Who are you mister?
Fist of all, this movie was right for my taste. It doesn't have the suspenseful plots and twists or the multi-layered story like other great Korean thrillers, but that's not necessary. Sometimes it's best to be simple and straightforward, and this movie is like that. Clear, short, atmospheric, with great characters and an enigmatic protagonist who doesn't communicate much with words but with his attitude and actions. In another film, we would have learned more about the context of the story and about the motivations of the characters, but here it is not necessary. That is exactly what heightens the interest of the viewer, who can conclude for himself who and what kind of people the characters he is watching are.Probably not all viewers will be able to immerse themselves in the film, but it kept me riveted and interested from beginning to end. The production and cinematography was great. From the characters, I liked the girl Inbi the most (young actress 류지안), she played her role very well, without much words.
And I'm very pleased with how it all ended, a bit absurd, but satisfying.
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This review may contain spoilers
A little gemstone of its own kind
"My Mother, the Mermaid" is a KMovie gemstone. Old school it may be, however offering a sweet and empathic, yet down to earth (love) story without any polish, instead with a little bit of magic mixed in. Overall, the KDrama is ruthlessly rooted in the normality of a fairly simple (and also very South Korean) life.The most important about "My Mother, the Mermaid": A fantastic Jeon Do-yeon in her double role, a Go Doo-shim in top form, authentically rustic Haenyeo and Jejudo flair of the 1980s and the 'wonder´-ful story about a daughter, Na-young, getting to know more about her rather brash mother and her great love - Na-young's emotionally rather absent and ultimately disappeared father.
Sometimes there are worlds dividing (happy moments in the) past and (perhaps quite sad, desolate) present. But even if the present may now look completely different and happiness may seem to have long been lost, the happy, beautiful moments of the past somehow live on, well protected and guarded within the heart.
And sometimes we may evaluate a situation, a person or a relationship completely incorrectly or at least completely inadequately. Simply because we don't know everything yet...
The KMovie turns out to be an almost tender encouragement to approach life a little more humbly and calmly: Less judging and evaluating - because it kills the moment between here and now. Being open more often - because in doing so we give life a new chance with every moment.
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SIDE NOTE: --- On time, context and background ---
The KMovie from 2004 begins with a sequence that is set in the past during Asian crisis (late 1990s) - the son is inheriting his deceased father's debts... in that case however, his money mainly comes from his wife...
At first we can't understand why the mother insists so much that her large share of money she brought into the marriage was earned by herself and belonged to her, not him - and why it is so important to her that it was intended for her daughter's studies...
…The protagonist's mother was Haneyeo on Jejudo Island. These women of the sea – 'mermaids' – may not have had any formal school education in the past, but they always earned well because they dive for the sought-after, expensive seafood on the deep seabed and harvest it laboriously by hand with their spatulas. (Until today apparently only women can do this freediving job well.) The Haenyeo are people of respect on Jejudo, not least because of their financial independence. They are perhaps the only truly self-confident women in South Korea who are traditionally respected to this day and also have a naturally developed self-esteem as women (not just as potential wives!)...
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Gay sex and artistic orgy
Writing a literary text in which young gay people participate in an orgy is difficult for Augustus Vera, or just Age, as he likes to call himself (played by Jason Maghacot), a young aspiring writer. He knows it very well, as he, almost twenty years old, can only satisfy himself by unloading his semen on the typewriter.How can you talk about the physicality of the bodies and the intensity of desire in the looks of the guests at these group sexual activities, when you have never experienced one of them? How to cover with skin and nerves the skeleton of characters who are ardent in granting and receiving pleasure in those erotic parties, while they frolic in those places located in basements and closed rooms, a faithful reflection of their occultism, before the hypocritical Puritan society that, while condemning homosexuals with stigma and discrimination, prefers to look the other way and allocate their money to the creation and consumption of literary works that represent heterosexuality, as the only form of family conceivable and accepted by conservative and heteronormative societies. ?
How could he not know it well, when he can only give himself pleasure in the solitude of his room, with the typewriter as his only witness.
You have done your research, you know the subject well, but you lack the experience. That is why the literary character that seeks to involve in an orgy subculture does not flow. It fails to give the desired closure to the story. And there are only a few days left to present the story in a writing workshop. Editorially speaking, it is hard pressed for closure.
To his rescue comes Andrew (Roco Sanchez - 'Lyric and Beat Cinema Cut'), a young man who also pressures Age to overcome his doubts about finishing the story. In this way, his literary character is based on Andrew, this persuasive, bold and adventurous boy.
With his help and the people from the literary workshop, Age finishes his story by stepping out of his comfort zone and potentially participating in what he doubts the most about.
