This review may contain spoilers
A drama that is overall just okay, with good character portraits
To preface, I absolutely love historical dramas, and was pleased to hear about one set in this particular era jet during the invasion of the Jing/Qing. But, while the pacing kept me afloat to episode 9, I was greatly disappointed by this drama.Let’s start with Jang Hyun. The way he is written is freaking annoying. His character and background is so vague it’s impossible to have any attachment to him. I’m aware that his mystique is part of the plot I guess, but withholding a backstory for a twist later is no excuse for having such a poorly developed character for a majority of the story. We only get glimpses of “tragedy” that don’t really explain anything about him. He’s also got a serious case of Mary Sue. I also think his companions could have been far more complex.
Now, he still has shining points as a character: he provides candid views on political situations, and what he said about Lord Nam’s burdensome idealism and weaponized incompetence was a BAR — the best written part of the whole drama.
Next. Let’s talk about my one casting gripe: Nam Goong Min. He’s a fine actor, but it’s so hard to get to the interior of the character when his face is so stiff. I don’t mean this as a drag or an insult, it’s just my criticism in a vital component of acting — with screen acting, you can’t profess your inner thoughts like in plays or lean on clever language like in books…the performers face must say what’s left unsaid. And Nam Goong Min simply has stiff facial performance. It’s creepy. And not good. I can tel by his eyes and his voice that he has all the skills necessary, but his FACE simply doesn't move!
More in stuff I liked: I love the character of Gil Chae. She’s a fascinating heroine (to me, who has seen every trope in the book). She’s neither a do-good heroine that prioritizes the good of society and well-being of the public nor a “spoiled brat with a secret heart of gold” trope that you typically find in sageuks.
Her character is clear, defined, and consistent. Pretty much from the beginning it’s clear that she takes exceptional care of her closest loved ones, but she protects them with by nanking hard decisions that can be seen as cruel and selfish if from an outside perspective. I found the boat scene leaving Ganghwa such a bold and powerful decision to portray her in.
In what I’ve seen so far, the balance of flat and round characters is very well used here (a round character must have an engaging direction, a flat character must be able to represent a force).
I’m not extremely well versed in the history that inspired it, but I did find some of the ‘foreign’ characters to be fascinating. It’s always refreshing to see some rounded out Jurchen characters as opposed to simple caricatures.
Overall, it’s not terribly interesting, but My Dearest has averagely decent political intrigue, engaging pacing, and important messages about the decay and de-romanticization of war. But the weakly written male characters dragged it down, and there wasn't a committed enough message on any single theme like anti-war or serendipity or youth.
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good
Iam purely watching only forNAM GOONG MIN
As usual NAM GOONG MIN the way of speech acting style is ultimate
Slightly disappointed script dialog writers they didn't use [ Ahn Eun Jin ] her potential acting fully
Why [ Lee Chung Ah ] making her gest roles or negative roles in many dramas
Making cinematography is rich in class
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Ep 1-4 Review: Overall a Recommendation Review
(First of all, I wasn't sure to put this in a Review or Discussion post)I'm going to try and be as spoiler free as I can, although My Dearest has barely started airing (with only four episodes out).
My Dearest, like many have pointed out in the comment section on MDL, is very reminiscent of the movie Gone With the Wind. I actually watched Gone With the Wind for the first time upon hearing about the comparison to see what people were talking about.
Our FL Yoo Gilchae (played by the very talented Ahn Eunjin) is just like Scarlett in the sense that she is very cunning and confident of herself. But of course, she is sheltered and appears to be more spoiled. Though it is the looming threat of war that sets the tone of the show. And Gilchae has major character development in episode 4 because of the war.
The ML, Lee Janghyun on the other hand is Rhett, a man who appears to be selfish and only acts for himself. Though become enamored by the confident attitude of the FL. Personally I'd say that Namkoong Min has really added his own charm to the Rhett character. Of course we'd really have to thank the screenwriter for changing his character.
