Hear Me

Hear Me (聽説/Ting Shuo) is a Taiwanese romantic movie that was released in August 2009, coinciding with the Deaflympics. It stars Eddie Peng, Ivy Chen, and Michelle Chen Yan Xi. The synopsis is as follows:

Cheerful delivery boy Tian Kuo delivers lunch boxes to a local hearing-impaired swimming team. He holds a torch for hearing-impaired cutie Yan Yan, who's often at the pool to cheer on her older sister Xiao Peng. Yang Yang wholeheartedly supports Xiao Peng's dream of competing in the Deaflympics, even if it means working multiple jobs and giving all her time to her sister. Yang Yang slowly falls for Tian Kuo's goofy charms, but the burgeoning romance opens a rift in the sisters' relationship.

This movie is full of everything: drama, love, and laughs. Oh, and a slight hint of angst. A majority of the dialogue is in sign language, so it took me a while to get used to silent dialogue and it got to the point that when background music came on, I was slightly startled. O_o So yes, subtitles are a must. Also since some lines are in Taiwanese and I believe one line was in Cantonese. However, love blossoming between two people using only sign language to communicate is pretty interesting. Honestly, the somewhat silent nature of half of the film gave me a glimpse as to how life could be if one lost one's hearing.

But anyway - it's amazing how much emotion can still be conveyed even if it were all communicated through hand motions and facial expressions - I give all the actors and actresses props for that. I also love the twist at the end of the film and I will say nothing more on that note. ^^ I rewatched that part three times before I could move on, haha.

You can watch it here.

Mulan (2009)

Mulan (花木蘭/Hua Mu Lan) is a November 2009 Mainland Chinese film depicting the adventures of Mulan - minus the talking Mushu and the partying ancestral spirits. It stars Vicky Zhao Wei, Chen Kun, Hu Jun, Jaycee Chan (Jackie Chan's son!!), Liu Yu Xing, Nicky Li Jiu Zhe, and Vitas. The summary is as follows and is largely taken from here, with the exception of the italicised word which I edited myself (the synopsis off of Wiki includes some spoilers, though shorter in length):

In Northern Wei Dynasty, little Mulan (Xu Jiao) has ambition to become a soldier fighter for his kingdom one day. However, since she is a girl she is not permitted to join the army. As a grown up Mulan (Vicki Zhao Wei) suddenly finds an opportunity when his retired soldier father Hua Hu (Yu Rong Guang) gets drunk and soon she dresses as a male army and takes over his place.

After entering the army barracks, Mulan has to undergo harsh and intensive training, making herself courageous and soon win the respect of the battalion’s Vice Commander, Wentai (Chen Kun). During the training session Mulan meets up with her childhood friend, Xiao Hu (Jaycee Chan). One day Wentai suspects there’s a woman among the male army troops and a strip search is required.

In order to avoid her identity to be exposed to everyone Mulan finally reveals her real identity to Wentai after she confessed of stealing the jade pendant. Her punishment is execution but is later released when the Rouran tribe invades the kingdom for tin and iron. Mulan’s first real battle ends with a success and soon she is promoted to be the Vice Commander and always fight the battle along with Wentai.

It is friendship at first for Mulan and Wentai but later turns into romance for both of them. The Rouran tribe then strikes back with a stronger army under the leadership of Modu (Hu Jun). The attack arrives unexpectedly and the Wei’s army is significantly reduced and Mulan now faces the toughest battle of her life. She must choose whether to surrender her kingdom to Rouran or sacrifice her love for the sake of her kingdom…

I remember Disney's Mulan. I thought it was rather cute and funny, entertaining, and it touched upon war but honestly? It was obvious that it was aiming towards a younger audience. So when I heard of this new movie coming out and saw the trailer, I decided that it was definitely more realistic. :) Not to mention I know that Zhao Wei's a good actress. And so I watched it once I saw it online - and I dragged my sister along as well. She actually (initially) kept on comparing it with Disney's Mulan. I have to admit, it was good. Real good - I greatly enjoyed it. It wasn't a blood bath nor was it absolutely devoid of the gore and grit of war, but it portrayed it fairly well (not that I've ever been to war, but as far as I know, it was a good reenaction of it). In addition to that, it also played out the psychological aspects of it as well as separating emotion away from warfare. There was a good deal of it dedicated to Mulan's struggle between her female 'need' to express emotion and what she had to do. At this point, I should also say that there are some humorous lines... of course, I find humor in some of the most morbid of things, so it may just be me. ;)

