Pethushka

Riders of Justice has so much to offer that I feel like I've only watched very limited films up until now. You want drama and emotion? You got it. You want action? You got it! You want laughs? Oh, for sure. I would never doubt Mads Mikkelsen as an actor, but I would never have expected him to have such fists. And the whole pack of them, just like the combination of genres, comes together nicely. Ah, Denmark. 4.5 stars

It has its charms, no question about it. I liked the style of humor too, intelligent and unobtrusive. The guys are likable, although for me Virus was barely tolerable. But the problem is that it was soooo long. And where I probably should have felt moved, I didn't. On the other hand, I have to admit that the soundtrack really grabbed me this time. 3 stars.

While I'm a fan of the shorter series format, it definitely wouldn't hurt to flesh it out a bit more here. I know that in this genre it's desirable to have some distance between the characters and the viewer, but I still would have liked to have gone deeper with them. Or at least with the protagonist. Hae-in played his part more than adequately, but except for the ending where he was given room to stretch a bit, his role was written pretty flat. The soundtrack is a bit more English again, but there's no avoiding that trend. And actually, I'm not even complaining about it that much. I shed a tear at the end, so all good. 4 stars.

Alice really appealed to me in terms of the atmosphere and style in which it was made. Emilie is convincing as Alice and very naturally evokes the viewer’s sympathy. And opposite her stands probably the most desperate type of sociopath I can imagine. It wasn't hard for me to watch at all, as they both give excellent performances. Perhaps the only thing keeping it from perfection is a more elaborate denouement. I'll take it, but it didn't quite come to fruition for me.

I would like to see more of this kind of variety in Czech cinema. A civil, sadly funny film, which rests on its dialogue and the personality of the main character. I've always liked Jenovéfa. I like how she is her own person, how great irony sounds coming out of her mouth, and also how "normal" she is. Yeah, I was missing a bit more of an ending, but on the other hand I appreciate that for once someone isn't telling us how to live. 3.5 stars.

Malcolm and Marie, and their argument that lasts over an hour and a half and keeps going around in circles. Surprisingly, I didn't even mind that there wasn’t any plot development since the film is visually appealing, and despite the content and dialogue where the two try to hurt each other as much as possible, I stayed nicely calm and relaxed while watching it. I don't know if that would be a compliment or an insult to Sam, but I definitely prefer it to falling into a depression. So all good by me.

That was beautiful. Beautiful, pleasant, and a little sad. Family and its strength in its purest form. I doff my cap to Mr. Park, because to star in a show like this at his age is amazingly motivating. I've known he was a likable guy for a long time, but I'm still glad I got to enjoy his acting talents in this quantity. And Song Kang? I can hardly fathom how a person could learn ballet so perfectly in half a year. I’m sure he'll have a lot of female fans as an actor too, even though so far I'm only halfway to being one myself. In the dancing scenes, and when he melted a little or got angry, basically whenever he expressed himself emotionally, I was his. In the moments when he was cold and pretended he wasn't enjoying life – which was often, unfortunately – I liked him a lot less. But the chemistry that the girls here write about, it's really there between the main couple, and it makes this series totally unique. 4.5 stars

Those two were so crazy sweet, I would have loved to see them side by side a little longer. It was funny, but also pretty deep, and one of their arguments made me so uncomfortable I felt like I was directly involved in it. Anyway, the balance between the humorous and the serious was extremely successful in my opinion. Woo Jeong isn't exactly handsome at first glance, but he makes up for it with such a dose of charisma that he makes me weak in the knees even when I’m sitting down. And Yeon-seo Oh finally gets a chance to really let her hair down. But what pleased me even more was that the spirit of a proper Korean village can come alive even in the middle of Seoul (because those women just drove her there). My second KakaoTV series has convinced me that we have a lot to look forward to in the future. Whether it's the shorter running time, the irregular number of episodes, or the openness in TV series, a new wind is blowing and I just love it. 5 stars

I get the feeling that Filipino cinema is not too well known in our country so I don't want to be too critical of it. The truth is that this film has perhaps the simplest script you can imagine. The boss switches roles with her assistant... and I probably don't even need to tell you what happens next. On the other hand, this type of film is a "must have" for every country. And here you get to see a little bit of the great outdoors. That will be your reward for the mediocre acting and other areas where the film falls a little short. I'm definitely not giving up on Filipino film, but I'm still waiting for a decent find from this country. 2.5 stars

And so the Yanks can check off their "Korean movie". You could say it's similar to the dramas we know from Korea, only a bit weaker, without a proper plot, without any surprising moments. I believe that viewers who are not used to Korean filmmaking, actors, and their habits and actions might be charmed by it. I do wonder where the added value is. Yeah, sure, there's the connection between the two countries, and that has its charm, but what else? I guess my expectations were too high. 3 stars.