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Korea: The Never-Ending War (2019)
Uncomfortable history
Korea had been a Chinese subject for thousands of years despite their claim being independent.
After US libereated Korea from Japanese occupasion, they use Korea as a pawn to succeed their agenda, yet Korea was too weak to have a choice. This unfortunate country never had a strong leader until President Park when the country finally turned around using what US confisticated from Japanese businesses whom they kicked out empty handed.
With their single-minded drive to prosperity, these hard-working, devoted people achieved modern day economic miracle, while their counterpart in North Korea got themselves into an opposite situation. It seeme it's a matter of time they'd collapse.
However, it's recent history is rather discouraging. A series of communist sympathizing presidents have been secretly aiding North Korea including the last president. He put his extremely friendly poicy into action, send millions of dollars in aid every year and changed school curriculum teaching all the tragedy are caused by Japanese, not North Korea.
I wish the truth be taught and this documentary gives me a glimps of hope. Because the fact won't change no matter how much lies and propaganda are fabricated.
Sea aasta (2021)
Who is this for?
From the only picture, it looks like a documentary about children's matter such as welfare or education. From the title "Year of the Pig" sounds like a story about national event. From the description, it seems political from not really giving away anything. So I gave it a shot.
In the beginning, a guy says in the line of "catastrophe between economy and ecology" which reduced my interest in half. Then it shows many aspect of life in Estonia like a tourism documentary, and sprinkles with protest scene with various agenda.
All in all, it is a clumsy eco propaganda with very little research. I gave 2 stars just for the effort.
Padrenostro (2020)
A lonely boy makes a friend, real or imaginary
This is a story about a boy and his friendship with an older boy in the background of a family tragedy. However, the whole story is seen through the boy's eye, so the family's complex political intrigue nor the other boy's family situation aren't fully explained. We see the protagonist, Valerio brings food to someone hiding in the room full of junk, but it's empty as soon as his idyllic family set-up is shattered. When he first meets Christian, he appears out of nowhere, then disappears as soon as his mother calls him. Also when he ditches school with Christian, the school bullies let him go without a fuss. Is Christian imaginary? Or that's how Valerio remembers it.
What I like about the most is how their friendship develops. Valerio(Mattia Garaci) and Christian(Francesco Gheghi) are two fresh faces with the latter has slightly more credit as he's little older too. They acted so well together, it's not hard to believe why Valerio desperately need him and vice versa. Since I'm not familiar with Italian cinema(this is my first Italian movie to be honest), Alfonso(Pierfrancesco Favino) is the only actor I'd recognize, but I will pay attention to the future endeavor from these two young talented actors.
Valerio is a happy yet lonely boy needs a lot of growing up to do. Christian is a street-wise and confident, yet longing for the love of the family. Their friendship dynamic somewhat reminds me of "Let the right one in"(2008), a vulnerable and sensitive Oskar and confident yet mysterious Eli with a hidden agenda. Ending isn't quite clear and both grown-up boys don't seem to be happy nor successful. That's why this friendship real or imagenary that Valerio longed for must have helped him through out his life. Highly recommend!!
Brian Regan: On the Rocks (2021)
Classic Regan from the master
I'm a fan of comedy and Brian Regan is an exceptional comedian because he doesn't swear nor talk about adult subject. I'm tired of comedians who have nothing to say outside of sex or sex related. He can make a mundane situation into a hilarious comedy with perfect timing and painstakingly chosen words for the maximum punch. Squint with a half smile is extra.
Here, he starts with a joke about his sudden aging, but he looks good to me, bit looks like a punk rocker. Then goes on with his usual topics such as doctor visit, clever animals and space. Lottery joke was little weak and should have finished with "how to pay for the Reiki massage" which was the best bit. He delivered another top-notch comedy as always and I will watch 10 more times waiting for the next special.
Brave Blue World (2019)
As soon as I saw Jaden Smith....
I know there's nothing to see. When I see a documentary, I expect to learn from someone who studies, works, lives the subject, not a celebrity who know next to nothing but try to present themselves otherwise. When I saw someone like Jaden Smith, my hope just dies. What a waste of the subject.
The Gentlemen (2019)
Is this Layer Cake 2?
I had to check who wrote the original story because every premise is the same. It's like Guy Ritchie making Rock'n Rolla 2 with Layer Cake storyline or vice versa. Don't get me wrong, it's still entertaining but there's no originality that I enjoyed previously.
Oh, putting Hugh Grant with Charlie Hunnam was painful cause it's like watching Jackie Chan fighting a baby.
The Speed Cubers (2020)
Cube, autism and friendship
I do not know anything about Rubik's cube world, so I watched it without any knowledge. Good documentaries show the inner world of the subject, educate the viewers and make them appreciate that it exists. This movie has competition, autism, parents' struggles, unconditional love and support, and ultimate friendship. I was so glad it focused on them evenly. it's entertaining, gripping and moving, You will be glad to get to learn this world and to know these people. I am.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
Let's see what did I learn here....
I like documentaries and find them delightful to learn about tiny corner of this vast universe full of things to be discovered. So I went into an open and enthusiastic mind. However, it was less than what I've expected, much much less.
First part of the documentary is the interviews from family members of the author. It's a good way to learn about the man, but he has nobody to compliment the man except for the wife and the children?
Then it quickly turned into an argument of censorship rather than the book itself. As you can guess, all the morbidly obese isolated women with multiple cats came out of the wood and raise their voice to ban the book because they feel excluded. Just pathetic...
I wasted a perfectly good morning and learned nothing.
Last Summer (2018)
Heartbreaking Story Done It Right
The poster gave me the impression this maybe the UK version of "Stand by me", but it was nothing like it except for the story evolves around 4 boys. Davy(Noa Thomas) spends his summer days with his brother Iwan(Gruffydd Weston) and best friends, Rhys(Rowan Jones) and Robbie(Christopher Benning).
Then they witness a tragedy between Rhys and Robbie's parents. Their much older brother Kev(Steffan Cennydd) finds out the reason behind it and try to revenge a neighbor named Dai(Richard Harrington) for it while the family is falling apart.
Sensitive Davy refuses to accept the sudden change in his best friends circumstance and tries to correct it by himself. But he's too young to fully understand the situation and to powerless to do anything about it.
Growing up in a loveless household myself, I understand the parents as well as the kids what they want and why they want it. The movie climaxes when Davy confronts in hopes of turning back things the way it was, but it ends very realistic way without any tragedy. I love this movie exactly for it because life is like that.
The cinematography is beautiful and the acting is pretty solid from mostly unknown actors. Wish to see them more in the future. This is a heartbreaking story without any good or evil, because that's what we are like.