Reviews

Their mouths were filled with words, but their souls were clothed with the unsaid.

The very first week of February, I have realized that I have always desired to live between the borders of the city and the countryside. I both want the busyness of the city and the passive greenery of the countryside; just like how I always found Iceland fascinating with its crisp weather spring and cold, wrathful volcanoes and glaciers.

As I watched Drive My Car, it seemed like I was able to dwell between such paradoxical parallels. I, myself, was in that red Saab 900 having a trip around all my own melancholia, detachment, joy, death, transformation, grace, and, perhaps, hoping that my final destination would be life, itself.

We, the audience, are actually the red Saab 900. As the car took its ride everywhere, it saw the sunny cities only to be blocked by hard, metal and concrete buildings. It hears of the city's sweet promises of opportunities, only to be disturbed by the rushing expressways. Then, it goes a little further from the city only to witness that the natured trees and floras were cold with thick snows. This was also how we perceive the characters in the film: there was beauty and brokenness within them.

Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya was featured in the film in which the main protagonist was working to direct an adaptation of the play using multiple languages: Filipino, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Malay, and even sign language. In spite of its multilingual feature, there is a certain silence or repression imprisoning the film. Their mouths were filled with words, but their souls are clothed with the unsaid.

The silence embracing the film, though, was greatly rich. There were some parts that I was close to shedding a tear even though there were no exaggeratedly loud neither emotively suggestive background music and acting performances. It was not emotionally manipulative and it truly was its genuine intentions and authenticity that moved me.

Drive My Car truly moved me that I didn't even realize that it could be slow. That slowness, though, was very purposive. For that's how it is to go through grief and to wait for life. It can be slow, as if you are being sucked out of life and light. How could you expect a film about grief and healing to move so fast and quick?

Towards the epilogue, Misaki was seen buying her groceries and driving the red Saab 900 with her new friend, a dog (which made me squirm a little for how adorable it was). At that moment, I understood that life is not the final destination. Life, itself, is the journey. For life does not stop, but it keeps going on. The dead has reached their destination already, but, we, the living, must keep going on with the journey. Keep driving your car, humans.

†† † † † ‡

"What can we do? We must live our lives. Yes, we shall live, Uncle Vanya.

We shall live through the long procession of days before us, and through the long evenings; we shall patiently bear the trials that fate imposes on us; we shall work for others without rest, both now and when we are old;

and when our last hour comes we shall meet it humbly, and there, beyond the grave, we shall say that we have suffered and wept, that our life was bitter, and God will have pity on us.

Ah, then dear, dear Uncle, you and I shall see that bright and beautiful life; we shall rejoice and look back upon our sorrow here; a tender smile -- and -- we shall rest.

I have faith, Uncle, fervent, passionate faith."

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Due to humans tearing down a forest and digging too deep, inadvertently unleashing a three-headed fire breathing monster, our heroine Mothra must come out of retirement to protect the Earth.

The Rebirth of Mothra gave the beautiful Kaiju a makeover and a trilogy aimed at kids. With the focus on a young brother and sister there's no doubt who the target audience is. The twin priestesses are no longer called the Cosmos and are no longer twins. Their costumes are brightly colored, and they ride a miniature Mothra-like fairy just to up the cute quotient. We are still gifted with the Mosura song, which they would have been remiss to leave out. Their comically evil sister stirs up trouble as she rides what amounts to a miniature dragon. To make sure you know this movie is aimed at a young audience there is also a lot of glitter and rainbow butterflies galore.

The movie really began for me when they got to the heart of the issue. Because of man's greed and short-sightedness, the Desghidorah is released. This monster sucks up the energy from the earth and forests. Where he goes, a shortage of oxygen also follows causing problems for the local humans. Desghidorah looks like a close cousin of King Ghidorah. Mothra at the end of her life is unable to defeat him and her caterpillar son swims to the rescue. I have to say, this was the most beautiful Mothra metamorphosis out of all of the movies. Her son is given extraordinary powers after cocooning on an ancient, mystical tree.

