Reviews

A sci-fi GL film with potential, but...

Being Thailand's first space film, Uranus2324 seems rather promising and has a lot of potential but falls short in many aspects. I watched it three times to get to the point of writing this review.

I like the idea of star-crossed lovers caught between the sea and the sky (or space), but the story itself falls a bit flat. The screenplay really drags it down. The conflicts and emotional parts are there, but the lack of a solid background story makes it difficult for me to fully invest in their journey and emotional connection. Even after watching it three times, the overall vibe still feels pretty shallow. But what I found refreshing is how this film sidesteps the topic of sexual orientation. The love shared between Kath and Lin feels very natural, and there’s no scrutiny surrounding it.

The transitions between different periods and parallel worlds are also not as smooth as they could be, making it hard for me to stay engaged throughout the film. The special effects are not bad, but occasionally feel unpolished. If the CGI had been more refined, I would've been more immersed in the experience.

Despite the shortcomings, there are a couple of redeeming qualities that make this film worth your time. First off, the cinematography is great. I'm a sucker for beauty shots, and the camerawork really captures the essence of the story in a visually appealing way. The use of color, light, and composition effectively enhances the on-screen storytelling. And let’s not forget the action scenes; those fighting, freediving and spaceship sequences are quite impressive. Another highlight is FreenBecky’s natural chemistry. Their on-screen dynamic is palpable and authentic. It helps carry the film through its weaker moments. They’ve got some serious acting chops! The way they embrace new challenges and step out of their comfort zone truly brings great results in the end.

Even though it didn't hit the mark, Uranus2324 is still a decent watch. It's a good effort overall, but if only it came with a bit more polish in the script and story pacing, it could easily become a standout sci-fi GL film.

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Somewhat weak case but well presented

I really liked the first season of the show so I was looking forward to the movie a lot. It wasn't quite what I expected and it didn't really feel like something that needed a whole movie dedicated to it, as far as the importance to the overarching plot of the show is concerned (the connection to Garo was flimsy at best), but it shared enough of the same vibes the first season had to be an enjoyable watch.

(Spoilers beyond this part!!)

Pros:

- Now while I said that it felt weird that this particular case got a movie by itself, it defenitely benefitted from the length and detail afforded to it by the movie format. It was very dedicated to setting up the right atmosphere and giving the characters time to show or process their emotions, something that might not have been possible time wise, had it been in the episodic format of the show.

- Totono as a character was exactly as I have come to know and love him in season one, so no surprises there. It really did feel a lot like a faithful continuation of the story and while some of his 'human nature rants' as I like to call them felt a little out of nowhere, they did manage to tie those into the story as well in the end. Did they sound a little abrubtly preachy? Yes, but not really more so than during the show, so it wasn't really unexpected. The bit about therapy at the end I especially support, the whole family shoud really get some by the end of this...

- There was no over the top questionable acting from any of the characters, but there were some standout performances for me. Shioji's acrtess didn't shine much during the normal or happy scenes of her character but she really nailed the emotional scenes. Be it the moody teenage angst or the heartbreaking grief at the end, as soon as she got to portray more complex emotions she really stole the scene! Same goes for the murderer, who was bland throughout (probably by design) but gave a quite convincing and nuanced performance during his arrest. The way he petulantly started lashing out at everyone and how his whole demeanor changed was as unexpected as it was good. It showed how skewed and unstable the character really was below his unremarkable appearance.

Cons:

- By far the weakest part of this movie (and my biggest gripe with it) was the plot. Or rather the motivation for the antagonists that brought about the plot. While killing people who looked a certain way that didn't fit in with the original family might have made sense during the first few generations to avoid suspicion, there really was no point to keep doing it in modern times. It could be easily explained through people marrying into the family and in turn, continuing the murders based on appearnace was incredibly suspicious. It just makes no sense that the people involved would't have thought of that at all, so it seems really contrived, especially since the parents digging into the story should have been enough motive to keep the murders and therefore the plot going.

