In defense of bromance
The two protagonists of the Chinese short 'A Little Romance', from 2022, by filmmaker Mao De Shu, do not establish a bond like that of Chandler and Joey in 'Friend', Batman and Robin in the 'Batman' saga, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in films like 'Air'; Riggs and Murtaugh in the four 'Lethal Weapon' films, or Jack and Danny in the British comedy 'Big Boys'.Chinese filmmakers, great specialists in telling stories in which their protagonists move in that social space for emotional openness, beyond other traditional male relationships, achieve films characterized by the absence of barriers and judgments, providing the characters with high stability. emotional, social fulfillment and better conflict resolution than a traditional romance. Chinese creators strip the bromance of all the prejudices inherited from toxic masculinity, especially that which suggests that you are no less of a man for having great trust and intimacy with your best friend.
There are those who say that a bromance is better than a couple. Well, this is a question for everyone. Let's leave it at that they are different relationships, very different from each other. The truth is that Chinese filmmakers know the public's tastes perfectly. That is why they have plenty of stories in which the protagonist takes great care of his friend, and in this way the friendship becomes longer and unconditional.
It is not that they turn their backs on the classic romantic relationships, homosexual or heterosexual, but that they leave it to others to bring to the screen everything related to the "game of conquest and seduction", knowing that there are other encounters and disagreements. This has influenced the mentality of many viewers who go so far as to affirm that a bromance is more beneficial than a relationship, and add that it is nothing out of this world either: friendship over love is something that is quite internalized in the human being.
The Asian giant's filmmakers have made it their own, like few others, to reflect stories whose main characteristic is that of two people, usually of the same sex, who can share personal problems or secrets that you would not share with others. Mutual respect and trust built over years allow them to express their emotions and feelings more openly, while reaching out to physical displays of affection, such as hugs and kisses, even in countries where these are not the common norm.
A good friend will point out without mincing words all those habits that seem normal to you but are quite toxic. He will listen to you when it comes to coping with your failures whether in study, work or love failures. Nor will you have to ask him for comfort or advice. Just by looking at you, he will know what you need and he will lend his shoulder to cry, and he will cry with you. The good friend will fail you in your least inspired moments with your partner. Should I give you more reasons? If you already have a bromance, surely not.
Mao De Shu is known for filming bromances since he became known with his first short films in 2015, through the dramas 'Long For You' and 'I Cannot Hug You', in 2017 and 'I Cannot Hug You 2' , 2018, among others.
But, as I said before, the two protagonists of 'A Little Romance' do not stop at the level of outlining male friendship in the era of new masculinities. They are not only the best confidant friend with whom you can talk about what worries you most, your family and romantic relationships, the mental illness of a family member, the chaos of the world we live in, the last soccer game, the precariousness work, lifestyle expectations, our role in gender equality or in the fight against sexist violence, homophobia and for the rights of LGBT+ people.
Liu Wen and Song Xian's relationship involves, above all, sexual attraction. Therefore, it's not bromance. Although in recent years the magic of a good television couple has been lost, possibly due to the compulsive consumption format, it has been absolutely perfect to see these young people how, little by little, and shown in a suggestive way, they are giving themselves realize that they like each other. This is the great beauty of bromance.
The greatest success of the film is the casting. It features two actors who couldn't fit better in their respective roles. From the first moment, Liu Yao Wen and Song Ya Xuan show that they are Liu Wen and Song Xuan. While the former exudes charisma from all sides and stands out in the most comical aspect of the character, which is quite present in the film, Song Xuan is a dramatic revelation, adding emotional weight to the story.
Both actors are perfect for their roles. At their most strategic and professional, they have the ability to trust each other and support each other, to reflect a symbiotic relationship between them.
The director of the short is aware that anything that did not contribute to understanding what the two young people are experiencing and their journey together of self-discovery and acceptance, did not make sense to be in the final cut. The important thing is them, and nothing else. His screen time is the entire movie. It's the movie itself.
In general terms, the plot leads its characters to reasoning such as "You may look better when you smile", or even its own plot, which revolves around the need to look for company and someone who gives warmth and joy to our lives, especially if they are people who for different reasons live alone.
The film adheres to a theme that love story fans really like, 'enemies to lovers', to narrate the relationship between two young people who have a lot in common, but have not gotten off to the right start, until a One day one comes to the other's defense when some bullies try to harass him. The friendship that suddenly arises between the two will become more and more real, evolving into a romantic relationship without becoming sexual.
