ebossert
Member: Rank 3
Highly Recommended
The Spy Gone North (2018) (Korean Drama/Thriller) – In 1993, a former military officer is sent to infiltrate a group of high-ranking North Korean officials based in Beijing, with the ultimate goal of acquiring information on the North's nuclear program. Seems a bit generic in terms of premise, but it definitely grabbed my interest because much of the focus is on international business instead of nuclear threats. This movie does a good job of showing that our protagonist had to be smart in terms of how he goes about his mission. It creates a nicely complex and interesting situation. The acting, direction, and music are all top notch. Very solid cast of big time talent. Most of the characters, including the North Korean ones, are multi-layered. No action scenes or chases; it’s a slow-burn dramatic tension.
The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (2017) (Japanese Drama/Romance) (repeat viewing) – Aki came to Tokyo ten years ago to become an actress. She is now 29-years-old and works as a magician’s assistant, but her partying lifestyle propels her on a hallucinogenic trip that blends her past, present and unreality. This is nicely shot and incorporates much music and dance. This is an energetic and briskly paced film because of how it is presented. Editing and sound design are very good too. This is a psychological art film that is interesting to watch because it is sufficiently disorienting yet still has an overall point to make regarding the protagonist. The ending is emotionally resonant too.
Ip Man Legacy: Master Z (2018) (Chinese Action) – While keeping a low profile after his defeat from Ip Man, Cheung Tin Chi gets into trouble after getting in a fight with a powerful foreigner. Jin Zhang is awesome, and this movie is another feather in his cap. This does not waste time. We get a good fight within the opening 10 minutes and the pacing is brisk. The action choreography is top notch and executed at a high level. Tony Jaa has a cameo fight, and the finale between Jin Zhang and Dave Batista is solid. This will satisfy action junkies.
In a Better World (2010) (Danish Drama/Thriller) – After their sons are bullied at school, the lives of two Danish families cross each other. There’s a smoldering intensity beneath the surface, since one of the themes is violence and retaliation. One of the fathers is very passive, while one of the sons is more aggressive, but you can understand both of their perspectives. Some very good dialogue here. Very nicely shot. This is dramatically powerful stuff that could be considered a coming-of-age film since it focuses so much on the kids.
Recommended
Parks (2017) (Japanese Drama/Comedy) – Three students meet and bond as they attempt to finish writing an old romance song that was written and exchanged between their ancestors. This is a pleasant film that has characters who feel innocent. There’s some emphasis on the love of music, as well as the potential misinterpretation of music. I like Ai Hashimoto, and she seems to give her best performances in the most laid-back kinds of films. In this film, she’s more humorous and klutzy than usual, but in a realistic, charming way. There are a lot of funny little moments in this. The acting is expressionistic, but the girls (including Mei Nagano) do a great job. Shota Sometani does overdo it in spots with his cutesy voice, however. But as a package these three are a nice little trio to follow. There are a few things that surprised me, but there are also some things that I’m confused about and may need multiple viewings to understand.
The Wandering Earth (2019) (Chinese Sci Fi Action/Drama) – The sun was dying out, people all around the world built giant planet thrusters to move Earth out of its orbit and to sail Earth to a new star system, but something goes wrong and Earth is caught in Jupiter’s gravitational pull. Wu Jing in space? I’m there. The environments are done very well, and this includes the set designs, practical effects, and CGI. This is constantly interesting on a visual level. There are a few parts during the middle section that feel like a typical disaster movie, but the final 40 or so minutes are solid and quite entertaining. This film breaks the laws of physics almost immediately, so do not go in expecting scientific accuracy.
Sleepless (2001) (Italian Giallo Thriller) – An elderly and retired police detective (Max von Sydow) and a young amateur sleuth team up to find a serial killer whom has resumed a killing spree after a 17-year hiatus, but perhaps it is a copycat. This film by Dario Argento begins with a surprisingly long and effective murder sequence that lasts a whopping 20+ minutes! The acting/dubbing is pretty terrible at times (especially near the beginning), but there are some very entertaining death scenes to enjoy as well as an engaging mystery. There’s some fun interaction between Max and his pet bird as well. This is perhaps a bit slow at times and a bit too long at almost two full hours, but it’s good.
