SofiaParkJeon Reviews

Kimi to nara koi wo sitemitemo (2023)

Cuteness overload

[9/10 · 29 April 2024]

THEY ARE SOOOOO CUTE!!!

What a beautiful, fluffy and cute story. This is a very light, simple and inoccent story that you can watch in a day, and finish it with a feeling of contentment, because they are so absolutely lovable.

Even if their past stories is a bit heavy and sad, the way they overcome it and the little details you can catch here and there that build their characters, makes you have a sense of lightness and hope. You fall in love with them on the first episode.

I loved the way the plot was so simple yet with some background story that was handled so smoothly without much drama.

I also loved that even though the story was focused solely on Ryuji and Amane, it didn't become boring.

The whole atmosphere was light and joyful, the sceneries were all bright giving us a sense of lightness and peace. "Light" is the best word I have to describe the whole series.

The actors are beautiful and sweet and they're so cute together. Ryuji's smile melt my heart.

It's one of those feel good series that make the characters stay in your heart. Love them.

You Are Mine (2023– )

Absolutely Adorable

[9/10 · 31 January 2024]

I loved it so much!!

The story flows at a decente rythm and the pace is right. The leads chemistry is spot on and the acting is great!

The drama may be a bit over the top sometimes but is really well handled by the actors, it never becomes boring or unbearable. What I realy liked about the drama was how it was handled, on many shows of this genre the drama is poorly executed, is exagerated and sometimes is annoying because it makes no sense. But on "You are Mine", Yao Shun Yu's fears were justified and not over acted, and didn't drag for too long, although I always had the feeling that Xia Shang Zhou never left space for Yao to wonder about his intentions. But, like I said, given both personalities the fear was justified.

I was satisfied with the pace on the ten episodes and the ending was so beautiful and they are absolutely adorable. Love them!

Stay by My Side (2023– )

Really good but maybe two episodes too long

[8/10 · 25 September 2023]

I really loved this show but it lost me on the last two episodes that I think were unnecessary.

The chemistry is so good between the actors and the story is really engaging and fun. There are some funny bits and it has a good pace that keeps you interested.

I have to say the kiss scene with the towel is without a doubt one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever scene in a bl show. I lost count at how many times I rewatched it. It's simple but tender, sexy, engaging, well acted, well filmed and absolutely beautiful. So so good. Loved it!!!

The minus is that the show was longer than necessary, it could have wrapped up at episode 8 if some unecessary and redundant bits were cut. Instead they dragged it for two more episodes that didn't add much to the story and it became a tiny bit boring.

But, it's very watchable. I can't say it's a rewatch but it will definitely keep you entertained. The couple is so cute. They're so cute, really. Love them :)

Dinosaur Love (2023)

If you managed to finish this you have my deepest respect!!

[1/10 · 12 September 2023]

Because I couldn't even finish the first episode... I think it's the first time ever I don't finish a BL drama, really. Even when they're bad I always watch it, because I always expect for a twist or if not at least I can say why I didn't like it, but this was a totally impossible task.

I'm sorry I can't tell you more about the show, but the first 30 minutes of the first episode were total torture and I gave up.

But here's what I can tell you.

Everything is ridiculous. The plot is atrocious, you know it from the beginning, it starts with a mess of a scene with some students at a bar (with the most irritating music ever and sound effects that reminded me of "The Flinstones"), screaming hysterical while they prepare to tell the famous romance story that happened in their college. Then we get to know Rak and Dino (I'm sorry for not knowing their real names).

Rak's acting is atrocious, when he was crying I had to check twice to see if he was laughing or just hungry because his mouth was just opened while two drops formed in his eyes. This kid is not prepared for a leading role, sorry. I can't say much about Dino because I didn't see enough of his performance.

I usually don't write reviews when I don't like what I watched, but I couldn't stay silent on this one, this is atrociously bad.

Jun & Jun (2023– )

The Office

[5/10 · 11 September 2023]

This show will teach you about company hierarchy, marketing strategies, promotions, sells and what not in its endless essays about products and office reunions.

