Another reason why I adore Taeyang...so hot

I *heart* Taeyang

Behind in Asian reviews

I am so behind. I love watching movies from all languages but don't have the passion to review anymore for now

Tmovie - Body #19 (2007)

Synopsis - IMDB
Photos - Google

Chon is suffering from nightmares. He tries not to sleep because he's scared of a girl that he sees each night in his dreams. In the dreams, the girl screams for help before she is cruelly killed. Ae, Chon's sister is worried about the illusion that Chon sees in his dreams, so she introduces him to a psychiatrist. Chon tries to prove that what he sees is not just the illusion. Finally, Chon is right when some clues in his nightmares lead him to a morgue number 19. And now, the story of the dead body inside the morgue is gradually revealed.



After my complaint of the Thai movie, Scared, I decided to take my chance on another Thai movie. This time, it is Body #19. I don't watch many Thai movies, but for the ones that I do watch - Horror is the genre.

After watching the first ten minutes of the movie, I have to admit, I thought I was watching a Korean horror movie. The way the movie executes the storytelling is brilliant. It leads you wondering what is going on and about to happen.

Not only does the script seem "Korean-like," I felt the guy who played Chon, Arak Amornsupasiri, has that Korean look. You can call me sterotyping or whatever. But this is my blog, and that's just my opinion :) What I also learned about Arak is he's the lead singer of the Thai rock bank, Slur. Arak did a wonderful job portraying the confused, naive Chon.



When a movie makes me re-think about what happens and re-evaluate the circumstances and sequences, then I really enjoyed it. Enjoyed the script and narration of how the movie is unfolded. The dream sequences were done well and gave me chills down my spine.

Right when I thought the movie will end, I was proven wrong again. Wow. Great performances from all the cast members.

Besides the unique, brilliant script, the movie is very gory and graphic. Definitely worth a watch for horror fans.

Tmovie - Scared (2005)

Synopsis - IMDB
Photos - Google & BehindHollywood

A big group of freshman students go out of town. On the journey, their bus has to cross a creaky old river bridge which is the only way to get to the center of a dark forest. When the bus is halfway across, the bridge collapses and the bus falls deep into the river more than 50 meters from the surface. Nearly all the students are killed. The remaining students walk into the forest until they discover a mysterious, abandoned town. The students are cruelly murdered one by one. Only the survivor will be able to explain it all



I love horror/thriller movies; therefore, I really wanted to watch Scared. Asian horror movies have been re-made in Hollywood occassionally. Mostly from Japanese horror movies. But really recently, from a Thai movie, Shutter.

Scared is nothing but a glorified-gory, slashed, blood-filled movie.

Instead the movie showed a bunch of helpless students who ended up brainless escaping from this mass murderer. Why was he killing them? What was the reason?

The English subtitles on the dvd I got were hilarious. Whoever sub for the movie must have been drunk! The English translations for the characters name kept me laughing. One of them I could remember is Big Red. There were funnier ones, which I will have to come back and re-edit.

The movie dragged too much for me. What I disliked the most is the amount of potholes. The storyline was too weak. Instead of me being "scared," I was too busy lauging at the characters. Overall, I was very disappointed. I'm a fan of horror movies and wanted a good plot.

Kmovie - Lady Vengeance (2005)

Synopsis - IMDB
Photos - Google

After thirteen and half years in prison for kidnapping and murdering the boy Park Won-mo, Geum-ja Lee is released and tries to fix her life. She finds a job in a bakery; she orders the manufacturing of a special weapon; she reunites with her daughter, who was adopted by an Australian family; and she plots revenge against the real killer of Won-mo, the English teacher Mr. Baek. With the support of former inmates from prison, Geum-ja seeks an unattained redemption with her vengeance.



Also known as Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Lady Vengeance is the final movie for director, Park Chan-wook, for his trilogy with Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy.



I haven't seen Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance but have seen Oldboy. For me, both movies have similiarities. A bit "weird." What do I mean by that? The style of the storytelling can be confusing. The use of the goriness could be a bit much for others.



I've never seen any movies with Lee Young Ae before. Playing the character, Geum Ja, she impressed me a lot. With her pretty, naive look, she carried the movie well disguising herself. Instead she held a hatred torture for those who get mistreated.



I love the use of the blood-colored red as her eyeshow.



Choi Min Sik plays Mr. Beuk and does a great job at it. Mr. Beuk is just heartless, disturbing, and selfish.



Did you know that Hollywood plans a remake with Charlize Theron? I love Charlize but not sure if she's the right choice for it.

Overall, it's a good movie.