Namkoong Min, for those who are already aware of this actor- has insane charisma on screen and it seems that he just keeps on getting better and better though each project he takes on. His character Lee Janghyun has secrets that even the audience can't begin to guess. He's skilled with a sword and appears to have a lot of knowledge of military tactics. For someone who moves like a nomad, he has money, and connections to a lot of people. He's charming, smart, and is not one to fall for the trick of blind loyalty.
I feel like I'm hyping him up excessively but as someone who has seen a lot of Namkoong's other works, this one just seems next level.
Ashley and Melanie take the form of Nam Yeonjun and Kyung Eunae. Because My Dearest takes place in Joseon during the Qing invasion- There is the added plot of Yeonjun and Eunae having a promised engagement since they were young. Though Eunae very much loves Yeonjun.
In my opinion, and from what I've seen in the four episodes that have aired, this is where the similarities to Gone With the Wind end. Nobody got married before the men went off to fight and /thankfully/ Gilchae isn't as obsessed with Yeonjun as Scarlett was with Ashley.
But the writing, the acting, the directing have been excellent. I want to talk about a few stand out scenes that have happened in these four episodes.
- Firstly, I need to talk about Gilchae's dream sequence. From the first episode, we see a beach where Janghyun is located. It's at sunset or dusk and the sky is a beautiful shade of oranges and pinks. Gilchae's dream starts out with a red roll of yarn falling out of her hand and rolling like it has a mind of its own. Of course this is referencing 'the red string of fate'. The red yarn takes her out of her village, through the forest, all while the seasons are changing. She is running though fall, winter, summer, spring. And the string stops at the beach Janghyun is at. Overall, it's such a beautiful sequence and it has a lot of importance. I'm sure someone could even write an essay of its own about the foreshadowing this dream has. Her dream is also recurring- we see it again in episode four, and I'm sure we'll see this dream more in the future as well.
- Then, the scene of the grandparents 60th wedding anniversary party. If anyone has watched Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People- I think you'll know what I'm talking about when I say that this screenwriter (Hwang Jinyoung) is great at creating tension in something that should be peaceful. The grandparents are a couple that are very cute and their party is just overall really touching- but the joy that's being shared overlayed with clips of the barbarians making their way to Joseon makes the audience feel uneasy and full of anxiety of what's to come.
- Episode 4 is a masterpiece in its own. Continuing on from the situation that ep 3 ended on, we face the reality of war. This is brutal, and it won't get better. Some may say that the first three episodes were too silly or had too much comedy, although episode four wouldn't feel so real if it didn't have that normalcy in the beginning. I found myself sobbing for characters that only had at most 30 min of screentime. Namkoong Min shines as Janghyun. He's dependable and he's ready to fight for those he cares about. We realize that he didn't join the other men because if all the men go out to fight, who will protect the elderly, the women, and the children back home. Truly, his charisma will have you calling him husband like Gilchae did at the end of the episode.
Gilchae's character development is beautiful and moving. She went from deluding herself that Yeonjun is in love with her to helping a women give birth, protecting the small group she's with from barbarians, and just really showcasing how smart and brave she truly is. This is a scary situation, especially for a group of women- and even if Gilchae laughed off the idea of war and self defense in the beginning. With the help of Janghyun's warnings, advice, and dagger, she matures.
I am really looking forward to the future episodes and it's been really surprising how not many people are checking this show out. Honestly, I've been looking forward to this show since I saw that Hwang Jinyoung was writing it. (If you see her list of works, you'll know why). Truly, her two past works are in my top 5 sageuks.
Also, a lot of the hesitancy I've seen towards this drama is regarding the ending people think it's going to have. All I can say is that Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People (a show by Hwang Jinyoung), opened by showing the FL being tied up on a pole and being shot in the chest by the ML. And that show has a happy ending with everyone surviving. So, I wouldn't put off My Dearest because of the tone the first episode set about the ending.
It feels like it's been a long time since there has been a truly mature historical drama here in dramaland. I hope everyone who loves historical dramas will check this out ! Even if you don't usually enjoy historical dramas, please give this show a chance. At least watch until episode four.
Thank you for reading :)
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This review may contain spoilers
If you don’t mind sad content and are fond of the separation trope…
7.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2023 South Korean Historical romance drama with 21, 60-90 minute episodes. It was originally divided into two parts: Part 1 with ten episodes and Part 2 with eleven episodes. So some say there are two seasons but there is only one season sometimes divided in two parts..First I provide a Unique Synopsis then review.