Although there's no historical proof that Mulan actually existed, this movie certainly made it realistic enough. Of course, there was some romance in there but a lot of it was inhibited due to war and one's duty. There was a lot of that actually; the ideas of duty, sacrifice, patriotism, and the 'greater good' came up quite a bit. I admit I was touched and there was a moment in there where I felt like my friend who I met in China; she had announced, most impressed, that she was proud to be Chinese whilst we were trekking on the Great Wall. I was all gung-ho for the Wei to win as well. ^^ HOWEVER, I enjoyed this movie for its realism and realism you'll get - the ending isn't a clear-cut, Disney-styled happy ending. My sister learned that soon enough and she was sniffling like mad starting from halfway through the film and ended up having to blow her nose at least five times. She also repeatedly asked me if she had to watch it and made frequent trips to the restroom. Anyway, aside from the content, the acting, and the reaching-across-to-the-audience, there were other factors that lead me to watch it. First off, Jackie Chan's son is in it. I knew he had a son, but I didn't really know much more than that so I was curious. Second of all, Nicky Li's in it too - his Xiang Tai Duo/想太多 is a classic! Third point: Vitas (aka the Russian dude whose Chinese isn't all that bad) has a set of impressive vocal cords and I give him props for that. Even though his lines in the film are limited.

You can watch it on DramaCrazy.

Lust, Caution

Lust, Caution (色, 戒/Se, Jie) is a 2007 Chinese film based on a short story by Eileen Chang. It stars Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tang Wei, and Wang Lee Hom. The summary is as follows (taken from here):

Spanning the late '30s and early '40s, the movie introduces us to Hong Kong teen Wong Chia Chi, a shy college freshman who finds her calling in a drama society devoted to patriotic plays. But the troupe's leader, Kuang Yu Min, isn't just a theater maven -- he's a revolutionary as well, and he's devoted to carrying out a bold plan to assassinate top Japanese collaborator Mr. Yee. Each student has an important role to play, and Wong puts herself in a dangerous position as Mrs. Mak; she befriends Mr. Yee's wife, and slowly gains trust before tempting him into an affair. While at first the plan goes exactly as scripted, things suddenly take a deadly turn and Wong is emigrated from Hong Kong. Later, in 1941, the occupation shows no signs of ceasing and Wong is simply drifting through her days in Shanghai. Much to her surprise, the former actress finds Kuang requesting that she resume the role of Mrs. Mak. Now, as Wong again gains intimate access to her dangerous prey, she must struggle with her own identity in order to pull off the performance of a lifetime.

I always planned on watching this and I finally got to it... the reason why I decided to do this in the middle of doing homework is currently unknown, but I have my suspicions. One of the first things I heard was in my Chinese class when it first came out and how much "thrusting" it contained. Since they only spoke of that part, I had no interest in it but after I looked it up, mainly because Wang Lee Hom's in it, I decided the plot was pretty intriguing and there was a 84% chance that I would end up liking it. So when I watched it, I expecting the thrusting, but I didn't expect to see how explicit it was, especially over reading articles on Hindu women. However, the acting was all superb and after the 2 plus hours of watching all the character interaction, I came to the conclusion that it was well-written and the actors and actresses all played their parts well. Of course, there were moments where I thought Wang Chia Chi was acting rather suspiciously but I just decided it was because she was female and females are usually ruled by their emotions; a fact that annoys me greatly. Especially since [spoiler] when it came time for Mr. Yee to sign the execution papers, he didn't really hesitate even though he was in pain afterwards whereas she hesitated, saved his life, and was still in pain. I also thought the atmosphere of what could have been there between Wang and Kuang was sort of never really there, but was - it never actually went anywhere. Then again, I suppose that when choosing between assassinating a 'traitor' by seducing him as opposed to finding romance honestly, there are certain sacrifices that have got to be made for the "greater good".

It was realistic and I liked that. However, you'd think that considering all the explicit sex scenes that made it NC-17 in the States, it would actually show the [spoiler] execution itself besides it just being implied.

I downloaded the torrent and couldn't find it at my usual streaming video sites.
Photo taken from here.

L-O-V-E

L-O-V-E (Ai Dao Di/愛到底), or here, is a 2009 Taiwanese romance film. It stars a large cast including Van Fan, Megan Lai, Blue Lan Zheng Long, Annie Liu Xin You, Ethan Ruan, Alice Tzeng, Tracy Zhou Cai Shi, Alec Su, Ken Zhu, Wang Zi, and Modi. The summary is as follows:

L-O-V-E contains four short films centered around love.

Determined to look after his girlfriend if he dies on the operating table, the terminally ill Van Fan searches for a man who has exactly the same voice as he has to take his place.

Blue Lan, a reticent music video director, re-encounters old flame Annie Liu and realizes a car accident has erased her memories of their love.

Movie stuntman Ethan Ruan dashes out the door after a lover’s spat with his flight attendant girlfriend, Alice Tzeng.

Plain homebody Tracy Chou turns to a fortune-teller for love advice, who tells her she’ll meet six guys sporting bangs with the last being Mr Right.

