This review may contain spoilers
F**k ideology
It is said that no happiness thrives during war times. You either kill or get killed, it’s all about survival no matter who you are against to. And yet, movies and pieces of media like this teach us that modern times are worry free and meaningless in the face of true mid-war misery. Even so, we would like to imagine they still had at least one drop of happiness during these times, be it fictional of not.This movie not only portrays the fight for life that is war, but also sensitive topics that still apply to this day: ideology, power abuse by high ranked people, race discrimination, poverty instigated by war, domination and territory take over. All people are more or less equal and entitled for survival during war, even so, the best to deceive and take advantage is the one to win. Fool or be fooled kind of situation. Amidst all of this, five random people form a group to… dance? Who would have thought tap dance would be so entertaining to watch? I had a good feeling about this movie once I saw the poster and read the synopsis. I do not know much about tap dance or 50s American dance and culture, but I know for a fact that a bunch of bullied and discriminated people portrayed what freedom through dance means so damn well.
“A group made up of a Chinese prisoner who would’ve been a brilliant choreographer if it wasn’t for war, a bright confident strong-willed young woman who was forced to provide for her family after losing both her parents, a civilian who became a prisoner only because he was wrongfully accused of being the commies; a Communist dance who could’ve stood on the stage of the Carnegie Hall if it wasn’t for the political ideology and… a humble black man who has found his only friends in life in this four individuals. Ladies and gentlemen… we are… the SWING KIDS!”
And so they danced, they danced like they were free birds on their way to Broadway and the great great country of possibilities and freedom, America. Dance and music, these two fine arts have existed since the time of Gods and before that, but they are still the most expressive and fascinating universal language that breaks any kind of prejudice, barrier or fucking ideology and as far as it gets until the world will collapse on itself and there will be no music, no dancing and no laughter.
During the entire movie we see here and there tactical and war focused strategy and terminology, but the ending, I believe it’s a realistic one. No war causalities or compensation can cover the tragedy that happened during every kind of war, yet still, humanity will find another reason to dance and sing as if nothing happened.
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Important staple of the South Korean cinema: thought provoking but not enjoyable per se
Going through the cinematography of the very famous director Park Chan Wook, I was compelled to watch this movie for which he was acclaimed for. I am happy to have seen it for my cinematographic culture but I must admit that it was not a gratifying watch. Even if I recognized the quality of the overall cinematography as well as the concept and ideas behind this movie, I cannot say that I enjoyed it.I found its pacing kind of sluggish and felt bored more than once watching it. I disliked quite strongly the main "hero" making it impossible to care and root for him. I also found the main female protagonist too meek and passive... Overall the female roles were really not the most developed which is honestly a shame as I feel that would have brought much more nuance and sensibility to the plot. Here, I was just not understanding those characters and was not able to empathize with any of them except maybe the "villain". It is the only character I kind of appreciated and was curious to see more of...I knew the film passed me by when I found myself more intrigued and supporting the antagonist than the hero...
The acting was good with solid performances from everyone casted. Even though their portraying is impressive, I had trouble to feel emotionally involved in what the characters were living through. In addition to a good cast, the production value is very nice as well. There are some really striking shots in terms of production, it is not as refined and polished as the most recent works of Park Chan Wook but there is clearly an already pretty strong identity and style to the work of this director. The soundtrack is not very memorable to me but felt very adequate while watching the movie.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a noir action thriller centred around vengeance and quite enigmatic. It is an important piece for South Korean cinema and even though I did not "enjoy" it, I still think it is worth the watch and that it leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.
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Concrete description of human nature when in survival mode
Concrete Utopia doesn't do anything particularly new for the dystopian thriller sub-genre, but it’s consistently engaging and well-executed. is an emotional force of a film. Not concerned with the disaster itself or the spectacle it could employ to focus on the moment of tragedy, the film offers epic landscapes but always keeps an intimate eye on the people in the high rise.Concrete Utopia presents a disturbing picture of humanity that dribbles into the absolute worst when the social structure is dismembered and survival becomes the only need of the hour. Talking about the direction, Uhm Tae Hwa did a good job in capturing raw human nature in every possible way. The cinematography and acting, especially by Lee Byung Hun, were also enthralling.
