Holy gangsters :)

It is said that spirituality should not be used for jokes, but sometimes that is justified. This film uses different religions and spiritualities in a very good way, for a joke, but also for inspiration. For a moment it may seem that the film makes fun of faith, but in fact it conveys the message that faith has its own strength and meaning, and the message that different faiths together give greater strength is also noble.

The Korean title of the film is 목스박 which stands for 목사 (pastor), 스님 (monk) and 박수무당 (shaman), according to the three main characters who suddenly take on the roles of these holy figures leading to various funny and absurd situations. Since this is a family friendly action comedy after all, I am a little disappointed with the excessive use of curse words. The characters are just as crazy as they should be, to combine the comedy and the action for a fun watching experience. In some absurd way, this is a good movie about religious dialogue and cooperation.

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Is there luck for everyone?

What a strange movie! This is not a movie I'd want to watch twice, but I'm still glad I saw it. It is about a talisman that brings luck to his owner and about a man who tries to finally put an end to the failures he has experienced all his life. The actors should be complimented for being able to sustain the movie since it relies mostly on the performance and acting of the two main protagonists. The entire movie actually has only three scenes in which the entire action takes place. There is only the addition of a church in the background at one scene, which seemed to me to be a convenient insert to the story about superstition. I hope that the church is shown to turn the viewer away from superstition and towards the true faith. The question about happiness and whether there is enough happiness for everyone or whether we have to steal it from each other is also interesting.

My complaint is that the story is dragged out for an hour and twenty minutes, and I would shorten it by a whole hour. All the dialogue is repeated at least twice, especially the message about the lucky talisman, which the filmmakers decided to explain ten times how it works. I think the movie would work great as a short movie, but it is also watchable like this thanks to the energy and effort of the main actors.

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Are we living in Concrete Utopia?

I finally saw this movie. I already watched Badland Hunters and The Bargain pt. 1 and pt.2 in Korean cinemas, which are part of this world affected by a devastating earthquake, the consequences of which turned the entire country into a wasteland. Concrete Utopia is a type of films that I really like because they talk about survival in dangerous situations and about human psychology. On the one hand, I would like the people in the film to be more humane towards their neighbors, because that way they would start rebuilding what the earthquake destroyed, but probably this kind of presentation is more realistic. Man's first survival instinct is to be selfish and take care of himself. Nevertheless, in one impressive scene, the film provides a glimmer of light and hope in an artistic way, through the stained glass window of a ruined church.

So, this film is brutal, less because of the tragedy of the great earthquake itself, and more because of the relationships between people who manage to survive as best they know how. Here we have a number of top actors and all of them managed to convey the emotion of despair and anguish in a very difficult situation. And at the end, I have a question: Isn't the behavior of people in this movie a reflection of the real behavior of people in today's civilized world, because our reality is even more than in the movie, a real Concrete Utopia!?

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Beauty Photoshoot

It is clear from the beginning that this is a B-movie. Actually, it is hard for me to believe that this was first a drama series turned into a theatrical release. Artistically there is nothing of worth here but there is some entertainment in watching beautiful girls doing photoshoots. For me that was the best part of the movie – just enjoying looking at some beautiful Korean women. I guess the appeal of this movie is to show these actors to the public and it doesn’t try to hard to be a good movie.

Storywise, it was all too silly and unbelievable. The theme of vampires is used just as background for the romance and drama but is not realized very well. This movie doesn’t work as Sci-Fi or fantasy, but it has some worth as a comedy. I must admit, I had a laugh or two watching this.

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Go to sleep and it will go away

I didn't know, before watching the movie, that I am watching a monodrama. That would change my expectations from the movie, but the ways I saw it, it was too long and exhausting. Just a minor spoiler: the movie starts with a 5-minute sequence of a man walking through dark rooms and nothing happens. That might set the tone of suspense for some viewers, but one minute would be just fine.

I couldn't really relate with the emotions of the main characters but i knew that his inner struggles would all go away if he just went to sleep. He would feel better in the morning. Finally, when the movie starts giving us another perspective, it all becomes more "entertaining" and somehow confusing. So at the end, I compliment the main actor for holding the entire movie on himself and offering us an interesting psychological study of the protagonist, but I can not recommend the movie to the general audience.

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The Time is Now

The first part of the movie was a little better than this sequel, but I'm glad I have now seen the story to the end. The plot combines past and present well and provides a satisfying conclusion to this complicated but entertaining sf adventure. Everything somehow falls into place.