- This might be a personal problem from watching too many similar shows but the 'bad guy' was really predictable. As soon as a character shows up that doesn't really have to be there story wise who also acts too friendly or unremarkable it immediatly seems suspicious to me, but this is more of a pet peeve than anything :P

- I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have liked this movie much as a standalone, so it really is more like an extra long episode for fans of the show than anything else. The story itself doesn't need any prior knowledge from the first season, but Totono's character and his oddities are well established throught he prior episodes, so both the way he acts and the way the case unfolds might seem a little odd if you haven't gotten used to it from the show.
Mostly though it's that the case itself isn't really interesting enough to carry the whole movie, so unless you're a fan of the show (or at least another format of mystery to iunakare) I wouldn't really recommend watching.

TLDR: If you liked the show you'll probably like the movie, unless you're very particular about the case having to make sense, then you probably won't. It wasn't outstanding but if you just want to see Totono be Totono then it's an easy watch and a good way to pass the time while waiting for the second season.

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Good old Chinese action comedy

Jackie! Panda! Kung fu! It doesn't get much more Chinese than that

I wanted a fun stupid action comedy and I got exactly what I was looking for.

Being a Jackie fan since about 20 years ago, I can't say that there were any big surprises. The story is nothing new, the execution and the quirky characters make it fun. I especially enjoyed Shi Ce playing the panda caretaker, that is scared to bits, but goes out and beyond to protect the little Panda baby. Some parts of the CGI look sloppy, others are really detailed. They did put a lot of effort into the Panda, which makes sense seeing it's the main star of the movie.

To me this movie's charm lies in the fact that you get the good old stunts, but some new faces and a pinch of self-irony.

Jackie, playing himself, looks tired and the fighting is visibly exhausting him, even with his hair dyed you can tell that he is old. Well, because he is old! He is an aging action movie actor, that still keeps on going, because people love what he does. And he himself loves it too, but he also just wants to sit down and enjoy his ice cream sometimes. (one of my favourite scenes)

But I'd argue that you don't need to be his fan to enjoy the movie. You do have to enjoy this kind of slapstick comedy though.
I'd probably rewatch for the same reason I've rewatched Jackie's other movies countless times - for the fun and well choreographed fight scenes.

I do hope Jackie will enjoy his retirement at one point, but until then I am happy to see some more Action!

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You know the genius when you see it

A stunningly beautiful production with great idea for the "plot" seamless masterful editing and content that will blow your mind. This short gem tells a "story" of human experience, emotions and entrapment from which we can free ourselves. I found this moving, inspiring and hopeful. Honestly, after seeing another mini drama by this director, I knew this was going to be great, but the final effect was absolutely fantastic.
It is hard to describe what you will get/enjoy about this movie as it all depends on who you are, what is your lifetime experience and level of personal growth/sense of meaning. I have not seen a movie of that magnitude in a while.
You are not losing much by watching - maybe 20 minutes of your 'now', but I guarantee this will stay with you, no matter what you rate it.

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More like "How to make millions of viewers cry before the movie ends"

The intricately personal movie about family dramas, gender and generational disparity among Chinese (and Thai-Chinese) communities, along with several heart-knocking quotes from M and Amah, it hits close to us. It hits close to us.

We watch and sob, and then cry, and then crying harder in every development of the story.

Hearing that this movie is shortlisted for the 97th Oscars is a groundbreaking news, but sadly it didn't. I can partly blame to the Oscars themselves and their favoritism towards European cinema, but thinking it was also something that really hits close to Asian people, and without any bridges there will be a gap for non-Asians to learn and understand this kind of family drama, and that's understandable.

However, it's still a little speck of hope that one day Southeast Asian cinema can have its place, and I'm placing my bet on Thailand.

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Seon Ho carrying it all without a doubt..although even he was just above average

Bro, this killer is so handsome. Like what is this.

