Reviews

"My job is to be your son"

Coming Home Again was directed and co-written by Wayne Wang, the director of the Joy Luck Club. This independent film’s budget was far below that mainstream film. The story focused on a son making peace with his dying mother as he came home to take care of her and prepare the traditional New Year’s Eve meal for the family.

Chang Rae left his prominent New York job to take care of his dying mother in San Francisco. The family had moved from Korea when he and his sister were young because his dad had landed a good job in the States. The story alternated between Rae’s actions on NYE and his memories of his mother. Stricken with stomach cancer and having dealt with two rounds of chemo, his mom was struggling with the effects of both. Rae patiently took care of her and cleaned up after her. He learned more about his mother and what she sacrificed for them as they talked and reminisced.

Coming Home Again was a short slice of life film revolving around one pivotal day in a son’s life. I wish that they’d played out a few more of the family dynamics as the sister and father were given little time. It might have been for the best as their performances were not as strong as the leads. Rae regretted having to go to an exclusive boarding school when he was young, feeling that he would have gotten to know his mother better if he’d stayed at home. Despite a few childhood resentments it was clear that he adored his mother.

Fair warning, this was a low budget film, the sets, costumes, and even acting reflect that. I've rated it as an independent film shot with limited funds and time.

Not much happened in the story, and yet in small meaningful moments a world of things happened between mother and son. Little irritations revealed deep heartache and pain. Love was communicated in ordinary acts of caregiving and preparing a meal with his mother’s recipes. I’m not an immigrant, so I cannot attest to that element of the story, but I have been a child caring for a dying mother, and know how every shared piece of her thoughts and history was a gift, and every minute act of service, a tiny way of trying to give back the love that had been selflessly shared. Coming Home Again was spare in details, yet still a rewarding watch.

“If you’d stayed home, you might have liked me less.” “I might have liked you more.”

30 January 2025

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beautiful

A great, delicate movie. 2019. Gong Yoo as a very worried husband trying to do his best for his wife and daughter. A very beautiful Jung Yu Mi, made up to not look as if she were made-up, as a woman worn out from the wild 24 hr effort it takes to be a baby's main caretaker and the main housecleaner.

The character Kim Ji Young, whom JYM plays, begins occasionally when very tired or stressed to speak in the voices of other women in her family, articulating the lives they have led as they connected to hers. Her memories in her dreams and while she is awake slide into these dissociative states, which are realistically seen from the outside by her confused husband and/or family. The beauty of the film is that KJY makes a powerful unconscious connection with that community via familial memories. What she cannot articulate for herself consciously is communicated as she enacts the perspectives of others.

She is not alone -- she sees friends occasionally and slowly begins to wonder if she can return to work. Everything seems to conspire to make it so hard for her, for mothers, to work, to take leave, to come back to work. Everywhere all over the world this is a long slow hard change to make, and it is individual people in every family who slowly one by one make those incremental steps happen.

There is nothing, nothing like the masterful way emotion is handled in Korean cinema. She suffers from postpartum depression, but the focus of the film is not clinical, but on the delicate shifts of relationships. I wept when her brother turned and said, next time I will bring you cream buns. You will know why if you watch the film.

I often say that what I love about SK cinema is its absurdist edge, but the surrealistic european heritage which is drawn on was never just about absurdity, it was always about art's journey through the subconscious of society to rescue the strengths of dreams and nightmares. The sheaves of our daily life are always interleaved with our dreams and only the very best cinema can come this close to depicting that.

The MDL list has everyone there, for once, from the cinematographer to the writer. So, take a look; the director is Kim Do Yung, the composer is Kim Tae Seong, and the writer is Yoo Young Ah.

Dont be afraid to watch this film. There was a lot of interesting fuss in Korea about it and about the book it was made from, but the film stands on its own.

ps. I try hard not to say this sort of thing but SK is no better or worse objectively in the treatment of women than the west or anywhere else in asia; its just a shock to see men so entitled as to publically try to shame women back into the Stone Age. In SK women fight and dream just as we all do; everywhere it's 2 steps forward,1 back.

