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The Villainess is a 2017 South Korean action thriller that throws you headfirst into the whirlwind life of Sook-hee, a woman molded into a deadly assassin since childhood. The film is a relentless barrage of stylish action sequences, punctuated by moments of emotional vulnerability and a narrative shrouded in mystery.

Here's a breakdown of the film's key aspects:

Action: Buckle up for balletic violence. The fight scenes are meticulously choreographed, showcasing Sook-hee's lethal efficiency and raw power. Think John Wick with a dash of Kill Bill's balletic flair.

Story: The narrative unfolds through fragmented flashbacks, slowly piecing together Sook-hee's past and motivations. This non-linear approach keeps you guessing, but it can be challenging to follow at times.

Characters: Sook-hee is an intriguing protagonist, both captivating and disturbing. Her emotional core is hidden beneath layers of trauma and training, making her a complex and unpredictable character. The supporting cast, while not as fleshed out, serves the story well.

Visuals: The film boasts stunning cinematography, with striking imagery and dynamic camerawork that amplifies the action and reflects Sook-hee's internal turmoil.

Overall: The Villainess is a visceral and stylish action film that will leave you breathless. However, its fragmented narrative and lack of emotional depth might not resonate with everyone.

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"Happiness comes only through effort"

Late Spring was the first film by director Ozu Yasujiro I ever watched. I had no idea who he was or anything about films from this era. For the most part, I was unimpressed. After watching Late Autumn which was a loose remake of Late Spring, I decided it was time to revisit one of Ozu’s classics.

The plot is deceptively simple. Noriko is 27 years old and on the cusp of being too old for marriage. She and her widowed father have a comfortable relationship neither wants to change. It is an aunt who shakes things up by insisting on finding her a husband.

Ozu often focused on this transitional part of family life-a child on the verge of leaving and an aging parent facing loneliness. Noriko's familiar routine started to ebb away as her father came to terms with what was necessary for her future which begat sadness and grief. Noriko had become too much of a surrogate wife and needed to become a real wife with a real husband which would require her to leave the nest as children do. Her father recognized he would not always be around and the only way to protect her and secure her happiness was to marry her off.

Though the mother had died some time ago, her presence felt tangible. Noriko showed great jealousy when her father mentioned he might remarry. She felt men remarrying was “filthy” and “indecent”. Apparently, older people no longer required companionship and intimacy. Noriko seemed overly involved and attached to her father. “I’m the only one who knows what he needs.” Was she upset for her mother’s sake or her own? During a Noh performance, her feelings shown through when she saw the perspective woman was also attending. Ozu’s astounding ability created a deeply emotional scene simply by cutting back and forth between the characters’ reactions to each other and the performers. During another evolutionary moment as daughter and father were lying side by side, Ozu focused on a vase for long seconds as Noriko processed her emotions and gave the audience the same meditative chance.

Ozu’s skill and his ability to compose exquisite frames was, as always, impeccable. Where I struggled with Late Spring is what caused me to stumble last time---Hara Setsuko’s performance. Her overly bright smile for the first half of the movie could be disconcerting. Sometimes a smile hides a person’s pain and sometimes it hides a vacancy sign. Smiling while riding a bike and enjoying the moment seemed natural, smiling when taunting the professor for being “filthy” seemed strange. She is a much admired actress and while I have enjoyed some of her darker performances, too often she over-relied on her smile. The second half had her character behaving petulantly and pouting which seemed out of place for a grown woman who had survived forced labor during the war.

As a modern viewer these plots were uncomfortable and I had to continually remind myself this was 1949. A woman was basically sent from her father’s house to another man’s house with little say as there weren’t many other options available to her. Noriko’s father complained that daughters were pointless. “You raise them and they leave. If they don’t marry you worry and if they do you’re disappointed.” Noriko worried her father would be helpless without her. Modern me thinks her father would learn to pick up the clothes he casually dropped on the floor himself and pour his own glass of water while brushing his teeth.

Despite my reservations, Ozu knew how to incorporate the most basic concepts of life and make them interesting. Noriko’s father, expertly played by Ryu Chishu, grasped that loneliness and death were a part of life and he wanted his daughter’s future taken care of. The plot might have been simple but Ozu was a master of teasing out the buried emotional details of changing family relationships. I rated this higher than my first watch and perhaps in the future, I’ll appreciate it even more. The father’s speech to Noriko was memorable then and now, one of the strongest from any Ozu film I’ve seen and still holds true today.

“Happiness isn’t something you wait around for. It’s something you create for yourself.”