Rather than psycho, he seems more of a Joker type of killer --there is no meaning to it, it is my job. He is funny and pro, as he likes to emphasize.

Well, the story had an interesting premise but ultimately no meaning. I thought the ending might hit us with an interesting twist but it did not deliver.

If there is part two I will watch it for Seon Ho's wild smile as this character. I think he could have shone even more if the script was better.

Ultimately, it is a fine action movie if you want to mindlessly pass time with an action movie. It is a genre of comedy-action, there is no emphasis on any themes or sense of seriousness. But then Seon Ho was not crazy enough for this genre I believe.
Nonetheless, a recommend.

Thanks for reading.

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A master even without violence

I'm continually amazed by Takeshi Kitano's batting average, his ability to fashion both laughs and heartache in a single instant is unparalleled, Kikujiro is no exception to this rule. A film imbued with serene beauty, presenting a series of increasingly poignant tales, yet so enamoured with itself that it had me wiping away tears of both laughter and sorrow. The film risks tipping headlong into sentimentality more than once, but every time it comes close, Kitano quickly gets the film back on track, leaving us with the emotional effect but effectively stripping it of sugary excess, filtered through his distant and deadpan touch. It's a film that prompts real emotional engagement because it cares for characters that it is happy to paint in imperfect colours, allowing us to warm to them throughout the story rather than pushing them on us in a cheap hard sell. Kitano structures the film as a collection of almost stand-alone vignettes, narratively linked sketches whose comical thrust is sometimes underscored by a touching element of sadness, each of which contributes to our understanding of the two lead characters and their fitfully evolving relationship. His direction is sublime, capturing the loneliness of its two main characters with beautiful ease, his playfully surrealist leanings even more pronounced here than in his previous films. Combined with another enchanting score by Joe Hisaishi, with its gorgeous blend of strings and piano, Kikujiro paints a beautiful take on alienation and guardianship. Brilliantly acted, well-written, achingly hilarious and featuring some truly stunning photography, a bittersweet symphony of unaffected profundity and voluminous emotional depth that hits all the right notes.

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Brilliant, funny and sad

This was brilliant. It had humour and sadness (made me cry). It was a little silly at times but funny silly.

Really interesting story. Greg Hsu who played the cop ming han, was brilliant and dopey at times and sweet when needed.
Austin Lin who plays the dead Mao Mao was super gorgeous, played the gay character well and dead character well. We all need a Mao Moa in our life.

Mao’s dad breaks your heart at the end and his granny was delightful, super supportive.

Well acted, great script and just an all round nice show. I would watch this again and I seriously dont watch much a second time.

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Portrait of the legal and social marginalization suffered by LGBT+ people in Thailand

