Pethushka

For me, this movie ended the moment there was a scene I just couldn't get past. After that, I watched it with an acquired disgust, so what I might have appreciated elsewhere, I can't appreciate here. It's just too raw a drama for me. Only for the acting, which I just can't knock, am I giving it 2 stars. And I have to go watch something nice to improve my mood.

A nice film that I can't really find any fault with apart from the ridiculous plot and a few weak spots. The female trio is made up of fine actresses, so it's fun to watch their gradual bonding. Soo-bin Bae maybe could have been given more screen time, because sometimes the women were too much. There are very few really funny scenes, but the whole thing is carried in a good mood, so the viewer gets infected with it in the end too. 3.5 stars.

A light thriller that has style and flair in the form of the irresistible Shi-yeon Park. It sets itself apart from classic crime thrillers with a fair amount of casual humor and well chosen supporting characters (e.g. Kwang-soo Lee). You’re kept in constant suspense but given a chance to breathe and laugh. Hee-soon Park scored full marks with me as the detective. Actually, overall, the cast did a good job. Even the music did its part more than well.

I haven't had such a good time at a movie in a while. The cast is excellent, although our Ji-sub could have been given a more thoughtful role. He didn't have much to work with here. The plot is slightly predictable, but we are still spared the classic clichés. The strong point is definitely the very likeable music. I'll try to be at least a little objective this time and give it only 4 stars, but the feeling after watching it is still worth 5 stars. If they'd tweaked the ending a bit and played on my emotions a bit more, I probably wouldn't have held back.

A Good Day to Have an Affair definitely belongs in the "mood enhancer" category. The story is pretty simple, but the upbeat atmosphere makes it something extraordinary. Hye-soo Kim oozes positive energy and Min-ki Lee was more than just a cute toy to her. It's a bit more complicated with the other couple, but I found them likable in their own way too. Sometimes you don't need drama in a movie, and this movie is made for just such moments. 4 stars.

Everything you can imagine in a Korean drama is all here in one place. And surprisingly, it doesn't feel overdone. Shi-yeon Park finally got a role she could do well in. I've always wanted to see her in one of these roles. Still, the star of the show for me was Chae-won Moon, who surprised me a lot. Her earlier performances in other series were nowhere near this level of quality. Joong-ki Song is a very fine actor, though I'm still more taken with the likes of Hyun Bin, Rain, or Hyeok Jang. But that doesn't change the fact that he handled his role incredibly well. His looks gave me goosebumps at times and I never knew what to expect from him. A great show.

As beautiful as this show can be, it can also be cruel. And while Korea has hit me in the heart a few times, it got me full on yet again. You just can't mentally prepare for this. The drama of the royal family is a huge topic in itself. And then there's that "thing" between the North and the South... which is used really fantastically here. The music is fairly subtle, but it left a lot in me. Not to mention that it's most of what made some of the key scenes so spectacular. There’s probably no need to comment on the performances of the two leads and their entire relationship. I was also fascinated by the princess and the chief secretary's son. The only thing they didn't do that well, in my opinion, was the whole MS (episodes 14 and 15). But I soon forgave them and let them carry on. A dorama that didn't let me sleep and took me back to somewhere in the beginning when I could get really excited while watching something. A dorama that got me more than once... 5 stars.

This movie is the best I've seen from Japan so far. I really liked both actors. And Haruka Ajase was adorable, I really enjoyed her role. The movie is such a journey in itself. It might be a mess for some, but I like change, so I take it as a nice bit of variety. Cyborg Girl is like a palette of different genres in the hand of the right painter.

A lot of nice effects popped up, but the stupid story is just unforgivable. The whole world revolves around John Cusack, who drives under a falling skyscraper to escape all manner of disasters on air, land and sea by a hair’s breadth a hundred different times. Not to mention the unnatural reactions of his entire family. A long, long waste of time. A weak 2 stars.

As much as I try to take this dorama as a whole, I still tend to split it into two parts. I liked the first four episodes from the 70s an awful lot. That whole era is so magical, fresh, and sensual. You could see in the eyes of the main characters that this love was the one. Add to that my favorite "three seconds" and some wonderful gestures and quotes. The transition to the present day took some getting used to, but after a while it won me over, too. Since the adults' story had a very good foundation, I was more moved by their encounter than the initial coming of age. While it’s true that Yoona does not rank among the TOP actresses, but Geun-seok with her talents pulled it off for both of them. There's beautiful music playing throughout the series, and I'll have it playing in my ears for a long time. It's not perfect, but I simply owe it a weaker 5 stars.