Reviews

it's too sweet for me ?

this is what sequel need to be made! even with different cast, they success to set their cast to be the exact same as the previous sequel. how takagi act as takagi it self so good. ofc for nishi too! overall it's too much sugar in it, it's too sweet <3

lastly, it yet slow paced but melancholic. how the acting, set and the storyline are perfectly balanced. easy one of the best ending for a series in my opinion, i hope if some production want to make a series from manga or aanime adaptation this is how they should be made. opinion are opened, but this is what my pure base on my honest opinion are.

once again, T H A N K S ❤️

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Uncut edition

One of the most iconic cult martial art films of all time, the influence felt by Master of the Flying Guillotine can still be seen in pop culture to this very day. Nothing captures the imagination of genre fans like the notion of a mechanical device being hurled through the air to behead its victims. With its nonstop flurry of fighting, ersatz bloodletting and incidental hilarity, this sequel to Jimmy Wang-Yu's earlier One-Armed Boxer doubles down on what made that film work, ultimately leaving this film as his most fondly remembered and signature work, very few films can compete with having a one-armed hero, a blind antagonist who wields a Flying Guillotine and a stolen Krautrock on its soundtrack. The main plot is completely nonsensical and only serves as window dressing for the film's bloody trail of vengeance and tournament antics, one that Yu directs with exhilarating energy. After a series of ultra-cool martial arts set pieces, choreographed fiercely and imaginatively by Lau Kar Leung, Yu eventually faces Kam Kong in an awesome coffin-tossing, wall-climbing, one-arm boxing, guillotine-throwing finale. As writer, director, and star Yu proved to be an extraordinary showman whose creativity, experimentation with genre conventions, and knack for surrounding himself with great talent results in a recipe for a marvellously manic film, Master of the Flying Guillotine needs to be seen to be believed, and even then defies belief.

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I watched the series and the movie side-by-side, and here's what I've found: in the series, there are several scenes that are cut out off the movie version, and which I think contribute to understanding the characters and the plot a bit better.

What I liked:
* All of the characters in the boarding house. They each have their own personality, which we can see even though the story's so short.
* The acting. All of the actors make it possible for us to get to know the characters and their thoughts.
* I liked the friend from college, Bong Deok, the most, who showed remarkable depth of character. Kudos to his actor, I'd like to see him in more dramas.

What I did not like:
* I think they people responsible for the project chose the wrong story for their format. For these short dramas / average length movies you cannot have an ensemble drama and expect a cohesive storytelling that has enough depth to be satisfying. Something will have to be left out, and it shows. I imagine the original work this is based on is much longer and allows for more character development.
* Why did they bleep out the swear words, even put a flower over the actor's mouths? I don't understand why they did not just put a different text for the actors to speak there, if they wanted to keep their low age rating.

Overall impression:
I do not regret watching this show, as the story was cute, the characters likeable and the actors did well. But this is by no means a must-watch; we have enough BL dramas by now that we can choose those of higher quality.
If you have not yet seen it, but want to, I recommend watching the series, not the movie. Although the change between episodes is a bit annoying due to their shortness, the scenes which are not in the movie are entertaining. Also, the movie's background music is sometimes a bit too strong.

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"Women are like products for sale"

Burden of Life was a short Gosho Heinosuke film from 1935. Not going to sugar coat this one. I hated it. Even taking into account the time period, it was so overtly sexist that it made my blood boil.

There might be a couple of elements below that could be considered spoilery:

The film starts out safely enough (sort of) with a playful bantering of the sexes. Itsuko is the middle sister married to an artist who paints semi-nude portraits of her. They live beyond their means and rely on her parents helping them out with money. Oldest daughter Takako is married to Tetsuo and are always fighting. He disapproves of her buying anything for herself, yet he spends his time in hostess bars drinking and buying drinks for the hostesses. Machiko, the youngest daughter, is about to be married which is costing her dad more money. Nine-year-old Kanichi is the baby of the family. He stays away from his dad as much as possible, even eating dinner in the kitchen to avoid him. Shozo has nothing good to say about the boy. His mantra is, “We never should have had him.” Finally, the mother has had enough and begs the father to be kinder to him and plan for the son’s future as well.