What are "rights"? Are they something that all people are entitled to, regardless of age, origin, culture and any other circumstance, or do we earn it? Does the law have the power to dictate them or can we simply assume that we are entitled to enjoy the rights due to circumstances or tradition?
These questions arise in my mind from the opening scenes of 'The Paradise of Thorns', Boss Naruebet Kuno's feature debut, which takes viewers on a gripping emotional journey to address love, loss and the harsh realities of inequality legal in a compelling and visually impressive way.
Thongkam (Jeff Satur) and Sek (Pongsakorn Mettarikanon) are a gay couple who are married in every sense except the legal formalities, and who have spent five years building a durian orchard and the house they live in in the area rural Mae Hong Son.
But when Sek has an accident and goes to the hospital, the doctors refuse to recognize Thongkam as his partner, insisting that only Sek's elderly mother, Saeng (Seeda Puapimon), can sign a consent form for a surgical operation. An accident means that Saeng never makes it in time and Sek dies, revealing the harsh reality that same-sex marriage was not legally recognized in Thailand at the time of the film's release.
Sek's death leaves Thongkam vulnerable to draconian inheritance laws and family members eager to take away what the couple has built.
These scenes alone, in which men are unable to make decisions on behalf of the other when one is incapacitated, should be enough of an example of why marriage equality is so important everywhere.
The house and durian orchard, which belong to both men in spirit, turned out to be in Sek's name. This generates complications after his death, when the invalid mother and her adopted daughter Mo (Engfa Waraha), in charge of pushing the wheelchair, arrive to claim what they believe is theirs.
Thongkam will challenge the intentions of mother and adopted daughter, but since equal marriage is not recognized, the courts side with them, forcing the young man to ask Saeng to hire him as staff to manage the orchard, along with Mo's brother, Jingna (Harit Buayoi).
And right at this moment I ask myself other questions: Would Thongkam have had a happier fate in Thailand today, after becoming the first country in Southeast Asia, the third in Asia and the thirty-seventh on a global scale on January 23, 2025 in allowing legal unions for homosexual couples, and granting adoption and inheritance rights to same-sex couples? Is this a rare case where real life might be better than the movies?
Precisely, this is the theme explored in the film, which aims to paint a compelling and comprehensive image of how marginalized LGBTQ+ people have been legally and socially in that nation for decades.
The melancholic music, especially the song "Rain Wedding", performed by Satur himself, in collaboration with Vichaya Vatanasapt, who is also responsible for the heartbreaking musical themes of 'I Told Sunset About You', adds nuances to the plight of Thongmak, while he watches helplessly as the beloved garden that he raised with tooth and nail with Sek slips out of his hands.
But as the film shifts into a black comedy as he tries to overcome the situation he finds himself in, so does the music, which borders on suspense, preparing the audience for what awaits them.
With a tagline that reads "the land of love and resentment" it is evident from the beginning that the film is not feel-good cinema.
Quickly, the narrative jumps right into the action with death, which is the catalyst for all the events of the film.
Soon Thongkam will understand that the world will not be kind to him, which leads him to plan revenge, and he transforms into the antihero.
Similarly, Mo and Saeng offer an image of malevolent characters, to later show that things are not so black and white.
Although the film gets dark at times, the rivalry between Mo and Thongkam keeps it entertaining. While they are opposites of each other, an opportunistic and selfish woman versus a desperate and romantic farmer, when they start playing each other's games, we realize that they are quite similar.
Through Thongkam's eyes, Saeng and Mo are invading, malevolent forces coming to steal what is his. Saeng even evicts the young man from the bed he shared with Sek, and, to make matters worse, urinates in it. The consequences of her motor disability are used by Kuno to, behind Thongkam's back, also create a feeling of sympathy for both women.
However, the two evil women will even go so far as to expel Thongkam from his own house and his own land. To get back what is his, the young man invents his own plan to please them: a cunning and slow revenge plot that will captivate the viewer, considering the two faces that Thongkam comes to have.
On the one hand, he is practically a classic Disney villain, with a heart of gold and a justified grudge, and the actor who plays him completes the contours of the character with grit and ductility.
The actors bring great passion to their work: Engfa Waraha's performance as Mo is complex and formidable. It reminds me of Cersei Lannister, the fictional character from 'Game of Thrones'. Deeply narcissistic and ambitious, Mo will stop at nothing to take over the house and orchard, and shows little to no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness for having pushed Saeng's wheelchair for 20 years, an effort with which she hoped to be rewarded with Sek's love and recognized as the invalid matriarch's heir.
Since much of the story takes place from Thongkam's perspective, Mo is initially portrayed as a villain, but the very well-rounded performance of the actress who brings the character to life shows us that there is more to her.
Jeff Satur as Thongkam is sympathetic and desperate, a character you can really root for even when his methods of staying on the farm are morally questionable. Her encounters under the mosquito net with the Jingna eventually develop into a tender romance, and you soon find yourself rooting for them both to live happily. Unfortunately, a third act breaking point for Thongkam puts an end to that fantasy.
The colors also define the moods and moments of the film. Warm, romantic tones accompany Thongkam's honeymoon scenes, taking on a harsh tone as Mo and Saeng's true colors come to light. At these moments the lighting becomes harsh and yellowish, as a sign of the rupture of the happiness that reigned in the past in the house and the garden.
The colors perfectly characterize the characters: Mo switches between muted and bright shades of pink, representing her emotional journey. For his part, we see in the young farmer how his out-of-place aesthetic predominates, with leather jackets and shiny dresses, in the same way that society does not accept relationships between two men.
After directing several television series, such as 'I Told Sunset about You' and 'I Promised You the Moon', Boss Kuno applies what he learned on the serialized television set, delivering very high-quality images, an attractive young cast and high dramatic tension, to bring us a story divided into equal parts of revenge thriller, LGBTQ+ drama and social commentary.
The plot, written by Kuno and his collaborators Naron Cherdsoongnern and Karakade Norasethaporn, paints a picture of homophobia, seen primarily through the verbal battles between the mother and Thongkam; the social inequality faced by homosexual couples, while also shedding light on the plight of women like Mo, who have no chance of moving up the social ladder except marrying into a rich family or resorting to crime, manipulation, lying...
A film with many symbolisms: the scene of the moth sitting on Thongkam's nose is a great metaphor for the transformation when Thongkam decides to take justice into his own hands to avenge the damage caused, not so much by the mother-in-law and Mo, but by the Thai laws that deny you the right to what is yours as property.
The cultural richness of Thailand shown in the film should also be highlighted, with events such as monastic ordination, the first rain and traditional weddings, but also consciously used as a determining factor in the conflict.

