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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #99: Hunger Games 1-3

I'll make this quick because I don't intend to write a huge chunk of analysis on story and character and cinematography on all three movies of the franchise.

It was entertaining. It was painful. It got me watching till the end. I was annoyed at Katniss' indecisiveness. I feel like I could understand her as a teenager, but not anymore as an adult. I guess she really did love both and couldn't choose who she loved "more" and as a "man" rather than friend but still... it reminded me too much of Twilight's Bella. They both probably just thought they "loved" whoever was there when they needed it the most.

It was painful because I knew the show and the writers would kill off everyone we grew attached to. But I was desperately hoping maybe they'd keep Finnick. Everyone but Finnick. But of course not. Of course they'd kill him off. I actually cried because I was angry. Also when they killed Prim. I can't believe they did that. I really grew to love them. I knew, the moment Finnick joined the crew to infiltrate the Capitol, that he would be killed off. Because that's what movies and writers do. They torture their main characters as much as they can. Worse than Snow, if you think about it.

There were moments of cringe whenever they glorified Katniss and whenever Katniss had those moments of leaderly glory and noble angst, but it wasn't bad enough to stop me from watching.

I actually paused and fast forwarded whenever I thought something bad would happen to the characters I cared about.

Oh and I thought it was great that Katniss shot Coin instead of Snow. I was kind of expecting it and was glad when it actually happened. When she announced her idea of the "revenge" Hunger Games, honestly I burst out laughing. So incredulous. Was she serious? She was on her way to becoming the new Snow.

All in all, very entertaining. It was actually the first time in a long time where I thought to myself, distinctly - "Wow. I'm actually watching a movie for entertainment."

Goes to show how desperately I search for meaning and healing from a film. But I realize all over again that both of those can also come from experiencing a genuinely entertaining time. Maybe that's what everyone else actually watches movies for. Lol.

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #98: Lean On Pete

This is really one of those films where I just don't want to write a review. It's staying with me quite a bit, longer than most films, that even now my eyes are damp. Just thinking about the ending makes me want to cry all over again.

I'm just so happy for Charlie. I'm so relieved, and so happy, that he finally found a place where he belonged. Even now I'm crying again. It's insane. It's honestly as though I'd really gotten to know this child called Charlie and lived his life with him.

These are the kinds of films where I don't even want to analyze it. I don't even think I could. These are the films where the characters touch you so deeply that you don't even notice the itsy bitsy details. There's nothing to analyze. There's nothing that stands out to you other than the life of the character you're invited to. (But I gotta say the cinematography and the wide shots of the nature was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful DAMN)

So I don't think I'll even make this review long. I just want to say that I'm so happy for Charlie and so relieved. I can't forget the feeling I had when Charlie finally met Aunt Margy in that library. And the relief and absolute joy I felt when she said he would stay here with her forever. He'd been abandoned so often, he'd gotten used to it. But here was someone who was willing to take care of him till the end. He had finally found his home.

It was like Nomadland, but more my style. You'd think this film was slice of life, but it actually had everything a Hollywood / three act film would have. It even had the final goal, which was to find his aunt. I think this may be the kind of film I'd like to make in the future. Realistic, slice of life feel, but still stick to the three act structure and other successful story building techniques. A mixture of things I love most.

One other thing I want to say... I think we as human beings all need someone like Aunt Margy. Kid or adult, we all do. Someone we can like we belong to. Someone who reminds us of home. A home to go back to. We all need that person. Kids especially do as they grow up. Adults do too, but many can still survive without. We all do need that person though, to feel whole in our souls. Even one person would do. One person who is willing to listen to us, understand us, and embrace us when we need. One person who says they will never leave us. It could be a friend, lover, parent, whatever. We all just need that. We all need a home.

Kids especially though. I think this film may have touched me a bit more because I teach kids that are Charlie's age. Just thinking about some of my kids going through that breaks my heart. What we need is a parent aptitude test or something. Don't just let anyone become a parent. A kid's life is at stake here.

All in all, thank you Charlie. Thank you for letting me live life with you for a while. Thank you for letting me take a look into your life. Thank you for sharing that piece of life with me. I really, really appreciate it, and I'm so, so happy for you. It will all be okay. You are in good hands now. You will be taken care of.

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #97: 상의원 (The Royal Tailor)

Surprising.

The film was much deeper than I'd expected it to be. When it first started, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it seemed quite lighthearted. But then again, most Korean films are like that. I've mentioned this before but they mostly all start off funny and light and then they get intensely deep and tear-jerking.

There are many different aspects I could explore with this film, but I'll just mention the main aspects that came to me and stayed with me throughout.

Interestingly enough, although the film was heavily based on the theme of beauty and explored it throughout, the theme that actually stayed with me the most was something else. I can't really describe this in one word, so I'll just start talking about it in length (as I always do). I guess if I tried describing it in one word, I might use 'open-mindedness'.

This film really hit it hard for me and told me that one of the best things we can do as human beings (and especially as adults) is to acknowledge someone else's greatness. It is so important. When we can't do that, we're led to drastic measures and we just rot inside. I know how that feels, so I know how important it is to be openminded and humble. I have been there. My soul has rotted before. But the important thing is to not let yourself get that far. Nobody should go to the point of excluding the person and pushing them towards a cliff. We do that though. If you think about the conflict that happens at school or at work, you'll realize that a lot of people get bullied and excluded for similar reasons. Because other people can't stand it when they're not the most beautiful, the most popular, the most intelligent, the most liked, etc.

But the hero was different. He was able to acknowledge the head tailor's expertise and never really treated him as competition - more like a fellow colleague. But then again, maybe it was easy for him because he'd never been in the head tailor's position before. So it's not like I don't understand the head tailor. He's been in the top position for so many years and he's spent his life building his career up from the very bottom. And then a newbie comes along who doesn't even seem to have studied properly and looks like he lives on the streets and turns out he's better than he himself will ever be. So I understand that he feels threatened.

