emw-08192 Reviews

A Shop for Killers (2024– )

An Amazing Guilty Pleasure

[10/10 · 7 February 2024]

Damn, does anyone do fight action better than Korean dramatists? Maybe but I sure don't know yet. I'm impressed with the creative action all around. The relationship dynamics between uncle and niece are unique and in many ways very positive preparations for dealing with living in a crazy world where trust must be earned. There's more to survival than relying on basic instincts--making the most of what's available and focusing are right on target IMO. Interesting take on chosen / created families too. For all the violence issues of collateral damage/murder of noncombatants/civilians are raised. And the difference between psychopaths and rational humans who've made certain career choices--yeah, there IS a difference. Another thing to think about is all that firepower--all those weapons, drones and bombs--indeed there's a lot of it in our world right now. Scary. Still a very enjoyable guilty pleasure watching for what interesting action, character twist, idea concept is coming next. Oh that damn couch... love it.

Flex x Cop (2024)

Detective delight--comedy done pretty damn well.

[8/10 · 6 February 2024]

Four episodes in and am hooked by this lighter detective series with excellent comic tones. Part of the appeal is that this doesn't take the darker sides of the genre too seriously. Even so, as of episode four clearly there's some unpleasant family history for the "not real silver spoon" who fears small rodents despite his considerable size. Don't let the opening mall raid put you off. Quickly becomes obvious what that's all about. The lead's face is wonderfully expressive for comedy. Such a handsome "ham" is he. Very nice cinematography. Interesting collection of supporting and side characters. Social class issues definitely in play. If the DARK side is what you're after, this doesn't appear to be it. But if a mix of fun, some thrills, nice visuals and solid acting for entertainment without smacking the grey matter hard is what you're after then this might be the ticket.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024– )

Lonely bored sociopaths, or psychos in the surfacing, get their thrill fixes.

[1/10 · 6 February 2024]

So this pair of sociopaths who may well both become psychopaths as the series flows onward get off on the thrill of missing being blown up by approximately thirty seconds--after experiencing the let down of having intercepted and delivered a cake. It's not even funny. With this fare served up for entertainment one would think that real life violence wouldn't faze anyone---maybe it's just another 'thrill'. Maybe Max the Cat ought to have its own show...it's a thought.

And let's consider that opening sequence--what's that all about? Hmm? Are the newbies replacing that couple tired of running? Or are they the sort who terminate them? Couldn't tell --perhaps there's an unveiling forthcoming. But I don't care. There are far better series available. BOOM! Yeah, a house blows and nine people die and that's considered 'fun'? What the hell is going on?

The Night Doctor (2020)

Indeed, compassion can drive a person to the edge.

[10/10 · 31 January 2024]

Watched this as a sort of default choice very late one night and woke up fast due to its brilliant headfirst dive into harsh realities. Vincent Macaigne's performance is a revelation --flat out wonderful as a complex man leading a very layered, endlessly stressful life due to his choices to provide "care". Seemingly crazy scenarios of house calls in stressful contexts--but reality isn't nice and neat so who can take issue with such? A couple other reviews discuss noir elements far better than I can for a French film--which generally outclass anything from Hollywood. Why so few reviews? Perhaps because IMDb is so English language orientated? Not even subtitles for the single trailer. So what. If I can find this film online so can anyone else searching for a seriously satisfying drama dealing with the issues of providing health care for very challenging patients.

The Holdovers (2023)

Nothing to get excited about.

[5/10 · 27 January 2024]

A film for those guys wishing wishing desperately for "their" good old days. Those who think this is a great movie apparently have not been paying any attention to what's being produced by truly creative film makers far beyond the dismal offensively sexually fixated Hollywood Hills. To be fair, there's not much sex here--thankfully. I watched this only because I generally do respect PG's acting efforts. He does a great job with the disliked teacher with more than half a brain who has been done wrong and now lives a lonely life at an expensive boarding school. Okay then. Shades of many British dramas here and many others. MANY. Feel good holiday fare for many--I guess. Oh interesting that all the other boys get airlifted out to go skiing... ahhh ha...anyone care to chat about 'privilege'? Or the privilege of rich parents getting teacher fired for actually taking 'care' of a kid? There's a lot of missed potential for that in "The Holdovers". Guess it's a good thing there's the open road for adventure....

Sea Fog (2014)

Intensity -- defined by example.

[10/10 · 26 January 2024]

One hell of an intense film ride.

It's clear from the start that nothing good is forthcoming for the Captain whose entire life is already circling the drain. Desperate times call for desperate measures/risks.

