Reviews

Truly unhinged (in a positive way).

Well, when I first started the movie, I didn't had any kind of expectations, somehow waiting to see the typical Rivals to Lovers trope, or, don't know, a "Forbidden Love" kind of thing. However, the story has the perfect pace; unfolding in such a delicious and intense way that you can't help but watch everything till the end, without wanting to miss a single detail. It leaves you empty, even lost with such an ending, but it's really worth it.

Story: The story begins in a slow motion, almost making you feel bored and annoyed for Youngwoo's attitude, but seeing little by little Jaeha's persistence, talking with (and by) his experiences, trying to make Youngwoo a better actor; letting him change the way he delivers his lines and portraits his emotions, it really makes you feel like you are right there, in the same moment and place as them. At some point things starts to get really dark and distorted with the development of their relationship, but it doesn't feel sudden, like, they're Singer and Walter after all, right? But, yeah. It engulfs you, like there is no other thing in this world except of them. It feels natural how everything happens, even the ending, as open as it was.

Acting: The acting of both leads was mesmerizing, but I definitely need to give my hat to Oh Seunghoon for delivering such a breathtaking, almost intoxicating portrayal of Singer, and, of course, Youngwoo himself. His character development is insane, and those last scenes where he actually tried to kill himself (and Jaeha) in front of the crowd... speechless. At the end, both actors knew what they needed to do, and it really shows.

Music: It's there, and you hear it, but doesn't have anything memorable about it, until it does. I think it's beautiful that just a slight change in the music, with the right lightning can immerse you even more. It's great till the end.

Rewatch value: I... would definitely think twice before doing it. It's a real rollercoaster of emotions, so, you need to prepare yourself before going in for a ride. But we as humans tend to like what's risky and exciting, so...

Overall: If you love morally gray movies and you're not picky about open endings (and a couple questions without answer), give this a shot. You're not going to find another like this in awhile.

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gag

estou fascinado com esse filme aqui. tem uma atmosfera tão hipnotizante que eu não queria saber de nada além do aconteceria nos minutos seguintes. tem algo que torna ele extremamente sensual e eu aposto na melancolia que rodeia não só os personagens mas o próprio ambiente. é muito interessante acompanhar o modo como o filme escala pois vem sempre algo de surpreendente na história, e todos personagens são tão intrigantes que você sabe que pra onde o passo andar vai ser bom de se acompanhar.

p.s. a sookhee destruindo a biblioteca foi uma das coisas mais sensuais e românticas que eu já vi.

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"Nobody in this country follows the rules"

Barking Dogs Never Bite was a dark comedy that darkly commented on social inequalities and inadequacies. While director Bong Joon Ho cast his view on numerous topics, the result was rough and flat instead of subtle and biting. More of a scattershot approach than guided missile.

Yoon Joo hears once again why he has been passed over for making professor, made worse by the barking of a dog in the background. He thinks he’s tracked down the culprit, grabs it, and ultimately locks it in a wardrobe in the basement. Hyun Nam works in the building and helps a little girl put up signs for the missing pup. At this point different characters become involved with the four-legged dwellers in the crowded apartment building, most of which have ulterior motives for the pets.

Though the movie clearly stated no animals were harmed during filming, there was some rough treatment. Dog lovers may have trouble with a few of these scenes. The antipathy Yoon Joo felt toward the pampered animals and their doting owners turned out to be more than what he observed. He thought his life was tougher than others, but as it became apparent, his actions led to agonizing pain for the pet owners with devastating consequences for one.

Billed as a dark comedy, I only found two scenes funny and both involved the talented Bae Doo Na. This story played out like a sinister slice of life with few repercussions for bad behavior. Hyun Nam’s unending search for affirmation had its own strange results. I thoroughly enjoyed the close friendship between her and Jang Mi, the complete antithesis of Yoon Joo’s toxic marriage.

