Reviews

PLEASE give "Silent Sparks" a chance, despite the low rating.

This was an excellent, slow-burn, slice-of-life short film.

It's not a BL in the usual BL sense. More of a LGBT film, but.....not exactly that, either. It slightly reminded me of the multi-award-winning movie, Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985).

I think in its short screen time (~1 hr 15 mins), "Silent Sparks" squeezed in a lot of character development, and the short plot - while not containing much "action" - was exactly as long as it needed to be.

The two main actors were very good. They had a real connection, and both did a great job portraying two small-time criminals with some unexpressed feelings between them, but hopeless futures.

Although at the end.....in a weird, twisted way, perhaps there was hope for them after all?

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I've read a lot of the comments from others on here, and it seems like a lot of people say it was "boring" or "lacking in development because it was too short."

But I have watched quite a few gritty Asian films, both full length and short, and IMO some of the most interesting ones were much more spare than other films, and almost completely devoid of what some would call "charm." The casts are always very small in number, and the actors spend the length of the movie showing us their seedy lives, with only a few - if any - moments of humanity and "just-out-of-reach" potential for happiness.

That, to me, is what "Silent Sparks" is - a brief interlude in the main leads' lives that ends up leaving the viewer feeling forlorn and frustrated, because the characters are stuck in a never ending cycle with no real opportunities to step away from that and take a different path. It's not meant to be full of action, and it's not constructed in such a way that we get a deep dive and well-rounded picture of what happened in the past, and what might happen in the future. We only get to see the present moments, and the actors' superb character portrayal.

I really enjoyed "Silent Sparks," and I hope others will give it a chance.

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Feel good drama for small heart who like fluffy romance ♥◡♥

The story : Upon getting engaged, a woman finds out that she is already accidentally married to a stranger and goes about getting her marriage annulled.

I don't know what it is with Philipino movies. They always hit the mark and touch my heart so deeply.
This movie is not perfect but a beautiful feeling lingers, after watching it. And how it is funny sometimes too.
If you have a small heart and you like fluffy romance with a touch of comedy, this is for you. ♥◡♥
There was so much sweet moments in this movie. I would I have liked it to be a drama to stay with the main couple longer.

The story is full of cliché and Female Lead find her way to happiness by overcoming her weaknesses. This is just perfect. I will forgive the flaws and enjoy the drama.

The plot being simple. It is better not to say a lot and just dive into it and enjoy it. Happy watching.

That eponymous song from elvis is just perfect. ( performed by Male Lead : Daniel Padilla.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVu__EKm2xk

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The axe ought to be sharpened

Take a fairy tale, turn it into a novel and then into a movie: here you have the recipe for Takahashi Miike (崇史 三池)'s movie 『怪物の木こり』. Adapted from Mayusuke Kurai (眉介 倉井)'s novel of the same name, and englishly renamed 『Lumberjack the Monster』 for English audiences and beyond, this movie aired first in October 2023 tells the story of a serial-killer who follows the path of a fairy tale character. Through a thrilling story, the movies takes you to a travel where you'll remember what it means to feels something, though with a handful of poor handling here and there.

Let's begin with the story. It is in itself pretty cool, albeit a bit too over-the-top. You have several children who were kidnapped and underwent surgery for implanting them neurochips… and one day someone decided to kill them all, because all of those children became psychopaths following their operation.
ngl, i was surprised by who was the real serial-killer, although there were too many hints given as the end was getting closer. But the real surprise was the end of the movie, which is imo the best part of the movie, as it makes you ponder on the idea of redeeming and the costs of your actions.

On the contrary of that end, the characters feel a bit cliché, or should i say stereotypical: the protagonist who is lacking emotions and ends up retrieving them, the big brain forensic, the old-timer, the gentle villain motivated by a superior goal… all common tropes in Japanese works. Also common is that only the MC and the villain evolve, which makes the other characters lack depth. It also doesn't help that some actors don't play so well: but to be fair, as a review made by The Arts Fuse magazine puts it, « what can you do with a role and a story this clichéd? ».

In addition of the characters and their actors, the dialogs feel somewhat dull. As much as they don't feel "artificial" per se, they do strongly feel fictional: like, you wouldn't hear that IRL. I'm thinking here especially to one of the last scenes where Akira and Takeshi speak together, and they begin to philosophize about emotions and life: this is such a Japanese way of handling dialogs, so dramatical, but so unrealistic (especially when not done correctly)!
That being said, I have to admit that this kind of philosophical pondering makes in itself the work more interesting, as it gives it a supplementary literary value and elevates the work beyond itself, so to speak.

