Reviews

Unique concept and story

Before I watch movies/dramas I always read the synopsis, but I think disregarding everything except the first line may make watching the movie more enjoyable. I explained why in "Comments" at the end of the review.

Review:
The story was unique even though it used the common legends of sending a human bride to a sea monster. I liked the mystery behind it and it made it more entertaining since very few clues were provided throughout the movie, but maybe it is because of the synopsis that made me focus more on the love triangle/quadrilateral/pentagon than anything else.
The acting/casting was not bad and I am assuming this is Zhang Yu Xi's more recent works since her acting is not bad even though I heard quite a few negative things about her acting especially in these movies (The Beauty Skin and Mermaid Bound and this). I hope she continues to improve. Her character, Ah Li, has a good/better balance of brave/kind and scared when necessary. Ah Li is not uselessly brave that she looks stupid nor is she always annoyingly weak. Hai Da Yu, I mean I disliked him cus I felt bad for Yan, but everything turned out okay, but they could have made Yan less "bumpy" and "green". Wen Yu (the character) was just okay, like what he did brought suffering to Ah Li (to some extent) and himself, but thanks to him Ah Li and HDY fell in love and also Wen Yu brought Ah Lai so he somewhat redeemed himself.
I felt like there was not anything that made me have strong emotions, but it was interesting to watch, which is why I gave it a 7.5, but an additional 1-2 scenes could have made this an 8.

Comments:
Twenty minutes into the movie, I was expecting a love triangle, but got a different type of triangle or quadrilateral/pentagon even since the FL has multiple love interests and this also made me a bit frustrated since the synopsis made it sound like Ah Li was going to have a thing for Hai Da Yu and Yan, but it was in those 20 minutes that there was also the original love interest, Wen Yu. So I had negative thoughts regarding Ah Li, but I'm glad it wasn't this chaotic.

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A must watch for Korean cinema

This movie has been one of the most memorable Korean films for me. I watch it once every few years and it still keeps me very entertained.

What's brilliant about Antique is that it is what you make of it:
If you watch it lightly, it's a very lighthearted film you can watch over dinner.
But if you stop and think about the plot and the characters, I guarantee you 100% you will go back and re-watch segments of it almost immediately.

If you think of it lightly, it's an entertaining film about a bunch of guys in 2000s fashion running a bakery.
But if you really give it some thought, there are some pretty dark and bittersweet undertones that this movie intentionally does not explicitly elaborate on. Just like the undertones of a complex food dish, the visuals and the first taste is apparent, but it's the subtle undertones of flavour that get you thinking.

I think this very factor is what makes Antique a very Korean film. There are things said and many more things (intentionally) left unsaid. And this is also why some people will really like or really dislike this film.
Either way, Antique is definitely worth giving at least one watch.
Even though quite some time has passed since its release, I watched it again last week and it's still every bit as...Antique.

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I came across this film randomly trying to find something to watch while I removed my braids... I honestly cried a lot watching this-- I hated how her "friend" treated her and took all the credit for the manga. Sayaka treated Yuma like a secret and didn't even let her go to like fan signs... I was so happy when she quitted. Another person I hated how they would treat Yuma was her mother... I got that she was being protective BUT she hide so much fucking shit from her and didn't let her do shit. I loved Mai and I am so glad her and Yuma met. She treated her soooo much better than both the mom and friend. I lost my train of thought and will come back to this

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Eye in the Sky 2007 it's spoiler if you have allready see this movie

remake (completly identical) of : " Eye in the Sky"
2007 HK movie with :

Simon Yam / Sergeant Wong Man Chin - Sol Kyung Gu / Chief Detective Hwang (Main Role)
Tony Leung Ka‑fai / Chan Chong Shan - Jung Woo Sung / James ( Main Role)
Kate Tsui / Constable Ho Ka Po, Piggy - Ha Yoon Joo / "Piglet" (Main Role) (Main Role)
Source : (Google)
Young Hong Kong police officer Ho Ka-Po (Kate Tsui) is given a shot at joining an elite surveillance unit as it tries to solve a jewelry store robbery. Squad leader Sergeant "Dog Head" Chin (Simon Yam) isn't sure she has the right stuff for the job. The team pores over surveillance camera footage trying to identify the gang of thieves led by the clever and dangerous Shan (Tony Leung). Painstaking police work combines with intense action as cops and crooks head for a showdown.