The laundry list of social grievances were thrown out on the screen continuously. Suffice to say, the director had complaints he wanted to get off his chest. Class distinctions. People don’t follow the rules. People embezzle money and make shoddy, dangerous buildings. Pregnant employees are treated terribly. School deans have to be bribed for job openings. Humanities professors make the worst husbands. Women with children are vulnerable when husbands leave. For a homeless person being arrested is a blessing because at least there are regular meals. Some drinking culture situations turn deadly. Gender inequalities. Abusive, loveless relationships. Dangerous pesticides thickly sprayed in the air. Exit doors and stairwells blocked by junk creating hazardous situations. People supplementing their diets with dead pets. People fired for caring too much about others. At least later in his career, Bong would grab a singular social criticism by the neck and devour it with satire and venom.

Fans of Bong Joon Ho will most likely see deeper into this film than I did and enjoy it more. I wouldn’t want to deter anyone from trying this film by the famed director. What it boiled down to was Yoon Joo and Hyun Nam were unhappy with their situations and unsure how to make things better or even if they could, given the employment climate and chose inverse approaches. Yoon Joo took the villain role and went to the dark side. Hyun Nam desired to be a hero and though her results weren’t glorious, she and her friend chose to live in the light come what may. The majority of other characters resided somewhere in the gray areas, just trying to make it through their days.

13 May 2024

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Simple films with a clumsy protagonist.

It's a movie with a simple premise and a well-known cast. We have to praise Yoo In Soo's consistently exceptional and well-developed performance as the villain in this film. Everyone knows that this actor usually plays comedic roles, but whenever he portrays villains, he transforms himself. In other words, he's an actor with great stage presence who can seamlessly transition from humor to drama and vice versa.

Now, it's necessary to mention that Yoo Sun Ho's performance as the film's protagonist is very lacking and stiff. It seems like he's holding back. He portrayed a very monosyllabic and emotionless protagonist.

The film has its flaws, for example, what's the backstory of Da Young's "stalker friend"? In three minutes, that could have been explained and developed. It felt somewhat random. What's the significance of that epilogue? What important post-film finale factor does that scene have?

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Much better than shitshows I've seen before

As somebody who watched the love syndrome III first, compared to that this is so much better.i started watching w 0 expections and to get second hand embarrassment from the hardcore nc scenes (I expected nc scenes like forgotten night) but they were pretty good including the acting in those scenes. In my personal opinion the acting of the main leads are better, the budgeting is better because the sets and everything looks put together. But the only downside I thought was the the time limit and how they decided to utilise it this should be so much better as a series. Ig there would be a second part to this movie but I would definitely prefer this as a series w the same cast.
Honorable mention: the actor playing itt did an amazing job

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not a romance and not anything else

Overall: as someone who has enjoyed many bodice rippers, this 90 minute movie totally missed the mark. It didn't do the romance well and it didn't do any other genre (mystery, action etc) well either. I haven't read the books and am basing this movie on its own merits. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/2fs0u4bifngi23w/r4100rhuz4b

Content Warnings: rape (repeatedly), sexual assault, violence/beaten up, drugging, held against will, manhandling, non con recording/sharing, manipulation

What I Liked
- visuals and that mesh top
- other than how the characters are all related to each other, the premise was fairly easy to understand

Room For Improvement
- even when something is based on source material, the production can't assume every viewer has read the source material, they introduced a whole bunch of characters (some with their names written on the screen), did not explain everyone's relationships to one another well, never gave an explanation for why that horrible "plan" was concocted/carried out
- couldn't root for any of the couples, 3rd couple it happened when one was shown to be drunk, 2nd couple had a terrible redemption arc maybe if 6 months ago he had shown discomfort over what he did and then in the present he had not repeatedly violated the other guy's boundaries then I could have rooted for them, and the first couple....I think that's evident, was Stockholm syndrome happening, wth
- total nonsense things ie why first take revenge on a person who created a plan instead of the person who carried out the plan, character was gone for at least 3 days (or long enough for cuts/bruises to heal so weeks???) and no one was concerned about his whereabouts, he seemed totally fine after something completely horrific, he had access to his phone but didn't call the police, etc
- jarring tone of domestic bliss to something extremely horrific
- multiple flashbacks/time jumps
- cliffhanger ending with no guarantee of a sequel

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"The sun will show me the way"

While the world was falling into mortal turmoil and the stage was being set for a devastating war, Ornamental Hairpin found a group of people at a quiet inn nestled in the mountains where they could experience healing, friendship, and some moments of respite.