One thing that bothered me while watching was the emphasis on comedy. The film uses every scene and every situation for some stupid jokes. There is one joke on a treadmill that was so stupid that I had to laugh, but otherwise the goofy jokes were just annoying. I also think that the screenwriters were sloppy because the plot flows somewhat forcedly from one event to another without a sufficiently logical sequence.

The special effects are great, the fights are very good, the characters are charismatic. There are a lot of details that make the film attractive, so I spent a fun evening with Alienoid 2 but I still have the impression that the film could have been much better and more dramatic in terms of atmosphere if it had taken itself a little more seriously.

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Not easy being an actor

First, I have to say that I like the actor Yang Dong-geun all the way since „Wild Card (2003)”. Without him this movie would not be worth my time. He brings a little bit of his charisma to guide the young guy who dreams of becoming a movie star but first needs to do the proper lesson. Unfortunately, his acting here also doesn’t appear to be completely sincere so instead of levelling up the acting performance for the rest of the cast they all perform on a mid level.

Actually the movie feels like a gag movie. I am not quite sure if the comedy is intentional or the movie makers wanted a drama, but somehow it wasn’t believable in any way. The positive is that the movie is short and an easy watch and it manages to show some difficulties of becoming an actor. I was actually dreaming of appearing in one of Korean movies but I was reminded here that this is not easy or fun work. A person needs to have some deeper motivation and vocation for acting profession. Music selection was good also.

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Where is Poirot?

The story of the film is not bad. From a simple beginning that did not promise much, the story became more and more complex with constant new plots and twists. Some actions of the protagonists were illogical to me, but I watched everything with interest until the end.

The center of the film takes place in one courtroom with 8 characters, except for a few short scenes from the outside that serve as context. So the scene is limited and the actors had to do a lot of work there, and I can't say that I'm completely satisfied. A film like this requires really top-notch acting because the viewer has the task of reading between the lines, that is, following the gestures of the actors more than the words they say. So the actors did not have an easy job because they are constantly in the scene, but occasionally their emotions are clearly acted out.

This movie reminded me of three things:
1. Movies about detective Poirot who tries to solve the mystery of an unknown murderer by analysing a group of suspicious people, but here such a charismatic character was missing.
2. Social party games like Mafia where you have to bluff to win. The dialogues that the actors had are similar to the assurances of the players that they are or are not the mafia in the aforementioned game.
3. Theatrical performances. Since everything takes place in the same space and the action does not require many effects, I had the impression of watching a theater play through the screen.

Another minus for the film is the camera, which is either static, or has sudden cuts so we don't see the action, or shakes too much at times and looks unprofessional.
Anyway, the film has enough tension that I would recommend it to fans of the crime genre.

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Multiverse of emotions

Another Korean movie with two titles, one in English (Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors) which makes no sense to me and the other Korean (Oh! Soo Jung) which describes much better what kind of movie this is. Despite everything, I think it's hard to have the right expectations for this movie. It is an art film with a serious mature theme, made in black and white, centered around conversations between the main protagonists and long, awkward kisses. I found the film interesting to watch due to it being arranged like a mosaic so that every 5 minutes we have a temporal or dimensional jump in the story, so in the end we get the same story told in two versions and with different conflicting emotions so that in the end we don't know what is true and what is subjective, what is true and what a lie. Are men really in love with "poor" Soo Jung, is she even honest with them a bout her virginity? What actually happened? Which version of the film, if any, reveals the truth, or is it just different subjective perceptions.

Although the film has some entertainment value, I found it uncomfortable and difficult to watch, especially because of the static and overly long kissing scenes. It was as if I had become a voyeur. It is still positive that the characters seem like real people and we can empathize with their emotions and concerns.

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Way of Life

This is one of my favorite Korean movies, and the English name "Nostalgia" fits it perfectly. The movie touched me on many levels. From a cinematic point of view, it is filled with many shots that show the beauty of ordinary life. The characters are real people, not great looking stars, and it feels like I'm watching my neighbors. The acting is deliberately a bit comical to bring us closer to the different personalities of the characters. At the center of the plot is music, which gives meaning and magic to life's experiences. Several songs can be heard in the film, each with its own message and beauty, from traditional songs to folk ballads. Because of the music and the personalities of the characters, I can watch this movie again and again and enjoy it.

More than anything, the film shows an authentic life that many people run away from today, and therefore evokes nostalgia for the lost simplicity of life and community. We all want to be modern, successful, independent, everything should be perfect. But it doesn't have to be perfect, three chords on the guitar are enough for life to have meaning again.

And finally, my favorite verse from the movie: 인생은 함께 가는 사랑길, 혼자서 가기엔 외로워...