Like the summary says, the film consists of four stories that have to do with love. I pretty much refer to it as the Taiwanese version of the British film, Love Actually - except all the stories are completely independent and not interconnected in any way to the other stories. Each story starts out with it's title, starting with 三聲有幸 (3 voices, good fortune), 連命都不要的人 (People Who Don't Care About Their Lives), 幸運 (Lucky), and ending 第六號劉海男生 (The Sixth Guy With Bangs). A more elaborate synopsis of all stories can be found at Asian Fanatics. I actually thought the first one was sweet, the second one rather painful and bittersweet, the third one confusing and somewhat pointless, and the fourth one pushing the line into "over the top" but amusing and sort of frustrating, nonetheless. :) I would have liked it better if the stories were all interconnected since this way, it seemed like just a compilation of stories about love written by four completely different writers - you know, sort of like those books that compile short stories by different writers on certain genres like horror, etc.

I say it was all right - showing all the different facets of love and what it may mean to be in love.

You can watch it here.

Give Love

Give Love (愛得起) is a 2009 Hong Kong romance film, with a smidge of comedy and a good bit of drama thrown into the mix. It stars Gigi Leung, Wilson Chen, and Shao Bing. The summary is as follows [taken from MySoju]:

Gigi Leung stars as Leslie Chan, a marketing manager who has your usual movie romantic problems. In the opening scene, she meets airline employee Yutong (Wilson Chen), who is immediately smitten, but he’s so bookish and shy that he can only privately vow to woo her if he ever sees into her again. His chance arrives one year later when she fortuitously comes to stay with him in his Hong Kong apartment. The problem: she’s newly-married to his brother Hilton (Mainland star Shao Bing), meaning she’s technically unavailable. However, a cutaway to China shows Hilton getting it on with his over-emotional secretary, meaning that Yutong should now have a chance with his houseguest, who’s becoming a distraction already because she likes to wander around the apartment in short shorts and high heels. She also acts in a girlish sitcom manner that would charm any fan of Meg Ryan movies. How can Yutong resist?

I decided I had been ignoring the Chinese entertainment industry for too long - not to mention I'm starting to forget all the Chinese I learned. Not good. Anyway, this movie sounded like an interesting romance that might entertain me for an hour or two. It turned out to be a chick flick of a sort - not saying it's bad. Chick flicks aren't quite my things but having a dose once in a (very long) while is nice. The main female acted way too much like a socialite who liked getting what she wanted and annoyed the heck out of me (hence why it's a chick flick). She also has her moments, though. On the other end of the spectrum is the guy who is rather mature and serious, believing in responsibility - a gentleman in all aspects, but perhaps more timid. He was sweet but I thought he should have been more aggressive, just a smidge. I believe that her feelings for him could have been more developed - it sort of appeared, then stayed.

All in all, I did enjoy it while I watched it, but thinking about it, it lacked some depth. It got the required reactions out of me (i.e. amusement, laughter) and had the ups and downs but I wasn't really moved within it. I do find, however, that I like how HK movies usually utilize both Cantonese as well as Mandarin - or at least that's how it seems in the movies I've watched. I also find the random sprinkling of English humorous and I wonder if that's really how people in Hong Kong talk. Anyway... I'd say if you had a couple of hours to waste, watch it. It's not bad, but not incredible either. In fact, I'd say it's just like another chick flick. No offense. :)

You can watch it here.

Chocolate [Thai]

Chocolate (ช็อคโกแลต), a review, review2 from someone who watched it at the premiere in Bangkok, is a 2008 Thai martial arts movie; it's also the first Thai movie I've ever watched. It stars Nicharee Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda, Ammara Siripong, Hiroshi Abe, and Pongpat Wachirabunjong. The synopsis is as follows (taken from here, which also has the movie trailer):

‘Chocolate’ stars newcomer Nicharee “Jeeja” Vismistananda as an autistic girl who learns how to fight both by absorbing her martial arts skills from what she sees on TV and from the Muay thai boxing school next to her home. When she finds a list of debtors in her sick mother’s diary, she decides to go collecting. Her quest leads her to confrontations with criminal gangs and also her father, a member of the Japanese mafia.

First off, I like organised crime organisations - not that I want to join one or anything. I just like watching the interactions, not to mention they usually involve butt-kicking. This movie had that. Another factor that lured me in was I had never watched a Thai movie before. I have a couple of Thai friends and my hair cutter person is ethnic Chinese who was born in Thailand, but I guess I never got around to it. Another interesting thing is that Hiroshi Abe was in it and I wanted to see how his Thai was (never mind the fact that I don't know how it's supposed to be). Ah yes, I'm also really big on medical conditions and the main character is diagnosed with autism. A really big thing that led me to this movie, however, was a friend who was at Hollywood Video and saw the DVD cover of Chocolate and decided we looked alike with his other friend who was with him, then proceeded to send the picture to me with the caption "I didn't know you acted in movies." O_o The cover had those usual quotes from that basically told me it was a martial arts flick and I saw the really strange title: Chocolate. I looked it up online and it got pretty good reviews and so the hunt began.

