Reviews

Absolutely broke me- Love with a time limit

The script is so beautifully written. I don't think I can find the words to describe the heartbreak I felt.
Some part of me kept hoping to the very end that they wouldn't die, even after he got the surgery I kept praying that he would live longer, but this movie really made me face reality.
I have to give it to the actors, their talent and hard work made the whole experience so much more realistic. You could see the depth of their realities in their eyes, considering the fact that their reality is death. They did an amazing job portraying the sadness, desperation, willpower, and their fight for their lives.
The story itself is beautiful and I find a sense of beauty in this sadness. Regardless of how distraught I felt from the pure sadness this movie presented to me, I would rewatch it. This is also mainly due to the cinematography. It held the most weight in setting the scene and everything fell into place accordingly. Everything just felt right. Also amidst the very depressing loss of our leads lives, the cinematography proved to provide a sense of comfort because that is also exactly what the producers were trying to do (I believe). They were trying to show us viewers the beauty there is in finding solace in people even when we see the end of the road. It also showed how precious life really is and what truly matters when we live on this earth.
There is so much more I feel I could say with all the symbolism and pure emotions we were presented with.
DEFINITELY WORTH THE WATCH!!

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A bit sadder than my expectations

I've always wanted to watch this one but was reluctant due to its sad ending. Lovely Runner has boosted my motivation to watch it and i must say i had a gist of the ending but it had affected me more than i thought it would.

The story is cliche but its execution was quite alright, the movie hits a very nice nostalgic note due to its setting which made me like this movie a lot especially with its beautiful visuals. It started so wholesomely with its romcom and silly 2nd hand embarrassment moments that i was surprised on how in its last few minutes it had shifted on a much sadder note. As pleasing as this drama has started and how smooth it was with its pacing id say that the fact that Poong woo ho's death was porely handled as it had been left unfairly unexplained despite its importance to the movie even during the conversation between bo-ra and his younger brother.

Overall this movie was good as long as i ignore the little things. I'm certain it might take awhile for me to recover from this one haha.

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"Who am I?"

Director Kim Ki Duk took the viewer to dark places with One on One. Though he highlighted how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, the poor were shown to be just as culpable in society’s ills as those in positions of power.

After a school girl was murdered, seven vigilantes stalked the killers and the ones who ordered the hit. One by one, the murderers were captured and tortured to find out all they knew about the killing. Each time they captured someone, the vigilantes changed costumes. The group began to fracture when some of the vigilantes begin to ask, when is too much violence, too much?

The contract killers were all shown to live comfortable lives with significant others. While they ate ramen as a snack, many of the vigilantes were reduced to eating it as their main meals. Most of the vigilantes were suffering social injustices from different corners. The curious thing was that Kim Young Min not only played one of the killers, but also several different characters callously interacting with the vigilantes in their daily lives. Perhaps it meant that abusive jerks are similar regardless of their station in life?

After every prisoner was captured, they all asked, “Don’t you know who I am?” Director Kim seemed to be asking the audience to ask that question of themselves as well. “I was just following orders” or even “I was doing it for the greater good” were the common answers given during the torture sessions. How many of the world’s evils have been built on those two concepts? What danger could a school girl be to society that she was brutally murdered?

The film was shot in two weeks and it looked flat and gray at times. The sound could be abysmally bad. Having seen Kim's 3-Iron which had almost no dialogue, the heavy-handed and stilted dialogue in this film was a disappointment. For those who would be bothered, there was a long sexual encounter that started with violence. Each “victim's” torture session was different, some of the methods were more gruesome than others. There were annoying lapses in logic on several occasions. Why would the school girl keep running down dark, empty alleys when there was a well-lit street with shops to dart into? Why didn’t the vigilantes have any security around their building? Despite their dangerous activities, they didn’t even lock the doors to their hideout. They were constantly followed and observed through windows yet never knew it.

Director Kim had plenty to say about human nature and its depravity. Good guys did bad things. A few of the bad guys regretted their actions. People were cruel and driven to be greedily selfish at all social levels. The utter lack of compassion for their fellow human beings went from the top to the bottom of the economic structure. Kim asked the question, “Who am I?” Perhaps more importantly, “What am I?" One on One was frustratingly inconclusive regarding answers and had an overtly pessimistic view of humanity.

11 July 2024

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Fascinating Journey!

After reading a few of the other reviews I feel I just have to put my two cents in.

Some say that there should have been more information given at the onset about the different characters and their situation.
Without giving anything away, I think that we were meant to be left to piece together who these people are and their situations in much the same way as the characters themselves are trying to understand who they are and where they stand in this world. It is unclear to some of them as much as it is to us.

And that's the genius of this piece.
Without explanation, we are pulled through this scenerio as we try to figure out its boundaries. In the process, we cannot help but feel confused, anxious and unable to brace ourselves for the emotional impact.

Its been a challenge to review this work without giving away what transpires.

The special effects are dramatic and impactful. I didn't notice the music, which for me, means it did not distract.

And the acting is excellent. I thought that each role was handled so believably well. That includes Bae Suzy, who took some hits from other reviewers.

All I can say is, let yourself take this journey. Explore where the film takes you. It may lead you to some interesting thoughts and emotions.

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cast ?

Avere nello stesso cast Lee Jongsuk, Cha Eunwoo, Kim Raewon, Lee Jong wook e Lee min ki... ecco perché ho scelto di guardare questo film. Il cast é eccezionale e lo ha certamente dimostato.
Il film mi ha lasciata col fiato sospeso fino alla fine, non tanto per la storia ,abbastanza lineare, quanto per la curiositá di scoprire i motivi dietro le azioni di chi mette la bomba.
Alla fine non giustifichi il cattivo, ma lo capisci e ti ritrovi a chiedere se c'era un'altra soluzione, se tornando indietro le scelte sarebbero comunque quelle. Ma c'era davvero una scelta? Chi incolpare quando tutto quello che si puó fare è scegliere quale tra due mali é il minore?

