Reviews

"Life is what matters, right?"

Older Brother, Younger Sister was another Naruse Mikio family drama, yet where other of his families quietly turned the knife, this family exploded in unexpected violence. Throughout the waves of emotions, the youngest daughter San, tried to keep her life and family steady.

San returns home from school to find people giving her the side-eye in the small village her family lives in. Taichi, the boy she’s been romantically interested in, is forbidden to see her. Turns out, her older sister Mon has returned home pregnant and unmarried. Mon has worked in Tokyo to pay for San’s nursing school. San and their mother welcome Mon home, but the father ignores her and the older brother Ino, viciously berates her. Mon packs up and leaves which only creates further gossip and hurt feelings.

This is one of those films I wish I didn’t have to rely on subtitles. Mon didn’t appear to be a prostitute at the beginning of the film though the villagers seemed to imply that she was or at the very least sexually promiscuous. She’d been in love with a university student and the paternity of her child wasn’t questioned which seemed to negate their argument. Mon bemoaned her bad moral state after she lost her child with her brother implying she was working in the oldest profession. Or was she simply a “used” woman no longer with that shiny virgin smell men seemed to think was of great importance. Her churl of a brother was upset and gave her no quarter, letting her know exactly what he thought of her fallen status. Maybe too upset? When he explained how close they’d been even into her teens, it began to sound a bit incestuous. To cap things off, the violent fight between Ino and Mon took an uncomfortably erotic turn.

Regardless of Mon’s profession, she relished her independence and took care of her sister and family. The two sisters were very different yet San wished to follow in her big sister’s footsteps toward independence and was in no hurry to marry. Much like the daughter in Lightning, she wasn’t afraid to tell people what she needed, including her milquetoast love interest. The mother held her own and supported the family with the small shop she ran. The relationship between the two sisters was the backbone of this film given a solid assist from the mother.

The men were not shown in a favorable light. Ino spent what little money he made on “slutty” women, oh, the irony. He was also a thoughtless brute who justified his antagonistic behavior as just being a good brother. The father idled through his days drinking and reliving his past as a prosperous business owner. The noodle maker and the university student both lacked courage and the ability to stand up for what they believed in.

The actors’ ages were tough to ignore. In real life Yamamoto Reizaburo (Father) and Urabe Kumeko (Mother) were 51, Mori Masayuki (Ino) was 42 and looked every bit of it, Kyo Machiko (Mon) was 29-close to her character's age, and Kugo Yoshiko (San) was an age appropriate 22.

Naruse is one of my favorite directors from the earlier years of Japanese film. Unlike Mizoguchi who seemed to delight a little too much in torturing his heroines and Kurosawa who struggled with female characters, Naruse often showed women acting as independently and courageously as possible within a rather rigid patriarchal society. San and Mon brushed off what the townspeople and their own family said about them and mapped out the best lives they could for themselves. I should also mention that Tanaka Kinuyo was an assistant director, which delighted me to no end. Older Brother, Younger Sister was an odd film about a complex family with no easy answers, but it still left me hopeful that the sisters would keep their ties to each other without losing themselves in the process.

3 June 2025

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it’s magic…

ahhhh, I don’t know where to start…such a wonderful movie, just wow.!!!! The script is exceedingly well written…I really love how they tackled the whole troupe and how the story was not all over the place.
it paced extremely well and gave me sooo many surprises as it progressed..!
Really loved this one..!
for me, it’s a 10/10, although I see many had that ick about the 15 years age gap, but guys it’s a movie, and in a way that’s destiny, you’ll be with the one you are meant to be, at a point I did find it weird but then as the movie progressed I somehow made peace with the fact…
I really recommend you to watch this movie at least once, you’ll surely not be disappointed, this movie has something for everyone to carry with them..!
not gonna lie and not exaggerating at all, but so far this is the best movie I watched in 2025, and it is going to stay with me for a very veryyyyyy long time..!
I am surely going to come back to watch this one, for it made me feel beautiful and there were times when tears just silently fell down my cheeks without me even realising…that’s the level of movie I assure you this is…!!

if this doesn’t convince you to watch it, please don’t..!! because at 2:30 AM my mind is blown after watching this wonderful movie and every single word is heartfelt as I write this review…I usually don’t write reviews but this one was special enough to make me want to write one and seeing the comments I felt this movie deserved a good review..!

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It Really is Complicated!

Geez, was I big relieved that this movie ended at the point at which it ended. I was sitting on the edge of my seat praying that a line wouldn't be crossed. What a relief!

Let's get the admin out of the way. The directing was impeccable, the script flowed logically, the cinematography very catchy and satisfying in the sense that you got a good grounding on both international locations and the living conditions. The casting was just as great because the actors met the characters where they were and they delivered brilliantly. I know the male lead from other productions and I didn't feel at any moment that they slipped out of character. That was satisfying to see as it meant full immersion into the story could be achieved.

The characters themselves were complicated; these were not easy people to watch. The young years revealed to me what I felt were character flaws in the sense that one was willing to give beyond what was required and the other took without reservation. This they carried into adulthood and such imbalances frequently lead to resentment. The immigration was difficult for her. We see the struggle to integrate, there are language challenges and although this is not her decision and what is happening is out of her control, she clings to what she knows - hard work and a possible dream. In that process she abandons who she imagined herself to be and is hyper driven by ambition. He makes an attempt to move on, but is held back by the promise made by memories.

