Reviews

What did I just watch?

This was weird, and not in a good way. It seems to be a depressing story about an adolescent girl deciding who to have sex with. Or something.

Apparently ALL the boys want her (or her body?) and she ... is stupid? The ML actually said something to the effect of "I didn't know. But I knew." At times it seemed that actors where acting out two different scenes at the same time while looking at each other. Irrelevant and strange scenes where just sprinkled around and every now and then we are shown raw camera footage of ...stuff.

If my review makes no sense its because this movie doesn't either.

I wasted 2 hours of my life watching this. I would try and develop a time machine just to stop myself from watching this mess. I truly don't think think has any redeeming qualities and I wish I never watched it.

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The Lineage Here Is Not Important

The importance of police and detective show is the motivation behind the character. That is one of the reason people watch this genre and for me 'The Policeman's Lineage' failed on that part. They didn't show much character introduction scene so the pacing on the first half of the movie was too fast and that made the rest duration a bit dragging.

I wished they included more of Choi Min Jae and Park Kang Yoon's backstory from the start, so viewer could relate to their character gradually. Why Min Jae chose to spy on Park Kang Yoon? Why he prioritized on being a good cop? Why Kang Yoon justified every way to get his goal?

You don't have to worry about acting. They casted amazing actors, especially Jo Jin Woong. He is famous for playing detective character and you can trust him on that. My issue here is Choi Woo Shik. First of all, I am a big fan of him and I follow every of his work. But I don't think he suits this detective role OR his character's writing affect his acting here in this movie. The rest supporting casts are excellent on their part.

I didn't expect much from this movie so I didn't get that disappointed. There is no remarkable scene or character and I don't get attached to neither the heroine or villain. They have this 'Lineage' concept but they don't really focus on that. I think 'The Policeman's Lineage' will be better as drama than movie, where they can give every side's perspective more screentime.

Is it a good movie? Good acting yes, good story? No. It is a bit boring for mystery crime genre and there is no thrilling exciting moment for me since the beginning to ending. Watch it when you have nothing to watch anymore.

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WARNING: Do not watch this movie by yourself, unless you have one and a half boxes of tissue handy!

I did like this movie over Middle Student A, but the director, Luo Luo, left a few unanswered questions at the end of this one.

WARNING: Do not watch this movie by yourself, unless you have on and a half boxes of tissue handy!

(I just LOVE the idiots who 'edit' movies like this, trying to change the outcome or such; I originally wrote this review after seeing the 1 hr, 34 min version of this movie online; however, after finding the full movie of 1:43, a few of the dandling ends were found!)

First of all, my compliments to the director for taking a chance on so many new faces in making a movie like this; only one of the support females had any experience in movies prior.

I also want to give a compliment to Vivian Wu the veteran actress who played Yi Yao's mother, Lin Huo Feng; if i had a way of contacting her, I would like to ask her if her response after finding out how her daughter got her 'ailment' was improvised or not. Her response was something that a veteran actress would have improvised if it was not in the script!

She played a great support role in this movie; turning her daughter away when she thought the kid just wanted new things, but became a very caring mother after finding out the real need for the money! I do not blame mother one bit in telling her to wear last year's uniform to school. I also understand her asking Yi Yao not to come around at her place of work.

I don't see her mother as being ashamed of her, as much as I see the mother being ashamed of what life has given her after losing her middle-class family life when Yi Yao was younger.

My main criticism of this movie is so many unanswered questions at the end that were left dangling or not answered at all.

Young school girl Yi Yao (Ren Min) went from being part of a middle-class family (shown through a flashback) to going up with a mother struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for the two of them. Luo Luo could have added a minute or two on the movie in explaining what befell the two females.

The next-door neighbor boy in the same grade, Qi Ming (Zhao Ying Bo) was nice to her and fed her and looked after her, even stealing for her. However, Qi Ming is also cute and also a model student at the top of his class.

Everything was on a level where most situations could be handled; but the movie needed some adversary to happen!

