Reviews

Very good fighting scenes!

The action was easily the best part and it was so good, some of the fighting scenes were so creative and there weren't too many cuts and they felt mostly grounded to reality.
The cinematography felt really cheap to me, lot's of drone and handheld gimbal shots so they looked a bit janky to me whenever the camera was following something. Scene change continuity broke a few times but it wasn't that jarring and some of the scene locations looked like they were chosen for ease.

I think the acting was very generic japanese acting so nothing really amazing but the flashback scenes in comparison were really well done. Also the CGI and VFX were really good and the animals were convincing even though they would have to have been CGI.

Some of the costumes weren't the best quality, especially a certain wig that you can see a close up of a few times, but the clothing looked fine to me and the injuries and stuff looked really convincing as well.

Read More

there are flaws but this movie brought out a lot of emotions in me

the first half felt kinda slow to me. the cast really made me feel frustrated, downhearted, and angry. i was so mad with shinji's boss (?) because he's clearly manipulating shinji and ruining his career. it also made me feel sad thinking about how many mangakas out there had to go through this kind of horrible situation in real life. shinji's assistant had me going on a roller coaster of emotions because i felt like she's gonna betray shinji or that she likes him so she might hurt hibiki but then at some point it felt like she was harmless, she's a very confusing character. the second male lead was very very VERY annoying. im the kind of person who is not good with sympathizing to people who are in a situation that i havent experienced but araki yuko and yamashita tomohisa's acting really made me feel like i was there and i was being subjected to the struggles that they are going through. tho i must say i was kind of weirded out with the way hibiki found shinji's address. you know, it felt like stalking and i didnt really understand why would she track him down when they dont really know each other but in the end im still happy that she did because in that way she found shinji and saved him and even if things are still hard at least they have each other to hold onto now. im a sucker for love stories where they save each other and find their purpose or reason for living because of that special someone. in my opinion, this movie would have been perfect with a sad ending. the way they presented shinji's disease, when he went away from hibiki, and the way hibiki found him in that park felt final so i didnt really like the way they ended this movie but still, worth the watch.

Read More

"Life is so hard"

The Old Town Girls was a film that wasn’t sure what it wanted to be or maybe it wasn’t what I wanted it to be. The film was inspired by a true story, though I don’t know which of the unsavory real events made it to the screen. Three girls with absentee parents, living in a dying town, had their lives turned upside-down when Shui Qing’s mother came back into her life after seventeen years. Darkness lurked beneath the shining yellow façade Qu Ting hid behind which would affect everyone adversely.

Shu Qing’s dad spends much of his time working at the local factory. Her stepmom resents her presence which leaves Shu Qing alone much of the time. One day Qu Ting returns to Shu Qing’s life in a flash, driving a yellow car, wearing yellow clothes, and bright red lipstick in contrast to the drab world her daughter inhabits. Shu Qing is so desperate for a parent’s love and attention that she quickly forges a bond between them, willing to do anything her mother asks. Shu Qing’s friend Jin Xi is well to do, but lives alone most of the time while her parents travel for work. The third friend, Ma YueYue, has lived with a wealthy couple for years while her father worked elsewhere. When he returns, he dominates her life and physically abuses her. Qu Ting brings a great deal of energy and controversy to the friends as well as death when her past catches up with her.

Director Shen Wu started the film at the end and then went back a few days to show the actions leading up to the tragic consequences. I wish she hadn’t as it took much of the suspense out of the ripped from the headlines events. The criminal part of the story felt heavy-handed and clumsy. The strength of the story centered around the three girls desperate for attention and love. I would like to have seen their backgrounds more fully developed, including the mother’s. The economy had a direct effect on the parental absences which created insecurities in the teenagers. All three girls felt trapped in their unhappy homes. The flamboyant mother’s arrival shook them up and took a toll on the friendships. This could have been an engaging coming of age and friendship film, but it disintegrated into a tragic crime committed by a desperate daughter compelled to save her mother and keep her in her life. The mother’s life was the sum total of her repeated mistakes and bad decisions which came to define her daughter’s life as well. The Girls of Old Town was an entertaining watch although the ending felt out of touch with the rest of the film. If you are in the mood for a dark, melancholy film designed to make you feel uneasy, this might be the ticket.

