Han Soo Han rescues a kidnapped heiress about to take control of her deceased daddy’s company. The requisite evil employee with a manic laugh played by a bargain basement Jang Hyuk wannabe had her kidnapped to force her into signing over her shares of the company. HSH works for a loan shark often helping the people he shakes down for money, thus making him a good guy. He lets Choi Ye Jin stay at his place until it’s safe for her to return home. Before they can have any lingering sexy glances or heartfelt conversations, all sorts of people show up at his doorstep for nefarious reasons.
The plot sounded like an action romance and maybe it was supposed to be, but the acting wouldn’t lead you to believe it. There was no chemistry between the two actors. Kang Seok Chul’s expression stayed locked into place through the whole movie. Yoo Ye Bin was always staring off into space either thinking deep thoughts or wondering if she should try the new Thai restaurant down the street. The filmmakers saved money by not giving Choi Ye Jin any backstory or personality but splurged on blurry shaky flashbacks for HSH’s tragic man pain backstory. Han Soo Han decided to rescue her at one point, not because they shared “a moment”, unless that was what the one staring contest was about, more probable it was just because he was a good guy. Whatever the reason he wasn’t very effectual because she ended up kidnapped---again.
If the fights had been entertaining, I could have forgiven the bland acting and plots holes large enough for The White Truck of Doom to pass through but the fight choreography was also bland. Han Soo Han threw numerous haymakers which are a sure sign of someone who doesn’t know how to fight. Sure, if they connect they might hurt, but the experienced fighters he was up against should have pounded him into the ground by the time his fist arrived from Busan.
Unless you’ve never watched any sort of crime film or drama, there will be no surprises, not even one “shocking” betrayal and a “shocking” murder. The best thing about this film was the 80 minute running time which felt overly long near the end.
31 January 2024
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This review may contain spoilers
What The F-ck, also ignore the last five minutes?
This is the most unhinged movie I have ever seen, nothing about it made sense for the first hour and still many of the interactions were weird. It felt like we were a bystander and you see 2 people that know each other talk about something between them, but for a whole movie. I dont really know how to rate this movie but I will just put some of my thoughts here.A married school teacher gets raped by a guy in a pig mask. Three months later, he is still traumatized by the event and gets followed by 2 guys, one of them being a guy called Kai. The teacher thinks its the guys that raped him, and he gets followed and teased with more and more. Eventually, he loses his job and his wife, and his mental state is a wreck. He lives randomly just like everyone in the shit town.
SPOILERS
Turns out, the teacher was not raped by Kai, but by an older man who is the boss of the shit town. The connection and why he "protects and gives money" is confusing but whatever. It is nice that some of the questions the viewer has were answered, but it is still obvious that this movie is open to interpretation in many areas.
Kai probably kept an eye out for the teacher because Kai liked him since he was a child. He surveyed the teachers trauma responses and helped him face his trauma. Still, he ruined the life of the teacher, so it felt quite meaningless in my eyes. Kai acted mostly self-indulgent in my opinion. One thing i dont get is why did the big boss man decide to rape the teacher? I see the connection with the teacher and Kai but not the with the boss.
As for the ending, it was cool that the teacher ended up burning the boss man alive, and then made love with Kai. It was a fcked up story, but at least there is some sort of happy ending. Until the boss man (i think? his face was covered probably from the hospital but idk) kllled the teacher and he lies dead naked in the forest. Bruh. What even is this story. Kai manages to escape and god knows what he is thinking and plans to do with his life.
I dont know how to recommend this movie. Its somewhat of an interesting watch but super confusing and does not deserve a re watch in my opinion. Still, the acting was great and I recommend it if you like darker themes in general. Respectfully, I prefer soft and fluffy BLs (this one is not even a BL), and will be enjoying them instead.
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This review may contain spoilers
A mindless entertaining popcorn action movie
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this dystopian tale is as predictable and bland as it comes, but the action is entertaining and serves it's purpose of being a popcorn movie to pass the time. Ma Dong Seok is again typecasted into the heavy fisted fighter role and savior that he always plays. Lee Hee Joon plays the mad scientist. Ahn Ji Hye plays the rogue special forces soldier who teams up with Ma Dong Seok. I think you can pretty much predict how the story will unfold from there.None of the characters have depth and you don't really get much explanation for the plot. This is a simple movie to just show action scenes which for the most part was entertaining. Ma Dong Seok's role was a bit cliche (his one punch wonder schtick is a bit corny & old, but if you're new to his roles then it'll probably be fine). I do admit I laughed a lot at his comedic one liners. The whole crazy dragon lady scenes were funny as well.
Ahn Ji Hye is the one that stood out to me. I specifically remembered her from the movie Slate where she impressed me with all her action scenes and the fact she did it all herself with no stunt double. She continues to impress here although I'm not sure if she did all the stunt work again, but it sure looked believable. I like when women can kick some ass so I may be a little bias here. I think if she and Lee Si Young did an action movie together, I'd probably die from excitement.
If you like popcorn action movies and don't mind a shallow plot, then I would suggest giving this movie a try. You probably won't remember it in a week, but I thought it was a good enough escape for an hr or so.