Oh, and in the middle of all that you have an office romance, you can hardly notice it because at a point you're so focused in learning about marketing you now see this as a documentary and the romance gets in the way.

Sorry for the irony but this show is a whole mess. Endless, infinite, ultra boring dialogues that last half the show and add absolutely nothing to it.

A love triangle, or square, or pentagon, I don't know, that is totally irrelevant and, also, adds absolutely nothing to anything.

On the other hand you know nothing about why Lee Jun and Chai Jun were separated, they mention it a couple of time but what really happened? No one knows.

The flashbacks!! I had a REALLY hard time distinguishing between then and now, because it was sudden, they looked exactly the same, there was no introduction to the flashbacks and I was confused.

And was Lee Jun really in love with Choi Jun? He looked bored to death half of the time. Honestly Ki Hyun Woo seemed to carry the romance alone on his shoulders. Even the kisses were so good because he was invested on his role and honestly he was the big saviour of this show, even in the boring endless office talk, his manneirisms and facial expressions were the only thing that added some dynamics to those scenes. This guy has potential and I really hope to see him on something that deserves his quality and professionalism in the future.

Bad plot, bad writing, awful production, great acting.

The cast was really the only plus in all this mess (besides Ki Hyun Woo, honorable mention to Jo Chan Hyun (Hyun Jae)), doing their best with this non plot and bad writing.

Then....they try to save the mess they've done for 6 episodes on the last two...it got better but it's like they thought "Let's see if you can endure during 3 hours of boredom to get a gift in the end. No, didn't work....

Ok, who knows my reviews knows I tend to write a lot, so I'll stop here. In conclusion: I gave it a five because, despite what stated above, the show is pretty watchable, even if you'll have to skip some bits, the acting is good, and Ki Hyun Woo is a great actor.

Oh and have a notebook and a pen with you, you might want to take notes on marketing strategies.

Love Tractor (2023– )

Really great acting!!

[9/10 · 19 July 2023]

I'm amazed with the main actors, for real. Yoon Do Jin (Yechan) probably read the manhwa of course, but it's like he's Yechan personified, it's amazing. The maneirisms are so spot on, it's like watching Yechan coming to life. KIm Kwan Soo (Sun Yool) is equally good, the little nouances are so captivating it's addictive. They're both addictive, their chemistry is so so good, they're so believable and cute, it's impossible not to love them both!

I've said this before on other reviews, but I'll say it here again, SK is really investing on the BL genre and I'm so happy for that. The cinematography is so professional and amazing, the scenery is delightful, and the photography is perfect.

This is totally a must watch and honestly I would love to understand why the ratings are so low, share your opinions guys I'm curious.

I just don't give it a ten because I have a couple of series that are so dear to me and when compared I just can't put this one on the 10 stars with them because despite really loving it I think there's a little issue, the last episode was soooooo rushed I got confused, the way Sun Yool's departure to Seoul was portrayed lacked some emotion and intensity specially after that perfect kissing scene (that specific song - 'Rainbow' by Coldin - is absolute perfection and was used so well all throughout the series), I got the feeling of some coldness, despite Yechan narrating they video chatted every day and Sun Yool surprising him at the end, I felt everything was a bit rushed.

Still....it's a perfect 9 and I say, if you want warm and fuzzy feelings than you'll love this one.

Individual Circumstances (2023)

Huhhhhhh......ok......

[5/10 · 26 May 2023]

It's not good, but it's also not bad. Everything in this series in kind of "in between", and also confusing to the point where I don't really know what to think.

It started weird, then it became a complex storytelling, with flashbacks which I think were clever and this was a positive point.

Then we have the actors. Jun. Q (woo Jae) is exceptionally good. Han Jung Wan (Yeon Woo) is not bad, but sometimes he made me cringe with the fake/exaggerated smiles, but then on the last two episodes he's also pretty believable. The chemistry is a bit bland, it doesn't make you root for them as much as the authors would like. But then again, would they? The story is a mess and sometimes you just want it to end and you don't care if they end up together or not. Also, the scene where Yeon Woo is washing himself with the hoser, is cool and has a good continuation on the scene after that , but it was longer than necessary, and again I cringed, because...why?