Miss Baek (2018) (Korean Drama) – A woman's past as a convict follows her everywhere until she strikes up a friendship with a broken child who has suffered from domestic violence. The physical and emotional abuse of the child is brutal to sit thru, and the parents are cartoonish psychopaths. Both the cops and child services are completely useless, of course. Obviously, the conflicts are very blunt and one-dimensional, but the adult lead actress is very good and helps to keep things together. She has a gritty, hard-nosed edge to her character that is compelling to watch.
Again (2013) (Japanese Drama) – In this coming-of-age drama, a teenage girl’s life is changed when she moves to a new town and meets a troubled young man. After a disturbing event, she is forced to come to terms with it. This is a very serious drama that has an edge to it. It feels raw and realistic, establishing an underlying intensity. The resolution of the pivotal event is different from most films that focus on such things, which could be offensive to some people. Sound design is really good. Very slow-paced though.
The Flowers of War (2011) (Chinese War Drama/Action) – An American finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking in a church with a group of women in this film by Zhang Yimou. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety. The acting is very hit-or-miss, which gives a soap opera-ish vibe at times. Dialogue and character interaction are basic, even boring at times. The runtime of 146 minutes feels too long. However, there are some good moments here and there. The battle scenes are all very good, and likely represent the best aspect of the film. This is a decent flick with great production values, but “City of Life and Death” is way better.
Not Recommended
The Drug King (2018) (Korean Crime Drama) – Set in Busan during the 1970s, a man (Kang-ho Song) builds an empire as a drug smuggler in the Busan underworld while a public prosecutor attempts to take him down. The acting and production values are good, but the scriptwriting is extremely bland. There are many scenes in this movie that feel too short, almost abridged. Nothing lasts long enough to make much of an impression. Du-na Bae shows up about an hour into the film, and only has 10+ minutes of screentime in a thankless role. A very forgettable flick.
Amour (2012) (Austrian/French Drama) – Georges and Anne are an elderly couple. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested. This is “Old Person 101” in its most boring form. Think about the plot synopsis for 30 seconds and that’s all the content you get in this entire film. There’s nothing interesting about this movie at all. Tedious endurance tests like this are what give “art-house” films a bad name. Wake me when it’s over.
The Spy Gone North (2018) (Korean Drama/Thriller) – In 1993, a former military officer is sent to infiltrate a group of high-ranking North Korean officials based in Beijing, with the ultimate goal of acquiring information on the North's nuclear program. Seems a bit generic in terms of premise, but it definitely grabbed my interest because much of the focus is on international business instead of nuclear threats. This movie does a good job of showing that our protagonist had to be smart in terms of how he goes about his mission. It creates a nicely complex and interesting situation. The acting, direction, and music are all top notch. Very solid cast of big time talent. Most of the characters, including the North Korean ones, are multi-layered. No action scenes or chases; it’s a slow-burn dramatic tension.
The Limit of Sleeping Beauty (2017) (Japanese Drama/Romance) (repeat viewing) – Aki came to Tokyo ten years ago to become an actress. She is now 29-years-old and works as a magician’s assistant, but her partying lifestyle propels her on a hallucinogenic trip that blends her past, present and unreality. This is nicely shot and incorporates much music and dance. This is an energetic and briskly paced film because of how it is presented. Editing and sound design are very good too. This is a psychological art film that is interesting to watch because it is sufficiently disorienting yet still has an overall point to make regarding the protagonist. The ending is emotionally resonant too.
Ip Man Legacy: Master Z (2018) (Chinese Action) – While keeping a low profile after his defeat from Ip Man, Cheung Tin Chi gets into trouble after getting in a fight with a powerful foreigner. Jin Zhang is awesome, and this movie is another feather in his cap. This does not waste time. We get a good fight within the opening 10 minutes and the pacing is brisk. The action choreography is top notch and executed at a high level. Tony Jaa has a cameo fight, and the finale between Jin Zhang and Dave Batista is solid. This will satisfy action junkies.
In a Better World (2010) (Danish Drama/Thriller) – After their sons are bullied at school, the lives of two Danish families cross each other. There’s a smoldering intensity beneath the surface, since one of the themes is violence and retaliation. One of the fathers is very passive, while one of the sons is more aggressive, but you can understand both of their perspectives. Some very good dialogue here. Very nicely shot. This is dramatically powerful stuff that could be considered a coming-of-age film since it focuses so much on the kids.