Continuing with meh aspects, the pacing isn't great. Those aforementioned dialogs are often too long, whereas the scenes between each of the dialog are too short. It all makes more sense considering the movie is an adaptation of a novel: you really feel that this novel — or at least that adaptation — put emphasis on its dialogs more than the scenes between them. But here it feels just like one jumps from a dialog to another. And considering that most of the time the camera doesn't move a lot and/or uses uninteresting angles, the scenes sorely lack dynamic.

Also about the scenes, the setting and scenery aren't so innovative. Unrelated parts of a city and an old abandoned mansion of horrors: those two hardly feel connected, and as much as it's understandable from the point of view of the story, they could have created decorations that'd convey a connection better, and also that have more personality. It works enough, not gonna lie; but in addition of the aforementioned other bland parts, it doesn't help.
What wasn't bland was the gore: my gosh, Miike really likes his flows of blood! even if they are REALLY exaggerated lmao; but they weren't so frequent, so that it gives an interesting startling touch when they appear.

All in all, 『怪物の木こり』 is not bad, and its story and the philosophy at the end make it worth watching; but the various lacking elements pull down the overall quality.
It's my first movie from Miike, who i heard is well-known for his handling of the horror genre; i'll try to look into that part of his filmography next.

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Pioneering Chinese queer cinema in not having a fixed protagonist

The long-haired rent boy from Shanghai, the middle-aged lady who settled in the city upon arrival and today works hard to earn money, the young man who broke up with his ex who never returned to his hometown and now works as a pimp middle-aged, a bald and perverted old prostitute, a laid-off worker who once acted as a guest star and now runs a sexually transmitted disease clinic, the gay husband of a laid-off worker and their modest son, the introverted and taciturn son of a worker farewell who kept company with a puppy found on the road, the murderous gangster disguised as a member of the joint defense team, the young woman from Yunnan who asked for directions to the Bund, the Zhabei girl who works as a prostitute, the taxi passenger, the beautiful girl from out of town who took her younger brother and her boyfriend to a small town south of the Yangtze River...
Before 'Babel' and 'Crash', the American films directed, the first by Alejandro González Iñárritu in 2006 and the second in 2004 by Paul Haggis, achieved international success due to their main characteristic of not having a fixed protagonist, and being benefited by the presence of Brad Pitt in one case and the Hollywood studio system in the other, 'Welcome to Destination Shanghai', the docudrama written and directed in 2003 by Chinese filmmaker Cheng Yusu also does not have a single protagonist.
Premiered at the 32nd Rotterdam International Film Festival in the Netherlands, then screened at the 27th Hong Kong International Film Festival, the film, starring Yang Zhiying, Cui Zi'en, Xiong Dailin, Yi Jin and other actors and Chinese actresses, cross stories, intermingle lives of queer characters in their daily lives on the streets of the important Chinese city.
Winner of the FIPRESCI Award from the International Association of Film Critics and the Fipzig National Film Critics Award, through a collection of vignettes involving male prostitutes, elderly prostitutes and other sex trade workers, Shi Yue's precise photography combines the Shanghai on the Bund with the Shanghai on the Suzhou River, the ever-changing political Shanghai with the ever-changing economic Shanghai, the Shanghai with Chinese characteristics and the Shanghai in the process of globalization, the people common Shanghai and the people of prosperous Shanghai to present realistic Shanghai and allegorical Shanghai in a somewhat linear, full and white manner, forming a group of postmodern Shanghai images with various expressions and charms.

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Worth rewatching again and again

I've already watched this movie 5+ times, its that good. The story is amazing, giving you a feel for what it is like to go through school being heavily bullied, but also with a little bit of hope through the tiny bits of romance that shine through. This is my go to movie to make me ball my eyes out, the acting is so good you can't help but cry with the characters! I can easily cry within the first 10 minutes of this movie, its that good.
The music is beautiful and they did an excellent job of putting the right music playing in the background of sad scenes to make them even more depressing and feel like a punch in the gut when you hear the music start. This movie is a literal gem and you should not miss it because it is my favourite sad movie of all time! Will definitely bring you to tears.

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similarities, changes, growing apart, and letting go.

It's a shame that I'm only watching this now because the movie was really good. I loved every single part of it. It showed that even if you try so hard to fix your relationship and avoid breaking up, sometimes the only answer is letting go. This movie was very realistic because relationships and people are always changing. They're not constant. People learn new things, gain new perspectives, develop new habits, set new goals, and adopt new mindsets. As much as we want them to stay the same, they will never be the same. The same goes for relationships.

I don’t blame either of them because I can sympathize with both. I can't blame Mugi for changing because he realized that his passion for drawing couldn't provide him and Kinu with a stable and successful life. However, it wasn't right for him to neglect her just because of that. On the other hand, Kinu wanted a life they could enjoy together, because that was more important to her. She fell in love with him because of their similarities, so I admire her for staying despite watching him slowly change.

