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samnyangie · 4 years ago

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Personal reviews on RSL filmography

Rsl, iI thought it’d be a good idea to record my thought on each films rsl was in, it was something I always wanted to do...

Rsl in total, was starred in (excluding tv series etc) 27-ish films, to be honest, considering his years as an actor(approximately more than 30 years) he wasn’t starred in that many. We all know why lol

Just saying I’m not a film expert, therefore the list is very subjective.

The reviews with trigger warning (r*pe, g*re etc): Tape, Killer: Journal of Murder, A glimpse of hell. Tho in the writing I’ve censored them with * since I don’t feel comfortable saying them here

There isn’t particular spoilers except for dps, tape, and ground control

The favourites (literally my life time films)

Dead Poets Society

I assume many would agree, and as many would have, it was my first ever rsl film, like I was on the plane and it was one of the films they offered, and I was like, oh I think i heard of this, so I watched and instantly loved it. The message is very relevant to this day, the cinematography is very beautiful and somehow nostalgic. I was horrified with Neil’s death. Tbh now I’ve seen too many memes and all kind of things from the fandom (which I’m grateful for!) I thought the heartfelt I once had would deluded a bit, however when I watched it again last April with my family at the cinema and it still moved me very deeply.

The age of Innocence

Okay, unpopular opinion here, I love this so much. It’s my all time favourite rsl film. It even outruns dps tiny winy bit haha. Aside from how he had tiny winy screen time, appearing at the end but the fact that he played quite an important role and him being gorgeous in it just<33 I couldn’t help but smiling! It just the whole film was so much of my cup of tea? The melodrama and the hypocrisy hidden by elegance among the upper social classes in 19th century is just what I needed. The more I watch it, the more I understand the characters and their emotions, it’s one of those films you should keep visit to discover the things you weren’t aware of before. I watched it again this morning and i couldn’t stop thinking about it. However, I know some people find it boring and I understand why, my sister is one of them lol(except for a bit where rsl was in) but i think it’s more complex than what it appears to be at a first glance haha. In conclusion, it became one of my comfort film to watch time to time.

The ones I like<33

Swing kids

At first viewing, I didn’t expected much because it had underwhelming reviews but when I actually saw it, I thought it was quite decent and more and more I watched it, I felt like it was underrated. Yes, I think some directing choices were bit old fashioned and cheesy especially the ending, I’m not saying it was a perfect masterpiece but it deserves more recognition than it has now. Also in spite that there’re some parts being too simplified, it touched on something other films about ww2 normally don’t. It was interesting to see the German perspective on it than Jewish or the allies perspective like many of them does, but of course the latter perspectives matter, it could be argued that they more valid than the former, which partly was where sk criticised for, however, the portrayal of the varied reactions of the German people (in this one particular the teenagers) has its value in their on way. Anyway along side with it, the music and the dance scenes were great, without exaggeration, though Swing kids isn’t my fav, peter’s solo dance scene is my favourite scene in any movies I’ve ever watched. I mean that scene had both visuals and meaning as it demonstrated Peter’s determination as well as resentment with a hitch of unsureness. Rsl acting in that scene was just phenomenal, it’s not about showing off the dancing skills but he portrayed every mixed emotions peter has from his expression and the moves, I just can’t talk about this enough especially this scene was the reason I started fallen for him. lol

Much ado about nothing

Much ado is something I never seen anything like so it was a refreshing exprience. I barely watched Shakespeare on screen kind of thing. Though I felt there were some bits too cheesy for me but they are also the charms in the same time, and the cinematography was pretty also Claudio aka rsl, it was like an official announcement of declaring my worship on this man. Especially it was after SWING KIDSSSS so I couldn’t help it now everyone knows how I fallen for him but no one can blame meeeeee Anyway, it’s a really good film to watch when you want be relaxed with cup of tea maybe hehe

In the gloaming

I heard about it before I watched it, that it’s a heart wrenching, tearful piece, though I didn’t managed to cry, it’s just.... painful and in a way heartfelt. I liked that story telling was calm and collected rather than forcing you to join the sob party, just showing the characters to carry on. And thanks to the great acting from the cast, the characters could be emphasised and understood, personally the older sister was the most relatable character for me, well, eldest complex lol. In short I liked it but it’s not something I would watch it often.

Last days of Disco

As a person who looks at aesthetic in films, I simply enjoyed this for that tbh. I don’t know, I just liked the feeling. But I don’t think it’d be everyone’s cup of tea. I love the day time clothes the girls wore in the film. Tbh I love the music too, I think I love all the films of rsl with music in it. Speaking about rsl, oh rsl, he’s.... His character might be bit unlikable but he was just.... This is why I can’t unlove his characters even the debatable ones<33

They were decent! (I would recommend it)

Married to it

This is the first and last ever attempt of rsl of romcomssss The film itself is cliche to be frank it’s like love actually but it’s about marriage life + it’s not christmas but I like heartfelt cliche stories like this, if anyone also loves this type of story, it’s really worth watching, it’s one of my comfort films, also, rsl is so pretty I mean he always is but to see him being a office man with a baby face made me go awww my baby grew up heheh I wish he did another romcom like this or more preferably, melodramatic romance, I’d have made a shrine of it and worship it every morning lol

The boys next door

I kind of smiled while watching it throughout, if you want something that is heartfelt and touch on some serious topic about social workers and the people with mental disorder, Rsl plays a character who has (I think it was) Schizophrenia and troubled relationship with his father(Deja vu I know) but general atmosphere tend to be quite humourous. I don’t get me wrong, though it’s light hearted, it doesn’t mean they treat the topic in the same way. There’s a scene where the protagonist imagining the one of the characters with the disorder talking eloquently and honourably at the court on the rights and the dignity of the people with mental disorders deserve to/should have and they’re just the same people as the people without mental disorders. It was a powerful scene.

