Reviews

One of my favourite movies of 2023!

I usually don't write reviews, but for this one, I couldn't resist!

I went to watch this at the Japanese film festival in Toronto a couple of weeks ago, and I was very pleasantly surprised! As a fan of Snow Man and Meguro Ren, my expectations were honestly pretty high. Because of this, I was preparing myself to be a bit let down, but somehow, he's done it again!

STORY:

As soon as the movie was announced, I immediately went to read the manga. Seeing as the manga isn't completed yet, the movie did a great job with pacing and making sure the ending was both satisfying, yet ambiguous. They had to cut out a couple of details, such as Kaya's husband having feelings for Miyo and vice versa, but it didn't really hinder the story much, so I don't really mind it.

Throughout the movie, Kiyoka and Miyo have some really cute moments with each other, with patient Kiyoka slowly encouraging Miyo to come out of her shell, and Miyo learning to express herself. One of the best scenes in the movie is when Miyo was kidnapped and being tortured to give up Kiyoka; refusing to do so, and Kiyoka literally BURNING DOWN THE ENTIRE ESTATE TO FIND HER. It really shows how much their relationship developed. And although there wasn't a dramatic "I love you" confession scene, or a kiss, this is one of the rare times that I thought it wasn't necessary. While you could tell that the main genre wasn't romance, the movie did a good job balancing it with the action and historical elements.

If I had to have one "complaint", I would have enjoyed this as a drama! There is so much lore and questions left unanswered that a 12-16 episode drama would definitely have me hooked.

ACTING/CAST:

Since fantasy was a first for Meme, I was curious as to how he'd do. The result? Honestly, pretty good! He seemed to have completely immersed himself in the role, and he managed to play the cold but secretly warm-hearted Kiyoka pretty well! Seeing that the manga version of Kiyoka had more delicate and soft features, I was worried that the movie version would not provide that big of a "gap moe". Again, I was thankfully proven very wrong.

I was familiar with Imada Mio from Hana Nochi Hare, but that's about it. She definitely had a BIG transformation in both character and style from that drama to this, and it definitely shows her range as an actress. She looked really cute in the traditional clothing, and I found myself really believing she was Miyo, rather than an actress playing her.

MUSIC: (may be biased)

Having listened to Tapestry by Snow Man beforehand, I thought it was a great match for the overall "feel" of the movie. Unfortunately, it only played at the very end of the movie, but I was still very excited to hear Snow Man playing at an actual theatre in Canada for the first time. The other soundtracks for the movie were all fine for me; no complaints here.

REWATCH VALUE:

Yes. Just a yes. If a sequel does come out, you'll definitely catch me watching this again in preparation for it. Here's to hoping more Japanese films play internationally!

OVERALL: 9.8/10

TL;DR: Whether you know of Imada Mio and/or Meguro Ren or not, I whole-heartedly recommend you check this out. You won't regret it.

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“It’s a deal. You protect the world. I’ll protect you”

What can I say, except that this movie is a pure masterpiece. I don’t know if I remember seeing a clip of this on Instagram or Tik Tok, but I had put it in my watchlist along with my many other dramas. Lately I’ve been putting shows on hold, or dropping them altogether, or not even have a chance to start it. Seeing as this is a movie, I thought “why not”. At least I’ll know I’ll finish it in one go. And I’m glad I did. The topic of bullying is a touchy subject for some, and although I was teased as a kid by mean classmates, it never got physical. I tried putting myself in the main character’s shoes, and honestly, although it was a movie, things like this happen all the time, but the director and cast did a great job in portraying it. They didn’t gloss over the violence and actually showed the bullies the consequences of their actions. I think although most of us see this in movies and shows, it’s different than what we perceive. The way that even though the main characters got dealt a bad hand, they still found solace and comfort in each other. They wanted to better themselves and I love how they brought it out in each other.