Finalist of the CineMapúa 2020: Online FilmFest, of the University of Mapúa, and the 18th Annual Student Short Film Festival, 'Cumming Of Age', is a short film written, directed and edited by Jayson E. Santos, who also acted in the film ' Under the Sun'. The cinematography is by Harold Lance Pialda.
Using metalanguage, the Filipino filmmaker addresses a subculture that engages people in information and awareness about safe sex and sexual practices that occur in his country.
Attracted to raising awareness about different social issues through his work, Jayson E. Santos has stated "that every individual is worthy of consummate knowledge of consciousness that will nourish him through different artistic mediums," such as his own films. .
That is why he does not hesitate to present a massive gay orgy in his film, which is artistically integrated into the plot.
Gay sex has been in the world of film and television for a long time. It is becoming more and more common and although it seems that it always has to have the extra point of morbidity compared to heterosexual sex, we continue to see it with mischievous eyes. The fact is that if a gay sex scene is already morbid in itself, imagine an orgy.
With a daring and brave ending of explicit sex that occupies around two of the 18 minutes of footage, without wanting to resort to ellipsis, in the manner of other film proposals, such as 'Irreversible', by the Frenchman Gaspar Noé (Irréversible, 2002), with the rape scene, or 'The Taste of Watermelon, by the Taiwanese Tsai Ming-liang (Tian bian yi duo yun, 2005), with the also abhorrent sexual force at the end of the film, Jayson E. Santos shows situations and moments that exude authenticity and a poetic atmosphere of pure intimacy.
Unlike 'Theo and Hugo, Paris 5:59', by French co-directors Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau, the Filipino filmmaker suddenly introduces the viewer into a visual orgy where passionate young men of great beauty give each other warmth and love. . The photography also stands out in an outstanding way, highlighting the enveloping atmosphere, recreated in dark tones, in which a group of people enjoy their bodies.
In this way, what begins on a purely literary level leads to an encounter portrayed in a daring pornoerotic style, thus giving a twist to the topic of gay promiscuity without falling into the outrageous, corny or banal.
The key scene we are talking about is the one that takes place between Age and some strangers with whom they have an unforgettable party. We love the moment in which the young man recreates an internal monologue very consistent with the experience he is living.
Accompanying this central search for the construction of a character in a literary work, there is no shortage of references to professional and humanitarian concerns, such as protection and safe sex.
A couple of scenes, in a practically empty room, in a swimming pool and a room where writers and aspiring writers meet, while they dissect their respective works in a critical and intellectual exercise, give a tremendous touch of humanity to the story of a writer who wants to finish his story to present it in the literary workshop.
I recommend the short film to those people interested in reflecting on sexuality, literary creation and the construction of literary characters, through a film with one of the best orgies in Philippine erotic cinema.
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Realism being to realistic
The weak hero class trauma is hitting again but with none artificial effect. It's raw, the viewer is witnessing everything as part of the friends group. No music, only deep breaths, frictions and squeaks that are going to haunt me. The portrayal of emptiness is field with pain coming from silences and stares.You can see in their eyes the expression of their feeling which is the opposite of the actual verbal communication. Misunderstanding. Fear of being weak. Toxic masculinity. All this lead the characters to a suit of desperate and traumatising events.
It's heartbreaking and devastating. Lee Jehoon and other actors were really impressive. Was so hard finding this movie online but this was worth it.
"Even if i lose everything, i'll still have you.
Even if others don’t give a shit, as long as i have you, i will be okay."
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Cinema that marries intelligence with emotional depth
The Spy Gone North offers a very finely crafted cinematic experience, blending nuanced storytelling with deeply emotional undertones that resonate long after the screen fades to black.Set against the backdrop of a politically charged era, the film masterfully navigates the complex landscape of the National Intelligence Service's shenanigans as well as the intricate and often tense relations between North and South Korea. This is espionage storytelling at its finest—deciding to forego the typical high-octane action sequences for a more intellectually stimulating and magnanimous approach. The screenplay is a work of art in itself, demanding the viewer's undivided attention; a momentary lapse of looking at that Whatsapp message could mean missing a crucial piece of the intricate narrative puzzle.
The performances are nothing short of stellar, with the cast delivering their roles with a compelling authenticity that adds depth to the already rich narrative. Complemented by a great musical score, the film not only entertains but also provokes thought, making a significant statement that lingers .