Cinema has the power to shock simply by the enactment of fact. Because This Is My First Life was very first show where I had ever seen the fact that women are given less to eat as children enacted. I knew it was real, a fact, an historical fact, perhaps in the past for developed societies but definitely part of demographic data about childhood mortality, but it was a still a silent shock to see it on screen in front of me. I dont know why. Anyway, just saying...

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Greed Greed Greed

I read some of the reviews but they didn't highlight the major cause of the problem yes there was a mention abt lgbt rights and injustice but the story was majorly about how a greed or obsession of possession can make you blind to the point that you are willing to kill other even sa other and this depicted very clearly in this and not only the greedy main characters hit the rock bottom but they also drag others into the thorns who are obviously innocent so with their actions they had their karma that Greed can make things go worse than expectations And the more you chase it the more it's difficult to get it and even though you get it the consequences only make you regret and that what happens in this story

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This is such an amazing movie! I did not expect it to have such an impact on my life.

Loved the storyline so much. This show clearly demonstrates that a career-obsessed life leads to loneliness, while a balanced career and family life brings happiness. Having someone to love, care for, and rely on is such a blessing. At least, that’s what I took from the movie for my own life.

I loved how they wrote the friendship between Park Gang and Jo Yoon. They’re never jealous of each other and genuinely feel happy and proud of each other’s wins.

Loved how they balanced the comedy and slice-of-life elements so flawlessly. Such a heartwarming movie.

The production is amazing—there were no errors to point out.

The acting! Kwon Sang-Woo and Oh Jung Se nailed it! Loved their acting so much!

And the twins! Park So-Yi and Kim Jun. They’re so young but such amazing actors.
Of course, Lee Min-Jung!

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There will be a third installment

If you are fond of the horror mystery franchise, you won't be disappointed, but it will challenge you on the story
the story is a continuation of the first film The Priest and the 12th Deacon, this will challenge your belief and a grown a customed too, that there are people performing unofficial exorcism that some are undocumented because they are not the norm, they are called dark nuns, these are nuns authorized to perform the ritual unofficially if there is no exorcist available,
as long as the nun is chosen by faith, just like the priest, the priest is still not yet finished on his seminary but he was chosen.

Cast is powerhouse, but the cast full potential was not displayed , why it will overshadowed the story, story is simple, straight to the point, exorcise the 12 manifestation,

Music was ok, but at the climax part, the music starts to play and it helps a lot during the climax,

I will rewatch this again, because the movie screen is not good in where i watched it.
a definitely rewatch, song hye alone is a definite rewatch.

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Japan's Dune

One of Japan’s most expensive films of the 80s, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis is deeply rooted in the neon-tinged landscape of its time blended with the surreal gothic urban nightmare of the past. Akio Jissoji's wildly engrossing adaptation of Teito Monogatari certainly puts its money onscreen, epic in scale but does so with an identity crisis, it's a film that feels distinctly less Japanese and more like it came from Hong Kong with the references to obscure Chinese philosophy certainly adding to the disassociation. There's an obvious comparison to that of David Lynch's Dune, both films being ambitious, visually lush, large-budget adaptations of dense science fiction works that compressed the source material's narrative to fit a 2-hour time slot. There are moments with striking visuals that recall Jissoji's earlier work, diving headfirst into surrealism, his direction certainly shines but it's done so with a colour palette that lacks any form of scale other than grey, really annoying given some of his other more colourful works. Furthermore, there are problems to be found with its story, pacing and often sporadic editing, it's a film that needed more room to breathe than it was given and feels like a lot of material was left on the cutting room floor; however, that being said, the film's effects work is simply top-notch with the creature designs by frigging H.R.Giger make a distinct impression. The acting for the most part is all great, especially from the late great Shintarō Katsu and a very hammy Kyusaku Shimada as the evil sorcerer Kato, in conjunction with Maki Ishii's atmospheric score certainly gives the film a unique vibe most would be unable to replicate. As a mood piece, it's hard not to recommend Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, however, the film simply tries to cover far too much ground in too short a time, yet at present it feels like it stretches on forever. The ambition is here but it all got lost in the edit.

