Pethushka

I believe The Handmaiden will be something completely different for a lot of viewers. More important than the story, which has an excellent twist, is the completely original, borderline-perfect treatment. The best thing about the whole film, in my opinion, is the division of the story into three parts and the precise cinematography. Actually, I can't even say that the cinematographer did a good job with it, it would sound somehow underrated. This was no acting, it was a very skilled job, shot with confidence. Another thing that plays a very important role and adds to the overall impression is the costumes. It was also because of these and the hair styling that some of the shots were so famous. Of course, no less credit goes to the actors, who performed something incredible under the direction of Park. The only thing I could easily do without are the rather lengthy sex scenes. It's hard to say how the rest of the film would have affected me in their absence, and if the story would have lost its weight without them. In any case, there were too many of them. And they were also quite detailed and perhaps a bit too overt. /// Since I still can't get The Handmaiden out of my head, I'm raising the rating one more star after a month.

After a pretty slow start, we’re off on a great show full of twists, action, and suspense. Apart from the nicely conceived intrigues in the palace, the plot revolves around the gradually emerging friendship between the Musketeers and also around the relationship between the prince and the princess, which in the end was probably the most compelling part of the series for me. But I also enjoyed the soundtrack and the cinematography. Of the actors, Jin-wook Lee definitely stands out. He doesn't seem like a boy, but he has a huge charisma about him. The actors also played the other characters very well at the very least. So apart from the ending, which just didn't quite satisfy me, I'm satisfied beyond measure. A strong 4 stars.

If there's one thing I hate, it's animal violence. And that goes for movies as well. While I mostly admire Korean cinema for not messing around and being as considerate of the viewer as their Western counterparts, when it comes to animal abuse, they're a little too open about it in my opinion. And sometimes they even cross the line. I absolutely loathe these scenes and for a few minutes afterwards my stomach is clenched and my experience of the film is ruined. Okay, a shallow script built on stupid and illogical character behavior is in itself not a good foundation. Normally I wouldn't bother, but when a detective, photo in hand, is looking for the building he's (incidentally and coincidentally) standing next to and can only find it when a little girl shows him, you tell yourself that they've gotten carried away. But then there's another (actually completely unnecessary) scene with the little girl's father, and you realize that the little girl is actually the only intelligent character in the whole film. And not to be critical, she's also superbly acted. With Beom Kim it’s all up and then down again. If he doesn't have a really capable director standing next to him, he doesn't give much. But he's proven more than once that he's got it in him. Kang-woo Kim's performance, on the other hand, was one of the more positive things about the film. 2.5 stars.

I really can’t give a sixth star, just once? Really no? When Eric and everyone else who worked on the show deserve it so much? There was nothing, just nothing, that didn't sit right with me. Everything was just right. Funny, romantic, crazy, insane, love scenes... all so divinely straightforward. Like the main character herself. You can't help but love her and her crazy parents. The same goes for all of Do-kyung’s roommates and staff. They shined in almost every shot. Plus the series has fantastic cinematography and editing. The flashbacks here are also beautifully done. The various details make them really engaging and you don't get the feeling that the creators are just stretching out the episodes with them. And the icing on the cake is Eric's most beautiful voice. I could listen to that all the time. 100%... not 89%, a full 100%!

Quite frankly, it's insane bullshit and I'd much rather see all those great actors in a different movie, with a different storyline, and easily in a different genre. It's just that when Hyeok Jang and Min-ah Shin are in something together, it can't be completely useless. The first star is for them and Hyo-jin Gong. The second is for the very high-quality fight scenes. I won't comment on the story and the lame jokes. And why it's two hours long, I cannot fathom. 2 stars

Acting-wise, this is an absolutely bravura series. Soo Ko totally rocks, especially in the beginning. I don't know how he feels about it, but I'd easily call it the role of his lifetime. I don't think he even spoke once in one episode, yet you could feel so much emotion from him. I really liked Da-hae Lee too. With her, I feel like the older the show gets, the better she acts. I mean, she used to give so much more. When I compare her here and in Chuno or Iris II, it's like I'm watching two completely different actresses. Kim Seo-hyeong was just as great as Cha Yoo-ran. She showed so many faces that it's almost hard to believe that it's still the same woman. And then there's the main villain, played by another man of many faces, Jong-hyuk Lee. As much as I loved him in A Gentleman's Dignity, I hated him here. And I could name more and more actors. Almost without exception, they all make for a unique spectacle. As for the script, it's a well-crafted revenge story that certainly doesn't spare the viewer. You can expect that it won’t be a walk in the park. There will be crying, suffering, whimpering in pain, but in the end you will most likely say it was worth it. The atmosphere here is also pretty good. As I wrote somewhere, I would compare it a bit to Phoenix, and a bit to Time Between Dog and Wolf. But what started to bug me a bit after a few episodes was the soundtrack. For a series of this length, I think they should have used more songs. 4 stars.

There's competition among cartoons this year where just having a bunch of funny characters definitely won't keep you in the game. It takes a story. Preferably one that will entertain kids and adults in roughly equal proportions. It must be all the better when it features the same characters for the umpteenth time. While it's true that the filmmakers still have some pretty cool ideas for torturing a squirrel chasing his dream nut, isn't it getting a little stale? It's going to need some kind of fresh air, at the very least. Otherwise, the animation is great, although that's become almost commonplace in recent years. 3 stars.

A beautiful rendition of The Jungle Book. Probably the most successful one I've seen so far. The kid who played Mowgli was excellent, but the animals keep up with him nicely too. Always something to look at. The only thing I thought was a little unnecessary was the monkey segment. I could have done without the singing monkey in particular. And those few minutes are the reason why I’m not giving it full marks. Still, I recommend it and will gladly watch it again. 4.5 stars.

I would easily call the very beginning of the film brilliant. You tell yourself that this wouldn't be just any movie. But then the genius just disappears. And then it reappears in maybe two or three scenes. So there are as many scenes that are very good as there are scenes where you want to burst out laughing at the ineptitude. Aside from the sometimes rather trite script, the biggest weakness is Tarzan himself. I don't know if it was a poor choice of actor or if he was just written that oddly, but I wasn't impressed at all. I get it, he was raised by animals and had to behave differently, but this just wasn't it. So muscles... fine, he had them. But charisma? None. Too bad. On the other hand, the best thing about the whole movie, from my point of view, was the charming Margot. She had an interestingly written character and she could sell it. Otherwise, I'd recommend The Jungle Book, which came out at almost the same time. That one is much more sophisticated and catchy. 3 stars.

I can't stop marveling at what tvN has been doing lately. I'm beginning to wonder if I should even waste my time with the other stations. :)) No, seriously... Signal is another show I can gush about for minutes here and still not do it justice. So I'll cut it short. I simply can’t find fault in this piece. Whether I'm judging the actors, the characters, the atmosphere, the tension, the soundtrack, the action sequences, or the story itself, I have nothing to complain about. It's so thoughtful, catchy, and suspenseful that you'll probably forget all the crime stuff you've seen before. I can't even believe the same person wrote the script for 3 Days. I don't seek out second seasons for Korean series, but here I consider it a necessity. And since the writer has earned my faith in this one, I'm looking forward to it and I trust that I won't be disappointed then next time she picks up her pen.