In summary, "The Spy Gone North" is not just an exceptional film within its genre but stands as a formidable entry in the espionage genre. It holds its own alongside classics like "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," and I fully believe it has the makings of a future cult classic. This film is a must-watch for aficionados of the genre and anyone who appreciates cinema that marries intelligence with emotional depth
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the drama is better than the movie
beda cerita tapi dengan orang yg sama, tapi intinya sama, nyelamatin orang yg dicinta. tapi gak dapet feel nya. lebih ngerasa bingung nya. dari pertengahan menuju akhir berasa dicepetin filmnya. ending yg bukan lanjutan dari drama nya juga aneh banget. kayak hah? tiba2 kenapa begini begitu? kok bisa? untung happy ending. tapi menurutku endingnya agak gimana gitu. kenapa masukin ending drama di film yg ceritanya beda ? gak masuk di akalku jujur. kalo menurutku lebih bagus drama nya si daripada film nya.Was this review helpful to you?
"One's life is so fragile"
A Mother Should be Loved is difficult to rate for it is lacking the first and last reels of film. Ozu Yasujiro’s film still has compelling moments amid the melodrama of a son discovering his mother is not his biological mother, but his stepmother after his father dies.At breakfast before school, Sadao and Kosaku’s father has promised to take them to the beach on Sunday. While the boys are at school, word comes that they must return home for something has happened to their father. Sometime after the funeral, the father’s old school friend visits the mother, Chieko, and asks her to continue to raise Sadao as her own even though he was the child of the father’s first wife who died. Chieko loves the boy and says there was never a question she would and has no intention of telling Sadao she’s not his mom. Trouble comes a few years later when Sadao applies for college and sees on his birth certificate that Chieko is not actually his birth mother.
The film is a tad melodramatic for Ozu, though he wasn’t afraid to dip his toe into the sea of tears. At one point I wondered if it was a melodrama or murder mystery as characters died off. But external conflict was not something Ozu used much. This was once again a look at a family being torn apart and whether the characters had the resiliency to bounce back and forge something better. Ozu originally wanted the title to be Tokyo Twilight but the studio insisted on having mother in the title. That makes sense when you watch this movie, the mother was more of a passive character, the focus was not on her, but on Sadao and his inner turmoil. Burdened by guilt and resentment he both lashed out at Chieko and tried to repair the relationship between her and Kosaku.
Ozu’s detailed compositions were quite apparent in this film along with his filming from the mat. Characters didn’t stare directly into the camera as they later would but at each other. Because of the hurt and anger felt by characters, there were also shots from the back incorporated into some scenes. I didn’t think the loss of the first reel hurt the story much though it might have showed the relationship the boys had with their father. The editing and time skips were what I found jarring. Right after the boys have found out their father has died, there’s a scene with them at the dinner table smiling and having a good time. It seemed incongruous with the solemn scene of them walking home from school with their heads down. Occasionally, Ozu gives us tips that time has passed but it’s difficult to tell how much. “Uncle” Ozaki showed up so often and so casually that I thought maybe he and the mother had married. The boys even mentioned him acting as their father, especially when Ozaki told Sadao all that Chieko had done for him and how much she loved him. The final reel was a loss, but at least due to a script still existing, the intertitles explained how the familial conflict was resolved.
Ozu has said the reason he remembered this film so well was because his own father died during the filming. He would go on to live with his mother for the rest of her life, a bachelor and childless. The mother in this film was trying to do the right thing. She loved Sadao as her own child and didn’t want to lose him simply because he wasn’t born from her body. She may have made mistakes but they were from love. Sibling rivalry has difficulty seeing those nuances, instead only seeing favoritism or supposed lack of attention. Both boys saw the other one as favored, the one who was never scolded and the one who was. In this film, Chieko deserved to be loved as she poured her heart into both her boys even when they broke it.
1 April 2024
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Funny, Original, and Excellently Performed
I'm no fan of Sion Sono, and find most of his stuff to be overly stylized, overly long, bombastic explosions of an Auteur Director who takes himself far too seriously. Which is why I was so surprised by how this movie not only pokes fun of such directors, but does such a spanking good job of it.It is a brilliantly funny, original, and excellently performed movie about a guerilla group of filmmakers called "The Fuck Bombers" who are making, yep, a movie. Meaning, we get a movie within a movie. And since they are filming a real life Yakuza war, this means they get down with gangsters in the actual act of killing each other; hence, portraying how The Fuck Bombers will die for their art.
It is Sion Sono's meta movie with in-jokes on the nature of making movies, and the obsessives who make them.
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Short and Sweet!!
It has literally anything you could want in a romance packed in 20 minutes, and yet it doesn't feel rushed at all! I don't know if it was intentional, but it felt like watching a dance performance in itself. I was giddy the whole time watching them get closer.The only thing it really lacks is a good soundtrack, but with the music they do use, it gets the job done. The biggest plus on this one is the rewatch value. I could probably watch this multiple times and never get bored of it.
