Reviews

And that is what they did...

In San's and Xiaowen's minds they are father and daughter and looking at them from the moment they met, no one could say otherwise.

San, a mortician, meets Xiaowen upon her grandmother's death. Xiaowen, not fully understanding what death was, kept looking for her. San was given the task of keeping her as her closest relatives refused her. San, an ex-con, and Xiaowen, still lost, fought every moment they were together. Ultimately, over a period of happenings, misfortunes, and death both smoothed out each other's rough edges and a fierce bond was forged. Each fighting for the other and selflessly becoming each other's protector. The heartbreak would come but so too the immediate forgiveness. He would not fail her again. After all he was BaBa.

Zhu Yilong deserved this win. He gave his all with this performance and it showed. His vulnerability was laid open and with Yang Enyou brought every emotion out. It's fast paced, angry and rough. Yet, still the genuine love between the two was evident in every act. Every gut wrenching emotion was felt.

Go watch!

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Cultural identity, Scars of colonial trauma, and Globalization

It's always refreshing to see horror films that aren't based around the Christian frame work because everyone is influenced by the same Hollywood movies and western colonization. It's an even more impressive feat considering the director himself is Christian also. I really enjoy that the film is rooted in cultural knowledge that specifically the Korean audiences would be familiar with and doesn't do any exposition to handhold international audiences, because it doesn't have to. I see so many reviews that are so entitled to being catered to. There's a lot of cross cultural motifs in the film perhaps alluding to the past unease of forced mixing of cultures during the wartime versus the modern world where there are cultural exchanges through globalization with various soft powers. The cursed rich family hiring the shaman are Korean American, their ancestor unfortunately worked with the colonial Japanese military, and the geomancer's daughter marrying a German husband, even the Christian character Young Geun who assists in the geomancy and the shamanic rituals and does Christian prayers for his cohort who had been attacked by a Japanese curse demon.

The film opens with the shaman Hwa Rim being spoke to in Japanese by an Asian flight attendant on a flight of different ethnicities sitting around them. While Hwa Rim responds to the attendant's question in perfect Japanese, she also clarifies that she's Korean. Her cultural identity is important to her. She and her shaman assistant Bong Gil travel to St. Joseph's hospital to assess baby Joseph who is the latest first born son or remaining son afflicted of the family curse. St. Joseph is the earth father of Jesus, so Joseph carries the theme of the patrilineage. Hwa Rim clocks that the troubles stem from the grandfather who the characters later discovered the big family secret is that he was a high ranking officer who worked for the Colonial Japanese during that era, which is how recent it still is in the historical timeframe. Aside from weapons and atrocities, there was Japanization to force Koreans to remove their culture. The iron stakes refers to an urban legend that the Colonial Japanese installed them in specific places to break the spirit of the Korean people. No matter how loyal the grandfather was to the occupiers, they used him even in death for their scheme to protect the giant demon version of the iron stake made from a big sword and different pieces of bodies. His nameless, abandoned grave, turning him into an aggressive spirt that murders his own bloodline. The sparing visions of the ghost was more effective than dancing his tango loving daughter in law to death which was pretty silly. The ghost learned human technology really fast, using the phone to fool his grandson into ignoring the actual Sang Deok at the door. That's kind of silly, but points for flipping the script on the door banging being from the actual Sang Deok. They make sure to show that they had no choice, but to cremate the body on a rainy day to save baby Joseph, and so the guy who worked for the Japanese Colonial power will not have a good afterlife.

The cgi foxes could have been done better, but the human headed snake that screams was an effective creepy design, as was the reveal there is a vertical grave underneath the grandfather, and the giant demon shogun that feasts on humans that emerges from it. It was clever to have Geomancer Sang Deok's explanation about how his field revolves around the elements of wood, metal, fire, air, and water come back around by using wood and his own blood in place of water to defeat the monster comprised of metal and fire. Hwa Rim's fluent Japanese implied to be possibly related to her shamanism field requiring at least some knowledge of the shamanism from there with Japanese ghosts behaving differently on the danger scale, comes in clutch to understand what the shogun says and wants. Bong Gil manages to survive his encounter with the shogun by being covered mostly in tattoos of the Buddhist script, leaving the demon only being able to stab the liver area which was an unfortunate blank spot. Hwa Rim realizing this leads to a funny scene where she, Sang Deok, and Young Geun are covered in temporary tattoos of the Buddhist script while having to speak to the traffic controller at a stop to go back into the mountain area. The rag tag team defeat the evil, but they are still are still affected by their experiences, similar to how South Korean is still affected by what had happened to the country during the colonial rule. The team is bonded though surviving the trauma and Sang Deok incorporates them into his new blended family along with his German son in law in the the big family photo.

