“Kid Teung Wittaya” a.k.a. “The teacher’s diary” is my first Thai movie. I read that this was the official Thai entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, but was not selected as a nominee, and the story sounded heartwarming. Not only it did not disappoint, it was a very pleasant surprise indeed.
What is this about:
Directed by Nithiwat Tharathom. Star Sukrit Wisetkaew, Chermarn Boonyasak. This movie follows two teachers, Ann and Song, who are assigned to a rural floating school, but with a year apart. Ann writes down her thoughts on a diary, her experiences with her students and her loneliness. When Song comes to the school finds that diary and it becomes his only friend during his hardships in his new position.
My review:
This movie made my heart warm and aching in the best way. It reminded me why romantic comedies are such a popular genre, because when done right they are great.
Ann (Chermarn Boonyasak) is not your usual teacher, she has more progressive thoughts about how one should teach children and doesn’t want to conform into the standard rules. One could say she is a romantic and an idealist. The actress was amazing conveying all her emotions and thoughts with so much subtlety and sensitivity. I haven’t seen her before, but I will definitely look for her other works.
Song (Sukrit Wisetkaew) is a former athlete who wants to take the job in order to save money. He starts as not so good teacher without patience, but with the company of Ann’s diary he transforms into an inspiring teacher, not in skills and knowledge, but in his will to help his pupils. The only time I had seen the actor before was in a lakorn “Dok Ruk Rim Tang”, a lakorn I refuse to even think about because I wasted my time to see it, where he seemed so talentless to me – truth be told, everyone seemed talentless to me in that lakorn. So here, he was a revelation to me. He never overacted; he was a good guy trying the best he could with what he got. He convinced me so much, I might even try a second lakorn with him.
The floating school is far from ideal
The direction of this film was wonderful. The director, who was also the writer, showed the parallels of Ann’s and Song’s lives and created a bond between Song and Ann’s diary, and as a result with Ann herself, that was not weird, but touching and real. What I especially loved was a line in the movie saying that Song during his time in the floating school learned that he had to be not only their teacher, but also their parent. My parents were both teachers and I remember them saying how proud they felt when their students learned to read and write, so this was even more touching for me.
The scenery surrounding the floating school was stunning. You can feel the isolation the characters feel and the growing affection they start to develop as they bond with the children. The music score was always present throughout the movie, making every emotion clearer and deeper. The director used it wisely, creating scenes where no one says a word, yet all their feelings, all their thoughts, all their motives are crystal clear.
There are not any big dramatic scenes, but the focus is on the small scenes, the trivial things, making them important, because at that moment they are. Like the heartbreak of a kid not passing its exams.
Why you should watch:
It is romantic comedy at its best.
Excellent direction and cimematography.
Excellent acting from the leads and the children.
Beautiful music score.
Why not to watch:
Frankly I cannot see any reason.
Final verdict:
10/10. This movie goes to my top favourite movies list.
“Hot young bloods” or “Blood boiling youth” is a movie I had in my hard drive for years and for some reason had forgotten about. As usual, I didn’t have a clear idea what this is about, but I had heard really good reviews, don’t remember where, it’s been years, and the reviews were right.
What is this about:
Directed by Lee Yeon Woo. Star Park Bo Yeong, Lee Jong Suk. This is a story of two teenagers at the last year of high school at a rural area of South Korea during the 80’s.
My review:
From the first five minutes I understood what the title was about. It really is about the young generation in the 80’s, whose blood was boiling and they were ready to fight at any excuse. This behavior is a direct result of the political state at South Korea at that time, with all that tension being reflected to the teenagers as anger.
Joong Gil (Lee Jong Suk) is the Casanova of the class, presumably the one with the most experience and better moves. He keeps score of the girls he kisses, aiming to kiss every girl. He succeeds not because he is that good, frankly he is quite the dork, but because his targets are just as naïve as he is. I loved the characterization by Lee Jong Suk. It was his little moves and expressions that brought his character to life. Even though I think he overacted towards the end, it made sense since he was supposed to be teenager and he couldn’t control his emotions.
Young Sook (Park Bo Yeong) is the leader of the girls at their school and she acts as a formidable gangster boss. I would find her role funny if Bo Yeong wasn’t so scary. When she decides that she wants Joong Gil, it is unclear to Joong Gil and the viewers whether she has an ulterior motive or she truly likes him. Her attempts to warm him towards herself are … well, she has her own unique charm, sort of. The highlight, though, for me is the representation of the eighties. Everything is so well placed that you can smell the eighties. And the music! The music is so on point, it has that distinct flair. Also, the beautiful scenery and the golden tones created the sense of an endless summer.
The tone of this movie distinguish it from other romantic comedies, making it stand out. It’s not too laugh-out-loud comedy, and it’s not that romantic either. And it makes poignant remarks about teenage violence as their only way to express the tension they feel around them.
