Reviews

Hear Me: Our Summer Review - ZyKuu

"Actions speak louder than words" - The story was very simple and easy to follow. There was a gentle atmosphere this movie laid out that allows the viewer to be calm in enjoyment. Two nitpicks I have pertain to the dynamic of both main leads Yong-jun and Yeo-reum. I feel as if their relationship did not develop naturally or at a reasonable pace. Also, I believe that there was bit of romance lacking between them. The cast was very small in this project. Yeon-jun's parents were fabulous as they nailed their roles as expected. The secondary couple I wish had more interactions and screen time. Ga-eul was a character I wish we got to spend more time with as I found her story interesting. The background OST was nice and helped set the mood when needed. This film delivers important messages about family and life that many people can relate to. It also peaked my interest towards learning ASL as one day there may be a time it will come in handy, along with making the people who communicate using this language feel more comfortable. In conclusion, I would only recommend this film if you have some free time to spare!

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"Amah, you're my number one."

One scene that stuck with me is when the grandmother seeks help from her wealthy brother, only to be met with indifference, which broke my heart at how success, hard work, and failure can divide families or create unspoken tensions, which reflect inequalities that exist within even the closest bonds. I couldn’t help but think of my brother and hope the both of us never lose sight of having compassion for each other as we age.

It captures the bittersweet journey of aging and the richness of a life fully lived, even as it approaches its end. It reminds me of the struggles, joys, and sacrifices that shape a person's life over the years. It’s a poignant reminder that every elderly person has a unique history filled with experiences that deserve to be acknowledged and cherished.

Grandma’s story serves as a gentle reminder that, at the end of the day, success and failure matter far less than the love and care we give each other. It’s those moments of kindness and connection that truly endure.

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Flop ending

the movie was doin good till her husband decided to b a cuckold and she exposed her video like that s bravery? lol what a joke, she s nothin but a parasite, at least the husband had some rationality and goodwill behind his acts.. the wife was just a shameless dirty mop where people wiped their shoes..

i know they both cheated, but the context s different. For him sex was out of lust, but in the wife s affair, sex was a tool to fulfil her greed and ascend the ladder. which makes it more disgusting and degrading.

that lube sex scene was unnecessarily too long.. i understand they were showin us how that art was bein made with her gripping the sheets durin the act.. but it was too fkn long to look at

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One of the Saddest Movie I Ever Watched.

When I Started it i thought It would a good movie with a happy ending, but in the end I was crying..........................................................................................
































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Intimate, highly stylized and experimental docudrama from queer Chinese filmmaker Cui Zi En

'Night Scene' is a highly intimate, highly stylized and experimental docudrama from filmmaker Cui Zi En, one of the most prominent cultural figures in the Chinese queer community, which focuses on male sex workers in Beijing.
Camera in hand, the director descends into parks, nightclubs and other public spaces to interview both real-life "rent boys" and actors posing as male prostitutes.
In this work Cui Zi En manages to scrutinize one of the greatest taboos of contemporary China: male street prostitution.
The film becomes a unique portrait of a twilight world in parks and nightclubs, which oscillates between documentary and fiction. Cui filmed gigolos and real actors playing homosexual prostitutes, without detailing precisely who is real and who is not. There is no strict distinction between homosexuals and prostitutes, nor any moral verdict. However, the director has filmed an ambiguous and layered film, as limitless as the lives of prostitutes in China.
Cui Zi'en's second film in four months is more of an expanded footnote to his memorable 2003 effort titled 'Feeding Boys, Anaya'. As in this work, 'Night Scene' investigates the lives of prostitutes on the streets of Beijing, here using the most subtle narrative to gather first-person interviews to document the clandestine sexual world of the Chinese capital.
While not as compelling as 'Feeding Boys, Anaya' and less formally interesting than 'The Narrow Path', Cui's one-take work, 'Night Scene' found a home at the same festivals that have regularly showcased his work, as well as the support of critics and the public.
The docudrama explores the construction of queer discourse in China through the lens of male prostitution, and thanks to a fragmented and layered narrative that is combined with diverse perspectives and polyphonic voices, giving rise to all these representations being presented in one performance highly conscious that it needs to be put into context: that is, China's queer visual discourse, which is constantly under construction and in need of self-criticism.
Presented in the Official Selection of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, 2005, Busan International Film Festival, 2004, Viennale, 2004, and Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, 2005, the documentary collects confessions of sex workers as they speak directly to the camera, but it also features some fake scenes.
I draw the viewer's attention, because since all the false scenes are located in the footage at the beginning of the film, we can come to believe that we are actually watching a fiction film and not a docudrama.
The line between fact and fiction is blurred from the start, but in some ways the faux approach helped make the more intimate, one-on-one scenes with the sex workers feel much more vulnerable and personal.
Cui Zi En shows mastery of an intimately embodied vision, the effective use of the haptic camera, reflective performances and subjective editing strategies, characteristic features of his work, with which he manages not only to present alternative perspectives on issues of identity from within of queer communities but, more significantly, practices a boldly performative and intimately engaged mode of documentary filmmaking, and in the process challenges the very distinction between documentary and fiction, truth and opinion, self and other.
Its embodied approach not only demonstrates the potential for minority discourses to actively and critically engage with social reality, but also represents an important direction – that of increasing reflexivity – for the continued development of documentary film in China.
The candid confessions of all those interviewed offer a glimpse into the culture of street sex workers in the Chinese capital, touching on common themes such as gay rights, class disparities and the search for true romance.
The docudrama also follows a gripping story about a young man named Yangyang, who discovers that his father is gay. The boy sets out to investigate his father's hidden past and confronts his secret partner Xiaoyong in the process. At the same time, in all this confusion, Yangyang is surprised to discover that she also falls in love with a boy, Haobin. But his world falls apart when, after a while, he discovers what his friend really does.