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Most realistic high school movie
Most C-series and movies I have watched which includes bullying are all just cringe and intolerable. The female lead will be cute and pouty while the male lead is the coolest, richest and most popular guy in school. There are more than tens of C-series which have this same trope. 🙂 But this movie was different. The cast executed their task at end perfectly giving way to this amazing movie. The cinematography of this movie was done so well. It looked very realistic and follows an amazing storyline to top it all up. ✨Was this review helpful to you?
cool
Saimori Miyo était l'enfant malheureux d'un mariage arrangé et sans amour. Après la mort de sa mère, son père a amené son amant et sa propre fille, Kaya. Dès lors, la vie de Miyo se réduit à celle d'une simple servante. Pire encore, alors que Kaya avait hérité des capacités psychiques de la famille, Miyo n'en avait aucune : elle était véritablement la fille sans mérite. Après des années passées à être traitée comme de la saleté, Miyo a appris à garder la tête baissée, à cacher sa douleur et à obéir à tous les ordres. Il n'est donc pas surprenant qu'elle soit mariée à Kudo Kiyoka, un capitaine militaire dont on dit qu'il est si cruel qu'il a jusqu'à présent chassé chacune de ses épouses potentielles. D'une éducation douloureuse à un mariage douloureux, c'est l'avenir qui attend Miyo – du moins c'est ce qu'elle pensait. Contrairement à ses attentes, son nouveau mari est en réalité bienveillant. Ce qui attend vraiment Miyo, c'est un mariage heureux, éternel, plein de bonheur ! (Source : MyAnimeList) ~~ Adapté de la série de light novel « Watashi no Shiawasena Kekkon » (わたしの幸せな結婚) d'Akumi Agitogi (顎木あくWas this review helpful to you?
So, who is the monster?
I actually watched this about 2 weeks ago, but I guess I just wanted to recollect my thoughts about this film before I could write the review because... woah, this was so interesting. Mesmerising. It made me think a LOT.How this film unfolded the mystery through each character's perspective was so smart, and so well done. I just couldn't tell what was going on or what the main plot was at all, until it switched to Minato's perspective. At the beginning, we saw a single mother be just as confused as us viewers were-- what was her son doing? Why was he acting like that? What was going on with him? We felt her confusion, pain, struggle and then just as she was convinced that the teacher was the perpetrator, we were fully convinced too. If I were to speak further than her perspective, I'd be spoiling heavily because after that, everything blew my mind away. Nothing she thought were true. Frankly, I've never seen anything else quite like how this film is told.
The acting from all actors alike was brilliant. Passionate. I will never get how child actors can be such good actors at such a young age. They literally did just as well as the adult actors on the film, and to be this much talented already gives me the chills because wth am I doing with my life 😂
Amazing film. It's the kind of movie you can't help but hold your breath in for the entire 2-hour runtime-- even if you feel like your head might explode at some point.
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In a lot of other Korean BL dramas, something is always off -- either the story doesn't make any sense (or only had old-fashioned and even harmful clichés), or the acting is stiff or the production (sets, audio etc.) lacks details or the directing is lackluster etc.
This drama has none of those problems.
The plot is is solid, if a little predictable. What's making it special are the little hints at more backstory -- especially for the two main leads, who are wonderfully vulnerable and both have scars from earlier events in their lives, which we only get hints of -- and they both accept these vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of each other.
The acting enhances this further. There are many small moments when you have to look closely at the actors, they often express their emotions through small changes in posture or even just with their eyes (I loved these moments when Son Woo Hyun shows how his character is hurt by Han Ji Woo's harsh words, and equally, how Kim Kang Min can say whole paragraphs by just averting his eyes.) Both main actors and the supporting cast are obviously invested in making this drama into something good.
The sets feel real, and with much attention to detail. In the beginning of the story, Ji Woo's home seems a bit bare -- except for the kitchen, which is clearly well loved and often used. This is the only place in the whole house where Ji Woo has left traces of his own personality -- until Seo Joon, that is. Then suddenly, decorating items start to show up (and it's clear that Ji Woo put them there for Seo Joon).
The directing puts all these things into a cohesive whole. For me, it feels as if the director had a clear vision of the story, the characters, and their backstories.
Yes, the budget could have been higher, the run time could have been longer. But I think they did what they could, and it doesn't even show too much that it was shot during the first autumn/winter of the covid-pandemic (I suppose that South Korea had quite a few restrictions back then, as did other countries).
I recommend that you re-watch this after season 2 -- there are several scenes that hit differently after you know more about the characters.
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"I never realized how heavy this kimono was"
Love triangles can be problematic, especially when communication isn’t encouraged and everyone is guided by rigid social principles. Two loving sisters ended up in a trap of their own making when society denied them the freedom to make their own choices in Miss Oyu.Shinnosuke has resisted every marital prospect until Shizu’s entourage approaches his house and he falls in love at first sight. The only problem---the woman he fell in love with was Shizu’s older widowed sister, Oyu. Known for her beauty and elegance, Oyu was tied to her late husband’s family and couldn’t leave because she had given birth to the heir. Oyu pushes for Shizu to marry Shinnosuke because she wants to stay near her sister. Before long the three are inseparable. Unknown to Oyu, Shizu announced on her wedding night to her husband that she intended to be married in name only because she knew he loved her sister and her sister loved him. This sisterly sacrifice led to more heartache for all involved, primarily for the sisters.
