Reviews

When a film changes the law!

Artists can move society forward. France has the Coluche law, Korea has the 'Dogani' law (the Korean title of Silenced). You may find this film exaggerated, but it describes facts that have been well established since the various trials (see Wikipedia "Gwangju Inhwa School"). By using the book that exposed the facts, and by giving a little more heroism to the teacher at the centre of the story (who was a little less courageous in the book), the film mobilised the Korean population to the point of changing the law and retrying the guilty parties (12 and 7 years in prison this time).

We might also add that this success is due to the determination of Gong Yoo, who, having just been demobilised from his military service, set about putting into pictures the book that had been given to him.

The icing on the cake is that the film is so well shot and acted (yes, precautions have been taken for children, see Gong Yoo's interview on You tube) that it's enough to recommend it.

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Quality Meh

If this movie was made in an age with less media saturation it might have been something special on the back of the narrative qualities. The setting is beautiful, and the costumes as well. Special Effects were a bit lacking, so was some of the choreography but not enough to harm the main plot. The main characters were given similar arcs, but benefited from what seem to be skilled and experienced actors. Japanese movies are notorious for favoring eye candy over developed skill, so this was a welcome deviation from it. The plot is the weakest part of the story. There were a few unnecessary plot threads which slowed down the pacing of the story, some characters weren't even needed. Some plot threads needed more fleshing out, and might have benefited by giving some characters a bigger role, and more of a narrative arc, but the movie is long as it is.

It's merits as a movie shine quite brightly. The music and camera work are nothing I can complain about. They must have had a good director, and producer. I will watch the sequel, despite my mixed feelings. It's an excellent dramatic narrative to watch, tackling some heavy themes. It can be the launching pad of a great many discussions. For that reason it is worth watching.

It's the kind of story that benefits from slow build ups, that was the right call. It was hurt by not being able to beef up some plot threads. That made it too slow in some parts. So I deem it to be quality meh. The good parts are good, The bad parts are bad. Some scenes are not needed but most people won't regret watching it.

But don't watch it with you kids, unless you want to tackle discussions most parent find uncomfortable. The story itself doesn't give meaningful answers save on the central conflict.

High scores for the music and acting, average score for the plot, and I doubt anyone will want to rewatch it. Thumbs up. Will be there for the sequel but if you miss it, you won't miss much.

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Ridiculous fun

What have I just watched? Madness. It was a crazy ride. Sort of James Bond-ish. Sort of superhero-ish, but without super powers - a bit like Batman not having powers like the other superheroes. It was funny and sombre and outrageously ridiculous. Loved it!

There was a scene that surprised me and I don't think I can erase it from my memory. Let's just say he's a playboy and not shy!

If they made a sequel, I'd gladly watch it.

What I liked: the silliness of it all. The feisty Kaori.

What I didn't like: sometimes the silliness was over the top, but not so much that I wanted to stop watching it. The feisty Kaori (sometimes).

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Message to fight homophobia and internalized homophobia