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Don't romanticize toxic and selfish relationships!!!!

The person who created this movie cultivates the idea "Men are allowed to be spoiled, rude, selfish, toxic, sexist, insensitive and rude 🤮. And women are allowed to love these men, putting up with the humiliations, in the hope of receiving crumbs of affection 🙄 . He is allowed to be a hateful person to everyone because he lost his mother! Pity the rich boy who has everything and is disgusting because he lost his mother 😤. But the girl who is poor and has no father or mother, no, we don't need to pity her".

Does anyone like this kind of romance? This is the story of a boy who thinks that everyone in the world should serve him smiling and without complaining, even though he constantly humiliates them and treats them like garbage. It is also the story of a girl with a good heart, but who has no self-love whatsoever and accepts being mistreated in various ways by a boy. This is not romantic, much less funny, it is sad and revolting, because someone with critical thinking still in formation can take this story as an absolute truth and an example of romance to be experienced.

If you like this kind of romance, I recommend that you go to therapy and reevaluate your attitudes. I understand that the film is a little old, and that's the only reason I'm a little lenient, but if you see it TODAY and like it, it's a wake-up call.

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A Fresh but Flawed Take on a Filipino Folk Hero

Jason Paul Laxamana’s Penduko reimagines the classic Liwayway character for a modern audience, blending folklore with a contemporary supernatural underworld. Released as part of the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival, the film follows Pedro Penduko (Matteo Guidicelli), the son of a powerful faith healer, who rejects his heritage in pursuit of a more materialistic life. Drawn into an organisation called Hatinggabi, he uses his mystical gifts for profit but soon faces a deeper struggle—one that forces him to question his identity and destiny.

One of the film’s biggest strengths lies in its adaptation of Filipino mystical traditions. The portrayal of albularyos, manggagaway, mananambal, and hukluban feels both authentic and visually compelling. The astral-plane battles, where healers combat hexes, offer a creative and culturally rich take on supernatural combat—refreshingly distinct from the usual Western fantasy influences. Additionally, the film avoids the tired “good vs. evil” trope, opting instead for a morally complex protagonist. Pedro isn’t a noble hero—he resents his father’s legacy and is even willing to resort to violence to achieve his goals. The film also resists turning his relationship with Liway (Kylie Verzosa) into an overplayed romantic subplot, which is a welcome departure from predictable storytelling.

However, the film struggles with thematic cohesion. Pedro is told he fails as a healer because his intent is to harm rather than to heal, yet there’s no clear moment of transformation. By the film’s end, he’s still resorting to brute force, making his supposed character growth feel unearned. The narrative builds toward an epiphany that never quite materialises, leaving the resolution feeling hollow. This may be setting up a sequel, but as a standalone story, it’s frustratingly incomplete.

Matteo Guidicelli brings physicality to the role, but his accent can be distracting, and the writing doesn’t help—Pedro’s character arc feels inconsistent, making it difficult to fully invest in his journey. Some dialogue is clunky, and a few performances border on cringeworthy, but the film still delivers enough charm to make it an entertaining watch. The villain is given a motive beyond sheer malice, which adds depth, but his "superpowers" could have been explored more effectively.

Visually, the film has its moments, but some CGI effects feel outdated, reminiscent of '90s fantasy films. That said, Penduko succeeds in world-building and injecting layers of social commentary, particularly on land grabbing and greed. Despite its flaws, it’s a step in the right direction for Filipino superhero films, and with some refinements, a sequel could truly elevate the franchise.

Would I watch a Penduko Part 2? Absolutely—but with the hope that it leans further into its strengths and tightens up its storytelling.

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Not as bad as I feared.

I've been dragging my feet on watching this for the last two years because I read a review where someone basically said "this has a kiss so bad it's homophobic". But I have reached the bottom of the proverbial BL bucket so I thought I'd give the movie version a shot.
And I will say this: It is definitely not worst movie I've watched in the last two years, but yeah, the kissing was bad. Honestly I'm a bit surprised they didn't change the edit for the movie. Because I feel like it's mostly the prolonged lingering on the moment that made it so extra cringey and awkward.
For the most part the story is decently told and acted. Although I will say that it does sometimes feel a little disjointed. Almost as if there are scenes missing.

