Happily Ever After

  To be honest, my hopes for the movie weren't high because of the title. "Phantom" sounded pretty vague, so it didn't catch my attention right away. And to be honest again, I didn't really enjoy the movie <Believer>, made by the same director. But the movie turned out to be a pleasant surprise:)   The story occurs during the time of Japanese reign. Five Koreans are suspected to be the "phantom", who is known to rebel against the Japanese, and are held captive in a mansion under Japanese soldiers' eyes. They can only get out when the situation ends with the phantom dead. The five people start to suspect each other, and they fight to regain freedom.   There are some parts where the story flows slowly. But I felt that they were necessary to build tension little by little. This spy action movie stood out thanks to the amazing actors. Seol Kyung-gu and Park So-dam were especially perfect. They acted as though they were destined for their roles. It ...

    Starring Korea's best actors, Hwang Jung-min and Hyun Bin, <The Point Men> was expected to be a great start of 2023. Of course, the two actors showed great acting, and Hyun Bin was stunningly handsome as usual, but the movie wasn't like what I expected it to be.   The movie starts as 23 Koreans are taken captive by Taliban in Afghanistan. Jae-ho, a diplomat, goes to Afghanistan to rescue the captives. There he meets Dae-sik, a NIS agent, and they start to work together to bring all the Koreans back in one piece.    Being held captive by Taliban is an extremely shocking and terrifying event. Yet the movie isn't very tense. I liked it, since I don't like wasting energy feeling nervous all through the movie, but some might prefer the heart-beating-and-hands-sweating. <The Point Men> is a big scale movie starring great actors, so we should wait and see where the fate of the movie heads to. After all, today is only the release day.  Review : Not ...

  <A Hard Day> is considered by many as actor Lee Sun-kyun's best movie. Although I've already seen him perform in <Parasite> and <My Mister>, this was the first time that I actually got to admire his acting. I had no idea that he had such a wide spectrum of acting. And this movie was special in that he gathered up his abilities accumulated through the ages, and poured them all out in a massive blast of whirlwind.   Geon-soo's life turns into chaos when he accidentally hits a man while drunk driving on his way to his mother's funeral. Terrified, he hastily hides the body in his car and drives away. He takes care of things, using his status as a cop to his advantage. The situation worsens when one day, a man who seems to know everything about the accident keeps on calling Geon-soo and threatens him.    In the beginning, I somehow felt uneasy watching the show, not knowing why I had this queasy feeling. Now I know why. I was so immersed that I unknowi...

    As a big fan of actress Jeon Do-yeon, I've always wanted to watch this movie, since she acknowledged this one as her favorite film she appeared in. I wondered why, since this film isn't as famous as her other movies like <Secret Sunshine> and <The Housemaid>. But after finally seeing <My Dear Enemy>, it actually became my favorite as well!   The title of this movie made me feel confused before seeing the movie. The Korean title is <Great Day>, whereas the English title is <My Dear Enemy>. I wondered, did they really have make the title so different? But after seeing the movie, those two titles actually felt similar. They give off a certain vibe, and I figured that maybe the director wanted to preserve that vibe in two ways. After all, I noticed, 'great' and 'dear' are not so different.   The movie stars two top star actors; Jeon Do-yeon and Ha Jung-woo. Without them, the movie might have been a complete fiasco. Because their act...

    <The Book of Fish> remains in my memory as a flawless film. I still cannot forget the feeling as I walked out of the theater; something vibrated inside my whole body, making me feel warm, like I've just drunk a nice cup of hot chocolate. Surprisingly, this movie is not well known to the public, as it was released during COVID-19. It's a shame, and now is the perfect time for me to contribute to making this movie a sensation.   The movie's setting is the Joseon Dynasty. It's based on a true story, and the main character is Jeong Yak-jeon. He is a renowned scholar, but is exiled to Heuk-san Island due to religious differences. There, he meets Chang-dae, a young fisherman who stands out by his vast knowledge of fish. Yak-jeon begins teaching Chang-dae how to write, and in return learns everything about fish life and writes about it. They slowly become good friends as well as each other's precious mentor.   <The Book of Fish> was the first movie that mad...

    Some movies never get old. This is true especially in family movies. The concept is always so similar, love and trust. But the fact that they never get old is perhaps what makes them dear.   Like the name indicates, <Switch> is about a top star Kang whose life changes one Christmas night. He suddenly switches into a poor actor with his own family of four. He reunites with his his ex-girlfriend Soo-hyeon, whom he had secretly missed, as husband and wife. Kang is frustrated at first, but as time passes, his affection for his two children and Soo-hyeon grows, and he understands for the first time about family and love.   Like I said, the story is a common one. Nevertheless, it has some special points of it's own. Park So-i and Kim Jun, the two most loved child actors in Korea, star in this film, and they are an absolute sensation. It's equally exciting to watch the chemistry between Kwon Sang-woo and Lee Min-jung. The bond this family shows may seem common, ye...