Mother

"I shouldn't have rented this, it's gonna be a torturing- 2 hours or so to reach the end title credit. This was honestly what I felt in a couple of minites just after I started watching.

It was a scene of a middle-aged woman standing and singing alone in the middle of nowhere.
She looked partly emotionless, absent-minded, sad and scared, but some other part, silently angry.

It's quite natural that I have no idea what it means since this is very beginning, but at least it was too weird and I didn't think at all that I could immerse myself into this film, at first...

Do-Joon (Won Bin) is somewhat mentally challenged young man.
Because of that, he's slow and quiet, like he has some difficulties in expressing himself.

His mother, who is a widow, manages to make their living by selling medical herbs and doing unlicensed acupuncture.

She dotes on her only son so much. They sleep together on a single bed from time to time.
It's impossible, frankly, it's disgusting, even considered Do-joon is a bit handicapped.

Yes, he's mentally disabled, but this is not so serious enough to do such a thing.
It seemed overprotective to me, but as the story goes, I take it as a meaningful scene shows unconditional motherhood. One of metaphorical scenes for the film.
Umm, no, it might not be the right word to describe. The truth is, I no longer feel the way as I first felt.



One day, a high school girl is found dead.
With only circumstantial evidence placing Do-joon near the crime scene, the police jump to the conclusion that he did it.

His defense attorney is unreliable and the police trick him into signing a confession including a long jail sentence, taking advantage of Do-joon being challenged.
Now Mother is convinced that she's the only one who can help him and prove his innocense.

Scouring around the town, it is revealed the girl's life is salacious.

With this fact, Mother investigates farther on.

The course of unraveling, actually, I was a little distracted. Typical me, hahaha !!

For some reason I'm not good at criminal investigation drama.

I usually half-way understand.

But I understand more than half this time around, hehehe.

I'm not going to tell any more details. Because it's going to be a spoiler.
Last several ten miniutes are so impressive !!

Especially one phrase Do-joon makes to his mother, my heart almost stopped!!

It's NOT exaggeration. This made me revisit if he was genuinely mentally disabled.

This is one of the best films I've ever watched this year, totally !!!

Won Bin plays Do-joon so well.
In the film, Mother and her neighbor woman say Do-joon's baby deer's eyes are so adoreble.
Yes, Won Bin's eye are just like those. Cute.

After watching the DVD, I desperately like to know more about this film and I bought this magazine. Also I even read a novelized book.

I'm going to watch this again, anyway.

And I'm looking forward to his next film, "The Man From Nowhere".

Please release sooner !!

Friends

When it comes to "Friends", a megahit American sitcome "Friend" will definitely comes to your mind.
But there's another "Friends" out there, although it's nothing to compare with the American one. No offense, guys.

It was broadcasted in 2002 as a co-produced TV drama of South Korea and Japan.
Considered when it was collaboratively shot, was it one of promotional things for 2002 World Cup joint-hosted by the both countries?

Anyway, I watched this back then. Just because I knew WonBin was a good-looking guy! After almost decade, the other day, it was aired again, turing on the TV...

To put it in a nutshell, it's a long-distance relationship story between a Japanese woman and a Korean guy, who met each other in Hong Kong during their respective trips.
As you could simply guess, they are confronted with language barrier, cultural difference involving family matters and so on...

One thing stroke me is one line by the Korean boy.
"What's wrong with (my) parents expecting me to succeed their pedigree?"
"And what's wrong with me trying to follow this as their oldest son, instead of pursing my own dream?"

This is what he said when his Japanese girlfriend encouraged him not to give up his dream of being a film director.

I know Korean society puts highly premium on family, based on Confucianism.
But that's all I know for now. I really want to know more about this. My curiosity has been set a fire.

I've finished reading more than 5 books on K society and culture. And I'm still a bookworm.

Shootas

This is a story of a bad reality of Jamaica that I have to admit.
As you know, Jamaica is not only a breeding ground for reggae music, but also...

"Shoota" is a Jamaican slang term for gangster, originally from "shot-caller".
Umm, make sense, make sense...

Biggs (Ky-mani Marley) and Wayne (Spragga Benz) grow up together in Ghetto in Kingston.
Hoping for a better life with limited possibilities, they managed to grab enough money by robbery.
The money enabled them to purchase visas to the States.

