Reviews

I absolutely love the anime. I plowed thru all the episodes in 2 days and was upset it was over. Then I found out there was a live action and I was like NO WAY!!

YES WAY!! The movie is not a good as the anime but good. I took points off because I didn't really like the ending that much and the scene where Lord Kudo tell Miyo to stay at her granfather's house seemed weird or rushed. Overall an enjoyable film. I am always in the mood for romance and this hit the spot. Meguro Ren, is excellent as Lord Kudo. No wonder he won the award for Best Emerging Actor Award at the 15th TAMA Film Awards Ceremony. I liked Imada Mio as Miyo as well.

I found my new crush in this too Watanabe Keisuke played Arata and he is totally my type. And it was nice to see my favotite anime voice actor, Tsuda Kenjiro in a small role.

12/4/23

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filme do ano

eu não consigo achar outra palavra para definir esse filme que não seja lindo. é tudo absurdamente lindo, os diálogos, os paralelos que são construídos ao longo da história, toda ambientação e fotografia.

eu sinto que as maiores emoções do filmes estão nas cenas silenciosas onde se pode pensar sobre o que tá acontecendo. as cenas da nora e o hae conversando em frente ao carrossel e depois no bar são absurdas pois é possível enxergar todo o carinho e amor que perdurou por tantos anos. é meio inevitável o sentimento de tristeza mas eu não acho que ele seja resultado de uma frustração mas de um sentimento de "e se?"

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uma atmosfera hipnotizante

eu acho que o ponto alto aqui são os cenários que são construídos ao longo do filme, existe uma dramatização entre as cenas de uma qualidade absurda, a cena em que ele vai gravar a despedida e começa a chorar é um exemplo claro disso. eu vi muitos comentários sobre os filmes do diretor então fui com uma certa expectativa mas infelizmente não consegui me conectar com a história. eu pude perceber que o filme possui uma boa construção de história, que é uma bela história aliás mas eu fiquei com a sensação de eu estava assistindo completamente de fora, acredito que eu eu estava distraído no dia então tenho a certeza que quando eu rever vou poder aproveitar mais da obra.

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So good!

I have been watching Godzilla movies as long as I can remember. Most are enjoyable and enteretaining except the 1998 American made one. It's one of the worse movies I have ever seen.

This movie has no right to be as good as it is! But it is good. Very good and a great movie to celebrate the 70th anniversay of the most well known kaiju in the world. Must be seen on the big screen.

I didn't know a Godzilla movie could pack an emotional punch the way this film did. It's a testament to the writing and acting in this film. Kamiki Ryunosuke, Hamabe Minami, Yamada Yuki, Aoki Munetaka, Yoshioka Hidetaka, Ando Sakura and Sasaki Kuranosuke. I'm listing all the actotrs here b/c everyone played their roles well. I also, must shout out the little girl actress. I don't know her name b/c she's not listed in MDL for this film but she was magnificent and I think she was only 3 or 4 years old. I can't give much away but the film explores survivors guilt, shame and forgiveness.

12/3/23

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Unexpected quirky

I keep complaining about news articles on MDL homepage and how redundant they are but today one such article led me here! I saw that the main actress recently starred in a romcom movie and while scrolling down the movie page I came upon the link and the rest is, as they say, history! This was just what I needed one cold autumn sunday evening!

I am not particularly fan of either stars of the movie but I actually enjoyed their chemistry and comic timing here.

The story is nothing new! Two young people from completely opposite walks of life, meet, fall in love, get married and then start hating each other with a vengeance until they file for divorce. On the way from courthouse they get into accident and, first surprise, end up with amnesia. Both of them! In order to get their memories back, they start living together again chaperoned by her sister who has to do everything in her power to keep them apart. To no awail: they fall in love again!

The movie is fast, funny (though not hilarious in my book: too much slapstick!). Some events are a "must" in a romcom but they managed to find a novel way in presenting the outcome: rich parents vs. poor son-in-law; airport confession etc. Both main characters have quirky and supportive friends. While his parents, especially the mother, is a cliché chip-on-the-shoulder type, her parents are colourful and funny. Her sister is the quirkiest of the lot, dead pan funny. Last but not least, my favourite support character was the hospital shrink using dramas to explain the amnesia.

The only complaint I have is about the editing: the constant going back and forth, past and present, flashbacks out of timeline...that was a bit tiring to follow. Not impossible of course but confusing sometimes!

This is the kind of movie one can watch over and over again, it is light, not too serious, it's a high quality romcom and it delivers the goods!

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Experience the Bone-Chilling Terror of ‘Death Forest’: A Haunting Journey Into Darkness

“Death Forest” is a bone-chilling Japanese movie that takes you on a suspenseful and eerie journey through a haunted forest. Directed by a master of horror, this film skillfully combines stunning cinematography, haunting sound design, and a gripping storyline to create a truly unsettling experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The story revolves around a group of close friends who bravely venture into the infamous Aokigahara Forest. This forest has gained a dark reputation as a site for suicides, and our characters are soon confronted with inexplicable phenomena and malevolent spirits that shake their sanity to the core.