Okay, so the cast is relatively new to me, but can I say how Oscar worthy their performances were? It almost felt real and raw and that they weren’t really acting. Props to Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee for telling this story. I was in shock when I read that Dongyu was almost 30 years old when this came out and Jackson wasn’t even 20. It felt like I was watching real kids in high school and almost forgot that she was almost a decade older than him. They really had my head scratching, because I really thought he was older than her in the movie.

And as for the ending, it leaves it up to the viewers interpretation. Did she know he was out of jail and following her, or was he silently watching over her? I would like to think that she knew he was there and that they built a new life together. By the way, when you start to see the end credits, don’t assume it’s over. There’s dialogue and the actual end where I’m talking about him following her. Although I would like a sequel to show how their life is now as they’re adults, I’m very satisfied with the ending.

I watched this on Amazon Prime as I am a Prime member, but I see that you could watch it on Freevee with ads if you don’t have Prime, Hulu, or AppleTV. I highly recommend this movie. Just have Kleenex on hand as you will get emotional. 10/10 would recommend.

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A Good One time watch for me

Spiritwalker
2020 Action/Mystery Movie
1h 48m

Synopsis:
"Unable to remember anything about his life, a man begins regaining consciousness in a new body every 12 hours. Now, he must piece together his identity, all while evading attacks from pursuing agents and dangerous criminals alike."

PROS:
◇The way it throws you in the middle really liked how we knew what the character knew.
◇The action scenes were really great!
◇Enjoyed the fast pace
◇The leads the couple both actors did AMAZING in this genre. Definitely will check out more projects by them.

CONS:
◇The amount of strong language, not a fan, they over did it in my opinion.
◇That club scene was a little weird could have done without.
◇The twists weren't HUGE if you were familiar with the genre.

Overall, I'm glad I picked it up, and it was a great Friday night movie.

Content /Trigger Warning:
(Minor spoilers)
◇Drug Abuse
◇Murder
◇Violence
◇Strong Language
◇Insinuated Sexual activity (at a club)

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"Let's eat together"

Tiger Love was a strange story amalgam of kung fu, Romeo and Juliet, and weird horror. None of the three actually worked although the horror aspect was memorably bizarre.

Sher Shin Lan (Hug Chin) and Lin Shao Ho (Lo Lieh) are lovers and on the run because they come from warring clans. Sher's dad and his men have the two trapped on the edge of a cliff. When Shin Lan thinks they've kill Shao Ho she leaps from the cliff and is assumed dead. Now is when the story gets weird. She lands in a tree with a tiger attempting to climb up it to eat her. In fear she pees on the tiger and passes out. The tiger takes her to his cave and cares for her. She thinks it's because if a woman kisses a tiger he becomes her slave. Um, pretty sure she didn't kiss him unless that was edited out, but the kiss is alluded to several times. She has Shao Ho's baby and Uncle Tiger helps her raise him. A young Shao Chang whacks the tiger in the nose with a stick and the tiger leaps at the child with a freeze frame on the child's terrified face. Child Services Line 1!!

Shao Ho grows up and meets his father who is actually alive! He goes to live with him and traps a girl from the Sher family during a hunting expedition and the two fall in love. Papa Sher (Wang Hsieh) will not allow it nor will Papa Lin. The Lin patriarch kicks Shao Chang out. After the Sher heir is mysteriously killed (and stays mysterious to the end of the movie), Shao Chang is blamed and the Shers ambush the Lin family and kill nearly everyone. While looking for Shao Chang, his mother is mortally wounded by the Shers. She begs her son to not seek revenge so that she can rest in peace. He agrees. The tiger, however, doesn't. He kills a man and declares that for 20 years out of love for Shin Lan he hasn't killed a human. In the past, he'd eaten 99 humans and with this 100th kill he will now become a tiger demon! During the day he's a tiger but at night he turns into a green glowing fanged witch with tiger paws for the kill. Vowing vengeance on the Sher family he begins to take them out. Some of the attacks looked frighteningly real. This was no CGI tiger, but the real deal! When the tiger demon disguises himself as the Sher grandma and asks to be let into the house by Shao Chang's love, all I could hear was, "my grandma, what big teeth you have!" going through my head. When the tiger demon states, "Let's eat together," it's not what the young women think their "grandma" means.