Cmovie - Tempting Heart (1999)

Synopsis - SenAsian
Photos - Google, SoGoodReviews , & Takeshi.com

Ignorant of Chen Li's unspoken feelings for Ho Jun, the unrequited Sheo Rou is unrelenting in her pursuit of him. They end up together, only to separate due to the disapproval of Sheo Rou's parents. These segments set in the 70's are evocative of the golden era of Taiwanese romance movies. The star-crossed lovers meet again unexpectedly in Tokyo, culiminating in a brief affair, with Sheo Rou. Once again, they part ways only to reunite in the 90's. It is only then that Sheo Rou disovers that Ho Jun has been married to Chen Li all along. Chen Li also discovers the infidelity and undying love between her husband and her old best friend, deciding selflessly to retreat to fulfill their yearning.




I can not believe all the awards it has gotten. Just shows to me that just because a movie wins award doesn't necessary mean it's good.



19th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards•
Winner - Best Screenplay (Sylvia Chang, Cat Kwan Ho-Ming)
• Winner - Best Art Direction (Man Lim-Chung)
• Nomination - Best Director (Sylvia Chang)
• Nomination - Best Actress (Gigi Leung Wing-Kei)
• Nomination - Best Supporting Actress (Elaine Kam Yin-Ling)
• Nomination - Best Costume Design (Yee Chung-Man)

6th Annual Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
• Recommended Film



So you be your own judge. Go watch it to see the hype. Or for Takeshi, Gigi, or Karen. Personally, I thought it was too slow paced and boring.



Even the hottie Takeshi couldn't save the movie for me!



I like Karen too but I felt she was underused. She actually was waaaaay better than the overrated Gigi.



Gigi is plain boring. I don't even find her cute. Reverse her and Karen's roles, maybe I'll like her more. Nah, probably not.



Even though this still is gorgeous, believe me, that's the best part of the movie, just looking at this part.

TWmovie - Tea Fight (2008)

Synopsis - Film
Photos - Google

During the Song Dynasty two groups of thriving tea-makers are introduced--a bellicose male Black Tea Tribe and a peace-loving female Black Tea Tribe. The two groups had kept to themselves merrily producing black tea until a male Japanese apprentice from the female side provokes the members of the other group by taunting them about the quality of their tea. In response, the male tea tribe massacres the female tribe and destroys its tea plantations.In present day Japan, Yagi, a descendent of the Japanese apprentice, closes down his tea shop after his wife's death, which he believes was caused by a curse invoked by his forefather. Anxious to help her father get back on his feet, Yagi's teenage daughter Mikiko sets out on a journey to Taiwan to find a descendent of the male tribe after she learns that the only way to break the curse is to beat him in a tea-making competition. Meanwhile, in Taipei, Yang is the ruthless kingpin of an underground tea market and a descendent of the male tea tribe who schemes against Ruhua, a descendent of a member of the female tea tribe who miraculously escaped the massacre. Yagi follows his daughter to Taipei to protect her.



One of my girl friends sent me a bunch of movies to watch and Tea Fight was one of them. Honestly, I had no clue on what the movie was about at the time but put the movie in the dvd and let it play. To my surprised, I was looking at this hot guy, wondering who he was.



He was no other than - Vic Zhou!! I didn't recognize him at first since I saw last saw him in the TWDrama, Mars. This guy is smokinnnnnng hot!



I just love his eye expressions. He doesn't even have to speak much but I can just look at them. The way he makes contacts with his eyes. He plays a slightly negative role but in all, you will be mesmerized by his charm in the end.



Erika Toda . I am unfamiliar with Japanese stars but she is just too cute.



I won't lie and say it's the best movie. It's just cute. So you gotta take your thinking caps off and just watch it for fun. And for Vic.

Cmovie - After This Our Exile (2006)

Synopsis - Wikipedia
Photos - Google & SoGoodReviews

In the hopeless pursuit of happiness, Aaron Kwok stars as Shing, a man who desperately attempts to hold onto the dwindling threads of his family. Once a man who had a dream, Shing has become a deadbeat gambler whose marriage is failing with wife Lin (Charlie Yeung). Shing's machoistic ego overrides any reasonable logic for change, which forces Lin to leave Shing repeatedly. After finally managing to escape, Shing is left with nothing but his son, Lok-Yun (Goum Ian Iskandar).

Hoping in vain to pay back loansharks, Shing turns to his loving son, Lok-Yun, who has somehow retained his filial loyalty. In his most desperate hour, Shing forces his struggle of survival onto his son, Lok-Yun, through thievery and tests the strength of loyalty and the boundaries of trust in their father-son relationship. With each passing day, the bond of love is threatened with Shing's unrepentant ways.



