A sumptuous period fantasy that delivers!
I have not read the manga nor was I familiar with the story. I knew that it had Ren Meguro in it and I was swayed by the trailers -- especially the elements of fantasy -- to watch it. And I am so happy that I did! It premiered at the Japanese Cultural Centre in Toronto today; and I am so glad that I went. There is something to be said about the experience of watching a movie with an audience that is wanting to be charmed by what they watch unfold on screen.Without spoiling the movie, I will say that the production quality is incredible. I think they used heritage sites for most of the filming and it really shows in the movie. They add a depth of place and history that you wouldn't find otherwise. The costumes worked well too. I'll agree with the earlier review that they had a challenge in compressing a significant and complicated story into 1 hour and 57 minutes but they did a reasonable job. As a newbie, I didn't find it rushed or choppy, which is a testament to the script writing and editing, especially since so much of the film relies on cutaways.
The leads were terrific. Their chemistry was on point. And whoever thought of putting Ren Meguro in a grey wig with long hair and a navy military uniform is a genius. It worked perfectly. He looks in part formidable military commander, a leader with hidden warmth. and a man in search of the warmth of hearth and home --without even knowing it. He is the archetypal hero but with a strong streak of pragmatism, which makes the character even more attractive. Especially when the commander is replaced by a fumbling young man hesitantly exploring the dangerous territory of his emotions. Mia Imada is lovely as the wide-eyed damsel in distress, who possesses unexpected depths. So much of her resistance is hidden under a dramatically vulnerable exterior. The grief and pain of her history manifest in unexpected ways, reminiscent of a trauma survivor. Watching the two of them open up to each other is done well. It's very lightly handled with more left in side long looks, and aborted gestures than what is actually said out loud.
And now to the piece that I loved. I would watch it again just to relive the fantasy elements and special effects. The way Kiyoka Kudo handles a spark of fire is fantastic. It's poetic. Glittering embers of light streak across the screen like fireflies. Its power to destroy and to heal is a visual treat. The fight scenes are well choreographed with sabres flashing and cloaks swirling and magic manifesting. Little is said. In fact, little needs to be said because the physicality and layers of these scenes speak for themselves underscored as they are by a terrific OST. There is a delicious denouement with the villainous family that left me and the rest of the audience clapping in delight!!
All in all, tropes and cliches aside, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Just one word: MASTERPIECE
This movie has to be one of the best,if not the best, mystery/psychologiac thriller in the history of movies, ALL MOVIES not only the Kdramas. There is too much to be told about this movie. At the start, I just thought that they had done something with his brother's brain, maybe someone took control of his body? maybe someone hypnotized him in doing this? But oh God it never came to mind how the whole thing was gonna end. The plot twists were unthinkable, I would never think of such a thing, the director has to be some kind of genius. And did I mention the actors' acting? God it was PERFECT! My boy Kang Ha Neul did such an amazing job ♡. The music? The way it made the suspense scenes even more suspenc-y; and scary was just amazing.Truth to be told, I actually watched this movie bc of Kang Ha Neul (I love him sm) but I'm so glad I did. And Kim Mu Yeol, hello? His acting is perfect, I need more of him, please. ( Kang Ha Neul too, GIVE MY BOY MORE MAIN ROLES!!!)
Don't just put it in your watchlist to watch another time. Stop looking for more series/movies in this platform. Go watch it NOW! 1hr and 48mins is one and a half episode of a drama series, it won't hurt to go watch it now...
or...
maybe it will hurt in the end..?
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I am a Sadako Junkie!
I have watched all the Sadako movies before this, but my least favorite storyline was the 3D one, if that helps define which Sadako movies I like (without spoiling anything). This movie was good quality, with beautiful actors/actresses, and music/sound effects were effective for creating a thrilling horror experience. As for the story, it didn't seem to introduce much lore about Sadako, and at first it felt like it was just repeating the plot from the earlier movies. But there is a twist later on in the story and the writers did a good job with making it logical. The acting was amazing, and I loved both the leads. Great for a watch, and it didn't feel as scary as some of the other ones, but maybe I just knew what to expect, and it wasn't as bad as Sadako 3DWas this review helpful to you?
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a must watch!
What a movie! What an experience!I loved every part of it but especially the acting. I can't believe that this is the same person that played such an innocent character in 2521. I love that actors don't just stick with one genre but explore and my oh my she's one talented actress indeed.
Furthermore, the story is just top notch. I was shocked when there was this plot twist...and also how weird that a child had to read such vulgar words, but then again it goes with the story, albeit weird. I especially loved how the men were punished at the end. I did not expect a happy ending with that poster but I was pleasantly surprised.
