Hallelujah

the movie is more of the first one, but it hits stronger since the cycle of crime, double crossings and death continues and has a deeper meaning knowing the context. this movie on its own offers a look to the past movie and past events so watching the first movie is not necessary. The characters were very brutal and charismatic, they are both monsters and humans.
but i wonder about the title "Believer". yes we have one gangster who is a believer and knows his bible so that he can quote it in certain situations but that is more of an example what it means to sin against the second commandment: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
ultimately, is there belief and God in this movie? and what is death or justice if there is no God? I would have wanted more hints at that from the movie but i did get a lot to think about. so if you want to look into the soul of some criminals, this movie is for you.

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Everything is possible

The synopsis says that this is an Omnibus movie with 5 short stories, but there is also a sixth one (Pieces – 토막) that is not mentioned, which connects all the other stories.

Each story has a different sub-theme of the supernatural, terrifying, and disgusting. The best element of the movie is the individual scenes where the viewer has to close their eyes because they are too repulsive/disgusting and hard to watch. There aren’t many of them, but each short story has at least one such shocking scene. The horror elements aren’t executed very well because they appear superficial. They try to scare the viewers with various clichés but lack clarity and authenticity. I found it interesting to watch the different themes that make each short segment and each story unique, and everything is quite well connected into one unity. This movie truly breaks the boundaries of what’s possible and just does whatever it wishes. The acting at times seems unconvincing, and as is the case with other horror movies, the characters' actions are often illogical. When I think about it, maybe the directors do this intentionally so that we, the viewers, get more involved in the movie, even if it’s by complaining about why the characters weren’t smarter or more cautious. Horror fans will probably appreciate this movie, despite its flaws, but I wouldn’t recommend it to the general public.

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Live up to your Name

Wow. This is quality cinema. The story was in moments confusing for me so maybe i should watch it again, but it got me to think a lot. That is because the movie shows many layers of society and reality. You think that you understand what is going on but you are not aware of the play that is conditioning the main characters, and maybe even those who control him are unknowingly controlled and influenced by someone else.

The synopsis says that the main character Lee Man-jae sold his name to survive so this is not a spoiler. And throughout the move his name will have a central role of the story as he tries to get a hold of all the things that happened to him. What value does our name has? This movie shows that without your name you might be alive but you are actually dead.

In one moment the movie gives us a message that goes something like this: "Even if you haven't sinned, you have a sin because it is sin if you didn't do anything." I am not sure how this connects with the story of the movie so if someone can help I would appreciate it. Nevertheless, this is a strong and true statement that it is better to do something and fail (sin) than to not do anything.

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Real Story

I am sued to watch the actor Ra Min-ran in comedic roles. Here her talent shines through as a hard working single mother who got scammed for her life savings. So instead of making us laugh she makes us sympathize with her struggle for her children, job, money, in fact for her life. Her acting is so sincere that I forgot that this is only a movie. I felt sorry for her situation as if she was my neighbor. Also the other actors are very good. And there are also characters who bring a little bit of humor and cheerfulness so that the movie wouldn’t be too depressing.

I like this kind of movies where the story captures you from the start and continues to guide the emotions. I think that the director masterfully connected real life event on which this movie is based of, with the dramatic themes and cinematic details. In short, i was engaged 100% in the movie from start to finish and i can recommend it to everyone. It also speaks about the ever growing problem of scammers.

Interesting fact, completely by chance I watched this movie exactly on the date the case was solved, August 21st.

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Fun but forgettable

Not gonna lie. I had fun watching this movie but ultimately this seems like one of those average Netflix movies. I guess what bothers me the most is that the movie resembles Hollywood action comedies a little too much and I wouldn't want Korean movies going that direction.

In terms of comedy and action, the film provides enough material. I didn't find some jokes funny at all, but others made me laugh out loud. Also, the production is at a high level so we have some very good action scenes. The plot is interesting, but forced. Many events happen without any logic, but so that the story can take the desired course. This is an ideal movie for those who want to refresh a boring evening, but it is not a movie that will be on any top lists.

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Gut-wrenching story

This movie is not entertainment but a depressing story about a town without hope. The title of the movie is truly fitting. There seems to be no hope for our main character and neither for other people. So this was all emotionally very hard to watch. Few scenes were hard to watch because of brutality but the entire movie is hard to watch emotionally because it is just sad to see peoples lives going downhill. In fact it is more than sad. There is sadness that purifies but when you don’t have hope it is even worse. In a sense this is what hell looks like.

Actually the real title of the movie is Hwaran – 화란. That is transliterated from the Chinese word for Netherlands. Our main character Yeon Gyu has a dream of going to the beautiful Netherlands. However, Hwaran can also be transliterated from another Chinese character with the meaning of disaster and chaos. Very interesting detail that says a lot about the story of this movie too. In short, don’t watch this movie if you want to have a good time, watch it at your own risk.

Btw. the version of the movie I saw was 1hr 58min and not 2 hr 13 min as stated on the info.

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Awkward Woman

This is an interesting movie, but I wouldn't say that it is for entertainment, but for thinking about foreigners integration. In today's world, in many developed countries, there are a lot of foreign tourists, travelers, workers so that the compactness of nations and states is slowly being lost. Despite all its openness to the world, Korea still proudly preserves its traditions. In this movie we have an unknown woman, a foreigner, who lives in Korea. The title of the film suggests that she is a traveler, but it seems that she would like to be a part of Korea, not just a foreign traveler. The movie touches on what I experienced myself – In Korea, everyone is very kind and friendly to me, but I still feel like a foreigner.