Chai is a lonely young man who recently graduated. Dissatisfied in his courtship, he ends up with the girlfriend with whom his father, a man who continually dictates to him how to live, hopes that he will marry one day and have a happy life according to his criteria of happiness.
One night, fed up with this situation, Chai gets drunk in a bar where he meets Raffe, a friendly stranger who takes care of him.
'Mr. Nice Guy & the Lonely Man! (ราฟกับชาย), is a Thai LGBTIQ+ themed romantic short film, released on December 22, 2023 by Wayufilm Production.
One of the benefits of the film is to introduce us to two new faces in the BL universe: those of the young Euro Pratchakorn Nokaew, the actor who plays Chai, known for taking on the role of Hope in the miniseries 'Her', and Novel Paruntawatt Wittayarutt, who precisely makes his acting debut with the role of Raffe.
Despite being a simple story and, incidentally, we will know very little about our protagonists, the tension and conflict created advance the story and keep the audience interested.
Scripted and directed by filmmaker Nicchi Nitchapoom Chaianun, the film seeks to make us reflect on parents who accept the homosexuality of everyone, except that of their children.
This is evident with Chai's father, a man who lives or works in a space where two clearly visible giant posters that allude to love between boys hang on the wall. One of them is obviously that of the film 'My Bromance' ("พี่ชาย My Bromance", Phi Chai My Bromance), from 2014, directed by Nicchi himself, in which two young people of the same sex can be seen hugging.
However, this character, played by the renowned actor Pug Raywat Peanpojjananarth, despite being inserted in an environment surrounded by homosexual images and symbolism, does not accept his son's homosexuality.
Other topics addressed are internalized homophobia and acceptance. Chai doesn't love his girlfriend and this is why he argues with his father. Thus he ends up in a visibly gay bar. He is approached by a boy who politely asks if he can keep him company. Raffe's interest is evident as he approaches Chai. After drinking with Raffe, that's the boy's name, Chai rejects him because he is gay.
Then, the conflict, organic and arising naturally from the story, is established: the two characters have opposite desires or objectives.
While Raffe seeks to establish a romantic, or at least sexual, bond, Chai, who tries to erase with alcohol the treatment his father gives him every day, hides himself behind not wanting to be linked to homosexuals.
However, being drunk, he ends up allowing himself to be driven to the young man's house, with whom he will establish a deep loving bond. Chai has overcome internalized homophobia.
What does the character still have to do after falling in love with a boy?
Meeting Raffe will also result in Chai gaining courage and confronting his father, in the most dramatic scene of the short film. And not only this, but his father finally accepts his son.
It is interesting that the film is designed to be narrated many of its scenes without the spoken word, with the support of music and moving images, specifically in some moments of interaction between the two protagonists in which they animatedly converse.
And in that, we understand Nicchi, who, from the audiovisual resources of montage and shot, opts for this structure to advance the story.
Telling a story with limited use of dialogue is a rigorous exercise in cinematographic terms. One of the main resources used in cinema is oral narration, almost always descriptive, and serves to complete what cannot be resolved by visual means.
But in the case of 'Mr. Nice Guy & the Lonely Man! There is even more, because it is a film that breaks down each moment shot by shot, in a fluid narrative and without unnecessary editing tricks. It always prevails a conception of space as a place to be explored by the eye, without cuts and with a lot of imagination.
With good performances, commendable production values ​​and fluid narrative and scenery, 'Mr. Nice Guy & the Lonely Man' leaves us with a profound message of fighting against homophobia and internalized homophobia.

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This movie is one of those I find it really hard to write a review for -- anything I would say would spoil it, since this movie is one of those which are fascinating because there's no way to know what will happen next.

So, I'll just point out only some aspects:
* Trigger warnings for explicit depictions of excessive violence, suicide, human trafficking, drug use rape and forced sex work.
* The movie is very slow and quiet, except where it's not.
* The movie is definitely not fluffy. But heartwarming all the same.
* There's a love story that is told in less than six minutes, from beginning to the end -- and I still cried for both lovers. (But it's still not a romance movie.)
* The young boy actor was impressive.
* A lot of the story is told not in dialogue but in silence. The movie expects the viewer to pay attention not what the characters say, but what they do.
* When people are victims, over and over, all of their lives, is there a chance to get up again? -- The story can be read as some social commentary. But maybe not.
* The sombre tone is lightened by the group of neighbours, whose loving antics are hilarious.

This is not a movie I will rewatch any time soon, it's just too intense for that -- maybe in a few years. But I can recommend it for anyone who is not disturbed by the themes mentioned above and wants something different that engages the mind.
It's probably best if you see for yourself.

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A simple and beautiful story about love and grief

This movie will be in my memories for a very, very long time.

The whole storyline was nothing out of the ordinary, but that was precisely why it works. It was so, so relatable that it hurts to think about because it reminded me of my own experience in life with my grandparents.

I cried throughout the entire movie. The cinematography was gorgeous, and reminiscent of growing up in an Asian household.

I highly recommend this movie. But it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. If you're a fan of the slice of life genre, then this movie is for you.