First off, the "English" subtitles were really bad, even though it was supposedly ripped off a DVD. Thing is, the English was all grammatically wrong and I swear that half the time, instead of English, there would be Mandarin Chinese pinyin. Good thing I know pinyin. After I got over the horrendous subs, it was great. :) The plot's pretty sweet (Possible spoilers: The girl's mom has a relationship with the dad who's a member of the yakuza, then because of her mom's jealous mobster boyfriend, tells the dad to return to Japan. They still exchange letters. The jealous ex tries to get back at her while the mom is diagnosed with cancer so the girl and her adoptive brother goes out to collect money from people who owed a debt to their mom in order to get enough money for treatment. Then there's the showdown "battle" at the end where her dad shows up just in time for and they meet for the first time.) and the fighting that goes on is neat. I mean those noises and the scene at the meat butchery?? ^_^ Either way, I definitely enjoyed this movie. It had action AND a plot. Not to mention the butt-kicker is FEMALE and according to all the butt-kicking I saw, she knows her stuff.

While the captions roll, there are behind the scene clips that show you how the action scenes led to a good amount of injuries all around. They earn my respect and attention. I wonder if it's a common thing for Thai action movies...

This is actually not available streaming online (I know, 'cause I checked and I was THIS CLOSE to buying it online but I ended up not - I hate the shipping and handling) so I ended up downloading the torrent here. I also had a problem with the subs playing until I downloaded VobSub, then it worked perfectly - well, at least there were subs though they could have been better...

Picture taken from here.

Fly High

Fly High (사랑하니까, 괜찮아/Sa-lang-ha-ni-kka, Kwaen-chanh-a), or here, is a 2006 Korean romantic movie. It stars Ji Hyun Woo and Im Jung Eun. The summary is as follows:

It's school festival day and Min-hyuk is busy dancing and singing. However, it is not the stage but a toilet that binds his destiny. He is bewitched by a daring high school girl, Mi-hyun, who comes into the men's room because the women's room is full. From that day on, Min-hyuk woos her, escorts her home at night, stuffs her locker with roses, and clears passages for her in the morning after a snow fall. For all his efforts, he doesn't get much more than a tender glance from Mi-hyun. When she suddenly vanishes "sorry" are the only words she leaves behind.

I don't quite know why I decided to watch this, only that I did. Wait - scratch that. :) I looked it up online and I realised that there's one important detail the summary leaves out, which makes sense, or it would have spoiled the plot for those who likes finding out things for themselves. This movie would fit into the tragic romance genre that is quite prominent in a good amount of movies and dramas.

It's cute - I know I say that a lot, but it is. There are some funny parts to it, mostly because of the characters' personalities but as they grew older (by two years or so), they also matured. Well, in comparison to before. The first half of the movie focused on the guy's efforts to woo the girl. The second half had its moments of angst but there was also a good amount of happiness as well. Her death is implied, so there's nothing graphic and her illness isn't really elaborated on. It focused mainly on the couple's relationship. In short, it was a pretty standard movie; not bad, but not outstanding either. What really got me was the rather unique way they met one another. :)

You can watch it at MySoju and at DramaCrazy. Just a warning, though: the quality of the videos are not very good - at all.

Frivolous Wife

Frivolous Wife (날나리 종부전/Nal-na-ri Jong-boo-jeon) [HanCinema, cHinKy], otherwise known as "A Naughty Daughter-In-Law Story" and "The Taming of the Shrew," is a 2008 Korean movie of the romantic comedy genre. It stars Park Jeong Ah and Park Jin Woo. The summary is as follows:

Inspired by Shakespeare's classic of the same name. Yeon-su is a beautiful but naughty young woman whose family became millionaires overnight. All men fall in love with her at first sight, but Jeong-do, the only son of a respected family, has no regard for her. Yet despite this, the two fall in love and get married. However, their conflicting families shake up their wedded bliss.

I found this pretty interesting since the main female character is usually either a 'nice girl' of the girl-next-door variety or a tom boy of some sort. In this movie, she was one of those 'tempting' women whose sole purpose seems to be a permanent ornament, hanging off of various men with the favorite destination being a club and I'm used to seeing them off to the side; or at least I haven't encountered many dramas/films that have them at the center of attention. I thought the movie was rather thorough in a sense, giving us an idea of how the girl was, then how she met this guy who seemed to be her complete opposite. (This was not a surprising aspect, though.) What the summary doesn't tell you is that this guy lives in the countryside and it seems like you step back in time - way back in time.

I find it sort of entertaining as a materialistic girl, used to luxury and modern-day conveniences, is thrown into a world that seems to be running under a feudalistic society. In the end, everything works out. It just makes me wonder if the Korean countryside is really how it was portrayed in this film, or was it just made like this for pure fictional entertainment. I would also like to point out how that guy has the most adorable smile and it was obvious that they were all actors - how could they have such perfect skin, working outside and doing manual labor all the time?? :)

All in all, I enjoyed the movie quite a bit, though there was some slightly exaggerated (and slightly ridiculous) moments, but that's nothing new.