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Unconventional But Beautiful

Kita Kita is unconventional. The producers took the risk of presenting something unusual. To everyone's surprise that so-called "unconventional" worked wonders!

Casting actor and comedian Empoy Marquez alongside the beautiful and talented actress Alessandra De Rossi is the best decision ever. Sure Marquez is not the cute guy next door but the role given to him and his portrayal made everyone fall for him. It's also worth mentioning that Marquez and De Rossi has an incredible chemistry making their "AlEmpoy" love team a huge hit.

Besides unconventional, Kita Kita is also absolutely beautiful – visually and emotionally. While touring the beautiful Sapporo, we know that there is a grand plan at the end. Kita Kita prepared us by giving a simple path to follow. As we slowly take it, we learn more and more about the characters gaining a deeper understanding of their life, friendship and love.

Sigrid Bernardo's Kita Kita proves that unconventional can also be beautiful.

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Bloody Crayons is Surprisingly Okay

With such a simple and unpretentious story line, it wasn't difficult to enjoy the film.

The direction built was straight and clear. Along that road are nine characters (less after some got killed) which we got to know even if it was just for a short while. When they started playing the Bloody Crayons game, there was a brief harmony among the characters.

BUT that same moment also marks the turning point and emergence of each personality's darker shade. The deception and confusion led to an even more interesting and gruesome series of events.

The young actors' performances were on point but there are those who stole the spotlight. There's Jane Oineza who played Olivia. Switching from killer to victim and back to killer asked a lot from her but she delivered. Yves Flores who played Justin also stole the spotlight with all his outbursts.

With all those together, I found how surprisingly okay Bloody Crayons is.

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I guess this really isn’t a regular horror film.

Director Jason Paul Laxamana’s Pwera Usog may be a horror film but it’s more than that. There’s a moral lesson instilled perfect for the youth… basically everyone. Sure, the film focuses on three millennials who are born in an “electronics-filled and increasingly online and socially-networked world” but moral values are for everyone whether a millennial or not. If you don’t practice moral values, then you’ll surely get your just deserts.

“Pulubi siya. (She’s just a beggar.) No one’s gonna miss her.”

Moreover, Director Laxamana took a different direction. He played with two themes – usog and the origin of the evil spirit who placed the hex – one at a time and then all at once. I have to admit though that there were several silly moments which were surprisingly okay.

There was a scene where Aiko Melendez’ albularyo (a witch doctor/ folk healer) character heals Jean (Sofia Andres) for the first time. Since the classic way of licking one finger and rubbing it on the person’s abdomen or forehead didn’t work, she poured a jar of saliva with magic. Yes, she did! There was also another healing scene where she shouts Pwera Usog! This reminded me of Narda’s transformation to Darna. It was silly AND hilarious.

I guess this really isn’t a regular horror film. In conclusion, Director Jason Paul Laxamana’s Pwera Usog is still decent. It has all the elements of a horror film; not to mention, the silliness that’s rarely seen with a plot like this. I enjoyed watching it and wouldn’t mind watching it again. 6/10

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Touching story, wonderful storytelling

Die Beautiful is more than a transgender’s story. Yes, there are scenes wherein Trisha Echeverria (Paolo’s character) was looking for acceptance, joining pageants and undergoing surgery and so on. You might say, that’s the typical image of gays portrayed in films and TV series. That may be true. But, my dear friends, this is what you call life.

The film presented us with the journey of Patrick /Trisha Echeverria by showing us the many faces of life. Instead of sugar-coating, Die Beautiful gave us reality including the challenges and heartaches in life. Besides the main character’s story, they didn’t leave out the rest of the characters especially the best friend. I would say that the loyal Barbs is the glue that brings the entire story together. Why and how? Well, through the film’s wonderful storytelling.