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If possible, do not watch on Freevee app

Very good movie but I watched on Freevee and the subtitlor never provided subs for anything written which is unfortunate because the movie revolves around what's being said online.

I didn't expect them to translate every single comment as they quickly scrolled by in some scenes, (but they should've done at least two out of those each time so we could get the impression of how people were responding on the characters online posts) and especially when the camera took the time to zoom in on certain comments or posts, then you can assume those comments were important enough that they should have been translated.

Thankfully, it's possible to follow the story anyway but if I knew the name of the company providing the subtitles, I would be writing an email to that company and to Freevee complaining that they should not use that particular translator any more.

I gave the movie 9 stars but it could've possibly been a 10 if I had been able to follow exactly what was being said online amongst the characters.

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This is not a romcom!

Fortunately, the film is not very popular and I am so happy about it though the rating is still way too high. Call me a cynic but there is nothing funny or romantic about this film.
The concept is amazing: she is always one step ahead and he is always one step behind everyone else and so even though they met as children and he had been carrying a torch for her ever since, they could never meet. But he sees her and he watches her and when I realized what he was doing this "comedy" turned into a horror story without gore and worse for it!

So he keeps following her, taking pictures of her, protecting her from afar by beating up the conman she started seeing: he is stalkinh her. But then it gets worse. The sci fi twist makes the time stand still for a day which he uses to kidnap her, take her to the beach, manhandle her and take numerous photos of her unaware (frozen in time!). Why would anyone find this romantinc is beyond my comprehension.

Others are raving about this film, "love yourself yada, yada, yada..." but this is just a psychological drama, thriller if you like where the woman is under the man's influence and controlled by him.

A horror story in my book! You are free not to agree!

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what can I say..

Damn…
I like ,,sad,, movies/series a lot, I dont cry normally only If something really bad happens or I watch a sad movie soo you know what? I watched this around 4 times and I really bawled my eyes out do I need to say why😭? After I found out that it was a real story that happened and wasn’t written I lost my grip.
I have a big connection with this movie I dont know why but I just feel like it it’s really good movie really really the fact that is taiwanese is more stunning because if you’re into bls and you watched some of taiwanese bls yk that they’re not really good (not all vuz there are some good but yk..)

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Good idea, enjoyable, but missed the mark

The concept of time loop has been done by so many series before, and this movie is the second iteration of another American title. But alas, it tries to do more and fell short of being a good rom-com with poor explanation and story pacing. The story starts out with our main character, Toy, who is doing wild things because he is in an infinite loop on last day of the year. Everyone around him is not aware of this to his frustration. That is one day when he meet our female lead, Vee, who is also aware of the loop also. And that seems like a plot to a good/innovative story. However, this is where many things seem to fell short.

First, Toy is very uneven. One day he is erratic. One day he is nice. One day he is very aware of little things. Another is totally clueless about his surrounding. It just seems to flip around conveniently without decent reasons or pace. Side stories with his family has some family-culture-touching moments, but feel like additions that lack cohesion to the main line. It just seems out of place and fixed by a simple, "because I am there and you succeed and become happy". It feels contrived.

For our female lead, Vee, her story is meant to be the key of the loop. They try to give little mysteries and hints, but it accidentally show the entire hand. Instead of focusing on her daily routine, giving simple monologue, and/or exploring her perspective, the first hint is already obvious to anyone who ever watch enough Jdrama. The movie could have split the focus into two different perspectives without giving away anythings until much later. Faulting this one on directors and screenwriters.

The science. Oh no. This one falls flat to the ground...badly It tries hard to blend "science" with fantasy using pseudo-random physics ideas, and not explain how it can happen. It never fully explain why Toy is in this time loop. It did not fully explain how/why they believe the way out is really the solution to the loop. It would have been much cleaner to just go with a random fantasy-mystic-god-alien-phenomenon as the reason. The viewers already know that this is a fantasy world.