Two twins, [Gu} Sen Xi (Xin Yun Lai) and his twin sister [Gu] Sen Xiang (Zhang Ruo Nan,) appear at Yi Yao's school; Sen Xiang has been seen by Yi Yao before, but she denies it.

However, Sen Xiang develops a crush on Qi Ming, and follows Yi Yao to a shady part of town, and stats a vicious rumor about the young girl who is struggling inside already.

In dealing with wife and child abuse, those who have been 'abused' in the past are those who continue the cycle of abuse; while Sen Xi tries to start a relationship with Yi Yao, his movie sister reinforces her inner struggles the only way she knows how, and Yi Yao is her victim! Others join in on what they think is easy fun!

However, Sen Xi teaches Yi Yao to stand up for herself, and the students get some of their own medicine back!

Unfortunately, things get worse for Yi Yao!

I liked the topic being addressed by a mainstream movie, but I wish the characters would have been developed better; another 10-15 minutes could have meant a better movie!

The main characters I felt actually acted as if they were high school students and the chemistry, for so little time together were good!

The support cast made the main cast look good and made the movie flow well, as in real life! I already complimented the senior actress Vivian Wu for their support role!

The movie has a couple of "twists" in it that I didn't see coming; I will let you find those out yourself!

For a brief moment after the mother pays for her ailment to be healed, Yi Yao can hold her head up proudly at school, knowing her mother's true feelings about her, and she witnesses one of the students who bullied her get the same treatment; but of course, this is the calm before the storm!

Th ending really sucked! Much is basically left up in the air.

First, whether or not Yi Yao dies is a question that most people watching this movie want to know later. I even had to refer to the original manga to find out myself.

The tables are turned on one of the main female characters near the end of the movie and it does not really give any setup for what happened, and the followup that happened (if you blink, you will miss it!)

I was able to hold my tears until the speech Yi Yao gives Qi Ming after the class trip to the museum (1:05:00 on), where she told him that she wanted to be one of the girls who used tampons with scent (not generic!)...i grew up as poor as Yi Yao did, and I know where she is coming from!

No reason is given for the death of one of the main female leads near the end of the movie; as I said, another 10-15 minutes could have answered this question for all!

Other unresolved plot twists with no further info:

Near the end of the movie, Sen Xi tells Yi Yao that his sister Sen Xiang is going to Australia as an exchange student for the next three months;

The parents of Qi Ming are devastated by the death of one of the female leads right after that...was Qi Ming 'connected" to her in any way, or was he the reason she was going to Australia as an exchange student?

(Actually, I was glad that Qi Ming's mother got taken down a notch or two.)

Why did anyone suspect Yi Yao as being involved with the death of the other female lead? The only clue was someone dragging a pipe on the concrete; Yi Yao didn't need a pipe to whoop another female's butt if it needed whooping!

The other person who was listed as a main female cast member Tang Xiao Mi (Zhu Dan Ni, who wasn't a main cast member, since she didn't show up until the last few scenes of the movie) received a phone call about the time of the death; only one other very brief screen mentions this as the credits are rolling!)...was she the one that killed the other female lead, and why?

It showed a news reel of " Tang, less than eighteen years old, committed the crime..." Did she kill the other female lead?

This could have easily been a '10' movie, but there were so many unanswered questions at the end before the credits rolled.

I cried again when Yi Yao was attempting to scrub the graffiti off the concrete and crying - though I don't know what the graffiti said!

Why did Yi Yaos' mother move out of the ghetto? How did Yi Yao's mother move out of the ghetto? Was it with the money she was saving for Yi Yao?

Sen Xi changed schools; did he move somewhere in China? Or did he take his sister's place as the exchange student?

Did Yi Yao die? Or did Sen Xi talk to a ghost in the end?

Did the ghost of Yi Yao smile at the sight of Qi Ming in the last scene?