And the hero mentions it too - in the jail cell, he tells the head tailor that it's his fear that is killing the both of them. It's true. I just found it sad that the head tailor couldn't get over it. He wasn't self-aware enough. He wasn't humble enough. And that's the scary thing for people who are already at the top. They have nowhere else to go but down. So they very easily feel threatened and they hold onto what they've built as though their lives depended on it.

That's the biggest message for me from this film. Be openminded, be humble, and always have a learning mind. And always, always acknowledge and admit that there is someone better than you. This is important for me as a teacher as well. Just because I'm the teacher, doesn't mean I'm the best in the room. It's important to acknowledge that my students are more intelligent and skilled than I am in different aspects. I think it's important to grow together. Acknowledging and promoting the fact that we can learn from one another.

The film shows really well what happens when human beings don't or can't do that. Sure in the end the people in the streets were wearing bright clothing again, but it wasn't made by the hero. In the end, the hero does die, and it's the head tailor that continues to make the clothes. I just find that so... angering. The head tailor never properly redeemed himself, and so even now I find him hateful. He did have multiple chances to redeem himself, and he did have hopeful moments, but when I heard him in the jail cell saying that it was the hero's fault, that it was his arrogance that led him there, I honestly just gave up. Dude you had so many chances and you probably didn't even know they were chances. You were given so many chances to enlighten yourself and you didn't even try. I just kept calling him poor asshole as I was watching because that's exactly what he was. A veritable asshole, but a poor one.

I'm not even sure what to say about the king. I guess it's kind of sad how the antagonists kind of stayed as antagonists in the film. The bad guys stayed bad and the good guys stayed good. And the gap was a bit huge. The good guys were like angels. The best of the best. No faults and no flaws. Just so good. Too good almost.

It's late and I'm getting tired but I do have to talk about the theme of beauty. I guess I was torn. Half of me really did appreciate the beauty and I was reacting in just the same way the people in the film were: open-mouthed, gaping at how beautiful a person could be depending on their clothing. The film was saying, "appearances are everything" and I felt like I was almost blindly agreeing with it.

In the film, women are valued for their beauty. The pretty girls get what they want, basically. The more beautiful you are, the more desired, respected, and loved you are. See how the king only chose the queen when she came in that amazing white dress? And she got a standing ovation for that too. She's had the same personality and the same lovely values for all those years and he's (as well as every other man) only noticed her when she looked the most beautiful in that pretty dress. I guess I found that a bit annoying and disappointing. The film seems to subtly suggest that women hold the most power when they're the most beautiful. As though being the most beautiful woman in the room and seducing all the top tier men is the most powerful thing a woman can do and the most powerful asset she can have. The idea that wearing pretty clothes is one of the best values in a person and the best way to judge their worth.

It was like experiencing the height of Korea's lookism but set way way back. I do wonder if Korea was that intensely obsessed with appearances back then too. 참 옷이 날개라는 게 무슨 뜻인지 느껴지게 만든 영화. But still the main message I'm taking away from it is completely unrelated to beauty and all about being humble and openminded enough to acknowledge others' greatness. Because when you feel threatened and try to douse it out, you could really be exempting the world from an incredibly positive and creative revolution.

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #96: The School of Rock

Thanks to a friend, I got to watch a movie I probably would have never picked out myself. It's an interesting experience, getting movie recommendations, or exploring the movie tastes of another person. You really open yourself up to many different movies you would have never sought out otherwise. It doesn't work all the time, but there are gems scattered throughout. Now let's get into what I felt with this film.

First of all, all emotions aside, I think it was very tightly written. It had all the acts, it had all the highs and lows, and the climax was pretty much perfectly done - as in, it followed all the right rules and guidelines of screenwriting 101. The entire film kind of followed it, really. I especially loved the 'hero loses it all' part, where (I keep wanting to call him Jack Black) Dewey literally loses it all. The writing was on point for that part. I honestly knew it was coming up, right? But I didn't think it would happen like that. I guess I thought the kids and Dewey would be stopped in some way as a group as they made their way to the concert hall - but they movie really did it in a different way. I loved it. So, story-wise, there was pretty much nothing to point out in a negative sense. It was like a very tightly written Hollywood style film.

Now, the teaching side of it. I gotta be honest, I didn't really like Dewey in the beginning. He wasn't exactly a likeable character. Most films try to make the hero a likeable guy from the get-go, but this film was a little different in that sense. Dewey was presented as a lazy, unattractive, attention-seeking, jobless person who wasn't even loyal or mature enough to pay back rent. He wasn't really a good friend. But he really redeemed himself as the film went on and in the end I did grow to like him. You could see that he genuinely cared about the kids. And yeah, he didn't really have teaching skills in the beginning and wasn't fit for being a teacher (it irked me, to be honest) but he did become an amazing teacher when he started teaching them what he was truly passionate about. That's when I thought, teachers really should teach what they're passionate about. They should really teach what they're great at, passionate about, and have deep knowledge about. That is what makes a great teacher.

Another thing about teaching methods - bear with me, I'm a teacher here - I loved how he was basically doing everything a good teacher should do, and he wasn't even realizing it. He was including every student in the class and making them feel like they were meaningful individuals by giving each of them important roles. I mean, I loved how he was bullshitting people most of the time but in the end he really did care. He was figuring out each student's talent and interest, and giving them roles related to those. That's what a good teacher does. Then he was encouraging them to grow in that area. When you give students an important role and a responsibility in that class, you know they'll be motivated and working. They need to feel important. And Dewey was doing all that without even realizing it. Also, TBLT (sorry, bear with me). Task-based teaching. The students had a project they were working on, there was a specific time frame, it was very hands-on, they were working as a team, but every student had an important role that contributed to the class, and winning or grades weren't even the ultimate goal. It was just to create meaning, have fun, and put on a good show. If that's not good teaching, I don't know what is. And on top of that, a genuine interest and care for the students. Damn, Dewey. You're a natural.