The chemistry between the protagonists is shown naturally, palpable, tangible, in their looks, in their body language, the small winks, the flirtatious smiles, in the moments of tenderness that bring them closer and reproduce that sensation so recognizable by queer people of the secret love.
The spark is lit from their first scene together in the store when Liu Wen understands that the customer is from out of town and speaks to him in his dialect to communicate, and they frolic playfully in the next encounter when Liu Wen runs into the classroom right after be introduced Song Xuan as the new transfer student. The close bond between the two artists in real life jumps onto the screens and takes shape to allow us to appreciate it.
The film moderately addresses the sexuality of its protagonists, but manages to convey their playful passion and does not omit the main characteristics of the two boys as they build their relationship, first friendly and then loving, reflected in an insinuating way.
The little more than 15 minutes of footage will be enough to see how the relationship between Song Xuan and Liu Wen develops very quickly, barely giving the story room to breathe... for us to breathe.
Beyond how hopeful it is and the sighs that its protagonists will provoke, the most valuable contribution of 'A Little Romance' is its inspiring message about coming out of the closet in a process of self-discovery and falling in love without hardly showing the internal conflict of the characters. .
There is no doubt that Song Xuan and Liu Wen will continue to make thousands of people around the world fall in love, especially lovers of yaoi and romantic drama.
In a new type of fairy tale, Song Xuan, who plays the good, studious and neat boy who always respects the rules, especially the one that prescribes not skipping classes, thus earning the jealousy and envy of some , and Liu Wen, an out-of-control human whirlwind, willing to pick a fight with anyone in his "gangster mode," and suddenly he appears and turns everything upside down, changing both of their worlds forever.
In the film, its director gives complete freedom to the actors in front of the camera. It doesn't make cuts in between. Overlay one image with the other. He points the camera at them and lets them play. And in that game, magic happens. Thus, the public is able to understand, without words or physical manifestations, such as the theft of a kiss or holding a hand, what is happening with these two young people on a physical level and, at the same time, communicate what is going through their hearts. heads and what they experience emotionally.
The quick images tell, along with Liu Wen's voice, how the relationship deepens as he takes Song Xuan, on foot or by bicycle, to the places where he went to play as a child. This is how he shows him the tallest tree, the longest road, the restaurant with the most delicious stew, the fireworks, the sun, the moon and the stars on the seashore.
Liu Wen will give Song Xuan courage to face the bullies she once feared, as well as reasons to laugh. He won't mind losing the Student of Merit award. His intuition tells him that he should be there, for Liu Wen, even if he has to miss the exam.
Although the story only covers the phase of consolidation of friendship and the beginning of the construction of romance, the final words and images testify to the romantic interest of the two boys.
Both will be able to see the sun at night. And in the future they will leave Chongqing and go to Beijing, Shanghai or anywhere to look at the bigger world, but the deal only imposes one condition: they will take the trip together… holding hands, always together.
Will Song Xuan's wish to stay longer in one place come true? The only thing I can be sure of is that I close my eyes and see how every morning, before sunrise, under that endless tree at the foot of the long, winding staircase, Song Xuan standing there, in the favorite place of the people. two, with a smile on their lips, waiting for their lover.
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She's a summary of our desires
Helter Skelter is more of a dark and edgier story of human desire for beauty. Be it for self-satisfaction, be it for satisfying others. Or both.Lilico is the epitome of that desire. She cut and stitched herself together and filed the rough edges that didn't fit to put piece by piece together. She is the image of that desire incarnate, a perfect picture. If you pay attention to details you will see how deliberate her image throughout the whole movie is. She is so vain that even at her lowest she wears a dress and high heels. God knows, she definitely doesn't even have "casual" clothes that do not come from a fashion magazine and I'm sure she doesn't own a pair of more confortable shoes, like her assistant. You can see her throughout the movie staring at herself in the mirror (hence the reference "mirror, mirror on the wall") and mostly she does it barely dressed and you know why, because she is satisfied with her beauty, it is supposed to be a fake beauty created by a surgeon, but she wears it as if it was real, she loves to see herself almost naked, because this way most of it shows. Yes, it all describes superficial image.