My two loves

Rsl’s first ever screen debut film! Hehe it’s about a woman who is discovering her sexual identity and the conflicts within I personally thought it was fairly sensible depiction but I can’t say for sure whether it was accurate or else, since I don’t think it’s my place to say it:) But if you’re interested, it’s on YouTube, you can just search for it or go to this post I made. Fun fact: since it was his debut film, it credits him as he’s real name, Robert L. Leonard, I just find it amusing haha

Tape

It’s another type of film I don’t encounter that often, I enjoyed it, especially with Neil and Todd’s reunion lol. Rsl mentioned how he enjoyed it because it felt like doing a play, my first impression was that the structure is like a play, though the camera work made me quite dizzy haha. But the dialogues, the acting, I think it was quite spot on. Especially the human contradictions and hypocrisy side of it. The most people assume the baddie in the film is Jon the character rsl played and has a distaste for him. I mean how can anyone love a character who is accused of r*pe but to be honest, Vincent for me seemed just as problematic, both of them are hypocrites for sure in their own different ways but in the end we can’t be sure what’s really the truth or not. It’s about the vagueness, and phychology and the uncertainty from the audience on who to believe(well, myself included, most would trust on Amy’s claims since she’s the victim in the accusation, but by her denying the claims, making everything way unclear,) so I don’t know. I don’t really have an opinion haha tho I don’t believe nothing happened because Amy denied so, even Umma Thurman who played her, said that her interpretation was that Amy lied. I felt it’s endless rabbit hole this film. Sorry I couldn’t worded it better.

My best friend is a Vampire

It’s cringey and weird but there’re odd charm to it. Vampire rsl’s so cute as well.... and I think it’s the only film, he acted kind of flirty ? So for that itself I’d like to appreciate itttt And it’s so 80s/90s, like it has general odd nostalgia like all films from that age has. I saw a Korean blog about rsl films and this was mentioned, that- they said- it’s a bible of rsl’s adorableness and I think that sum up the film perfectly.

Mr&Mrs Bridge

Before this was in ‘I mean it was fine” category, but I watched it again and now I want to retract my statement lol Still isn’t my fav but I noticed how delicately depicted each characters are, Mr and Mrs Bridge in particular. This film is alternatively about the changes in the young generation regarding liberty, feminism, free expression especially on sex. It’s in the perspective of the bridges, the mother and father who is old fashioned and conservative (as it was normal in their previous generation) and the children who are the young generation, and the misunderstanding and conflicts between them. After all it all happened not only because of the difference but also the lack of communication, which rsl emphasised in his interviews. I found it interesting that they made it seems like the Bridges truly existed with the video footage and (with the ending) describing what happened to each family member in text with photos. When I watched it at first I was really confused if it was based on a real life. I think what they wanted to suggest was that the Bridges every typical American family at the time. It was something everyone was going through. I said previously I didn’t get why Rsl’s character (the youngest in the Bridges) treated his mother so coldly. Honestly I do get why, but I guess I felt so bad so the mother haha

I mean it was fine

The safe passage

It was okay but to be honest it didn’t stood out to me. It was okay. The story, the characters weren’t that interesting. I wish they extended it longer to go depth with their family relationship or something.

A painted house

I find it likeable, it has a chill, old folk story vibe, but same as previous one. it didn’t really stand out except for shirtless rsl, do close ups you cowards

Bluffing it

I was really fond of the premise of this film and I think it has great intention. It was specifically made to promote the awareness of illiteracy and how to get support. However, I don’t get the reason of Jack the protagonist’s illiteracy. Unless, it was common occurrence in America at the time, I feel like it’d have been more convincing if he was in poor family hood, so there was no time to learn at school due to working at young age...? I mean, just finding it hard to believe he passed the high school just like that, I mean the teachers or anyone should have noticed it, maybe I’m missing something here but it seemed unlikely to me.

Ground control

Again, I liked the message, as it depicted how frightening and difficult job the ground controller is, by one mistake could take away the lives of hundreds, especially as someone who goes on planes a lot... But it was quite cliche throughout, I just couldn’t get engaged to it. But I do admit at the end when the protagonist runs off to the landing zone see the pilot who he had just saved, they acknowledged each other and have eye contacts was truly wholesome. Rsl as cocky, bad boy was such a icing on the cake, I loved it so much. Chewing gum in every scene lol I hope he plays these sort of characters more often. I saw someone criticising him saying he has narrow spectrum of just playing nice boy roles like Neil but I really wanted to debunk the narrative and this could be one of the examples!

Chelsea walls

I knew that this has split reviews but nonetheless I think worth to watch it, 1. Ethan and rsl re union, 2. Ethan is the directer of the film and rsl sing in it. But I have to say, it’s one of those hard to follow art indie film so I couldn’t finish it on one go. I feel like I have to devour it over and over again. Maybe later on I grow fond of it more lol But his character, I loved him so much. He’s just has everyone don’t touch me, I’m a cocky artist vibe, there’s a scene where his annoying friend annoying him and he looks up and says: ‘Fck off’. Absolute golddddd not to mention he sings and plays guitar so beautifully<333

Well... it’s not my cup of tea

The Manhattan project

I don’t think the film it self was that bad, it’s about high school boy who find out the existence of some nuclear energy research lab and stole the energy to make his own nuclear bomb. I just don’t get the thinking process of the protagonist. It really frustrated me. He seemed apathetic and unlikable I disliked him throughout and that’s why I didn’t really enjoyed it. I mean it has humour and ridiculous storyline might be humorous to some. But more importantly there was such little screen time for rsl!! LIKE WHY? WHY PEOPLE?? HE LOOKS LIKE A FRESH HUMAN MOCHI!!! It makes me soooo mad to think about it

Killer: Journal of Murder

Well, first of all, it had a lot of graphic things than I imagined, brutally murd*red bodies, execution, and r*pe scene, gosh I was strucken by it when I saw that, I had to skipped that scene. It’s based on a real event and a real criminal called Carl Panzram, so if you’re aware of it, it might be more intriguiging to see. But personally for me... meh, I don’t think directing was good as it failed to portray it enough for me to comprehend fully.

