Reviews

Safe, Sane and Consensual. Thank you dramaland!

So, I must admit that I was super duper nervous that the concept of consent would be glossed over or simply ignored in this movie. BUT! My! What a pleasant surprise it was to see a movie where they actually followed healthy BDSM etiquettes (safe, sane and consensual).

It was a ride to watch this movie and every time a new play scene would be shown, I could hear all those conservative walls shattering over the world. Love and Leashes will hopefully open doors for more movies that explore BDSM. Unfortunately people are familiar only with 50 shades and that is just a red flag and a map on what NOT to do in bdsm. But in this movie we get a new perspective and I was so surprised to see some topics touched upon that made me think deeply like how people of the BDSM community react when their partners reject who they are. How their mental health is impacted and how they become vary of future relationships.

It was also scary to see how 'fakes' tried to use the safe environment of BDSM to rape women and was another insight to what the play is absolutely NOT about. Too many people consider BDSM to be something perverted, but it's just adult play. In fact it has more consent involved than your average tv shows where we see sexual violence normalized and romantisised.

In love and leashes, instead we see two grown adult, financially independent and emotionally stable, engage in activities that make them both happy. The submissive male maintains his consent and says no clearly when he doesn't want to date. The dom.... aahhh watching the female lead was an experience that made me ecstatic! What acting! Her steady gaze made me shiver! We see her do her research and acts as a very responsible dom. In the last play before their contract expires, she stops the play when she realises that it's not something she's able to carry out and that was such a beautiful moment of vulnerability to be shown from a dominant. Because at the end of the day, aren't they also humans? Behind the control, behind the steady gaze, there is a person who is also effected by emotions.

At the end, all I can say is that this movie was sweet, sensual, funny, crazy and overall a great watch! Watching the female lead find her inner dom (who was just lingering behind that steady gaze, waiting to pounce out) and watching the male lead heal from his past and learning so much about BDSM in general.. well now you know which movie to recommend to people if they are curious or want to watch something different and yet romantic at the same time.

PS The only thing I didn't like about the movie was the dog cafe since these places use breed dogs who come from breeders. And the very act of breeding any animal is r*pe since an animal isn't capable of consenting to humans. I know it looks very beautiful on the outside, but for every pup we see, a mother is locked inside a breeding facility where she is just used as a baby machine. Consent after all is not just for humans and while rape happens in the wild, humans know it's wrong, so we must not do it to anyone else.

Read More

A Fun and Entertaining Movie to Pass the Time

Showing you the daily life of a family so desperate for money they are willingly hurting themselves to get insurrance money and become professional scammers, Just Do It! is a fun and nice movie to watch when you're not sure what you want to watch and you don't want something too serious. The introduction scene already shows you what the movie will all be about : a blind man who can in fact see the money bill in front of him ? A passerby stealing it to buy a lottery ticket? The movie invites you into a world of "Scam or be Scammed".

The story went straight to the point and developped rather quickly (which is rare for a korean film) which I appreciated: they knew the subject was fine but not that fine to warrant a 2h long film. The characters alternate between being so desperate you understand where they may be coming and being pathetically ridiculous at times (which also is the point, I think). But they were quite nice, not much over-acting if at all and convincing performances overall.

The comedy did not hit me all the time I must say (they really had something with peeing, I do not see it, what was up with that) but overall it was still fun most of the times. The soundtrack was quite nice, good taste in the music department to choose some nice songs I like.

I also had fun trying to spot a young Jeon Seok Ho but sadly to no avail: maybe next time!

Overall, Just Do It! is nothing exceptionnal but does have these early 2000s vibes I like and if you have nothing better to do, it's good to pass the time and not think too much about it. Some interesting scenes here and there as well if you like to analyse films but nothing too big.

The only way to know if you'll like it is to...... Just Watch It!

Read More

Zanzan, good to see you again

I admit, Zhu Zanjin is the only reason I watched the movie for. The dramas he is in aren't airing, the last thing he was in was "Miss the Dragon" which as fun as syphilis (but he was hot in his role). I went in without watching ultimate note or the original series.