Nothing dramatic happens throughout the movie, it just tells a story about a grandmother who is dying, and how the family deals with the aftermath of the heartbreaking news.

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Slice of life

26 years after the the premiere of this movie, this movie mentioned by main couple in 2024 drama The Atypical Family. They argue about the colour of cardigan used by the female lead of this drama.

So the next day I spend my free time to watch this drama in 2x speed. With a mission to know the cardigan colour. But I end up savour this movie. It's a simple, seems mundane, beautifully shoot movie. What I'm not expect is... it left me with a... sorrow feeling? Longing? The feeling is indescribable... But it left something that will last long in my heart.

It's not a dramatic movie. You can read the premise of the movie and think this will be tear jerk movie. But no, it just a slice of life. They approach everything so casually and realistically. It's like a memory of a past lover that we remember 40 years after it past. It's meaningful but not important enough to disturb your life. Mundane but you keep that in your heart. Then maybe some scene will make us reflect about life.

Being technical. The cinematography is really great, the colour and the mood, the camera work. It capture the life of that time in the best way possible. The music is not fantastic but fit the movie so well. The acting and script are so natural. Han Seok Kyu was and is a charming person.

I end up spend another 15 minutes to write this review. I want to write it while the feeling last. But it's confuse me how I should rate this movie. It's a simple movie, nothing seems special. But that what make it special. I enjoy this movie so much.

*It's blue

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'Rebirth' (重生君颜) is a Chinese LGBTIQ+ themed romantic drama that follows in the footsteps of so many other films that have portrayed homosexuality in China, such as 'River Knows Fish Heart', 'East Palace, West Palace', 'Spring Fever', 'For Love, We Can', 'Looking for Rohmer', 'Wu Yan – Speechless', 'Shangai Panic', 'Kinematic Theory', 'The Raccoon', 'The Ambiguous Focus', among many others.
Mixing romance, fantasy and yaoi, 'Legend of Long Yang', as it is also known, presents Ji Yu as the central axis of the plot, a young prince who is preparing to take the reins of a kingdom enveloped in war conflicts with neighboring nations and internal struggles for power.
Directed by Fei Yu and scripted by Yi Hua Yao, the film takes us to the meeting, ten years before the narrated historical present, between Ji Yu and Long Yang, a commoner who, knowing that the heir to the throne does not wish to murder a group of peasants accused of treason, steals his bow and tries to flee.
When Long Yang is caught by the guards, Ji Yu forgives him upon discovering the boy's motivations for stopping the prince from committing a crime. Moved and impressed by the young boy's actions, Ji Yu gives him a token so he can exchange it for money, but Long Yang decides to keep it as a souvenir of the day of his meeting with the future sovereign.
In the present, Long Yang has been serving as a guard in the royal palace for five years without Ji Yu knowing of his presence. One day, when the prince returns from a battle, he is attacked by assassins and Long Yang is mortally wounded while trying to protect him. Just before he loses consciousness, he watches as an enemy archer fires an arrow at Ji Yu, possibly killing him as well.
However, upon waking up, Long Yang discovers that he has traveled back in time and now, a year behind the tragic events, he has the opportunity to change the future. Then, he reveals his identity to Ji Yu, who recognizes him thanks to the token he gave to the boy.
The growing emotional and physical connection between the prince and his newly appointed personal guard will allow them to develop deep feelings, causing love to blossom between the two.
The actors Dou Qi Chen, who we know for his role in the Taiwanese film 'The Rooftop' (2013), and Eric Wang (Wang Hao Yu), known for his participation in the series 'Dream Detective' (2021) and the films 'Robot iGirl' (2016) and 'Battlefield Love' (2012), play the leading roles: Ji Yu and Long Yan, respectively. Along with them we see Wang Peng as General Shen Yi, Jin Zhao as the King, Mu Yan as the Queen Mother, Xin Wei as Ming Yu, Bao Yi Ran as Ji Yu (young) and Shen Han Yang as Long Yang (young).
The then debutant director, known for later directing the films 'The Three Body Problem' and 'Where to Go', as well as for writing the script for this last feature film, effectively uses many of the codes of action and Wuxia cinema with spectacular fight scenes with very visual choreographies, where there is no shortage of chases and suspense.
Although it covers various contents (political intrigues, power struggles, jealousy, ambitions, time travel), the film simply addresses a love story.
Most scenes take place in closed, dimly lit environments, such as the throne room, the royal quarters, or the torture room and dungeons of the imperial palace.
The always necessary female figure as a sign of evil does not take long to appear, this time assumed by the character of Princess Chang Qin, played by actress Hou Meng (Hu Po in 'Mutant Tiger', 2022, and Priest Chun in ' The Monkey King 3'.
We find the typical intelligent and ambitious woman, who uses her beauty and her status as the prince's fiancée to manipulate others, including the kings and other members of the imperial court, and obtain the benefits she desires, including becoming queen after marry the future king, so she will see in Long Yang a potential enemy who could ruin her plans.
The sinister character also appears who fulfills the orders of this beautiful woman and participates in her web of crimes and manipulations to please his mistress. This is the case of Min Er, Chang Qin's maid, a role assumed by actress Zhang Ding Ding, known for her role as Mei Li Er in 'Mr. Express & Miss Concubine', from 2017, among others.
The princess's maid is not only responsible for spreading rumors about the romance of the prince and his bodyguard, but will also accuse the latter of being a traitor and devise a plan to separate him from Ji Yu.
Fei Yu manages to make visible in his film the long history of Chinese dynastic homosexuality, and reformulates the romantic love between the nobleman and his subject of the same sex to place it on a plane of greater equality and dedication, since both characters are willing to give their lives or his throne by being in each other's arms.