Why you should watch:
A romantic comedy that isn’t too ridiculous or romance-centered, but makes thoughtful remarks.
Very good acting from all the actors, especially the two leads.
Excellent representation of the 80’s.
It shines in the little moments.
Why not to watch:
It’s not strictly comedy and it’s not romance-centered.
Final verdict:
8.5/10. This is highly recommended and I enjoyed it very much, even though it didn’t capture my heart.
After I saw Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo I wanted to see more pinoy movies, sinced they seemed perfect for summertime. So my next pinoy movie was “A very special love”, which was featured in numerous lists of best pinoy movies and in most it was amongst top five. Also it was a huge commercial success and it is still one of the highest grossing movies in Philippines.
What is this about:
Directed by Cathy Garcia Molina. Star John Loyd Cruz, Sarah Geronimo. Laida (Sara Geronimo) is a romantic girl that is in love with Miguel “Miggy” Montenegro, owner of Flippage magazine, even though she has never met him. On the day she arrives for an interview, most of the staff quit due to Miggy’s personality, so she is hired instantly.
My review:
Laida is the perfect example of rom com heroine. She is cheerful, cut, incurably romantic and a bit clumsy. She has naïve ideas about love and she manages, somehow, to put up with Miggy’s intense character. Not only that, but she makes him a better person too.
Miggy, on the other hand, is arrogant, talks down to everyone, insults everyone’s work, never takes responsibility for his actions until the last minute, he is alone with no real friends – for good reason – and somehow Laida finds that charming. Now that I think about it, you could say it resembles “Beauty and the Beast”.
This is his mood for the first half of the movie
It has many funny scenes, especially misunderstandings where he says one thing and she understands something completely different. At first I didn’t get why everyone said John Loyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo are one of the most successful movie couples, meaning that their pairing together was so good that clicked with the audience. After he started falling for her, however, I could see the chemistry.
In the latter half of the movie some dramatic scenes make their appearance, unfortunately. Miggy’s family problems do explain why he is the way he is, but I think they didn’t have to approach it so seriously. And things get resolved quite easily in the end, as per usual for a rom com.
I love these notes Laida put on coffee cups. They are so cute.
Why you should watch:
It’s a nice romantic comedy.
It has good actors with very good chemistry.
It has a few memorable funny scenes.
Nice music. It didn’t distract or bother me.
Why not to watch:
Gets a little dramatic in the second half.
The male lead, Miggy, waits until the very end to set things right.
It's a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy, nothing fresh or different.
Final review:
6/10. It is a good romantic comedy, but I think it is a bit overpraised. Or perhaps it didn’t click with me. Overall, I certainly recommend it as summer movie.
I went to this movie knowing nothing except that it was described as “kimchi western”. I wanted something different and if it resembled anything to the original classic, then I would definitely have a great time. And I did.
What is his about:
Directed by Kim Jae Woon. Star Lee Byunng Hun, Song Kang Ho, Jung Woo Sung). In the desert of Manchuria in 1939, a bandit, Park Chang Yi (Lee Byung Hun), is hired to retrieve a treasure map from a Japanese officer traveling by train. Meanwhile a thief, Yoon Tae Goo (Song Kang Ho), steals the map and a bounty hunter, Park Do Won (Jung Woo Sung), is hired by the independence army to capture Park Chang Yi and take the map.
My review:
I have rarely been so pleasantly surprised by a movie. Usually I have this intuition that I’ll like this movie or I won’t like it as much, and most of the times I prove myself right. Here I was more neutral, I had no idea what to expect, so my enjoyment was enhanced by how surprised I was to like it. It had humor, it had excitement, it had thrills, it had twists. I think it got me in the first minutes, when the Spanish guitar starting playing.
It ain't a western if there isn't a train in the middle of the desert with a hawk looming over it.
The direction is very sleek and very stylish. The film pays homage and gets its inspiration from the great classic “The good, the bad and the ugly”, but the director gives it a unique character. One moment we have classic western scenes, with the train speeding through a desert, the horse chase, and then we have something completely different, like rice cakes and Korean ghost markets. This is what worked so well for me, that I didn’t focus too much on the similarities, but enjoyed them in combination with characteristically Korean scenes.
The actors obviously enjoyed their roles, not only the three leads, but also the side characters. There is so much fun energy coming from their acting, you can’t help but enjoy their acting. The Weird is the funniest of them all. His face expressions are worth the movie. The Good gave a bit of Clint Eastwood vibes – probably that was the intention. And the Bad doesn’t need anyone to tell us who he is, the bad boy haircut says it all.
The Good
The Bad
And the Weird
And, of course, I have to comment the excellent stunt work and the beautiful choreography of the action sequences. The work done here is amazing, both from the actors and the stunt men. The fight scenes occasionally reminded me of comic books, maybe because they were so stylish and sleek.
