Method (2017)

Not to be over dramatic... But what the hell was that? I mean, while yes... it was very intense, it was also way to complex and I'm dumb, okay. I feel like this might need to be explained to me like a toddler. I swear I don't mean to take away from this movie in any way. I'm just... confused? I feel like I should add "mystery" to the tags! LOL

Can we talk about the acting though? Like holy crap - can we say skills? I mean come on, Park Sung Woong? You know right off the bat something is going to be amazing if he plays in it. The man has hella skills! Everyone in this movie did though. Not going to lie, forgot it was a movie a few times. Felt like I was entering into someone's life. Wonder if they feel violated... lol I'm kidding but for real, I did enjoy the acting.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie, I just felt like it was missing a lot of information that would probably help people be less confused? I mean when it starts off, it feels like it started in the middle of the movie and while the actors had their own "characters" to play, the characters also had characters to play... which is overload for starting right off with something. The ending was so confusing to me as well.. like who was for real, who was fake? did they both mean it or fake it? I mean come on!! Gotta give me something here! I don't like being confused at all so I think that's why I took as many stars away as I did. I just... confusion, man, I hate it with a passion. It's why I don't read/watch many "mysteries".
I feel like my rating it kinda cruel on that level because you can have someone okay with mystery but still have the same questions I do and they rate it from 8-10 stars. So when it comes to my rating on this movie, please watch the movie anyway if you are given the chance. This is one of the rare times I think I'll ever say "don't pay attention to my rating". Which hopefully makes sense. Haha

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I actually really liked this movie but am unable to give it a 10 for a few reasons. Let's start with the pros. Acting was on spot. The emotions were amazing and you can feel the tension at all points. The cast was perfect, two leads had amazing chemistry. The first half of the movie was really great, you can see the two leads having that unspoken spark. As for cons, I feel like they rushed the second half of the movie. The time spent together with their feelings revealed is a bit short. Also after Youngwoo's colleagues went to fetch him from his playdate with Jaeha, things seemed to go even quicker. There isn't enough of that push-pull dynamic between the two after they're caught.

You also don't learn enough about Youngwoo throughout the movie. He's just an idol. I feel like had they done the falling action properly, the ending would have really been satisfying and conclusive. While the idea may be that Jaeha was method acting the whole time and only liked Youngwoo because he was in character, I'd like to think that he truly started to fall for Youngwoo and so backed off, afraid.

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Multi-Layered Queer Self-Discovery

After all the dramas I've watched, it was this one that made me finally write a review.

This is an amazing "play" within a play that messes with your mind the way the main character's mind is messed with. Reviews disappointed with the tragic queer trope need to dig a little deeper. The two leads are chained by different things in life--idol life, being in the closet. The play, "Unchain," releases them. Their decisions at the end, however, play out naturally.

The actors and their chemistry is insane. The way the movie is filmed is so raw with how closely the camera follows Jae Ha. You feel what he feels--the push, the pull, the emotions from Young Woo. You start to believe it.

I think the best line to summarize Young Woo's motivation, his final hook into Jae Ha: “Stay with me, hyung? My manager will let me go if I leave with you.”

Even the nonverbals are heavy with meaning. Before that line, Jae Ha was told to place a hand on Young Woo's shouder--the dominant, older male role. But in that small moment of intimacy for the quote, Young Woo places a hand on Jae Ha and draws him in.

Young Woo’s oppressive life is real. Jae Ha feels bad for Young Woo and is pulled in even more. (Young Woo's motivations are so multi-layered in that quote: he could be lonely and wants a friend or a lover. He could be trying to manipulate Jae Ha to get him closer. )

The dialogue starts off pretty grounded, but the deeper you go, the more twisted the words get. It's easy to take the last half of the movie as a huge metaphor, and, if you do, I think it makes the movie more intentional. The play can be a presentation of Jae Ha's turmoil.

You can argue that Jae Ha returns to his chains at the end of the movie. Young Woo clearly does since he’s still an idol. But I think, on the inside, they’ve been unchained. When Young Woo, like an eager puppy, asks to follow Jae Ha on his path of character discovery, I think he’s definitely discovered more than just his skill and his enjoyment of acting. For a more positive queer spin, I think he could have discovered another part of himself. Jae Ha may also have discovered that, too. Even though he goes back to Hee Won physically, I think he’s changed since he became the character--a huge hint was his character notebook. Although there isn’t a closed ending, I think it accurately reflects life and how you change gradually. But there’s no denying that this play has changed both our leads and immensely impacted mine. Amazing through and through.

Positives
-Acting: Every moment Park Song Woong and Oh Seung Hoon are on screen, they're emoting. Not a moment is wasted.
-Camerawork: up close, personal, raw
-Dialogue: The lines are succinct and sharp, especially the ones lifted from the play.
-Plot: The parallels are straightforward but powerful. Very multi-layered, each scene ladened with meaning and symbolism

"Negatives"
-I almost want to say there wasn't enough skinship, but wow, their steamy scene is one of the best I've seen in a queer Asian drama (yes, even among the Thai BL ones). It's so heavy with emotion and meaning that it carries the intimacy needed for the plot

Overall, the movie is one of those that makes me want to pick apart, like one of those dense classic books they make you read in high school. Excellent!