I think the movie had potential. It was fun, I liked the action scenes (may I say ZZJ looks so good and manly while fighting even when cross dressing). I think the plot is interesting too. There is one bod problem with the movie that makes it a kinda good movie instead of a great movie- it is too short. Fast pacing isn't a bad thing, but I feel the story and charcters weren't flashed enough. The short run time does make it rushed rather than fast paced plot. I wish they added more scenes and run time. I would gladly watch more scenes with ZZJ! and the others too. As someone who doesn't know the general story, I didn't feel like I needed a background, so it's a shame that the movie is short. Even without ZZJ, this movie could be much bigger.

Do I recommend it only because of ZZJ? Actually no, I it was a pleasent surprise and it is only one hour long, but at least it was a fun time. If it were longer than I would still enjoy it and feel the story progress in a much natural manner. Heck, if you're a fan of any of the actors I think you would enjoy this movie.

Read More

Power, sex and romance in a playful and joyful relationship . . .

First of all, what a wonderfully fresh take on relationships between consenting adults. The attitude of 'Sure, why not? Could be a lot of fun' that infuses the whole movie is a welcome change. Instead of dragging on for hours and hours whether or not they should be in a relationship, they actually date.... and try things out. I also like that there is an exploration of the consequences in the realm of the everyday (no serial killers!).

Second, the acting here is great. The main characters and side characters are distinctive, and the male and female leads have a great mix of comedic timing and more serious feelings. They also treat the material with respect - people who engage in BDSM are people just like anyone else, and you truly believe the characters are enjoying themselves.

The music didn't register, some scenes will stick in my head for a long time. Highly recommend if you'd like a more mature exploration of dating and relationships. The 2 hrs flew by.

Read More

The truth is out there!

Au Revoir UFO or as it's also known, Hello UFO, is a delightful romantic comedy featuring two romantic misfits. It has all the traditional tropes we've come to love and hate back when they were newer and throws in a couple of quick UFO visits just to shake things up.

Lee Bum Soo gives a heartfelt performance as Sang Hyeon, a bus driver, whose main joy in the world comes from playing DJ on the mixed tapes he makes for his bus passengers to hear. Lee Eun Joo gives a far more reserved take on her character, Kyung Woo, a blind woman who was recently dumped by her boyfriend. She moved to the outer limits of Seoul to heal and also so that she might once again experience a UFO sighting. They cute meet twice, with Sang Hyeon too afraid to tell her that he is the bus driver and DJ she doesn't care for, giving her a false name and job. Despite his subterfuge, they slowly build a friendship that grows deeper as they spend time together.

UFO is enjoyable, if dated looking. It won't shock you with any serial killer plot twists or reward you with award worthy performances. There are no deep dives into character motivations or childhood connections. When you need a soothing, sweet, gently funny, friends to lovers, old fashioned romance, this 2004 romcom might be one worth checking out.

Read More

Wait What happen to...

OK, I've been waiting for this for so long because I wanted to know why Sarawat said: "Keep looking at me like that, and I will kiss till you drop."

Did I miss it? Did he say why he said that or even better how do you do that? (LOL)

If anyone knows let me know at what point in the movie he told the reason.

So for the movie itself:
---Love how they combined both parts one and two by adding in more lengthy scenes.
---Loved the music and got to hear a new song!!! Yes
---Would love to have a wedding movie for them
---The ending was very nice and sweet but would like to know more about their life after graduation.
---Would love maybe a short or special that goes a little more into the other couples in the show.

Would most defiantly rewatch this movie.

Thanks

Read More

It was a nice wrap up for 2gether and Still 2gether

I was finally able to sit down and watch this movie. And I am glad that I did. I never realised how much I missed these guys until I was watching the movie. I am now glad that I was able to see Tine and Sarawat's story come full circle.

Story-8/10
Yes. The majority of the movie is scenes from '2gether' with a pinch from 'Still 2gether.' And I know some people maybe angry at this. However! I felt with the voice over added to the story, we are able to clearly see how both Sarawat and Tine was feeling- which we weren't before.