I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who loves and appreciates all kinds of genres, not just romcom.
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"Freedom is something you have to fight for"
In No Regrets for Our Youth, Kurosawa Akira presented many questions, but gave few answers. More than a political referendum on Japan's militaristic actions, the film focused on Yagihara Yukie's responses to the events going on around her, the choices she made and how she grew into her own sense of responsibility and freedom.The film begins using the actual Takigawa incident at the Kyoto University in 1932 as a springboard, only with fictional characters. In the film, Yukie's father, Professor Yagihara, comes under fire for his liberal opinions. Students protest and professors are fired or quit. During this time, Yukie is torn between two students. Itokawa doesn't rock the boat and conforms to what is going on in the country. Noge Ryukichi is a firebrand firmly against the country's militaristic actions and leans decidedly left. Noge chooses a path away from the school leading to a stint in jail while Itokawa stays, becomes a prosecutor, and woos Yukie. After a recently released Noge accompanies Itokawa to a family dinner, Yukie realizes she needs a fresh start for she still loves Noge and does not want the dull life Itokawa offers. She moves to Tokyo to work, later meeting and marrying Noge. The two are incarcerated around the time Pearl Harbor is bombed. When Yukie's parents are finally able to have her released, she travels to her in-laws instead of staying in the relative wealth of her parents' home. Her in-laws live as night owls due to their connection with Noge and are ostracized by the villagers. Yukie finds what she's been missing as she digs into the earth at her mother-in-law's side planting rice.
Yukie, played by Ozu regular Hara Setsuko, goes from flighty, rash, entitled daughter to a woman so sure of herself that Itokawa proclaims, "Your sheer life force makes me feel ashamed!" The two male leads are as gray and uninteresting as the screen in the movie. Without Hara, the film would be too bland to care about. No Regrets for Our Youth was the last of Kurosawa's movies featuring a woman. Yukie was certainly one of his most interesting and likeable female characters. The film took a long time for her to go from her father's beliefs, to her husband's to finally finding her own beliefs. Her father knew the path she was taking would be difficult. "Remember that there will be sacrifices in the struggle for freedom." For the individual or the country, it would be true for both. Noge and Yukie held to the motto, "No regrets in my life" and that sustained her through her many trials. Her turning point, epiphany if you will, seemed to come while standing calf deep in the mud of a rice paddy. The film didn't really become interesting to me until the last third to quarter when Yukie finally started coming into her own.
The film itself felt poorly edited for a Kurosawa film. At the beginning of the film, the students on a hilltop hear gunfire believing it to be practice but find a badly wounded soldier just below them, something that was never explained. Perhaps it simply required a greater familiarity with the history of this time. While Yukie commanded the screen, her actions and emotions could be erratic, almost manic. One moment she's laughing, the next she's crying, or staring blankly into space, constantly swinging between extreme emotions. Her actions could be rash with Kurosawa unwilling to give us a reason for them. Though the politics of the time impacted the characters' lives, aside from the evils of militarism and the gestapo-like Tokko/Thought Police who cracked down on freedom of thought, the politics seemed rather vague most of the time. We don't know specifically what the professor said that caused him to be fired or what Noge did that landed him in jail. For the most part we only see how the events caused Yukie to react and their impact on her.
Near the end of the movie a title declares, "War Ends. Freedom Restored." Just as Noge had predicted, his work would be seen in light of fighting for Japan's peace and prosperity. At this point Yukie's family expects her to return to her comfortable life now that her husband's actions are framed in a positive manner. For Yukie, she has found her freedom and where her responsibility lies and it is in a simple life working with the dirt of the earth. The vacuous girl has grown into a woman who has sacrificed much to earn her place in the world and she's not willing to go backward. No Regrets for Our Youth started out slow but finished strong largely on the performance of Hara Setsuko.
6/10/23
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AMAZING ROMANCE MOVIE - RECOMMEND IF YOU LIKE FLUFFY, HEALING, ARRANGED MARRIAGE TROPES
THIS MOVIE WAS AMAZING!! I came for Imada Mio, Meme, and some fluffy romance tropes, and I walked away happy.now look, the plot was extremely fast paced and rushed, which makes sense since they had to compress so much manga and light novels into one film. the lore and worldbuilding was all given over voiceover and I absorbed *none* of it. I had no idea what was going on in terms of the magic system wise throughout the movie but it didn't matter because....
