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Confusing storyline but good acting!
I enjoyed this watch but I have to say, the storyline is a bit hard to grasp. I had to spend time actually pausing and thinking about what's going on and how we ended up where we were. For instance, the background of the main character coming over from N. Korea was not explained properly and I still have no idea why the main character was so darned mad at the ex-boyfriend?! .. or why he was being blackmailed. I had to reach all the conclusions by myself which left me feeling a little miffed.The acting was really good though, I will say that, and it was a very raw representation of struggle. Also some very full frontal crotch shots (one very early on!), if you enjoy that type of realism.
Having said that, I won't forgive the writers for the ending... that was unclear and somewhat depressing as I hoped for something a bit more cheery.
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Why “It’s Okay!” Deserves Your Time
It’s Okay! is an absolute gem. I went in with no expectations and was even a bit confused in the first few minutes, as it blends drama and comedy in an unusual way. The cinematography and color palette lean toward a serious tone, which perfectly matches the heavy themes the film explores ~ loss, competitiveness, and school bullying, among others. These are all experiences that can push us to wear emotional masks and sometimes act defensively or even aggressively to protect our hidden pain.At its core, the movie is deeply human and surprisingly wholesome. While some may feel it naively suggests that people can simply drop their masks and become instantly kind once their vulnerabilities are exposed, it still offers a hopeful vision of what we might aspire to. That alone makes it quietly powerful.
The acting is on point, and if you’re like me, you’ll quickly grow attached to the characters ~ especially In Yeong, beautifully portrayed by Lee Re. The original soundtrack complements the musical and theatrical elements wonderfully, and the choreographies are engaging and a joy to watch. Even if the story is somewhat predictable, the emotional investment makes you want to follow the characters all the way through their journey.
Overall, I can only recommend giving this film a chance. It’s not very long, but it’s a sincere and heartfelt effort—and in my opinion, it truly succeeds.
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A neon-soaked cyberpunk-infused drug trip
A feverish, neon-soaked descent into a cyberpunk-infused drug trip at its most excessive and imaginative, Tsui Hark's adaptation of The Wicked City is less concerned with coherence than with spectacle, atmosphere and a restless sense of urban dread. Playing exceptionally fast and loose with its source material, the pacing is absolutely relentless, opting for a mafia-style soap opera with a doomed love at its core, rather than the political ramifications of its origins. The visual insanity of the film feels almost unearned in the grand scheme, with Hark and director Peter Mak unleashing a barrage of practical effects, grotesque creature designs and kinetic action sequences that are truly chaotic. It all oscillates between horror, action and dark fantasy, delivering sex, violence, bizarre sensuality and outrageously colourful lighting. Yet, beneath the excess lies a familiar Tsui Hark preoccupation: anxiety about modernity, urban alienation and the hidden rot beneath a glossy metropolis. There's a deep-rooted obsession with transformation permeating throughout, bodies mutating, realities slipping, identities dissolving, creating a sense of constant instability. At times, this works brilliantly, evoking a city on the brink of moral and supernatural collapse; other times, it overwhelms the narrative, which can feel fragmented and rushed. The performances from the central cast are entirely serviceable; they function well within Tsui Hark's heightened, stylised universe. Leon Lai operates as the brooding protagonist with stoic restraint. At the same time, Michelle Reis brings an alluring, tragic presence that fits the film's noir-inflected tone. A fascinating artefact of unrestrained creativity, where ambition matters more than polish, seductive, violent and perpetually on the verge of completely losing its sanity, there's a method to The Wicked City's madness. Its storytelling is messy, its mythology underexplained, and its indulgences plentiful, but if you're willing to meet it at its level, it's a wild, flawed and ultimately unforgettable ride.Was this review helpful to you?
Interessante
Um filme adulto interessante sobre uma mulher sexualmente reprimida, em busca de liberdade e autoconfiança. A chegada de um novo cozinheiro ao restaurante do pai funciona como catalisador para que ela comece a se abrir, emocional e pessoalmente, e a se reconhecer como mulher.É um bom filme, me manteve entretida do início ao fim, e as cenas de sexo são tratadas de forma íntima e delicada, bonitas de assistir.
Ainda assim, senti falta de mais profundidade e de um foco maior nas questões centrais da protagonista: seus conflitos internos, suas motivações e o processo de transformação poderiam ter sido melhor explorados.
No geral, é um filme competente, mas que deixa a sensação de que poderia ir além. Daria um ótimo short drama.
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You'll protect the world. I'll protect you.
This movie features the relationship of two broken teens that find solace in each other in very dark moments in their life. The way they care for each other and how their bond was formed through trauma was both heartbreaking and amazing. It is a dark and heavy watch which still had some welcome (while unexpected) moments of hope and light shining through the pain.The cinematography was great : there a lot of striking scenes that left me a memorable impression. The way the director managed to bring to screen the tension felt by young people going through exams and social pressure at that crucial moment of time was excellent. The way the few moments of freedom and carefreeness shown among the heavy burden carried by the leads was very moving.