I absolutely loved the kids. I was like Dewey. At the beginning, I was meeting them for the first time, so I was wary and I wasn't sure how to feel about them. Especially Summer. But as the movie went on, I grew to care about each of them, and I absolutely adored Summer by the end. What a stellar manager. I think that also goes to show that everyone has a different talent, and we're all different, and that's good. Even students who may seem out of line or those who seem to have behavioral issues - they have a part to play too, and it's good to try and discover their hidden talents before concluding that they're up to no good (for example, Freddy). I think I really got most attached to Zack though. Maybe because his story was the most heartbreaking for me? The way he was treated by his father. It's hard growing up in a home where the rules are so strict. I didn't grow up in that much of a strict household, but yes there were some strict rules at times because our family can be quite conservative. It was nice seeing Zack break away from that while being in the band.

Now, it leads me to talking a little bit about the ending. It was idealistic and too good to be true. Let's be real here. Parents finding out their children are missing, buying tickets to the rock concert, and then seeing their kids rock it on stage and being like, 'oh wow, my kid's amazing, I should let them do everything they want now!' is unrealistic. A more realistic storyline would be the one in Dead Poets Society. But then again, this movie isn't supposed to be that dark. It's a totally different genre, so I can't call it out so much on this ending. It adheres to its genre and it's a feel-good film. And it fulfills that well. I'm just mentioning it because it was a thought that came to my mind at the end of the film.

I've always loved seeing kids on stage, whether it was students playing music or dancing, so this was very heartwarming to watch. There's just something about kids doing arts. It makes my heart soar. It reminded me of Billy Elliot and how much I loved watching the musical. (Not a secret that I watched it more than three times back in Korea lol) But the true experience was when I watched it for the first time back in London. I guess there's just something heart tugging about kids breaking free from stereotypes and social norms and letting themselves go through music and dance. Truly a tremendous sight.

Oh one more thing before I go - I really loved how Mr. Schneebly changed as the movie went on. He had a great arc, and it was actually quite subtle and so gradual that I just thought about it as I was having a shower. Near the beginning, Dewey makes the kids swear that all creative control will go to him. But near the end, he chooses to play Zack's song on stage. That was an immense change. I didn't even realize it until my shower. Oh and also, I love love loved Dewey's doormat friend. I'm sure many people could relate to him and the hardships of being the person who is always "too nice". At first I felt like his girlfriend was making sense and that she was right, but by the end she was annoying the heck out of me and I couldn't want for Dewey's friend to dump her. And I laughed so hard when he slammed the door in her face just as she was in the middle of telling him to stand up for himself. lmao. I was just so incredibly happy for him when, in the ending, he's teaching music to kids. That's like SUCH a great middle ground to what he'd been struggling with - having to give up his passion for music and wanting to have a stable job. What a perfect thing for him to do. He was a special character to me for sure. Don't think I've ever felt that happy for a fictional character in a while.

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #95: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The perks of being a high school teacher is that you get some great film recommendations from your students. Thanks Jess, if you're (ever) reading this. She recommended 10 Things I Hate About You, and then she recommended this one (or was it Marina who recommended it?) and I absolutely loved it.

I'm not sure where to start. Sometimes, when a movie touches you in this way, you almost don't want to write about it. There's just too big of an emotional whirlwind, and a deep deep contentment, that you just kind of want it to be there. Without having something written about it. Let's just say that this is the kind of love I believe in, this is the kind of love I believe when they say the words I love you. The kind of love where you get to know someone and you are there for them through thick and thin. Not the kind of love where you share a few words and see a few faces and think the feelings are everything.

I don't know what it is about high school films that really get to me all the time, regardless of nationality and culture. High school students. There's something about them. A kind of freedom, openness, adventure. They give themselves freely. They love freely. They pour themselves out and they have great values, they really stand up for what they believe in and they find that admirable. The thing about high school is that if you confidently show people who you are, and you stand up for your friends, you're considered a hero. Loyalty is everything in high school. Being a good friend is everything. The time of your life when friendship is everything. I miss those times.

When I think about my own high school experience, I for sure didn't have a dramatic one. Maybe that's why I enjoy high school films so much, cause they allow me to live a life I never lived. Maybe that's why people watch movies all the time. I did have my own unique experiences that no other person had - but I definitely didn't love anyone that deeply. I don't think I had such intense friendships either.

This movie just felt so raw and so real, so deep and so loving. A truly precious experience. I almost want to thank Charlie, Patrick and Sam for letting me live a bit of their lives with them. I wish to be a teacher like Mr. Anderson. And I wish to write characters like Charlie, Patrick and Sam, characters who feel as real as they did. Now I can't wait until Monday comes around so that I can share what I felt with my students.

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Review #94: The Lake House

It's an interesting experience, watching a film again after several years has passed.

I can't fully remember when I first watched The Lake House. But for some reason, for all these years after that first viewing, I've always seemed to keep the sentiment that I really enjoyed it back then. For some reason, I always knew I'd felt a deep emotion back then. And I'm pretty sure I did. I'm pretty sure it left a deep impression on me.

However, it was crazy how much that had changed on my second viewing today. I tell you, really crazy. The film was so mediocre. There wasn't much depth, it felt shallow, the characters weren't explored enough, their relationship felt rushed, and the ending felt rushed too. And the twist? was so very obvious and predictable.