Concrete Utopia is a gripping, disturbing, and powerful representation of the worst of society, yet equally showcasing the best qualities in humans and how hope, community, and decency will always exist through the dust and devastation.
My Rating : 8.5/10
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Classic set up with unexpected twists
The group of main characters is pretty formulaic - we have the beauty, the thinker, the rich guy, the arrogant guy etc. - and so is the setting, a big locked mansion. The victims died in a locked room. A simple setup that is a classic in the investigation genre for a reason. After that, a riveting story unfolds. With fresh twists that will surprise even long-time fans of the genre. There is also slight comedy which will make you laugh without throwing off the suspense and mystery.The actors did a great work embodying these characters so they feel like individuals rather than stereotypes. Special mentions Yin Zheng and Zhang Ben Yu. Yin Zheng lives up to every expectation I had for him in this movie, it is a delight to watch him act (if you are also considering watching this movie because of him you will not be disappointed). Now Zhang Ben Yu, I have never seen him before this movie, and I am very impressed - he brings all the mystery and wit his character needs to constantly keep you on your toes, well done!
The music works well and doesn't take away from the movie, but it isn't particularly memorable either.
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WE BELIEVE WE ARE CHOSEN
Human beings are selfish. Each & every one of them acts on their instincts. Doesn't matter if someone's life is at stake. The only matters is that if I can live my life. I don't care about someone else or a nobody.Being in a disaster, with no government to control the citizens, food, water, and shelter crisis arises. Some take on the throne to guide people from despair to hope. Some succeed, and some fail.
But nothing is easy. In the end, what eats us are our own minds. We don't know what to do, and for that, we go crazy. But hope still lives somewhere, we just have to find it & live with it.
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Simple story but effective and great cinematography
I love me a chinese historical drama but I could never get into.many modern dramas. But the cinematography of this film is different to the usual dramas, just so well done (also good that theres no dubbing)The story starts off as a simple, coming of age story but the unexpected twist makes it more watchable and engaging. I loved both actors and the characters they played. I thought characters like the fl can get irritating like lot of chinese school dramas but she really comes into her own, a little awkward because of the stir in the situation she caused but is still really likeable.
Wu lei is a fave, not much more to.say other than he plays a charismatic and general mice guys character which of course i loved
Lastly, the ost and the electronic tracks they used is just great
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nice to see continued character/relationship growth
Overall: though it felt more like a season 2 than a movie, it was nice to see more smiles between them. The tone was a bit heavier than the special though. The movie is 2 hours long. GagaOOLala picked this up in September 2023 which is when I watched it (GagaOOLala picked up the whole franchise and the order to watch is: season 1, special, movie, season 2 which is airing October 2023).Content Warnings: homophobia, past death
What I Liked
- comedy moments
- cute moments
- communication/relationship progress
- familiar characters
Room For Improvement
- the trumpet music doesn't fit at times
- they called that hairdresser guy a wisdom machine when he said you have to be honest with your partner (he called her an ugly hag) but maybe they were being sarcastic?
- felt more like skits/episodes put together than a movie with an overarching plot
- unrealistic that the neighbor hadn't met Kenji in over a year but that's also on brand for Shiro
- the blocks at the end
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This review may contain spoilers
Everyone needs love…
Experiencing a whirlwind of emotions while watching this unique love story, I delved into the director's perspective through behind-the-scenes YT clips, revealing that the movie centers around an extraordinary love tale involving two individuals with differing abilities-ML being mentally slow, while FL grapples with restricted movements, struggling to express her emotions and thoughts conventionally, making it a challenge for others to comprehend her fully.FL's exceptional performance showcases a level of authenticity that mirrors the experiences of disabled individuals. Drawing from my visits to the orphanage and disabled children homes and noticed how their expression are, hence seeing FL acting it out here was surprised it looks very much similar.