I am a sucker for time-loop and time-travel story. However, this one ranks on a lower-middle side. They could skip the science. Improve the story pacing, instead of making Toy into a different person on a whim. Don't make him one day ungrateful, then nice overnight. The family members and the friend side-stories need to be flushed out. They feel pointless in this movie. The female lead needs to be expanded upon. Sadly, the fact that this is a remake made it more regrettable for the missed improvements.

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One for the collectors

This is in the vein of the 1959 Mae Nak Phra Khanong, with the first half of focusing on their life together before Mak leaves for war. It's light, almost frivolous and overtly romantic.

The latter half was clearly and understandably made for an audience who knows the story already and skims plot detail to centre its attention on the emotions. This made for some of the most emotionally effective scenes I've seen in a Mae/Nang Nak so far. I'll likely watch it again for that but may skip through some of the first half.

I didn't make proper review notes when I saw it (it wasn't in the database then) but my recollection is that the horror element was fairly minimal and brief but not absent. MDL's very broad use of "horror" as a genre doesn't work well with Thai movies and how they approach some of their ghost stories.

If you don't know the Mae/Nang Nak legend though, the best to start with is the 1999 Nang Nak.

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Watch this for MDL 2024 Watch Challenge. Huft.... What a ride.... And wow I never read MDL summary that quite spoiler the whole plot than this one... So let me just tell it from different perspective....

Story about Tang Chuan (TC), a mathematic professor that also police consultants for their investigation. One day, police approach him again with difficult case, a man found dead but everything that can identify him being erased, his face smash beyond recognize and his finger burn until no fingerprint. But police still can identify him as Fu Jian (FJ), because they still find his rental bike with fingerprint intact nearby. So, knowing the man identity they find about his ex-wife, Chen Jing (CJ), and start investigation. Unfortunately the case not that easy to be cracked, CJ has perfect alibi for the night of FJ died. When the police hit a dead end, they turn to TC for help.

From police, TC find out CJ's neighbor non other his former classmate, another math genius & enthusiasm, Shi Hong (SH). By gut feeling, TC feel that SH is related to the crime. But how deep & what part SH was taking part of is TC hasn't got a clue. So, because MDL already wrote in the summary, how the dangerous cat-and-mouse between SH & TC ended in the end...?

Unfortunately in my opinion, if you read the summary by MDL first before watching it quite ruin the plot. Why...? Cause for me that's the suspense in this movie about. You don't know what part SH involve in the whole crime, is he the killer or just the helper to cover up the crime....

And since I didn't read the summary and just jumping to the movie. For me this one of the best crime movie. It so full of surprise and unpredictable plot. And this movie also told us about how you can't fool ur conscience, if you have pure heart, hide something dark will slowly but sure eat your heart away. Like in this how CJ feel guilty all the way about her murdering FJ, even thought by mistake.

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Feel-good romance lacks distinctive voice and a real heart

I don't have much to say about this film except that it's cute, adorable and wholesome. Conversations are mostly backed up with whimsical music. I don't have a problem with this as the dialogues felt authentic and genuine at first. However, by the time we arrived in the second half the story became dragged and lacked the specifities I was hoping for.

The shots and cinematography could have been more creative to make it memorable. The story does not try to be groundbreaking either. This is just supposed to be a feel-good movie although I would have loved if there were more touching moments to evoke emotions considering the story revolves around deaf people.

The story starts with Yong Jun unsure of what he wants to do in life. He's surrounded with philosophy books but he doesn't know what job to apply for. By the time we get to the end, nothing has changed. He's the main character but we didn't get to know much about his thoughts and background except that he instantly fell for Yeo Reum when he saw her in the swimming pool. This is the moment where the puppy love story starts to unfold. The film also noticeably shifts it focus to Yeo Reum's point of view after this part. More or less, Yeo Reum is a more developed character than Yong Jun. We digged into Yeo Reum's background and personality but only to a certain extent and here is where my main issue lies. Her character lacks a distinctive voice and is not fleshed out as I want her to be.