I’ve watched numerous older films, but the gaslighting of the mom to prove that the father knew best and women were overly emotional was too much for me. There appeared to be a tiny softening of Shozo near the end but it was not nearly enough for me to accept any real character growth. I found the father’s attitude deeply disturbing. Shozo didn’t know Kanichi’s age and had no plans for the boy to be educated. He considered the boy too short and too ugly to ever be married. Surprisingly, this was one of the first times I’ve come across a father wanting to be rid of a son. Daughters were often lambasted as being useless, but sons always seemed to be coveted. Shozo’s domineering attitude toward his wife had me hoping she’d smother him with her pillow while he slept. He kept saying he wished Kanichi had never been born, being as brilliant as he was, surely he knew how babies were made, didn’t he?

Despite the age of the film and knowing attitudes have changed in the last nearly 100 years, I could not enjoy this film at all. Other early directors had a modicum of respect for their female characters and audience. A child being continually rejected by his father destroyed any enjoyment I might have had with this film otherwise. If you are a fan of Gosho or can tolerate bad parenting and dismissive attitudes for women, at 67 minutes it’s worth a try. I gave myself a day to think about it and try to rationalize the father/husband’s behaviors and the neighbors’ but am still mad. Given this was supposed to be a lighthearted slice of life, I don’t think that’s the response Gosho was trying to elicit.

17 November 2024

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A slow burn and communicating as if you can speak no more than 100 words a day.

I was super excited to watch this movie after the adorable drama, but it fell flat. Why? Because the characters lost the charm they had as students! The teasing that was once playful and fun now felt dull, and the reactions were as lifeless as a soggy noodle. It was all very sophisticated, mindful, and demure lol... and honestly, kind of boring for a two-hour movie. We knew they liked each other, but they could’ve taken the story in so many directions. They could’ve shown us their funny dating life or made them realize their love was more than just a teenage crush. But nope, they just kept circling around.


They threw in a side plot about two other students, but if you’ve seen a Japanese romance that isn’t a tragedy or comedy, you know exactly what’s coming: aesthetically pleasing shots, actors delivering deep “poetic” speeches about love and life, and supporting characters acting like they’re in a serious art film.


My main frustration? Nothing really happened.

They met, they were in love, and after five or so encounters and 10 minutes of vague, “what are we doing” dialogue, they finally confessed.

I’ll give credit where it’s due—the visuals were gorgeous, and the actors were cute, but the story? Meh. You’ll watch and think, *Oh, young love is so pure*, but honestly, they didn’t build on the solid foundation they had. It’s like having a fancy cake and realizing it’s just made of frosting—pretty, but empty.


But I did rate it 5+ so it's worth a try!

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Disconnected

This review was difficult to write because I came away from this movie confused and unsure of how to put my feelings into words. I’ve come up with a starting point which is that the movie felt flat. The story plateaued the entire time. There were no ups and downs. There were no highs and lows. There wasn’t really a climax, a low point, and a satisfying resolution that felt earned. I knew what the result would be at the end but when that result came to be, it felt like it wasn’t deserved or rather, it felt empty, it felt hollow.

The characters and their relationship:

I felt like on a conscious level, in my brain, I knew the characters liked each other because I was told that. I could see some of it manifest in their behavior but it felt more like I was being told something was true when I couldn’t really feel it. There was a disconnect between what I knew and what I felt. This was the biggest point I had trouble putting into words. The plot made sense and the ending made sense for the characters and was expected and yet it felt like it came out of nowhere and yet everywhere at the same time. Maybe there was a lack of chemistry between the actors but I’m not so sure that was the problem. It was like there was a disconnect between the narrative script and the movie we watched. It’s strange because they should be one and the same and yet they weren’t.