Which still leaves me a bit in awe that this movie could see so much into future. Yes, plastic surgery was there for a long time, but it never was such a common place. maybe it was for the western world, but only these years I've seen girls copying IG "models", trying to be alike, dress alike and also have a face alike. Never have I met so many people just shopping and I see a woman with lip fillers for example. It was such a rare occurance for a place like ours, but it's not anymore.
But beauty isn't everything here, Lilico always wants more. She has this almost morbid desire to be loved and admired, although she acts like a bit*h in real life, she wants to be loved and be the center of attention.
I see several paths evolving:
- For her goal she can sacrifice.. anything.. even herself. So you can say that there's too much *ex in the movie, I can say that argument is quite fair, because there is indeed enough of it. You can say it serve several purposes. For example she sleeps with producer not for love, but for more roles. "Unspoken rules" of the industry. Her boyfriend is like fake love of two plastic dolls, although they're perfect. Then is her assistant who is no less crazier than her to me, even if she looks meek and acts like a soft persimmon. But again, morbid desire for love and also she acts like her assistant should stay and be the puppet in her small world, because by this time she started losing her shi. This also gives her a bit of a cheap feeling, because this is her most prized body she stares at so much, yet she shares it left and right without cherishing herself. But it also has the feeling of her past that she knows no other ways to tie people to herself.
- She wants to last forever, although it is impossible. There is a theme of being on the peek, as if you're a legend that will always stay in hearts, but also being dispensable and nothing more than a party popper that is thrown out after use. So Lilico and Kozue are the opposites of each other. Kozue came later, was younger and in demand, so Lilico slowly became a background character and was on the verge to be forgotten. I loved the simple demonstration of it all through showing Kozue being photographed in same studio with the same background, also attending same TV show, doing the same commercial. But Kozue unlike Lilico understands the truth of this industry, but Lilico can't come to terms that she's no longer there. Everything came to nothing and she was replaced.
We're talking mainly Lilico here because the idea and the message of the movie are portrayed through her.
To me Lilico is like that brainwashed girl that beauty is everything, for it you should be ready to sacrifice, even if it means to lay under the knife, even if it means you shoud sleap around when you're not sure if it's a right thing to proceed. Like look at her relationship with her boss, she calls her Mama, but you can tell that she trusted too much, they used shady clinic that requires you for often visits, even her earnings who knows where they're going. Her own condition, physical and mental, lead her to abuse substances. Her life became a mess before her last call. And at the last moment she did it her own way, like she told her boyfriend, she held her life in her own hands and did it to become what she always aspired to be - a legend.
The movie is shot nicely, it looks like a colorful kaleidoscope of Lilico's life, moving so fast that there is no moment for stopping. The dangerous ticking of the clock that time is running and it's something Lilico is most afraid of. It's also like flipping through a fashion magazine. Colorful and distant life. But who knows that it's just a fake dream.
I call dialogues very.. Japanese, because they don't talk like common people, it always feels theatrical almost (mainly thanks to investigator). The only ones who were underpaid were probably extras, the girls who were shot for "girl talk", those were so fake and plastic, but if you want to give it meaning it can have it.
I don't think there are many movies like this? They may be, but I haven't seen them yet. I say it because it's a darker version fo where beauty may come.
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"Eat, drink, man, woman, food and sex-basic human desires"
Eat Drink Man Woman is a film by Ang Lee that I’ve watched before and wanted to revisit. I liked it even better this time than I did the first, maybe it is an acquired taste. Food, family, love, loss, and secrets made for a tasty feast to sit down to.Mr. Chu is a widowed chef who has lost his sense of taste. He has three daughters who live with him. Each lives their lives separately except for when they sit down to the elaborate Sunday meals he prepares. One by one they face challenges, and find new love or new paths to take.
The food preparation was sumptuous. Chicken, pork, fish, a variety of seafood, hot pot, all made not only to taste with the mouth but with the eyes as well. No one would have to cook for a week with the Sunday dinners the father served. The daughters didn’t eat that much and there were enormous quantities of food leftover. Much of the food was also shared with the eldest daughter’s divorced friend and child. Mr. Chu would also pack culinary delights for the child to take to school for her lunches making her very popular with her classmates. The middle daughter loved to cook like her father, but had been banished from the restaurant kitchen so that she would find a proper job. While she excelled at her position with an airline, her passion was making the dishes she’d seen her father so thoughtfully prepare.