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No consistency

Honestly, what a waste! The synopsis was promising even if it's a short film. Kisses and abs don't save a film with a mediocre plot. The screenwriter must have thought he was the Picasso of cinema and an abstract story could become iconic.
I'd have liked to know a little more about the background of the characters. Why Xiang became a militant and why Vic considers himself weird. It would have given a little more meaning to their divergences. The dialogues don't make any sense, the bed scenes are useless for the most part and don't bring anything to the story.
On the plus side, the film isn't at all centred on their sexual orientation and this is a real breakthrough.

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Movies are too short for character and plot development. MDL Synopsis makes no sense.

Movies are too short for character and plot development. The special effects were entertaining but I prefer longer dramas.

The synopsis on My Drama List website makes no sense. It's like they're talking about a completely different story? Unlike the MDL description, the male lead in this movie is a medical student and never has any intention of capturing the white snake. He meets her by chance. He's clumsy, sincere and kindhearted. And the actor is very good-looking. The romance was cute, although the movie was too short to allow it to really develop alongside the plot.

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A martial arts movie with Jim "Black Belt" Kelly, Dorian "Flash Legs" Tan, and Chen Sing with a side order of Bolo. You can tell it's a 1970's movie by the bad hair, bad clothes, cheesy story, and cheesier dialogue. It's bad, but in the so bad it's funny category. It was a late night, found it on tv watch for me and the cast interested me.

This review is for the sanitized version cut for television. The uncut original version has a lot of cursing and gratuitous nudity. It would probably get a much lower score from me even graded on my old kung fu movie curve.

The story is almost incoherent with terrible editing and of course, the censored cuts. Flash Legs works for big bad Chen Sing who saved him as a child. Chen Sing's gang stole a famous diamond, and they are trying to find a way to fence it. Black Belt Kelly shows up as an insurance investigator whose job it is to find out what happened to said diamond. There are double crosses and lots of high kicking fighting. Jim Kelly, Dorian Tan, Chen Sing, Bolo, and Chiang Tao all did well with their fights even if the fights were cheesy at times.

Tattoo Connection is not a movie I'd recommend unless you're a fan of any of the above. The fights were decent, and it boasted familiar faces to those who watch old martial arts movies. If you find yourself unable to sleep and it's on television, and you're easily amused, you can give it a try. Do not expect good acting, respectful treatment of women, or a storyline that makes too much sense. Bring some crackers and enjoy the cheese.

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I CANNOT BELIEVE THE RATING. IT DESERVES A 100/10.

The movie keeps you guessing about the feelings of the actors and the characters separately, starts off in a typical 'old guy accidentally seduces new guy' stereotype, BUT changes into something amazing when you realise what's actually happening. you end up blown away and won't forget the ending, even though it's not a mystery genre.

The idol was moved by the veteran actor's acting when he first met him, and eventually learned the method way of acting and practised each and every single thing he absorbed from the veteran actor, on him in real life too!
After the idol stormed off at the press conference when he expected some kind of open confession from the veteran guy, and was met with 'this was just method acting', he decided to give the veteran actor a taste of his own medicine, and thoroughly schooled him on what 'method acting' is.
In the end the idol, although somewhat moved by the actor and maybe he had some feelings for him too, managed to move on easily because he understood the game. The veteran was used to method acting but he didn't realise that the idol would practise it on him, and the amazing kissing scene was proof that he was maybe in too deep for once. Eventually his wife would still comfort him, so that's that. He probably was confused about himself for a long time after that.

And that kissing scene *phew*

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Are we just our DNA or something more?

It's a movie that makes you think. It's fast paced and interesting but I feel like the ending could have been better.

Thing's I liked
- The plot twist at the end, some people said they saw it coming but I didn't.
- Chase scenes.
- Detective actually being smart and trying to work with Kagura.
- The difference between Kagura and Ryu.
- The DNA aspect, nature vs nurture.

Thing's I thought could have been better
- The ending, I thought Kagura was kinda useless at the end.
- The villain, I predicted who it was, the big reveal wasn't really that big.
- The problem with DNA program, it was cliche, it's realistic but I expected something different.