Because the movie is aimed at children, the action begins early with the fairies fighting and never lets up. The best of the action is when Mothra and Desghidorah are fighting. The fairy sisters battling each other wasn't as entertaining for me. In fact, on a second viewing I skimmed much of the initial action until Mothra and Desghidorah showed up. The children are actively involved in helping the fairies and Mothra. For the most part, the kids did a good job and their dominance on the screen didn't prove too annoying for me.

I was disappointed Mothra's child was a male. Mothra being the only female Kaiju, not counting Bolliante, set her apart. If they wanted to make a more powerful Mothra, why not let a female have some new kickass powers?

I don't usually grade niche movies on a curve after the 1980's but this is a children's monster movie, so I did give it a small rating bump. Don't expect too much from the special effects. Honestly, it looked like it could have been made in the late 1970's or early 80's from all the psychedelic colors. And of course, we're treated to a guy in a rubber suit and miniatures. It is Toho after all. This movie is definitely not a movie for everyone. You have to love Mothra, and if you happen to be over the age of 10, it helps if you are still a child at heart and easily entertained.

Mothra reminds us that she isn't just a pretty monster face. She cements herself as a protector and as a defender of the environment. In The Rebirth of Mothra, humans and Desghidorah were reminded why Godzilla gives her a wide berth. She might look like a butterfly, but she stings like a bee (to paraphrase the late great boxer, Mohammed Ali).

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heartfelt but not enough?

After watching the movie and reading reviews I've come to agree with a few negative ones. The overall storyline was very
beautiful and heartfelt, it teaches a lesson everyone should know, for example, beauty is not everything, it's about what's inside that matters, be careful what you wish for, etc. Although I almost shed a tear it never fell from my eyes, it hit the heart but not hard enough.
The movie lacks much emotional build-up with the main characters, the idea of this film would have been better as a drama to create more suspense and connection. Many periods of time were short (few minute) flashes. The storyline would have been more appreciated if there were more history.
Overall I enjoyed this movie, I do think there could be changes made. The story, acting/cast, and music were all pretty good, like saying moderately strong to the line of best fit in math LOL. I would not rewatch this movie even with all the good qualities. The main plot is too memorable and not in the good way to watch this movie multiple times.

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Light romantic comedy with a pinch of BDSM101

The curiosity led me to watch this movie and SeoHyun is here too sooooo I was excited. It's kind of a unique genre from what I usually watch so the story is kind of so-so for me. Here are the main things that you can expect in this movie (without spoiler)

- SeoHyun's sexy side ♥
- Light comedy romance that's kind of predictable if you've watched a lot of romantic comedy before
- Mostly portrayal of BDSM on a simple and lighter way.
- No too much provocative scenes. It remained on the decent side (very unlike from 50 Shades trilogy movie)

If there's something that really stood out for me about this movie, it's the fact that it changed my ignorance about BDSM. I have always thought negatively about BDSM because I cannot understand why some people are into that however this movie made me realize that BDSM are merely self preference. It is not disgusting or strange. It's just that some people are really into that and we should respect that.

If you're a fan of SeoHyun, definitely watch it. If you're curious about BDSM, it's a beginner version with no too much skinship involved. If you're sensitive about seeing physical torture (mild) like being tied, slapped, stepped on, etc., you can skip this one. If you decided to watch it, I hope you liked it.

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Flight 1980 to Honolulu

Everything that you’ve ever wanted to know about the technical and operational aspects of the aviation industry can be found in this movie. But don’t worry about getting confused or overwhelmed because the whole concept is conveyed in layman terms and in a very entertaining manner. The running time of about 100 minutes will quickly fly by without you noticing it.

Based on the original screenplay by Yaguchi Shinobu, who also directed the film. Tokusho Kikumura (Ju-on film series) serves as cinematographer while Japanese musician Mickie Yoshino composed and arranged the music, which features Frank Sinatra’s Come Fly With Me as the theme song. Tokusatsu productions’ special effects director Hiroshi Butsuda and VFX specialist Koichi Noguchi (Tokusatsu Research Institute) are involved in the production.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) collaborated substantially on the project through the use of their commercial airliner (Boeing 747-400), equipment, personnel uniforms and hangar at Haneda airport (aka Tokyo International Airport). ANA even contributed their technical expertise to the screenplay and assembled a team to oversee the filming. The director himself researched extensively by travelling to the home of Boeing in Seattle in a bid to ensure the key elements of the story stay true to factual accuracy as much as possible.

