Reviews

"You think anyone ever wins at life?"

Black Coal, Thin Ice is one of those films I find hard to rate. Technically it was beautifully shot, with a dark, bleak, noir mood. Character-wise, I disliked nearly everyone, especially the male lead. The characters were either amoral, murderous, or stupid. I can’t say that I enjoyed the film, but it was artistically made.

When an arm shows up in a coal processing plant, with other pieces scattered about, you know someone is up to no good. Fear not, for Detective Zhang is on the case! Unfortunately, the case goes hay-wire because the police know nothing about proper police procedure. Fast forward five years and Zhang is a drunk working as a security guard. As fate would have it, he stumbles across his old partner and a case that closely resembles the one that sent Zhang down a bad path. Zhang is determined to not let the culprit escape this time.

I’ll get my peeves out of the way first. #1-Zhang attempted to rape his ex-wife at a train station in the early minutes of the film. Strike 3, he’s out and I’m hoping his body parts end up at the coal mine. He uses his position of authority to compel another woman to have sex later in the movie, so yeah, I don’t care if he saved the country, he’s an animal. Peeve #2, the police were inept at best. Not once, but twice, disasters happened because they didn’t understand how to properly detain a perp. The cops turned over possible evidence to a suspect and then asked for it back. They also had to rely on an ex-cop to solve their case. Peeve #3-the femme fatale was uninspired and underwhelming. Her primary purpose was to be groped by awful men.

The atmosphere and cinematography were stunning. In a land nearly always shrouded in nightfall and covered in ice, you could almost feel the cold and desolation seep through the screen. Where Wong Kar Wai’s shadows enhanced with green, yellow, and red provided for an erotic and melancholy atmosphere, Diao Yi Nan’s colors evoked death, violence, and criminal intent.

While I really wanted to like this film, I loathed the dogged detective, found the femme fatale banal, and the police deadly incompetent. The film was artistically pleasing to look at and if you don’t mind an entire cast of unlikeable characters, you might find this more entertaining than I did. For me the “hero” had a heart that was Black Coal and the story skated on Thin Ice.

18 April 2025

Trigger warnings: At least one attempted rape. Dismembered body parts. Bare male butts in a bath scene.

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Less Sad, Less Annoying, But Less Emotionally Satisfying Version of 'Your Lie in April'

This is the live-action movie version of a beloved anime — loved by many but overrated to some.

Basically, it's the story of Kousei, a piano genius, who quit playing the piano due to an incident involving her mother. He vowed never to return playing the piano until he met Kaori.

I don't think this movie can replace the anime. It understandably omitted some of the interesting episodes, but at a shorter run time, it may be good idea for revisiting the story without going through the 24 episodes of the anime, which is equivalent to 12 hours.

The movie has removed some of the things that others find annoying in the anime. For example, Kaori wasn't much of a tsundere compared to the anime, but whenever we see some signs of her being abusive, it doesn't translate well on screen. But we forgive her because the actress playing Kaori is cute.

The downside is that the movie does not reach the emotional peak of the anime. The crucial scene near the end doesn't have the same emotional impact, although it's quiet and beautiful.

It's a good film. I recommend watching it at least once. But whether to watch it or the anime every April to start a tradition, I am not sure.

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Heart-warming and tearful T^T

I went into this with zero expectations and even didn't pay much attention to dialogue in the beginning/reading the subtitles. But I can say that right now I am rewatching the film's opening before having even finished the film.

This piece is so unexpectedly heart-wrenching and beautiful. It's not just a romance, in fact it's hardly that and more about rediscovering life's joys in the little moments, and journeying intimately alongside the 2 main characters and their blossoming relationship, between two 'strangers' into something deep and meaningful. It's so well-acted and flows naturally it genuinely makes you want to see them interacting more, and experiencing more together.

The acting is superb especially from 'A-Xiang' (the happy boy who always smiles and laughs) and the interactions overall are really wholesome and genuine-feeling if that makes sense.
Although some of the cuts were a bit choppy and the timing felt off at times, the cinematography was gorgeous and carried a nostalgic feeling that made you feel like you've experienced something similar, even if eg. you've never travelled to these places or gone on a road trip before as the characters did.

There was a lot of nuanced expressions and subtle gestures which progressed the story rather than throwing the plot progression into your face, and you can fully believe why the characters are now behaving the way they are, etc.
The flashbacks for the most part were not repetitive scenes but fresh new ones, which really left you wanting to see more of their little moments together :') Really really beautiful piece of film.

Highly recommend!

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Life is but a dream sweetheart

In Space was a short film written and directed by Visra Vichit-Vadakan. Pai lives with his grandparents. His grandmother wants him to become a Buddhist monk, but Pai isn’t sure what he wants to do with his life. When tragedy strikes, Pai takes up the cloth and beads at least for a time while he tries to meet up with his loved one in space, the in-between space between dreams and reality, a meditation of connection.

