Reviews

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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Como destrozarte de la manera más bonita

Hay escenas confusas en la película, pero creo que son necesarias para dar mayor profundidad a la trama y para que formes parte de ese mundo, para que entiendas con mayor facilidad lo que elles están sintiendo aunque no hayas vivido una experiencia similar.

Por otro lado, si has vivido esa experiencia, hace que vuelvas a vivirla pero te reconforta de alguna manera, o al menos eso me ha pasado a mi.

Si viviese en un mundo con algo así, creo que no lo usaría, por ello entendí la actitud de la madre de Bai Li. Su reacción al final de la película me hizo replantearme ciertas cosas.

Supe de la película por Suzy y Bogum y estoy agradecida de haberla visto. Lo han hecho genial, al igual que todo el cast. Escuchar a Gong Yoo en inglés ha sido maravilloso.

Dudo volver a verla sola, pero sí es una película que me encantaría recomendar a mis amigues y, si sucede, verla con elles y poder hablar sobre los pensamientos de cada une.

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Heartwrenching but just enough

Wonderland takes a fresh approach on Ai and shows how different people can react to the same thing differently.

I can see why people would have wanted Wonderland as a drama instead of a movie but I feel the movie just justice to the story it wants to portray.

Although the story was great, what I really enjoyed was Suzy and Bogum’s acting - specifically Bogum’s eye acting.

Bai Li and Taeju were both characters that deeply affected their user - Bai Li’s mom and daughter, Jeong-in. Although they had positive impact, it also distorted reality. Bai Li, being unaware of the real Bai Li’s passing gave false hope to her daughter which in turn hurt the mother to see and Taeju gave Jeongin a different version, one that she liked but isn’t quite like the real Taeju.

The Wonderland service provided comfort but also had negative impacts - which was the case for the grandmother who kept giving her grandson things that she was never able to provide before.

Its a nice movie, I just wished I can see Bogum and Suzy in a different project; preferably a drama.

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World-renowned Chinese filmmakers have portrayed homosexuality in their films, series and short films. Works such as 'River Knows Fish Heart', 'East Palace, West Palace', 'Spring Fever', 'For Love, We Can', 'Looking for Rohmer', 'Wu Yan – Speechless', 'Shangai Panic', 'Kinematic' Theory', 'The Raccoon', 'The Ambiguous Focus', are some of the works that represent this theme in that Asian country.
If in 'Find You in the Crowd', a 2017 short film, which marked the debut of Chinese screenwriter and film director Zhang Yun He ('Until the Autumn Wind Start', 'Love Ever After'), he explored homophobia, homophobia internalized, the love triangle and unrequited love, in 'Find You In The Dream' he returns to his thematic obsessions and addresses sexual repression, the relationships of close friends and the school environment, always having homosexual characters as protagonists.
In this latest short film, also from 2017, the Chinese filmmaker exposes repressions as the worst punishment that a person can receive or promote, by portraying a young man who lives sexually tied and repressed.
During the film, Zhang Yun He explores themes such as internalized homophobia and the repressed desire to live sexuality freely.
Seeing the wishing bottle shattered, Qiao Ke feels that his heart was broken and that both he and his lover had lost their lives.
Starring Wang Qinhua, Jiang Yuqi and Zhang Caili as Qiao Ke and Jiang Yunan, respectively, in just over 21 minutes, this sad film tells us about the memories of Qiao Ke, a young repressed homosexual who does not accept his true nature, and Today, eight years later, he still regrets not having been able to express his true feelings to Anan, his classmate in high school, with whom he has always been in love, but he will no longer have the opportunity to confess his love.
Also known as 'Hu Meng Shaonian Shì', 'Sudden Dream' and 'A Dream of Youth', the short film, written by Xie Wanrong, Baggio and Zhang Yunhe, guides us through the memories and thoughts of the protagonist, who expresses his pain and sadness for being a young man repressed by the fear of being who he really is, and for living a double life by hiding his true sexuality and refusing to recognize that he is in love with his dear friend.
Qiao Ke will believe at some point that Chen Donger, played by actress Zhang Caili, is also in love with Nam, but she is the supportive friend that every gay should have by their side.
Since its public release, it has received good reviews, especially from specialists in this type of American cinema themes, since its presentation at film festivals in New York and Los Angeles, for the coldness and rawness with which the story is told. However, others maintain that it is a reality that in many cases is worse.
The cinematography, color palette and music as a whole reflect the tone of the film and expose the moods of the characters.
Also worth highlighting is the use of monologue. Qiao Ke guides the viewer on an introspective journey, revealing the relationship he has with his best friend, the boy he is in love with. Along the way, the protagonist discovers himself and questions himself for not having been sincere.In short, it is one of those films that talks about feelings, the passage of time and regrets. It is a story that shows a very everyday intrinsic truth in the lives of many homosexuals in the world, which manages to captivate the viewer. It is based on a creation that is far from great artifice, but that wins with that minimalist aspect.