The storyline is fairly simple and is quite the epitome of young love. Although, one would really expect that the film could have had more earnest and compelling scenes just to fully give us that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

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The action scenes made the plot holes fade away

New Dragon Inn 2024 is not to be mistaken for The New Dragon Inn 2024.
I watched the trailer for the latter and ended up watching this one because the latter cannot be found anywhere on this internet, and I mistook the two.
This one feels like we're missing some context that the writer doesn't seem to think is important, but aside that, the CG is actually good, the Vampires were a bit of a 'huh' moment for me and the main bad guys eyebrows were absolutely ridiculous, but the action scenes were well choreographed and very long.
I won't say I liked it but I don't dislike it either.

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WATCH IMMEDIATELY

One of the film’s most unique aspects is its use of non-verbal communication, which draws attention to the actors’ facial expressions and movements. Hong Kyung and Roh Yoon-seo deliver believable and touching performances, and their chemistry feels natural. Kim Min-ju also shines as Ga-eul, portraying the struggles and strength of someone in the deaf community with great sensitivity. The movie is visually stunning, with beautiful scenes that capture the warmth and emotions of summer. The music adds to the experience, creating a nostalgic and peaceful mood. Hear Me: Our Summer is a heartfelt film about love and connection beyond words. It’s a great choice for fans of romantic dramas and stories about meaningful human relationships.

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Not sure about the hype

Got excited to watch this movie because of the high ratings. Didnt watch any trailers or new anything about it before watching. Thought it was going to be a good horror /thriller movie. Was waiting for something to happen....


Still very confused about the high ratings or is this what Japan horror movies is about?

It was about 3 different views/stories about their lives. I dont see anything about a thriller or a horror. Maybe a psychological drama.

Still very confused here... The theme is who is fhe monster? As you watch it from 3 different perspectives and then you change your views based on them. Thats why the question is are we the monster?

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Super bizarre as a movie. Probably great for people who watched both Decade and W, but as someone watching this to round out my W experience, this was just really weird. I may be biased, but I think the W parts are more understandable even if you haven't seen W, but the Decade parts were really confusing with no knowledge of that show.

The tone shifts are really crazy, as the W section (while it has some emotion to it) is overall more lighthearted and slapstick, and the Decade section is split between edgy protagonist angst and ridiculously campy villain scenes. I want to reiterate that, at the point where the storylines converge, Decade has been going through deep discussions about his moral compass and struggle to be seen and is facing down a giant nazi airship, whereas W is chasing a character who has turned into a tire and is making onomatopeia sounds as he rolls down the highway.

Overall, though I ended up fast-forwarding through some of the Decade parts, I did enjoy the W bits, and the rating is primarily for the fact that I liked the Shoutarou/Philip backstory and that Skull is really really cool.

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"It's not up to others to decide what kind of human being you are"

Born with It was a short eye-opening film for people who live comfortably in the majority and confirmation of what people who are declared “different” already know. This film didn’t pull any punches and stripped away all the sugary, feel-good moments another film might have doled out to make people feel better and less uncomfortable with reality.

Keisuke begins school late in the year in a rural area after moving from Tokyo with his mom. Born to a Japanese mother and black father, he is in the only child of color in his class. Fellow student, Kento, can’t believe he can speak Japanese. “I am Japanese,” Keisuke tells him. In a thoroughly homogenous society Keisuke is viewed suspiciously. Kento declares that he must have AIDS for his skin to be that color and tells everyone to not associate with him.

I live in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious society. Bi-racial children of all sorts are nothing unusual. That doesn’t mean that they don’t face prejudice. But the level of ignorance and otherism of these children was off the charts. Unfortunately, it’s not only these Japanese students who are cruel. I watched a drama not long ago that had a Japanese actor of color named Anthony in it. I saw numerous derogatory comments about him from people not from Japan. He too, was born of a Japanese mother and African American father. His father died when he was a toddler. His mother married a Japanese man when he was five. As he said of growing up, “There were girls and boys and then there was me, this mysterious black being.” Much like this child, he was thoroughly Japanese except for his looks, and in a monoethnic society it was hard to fit in.

Keisuke’s mom did not coddle him or tell him everything was going to be okay. She told him he could not let others decide who he was, he would have to figure that out for himself and fight his own battles. A heartbreaking reality for such a beautiful, kind child. While this short film showed the ignorance some people of color face in Japan, it’s also a reminder for the rest of us to open our hearts and minds to the “others” in our own communities. Regardless of race or sex we are all humans and want to be treated with respect and to be accepted. Born with It showed how much more some people have to fight daily to achieve that baseline of humane treatment.

24 December 2024

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