And then they topped it up with two NON KISSES scenes. PLEASE stop this habit of pressing mouths togehter without even moving your heads and call it kissing.

Maybe in a world where "Semantic Error", "To My Star", "Our Dating Sim", "The Eighth Sense" (and I'm not including "Unintentional Love Story" here because of the same non kisses scenes), didn't exist, this would be a good bl, but not now...

In conclusion, it's pretty watchable, but they don't stay on your mind for long.

The Eighth Sense (2023)

South Korea stepping up their game!!!

[10/10 · 8 May 2023]

OMG!!!!! Where to begin? And what can I say that hasn't been said already? I don't know I just want to talk about it because I need to cry about it somewhere.

This show deserves all the praise and more and I feel tempted to write one of my essays again but I'll refrain. I just NEED to say that Korea is really out there taking the bl genre seriously, finally, with great plots, performances, and chemistry.

"Our Dating Sim", "Unintentional Love Story" and "The Eighth Sense" are all from this year and they're all so good, I've watched them all more than once. None beats this one though.

This is the best bl show of this year so far and I bet it will be unbeatable!

Plot - 10/10 Performance - 10/10 Chemistry - 10/10 Love scenes - 10/10 Photography - 10/10 Directing - 10/10 OST - OMG BEST EVER!! There's not one song, instrumental or not that doesn't fit perfectly in every scene, and I'm literally obsessed with it.

I just can't say it's the best bl of all time because I'm emotionally attached to "Semantic Error" and can't move on, but this one is a very close second.

Watch it. Watch it again. Give it the love it deserves!

Did I just write another essay? Aish I'm sorry 😅

Our Dating Sim (2023)

Leaves a mark

[10/10 · 1 May 2023]

OMG how is this masterpiece only 8.3?? I know it's a good rating, but it deserves so much more!!!

I have only good things to say and I don't even know where to begin. The chemistry between the leads is insane, their kisses are amazing, not that old "let's press our lips closed while moving our head", they actually kiss, and I didn't watch this in many korean bl's and I've watched more bl's than I can count!

Their performance is solid, excellent and so engaging. The scene where Lee Seung-gyu (Shin Ki-tae) is looking for Lee Jong-hyuk (Lee Wan) is a great moment of perfect acting, from both parts. It was so good I cried.

There are many series I love but it's not easy for a series to be stuck with me, and this is the second time it happens (the first being "Semantic Error").

And guess what? It even gets better when you watch it a second time :)

I hope Korea keeps with this quality level, there are some great series made last year and this one has started in a great way. Congratulations everyone and keep going.

Ocean Likes Me (2022)

Could have been better

[7/10 · 3 January 2023]

The story had a good flow with the time they had but everything crashed with the last two episodes.

Again, the same problem with all Korean bl series: the last episodes are rushed and make no sense, it's like a whole story is happening behind the scenes and we just have to imagine it. I think this formula should have changed already, it's not like they're doing this for the first time. I know they have short time to finish and the episodes are very short, but still, series like Semantic Error, To My Star, Blueming, have proven they can do A LOT with less...so why insisting on living us guessing?

Why did Tommy just leave without a note, a text, nothing? I know they talked about pursuing their dreams but when did Ba Da agree on Tommy leaving?

What did Ba Da do during that time???

And then Tommy returns and they kiss on the beach without any substantial conversation about what happened. They're both grown men weren't they supposed to talk about things? The dialogues were short and with no substance.

And it makes madder when we have such great actors like Hang Gi-Chan and Holland. There was so much potential here, but they did their part really well. I'm a huge fan of Gi-Chan and his performance here just won me over completely.

Because of that, their chemistry, the photography and ost I give it a 7, because overall I enjoyed it a lot, I just feel sad when good series have weird endings like this.

Please work on this. You have series with great writing that show you it's possible.