You can watch it here.

The Naked Kitchen

The Naked Kitchen (키친/Ki-chin) is a 2009 Korean movie of the romantic comedy and drama sort. It stars Shin Min Ah, Kim Tae Woo, and Joo Ji Hoon. The summary is as follows:

Today is Mo-rae and Sang-in’s one-year wedding anniversary. After a busy morning preparing for the celebration, Mo-rae goes to an art gallery to find a gift for Sang-in. At the gallery, she meets a complete stranger and the two unexpectedly have sex. Mo-rae returns home feeling anxious and guilty about the incident and cannot help but confess it to Sang-in. That night, a visitor arrives at their house; Du-rae, who came from Paris to help Sang-in with his new business. To Mo-rae’s shock, he is the man from the gallery. He temporarily lives with the couple in their house and a risky love triangle begins.

I found this movie refreshing, even given its subject. Perhaps it's because of the subject and how it's portrayed and dealt with. I mean, for a majority of people, if your spouse cheats on you, they would not be as accepting as this. In fact, the movie makes it into an even comedic affair. OK, well the fact that it happened is not quite hilarious, but it's put in a more light-hearted way and once it's all uncovered, there's a scene (or two) of some rather tense interactions and rocky parts. However, it ended in a sort of happily-ever-after fashion - OK, not quite "ever after" but it was a sort of a content type of ending.

Another reason why I watched it was because Joo Ji Hoon was in it. He seems to be taking roles in movies that address somewhat controversial subjects. Anyway... I thought it was pretty good. :) Not to mention it also revolves around food for a section of it - all of which looked absolutely scrumptuous. ^_^

You can watch it here.
Picture taken from here.

The Legend of Seven Cutter

The Legend of Seven Cutter, also known as Escaping Charisma (카리스마 탈출기/Kariseuma Talchoolgi) [review] is a 2006 Korean movie of the romance and school drama genres... and comedy. :) It stars Yoon Eun Hye, Ahn Jae Mo, Lee Jung, Hyun Young, and Jeong Joon Ha. The summary is as follows (taken from Wiki):

The "Seven Cutter" is a legendary fighter throughout various high schools within Korea. His name is Jung Han Soo and he remains unbeaten by the toughest fighters from many different schools. Many who had tried to defeat him not only suffered the circumstances of losing, but is left with his trademark: a 7-centimeter scar the he always leaves behind them to remind them of their loss. When a high-schooler named Han Soo at Seong Ji High School, he is instantly mistaken for the "Seven Cutter". An innocent kid, at first he is blissfully unaware of why the other students are giving him such an icy reception. So when the toughest boy at Seong Ji High School challenges him to a battle for the title of the toughest guy in school, he has no choice but defend himself and fight. Then, when he accidentally wins, things start getting really confusing for him. Soon, Han Soo meets tom-boy Min Joo, who's not just a great, skilled boxer, but a tough hard-to-deal-with knockout as well. After a few coincidences that make him look like a pervert, she also asks him for a battle for revenge. He defends himself by pretending to have a crush on her, even though he likes the pretty, but snotty, girl in school. Min-joo decided to accept his "love", and eventually starts to like his unique personality. Later, when Han Soo finally realizes he has fallen for her, Min-joo is heart-broken to find out that he likes the pretty girl, and that he never liked her. Then the bad guys arrive and try to kidnap Min Joo. Are they getting revenge from the wrong fighter?

I actually decided to watch it because Yoon Eun Hye, who's one of my favorite Korean actresses. :) I mean, she was great in Coffee Prince and though her character in Goong made me embarrassed for her, it shows off her acting talent. Anyway, it's pretty entertaining. It starts off with someone narrating a fighting scene rather comically and goes into school life. I liked Yoon Eun Hye's character because she was, well, cool. The other guy who was supposed to be the 7 cutter is a pretty nice, shy guy though he had his moments. :) There are some moments were it's somewhat serious, but everything generally has a comical undertone to it. The only thing I can say is how it doesn't quite show how he (Han Soo) slowly fell for her since it was a little sudden for me but I'm sure it was implied.

All in all, it was a good find. I'd give it a 3.75 to a 4 out of 5 if I had a rating system. :)

You can watch it streaming here and download it here.

Magic Boy

Magic Boy (魔術男/Mo Suit Nam), review and review2, is a 2007 (all of the sites said something different but I think it's 2007 since that's what it says in Chinese sites) Hong Kong movie that focuses on the romance between a girl and two guys, both of whom are magicians, though one is more interested in stage magic while the other is more interested in street magic. It stars Tien You Chui, Kate Yeung, and Anjo Leung. The summary is as follows:

Set in Mongkok, a youth romance unravels between a girl and two amateur magicians - one is into stage magic while the other plies his trade on the streets. 'Genuine' magic tricks are included in this first full-length Hong Kong feature to use amateur magicians as a subject matter. Anjo Leung, in his film debut, is a real student of magic while director Adam Wong gives his account of the frailties of youth, this time using magic tricks as an allegory to the illusory nature of love.