The cast did overall an excellent job with Zhou Dong Yu and Jackson Yee being incredible. I did not know Zhou Dong Yu and but I already knew that Jackson Yee was amazing...Here they both impressed me so much that I for sure plan to watch more of their filmography. The way their eyes bore so much weight and pain and care : simply striking !
I would strongly recommend this to people that are looking for a well-written story supported by excellent acting. There are some minor flaws regarding its pacing and the fact I would have loved to see even more deepened some elements but overall it took me on an intense journey that I will not forget.
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This review may contain spoilers
This should have been a drama
Ao No Kaerimichi was such a great watch. The reason i am giving it 7/10 is because of the format they used. This should have been a drama and not a movie. The amount of characters and stories were so rich that it could have benefited from being a drama, which would have given more time for better storytelling. With the movie format, the story felt rushed, especially trying to squeeze ten years into 120 minutes, which took away so much depth. The characters were fascinating and went through real struggles, so it would have been refreshing to see it in a drama that could have provided the right space to explore their stories and feelings.**Plot**
The stories of seven high school graduates unfold in Maebashi.. Some live in their hometown, while others pursue their dreams in Tokyo. Their lives intertwine, and they reconnect when a tragedy strikes, forcing them to confront reality and realize that their dreams didn't unfold as they had wished, revealing how life has taken unexpected turns.
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la mire por hong kyung y está todo q veeer ?
Esta pelicula me decidi a miearla porque me salieron edita de tiktoks (ya saben que esa es la razon por la que me decido a mirar algo) tambien fue porque el actor hong kyung (uno de los co protagonistas) sale en esta peli (como habia visto weak hero, queria ver como actuaba en este nuevo papel)la trama es interesante porque es basada en una historia real, asi que eso llama mas la atencion.
la peli tiene momentos de comedia, que me daban mas coraje que gracia, dejame explicarlo. Me daban coraje, por el hecho de pensar que asi se comportan los gobernates en situaciones realmente serias o tragicas y se preocupaban por otras cosas o se lo tomaban a la ligera.
Yo si lo veo como una critica/realidad a lo que pasa con los que estan en el poder, aquello que nosotros los ciudadanos no logramos ver, como es que “resuleven” situaciones de este tipo pero al final solo muestra aquella cara de la luna. (referencia lol)
no se mucho de hacer reseñas ni nada de eso, asi que solo doy mi humilde opinion…pero ya no estare de mamadora :p
sobre el final si me dejo una sensacion de frustracion, porque el seo go (el guapo del hong kyung) al final termino siendo un heroe tras bambalinas como su padre, que ironico la
verdad. Yo realmente queria que fuera reconocido por todo su labor, porque apesar de que primero se vio obligado, conforme fue avanzando la trama se dio cuenta que podia ser reconido por su hazaña y lo tento el exito, al final lo hizo por humanidad y se dio cuenta que solo queria salvarlos, asi que el ver que todo lo que hizo fue ocultado por el gobierno fue como ???? >:c si me dio coraje
wey, le dieron un reloj tambien ptm
pero al final es una realidad en nuestras vidas, en la historia cuantos no fueron heroes y la realidad es que otros terminaron llevandose el reconocimiento por lo hecho…no es justo, pero son cosas que pasan…que el sistema hace que pase.
tengo que mencionar que el hong kyung estaba mas sexy que de costumbre, q hombre la verdad, esa voz (EN TRES IDIOMAS) todo que ver, el japones ufff
facilmente podría ser mi ruido blanco cada noche
todo con ese hombre esta realmente bien, no me arrepiento de verlo en esta peli
wey que onda con los “secuestradores” eran un chiste realmente, obvio yo pensaba que ellos no se iban a atrever a matar a los pasajeros y le atine, es que no me daban vibras de malotes, ni nada, solo querian ser vistos o que alguien hablara de ellos, esa es mi percepcion
si tuviera que decidir si lo recomiendo: diria que si, es una peli buena para pasar el
rato y entretenida ;p
tambien lo que me gusto es que hablaran japones, coreano y un poco de ingles
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ALMOST A MASTERPIECE
Outside of the story, absolutely everything about this production was top shelf stuff. Acting/casting, pacing, cinematography, score, editing, costumes, production design -- all perfect. I'm not going to wax poetic, just see for yourself.The story was quite interesting. I give it an 8.5 because it only had two shortcomings --
1. In the second half, it started resorting to melodrama as a device. Shock and awe, as like to call it. It could have gone down a notch or so for this otherwise gentle toned film.