Behind Cut (2021–2022)

How to waste a good plot 101

[6/10 · 1 January 2023]

Yeah this series can teach you how to do that alright.

I was so sad because I really wanted to love this series, the chemistry between the leads was great but at some point it started to not make any sense.

So many things lacked explanaiton....

• What exactly was Yeong Woo and Yi Bin relationship in the past? What was the deal with the rings they both wore back then until present day, even after Yeong Woo and Ki Jin were in a relationship??

• Why did Ki Jin suddenly stop talking to Yeong Woo and then suddenly orders a roll of kimbap after a whole year, they laugh it off and proceed to buy clothes like nothing happened?

It's a shame because this series had a great plot that could have kept us hooked for at least half an hour per episode, instead everything was rushed and confusing. I was watcing it with the feeling that a whole "behind the cut" story went on and we never got to see it...

Still, it's worth the watch I think. Just not gonna watch it again.

Junjô (2010)

I'll be waiting until you come

[8/10 · 3 November 2022]

I felt the need to write a review for two reasons:

• Don't let the rating fool you;
• This movie deserves a review.

This movie is beautiful in its simplicity. The beach scenario is nostalgic, beautiful and comforting, and gives you a warm feeling inside. It's the first scenario we see and it's where at the end Kurata waits for Takahashi, representig the beginining and the continuation. I loved this detail so much that even though Kurata was sad and losing hope I was smiling because I knew Takahashi would come for him. Also the final scene on the bus where Kurata reveals he kept Takahashi's item for this long confirms that he also had been in love all this time. The movie connects the present with the past in such an endearing way that it melts you.

Kurata and Takahashi's relationship it's a bit chaotic at first and it would be easy for the story to go towards a more dramatic, even violent end but it was handled so well that there's no chance for us but to absolutely love them both, as individuals and as a couple.

Now on a more emotional note (I'm too sensitive, sorry)...I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! They're so sweet and beautiful and the lines about each other towards the end... "I miss you, only you", "I'll be waiting until you come", "When it comes to you I know everything". I teared wathing it. Such an endearing captivating story. I absolutely recommend it.

I loved it!

Semantic Error (2022)

They "got me stuck"

[10/10 · 29 August 2022]

Finally I had the time to watch this masterpiece. And in one week I watched it three times...can I be honest here? Just because I need to share this somewhere...this series really affected me like no other before, never have I ever rewatched a series in a such a short period of time. And the thing is I can't explain what I feel whenever I watch it, it's this feeling of comfort and then at the same time everytime I finish watching it I feel this void in my chest, because I need more of them.

Emotions aside. I've watched so many BL dramas before, movies, series, of all nationalities, and I never experienced what I experienced with these characters. Their chemistry is unparalleled and I trully believe they've set a new level of ambience, dialogue, acting, commitment and chemistry to all BL dramas that are to come. Because this one is not easy to match.

The restaurant scene on episode 7, from the very beginning until Sangwoo leaves running is absolute perfection. The acting is...I don't have words for it really, I want to be technical but I just can't when it comes to them. The whole mood that was set on that scene and then culminating in the most perfect kiss I remember seeing on a BL drama. The kiss scene is the most beautiful I have ever seen, really, I was surprised for being so deep and bold when compared to what we're used to watch in BL kdrama, the little detail of kissing sound made the scene so sensual. I rewatched that scene so many times, and it still affects me just thinking about it.

Park Seoham is an amazing actor, I'm so glad he was casted for the role. He really made the evolution of Jaeyoung in such a short period of time so believable, every nouance was credible, and although the series was only eight episodes it didn't feel rushed at all.

Park Jaechan is incredible, also the way he managed the fact that Sangwoo was having deeper feelings for Jaeyoung is endearing, he managed the conflict of feeling something totally new to him so well, the rage mixed with the impossible fight against it, and finally giving in. The scene in the park where he says three times "I really like you", like he can't fight it anymore is heart breaking, his teary eyes, his whole facial expression is spot on.

Both actors were truly commited to their characters feelings and it was beautiful, they made it seem so real, hence the success of this show.

