

The only suspense here is, whether the kidnapped girl is alive or no n that is maintained till the end.

This could be made into an even more interesting thriller with more gripping mystery n suspense elements .
(Or maybe, for this plain story, shouldn't we expect much !? :O)

**** CHARACTERS:
SO WHO IS MORE CRAZY, MORE DISTURBED, OUT OF THE THREE? 😂

The Psychopathic Serial Killer with childhood trauma, triggered n created deadly events
or
(Pastor) Religious Faith turned into Obsession that blinded the logics of reality n blurred the truth (he assumed the gal is not alive, without confirming :| )
or
The Person working for law (lady police detective) seeing illusions of dead sister out of guilt, tempted to take the law into her hands, suppressing that urge to avenge her loved one's death n yet struggling to do the right thing!

This mix of three characters each with some psychological issues, the intertwining of their stories, is WELL WRITTEN .

But could be better, if more suspense or mystery elements are added.

****
Overall, GOOD One Time Watch.
My Rating is 8 / 10

**** Fun Fact:
Like Min Chan, I can see a "FACE" in the COVER PHOTO, between the trees ! :O
Optical illusion!?

Before watching the Movie:
I just saw "a way" between the trees.
But after watching the movie:
I see a face! :o
Am I dreaming 🤭

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