This review may contain spoilers
I have no clue what happened but I kind of liked it???
To be honest, I had no clue what was going on here. But I really like the implicit meaning behind it.I actually watched it because of the speculations from Girl From Nowhere, saying that the series was a reference to this movie.
And so, I decided to watch it.
NON-SPOILER REVIEW:
If you hate GORE, RAPE, VIOLENCE, DRUGS, or back-to-forth timelines - then this is NOT for you.
The World of Kanako expresses a reality that truly exists. Even though it's a little dramatized, the theme is still there. It's a game of cat and mouse, except Kanako is smart, and ruthless. The suspense of his existence is there and is a complete question even after the movie ends. Also, there is no good person here.
In essence, I think The World of Kanako is exactly that - a world that feeds on the existence and remnants of Kanako. She lingers and leaves a mark on all she encounters. Both sides of the world, whether it's criminal activity or school, she affects everyone.
The music was great, I enjoyed it. Especially at 1:23:01 is a nice song...but not the best scene to bop to. I suggest you prepare for that scene if you're going to watch this. Lastly, the scene that made everything the most intriguing scene was 1:14:23. The way Takasugi Mahiro played his lines was FANTASTIC. His last line was awesome too.
Once again, if you don't like movies that mess up your brain - this one ain't the movie for you.
Overall I'm not watching this anytime soon. A bit of a waste, but an interesting theme to follow.
MINOR SPOILER REVIEW:
There's a lot to uncover in this movie, and honestly, I don't know where to start. The main character played by Yakusho Koji is an absolute mad lad. Each of these characters has some form of obsession and something that makes them inherently bad. This movie brings out the worse in society in terms of crime and emotions - and Kanako explores these emotions ruthlessly.
In my opinion, there's nothing to tug at your heartstrings, just...emptiness. I think that's what the director wanted to present as well, and in a way - put us in Kanako's shoes. We only know bits and pieces of the characters, but we never have a side of them to truly love or hate. This movie is a puzzle piece that we, as the audience are trying to uncover - and I think Kanako's personality reflects this idea, especially at the end.
The ending (in terms of meaning) really reflects full circle. The character's obsession never ends. Like father, like daughter - and our culprit figures this out as well.
As for its drawbacks, I would say that the ending is kind of anti-climatic and a bummer. Second, some of it was confusing, but luckily I got the main concept. Third, the character was a bit disturbing in terms of threatening the people he met. You'll...know what I mean sooner or later. Lastly, Nagano's sister. She kept following the man even though he assaulted her - and I'm just like...???
Overall I'm not watching this anytime soon. A bit of a waste, but an interesting theme to follow.
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This movie is much more relatable than you think. An underrated movie for sure.
200 Pounds Beauty really hits home for me. This movie managed to pull off some comedic and serious scenes very well. The main character has been pressured to look beautiful because she doesn't meet beauty standards. You can see the ACTUAL struggles of constantly being known for your weight, which made the main character much more relatable than I thought.Also, even when she manages to give herself a full-body makeover, you can still see her personality there. It's wholesome, warm, and sweet. This movie also subtly pulls off how people see attractive people, overweight people, and people who've done plastic surgery (through jokes). It's still perky and has its charm but manages to remain honest and true to the theme.
However, the drawbacks of the movie were the male character lead. I understand that not all male leads have to be good, but his mindset towards Gang Han Na before and after doesn't sit well with me. However, I think near the end I see a slight change of growth, but I'm not too sure. Nonetheless, it's a nice change of pace.
Also, the main theme of the movie slightly irks me as TheJ commented. When people realize she was fat before, they didn't mention that being called fat or being body-shamed isn't okay. It's as if people only like Gang Ha Na because she became pretty - which is uncalled for. Other than that, I think this movie is a good representation of overweight people (especially women) in Korean society.
Story: It was good, other than that last bit.
Acting/Cast: Good, but the main character's lead felt a bit unnatural here and there. Other than that, I think it was fine.
Music: It was great and fit in with the movie, especially the last scene.
Rewatch Value: I would watch it, it's perky and wholesome. I might likely do it for next summer.
Overall, a strong movie with a strong value. 8/10 - would watch it again.
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