Also the very end with that beautiful kiss that wasn's scripted is really the perfect finale, the way Jaeyoung caresses Sangwoo's neck and the way Sangwoo closes his eyes way before being kissed...perfect...so many feelings.

I also have to mention the perfect soundtrack and the way it was used, enhancing every scene. I'm totally addicted to "Melancholy", every time I listen to it I relive all the emotions I feel whenever I watch them. That's how good the soundtrack is.

There's so much more I want to say about this series honestly but I feel like I'm writing a love letter instead of a review, so I'm about to finish.

I'm always satisfied when I finish a 1 season BL drama, but this time I really need more of them. I know there is a will to do it, but Seoham leaving for service for two years makes it impossible to guess whether it will happen or not, a lot happens in two years. And him saying in an interview that "Semantic Error" was his 20's made me melancholic, so I hope he can start his 30's with a new era of Jaeyoung's and Sangwoo's beautiful romance. We're waiting for you Seoham :) In the meantime, "Semantic Error" the movie with deleted scenes will be released in Korea on August 31st and also in Taywan and Vietnam. I hope the international fans can also watch it, I'm looking forward to it.

Oh I forgot to mention, I'm not much of a manhwa reader, and never read this one, but I'm about to give it a try.

Best BL drama EVER!

After (I) (2019)

Most misleading synopsis EVER

[3/10 · 2 January 2022]

This movie is utterly boring. It's just a teenage movie with the ambition to be more than that. No, there's nothing wrong with teenage movies, when the synopsis let's you know what they are and what you should expect.

90% of the movie is them kissing and staring at each other in slow motion, which I think was made not for emotional purposes but to burn recording time.

"The movie has to have at least 90 minutes" "Ah wth let's dream big and make it 115 minutes. I know! All the scenes where they're kissing could have 40 seconds, let's make it 4 minutes...for each scene".

Afhhh yeah I bet this was the dialogue during editing...

The synopsis it's a lie, there's absolutely NOTHING bad or obscure about Hardin, he's a sweet,beautiful and tender kid with a sad story. The plot twist is sooooo lame and unexpected. Unexpected not in a good way, I was so astonished I asked the tv "Wait was this the dark secret?"...awful!

I liked the performances though, very good casting indeed. Just, watch it for what it is, a movie about two teenagers who fall in love, period.

Cold Pursuit (2019)

I absolutely loved it!!!

[10/10 · 8 December 2021]

Ok ok, before you come at me, I know maybe a 10/10 it's too much, but I haven't seen such a good movie in such a long time that maybe I'm a little too excited.

What I loved the most about this movie is that it's so different from the usual "gang vs gang" or "father gets revenge on his child's death" movies. This is so different from all of that Hollywood same old, it's so engaging from the very beginning, and the way it flows, the characters, they're all so unexpected. The Viking is not the regular Hollywood drug lord, his "gang" is definitely not what we're used to watch. I LOVED the fact that there was an homossexual couple among them (I must confess that scene was what made me say out loud "wow what a great movie!" - I'm a sensitive girl, sue me). On the other hand I also loved that there were no romances popping up, I find that ultra boring and cliché and I'm glad it wasn't included here.

The whole dynamic with the indians, the police, a guy that lost his kid, "The Viking" gang and the more mundane aspects of the movie, everything was connected so perfectly, giving it a nice pace and engagement.

I loved all the cast, everyone was spot on on their roles, but I have to talk about two of them specifically.

Liam Neeson,of course, is an absolute delight to watch in this role, he's always been a great actor, but lately he's been starring some movies where his great acting is the only thing that saves the movie. On this one he shines as he should!

Nicholas Holmes was extraordinary as the son of a drug lord, the kid is an excellent actor and his character was so endearing. Again, not in any point similar to what we're used to watch, the little kid with an annoying atitude or the one who plays hero and ends up saving the day. The scene where Ryan is at Coxman's home, his kidnapper is so beautiful and sweet and the mentioning of Stockholm Syndrome was brilliant.