14 February 2024

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The World is The True Monster

If there was one movie that I could choose to erase from my memory so that I could experience watching it for the first time again, it would be Monster. The way this movie told the story from different perspectives that would change our views and opinions was so smart and made the movie move so quickly. I was surprised by the acting, especially by Kurokawa Souya (Mugino Minato) considering his age, he perfectly portrayed the confusing feelings his character was going through. There was a specific point in the movie where I just started sobbing when I had this moment where I went "these characters are so young but already have to worry about what the world thinks of them," and didn't stop crying until the end. I am a pretty emotional person but nothing has had this much of an effect on me. Just a perfect movie.

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Could two kings co-exist?

I am confused! I cannot say MLs are attractive (my opinion)it does not seem this story could happen in real life, I even must admit that I would not be sad if leads separated and their paths went different directions. At the same time I was watching the story and never was bored. Whereas in other bl dramas we usually have two handsome boys and it is easy to "forgive" mistakes - because they are cute... here, with one lead shown as a king and another - a slave like nerd (I checked - actor is a cutie one, it must have taken a lot of effort to make him look creepy), it take some energy and thinking to understand the real reason they are together. MLs are strengthening each other, the drama shows that heart has its own ways and real love is much deeper than appearance and conventional behavior. Chemistry is on other level, and I can believe that, as after butterflies in the stomach period, relationships must have deeper meaning, such as partner's development, discovery of new personality layers, surprises.
Maybe this is not the best drama, maybe I won't rewatch it and it is not sweet, but was it worth my time? Definitely!

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High energy, Fun, good time.

Huang Bo is exceptional. What a dancer! The movie has all the elements for a great dance movie. Dancing, miscommunication, team work, outstanding performances, a familiar storyline all make this a fun exciting ride. It is not long enough to truly detail the practice and hits and misses a dancer has to be willing to dedicate to performing, but one can get that sense. Casper is excellent. But Wang Yibo is vibrant, compelling, and a must watch if you love dancing. His skills are on display in shows, on stage, and on Street Dance China. He is an impeccable talent in acting and dancing. I will watch it again when I need an energy boost. Or just need a Yibo fix.

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Children without a Surname - a very underrated movie

An action movie about a young man that can't look away when people ask him to help find their missing children.
The topic is quite gut wrenching, as the Human Trafficking of abducted children is no joke but for once I don't mind watching a "Propaganda" movie since it's well done and focuses mostly on the ML & the search/rescue of a child.

The acting is good, especially Mu Tong is such a promising young actor and the story is pretty fast paced.
It's a bit predictable but good enough to throw in a few plot twists and multiple hands-on bloody fights.
If you see it from a fictional stand point it's a satisfying story and a good watch, only when you start to think about how real the human trafficking of Children is, does it get sad.

The theme song ' 无姓之人 ' (The Man with No Surname) by Cheng Huzi , who plays Zhao Jia, will stay with me for a long time. It's lyrics are easily understood even if you have only watched a handful of c-dramas. A son who was abducted as a child, dreaming about telling his mother about all the mile stones he achieved in his life, from growing up to getting married and remembering his family. Here's the song in case you just want to listen to it: https://youtu.be/9kAcaToIn9g?si=jM1BssRwUajC42xN

PS: stay for the post credit scene to see an extended happy ending for the ML and his girlfriend :)

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Brilliance, Depth and Thought Provoking

!!A Thought Provoking Film!!
What a movie, a masterpiece I watched after a long time, I was just bored on Sunday and randomly picked this movie to watch, I have three points to share with you all who are reading this.
1. It's has a beautiful cinematography, very intense like creating a whole level of suspense and depth.
2. The pov's are such an eye openers focusing on the actual matter or the story and we soon realise that we were too quick to judge anything, anyone from beginning.
3. It's an awakening and story of one's learning about themselves is so emotional indeed it was very nicely portrayed by those young actors?overall, it's a film which left me feeling many things deeply. Monster "could be ppl and idea of how society is too quick to see things not for the truth", or "us as PPL can't really accept the 'differents' or can never be our true selfs hiding behind mask just to escape from facing reality"
Indeed, such a great film, a must watch!!!
and lastly "it's always deeper than it looks on the outside".

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The Shaw Brothers are dead, long may they live

A faithful, if a somewhat unusual tribute to the Shaw Brothers' golden age, The Bare-Footed Kid offers up a simple yet bittersweet narrative of redemption, a coming-of-age drama through a world of capitalism's corrupting influence, injected with a mixture of fresh faces and veteran Hong Kong performers. Johnnie To mixes in his patterned use of energetic camera movement and skilful with a slice of the 90s new-wave kung fu movement. There's a beautiful chemistry between Ti Lung and Maggie Cheung which adds an extra amount of sentimentality and depth to the film and a gorgeous use of colour sprinkled throughout. The action set pieces choreographed by the legendary Lau Kar-Leung more than deliver, it's ultimately the weak script and miscast lead where the film fails to connect with its punches, yet The Bare-Footed Kid sits within the realm of superb entertainment keeping the door open for more innovative Hong Kong action cinema and Johnnie To's eventual move to what he knows best...

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