It's a pretty interesting movie. I mean, it's still a romance, a genre that's incredibly common, but the guy uses magic tricks to get the girl. At the same time, the girl likes this other guy who's more mature but also makes a profession out of magic, though it's more "official." This second part isn't very prominent. The magic gives it a breath of fresh air which makes it nice - it's also cute. Especially when you see this one scene where she catches him during one of his tricks. The magic can also be used to symbolise the romance going on (my favorite one is the gun scene). All in all, it's not bad, but at the same time, it's not the best.

I do like this one song by Anjo Leung (梁曉豐) called 千變萬化/Qian Bian Wan Hua/Cin Bin Maan Faa which can be heard here with lyrics here. Translated lyrics can be found here. :) I can't find it anywhere so I can't download it. In other words, I keep on going back and pressing the "replay" button. -_-

You can watch it streaming here and download the torrent here.

Speedy Scandal

Speedy Scandal (과속스캔들/Kwa-sok-seu-kaen-deul) is a 2008 family/comedy Korean movie touching upon subjects such as being a single mother, family, and acceptance. It stars Cha Tae Hyun, Park Bo Young, Hwang Seok Hyun, Lim Ji Gyoo, and Hwang Woo Seul Hye. The summary is as follows:

NAM Hyun-soo was once a popular idol star among teens and worshiped liked a god. Although he’s in his mid-thirties now, he’s still a sought-after celebrity and the host of a popular radio show. But one day a very young single mom named Jung-nam sends her stories to the radio show that Hyun-soo hosts. Her stories about her longing to meet her father whom she’s never seen before grips the nation and catapults the ratings to make it the most popular program. But to his surprise, Hyun-soo later confronts none other than Jung-nam, and her 7 year-old boy, Gi-dong. Jung-nam and Gi-dong invade Hyun-soo’s home and his radio station, claiming that Hyun-soo is her father. Hyun-soo does what he can to salvage his celebrity image.

It's honestly really adorable. It talks about a guy who suddenly realises he had a daughter who, in turn, had a son and he struggles to make sure it stays a secret while his daughter and grandson stay at his place. How it spans two generations is such a great coincidence as well. It's endearing! It seems like the entire family's talented as well. It goes along with the plot and the character development carries out pretty nicely. You get the surprises that keeps you entertained, but not as if there's so much new stuff that it's overwhelming. I really don't know what else I can say about it but I have to say I like it. A lot. Though there are the moments when you go "why can't you just tell the person the entire story so there won't be a misunderstanding???" but that's sort of mandatory when it comes to dramas and movies.

You can watch it here.

Embrace Your Shadow

Embrace Your Shadow (摯愛/Zi Oi), or here, is a 2005 Hong Kong movie of the romance/action genre. It stars Dylan Kwok (aka Dylan Kuo) and Fiona Sit. The summary, taken from here, is as follows:

Strong and optimistic teenager Yong Ran (Fiona Sit) had to shoulder the full burden of taking care of the family after his brother died from an illness. Rebellious stubborn Taiwan teenager Zhuo Qin (Dylan Kuo) had been abandoned by his parents since young and thus led a life without family love. To maintain his own life, he had to steal from others. An coincidental meeting caused Zhuo Qin to become attracted to Yong Ran's kindness and determined personality. He found warmth from her family's life wher they relied and helped each other. He decided to help protect this broken family but luck wasn't on his side. Zhuo Qin was chased after by gangsters and Yong Ran was declared to have inherited a terminal illness......

I honestly decided to watch it because (1) it sounded sad [and I have a thing for sad movies] (2) Dylan's in it and he's pretty easy on the eyes (3) I wanted to see how his Cantonese was and (4) I wanted some action. It seemed a good way to end the semester. :) Anyway, it's the "usual" plot about two teens who have to handle responsibilities far before their time with certain tragic twists as well as those mandatory "sweet moments" that appear in pretty much every Asian romance film. Even so, it's a pretty bleak movie - the subject matter, I mean, and the plot - and if you're in the mood for a light-hearted movie, you might want to stay away for a little while.

