Reviews

A Lovely Remake

You Are The Apple of My Eye is a Japanese remake of a Taiwanese movie and it is a wonderful coming of age/slice of life type of story of high school life, close-knit group of friends, and first loves. Yamada Yuki plays Kosuke, the martial arts enthusiast who finds studying and going to school mundane and useless, until he meets and falls in love with model student Mana, played by Saito Asuka. Their relationship is complex as they are the exact opposites of each other and so their romance has always been rocky from the start. This line hit me hard, though. “Thank you for falling in love with me.” How many times have I heard that in my lifetime?! Too many! Hahahahaha.... Our teen years really are the best days of our lives but the growing pains, heartaches, and lost chances also suck big time! I love Kosuke's interaction with his friends the most. The four of them are probably the best characters in the whole film. I'm glad I decided to watch this despite my initial misgivings. I might watch the Taiwanese version next.

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Another Live Action Iteration I Shouldn't Have Watched

I finally managed to finish Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar after trying several times. Unfortunately, my initial assumptions were right, this is a dumpster fire of a movie that should never have been created. It is an insult to Arakawa Hiromu's manga and a slap in the face to FMA fans everywhere. The first one was already a tragic anomaly much like the disturbing chimera that was Nina Tucker and her dog, but this is not even a successfully created homunculus, it's nothing more than a distorted version of the author's original version.

Most of the cast members are capable actors in their own right, but they do not fit their respective roles, not even in the slightest. Yamada Ryosuke is so ill-fitting for the role of Edward Elric that I rolled my eyes every time he tried to do Ed's “angry chibi” mode. Just because he's short like Ed doesn't make him suitable for the part. Mackenyu as Scar is tolerable but still ridiculous. Mackenyu sporting a “brown” face was too much for me to bear. He just did what he could with what he was given, though. Fujioka Dean may be handsome but he is NOT Roy Mustang, faaaaaaaarrr from it! He practically does nothing except look cool and that is not the character I know from the manga and anime. Honda Tsubasa is painful to watch as Winry Rockbell. Whoever thought this girl can act must be high on drugs. I've seen her in quite a few projects already and she has the acting skills of a potato. Watanabe Keisuke as Ling was alright, probably the best casting decision they made for this movie because Ling is supposed to have Asian features and one of the few characters in the story who should be played by an Asian. The rest of the cast are even more 2D than their 2D counterparts, the anime characters have more depth imho.

The action scenes are laughable, so many cuts in the scenes that you hardly see the movements at all. Don't even get me started on the special effects. *groan* I promised myself to try and enjoy these live action movies but I simply can't. The plot is all over the place. Characters appear out of nowhere and they have their own agenda but their subplots don't add up and come together at the end. I'm convinced the writers smoked weed when they wrote this shit and it was the bad kind of weed, too.

Sorry, but this is a prime example of what NOT to do when making a live action version of a popular anime. I'm not one of those people who thinks anime should never be made into live action as I've enjoyed some live action iterations in the past. But this is not it. It's not because of the goofiness of the anime, it's the horrible writing, execution, casting, and acting. And most of all, it should remain largely faithful to the source material despite some of the changes that need to be made for this medium. However, most of these live actions are just money grabs and are done by people who have no love for the original material. These movies should be burned and forgotten, or better yet, exiled beyond the Gate to be tormented for eternity.

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Exceptional queer movie with realistic approach

Hi, I am late to the party, but I should write a review, because this is one of the exceptionell queer movies of 2024.
If you do expect a BL you will be disappointed, it's a queer movie and the romance of a BL is not the focus of this movie.

It's a story of gay man who struggles with the society he lives in and a girl who also had go through some hardships. They both meet at university and the grow closer together, overcome hardships together and accept each other for what they are. Both discover who they are and what they want.

Cinematography, direction, acting are also exceptionell.

This is one of the best queer movies ever made which does not focus on the gay aspect per se. It's part of the story but the main part is the development of a deep friendship between a gay man and a straight woman. Regardless if you are straight, bi, gay or inbetween or nothing of that, regardless which gender identity you have, it's a powerful story and a wonderful movie and you should watch it!

