Dissappointing
I liked the first half of the movie. It was a nice, highschool romance and I liked it very much. I wanted to cry a little bit and I was expecting an engaging, touching story... and this was just not it. I didn't shed a single tear - and I'm a very emotional person, so I was very dissappointed because I wasted 2 hours on this movie.The 'plot twists' (if I can even call them that) were too predictable. Also, the cry of the female lead is so annoying to me: too theatrical, unnatural - it reminds me of a toddler wanting to get attention.
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Just another idol film with the intent to sell Kim Yoo Jung.
(1) Story [-]There's nothing original in the story, so cliche and highly predictable. And there's nothing in the story itself, no message to convey, just bringing the formula of teenage love story that full of misunderstanding in for the actors to play. They try to make a twist but it's a cliche twist, so it's not a twist in the end since audience can guess it right beforehand. However, the feelings between the characters has a solid foundation to be believable. If you also watch Chinese movies, you'd know how unpassionate the production teams are in making a film. They don't care to build a foundation for their stories, so lots of Chinese films are very much superficial and not believable at all. This movie is a good example for comparison. It is a story with nothing but still have a good foundation, so no matter how nothing the story is, as long as the actors can perform, audience can still enjoy it. Thus, higher score.
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(2) Acting [+]
Kim Yoo Jung is the star of the film. She carries the whole team. It's very enjoyable to watch her acting. The ML is so-so. I don't feel right with his smile at times which I'm not sure if it's due to his acting or just the physical feature of his smile. The best friend of ML's acting skill isn't that strong but I'd give him passable. The acting of the FL's best friend isn't real enough. I feel like her true self tries to pretend to be the character, so it feels more pretentious though the character is actually sincere. Anyway, her role doesn't show up much so it's ok.
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(3) Cinematography [~]
Cinematography is upto standard, but I don't really like their dream-like filter. In the scene at the vast lawn, all the colors look obviously artificial.
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As a whole, it is enjoyable to watch, but also wasting time. I wouldn't rewatch it, that's for sure. And if I know it'd be like this, I don't think I'd watch it in the first place.
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Yes, break my heart one more time Korea -.-
Guys, I am writing this as I sob. Not joking. It's been an hour since I finished it and the tears keep coming out. I might die of dehydration while writing this review and I apologise in advance for the typos.It's the first time in a long time that I watch something without looking at my phone (didn't even realise I had left it in the bathroom) or without skipping forward. I am a sucker for sweet high school stories that take place in the past, but the way this movie was filmed, the nostalgia factor (present even in the filter they chose), the lovable characters and simplicity of the plot just did it for me. This is exactly what I want from a high school drama; not being a high schooler anymore myself there is always that longing feeling towards the past and this movie definitely shoved it in my face in a very beautiful way. The actors did an amazing job at not making it sound cringy or over the top. And that ending will stay with me for a long time, I am sure of that.
I love stories like this: simple yet effective. It might not be all that to other viewers but I do have a tendency to love high school stories (especially if they take place in the 90's or early 2000's) so that probably contributes to my rating. After so many years of watching K-Dramas, it is refreshing to find something that still makes my heart beat fast and makes me feel SOMETHING. I am not a movie person as they often leave me traumatises (lol, this one kinda did too) but I am so glad I watched this movie. I feel like it took something off my chest? Like I really needed to cry and this movie allowed me to do it haha
Oh well, don't expect anything incredibly revolutionary from this story when going into it but I am sure you will at least have a good time with the characters (even in the end).
Am I still a human with feelings and capable of crying like a baby? Yes, I am. Thank you 20th century girl for the confirmation.
SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!
HE WANTED TO SEE 21ST CENTURY BORA GUYS I AM SOBBING UNCONTROLLABLY IN A FETAL POSITION YOU GUYS DONT UNDERSTAND HE WAS SO SWEET AND HAD SUCH A WARM VOICE AND HEART AND HE WAS SO CUTE WITH HIS BROTHER WHY WHY WHY THE HELL BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT MAKES THE MOVIE MEMORABLE AND EVEN MORE NOSTALGIC BUT GUYS WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW-
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The Heartbreak of Nostalgia
This has all the markers of a cliche romance coming-of-age story, but they managed to pull every emotion out of me while doing it.The chemistry between the main leads was 100% there and I absolutely loved the warm and fun relationship that they had; it truly felt like seeing two high schoolers falling in love, with all the silly things and stressful decisions that usually come with experiencing love at that age, for the first time.
