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Reviews
Orenji deizu (2004)
Outstanding all the way around!
My listing is for clarity and does not in any way reflect a ranking of best to mediocre. All aspects of this series are top-notch.
First of all, kudos to Japanese filmmakers for producing a series of this caliber. It brings deafness into the mainstream and makes it ordinary, another way of being and living in the world.
Second, the actors are fantastic. They all learned sign language as well as their spoken dialogue and they made it look so natural; they were so fluent. They all deserved awards for that feat alone. The work they must have put in is extraordinary.
Third is the beautiful cinematography and lighting, enhancing the theme of orange days.
Fourth is the script, which is excellent. The writing brings out distinct personalities and shows their growth as they prepare to move past college, good times, conflict, problem-solving and all. The pacing is just right and moves fluidly between the storylines.
Hollywood could learn a thing or two from Asian film-making. Unfortunately, they are too focused on blockbusters and raking in the $$$$.
Keopi Hanjan Halkkayo? (2021)
Perfect in every way
All the characters were so well cast from the main characters to the supporting roles. The warm lighting in the cafe and the muted colors of the costumes created a comfortable ambiance overall, a restful feeling that, along with the pace of the movie, gives the viewer time to absorb all the nuances. At 30 minutes, each episode is the right length, not compressed nor stretched out unnecessarily. The storyline is a reminder that the ordinary occurrences in ordinary lives are often the ones most meaningful and worth remembering. There's no great drama, no unsettling conflict, just a learning series to give the viewer something to think about and appreciate.
Ji pin jue pei (2017)
More than just a rom-com; must see
This series is difficult to rate because it doesn't seem to fit neatly into the rom-com category. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable and well worth watching in its entirety.
Initially the chemistry between the two leads didn't seem that great and it appears Shao Wei is a better fit for Fen Qing, but by the end, both Fen Qing and Ting En have grown into a good match and I was solidly in their corner. The script was well-written, the casting was good and some plot twists were unexpected. Kang Ren Wu did an outstanding job as a Cordon Bleu trained chef and Yu-Wei Shao's character matured beautifully and touchingly as the series progressed. Both were very well done.
I found the inclusion of the slapstick comedy childish, annoying and distracting; however, the choreography and comedic timing were admirable, being both skilled and excellently done. Some of the flashbacks were overly long and I began fast-forwarding through them. The voice-overs added depth to the storyline and I began looking forward to them.
Throughout the series, definitions of family, trust, loyalty, respect, understanding, responsibility to self and others, forgiveness and love are explored and become heavy duty in Episode 18. It seems a heavy load for a rom-com to carry, and some of the exploration seems, by Western standards, overdone and stretches credibility. Some of this may be due to cultural differences. However, this is what gives value to the series and I urge everyone to watch the entire series thoughtfully and looking beyond the romance. Many of the stated points deserve in-depth discussion following viewing of the series. Life is indeed a tangle and love can be difficult.
Destined with You (2023)
Starts well, then begins falling apart.
I was drawn to the fantasy element and some of the comedic interplay in this and watched it twice trying to better identify the positives and the negatives.
The premise of a previous life influencing the present lives of the main characters was interesting, but the subplot with the gardener was an illogical digression, a waste of time. It's as if the scriptwriters couldn't decide whether they wanted a drama or a cliched rom-com.
Rowoon's acting is all over the place. Half the time he's a competent lawyer -- well done, by the way -- the other half he's annoyingly weak with his parents and his fiancee, or he's silly, presumably influenced by the spell. I put it down to a really bad script paired with poor directing. Rowoon deserves much better. I'd like to see him outgrow the pretty boy rom-coms and start taking on more sophisticated comedies as well as trying more serious roles as part of a well-written ensemble series such as Diary of a Prosecutor and finally becoming a seasoned dramatic actor.
The FL fares no better in the script. She's very effective as the comedic and spunky working girl, but again, veers off into really foolish decisions. She is being stalked and yet she insists on traveling around city and countryside by herself, both day and night. She even slips away from the bodyguards hired to protect her. The ongoing feud with Na-Yeon left over from high school days is beneath the dignity of both Hong-Jo and Na-Yeon.
Ha-Jung and Kim Hye-Ok shine in supporting roles as does the actress playing Shin-Yu's mother.
All in all, a series that fell far short of what it could have been.
Geu Gyeowool, Barami Boonda (2013)
Stars for cinematography and some supporting cast members
Winter scenery is absolutely beautiful and Eun-ji Jung carries her role of Hee Sun with pluck, energy and humor, perhaps the most enjoyable part of the series.
That being said, this is one of those stories billed as romantic when it is anything but. The script is illogical and lacks any sort of coherence. As it is written, the main characters are all narcissistic and controlling. The character of Oh Soo starts off quite believably as a charming, hedonistic con man but undergoes a farfetched personality change during the series.