A Glimpse of Hell

This is also based on a true event of a tragic accident in the us battleship in Iowa in 1989. They shows tragedy lin a blunt, brutal way by showing horribly damaged bodies of the soldiers torn into pieces, all the horrid things directly so be warned about that. I was quite alarmed because i didn’t expect to see it haha there’s no much to say. The film quality was so so for me. I feel their approach wasn’t appropriate, they were clearly trying to make it dramatic which is fine but in a melodramatic emotional way. It didn’t work because first, there aren’t enough portrayal of the characters for me to get attached, secondly it added the unnecessary exaggeration it prevented me from being emotionally involved or even to think about it. In my opinion, I think it’d have been better if they made it more restrained, dry, focus on the accuracy. For example like 1987 or Zodiac, I mean both of them has dramatic elements since they’re not a documentary but they were not overdone, in a contrary added emphasis to their message/conclusion. I know it’s easier said than done but it was something I consistently felt during it.

Sir.... I’m sorry but-

Standoff

Haha... it’s very peculiar... the directing is off and it just weird. I knew it was bad already but I watched it because rsl as a cop with gunssssssss just... so rare and just.... something else. There’s no way of me missing that seriously. Tbh him doing an action stunt isn’t what I imagine when it comes to him and there’s really any actions scenes anyway but it really was something. Like the character he played here really became my soft spot Hehehehe he was pretty and plus, tbh it’s kind of film I’d make fun of while watching so everything was (alomst) forgivable. There is a recent thing I think about, since this is about a cult, I kind of hope he’d at some day play a role like Eli Sunday from There will be blood: a manipulative, deceitful and maddened priest with twisted faith. Though Paul Dano did a grand job, the idea was in my head the whole time. Well, it’s a shame he wasn’t any of those here lol

Driven

From what I seen, the majority of people seem to unanimously hate this film, and after watching it I became one of those ppl. At least Standoff could be make fun of and rsl held gunssss but this...... I want to say so many things... I feel like they should have chose either fancy, fast paced, thrilling racing film or detailed depiction of emotions/relationships with the racers and people involved in it, I know both can be done, but I think that was outside of their ability, but since they tried to do that at once, it became a mess that doesn’t go either way. And the characters, any of them, including rsl’s are narrow or impossible to understand. I mean rsl did great himself, it was not about acting, the problem lies on the script and editing in my opinion. Also there were so many unnecessary characters made me question of their existence. Luckily rsl’s character isn’t one of them, however because of them, he had to squeeze in and unable to elaborate, which is a shame as he was an interesting character and someone rsl rarely plays; a arrogant and opportunist agent/brother of the protagonist, who would do anything for success... ha.... whyyyyy

This is it. If I watch other stuff I might add to it in the future. Overall, I know I’m biased but I do like His filmography, I do have appreciations in every one of them in different way to the good ones to bad. He may have disagree, but I love his acting on screen, well, I barely seen him on stage (crying)

Edit: as some of you could see, I’ve edited this over and over again haha elaborating on thing or the contrary. I can say with a glimpse of hell I practically managed to watch every rsl films out there lol except for the i inside and the short film he did called a dog race in Alaska. But with the former I’m not interested and already know the storyline, and the latter is just impossible to find, trust me I did my best;;

So to sum up: I HAVE MASTERED THE RSL FILMOGRAPHY!

#robert sean leonard #rsl #films #filmography #personal #thoughts

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dweemeister · 6 years ago

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South Pacific (1958)

With the 1955 movie adaptation of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s Oklahoma! proving to be a popular success a roadshow attraction, producers at the other Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musicals began laying the groundwork for cinematic versions. Oklahoma! was released by RKO, but the three R&H adaptations to follow were housed at 20th Century Fox. Within Fox’s domain, South Pacific followed Carousel (1956) and The King and I (1956). The stage musical South Pacific was based on a short story collection by James A. Michener entitled Tales of the South Pacific – the winner of the 1947 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In taking Michener’s work as inspiration, R&H implemented themes of racial prejudice that might have seemed groundbreaking upon the Broadway premiere in 1949 and the film’s late ‘50s release, but has become less norm-breaking in retrospect. Similar issues also affect The King and I. But when it comes to the theatrical releases, the craftwork and acting has assured The King and I’s place as one of the best Hollywood musicals. Shot on location in Hawai’i, South Pacific is an enormous production, but it contains less cinematic intrigue than other R&H adaptations.

Much of that is down to director Joshua Logan – experienced on the Broadway stage (the original runs for Annie Get Your Gun and Mister Roberts) not so much with movies (1955′s Picnic, 1956′s Bus Stop). Logan directed the original run for South Pacific for its five-year stay on the Great White Way. But the skillset for a successful stage director is not necessarily compatible with that of a film director’s. For example, when The Sound of Music first appeared on Broadway, it was not as universally acclaimed by audiences and theater critics. With its immortal 1965 adaptation under veteran film director Robert Wise, The Sound of Music surpassed its stagebound source material by embracing the Alpine scenery surrounding it, stretching images that makes possible what a Broadway audience might imagine.

Somewhere in South Pacific during World War II, the United States Navy and its Seabees are stationed, waiting for their next assignment. Aside from the usual tropical maladies, the most infectious affliction among the men is boredom. After an early song in which a local trader, Bloody Mary (Juanita Hall in yellowface; singing dubbed by Muriel Smith), describes the sexual mysteries of a nearby, forbidden island called Bali Ha’i, a few of the men find themselves aroused by the thought of easygoing dames. It is from here South Pacific establishes two storylines. The first centers around the love affair of Ensign Nellie Forbush (Mitzi Gaynor, the only major actor to do her own singing; her character is a nurse) and Emile de Becque (Rossano Brazzi; dubbed by Giorgio Tozzi) – a wealthy expat French planter with a guarded past – a past simultaneously hidden by time and in plain sight. The other subplot does not truly integrate itself until the second half, when Lieutenant Joseph Cable (John Kerr; dubbed by Bill Lee) visits Bali Ha’i and falls for Liat (France Nuyen).

Other significant characters include Luther Billis (Ray Walston), Captain George Brackett (Russ Brown), Commander Bill Harbison (Floyd Simmons), the Professor (Jack Mullaney), and Stewpot (Ken Clark; dubbed by the inimitable Thurl Ravenscroft). Elizabeth Taylor was considered by the producers for the role of Nellie, but, during her audition, she was so intimidated by Richard Rodgers that she could barely sing. It matters not, though, because Mitzi Gaynor’s performance is tremendous. Juanita Hall, as Bloody Mary, is the only original Broadway cast member to reprise her role.