The kung fu wasn't great and there wasn't much of it. Stephen Tung would choreograph martial arts for more movies than he would act in and going by this film, that was a good thing. The young romance wasn't very believable. Lo Lieh didn't have many scenes but he could act at least by kung fu standards and was entertaining to watch. Wang Hsieh as the bad clan leader could play the role in his sleep and might have. The editing was choppy at best and the story pacing was awful. For a story with a wide variety of conflicts it could be painstakingly slow during the middle segment. The last 20 minutes with the tiger demon was so amazingly crazy that at least it might keep your attention. The most suspenseful part of the movie was wondering if the actors and stuntmen walked away from the mauling scenes in one piece. The two young lovers were also related, was she his aunt? Or was his mom her aunt? They skimmed over the family connections. Bestiality was implied a couple of times between the mom and the tiger, but I just refused to let my mind go there. Like I said, this was one weird movie.

I'm on a quest to watch as many Lo Lieh films as I can which is why I put myself through this mess. Unless you are in the mood for a poorly made and utterly strange kung fu film, or a kung fu filmdom completionist, my advice is to skip this one.

6/23/23

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Avoid if not in the right headspace

Great movie, super interesting topic but don't watch it if you're feeling down or pretty sensitive, I felt like crap afterwards. It's not too explicit but this is a really depressing movie, especially since it's loosely inspired by a true story, and that's def not a wholesome feelgood movie.

The way the movie is written and directed is interesting. We switch perspective halfway through the movie.
It is quite slow paced and you feel like how hard it is for the characters to go through their days.
From what I recall, there's not a lot of background music but the lack of it contribute to make the ambiance heavy.

If you are interested in how hard training program and work culture for young people is in Korea, that's for you but brace yourself, that's a bumpy and painful ride.

PS: Sorry if some sentences sound weird, English is not my first language.

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Interesting sci-fi, BUT.

I'm writing this from the perspective of someone who has never read the manga, watched the animes or played the game. Gantz isn't 'bad' but it's not great. It's pretty unique and well-made, but it doesn't really GO anywhere. IMO, the plot does not advance enough. Without spoilers, the plot is basically: be summoned, battle an enemy, people die, those who survive go back, and then are summoned, battle another enemy, etc (the process repeats 3x). I wouldn't call this a fatal flaw, though, since this might be what some people are looking for, and the sci-fi elements are pretty cool and the aliens are different from what you see in western media. I just feel like it was very repetitive and a lack of deeper character development meant that when characters were killed I wasn't particularly bothered by it. More specifically, I just finished Alice in Borderland, which properly developed characters and therefore deaths were extremely painful and gut-wrenching to watch, so by comparison Gantz fell short here IMO. Still, Gantz isn't 'bad' in this respect.

However, when it comes to the presentation of female characters, Gantz is god-awful.

The focus on the MC's perverted desires at the start & the way he treats women is uncomfortable, but that wasn't the worst part. The presentation of female characters is just the epitome of 'male-gaze'. That is the one thing in this movie that I absolutely hated, and meant it had very little re-watch value to me. Female characters in this movie only existed for the men, only really talked to or about the men, and only existed to further the character development/storylines of the men. Definitely would not pass the Mako-Mori test in any way, shape, or form haha. It's a pity that a promising sci-fi movie (/movie series) couldn't develop the characters properly. If they were going to make the presentation of female characters so offensively bad they might as well have just made it a male-only cast. If you can get over that and are fine with female characters being mostly just delicate and tearful and/or only existing to advance the plotlines of the male main characters (eg. profess their love for them, rely on them, save them, do/say X to improve their self-worth), then I would say give it a go. It's not great but it's interesting sci-fi

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heart-breaking

It is a profoundly challenging experience to watch. It evokes a deep emotional response, possibly because it mirrors the harsh realities of life.