The characters themselves:

I think the characters felt stuck at 14 years old because that is where we left them at the end of the drama. It felt like because we just skipped 10 years and didn’t see them grow within that time, we weren’t able to see evolution. Their fix for this was just to keep the characters stagnant and the same as they were when they were 14. They didn’t feel like 24 year old people, they felt like 14 year olds disguised as adults. It was strange and threw me off. I know why they did that. They also needed to make sure we could associate them with their younger selves but it just felt off. They felt like giant versions of their middle school selves instead of their middle school selves who have aged 10 years.

Overall, it felt like it was trying to be heartfelt, and yet it just felt empty to me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it and watched the entire thing but I think it was because I kept waiting for that moment where something big happens, then something goes wrong, and then there’s a resolution. But nothing ever goes wrong, nothing really happens much. There are plot points and yet the plot feels hollow.

Give it a watch but don’t expect much.

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Certainly better than II

Rather than offering a retread of the original film as the first sequel did, A Moment of Romance III goes in an entirely different direction. Don't expect motorcycles racing down the streets of Hong Kong, Taking the basic set-up of the first and transplanting it into a romantic period piece under the cover of a Spielbergian visual aesthetic. Despite the overly hackneyed set-up, the film proves to be decent fluff, jettisoning director Benny Chan in favour of the series' producer, Johnnie To who provides the film with plenty of lavish production values. While the script and story may be pretty generic, To makes the best of it and provides some nice war action and plenty of tear-jerking drama. Although he's seemingly set in brooding mode for most of the runtime, bringing back star Andy Lau was a great move as the chemistry between him and the returning Wu Chien-Lien, also on top form throughout, is undeniable. Eventually, everything gives way to your standard "choice of love" type deal with one of our two parties running to a romantic reunion. Ultimately A Moment of Romance III is extremely sappy but anyone chasing pretty stars and heart-wrenching pathos will not be disappointed, it's certainly a more worthwhile time investment than II.

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"So this is how I go to hell"

Got the chance to watch it in a limited film fest screening and it was definitely worth it. Let me say first that when I watched this the theater was almost full and the movie received a warm applause from the viewers.

On to the review.

The story revolves on Yoshii Ryosuke an internet reseller who purposely inflates his merchandise. As he repeats the cycle of bulk buying in cheap amount and reselling the items on the net at inflated prices, he acquires grudge from certain people who takes it into their hands to hunt him.

The first half focuses on Yoshii's routine with his factory job, her gf, his reselling on the side, and occasional talks with his school senior. The unsettling mood slowly seeps into his life starting from little pranks and gradually develops into a game of tag riddled with bullets during the later half of the movie.

The deadpan and detached characters that are all suspicious makes a great ensemble for the psychological thriller. The combination of sudden burst of emotions and subtlety of reactions in contrast to one another differentiates the movie from your usual psychological thrillers.

The script is another strong point of the movie which emphasized on the disconnection of the characters to the dire events surrounding them. Often being odd to the point of comedic.

The movie is an interesting take on the complex man who wants to keep his 'conventional happiness' as he descends on a path to hell indifferent to the bodies he leaves behind.

Suda's eyes mostly did the acting for this one. No cheap over the top reactions, no screaming, yelling, or any intense emotion except for one moment. The closing scene which focuses on his face as he utters the line "so this is how I go to hell" with the movie slowly fading out with his eyes as the last thing you see before the credits roll.

Okudaira, this young talent shines once again as a pivotal character filled with mystery. Others might not like the ambiguity of his nature and motives but I think it was perfect. His ambiguity was the take home given to the viewers. I love it when you're given something to make hypothesis on so you can discuss it with others after the movie.

Kotone seemed like an accessory for most of the part but eventually succumbs to her desires towards the end. That last little heart skip before the movie draws to a close.