Twelve years later, married to a Jewish man and living in the East Village, his visit is a resurrection of the little girl who left South Korea and I don't think the memories are welcome, but in the same breathe they cannot be disputed. So, this creates this state of limbo where the husband is a reflection of what is present and real and the male lead represents loss and an identity she would rather not deal with. There's almost this push and pull between how far back South Korea is and yet how unreachable New York is.

I was struck by the maturity of the husband and brought to feel that this is a reflection of how relationships should be. Not afraid to show vulnerability, not afraid to ask questions and not afraid to sit quietly and wait for the whirlwind to pass. There's also the recognition that our beginnings are not the same; we carry the differences even today, but there's a point where we can meet each other and create something warm and new and wholesome together. However, there's this threat hanging over everyone's head called destiny. The husband feels in the middle because in many ways, he's a romantic. They themselves are grappling with how much control to give to destiny. Should we allow destiny to dictate the direction of our present lives or recognise that perhaps our story is for another lifetime past or in the future.

I strongly recommend the movie if you are into all things Korean, but also all things English.😁😁
A mature, romantic drama that showcases just how complicated human beings truly are. Thank you to the Bestie for the recommendation🥰. This was completely off my radar.

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Exit is a breath of fresh air in the disaster genre.

Exit is an incredibly enjoyable experience, combining action, humor, and genuine emotional moments.

What makes this film unique is its inventive use of climbing and survival aspects, which sets it apart from standard disaster films.

The comedy works well, and the emotional conclusion is fulfilling without being overly dramatic.

What I Liked:
- The unique mix of action and comedy
- Lovable, down-to-earth main characters
- Creative use of climbing for the escape scenes
- Heartwarming family moments

What I Didn’t Like:
- The disaster’s cause is barely explained (but honestly, I didn’t miss it much)
- Some side characters could have used more development

Recommended for:
For those who enjoy disaster movies, action comedies, or anyone in the mood for a light-hearted film that combines heart and humor, this is perfect.

If disaster movies, action comedies, or a fun, uplifting film with a mix of heart and humor sounds good to you, then check this out.

Fans of disaster films, action comedies, and anyone wanting a joyful movie with both heart and humor will love this one!

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MUSICAL (!) BL Story (they sing)

They tried...
This is about a boy who falls in love with someone who is in the same club. They connect through the music, yet there is a little conflict to when it comes to one of the MLs songwriting.

This is a fully felged musical BL. They start singing every few minutes and it's really hard to take this seriously. The acting is a bit awkward, but I like to believe they did their best with what they had.
Their singing wasn't bad, simply a bit random, but considering this is a musical I guess you have to expect that there are a lot of musical numbers.

The problem is that the movie is already so short, there isn't a lot of time to tell a story and the songs didn't really help with building the plot.
And while I'm talking about the plot, it was a slightly confusing. Some things didn't really make sense (for example: why couldn't You Jia sing the song himself?). Suddenly singing to "explain" emotions felt forced and made watching a bit cringe at times.

I didn't really enjoy this, but I'm trying to not be too harsh (yes I could've been harsher).
I hope you see that it's a musical beforehand so maybe you can go into watching this with different "approach"/expectation.
I do have to say the singing was so unexpected that I found it quite hilarious and had a good time laughing. Maybe that's a reason to watch it.

Last but not least: the camera and lighting was really nice. So that's a plus, it's a pretty viewing experience, the content was just lacking a little.

Hopefully the actors have a chance to do something else to showcase their acting a bit more rather than their singing... 💕

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watching this i think if the timeline was different, then it would hit harder. i get that we supposed to see this from the POV of men that can't openly love, cause society isn't open to it. & yet given that the 1st Thai BL came out in 2014 (let alone the fact that the mains r playing actors that r in a gay romance) even if the majority of Thailand wasn't OK with anything LGBT, there was enough acceptance, in certain parts. so if someone really wanted too they would fight for the right to love!

from where i sit, it seemed like more of a choice, Tul didn't want to rock the boat - he had a vision of his future & even though he loved Kan & is attracted to men, he wanted the facade of normalcy - whether for his family or just in general idk (as we didn't any back ground). but the out come was him hurting 3 people, cause of his selfishness - u could justify it & yet it is what it is. cause if u r gay, u will always be tempted - so even though Kan isn't around. Tul will stray & then what off his daughter & wife?!?
cause we have seen that when push comes to shove - Tul has no problem hurting the one he loves - cause his wishes & feelings come 1st.

& anyone mentioning the child - 1 there surrogates - sadly in a country like Thailand there enough poor people that it wouldn't be hard to find a woman (married or widowed) that would take on the job. 2. instead of marrying a normie that was duped into thinking she was being married for love, he could've seeked out a woman that was A-sexual that wanted children & more of companionship then a true partnership - guess i am over thinking this - but heck cause of this Tul's tears did mean a thing to me. i felt sorry for Kan, the unsuspecting wife & even the sweet child...

this was fine for a 1 off.

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It moved me to tears

Judge by actions, not intentions - for no one is perfect in thought. This heartwarming slice-of-life film tells a story about family bonds and filial duty. While its slow pacing may feel challenging at first, viewers gradually become immersed until they're moved to tears. Quite different from typical Thai idol dramas, its gentle approach nonetheless tackles social issues like parental neglect and son preference through realistic details. Being set in a Chinese family, it maintains cultural proximity for mainland audiences. One can't help but notice how deeply animist and Buddhist beliefs permeate every aspect of Thai cultural life.

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