Synopsis
Lee Jang hyun (Namkoong Min) is not the type of serious, respectful and honorable noble Yoo Gil chae (Ahn Eun jin) is used to encountering. He is a bit of what we would call these days, a lady’s man but also a “player.” He falls hard for the spirited Gil chae who, as the prettiest girl in her small community, has her pick of suitors. Of course the only guy she is interested in, Nam Yeon joon (Lee hak joo), is in love with her best friend. Kyung Eun ae (Lee da in), Gil chae’s best friend would do about anything for her friend except give up the guy they both love. Eun ae knows Gil chae really just wants Yeon joon because he is not interested and that the roguish Jang hyun is actually a better match for her friend. Eun ae both kind and wise and knows that Jang hyun is actually a very kind and capable man who deeply cares for Gil chae. But Gil chae is slow to recognize her own feelings and does not believe Jang hyun’s feelings are sincere. He has also clearly stated he is against marriage something any noble lady would scorn. Through war and the aftermath the two suffer many missed opportunities and Gil chae weds another man. Despite this, they both have each other firmly in their heart. Korea is suffering as the defeated party under a faction of China and the people are suffering by being impoverished, persecuted, killed and enslaved. Is there any hope for these two who seemed destined to be together?
Review
I do not like sad shows. If you like sad then you would definitely like this more than I did. I actually looked up the ending and it said it ended happy enough so I went with that. But what I didn’t understand is, it may end fairly happy, but it is sad all over the place throughout. Why? Well it is loosely based on true events where there was this Josean king who became paranoid and did a lot of horrible things as a result. And the royals were always trying to poison each other. That is why food tasters were common in many countries among the royalty. It was good for what it was. Wonderfully acted, the filming was amazing, and it was interesting throughout. So, understand that my ranking is based mostly on the fact that it had sad threaded all through it. I would not watch it again because it made me too down. I would recommend it to people that like historical and do not at all mind sad content.
Spoilers
I read that it ends with him losing his memory but that he remembers events around her. But they are together. That is true and that is the way it is nearly to the very end. But, in the last few minutes, he fully remembers her it shows his gaze becoming more steady and he says her name and looks her right in the eyes. So he does fully remember her. But two things about that. I personally hate the amnesia trope in general. And he has not one but two separate periods of amnesia. And, since it ended that way, we don’t know if he remembered any of the other people in his life.
Yeon joon was just an annoying character to me. I guess that wanted you to think Gil chae’s love for him in the beginning was completely juvenile and ridiculous. He was never a character I admired as he was so sanctimonious and it shadowed and influenced everything he did. He was never as thankful to Jang hyun for protecting him during the war as he should have been. If he told Gil chae about that in a “he is my life safer” type way she might have admitted her feelings for Jang hyum sooner. But I think there was a part of Yeon joon that liked having Gil chae romantically interested in him.
Gil chae was really annoying in the beginning. It had a real “Gone with the Wind” sort of vibe as she started as a noble that was very princess like as she was the beauty of the community. Then war breaks out and she goes through serious hardship and has to suffer horribly at the hands of the Barbarians. And it did humble and change her. But then she scorns Jang Hyun and marries the man who lied on the path on the island to basically use her as Barbarian bait. I get that it was Jang hyun’s fault a bit because, even at that point, he did not offer marriage but still you don’t turn your back on someone that has done so much for you and you obviously have feelings for.
Eun au, on the other hand, was such a sweet, humble and loyal person from the beginning, I did not feel like Yeon joon deserved her. The way he treated her when she was asking about being “defiled” by Barbarians made me like him even less. And then when he was a traitor to Jang hyun by leading the soldiers that nearly killed him, I liked him even less. There were just a few moments in the end when he asked Eun au to go with her and if he was still her husband where I think they were trying to show he had come around, but it wasn’t enough. So that wasn’t a sweet side romance.
