There is true beauty, real magic in just doing your best !
A hidden gem of a coming-of-age film, the film features a headstrong but utterly charming girl who decides to join an all-male rowing team.By staying true to her desire to join the team, she inspired other girls to join. She finds pride in her activity, her friendships, her difficulties and her doubts, she learns to face the romantic feelings she hides for her childhood "enemy", but above all she learns how much she can be strong and perseverant.
The film inspires people to be braver, even if it's just a small step, to be bold enough to do something for yourself, even when people don't understand, even when it's hard, even when it seems impossible to do. The film tries to inspire people, especially young people, not to be afraid of the difficulty of what they want to do, and not to be motivated only by the outcome, because there is true beauty, real magic in just doing your best.
Stunning soundtrack, gorgeous directing, lovely chemistry of the cast, the directing was beautiful. The pacing wasn't the best, and more dialogues could have made the movie more impactful.
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This review may contain spoilers
The right to exist !
The movie was very good but I think some scenes were incredibly insensitive in several ways...It is the story of a woman treated throughout her life as less than nothing, like an outcast. The heroine, although suffering from a dysfunction of her mental abilities, nevertheless manages to be very lucid about life, much more lucid than many people who have retained all their mental faculties...
She understands that the world sees her as nothing, that she is not seen as someone who is entitled to the same consideration and respect as others simply because of who she is, as a human being . She is not surprised by the mistreatment she receives, nor the mockery, lies, etc. She accepts her reality.
And yet, (and this is where the heroine is truly inspiring and this film reveals an incredible depth in the writing) Yoshimura Masako despite everything, how cruel life can be, the injustices, the good and the bad, the wounds, heartbreak and traumas, firmly embraces her will to live, to embrace her life with all the strength she has left, and how strong she is ?! She is a force of nature! After all, it really is her life! HERS !!! It's her life and she wants it! She wants to live and own her life as best she can !!!
"Don't need forgiving."
She has been treated cruely, with so little love and appreciation that it is so natural for her to not even be inclined to believe that the world would ask her for her forgiveness, that people would care, that they would show remorse. And she also know she doesn't have to forgive people to be able to move on. Nobody asked, and she never intended to give it anyway ...
She doesn't try to ask for forgiveness either. She doesn't need it to continue. All she has is herself and her ability to be resilient and yet also her ability to love the good people she would meet.
She murders her worst bully, her own sister because this same sister wanted her dead, she despises her so much that she was ready to deny her own sister the right not only to exist but also to be loved simply because she wasn't "normal", so of course Masako decided to kill her before she does.
This murder isn't really the focus of the movie, but rather Masako's will to live. Of course we see her really regretting and being afraid of what she did, and of being caught by the police, being afraid of that the world would see her as a monster, but the center of the film, in my opinion, is to navigate between the character's journey living through different emotions, but also her own will to continue to cling to life, even when that same life was cruel to her. She doesn't want to deny her right to exist, so many people already did, she refuses to be become her own bully ...
She continues to move forward, without necessarily believing in anything nor have some sort of high hope in life, god, or the universe, but simply by her pure will and desire to get through life as best she can. She never considered herself a loser just because people might have seen her that way, no, she was Masako no matter what the world would say about her ! She walk with pride, she walks with her head held high, she does not spend her time in a victim mentality, without constantly having to ask herself existential questions which will in any case have no impact on her reality, without denying herself the right to love and to trust tstrangers, because she knows that in any case, she cannot avoid the dangers of life, she cannot avoid being betrayed by people. All she can do is move forward!
She faces life as best she can and keeps moving through her own sad, tragic but yet still, still precious and valuable existence with all her might!
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"Never take the mask off"
Rigor Mortis was an homage to the Mr. Vampire franchise even casting Chin Siu Ho and Anthony Chan as the leads. Director Juno Mak made a stylishly bleak film lacking the humor of other hopping vampire films. A stellar veteran cast helped cover over gaps in the story.Chin Siu Ho is an actor down on his luck and separated from his wife and son. He moves into a dilapidated apartment building with aging tenants. Death is ever near and, in many cases, still lingering. Two Taoist priests, one retired and the other who practices black magic work together and against each other as vengeful ghosts and a hopping vampire terrorize the building. Chin owes Taoist Kau for saving his life and bands together with him to cleanse the evil and put an end to it.