The ending is a little vague and leaves some open questions, but it really doesn't bother me that much when I think about the construction and perspective of the movie; either way I didn't expect it to hit this film to hit this hard but it did and I think it'll go down as one of my favorites.
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Outdated yet bittersweet
Romantic comedies have been both a topic of interest and ridicule over the years. It is ridiculed by those who find it to be a candy-glossed version of reality. It is praised for its heartwarming rendition of romantic fantasies that feel wonderful to witness on a silver screen. Bang Woo-ri’s ‘20th Century Girl’ is a bit of both. The movie seemed to be alternate of Twenty Five Twenty One, with a small change in the end.The eye to detailing in the film is well done. We are in fact taken on a ride down the memory lane. As heart-warming as the 20th century romances looked like, relationships were also marred down due to lack of cell phones. Relationships were forgotten, first love rarely became last love, friends lost touch and the yearning.. never ending. The climax of the film is a painful example of how things were different back then.However, the film quite stretches itself way more than it should. Quite unlikely for a repetitive culmination of that kind, it’s indeed the climax that works in favour of the film. Although the whole movie felt cliched, it does have some old school vibes and the feeling of first love being a teen.
In short, 20th Century Girl is a one time watch. If you’re a nostalgia merchant and if you dig yearning and doomed romances, the film would work for you. The biggest quip of 20th Century Girl is that its just another forgettable love-story that banks way too much on yesteryear love, since we have seen a few of this kind in dramas over the years, with more effectiveness in the story.
My Rating : 6.5/10
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20th Century Girl
I do not understand why the show has been getting so many bad comments— if you only have bad things to say, I believe you are overcritical and picky.Why I like this K-movie:
The end was unexpected. Even if you have watched a kdrama or kmovie with a similar ending it does not make it boring in any shape or form. Personally, I never watched a movie with a sad ending, so this came as a shock to me!
Each and every actor/actress really brought their character to live and made it very unique.
The movie basically illustrates the life of a teenager whose love and youth were at its prime on the 20th Century, and that’s where it remained. After the twentieth century, she had to deal with the memory of her first love which apparently left her behind in the 20th century without any sort of contact.
What could be better:
1. I do not understand why they had to make an appearance of teenagers stealing and showing interest for shows Rated R. I do not think that this should be normalised. Teenagers are literally losing their innocence and it is sad.
2. Maybe I skipped some parts and missed it but…. How did he die? Car crash? Natural death?! At least let us know. Apparently he died in 2001… but weren’t they meeting in 2000? Maybe I misunderstood or missed it, so if that is the case, apologies.
3. While the tape of the 20th century was rolling and showing the people, it would’ve been nice if it also showed how they were doing. E.g:. How are Hyun Jin and Yeon Doo as a couple?
Conclusion:
I have no further comments other than “well done”. This was a very well produced movie.
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I cannot stop crying
I am just 21 years old but this made me miss my school days so much . Everything flashed before my eyes i could not stop crying . Eveything is just too fast these days maybe i am an old soul it made me want to go back to those days .Coming to the movie review i liked the movie just the ending .... cant we have a happy ending was it necessary to seperate those two .I really wanted them to be with each other their last moment was my favourite part of the movie brillantly shot ,the emotions were too pure . Why just why ????? I am just to frustrated .... Too many good cameos storyline pretty simple but felt new .Younjung's acting was on point ,the male lead when he was crying in the train i was also crying with him .... allover good movie but i will not rewatch again it will be too hard for my heartWas this review helpful to you?
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Okay. Mixed feelings..
I like how the story takes place in the late 90s and it's a romance movie. Although, I was hoping for more romance between the main characters. There was a lot of events going on and it felt really quick. Bora was a great main character. Honestlyyy, I was kind of confused with the guys because their hairstyle looked very similar, so I couldn't tell if she was with Hyun Jin or Woon Ho. It took me the first half to figure out who they were. I was irritated with Yeon Doo when she confronted to Bora because she blames Bora for being in the middle of the mess, but she's always the one who's asking Bora to do things for her. Like sis you better work for it yourself. Later on, she makes up for her petty confrontation, so I guess she was a decent character. Character growth in a few minutes. Again, a lot of things happening but things get resolved really quick. I didn't really care about the music. I wouldn't watch this again because it wasn't much of a happy ending, but I'm glad I've seen it.I'm not sure how I feel after finishing this movie. I was expecting more chemistry between Bora and Woon Ho. They had their moments several times, but it felt too quick and I wanted to watch them together longer. I wished the guys had more personalities in order for me to tell them apart. The only plot twist I liked was when Yeon Doo told Bora about the guy she likes. Everything else was random and the bare minimum of drama. The story was cute and sad but not memorable.