Well, aside from the fact that I’m obsessed with shows where the characters don’t end up together in the end, I strongly believe the ending was the best one. Why couldn’t they just be together again? Well, would you take the risk again if you were in their position? For me, no. They both tried their best to rekindle their spark, but it was already too far gone. Their relationship was really fun, and if I were in their position, it would also be difficult for me to let go because, even though it failed, I don’t think it’s easy to find someone who can give you the same feelings. But sometimes, people are meant to give you lessons and the best memories, but not be there for the rest of your life, and I think that’s just life.

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THE BEST K-MOVIE

Omg i did not expect this movie to be so good because the past recent Korean movies I've watched were all either boring or having a sad ending.

Hong Kyung, Roh Yoon-seo and Min-ju slayed their roles. Like i just knew yoon seo would deliver and she did amazing despite this being a movie where the characters and actors mostly had to portray everything through their expressions. Not to mention them all having to learn the sign language. It was my first time watching Hong Kyung but wow is he a great actor and so handsome toooo. Minju as well really proved herself a spectacular actress here. Moreover i was wondering where i had seen the make lead's mom actress before and turns out it was in 'playful kiss' cant believe she looks as radiant and beautiful as then and still playing the sweetest mom character.

Loved the calm and cutest love story, loved having no villians no toxicity no unnecessary drama in this film. And obviously LOVED getting a happy ending!! I'm so glad i watched this.

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it must be gambling debts, it's gotta be

You don't drop all the way from Audition to this unless you are about to be found dead because you have lost money in a pachinko machine or whatever.

Audition was trippy. Trippy ain't the problem, but this movie is boring and dull and I feel like yeah, because the manga does this and that, but I ain't reading no mangá, I'm watching a movie and it should be able to convince me on its own.

It's not the outlandish premise, it's not the absurdity, it's how boring it is in all its edgelordism. It reads as another boring death game story, with a boring main character who is smart beyond what is believable from him. Every time he has an solution is a Deus ex machina working (expect for the end solution).

Amaya and Ichika's actors were really compelling, each in their respective alignment. Visual effects were real nice too.

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Don't be put off by the first half

Representing the first starring vehicle for Yuen Biao, he had a lot riding on Knockabout, a chance to show that his combination of martial arts prowess, good looks and acting skills could blossom into the charisma of a movie star, someone who could be at the centre of a major picture. Surrounded by a combination of old pros and rising young stars, given a script no worse than most kung fu comedies of the period, he was given every chance to flourish, which thankfully he did. As a comedy, the film doesn't quite work as well as intended, the humour is extremely laboured and chock full of poor jokes that admittedly probably work better with a crowd; once the humour backs off and Sammo Hung's action choreography is allowed to take centre stage, the film massively improves ten fold to the point I'm willing to forgive the majority of bad jokes and Karl Maka mugging the camera. While Sammo's direction is fantastic, unfortunately, the pacing is completely borked. It could have really benefitted from the odd trim here and there to tighten it up, especially during the rather painful first half because once the second half begins, it becomes something truly special. Despite my negativity, Knockabout truly benefits from Yuen Biao's effortless likeability, a strong supporting cast, an extraordinarily evil villain played perfectly by Lau Kar-Wing and some outstanding fight sequences that keep it from becoming an otherwise disposable venture, improving the longer you stick with it. I probably would have liked this a lot more had it not been for the sour first impression.

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A tender film but with not enough meat to chew on

Hommage is the story of a middle-aged film director who's gone from award-winner to box-office disappointment. She is solicited by an indie theatre to restore a film called The Female Judge, a movie made by a Korean female director in the 1960s. However, half the audio is missing. And, as it turns out, are whole scenes. Thus, director Ji Wan embarks on a mission to recover the lost parts of The Female Judge.

Hommage spends little time on The Female Judge itself or its director. Instead, these serve as conduits for Ji Wan's own story as she grapples with everyday sexism that seems to wear her down even more that she's reached middle age. It's clear as she meets with the various people who were connected with The Female Judge that Ji Wan is also drawing parallels with her own life. It would seem that much – but not enough – has changed for South Korean women since the 1960s.

At times, Hommage feels like a film made for filmmakers. A bit like when writers write for other writers. It's not navel gazing at all, but I wonder whether I would have appreciated some elements of the story a bit more if I had a better appreciation for the craft of filmmaking.

It definitely felt like it was lacking something. I didn't really get to know any of the characters properly – even Ji Wan – and so while there were a couple of touching scenes in the film, I think these could've packed more of a punch with better character development.

All in all, Hommage is a gently paced film with moments of tenderness and humour sprinkled throughout.

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Raw Despair in Hell on Earth

I would love to write an essay on this movie, but I’ll try to restrain myself. I don't know much about the severity of the poverty depicted in the film, so it would be hypocritical to overly judge or overly analyze the characters.