Everyone cared about the other yet had lost the capacity to communicate freely. Only when things began to be shaken up and the status quo was flipped over and scattered did father and daughters begin to reach out again. Sometimes a pot can be simmering quietly on the stove and is only noticed when it boils over. The dish isn’t ruined if someone attends to it lovingly. Everyone in the Chu family had to discover what made them happy, what helped them be who they wanted to be. Sometimes that exploration led to loss before it led to gain. If you enjoy watching elaborate meals being prepared as well as father-daughter, and sisterly relationships being explored, this quirky family drama is seasoned to near perfection.
21 February 2024
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Laughed, Cried, Loved: A Feel-Good Ride Through Love and Loss
The start was solid, with the male lead grappling with the loss of his wife and the female lead, a doctor, facing a trial due to a misdiagnosis.She needs the male lead to sue the patient's husband for her advantage.
However, he won't cooperate, having experienced the pain of losing a loved one. This already set up a funny situation that got me curious about what would happen next.😁
She tries seduction, then intimidation, and it always ends in a humorous way. Despite knowing he's married and mourning, she persists, going all out, never giving up on seducing him. She keeps pestering him until she obviously falls for him too.
Their personalities and constant bickering were adorable. I couldn't get enough of their dynamic. The story made me smile, laugh, and even shed a tear.
It was genuinely good, and the ending was wonderfully sweet. Loved the overall vibe.
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couldn't have finished if it weren't for the actors.
honestly, it's really not a boring concept. a cursed camera sounds cool, and it would've been good if the directors did not put some corny ass story behind it.the cgi was quite literally awful to the point that it turned this horror movie into a comedy. editing was strange, the monsters looked funny, that weird rat came out of nowhere- only appearing for a minute and was never to be seen again. the only good thing about this movie is its casts' performances.
if you're a fan of the main leads' work, its a great watch to see their range of acting. otherwise, it's a waste of time.
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Although the genre (high school romance) isn't really my favorite (on the one hand, I'm probably too old for it, LOL; and on the other hand, my favorite genres are rather comedy, iyashikei, horror, mystery, etc.), nevertheless I actually liked this lil' movie that definitely managed to exceed my expectations: the story is clean, straight-forward and nice, the leads are both very good and so is the "packaging" (directing, editing, photography, music,...).
Totally solid 8/10!
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Both works, in fact, share the same fascination with time loops and the technical prowess required to portray them through sequence shots. And of course they are from the same director and share a relevant part of the cast.
I personally think that the story here is just a lil' bit weaker, and the setting a lot less fascinating (let's be honest: beautiful ryokan in the hills around Kyoto beats small family restaurant/café in an anonymous city side street any day of the week!!! ^_^;;;....), hence my grade.
It's still another wonderful movie I can wholeheartedly recommend, though! 9/10
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I liked this so much, I'd want to give it more than "just" 10/10!!!
Seriously, there are times when you watch something so tremendously satisfying, that you kinda feel bad for not being able to rate it more than "just" the top grade, and it is precisely the case with this fabulous "River, Nagarenaide yo"!Hard to explain why it hit me so much without giving anything away (and that'd be a pity 'cause it would deprive you of the pleasure of finding out by yourselves!), I'll just say this: the premise is as interesting as they come; the way they actually made it work was nothing short of a serious stroke of genius; the technical difficulties I can only imagine but must have been something indeed, chapeau for the way they brilliantly overcame them; the cast did *marvelously*, with a special mention for the amazing, lovely, gorgeous (I could go on and on!) Fujitani Riko; the setting is simply F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S; the "packaging" absolutely top-notch (I normally am not really a fan of hand-held cameras, but there was no other way to make this work!).
What are you waiting for? Go watch this *now*! You'll thank me later! ^____-
10/10 and instant top10 of all times, as far as I'm concerned!
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An interesting take on society
There is something about this movie that reminds me of My mister, not that it gets near to the mindblowing dialog and content that you get in 16 episodes but more of a preview, My Mister with the same feel and a bunch of pretty good lines. A movie that offers a mist of My mister that covers a movie about found family, prostitution and above all adoption.Through the characters of this movie could be deemed in somewhat extream situations the moive offers is a an odd familiarity, day to day... beige feel to it.... Not at all out of the ordinary yet still really out of the ordinary all at once wich is pretty cool.