I thought the Crown Prince and Princess dying was just tragic and unnecessary. Yes that may have been what happened, or close to it, historically but they could have departed and had him live. And then to make the Princess a traitor and even kill the royal heir, just made it Greek tragedy level.
The royal concubine was the evil doer behind most of the tragic events and we did not get the benefit of seeing her taken down. Evil essentially won. And that may have been what happened in the historical event it was drawn from but stories have the opportunity to improve and depart from such things. I suspect the king in the end was the concubines’ son. That was her goal to have her son put on the throne, but that was not very clear.
A large portion of the show was told with the main characters parted by war and other circumstance. I really dislike the separation trope so that being so prevalent and repetitive throughout the series was a serious negative to me. They were apart way more than they were together. Then, they would just get together briefly and either they would have a misunderstanding and go their separate ways, or a tragedy would strike and drive them apart. It was so frequent that the majority of the live commenters were complaining about them mostly being apart.
I guess the ending was supposed to be happy in the house he created to her specifications. But they were always surrounded by so many others throughout that them two alone just seemed very lonely. And it seemed they just planned to live as if dead so that he would not be hunted. But that was sad too. If it weren’t for the mad king and the evil concubine he should have lived out a heroes’ life.
#NamkoongMin #AhnEunJin #MyDearest#LeeDaIn #LeeHakJoo
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A mature story not those boring childish time wasting kdrama
I have never took my time to register and comment on this forum before but this my dearest movie forced me to comment. Infact I watched 10 episodes in 2days despite my busy work schedule. But this story must not end on season 1 because the loves and little borns never get meaning in the story and the male lead is still going to war at the end of the episode 10 . The heart breaking part that makes me not like the full story is how the male and female lead didn't end up marrying each other while the other girl andher loyal husbandd married happily. If there is season 2 please let it air immediately unlike arthal chronicle that took months to watch season 2
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It's a good thing there's a Season 2 ...
Season 1 ending where it did would have really made me angry, so I'm glad there was a Season 2 ready to go right away. I haven't finished S2 yet, but Season 1 was terrific. The prickly relationship between the two main characters is funny, infuriating, sad, and beautiful ... engaging at every turn.But the story is so much more than that. It's historically engaging, and emotive, too.
Images you can't unsee make you think about the incredibly difficult lives of Korea's ancestors.
It is an honest, well told story I will probably watch again in the future.
Highly recommended. Namkoong Min is incredible. Just superb in this role.
Choi Moo Sung also brings a moving character to the story.
I hope Season 2 ends well. In any case, I will not regret having watched it.
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A truly great largescale romantic history drama
A truly great largescale romantic history drama. Never cheesy, always intelligent, never lazy, it takes nothing for granted and never spends useless screen time. It will cause a storm in yr heart regularly every few episodes. Binge warning: you may end up with major sleep deprivation because you cannot stop watching. 21 eps at over 1hr ea.Favorite things: The total coolness of a narrative frame where a rejected manuscript from the state history annals is reinvestigated (by the series!) and deemed too unusual to be true. Implied is that the narrator is a pansori singer, Rang Eum, who loves NM, played by a lovely 23yr-old actor.
Lots of battle but no big set pieces (hate them).
The vulnerability of women when social structures break, their disposability in war and their invisibility afterwards.
Confucian and other ethical questions: what do the just do in an unjust situation, how do people like us survive in the chaos of history?
Sigh...the house by the stream with a fence of forsythia branches is my favourite set -- wait for it!
Namkoong Min's face and attitudes(s) are the magnetic north of a tonal structure which knits together the larger political frame and the emphasis on the individual life. He is completely brilliant playing a jaded melancholy outsider who falls very very very hard for the young, spirited daughter of a comfortable provincial family. Ahn Eun Jin matches NM's subtlety with a steady powerful presence; changes in the young Gil Chae happen so slowly and always so late that they sneak up on you. She gets equal closeup camera time , deservedly. The essence of the central relationship, very Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, will drive you just as crazy as that couple did in the dark ages, and for over half the drama!!! about 15 hrs -- N.B. GWtW was only 2.5 hrs.