18 June 2024

Read More

SO GOOD! But there were some parts that were a bit ....eh

Its story was confusing at the beginning but soon after I slowly started to get the story and it's pretty good and more understanding throughout watching. The acting was really good and to be honest I got so scared a bunch of times haha. I screamed a few times but not a lot, it was more about romance than horror, to be honest. If they added more scary parts it would've been better to be honest. The music is so beautiful and calming haha but it made me wanna cry because it sounds sad. Speaking of crying I almost cried twice while watching it. Rewatch is definitely. I would definitely watch it again but not everyday but like on Halloween or something lol. Really good though I recommend watching it it's so entertaining but of course not everyone has the same opinion about it but, you know what I mean.

Read More

I just dunno am a horny bitch and I thought it's a crime thriller...but dude? whatthe hell with the story?
Just enjoyed watching his chewing gum...and liked the mask...also those tattoo werent that goood so eeee
and man idk what to say about thiss..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Read More

Absolutely Heartbreaking

In essence, this 20-minute short film imparts more than most BLs do in 12 episodes. Ironically, it also goes deeper emotionally than most BLs ever go as well. Additionally, it is one of the best acted BLs from Thailand I have seen in a long time. So, in that sense, this film is genuinely a paragon. As much as this is a gem, I rejected its subtle underlying message ardently and found it quite demoralizing as a gay man. Allow me to explain.

The saga itself is not exactly original but how it is told, is. It is creative with its intent to pull at the heartstrings. Two young men meet at an audition for a series and initially form a friendship. Instantly. There is a natural connection between the two and there is also an organic chemistry between the two. They seem to have an instinctual bond to one another, as if it was meant to be. So much so that they are ‘shipped ‘together and over the years do one series/movie after another.

Read the complete article here-

https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/06/18/spaceless-movie-review/

Read More

"You wait"

The Recipe began with a transformative bowl of stew and then worked its way backwards to the origin of the enthralling recipe. There were slow moments where the film tended to get lost in the weeds of the intricacies of making Doenjang Jjigae, but all was forgiven as the investigation finally revealed the truth.

After his execution, Kim Jong Gu’s last request sets investigative reporter Choi Yoo Jin on his tireless quest to discover what kind of stew would be the murderer’s last thoughts. As Choi digs into the story he ascertains that the stew was so fragrant and delicious that Kim never felt the cuffs being put on. In fact, the officers were frozen at the tantalizing smell. In his efforts to track down the woman who made the doenjang, he meets one by one all the people who helped with the extensive steps she took to make the magic happen. Choi’s boss isn’t enraptured with the tale but that doesn’t stop the intrepid reporter until at last he learns how love and tears contributed to the story.

While I enjoy recipe detective work, the fine details of each step of the process often bogged the film down. If you are watching for Lee Dong Wook, you may be disappointed. He doesn’t show up until over an hour into the film. This was largely Ry Seung Ryong’s film as Choi Yoo Jin. The veteran actor showed Choi going from cynical to obsessed over the effects the stew had on people and the extraordinary details that went into it. Finally, his journey would lead him to the tragic love which inspired Jang Hye Jin’s recipe.

Anna Lee (Lee Suh Goon) directed and co-wrote this film. Her painstaking attention to food and ingredients and all the people whose hands touched the different elements was intriguing. In the same way Hye Jin had to wait on her soybean paste to ferment, this film will make you wait for the emotional payoff. Ultimately, the conclusion I came to was one any child or grandchild knows instinctively, food made with love and loving attention is the best.

17 June 2024

Read More

A Visual Guide For Dating

One would have to be completely dead inside to not get a warm cozy feeling from watching this film. It is a joy to behold and drink in. And it is so astonishingly relatable because it is happening to ordinary people under very ordinary situations. It is a pure story of love with its only requirement being someone courageous enough to make the first move. Honestly, one does not need to read manuals, books, or listen to experts on how to find love; all one needs to do is watch this movie. It gives you a step-by-step visual presentation of what to do. This is a complete joy to watch!

Read More