I know this is a remake of "In Order of Disappearence", and that's what makes it so different. I haven't seen the original yet, but I most definitely will, I'm a huge fan of Stellan Skarsgård, ao I'll watch it asap.

Mommy Is a Murderer (2020)

I loved it

[1/10 · 6 April 2021]

I loved this movie because it was so awful that my own laughter kept me company.

Wow where to start? A couple of terrible actors with no chemistry AT ALL. I mean, I could visualise how it all came together, they e-mailed the script to them, they read it, then met the same day they were filming, wrapped the whole movie in half a day and left home. I bet they don't even know their real names.

The newscaster!!! What on earth?? Who was that? Doesn't matter, I bet I won't see him in any other movie...

The whole acting was beyond awful! The plot, the lines, everything was nonsense and terrible.

The girl was really good though and I don't mind the one star rating (because minus 10 would be ideal) because of her, she was the only star the movie deserves.

But overall I'd say watch it, it's a total waste of time and sometimes wasting time is nice. Plus you'll laugh, I know I did.

Oblivion (I) (2013)

Great sci-fi movie

[8/10 · 28 May 2016]

No i'm not a payed reviewer to say good things about the movie. I'm just a regular movie lover who happens to dislike sci-fi movies but to love the dystopian theme. That being said i have to start by plagiarize a reviewer who said that Tom Cruise really loves what he's doing, and i completely agree. Every movie I watch from him, even the bad ones, he manages to get you to fall in love by his character, due to the emotion he puts in it, the man is a great actor, and without knowing it I slowly became a huge fan of his work.

This movie is a bit slow paced it's true, and sometimes you can get confused by the story. Jack Harper is a commander on NASA who goes on a mission, this Jack has thousand of clones (then made to serve Tet), being the protagonist Technician 49 who later confronts another clone, Technician 52. I was a bit confuse by this, and i admit I had to do some research in order to understand the film, an attentive viewer won't have this problem though, i'm sure.

The movie is visually stunning, the performances are spot on, specially from Cruise and, of course Morgan Freeman who has a small but amazing (and emotional) part on the film.

I would totally recommend this movie to the average movie goer and for sci-fi lovers. Also if you love the dystopian theme like I do you'll love the movie. It's slow paced but Cruise manages to get you stuck until the end.

The Theory of Everything (2014)

Was expecting much more

[5/10 · 27 February 2015]

I'm a huge fan of Stephen Hawking's work, so my expectations were very high for this movie. Specially because Stephen was thrilled about it, and he made it very clear on the social networks. But i was highly disappointed. Eddie Redmaine is absolutely flawless, he really deserved that Oscar, so was Felicity Jones. I rated it with a five only for them and the soundtrack (i love The Cinematic Orchestra, which Arrival of the Birds and Transformation was PERFECT for that final scene that brought lots of tears to my eyes)...but that's about it.

The movie focuses way too much on the romantic life of Hawking, his wife, his children (who suddenly disappear when it's convenient). I wanted to see more of Hawking's academic life, how his brilliance was acknowledge (you get only two fast paced scenes on this). I wanted to see how his theories changed the way we view ourselves, the universe, and our place in the universe. I wanted to see how he contributed so much to science in general and cosmology. Of course i wasn't expecting a documentary or i would see one, but i was expecting a film about Hawking and not about how ELA destroys a person's ability to move and to be 100% dependent on others. I definitely wasn't expecting to see a movie developing at the speed of light, where you can't really measure his brilliance (i mean, that shot of Hawking's on a cover of a magazine to give us a glimpse of how famous he was becoming is atrocious). If you don't know a thing about Hawking, you definitely won't learn anything with this movie, unless you are very, very, VERY curious and start your research (he deserves it). I hope, at least, that the movie will spark your curiosity for one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The Red Violin (1998)

Just "ok"

[5/10 · 1 July 2014]

I understand this movie is about a violin, but what are objects if there is no human hands to make them "alive"? My point is: I love the fact that the violin is somehow cursed because of the cause that made it red, but it doesn't stand for itself, without a musician's hands to bring it to life. So, why wasn't i able to feel any connection with any of the characters? The movie tries to say too much as it explores too many stories, only to tell us the violin is cursed, but it failed to deliver, because for the viewer to feel that, there would have to be a connection between us and the characters. On the contrary, i couldn't care less about any of them, except maybe the orphan virtuoso.