Cloud is for the people who don't put everything on the scales of right and wrong or put themselves on the shoes of the lead or any character in the movie. Cloud is made for the people who enjoy a revenge, "what goes around comes around" kind of movie with unexpected turns. Those who don't mind morally gray to borderline psycho characters, ambiguity and unsettling silence. This is for the Noir fans.

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What to do when you feel your relationship and your life has reached a breaking point?

This is not a happy story.
(tw: depression, child abuse, chronic illness)

This short film, like most short films, leaves a lot of meaning unspoken and questions unanswered.
That means if you can't find a connection to the struggles of at least one of the two main characters, this film might be hard to "get".

The characters have to deal with illness (of the mind and of the body), their own and their partners; with prejudice toward their sexuality and towards their profession.
What to do if, on top of all of this, you feel trapped in your relationship? When you feel that you lose yourself, bit by bit?
Will you go on a long-distance journey or stay with your partner?

The pain of the characters is apparent in every movement of their faces and bodies. The minimal music and the cold late autumn surroundings underline their bleak situation.

One thought about the plot: I was completely thrown by the twist in minute 20, which made a lot of things about the woman much clearer. I had to rewatch the whole film just to understand her better.
I'm not sure I like what her ending scene implies about a possible connection between that twist and her sexuality, but maybe I'm reading too much into it.
(Edit: After thinking about this some more, I arrived at an even sadder coclusion about her life and her decisions. Another point in favour of this film. Made me think, and question what I saw.)

And a thought about the subtitles: Those on GagaOOLala are not good. They are good enough to understand the plot, but the obvious grammar mistakes make me wonder if there are nuances that pass me by just because of the bad translations.
I also wonder about the subtitles for the ill partner. We get them, and know what he says, but the main character doesn't (he says so during the therapy session) -- so, does the Korean version have subs for the partner's sentences? Or do international viewers know more than the main character AND Korean viewers?

Overall, I found the story extremely painful and bleak. And I can understand why some viewers don't like it -- for those who have experienced at least some of the characters' struggles, the film might give a better connection to the themes.
The excellent acting and production alone is worth it, I think. (According to the info on GagaOOLala, this film was awarded the Grand Prize of the 2020 Ansan Dan-won International Cultural Art&Film Festival, so it can't be just mid.)

I'd suggest that you try it, it's just 29 minutes, after all.

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"For me, only the Ether is proof that I'm alive" "For me, only Lily is real."

"For me, only the Ether is proof that I'm alive"
"For me, only Lily is real."

One of the most depressing movies I've seen, the quintessential 'disillusioned youth' movie. It's so beautiful, Iwai's perfect direction of deeply disturbing scenes gives them a massive impact without feeling disrespectful or overdone, constantly edging the line between being overly edgy and 'emo' but never crossing it, instead being a very grounded and mature societal commentary. The plot unfolds pretty confusingly which is probably it's biggest flaw (I don't really see the point in it being non-linear) but also not something that I found issue with as it helped you flow along with it and become absorbed. If you are looking at it from some artistic standpoint, you could say that it portrayed the confusion and messiness of the youth of the characters, but idk.

The visuals and music are by far the best I've ever seen in a movie, love the soundtrack so much the album is one of my favourite albums ever if not my favourite. The score is also fantastic, Debussy was the perfect choice and the performances are especially beautiful, my favourite I've heard of Arabesque No. 1. They both combine to create a dreamy and, well, ethereal atmosphere which feels both oppressingly depressive and weightless, as if you could spread your arms and fall back into the tall grassy fields of Ashikaga. Every second of the movie has had a lot of love poured into it and it shows, on a rewatch and after further research there is a lot I missed out on the first time around. It is a unique experience and one that I haven't found anything close to.

This definitely isn't for everybody though and that's understandable, it's pretty confusing on a first watch (keep in mind it's nonlinear) and watching it with a large group of other people who are watching it for the first time made me realise that. I think you gotta be a certain kind of person to connect with this but if you connect deeply it'll be a one of a kind experience.