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So I tried to not watch it cuz all of the sad people who said it broke them. So i recently watched it cuz of “Lovely runner”. I actually didnt know that BWS was in this bit it made it a whole lot sadder. I loved how smooth the story was there was luke no rush at allll. We even got few cite kiss scenes what was ADORABLE. But the ending really broke me and the goodbye scene when the ML was leaving. I have. now watched this movie at least 3 times and it somehow is alwayd sadder. Overall definitely recommend if tou dont want to ve heartbroken then just end the movie when they kiss underthe tree or just dont watch it😊

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"It doesn't take much for friends to become foes"

The Wild trotted out every trope and plot element used in a dozen other gangster movies, offering nothing new or exciting. It’s only saving grace was that Park Sung Woong can always bring an intimidating presence to any role, even when playing an overaged boxer.

Song Woo Cheol is picked up by his old friend and boss, Jang Do Shik, when he is released after 7 years in prison for accidentally killing another boxer in the ring during an illegal fight. Do Shik is ready to put Woo Cheol back to work, but the fighter wants, “to live quietly.” It takes no time for Woo Cheol to become entangled with a hooker who has a drug problem and one of her violent johns, Jo Jeong Gon, who is a detective and entangled with Do Shik and his North Korean drug supplier Ri Gak Soo. With a huge drug supply coming in, nearly everyone is double-crossing or murdering someone in order to either get hold of the drugs, the money, or both.

While I’m sure the writers thought the twists and turns would be surprising, I was calling them out before they came. It helps to have someone to be invested in, but for a solid hour, I really didn’t care about any of them. There were hints that Song Cheol regretted his part in the other fighter’s death and going to prison for Do Shik, but he didn’t exactly do anything to break away from Do Shik. I have no problem with age gaps, but a romance with someone half his age, felt more like male wish fulfillment than organic to the story.

The Wild was a wildly pessimistic and cynical gangster movie. I was deeply disappointed that Woo Cheol didn’t turn out to be as smart as I hoped he was. If you’ve never seen a Korean gangster movie or any gangster movie, The Wild might provide some twists and turns, otherwise, it was a “connect the dots” of familiar crooked games of deceit and betrayal all at the end of a knife.

26 January 2025

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