Supposedly Oh Soo is abandoned in the middle of winter and left under a tree, yet survives alone there for three months?
So Ra double-crosses Oh Soo to the tune of $7 million, leaving him to spend a year in jail and then at the mercy of a murderous mob, then returns expecting him to join her in Switzerland? She is one psychotic character.
Episode 1, Oh Young independently follows Oh Soo down the steps, and yet later on, he has to carry Oh Young up and down a mountain?
Oh Soo rants about Secretary Wang's failure to educate Oh Young about the difference between a little brother and a grown man and nevertheless climbs into bed with Oh Young, however chaste it may be.
Finally, by the end of the series, Oh Soo is demanding that he be allowed to share Oh Young's bed even while she refuses and locks her bedroom door. This is not love; this is abusive behavior.
Perhaps as an American, I am too ignorant of Korean culture and I'm judging this too harshly. Nevertheless, I find it disturbing on many levels.
Miseuteo Shunshain (2018)
Many layers of a complex history -- and a love story.
It has taken this Western viewer three repeats of the series to finally get up to speed on the gist of the series and feel confident to comment on it. Maybe it's my advanced age.
First of all, I had no idea the Korean landscape is so varied and beautiful; the cinematography is breathtaking.
So many of the supporting actors are well fleshed out and add so much to the story. I'm thinking of the two slave catchers-turned-pawn brokers, the house servants, the Joseon king -- I could feel his pain. The interaction of the three male leads seemed so natural and realistic and I came to enjoy those sections, brief as they were. They play off each other nicely. I don't know enough about Korean culture overall to comment on the accuracy of its portrayal.
Now the nitpicking -- an American missionary would never be so dismissive of an orphaned child and the fact that Eugene is so fond of him in later episodes has no supporting logic. Portraying the missionary in a more sympathetic light would have gone a long way to explain Eugene's strong allegiance to the USA. Second, the American cavalry has always kept their horses groomed to a T as well as feeding and exercising them so they are glowing and well-muscled. This would have applied in foreign postings as well. The horse Eugene rides can only be described as a dispirited nag.
New Amsterdam (2018)
This series should be listed as fantasy instead of drama!
A hospital where the new director walks in and fires all the cardiologists in one fell swoop? No, I don't think so.
He reads the riot act to a popular, beautiful doctor for spending half her time appearing on TV interviews for fundraising and giving lectures to bring up the reputation of the hospital and tells her, "Don't come back!"? Huh-uh.
Then we learn said director has stage 4 cancer that he just ignores in order to tough it out in pursuit of his vision for the hospital?
I understand that real life is not all that interesting, but watching the first episode made me understand why millions of Americans are so out of touch with reality.
Fu mu ai qing (2014)
Can't believe no one else has reviewed this.
I became quite hooked on this. The story of the two main characters is charming, but more than that, it shows a span of years during which China underwent Mao's cultural revolution and its aftermath. It also shows the impact it had on ordinary people as well as the political fallout on the military. It was a great learning experience for me.
There is humor, pathos, and characters we can all identify with, no matter our ethnicity. I highly recommend this to any thoughtful viewer. I gave it eight stars only because I don't know that much about China nor how realistic it is. If I could find it again on Netflix, I would rewatch it.
The Heroes of Telemark (1965)
Bears no resemblance to the real heroes of Telemark
It is a travesty to see this movie associated with the actual history of Telemark. One must suspend all common sense to become engrossed in the melodramatic histrionics of this bit of fiction.
Ningen no jôken (1959)
I wish I could have watched this
This seems like a promising, provocative movie, but the subtitles are so out of sync that I can't make sense of it. Trying to follow the dialogue is giving me a headache. I truly regret this.
First Signal (2021)
How did this ever get a rating above 1?
Unbelievably amateurish script, static, wooden acting, bare set, and I bailed within the first ten minutes. At least the actress playing the President was of appropriate maturity, although her grooming left a lot to be desired what with her stringy, unkempt hair. I will never trust a high rating again.
The Towering Inferno (1974)
A prescient film for its time!
Whatever one thinks of the acting, script and special effects, this should serve as a cautionary tale for all those who:
(a) think it's too improbable to be real;
(b) want to put profits and the bottom line above safety.
The Winds of War (1983)
Worse the second time around.
When I watched this in 1983, I enjoyed it as a passably good miniseries. Absorbed as I was at that time in the love story between Natalie Jastrow (played by Ali McCraw) and Byron (Jan Michael Vincent), I was somewhat puzzled by the harsh reviews of critics. On rewatching it in 2021, I find Ali McGraw's pouting temper tantrums annoying in the extreme, almost unbearable. It's hard to understand why Byron puts up with her unless he's an equally immature, randy college boy.
I ran out of patience very early on with the main characters and quit watching just before the halfway point.
Shadow and Bone (2021)
Unbelievable even for fantasy!
