Reviews

A Long Visit is such a heartwarming movie. I knew within the first 10 minutes that I would love it, and I did. The story is told so well and the two lead actresses played their parts beautifully. It is truly a masterpiece. The theme of a mother/daughter relationship has been done countless times in the past, but few have been portrayed to the same calibre as A Long Visit.

This is a movie that will re-define your view of what a mother is. Whether it’s sacrificing her own life goals so that her child can achieve great things, or enduring a painful relationship for the sake of the children, Jisuk’s mother is a true example of how far a woman is willing to go to make her children happy.

It is a lesson on appreciating things we take for granted. Most of the time, that is something that we have from the beginning of our lives but never think twice about, because we don’t know any different: most of the time that is our own mother. Jisuk herself largely ignores her mother when she was young, wishing to get away from her family and live elsewhere. When Jisuk learns that her mother endures the beatings from her husband, simply so that her daughter can have a stable home, this is the moment that Jisuk (and the audience) realise just how deep a mother’s love is. The newly found love for her mother increases tenfold when Jisuk also becomes a mother and this is when she truly realises how much she means to her.

This is one very emotional movie so don’t be surprised if you find yourself shedding more than a few tears, especially during the latter half. I advise you have at least two packs of tissue before you begin this movie. Actually, have a third pack, just in case. You won’t forget a movie like this for a long time.

This is a must-see for everyone.

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As a fan of the manga I think this live action is perfect, really! they captured amazingly the essence of the manga, I have seen that people didn't like that when koyuki was singing and his voice was muted but that's one of the things I loved, his voice while singing was something you couldn't just imagined, what they did was great, when I saw the anime I got disappointed when I heard koyuki singing because it wasn't by far the voice I imagined.
I highly recommend this live action if you have readed the manga, it really worth it, the cast is great also the music! I have to point some details such as hiro's accent and that beck (the dog) isn't like in the manga/anime but you let it pass, actually his english wasn't that bad, I loved the supporting cast, chiba is exactly the same as the manga, maho is great also taira and saku.
People that didn't like this have not read the manga or even seen te anime, this is one of the best live action I have ever seen, seriously! Is rare that I like a live action or dorama based in a manga but this one is an exception, an excelent work.

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I came across this movie through reviews on Netflix expressing how heartbreaking and overwhelming the movie was, which, of course, grabbed my attention. I'm a sucker for tragedies based around historical events. Now, I haven't watched many Chinese movies. Actually, this is probably the first one I've watched since Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.. which shouldn't even count, since I was probably 5 when that movie was in theaters lol So with that said, my opinion of this movie will not be biased.

The story-line alone can capture the attention of any audience. If you were in the mother's shoes, who would you save? Your son, or your daughter? Is it even worth it to save one of them, if the other will die? Those questions naturally repeat over and over again in your mind as you watch the movie.

The child actress who played the abandoned daughter was the highlight of the entire movie. I think this was one of her first acting gigs, which is absolutely incredible, because I think that she nailed the role of that character... The kid was so captivating, I couldn't help but feel disappointed when the older actress (of the same role) appeared on screen. This is a good example of a drama where the child actress pwns their adult counterpart (like in Moon Embracing the Sun).

Also worth mentioning, is the actress who played the mother in the movie. The heartbreak and repentance you saw from this character is what kept the movie consistent after the time jump.

Overall, the movie kept my attention most of the way through. It got kind of mediocre as it went into the older years of the daughter's life. It might have just been my lack of interest in that actress (who I recognized from Rush Hour 3), but of course it gradually got better towards the ending. I definitely think that it is worth watching all the way through. The final scenes of the movie are very touching.

Oh, I should also touch on the movie's special effects.. which could be considered the same level as 2012 or any other recent Hollywood apocalyptic film. It was very nice! And I think that this movie was one of China's first large-scale 3D movies as well.. A well-deserved masterpiece!

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Based more on the original poem/story of Mulan than Disney version. She does join the army in place of her father, but we see how it affects her. She deals with death and grief and fear and killing. We get the real Mulan that went to war for over a decade.

This a realistic movie, slightly dark tone because there is a lot of death, but it's the kind of movie that hurts so good. You will cry and then continue crying but you won't end up feeling depressed or sad. The story is fulfilling as we get to see Mulan grow and accept life as a soldier and the many different ways there are to be a hero. Vicki Zhou is wonderful as Mulan, and we don't spend a lot of time with the other characters, but we don't really need it. This is Mulan's story and it reflects that in the screen time given to our other characters. The music really helps finish the atmosphere.