This film was heavily promoted where 25 cities and airports all over Japan hosted the marketing campaign in 2008. Additionally the US premiere screening was held at Boeing headquarters in Seattle, Washington and attended by Joseph F. Sutter, the developer of the Boeing 747. The success of this film helped spawn 5 side stories as well as a number of TV programs and books.

What I Loved

I absolutely adore the story and the storytelling approach. I would consider this production as semi-comedic, cheerful with lighthearted undertones, highly educational and definitely moving with a lot of heart and soul. Initially coming across somewhat as a parody of aviation-themed shows, the film gradually settles into a fast-paced and action packed docudrama that consistently holds my attention. I find myself quickly immersed into the multiple perspectives of the myriad colourful characters throughout what has been a truly riveting rollercoaster ride indeed.

The attention to detail in terms of the authenticity of the technicalities involved is quite astounding. In addition to the numerous events that take place at the airport as well as in the airliner en route to Honolulu from Tokyo, viewers are also taken behind the scenes to witness the frenetic activities that go on at the control tower, radar centre and hangar. Real life people are convincingly depicted through smartly-written characterizations that include the pilots, cabin and ground crews, mechanics, air traffic controllers, radar room controllers, operations personnel and even the variety of passengers themselves. Thanks to this movie, I’ve been exposed to new jargon such as purser, pitot tube, birdstrike, and birdman, among others. I’ve even discovered that crows and pigeons are smarter than seagulls which are more likely to crash onto a plane.

Production-wise, the film has aged very well for one that was made in 2008. Neither the visual quality nor the cinematography technique appear dated. The visual effects are generally well rendered, particularly in scenes of mid-air flight. As far as the set designs are concerned, obviously the principal photography took place in an actual plane and the airport, so I have absolutely no complaints on that front.

The film features a large ensemble cast with many familiar faces and each of the portrayals are afforded almost equal screen time. For the most part, the extended focus is on Ayase Haruka and Tanabe Seiichi, who are credited as the leads in their respective roles of the inexperienced flight attendant Saito Etsuko and the young pilot, Suzuki Kazuhiro. I’m a fan of Ayase Haruko who projects a refreshing take with an upbeat and sunny disposition while Tanabe Seiichi delivers a charming and humorous depiction of the Captain-in-training.

Of the supporting cast that caught my attention, the experienced Terajima Shinobu commands the screen with her portrayal of Chief Purser, Yamazaki Reiko. Tabata Tomoko’s Kimura Natsumi is a blur of motion with her lively enthusiasm, and Eguchi Noriko catches the eye with her intriguing air traffic controller, Mizuno Yuriko, despite her limited appearance. Additionally, Ito Aiko mesmerises as Miyamoto Rie, the radar room controller.

Final Thoughts

Do not be fooled by the “fluffy and romcom-esque” poster. Happy Flight is so much more than meets the eye. I was intrigued from the get-go and enthralled all the way to the rousing conclusion of the story. In my humble opinion, this is one of the best-produced, most expansive and detailed contemporary Japanese films I’ve ever had the opportunity to savour. Kudos to the entire production team for a job well done!