This movie touches on all aspects of social issues, and I never thought I would lose my mind over it or share the same rage (among all the other emotions, and I mean all emotions) that is so often felt by the audience. The mixture of primal urges to survive, seek pleasure, and inflict pain and misery just to rise above one’s own struggles made this movie difficult to watch. At the same time, it is a brilliant and over-the-top film. As someone said, "They overdid it" — and they did, but it’s impressive.

Jeff Satur is probably an even better actor than I originally thought. Have in mind that I truly idolize him—putting him on a pedestal, in a way. I could also sense how this role was initially meant for PP Krit. The entire cast did a great job, and I don’t think I’ll soon forget the pain and raw despair portrayed by both the male and female leads.

Please consider watching this movie, but be warned: it is not an easy watch, though it is well worth it.

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i am traumatized

every actor did a great job. jeff especially. but i am traumatized. i will give this a rewatch, because... what? i love and hate it at the same time. that's why it's good. this movie is supposed to make us feel conflicted and that's exactly what it did. can't wait to rewatch and traumatize the rest of my friends. my roommate was my first victim. it had some silly moments too, i loved that. i have a hard time focusing on movies when i watch them, but I didn't look away from the screen for the entire time through this one. it was so engaging and interesting

good job, really

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Reading between the lines

First off I really enjoyed this movie because it genuinely had some really great fight scenes and honestly always love justice for the underdog/bullied stories.
If it was up to me, I would love for this to become a series.

This is a movie about a teacher standing up for her students and giving them a safe space when NO ONE else would. That is what we should get from the storyline .Yes we may have to allow creative intervention (beating him up) take place first, instead of removing students like him from school and jailing him. Which is what happens at the end, when the everyone finally feels safe enough to band together and report all their evidence to the police.

Now do I believe we need a teacher who should kick the snot out of kids who are bullies, of course not. And I don't believe this movies is even really encouraging that either. If you honestly watch it, you notice she is on a journey of realigning her values in life and making "IF you do nothing, nothing will happen" her new mantra. So she is making the choice to not just getting by or giving in, like when she threw the Olympic qualifying match and makes the choice to not to continue ignoring a student who is on the edge of being killed for a promised promotion.

Now I want to address all the negative posts and low ratings for this because " we shouldn't encourage violence against bullying" or "this movie is bad because how can a teacher beat up a student? we shouldn't encourage that!" or " bullying isn't as bad as this movie makes it seem"

Yes bullying, terrorizing is and has always been as bad as it is shown in this movie. It happens all around the world and society condones it by ignoring it and passing it off to someone else to solve. Children and Teenagers are pushed to the brink every day where they consider leaving this world vs going to school so lies about this extent of bullying being fictional is just sad and honestly makes those who say that just as bad as the one who is hurting others.

Allowing social pressures and money to silence you from stepping in and helping someone is something we should feel shame over instead of justifying it by saying "oh the bullying isn't that bad. This movie wasn't encouraging people to beat up students but to stand up for those who are being bullied.

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"Listening to your story isn't part of my job"

The Assassin aka Night of the Assassin appeared to have a small budget. The story relied heavily on Shin Hyun Joon as the titular character to carry this flick. The production values were low but there was still enjoyment to be had while watching it.

Yi Nan is a fierce and feared assassin who works for the highest bidder during a turbulent and chaotic time. He doesn’t make moral judgements on the targets, he just quickly and effectively takes them out. After visiting a doctor, he discovers he has a serious heart condition. It’s not long before everyone knows and “the weakened tiger is attacked by wolves.” Yi Nan disappears into the mountains to look for a specific herb that can heal his condition. He ends up working at a local tavern for a widow and her young son. In a corrupt world, he is drawn back into dealing out death. His only fear is that Death may finally catch up with him before he can accomplish his last mission.

Shin Hyun Joon made for an imposing assassin. I had trouble buying his overnight transformation but it was still fun to watch him avenge a critical death. Kim Min Kyung gave a nicely rounded performance as the widow who helps a stranger out and falls into danger with her son. The supporting cast gave wildly over-the-top performances. If not for the high body count this film almost amounted to a comedic parody of the genre. The villains, of which there were many, lacked any sense of menace, especially a female assassin and her strange voodoo abilities. The film veered wildly from comedy to deathly serious. The fight choreography ranged from quite good to blurry, shaky, what the heck is happening.

Night of the Assassin’s production values were quite low, most Kdramas have better camera work. There was a moral to the story, assassins were not to be glorified for they killed the innocent and the guilty. Yet Yi Nan’s skill with a sword and cooking knife were indeed glorified. If you don’t mind a low budget film and are in the mood for a strange rampage fueled assassin flick, The Assassin might fill that small niche.

20 January 2025

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