The storytelling...
A story, no matter how great will become unnoticed if storytelling doesn’t captivate your audience. With Die Beautiful, I was captivated from the beginning. The film used an unconventional narrative structure to tell our lead character’s story. In fact, it was the right move as it explored time making the story even more interesting.

The film began by showing the audience Patrick, an innocent little boy who is being true to himself. He along with his friends are playing the role of beauty queens in a pageant while his older sister, Beth films them. Then his father arrives reprimanding Patrick’s actions and his daughter. After that, we see a bunch of makeup tools from brushes to eye shadow palettes and finally, Barbs fixing Trisha’s make up along with their two high school friends.

Since the beginning, the audience already knew the main character died. From there, we were treated on an amazing roller-coaster narrative from past to present and back to past while meeting the people in Tricia’s life.

I have to say Die Beautiful also has a beautiful ending. On the last night of the wake, people were waiting for the last makeup transformation. Being the best friend, Barbs chose to show the one and true face of Tricia, the most beautiful person he has ever known.

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The film uniquely and successfully showed the truths about the life of an extra and life itself

Before That Thing Called Tadhana, writer and director Antoinette Jadaone gave us Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay. The mockumentary is a finalist at the 2011 Cinema One Originals Digital Film Festival where it won six awards including Best Actress for Lilia Cuntapay, a professional extra and dubbed as the "Queen of Philippine Horror Movies".

No surprise there as the film uniquely and successfully showed the truths about the life of an extra and life itself without being overly dramatic. Not only that, but Lilia Cuntapay proved she can be in the lead too. She has a sense of humour and a charm that makes you want to listen and see what she'll say and do next.

I remember a scene where she took her neighbour's advice and went to Starbucks so she can write her thank you speech. After seeing the prices, she asks herself what's wrong with Starbucks' coffee. And when it was her turn, she orders a bottle of water instead. To her surprise, the cashier asks her for Php 40.00. Cuntapay directly asks, "What's wrong with your water?"

It was a short scene but it made me laugh. Plus, it also showed how much she loves acting that she is willing to try new things just to be able to write the perfect thank you speech.

Besides that, Lilia Cuntapay also delivered lines that speak to your heart. There was a scene where she was called for work and arrived at the set before the call time. Director Antoinette Jadaone asks her why did she come early. Lilia Cuntapay simply says that she would rather wait than have people wait for her.

"Ang buhay hindi para sa taong mainipin. Kasama sa pagiging tao ang paghihintay." (Life is not for impatient people. Waiting is part of being a person.)

"Ang mga extra simpleng characters lang. Walang past. Wala ring future. (Extras are just simple characters. They don't have a past and a future.)

Hearing the last line from her, it dawned on me that extras with lines or no lines are only there to fill the space. They don't even support the characters and are simply forgotten. But not Lilia Cuntapay.

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Could have been funnier

A somewhat weaker sequel to Detective Chinatown (2015). Some of the scenes are visually hilarious such as with horse-riding on the roads of New York (the poor horse comes to an awful end though).

Like the 2015 movie, there are elements of a whodunit/detective story. Much of it is comedy involving situations that you shouldn't expect to be realistic if you want to enjoy the movie.

The story features a few recurring characters that we see in the Detective Chinatown franchise (including the 2020 series). It is weaker than the 2015 movie though the serial killer premise shows promise at first. This sequel ups the anarchic elements of the first instalment, which can make it really funny. Unfortunately, the comedy isn't always done well. The story relies too much on "stroke of luck" situations to solve the protagonists' problems--this is sometimes funny, sometimes insipid. The means by which the main characters escape from a police lock-up is almost cringe-inducing even for someone with a good appetite for absurd comedic situations. Implausible events are fine if they are fun and hilarious. But if they are simply implausible without being funny, they give the sense that they have been included just to move the plot forward.