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Worth the Tears

This movie is not for the faint of heart, esp if you do not like movies where the dog is put in a dangerous situation over and over again. It is quite anxiety-inducing.
Story: it is a straightforward plot with some twists and turns. Not knowing actually how it would end. This was based on a true story, so that makes it even more upsetting to watch knowing that a dog had this tenacity to find its original owner. I will not spoil the end of the movie but just know you will probably be crying. I like how they kind of twisted in morals regarding how we treat dog into the story, while also throwing in the product placements. ABCMaps and Purina dog food.
Acting/Cast: But I watched this movie for Ying Haoming, as an international fan getting to see Chinese movies is so hard but I was thankful to find it on youtube. He is essentially acting with a dog for the majority of his time on screen. And it is gut-wrenching. His crying felt so real, that I was crying I think 10 minutes into the movie and by the end, I was sobbing into my 4ft bear on my bed. The acting of the dog was also great! While I can not comment a lot on a dog's acting, you can tell by his mannerisms and whines the dog's emotions. But I will never shut up Ying Haoming's raw acting in this movie.
Music: the music was essentially a main lead. without the music the dogs scenes would be stagnant. it pushed the feeling fo the scene, and helped guide your emotions. whether it is a chase scene or a sad, depressing scene in the cold. it gave hopeful feelings and left me screaming in other times.
Rewatch: sometimes when a movie has such an overwhelming emotional story, it can be hard to rewatch but those initial feelings have already been used the first time. so you will not get the same reaction the subsequent times. but I would re-watch this. The acting, and warm fuzzy moments showing the bond between human and dogs is such a strong part of its reachability.

Overall: It is a quick movie, and it is a movie that will induce teras. And it is worth it. I am so happy I found the link (with 97) views and watched it. Ying Haoming is one of my favorite actors, and he was amazing in it and so was the dog.

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I don't really know how to write reviews but all I can say is that this movie makes me want to ponder on a lot of things.

How did I find out about this movie? I initially wanted to see this because of Suda Masaki (and just as mentioned in the comments, his appearance was quite short but wonderful, as always.) I was also supposedly going to watch this without subs (raw has been on my files since 2016). But I'm glad I didn't and was patient for the proper subs to come out, or I would've missed so much details about this movie or the whole point of it.

Go watch it if you're in for some philosophical drama.

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A sad but also heartwarming story about family and live

At some point I thought, how much sad things can happen in a family, isn't it too much here, but if you see it as an approach to show the value of family, humanity and friendship in general it was all okay for me.

The story was well paced, lots of plot twists that keep you entertained for the two hours. While all actors were really nice, I want to give a special credit for Sugisaki Hana, who plays the teenage daughter here. Her acting is so good, so many perfect facial expressions in all the variety of moods she had to cover, just wow, especially for her age. Somebody to check out for her other works for sure.

Definitely a movie that deserves a wider recognition.

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Value of Time

Most of the things in this movie revolved around Ito’s poetry, which I think was a reminder for us to treasure every single moment that we spend while we’re alive. The movie challenges us to ponder on the value of time and how we might choose to spend it after we realize how short and limited it is, another challenge that was delivered throughout the film was how far we would stretch time before we start taking a brave step forward to fulfill our dreams and do what we really want. Both challenges might not be relatable to everyone since they were taken from the perspective of cancer patients, but will surely resonate with most of us now that we are all faced with the ever-present threat of the pandemic, which should make us realize how each second of our life is valuable.

The actress Aikawa had the least exposure among the dominant characters in this movie but she had the most complete development. Ito and Ato’s development could also be considered complete only because they both expired at the end of their individual countdowns. The most heartbreaking part of this movie was [spoiler alert] Dragon’s (Sakamoto) character, although hints were thrown at the beginning of the film, we didn't realize he was also down the path of Ito and Ato’s journey until the last remaining seconds of the movie had been revealed.

Ito’s writing being the central element, led to a heavy emphasis on the relationship between Ito and Ato; the things they did together weren’t as daring (and pointless) as that of Julien and Sophie in Love Me If You Dare, but being both cancer patients, their recklessness were approaching the same level of danger. I am not wishing for this movie to turn into a BL, but I just wish Ato and Dragon’s relationship could have been explored more.

I felt that the music was a bit lacking, I was expecting so much from the final piece and was hoping for a soundtrack that’s worthy of the repeat button, but it turned out only to be so-so. Even the lyrics, which was purportedly Ito’s final writing, was just too literal and shallow, lacking the depth that got us hooked to her writing at the beginning. One more thing I found lacking was the explanation of the “kimochi” formula that was introduced in the story, enough airtime was provided to discuss this matter but the metaphorical translation didn’t hit the bullseye, if the formula has been plotted or visualized as a graph instead, it could have made more sense and more philosophical value could have been dished out, especially when highlighting the asymptotes and the approach to infinity.