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Horrific to watch and tragic that it happened

Well, where to start really?
This movie was harrowing, following the journey of a newly appointed teacher who discovers child sexual and physical abuse occurring at his new post.l and the subsequent fight for justice.
The acting was excellent, but some of the scenes felt far too much to be occurring between an actor and a child… unless there was some nifty editing, some of those scenes shouldn’t have been played by child actors.
Realistically, given the true story, the depth, and all the twists and turns it took, it should have been a series. However the subject matter is so dark and disturbing, with no let up, and not even a glimmer of a happy ending, as such series may have been too much to bear watching. So I can see why a film was probably better, but so much was missed or shown slivers of the battle that it took to even get the crimes to trial.
Overall, I would never even consider watching this again, but the story needed to be told.

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A melancholic goodbye to the dreams of youth

A melancholic goodbye to the dreams of youth, Kids Return is easily one of Takeshi Kitano's most personal films, one with a strong empathy for disenfranchised youth while also looking forward to what the future holds. At the story's core, we have the theme of friendship and life choice, represented by the path and decisions of the main characters but still retrains of all Kitano's trademarks and stylings from the affectionately stupid pranks of the leads to the recurring appearance of a twin comedy group, who banter in the style Kitano's own "Two Beats" double act, but it's organized, more confident. He knows what he wants to say, and how he wants to say it. Having grown up in poverty, Kitano likely felt some kinship with his prankster punk anti-heroes but refreshingly refuses to sugar-coat their more disreputable behaviour. They are surly and disrespectful with bad attitudes and a streak of believable, if unfortunate, cruelty. Yet Shinji and Masaru suffer their share of beatings and misfortune as boxing proves no more salvation for the former than the yakuza life suits the latter. The dual messages that there are no shortcuts to success and a lack of diligence can undo the most promising young dreams might seem conservative but the film is more complex than that. Takeshi places his protagonists in a world manipulated by embittered old men whose mixed messages and bad advice leave them uncertain about what is right and wrong. These are not triumphant stories but the film still ends on a frail yet persuasively hopeful note. After his near-fatal motorcycle accident, there was supposedly doubt as to whether Takeshi Kitano would ever work again, with his usual outstanding direction, sumptuous photography and yet another incredible score by Joe Hisaishi, Kids Return crushes pretty much crushes all doubts in one fell swoop.

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A Masterpiece of Chaos, Longing, and Emotional Depth

The Paradise of Thorns is an intense emotional journey that explores themes of love, loss, and revenge. Thongkham, played by Jeff, is a chaotic and despairing character who loses his love for Sek and must care for the orchard, his mother, and his non-blood sibling Mo. Mo, played by Engfa, is a tragic villain with a tragic plot and self-pity. Both characters are obstinate and egotistical, but they both have a goal of revenge. The film is stunning, covering family issues, LGBT+ community representation, emotions, and traditional ceremony depiction. The atmosphere of the film is superb, making it a must-watch for those seeking emotional and heart-wrenching experiences.

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"One can't hide his true self even after his role has changed"

Time can’t erase some memories, memories seared deep into a person’s psyche. The kind of trauma that refuses to be healed. For Han Pil Ju who lost his family and more during the Japanese occupation, time could not take away his need for vengeance against the collaborators who prospered and were hailed as heroes in the years that followed.

Han Pil Ju is working his last day at TGIF Fridays and it’s the last day he will be known as “Freddie” at the restaurant. He’s made a friend of In Gyu aka “Jason.” Freddie hires Jason to drive him around in an unregistered red Porsche sports car for important errands. It turns out that his errands involve killing the men who were responsible for the deaths of his family members. All of the men have prospered and hidden their traitorous pasts during the Japanese occupation. Jason gets pulled into Freddie’s revenge scheme as much as he would like to be free from it.

Fifty-three-year-old Lee Sung Min was extraordinary as the eighty-year-old with Alzheimer’s determined to clean the slate in his remaining days. How deep does a wound have to be for a man to hold on to vengeance for over 50 years? Pil Ju’s memory ebbed and flowed, yet he was still coherent enough to remember intricate details of his schemes. He avoided the Inigo Montoya trope, “You killed my father, prepare to die,” though at times was close to it. Nam Joo Hyuk gave In Gyu a naivete and ultimately solidarity with the old man. The two built a nice rapport with each other, something the success of the film hinged on.

Most of the targets were successful and wealthy enough that they couldn’t understand anyone not being able to let go of the past. “It’s illogical to talk about justice when one can’t protect his own family.” Blaming the victims for being beaten to death, dying from forced labor, or the consequences of being forced to be one of the comfort women was probably not the wisest course of action. They couldn’t see or didn’t care that their wealth and power were built on the blood of their own people they caused to be spilled.