I came for the romance and the romance delivered. Imada Mio and Meme were just so cute together, their chemistry was decent too. my fav trope is a couple healing each other and I was 100% left satisfied on that score. yeah, the FL cries and whimpers a lot and can be a damsel in distress but it makes sense bc of her awful childhood. it was heartwarming watching the ML build up her confidence and strength thru sheer kindness. and it was so touching to see her melt his heart. another fav trope - seemingly badass general is actually a shy, awkward softboi? check ✅. and Miyo turns out to be badass and not defenceless and worthless like everyone told her before her marriage... but I won't spoil it.
I loved seeing other actors I stan in this:
- Tao (she served so hard I didn't even mind all the flashbacks scenes with the admittedly gorgeous kimono)
- the Kanokari ML. no, idk his name. yes I appreciate him. yes we exist.
- the ML from Neko.
- my new crush, Takaishi Akari from JK to Haijin. even tho the latter was so evil in this. nice acting tho.
my only complaint would be that this movie needed more time with the couple instead of the fantasy/action elements. bc, let me be honest, I didn't come for that and neither I did the rest of audience I think.
otherwise I really loved this movie. as a romance movie, it was a solid 10/10, but I wish that was all it was. shoutout to the sound effects, visuals and gorgeous cinematography as well.
so, overall, i'd say this is a solid 8.7/10. def lived up to the hype.
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Detailed presentation of a complex situation.
I’ll be honest with everyone - the only reason one should watch this over a director's cut (which for me is a 10/10), is to later watch the director's cut and appreciate it even more.Memoir of a Murderer is a story about simple characters in a complex and convoluted situation - both internally and externally. The addition of dementia is such a fresh and fascinating take on the typical serial killer story. What happens when a “reformed” serial killer starts to lose himself in the past, regressing to immoral behavior and not being able to control his urges that were tamed for years? Add another layer of him trying to catch another serial killer while struggling to remember all the encounters and identities of people around him - what a horrifying, but also captivating scenario.
What the movie does perfectly well is confusing the audience - what is reality? What is just a fragment of imagination? What was a lie and what was a forgotten memory? No matter how much you might pay attention, you cannot differentiate between the real and the fake, unless the movie itself wants to tell you the truth. How did they achieve that? Smart directing, amazing editing, trusting the audience and one aspect that made the director's cut better - the conclusion that actually makes sense.
Sol Kyung Gu as Kim Byung Soo? Perfection. The range of emotions and expressions, the chilling narrations and that eye twitch… The performance that somehow made me sympathize with a serial killer, even feel bad for him. Disagreeing with his murderous nature was obvious, but the fear of losing your identity and years of life and memories is such a horrible vision, it was hard not to feel anything while watching the movie.
Overall, probably one of the best serial killer movies I have seen in years, easily top5 of all times. Personally preferred the director’s cut, so if one is not up to watching mostly the same movie twice, skip the theatrical release.
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I personally liked it
Eek, if you look at my rating breakdown, the overall rating should technically be a 5.5 but I personally feel like my overall rating for it would be an 8.I liked this movie. It's quite a simple movie, slow paced but not too overly slow paced, quite relatable as well.
I empathised with the main character despite her acting which could be seen as a bit much, I think that was the goal, perhaps? I definitely could relate to the things the main character was going through in the movie. There were times I got frustrated with her, concerned for her and times I felt like I wanted to comfort and protect her.
I really liked the lessons I got from this movie which is why I gave it an 8. The acting was good too. The visuals were good. I loved the main character's outfits. I don't know if I would watch the movie again by myself, maybe I would if I have company. But I would recommend the movie.
This movie may not be for everyone, but if you're into slow paced movies that still gets to a place/somewhere at the end (cos some movies really don't get anywhere at all at the end), with some good lesson/s to pick up along the way, then perhaps you'll like this movie. :)
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It put the "over" into "overkill" and the "E" into "evolution"
WOW this was an awesome ... bl00dy and gory ... but mind blowing movie.The beginning of the movie.
They definitely put the "over" in over kill ... it was saturated in blood and guts and bones and brain matter (｡ꏿ﹏ꏿ｡) Initially I wondered where the hell this story was going to ... I decided to stick around for two reasons:
1. Seo In Guk. OMG what a transformation!! He has such an incredible acting range ... it is always a pleasure to watch his work.
2. to see what the go was between Jang Dong Yoon who plays Lee Do Il and the "Korean-stein" ... as there seemed to be some connection there. I am glad I did.
The middle of the movie.