Melodrama reigns. And melodrama, when paired with excellent filmmaking, can pack emotional wallops for even the steel-hearted viewers. Excellent filmmaking is not present here; far from it! The first appearance of major faults comes with Bloody Mary’s introduction, the song “Bali Ha’i”. Do not adjust the color configurations of whatever device you are reading this piece on – those saturated Technicolor filters blanketing the screen are present during many of the musical numbers and most dramatic scenes. During the film’s post-production, director Joshua Logan was concerned about how the rapid weather changes might appear in theaters. To mitigate that, Logan shot those aforementioned parts of the film through color filters – unintentionally mimicking the effects of mood lighting one might see on a stage play. Logan disliked the decision after seeing the final print, believing that the film processing lab saturated the colors to extremes. He requested reshoots but, because of South Pacific’s roadshow release schedule in which theater bookings were finalized months in advance, those never occurred. Logan reflected that the filters were the worst mistake of his filmmaking career, and I concur. Where these color tricks might work on stage, film is a different beast. As South Pacific is not a silent film, viewers do not expect tinting to that extent. Often occurring in the movie’s most romantic sequences, the oversaturation adds nothing to the poignancy onscreen. The filters are more suited for drinking games – not that I am giving you any suggestions.

Logan and cinematographer Leon Shamroy (1944′s Wilson, The King and I) botch the camerawork. The colorized filters interfering with the audience’s appreciation of the backgrounds, and this issue is exacerbated by Shamroy’s insistence on medium and medium-close shots for many of the musical numbers, as well as placing many props or foliage in the foreground. Shamroy sometimes carries over the same aesthetic and framing tendencies between musical numbers shot in the same general area (“There is Nothing Like a Dame” and “Bali Ha’i” in particular). The visuals, amid beautiful sights on Kaua’i, are frustratingly adequate given the on-location shooting.

As entertaining as South Pacific, it buckles with its gendered behaviors, questionable romance, and flawed arguments around racial relations. The secondary plot concerning Liat and Joseph Cable is grounded in the fears of Liat’s mother, Bloody Mary. With war raging across the Pacific and the fact that the economic presence of the U.S. Navy could disappear at a moment’s notice, Bloody Mary wants her child to enjoy the benefits of Western society and escape from the poverty of the islands. Liat, portrayed by Nuyen, has no agency and no choice of suitors because of her mother’s arrangements. Among their exotified neighbors, Liat, who does not speak a single word in this film adaptation (because apparently the worst sort of woman is someone who dares speak out concerning a man’s worst behaviors), embodies the Oriental feminine ideal pushed by artists over several hundred years: submissive, seductive, pale-skinned, giggling. Yet the musical and the film adaptation tends to play this for laughs, burying the narrative lede behind mother and daughter: the former preventing the latter from discovering love for herself, in the name of economic benefits (given how much money Bloody Mary claims she has made – and taking her at her word and inflation into account – their income probably far exceeds that of the average islander) and wartime expediency. Asian characters in Western narrative art – especially women – are often infantile, finding themselves at the mercy of underdeveloped, acquisition-hungry, and horny white characters. Where a musical like The King and I had its lead Asian and white protagonists on equal footing in terms of power and agency, that dynamic reverts to its stereotypical norm here. South Pacific has much to say about interracial romance – and not just with Liat and Cable – but its approach was and is regressive.

Not that the primary romance between Nellie and Emile is any better. From the moment they lay eyes on each other and an interested eyebrow is raised, Emile repeatedly engages in prevarication. He does this thinking that Nellie will not accept his truths – and really, too much of the drama in South Pacific occurs because of characters failing to explain their pasts or their reasoning (it’s tearing-hair-out-in-large-clumps stuff). Now, I’m all for forgiveness in leading one’s life. But Nellie, whose resentments are based on her personal racial intolerance and Emile’s history of obfuscation, forgives Emile too quickly, too easily to be believed. The two leads here are playing characters with an array of personal flaws that can be overcome. The resolution of those flaws plays out in the most dramatic fashion possible because, hey, it’s the Second World War and they have to put some war violence in there somehow!

It is my hope that you are watching South Pacific for its music, and not for the plot. Because the entire score from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical is intact, albeit many songs have been placed far differently from when they appear in the original stage musical. Credit to this film adaptation that the rearrangement of the song order makes greater sense here. Instead of jumping headfirst into Nellie and Emile’s romance, the film opts to introduce “Bloody Mary” and the Naval non-coms and Lieutenant Cable first with “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” – an enjoyable opening which establishes their longing for female company and restlessness. “Bali Ha’i” and the first appearance of the atrocious filters follows.

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Soon after this the musical’s best works appear where in the stage version they were featured far too early. Nellie and Emile’s budding relationship is outlined by three songs following the other: “A Cock-Eyed Optimist” is followed by “Twin Soliloquies” and South Pacific’s signature song – “Some Enchanted Evening”. Also preserved in their spots from the stage musical are “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” – the film unfortunately cuts two minutes from the song – and “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy”. The partial deletion of the former song speaks to how the filmmakers wanted to champion falling in love (as opposed to loving someone), but that does not make me adore the latter song any less. As an example of how poorly South Pacific treats its Asian characters, “Happy Talk” is featured in all of its glorious pidgin English embarrassment (the song is often cut in contemporary productions, including the 2001 television version). This is the only Rodgers and Hammerstein film adaptation in which all of the songs are intact – “My Girl Back Home” being the one addition (and it was cut from the original stage musical).

This review is based on the general release version which runs 157 minutes long and does not include the intermission. The roadshow version runs for 171 minutes; includes an overture, intermission, entr’acte, and exit music; and contains additional scenes. Both the general and roadshow versions are available on home media.