I saw a glimpse of a great character arc in Kate, especially when she admits that she kept everything at a distance. That really perked me up. But they never fully explored that. Or did they? I guess they kind of did when Kate actually pushes Alex away again after that one night of failure (just one) and keeps her distance again. But even that felt kind of forced. Would she really give it all up like that, that easily? I feel like something else should have kept them apart - then the voice says, but it did, and that was time.

Now, as for their relationship. I was surprised at how much I'd forgotten about the movie. It's like I was watching a new movie for the very first time. I think it was the dancing night (Kate's bday) that really stuck with me, because everything else felt pretty new. Their relationship felt really rushed. They fell in love too quickly. For someone who keeps her guard and maintains a distance, Kate really opened up easily to Alex and kind of let herself go. But maybe that was because he was far away - which is what she might have meant by calling him and the relationship "safe". I think that was the part that really had the most potential in this film.

But even then, they flirt way too quickly and I guess it just didn't make much sense to me because they knew nothing about each other back then. The more I watch movies like this, the less I know what love is. If that's love, then I don't think it's kind of worth it and I'm not sure if I want it in my life. That's love? That's what you call love? Feeling something for a random person and believing they're your everything? I thought love was deeper and more steadfast and patient than that. I thought love was more like... really getting to know someone and choosing to embrace their good and bad regardless of your fluctuating feelings. Wasn't what they experienced more like... affection? I don't know. I refuse to call it love. I refuse to believe that Kate loved Alex and vice versa. They hadn't even met each other properly. How can you say you love someone you've hardly met and how can you say you love them when you haven't spent a lot of time getting to know them? It's all feelings and I guess I just refuse to believe that love is just all those lovey dovey feelings. It's so fickle and unstable. I thought love was deeper and more... just more. That's why it annoys me when film characters keep saying they're in love when all they're doing is feeling a few feelings after a few interactions. (As you can see, I probably won't be saying I love anyone in a very very long time.) Or maybe what they had really was love and I just can't relate cause I haven't had what they've had. Meh.

All in all, it was mediocre and bland. It was shallow. It felt like a fast food meal. No real substance, just a quick fill you up. It definitely tastes quite good during that time, but you get hungry pretty quickly afterwards. And it's not that nutritious either. More like just eye candy, quick filler. I just didn't feel much depth to their relationship. Who was Alex even. His relationship with his dad and his relationship with his brother wasn't even explored properly. Did Kate have a deeper relationship with the people around her and were any of them explored? Not even Morgan was explored properly, everyone around Kate and Alex felt like a tool (especially Morgan and that other girl who always follows Alex around). I just never felt a deep bond between the two main leads which I really wish I felt and really thought I'd feel.

I'm actually quite disappointed right now. Once again, it's really crazy how much your viewpoint can change after several years. What was I thinking back then as a teenager I wonder?

Also, Alex flirted way too quickly and I guess that kind of irked me too. I mean, come on - if it wasn't Keanu Reaves and Sandra Bullock, do you think this story would work? If we never saw the man's face, do you think we would trust him that quickly? How did Kate trust Alex so much when she'd never even met him? I just can't wrap my mind around that. What if, when they finally met, he was the exact opposite of her type in terms of physical attraction? Then what? (Yes, I'm thinking way too realistically and thinking way too much about the itsy bitsy details, but I can't help it.)

Maybe it's up to me to make a film where a man and a woman get together naturally - like really naturally, starting off as friends - and slowly they discover just how compatible they are, almost like platonic soulmates, but neither one of them want to admit it because of so and so reasons, and then they discover their feelings for each other and then actually realize they're in love. Then things happen to try and keep them apart but they still try. And then who knows what happens in the end. Do the soulmates actually work well as lovers? Or should they just have stayed as platonic soulmates? Do they lose their friendship too? Etc etc. I need to sleep.

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Review #93: One Day

I guess this is what a film feels like when you have really real characters on page and on screen. That's what Dexter and Em felt to me - especially Emma. And the stuff that made her feel real were the little details, like when Dexter joked about her preference for movies with subtitles, or other things that I can't remember immediately.

I'm not sure what I felt about this film but I am a bit of an emotional mess, but I wouldn't say it's one of my favourite films. It's hard to describe. But it did take me on an emotional ride. The saddest part about the film is that Dex really lost the love of his life. And what's even sadder is that his dad experienced that before he did and knew how to comfort and advise him in the deepest and rawest way possible. I really shed tears in that scene.

The entire movie is basically about two people who are meant for each other constantly missing (evading) each other. I think the movie does a good job in making you guess whether they really are meant for each other, and whether they really will get together in the end. I kept expecting it - I mean, there was chemistry and tension almost always - but Dexter started becoming a shitty person and then he got married and by that time I kind of lost my respect and heart for him. Like Em said, I didn't like him anymore. Basically from the moment he was an asshole to his mother, he went right downhill after that. I even thought, this is why yolo doesn't work. People view responsible, careful and mature people as boring and lifeless but honestly, every decision and action has its consequences.

It did make me think a lot about fate, destiny, and whether there really is someone meant for you. I don't actually believe a specific soulmate actually exists for you, but I am starting to wonder if, if you're meant to be with someone, bad timing and time doesn't really matter. There's a popular Korean idea that love is timing, and that if things keep going wrong and the timing doesn't work out or doesn't match, then you're not meant to be. This movie totally goes against that.

I do think there needs to be someone constantly reaching out though. It was quite obvious in the beginning that Dex was incredibly attracted to Emma and wanted to be with her. Emma was more careful and didn't want to take as many risks. She was guarding her heart more, well, understandably so with Dex acting like such a shallow playboy.

I just can't believe she died. Honestly, the moral of the story is to always put your damn helmet on when you're riding a bike! I don't get why everyone who rides a bike in a movie never has a damn helmet on? It's basic safety measures! If she had a helmet on she at least would have protected her head and might have lived. Still don't understand. If I ever make my character ride a bike she's gonna wear a helmet. (Gotta admit though that non-helmet bike rides look prettier on screen...) But STILL. I will make them wear a helmet. It's important.