It's pretty sad when the best thing about a movie is the gorgeous CGI stag!
I gave this two stars for sets, cinematography and overall consistent feel of the movie. However, even for fantasy, there are too many holes. The characters manage costume changes and supplies of food and water while wandering the landscape without even knapsacks. Magic, I guess.
George and the Dragon (2004)
Disappointing!
When I saw the cast -- Joan Plowright, Val Kilmer, Michael Duncan, Patrick Swayze -- I really expected something a little better. Pretty cheesy script and plot.
At Eternity's Gate (2018)
Incredible film, both about art and an artist
Perhaps one must be very sensitive of Van Gogh's vision to fully appreciate this film. I worked in the medical records of a psychiatric hospital years ago and for me, this film brilliantly portrays the confusion and conflict of an artist who doesn't quite fit in and can't understand why others cannot see his vision. Even the sometimes repetitive dialogue is an appropriate reflection of Van Gogh's troubled agony. Extremely moving film.
Kovan (2019)
Thoughtful, slow pacing, but beautiful
There is much that is unspoken in this film, but it held my interest from start to finish, perhaps because my own father was a beekeeper. The cinematography was beautiful; I appreciated the acting. The 'miracles' at the end were a little too pat; it was a feel-good movie and I enjoyed it. I had the feeling that, as an American, there were probably nuances that I didn't catch.
Last of the Dogmen (1995)
Completely predictable!
Nice cinematography. The Lewis Gates character is well-played despite the cliched script he has to work with. Barbara Hershey, the archaeologist, is annoying as all-get-out playing an entirely stereotypical role. The dog is the most appealing and as Barbara observes midway through the film, "It's a little disconcerting to realize the dog is the most intelligent one on this trip." But it isn't a bad way to spend an afternoon in quarantine.
The Dig (2021)
The poignant haunting of death as the backdrop of our brief lives.
Gary N. Kramer, movie critic for 'Salon' ezine, wrote, " There is a nagging sense that the film should have played up the importance of the Sutton Hoo find more," as he faults the movie for concentrating more on the characters than on the archaeology.
I disagree with him as I watched this film with questions about life, death, how we live and the choices we make for whatever reasons at the time. As the archaeological find of the Anglo-Saxon burial ship proceeds, we are confronted with the thought that this ancient ship was constructed, then buried, by real people. This plays out against the backdrop of England preparing for what we know will be a horrific war in which millions will be killed. Life in the midst of death, death a presence in every life, and yet we as a people live on. What will archaeologists of the future find of us?
Ralph Fiennes conveys the the fully realized character of the proud, stubborn excavator with profoundly effective subtle changes revealed by his eyes, his pipe, and his occasional hint of a smile. Carey Mulligan as Edith Pretty, the owner of mound being excavated, is more of the cliched stalwart, stiff upper-lip British lady; the well-written script heavily favors excavator Basil Brown.
The director utilized a sure hand in the shaping of the film, the cinematography was gorgeous and the only somewhat jarring note was the rather buffoonish behavior of the so-called professionals from time to time.
The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)
For those who want to believe, it's magical!
Every actor is so well cast, the cinematography is superb, the humor balanced with the angry determination of the land developer, and it's a great way to spend a couple of hours being absorbed in another way of life. Critics have decried its ambiguities, but it leaves room for the viewer to ask his own questions and create his own answers and endings. This movie gives me some insight into the mind of Robert Redford. He did a great job.
Churchill (2017)
So glaringly inaccurate
Churchill, a man of great wisdom and foresight during the years leading up to WW II, is inaccurately portrayed as somewhat of a blithering idiot who wants to throw out the Allied plans on the eve of D-Day and put his alternate plan in place. Clemmie was always his greatest champion and a lady of dignity, a product of her British upbringing. I can't imagine her berating Churchill as this movie shows.
This is not a movie worth watching. It is a work of fiction with hardly a shred of historical accuracy.
Freedom (2014)
Hugely, massively sanitized and sentimentalized!
I'm giving this three stars only because other viewers appreciated it. That gives it has some merit.
The slave ship is a tremendously sanitized version of what conditions must have been like. I doubt there were any wrappings of slave corpses before tossing them overboard. I doubt any sons or daughters would have been allowed to watch any last rites, such as they were. A more accurate version would probably be unwatchable.
I kept checking the accuracy of the music to verify my hunch that some of the songs were not written during this era. I know slaves were sustained by faith, but the grandmother seemed overly pious during what must have been a heart-stopping escape. The entire movie was just not very believable.
Midnight Stallion (2013)
Unbelievably amateurish!
Another reviewer compared this to something done by a junior college film class, which is an insult to junior college students. Simple-minded script, wooden acting, and implausible plot. What bank will underwrite a $9,000 loan to someone who is already $11,000 in arrears on mortgage payments? I quit watching after five minutes in.