But, for me, the best thing was the music. It made everything so much funnier and exciting, it gave rhythm and tempo. The soundtrack had various influences, from the Spanish guitar themes giving homage to spaghetti western, to traditional Korean and Chinese music. And somehow all this blended together, quite well. The stand out scene was toward the end when a Manchurian group of bandits, the Bad’s group of bandits, the Japanese army and the Good chase the map and the song “Please don’t let me be misunderstood” from “Kill Bill” plays on the background, you can’t get more epic than this.
However, I understand why this movie wouldn’t appeal to everyone. The combination of western and Korean chase movie might rub some people on the wrong side, with all the different and, perhaps, opposite elements cramped together. Also, the story is not the core the movie, in fact I don’t think it had all that much dialogue, the main focus is the action, so someone could get bored. Last but not least, this is not a masterpiece like the original.
Why you should watch:
Humor, action (lots of it), excitement, twist – everything you could ever hope from an adventure.
A fresh homage to a classic movie.
Great performances from all the actors.
Sleek and stylish is the name of the director.
The soundtrack is one of the highlights.
Why not to watch:
If action is not your genre.
The fusion of spaghetti western and Korean chase movie might seem odd.
It has lots of violence.
Final verdict:
9.5/10. Amazing and utterly enjoyable adventure
movie. Highly recommended. And, do watch the trailer, it is one of the
rare cases where the trailer is actually accurate to what the movie is
like.
“Twenty years old” or “20's” is mini web drama that I watched back in 2014. Yesterday I wanted something easy and funny to watch, after the more serious “Friend”. While I was searching my hard drive I stumbled upon it and I knew this is what I was looking for. With four episodes with 20 minutes duration each, you could say it is like a movie.
What is this about:
Hae Rim, a young 20-year-old girl meets her first romance from high school again, but now he is a famous k-pop singer, Ki Kwang.
My review:
This is one of the best web dramas I have ever seen. It wisely plays with its strengths and you don’t notice the few drawbacks. Starting with the cast, Hae Rim is a simple girl that wants to live a romantic love with someone, but she is not so lucky. Her attempt to capture the interest from someone from her friend group was so cute. She tried her best to use make up – her friend helped a lot – and to dress well and she looked lovely. However, it didn’t end well, mainly because he wasn’t as good as he seemed to be.
We've all been there girl.
Ki Kwang is such a sweet boy. His smile can melt ice. I had no idea who he was prior to this. Apparently he is a member of a popular pop group Beast – no idea what that is – and he used his real name here. I think it is a very fresh approach to cast a kpop idol and use his real life persona as his character.
What did I say about that smile?
The directing was fresh and fun and used the limited duration of each episode to its advantage. The colours were earthy and pink, while the music consisted mainly from a guitar playing in the background which was mellow and relaxing. It also made me think about this idol culture that puts the artists in a showcase where no one can touch them. It is very sad, not only for the artists, but also for the fans to create such mentality.
The only drawbacks, which are not really drawbacks, are that this is a web drama. Obviously it doesn’t have a full fleshed story and the acting here is nothing to write about.
Why you should watch:
Very cute romantic web drama.
Its duration is perfect, you can finish it in one sitting.
It is thought provoking, quite an achievement if you think that longer dramas lack in that department.
Why not to watch:
If you want something more, this is not what you’re looking for.
The actors obviously are new to this.
Final verdict:
8/10. This is a web drama that I can watch again due to its charm more than anything else. I recommended it if you have two hours to spend with humor and romance.
Ann (Chermarn Boonyasak) is not your usual teacher, she has more progressive thoughts about how one should teach children and doesn’t want to conform into the standard rules. One could say she is a romantic and an idealist. The actress was amazing conveying all her emotions and thoughts with so much subtlety and sensitivity. I haven’t seen her before, but I will definitely look for her other works.
Song (Sukrit Wisetkaew) is a former athlete who wants to take the job in order to save money. He starts as not so good teacher without patience, but with the company of Ann’s diary he transforms into an inspiring teacher, not in skills and knowledge, but in his will to help his pupils. The only time I had seen the actor before was in a lakorn “Dok Ruk Rim Tang”, a lakorn I refuse to even think about because I wasted my time to see it, where he seemed so talentless to me – truth be told, everyone seemed talentless to me in that lakorn. So here, he was a revelation to me. He never overacted; he was a good guy trying the best he could with what he got. He convinced me so much, I might even try a second lakorn with him.
The scenery surrounding the floating school was stunning. You can feel the isolation the characters feel and the growing affection they start to develop as they bond with the children. The music score was always present throughout the movie, making every emotion clearer and deeper. The director used it wisely, creating scenes where no one says a word, yet all their feelings, all their thoughts, all their motives are crystal clear.
There are not any big dramatic scenes, but the focus is on the small scenes, the trivial things, making them important, because at that moment they are. Like the heartbreak of a kid not passing its exams. 