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Donnie Yen Being The Best

Really enjoyed this film. I saw the trailer a few weeks ago and was hoping it would be playing on the big screen near me when it was released internationally. So happy it was. The movie was inspired by a real case and that part was very interesting. It's terrible that the Department of Justice just wants convictions instead of the truth sometimes. I felt bad for Jia Jie and his grandfather when he was convicted for the drug trafficking crime. The truth doesn't always mean a person won't be convicted. The Judge even said he goes by eyewitness testimony, evidence and the jury. All three things can be notoriously compromised. As the film states no justice system is perfect but it should be the job the the Department of Justice to get to the truth!

I loved this movies actions scenes they brought levity to the heaviness of the subject matter. The opening scene was fantastic. Played out like a first player video game in some parts. God how much I missed Hong Kong action flicks. Don't get to see them as much as I used to. I really loved the scenes on the train as well; very well done. Donnie Yen never disappoints, he directed and stars. The rest of cast was great as well. MC the actor playing Jing Wei the young detective was so good. Kent Cheng as Bao Ding and Lau King as Ma Bo were great too!

1/18/25

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Made me realize the beauty of silence

This was beautifully produced wow...the natural sounds around them while they signed was so calming. I loved the plot, the cast, the music?? The music was really cute. It sounded like it had emotion, helping with their emotions cause it's only signed. I don't understand the low ratings for this. Maybe they felt it was slow cause it was an everyday life kind of movie, but I can't stop thinking of this!! The pool scene where she realized he could speak was so emotional. Just all of this in general was adorable. Not to mention the cast?! WOWW THEY'RE SO GOOD. The signing was so smooth and well portrayed ♡ Definitely would watch again. Hopefully I'll be able to see this movie on a streaming service soon!

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Devastating

I'm a Jeff Satur fan, so regardless of the plot or quality I was going to watch this movie. I only knew the gist of the plot and that it would be sad. I never expected it be this cruel, it's one of if not the saddest movie I ever watched in my entire life.

I finished watching it last night at 11:30 pm and today at 6:30 pm I still have a knot in my throat it was so sad, so unfair so cruel I haven't been able to cry yet but I feel as if I could at any moment, I am in total shock.

The cinematography was amazing, all shots were so beautiful and the acting was wonderful. All the actors did a great job my favorites being the two main leads.

Jeff totally blew my mind. The only other acting I've seen him do was in Kinnporsche and not only was I jot impressed but I really didn't like his character. But here, His character made me feel for him, every single scene from start to finish I was with him, I felt him, I was him.

England Waraha, It was my first time ever seeing her and wow I can't even explain how much I lo her! she played Mo so perfectly 👌 I hated her pretty much as soon as I saw her and hated her more and more with each and every act of selfishness she did every single thing she said and the way she said it. She was just awful,however, she had her reasons for being the way she was, the character isn't bad for the sake of being bad, she's that way because she's wounded her life hasn't been easy so her cunning evil ways are a product of that. I completely understand why she behaves the way she does, but I still loathe her and that is just the best kind of antagonist.

The mom was just a mean old lady, just a horrible person.

And jingna, he's adorable, I fell for him we all fell for him.

I don't want to give too many details about the plot but, I have to warn anyone who might be thinking of watching this,the ending was just too much, too painful, so much happens throughout the run of the movie, and then the ending hits so hard it hurts so much that I can't even put into words how I feel. It's an excellent movie regardless so it deserves to be recognized as such.