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This drama has mastered how to pull out every one of your emotions
This show is painful to watch. It is so real and heartbreaking and makes me constantly recall how truly callous and inhumane humans truly are; be it then or even now. This show drags all the nasty parts out and shows them exactly as they are. Its realistic and heartbreaking and shows human emotions and human viciousness in a way that makes me ache. The director has mastered how to pull your emotions out of you as a viewer and I went through a slew of them as I watched this. Anger, disgust, annoyance, sympathy. This is the kind of show that you feel your way through and will leave a lasting impression.For me, I can not say I found this enjoyable or entertaining to watch, it's depiction of real life struggles and brutality left me feeling raw and utterly devastated. But it is so heart achingly beautiful that I could not stop myself from watching it. The acting in this from every person is superb. I can not think of any flaw in the way that this show was written, executed, acted, or shot. There are several scenes that are stunningly beautiful. The characters are all thought out, flawed, and experience true character growth. Even the way the production showed the change in color from pastels in the beginning during happy times to the greys and browns during and after war just added to how expertly composed this show is.
-Gil Chae: for me she was truly an unlikable character for the majority of this season and I found myself so frustrated with her specifically in regards to her almost ridiculous adoration and chase of Yeon Jun. Her actions are spurted forward in her pursuit of the man she could not get. She is a spoiled nobleman's daughter that says and does whatever she wants because she is beautiful and noble. But then war breaks out and you start to see her change. She is still ridiculous in her chase of Yeon Jun but she proves herself to be a survivor and a protector. Her character development is the type I want to see in all shows. The kind that is gradual and realistic. She changes as her world around her changes and the circumstances she is put through changes her.
-Yeon Jun: I never at any point like this character. He is weak but believes he is strong. Is selfish but thinks he is honorable. But in how much I hate him, I also know how very real his portrayal is of the men of that time. He stubbornly sticks to his 'loyalty' and 'honor' for himself, never putting anyone or anything over his own agenda.
-Jang Hyun: he is mysterious and seemingly acts out of his own personal interest at every turn. He is a bit of a cad but loyal to those dearest to him with a soft heart and strong mind. A business man that is cunning enough to end up in important circles but chooses to use that power for the powerless. He does find an obstacle in Gil Chae and I think that is part of his interest in her, very like how she is so adamant about someone she can not get as well. But his actions speak far louder than any others in this drama. He is willing to sacrifice himself in exchange for her but will not go down easily.
In terms of the political progression of this story it does flow in a coherent way. You understand the movements, the predicaments, and some of the choices. I personally do not love a politically heavy drama but I was so drawn to Jang Hyun that I kept watching.
If you are looking for a drama that will make you feel something, not matter the emotion then you will find it here. Most o the time you will not enjoy what the characters are going through or the choices they make and you will feel frustrated. The point being that it will make you feel. Out of so many dramas that I have seen there are few that pull out this level of emotions from its viewers.
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We written story and good drama
It is good dramaFl:- given her best
Ml :- given his best
Ambience:- up to the timeline
What I find odd:-
In episode three at starting the invaders ( qing Dynasty warriors) Armor is waving in wing like cloths, that type of Armor had steel plating inside and even if steel plating were absent the harden leather doesn't flap in wind , editor shoul have spotted this little things
Everything else is all right What I find odd:-
In episode three at starting the invaders ( qing Dynasty warriors) Armor is waving in wing like cloths, that type of Armor had steel plating inside and even if steel plating were absent the harden leather doesn't flap in wind , editor shoul have spotted this little things
Everything else is all right
Ending look to commercial ( abrupt change in personality of both main character hence I reduced overall rating from 10 to 7.5
Word filler( to make 500 words)
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Can't have the one you love, love the one you are with.
Generally, the so-called romance stories have little if anything that’s considered romance throughout the show. Here I can finally say we get to actually witness the love growing. It has other side stories that contribute to the plot as well, but nothing takes center stage over their growing love. There is action, family, trauma, wars, and much more. However, it still holds its weight as the main plot.Is this the best series to date? No, but it's the best script-turn series I have seen in a very long time. I have been watching these dramas as well, for two decades, and I can honestly say it's a gem. I would give it 4.2/5 on a 5-star scale and anything less than that would not be fitting.