I'm sleepy so I have to sleep now. This is all I want to let out for the time being. If I have anything to add I'll be back. It was a good movie but not as good as About Time or 500 Days of Summer. It was a good watch and a good experience but I probably won't watch it again. Oh and Anne Hathaway is gorgeous as heck.

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Review #92: Love The Way You Are

I was expecting Our Times. What I got was another My Best Summer. I thought I'd at least written a rating for My Best Summer, but I guess it was so forgettable that I never even did that.

I think Our Times has ruined me. It has made me believe that every Taiwanese/Chinese teen movie will be just as nostalgic, romantic, charismatic and beautiful, with memorable characters and a strong story. I have realised now that it's not true. I loved Our Times, and I loved Fall in Love at First Kiss, but I really didn't like My Best Summer and Love the Way You Are. I didn't like them for similar reasons.

I have to say, Love the Way You Are is much worse than My Best Summer. It just threw in all the successful teenage romance tropes but the actual story and characters were so damn bland and shallow that every single thing fell flat. Really flat. Just because you add in a handsome smart dude and a dumb but positive girl doesn't mean you'll get a stellar teen romance film. They thought they were adding everything that would lead the film to success. But what's the point of all that if the story just downright sucks?

First of all, the film doesn't set up anything substantial. We're not even introduced to the characters properly. I honestly didn't know anything important or special about Linlin or Yuke throughout the entire film. We were never given the chance to get to know them. I still don't know what kind of person Yuke even is! They're just characters. Literally characters. Written in for the damn film. They didn't feel like actual people at all. They didn't feel multi-dimensional and they had no deep or real story of their own. Cookie cut-outs. Gotta move on from this paragraph before I start craving cookies.

And the story. Boy it sucked. I'm not even sure where to start. I can't believe the film whizzed through all these bland and mediocre moments and then in the end gave us the actual entire story through a fucking monologue/flashback. Plus Yuke was so uncharismatic as a male lead. He had no personality as a nerd and no personality as the glow-up version. It wasn't about his appearance at all. He was just... bland and boring and had no depth to him at all (as a character). And were we supposed to be swooning at his final confession and recount of how stalkerish he'd been? Yes it was cute that he crushed on Linlin. But forcefully making her his girlfriend and then forcefully kissing her? Doing all of that while not having the courage to tell her about his feelings? Lmao. Also, it was damn unrealistic how he suddenly knew how to dress well and style his hair and even took his braces off. He's been a nerd all his life and he suddenly knows how to change like that? Unrealistic. He should've gone back to being a nerd after that party day. Plus how did he know how to dress up like that on the party day? So many things in that film made no sense and there was no proper set-up, no build-up, no CONVINCING LEAD UP TO THE DAMN SUPPOSEDLY-SWOONY ENDING!!!!!

I'm angry because it was just so bad. I miss Frankie Chen. Remember how she did the endings in Our Times and Fall in Love at First Kiss? Now THOSE were some good endings and swoony reveals. Fall in Love at First Kiss also threw in a heap of successful teen romance tropes but the story was written waaaay better and the characters were actually built up and relatable and deep and we actually got to know them and like them!

Okay I choose not to use even more time on this movie. I think I've been successfully put off Taiwanese/Chinese movies for the time being. I love Vivian Sung, but... not in this.

Even the entire uni storyline sucked. EVERYTHING was just so one-dimensional and SHALLOW and BORING and DUMB and honestly this is making me so angry I have to leave

And the sudden overcoming of his fur trauma was super dumb too. Who the heck gets over it that quickly? Again, there was no build-up at all. Plus the trauma was used as a joke too many times in the film for his 'overcoming' to even feel like a huge feat. The film tried to be funny many other times too but even that fell flat.

Everything. Was flat.

I found some really pretty (golden time sunlight feel) posters of the film but I can't even get myself to paste that here - because the poster makes the film look so nice and watchable, when it reality it's far from that. And I can't fake it. So I chose the blandest possible poster, because that's what the film was like and that's exactly how I feel about the film.

The end.

#review

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #91: Sister

Written by Xiaoying You, Directed by Ruoxin Yin

Sister immediately caught my attention for two reasons: It's an Asian film, and it's about family. After watching the trailer, I knew I had to go see it at the cinemas. There seemed to be aspects of it that I really liked - family members unable to love each other with nobody specific to blame. I really wanted to know how the characters would resolve that. And so I went to see it.

I was disappointed and not invested maybe a third of the film. I was slowly won over during two-thirds of the film, then by the end, I was bawling. Really. And the film remained with me for a while after that too.

The reason I wasn't invested at first was, I think, pretty simple. The main character was such a biatch. Yes, I understood her - she had enough reasons to be that biatch, but nobody actually wants to see the main character really be one. We could all see why she hated her brother and why she felt she wasn't responsible. We could all see that she wasn't loved as much as her brother was while her parents were alive. We could all see that her family members were also inconsiderate, pushing her to take care of her little brother despite the abuse she herself had gone through. We could also see that her brother was being a pain from time to time, and that she had her own life and her own plans - she was smart and wanted to be a doctor and also get married to her long-term boyfriend.

BUT. But despite all that, the second most important character is a little boy. A child. Moreover, he's a child who has just lost both parents. He doesn't even know what death means, what grief means, and here he is thrown around like a soccer ball, from heartless person to heartless person. And nobody wants to keep him. I just couldn't empathize with the main character when here was a child who was being forced to live through grief and constant abandonment by himself. Like what the fuck? Maybe I was even more angry because I have a little brother with around the same age difference. I don't think I could ever give my brother up to adoption regardless of whatever happened between me and my parents. Hating parents is one thing, abandoning a child is another.