There is a great show of character development and change of discourse throughout the movie that highlight a whole lot of important issues and the importance of safety nets and or support systems and how it is all connected.
First we let social wokers have their go, and when they fail it is the cops turn to swoop in...
The actors did a great job, the cinematography was dark and depressing (which fit the movie really well) and the story is one that needed to be told.
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Japanese gothic tale
I am a huge fan of gothic horror and dark fantasy and this one was a mixture of both. Beautifully shot and i guess its based on a really popular folk tale.I am a fan of the simplicity of the movie...it really is very theatrical and natural. Only because its vintage it was also very dream like.
I really like Love stories like these where people just so deeply fall in love that they transcend the boundaries to be with each other....the story itself is so beautiful....a timeless romantic tale which is also very haunting but not terrifying.
I want such folk tales to be interpreted by women and see what they do with it. Maybe because this was interpreted by a man...this felt a bit dry on the part of characters. But otherwise good.
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Get ready to laugh a lot and just have a blast with this one
I had to give this a 10/10, even it wasn't technically perfect. It made me so happy watching it and I couldn't stop laughing and smiling. That, to me, deserves a 10/10. It had places where I thought they'd go in a different direction or where I wanted something else to happen, but it was great honestly. I loved the cast and I couldn't think of anyone better to play the lead than Jinyoung. This was the first thing I saw him in and he did so great I just can't imagine anyone else in the role.If you love body swap shows, then you'll love this. It was really not what I expected in a body swap, but in a pleasantly surprising way. I just loved every moment watching this. It was one of those movies where I wish I could bring back that "first time watch" feeling every time I watch it. I hope that pumping it up won't ruin it for others though, as your expectations can change the way you view and it and I went in not expecting much.
I would say to go for watching this when you're in the mood for some comedy, great acting, and when you're just ready to have some fun. i had a blast watching this and I hope others will be able to enjoy it as well!
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This review may contain spoilers
The opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in our lives
Without a doubt, 'Soon of Macho Dancer', 2021, (Original title 'Anak Ng Macho Dancer'), can be considered the legitimate heir to the film series started by 'Macho Dancer' (1988), in which rentboys confront to the sordid realities of poverty in the Philippines. In fact, its director, multi-award-winning filmmaker Joel C. Lamangan, stated that his film was the first authentic sequel to Lino Brocka's greatest global success.This last film was followed by other films with high-voltage homosexual themes such as 'Midnight Dancers' (1994), 'Burlesk King' (1999), 'Twilight Dancers' (2006), all directed by the late Mel Chionglo, interested in continue exploring the world of dancers who pose in scanty clothing for the homosexual clientele of Filipino venues.
Let us not forget that Brocka first attempted to depict the underworld of male prostitution through a largely improvised sequence in 'Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag' (1975), most of which was removed after the author of the original novel opposed the invention.
Considering the defiance and frustration that Brocka expressed just before his unexpected sudden death, 'Soon of Macho Dancer' could very well be the film he would have made had he survived to the present and the current discontents in the Filipino population, not very different from those of his time. No greater award can be given to a Filipino filmmaker who claims to have made a work worthy of the highest aspirations of the director of 'Macho Dancer', and Lamangan's film turns out to be one of those rare cases.
Most of the characters in these films have in common that they are overwhelmed, defeated by the sad political and socioeconomic reality of the Philippines, which is why they will be forced to practice prostitution as a means of escape from misery, in addition to being driven to claim freedom. lost dignity, without ignoring the insularity of the situation of sex workers.
'Macho Dancer' paved the way to investigate the degeneration induced in the Filipino population in general, and the male population in particular, by the presence of US military bases that curtail national sovereignty while exercising a not-so-hidden political and economic power. but they abandoned those concerns once the main character leaves for Manila or another major city in the country.
Lamangan, who played the role of a rebellious queer lady in 'Macho Dancer', 33 years after its controversial premiere, gives 'Soon of Macho Dancer' the same perspective of a hellish underworld. In this film, the director continues the story through Pol's son, the protagonist of that film, also forced to enter the sordid world of prostitution, when the coronavirus begins to reveal itself as a pandemic.