There are parts that really got to me where I was sobbing but the situations were caused by war and so our characters have to deal with it. They act nobly and I was completely satisfied until the very end. As long as you don't question how they never notice she is a girl, you'll enjoy it.

I know I will end up watching it again. For when you feel like crying this is a great option. Hua Mulan truly transforms and even if you know how it ends you can still appreciate the sacrifices of our characters. I know the same scenes will still effect me in the same way.

A bit spoilery but not if you know the story of Mulan. The original version has her just returning home. This plot has a romance but they forced it into a bad ending. They continued on the noble character arc for Mulan where she just wants to take care of her father. Again this is the writers fault for wanting the dramatic hero, but it fits with the characters even though the other option would have been possible. So, I was a bit irritated, but for the sake of a better story it fits to have the drama, but I was annoyed because they built it up and left me hanging.

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I wanted to watch this because of Seung Ho even tho the plot seemed intriguing it wasnt the main reason why I wanted to watch it. I AM SO GLAD I WATCHED IT!! It's a movie that makes you think about people with disability and introduces various emotions through the acting and music. It touches the problems with society and I really enjoyed it!! MUST WATCH!

Story: for me the story was really different and unique. A blind person's testimony versus a normal person's testimony. Which do you trust? I felt the story was really well written. It was intense, exciting, heartwarming and thrilling. I loved and hated the baddie at the same time because he was beautifully performed but what he did was creepy, chilling and ever so hateful!

Acting: The dog alone should get an Oscar, she was just brilliant and beautiful! Once again Seung Ho shows us his brilliant acting skills, although he has played a troubled teen before the acting and character he played this time was different and I thoroughly enjoyed watching his character grow. Also the chemistry with Ha Neul worked well. Standing ovation for Ha Neul tho! She did an excellent job, you felt her pain and sadness plus her fear. She did a really good job - in You're My Pet she didnt realy stand out and her character was a bit flat so in this movie I was really impressed!! The acting was really touching I cried many times throughout the whole film. The acting really pulls you in and I thought the actors did an excellent job in expressing the emotions and it sucked me into that world. Before I knew it I was rooting for the leads, becoming really protective of the characters (I wanted to kill the stalker myself!!) so if a film has such effect it's bound to be good. 

Casting: there was no problem with the casting I thought everyone was perfect for the role. And as i mentioned earlier Ha Neul didnt seem fit at first but she pulled the role off really well. 

Music: the music accompanied each scene perfectly. It effectively made the scenes tense and thrilling, sad and heartbreaking. The music made me on the edge of my seat and at the same time curl up in my duvet because it was frightening plus the acting I felt like I was part of it. 

Overall: I would definitely watch this again. It provokes a variety of emotions pulling you into the movie. The acting was superb and the story was well written and developed. The only downside would be the ending, I loved the ending but I would have liked to see more! 

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When i first saw the cover picture of this movie, I was thinking "oh man another cliche testosterone military driven movie", how silly i was!

This is a wonderfully crafted masterpiece that evokes the strongest emotions in a person's heart. The movie is set in the DMZ of two Koreas and portrays how different people can set asides their differences and be able to see each other in the purest form, that we are the same, brothers and sisters.

I found myself on a roller coaster ride of emotions, laughing one minute, in with tears in another. All the actors and actress have done a superb job in this one. The most emotionally powerful scene was the last scene. Only a photograph but conveys so much meaning and emotions.

Definitely a must watch movie, no matter where you're from, you will be enchanted and inspired by this movie's magic, and understand a bit more about what it means to be a person.

Did I mention The master Park Chan Wook who later directed the infamous "Vengeance series" one of which - Old boy went on to win the Grand-prize of Jury at the Cannes, directed this one?

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Wow this movie was awful to me. No actor playing, no story, no psychology or feeling exposition, no realisation. The very original story(japanese manga and even the japanese drama even if it treats the characters in a quite different way) is very cute and sagacious. But here, there is nothing but a stream of vignettes without any link between them. The characters - the actors - seem to be bored, nothing is dynamic. That looks like a bad fanvid. If you don't know the japanese drama version, please go watch it and forget that thing. I was badly disappointed because i love both the drama and the manga stories, and i enjoy watching Jang Geun Seok dramas and Kim Ha Neul movies.