One of the things that makes “Death Forest” so effective is its ability to create an overwhelming sense of fear and tension. The dense foliage, the deafening silence interrupted only by eerie sounds, and the constant anticipation of what lurks behind each tree combine to create an oppressive atmosphere that seeps into your bones. As the encounters with the supernatural escalate, the movie steadily builds suspense, leading to terrifying moments that will have you jumping out of your seat.

The actors’ performances in this film are remarkable, as they expertly convey both the fear and vulnerability their characters experience in the face of the unknown. You can feel their desperation and watch as their minds unravel in the face of such terror.

If you’re a fan of horror movies and are up for a thrilling and spine-chilling experience, “Death Forest” is a must-watch. With its haunting visuals, captivating storyline, and unforgettable scares, this Japanese movie will leave you with a sense of unease long after the credits roll.

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Enjoyed the slice-of-life aspect and nostalgia throwback, romance could have been better

This movie follows the life of two high school students in the early 1980's: one being the female leader of a brutal gang of girls and harboring a crush for the second who is the goofy playboy of the school. I liked the slice-of-life tone of this film, mixed with some teen angst / gang wars elements but I found the pacing of the scenario quite sluggish and the romance aspect relatively lacking. I found the ending enjoyable but quite rushed compared to the introduction which took really a long time to set up the story.

The cast was pretty great. Lee Jong Suk is totally credible as the quite lame but attractive playboy and Park Bo Young is charismatic as the main female protagonist (even though given her size, it is not that believable that she would be the strongest fighter among the other students). Kim Young Kwang as the male antagonist was very badass and cool, I will be looking forward watching him in other roles.

The production was very good overall: it has a real old school / nostalgia vibe, totally fitting with the thematic of the film. The soundtrack is pretty nice and suits well the vibe of the story. There are some really cool fight sequences that are not repetitive and that keep you on your toes regarding the well-being of the protagonists.

I would recommend this to people looking for a coming-of-age story set up in a South Korean high school in the early 1980's. It has a strong slice-of-life tone, romance being more secondary than the main focus of the script which is more about the growth of teenagers living through high and low of high school in the countryside.

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Take the film very very unseriously

My goodness, where to start? Hermaphrodite plot? Vampire guest star? Really poor production of this film?

Plot: This is a fairytale, and the plot is about the seahorse royalty being attacked by an evil uncle who wants to take over the crown. The queen saves her child and sacrifices herself, freezing the entire palace. Her son ends up on earth, in a magical academy along with an Egyptian mummy and an European vampire, learning spells to save his kingdom and his mother.

Now here's where the things get interesting: the prince is actually a hermaphrodite, so we can say F*ck you to the Chinese censorship of the same sex relationships and the prince can marry his beloved class mate from the academy in the end, as a female version of himself.

Of course, good conquers evil, love conquers everything, so the bad uncle gets cast away and all ends well.

Production value: very very poor production, you can see the wig line on the cast members, CGI is done horribly, the plot has some holes, and it all could have done better. The set looks like made out of carton boxes too.

Cast: they're trying to take themselves a bit too seriously to be fair, unless that's what the director told them to do. The script is nasty, so they don't have much space to show their talents. Few eye candies, so that helps.

Music: typical for this type of films, your regular mix of guzheng, string arrangements, and ballads here or there.

Overall: if you have nothing better to do with your time, or you are a fan of camp, as long as you're willing to overlook the stupidity of this, you might actually not hate it.

5/10

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too good to miss

i watched the movie again

Thanks to the director who is also the film scriptwriter, the brilliant screenplay has interesting & touching twist and turns and great (sometimes even humourous) dialogue/movie lines.

it is really a great film about joe, the ingenious screenplay gradually reveal how the ordinary but sunny character guy is loved and missed by his friends and deeply by Bokeh around him

The main characters are all acting great. Tithiya shines in her acting as lovely Bokeh in the movie who has deep and subtle feeling for Joe.

Also tributes to the other supporting cast: the movie team, ohm, liew, moms of pae and joe, and the principal in the movie.

The film touches our heart as it entails puppy love and teenage/youthful times in school setting we all experience and treasure, other loving memory, things we yearn or pursue and hope for but missed, forgiveness, acceptance and other subtle feelings, even some philosophical issue like how we value a friend's worth

Lovely Bokeh learns to greet Pae with apology at the end of movie, i do not want to regret withholding my feeling for liking this great film and make apology later

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Full blown rom-com

this caught my attentiom obviously because of bright in Indian attire and gotta say it was sooo fun. I went in expecting a super cringe rom-com but it actually had it's moments.

Some people were disappointed with the minimal screen time for bright, but I felt that was accurate for the story and the setting. The female lead really carried the movie well.

As an Indian, I loved the accurate cultural representation and the on-spot casting. I hope we get to see more of these inter-cultural stories in the future.

overall, don't watch this if you want some mind-blowing story with some out-of-the-box drama. watch it if you just wanna have a good time.

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