And some new scenes were added, which I am grateful for. This helps me get a better understanding of thier love story.

Acting/Cast-9.5/10
Like in both '2gether' and 'Still 2gether ', I will give this movie a 9.5 out of 10 for thier acting.

Music-10/10
As always, the music is a banger. Watching this movie made me fall in love once again with Scrubb. And the last song Sarawat signed...just perfection!

Rewatch Valu-8/10
I'm going with an 8. Cause thia movie not only (kind of) gave me a recap of thier story, it was also able to wrap up thier story so nicely.

Overall-9/10
Overall, I give this movie a 9. And I know some people will be dissapointed with it cause this was not what they were expecting. However, I did enjoy it and I am glad that I finally watched it.

Read More

This was better than I expected. I had really worried they’d make it cringe just so they can mainstream BDSM but this was thoughtfully made. This was more of an introduction to BDSM with the script including informative dialogue to provide a more accurate representation of what fetish is as opposed to the misguided notion the public has on it (ironically enough, the script took care in doing so and yet there was a comment on the drama page that concluded the kink signified trauma and the characters needed therapy. Smh. The damage 50 shade of hell did is irreparable!)

I’d label this more as a rom-com than kink tv with the 1st third making me giggle (and cringe) while the 2nd third had enough sensual and the final 3rd closed the loop by bringing both together. The actors did very well in depicting their respective characters perfectly (disregard synopsis description of ML for this). Although many are impressed by Lee Jun Young’s performance (he did indeed do very well) my eyes were fixed on Seo Hyun. 1st reason being my superficial side found her damn fine esp. in that red room. In leather. (Netflix being petty wouldn’t let me screenshot) but 2nd reason being, I love how calm and collected her character was and how mature and diligent she was in learning this new life she found herself into. Watching her go from utterly innocent to a dominatrix was fascinating to watch.

Besides the contractual DS part, the movie also touches on subjects of misogyny, insecurity, misperception etc. Though these issues were shown they were not deeply explored. And even when dealt with it was on a quick and superficial manner. Which considering the time constraint is understandable.

Now what I didn’t like is the office drama in the last third. I’d have preferred if the script hadn’t gone that route and had actually maintained the stance that work and personal life can completely stay separate. To top it off I hate public declaration of affection/ preachy speeches and sermons and they decided to do that. It was completely unnecessary and major cringe!

Read More

Don't judge the outside & fluffy wholesome young first-timers in love unsure how to go about things

"A big bear with a big fluffy heart."

The reason why I love it so much because it is about body image appearance and if you might not be the norm there will still be someone out there liking you just for you! and who might even adore you and your unique body and personality.
Besides, it is otherwise maybe a bit over the top cheesy but then again in general it is quite an anime and Japanese-like.

A really cute fluffy drama, about this really big strong fella and often misunderstood exactly bc of that and deep a bit aggressive voice and tone. But if you get to know him, in reality, he is also this a bit clumsy and seriously has the biggest heart, and the best of a friend to everyone could ever wish for, especially to the ones he considers close, but to such an extent that he puts himself aside easily.
Therefore blinded when his big crush actually has fallen for him as well, and she tries to show her affection big time making all sorts, but shared with his friend on the side, and but bc he is always together with his really good childhood friend, who is a very popular guy with all the girls, and he himself never got any type of that sort of attention, he naturally thinks it is even unthinkable for that to ever happen!

Just incredible cute and wholesome young people first time in love, no experience, and so confused and having everything hit them harder doing the first-timers. Unsure how to do things and how to go about when it comes to communication.

Also, I think Goda Takeo's good childhood friend Sunakawa Makoto might have a secret one-sided love for his friend as well, he kinda seems like it? but he has learned to treasure his friend more and for his happiness over his own first, and he this way gets to keep his friend around still.

Read More

Good movie, underwhelming ending.

Let me start by saying that I'm not a movie watcher, i prefer series. The fact that this movie got SO hyped up and it got La palme d'or of Cannes Festival??? I just had to watch it. I just had to see it from my eyes. So I watched this with high expectations. I might repeat myself at times, sorry in advance.