Gosh, I know so little about the Hong Kong film industry except for a few popular stars but Aaron Kwok is enough for me to watch this movie. However, the synopsis is just so intruging that I had to block all that out.



Aaron Kwok was soooo good in his character. I've never seen him play a father. And a negative one too. I didn't see Aaron Kwok. I saw the character Shing. Right now, Aaron has a top spot on my favorite Hong Kong actors. He is so versatile.



His facial expressions gets me every time. He makes you love him. Yet hate him at the same time.



I've never seen anything of Charlie Yeung but she was really good. She played Lin, the wife of Shing. I found the character Lin very selfish. I despise mothers who leave their children behind.



The little boy, Gouw Ian Iskandar, should get a lot of recognition. He is really good!



All he wanted was the love from both of his parents. I see Gouw Ian Iskandar going in high places in the future.



Not enough for you to watch? Then check this out....

Must watch!!!



Awards and nominations for After This Our Exile

1st Rome Film Festival
Competition Section

11th Pusan International Film Festival

Official Selection

Tokyo International Film Festival
Best Artistic Contribution
Best Asian Film

10th Toronto Reel Asian International Festival
Opening Film

43rd Golden Horse Awards
Won: Best Feature Film
Won: Best Actor (Aaron Kwok)
Won: Best Supporting Actor (Gouw Ian Iskandar)

26th Hong Kong Film Awards
Won: Best Picture
Won: Best Director (Patrick Tam)
Won: Best Supporting Actor (Gouw Ian Iskandar)
Won: Best Screenplay
Won: Best New Performer (Gouw Ian Iskandar)

Source

Cmovie - A Moment of Romance (1990)

Synopsis - Wikipedia
Photos - Google

Wah Dee, a young triad gangster, is the getaway driver in a jewelry store robbery. When the raid goes wrong, he takes a young woman named Jo Jo hostage. The head of Wah Dee's gang, Trumpet, demands that she be killed, but Wah Dee resists and saves her. Despite that Wah Dee and Jo Jo come from disparate backgrounds, the two fall in love but still face many difficulties.



Andy Lau. This man is so talented. He can act and sing. He's so busy but still makes quality movies. I can see why he's Hong Kong's best. In A Moment of Romance, Andy plays a bad-ass gangster but falls in love with the girl, who he took as a victim.

Wu Chien Lien plays the rich, naive girl who falls for the bad guy.



A Moment of Romance entertained me from beginning to end.

Cmovie - If You Are the One (2008)

Synopsis - YesAsia
Photos - Google

Mainland director Feng Xiaogang returns to the small story for his latest film, the romantic comedy If You Are The One starring top actress Shu Qi and popular Mainland actor and Feng Xiaogang regular Ge You. Feng's once-a-year Lunar New Year offerings are box-office guarantees in China, and If You Are The One has been no exception, turning into one of the China's highest-grossing films of all time. After Banquet and Assembly, Feng goes back to the smartly scripted comedies he's best known for to tell the humorous, yet heartbreaking tale of a wealthy middle-aged man's long-winded journey to find his other half. Keeping some of Feng's recent penchant for grandeur, If You Are the One features sweeping photography and beautiful location shoots in China and Japan, not to mention a star-studded supporting cast that includes Taiwan beauty Vivian Hsu (The Knot), Hong Kong actor Alex Fong Chung Sun (One Nite in Mongkok), and Mainland stars Fan Wei (Set Off) and Hu Ke (Royal Tramp).

Nouveau riche entrepreneur Qin Fen (Ge You) turned into an overnight millionaire after selling off an unlikely invention. Now all he needs is someone to share the wealth with. With his below-average looks and above-average wallet, Qin Fen sets out to find a wife through online personal ads, and ends up meeting a long lineup of strange candidates. But he holds a torch for only one: Smiley (Shu Qi), a gorgeous flight attendant with a married lover (Alex Fong) and tons of emotional baggage.



When you mix an ugly duckling with a smoking-hot girl, what do you get?



Ge You isn't the most attractive guy to look at. But he sure is funny! He plays the older guy looking for a mate.



Shu Qi is hot! I'm a fan of hers and try to watch her movies if given the chance. She plays a flight attendant who is in love with a married guy. She tries to move on with her life and look for someone else.



When both are trying to find mates, they end up finding each other through personal ads.



The beginning had me entertained but fell apart in the second half. I felt it was dragging. Most Hong Kong movies fall right at the 1 hour and a half mark. But with this movie, it was right at 2 hours. I felt that 30 mins of it could have been cut off.



Overall, not a bad movie, but it isn't the best either. Watch for Shu Qi.