Professor Katatae has come to the inn and hot springs for the summer to read. His ruminations are often ruined by traveling parties visiting the inn, making noise and hogging the masseurs. Emi and her friend Okiku are two such pilgrims enjoying themselves. The Hiroyasus have befriended both the professor and a Go playing grandfather staying there with his two grandsons. A young soldier, Nanmura, accidentally steps on a hairpin in the hot springs, extending his stay at the inn. While Katatae continues to grouse about the injury, Nanmura sees it as poetic. Now everyone is concerned whether the hairpin belongs to a young beautiful woman so as not to burst Nanmura’s poetic bubble, misunderstanding his meaning. Turns out the hairpin belongs to Emi and she returns to collect it and apologize. The group takes her in and she decides to stay there with them for the summer, much to the chagrin of a man she left behind in Tokyo.

Ornamental Hairpin was a simple, tranquil story, but not simplistic. Emi may have been the focal point of the story, but this was an ensemble cast of disparate characters who fell into an easy friendship while on vacation. They ate together, soaked in the springs, complained about the food, and even slept uneasily together with the snoring Professor and Grandpa keeping people up at nights. The grandsons Jiro and Taro whined about the sameness of the days but also took time to help Nanmura recuperate and exercise along with Emi. It is in Emi where the story transcended an uneventful vacation romp. She learned to do laundry and enjoyed spending time with the boys. Here where the sun could touch her face she began to long for something more in her life. She was looking to find meaning. While she was drawn to Nanmura and he to her, his life was back in the military and the coming war. When everyone else was preparing to leave, she remained behind, unsure of where she wanted to be and more importantly, who she wanted to be.

The acting was quite compelling. Saito Tatsuo as the Professor, brought the comic relief with his constant state of complaining. Especially when he railed against the noise then kept everyone up at night with his snoring. But it was Tanaka Kinuyo and Ryu Chishu who gave the heartfelt performances. Tanaka and Ryu were forces to be reckoned with in Japanese cinema. Ryu was an Ozu regular, but often as the father, older brother, or patrician friend. Tanaka excelled at playing women in more desperate circumstances. Here they were youthful and the romantic leads, even if the romance was not fully developed. They supported each other, gently and playfully, one time literally when she gave him a piggyback ride! They were soft and almost unrecognizable in these strangely easy-going roles. Tanaka conveyed the longing of her character for the sun on her face and freedom in her life beautifully.

Ornamental Hairpin was the ideal summer vacation for a group of people who became friends over dinner and soaking in the healing waters. Idyllic scenes of bubbling rivers, mountains, and trees gave way to reality calling again. A hint of melancholy also floated through the mists with the already present food shortages and war looming on the horizon. Emi, walking alone on the paths they’d traveled together had to discern the path ahead for herself. This film captured a cozy, funny, bittersweet moment in time for a group of strangers who became friends and faced uncertain futures.

12 May 2024

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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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Confusing backstory for international audiences

I'll start with the positives first. Acting was phenomenal, and so was the directing and cinematography. Loved the music too. Story also made sense and characters didn't make dumbass mistakes usually seen in horror movies. It was fairly entertaining and kept me at the edge of my seat as well. I'm not a fan of jump scares and I'm glad there weren't any.

Not so good: If you're not Korean, you'll probably have a hard time understanding the context. The whole metal stake thing was confusing to me and I had to google it separately to understand what the heck was going on. The Japanese demon(?) thing was poorly explained as well - like what was it, why was he cursed by the monk and buried with that Korean dude who supposedly was loyal to the Japanese colonial administration etc. Kim Go Eun's character was also badly fleshed out as well. her backstory was close to non-existent and we know almost nothing about her other than 1. she's a shaman, 2. she speaks Japanese, 3. she has 2 sisters. Like why does she speak Japanese? Did something happen in Japan with some Japan ghost? Why did she become a shaman? She's advertised as the lead so I'm not sure why we know so little about her. Setting up for a sequel maybe? Who knows. As a result, it was pretty hard to relate to the characters since we barely know anything about them. I was watching solely based on the plot and wanting to know why and what was happening, which honestly left me with more questions than answers. The demon CGI wasn't great and broke the immersion too. I much preferred the first half when it was about the grandfather's angry spirit.