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will increase your life quality at once...

watch this movi whenever u feel upset or need motivation.
this represent all of us in our daily life struggling with comparison , negative impulses and feeling miserable to the point that weay start copying others creatures , behavior , beliefes and styles because we think we are not as good as them to reveal ourselves and whatever they do is th best.
his development start once he self-examined and start to figure out what he actually like and who he actually is ...
after watching , you'll find yourself much more confident and all your talents, beauties, creativeness and exclusiveness
will come up..

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offeres something

Double Exposure (2024) is a South Korean BL film exploring desire and identity. The story follows photographer Myeong Seon, who becomes entangled with his assistant's boyfriend, Gi Jun, and later meets a man who resembles him, leading to a complex emotional journey. While the film has strong performances and an artistic portrayal of sensuality, its reliance on explicit scenes and a weak plot may not appeal to all. It offers a raw exploration of intimacy but lacks narrative depth. The actors were not all that good either.

disclaimer: I did see it with poor translation.

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An interesting approach to death

I think I am a little bit to atheist for this movie... I also grew up in religious settings making this slightly trigger my "oh god no" reflex so I feel like I should start this review with some kind of disclaimer, apology...

Basically this is a movie that takes on the idea of gods plan with a slightly new approach while staying true to the self sacrifice... The pain and suffering you feel now are all part of gods plan that will lead others to greatness...

What I liked about this was the female leads acting as well as how they show how not all mens fragile egos can affect them negatively as well as lead them to making bad, really, really bad choices where they at the end of the day really can not blame anyone but themselves.

I also liked the guy playing lodz, such a sweety who did a really great job portraying what one could perceive as the so called lord but also some type of psychopath. Basically teaching us that we should all die so that others can shine.

So cheers to death

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Definitely original?

Long D definitely has an original concept, but it doesn't stand out much. The story is about a couple in a long-distance relationship, which is interesting. It shows the ups and downs of being far away from someone you love and shows how technology can both help and also complicate relationships.

The characters are decent, but their chemistry feels a little flat. The main characters don't feel as connected or as deep as you might hope for in a romance drama. While the themes of love and personal growth are important, the show doesn't explore them in an exciting way. The pacing can also feel slow, and some parts of the story is predictable.

Overall, Long D is a good option if you're looking for something simple, or slow paced, but it may not be the most memorable or exciting drama. It's okay, but if someone asks me if it was good, I wouldn't say it was.

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Beautiful, interesting and incredible cinema

The innovative Chinese filmmaker, film scholar, screenwriter, novelist, activist and gay academic Cui Zi En, known worldwide for his films 'Zhi tongzhi' (2009), 'Jiu yue' (2001), 'Feeding Boys, Ayaya' (2003 ), 'Nannan nünü - Nan Nan Nü Nü' ('Men and Women'), 1999, 'Queer China, Comrade China' (2008), among others, makes a surprisingly transgressive debut in 'Chou jue deng chang' ('Enter the Clowns').
Inspired by the likes of Andy Warhol and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, but set in a specifically Chinese context, the filmmaker, novelist and queer activist adapts his own novel of the same name to explore sexual identity and gender through a series of vignettes about transgender people.
Made in 2001 in digital format, the film, of the dramatic genre, which does not shy away from showing extreme sexual content, eroticism and nudity, revolves around mothers who change their sex, dissatisfied wives who seek solace in the arms of any other man and other transgressions of propriety, when in 82 minutes straight, gay and gender-fluid Beijingers unleash a whirlwind of transsexual mayhem in this groundbreaking debut from the noted filmmaker queer from China.
Our protagonist, Xiao Bo (played by Yu Bo) lives in a world where the lines that define men and women are constantly dissolving.
His father has transitioned and wants to be called mom (both characters played by Zi'en Cui himself). On her deathbed, she insists on having oral sex with her son. And Xiao Bo fulfills the dying woman's last wish.
His boyfriend has also changed his sex and now goes by the name Nana (Narenqimuge), but Xiao Bo no longer finds her attractive as a woman.
Other acquaintances of Xiao Bo also undergo gender transition as Xiao deals with her loss, and Nana becomes disheartened at the prospect of never finding suitable man.
In this context, a sexual chain reaction occurs that wreaks havoc on the traditional Chinese roles that govern men and women, parents and children.
Presented at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2003, San Sebastián International Film Festival 2011, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (BAFICI), 2004, Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), 2003, Jeonju International Film Festival 2002, Ghent Film Festival, 2003 , Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, 2003, the film, produced by Cuizi Film Studio and with a artistic photography by Deqiang Yuan, conveys a sensation of avant-garde cinema and inaugurated a new way of making queer Chinese cinema.
'Chou jue deng chang' ('Enter the Clowns') is a film that says that everything you know or think you know about sexual identity and gender orientation is wrong, that you should rethink everything, while definitively installing Cui Zi En in the international pantheon of queer filmmakers on a global scale.

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