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an okay follow up to My Biker

Overall: I was a bit disappointed with the plot in the sequel, though I did like the more realistic vibe. About 35 minutes long. Aired on Wayufilm's YouTube channel https://youtu.be/-JNhFEbulXc?si=MfBagI18jMzGWIdb

Content Warning: homophobia

What I Liked
- sniff kiss attack
- production value for an indie production company

Room For Improvement
- pacing too slow/dragged at times
- though I appreciated looking at internalized homophobia, I didn't have any confidence that there was enough character growth to lead to a happily ever after

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"This battle is a fight to live for our future"

When I saw the Toho logo my heart jumped with joy knowing Godzilla was back home where he belonged. In Godzilla Minus One he was no longer a comic character playing catch with a giant lobster or the King of the Kaiju restoring balance to the Earth. He was a destroyer and an indictment on humankind’s hubris and a reminder of the horrors of war. If Japan was at level zero after WWII, Gojira put them at minus one when he surfaced from the depths of the ocean with a terrible judgement.

Near the end of WWII, Shikishima Koichi is a kamikaze pilot who lands his plane on a small island held by the Japanese ostensibly for engine trouble. It’s not long before the mechanics realize he has run away from the fight. They don’t have long to berate him when they are attacked by a monster the locals call Gojira. When Shikishima freezes once again, he is labeled a coward by the only other survivor. Back home he is reviled by a sister for returning alive, as she blames the country’s problems on his failure. Koichi takes in a woman with an orphaned baby, unable to throw them out when Noriko makes herself at home. The war isn’t over for Koichi as he is paralyzed with regret, guilt and PTSD and unable to move on with his life. When Gojira heads for Japan, the pilot will have a second chance to redeem himself and his honor.

Godzilla Minus One succeeded in two areas. Firstly, they went back to Gojira’s mythology and his evolution from nuclear testing. Gojira was personification of the fear and memory of atomic weapons, something the people of Japan had suffered horrifically from. He was also a punishment for Japan’s militaristic era and the damage done to others and their own people. This monster claimed his territory with a fearsome rage. Capable of regenerating, modern weapons were all but useless against him. Secondly, for one of the first times since the original, there were compelling human characters with interesting stories seamlessly woven into Gojira’s appearance and threat. Too often, the humans were dead weight in Toho’s Gojira films saddled with mediocre actors and dialogue. Koichi was a complicated character and his boat buddies were developed enough to remember them. Noriko as a character was thinly but heroically drawn. Even the characters who reviled Koichi came around to being more well developed.