At first, it didn't go well in Miami. They were deported back to Jamaica.
But Biggs finds a way back to Miami by complicity with local politicians. Cliche!!
There's always a way, maybe should be called, wayout? under the table.

They made success in Miami till their rivals showed up...

I didn't have a chance to go to Ghetto in Kingston while visiting there, which is not the place you

guys tourists step in just for fun, though.

Even taxi drivers try to avoid runnng through the downtown...

Because there are "Shottas" for sure. This is truly one side of Jamaica.

Cry Freedom

This had been highly recommended by my friend and finally the time has come!
It's set in the late 70's during the apartheid era of South Africa, but it was shot mainly in Zimbabwe due to political turmoil in SA.

I was told that it would be good to know about a black activist, Steve Biko.
I assumed that it must be a kind of his bio movie, but it turned out not to be necessarily.

Yes, of course, Biko was a significant role.
But from what I understand, it should be Donald Woods' rather than Biko if you'd like to categorize as a bio movie.

Woods is a white journalist who developes a friendship with Biko.
After Biko's brutal death, it was Woods that police targeted at.



He takes a long trek through several countries, disguising as a priest and he maneged to fly away from SA to England to publish a book on this corrupt and racist authorities.
The film is motly dedicated to this part, I think.

There's one scene filmed in a town with its symbolic clock tower while Woods runs away.
This is exactly where she used to live for 3 years.

She always says "Don't you miss it !!" Well, actually I missed it, completely. I didn't even noticed slightly.

It might be just my carelessness, but simultaneously I'm feeling how deeply edged in the heart your firsthand experiences are, no matter what they are. Nothing beats them.

Life and Debt

To understand more what kind of situation Jamaica has been facing against, I decided to watch this documentary.
But I wasn't focused enough to catch the point perfectly... It was a bit boring to just listen to former President or some other senior officials talk about the economic and social condition.

Here are several points I managed to grab from the film.

IMF or World Bank loan money under strict condition that Jamaica never ever seems to achieve, like trade liberalization, privatization and so on.

For instance, they have to accept imported crops from the States, which originally produced in Latin American countries.

As you could imagine, it prevents domestic agriculture stop to grow since they are lower-priced.

Overall, it critiques the West and the West-oriented global organization.

All I can do is just pray for better tomorrow for most of people in Jamaica who are not wealthy.

I dare to use the term "tomorrow" instead of "future".

What I've heard from a Japanese woman living in Kingston for more than 15 years, people only set their eyes on this coming tomorrow every single day.

One Love

I watched this twice in a row. And at the third time with my little sis. Just desperately wanted to feel the atmosphere of Jamaica.

Kassa (Ky-Mani Marley) a rasta man, hoping for musical success. One day he meets a gospel singer girl, Serena at the recording studio and instantly falls for her. Love at the first sight?!

But Serena is unattainable for Kassa. She's a sheltered daughter of the pastor and he strongly forbids her to see him and wants her to marry one of his church members.

Meanwhile the record boss organizing the contest, tries to get Kassa's band to sign to his label on his terms not theirs.
He really wants a contract that will lead to his dream, but he isn't in dilemma at all. What he matters is "HIS" own music.

The plot goes as your expectation.

Although Kassa is set up by Serena's fiance, let's say, ganja thing..., they get together at the end.

I can get a sense of how Rasta people are being treated and how they live in their villages, which was good.

Because this is something that I wanted to see, but missed when I visited Jamaica last year.

Next time I'll join Nyahbinghi at Sunday in Kingston, hopefully.

17 Again

20 years ago, Mike's got married with his high school sweetheart when he was told that she was pregnant.
He abandoned his basketball scholarship for her and their new life.
It was what he decided by himself. It could be said to be "romantic", at least partly...

But look at him now. No job, seperating life from his wife and almost no family bond with their two kids.
That decison of givung up the colleage has been one of the biggest regrets for around-40 stranded Mike lately.

One day Mike encounters a mysterious janitor, visiting his alma mater to reminisce. He transforms Mike into his 17 year-old himself.

Basically, I'm not interested in a story like this.
But I just thought it might not be bad to take a look at a "Friends" star, Matthew Perry and one of the hottest guy, what media would like to call, Zac Efron.

When I was 17, mostly I devoted myself into preparing the entrance exam for the university.
I'm not disapponited with that. It was not mandatory, but necessary. It was worthwhile.