At various points, the movie storyline does evoked a sense of helplessness, offering a glimpse into the immense challenges main leads face in seeking love, whether from family or in finding a life partner. While some might perceive ML as an aggressive person or pervert due to an incident at the beginning, I see him as someone with a slower understanding of social norms, lacking proper guidance from his family. His actions could possibly stem from being disconnected with traditional societal standards. Although FL does seems to be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome as she takes a liking for ML despite he attempted to rape her…But then, it’s difficult to comprehend what’s FL thinking as she isn’t having the privilege to choose the partner of her choice, given the disability she’s having. Hence, the complex dynamics between the characters prompt us to put more thinking beyond the normal society acceptance level for disabled people.
The movie begins with a melancholy tone but in between there’s a message of perseverance of both party…(at least ML & FL didn’t commit suicide or given up living, unlike some movies) to stay alive and keeping their hopes high to meet up again one fine day. Watching this does make general public ponder the meaning of life and to be more appreciative to things and people around us…
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Amatonormativity from the perspective of someone who has no desire for romance or sex
I had my eye on this movie for a while and was super happy to find out that this was shown at a Japanese film festival (where the title for this movie was 'I Am What I Am' and completely sold out!). So of course I went to see it and I ended up loving it. So here's my review.In order to give a good review I must first explain 3 words that some people might be familiar with, but may be new to a lot of you.
1. Amatonormativity: the widespread assumption that everyone is better off in an exclusive, romantic, long-term coupled relationship, and that everyone is seeking such a relationship. - a term coined by Elizabeth Brake.
2. Asexuality (also, ace): a label for a sexual orientation that describes people who experience little to no sexual attraction.
3. Aromantic (also, aro): a label for a romantic orientation that describes people who expeirence little to no romantic attraction.
This is a movie that - at its core - is about amatonormativity. It shows how it can harm anyone, but particularly those who are aro and/or ace. The Kasumi, main character of this movie, is aromantic and asexual (aroace) and values her friends and family. However, it seems like everyone around her is more focused on romance and tries to push that on her.
What the movie does really well is showing how people may have very different reactions when coming into contact with someone who is aroace and genuinely does not have any desire for sex or a romantic relationship.
As someone who is aroace, I appreciated that they never made Kasumi doubt her identity. Throughout the movie it is very clear that she knows that she is aroace, that she is happy with who she is (it's just that she wishes other people would accept her for who she is as well).
I reccomend this movie to everyone.
To those who are not aro and/or ace themselves, I recommend it because it can be an eye opener to see how focused society is on romance. It is not always a bad thing, but it is good to be aware of it, especially if you or someone close to you maybe is not interested in romance for now, or ever. To know that without romance, someone can live a life just as fulfilling and happy.
& To aro and/or ace people, I reccomend it because - even if your life has been very different from Kasumi- it is likely that you'll watch some of these scenes and relate to it on a personal level because something similar has happened to you. I teared up at some moments because I have been in (almost exactly) the same situation as some scenes. Watching it on the big screen, it was both painful, frustrating and like a relief because it felt like being seen and recognised.
It is wonderful that this movie further spreads awareness of asexuality and aromanticism.
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Kickass women
Loved this - I know there's been countless comparison to John Wicks but so what? You don't watch these kinds of movies for the intellectual content and the revenge/action theme has been around long before JW. I loved both mother and daughter being 'true to themselves'. It's a refreshing change to see Kickass women doing it for themselves, especially in KDrama.The ending was a positive affirmation of self identity and not giving in to peer pressure to make life easy. I'd love to see a second part.
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1Better Upon 2nd Viewing.