I also felt that the "passion" that I (as a viewer) was supposed to feel for the violin, just wasn't there. There should be more emotional items to connect the viewer to it, like for instance, better music. What happened to sweet and dramatic and revealing melodies? They aren't there at all, and it's such a shame. I remember when i saw "Copying Beethoven" i cried all the way through his concerto, because i felt attached to him, Diane Kruger's character, and all the music, all the instruments, it was all wonderful in that scene. This movie doesn't have high moments like that.

I rate it with 5 out of ten, because, although i was expecting more of this movie, i was entertained, and i also loved the motif that made the violin red. I liked the fact that we followed the violin in different moments of History, i liked that it wasn't centered only in one place and one story, i just think that it should be more centered in the characters and on how the violin grew on them.

Overall it's an "ok" movie.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

There's the book and there's the movie

[9/10 · 30 January 2014]

OK, so i've read some of the reviews of people feeling really disappointed with the movie, because it was a poor adaptation of the book, Kundera himself said he would never allow a book of his to go on screen again. I agree with Kundera and the reviewers, it is actually a very poor adaptation of an amazing book, and i have to say that "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" is the book of my life, i've read it more than once, so i was with high hopes for the movie, specially after i saw the cast. As an adaptation is bad, sometimes really bad. Many details are incongruous with the book, and i felt specially disappointed with the character of Tereza, Juliette Binoche failed to deliver an honest performance, she screams and tosses and turns for no reason....that is not Tereza! Tereza felt things deeply and with such profoundness that she had to scream sometimes to release all the 'unbearable' feelings she had inside...not Binoche, she screams because she doesn't know what she's doing. Lena Olin, on the other hand, delivers a great performance, because of her i fell in love with Sabina, more than i already was. Daniel Day-Lewis is also great as Tomas, i really liked him, and i felt that Tomas could be exactly like that, the looks and the personality.

All this to say, that i gave the movie a 9 because i really loved it, in the end i tried to see it as a movie alone and not an adaptation. If you read the book then don't see the movie with high hopes, but if you haven't i'm sure you'll love it, i just don't think that seeing the movie will make you want to read the book. But as a movie by itself, is a good one.

Rope (1948)

A philosophy lesson

[10/10 · 8 August 2012]

When a film that takes place entirely in one room of an apartment (besides the room we have access only to the foyer and a glimpse at the kitchen), keeps us restless during it's 76 minutes, has by virtue to be a good movie. Farley Granger is particularly good on the role of making us feel the tension in the air, of living with him his fear of being caught and his lack of conviction in the crime in which he took part and what it should represent.

In this film we are transported to the dichotomy between the world of ideas and the world of actions. To what extent does our belief in a philosophy, an idea, is likely for us to live with it when it is turned into action? Rupert Cadell (James Stewart's character) is the representative par excellence of this dichotomy, when minutes before, when the sun still came through the window, had claimed to be in favor of crime as the prerogative of superior men, but when the sun goes down and he discovers the "ugly crime" that had been committed, immediately his ideal collapses as the books of philosophy which are placed upon David's grave when Rupert eagerly opens the lid of the chest. His appalled face screams to us that he also feels guilty, but at the end of the film, sitting in a chair with his back to the viewer facing the scene in front of him assuming our role as observers, takes him away from its responsibility after telling Brandon (John Dall) that it was given to his words a meaning they did not had.

There was much more to say about this movie but the dissertation may be long and become boring. I just hope it helps you to see this movie from another perspective, not just a movie you will see with a popcorn bucket. It's Hitchcock after all... I want to end by saying that if i already was a great fan of James Stewart, in this film he won me over completely. He is proficient in his role, for me the best of Stewart so far.

This is one of the few films that gave a 10 ... is brilliant!