The scenes of the crew at work provide a sense of ordinary people barely getting by. Smuggling people seems like a no brainer--until it happens. There's a lot of ethical and moral issues raised here very quickly. Reactions to events reveal sides of the entire crew which otherwise wouldn't surface except in such a context.

Consider what is the 'nature' of a rescuer who never hesitates.

The words, "Trust me," become a huge deal in this story.

It's like the simplest definition of karma plays out here with the sea as a force humans can't control. All anyone can control is their self. Great film.

Sleep (I) (2023)

Horror without buckets of blood --and that's an excellent thing.

[10/10 · 26 January 2024]

How to avoid an overflow of spoilers while expressing respect for this film? This is the kind of horror that gets inside your head and sets up housekeeping for a long, long time after the credits roll. Personally this is a far scarier film than any slasher flick overflowing with screamers, knives and masked lunatics. Why? Jung Yu-mi's performance for one--this is obvious as she delivers a believable transformation of the wife. Then there's Lee Sun-kyun's equally solid performance of a different sort--as loving husband/father willing to go the extra mile to overcome obstacles together. If you're not wondering what's really going on with him by the end then that's on you, not Lee. What a great pair of performances which unfortunately will not be repeated. Much respect.

Recipe for Farewell (2022–2023)

Definitely not a downer.

[10/10 · 26 January 2024]

Really it's not a depressing tear jerker melodrama at all. Sure it's clear from the title and description that death is on the menu, but that's far from the whole story of this family facing loss pretty much head on. There are family, friends and work place relationships in play. The cooking is an act of loving kindness by the husband. Sharing food is way of showing love and care for another person and this is central to the story.

Smell and taste are incredible memory triggers. Food is an integral part of life--everyone needs it. The 'improving' recipes will probably make you hungry so prepare your favorite snacks and meals accordingly for consumption before, during, after viewing.

I found this via a search for Han Suk-kyu's roles after watching Dr. Romantic and while this is an entirely different story and role, it was a most welcome surprise. It's a very positive take on the circle of life overall.

The Closet (2020)

Refreshingly lacking in blood and gore --and still very edgy.

[8/10 · 23 January 2024]

O my gosh--there's a decent back story and build up to the supernatural elements --and the horror does not rely on buckets of blood and gore. Atmosphere. Shaman concepts. Relationships. Tragedy. And a resolution seldom seen in the horror genre. Mum's the word on that. It's been a while since I've actually enjoyed a tale of the supernatural but The Closet hit the spot for me. It's not The Wailing by any means but it's not one of those disappointing films that leaves you thinking "Damn, what a waste of potential. That could have been so much better. What a waste of talent." This strives to do the best with everything it's got going--solid cinematography, quality performances and non-western story concepts--and that last is a very good thing indeed. Noted that there's a very wide range of reviews. To be expected. My advice is to watch and enjoy for what it's worth--which is a lot more than blood baths.

Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020)

Delightfully Dark!

[9/10 · 22 January 2024]

So twisted! So delightfully dark! So creepy! Utterly ironic. Like a warped shop of human horrors. Oh and those beautifully drawn closing credits--yes, stay to catch the credit art. A sort of sinister take on fate and how karma might work its way via the temporary storage lockers of life. Found it by following Jung Woo-sung's films. Wasn't quite sure what was really being served up when began viewing, but soon was hooked and couldn't look away--even from that nasty warehouse scene. It's gory. It's off beat. It's beautifully performed. It's not a pretty scene. But it has its own strange "heart" at the core. Totally satisfying. Lucky Strike indeed--follow those cancer sticks all the way!

Death's Game (2023– )

Damn those jarring gunshots!

[9/10 · 28 December 2023]

Every time that nasty gun is fired, even when knowing it's coming, it's like it's exploding right at you. So far the script is incredibly cruel with a heavy dose of cynical irony. Am not familiar with the webcomic so I have no idea what's coming down the plot chute. First episode was so damn harsh that I almost didn't come back for another round--but the high creative production quality hooked me enough to return for more of the insanity that constitutes many human lives. The acting is excellent across the board. Very interesting contrasts between dark and light visuals tied to states of mind and contexts. The motorcycle ride is wild and crazy and beautiful. A great deal of disturbing human violence both physical and mental is in play. Those with mental health issues might want to stay away as this offers none of the positive outreach 'help' of. Daily Dose of Sunshine. Bottom line though is that this is a great drama four episodes in.

Tell Me That You Love Me (2023– )

A Modern Day Love Story With Delightful Heart(s).