This movie was really good on the overall and the story started off great but it fell into an underwhelming conclusion to me. At first you can briefly see the struggle of a poor family but that is still somehow happy. Then a opportunity kicks in. Recommandations over recommandations and at this time it started to get unrealistic for me. "The Care" ? Seriously ? The rich husband looked suspicious about the card but didn't even bother enough to look up the agency on Google?? (or Naver... whatever). From the moment he got introduced on the screen I thought he was the one that'll discover everything. I thought he would be the one smarter than everybody. The rich family trusted EVERY move the poor family made without second-guessing, like... IT WAS SO EASY! There was not one time where they almost got caught or whatever (the night after the camping got cancelled doesn't count because they didn't get noticed AT ALL, didn't make a noise and just came out smoothly). The wife literally believed everything they would say. The whole process of settling the poor family into a job in the house looked so... smooth. The way they succeeded to kick out the housekeeper who has been working in the house for YEARS and had multiple and different superiors living there. Really unrealistic. Like... just over RECOMMANDATIONS ? "It's better to take recommandations from someone you know" the rich wife says. GIRL. YOU DON'T KNOW ANY OF THEM. You could be ganging up a group of professionnal robbers in your house and you wouldn't even know !

The little story of the guy falling in love with the rich family's daughter (sorry i don't remember any of the names, except for Min) was just a filler, that's what it was. The first time they kissed was so random, so out of the blue. Their relationship was so hard to understand, like didn't she like her former and REAL tutor? Anyways.

This is when the former housekeeper came back that the movie started to take a weird and graphic turn. The poor family were so drunk but somehow became sober. First of all we never got to know why and how she had bruises on her face. Why was she acting like that when while she still had her job she was always composed and not "scary sounding". If I was in the poor family's place I would have never opened the door or at least I would've told the former housekeeper to come back tomorrow morning because what in the world ? You have been fired, and when the bosses are not here, you come back at an unexpected hour because you "forgot something"? And on top of that my whole poor family that the bosses don't know about is here, plus the house is looking a hot mess? Sorry but you are not coming in. But of course they let her in, there wouldn't be no "story" then. I think they could've turned the story a whole other way still though. That moment where the former housekeeper was imitating north-korean anchorwomen saying "Our Leader KJU" and stuff really threw me off for some reason lol. I know it was dark humor and i completely LOVE dark humor but that one wasn't for me haha. First of all it was not that funny and on top that they were keeping a family as hostages WHILE making the joke.

Then after that, everything seems to be there for shock value's sake. EVERYTHING. The way they tied the former housekeeper and her husband and threw them in the basement, when they could've told them to leave because they had already deleted the video from the phone ? Her crazy husband ? I mean you haven't seen the light of the day for 4 years it might understandable but still. The sex scene that they made lasted for SO loooonggg. We haven't even seen how embarrassed Min, her brother and her dad were during this because they had to hear it all. All we seen was the rich husband and wife getting into it, when the real thing about it was the family's reaction but we didn't see it. Or it was too short and the sex scene was on screen for too long.

Then after that you got the scene where the poor family's semi basement got flooded with water from the rain. It was almost like director of the movie wanted to force an emotional reaction out of me. Like they were saying "right there, this is the scene where you're supposed to feel extremely bad. FEEL BAD NOW". Ok, I did feel bad but not like it was the end of the world you know? When in fact yes, I was supposed to feel bad like it was the end for them, because they lost most of their belongings and getting everything back will be hard even though they're getting paid. But the way they pushed that onto me resulted to me just being like "aw, i feel bad but they'll be alright. ok, next scene" like it was just a phase for me when for the family it was traumatic and so hard to process. And i was supposed to feel the trauma and the hardship with them, but I didn't, I was just looking from the "other side". It frustrated me so much because I relate to this family situation (I'm not that poor but I'm LIGHT YEARS away from being rich) regarding the way they almost lost everything, but the feeling it gave was like I was a stranger to what they were going through when in reality I'm not. And it's so sad that, i felt distanced from the family and didn't really "root" for them? More like "If they succeed I'm happy, if they don't that's just their fault".