Updated Jan 2024. I watched this again knowing that I had found both characters really unlikable the first time, and was actually able to appreciate the story more. So I've raised my rating from a 4.5 to a 6.5.While both characters are morally dark grey (cheating and coercion/dub-con/stalking), Otomo does have character growth. The changes are incremental and very subtle until the end when his actions suddenly make the extent of his internal growth obvious. Upon second viewing, I was able to empathize with his character a lot sooner (40min before the ending instead of 7min before).
Imagase, on the other hand, has no growth and is not fleshed out. He was just as 2-dimensional in my second viewing as he was in the first. Also, it's hard *not* to feel like whatever misery he feels, he brought upon himself (multiple times). He may be kind of pitiable, but I still struggled to sympathize with him because he was just one thing on repeat: an obsessed gay man who was very insecure about his straight friend/lover whom he kept pushing into an intimate relationship.
The way Imagase is written remains my biggest dissatisfaction with the film.
As with the first viewing, I was not that invested in the characters because, first, they aren't likeable, and second, because their connection lacks depth and affection (there doesn't seem much reason for them to like each other except for maybe being able to be comfortable around each other, which isn't nothing, but there's not a lot of that shown either). However, already knowing what I didn't like about it, I found the second viewing more mentally intriguing and enjoyable, and was able to better appreciate how the cornered mouse metaphor came into play throughout the story.
Another thing I was able to roll with better the second time around was the very loose sense of time. The movie somewhat disjointedly jumps from scene to scene and exact markers of time (days, weeks, etc) are never mentioned. Knowing where the story was going allowed me to string things together in my head. For the first watch, it was like reading a book with chunks of pages torn out at random; I could piece the story together, but it felt like multiple scenes were missing.
The sex is very realistic and the atmosphere created with light, colors, and cinematography was very well done and cohesive.
GENERAL SPOILER On The Ending:
......
It is an open ending, but I think the pattern of what will happen is pretty clear, only this time there's more hope for stability in it. The only thing left in question, in my mind, is when.
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"어른들은 진짜 왜 어러냐?"
I successfully forgot all the childhood mishaps not to be reminded here of those..?😅I acknowledge the hard work put in this movie and the difficulty directing child actors, but I feel like the whole point of the story is to whimper about old traumas and how bad is everyone around. There aren't really any characters who offer strong positive connection with the leads.
This story was written from the position of the weak, and doesn't try to understand the problem of growing up from any other side. I'm sorry, but the debut feature of the director Yoon Ga Eun is immature. It was relatable sometimes, yes, but exhausted itself by the middle. Not to mention the cinematography - there were some overexposed shots. I will watch The House of Us next and hope it's more skillfully made.
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A bunch of misfits trying their best at football: enjoyable for its last third but forgettable
This sport movie takes an interesting angle tackling on a quite unknown (at least to me) event "The Homeless International World Cup", which is apparently an annual international football event. Even though I found the premise of the film quite engaging, it certainly did not gain me immediately over. Indeed, the tone of the story was almost too comedic / satirical at first making it difficult for me to get emotionally invested in the characters. However, the last third of the movie makes it up and is pretty great with a couple of tear inducing moments.The cast (and more specifically the two main roles played by Park Seo Joon and IU) was what drove me to watch this. I am clearly satisfied by their performances but it is is for sure not their best and most memorable work. Especially for IU, her role was too subdue to really offer her a lot opportunities to shine. Park Seo Joon has a little more room to play as his character is much more dominant to the storyline. Overall the ensemble cast did a commendable job bringing the story to life despite the writing flaws.
The filmmaking was very good: all the football sequences were rather compelling to follow as well as the more slice-of-life moments. I enjoyed the bright and colourful atmosphere as well as the soundtrack, not unforgettable but pleasant while watching the film.
I would recommend this movie to people that are looking for a different kind of sport movie. If you are fan of one of the actors / actresses, it is worth giving it a shot. Rather than really being about football, it is much more slice-of-life with a lot of misfits characters trying their best all together.
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