I wasn’t aware this film had any connection to the Mr. Vampire films when it started and officially it didn’t. Chin Siu Ho (MV, VvV, MV1992) walking across the screen was my first clue and Anthony Chan (Four-eyed Taoist MV, MV4) playing a reluctant bespectacled Taoist was another. Chin had cast pics from Mr. Vampire with the late Lam Ching Ying (THE Uni-browed Taoist MV1,2,3, 1992, VvV) and Ricky Hui (MV1) on display. Billy Lau (MV1,2,3,1992,VvV) made a guest appearance as a cook, Chung Fat (MV2 & 4) as the black magic practitioner and finally, Richard Ng (MV3) played a beloved husband. Kara Hui gave a great performance as a widow whose sanity hung by a thread after her husband was involved with a double murder/suicide in their apartment. Pau Hei Ching was brilliant as the dedicated wife who would do anything to bring her deceased husband back. Anything.
The fights were brutal and CGI/wire assisted. Chin Siu Ho practiced martial arts in real life and even at 50 made some impressive moves. The jiangshi went from graceful slow-mo hopping with a wind machine to rapidly crawling up walls. The two malevolent ghosts were creepy as they floated about and possessed the living and the dead. Juno Mak created this world primarily in tombstone grays and muted tones , saving the bigger pops of color for rooms lit up in red or puddles of blood. The film was quite stylishly filmed for a low budget horror flick.
For true horror connoisseurs this movie would be tame. For fraidy cats like me, I had to turn my head a couple of times although I did not miss the slapstick humor often associated with hopping vampire films. The cast gave excellent performances. The gloomy apartment setting offered all the hope of a cemetery where the people didn't realize they were dead. The biggest drawback for me was Chin Siu Ho’s character not having a proper backstory and the epilogue. The epilogue may have actually given meaning to the title, but I found it disappointing. Whether it was the director’s way of trying to be clever or the censors stepped in, it came across as mundane after the thrilling battles. Still, it was a pleasure to have much of the gang back together (RIP LCY!) which caused me to give this film a ratings’ bump.
"In this business, no one gets a happy ending."
30 October 2024
Trigger warnings: Child death, insects, gore, suicides, sexual assault
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Love
not an easy watch but an illuminating aesthetic and feeling experience〜 not as I expected really a depiction of social attitudes in a homophobic society but an exploration of one man working out his psychological, emotional survival in that society, the fine line between love and hurt 、self-realization and self-disgust、 acceptance and rejection ：who was it who said ”beauty can come out of a dunghill” ? beautiful imagery of nature and the eponymous palace in cinematography and sound ( Chinese opera ) 〜Si Han acted sensitively and convincinglyit is interesting to note that gay love was an accepted part of civilization in China (as in Japan) for hundreds of years ironically persecuted in current supposedly humanitarian times is it really a decaying palace or a decaying society where love is driven into the night and memorials of a past cultured civilization ?
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Anything but silent
I read a lot of reviews and saw a few spoilers about this movie, so I wasn’t sure if it was a film I wanted to pursue. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a shot! Seeing Yamada Ryosuke as a child actor who has grown over the years really resonated with me. His role in Ore No Kawaii wa Mousugu Shohikigen caught my attention and made me more interested in his acting career.He often plays the cold bad boy or the heartthrob that everyone loves, but there was something about his character in that film that compelled me to pay closer attention. This is the biggest reason why I gave this movie a chance.
First off, I really like the title of this movie, Silent Love, as it perfectly captures the essence of the film. Expect a lot of quiet moments and pay attention to the small details—because these elements made the film exciting for me. For example, the gesture of the bell that signaled his presence while he patiently watched over and helped her was quite touching. I loved how he was drawn to her; despite being unable to speak, he did everything he could to help her dreams come true—even going to jail for her. That’s a sacrifice only someone who truly loves you would make.
I won’t delve too much into the storyline, as it is a simple love story: a mute boy in love with a girl who goes blind, and they connect through piano. It may not have the dramatic flair of K-dramas, but if you focus on the details of their acting and expressions, you’ll find the highlights in these subtle moments
Since it’s been a while since I’ve watched a Japanese romance movie, I’m giving it a pretty high rating as it did not disappoint. Instead, it reminded me of the slow pace and attention to detail typical of Japanese films. This was anything but silent for me.
Rating 8/10
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Kakegurui the movie
As far as I liked this movie, I love second much more and I believe that we could keep Kakegurui without this one. It really is not a bad movie, but comparing with the series it looked a little bland or just much less memorable than rest of Kakegurui's productions. Still actors did well and it is still pretty good watch.Was this review helpful to you?
Its Complicated!
A truly complicated story. It makes a valiant attempt at tackling socio-economic issues while also thinking about matters of the heart. A question gets asked here and its 'are you happy?" and that just adds to the drama.Steeped in realism, this is not a BL. Not a sponge bath in sight here. Reminiscent of Gay OK Bangkok? I think?