Also, that child just went through something incredibly traumatic that even adults struggle with. Of course he needs more care and attention during this time. But he doesn't get it (in fact he gets the exact opposite, right in front of his face) and you're surprised and angry that he's acting out? That's his way of crying out for help. And what does the sister do? Become a biatch, that's what.

I just honestly could not empathize with her. And this lack of empathy and relatability made it initially very hard to become immersed in the film. I constantly found myself empathizing with the little brother instead and feeling really sorry for him. It really didn't help that he was a child. Children already have the image of being helpless and weak, and the film put that child in an even more vulnerable situation with a sister who literally wants to abandon him and overtly hates him. Like, come on.

This sister slowly starts changing as the film progresses. It's true that the beginning of the film may have been more realistic than others. The sister had issues she had to resolve within herself and the film may have just shown that in the most dirtiest and realest way possible, with no sugar coating. If that's what the film intended, I gotta say it succeeded. I'm just glad I stuck with it because it was incredibly cathartic seeing the sister heal herself as the film goes on. It surely doesn't happen immediately though, which I loved. It took quite a long time (which is probably why the film is over two hours long), but it was time well-spent, and more realistic too.

The sister goes back and forth many times, but that makes it even more real. There are moments when she advocates for her brother and takes care of him, and then the next moment she's back to wanting her own life and giving him up to adoption. The back-and-forth movements become more and more dramatic as time goes on, and the sister finds it harder and harder to emotionally detach herself from her brother. The film does all of this gradually, which is one of its strongest points. It reflects real life better.

A standout scene for me is when the sister goes to visit her brother after sitting her exams, and she finds her brother playing mahjong with a damn cigarette tucked behind his ear. I honestly gasped at that scene, and would have reacted exactly the same way the sister did - yell and scream at the uncle and drag little brother out of there. We're then led to a really heartwarming scene where the sister bathes her brother at the apartment during golden hour, sunlight pouring through the glass. I'm trying to remember the dialogue during that scene. I'm sure it was something really warm.

What I also loved was how, even after this heartwarming scene, the sister still decides to leave to Beijing. It felt way more realistic than some other family movies where it doesn't take much for the person to give up their desires for the younger being. It's shown during another standout scene where the siblings lie in bed, having a talk before going to sleep. The little brother asks her if she still wants to go to Beijing and why. The sister answers honestly and we can all tell that she really dreams of this life that she's planned out. The sad thing is that the brother is included in that 'we'. I didn't know during that scene, but in the following scenes, I realised that he understood exactly what his sister wanted.

It was really crazy how the little brother left his sister on his own accord and gave himself up to adoption just so his sister could pursue her dreams. As much as I loved that beat, I found myself seriously wondering: is that realistic? That a six year old boy would be that deeply sacrificial? He's probably the most sacrificial and loving character in the film, even more than his sister. It was a great beat though, one of the best in the movie. It was heartbreaking seeing him cry, unable to tell his sister why he chose to leave her. It was like a drama scene where one of the leads forces themselves to leave their partner and be all noble and sacrificial. Still not sure if it's realistic for a six year old to do that though. It's kind of sad even thinking of it. A child doing something even most adults wouldn't do. The brother really had to grow up and mature at a super young age. It's sad. I wonder what kind of teenager and adult he will be in the future. I hope he gets to resolve the hurts inside of him too as he grows up.

And so the sister actually buys the ticket for Beijing and prepares to leave. Again, I loved this. I loved how the film took us till the very end of the end before resolving things. The film really made us believe the sister would leave. And to be honest, I understood her and didn't blame her for deciding to pursue her dreams. I sat there wondering how they would actually resolve things. The ending scene is definitely one of my favourites, maybe even the favourite. I loved how the sister was given an ultimatum: you can leave, but if you leave, you've gotta sign the paper to say you'll never come to see your brother ever again. It was a great choice. There was so much at risk on both sides. It was a moment where I genuinely wasn't sure what she would do - I knew she loved both her brother and her dream and held both of them dearly. Both of them were precious.

I held my breath when she hesitated, pen hovering over the paper. Then she throws the pen down and runs out to her brother, and when her little brother turns to her, his eyes are full of tears. My heart. My heart. My damn heart! I bawled there, the tears just flowed. The brother had been pretending to be okay and holding all tears back, thinking that his sister would feel bad if she saw him cry and she'd give up her dreams. That's just too much for a six year old, I swear. He finally lets it out when he knows she still wants and loves him. That was both incredibly painful and cathartic to watch. What an amazing climax and resolution.

I also liked how the sister resolved her own deep issues before finally going back to her brother. I believe it's shown in the scene where she visits her parents' grave on the rainy day and cries to them. There was a hint of the start of her healing when she cries and lets out her honest feelings during night in front of her parents' pictures. The rainy day she rips the paper and is again honest to her parents' grave, is a great scene. I also loved the part where she comes down the stairs, and it's a long shot with rainwater flooding down the steps like a beautiful waterfall. It made me want to film something like that in the future. Felt like things were being washed away.

So yes, I started off not liking the film because of how unlikable the main character was (they're allowed to have negative qualities, but I honestly believe there needs to be something that makes the audience identify with them or empathize with them, just something that makes the audience root for them) and her treatment of her brother. I know it was done that way to show her gradual change, but I still do think it could have been done a little differently. Because, even with her treatment of her brother aside, I didn't really like her as a person and had trouble understanding her. She seemed really tantrum-ey at points. But as the film went on, I warmed up to her and the gradual change took place. She was still herself with her own desires even while growing to love her brother, which I loved. She learned to balance things out, and I hope she continued to pursue her dreams even without going to Beijing, with her brother by her side.