Like the 2015 movie, this one features an "extra" revelation after the mystery seems to have been solved. It is clever though, this time round, we may vaguely seeing it coming a tad too early. In the 2015 movie, the extra revelation doesn't seem labored though we may begin to see something extra coming our way quite late in the movie. In contrast, the sequel seems to try a little too hard to show that the extra revelation isn't added as an afterthought. Still, I'm nitpicking a little. This movie isn't meant to be taken so seriously and, in fact, it falters when it starts taking itself too seriously with some pseudo-philosophical moments.

As an aside, a sort of formula or template seems to have emerged from the 2015 movie, and this does not necessarily bode well for the third instalment.

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Anarchic comedy with some mystery

As a comedy, this movie has several hilarious, if not altogether original, scenes, including one in which the Tang Ren wreaks havoc in a police station to distract the police officers so that his partner can access some information.

There is no gripping mystery but the revelations towards the end of the movie are clever. The main character, an inept or even fake detective, is made the scapegoat of a murder and gold theft. Cops and thugs are both after him. Thankfully, a relative visiting him turns out to be very good at sleuthing.

The movie is most enjoyable as a comedy that makes use of some elements of the detective genre. If you are expecting a solid whodunit, this isn't going to satisfy you. But if you like anarchic comedy that borders on or is downright ridiculous, this is a pretty good one.

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If you watched and listened carefully, you’ll notice the metaphor about the excess baggage referring to the failed relationship. It stated about Mace’s situation of having all her life in her bags while Anthony’s situation says that he’s been there and willing to share the weight of someone in need. But all throughout, there are many signals and signs where in reality we do not see – manhid lang – or sometimes ignore – tanga lang.

Besides that, I also adored the lengthy conversations both characters did throughout the film. In order to know more about or understand someone, all you need is good, healthy communication. Each word they utter digs deeper and by the time they became comfortable with each other, the silence was not a problem.

Of all the Filipino films I have watched, I think this film has a fair share of unforgettable lines, words of wisdom, not to mention, the hugot moments.

Though That Thing Called Tadhana is a story about two strangers meeting, becoming friends and mending a broken heart, it is not overly dramatic. It simply tells what each character has in mind just like anyone whose heart has been broken.

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Why am I watching these?

Another pink film. This one is extremely sexual as it's about a masturbation camp. A student who is interested in studying gay masturbation goes and checks it out for himself. He forms relationships with the students and teacher, some more than others..

I think the story is pretty good. I was actually thinking while watching. At times I felt the conversation between the student and teacher about their area of study was somewhat forced, but the script-writer tried.. The rest of the plot deals with the rules of the camp. You can masturbate together, you can masturbate one another, but there is no fellatio or anal sex. This is mainly what the plot is based upon as well as the teacher/master's philosophy and life studying this subject. The incoming student is used more as a vehicle to tell the story. The story starts with him entering the camp and revolves around what he experiences there without focusing on him as a person. The movie feels more third person than told from anyone's perspective.

The acting was pretty good. The actors have to act overly emotional. Whether it be surprised, turned-on, remorseful, etc, they put on a performance. I felt the performance by the guy who is against the straight student, the straight college student, and the teacher/master is the best. Those are the three main roles afterall.

Rewatch Value? Yeah. I think this one is not that bad, so why not rewatch it?

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A good family film but is still lacking

Honestly, I enjoyed watching the film and would recommend it to families and people who want to have a good time. But though many enjoyed it and is one of the top earners, the film received mixed to negative reviews.

One problem is the flow. There are many instances where you'll ask, what exactly Baba is doing to clear her name. Why is there bad blood between them? And then, there's this feeling that everything went fast-forward.

Some of the questions were answered towards the end. But since you felt that they were in a hurry to tell the story, you just sort of accepted how it was answered. There wasn't any whoa and ah even nice one moment!

Second is the mini commercial. They did this before in one Enteng Kabisote film which was subtle compared here in 'My Little Bossings'. They could have just placed the product there and get on with the story. But they delivered a few lines about the products.

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