[9/10 · 26 December 2023]

There's no wild action scenes, no fancy special effects, no insane psychopaths running amok. There is a great cast with a wonderful script, wicked good chemistry between the female and male leads-both are people trying to live good lives on their own paths. Am impressed by the depiction of communication between deaf/hearing impaired and hearing humans. Very informative and educational about how, what, why, when we all work at communicating via writing, phone texts and voice to text apps, eye contact, body language, facial expressions and awareness/mindfulness. This is an impressively produced drama on many levels starting with the love story of two unique individuals--a visual artist/painter and an aspiring actress. Also interesting is how songwriting and music plays a role throughout the story. Truly impressed with. Jung Woo Sung and Shin Hyun-bin for their excellent performances.

Innocent Witness (2019)

A great outreach effort to inform people about autism.

[8/10 · 25 December 2023]

I really appreciate film efforts that actually work at opening the minds of audience who are unfamiliar with "different" people who contend with living in an indifferent world. Innocent Witness employs a solid legal story, complete with some of the usual 'corruption', to educate people about a serious condition which has been steadily increasing in children over the years. It's not a flashy splashy kind of film. Instead it is grounded in every day reality--school, bullying, difficult personal relationships--and some of the surprising elements of autism. AND the male lead does his own issues to contend with and those are impacted by how he deals with this very special witness. This is engaging realistic story telling. And oh the elderly father trying to play matchmaker for his son so that he's not so alone is comically touching. And for those who somehow missed it--there IS an age appropriate love story quietly embedded.

Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

How many rip offs are in this waste of money flick?

[1/10 · 25 December 2023]

According to the IMDb page an estimated $90,000,000 was wasted on this movie. Surely someone with far more patience and viewing breadth than moi has already complied a complete list of all the films and series dumped into this terrible excuse for a script. From Star Wars to Vikings to The Matrix and lots of others it's all blatantly coped and pasted together to create a meaningless mess. Impossible to care for any of the characters. The plot is a complete cliche of cliches. Guess the upside is that it provided employment for the cast and production crew? Am racing straight back to my to watch list of South Korean films and dramas produced with pride in the finished product. Check out the Blue Dragon Awards 2023 for far better film entertainment. Don't waste you time on this moon manure.

Gyeongseong Creature (2023– )

What a great surprise!!!

[10/10 · 25 December 2023]

Had no clue about this series until a trailer appeared on YouTube and that caught my interest. Now am eagerly awaiting more episodes in January. This offers far more high quality storytelling than hoped for. Great script. Wonderful chemistry between. Han So-hee and Park Seo-joon for their intelligent complex characters with substance and depth. Really enjoy their 'fight' scenes with each other. They're a well matched couple. Appreciate the recreation of the historical context. Wonderful supporting cast/characters. And the evil humans --well they're clearly the real monsters. Crazy "mad" scientists are really scary in reality. Raises serious ethical questions regarding following orders, treatment of other living beings, politics, science, relationships. Visually gorgeous.

Smugglers (2023)

True smuggling history would probably beat the pants off any film version, but a film is what we got here.

[10/10 · 18 December 2023]

Do take note that this adventure turns entirely on the diving ability of the women. Wonder why none of the men take to the waters to collect all the cargo. Think about that for a bit. The film may not be perfect but it does lay bare the blatant exploitation of the women divers by all the men running their con games. And while the polluting factories killing off the marine life which sustained everyone is mentioned as the source of the fishery woes not much is done with this ongoing reality---though that would make this a very different movie indeed. Soo it's down to just how much evil treatment the women can endure before trying to turn the tables on all the corrupt men. Yes, this does boil down to a war between the sexes by the end--quite literally. And kudos to all responsible for recreating the unique vibe of the seventies from the kinds of cancer sticks, the clothing, to the cars. Plus, who doesn't appreciate great teamwork? Hmm? PS, It's a visual delight.

Jirisan (2021)

Complex layered story lines with substance. Wonderful.

[10/10 · 2 December 2023]

This is great storytelling from start to finish. The first episode is a full on rush introduction to the incredible Demon Seo and there will be more of that action along the way with the context supplying a wealth of real life material. It delivered far far more than I expected from the trailer and IMDb info. Loved the intertwining of the past and present stories/personal histories of the characters. A rare role for a very strong female leading character--this by itself s a huge plus . Excellent chemistry between Demon Seo and her Newbie partner. The "supernatural" element was unexpected, intriguing and added a creative layer to the script. If simple and light this is not. It's a series which demands attentive engagement. Love the entire cast. Wish there was another season. Totally binge worthy!

Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023– )

Great Public Service Drama. Share it with everyone you know.

[10/10 · 10 November 2023]

Finally the incredible medium of tv/internet goes the full distance for addressing the serious issue of Mental Health that impacts everyone on the planet. Kudos to everyone involved in producing this series for the benefit of everyone. It effectively informs and educates about mental illness. If you break a bone you get help. If your mind 'hurts' you need help too. Not surprised that this show came out of South Korea which has a very high suicide rae--and a lot of mental illness due to intense work and school pressures. Please watch and share this drama with everyone you know. It could save a life.

Ransomed (2023)

Fastest 2 hours ever.

[8/10 · 8 November 2023]

Indeed the action is very entertaining--oh those tight streets but it's the imaginative creative problem solving and personal interactions which put this a step ahead of other such films. The frosting on the cake though is the show of loyalty and care of the civil servants who stand in solidarity in the hallway as they offer their salaries to pay the ransom while the so called "leaders' are willing to treat every life as expendable--except their own of course. One wonders how anyone manages to live in countries destroyed by war and overrun by gangs. Have to ask where all the guns and ammo come from as there seems to be an endless supply. The answer to that are not very pleasant.

Spoor (2017)

Fans of the book Drive your plow over the bones of the dead--this is for you.

[8/10 · 12 September 2023]

Spoor/ Pokot offers a very good rendition of the novel Drive your plow over the bones of the dead - which raises very serious issues regarding the rights of nature. "Murder most foul" indeed. Great unique heroine. Beautifully filmed. Parts of the plot line play out "better" in the novel. But as a film adaptation this is rather good. An impossible film for America's Hollywood industry to produce all things NRA considered. Damns the church claims of the right of humans to do whatever evil they devise against nature and all non-humans. But then consider the extent of humans' inhumane treatment of other humans and nothing is surprising. Love those magpies....

Stove League (2019–2020)

Min Namkoong sends it out of the park.

[10/10 · 5 September 2023]

Tracking Min Namkoong's performances brought me to Stove League. As am NOT a baseball fan I put off watching it. Then when everything else looked mediocre I tuned in--and wow--the foundations of corruption of the people who never step up to bat--those who want a team to fail for their own purposes, greed, ethical corruption and just plan dirty dealing bring a lot of substance to this drama. Min is generally stone cold stoic throughout--but still manages to give off pressure cooker steam somehow--he's a truly great actor. I didn't expect this kind of role after One Dollar Lawyer. There's solid performances from the entire cast fleshing out individual personal stories which also make it worth watching. This is not a fluffy cotton candy baseball drama. Loving baseball is not necessary for enjoying the human drama. See how long it takes before you're throwing verbal abuse at the nasty humans on your screen of choice.

One Dollar Lawyer (2022)

Great Script + Great Acting = Great Series

[10/10 · 25 August 2023]

This features some really excellent script writing which pairs well with excellent performances by Min Namkoong and the entire cast. There's a lot packed into this series which works the present and past for all they're worth. Why is the fee only one dollar? That answer is revealed over the course of the series and it's definitely worth the watching wait. Some very serious legal/social issues are embedded making this far more than a comic romp. It's not. For romantics--yes, there's a love story. Pay attention because the shifts from present to past and back are subtle. Some great visual film work too.

My Dearest (2023– )

My Dearest Is the Best Damn Love Story Going Strong

[10/10 · 20 August 2023]

Min Namkoong yet again defies typecasting and brings it all to the table as an enigmatic man of the world smitten with a woman who when things get rough proves to be far more than a silly flirt. The Lady has spirit in a culture where it's not usually valued in a woman. This is NO damn wanna be GWTW as one reviewer yapped about. Gary Grant could only dream of having Min Namkoong's acting chops. And the rest of My Dearest/Lover 's cast are no slouches either in this romance amidst a war where smart strong leadership is in short supply. When those "precious lips" are kissed it's going be a HUGE moment. But that opening scene on the beach, well, it makes one wonder IF that moment will ever come.

Update edit: Mea culpa, indeed Cary Grant was not Clark Gable in GWTW. Still neither can compare to Min Namkoong--they're both third rate actors in comparison. Their status was created by Hollywood marketing. Min Namkoong's status is due to his remarkable talent.

Episode 11 is off to a grand start of the second half of My Dearest/Lover. Heartbreak like none other? !

In an award acceptance speech Min Namkoong thanked writer Hwang Jin-yeong for the wonderful script/story she worked on for five years.