If there was one flaw, the horrors of the war were laid solely at the government’s feet, which categorically absolved the rank and file from atrocities committed during the war. And yes, the government had the “best ability of spinning and hiding information from the masses”. The government also, “...treated our lives too cheaply...Tanks with insufficient armor, poor supply chains-leading to starvation and disease…and fighter planes without ejection seats…as well as kamikaze and suicide attacks.” The characters emphasized living for their country and its future instead of dying for it even as they bravely faced a seemingly indestructible foe.

For a film made for 15 million dollars (USD), it looked far richer. The special effects were excellent whether it was Gojira’s atomic breath, miniatures, ships, or buildings crumbling like houses made of cards. Gojira himself, was frighteningly majestic and terrifying. Able to regenerate, he did come across as a vengeful god. This film deservedly earned an Oscar for Visual Effects. One last little production note--Sato Naoki is credited as the composer but much of the score was a reworking of Ifukube Akira's iconic Godzilla theme.

Not since the original Godzilla (1954) have I enjoyed a Big G film this much. Gojira was a merciless, destructive force, created by unnaturally splitting atoms. The people of Japan united not to fight to the death against this formidable opponent but to use all of their abilities in a battle that would ensure that they could live for their future. In the face of this harbinger of death, there were those who found redemption, love, and healing. Good job Toho! You made a film worthy of the original and a wonderful way to celebrate Gojira’s 70th anniversary.

2 June 2024

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Dark,twisted, edgy and toxic blue romance.

When you start this movie you feel like you're in a haze, everything is blurry and confusing. But once it unfolds, it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Truckload of emotions hit you when you're unprepared.

Two lonely people try to find love when both of them have the same kind of psychological trauma. Their instant attraction turned into love and that love opened the door to freedom and escape from their traumatic past. That love made them say “I'll even go to hell as long as you're by my side”.

Beautiful cinematography, sad ill-defined plot and the chemistry between the actors is to die for. The symbolism of water/ocean throughout the movie made it prominent that their meeting and parting is related to it. The relationship between the recorded voicemails and past were tied so skillfully that you cannot assume the link between them.

Koizora, Sachiiro no one room, Drowning love and No call no life have different storylines but same genre same vibe. All of them are complex yet simple love stories of two young people.

I think I am more inclined towards those films that left a bitter aftertaste. They linger in your head for a while and make you ponder deeper which makes it more memorable. Definitely will watch it again to uncover the mystery.

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Amazing movie with awesome soundtrack

I watched this movie with my parents on Netflix yesterday and it was really amazing, however, I wasn't a big fan of the English voice over of the movie since it made the film less emotional but soundtrack and effects with this movie was really, really good and would strongly recommend this movie, glad the wife survived at the end and can't wait for the second movie of Godzilla Minus one, definetly recommend it to everyone and this movie showed what Godzilla should actually be like instead of the American version where they make Godzilla friendly and save the world however this one makes Godzilla an evil one that destroys cities and kills people which is more of what I enjoy.

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So many questions and no answers

I do not even have words. XDDDD
Could be I expected too much based on my memory of previous movies. But not sure what was this. XDD It feels like they wanted to fit all past 5 movies into less than 2h. In the end it was extra random, full of cringe, Gii looked like having borderline personality disorder (no offece, have it myself) or maybe he was bipolar. He was changing mood every 2 mins, doing random things that does not make sense, action and scene were changing all the time. No chemistry at all. I felt more emotions from the piano in the end, than anyone alive on the set. XD
Actors were good looking, fact. But the rest? Nei nei.
AND WHY DID THEY PUT SCOTTISH MUSIC INSIDE WITH BAGPIPES MIXED WITH SOME LORD OF THE RING MELODIES??? XDDDD
That makes no sense. But amazing to laugh for almost 2h. XD

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