Pethushka

At first I felt like I was back in Train to Busan (if you like movies on a train, I recommend watching it), and got a little lost in the darkness, but once the director's favorite Kang-ho Song joined in, I started to enjoy the erratic ride. In the second part of the film, the director's favorite theme, the clash between two completely different social classes, comes into play. Bong Joon-ho revels in this and knows how to give it the right contrast. Anyone who has ever walked on a plane from Economy Class to First Class actually has a bit of a trailer for this film. It's just a little more extreme here. 3.5 stars.

Mysterious pills, a chance to travel into the past to try and save a loved one. On the one hand, it’s a cliché that's been done hundreds of times, but which might just as well serve as material for a moving story. In the case of Will You Be There? everything points to the fact that this could be that kind of story. After all, the cast is great, the script has some nice ideas, and the opening shots of Cambodia give the viewer hope that this wasn't made by someone just for kicks, but that it's going to be grand. And maybe it is, but I missed out on the most important thing: I couldn't get into it. I don't know why, I don't know the reason, I don't know how it could have been done better. I appreciated some features of the film, but as a whole I didn't enjoy it and it left me with a sad feeling that I wouldn't want to conjure up again. A weaker 3 stars.

Spanish cinema has had a decent run lately and I'm drawn to it more and more. Partly because of the language, but also because of the wildness and energy it brings to people. I'm somewhat of a conservative when it comes to drugs and overt sex scenes in film, but after some initial discomfort (which really only lasted a short time) I realized that it actually fits in Elite. It wouldn't be the same without it. Each of the characters is original and indispensable, new characters click awfully quickly and you feel like they've always been there. I am thrilled and look forward to the next season.

It's a beautiful film. An imaginative case with a good bunch of interesting characters, some of them played by great actors. Needless to say, even those who were less known or completely unknown to me fit in with them easily. The whole thing is orchestrated by Daniel Craig, who leaves Bond behind completely and kicks things off as a very charismatic detective. The kind with real insight that you trust will crack the case in the end, but you still have to watch him do it. For me, it's basically a perfect show. 5 stars.

A very well made film all round. Interesting, if a bit too complex for me at first, plot, good quality actors and cinematography, a strong Berlin atmosphere, and action scenes that grab the viewer and don't let go. Yeah, that's what I wanted, expected, and got. 4 stars.

Whatever I write won't be enough. I never know when it’ll come, and then it's there, and I'm rediscovering why this world is so irreplaceable and amazing to me. Once again I am in a trance, unable to write any constructive or meaningful review. So I'll leave it at this, full of illogicality and emotion. With the excuse that those two forced me into it. Perfect and perfect. Their connection. But not only them, the rest of the ensemble helped out, and the beautiful music... 5 stars.

Another meticulously detailed series from my favorite director. He just knows how to do it, he revels in the 90s, and you can really tell in the result. The cast of actors under his direction don't just play it halfway, they go all out in that era, and I probably won't be the only one who wants to live in their hasukjib for at least a little while. I love it, and I think that if you’re a Korean who lived through that time you will purr with bliss at it. Compared to Reply 1997, this series focuses even more on the characters and the relationships between the characters, and adopts a very broad perspective. I can't remember ever knowing so much about each character. On the other hand, it's not a series you sit down and finish watching in two days. Sometimes a scene lasts almost ten minutes with only dialogue irrelevant to the plot, so it's purely about reveling in the atmosphere of the time, the relaxed debates, and the life problems and joys of the main characters. These are once again very strong and entertaining. The party of cameos from the original series wasn't bad, all the more so because it stretched it out so nicely. Of the cast, I was most charmed by Woo Jeong a.k.a. Sseureki. A very unique actor, kind of a Korean version of Ivan Trojan. I'm very much on the fence as to what number of stars to go with... 4.5 stars.

I suppose this series wasn't the planned pick of the year for tvN, but it surprised me. I don't consider either In-na Yoo or Don-wook Lee to be perfect actors with huge talent, but they can both be cute and charming. While I can understand how In-na Yoo gets on everyone's nerves, and I admit that she has traits that not every viewer might adore, I grew to love her character. The same goes for the initially dry Dong-wook Lee, who turns into a total sweetheart under the influence of love. As we're used to with tvN, the kisses are more mature and the conversations are more open. The supporting characters are a chapter in themselves and kept me dying laughing. The ukulele couple – as someone here nicely named them – was absolutely unforgettable. The ending might have deserved one more episode, and I don't tell myself that very often. After nearly melting down here, can I rate it any differently? 4.5 stars.

The opening scene gave me hope that this wasn't just going to be a mediocre shooter, that the movie would have an interesting story and something more. Unfortunately, this idea of mine soon vanished. Not that I ever got tired of Ji-sub So, but the script doesn't offer anything surprising at all. It's the most classic revenge movie. The kind of revenge flick probably every Korean actor needs to make at least once in his career. Especially towards the end of the film you could feel the weaker budget, which affected the cinematography, but the action choreography was still watchable. 3.5 stars.

Before visiting Berlin last year, I decided that I needed to watch a good film about German history. Although it's more of a coincidence that this particular piece fell onto my screen today thanks to one of the users here, I think I can check off this "task". It was a nerve-wracking experience, but I don't regret it one bit. Nicely written, acted, and filmed. 4.5 stars.