This film possesses an undeniable beauty, but it evoked such intense emotions that I couldn't help but shed tears. Regardless of the emotional impact it had on me, the story itself is exceptional, and I have no regrets about watching it.

In my perspective, this film can be deemed a true masterpiece. Its exceptional writing and skillful direction contribute to a flawless execution overall.

The narrative revolves around two authentic individuals who experience the full range of human emotions, including pain, suffering, and tears. However, amidst these hardships, there are also moments of happiness, longing, and ultimately a satisfying resolution.

Watching this remarkable creation has truly been an awe-inspiring, incredible, and immensely gratifying experience.

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A Pretty Good Korean Version of Dangerous Liasions

I'm a sucker for this story. I've seen so many versions. Even though I always know how it ends, and they *always* end the same way, I will watch. This Korean version is pretty darn good. It follows the story fauthfully, while staying authentically Korean. Yet, there a subtle little nods to the original French novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The time period, for one, as well as the 18th century score. To stay authentically Korean, however, some parts were changed, such as the Korean Marquise de Merteuil (Here Lady Cho) being the barren wife of an aging nobleman, and the Korean Cecile (So Ok) being the young, virginal new concubine. Those are only a couple of examples. There are a few more, but ultimately none of the changes made ruin the plot nor deviate from the original story.

I won't give anything away, if you have never seen any of the versions. I will say that it's beautifully made and plesant to watch. There is nudity and sex, but I have seen way more graphic. It is all artfully done, which plays into the story, actually. If you watch it, you will see what I mean. Still, I wouldn't reccommend it to younger viewers. It is a very sexually charged story, after all.

All in all, though, I think it's a great version and was really impressed how they adapted it to make it uniquiely Korean story wise. 8.5.

P.S. Watch until the end of the credits. ;)

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it’s okay

i liked the movie and the main reason i watched this was because of kim hyeyoon. however, i really disliked how they gave no explanation or context whatsoever to eun-sung and han-sol relationship and the ML just accepted and that’s it. like why was han-sol hanging out so much with eun-sung if she was dating another guy? they also made it look like the relationship between han-sol and the ML was super rushed and didn’t really gave us time to see how their relationship would evolve. it made it seem like han-sol didn’t care about kim yong at all.

the movie is pretty and i really liked jin-goo’s acting in here. i just wish the story was better

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"Humans are beggars, they all want something"

Director Ozu made this film about two college buddies when he was 26 years old. Of his first eight films this is the oldest title to survive. Sadly, seventeen of his films before 1936 were lost and only fragments remain of a few others. Each of these extant films is a gift. With the exception of repeated use of architectural items in the intro and finale of the film, there would be little to suggest this was his film. Moving films were still in their infancy and young Ozu appeared to be experimenting with the medium.

Yamamoto and Watanabe are college buddies who don't take studying too seriously even with exams coming up. Yamamoto has met a girl, Chieko, who is knitting socks for him and later Watanabe meets her when he rents her his room. After exams many of the students and Chieko go to a ski resort. Under "I saw her first Bro" law, Yamamoto should have had first dibs on wooing her, but Watanabe uses every trick in the book, most at Yamamoto's expense to have time with her alone. In the end, the two boys fail at everything except maintaining their friendship and keeping their sense of humor about it all.

This was a challenging film to finish for me. The film was long for a silent film that didn't gain any traction until about 50 minutes into it. Watanabe was selfish, boorish, a moocher bordering on thief, and thoughtless to those around him. He acted like a rakish frat boy much of the time. Why Yamamoto stayed his friend was a mystery.