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To be or come out of the closet, that is the dilemma!

Set in the present day in a Chinese university, the romantic and youth film 'To You, for Me' is an example of the best of Chinese queer science fiction, in the manner of the series 'I'll Turn Back This Time' (2025), and the films 'Shao Ling Bi' ('Mermaid's Jade', 2019), by Zhang Kai Qiang, and 'Star Appeal', by Cui Zi En, among many others.
With a plot that invites both enjoyment and reflection, 'To You, for Me' divides its 26 minutes into four acts, to tell us about a relationship between Ian (Ian Lao) and Paul (Paul Wong), two university students.
Written and directed by Symenie Kam and Kitty Wu, the first act explores the jealousy and shame that homosexuals often suffer from publicly recognizing themselves as such, themes that are the reality of many.
The plot immediately introduces us to the story from the moment the two boys meet, while playing the popular game of hide-and-seek in the student residence.
Independently, both decide to hide in a closet that, due to its small size, does not have space to house both of them, so Ian will demand that Paul find another place to hide and thus prevent both from being caught by the pursuers.
The friendship between both protagonists is quickly built from the unexpected meeting. And what begins as a simple game quickly turns into a secret and unconfessed love for each other, triggering unexpected conflicts and testing the strength of the relationship. While Ian is more open to acknowledging that he is in love with his friend, Paul is unable to acknowledge his feelings, so he agrees to have a heterosexual relationship with Sofia (Sabrina Tam) to avoid being singled out by his classmates.
The relationship between the two protagonists is abruptly interrupted by a tragedy that forces Ian to go back in time to precisely the moment when the two boys met in the closet during the game of hide-and-seek.
The second act addresses the theme of the established gay couple, but in which one of the two boys is not ready to come out of the closet and asks his beloved for time.
After traveling in time, Ian agrees to share the closet with Paul while the pursuers try to discover where the other players are hiding.
As happened in the first act, the friendship between the two young people blossoms and the plot quickly leads us to Paul admitting that he is also in love with Ian and they both begin to live a secret relationship.
In this act the idea of ​​"being in the closet" is played with, because while Ian is not afraid to acknowledge his sexuality and considers, a year after starting the courtship, that the time has come to publicly acknowledge the relationship, Paul still feels confused and maladjusted in society, so he insists on still keeping the romance a secret. Despite being happy, Paul is embarrassed to hold Ian's hand and introduce him to his friends as his boyfriend, especially when everyone considers that Paul is a boy who attracts all women.
Since the reasons why Ian traveled in time have not been resolved, tragedy occurs that will force him once again to return to the moment when they both met.
Knowing the tragic outcome, in the third act, Ian will reject all of Paul's attempts to connect with his friend and lover. And tragedy ensues, but now, in the fourth act, it is Paul who travels back in time to give us a happy ending.
Despite its low budget, a script that seems to fulfill a university academic exercise, a non-professional cast that took its first steps in the world of acting with this film, and a shallow romantic content, I liked the plot for addressing topics such as second chances, choosing relationships, jumping in time and coming out or being out of the closet.
In summary: the plot line of 'To You, for Me' connects with the BL-loving public, because it is very close to their reality. Friendship, jealousy, gay shame, staying or coming out of the closet, self-discovery, acceptance, fidelity, love and the search for happiness, are essential values ​​and themes that resonate in our daily lives, seen from all perspectives. science fiction.
Furthermore, the story addresses strong themes that may be controversial, but through reflection they seek to transmit positive messages, always starting from truth and love. On the other hand, there are situations that will invite the viewer to reflect deeply on various aspects of life.

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I forgot how I stumbled on this one. But I want to watch a movie, so just randomly selected from my PTW.

Story about a woman [Tian Xiao Le (XL)], who fell in love with her classmate [Cheng Da Ye (DY)], but being a teenager, she tried to hide her feelings.