For South Pacific, various elements of this film version – from how it handles its two romantic subplots and its commentary on interracial romance and relations – have not aged gracefully. The Rodgers and Hammerstein score, even if this does not represent the height of their collective musical acumen, remains indelible. Forget the love declarations and probably one-sided relationships. Stay for the music.

My rating: 6/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

#South Pacific #Joshua Logan #Rossano Brazzi #Mitzi Gaynor #Rodgers and Hammerstein #John Kerr #Ray Walston #Juanita Hall #Frane Nuyen #Russ Brown #Jack Mullaney #Ken Clark #Richard Rodgers #Oscar Hammerstein II #Leon Shamroy #TCM #My Movie Odyssey

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asianhappinesss · 3 years ago

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The Best Story (2021)

Summary

Best, a guy who sucks no matter what he does - contrary to his own name -, fell for Dew, the hottest guy of the class and the most popular guy in school. His love agenda got his friends involved, Bright and Ray, who had to help him. Best could only watch Dew from afar, never had a chance to confess. But one day, as if God was on his side, he got to know Dew‘s best friends, Dave and Tar, and got into the music club with no clue.

Review

This review may contain spoilers

The Best Story depicts a sweet, simple, and sentimental high school romance. This BL drama doesn’t do anything too different from the norm, so the ordinary love story between two teenagers will feel familiar to you. There’s an age-appropriate wholesomeness that will definitely appeal to younger (and older) BL fans. It does a wonderful job at capturing the innocence of first love, including all the bashful glances, the playful teasing from your friends, and the butterflies in your stomach when you encounter the boy you like. Best and Dew are cute to watch together. There’s a little bit of conflict at the start, but the rest of their interactions are filled with warmth and positivity. I especially love the scene where Dew teaches Best how to shoot a basketball, showcasing their intimacy through a simple platonic moment. Other scenes highlight Best’s shyness or apprehension around his crush, which feel very authentic and relatable. Overall, their romance seems down-to-earth, relying on small ordinary moments to convey the romantic rapport between the main characters. Where The Best Story shines is its beautiful cinematography. The drama looks gorgeous with lush colours, warm hues, and a dreamlike ambience that sets a distinctive aesthetic in all the scenes. If you look closely, the entire series is filmed in classrooms, school courtyards, and a tiny bedroom. Yet, the production team transforms these mundane environments with colour grading, lighting techniques, and intuitive camera angles, giving each scene a polished and stylized look. There’s some fabulous production work that elevates the quality of the series. Although my review has been positive so far, The Best Story falters in its final act. The last episode should’ve focused on Dew, who doesn’t receive as much character development up until now. Instead, we get a big smack of bigotry, jealousy, and pettiness from the only two female characters in the drama. I really hate the conflict introduced by the evil mom and the scheming love interest, which clash so much with the pleasant vibe of the series. The last-minute melodrama feels abrupt and forced, as if the storylines are engineered just to drive a wedge between the couple. All along, The Best Story has been building up a blissful and pleasant schoolboy romance, until the fantasy comes crashing down in the final episode. Not all BL dramas need to have a happy ending, but damn this one hurts. The ending makes me take off my rose-tinted glasses as I scrutinize The Best Story with a more critical eye. I start to notice the barebones plot, the shallow characterization, and the disappointing romance that goes nowhere. These storytelling flaws were always there, but I overlooked them because the series had seemed so charming until now. After the last episode, I ended up feeling less enthused about The Best Story, but that shouldn’t diminish the excellent qualities of the series. There’s still a lot to enjoy about this BL drama, from the aesthetically pleasing visuals to the positive portrayal of adolescent friendships. Even if the story is nowhere near the best, it’s certainly decent enough if you’re a sucker for a wholesome high school romance .

***Spoilers Ahead !***

STORY Simple story Best is great friends with Bright and Ray. The Best Story has a remarkably ordinary story about a high school student with a crush on his classmate. There aren’t any twists and turns, scandals and secrets, or curveballs and complexities. It’s simply an age-appropriate love story featuring down-to-earth teenage characters and their mundane lives. The Best Story also does a fantastic job at portraying high school friendships in a positive light. Best really has the best friends in Ray and Bright, who are both so supportive of him during his ups and downs. Sure, there’s a little playful teasing from time to time, but these two friends are loyal to Best and always have his back. They offer him love advice, emotional support, and absolutely no judgment. They’re there for him when he needs his friends the most. More than the romance itself, the emphasis on friendship may actually be my favourite part about The Best Story. Even if Best doesn’t get with the guy in the end, I think he lucks out having such a positive network of friends. Hey, who needs a boyfriend when you got your bros? ? ROMANCE Wholesome romance Dew gives Best a piggyback after he falls unconscious. The relationship between Best and Dew is very, very wholesome. Their romance consists of longing gazes, bashful smiles, and pleasant conversations. In fact, I don’t even know if there’s enough to classify what they have as a romance. It’s more like a schoolboy crush, which never develops into anything more. You may be disappointed to know that Best and Dew don’t become a couple at any point in the series. There’s no kissing, no affection, and absolutely no physical intimacy between them. In fact, the tragic part about their relationship is that they never confess their feelings for each other. They come close on several occasions, but have to resort to cryptic Instagram stories to communicate their love. Basically, Best and Dew have a crush on each other. However, it doesn’t work out before they can even start dating. The end. ? ACTING Good acting The actor playing Best (War) looks so good on camera, radiating in every scene. The acting from everyone in The Best Story is pretty good, but the one who catches my attention the most is Best’s actor (War Wanarat Ratsameerat). Mostly, it’s because of how telegenic he looks. This drama is my first exposure to the actor, who caught me off-guard with his wide eyes, rosy cheeks, and angelic smile. He looks so good on camera, almost radiating in every scene. After watching The Best Story, my first order of business was not to write this review, but it was to look up every piece of information about War online. I checked his age, read his bio, translated his Twitter feed, stalked his Instagram, and marked down all the other BL series he appeared in. After consuming the entire experience, consider me an official fan of this actor. Where do I sign up for his fan club? ? ENDING Sad ending Best cries as he walks away from Dew without a love confession. I must emphasize how much I hated the ending in The Best Story, which really brought down my overall opinion of the series. Everything in the first two episodes indicated that we were headed towards a happy ending. Best was on the verge of confessing his feelings, Dew seemed to reciprocate the crush, and their romance was progressing nicely. OR SO I THOUGHT. In the final episode, Best and Dew don’t end up together because of Fern’s outrageously out-of-line meddling. After Dew rejected Fern, they had a nice conversation and cleared the air with each other. Let’s be clear that he didn’t lead her on, he was completely honest with her, and he treated her with so much respect. Dew was the perfect gentleman, whom she immediately stabbed in the back. ? What was Fern’s agenda when she went to Dew’s mom and OUTED HIM behind his back? Did Fern think snitching on him would make Dew like her more? Or was she simply doing it out of spite? Either way, Fern had nothing to gain from outing her closeted friend. It was a scummy lowlife move and she had no right to do that