Then the way the movie ended ? I was really underwhelmed. You're gonna tell me that it's not weird ? That all of a sudden there's blood, screams, panic everywhere ? Which for me, there was no panic or fear at all, i was just there with a big "WTF" in my mind. Because WTF ? Sudden stabbing, sudden horror and blood everywhere, it felt so rushed and poorly done. I just felt like the director didn't know how to end the movie and he didn't want it to be boring, so he just said "Ok guys! You know what ? Let's kill or at least try to kill everybody!" "Boss, this is not a horror movie" "I don't care, we must shock the audience, they won't see this one coming haha". Well, i surely did not see that coming and I wish the ending never came out like that. And also the dad stabbing the rich husband because he couldn't stand how he would always make a stanky face when he was smelling an unpleasant odor?? That was so random but also so hilarious at the same time. I understood the dad but at the same time i didn't? The only reaction he had after those remarks was to literally STAB him? Not yell at him, not punch him, not beat him to death? But STAB HIM??? So he was like "So we smell bad? Ok let me stab you." WHAT IN THE ACTUAL WORLD ??? Then he went hiding in the basement and when the situation died down during days after, he started sending Morse code messages not knowing if anyone would see it but somehow his son did. And son succeeded in translating a whole long letter in Morse code, wow, impressive. Anyways.

As for the characters, I didn't get attached to anyone. Because they ALL seemed so cartoonish. I couldn't take any of them seriously. I don't know if this is how the director intended the movie to be like, but this is why I don't remember any of their names. Except for Min (the poor family's sister), she was the only character that seemed real ! The director/writer could've added more depth into the characters especially the rich family. Like I said it was like they were only showing the poor family struggles and pushed the "feel bad, feel sorry, feel sad" agenda on us. And they didn't show the underground of the rich family and just was like "this rich family is living so well, we don't care about them.". They just looked like pure jokes being naïve and easy-to-use.
The rich husband's voice sounded like Buzz Lightyear for some reason, i don't know if it was the actor's real voice but it was very cartoonish. Him getting irritated everytime getting asked "but you love your wife, right?" it was funny lol. The "over" parts with his son were funny too. The former housekeeper, cartoonish. Her husband, cartoonish. The poor family (except for Min) felt bland and felt like they were just doing things for the sake of doing. When you make plan that is supposed to succeed, everybody in their right mind knows that you need to make a "plan B" in case anything goes south. They knew how to handle everything but somehow, one thing went wrong and they all lost their "right mind". This is one of the moments that made this movie unrealistic. And then the dad started saying "in life it's better not to have a plan", yes so easy to say that now that your plan backfired... my oh my.

The way this movie showed us the differences of poor and rich lives was very distinct. But I'm not sure why it got so many awards because it didn't make us emotionally involved. It didn't really show us the harsh and violent reality of being poor or the cruel and calculating world of rich people. It was almost like they polished the fact of being poor and polished being rich. It didn't show us how ok, they are two different worlds but both of them are hard in their own ways (of course having no money is harder, but you get what I mean). Instead it was a constant slander to rich families, constant mocking on them, constant minimizing their story as much as possible to make the poor family the only focus. But they failed all the way through because the poor family didn't make me feel anything enough to disregard the rich family like the director wanted me to. They made their poor life look so easy to handle? We never seen the dad, brother or Min break down once, they just looked sad. Especially when they seen their house flooded, Min sat down on her overflowing toilets and started smocking?? And i know it was to make us understand that this is something they're kind of used to but damn... A real, authentic reaction matching the situation, that is all I ask for. Also the way they handled the former housekeeper and her husband looked like they have been doing this for years, they didn't panic to the point of not knowing what to do or leaving anything behind, this poor family was full of professionnal scammers, they didn't get caught. Not even almost. Anyways.

On the overall, the actors did well, the scene were well shot. There were plenty of unnecessary and filler scenes in my opinion but it's okay i guess...? I didn't really pay attention to the music so it might mean that it fitted every scene really well. The story was SO genius at first but it ended so catastrophically. So graphic for no reason and so confusing. It would be a 7.5 for me.

