Reviews

Truly entertaining : a combo of a bit crazy plot, outlandish humor and feelings that worked for me.

This movie features a totally bonkers story: the encounter of a yakuza and a middle school choir boy through karaoke lessons. Does it seem a bit crazy ? For sure, but it was so right. I went through a lot of feelings following their journey: laugh and emotions. It is very simple tale with some very outlandish humor that worked very well for me. Maybe the background of the characters could have been more developed to reach a higher level of emotional investment from my side, but I was for sure truly entertained.

Ayano Go who plays the yakuza was top notch. Saito Jun was a suitable younger acting counterpart, maybe a bit green on some points but he succeeded at the most touching scenes. The relationship between them felt right : mentor-mentee vibe (in both way). While I think it could have looked strange or creepy, it never did and I think it is a testimony of their good performances that they were able to avoid what could be a serious pitfall to the scenario.

The OST was good, full of karaoke songs sang with more or less talent which was really the fun aspect of it. The filmmaking was colorful presenting the yakuza life in a vibrant way. It felt disconnected from the reality but that was the point of that crazy but touching story.

I would recommend this to people that enjoy music and/or coming-of-age movie. If you are an aficionado of karaoke, it will for sure bring you up some memories. In overall, it is a good comedy around an atypical mentor-mentee relationship.

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A love that couldn't be.

I don't usually watch BL dramas and movies, because I feel like they don't represent the real difficulties that gay people face.

But this movie made me cry, I don't want to say much about my private life but there is a person very close and dear to me, who suffered the same thing for being homosexual. So I could feel the pain firsthand, the pain of both characters.

The two loved each other, but due to homophobia, the thought that they were sick, the beatings, neither wanted to admit what they felt freely about the other and they had to pretend before society to be accepted.

Time and circumstances separated them and although they loved each other, everything remained memories. But when you truly love, that person's name remains engraved in your heart.

The ending is sad but realistic. Many years had passed, each one made their own life and it was not realistic that they could be together, this time freely.

There is a phrase that will remain engraved in my heart and it is when he talks to his teacher: "help me go to hell, I prefer to be there now. Isn't that a place that homosexuals should be in? Maybe more people will understand me in hell."

Maybe God gave us that rule. If this type of love exists, it is because God wanted it that way. We were only human beings who set that rule to limit others from loving people of our own sex.

Love is love, no matter your sex. To say we have really advanced as a society to accept homosexual people. Even in my country where same-sex marriage is allowed, I have never seen two men holding hands. And if they do, there is the typical comment calling them "faggots."

There are many people who do not accept that their children are homosexual so they throw them out.

Sometimes I really wondered if we have moved forward or are we still the same as always, disguised as an inclusion, which clearly does not exist.

I hope there comes a day where people can love whoever they want, that they don't hide from society and people see them as ordinary people. Because in the end, no matter our sexual orientation, we are still common people but with different tastes and no one should judge another for loving another person of the same sex.

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Not as great as expected

I was sooooo looking forward to this movie (because Shin Hae Sun stars in it). I only knew it was a thriller movie partially about social medias, nothing else more.

The story is well written but it is predictable. Even is there is twists, you see them coming and guess what ?! What you’re expecting/guessing is exactly what happens. Same with the end… Even if storyline is consistent there is no surprise.
So this is not a bad movie but not a good one either actually.

The casting is good, ML and inspector are great.
Shin Hae Sun is amazing, no matter what kind of characters she portrays, she is ALWAYS great and her acting skills are ALWAYS impressive (the way she plays the scene when she gets arrested is soooo good !!!) She’s definitely one of my 3 favorite actresses <3

To summary I’m a bit disappointed because I expected this movie to be better than it actually is but I enjoyed it (especially Shin Hae Sun acting skills !)

No rewatch value for me (I’d rather rewatch shows of main actors) and didn’t pay attention to OST

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I feel they could have done so much more with a clearer focus. Despite the hype, not impressed.

I wish Minato and Yori appeared more, and would prefer a better ending.

--- Vague Spoilers --

Story: Director tries to put in a few themes, bullying, being different, societal conformity, japanese apologising/taking responsibility culture (even if not at fault), gay treatment therapy, felt a bit too many... Kind of drew the focus away from what (imo) should be the main theme, aka loving the same gender.

There is additional screen time given to the teacher and his lover to characterize him as a good teacher and set his character, but we don't see much of him in the Minato and Yori plot. Why do they have to combine the parent-teacher power dynamic and the Minato-Yori-classroom bullying plots into a single story? It feels like both deal with very significant issues that take a lot of emotions and shouldn't be so easily combined. I can see "What happens if they try to make their relationship official in their class, how do they cope and how do they overcome bulyling?" as one story, and "How does the teacher overcome this scapegoating done unto him, and how to deal with what is alleged vs what is actually true?" as another story with the teacher at the focus.