Director Mizoguchi and cinematographer Miyagawa created a treat for the eyes in black and white. The scenery, sets, and costumes were luxurious. Similar to Kurosawa, he framed his scenes with action in the foreground and background, giving the scenes visual depth and interest. The traditional music haunted the film with melancholy as the characters dealt with their repressed emotions.
Tanaka Kinuyo and Otowa Nobuko were the heart of the film, conveying sisters deeply committed to each. Hori Yuji looked like he just came along for the ride. His immature and passive Shinnosuke barely registered on the screen when the two women were around. Was Oyu truly, passionately, in love with Shinnosuke? As far as the story went, it was difficult to determine what Oyu’s feelings truly were. She kept them neatly tucked. Was she in love? Flattered? Or oblivious to Shinnosuke’s love? When scandal threatened, she set the married couple straight in what their obligations to each other were. What drove Shizu’s need to sacrifice her own happiness and future? What debt could she possibly owe her sister? The writers weren’t telling and the actors weren’t giving many clues either as to why the trio was willing to dance on the edge of a knife where any mistake would lead to devastating scandals and familial reprisals.
Miss Oyu was visually interesting, the three people tragically caught up in a silent triangle of repressed feelings not so much. Tanaka and Otowa did their best to infuse intensity into the story but were confined by the writers and the film's societal norms.
30 January 2024
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More Food and More Love
Along the way, is a cast of characters, that almost become caricatures but do not. They sometimes feel unreal, yet you find yourself compelled to watch them and wanting to be in the same room with them and understand why they have developed such a kinship with one another. It is soft, subtle but so beautiful. It is a worthy way to spend your time as you will see two imperfect older men come to grips with getting older, slowly grow to love one another more deeply, and enjoy each other’s company mainly around the dinning room table.Was this review helpful to you?
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Kairo, a Misunderstood Masterpiece
I love this movie so much, and I hate how shit on it is for the weak and vague story. I think what makes it scariest is the fact we have an idea of what's going on and yet not the full story, so we just have to watch as the loneliness destroys the characters.This kind of horror is my favourite, no jumpscares, but gives me nightmares from how eerie it all is. After a while, I figured out that I'd never get a jumpscare but the music and sound design frightened me more than the ghosts did at times. The random silences followed by loud music and choir singing made me jump ngl.
The visuals of the early 2000s was just perfect for horror movies. It's got that slight grain that makes it feel dated but also very recent and that vintage horror aspect is just perfect.
I do have to criticise the acting, though not amazing or polytonous, it was okay. I feel there were points the characters could have had more emotion, like when Michi walked into Taguchi's house and saw his body, cus it kinda felt like they'd had to retake that one shot so many times the actress got tired.
BUT all that being said, this movie is great. People saying the American "remake" was better but I know y'all are lying, there's a reason why they remade it, because Americans can't appreciate good cinema. xx
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I didn't see the queer subtext, not even on my rewatch. But I can see how it relates to the queer experience of trying to fit in and trying to go unnoticed but never truly fitting in and always feeling scared that your true ("weak") self will be discovered. It's a good film with a good, relatable protagonist.
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Lacked the Emotions
After the whole lot of yourube shorts recommendation of this Film I finally watched it. Its a fun plot with good acting but I feel it might have done better as a Drama wherein the writers could have shown more deeply into the emotions of the main and side characters....i just couldnt feel the presence of side characters and their importance. Also some characters were so annoying like i just fast forwarded at so many points..... I just couldnt feel any emotions building up in me.... neither to laugh or to cry or pure rage....at certain points i did find it Gross though.Maybe a deeper insight into as to why the main leads changed so much after marriage would have been interesting
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Full Action Packed Gangsta Film
Why is the villain scary? Because he stays calm. There are very few instances where Jang Chen lost his cool, but the truth is that he collected that anger and exerted that anger while killing his foes.The film feels even better when we get to know it's a real life story about the gangs back in 2002–03 and how police somehow arrested these vicious MFs. The world building was good and Villain came with nothing but a desire to expand as quickly as possible.
The film's climax was good, action keeps getting better and the final battle just keep you on the edge of the seats.
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Historia interesante
Toda la historia estuvo buena, pero el final reveló todo un entramado que hizo que el final se sintiera incompleto o que no se supo aprovechar esa historia, el asesinato de un personaje secundario paso desapercibido, el personaje principal tiene una historia y muy interesante pero no sé aprovecha en lo absoluto y ya hablando de la producción creo que la música pasa muy desapercibida o aparece un momento y se va muy rápido, las tomas de cámara muchas veces es muy mala haciendo que la actuación se vea perjudicada.Was this review helpful to you?