I find that this film presented a different image of 'sacrifice', and that it was saying that different image was okay too. You don't have to fully give yourself up for someone. You can still have your own life and that's okay. By the end, none of her family members guilt-trip her about looking after her brother, which I really liked. It's pretty rare for Asian families to not do that guilt-tripping thing. But her aunt did it. Her aunt, who seemed to be the most guilt-tripping person, let her go in the end and told her that it was okay, that not everyone fits that image of sacrifice perfectly, like the Russian dolls. I think that actually enabled the sister to go back to her brother later on. Sometimes you have to let people go to get them back.

#review

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #90: Nomadland

Written, directed, edited by Chloé Zhao

During the weekend I went to city to watch two movies - one at Academy Cinemas and another at Event Cinemas. The first one was Nomadland. I chose Nomadland because I wanted to watch a movie that was critically acclaimed and award-winning and create my own opinions on it. I also saw that it was directed by an Asian woman and that piqued my interest.

Nomadland was an interesting watch. I liked the documentary style of filming and found that it gave the movie a much realer feel. It makes sense because I read somewhere (and saw during the credits) that the nomads in the film were actual nomads and I'm assuming the stories they told were their real stories. I don't think it's the type of film I'd want to make myself, but I appreciate that these films are made and that people get to see the deeper reasons and emotions behind nomads. I found my heart soaring a little at the Fern-Dave relationship line, almost like an oasis. Maybe I was feeling lonely too, just like some of the nomads may feel - going from person to person, that constant temporality. It was refreshing seeing someone that could remain in Fern's life, someone who wanted to stay in her life.

In the film, Fern tells people that she's fine, that she's houseless but not homeless. She also seems to prefer the nomad lifestyle, and can't seem to stay in an actual house - not at her sister's, not even at Dave's, even when Dave's family likes her and there seems to be nothing that would particularly bother her. There's that scene where she witnesses Dave and his son playing the piano together, and for some reason it's after that scene that she decides to leave. I'm still not entirely sure why that event led to her departure - although weirdly a part of my heart knows why, without even me knowing why. I don't think Fern could ever let go of Beau.

The film made me think of my own nomad-ish desires. I know that the people in the film all had more serious, sometimes downright tragic stories behind their decisions of the nomad lifestyle (usually loss of a loved one, loss of their jobs, etc), so I can't say my desires are anywhere close to that or as valid as that, but I can't deny that I have always wanted to move around too. Not like a nomad, but I just have never wanted to stay in one place for a long time. Yes, it's something different from the film's nomad lifestyle (maybe I should be writing it somewhere else even). But there was a part of me that could relate to Fern and to Dave. Both of them couldn't settle in one place. I don't know what it is for me - fear of commitment and intimacy? There are times when I just want to move to a place where nobody knows me and I know nobody, and live there while maintaining shallow connections. Then move again and do the same thing someplace else. Investing in deep relationships is scary. It's probably why I keep a safe distance from everyone at all times, never getting too close and never getting too attached, and never letting anyone get attached either.

It's probably why I felt so happy for Dave when he finally felt comfortable at his son's house and allowed himself to settle there. It must be a great feeling, finally finding a home. And I honestly think - even more after watching the movie - that as independent and introverted someone may be, we all need a home and a place to belong. We just can't live alone for long. I've tried it and it doesn't work. Even just having a flatmate, knowing there's another breathing being in the same area, is enough. Even if you spend the entire day not talking to them. I would never live with someone I don't want to live with (or someone who affects my life negatively) but I would also never live alone. I think it's a miracle to find someone you can create a family with. Someone you actually don't mind living with, someone who betters your life and you better theirs.

So these are my thoughts on Nomadland. I can't provide an analysis of the themes or the history or the deeper meanings, but you know me and my blog - my reviews are simply diary entries of how the film made me feel and the thoughts it brought forward.

I thought though, that Dave's accidental breaking of Fern's plate kind of signified how he wanted to become a significant part of her life. But Fern refuses and puts the plate back together again. Later on, Fern does take care of her past feelings and memories of her husband when she returns to her house. There's also a memorable dialogue in the film where Fern says maybe she's spent too much of her life just remembering. I also do a lot of reminiscing and sometimes find joy and solace in nostalgia. But I have also thought from time to time that I spend too much time in the past - instead of focusing on the present.

All in all, this film really made me think of how everyone needs a home, and that may not necessarily be a building with a roof. Everyone needs people to belong to.

#review

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #89: Another Miss Oh (Final Episode)

방심해버렸다. 나도, 드라마 속 인물들 처럼 방심하고 있었다. I was not expecting the accident to happen at the very end of the drama. There was about 10 minutes left till the end when it happened. The moment I saw the racing car and the police cars chasing it, I honestly thought it was the ambulance at first, and that Sookyung was about to give birth. Then it started sinking in, and I remember saying out loud, "아니야 에바야. 지금은 아니야 진짜 오버야. 죽으면 진짜 오바야. 하지마라 진짜." I don't think I believed he would die. If he died, I'm sure this drama would have been hated intensely by viewers the time it came out. But I have no memory of that, so I knew he wouldn't actually die. Also, there was no blood. He just stayed on the ground losing consciousness. Maybe it would've been more dramatic if there really had been blood.

When the accident happened, I felt the most sorry for Haeyoung. Imagine being her. She'd been through so much already, and now she has to go through the loss of the person she loves the most? On their proposal day? Just before their marriage? That's just so damn cruel. I wasn't even feeling sad or sorry for Dokyung (probably cause he'd done everything he'd wanted to and he obviously had no regrets).

Also, I'm guessing that singer and his suicide story was just a tool to show the audience whether Dokyung was going to die or not. He wasn't important to the story (and he wasn't an important character at all) aside from that.