I am a romance buff so I am very particular about my love stories. Their unknowing love faces challenges and setbacks like no other. You wouldn’t want to miss this ride.
The leads are great and so are the support actors. No one is overacting or failing to meet the expectations set by the viewers. It's pleasantly heartwarming even in the midst of a war.
You will definitely enjoy this one.
Happy viewing
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Not all that
Overall I’d rate this drama 6.5/10 .
If you’re not really a big fan of political dramas, you’d rate it even lower but I’m trying to be fair .
I appreciate the work everyone put into making this drama . From the cast to the crew . Well done ??
Personally I don’t think the drama deserves to win best drama or the actor should win best actor . There truly wasn’t any scene that he was in that I genuinely felt touched .
Funny enough I felt more affection towards the crown prince than anybody else in the drama .
This drama is a one time drama . It’s not something that you watch and then you reminisce and you miss the characters . I’m yet to understand why the TikTok community and others swear by this drama . Perhaps if I followed it weekly like them, I might have shared the same feelings and comradeship .
Personally I think Kim soo Hyun should’ve won that best actor role . He showed more diverse emotions in queen of tears than this actor did in my dearest but that might just be my personal preference.
Most of the political stuff was boring and sounded like I was attending a history class .
Surprisingly I didn’t find the fl to be annoying . Her actions were quite rational and thoughtful. It did feel a tiny bit frustrating to see the push and pull in their love life but if you’re a trained historical cdrama member , you’d see that they were just playing ??.
No serious misunderstandings or whatever .
This drama is the type that after a while, you won’t remember what happened. It’d just be one of the many dramas you’ve seen .
Would I recommend this drama to others ? I’m not sure . Except they say they’re looking for historical drama recommendations.
The first 3 episodes were quite boring but the drama truly picked up from episode 4 . The cliff hangers at the end would always want you to download the next episode. You’re better off dropping the drama in the middle of an episode than waiting for it to finish .
I actually binged watched 1-14 before sleeping around 8am to continue by 7pm . It was that engaging . But if you ask me what I can truly remember from all the episodes, it’s quite hazy.
The entire plot is Joseon getting invaded by foreigners, the foreigners taking the crown prince and others as slaves/ captives . The ml falling in love and creating some bitter/sad love triangles.
The delusional and sick king and conniving concubine .
The palace story was nothing new . Usual fight for the throne and fear of rebellion.
Character I hated : that good for nothing self righteous scholar?
Thoughts on the main couple: I take back what I said about the ml being very old . He’s quite mature looking but he honestly just looks his age and he has a nice smile . I’d say he’s quite manly and you’d like him if that’s your spec .
The fl is okay too . She’s pretty .
They have nice chemistry . There were some scenes that I was like to love is nice sha but that’s it .
Completing this drama felt like I completed an assignment that I’ve been postponing for a long time.
As kdrama lovers , do you have to watch this drama?
Honestly speaking ? No
It doesn’t add or remove anything from your life . It doesn’t change your views on anything either . I think it’s okay to let it go and don’t be pressured by others to watch it or feel like you’re missing out on something so amazing because you’re not .
Time to finally end this lengthy review .
If you made it this far, Great job ?
See you in my next review or not…
Hahahaha
Annyeong chingus!
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Set during the righteous and perfect Qing rule over Korea.
The warning "this story is about fictitious events" always makes me cringe, as it seems like Joseon never existed. Nice respect for history...
Already in the first episode we find something Koreans are very good at, erasing history to make themselves great. The Emperor... historically inaccurate since he was a coward.
Cultural appropriation of Chinese sewing techniques, Chinese hanfu. Phrases said to mock China, its history, its culture and its multi-ethnicity, because Korea is poor.
The story is absolutely ridiculous, out of context and the romance context completely unrelated to the real story. A cast of actors who can't act, the two protagonists too detached and modern compared to the historical context. The story lacks a balance between romance and historical context .
The two protagonists are cringe from episode to episode. Th side characters are ridiculous and lacks depth.
Historical inaccuracies every now and then.
Bad direction and camera, without color balance that make the visuals squalid.
It totally falls after half and the ending is bad and casual
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