Tropical Night (2017)

Story: It is about the journey of four very different characters, each with their own unique baggage:

Kim Min Ki: The soft-spoken younger brother who was mourning the loss of his elder brother, goes to Thailand to seek answers from the brother's boyfriend. Angry at first at Jae Hee, whom he thought neglected his brother upon his death, and maybe the reason for it, comes to accept him in the end. I find his character a little bit wishy-washy, to the point of being a pushover. We could see this when Jae Hee, not even knowing who he was, bumps into Min Ki on the street and just starts randomly kissing him and he did not even push the stranger away.

Kim Min Hoon: The older brother who committed suicide because he was being bullied in the military. Instead of talking to his friends and family about his troubles, decide to close himself off, leaving the people around him asking questions, wondering what else they could have done.

Lee Tae Kyung: Jae Hee's stepbrother who is ill and in love with Jae Hee. Fakes fainting at one point which is not cool. I find him sometimes being hypocritical, blaming Jae Hee for being insensitive and when Jae Hee pays him attention, Tae Kyung pushes him away. What does this guy really want?

Park Jae Hee: He is like the "prince" of the harem with three people who were or could be in love with him. He gets the short end of the stick as he is made out to be the "bad" guy. He's being accused for being heartless, yet he's always the one who waits for his Min Hoon to show up for their dates, always the one to take care of Tae Kyung, and even concedes to Min Ki despite not saying sorry for his loss.

Acting: Pretty good for relatively new actors.

Music: Suited to the film

Rewatch Value: Good enough to watch it again.

Take-away: A story about seizing the moment, and not letting go of the chance to fall in love again, while letting go of the past.

P.S. The only thing that bugged me about the movie is the likelihood of Min Ki hooking up with his dead brother's boyfriend. Min Ki could end up being a replacement for Min Hoon or not, but it is hella weird.

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Solid movie with heavy themes

I just finished watching this. I must admit in the beginning, I was very confused who was who, what timeline was being shown, and why the characters did certain things. Some of it cleared up, and some of it still puzzles me. Why was there a kiss scene in the beginning? I still can't understand it.

That being said, after the first twenty minutes or so things started to fall into place and it became clear what everyone's relations to other people were. I'd recommend anyone trying to watch this film half an hour before deciding if this movie is for them.

If you're looking for something upbeat or lighthearted, this isn't for you. The movie was heavy. It talked about dealing with the emotions one has after a loved one takes their own life. It talked about those who were dealing with depression and stress, and losing the battle. It talked about life and death and grief and trying to let go and move on. Bonding and anger between those who share trauma.

The actors did great. It seems like they are newbie actors, but they portrayed their feelings amazingly. The soundtrack wasn't outstanding, but it lent feeling to the moment, which is enough for me.

The production quality could have been better, and sometimes the sound was a little echo-y. It was a little distracting. There was also a scene where it looked like the characters were sitting in a certain way and suddenly switched sides (that was really distracting and took me out of the moment), but I eventually concluded we were supposed to be looking at them through a mirror. But those are all minor things when considering the film as a whole.

I hope more people watch this movie, and am shocked that only 23 people have rated it on this website. It can be viewed on GagaOOLala. If I hadn't had the app, I don't think I would have ever watched it since no one is talking about it.

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