The movie isn't the most action-packed, but there is a number of fighting scenes, a death scene and a half, some blood, and some love - there's also the involvement of a Chinese gang, the underground - what have you. In the end, it's not a bad movie. There's not much comedy at all, a good number of sad scenes with a dash of angst, and violence. It's good for those days where you just need that mental punch - for this movie gives you one to remind you that your life is not the worst out there. :)

The movie's done in Cantonese and, unfortunately, I couldn't find a streaming video online with English subs, but I did find a copy at Tudou with (Mandarin) Chinese subs. Good thing my Cantonese isn't half bad... as long as I don't have to have a nice, long conversation with someone, haha. :)

Guns & Talks

Guns & Talks (킬러들의 수다/Killerdeului Suda) is a 2001 Korean comedic film about four assassins who live together. Yes, I know, a comedic film about killing. :) It stars Shin Hyun Jun, Won Bin, Shin Ha Kyun, Jung Jae Young, and Jung Jin Young. The summary is as follows:

In the heart of Seoul, Korea, a band of killers-for-hire is slowly making a name for themselves in the business. Their style–kill the victims the way their clients want them to be killed, no questions asked. For this group to succeed, they need the help of each other–and an uncle who designs super cool gadgets in the privacy of his own home. However, the foursome will need more than manpower and an uncle to carry out a new mission they just accepted. Along with an intelligent detective hot on their trail, the killers must accomplish “the perfect crime” or face the consequences. Will their mischievous ways be too much of a burden or will they pull out the crime of the century?

I personally don't mind killing. OK, that sounded bad. What I mean is that I enjoy the violent film from time to time and it helps that I have a somewhat morbid sense of humor. I also find humor in anything and everything - which is probably why people think I'm a bit... odd. What I also enjoy are moments where things are MADE to be funny, where I'm not the only one laughing. Reading through the synopsis and half of a review, I decided that this movie would do it. After watching it... well, it's not bad. I have to say, the guns? Totally cool. I like how they nonchalantly go about their business but even then, they're completely different when they're not out killing people. Meaning they're rather... nice and even goofy. The four assassins living together is a rather odd bunch, with a brother-brother pair thrown into the mix. Romance is found and hilarity ensues. Don't get me wrong, though. There are some (generally) serious moments.

HOWEVER, their brand of humor is the kind of humor that makes parts of the movie, well, a movie. It would most likely never happen in real life. The music that goes along also makes it a comedy. When the summary said "intelligent detective," don't take that seriously. There's the good type of comedy during the scenes when they're off the job, but, at times, while on the job, things happen. Like threatening to kill a cop at police headquarters in a room filled with other gun-weilding people and walking out without a single scratch by brushing them aside. The little banter during the scene and the way he handles the cops is pretty funny though - but I also like realistic things. Also, that scene lecturing on how love is found with that ridiculous music in the background had me cringing.

All in all, it left me in a pretty good mood and I liked it.

You can watch it streaming here and there's a trailer along with the torrent download link here.

Heartbreak Library

Heartbreak Library, or Page 198 in His Book (그 남자의 책 198쪽), is a Korean movie made in 2008 about two people, both on the road to recovery from a breakup with their significant other. It stars Lee Dong-Wook and Yoo Jin (Eugene). The summary is as follows:

Eun-soo, a librarian watches for book vandalism that currently happens in the library. One day, she catches Jun-oh tearing off certain pages of books. Eun-soo accuses him of vandalism but soon discovers the complex story behind his actions. Jun-oh’s girlfriend suddenly leaves him with only a mysterious note: “Look up page 198”. Jun-oh’s girlfriend was a bibliophile and she checked out books regularly at the library. Jun-oh goes to the library and tears out page 198 from every book he comes in touch. As Eun-soo has just broken up, she gives him an advice saying that he has to let her go if she really meant it. However, looking at Jun-oh torn apart by his love, Eun-soo starts to help him decipher the messages on page 198 of all the books...

It's a pretty sweet story about coping with love lost, no matter how it happens, and just accepting it. It's interesting as both the guy and the girl are going through the same thing, even though there are some rather major differences between their respective failed loves. It doesn't go too in-depth in either of their stories, though the guy's background story is revealed more, which makes sense as it is a movie. I also like how the two didn't jump straight into the bandwagon of getting together - it would be way too unbelievable - and their relationship slowly progressed rather believably, even though they still didn't know much about the other.

All in all, it was a sweet story of falling out of love and the budding of new love, as it never really gets that far, and the pain that one may go through. Although there aren't many laugh-out-loud moments, there are moments that made me smile.

You can watch it here.
Picture taken from here, which also includes links where you can download this movie as well as the trailer.

A Millionaire's First Love

A Millionaire's First Love (백만장자의 첫사랑), wiki and review, is a Korean movie released in 2006 about a spoiled, rich kid who is sent to a small town to finish school and graduate in order to get his inheritance. Along the way, he meets this girl and that's where it continues. It stars Hyun Bin and Lee Yeon Hee. The summary is as follows:

Kang Jae-kyung is a typical spoiled rich kid; he’s arrogant, drives sporty cars, attends the big clubs, and rides through school corridors on his motorcycle. As his 18th birthday approaches, he’s set to inherit his grandfather’s fortune, including a five star hotel. However, Jae-kyung must earn his fortune. His grandfather lays down an ultimatum: Jae-kyung is required to transfer to a new school in Gangwondo and graduate. Until then all access to his penthouse, cottage and credit cards is denied. Should he fail to graduate or drop out, then he loses everything. With little choice he heads out to the countryside and a small town in which daily life is far removed from what he’s used to.

