Pethushka

I came to the film in the simplest way possible – the title caught my eye. And since I'm trying to get at least a rough idea of Filipino cinema so I don't miss out on anything in life, I didn't hesitate to watch it. The story is very simple, as are the actions of the characters. At the same time, I can't say that the cast worked for me. The main character is cute but quite bland, his brother is completely neutral, and the heroine not very natural. I liked the soundtrack and was very surprised by the ending. I hadn't expected that. On the whole, a weaker 3 stars.

Once again, I've confirmed that Byeong-heon Lee is a master actor. Politics is definitely not a topic I crave in a movie, but somehow I was intrigued by the poster and felt like watching the above, so I gave it a shot. I got into the plot pretty much after a few minutes, and very soon I was riding the wave of enjoying the great acting job the main character was doing here. And boy was he ever... 4 stars.

If there's anything brilliant about this series, it's definitely the denouement and overall ending. It gave me chills. The acting was very well done, everyone got to me, and from a certain point I had to know how it was going to end. A very original idea definitely worthy of a series (it's probably too complicated for a movie). And this one is definitely not to be missed. 4.5 stars

Apart from not comprehending the actions of the lead character I quite enjoyed the film. After a while, his behavior almost seemed like a parody, which I kinda think the filmmakers intended. Anyway, the scene where his behavior came to a head cracked me up so much I had to pause the movie for a moment due to a fit of laughter. Even though it has love in the title, it's not the least bit romantic. Original and quite entertaining, yes. No regrets, 3 stars.

As a big fan of Korean baseball, I thought this was pretty cool. Had I not been a fan, I can't really imagine what I should have enjoyed about the movie. Probably not the main character. I don't go for perpetually pouty girls pissed off at the world, so I can't say much for her performance. Plus, I was annoyed by the way her hair kept getting in her eyes. She only gained my sympathy towards the end by doing what I had been expecting from the start. Nothing surprising, slightly moving, I don't see myself watching it again. 3 stars.

Oh Zain, you broke my heart. With your innocence, maturity, and perseverance. And no one taught you that. The direction, the cinematography, the acting, the believability of the story, everything is pitched just right and in such a way that it moves you and at the same time "rips you to shreds". I can't remember the last time a film hit me so emotionally and uncontrollably. I don't think it's happened in the past year. I can't think of a better way to comment on something so fragile. My hat is off to Nadine for the way she was able to grapple with such content, it must have hurt terribly. 5 stars.

I'll admit that the script is well thought out and everything fits together nicely like a puzzle in the end, but the journey to that ending was an ordeal at times. I would have preferred something other than the dozens of minutes of banal scheming between the characters. The love story is also a terrible bother that's almost pointless. On top of that, I didn't care for much of the cast. I don't think I want to see El I in anything else after this, I can't imagine a worse acting performance. Now for some positives. The series has a wonderful soundtrack. And it's got Black. Seung-heon Song is cute and easy to watch. I'm looking forward to seeing him in something more interesting (to me). I'm glad I'm done watching this, and I probably won't come back to this series in the future. 2.5 stars

I haven't seen much of India yet, so I don't really know what a classic Indian film is supposed to look like. In any case this, let's say artier, style appeals to me. It reeks of a lower budget and inexperience, but at the same time that's the beauty of it. I'm rooting for the film all the more because it focuses on subject that is a forbidden in its country of origin. 3.5 stars.

Another romance film that I felt never developed into anything. The plot is fine, it looked like some good (and unpretentious) entertainment. The chemistry between the actors grows to a point where they kill it in the stupidest way. And so we find out that the smart lawyer isn't actually that smart, and that her client has to be told to open his eyes by the least vocal person in order to realize the meaning of life and get on with that mind-numbingly boring ending. A weaker 3 stars.

A fairly simple story, easy to lap up, yet it has some depth. I wouldn't say it will surprise you with anything, it will probably unfold exactly as you expect, but in truth that's how the viewer wants to see it anyway. The actors are likable, especially the doctor and the daughter, who at one point moved me in a way that doesn’t normally work on me. The French countryside isn't that much different from ours, is it? 3.5 stars.