to him. WTF!? Homophobia Fern tells Dew's mom that her son might be in love with another guy. Dew’s mom is also trash, reacting horribly to a nasty rumour just because she suspects her son might be gay. She uproots his entire life, chucking him out of the house without listening to her son. What’s your endgame here, lady? Are you just gonna relocate your child every time he gets along with a male acquaintance? The next time Dew makes a close friend in Chiang Mai, will you panic again and deploy him to another city instead? ? Worst of all, the mom character feels SO contrived. She doesn’t show up at any other point in the series, only existing for this storyline alone. She has no characterization other than being a stereotypical bad parent with no logic or compassion. It’s infuriating to see this new character suddenly show up in the final act, and her only purpose is to deny her son happiness. Ugh, I’m just so angry with this ending, like a painful curveball thrown straight into my face. It feels duplicitous to build up this sweet, sentimental gay love story, only for homophobia to win in the end. Ending explained Dew has read the journal entries and he's aware of Best's feelings for him. What makes the ending in The Best Story so tragic is that we find out Dew had feelings for Best all along. As you may have predicted, Dew read those journal entries and he’s completely aware of how Best feels about him. Dew reciprocates these feelings, but he’s just as shy and doesn’t want to make the first move. He has been observing Best from afar, waiting for him to confess. Except the love confession doesn’t happen, and it will never happen now that he’s moving away. The Best Story is a tragic love story about two schoolboys who like each other, but they don’t end up together. Best never confesses because he doesn’t believe his feelings would be reciprocated. However, Dew also doesn’t confess due to shyness, passiveness, and a little hopelessness about their relationship. With such a homophobic mother, can you blame him for not taking more initiative to pursue this romance? What Best & Dew wrote Best stops himself from finishing his confession on Dew's shirt. What Best wrote on the shirt and what Dew posted online are partial sentences that say: “I like-“. However, they both stop themselves from completing the full sentence: “I like you.” Their love confessions are interrupted midway, each for various reasons. For Best, he hesitated to finish his confession after seeing Fern’s message on the shirt, making him doubtful once again. Like before, he feels insecure about competing against Fern (aka. a girl) for Dew’s love. For Dew, he posted that Instagram story to let Best know that his feelings ARE reciprocated. Yes, I like you too! However, he’s also unable to complete his love confession. Dew is now forced to move away, plus his mom is strongly homophobic, so he doesn’t feel any hope about starting a relationship. Best sobs because he got confirmation of what he always desired: Dew’s reciprocated love. Even though both of them know about their mutual attraction, they can’t be together due to circumstances out of their control. That’s what Best finds so upsetting, because he finally learns that Dew wants to have a romantic relationship. Except it isn’t possible for them to be a couple anymore. Sadly, their romance is doomed before it can even begin.

#thai lakorn

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koganeirou · 7 years ago

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I remember a few years ago I volunteered at a festival in my town’s local J-town and there was a cosplay contest and one of the winners was a Cardia cosplay. At the time, I only knew Code Realize by name, but I thought that the cosplayer was beautiful beyond words. And I think fate’s finally run it’s course now LMFAO.

Anyway I’m done this game! and what can I say. this game is incredible. It definitely lives up to all the hype and praise it got and I think this game is one of my favourite otomes I’ve ever played. It just sounds like I’m riding the hype train because this game is treated like the holy grail but I think this game is probably my second favourite, closely behind Nightshade. I’m not really sure what more I can say other than I loved everything about this game from the bottom of my heart and I enjoyed every minute of it. anyyyyhoo more of my thoughts underneath the cut because it’s become sort of like a ritual for me to share my obnoxious opinions every time I finish a game!

**SPOILERS**

okay I actually feel kind of bad for saying it but I kind of felt Lupin’s route to be a tad bit underwhelming?? I really enjoyed how Lupin’s route tied up all the other routes and gave all the boys satisfying conclusions if only Seven’s route was like that but idk the whole climax of wrecking Isaac with something as simple as bombs that he somehow didn’t figure out were there, and just magically getting rid of Cardia’s poison by letting Isaac suck all the energy out of her boobs just felt a tad bit trippy for my tastes?? The whole shebang on the Nautilus seemed to just drag on and on, especially with the whole Aleister and Sholmes business like I’m sorry I don’t care for any of these dudes.

**END SPOILERS**

Moving along, I didn’t like…. the majority of the villains. With the exception of Victoria (who is an amazing side character btw. Amazing villain in Fran’s route, amazing supporting character in Lupin’s route. what a woman), I felt like a lot of the antagonists were either really one note, shallow, or just flat out annoying. **SPOILERS** And that’s what made Lupin’s route that much more of a slog because you have alllll these annoying ass villains herded into literally one spot. Like I’m sorry to any Finis fans out there, but his Kaji Yuki screaming and five billion Naruto clones just started getting really annoying really fast and my annoyance with Finis ultimately triumphed my sympathy for him lmao. Still, he did deserve a better ending than just flying off the ship to his death like wtf?? Isn’t he alive in the Silver Miracles fandisc?? did he just magically come back to life??? **END SPOILERS**

My second biggest complaint is that I felt like a lot of the romance sort of depends on the common route? It’s driven by the character-center scenarios in the common route where Cardia gets to know the boys and bond with them because once you’re booted in a route Cardia’s immediately like “I think I’m in love!” and it just sometimes feels like it comes out of left field without taking the common route into consideration. and idk I just wish the routes were a little more independent and detached.