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I couldn't be more wrong…
After the first half I thought I could handle this movie even though I heard it was very sad. I thought people exaggerated… And after all those cute scenes, I cried my eyes out. Then I got a few more cute scenes then the ending totally broke me.
I cried more during this movie than during all the movies I watched this year combined.
Also the aesthetics of this movie were really nice and the actors did a great job. I love this movie and highly recommend it.
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A movie that made me travel to a past that wasn't mine
Rarely do we come across movies that are so predictable yet so good. There were so many moments that I could relate to. It felt so close to my heart and that is why it hurt deeply.I especially loved the cinematography and effect they gave to show 90s era. It made me so nostalgic and I wished like a fool to travel back to that time.
I loved how they made us think hyun Jin was the lead when in fact it was woonho.
The friendship dynamics were so real. I absolutely loved the plot twist, if made me cry out aloud. In short, this film made me feel every emotion especially the feeling of being in love. The love that feels amazing and hurts your heart at the same time.
10/10 would watch it again.
Recommended to anyone looking for a bittersweet romance.
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I will never recover from this - Recommended!
This movie was just wow. It was a roller coaster full of emotions. The acting was amazing and I loved the two main characters (still do). If you ask me, will I rewatch this again? Yes, I will. Even if it breaks my heart again? Yes, I will.20th century girl made me bawl my eyes out. It was so beautiful yet so sad. The first time I watched the movie I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought I would just be watching a sweet high school romance with A HAPPY ENDING!! It was indeed not a happy ending. When Bo-Ra finally confessed her feelings to Woon-Ho I really wished he would've just stayed even if it was just for a day. Watching them call on the phone all the time and seeing Bo-Ra age, waiting for him to come back was one of the saddest things to watch. I despised Woon-Ho for it, I thought he moved on and went on with his life in New-Zealand. Him not picking up, not messaging her, deep down I could feel it coming, but I refused to believe it. When Woon-ho's little brother, Joseph, finally broke the news to Bo-Ra, I was glad she was finally able to move on and to live her life without having to keep waiting. Even though I wished Joseph would've told her sooner, the expedition was a really nice touch to the movie and it was beautifully done.
Although I wished for it 20th century girl to have a different ending, it just shows that no matter what, you should just go on with your life and move on instead of waiting. Moving on and making the decision to do so is hard especially when you're holding on to the past and pain, but eventually it will help you to live your life the way you want to live it.
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Good visuals and nostalgia trip but cliché till the end
I actually rewatched this because I had zero recollection of the plot or anything else and I didn't have it on my watchlist here to remember. One quarter into the film it came to me why I didn't remember anything of it and the whole plot came to my head.Cliché can be entertaining and enjoyable, I've watched cliché series and films in the past I enjoyed, even cheesy ones for the guilty pleasure, but this film falls in the frustrating cliché category.
This is one is of mixed feelings for me and clearly quite forgettable. I like the visuals and the nostalgia trip, although I would say it doesn't dwell as much on the nostalgia as other titles (like 25/21 does) and some times I felt the filter or post editing they did was a bit on the heavy side. For me this movie would get a higher score if they hadn't gone that route with the ending but I do understand why they thought it was a good idea to put it there to tie it all up into the theme.
This whole film is a big nostalgia trip of overused plot devices in romantic dramas of the period in any media, the plot device of friend asking MF to get closer to her love interest to learn about him... or the plot device of romantic male interest leaving the country or dying is a classic, but it was equally frustrating and bad at the time than it's now (I'm still salty about how many shoujo mangas and animes used this, seriously). It's one of those things that simply shouldn't come back because mostly it's just sad for sadness sake and lazy at this point (like the amnesia trope). This is not the only title in recent years to follow the nostalgia trip by reusing bad plot devices that were not liked even at the time.
The classic of miscommunication among characters is also something that makes this quite frustrating to watch at times (MF with the best friend). And equally tiring is the girl that is thin, eats a ton and it's also socially clumsy and cute without knowing it... but I can forget this last one this time simply for being the classic in a "nostalgia remake".
Here it does have the tag of melodrama, I'm not sure I would classify this as such since only the ending is. It's nostalgic, dramatic and romantic with a frustrating cliché ending.
Would I recommend? Not sure, I liked the acting, the aesthetics, the cute moments, the colours and the story is generally watchable most of the film even with the clichés, but the ending is very frustrating and annoying so if you decide to watch it take that into consideration and watch it for the trip.
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