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SUNNY, want some true? I LOVE YOU!!!
This is one of those movies, that you think while watching the 10th minute, oh, hell, why didn't I watch this earlier???
This is such a heartwarming and brilliant story, it made me cry, just because it was so good! After the movie was over, I wanted to hug my besties SO much, it's a pity it was 3 in the morning and it was not possible...
I was so sad because of the unfortunate reason they were reconnected after so many years, and kind of confused why they had to separated in the first place.
The dialogue of the main leads, just broke my heart, it's so important to understand, that YOU are the protagonist of you life, and having your friends with you makes it a lot easier.
I hope my friends always remain by my side.
Thank you SUNNY!!!

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On the exterior, 200 Pounds Beauty seems to have a great story. The movie is great, the way the scenes fit together, and there's comedy, and and a heart warming story, but what really matters is the underlying meaning. The whole premise of the movie was to say that confidence is key, which is a good lesson to hold to, but the movie says that you can only have confidence when you're beautiful. The main character goes though a life changing operation to become beautiful for a guy basically. Over and over again throughout the movie they talk about how being confident is the thing, but while the movie says one thing, they show another. The lead character constantly praises the work she got done, saying how pretty she is, and how happy she is, because she got plastic surgery. This movie does not promote natural beauty, although it may seem like it does. What this movie promotes is doing whatever you can to get what you want, and how you can't be confident if you aren't pretty. The main actress had a beautiful voice, but her character seemed to be drunk all the time. The way she flung her arms everywhere or maybe the way she talked, but she didn't seem to have a stable character. The male lead was a jerk. He was saying horrible things about the lead female one moment, and the next he likes her, for her looks. The music, on the other hand, was great. The main song played, Ave Maria, was really beautiful, and a song that will be clicked on repeat on my ipod. Overall, this movie had decent cinematography, but the underlying meaning was too superficial to make this movie worth anything. I won't be rewatching this movie, because I prefer watching movies that promote natural and inner beauty, instead of saying you can only get somewhere by being pretty.

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This movie kinda reminds me of the thai movie " A Crazy Little Things Called Love" and a bit of "American Pie"

I think this is my first time that I watched a Taiwanese film.
I read somewhere that this film were a phenomenal hit in their country and in Hongkong too if i'm not mistaken.

After watching several romance flick recently which often left me disappointed or just see them average, finally this one has an edge. Enjoyable, sympathetic and realistic with some exaggerated presentation.

The story is based on true story which i give it a plus. The plot were simple enough but full of substance and disturbing scenes lol. Spoiler Alert!!....no one will die ehehe, there is no pathetic scenes or sudden scenes of twist from nowhere, everything is real and everybody can relate especially "boys".

PS: The film was based on the school life experience of the writer/director himself. ^^

PS2: (= my score rating may adjust in the future, pls comment if you find it not that accurate thank you =)

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First off, I'd like to mention: No, this isn't an action movie. The real title of the movie is "Wan Deuk Yi"--the main character of the book and film. Not really sure why it's called Punch. -___-;

For those that think that this is a movie about a kind teacher who shows compassion and does everything he can to help his troubled student--that's not completely correct. I recommend you watch the trailer. But if you can't, just know that all that nice stuff is on the inside--something you can't see right away.

This movie isn't a tear-jerker (at least IMO). BUT it is a feel-good movie and will give you a couple of laughs here and there. There are some painful-to-watch fighting scenes (kickboxing or not) for those of you who like a little action sprinkled here and there. They did an amazing job with setting the mood of the movie. It was never meant to be a gloomy-look-at-this-pitiful-child movie. They wanted it to have a certain brightness to the dark characters/setting. And I'd say they succeeded.

The cast is absolutely fantastic. Kim Yun Seok had perfect comedic timing with his joyously foul-mouth. The comedic bickering was between teacher and student was so much fun. Yoo In Ah did an awesome job preping for his kickboxing scenes; although the film was trying to not be so gloomy, Yoo In Ah did a great job bringing the heaviness of certain issues to the scenes.

All in all, if you enjoy feel-good moments, mama drama, a bit of fighting, love-lines, and cursing--and all without breaking out the tissue box--this is the movie for you.

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