Audience Member
A movie with a promissing storyline but awkward execution. The ending is extremely unsatisfactory and leaves questions unanswered. The acting is adequate but can seem a little stale sometimes which might be due to the fact that the actors are talking English to each other.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/09/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This film might be boring to anyone who expects to see passionate melodramatic movie. There are some missing points, which are often considered as necessary to those kinds of movies, however, it still contains something that never be appreciated by kids.
Throughout the whole movie, the characters barely talk about there actual feeling, but instead, the mystical atmosphere, created by the fog, the darkness in the movie and many things in the movie talk about how they feel, Particularly, the scene in the ruined amusement park is the peak moment in this kind of direction (It is Kim's typical direction style always appears in his movie)
Due to the this indirect discourse, audience might have some trouble getting the feeling the movie actually gives but once you get, then you cannot come out of the emotional resonance no matter what the feeling is good or bad.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/30/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Average, expected better though.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This co-production between South Korea, Hong Kong, China and the United States is the fourth remake of the now-lost 1966 Lee Man-hee melodrama classic of the same title. This time we have trilingual romantic drama directed by Kim Tae-yong. It stars Chinese-born Hong Kong actress Tang Wei as a prisoner who is given a 72 hours parole to go for her mother's funeral in Seattle. While in the bus she meets a South Korean man on-the-run (Hyun Bin). He wants to buy a ticket in the bus but he is $30 short. Seeing her as an only Asian on the bus, he asks for a favour... and everything begins from there.
I liked the story which was told very slowly, I will say - the Asian way. And, according to the figures Asian audience loved it. The film was released in Korean theatres on February 17, 2011 and took 6.3 billion won (US$5.55 million) in the box office, and it became the highest grossing Korean film released in China to date, quickly gathering over 910,000 admissions after its March release, with a total box office take of more than 60 million yuan (US$9.5 million). The acting was outstanding and Tang Wei showed that she can handle any situation even without words, her expression telling it all! Multiple awards are just confirming this: 2012 KOFRA Film Awards (Korea Film Reporters Association): Best Actress (Tang Wei), 2011 Pusan Film Critics Awards: Best Film, 2011 Pusan Film Critics Awards: Best Actress (Tang Wei), 2011 Korean Association of Film Critics Awards: Best Actress (Tang Wei), 2011 Korean Association of Film Critics Awards: Best Music (Jo Seong-woo), 2011 Baeksang Arts Awards: Best Actress (Tang Wei), 2011 Fribourg International Film Festival: Ex-Change Award by Youth Jury, 2011 Fribourg International Film Festival: Special Mention of the Jury of the International Federation of Film Societies... just few of the many.
If you like slow paced romantic dramas with talented actors and amazing music, choose this one. You won't regret.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/18/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I love HyunBin, but the movie was pretty boring. It's cool that it was filmed in Seattle though~
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
01/15/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Bin Hyeon will blow your mind as a gigolo. At first I didn't think he was going to get past an attempt at caricature, but then he absolutely owns the role, reaching a Javier Bardem level of suave. When he gets to the "This man used my fork" line, all bets are off. It's an amazing performance.
When it comes to the kissing scene at the end, if you think it's too long you haven't enjoyed the movie. If you think it's touching and warm, the film worked for you. As far as I'm concerned, it could have been twice as long. Watch Tang Wei deliver a workshop on how to act with the tips of your fingers. She's a talented actress.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/10/23
Full Review
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