2. I'm not sure the ending quite nailed the landing. For a movie this subtle, the ending has to be perfect. It seemed like a happy ending was tacked on, or that they never had a satisfactory ending. The ending isn't bad. It's just not as perfect as the film.
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A Thrill Ride
Makes you hate one lead, then another.It wasn't until about half way through the first intimacy scene that I really understood this drama. The character motivations seemed a bit blurry at first. However, it's undeniable that both actors are amazing at portraying burning passion - both for eachother and for what they do.
What really sold me for this drama was the ending. Now, I'm not much for open endings, but the passion and feeling the ending brought up in me was something else. Originally, I was expecting a bad ending. However, I'm glad they took the open ending approach of only slightly understanding the leads relationship. It felt a lot more mature than a puppy love ending or going ghost.
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Make it make sense
This movie was incredibly perplexing and deeply unsettling.To be honest, the narrative appears to lack coherence, leaving me utterly baffled. The viewing experience was quite uncomfortable, especially given the age of the characters involved. The highly explicit scenes felt uncomfortable, serving no real purpose in advancing the plot or developing the characters. In an attempt to grasp the storyline, I turned to the manga, hoping to find clarity, but that only compounded my confusion. While the plot had some basic elements, it ultimately lacked a clear motive or meaning, leading to a sense of confusion. Perhaps some viewers might find a deeper understanding, but to me, it felt like a collection of disjointed scenes devoid of significance and a cohesive storyline.
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A vision of vengeance
A truly intoxicating blend of wuxia fantasy and revenge melodrama, The Lady Hermit revels in cruelty, beauty, and moral extremity. Stripping back an otherwise familiar formula to its barest essentials, there's something to be said about the film's execution that makes the following of said formula ultimately redundant, retaining all of its heart. There are plenty of quintessential Shaw Brothers staples, whether it be lavish sets, saturated colours, or a theatrical artificiality that paradoxically heightens the violence. However, it's thanks to director Ho Meng-Hua that it all happens with a tremendous amount of style and flair. Despite the film's love triangle occasionally threatening to disrupt the impeccable pacing, it's handily compensated for by a truly rousing finale, rife with arterial sprays. The action is all executed to a high standard, filled with rhythm, pose and shock. The violence is sudden and severe, often lingering just long enough to be uncomfortable, reflecting the film's bleak worldview. Even moments of triumph feel poisoned, as if every victory costs something irretrievable. This is not about justice; it is about annihilation. The film certainly benefits from a set of great performances; Cheng Pei-Pei is certainly unforgettable in the titular role, while Lo Lieh is always a treat; however, the show is stolen by Shih Szu. She conveys a striking emotional arc, moving from vulnerability to near-emotionless precision, embodying a protagonist who has consciously sacrificed humanity for vengeance. Notable for its depiction of female rage and power at a time when the genre was still largely male-dominated, The Lady Hermit is a haunting and often unsettling experience, trading heroic romanticism for bitterness and blood. A vision of vengeance that acknowledges empowerment while simultaneously questioning its price, suggesting that survival in a corrupt world may require becoming monstrous oneself.Was this review helpful to you?
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This movie will ruin you
When I started watching this movie, I didn't know what to expect, but I was completely swept away. I loved this movie from beginning to end. Their romance was so pure and perfect. The first time I watched it, I was so amazed by their relationship, that I didn't even see the end coming at all. Every time I rewatch it, I still bawl my eyes out at the end.Honestly, I feel like there aren't many movies that have touched me as much as this one did. It just has some heartwarming and unexpected twists that completely change the story (sometimes in a good way and sometimes not 😔).
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You may as well book in for therapy before watching this movie !
**Trigger Warning:** If you're considering watching "The World of Kanako," tread carefully. This film is devoid of heroes, presenting a grim tapestry woven with deeply flawed and reprehensible characters. It showcases humanity at its most grotesque and twisted, featuring a multitude of disturbing images that can be profoundly unsettling. I strongly advise you to think twice before diving in for the sake of your mental well-being.The experience left me utterly speechless for days, and four years later, the visceral shock and feelings of unease continue to haunt me. The darkness of the narrative escalates relentlessly, plunging into depths that can only be described as harrowing.
This movie is a relentless portrayal of abuse in its most explicit forms, pushing boundaries that many may find difficult to stomach. But despite its sickening nature, I must acknowledge that the film excels in storytelling and acting. If the filmmakers aimed to illustrate the depths of human depravity and the twisted realities of our world, they succeeded with remarkable intensity, leaving me utterly shattered.
Nana Komatsu delivers an astonishing performance, and it's hard to believe that this is her debut film! Watching it was a profoundly challenging experience, but undeniably impactful..
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Some faithful, some reworked. War movie with OTT violence, and then one love story and another, success, betrayal, loyalty, magic, mythical sea creatures and special effects of dubious merit.
This isn't one to watch critically, better to just go along for the ride.
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