Overall, an enjoyable movie, I liked it.

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amazing portrayal of 'unconventional' love

unlike most lgbtq+ films, 'happy together' doesn't focus on the identity crisis that most others do (not to undermine the importance of exploring such a topic, but it's a breath of fresh air to see a different approach being taken, especially when you consider the attitudes towards homosexuality in 1990s hong kong).

what makes 'happy together' so magical is the immersion it creates: loneliness, desperation, joy, forlornness, fondness, just to name a few. vicariously, you could feel the mutual frustration between the two characters and their frustration at, not their love, but how it manifests. rather than what is said, you ponder over what could have and should have been said instead.

'do you regret being with me?'
'damn right i do. i had no regrets until i met you. now my regrets could kill me.'

the contrast of what is being said vs what is being revealed through the narration and their actions is what breaks your heart. their toxicity is undeniable, and you know that they're better off without each other, but a small part of you both longs and dreads for po-wing to say 'let's start over.' when this doesn't happen, what are you supposed to feel?

cheung and leung's acting is certainly to be rewarded. this is my first watch of cheung, and my second watch of leung (after chungking express). they act devastatingly well, with leung somehow capturing his love for po-wing that he internalises, mostly with his acts of love and concern while his lover is in slumber or out of his sight.

as always, i adore wong kar wai's fluid direction, and the cinematography alone suffices as a reason to watch this. a beautiful film.

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Calm After The Storm

The entire movie is focused on Xiao Jing and her struggles as a daughter of a parent that had a mental breakdown. Xiao Jing's mother has been living a stressful life at work and living in some delusion that her husband is coming home (they're divorced) and she continues to be in denial about this fact. The tipping point was when Xiao Jing was sent home from school when a classmate was found positive of covid. Xiao Jing never cared for her overbearing mother who was on the brink of losing control of everything in her life-- bills left unpaid, staring blankly at the wall at work and the only "normalcy" for her was her daughter. When Pin-Wen almost burned their house down, and she was taken to the hospital, Xiao Jing decided to take care of her mother.

The storyline is a bit forlorn and the movie's pace is slow. But the director's intent is felt throughout the hour and a half. When Xiao Jing's mother's mental health started to improve and when her mother was finally ready to face the realities of life, she decided to find work (she was let go from the previous job) at a supermarket where she met Chen. Despite all the lies that the mother said about her previous work experience (she did not disclose the fact that she worked in a huge company and was let go), she also claimed that her husband died (he was very much alive but now lives with his new wife and son). While Xiao Jing's mother was busy acclimatizing herself at work and adjusting to working with others, Xiao Jing managed to convince her mother to finally sell their huge house to pay for the loans and the other debts that have piled up during her breakdown, and hospitalization. Medicated and adjusting to her work at the supermarket, Pin-Wen finally agreed to let go of the house and all her hopes of her husband to come back to her.

The storyline brings light to the struggles of women in transition and the difficulty of raising children on their own as well as their struggles with mental challenges and fighting off delusions and illusions. The title, The Falls is a metaphor. Pin-Wen when in her psychotic moments hears water rushing through like a waterfall. She tries to run away from the sound and the rising of water but cannot do so in her head... In the last 15 minutes to the end of the movie, Xiao Jing along with her friends had an accident on a school-related trip when water from the dam was released which caused the water to rise and for Xiao Jing to be swept away along with her friends. Pin-Wen receives a call about the accident and was advised to monitor the progress of the rescue operation via television. With her worried eyes, she watch as students were revived and taken by ambulances until the camera finds Xiao Jing assisted by one of the rescuers and the movie ends.

--

The story highlights the realization that mental issues are real and they can happen to anyone. With proper support from family members and medication, anyone with mental issues can live a normal life.