A high recommendation from me if you're into queer stories. Thank you to all involved in making this movie.
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Revenge of the insects!
Genocide was a dark film with a very bleak opinion of humanity. Director Nihonmatsu Kazui threw a lifetime of grievances against the screen to see what would stick-nuclear war, environmental concerns, concentration camps, PTSD, racism (whether intentional or not), sexism (whether intentional or not), murderous insects that could communicate, and the Cold War. That was a lot to tackle in 86 minutes.Joji collects insects on an uninhabited island with Annabelle both for her own study and for his friend, Dr. Nagumo in Tokyo. When Joji and Annabelle are “relaxing” they see a plane catch fire with four parachutes dropping out. Later, two American crew members are found dead and one unconscious. Because Joji tried to sell a watch he found that belonged to a crew member he is arrested for murder. Colonel Gordon wants him to pay for their deaths but he is far more concerned about a missing nuclear bomb. Soviet spies are scouring the islands attempting to find it as well. To complicate matters, killer bees are on the loose bent on destroying humanity. Joji, his wife Yukari, and Dr. Nagumo become hopelessly entangled with a vengeful scientist, predatory insects, and two super powers.
There really was a lot to unpack with this film. Charlie, the black crew member, suffered casual and overt racism from just about everybody. He’d suffered severe PTSD from the war and had become addicted to drugs which caused everyone to treat him even worse. Yukari was sexually assaulted twice and the female doctor once with very little afterthought. The vengeful scientist was a survivor of the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp and had it in for humanity. “I love insects because they never lie.” The American colonel seemed to be a rogue commander willing to start a nuclear war and kill thousands of people to cover up his mistake. The Russians were using the deadly bee research for biological weapons and desperately wanted to get their hands on the bomb. As people showed their ruthlessness and/or utter stupidity on a regular basis, I began to root for the bees.
The actors performed well, something of a rarity for cheap horror flicks. There were several non-Japanese actors who were dubbed in Japanese. I don’t know who wrangled the bee actors but I hope they were paid handsomely. My biggest complaint was in the editing. There were times that people disappeared and ended up somewhere else without explanation. If you have a problem with insects, this film has numerous buggy scenes. I had to turn my head when bodies were infested with creepy crawlies or being chewed on. The science and logic for the film was genuinely lacking. It stretched credulity when a USAF officer believed that detonating a nuclear bomb was a smaller offense than going to the trouble to retrieve it. It's not like someone could have stuffed a multi-ton bomb into a backpack and carried it off the wooded island. Despite gruesome infested wounds, no one would believe the scientists that the insects had turned against humans. Un-bee-lievable.
Genocide was unflinching in its nihilistic view of the world and humans’ place in it right to the bitter end. Nihonmatsu took a stand and didn’t deviate from it. The insects let people know, “The Earth doesn’t belong to humans alone. We don’t care if mankind destroys itself with nuclear weapons, but we refuse to let you take us with you!”
29 October 2024
Trigger warning: Numerous insect scenes in a variety of manner and stages
(Rated on a curve for old, low budget, niche films)
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Midnight runners
It's certantly a more unique, less talked about issue what those thugs we're doing, it made me squirmish, but I guess that's goodI wished there was a news broadcast scene at the end though, and we never learn what happened to one girl, or if they called the other 2 girls like they promised, I'm assuming there would be a sequel hopefully
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Weirdly off tone
A cool premise that is supposed to be thought provoking but messed up so hard it doesn't know where it's heading to. They're trying a mystery blend of mystical and crime thrillers together but don't go along too well mainly due to its poor choice of plot design, and it also abruptly turn into some kind of odd detective drama with weak plot twists making the whole movie weirdly off tone, but at least cinematography is not bad.Was this review helpful to you?
refreshing
this show is a cute pick if your looking for something light, youthful, and easygoing! i didnt go in with high expectations, and it delivered exactly what i thought - a shy romance with a sweet vibe. while the plot doesnt offer much beyond the romance, it holds up well if thats all you're after lol.the acting is okay, but the romantic chemistry between the leads felt a bit forced at times. the kissing scenes in particular, missed the mark for me... they felt more awkward than intimate, with the actors barely touching lips or looking fish-like. that said, they still managed to create some warm and enjoyable moments disregarding that.
overall, it’s a cute escape with just enough romance to keep you invested. not doing pros or cons just a nice, simple watch!