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"Life is strange"

The Voice of Water showed the progression of Min Jung's career from scam fortune-teller to priestess of the God’s Water cult complete with its own marketing team. Creating a cult was just another business start-up. When her deadbeat dad entered the picture, danger lurked beneath the murky water of greed.

Min Jung’s grandparents emigrated from Jeju Island to Osaka during the island’s turbulent era. Because Min Jung’s grandmother had been a shimbang, her friend Mina talks her into starting a fortune telling gig in order to earn money. When it becomes successful, the young women find themselves with a business plan and marketing team. Min Jung begins to tire of being a priestess as her conscience comes to life. Mina tells her that it doesn’t matter if she’s a sham because if people believe they are being helped, then they are. Min Jung’s father makes an unwanted appearance when he runs afoul of the local yakuza boss. Her estranged father brings trouble as well as an unstable disciple who’d like to take her place.

There was an interesting and cynical premise at the heart of this film, that religion is all about having the power to make people believe and is just another business venture. Whether the cult leaders believed what they were selling was irrelevant. Most importantly, the devotees did and eagerly handed over their hard-earned money. When Min Jung returned from a retreat as a true believer, wanting to save the world, she upset not only the business model but her business team as well.

The film did present an angle I’ve not seen used much by showcasing the Korean-Japanese community in Japan. Min Jung reconnected with her family’s past when she learned about the tragic history of Jeju Island and her grandmother’s life as a shimbang there. Archival photos from this terrible time when 30,000 people were killed and 70% of villages were burned during the clashes before, during, and right after the Korean War with the red scare were shown. Early images of Korea Town in Osaka were shown as well.

The Voice of Water wasn’t all religious scams, Min Jung’s father and his connection to the yakuza brought a malevolent touch. Fair warning, there was a rape scene and talk of sexual assaults if this is a trigger for you. The yakuza story was the least interesting part of the film for me and felt out of place unless it was to say that the crime syndicate also had its tentacles in religious cults as well. I’m sure director Yamamoto showed the reasoning behind the violent climax to the film, but whatever meaning there was attached to it eluded me.

One of the problems this film had was a rather large cast with ill-defined characters. I found it impossible to care about most of them. On her retreat into the woods, Min Jung listened to a tree and was suddenly ready to save the world. Despite her epiphany her character still came across as vague. This was due more to the writing than the acting. Hyunri gave a strong performance as the priestess with a serene façade and party girl afterwards drinking with her friends. I liked that Min Jung and her friend Mina were loyal to each other, but even this important friendship wasn’t given enough details

Fans of director Yamamoto’s other films will want to try this one. For me, there were some engaging elements teased but never fully fleshed out. Ultimately, I found Min Jung’s journey to be long and underwhelming. Water could bring rebirth and death, though enlightenment was difficult to find in the nebulous pool of business.

29 June 2024

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Could be too melodramatic.

How should i say this, recently I have been watching japanese movies centered around romance. So far this movie is the most dissatisfying, not necessarily disappointing, since i didn't know what i was getting into. When i saw who the leading cast were i was really excited. I am an avid fan of the two so to finally have them together was nothing but exciting. The performance they gave, is enough but lt lacks chemistry. They did great for individual scene's and also the prison scene, but it felt like they were focused on how to act and portray their disabled character's. The plot also is a huge issue, in my own opinion it's unnecessarily melodramatic, i feel like they really tried to have a unique storyline. Unfortunately it felt forced and far from the title. With an already sad backstory for the leads, especially the male lead, why would you add more unto it. This felt more like silent suffering than silent love, especially with the amount of violence and depravity in the movie. Half of the romantic scenes is literally, the male lead working his ass off for a performance and the female lead walking with the male lead. Like what the hell man, they should've just focused in the romance of the two. They also should've fleshed out the female leads character to match the male leads. Other than that the cinematography was good but nothing spectacular. I could even score it lower, but i can see the effort done into it and it's not a complete mess. Also one plot point they could have done is the disparity of there social standing in life, i know it's generic but this time they have disabilities so, hahahahah. I don't know it's just not romantic. Also what kinda ending kiss is that, who in there right mind would kiss someone after almost getting into an accident, the same goes to that scene where the female lead gets bumped into and panics because of the crowd but suddenly the crowd disappears when the male lead shows up, like what? Those scenes pissed me off when they were obviously making the movie "realistic" with how melodramatic it was, should've sticked to a more romantic plot. Wouldn't really recommend it, especially if you want a sweet romance but it is has a charm to it, overall it's decent.