XL & DY have been friends since DY decided to help XL with her studies. XL & DY get attracted to each other without them realizing it. DY feels attracted by free spirited XL; while XL feels grateful & attracted by DY who helps her sincerely.

In this movie the writer took us through the journey of their love story. Even though XL & DY know they love each other, but being the teenager themselves, they don’t want to admit their love to the others. And later we witness they try to hide their feelings by having another relationship, while still putting the jealousy in their attitude. And later life also forced them to be separated & finally how life / universe in the end forces them to admit their feelings for each other.

I prefer the other title of this drama, 18 Things First Love Taught Me. Cause in this movie XL & DY each tell us what they learn about their feelings for each other, what lesson they get from this first love. XL & DY each share with us 9 lessons. So hence the 18 in the title comes from.

Let me elaborate what the lesson they learn from their love without giving any spoiler / more context. Really just what they told us throughout the movie.

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭: 𝐓𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐗𝐢𝐚𝐨 𝐋𝐞
1st lesson:
When a woman feels vulnerable she’ll surely be moved by the care of a man no matter how little it is.

2nd lesson:
A woman can get crazy for someone she loves

3rd lesson:
Even though a woman knows that love is only an illusion, she’ll make the best of the mistake

4th lesson:
It’s better to walk into a man’s eye in a second then to walk into his heart for a lifetime

5th lesson:
The great cruelty is to sacrifice yourself to serve others.

6th lesson:
To love someone never means cheap or not, it just means willing or not

7th lesson:
Control urself in love, and you'll almost be out.

8th lesson:
The way to make love disappear quickly is to make it a burden

9th lesson:
A person is most important to you when you feel that you are about to lose him.

***************************************************************************************************************************
𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭: 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚 𝐘𝐞
1st lesson:
A man's love starts from compassion.

2nd lesson:
Women are unreasonable but charming creatures

3rd lesson:
It's a mistake to point out woman's mistake

4th lesson:
They get angry easily even with the little things

5th lesson:
The woman in love is a, leading politician

6th lesson:
Women often have 2 faces, but they are more clear about what is right and wrong than men

7th lesson:
A woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the ocean, but it's men's duty to look for the needle in the ocean.

8th lesson:
When you begin to learn about love, you can only see the shadow of it.

9th lesson:
Parting is to cut the Gordian knot, but the hurt will last for a lifetime.

Overall this is quite a unique movie about first love. But nothing too special too… Do I agree with all they're thought? No, not really...

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I don't get it……

OK I’m thick as a plank but what the heck was that all about? Utterly dysfunctional and destroyed woman meets precious and adorable man and finally lets him change her life which includes totally impossible events and then she dumps him like she’s letting a moth out of the bathroom window. What happened to the “baby”? Where’d they get the money? I thought our welfare was excessive but what’s next for these two? A flight to Mars with Elon? A little too artsy for me. But I love both leads. Love her in Love Scout and love him in everything. At least it was only two hours and not 16 episodes.

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Expect and You Shall Receive

"Bluebeard" is a folktale about a rich noble who tests the obedience of his wife. When he sees her do something unfit of his commands, he kills her. The folklore follows his current wife, trying to avoid the faith of those that came before her. This movie is about a doctor, who mainly does colonoscopy. It is said early in the film that patients under anesthesia say the most random things due to being sedated, in one such case, an elderly patient went and said some gruesome things, leaving the doctor baffled and scared.

I had huge expectations and man did it deliver.

Jinwoong was able to deliver such a feeling of uneasiness and mania, making us believe all of the lies he made up in his head but also a sense of realness where not everything is made up. NoIl did kill and Seunghoon helped him, Miyeon did steal drugs, there was some truths but the lies and evidences were to strong for it to ride in his favour.

