Zíza

This is exactly one of those rare things I won't even try because I'm (rightly) afraid of giving it a garbage rating! And I sure as hell don't like doing that. I won't do it, I'll be happy, I may not have anything to talk to about with a million and a half people, but I'll survive. But it's the first time I've seen a rating composed entirely of garbage. Interesting, the poor Turks ^^

Although I'm dismissive of themes where people die from the start, I jumped on the series because what I do like are stories where two strangers get together under some sort of contract, and plus I also like Uee from High Society, I thought she was good there. But what she's doing here is beyond my expectations. She's incredible! Even though she cries a lot, in the end you feel sympathy for her and she portrays it so beautifully you can't help but mourn with her. Plus, she and Lee Seo-jin were very good together, they had very natural chemistry and that mutual affection was beautifully believable (their relationship is really very nicely conceived). In the end, even the little one wasn't as annoying as I found her at the beginning. What I also liked about the series is that there really is a shift, and it happens with almost everyone – everyone has a starting point at the beginning, and the main characters and their loved ones find themselves somewhere else by the end, their situations or backgrounds transformed. And you just don't get that a lot with TV series. For example, the main character is all alone in a miserable position at the beginning, but by the end she's got the support of many and has a reasonable guy by her side. Of course, the series is not all positives, it wasn't completely perfect, but I still enjoyed it and looked forward to new episodes every week. I'm a bit sad about the ending, I think I would have liked something more tangible [BEGIN SPOILER] my ideal would have been a little scene at the very end where Daddy and his now grown daughter stand in the crematorium by Mama's headstone and go to report that they are still well – I think that scene would have been lovely punctuation; we wouldn't know when she died, as we do now, but we would know that the daughter and father are still together and well after her death, that would seem ideal to me).[END SPOILER]

What would you rather be? A gift shopper or a painter? Obviously you'd rather paint, but you know what... if no one is interested in your paintings, you're just wiped out and have to make a living somehow... and by chance you're good at picking out gifts, so you give that a try... well, then you meet a wealthy guy in the cafe next to the gallery who doesn't have time, he's always working, but of course you change him in a few days, because you're great at picking out gifts and you're great at painting, and that's exactly what he needs. Bullshit without Christmas spirit. A weak 2 stars.

Not a bad movie at all, but I was expecting a bit more suspense. It's full of rising stars, the new Oguri Shun and Horikita Maki, so if you want to see what starlets we’re seeing growing up in Japan, this film is worth it for that aspect alone. On the other hand, they don't all get quite the space to showcase their best. Some can do better – like Sugisaki Hana and Mackenyu. The story isn't as complicated as it looks, the denouement is such a nice Japanese one, and basically if you haven't seen many similar stories, you won't know them and you’ll like this. If you already know similar plots like the back of your hand, it won't surprise you, it won't excite you, but it won't offend you either. A nice 3 stars.

I like Stephen King a lot. It's just that not all adaptations of his books are excellent. Unfortunately, I haven't had the privilege of reading the book, so I can't compare this time, but if I were to rate the movie, and I probably should since I'm typing this blabber here, it would be four stars. But for what, though? For the atmosphere? John Cusack's performance? The storyline? The satisfying ending, where the wife's bulging eyes confirm that her husband really did experience something? I add it up, I scratch twice, and yeah, it's a well-deserved 4 stars. Definitely for me.

I felt like I was in High School Musical at the beginning, then ended up just in high school. It wasn't bad. Not that I cracked the screen with laughter, no, but I wasn't bored. One good scene is when the "best friend" has a date. That one kind of amused me. Otherwise, as always Matthew was awesome, I still see Chandler in him, but it was quite fitting here. And then, after the movie, it's interesting to watch the credits for a while, enhanced by the visual aids ;-)

It's almost like the creators know me – everything hurts so much and you can't erase the past. What I mean by that is this: the heroine may be inept, and at certain times she doesn't use her head, but she's not stupid; she hasn't forgotten how she was when she was a few pounds heavier, its kept rotting away inside her (i.e. a friend is more than some show). [MAY CONTAIN A MINOR SPOILER!] Her singing was good. The ending is half Hollywood: so what if you've had like a thousand plastic surgeries... Still, it's not quite the ending you might expect and that some romantic souls will demand (though who knows). [END SPOILER] She was appealing, he was too. A sweet 4 stars :-)

The idea of Japan or Tokyo in 2030 was not a happy one. Everything was futuristic and depersonalized, people felt uneasy. Although they may have had all the comforts, it wasn't enough because comfort just isn't everything. As one character said – people want to be in trouble, people want to worry. Otherwise, apparently, life has no meaning. In terms of the acting it's ok, it’s also interesting as a journey into the not-too-distant future. It's a short glimpse of a family and certainly enough to be interesting. Though slightly naive, still probably the most realistic character was Eita's sister, played by Renbutsu Misako. Interesting. It’s topical even now.

I liked the atmosphere – slow and simmering on the burner, you don’t know who’s with whom, what game anyone’s playing, there’s a bit of confusion, secrecy, and, let's face it, chaos for the viewer (which of course I didn't mind because I rather enjoyed the confusion, plus I thought it was fine, everything will come to light, there's a second and third film, it's fair that there would be a bit of confusion at this stage). It got more and more intense. Pleasantly, and the film was still headed somewhere. In fact, it was heading there pretty fast, and I was wondering what the hell was going to happen in the other instalments if it's going this fast. It was even funny, the flashbacks to the protagonists' past were good. But oh, the length. Indeed, it was getting a bit long towards the end, to the point where I wanted to fast forward a bit, maybe just 5 seconds. But I wasn't allowed to do that by the other viewer (I didn't even ask because I could see how much the other person was enjoying it). Well, it was altogether a pretty decent introduction to this hot mess. And on we go.

The second instalment was slightly worse than the first. It didn't explain much and maybe only poured in a bit more crap (if you’re not really used to watching Asian work you’ll soon get lost in the characters because they’ll all seem "the same"). Another minus is, once again, the drawn out running time; but I get it, you have to show everything. It's not as interesting as the first instalment and the plot in particular is a bit lame. Still, an absolutely essential film, with some great scenes; it’s lacking Karasawa Toshiaki (I really missed that guy), but has Toyokawa and the homeless guy with the prophecies. You might even have a good laugh at it. Oh yeah, and "bucho" finally shows up. :-)