Remember didn’t excuse Pil Ju’s actions any more than he did himself. What it did show was that there was still a national trauma that had not yet fully healed. As generations pass on, the memory may fade. “There is no future for people stuck in the past.” It was hard for Pil Ju to move on when justice had yet to be served and the individual tragedies had been dismissed. Remember kept the action moving, and at 2 hours felt tightly directed and well-acted. There were plot holes and using a bright red Porsche wasn’t the best getaway car, but it was an emotionally gripping film from start to finish.

9 January 2025

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What did I just watch

Huh? I like a light and fluffy romance but this was missing the glue that held it all together and made it make sense. The best thing about it was it wasn't too long. It had little bits and bobs of potential which makes it frustrating as the viewer. Why would she like someone who yelled at her all the time. Why would she let him leave for 6 months only to quit when he got back? Forget about the mystery woman with the book, I can take some fantasy and I don't care that it didn't get properly explained but the lead couple never really clicked. Like at all. That is the big let down. I feel like it could have been super cute but the wrong choices were made and it came out half baked.

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All I really want is to be like the rest of them, to be who I really am

I found myself intrigued by this little piece. Though they may have been some things that didn't sit right with me I will only talk about the good stuff. Pretty sure this is my first time watching a Hong Kong piece and they did not dissapoint. This was perfect after a night out walking through the city. I want to give all my love to the cinematography and visuals because they were beautiful and 100% my style. For a 35min movie, which tried to capture a tiny part of someone's life, this was really engaging. The movie takes on topics that happen all of the time around us and although it's from 2015, 10 years from then things like this still happen. Left me bitter but somehow fullfilled. Would totally recommend and maybe someday I will find it in more quality.

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Some ideas and creations should remain in one's mind

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS.

Just NO. I've watched quite a few bad dramas and movies, regardless of the reviews, and wish I hadn't wasted my time. HOWEVER, with And Then There Was Light/Hikari (2017), not only did I waste my time but I had a huge icky-low-self-esteem feeling during the entire 2:17:58 movie.

Why did I finish it? So I could write this review and WARN others this movie is among a couple of others that left me wondering how such an amateurish film would be made in the first place. I say "would be made" because it clearly represents what should've been left in the heart of the original creator or scriptwriter, never to see the light of day.

The bgm (background music) was horror movie level and came at intervals and was loud & jarring (also forced to even give a rating so the review would submit). There was no story and no plots. The extremely long looks/gazes were frustrating, so much so I had to check to see if my wi-fi had dropped, numerous times. The screenwriter/director's (one in the same) or the original creator's fetishes - no words. There was no moral to this non existent story, which MDL forces to have at least a 1 rating to submit one's review. There was no value from the dialogues, no inclusion of life altering profound wisdom, just mundane, very mundane. What little there was of cinematography, was on par with taking the oldest cellphone from the 1970/80s out in the backyard to capture a tree, oh, and the moon which alludes to the 'light' from the Japanese word hikari. Absolutely nothing was of worth to sit in front of a 2:17:58 hours long piece of what the other reviewer said was a textbook example of everything not to do in making a movie.

It contains child molestation, infidelity, child abuse, murder, blackmail, sexual content, weird sucking fetishes, and corspe abuse if one were to add a character's rummaging around in his dead father's underwear for a possibly-hidden picture. It was SO slow one would wonder how all that would fit into the length of the movie. It just went from one bad scene to another while including all those elements. I checked at least 3 times to see if it was anywhere near finished, starting at the 1 hour mark.

Rewatch value is zilch, yet MDL requires a rating in all catagories to be able to submit a review.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND the movie to anyone. I'm surprised Viki hasn't dropped this so it's absence can be filled with something much more worthy of being included ON Viki.

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This isn't about zombies

Okay i lied its about zombies but the zombies are in the background. As a zombie fanatic, this is not a good zombie film and i would not recommend this movie to anybody who has a pass trauma of an abusive family. To not have any spoilers I would say, this could've been better and more marketed towards psychological thriller, and have zombie as a sub genre. If you took zombie out of the genre, it would just be a psychological thriller, and you would see how the family dynamics work. If you're looking for a zombie adventure film this is not it. I don't recommend this movie. I actually hated it and it scared me not because of the zombies, but because of the father. The ending was not even sad but more terrifying. 5/10

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A delightful and moving film that combines humor, heart, and a powerful message

It is a heartwarming and inspirational film that serves as a reminder of the value of perseverance, personal growth, and the true meaning of family. This movie has something for everyone with its mix of comedy, drama, and touching moments.

