I felt it started off really slow and everything was kinda slow-paced and dreamlike. I just couldn't get into it. The acting was okay but it was kinda either over-the-top or bland, no balance in the middle.
The visuals were all really pretty and it got better towards the end. I actually really liked the ending. But that's all I liked about it. Kinda a disappointment.
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I loved the storyline. It flowed throughout and there were no slow spots.
The music fit the scenes but wasn't overpowering.
The acting was great. Jaejoong was awesome. His voice is sexy to begin with and add that on top of his characters calm demeanor and you have a deep character that you just kinda stare at! She was awesome too. Han Hyo Joo could laugh or cry when she needed to.
Loved them!
Since I have already rewatched this movie I would say the rewatch value is pretty high.
I give it a 9 just because.
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This was my first foray into Asian cinema back when I was sick of Hollywood and only watching European movies. Back when I didn't even know who Kim Jaejoong was and can you imagine he was legit my first Asian celebrity crush! Naturally I fell for tvxq and JYJ both ultimately.
So I don't know, maybe I'm biased but the way this film captures raw human experience and makes you think, it's meaningful and sad but also extremely hopeful.
And like I said, it's timeless and still very much still relevant! After watching many, many times.
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I guess the main issue is I didn't really sense the characters falling in love. I could understand why the ghost/angel wouldn't show anything more than a longing look, since the character was mostly somber, but I just got nothing from the girl. I didn't get the impression she was a bad actress, though. I don't know if that was an editing or a directing choice... but when she said she liked the guy, I didn't buy it. There was nothing in the story that showed me why either one of them would be in love with the other, besides the cliche "serious guy/goofy girl". Not really any build up.
There's also an absence of meaningful dialogue in this movie. It's all very clipped, the conversations are very short, and we don't know much about any of the characters throughout.
I know this probably doesn't sound like a good movie judging by my review, but I actually did enjoy watching it. It's sweet enough, I just wouldn't say it's one of my favorites in terms of narrative.
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"Only The People Who Yearn Over The Death Of Their Loved Ones Can See Me"
Being a Religious Studies major, I am attracted to movies with the theme of "religion" or "heaven" or such in their titles, and I am rarely disappointed with them!
This movie is built around the topic of people who loses loved ones and have unsettled questions, problems or such with their loved one passing without closure...and writing letters trying to find closure.
First, the cinematography was excellent, and I loved the music as well; it seemed to perfectly match the scenes and mood . I also loved the way bright lights were used by the director for a fantastic effect in some scenes of this movie (if you watch the movie, notice how his play with bright light made the scenes look 'other wordly!). The locations made the ambiance of the movie so peaceful and conducive to the story.
The subject of 'lying to make others feel better' was also a major theme in this movie; if you have ever had a girlfriend (or boyfriend, for that matter, you know where I ma coming from!)...and what mother has not lied to their children to soothe over minor problems, injuries or bullying by others?
Also, add the theme of losing a loved one (which everyone has, or will!), with or without issues still left unsettled and with a good, simple but moving script, it is a winner in my book...
The movie also touched on making others feel better as being a medicine for those who have been done wrong; relieving them of their pain by helping others...something that millions of volunteers do every day around the world!
What also was nice is that the movie was simple yet still covered the main themes/topics of the movie fairly well; however, it needed more development in two places. Everything together made this movie captivating through and through!
In the film's beginning , Jo Ha Na (Han Hyo Joo) writes a letter and posts it to a special mailbox, whose mail is collected by the special postman, Shin Jae Joon (Kim Jae Joong). Some narration attempts to give you an idea of what is happening, but one of small problems of this movie is that it fails; more on this at the bottom of this review.
After meeting the special postman she starts working for him, and finds out that her 'problem' with her former, dead,, boyfriend are minor compared to the ones other people have with 'their' parted loved ones!.
After being offered a job to assist Jae Joon, she starts trying to help those with unsettled problems or such with their past loved ones...the little white "lies" that made the letter writers feel better was so touching; something which I have not seen in many movies before! This and encouragement from Jae Joon helps her forget her grudge with the now-dead former boyfriend, the subject of the letter she sent to Heaven early in the movie.
While doing this, she develops a 'crush' on Jae Joon, which (unfortunately) leads to other problems not easily as fixed as those of other people's.
Not many movies address the concept tackled here, and except for the American movie Jacob's Ladder (1990,) its remake which I have not seen and the under-rated Asian movie Roadkill (2019), very few movies even tackle the subject of 'Pergatory' or those left behind with still-pending issues with deceased loved ones, either..
However, Shin Jae Joon seems to have some brownie points coming his way through his interaction with Jo Ha Na ; briefly hinting at Pergatory-like kudos from this movie's 'god'.
Ha Na was the most expressive of the main cast, and whose crying and such went far in the authenticity of this movie.
This is the same actress that gave such an outstanding performance in Always (2011, her next movie). Her ability to express emotional; extremes are shown both in this and the next movie she made.
I have never seen Kim Jae Joong act before (in the All About Dong Bang series) so all I can say is that he did a pretty good job here.
Both main cast showed a range of emotions and they seemed to pull off being individuals genuinely interested in each other as bf/gf, through their . The support cast also did a great job, both performing their roles and supporting the main cast members in making the movie seem real; I especially liked Moon Gyo's wife (Yook Mi Ra) and her interaction with Ha na, and their trying to get her father-in-law to be less depressed..
Denying it a full "10"...
I felt that both the introduction and ending were rushed; I would liked to have seen more explanation about the "letters" and also the ending seemed a little rushed as well. All of a sudden, NO ONE could see the postman, and he even acted surprised when this happened in the coffee shop once it happened!
I would liked to have seen more development between the two main casts before falling in love A few more minutes would have accomplished both these points, IMHO.
I would like to see more movies tackle this subject and to have cast such as this movie to bring it to life, keep you captivated and leave you begging for more!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!
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