Shortly after settling into his new home he meets 19 year-old Choi Eun-whan, who just happened to run into him back in Seoul. They don’t exactly hit it off; he’s far too stubborn and cool for school, while she sees hope for him and sets out to make him see it for himself. As they eventually draw closer, thanks to a set of coincidences and school projects they learn more about one another, but soon a shattering revelation will change these people forever.

It's a sweet movie where there's a nice girl who eventually changes the arrogant, rather frustrating boy for the better. There's a little more to that - but that's the gist. Even so, it's more on the tragic romance side of things as we find out certain things. I have to say that there is a high possibility of the shedding of tears while watching this movie. :) All in all, it's sweet and though there are scenes that are funny, it's not a comedy.

You can watch it here.

100 Days With Mr. Arrogant

100 Days With Mr. Arrogant (내 사랑 싸가지) is a Korean romantic comedy movie. I actually watched it while trying to calm myself until the next episode of Boys Over Flowers comes out (this is why I usually DON'T watch dramas unless they're complete because it drives me nuts with all the waiting). It stars Ha Ji Won and Kim Jae Won. The summary is as follows:

Ha Young (Ha Ji Won) was dumped by his boyfriend the day before their 100 day anniversary. Out of frustration she kicked a can that accidentally hit the face of a college hot guy Hyung-Joon(Kim Jae Won). The can hit his face and his Lexus car so he demanded her to pay $3000 for the damage. Ha Young escaped but not completely since she left her wallet.

Hyung-Joon then used the information on her wallet to stalk her and demand the payment for the spot on his car. Ha Young is a poor high school student so she unwillingly entered an "Enslavement Agreement" as a way to pay for the car's damages. She will be his slave for 100 days, duties includes cleaning his house, running his errands, doing his homework and cleaning his car. Are they ready for the consequence of this agreement?

In short, the movie's plot is similar to those dramas where a girl and a guy meet, they hate each other, and then they eventually fall in love. It's pretty sweet, though since it's a movie, it's pretty fast paced. The times when they finally develop feelings for each other isn't very clear but it's there. Then again, I was also pausing the movie every once in a while, talking to some friends online. O_o I wish the video quality was better, but hey, it's streaming. What more do you want? haha... Anyway, it was pretty cute and would be better if my roommate wasn't blasting the TV and the volume could be louder (I made it go as high as it could and sometimes I needed to lean forward to hear). At some points, I felt it lacked deep emotion but overall, it wasn't bad. The end was sweet, when it's revealed what the guy did for her. :) Of course, it also frustrates me that she was left to suffer until the very end...

You can watch it here.

Hua Pi (Mainland China)

The day before I came back to Austin, I watched Hua Pi (Painted Skin/Simplified Chinese: 画皮) [imdb; Variety Movie Review; wiki], a Chinese movie with Mainland China actors and actresses and with a Hong Kong tech-crew (Variety). It stars Donnie Yen, Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, Vicki Zhao, Sun Li, Qi Yu Wu, and Jiu Song. This movie's actually set back in a Dynastic China and has supernatural/fantasy themes - some might even say it touches upon 'horror' - at least that's what I heard before I watched it. Here's the summary (taken from wiki):

Though the story is based mainly on a supernatural premise, it is more of a love story rather than a ghost/horror film. It is based on Pu Songling's classic novel, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. Zhou Xun starrs Xiao Wei, a fox spirit (huli jing) that feasts on human hearts in order to maintain her lovely, youthful appearance. When General Wang Sheng (Chen Kun) 'rescues' her from a band of bandits and brings her home, trouble brews as the demon falls in love with the general, who is married to Pei Rong (Zhao Wei).

Another (older) love triangle is present, between the general's brother Pang Yong (Donnie Yen), the general, and his wife. Pei Rong asks Pang Yong for help as she suspects Xiao Wei for what she really is. Pang Yong is aided by an inexperienced 'demon buster', Xia Bing (Betty Sun). Hints of a developing relationship between Xia Bing and Pang Yong are there, although this is never really explored. Another subplot revolves around Xiao Wei's lizard demon ally (Qi Yuwu) who has unreciprocated feelings for her and helps her get all the human hearts she needs.

Even though it started off with a battle, it was a little slow-going, but it set up what would happen later on. It was only through the middle of the movie did I get hooked into it. It wasn't the greatest, but I certainly don't think it a waste of my time. There is an underlying romantic theme in it (or two) and the special effects pass. I mean, it did do well in the Chinese box office (I remember seeing posters promoting the movie) and it's not bad at all. I guess it's also because I watched the version I bought from China and it has simplifed Chinese characters. Also, the audio wasn't that good at times so I had to rely on what I knew of Chinese to figure it out - but that may be because I bought the DVD at one of those places. :) Anyway, before you decide to skip this movie, just give it a go.