This pessimistic vision of today, which, however, is not as dark, sordid and sensual as the original, revolves around the coming of age of Inno, a 19-year-old boy who, together with Karla (Elora Españo), his girlfriend, sells clothes online offering sensual dances in front of her mobile camera with the aim of motivating the client, she has to help her father Pol (Allan Paule), a retired stripper addicted to drugs. His dancing skill will be shown later in another gloomy and dark setting.
To get out of debt and pay bail for his father, who is frequently imprisoned for public scandals associated with drugs, Tere (Rosanna Roces), Inno's mother, forces him to work in a male strip club. Like any merchandise, he sells it to Mama Jimmy (Jim Pebanco), the owner of the establishment and retired macho dancer: "He dances well and has a good penis." Faced with Inno's resistance, he assures him: "Your penis will be very successful here." In another scene he instructs him: “Use your head. If you are offered the opportunity to choose between being supported by a gay pimp or a woman, be sure to choose the richer one.”
But just when Inno starts working, Tere, who had turned to prostitution to support the family after Pol's car accident, abandons her son and her husband. At the same time, the club's premises close due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Circumstances put pressure on Inno's life, and he finds himself in need of money like never before. The family dynamic has changed drastically, as the father demands cash to pay for the drugs. Faced with this reality, he breaks up with Karla, whom he considers a hindrance, and delves into the exercise of selling his body in order to survive.
In Club Mankind, Inno will meet Bambi (Jaclyn Jose), a former prostitute who organizes private parties to sexually satisfy the rich. Inno, as "fresh meat" placed on the sales platform, is invited by Bambi to join those parties, but at the first opportunity he fails to be chosen by Kyle (Ricky Guimera), the attractive 19-year-old boy in charge of choose the young man with whom you will have sex.
Although initially nauseated by the abject nature of his new sex work (as opposed to the dancing for the audience, male or female, or escorting that he used to do at Mankind), Inno manages to find some professional equanimity in selling his body, motivated by his father's deteriorating health, increasing financial pressures, and buoyed by the camaraderie of his fellow dancers.
"This place is a pit stop for you. But it's a happy stopover for those kids looking for a better life. I know it's what you want. But don't let your heart guide you. Reject anger. Use your head. That's it the only thing that will help you." With the advice of Mama Jimmy who transmits her experiences as a veteran macho dancer, very similar to those of Tere, Inno turns out to be more skillful than expected. He understands that it was not Kyle, who he would have to conquer in his quest for a better life, but Jun Mallari, the wealthy gay businessman hidden in the next room, who masturbates while watching his favorite sex toy on the cameras with the boy on duty.
In this way, the main character of this film that combines drama, thriller, prostitution and homosexuality, seduces Jun, attracted by the life full of comforts that it offers him, becoming his new sexual puppet and abandoning his father, without to know what awaits him in that world that has opened its terrifying doors to him. Feeling like owner and lord of the mansion he shares with Jun, he will soon want to escape from it and get away from hell.
It turns out that the additional challenges that await the narrative hero increase from this point, quickly and terrifyingly, without giving us time to catch our breath. The turning point occurs in a chain of events that begins with Pol's arrival at Jun's house to look for his son, and the plunge that the protagonist suffers into an underworld of drugs, violence, crimes and parties to which his Millionaire lover invites prostitute boys.
From the get-go, Kyle warns Inno to stay away from Jun before it's too late. But Inno, mistakenly believing that he is acting out of jealousy, turns a deaf ear and ends up entering a world even more violent than the one he was escaping from.
Throughout these dramatic changes, Lamangan ensures that we are aware of Inno's plight by maintaining unconditional empathy with the character he seeks to save at all costs.
The film shows a sordid and violent world, in which the main character will see his self-esteem gradually diminish, especially when a client asks a male dancer to do something he doesn't like. It is natural. The loss of dignity and virility due to the money he needs to survive marks his path. "My father was a whore. My mother was a prostitute on the streets. And I, another whore. We are a family of whores!", Inno confesses to Bambi, who has recognized in Pol the macho dancer with whom he interacted in last.
The film aims to open the viewer's eyes to the unbearable facts and circumstances of life. The protagonist himself makes it clear in an interview: "Not all of us are lucky enough to have the opportunities that are presented to us, so we do not have the right to fire or judge someone for their choices (…) I am not saying that these macho dancers They may be saints but they all fight for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. They all have a story that we must understand and respect. When you hear their stories, if people take the time to really listen to them, it will impact you a lot. Others have already arrived to the conclusion that your choice is easy."