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The story is dragging
The story is boring and dragging please and please if you see this review don't waste your time and watch this movie. I don't know who wrote this what lead Him to write this story or what he was thinking when writing it , what does the director feel like directing them,when the actors where given the scri p did they read it or even voice out that the story didn't make any little or bit sense like how the hell did they even shoot it will straight fave...didn't they edit the movie how comes they didn't felt like let's delete this human eyes are not supposed to see something not well planned like thisWas this review helpful to you?
Blackpink: Light up the sky
6/10 is not a bad rating, I just usually rate this type of production this way. I have watched when I could still call myself a blink, now I am more a Jisoo's fan than a group, but I still follow they new releases and wish them less hate and sad to say but better fandom ( but I do think that it is something to wish to every group, so blinks do not get offended). It was nice to watch them and see them more as normal people, they also have a lot of struggles and being in music industry is for sure one of them, eventhougth they are doing what they love.If you are fan of the group or any of the members it is something for you.
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Didn't make me wax poetically about it
Princess from the Moon told an updated version of the thousand-year-old story, “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.” A supernatural “princess”, a sea monster, and UFO should have made for an exciting tale, but connecting to the characters was more difficult than I thought it would be.A mother and father are grieving the loss of their five-year-old daughter when a bright light and explosion near their daughter’s grave draws their attention. The husband runs into the forest, not only concerned about Kaya’s grave but also to put out any fires in the bamboo forest, the source of his income. He finds a small pod that breaks open and reveals a baby, a baby that ages into a five-year-old in seconds. His wife immediately accepts the blue-eyed version of Kaya as a gift from heaven. When Kaya rapidly turns into a young woman, they decide to move away. Their traveling money is aided by the pod which turned out to be pure gold. Soon Kaya’s beauty is the talk of the town and suitors are knocking at the door. What will happen when her people decide it’s time for her to return home?
This story is right up my alley. I love fairytales, fantasy, and kaiju. Not even a guest appearance by Manda could pull me into this one. It didn’t help that the movie was either badly degraded or shot in a gauzy style which distanced me from the story. Instead of giving it an ethereal appearance it was like struggling to see through fog. Kaya came across as detached which didn’t endear me to her. Her love interest was lumped in with two other suitors and an interested emperor. The impossible tasks Kaya assigned them to test their sincerity revealed a lack of integrity in most of the noblemen. “Men trade honesty for an easy life.”
One of my favorite actors, Mifune Toshiro, played the reluctant and then committed father. “Her joy and sorrow are mine now.” Wakao Ayako made the mother’s grief at the loss of a child palpable as well as her joy at heaven providing her another daughter to love. Though beautiful, Sawaguchi Yasuko’s portrayal of Kaya/Princess Kaguya came across as stiff. Despite so much of the story revolving around her, I never emotionally connected with her character. The blind Akeno played by Odaka Megumi gave a more nuanced performance.
Even through the fogged-up lens, the scenery was striking, especially the bamboo forest. The special effects, however, were rudimentary for the most part. The sea dragon did remind me of Manda and with the movie coming from Toho it could have been. The final scenes looked straight out of 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind though I give them props for doing a satisfying job on the space craft. They got their money’s worth as the ship was shown from nearly every angle quite lovingly. Throughout the film the soundtrack was delicate and unobtrusive. Then inexplicably Peter Cetera sang the closing song over the credits. He was everywhere in 1987, also singing the theme song for Karate Kid 2 (1986). Maybe he was in the neighborhood.
Princess from the Moon was a delightful fairytale that missed opportunities to engage this viewer on a deeper level. The second half was stronger than the tepid first half. I did enjoy the concept of a moon maiden growing up with Earthling parents and falling in love with an Earthman. I wouldn’t want to dissuade anyone from watching Princess from the Moon, it’s worth giving a try. For me it faltered on the emotional front for instead of being moved by the tidal tug between celestial homes for Kaya, I found myself reminiscing about Sokka and Zuko’s conversation from The Last Airbender, “My girlfriend turned into the moon.” “That’s rough, buddy.”
28 October 2024
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Tragic Story With Amazing Acting
Kim Hye Yoon absolutely brings it in this movie. I'm used too seeing her in lighter roles, so it was really cool to see her take on a role so opposite to her type cast. She nails it, taking the role and playing it perfectly.The story is just so tragic and you really and truly feel for these characters. Watching the film play out, you feel Hye Young's rage and are able to understand her actions.
It's not a perfect film. There are a few plot points that are forgotten about and then come back at the end without reason. It's like the writers forgot that those characters were out there and felt the need to resolve that even though it wasn't really required. The rewatch value is low, mostly because it is so a tragic and depressing movie. It is meant to be, but I don't want to watch it again soon.
But make no mistake, this is a great movie and absolutely worth the watch.
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