Recommended
Parks (2017) (Japanese Drama/Comedy) – Three students meet and bond as they attempt to finish writing an old romance song that was written and exchanged between their ancestors. This is a pleasant film that has characters who feel innocent. There’s some emphasis on the love of music, as well as the potential misinterpretation of music. I like Ai Hashimoto, and she seems to give her best performances in the most laid-back kinds of films. In this film, she’s more humorous and klutzy than usual, but in a realistic, charming way. There are a lot of funny little moments in this. The acting is expressionistic, but the girls (including Mei Nagano) do a great job. Shota Sometani does overdo it in spots with his cutesy voice, however. But as a package these three are a nice little trio to follow. There are a few things that surprised me, but there are also some things that I’m confused about and may need multiple viewings to understand.
The Wandering Earth (2019) (Chinese Sci Fi Action/Drama) – The sun was dying out, people all around the world built giant planet thrusters to move Earth out of its orbit and to sail Earth to a new star system, but something goes wrong and Earth is caught in Jupiter’s gravitational pull. Wu Jing in space? I’m there. The environments are done very well, and this includes the set designs, practical effects, and CGI. This is constantly interesting on a visual level. There are a few parts during the middle section that feel like a typical disaster movie, but the final 40 or so minutes are solid and quite entertaining. This film breaks the laws of physics almost immediately, so do not go in expecting scientific accuracy.
Sleepless (2001) (Italian Giallo Thriller) – An elderly and retired police detective (Max von Sydow) and a young amateur sleuth team up to find a serial killer whom has resumed a killing spree after a 17-year hiatus, but perhaps it is a copycat. This film by Dario Argento begins with a surprisingly long and effective murder sequence that lasts a whopping 20+ minutes! The acting/dubbing is pretty terrible at times (especially near the beginning), but there are some very entertaining death scenes to enjoy as well as an engaging mystery. There’s some fun interaction between Max and his pet bird as well. This is perhaps a bit slow at times and a bit too long at almost two full hours, but it’s good.
Miss Baek (2018) (Korean Drama) – A woman's past as a convict follows her everywhere until she strikes up a friendship with a broken child who has suffered from domestic violence. The physical and emotional abuse of the child is brutal to sit thru, and the parents are cartoonish psychopaths. Both the cops and child services are completely useless, of course. Obviously, the conflicts are very blunt and one-dimensional, but the adult lead actress is very good and helps to keep things together. She has a gritty, hard-nosed edge to her character that is compelling to watch.
Again (2013) (Japanese Drama) – In this coming-of-age drama, a teenage girl’s life is changed when she moves to a new town and meets a troubled young man. After a disturbing event, she is forced to come to terms with it. This is a very serious drama that has an edge to it. It feels raw and realistic, establishing an underlying intensity. The resolution of the pivotal event is different from most films that focus on such things, which could be offensive to some people. Sound design is really good. Very slow-paced though.
The Flowers of War (2011) (Chinese War Drama/Action) – An American finds refuge during the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking in a church with a group of women in this film by Zhang Yimou. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety. The acting is very hit-or-miss, which gives a soap opera-ish vibe at times. Dialogue and character interaction are basic, even boring at times. The runtime of 146 minutes feels too long. However, there are some good moments here and there. The battle scenes are all very good, and likely represent the best aspect of the film. This is a decent flick with great production values, but “City of Life and Death” is way better.
Not Recommended
The Drug King (2018) (Korean Crime Drama) – Set in Busan during the 1970s, a man (Kang-ho Song) builds an empire as a drug smuggler in the Busan underworld while a public prosecutor attempts to take him down. The acting and production values are good, but the scriptwriting is extremely bland. There are many scenes in this movie that feel too short, almost abridged. Nothing lasts long enough to make much of an impression. Du-na Bae shows up about an hour into the film, and only has 10+ minutes of screentime in a thankless role. A very forgettable flick.
Amour (2012) (Austrian/French Drama) – Georges and Anne are an elderly couple. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested. This is “Old Person 101” in its most boring form. Think about the plot synopsis for 30 seconds and that’s all the content you get in this entire film. There’s nothing interesting about this movie at all. Tedious endurance tests like this are what give “art-house” films a bad name. Wake me when it’s over.