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Failed to live up to expectations

In all honesty, I was hyped about this mainly because this is the Mario and Baifern reunion many of us has been waiting for. I am one of those who had Mario as our original Thai actor crush because of the phenomenal Crazy Little Thing Called Love movie.

STORY
My personal preference is that I don't like 'robot and humans fall in love' plot. But I gave this one a chance and kept an open mind about it. The story is promising but the execution was pretty bad. If it wasn't for the CGIs, it would look like a low value movie. The writing is all over the place. It doesn't know what it wants to present. Did it want to be a sci-fi, romance or comedy? It wanted to show all of those but fell short.

ACTING
If it wasn't for the casting, I would've dropped it at 15 minutes into the movie. Both leads are already established actors, it's just a pity they had to make do of a script like this. All the other side actors look like caricatures in their acting. Mario and Baifern still had that chemistry. Baifern is a chemistry generator but I think she still has the best chemistry with Mario because look at all their cute moments together.

REWATCH VALUE
Not a rewatch material at all. Maybe just watch the leads' cute scenes and chemistry in movie cuts in youtube and pretend it's from a good movie.

P.S. I gave it an extra point for the sentimental value of the Mario-Baifern reunion. They should've just given us the sequel we were waiting and not this movie. But oh well..

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Not Even Close to 50 Shades

Almost everyone is saying this is an intro to 50 shades. I beg to differ. 50 Shades is cringed and trying hard to be sexy, Love and Leashes have more of the story and more of just vanilla. The storyline is not unique, but the romance of the two leads was pretty good. At first, I don't see their chemistry but as the story progress, it starts to click.

Other's say it's crazy how Korea is making this kind of movie now. It's laughable cause if others do their research, Korea has produced crazier sexy movies than this.

The storyline's not bad. It actually tackles how society ostracized people whose fondness is BDSM. If you think about it deeply, they criticize them, shunned them and the topic itself is taboo. At some point, the major takeaway here is love is love, and it doesn't matter how you express your love as long as you don't harm people.

This is also Seo Hyun's first sexy movie, I think it made a major discussion in the kpop world. She did great though. She's a good actor and gave justice to her character. Same with Jun, I haven't seen him act before, but judging from this, he is a very effective actor.

It's not a must-watch, but it's a good light-hearted movie and great for "literal" Netflix and chill.

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i love this movie!!! it doesn't have any major plot twist or whatever. this is rather a not so light yet not so heavy kind of movie that is good to watch with the family! there are lots of funny scenes and you might feel a lot of second hand embarrassment from how stupid the characters are but it's good and kinda satisfying. the casts are great too! i love takumi and ito kentaro as well as kodai asaka. you can also get moral lessons from this movie which is very typical for a japanese movie or series. i love the cinematography and the location, it really gives off homey vibes and makes me want to live there too. all in all, this movie is great! not the best but it's great and i'll definitely rewatch this when i have free time

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The Weight of Her is a short film from nearly 20 years ago that I stumbled across. I truly hope that attitudes have changed about girls and women and their appearances since this was made.

The story follows a slightly overweight high school girl who is constantly judged for her weight not only by other students but by the teachers as well. Her friend who took diet pills and lost weight was praised. She, however, was constantly criticized and told she'd never find a job or a man because she weighs over 50 kg.

The girls are weighed in class as the male teacher makes derogatory comments about them. At one point when a very overweight male teacher derides the FL for weighing too much she calls him on it. He tells her it doesn't matter how men look, women are the ones with the problem.

Fat shaming, shaming for double-eyelids, all appearance related bombs lodged at young women, destroying their self-esteem and causing them to do unhealthy things to try and be ultra-slim. Instead of building them up, and training them to be competent and confident, they are told their self-worth is in how they look and how much they weigh. The focus was never on teaching them to be healthy in body and mind, and to develop their skills so that they would be able to find a good job because they were qualified, not because they were thin and pretty.

I found this very difficult to watch because defining women by their looks and size is destructive and the society loses out on creative, intelligent people in the work force simply because they aren't attractive enough for the men who hire them.

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