Ending: Giving an ambiguous ending is fine and all, but it left me feeling unfinished, would prefer an epilogue of Minato moving on or the aftermath, aka any change in classmates behaviour? teacher behaviour? Feels like they shown a spotlight on all the dark issues in the Japanese classroom and society and said "Ok, go think about it" and then left us with it.

Actors: Hinata acted so well as Yori the bumbling silly kid, a lighthearted facade with some dark thoughts, but I wished the characters could have been written with more emotional support -- like they're struggling but how do they come to terms with it. Minato's avoidance is only one part of the "gay panic", what about denial/ trying to like girls, what about acceptance, what about coming out?

--- Spoilers end --

I just feel they could have done so much more with it, and despite all the hype, not impressed. I think they could have done better with a clearer focus rather than so many themes, that only get brought up briefly but are never addressed (characters don't tackle or try to solve).

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Always treasure family over money

I watched in Malaysian cinema on 9 June 2024. This movie reminds me of my own grandma. When I was on summer break from uni in Australia, my dad asked me to return home. I visited my grandma 1 week before I returned to Australia then few days after, my grandma passed. I was grateful that I made the trip to visit her.

What I like:
1) How to make millions before grandma dies is beautifully written & directed film. Cinematography was well done. Well done, Pat Boonnitipat and his team!
2) It is set in Thailand but the core themes relatable to Malaysian audiences. Some cultural practices are same here.
3) Wonderful acting by Putthipong Assaratanakul & Usha Seamkhum - their dynamics translated well on screen. Supporting cast did well too.

What I dislike
1) I think the title is misleading because I thought M worked multiple or sketch jobs to gain that much of money

Favourite scene
When M bathed his grandma. I understand perspectives from both sides.

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A primeira vez que assisti esse filme foi lá na época do lançamento (2016) no finado dramafever. De lá para cá o contato com obras asiáticas só se aprofundou e esse filme ainda continua como uma obra digna de ser assistida novamente. É nostálgico, é agridoce e é trágico. Mas também é inexequível.

A história se passa nos anos 80. Um grupo de amigos voltam da cidade para passar as férias de verão com uma amiga que não sai da ilha onde eles residem por conta de uma limitação física. Ela sonha em fazer uma cirurgia de correção para poder se juntar a seus amigos na cidade e estudar para se tornar locutora de rádio. Contudo, seus sonhos acabam sendo frustrados pela ignorância do pai e desonestidade do médico a levando a um final trágico que marca para sempre o grupo de amigos.

Já na quarta década da vida eles entram em contato com fragmentos do passado na forma de anotações do diário da Soo Ok e as músicas que ela ouvia na época, quando um pacote misterioso contendo esses artefatos do passado chegam as mãos de Beom Shil que apresenta um programa de rádio, os amigos são transportados para as memórias daquele último verão juntos.

O filme é muito emocionante porque os atores conseguiram transmitir toda a emoção necessária da existência desses personagens. Kim So Hyun e o D.O estão perfeitos em seus papéis (bem como os outros atores) e a trilha sonora, um verdadeiro primor. Até hoje toda vez que ouço Dust in the wind eu lembro do filme.

Filme mais que recomendado.

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Caricatural action movie very predictable despite intriguing start

I found super interesting at first the premise of the story, with the legend being the starting point of the film . Unfortunately, the scenario quickly lost me because of the uneasy mix of genres, as well as its overall predictability.

I am not sure if it is related to cast or scenario but I had some real trouble getting attached to the characters... Despite solid acting, actually most of the roles were pretty caricatural.

Production and music were ok but nothing memorable. There were some bad visual effects for some of the animals...Those were not the main focus of the film but were distracting enough.

I would not recommend this to people unless you are ready to leave your brain on off for the duration of the film as well as to use of lot of suspension of disbelief, then you might enjoy yourself. However, I feel there are better no brain required action movie out there...Even if the premise of the story was interesting, it missed the mark for me in terms of what it was trying to convey as well as in mixing tones. Indeed, it oscillated between comedy and noir movie, which really did not mash up well together.

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A nostalgic story about youth and rememberance.

One thing for sure, this movie does makes me want to travel solo around Japan and Tainan as the music and cinematography are top tier level. But the story is kind of cliche because it's about a ML who lost his purpose in life and he went to a trip to find back that passion while also attempting to rectify a regret, which is to find his romantic love in his youth. The ending is also kind of predictable as I already foresee that the FL has passed on, which is a typical kind of Japanese movie. But the chemistry between ML and FL is really good. I would have love Mr. Children's theme song to be incorporated into the movie especially the part where they listen through the same earpiece together, which gives more vibes to the movie. And also, the movie tend to be on the draggy side which is common in Japanese movie, but its not that draggy that it makes the movie bad. The emotional parts definitely made me cry especially when I am movies that deals with grieve. But all in all, its a good watch.