A Heart in Winter

I think I was lucky to find this film by chance out of so many broadcastings by the Cables.
In a nutshell, this is a story about 3 French grown-ups caught in a love triangle.

Maxime is a violin workshop owner.
He's what they call, alpha man. Leader type, dominant, generally popular.
No wonder he has casual relationship with young, promising and incredibly beautiful, which seems considerably important, concert violinist , Camile.

Meanwhile, Stephane is polar opposite.Introverted, unemotional.
He works for Maxime's repair shop as a skilled craftman.

In a typical love formula, girls falls for a vigorous man like Maxime, but then gradually and uncosciously or subcosciously being attracted by a man like Stephane.

Well, personally, I'm a person who tend to be fascinated with Stephane type from the beginning...
So, I was hoping that Stephane and Camile get together.

But the plot didn't go as the formula.

Stephane rejects Camile's affection towards him !!

To make the thing more surprising, it was just when she impiled she'd like to make love with him.

Can you believe this?!

Who could do that reaction when you're a man and your heart is obviously inclined to the relationship with her?

From what I come from, at least here in Japan, people still believe men are supposed to do this kind of seductive invite, while I don't , hahaha...

So I totally understand her devastation when he didn't accept her.

It must have been so mortifying as ever.

You know what, I'm suggesting that I had the similar experience. WTF !! (Sorry for my word.)

I foud out one review, googling this movie.

It says with some evidence that Stephane is a gay and everything is being manipulated by him.

He only wanted to hurt Maxime who won't love him back.

Is that true?! I'm not sure.

Even if so, I wouldn't take the story this way.

Wish I had a chance to watch again. But the DVD seems to be discontinued....(> <)

Precious

I don't know what exactly I wanted and what I expected from this film.
Maybe I have to admit this, because I'm no hypocrite.
I wanted something to make me feel happy as I am now, by comparing myself to sort of a social pariah like Precious.

Anyway, since I knew about the movie, I'd been dying to "SEE", not "WATCH".
Actually, I just couldn't wait for the theater release and I've finished the original novel before I was headed to the theater. Hahaha.


Once I started the book, I was shocked.
I've never seen a book contains nasty words that much !
Some I could guess the meaning contextually, but some I didn't have any clue at all.
Besides, spellings were reflective of the way people in "Project" speaks so that I felt I was almost there, listening their dialect directly, which was good point.

Precious is 16 year-old, obese, illiterate living in the ghetto of Harlem.
She's pregnant when the story begins. This is her SECOND child with whom?!
It's her father !! She's been raped by him since she was quite small.

Addtion to her insane father, her mother is also disfuctional.
She abuses Precious verbally and of course physically, not tring to do anything for her family but just relying on welfare.


Her first baby has Down syndrome and she calls her "Lit Mongo".
This is only written in the book.
You might associate Mongo with some kind of Spanish name, but Mongo is named after Mongolian since kids with this challenge seem to be Asian.
As one of Asians, I was not confortable with this...

Even though I know it's not a true story, I wanted to put a curse on the author.
Because Precious finds out she's HIV positive having being carried from her diabolical father.
How could her life more miserable?! Is it necessry to make her more fucked up?!

But she decides to move on with her 2 kids, being seperate from her mother.
Doing what she can now, every single day. This is the rough story.

Her mother played by Mo'Nique is outrageous. But at one scene, I was totally with her. When she admitted her abusive behavior against her own child, she claimed like, " I wanted to be loved, I needed to be loved. My kid took it away from me. That's why I started bullying"
The way she took was completely wrong, but everybody needs love and to be loved. This is natural desire, isn't it?

The Ugly Truth

I clearly knew that this was not my cup of coffee
and actually it wasn't, Hahaha. But there's one thing that I've learned from this film.
You don't tie your hair up when you want to turn your guy on.
Let your hair down. Is it an "ugly truth" or not?!

New York, I Love You

Some already know that I'm going to NY this summer.

I repeatedly watched SATC and now I'm into Gossip Girl, but that's all that I know about the city since I've never stepped into Manhattan.
I'm thrilled to expose myself to "real" New York.
Like this way, NY is looming up to me. That's one thing I decided to watch the film.

This contains 10 different relationships of New Yorkers.
I was not really inspired from any of them.
I just felt a sense of "melting pot" at least, though...

Now I'm gonna learn something more practical, like subway riding, surroundings of my point of stay...