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Its good
don't know where to start reviewing this, the movie is too good to be true. It doesn't tell you a fairy tale, this story is brutally honest. it breaks your heart. i won't spoil it but if you are contemplating whether to watch this or not, do it. The only thing i regret about watching it is being unable to watch it for the first time ever again.Was this review helpful to you?
Not So Much Of A Thriller... More Of A Mystery
I really enjoyed the acting in this movie, and it was nice to see those signed to be on cloud getting to grow more in their skills with these roles. I learned a lot more about the culture from Thailand and where it comes from and it was super interesting and cool to learn! I found the plot a little bit hard to follow at times, but I am sure some of it is due to a language and cultural barrier. I wish the nora dancing had a bigger role but I also understand why it wasn't. Over all I enjoyed it and would watch again. I am excited for the show to come out so we can continue to follow the characters and see where they end up :)Was this review helpful to you?
It can make you laughing out loud !
"Miss Granny" is a funny, sweet and compelling drama that would bring joyful feeling during seeing it.Its been a long time I didn't see any good comedy . This one is about an old granny who turned out to be 20 again and its so funny to see how she manage to handle the unexpected miracle ever. .Sure a lot of stuff is far-fetched and the dialogues not completely believable. But for a comedy such as this, it still works out. It has good music & songs, good acting, good pace, hilarious humor...
Enjoy!
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This review may contain spoilers
For the Fans
Rated= 6 ~ 27/50 ~ 5.4RPG Scene // Fairies playing tricks in a Crumbling Castle. Battle Axe lodged in a stone.
I went in knowing this was going to be more for fans of the show but I was about 45 minutes in when I realised that this whole film, 1hr 20 mins, is going to take place in a tomb LOL Damn, I was so excited hearing the Untamed theme song play as they marched off on their horses LOL.
Consider this film being more like 2 cut episodes of the Untamed rather than a stand alone movie. It pretty much just gives a little bit more insight into why Huasung does what he does in the Untamed series. I imagine most people get the point anyway but this just gives a little extra information, with a ton of computer game cgi. The brothers were close and the elder brother wasn't such a tough guy, he genuinely cared about people, which is why he kept sparing Yao. And we all know that Hua trusted Yao, so the hurt runs deep.
Alas, again, I was robbed of the Ghosts. The film opened with some promises of giving me what I didn't get in the Untamed and then just resorted to this cgi fight.
Since it's depicted as an extra episode, I would have loved to have had it end with some sort of throw back to the original series like Hua meeting Mo or lingering outside the Mo Manor while the sacrifice ritual begins, or even how he came up with his revenge plot to start with, but it just sort of ends with Hua realising he was tricked by Yao. Revisiting the sets might have been difficult but I would have liked something like that.
Overall, it's really just something for the fans to enjoy esp with they loved the Nie brothers.
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Stellar!
Honestly I heard about this movie from different variety shows so I decided to watch it...I was NOT disappointed!First of all, the cinematography was pretty cool...I loved the camera angle choices that were made in some shots, and the close ups weren't overly done.
Now the acting in this movie solidified D.O. as one of the best idols-turned-actors out there. I got to see a range of emotions in his scenes, particularly in the tragedy that happened in the end. It was so beautiful to watch!
The other casts involved also did very well in the movie but I think they were slightly overshadowed by D.O.
I will say though that it seemed like a lot was going on with the plot of the movie...I think it would have been a lot more brilliant the the synopsis was a lot more cohesive.
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This review may contain spoilers
01/04/2023 (April)I wasn't too sure about what I was getting myself into when I started watching this movie because I'm not keen on the idea of children fighting or being exploited.
It is that to some extent, but not really.
More or less this ex convict ends up taking over a group of boys that have no homes or anywhere to go. At first he teaches them how to fake fight only when that is exposed he starts teaching them how to fight for real - like boxing and kick boxing.
Years down the track a video released of two of those boys fighting in a cage not only destroys his career, but makes him out to be an abuser not fit to have kids under his care
Here is the thing - he took those kids and gave them hope and taught them the only thing he knew - fighting. No one else wanted them or cared about them until that video was publically made known - and even then!
Anyways, the story is about all that plus what happens after the public is outraged - like all the boys being shipped off to different places including two of the older boys being "sold off" to a different manager only to end up in the worse case scenario.
What will become of their futures in the hands of a manager that really does truly assault those he manages and has no problems using illicit drugs to gain whatever means with his fighters?!
Who is willing enough to save them or not next?
Well worth watching!!!
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