The foreign woman in this movie reflects the difference and clash of cultures. It was awkward and uncomfortable for me to watch her interaction with people, hugging at the first greeting, nonchalance and seeming disinterest in regards to others, irresponsibility for herself, taking private space in sitting to close to other people... The movie has a lot of interesting details, it is especially nice how some sentences and gestures are repeated by several characters to convey that there is something that connects us. In my opinion, the message of the movie is that there is a place for foreigners in Korea, but not without difficulties.

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Story of a Hero

This is a story about real life heroes. Too often in films, the main characters go on revenge mission or do violent, morally unacceptable things, but the main character in this film, pilot Tae-in, is an example of a real hero who is guided by moral virtues. We could almost say that he is a saint. Speaking from my Christian perspective, I would say that the attitudes and actions of the main character are an authentic example of Christian behavior in dramatic situations.

The film begins with a very interesting plot, in the middle, the story becomes a bit tiring because the events on the plane do not really change anything in the plot, but the finale of the film is excellently done, full of adrenaline and drama. Watching the planes fly was for me more exciting than the interaction of the passengers in the hijacked plane. I also liked one scene on the plane when the frame freezes and we have the opportunity to see a panorama of all the passengers in a dramatic moment. However, that scene stands out from the rest of the film, which dramatizes historical events and ultimately gives us a positive inspiration.

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Fist is still strong

The Crime City movie series has not run out of fuel. I would say that the previous sequel was slightly better, but the tone of this new film is the same as in the previous part, good and brutal action with a touch of comedy. Those who liked this series before will also like this sequel. Charismatic Ma Dong-seok has aged a bit, but he is still the main asset of the film. More precisely, it is his fist that smashes everything in front of him. It surprises me and makes me laugh every time when I see enemies fall from the force of his blows.

An important part of the film are the criminals, who also have strong personalities here, and it is interesting to see how they clash with each other. They also created the best action scene in the film, where instead of fists, they fight with knives and we practically see the entire fight choreography in one shot. As for the story, it's good enough to hold attention, but it doesn't have too many twists and turns.

P.S. for the Croatian translation. Our translator was very creative in translating Korean curse words, so he would invent a new curse word for each F word and thereby increase their influence on the plot, which bothered me a little because I'm not a fan of rude words.

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Change or not to change

This is a beautiful looking movie. Production, story, acting, music – everything looks nice, especially the photography. But is there any value or substance beneath the appearance? I would say that there is.

The topic of living as a single person is very sensitive today because a lot of people live as single people intentionally or by force, and it is impossible to give a comprehensive answer and a sufficiently objective comment on such a life. My comment is that it is not good for a man to be alone. In any way, we need other people, and we live this reality most deeply in a couple as a man and a woman. This film approaches the subject in a creative, comical and, of course, romantic way. It respects single people, but is aware that they are also people who love, i.e. who are looking for/need love. As a book lover, I really liked that they used reading, writing and publishing a book as a metaphor for the human relationships. I would say that the movie gives better advice on writing books than on living as single.

I can't say that I completely agree with the philosophy of the story, but I really enjoyed watching this entertaining and emotional film.

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Dancing and praying

The pilgrimage to Santiago is famous all over the world, and I have heard many touching stories from those pilgrimages, which entail a n exhausting walk of hundreds of kilometers without much luggage. Many go on this pilgrimage for religious reasons, but each person carries his own intentions, which, although they may not be directly aimed at God, are deeply connected with what a person believes.

It was very touching and beautiful to follow the pilgrimage of these two people, Jea Han and Da Hee, their journey and the support they gave each other. In the center is Jea Han, a fifty-year-old woman who is almost blind, but has a big desire to dance flamenco at the cathedral in Santiago. We see much more of her than her companion, we see her prayer, injuries on the way, personal thoughts and worries, as well as great strength of faith and will to overcome all obstacles. Her young companion is in the background, but for her too this is a path of deep life experience.

The film was shot excellently, with many beautiful landscapes, always close to our travelers and pilgrims, and the shots show both natural beauty and religious symbols. This film is an additional encouragement for me on my personal pilgrimage of life, and I believe it will be for every one who watches this beautiful movie.

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Who are you mister?

Fist of all, this movie was right for my taste. It doesn't have the suspenseful plots and twists or the multi-layered story like other great Korean thrillers, but that's not necessary. Sometimes it's best to be simple and straightforward, and this movie is like that. Clear, short, atmospheric, with great characters and an enigmatic protagonist who doesn't communicate much with words but with his attitude and actions. In another film, we would have learned more about the context of the story and about the motivations of the characters, but here it is not necessary. That is exactly what heightens the interest of the viewer, who can conclude for himself who and what kind of people the characters he is watching are.

Probably not all viewers will be able to immerse themselves in the film, but it kept me riveted and interested from beginning to end. The production and cinematography was great. From the characters, I liked the girl Inbi the most (young actress 류지안), she played her role very well, without much words.

And I'm very pleased with how it all ended, a bit absurd, but satisfying.

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