"Soon the Macho Dancer" fully fulfills its purpose of making the public reflect and inviting them to controversy.
'Anak ng Macho Dancer' leaves me with some life lessons. Among these, the way in which Inno overcomes the consequences of his actions and choices that lead him to live a true hell stands out. He's not just fighting for his life. What Inno believes is right for the people he loves, he does it head-on. He knew that his choices are not good, and in the face of the consequences of the choice, there is a lesson to be learned. Mistakes and struggles, also triumphs, are an integral part of human life.
The viewer should keep in mind the film's message, summarized in Pol's words to Bamby: "We still have the opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in our lives."
Even with less than ideal material, Lamangan is able to guarantee stellar performances. The filmmaker resorts to exposing, very accurately, a decidedly negative queer image seen before in his other films, such as Lockdown, in which the higher the position of the gay character rich in money, the more malevolent he turns out to be. However, this disturbing state of affairs should be seen as post-queer, rather than homophobic.
The rich characters possess what the citizens who live in poverty need, which allows the macho dancers to carry out pecuniary transactions with wealthy clients that they could never find outside this world of prostitution and lust.
The greatness of Inno's character lies in his status as a redeeming hero who, by saving himself, saves.
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Don't watch this for the story, watch it for the action
The storyline isn't great in this one, as many have said. And if you don't like gross, somewhat gory scenes, this isn't for you. That being said, I still had fun watching this and even watched a few parts again after it was over. I loved the main two guys (Ma Dong-Seok and Lee Jun-Young) and, to be fair, I turned it on after it showed up on my feed and I recognized Lee Jun-Young on the pic. They acting from these two was excellent and I understood their dynamic because of it. The young girl and grandma made sense with how they showed them, but the girl's acting was pretty terrible and 1 dimensional in this. I didn't believe much about her because of it. The army girl that shows up later did fine with her acting, but she didn't make sense and they made no effort to make her make sense. Her storyline is very much left out of this. I got the feeling the movie is from a webtoon or book because she just isn't really explained at all.Acting and story aside though, this movie is basically just an action flick and it does a great job with being that. I loved the fight scenes and really was swept into movie from it. I loved seeing them fight their way through each situation and the acting was great in these moments. So, if you're a fan of action and don't mind some gore and gruesome scenes, then this movie is for you. Enjoy!
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Not Worth Watching
This was pretty bad. I found it on Tubi and was so excited because I have always wanted to watch it since watching Ji Chang Wook in The K2, but I was so disappointed. It felt like it was so rushed. It fell into the same issue of Korean entertainment seeming to only be capable of writing shows and not movies. The only movie I've loved that's Korean is The Dude in Me, and that remains to be the case still.I loved Ji Chang Wook in this still because, I mean, he's one of the best actors out there, period. But, even he could not save this movie. It felt like it lacked an actual story. The progression felt stunted and some people seemed to die for no reason. Several actors in this did a great job, it's just that their characters needed to be fleshed out more. It felt like it needed to be a short series with more character development and explanation. As it was, it was just a rushed production where the story fell flat and the characters didn't make much sense. They basically did the "tell, don't show" instead of "show, don't tell."
Well, I won't give up on the Korean movies, but the latest two that I watched did nothing to fuel my desire to pick up another movie anytime soon.
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Rurouni kenshin
Heard a lot about these movies, and they've been recommended a ton, so I decided to give them a shot. At first, I was a bit lost because I didn't bother with the synopsis. Turns out, in the current era, Hitokiri Battousai has ditched the assassin life and is now on a journey to help those around him.In Tokyo, there's a businessman hooked on opium made by a female doctor, Megumi, who wants to take over the world or something. There's this old samurai, "Saito Hajime," working for the police, hell-bent on stopping the businessman and uncovering the copycat killer who's claiming victims in the name of Battousai. So, he seeks out Kenshin, and this dude's past is basically tailing him everywhere, but Kenshin's not interested. He ends up meeting Kaoru, who lets him crash at her dojo.
The plot was solid – Kenshin battling his past, trying not to revert to his Hitokiri ways. I haven't read the manga, so I can't compare, but I think it holds up well. Asked for some good fight scenes, and they delivered big time. It was a blast.
Enjoyed the whole thing, loved Takeru's acting – missed seeing him around. It was cool to see him in a different light.
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