Kim DaeMyeung's character, Jung Seunghoon was a great counterpart/mirror to Seunggeun. The way Daemyeung was able to portray a sense of dread into Seunggeun and the audience with his calm ass voice and made you think that he was behind the killings when in fact, he never wanted to. He was only making sure that his father was not behind bars by continuously getting rid of the evidence his father left behind. The way that he wasn't fully innocent but only part guilty was shown once the audience was out of Seunggeun's perspective, but when we look through the eyes of Seunggeun, he seemed to be the person 100% at fault.

The music really made it for me. The way that they portrayed Seunggeun's uneasiness and made the audience jump was thanks to the incredible score. Although a bit slow at times, the pacing was definitely fit for the movie as a thriller. The way they wrote the story blended with the cinematography to deliver such jam-packed scenes was astonishing. But there were some shots that I felt to be pointless (those shots that make the camera swoosh from one end to the other behind a person's back when they're talking to someone).

And that plot twist.. MAN THAT PLOT TWIST. I really did not expect that, I also felt like I was his with two (or three technically) right after the other. Who knew that a mentally unstable person could still tell the truth despite their actions? Not when there's evidence that says otherwise.

Finally, *ahem* *ahem* UY *clap* *clap* PELEPENS *clap* PHILIPPINES... UYYYYYYY!

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What to write... I watched the uncut version of the film, 2:11:26 long. A touching film, even sad, and confirms my assumption that some older Thai films that touch on the issue of BL or just love as such are worth watching. A trio of stories, where I was most interested in the story of the first two guys, the second is dominated by the experienced actress Tai Penpak Sirikul, whom we know here at GT, for example from the heartbreaking film It Gets Better, the third story is a bit lengthy for me, but we will learn the answer in it, how the first story developed and Buajan also appears there. A film where it doesn't just say "I love you", but convinces the viewer that love is much deeper than just words. A film that will make the viewer smile and cry.

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Interesting Korean folk horror, uneven pacing and tone

A film that's hard for me to gauge, there's some very good things and a lot of middling stuff. To begin with, the camerawork is pretty good, the countryside and village lovely, even if you can feel a slight lack of budget in the scarcity of different settings that take advantage of the natural surroundings.

The little girl's performance is impressive and far superior to the rest of the actors, with the possible exception of the old Japanese man. The rest of the cast are far too over-the-top at times, especially during the "action" scenes, which are a tad amateurish and hardly believable (some of the supporting characters roll around on the floor for no reason at all).
There's a palpable desire to inject tension through excessive shouting and melodrama.

However, this doesn't go down well with the film's rather unpolished pace, which is crammed with one crime scene after another in the first hour, then much slower in the second, with no real justification for it. There's not much ( as far as I'm concerned ) atmosphere here, and I felt very little tension or anxiety. What does not quite work is that the detective aspect ultimately has very little importance for the characters themselves, even if as far as the audience is concerned, we are left in doubt right up to the last minute, but more by the limp mechanical storytelling than by any real thirst to discover the mystery.

The long, ecstatic shamanic exorcism scene is worth mentioning, though, as it's a real blast. The contrast between the shaman's showmanship and the Japanese old man's more primordial rite (beautiful white chickens and a team of musicians for the former, rather rustic black chickens and somewhat primitive drum beats for the latter) encourages us to see a duality at work, despite the fact that the ending leads us to understand that the two were in cahoots.

Unfortunately, there's far too much inconceivable idiocy (in their choices and reactions) on the part of the characters, and many of the events that unfold only happen because people don't talk to each other, and the role of the angel-ghost girl is literally a bad deus ex machina who only exists because she chooses not to interact with the scenario until she's called upon (and so she lets a lot of people die without any real justification).
That said, it's a twist I really like, but the execution is really messy.

There are several potential films in this feature, as evidenced by the total absence of the slightly black humorous tone of the beginning, which evaporates completely without having any weapons powerful enough to compensate for this absence, the action being limp and ham-fisted and the horrific side quite non-existent, as the misfortunes fall mainly on tertiary characters, apart from the protagonist's daughter. Despite all this, I don't consider it too long (even if the final scenes are far too artificial in their build-up to suspense), and I was gripped right up to the conclusion.

It just didn't stay in the oven long enough, and the main ingredients should have been rebalanced.

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