BUUUUT MOVING ALONG. Each route had their strengths and flaws, and while Lupin’s route is obviously the “true” one, I actually didn’t feel like Lupin really overshadowed the other boys? I’m glad that writers didn’t give the other boys lukewarm stories and lazily written routes because they all got the love they deserved, imo. I felt like every route offered a piece of the main puzzle; Lupin’s route was simply the route that unearthed the final piece. Each boy’s route dealt with a separate piece of the overarching plot line/conflict, which just made the world building of Steel London so much stronger. And I loved every last bit of it. I loved the steam punk aesthetic, the historical European setting; I loved all the political drama, with the terrorists plots, government corruption, hints of mystery, thriller, cringy shoujo romance etc. It was an adventure story through and through and boy did it reel me in.

Cgs are gorgeous, backgrounds are detailed, ost is amazing and really made the scenes that much more emotional. Also kudos to the damn voice actors/actresses because boy this game has some damn good voice work. Maybe I can stop associating Daisuke Hirakawa with his creepy Laito-Bitch-chan-voice and start associating him with the beautiful man that is San now LOL.

The writing in this game is A+++. Absolutely solid. Finally, an otome game with a overly convoluted and complicated plot but no noticeable plot holes or unexplained loop holes! What an accomplishment! Jokes aside, I usually have a lot of writing complaints when it comes to otome games because I’m a critical bitch, but aside from minor gripes I mentioned earlier, I did really enjoy the game’s story and it had so many incredibly powerful moments that just made me had to walk around and take a quick break because of how shook it made me lmao. I loved the themes about atonement, forgiveness, humanity, the whole “humanity versus god” conflict, and I think in terms of complexity and depth of narrative, this game is def up there. I loved all the historical, literary, and religious references this game made and while it may not hold the integrity of the original source, it still made the story that much more fun and complex.

In terms of main characters… haha, I loved them all. They’re all precious children who deserve happiness and the world and I ended up getting attached to every last one of them.

Cardia tho? She makes this game, 100%. She truly lived up to her role as protagonist because she was the damn star. I’m very open about my appreciation for otome heroines and am very against heroine hate in general, but even still, this is the first game I’ve played where my favourite character was the heroine herself, not any of the boys. I love how kind hearted Cardia is. I love her strength, her bravery, how her character is so intricately woven into the story. But more than anything, I adored the character development she got. Code Realize truly is… her story, not any of the guy’s, not even everyone’s favourite man, Lupin’s. She’s so multi faceted and nuanced, maybe even more so than the guys. But I also loved the little quirks she had and those moments where she acts like a classic typical shoujo manga heroine made me smile like an idiot. She’s a fighter who hangs on until the very end and she’s the type of heroine that you just can’t help but pour your whole heart into rooting for. I really enjoyed how balanced her relationships with the guys were, it never felt like one out shined the other. Shout out to Fran and Lupin for having the most romantic kiss scenes ever LOL.

As for the guys themselves, my fave order is prob San > Fran > Lupin > Van > Impey. Though if you include all the characters , It’d prob be something like Cardia > San > Fran > Lupin > Victoria > Delly > Van > Impey.

Fran and San are really close because I loved them for different reasons and I think I enjoyed their relationships with Cardia the most. Fran and Cardia had really good chemistry and I loved watching them develop and grow together, where they both stood as equals who elevated each other, whereas San and Cardia had more of a tragic love that they both had to bend over backwards fighting for and it tickled my melodrama loving side //shot. I really adored all of the relationships Cardia had with the guys (and the friendships between the guys themselves) and while this game is mainly plot driven, I never felt like any of the character writing fell short. Everyone is just so memorable and multi faceted, you can’t help but love them.

anyway that’s enough ranting from me lmao. I regret only playing this game now since I’ve heard of it forever but better late than never. I really am glad to play this game and it’s def one of my top favourites. I’m done ranting and I’m gonna go cry now.

#ellie plays code realize terribly

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overthinkingkdrama · 7 years ago

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Exit Rave: Just Between Lovers

[This is intended to be a spoiler free review of Just Between Lovers, however due to the nature of the show there may be minor spoilers throughout.]

I'm kind of at a loss how to approach this review, as I often am when I finish a show that I genuinely enjoy. It's harder to quantify the positive qualities of a drama without come across as trite, or listing off adjectives like "emotional, poignant, romantic". There's very little I can say in praise of this drama that hasn't been said already by countless other people. And yet if I talk about my few--very few--criticisms of the material it can come across as nit picking or as though I didn't really enjoy it at all.

What if I go ahead and start with where this drama came from and what it's about? Just Between Lovers (aka Rain or Shine) is a human melodrama from screenwriter Yoo Bo Ra. She recently gained a bit of notoriety with her critically acclaimed occupation-era movie Snowy Road and previous to that co-wrote the 2013 drama Secret starring Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum. It's the dramaland debut for lead actress Won Jin Ah. 2PM's Junho stars opposite. Neither of which were actors I was familiar with going in.

I'm not entirely sure what caused me to pick up JBL to start with. It wasn't something that was on my radar. I don't have any particular fondness for 2PM. And for the most part my drama watching routine is pretty rigorously planned out in advance. I somehow ended up watching the preview without subtitles and decided to give the drama a shot. If I was being honest, I would shallowly admit it was probably Junho's split lip and his Broken Boy with Heart of Gold™ hair style that originally hooked me.

I believe JBL sold itself to the fandom on tumblr largely with its promise of a very appealing OTP with lots of soft romance.

And the drama does deliver that. It does chemistry very well. It does friends-to-lovers very well. The emotional beats of the story are on point and there are several very good kiss scenes. If you go and take a crawl through the tags for this drama that is largely what you will find. Unfortunately, I do think it's a disservice to the story to present this drama that way, and the actual product might prove a rude awakening to the unsuspecting. I am personally aware of several bloggers who ended up dropping the drama due to the difficult subject matter. So buyer beware.