Read More

Everything is fine when is consensual…

I think the story of the movie it’s quite simple and nothing too special. If you’d look just at the storyline I would say it can be considered a bit of a boring one.

What I liked though is how they showed such a particular matter in such an honest, transparent and “normal” way.

Such topics are usually a taboo in society and I’ve appreciate they tried to picture how it can be acceptable and how private life can be kept separate from work one.
I’ve also liked the fact that it was all consensual and the importance they gave to consent too.

They story was cute enough in the end and I like a lot the acting of the main man lead…I believe he turned out perfectly in his role.

Read More

"it is sad not to love, but it is much sadder not to be able to love"

a beautiful movie about two young souls who repeatedly meet and fall in love. however, challenging reality separates them every single time. the timing just never seems to be in their favour.
'tune in for love' made me go through many various emotions. i absolutely love the slow-burn romance and powerful chemistry between the main leads. intensely melodramatic storytelling demonstrates how lovely and warm falling in love can be. nevertheless, it also realistically depicts the importance of trust and communication, the lack of which can crush relationships of any kind into pieces.

Read More

Healthy rom-com

I was really worried that I wouldn't enjoy this because it's vastly different from what I usually watch — more slow-burn romances.

But this was actually such a good rom-com. It tackled a lot of issues but did it with amazing subtlety, all while keeping the humorous tone really consistent. I thought this movie did an amazing job with showing what a healthy relationship looked like, and of portraying BDSM relationships. The characters were open and honest with each other, and they were just so refreshing to watch.

There are little tidbits of social commentary like about sexism in the workplace and insecurity/self-esteem that I thought were incorporated really nicely as well.

Overall, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel second-hand embarrassment at some scenes, but I'm happy to say that this was a movie that did its job really well and embraced the rom-com formula.

Read More

A different kind of Kenshin Movie - A Melodrama

Completed - 2/12/2022 - Rating 8.25

Even though this is the last movie of the Rurouni Kenshin franchise, this movie is actually the beginning of Himura Kenshin's story. If you haven't watched any of the movies, I would recommend watching "The Beginning" first, or at least before "The Final". The story will flow a little better as you follow his journey when he first became Battosai the Killer.

All other Kenshin movies are fast-paced and action-packed. It is without a doubt that they all have amazing sword fighting scenes and are full of violence and gore. Though "The Beginning" has a very different vibe and fewer fight scenes, they are still as amazing as ever. Another commonality that these movies share is the amazing soundtrack. We have beautiful instrumental pieces that complement the scenes so well, no matter if they are having quiet moments, or violent fight scenes. When I heard the Rurouni Kenshin theme song at the end of this movie, it feels like home.

However, "The Beginning" is actually a slow-burn, melodrama of Himura and Tomoe's love story. We got a glimpse of it in "The Final" and we get the full story here. It's very slow-paced (actually a little too slow for my taste) and the movie has many quiet moments. I actually enjoyed the quiet moments that they had in "The Final" more, as they helped to slow down the pace of a fast movie. Because our main leads are so reserved and introverted, there aren't that many dialogs in this movie. I also find it a little difficult to see how Himura is initially attracted to Tomoe. I guess a 2 hour-long movie really doesn't have that much time to develop the initial attraction in more detail.

Satoh Takeru is without a doubt amazing in this drama. Satoh Takeru = Himura Kenshin. I cannot picture anyone else play this role. He's as quiet and as stoic as ever, but I see a glimpse of youthfulness and a cute little smile when he's looking at his homegrown radish :) Arimura Kasumi is so graceful as Tomoe. There's this quiet strength in her. Eguchi Yosuke reprises his role as Saito Hajime, but I don't think the makeup artist can make him as youthful-looking as Satoh Takeru.

It's hard to say goodbye to Satoh Takeru as Himura Kenshin. I've loved him in all these movies. I am so glad that the Kenshin franchise gave me the opportunity to know him.

Read More