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Incredible piece of art

What an emotional ride this was .
After the trailer I came into the movie expecting some things and the movie delivered that with lots of humour and fun.
At half way point the unexpected happened.This plot twist hit me like a truck .I was so confused and become unsure of my own beliefs and expectations from the characters. It felt like the biggest betrayal ever .But they managed to restore the trust and belief in the characters .Even though I thought it was impossible they created a very realistic and well deserved ending for this movie

I feel so lucky to witness this incredible movie .it really took me on an entire journey .The movie really made me feel like I'm one of the friends .I thoroughly enjoyed this movie .

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This movie is so painful, and you'll love it.

I kid you not, I had to sit down for two hours and stare at the wall after watching this. The story is heartbreaking and anxiety-inducing. The characters are painfully realistic. The cinematography is out of this world. The amount of angst this movie creates is impressive. It is a realistic portrayal of gay lives, and that is what makes it terrifying. The topic of internalized homophobia is one of the main focuses, and it is well executed and so deeply painful.
I would recommend this movie only for those knowing what they're getting into. It will literally change your brain chemistry.
Rewatch value is high, because you can understand the depth of the movie even better, but nothing will hit you emotionally like the first watch.

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A movie with wasted potential for an important topic AI

I was looking forward to the movie because of the actors/actresses and the plot, but I was very disappointed. The plot and the subject of artificial intelligence have a potential that is not reflected in the film (they should have made a series of at least 12 episodes)..Artificial intelligence is neither fantasy nor science fiction, it is the current and future reality of the world (personally I am afraid of artificial intelligence and not because I not technologically but from the dangers inherent in it if it reaches destructive governmental and private entities).
The plot was very confusing at first. (Less in the second part, but the film still suffers from many plot flaws) such as a lack of understanding of processes, which also resulted in the waste of talented actors who barely had screen time..

As for the soundtrack...the truth is I don't even remember maybe because my mind was busy analyzing the confused plot

*** And just for general knowledge, the actress Tang Wei (Chinese) is married to Kim Tae Yong who is the screenwriter and producer of the film

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HATE THE PREMISE, LOVE BIBLE

I'm in a fix, kinda.

I watched this, twice. Just to be sure of my opinion, which is - Bible's character dies and I will not have it this way.

I've got some other reasonable points to make as well, just hear me out:

First off, that wasnt being stupid, that was pure and simple internalised homophobia which isn't a very good look on anybody but more so on a Thai BL actor.

Secondly, he has the b@lls on him to say that he loves this dude and goes ahead to marry a woman, have a kid with her in a year - disgusting move cause sooner or later it's gonna come out and ruining another human being's life cause you are too ashamed of yourself isn't some act of bravery. It's pure and simple cowardly behaviour. That too in the 21st century, "it's impossible" isn't an excuse.

And lastly, just because he named his kid after the guy he mildly liked for about 9 years or so and pretended to not like, doesn't wash away the first 2 points.


Hence, I absolutely hate the premise of the film to begin with. Apart from that, their acting is quite alright, separately. Of course, I have my own biases about Bible being paired up with someone other than Build but clearly they had a better chemistry than whatever this was (it's purely my opinion).

Let's see what 4 Minutes has to offer. I hope it's as good as the plot, trailer and video poster was.

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NO Chemistry

This story has been done over and over again in both English versions and Korean. Whilst the story line itself is fine and the two leads were okay (individually) I just felt no chemistry at all between the two of them.
The only other criticism I would have was the continuous flow between Thai and Korean languages (it did my head in). Hangul choi!!!! Thai, I have to be in the right frame to listen to - this, as it was presented as ‘Korean’ I expected it to be in Korean. I do not mean to offend anyone - I love the Thai people and their beautiful natures. ♥️

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