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Decent suspense film to watch in your free time if you have nothing else to watch

I can't tell you exactly what is missing but if you enjoy movies with suspense, action and can take a little horror then I would recommend watching. I will say that I have a bit of I bias because kitty in Nanno is one of my favorite suspense/ thriller shows, and I've gone through a few of mark Thai dramas where he plays as the main love interest.

What I liked
·It has nice cinema photography.
·The character development is shown well
·The acting is really good ( I love kitty and mark so much they never disappoint)

What I disliked:
·The CGI could have been better

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Am I still a stranger to you?

Sentimental movie about lonely people? Also about writing letter and have architect theme too??? This movie is a package deal made for me!

The plot is great! Even tho at the end you had a rollercoaster ride but we'll pass it. I forget how great Korean's cinema is for the past few years cause they are not like it used to be. Maybe I'm just born at a wrong time cause hell yes film on the 90's and early 2000's are worth to die for. And this one, this is an iconic one. Played by Jun Ji Hun and Lee Jae Hyuk, it's like the blue print of nowadays K-drama. I can't say it's an original story but it's indeed different with a twist and need to sit on the same table with You've Got a Mail (1998) and Haru (1996).

The colour scheme also is something that i enjoy paying attention to!

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My July recommendation challange

Watch this for my July recommendation challange by forest Not realize I've already watch the Japan version just a few month ago. If not for the challange, I'll already drop it in the first 10 minutes. Haha...

Tell story about Chul Min (CM), a former boxer, who starts a new job as a parking lot attendant. One night, a visually impaired young woman, Jung Hwa (JH), walks into his tollbooth to watch television with him. JH's bright smile & cheerful spirit reach through to CM's lonely heart. Together CM & JH bring ray of hope into each other lives.

But their love and happiness may be short-lived, cause soon CM know the reason for JH blindness & his connection to it & fell regret yet responsible at the same time. For that's reason, CM finally decided to take the challange of underground fighting, to get enough money for JH's eye surgery.

In the end, there's some accident after CM underground fighting & that's causing CM to disappearing from JH's life. What will come in the end? Will CM & JH meet again in the future?

That's overall the story. Now let's talk what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ The Japan version I forgot, even though MDL write the summary about ML also go to underground fighting, to get enough money for FL's eye surgery. But I don't really remember much about it. But this one, leave bigger imprint in my mind about his intention for underground fighting.
+ I more like the chemistry Korea Version than the Japan version.

What I don't like:
- Many problem apart from CM & JH relationship are not explained. Like how CM back to Korea after the fight, or what happen with his business with underground gank... (You know the diamond...)

Overall this good movie to watch. I'm quite happy can re-watch this with different version.

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Perhaps the greatest work of one of the greatest masters

I do understand that this work is on MDL more for completeness than for its fanbase, which is why it's rated lower than Divorce Attorney Shin. It should still be given the respect it deserves.

The basic plot of Ran is similar to King Lear: one ruler, three heirs, tragedy ensues. It's set in approximately 16th century Japan.

For me this is a film with no flaws. Kurosawa-sensei had a huge vision and a tremendous eye for detail.

The casting was perfect. The acting was inspired. The sets and costumes were nothing short of spectacular. The battle scenes were sweeping and raw. The intrigue was both credible and unbelievably well executed.

The truth is that I don't have enough superlatives to describe Ran. "Epic" doesn't even begin to cover it. But so many prominent critics have studied it that my opinion serves only to introduce viewers who may not know about it.

If nothing else, watching this film is an art history lesson. I first watched it as a teenager and it opened my eyes to what cinema as an art can do.

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"No one can beat me"

Dorian “Flash Legs” Tan and Don Wong teamed up to take on an evil counterfeiter in Hot, Cool, and Vicious. This Taiwanese kung fu flick surpassed my expectations, albeit they were very low to begin with. Not gifted with the budget of a Shaw Brothers production, director Lee Tso Nam and martial arts director Gam Ming made the most of what they had, namely Dorian Tan’s excellent kicks.

Capt. (Northern Leg) Lu takes care of the law and order in a village run by Mayor Yuen. When Yuen’s son commits a murder the two men clash. Southern Fist Pai Yu Ching, a known killer, arrives in town with his buddy Tieh and begins working for Yuen. Newly arrived Miss Lee and her uncle bear a grudge against Lu. Before long everyone seems to be trying to hire Pai to kill Lu.

There were no secret lists or manuals, but there were plenty of hidden identities and subterfuge. The plot led to the fights nicely. Gam Ming’s choreography utilized the cast’s abilities and those with lesser abilities well. Speaking of Gam Ming (aka Tommy Lee), he showed up in the final act as the dangerous golden haired albino fighter. Dorian’s kicks are always a joy to watch and the choreography showed them off splendidly. There was a modicum of wire-fu when characters did some high jumping but it was kept to a minimum. Sun Chia Lin even got in on the fighting. Most of the action was fairly fast though there were some glaring misses. The final fight was worth the price of admission.

Dorian Tan and Don Wong made for a fun dynamic duo as they took on Gam Ming and a host of minions led by Phillip Ko Fei, Li Chiang, and Lung Fong. If you enjoy old kung fu movies, especially the low budget Taiwanese flicks, this is one to try.

10 July 2024

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