Spending a lot of time in Lily Chou-Chou communities online made me realise how much the movie means to so many people around the world. It's sad that the overwhelmingly bleak and cynical portrait of the world painted in the movie is reflective of real life and how many Yuichis, Tsudas, Kunos, and Hoshinos are out there. The adults are all largely absent from the children's lives, when they are present they are either fucking it up even further or giving pointless, shallow advice, leaving the kids to get sucked into a cycle of being hurt and hurting others. Their only refuge is the ether, as the tagline says:

"PAIN CAN TAKE YOU IN PRISON. THE ETHER CAN SET YOU FREE."

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Under Disappointing Stars

Right after watching this film, I have it a rating and thought ‘wow that was disappointing, what a bad movie’. But after truly considering what I’ve just watched, I can admit to myself that I did enjoy some of this film.

I found myself genuinely smiling and laughing during the first half of this film but then it started to decline from there.

Firstly, I went into this film expecting them to be going on a journey together to find his mother. Maybe that’s a mistake on my part by misinterpreting the synopsis but once they found his mum 45 minutes in, I wondered what there was left to do in the rest of the 1hour 15 of the film.

There was some chemistry left to be desired between the leads. I love Win and enjoyed watching him act in this and show of his English skills but the chemistry was frankly lackluster and the kiss was giving dead fish on his part.

The ending also really rubbed me the wrong way. What the hell was that?! She saw what his mother leaving that way did to him and then did the exact same thing. I get that she wanted him to remember her as ‘strong’ and not sick but to be honest if I were him I would just remember her as a coward. If my partner ever lied to me about something as big as that, does the country, and refused to contact me, I would be absolutely fuming. No respect for him, his feelings, or their business whatsoever. And the sister going to visit him after to tell him the news and him kinda just sitting there looking sad was very weird. Especially as she gives him her number and then awkwardly stands up and leaves after.

Also side note but why did he look like the penny had dropped when Thea explained she was Iris’ sister? They look identical?! (Especially as they are played by the same actress lmao) Seriously

Sorry I didn’t realise I was so annoyed by the ending until I started writing this. It’s not all bad but the ending kind of ruined it for me. Rated 6.5 and would not rewatch

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Good story but failed to deliver its max potential

The overall feel of this story is really good. It has a strong start ..cast is also good .. there were interesting mini plots to keep the momentum of the plot ( bondage prank, riding to his interview scene , etc ) but still for various reasons even 1 hour 39 min felt too long ...
1) mini plots weren't arranged properly. For example you watch a scene, you think okay there is a development in their relationship but in the next scene she is literally beaten by his fans and he doesn't care. Then again after few minutes similar thing happens .. I was so confused like is this how feeling work ???

2) though it's not related to story ..but the subtitles suck ... This was actually the main reason why I could not enjoy it to the fullest.

3) fatigue : so many cliches and repeat jokes ... In the end no matter how good the sketch is ..if the painting it not colour enough you won't like it.

That's all. No hate to the movie but it just didn't work for me ..may be If i watch it again after sometime.. I might like it ..

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Disappointingly unfocused

Right out of the starting gate, it's hard not to be disappointed and perhaps even slightly insulted by A Moment of Romance II. It's horribly unfocused, sharing very little of the original film's excitement or romance along with contrived plotting that doesn't add up to more than manufactured pathos. While the first film at least had some thematic and dramatic justification for its tragic resolution, this one seems to follow a similar pattern to get a rise out of this audience. It doesn't work; you have to care about the characters first. Johnnie To certainly didn't ghost-direct this one... That being said, this is far from a poorly made film, Benny Chan does a more than decent job in the film's direction. The actors all do a decent job with the material given even if Aaron Kwok isn't a real replacement for Andy Lau, the real highlight is the typically slimy Anthony Wong, and the music by William Wu does evoke some form of emotional resonance. Sadly, A Moment in Romance II spreads itself too thin; one that doesn't work as a romance or a thriller, a tragic case of a film trying to be everything to everybody, and ending up as a bit of nothing to no one.

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