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A Thousand Years of Good Prayers crosses generational and cultural boundaries. All people need to feel heard and understood. Misunderstandings and silence can lead to separation. The daughter in this movie has lived in the United States without seeing her parents for twelve years. After she divorces, and after the death of her mother, her father comes to visit from China. What follows is an uncomfortable slice of life focusing on two people who barely know each other.

Yilung works at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. When her father comes to visit, she barely makes time to see him, rushing off to work and coming home late. The father doesn't tell her he loves her, but he goes out and buys a wok and cooks for her every night, shorthand for "I love you" in almost any language. During his daily walk to the park, he meets an older Iranian woman and they talk about their kids. In Chinese. In English. In Farsi. With no subtitles. Yet subtitles aren't needed as the parents love and concern for their children comes through in each word, making their conversations understandable to them and us.

The strain between father and daughter only tightens until a wall cracks and truths emerge. Healing doesn't come overnight as with any relationship. They begin to understand each other better, as do we.

This film is shot simply, with few sets. Each of the performances was natural as if we were watching real people face the days. Henry O's performance of a father trying to cross a generational barrier with his daughter and a language barrier with the people in town was sympathetic. The father could also be frustrating when he failed to realize his grown daughter had her own wants and needs when he wanted to find her a good husband so that she didn't fail twice. Faye Yu, for the most part, gave the difficult performance of a daughter avoiding her father, seemingly ungrateful, all the while holding in a secret that kept a great chasm between them.

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers is slow and narrow in focus and definitely not for everyone. It is a simple, thoughtful film concentrating almost exclusively on two people and how presumptions and lack of communication brought them to a place in their lives where both felt lonely and hurt. If you like slice of life films, especially about families, this might be one to try.

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From Zero to, well, maybe a 4 or 5

Tai Chi Hero took up where Tai Chi Zero left off and promptly slid downhill from there. The gang was all back and added William Feng Shao Feng and Peter Stormare to try and shake things up a little.

Yang Lu Chan (Jayden Yuan) and Chen Yu Niang (Angelababy) were in the middle of their nuptials when her ne'er do well brother, Chen Zai Yang (William Feng), showed up spoiling the mood. Fang Zi Jing (Eddie Peng) who was soundly beaten in the previous movie returned plotting revenge with some help from Duke Fleming (Peter Stormare) of the British East India Company.

That set-up sounds boring and unfortunately for me, this movie lacked the zaniness of Tai Chi Zero. Grandmaster Chen Chang Xing's (Tony Leung Ka Fai) character was developed more while he worked things through with his estranged son. Tony Leung Ka Fai did his best as the master of martial arts who had to come to grips with the mistakes he made with his child. The two main characters, Lu Chan and Yu Niang were stuck in much the same place without any conflict which drained the energy out of their scenes. Poor Jayden, a real-life martial arts champion, was unable to convey more than one perplexed expression. Unsurprisingly, there was no chemistry between he and Angelababy. The film focused more on the Grandmaster and his estranged son, possibly out of necessity.

Tai Chi Hero lacked a definitive villain, Zi Jing wasn't sinister or competent enough or engaged in the story enough to be much of a threat. Eddie Peng wasn't able to overcome the caricature and corner his character had been written into.

The story spent time flashing back to try and build the characters' and story's background but in the present time there was no urgency or significant development. There was no high stakes battle at the end. In fact, the ending felt rushed, too easily wrapped up, and anti-climactic.

There weren't as many fights or as inspired fights this time around. Lu Chan was trained by his wife and father-in-law which was to set him up to become the super Tai Chi Master but was lackluster as a viewing experience. The one grand battle was sped up and blurred which always seems like a cheat in a martial arts movie with a real martial artist in it.

The steampunk, pop-ups, and comic book style wackiness were largely gone in this sequel. Tai Chi Zero wasn't empirically a good movie, but it was a fun movie. Tai Chi Hero took much of the fun out, tried to replace it with heart, which ended up feeling more like hot air. I'd still recommend it to people who watched the two previous movies, even though this one limped across the finish line.

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