The biggest thing I want to stress about JBL, is this is a story about tragedy--about one particular tragedy--and the ripple effect it has on human lives and the traumas it leaves behind. There isn't a single episode of this drama I would characterize as "light viewing". It deals with the subjects of grief, death, disability, mental illness, survivors guilt, substance abuse, and suicide. The lives of these characters are messy, there aren't any easy answers to the emotional scars their dealing with, and it can frequently be difficult to watch. Basically, educate yourself before hand if you're worried that the content of this drama might not be for you. It's one of those shows that could appropriately come with a trigger warning attached.

The next thing I would say about JBL if you are thinking about watching it, is it's a drama with a wonderfully warm and uplifting theme of found family at its center, and I found it very rewarding to watch. And in large part it is because the subject mater is so difficult that the drama is so satisfying. There are some truly excellent supporting performances here, most notably from Nam Moon Hee as the medicine seller halmeoni and Kim Kang Hyun as Sang Man, that really made the setting feel fleshed out and alive. The drama is also aesthetically very pleasing, with a beautiful subdued color pallet and a melancholic mood that helps keep you immersed.

As for my minor gripes (I told you I had some) there were several minor characters that I wished had gotten more screentime and a greater degree of resolution. In general I wish the script would have spread the love around a little more and developed the supporting cast. The main couple really is great, but I think it just serves to demonstrate how good the supporting cast really is that I felt somewhat cheated not to get more of them.

I wish that our second female lead had gotten a little more screentime and a little more development. Honestly they could have cut Joo Won's screen time in half and given it all to her and I would have been satisfied. Her arc was fascinating and she is a rarified second female lead who is neither eaten up with jealousy, nor sexually repressed, nor evil, nor powerless. If we were going to get a brief glimpse of consolation romance for anyone, I wish it would have been for her. In the first couple of episodes I thought SLS would be a problem, but that did not turn out to be the case. Although I think Joo Won works as a character he frustrated more often than he endeared himself.

Just Between Lovers is a solid 9/10 for me, and definitely in contention for best melodrama of the year even at this early point. I hope it's a sign of more things to come in 2018 as we eagerly await Won Jin Ah and Junho's next projects.

Jona

#just between lovers #rain or shine #won jin ah #junho #lee junho #kdrama review #review #exit rant #exit rave

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byulbit-net · 7 years ago

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Hello could u please write a writer au for ravi!! Thank you so much☺️

A/N: Here you go!! I tried a bullet au for this one because i just had so many ideas and it wouldn’t fit the whole scenario sort of thing you know....anywho, i hope you enjoy it!

Aesthetics that I totally associate withwriter!ravi: every room in his studio is a mess except his office, lowlighting, all the candles in the world in his living room but only one in his officebecause he’s paranoid he’ll burn the place down, very messy but also veryrustic cozy, blankets on all couches, his cute ass dog is obviously allowed onall couches, his kitchen has a special shelf for super expensive alcohol and hestill drinks cheap wine what an ass

Kim wonshik as a writer is definitely moregardener than an architect. He works hapahazarly and in spurts. Sometimes, he’llbe on a walk in the garden and the sun will hit the tress just right and he’llyell “OH MY GOD I KNOW HOW THE KILLER WILL GET TO THE MAIN GUY” and he rusheshome to write it. Ofcourse, everyone in the park loses their shirt because killerwho???

I can see him being the master mind behind oneof those mystery/thriller writers. He isn’t going to hide behind a pen namethough. He’s quite proud of his work and he is proud of himself and he’d bemore than happy to sign a few (100, actually) books to see his fans actuallyenjoy what he writes

Ends up holing himself into his office when it’s‘starting a book’ season. He’s a lot more relaxed when it’s the editing processbecause he knows that most of the work is going to be done by editor leo andyes he’s a pain in the arse about writing in a prettier and easier to understandlanguage but that’s why ravi is paying him anyway

Jk jk he loves the heck out of leo and they’relike close buddies and sometimes when both of them are stuck in a rut or they’rearguing about the direction of ravi’s new book, they go out drinking and just whisperyell at each other in a crowded restaurant. That restaurant owner, and goodfriend of theirs, Hongbin has no idea why thy intend on ruining the beautifulatmosphere of his restaurant. But anyway that’s not the point here

Ravi’s biggest problem is that he stops writingwhen he’s in love and this has been leo’s biggest pet peeve. Because it’s noteven like ravi’s writing melodramas or romance books. He could be writing abouta mysterious gang leader voluntarily becoming an underground hero by stopping adrug ring – but if he’s going on dates then that’s it all the drama stops andhe just starts getting sappy in his books and that’s not really what hisreaders want

But the truth of the matter is that he justfinds all the adventure he wants, with you. When you guys are first going outand you decide to suddenly take him to a weekend away to a small island, hefinds it extremely thrilling.

If you spend the day in his living room, justeating and laughing and reading books together – he just falls asleep with youand there is no way he can write with you around

But there is something about ravi when he’sdating because he might stop writing mystery thrillers but he goes back toreading poetry and writes poetry instead. Which, his florist friend Hakyeonreally encourages. “You should be focussed on making yourself happy first,forget about your fans for a while” he says and insists on ravi getting someflowers for his beautiful s/o everything he comes to the shop

One of ravi’s faourite games is when you guys goto the park when it’s sunny and bright and pleasant. He gets you to close youreyes and he spins a story by describing everything around you in vivid detail. Youjoke by saying that even if you went blind, you’d never be losing out on muchand ravi gets eerily silent. He would hate to even imagine any harm coming toyou at all

What he hates even more is not being there foryou when you need him but in his line of work, he needs to develop a certainroutinue and stick to it. So when he is in writing mode, he will not be pickingup calls or reading messages at all and you would have cried your eyes out at afight with your friend and he’d come and try to console you two days after itbut its too late now

Ravi might be a bit late to the party but hedoes have good intentions in his heart so he brings over flowers on random daysto remind you that he still does love you and he’s very grateful, that youdecide to stick by a struggling author like him

Which, you scoff at, because ravi isn’tstruggling at all if his fansigns are anything to go by.

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