I found this to be quite historical and evolutionary. Historical because of the links to the Japanese Empire's Surgeon General Shiro Ishii and his Unit 731. They were infamous for diabolical and horrendous medical atrocities perpetrated upon civilians and whole villages throughout Japanese occupied territory in WWII. In an International Military Tribunal for the Far East, the United States Government gave Ishii immunity from prosecution of war crimes, in exchange for information and research for the U.S. bio-weapons program. A diabolical act in itself ... one that not only spits in the face of every single victim who was tortured and died at their hands but humanity in general. BUT here is the thing ... it is not just a Japanese thing, or a USA thing ... it is a 'any country' thing (as we find out later in the movie). The middle was also evolutionary as, at the end of the day, evolution is no respecter of persons, it really is survival of the fittest ... be it cerebrally or physically or both ... it will cut through egoic human pretentions like butter. Humans messing with human DNA ... evolution is going to kick in somewhere along the line and it may very well come back and bite humanity as it is.
The end of the movie.
The end was a bombshell. The ship - such a powerful allegory to the world - initially it was humans fighting humans on the ship ... then it was the monster fighting humans ... then the humans were all wiped out leaving monster fighting monster ... it was almost Tolkien, one monster to rule them all. The last scene ... so powerful ... the father of new life emerges from the ocean, as if in homage to that first primordial life form that first set its "foot" on land ... he walks into a new world passing by the refuse of the humanity ... the humanity that he and his kind will replace ... because it is survival of the fittest.
WOW ... this was an epic movie ... a multi-level plot that you could do a deep dive into if you wanted to ... brilliantly acted ... definitely rewatchable ... loved it.
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Good Remake of a popular story.
Although this film is a remake of films like groundhog day, I felt the directors did a decent job of the remake.Chen Feiyu is a very good actor and now that he's graduated from the Beijing Film Academy I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of him. I thought he also did a great job in Ever Night and Lighter and Princess. Many of the films he's in have a good opening that makes you want to keep watching. I'm glad he has the courage to take on different roles and characters. He's very fortunate to have parents in the film and entertainment business. His private life is his own business and non of anyone else's. Actors are human beings; viewers should appreciate the work and the efforts to bring people enjoyment and entertainment.
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One of the best Korean Remake I have watched
Everything in my stars says it there, I don't have to spoil anything but if you like watching action movies with intense acting and some funny scenes you should watch this. One that I have to point out that is really good in this film is the acting and the action scenes. Plus the actors in this film are one of those great actors in the Philippines and I really like the excellent casting and the way they all portrayed the characters. This isn't the original film and the Korean one is the original but I felt that this is like an original film or a very good version of a Philippine movie. The story overall is okay, and since I like watching movies with action I really like this.Was this review helpful to you?
The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
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Heartwarming
The movie adaptation was very good, It was so beautiful. Having read the book before discovering that it was adapted into a movie, I did not expect much as I guessed each chapter alone will be challenging to adapt. They would have to depict many stories at a time, hence I believe it would be difficult. But, the movie was excellent. I loved how they depict the stories well, the journey to finding out all of the necessary details were beautifully done. Though I would prefer the book more, I loved the cinematography and the beauty of the movie. Great casting and I would say it was an extremely heartwarming story that teaches you the lessons in life.Was this review helpful to you?
Healing story disguised as age gap
Want to get back to what you love, but afraid it won't be the same? In this film, both protagonists have similar struggles that push them towards each other, but thank God they have life support. The female protagonist ignores her passion for track after an accident, and the male protagonist has a creative block. That pause creates chaos, but also pushes them forward to discover what they want and need most. Watch for the natural acting, the recovery process of a former runner, and the beautiful metaphors.Was this review helpful to you?
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you WILL get pissed
Honestly though, this movie took the ‘cliche dumb main character in a horror movie’ to the next level. You have no idea how much she frustrated me. Literally the dumbest person ever, I mean I get that in certain situations you just don’t know how to handle things like that but isn’t she completely dense?But then again this just proves how well the actress is, so kudos to her. Both actresses did extremely well honestly..
The ending kinda fucked me up because i’m honestly kinda happy for the villain winning because wow i did not feel one ounce of sympathy towards the main character, she literally deserved it all because of how dumb and naive she was. Literally how could she possibly make every bad move and the way she handled that stuff is just even more frustrating, it’s just an easy story where it pisses you off.
On a more bright note I guess it’s more realistic to end it like that because how could a dumbass like her outsmart a smart serial killer? Lol, I thought this might’ve been some kinda horror esque movie where the villain gets killed in the end by some magical thing but atleast they showed that it’s practically unrealistic to make her lose against an idiot. So honestly…i’m not even THAT mad. I’m just mad that they made the main character that unlikeable..
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