Now, some final thoughts. I really liked the relationship lines and there was much to think about and feel from them - not just the main couple, but also the ones like Sookyung and Jinsang, An-na and Hoon, OG Haeyoung and OT Haeyoung, Haeyoung and her parents, etc. Most of the characters were deep and multi-dimensional, and most of them were relatable and likable characters that we wanted to root for. Hyeyoung is by far my favourite character. I think Dokyung was quite a unique character and I'm not sure if I've ever come across a male lead who was this... private and... tired-looking. I know these people exist in real life, and there's nothing wrong with Dokyung's personality (in fact it's very attractive at times) but I just can't help thinking...

I'm trying to see if there were any other male leads who were as private as Dokyung. Maybe Lee Jongsuk's character from Hymn of Death. He was the quiet, private type who kept to himself and kept his feelings bottled. But you could so clearly tell he was in love and it was always written on his face. Dokyung, on the other hand... I just can't seem to get that tired face out of my head. He could be saying the most romantic thing and still look tired. A character who is so 무뚝뚝 and 무심 that even when he does nice things to the woman he loves he treats it as some small insignificant act. Like that time he came early from the company dinner and he bought samgyupsal home. He just came inside and without a single smile or bright tone he put the plastic bag on the couch and went to wash his hands. With just one word: samgyupsal. That's just... for some reason I'm having a hard time grasping the fact that a guy who is supposed to be completely in love with this woman would not even smile at the sight of her? Actually, I know it's possible. It really is and there definitely are people like Dokyung who exist - who feel a ton inside but don't express it at all outwardly. Maybe that's why Dokyung said he had issues with emotion and expressing it (at the very end). I remember watching him say that to himself and thinking, uh, yeah I think you may still have that. lol. Let's just say I'm glad Dokyung has found someone like Haeyoung. She's pretty much the opposite of him and that's why it works. Dokyung surely does love Haeyoung, but if what he feels is 100%, he pretty much only expresses 5% of that. Or maybe he loves her in his mind but doesn't actually feel it intensely, and so doesn't even know what to express.

I'm probably making things too complicated so I'll end it here. But two characters that have intrigued me recently are Dokyung and Jungha (from Record of Youth). So much that I've thought of writing separate analysis posts on them.

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helloandwelcometomariasblog · 3 years

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Review #88: Another Miss Oh (Ep 16-17)

Well, that was anticlimactic. Like, extremely anticlimactic. I can't believe the writer did that. I can't believe the writer built that up for the entire drama and then didn't even follow through properly. Not killing Dokyung is okay. But not in that bland way. That was so... bland. That was so boring. Dokyung should've still been in danger somehow. That's what you're supposed to do in the second to last episode. The tension should be the highest there and the drama should reach another climax before giving the audience the happy ending in the last episode. I can't believe it was that easy to resolve. Yes, we know that Dokyung has been making different choices throughout the drama and his saving of Taejin worked in his favor and turned things around. So I know that Taejin deciding to not kill Dokyung makes sense. However. It was still anticlimactic as heck and - I can't not mention this, Dokyung had a ton of things he could do to avoid being killed (I say this because he seemed to want to avoid it anyway, by the way he was running away). He could've gone back into the building or, when he was running, he totally could have run into the grass/tree area or at least in a zigzag pattern or something. His character isn't as dumb as to run in a straight line in the middle of the damn road.

I expected Dokyung to be hit anyway - maybe Taejin stops and hesitates, but decides to follow through anyway. Or maybe Dokyung finds himself in danger in some other way but whichever way, I honestly thought there would be more to this death lead up. Am I the only one feeling disappointed here? The drama dragged this storyline on and on and used it to make the viewers keep watching despite the fact that the couple got together already. The drama milked it and teased the viewers, saying, 'keep watching because you gotta see whether Dokyung dies or not' and then they present it in the blandest way possible.

A drama that did that well, was While You Were Sleeping. The writer set up the vision of Suzy dying from the very start, kept milking it and showing us the same image, then she really followed through in the end. But of course with a marvelous twist. It was so well done. It was great how Suzy desperately tried to avoid that image from coming true but it happened anyway, even despite the fact that While You Were Sleeping also holds the same aspect of characters making different decisions to change their fate. The writer kept up the tension and amped up the suspense at the climax, made that vision actually happen, then saved Suzy at the last minute while audiences were still holding their breath and at the edge of their seats. Now that was a climax well done, and that was some great use of built-up tension. So yes, I'm still disappointed at how this drama did it.

Also, I'm now wondering if it's Dokyung as a character or if it's Eric's acting. He just looks so TIRED all the time. Was he this robotic and emotionless? There surely are characters who internalize their emotions, but that doesn't mean you act like a man who hasn't had a decent sleep in weeks but still loves his girlfriend. It's like I've forgotten who Dokyung is as a character cause he seems so empty. I don't think facial acting is something Eric is particularly good at. Feelings and thoughts can be internalized but they still inevitably show on your face and in your eyes. The moment Dokyung fully gave himself to love he became boring. I can't even remember the dynamic person he used to be when he wasn't in love with Haeyoung. At least he had some personality back then.

I went back to watch some of the earlier episodes just to see how Dokyung was before he fully gave into Haeyoung, and... maybe that really is just Dokyung as a character. Internalizes thoughts and feelings, doesn't share easily AT ALL (which he mentions himself in a much later episode), doesn't like revealing emotions, he actually pretty sucks at communication. I guess the main difference between before-love Dokyung and after-love Dokyung is that he's much kinder and gentler. He still utters words only when absolutely necessary (lol) but his face is... more relaxed. Maybe that's why I've been feeling that he looks tired all the time?! Wow. His face used to be so tense and angry and he never smiled and after loving Haeyoung his face is more relaxed and soft. That solves my mystery, I guess. I still think Eric could have done a better job at showing subtle emotions through his facial expressions.

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