Overall, this is a fairly entertaining movie that I do not regret watching. However if you're not Korean it might be difficult to appreciate the nuances in the plot.

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What is even this plot?

The plot goes nowhere. What caused the earthquake? What is the mad scientists backstory? What does the serum actually do? How does it work? What are the main characters relations and how do they meet? etc. I could line up many more unanswered questions. The glimpses of any sort of backstory were directly told to us in an unnatural placing, and what wasn’t told to us is left to for us to guess with much uncertainty. I watched this for Ma Dong-Seok and was left disappointed as his character was so terribly written I somehow managed to dislike him despite the writers attempts to make him the righteous, unbreakable character.

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Parts of this movie remind me of when I lived in Japan with one unseen neighbour allegedly being from an old established Yakuza family. His place was like a miniature castle that took up a whole corner of the street!

Also, a colleague dated a Yakuza guy briefly, but didn't find it threatening in anyway nor did she ever feel she was in danger. And unlike some things we had heard he had no missing finger. In saying that, another person I knew had a girlfriend from Europe go missing not long before her visa was about to expire - never to be found. She was working near a place called Rappongi as an escort so likely for the Yakuza (unorganised). She was an escort that served drinks and chatted nothing more - not anything R rated.

That was a really sad situation because her boyfriend (my friend) wouldn't give up and was persistent with the police about it for years and years, but just had no luck with them or finding her.

There are a number of missing foreigners in Japan - even murdered ones, like Lucie Blackman, only not all are mass media news stories or reported in anyway.

Anyhow, back to that nearby neighbour of mine, for some time I thought it was just an unfounded rumour about him because I only ever saw delivery drop offs every now and then when I passed by that way to and from work - nothing else.

You know the scene where one of the Yakuza guys wears sunglasses in that little restaurant and it is night time - I think it is a Yakuza thing. I was coming back from work late one night when I spotted a group of men all dressed in immaculate suits standing outside that neighbour's gates with about 3 -4 limousines (shaded windows) or Cadillacs. Expensive cars. Most were smoking and all wore sunglasses. I was literally crapping myself because they could have easily taken me if they wanted and made sure I was never seen again. I knew at that exact moment they definitely were Yakuza without a doubt. I was so nervous as there was no way I passed as Japanese so all I could do really was keep my head down, not say anything and quickly walk through them to get home and hopefully not gain too much unwanted attention. Not that they could miss me! I do recall some looked really young which surprised me. I did get a few cold hard stares I reckon because one turned in my direction and I could feel the intensity of being somewhere I probably shouldn't have been at that moment, but noone approached or hassled me. It was obvious something must have happened for them to be there so late and dressed like that - we (Japanese friends and I) worked out that there may have been a death among them, but who knows?! As the family name was on the gate near the mail box one friend looked for death notices under that name, but came up with zilch.

That is another thing - security cameras weren't so common in our area, but that place had them, also, he had a huge swimming pool which was uncommon as well. I don't think security cameras were so widely used back then when I think about it, but I could be wrong.

Guns weren't really an issue in Japan when I was there nor things like petty theft or mugging, but I didn't really work or live in bad areas if they did exist. I do remember mushrooms and other hardcore drugs starting to circulate only drugs really weren't so big back then either- they were obtainable, but not a massive problem like how we see it in Western countries.

This film touches on the years I lived in Japan if it starts in the late 1990s and onwards.

When I was there anyone with tattoos was banned from using the gyms and swimming pools because tattoos were associated with the Yakuza, also, believe it or not permed hair for some reason. Gangster hairstyle maybe.

I was told old Yakuza families belonged to organised crime and newer individuals belonged to unorganised crime - each different from the other.

Just wanted to share my experience because of this movie triggering certain memories even though what I saw or experienced with the Yakuza was just in passing whereas living in Japan was not.

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