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Money isn't Everything

Real Movies show real Life, they give us a new perspective on our own experience or show us "what if" reality. This movie is called "Black Republic" to signalize the bad reality and perspective of the society, but i like the Korean title more "그들도 우리처럼" - They Are Also Like Us. This original title gives us more connections with the theme and the characters in the movie. I was wondering about many characters whose story wasn't developed in the movie but in all of them we see the dark shadow of their existence and struggle for dignity, justice, love, peace, but ultimately hope and better future. It happens so often, as we see in the movie, how people struggle to get money, but money is never the real purpose. People want something else, something meaningful.

This is a movie from the past period of history and cinema, and therefore braver and more honest then new movies, pure in its depiction of the story, without unnecessary twists and turns, not trying to put comedy relief to make it more enjoyable or fun, not trying to put "the message" or worrying about offending the viewer with modern correctness, - just a simple but very impactful story. We mostly follow one man and try to understand him just by observing him and his interactions, so for me this movie was very intriguing and even meditative.

Don't despair in the darkness of today but look for a better tomorrow with hope.

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Victory in Life

I miss movies like this. The martial arts genre is the genre of my youth that I enjoyed the most. Movies of this type have moved into the genre of thrillers, bloody gore or superheroes, but they have never been as good, and that's why I was both surprised and delighted by how much I liked this movie. It reminds me of the golden age of Korean cinema, which for me was from 2005 to 2010 when I was watching Korean movies every day, and in a way this film also belongs to that time.

Actually, I started watching the now movie because it wasn't on my "already seen list", but as soon as the movie switches to the youth of the main characters, I remembered that I had already seen it. I would even say that now, 10 years later, this movie is even better for me than when I watched it for the first time.

The film shows three friends who meet again in the ring after 25 years. The film briefly shows the days of their youth, but the main part of the film is the present time and these actors did the best job. I'm especially glad to see Hwang Jung-min, who is one of my favorite actors, and here he shows how skilled he is in fighting, and also in singing, since we hear his voice in the closing song of the film. The fight choreographies are very good, the story has enough plot and drama to justify the long duration. I have no complaints. A 10 for me.

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Smuggling is not for everybody

Another one of those Korean films that is impossible to place in a specific genre. The atmosphere is a comedy, and the plot is a thriller, with elements of action, drama, and adventure. The film is at times casual and relaxed, and at times bloody brutal, as if I am watching two movies at the same time. In my opinion, the comedic elements are misused and prevent the viewer from enjoying the seriousness, tension and twists in the plot. The plot has a lot of twists and turns and thus constantly makes the movie more and more interesting.

The actors are very good and special praise and respect should be given to the female actors and stuntmen who spent a large part of the film diving underwater.

I also really like the choice of music. At times, the musical numbers seem forced as if they were selected on a jukebox, but I'll forgive that because I like the style of the music and even wish there was more of it. Actually, now after the movie I'm going to listen to some Korean trot and evergreens from the golden seventies.
And yes, one spoiler, at the end I even noticed some dolphins 😊

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Be yourself

This historical cooking drama is very good to watch but loses its balance from scene to scene trying to add so many things. While it is a enjoyable to watch, it has many details that bothered me so it is hard for me to recommend it. I really liked the meals (i always love seeing Korean cousin on screen), and then the dramatic tension in the family and also the question about balancing between expectations and requirements from a society that put a person into a box. So the message (Be yourself) is quite good - one should find his own path and fight for his freedom. I didn't like that the two male leads behave as children or maybe even like they are in love, also i was bothered by themes that weren't properly resolved and by the many scenes presented in a pathetic way trying to artificially stir emotion.

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Oh boy!

From the first scene you can guess correctly where this will go. I started watching it not knowing anything about it and after realizing that at the center is the relationship between two male friends I wanted this to be a show about just friendship, but it turned out to be LGTBQ+ story/propaganda with nice visuals but bad script and acting wasn't convincing. Everyone looked suspicious about the person questioning his identity but no one dared to say anything and the drama never became explicit about it's theme. The Epilogue was a surprise. It worked well from the story perspective but for me it further promoted the - I will say it again - propaganda.

For example there is a performer who they present as a man with female face but he obviously is a woman. So gay story was okay for the most part but wanting to present a man as a beautiful woman, oh boy, that turned me off. It took me four days to finish this drama and i finished it because it is a part of a Drama Special Series that i enjoy a lot and want to complete, and after watching all 225 episodes of the all 14 seasons this is the first one that I felt uncomfortable with.

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