This was a beautiful love letter to grandparents who cherish and raise their grandchildren when called upon. And also the connection between loving spouses. I’m hoping I interpreted the film in the way Visra intended, otherwise, the ending would have been a bit disturbing.

8 April 2025

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A clumsy dystopian rehash

Crap. From the get-go Mickey isn't likeable and his fake Southern accent is grating. The rest is a formality, without a protagonist it can't succeed: Thought is speech - not in this movie. It's just speech, no thought. No subtlety at all, as blunt as a wooden spoon. Okja meets Snowpiercer meets The Hunger Games, all in the style of the great Terry Gilliam*. Toni Collette plays Tilda Swinton. Ruffalo injects a bit of Trump - TDS personified, about as witty as a SNL skit. And the voice over? No, we don't need a running commentary, neither did Blade Runner. The dialogue becomes increasingly profane and childish (it's never at an adult level at any stage) similar to how stand up comedians fill their set with expletives when the audience isn't laughing along. Finally, Bong's dystopian vision is tedious; a much smarter dystopia is portrayed in films like Children of Men, which examine humanity without the need for clumsy theatrics.

(* Yes, a science fiction vision from the 1980s, like Brazil with a cast full of Python-esque art deco caricatures, doesn't sit well when reproduced in 2025.)

TDS: Trump Derangement Syndrome
SNL: Saturday Night Live
Brazil: 1985 film by Terry Gilliam
Children of Men: best dystopian sci-fi film ever made, prophetic.

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"That person doesn't exist who is as foolish and misunderstood as myself"

Eight student Cleaners have their stories told in a surreal manner that straddled reality and animation as if in a memory round robin. What is dirty? What is clean? And does it really matter?

I. Intro

II. Nutrition Month
Stephanie, who has OCD, comes face to face with her worst dirty nightmare. It will either cure her OCD or traumatize her for life.

III. National Language Month
Angeli, the class president, is stuck with three skateboard slackers (Eman, Arnold, & Lester) for a folk-dance contest. Can the three “dirty” boys find a way to clean up and make the dance work?

IV. Prom
The class “dirty” girl, Britney, is slapped down by the patriarchal view of chastity for girls but not for boys. Francis takes drastic measures for his dirty hooded problem.

V. Youth Council
Junjun’s dad, who is the mayor, has political ambitions for his son that go beyond the student council. The parents are willing to get their hands filthy to help him win. JJ finds that dirty politics can be like a bridge to nowhere.

VI. Last Day
The cleaners cleanse themselves in a primal song of rage.

Cleaners played out like a darker Breakfast Club. The film style looked like staticky memories in a year book come to life and decorated with bright highlighters. Most of the stories had a ring of truth to them even if at least three scenes were gross to observe. Life is messy and these kids found ways to enjoy themselves even if they got dirty doing it.

17 April 2025
Trigger warnings: Long poop sequence, self-mutilation, vomiting, penis scene and penis "art"

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The forefront of experimental cinema

Korean cinema is always the one that dares to take the leap and stays at the forefront of experimental cinema of the bleeding edge, the entire movie was done in the lens of live streaming POVs, and yet it was brilliantly executed in favor of that sense of internet surrealism and algorithm war. The plot is really hefty and well planned, the mocking of those sensational live streamers that could do anything for fame and monetization, while pulling effective plot twists in crime thriller fashion, the direction is just smart as hell. Meanwhile Kang Ha Neul who is the man of focus, his blazing presence as the whole spotlight shines through with his absolutely insane acting performances, this movie will definitely remain as one of his most remarkable works for years.

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Disappointment

I had high expectations from the movie. It was said to be a highly praised production. However, when I watched it; despite the familiar subject and a few TV series and movies that had been made, it was handled very poorly and could not go beyond being an ordinary movie. It gave that impression. There were supposedly good actors. The costumes were good. The action scenes were good. But that was it. The way it was handled was very simple, superficial. There was no proper love. There was no emphasis on brotherhood. It was an empty copy. I gave points for effort. It was a disappointment for me.

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A fun action movie to watch

It’s nothing special nor boring, it’s perfectly in the middle.

Korean action/morale movies always revolve around women and their mistreatment and how a man is only then realising how women have it hard and then they save them yadda yadda, like I said- seen it many times. They don’t cover anything special or never seen before in the movie. What’s a bit surprising is that Seojoon who’s known for making misogynistic remarks about women is in a movie about saving women from human trafficking and against misogyny…granted his comments were from 2014 but that movie is only 3 years away from those comments.

Won’t nitpick about that further, the movie was funny and had a good balance of funny and serious. It’s one of those movies that are funnier to watch with someone rather than alone.
Overall, it was a pretty good movie and it was interesting and funny.

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