I watched it because Peng Yu Chang starred in this drama, and he never failed to deliver a stellar performance, transitioning from a self-centered, bossy young man to a genuine and humble "buddy" who learns to appreciate the simple joys of life.

The journey of the "Bath Buddy" is deeply relatable and inspiring for viewers, especially those who are coping life's unexpected lessons, and seeking a path to personal growth. It’s a movie that resonates with anyone striving to overcome obstacles and rediscover their purpose.

The film also beautifully redefines the concept of family. This message is conveyed with warmth and sincerity, leaving a lasting impact on the audience. The film will leave you with a smile, and a renewed sense of hope.

Should I rewatch it? Definitely.

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SHOCKED

I have been eagerly anticipating the release of this movie ever since it was first announced, primarily because I am a huge fan of Jeff. What I didn't expect, however, was just how exceptional the film would turn out to be. The performances from the entire cast were outstanding, but Engfa’s portrayal truly stood out. She delivered a remarkable performance that brought her complex character to life with absolute finesse, showcasing her impressive range as an actress.

Beyond the brilliant acting, the film delves into profound and serious topics, particularly focusing on issues surrounding marriage inequality. I found myself completely engrossed, with my jaw dropping at several moments throughout the viewing. The film’s exploration of these themes added layers of depth that elevated the overall experience.

From the production team to the writers and all the talented actors involved, everyone played a crucial role in the creation of this masterpiece. Their collective efforts resulted in a truly captivating cinematic experience that I won't soon forget.

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Effective Korean action thriller.

There have been many, mainly American films about the Vietnam War. Since the mid-70s after the end of the war until today, a number of films have been made with Vietnam as a theme: Apocalypse Now, Pluto, Good Morning Vietnam, Born on the Fourth of July: The list could be made long. It is perhaps a way for Hollywood to pay tribute to its soldiers. Although the war ended 50 years ago, Vietnam is its own chapter in American history. The war and its horrors are still remembered in various ways. More than 2´000 American soldiers are still missing. Many of those who came home had experienced terrible experiences and were never the same again.

The Korean action horror film R-Point takes place in 1972. A group of 9 soldiers are sent out to an area called R-Point to search for soldiers who had previously been there and had not returned. They have 5 days to find their missing comrades. There shouldn't be any problems. They are all young, strong and brave. What few of them know or care about is that a temple in the area is built on a cemetery where Chinese soldiers who killed a lot of Vietnamese buried them. It was many years ago, but it's probably just as well to respect the final resting place of the dead.

The young soldiers also like to have a little fun and joke with each other, like hiding from their comrades and not answering the calls of the others. It's fun when it's temporary, but it can sometimes be a little creepy if everyone suddenly just disappears as if they've been swallowed by the earth. It's a feeling that you sometimes get to experience: Everyone seems to be suddenly gone, without any explanation. Now you might think that they can't find each other because of the many weeds and trees out in the field, but that's not all. Inside the old temple that serves as a temporary camp, strange things also happen. Things seem to be replaced, things seem to have moved without anyone touching them and unexplainable things start to happen. The soldiers start to get irritated, even tired and angry at each other. No one wants to pretend to be a pussy because those who seem weak are easily teased by others. You feel a little paranoid: What is happening? It's eerie. You almost feel that something unpleasant is going to happen.

R-Point is, in my opinion, like a mix of Blair Witch Project where a group of happy young people go out into the woods and the interesting horror My Little Eye where 5 young people find themselves in a guarded house. In this case, you are not locked in a house and can move around outside too, but what good is that when you still seem to be guarded? The confusion increases. No one and nothing seems to be what you think. You can't even trust your own comrades.

R-Point is a surprisingly good action horror film. It is effective, the atmosphere is intense and the pulse is constantly rising. There are virtually no special effects. Yet it manages to scare the viewer to death. Clearly worth seeing and interesting. In both its home country of Korea and the rest of Asia, this film has been well received by audiences, topping the charts and breaking box office records. It is a nail-biter that keeps the viewer in its grip until the end. An action horror that is perfect for the quiet summer. It is possible that you will want to see it more than once!

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