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A "no-brain-required" movie that succeed where the drama "Island" failed

Watching this film, I couldn't help myself to think of the drama "Island" which approaches the same topic: exorcists fighting evil forces. It is so much better in this relatively short movie versus "Island" that it bumped up my enjoyment and I couldn't help to wish for it to be a series. To be fair, the movie does not revolutionize the genre but it makes for sure an overall entertaining watch.

In terms of scenario and storytelling, nothing really new there: we are for sure in charted territory regarding supernatural plot. But given the short duration of the movie, I thought they did a good job introducing the characters, the powers and the stakes. I particularly enjoyed the past story and would have loved to have more of it to explore further the background of the hero.

I really liked the ensemble cast. Given the script any acting flaws would have made the film quite cringy. It was fortunately not the case here as there were no weak link. Our hero played by Kang Dong Won is really the highlight of the film. I really want to dig more into his filmography.

I found the visual effects as well as the fight scenes rather good. Nothing really innovative in the techniques used but easy to comprehend for the viewer. You immediately understand how evil vs good works. The OST was enjoyable, making the badass moments even more badass in an almost second degree way (or at least that's how I perceived it).

I would recommend this to people looking for an entertaining fantasy movie. The horror level is quite limited, there are some scare frights but overall nothing too gruesome. If you enjoyed series like the western show "Supernatural" or even "Island" South Korean drama (which was a real disappointment to me), you might really enjoy this. In my opinion, it is what should have been "Island": entertaining, not taking itself too seriously despite featuring quite dark spirits and power in the story... It is more a "B" movie, you will not left it with a super deep impression (especially if you have already seen / read a few pieces in that genre) but it is an overall good watch.

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So much more than a romance: poetic and beautifully filmed <3

This movie showcases an amazing story, pretty deep and far from a conventional sweet romance. As I never read synopsis, I had no idea from looking at just the title and the poster how raw and pure the story was going to be. It exceeded my expectations on a lot of aspects as it is a powerful tale featuring captivating characters developing a strong and beautiful relationship, bounded through their inner and external wounds. It is gut-wrenching and I was on the edge of my seat towards the end.

The pace of the story was pretty good in setting up the characters, the relationships as well as what's at stake in their lives. The last arc is truly compelling and I just wish they would have given even more time to the ending...But that's likely me being greedy.

I was totally impressed by the acting. I picked up this movie because of Yamada Ryosuke which I did not see since a while on my screen. I found his acting very convincing. He really worked on his micro-expressions and was able to emote really well. I am honestly so astonished on how good he has become. His chemistry with Hamabe Minami was also very credible.

The sounds are super important in this film: it is the music, the voices, the light noises that are the driving strength of the story...from the beginning into the conclusion. The filmmaking is truly beautiful, there are some pretty brutal sequences and you feel in your gut the pain of the characters. There are also some really pretty and poetic moments.

I would strongly recommend this to people looking for a deeply romantic and lyrical tale. Do not expect sweet and fluffy romance here, that is not the point of the story. It is for sure highly rewatchable for the acting and cinematography itself that bring out the best of this poetic and gut-wrenching story full of sensibility.

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It’s a good film, whether you’ve seen the prequels or not.

So, having singled this out amongst the trailers in cinemas a few months ago, I’d been planning to watch to this one for a while. However, I did fail to watch the rest of the films in the series to prepare myself properly. This did not prevent the film from being enjoyable at all! It was very solid.

Perhaps my rating should come with a pinch of salt, as fans of the previous films would almost certainly rate this higher.

The action is very very solid. It’s also particularly well done for not feeling like “flying men” at all, as some of these surreal historical pieces can do. Action on and off horseback largely a joy to watch. The film has plenty, and I mean plenty, of action. Cinematography? It’d give it a yay? Acting was incredibly strong, along with the music. These really brought things together nicely.

Plot comments shouldn’t come from me as I’m no veteran of the series, but it was well thought out and I did enjoy the story.

There were some small immersion breakers - such as how I couldn’t help but notice every time I could see a certain character’s underarm, that it was always perfectly clean shaven - was this a continuity choice? Possibly, although I can’t be sure. The only other one (which I totally understand, for safety) was a couple times where the animatronic horses felt too obvious - that’s coming from someone who has been riding from a young age though, again, so probably not going to affect everyone’s experience. That was for the main actors. However, there were a number of moments that left me impressed with the horses and their riders in the film (the vast majority of which, real).

The only major drawback is - to those with commitment issues, like me - 146 minutes is a LONG runtime. So this was a bit long for my taste, and there was no interval in cinemas, it was simply buckle in and enjoy the ride.

Overall I would most definitely recommend to anyone interested. I will be indulging in the previous instalments of the series when I have some time to do so. It may also go without saying, but should there be a fifth film, I will likely be trekking out to see that one in cinemas if I have the chance.

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