Nearly half of the film took place on a snowy mountain which had to be a record for outdoor scenery for the director. His later films felt more static and mostly took place in carefully composed rooms. This comedy involved pratfalls and movement walking up the mountain and skiing or falling down it. For the modern viewer it will make you more grateful for ski lifts. The later rigidity of the characters staring into the camera to say their lines was thankfully absent in this film. Though his scenes flitted by faster instead of the beautiful lingering shots he was known for, the movement was needed for the two energetic youth. The skiing scenes were well shot. The film was badly marred by salt and pepper pocking as well as some shadowing around the edges. I don't know if there is a restored version available somewhere but this film was definitely in need of some loving restoration.

Days of Youth was also in need of likeable characters to devote 100 minutes to, in the end the breathtaking views of the snow-covered mountain were the most interesting part of the film for me. Ozu would go on to develop a more polished film style and tighter and more meaningful writing. Everyone has to start somewhere and learn the ropes. For Ozu, I'm sure he found a deeper interest in the unorthodox friendship between oddballs, I just couldn't see it.

6/22/23

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So nice movie

The movie is so nice to watch as it's complete story from high school to matured life. It made me serious, smile and cry as it's a melodrama romance. I like it because it was more realistic as it involves family work and relationship. Great casting and settings. highly recommended for young at heart and for those into rediscovery of love since it was fun and worth to watch just the other compilation it had which i all watched. Great plot and screen playing as it doesn't drag so long and made more plot twist. It's more straightforward just like me who want to say what need to say and most of all the major casts didn't play so dumb and able to fight back just like in real life.

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This movie had a really good idea but didn't seem to write it out as well as it could've been. The story felt all over the place until it finally reached to the main focus of the movie. I felt it might've been better in a show format with all the information they wanted to fit in.

The characters themselves I found were annoying and I couldn't believe the choices they would make.. Now, I understand this is a horror movie and that's typical of the leads in them, but this was just another level of making silly decisions. It honestly started to make me root for the killer towards the end because of how easy everyone was making it for him. The acting is incredible though. Yim Si Wan is already a given, but Chun Woo Hee's acting was amazing. Especially towards the climax of the movie. She did an incredible job of portraying every emotion.

The "plot-twist" towards the end didn't even really get me and it didn't really fit, in my opinion. It just seemed like they needed another huge moment, but it really fell flat.

Overall, if you're looking for a silly horror movie to watch for entertainment and to laugh then this the pick. It wasn't great, but it was an okay watch.

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More complex storyline, but weaker fight sequences

Guy is back again after a year, whether it is an upgrade this time around, the answer is both yes and also no. The story building is more intensive in this third installment as they go for a more complex structure of a three way conflict that involves a lot more thought process, and the implementation of the characters are great along with the flow of the story. Now onto the weakness that this movie had, which sadly should be its main selling point, the action choreography. The franchise that was known for having masterclass martial arts sequences, somehow turns out not as powerful as the first and the second movie, fight scenes here were a little plain and dull, punches get simpler and battles get shorter, which feels like a rushed production. The previous two villains also fare so much better in terms of fighting skills and the pure charisma on screen, whereas the villain here is just not that intimidating and thrilling. It also has a weird tone that relies on too much humor to push the plot forward which almost becomes a full blown comedy. Well i guess sequels are just not that easy to preserve its excellence but I hope the next installment could really do better than this.

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Too short yet...

I love the way it is made, kept my attention.

Too short for any real development.

On the artsy side, this movie leaves a space for interpretation and allows individual to finish it in its own imagination. Loved the colors, and the frames are interesting. I am not entirely sure about some editing, but overall it was really good. I felt the melancholia and depression lingering in the air and water so it really made me feel something.

I was half asleep but stayed awake till the end. That is really important information because I can sleep standing in a public transportation. I am not easily kept awake. Also as a huge water and swimming fan this was pleasing, because I do fell sort of cleanse when I am in water.

I think this could be very good movie (at least an hour long). I would totally make one lol

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