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A story which would've needed more time to progress

This Korean movie is actually quite interesting. It is something different and not a typical BL drama. However, while watching it, I had the feeling that it could have needed more time to progress. The story develops quite fast and in the beginning I didn't really understand if they were rehearsing the play or if the conversation was taking place in 'real life'.
Of course, it should be noted that this film is only for those who don't find it too repulsive when a boy who looks barely 20 and a man who is already in his fourtees, kiss. Their acting was incredibly good, but I personally didn't like the way they kissed.

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this was my first time watching a Korean movie in this genre and I like it a lot.
the story is about a young idol debuting as an actor and a middle-aged actor who is very serious about his roles
for me, they were some confusing parts in the story but overall was a well written film
I loved the acting between the male leads it was great and full of facial emothins.
about the story, I think Jae Ha(Park Dung Woong) at some point got lost in his character "Walter" and even he himself wasn't sure if its all for the role or not, and Yeong Woo(Oh Seung Hoon) kind of find himself through his character "Singer" and his feelings became real for Jae Ha.
the music was also good and feet to the scenes.
like I said I like "Method" a lot and it definitely worth my time

life has a lot of ups and downs and I think at least we should be able to love the way we want.

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An Extremely Powerful Piece of Art

"Method" is a compelling and mature film that portrays the trope of a forbidden romance while exploring mental health and obsession- the concept of "taking things too far."

Story - The entire storyline from start to finish will push you through a whirlpool of emotions and gives you a lot of food for thought. While I see a lot of people reflecting on the more romantic side of the story, I looked more in the direction of someone so obsessed with doing things ''right'' that it weighed heavily on their psyche. This caused the lines to truly blur between what is real and what isn't, which inevitably lead to changing the lives of not only the afflicted person but the people around them as well. The story just had so many layers to it that it made for an extremely interesting watch.

Acting/Cast - All the actors did an amazing job, Park Sung Woong's performance in particular. He really brought out the manic energy in Jaeha that guided the story. Oh Seung Hoon and Yoon Seung Ah also played their roles very well, they nailed their expressions which really brought out the emotions in their characters.

Music - The music was well done and matched well in different scenes. It enhanced the actor's performances and completed scenes perfectly.

Rewatch Value - While I genuinely loved this film, I will be honest- it's kind of a downer. While I don't plan on rewatching it on my own, I would watch it with friends and family to show it to them.

Overall - "Method" is an amazing film that even if you aren't interested at first glance, I think you should give it a try anyway. It's a change of pace from the more happy-go-lucky attitude of descendant films/shows of the same genre.

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First of all to all people who didn't like this movie or rated it low. You guys clearly don't understand the beauty of this movie.
Not every lgbt movie has to have a cheesy ending nor end up wid suicide. The movie is way more deep and I'm all for it. Besides it's a korean movie n we all know how they are when its comes to lgbtq movies but this one didn't dissapoint at all. The only complain I can have is it was too short like 1 hr I wish it was longer with more scenes of both male leads but I'm ok with it

Acting is really good specially by Oh Seung Hoon aka Young Woo. To think its his first movie and also a lgbt one for dat he outperformed really well. He's like my new favorite. His acting gave me chills.
Finally the story some might complain is short or sad ending but thats wat makes this movie unique.

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A Waste

I am failing to understand how this movie got such high ratings, and yet I found this extremely boring and the cinematography was so dark that you could hardly see anything especially when the play was starting!!!

The actors were not well matched and they just seemed so confused with each other, the lady was down right annoying, to the point I just couldn't watch this anymore and just wanted it to end.

For me personally this movie was the absolute worse that i have come across!! And will not be able to watch this again, I think the thing that let me down the most was that it was dark and you couldn't see much, maybe if this was done in a drama and there was more depth to it, it might have worked.

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how far can you go with method acting?

What a movie. Even days after watching it I’m still thinking about it. When I tell you my eyes were GLUED to the screen from start to finish they were. The big question was, was it really all an act, or was did real feelings cause the lines between the actor and idol to getting blurry? I think this film is interpretational and leaves you to draw your own conclusion on what was really going on. The movie wasn’t necessarily romantic but rather than implementing a romantic theme it relies more on the performance of the actors to draw you into the events. I found the movie unpredictable as to when the climax happened I was so eager to see what would happen next. Since the film was about to actors in a play, many parts of the movie felt like you were watching a movie in a movie which was really great. I get that this movie can be a little controversial given the subject matter but damn does it need more recognition!
The acting is phenomenal, especially from Oh Seung Hoon. That dude needs to be in more films and the ones with the veteran actors because he’s that good! He did an amazing job as Yeong-Woo. Ngl I thought he was cast because they needed a cute guy to play an idol but damn he did not need to go that hard acting. He channeled the character so genuinely and not once did he come off as awkward or out of place. Actually, both actors were purposeful and very natural in the more intimate scenes. The kissing scenes were so sensual and felt so real. They were so convincing that you would think they were romantically involved in real life!

Personally, I think Yeon-Woo did develop feelings for his co-star as he discovered his liking for acting through the play, however, there were moments where he would tease and toy with Jaeha which makes me think that a part of his behavior was an act, but not completely. The last scene with him gave me a sense that he liked Jaeha, or did he dread returning to the repetitive and restrictive life of an idol? It was clear from the beginning of the movie that he was tired of his life, so that is maybe why he seemingly enjoyed working on the play so much. He didn’t care much for it at first but after Jaeha prompted him to get into character I think he began to feel a form of freedom and self-expression that he never felt before. So I could argue that his time spent with Jaeha didn’t awaken romantic feelings in him but ignited his newfound passion for acting. But then again those steamy kisses and overt sexual tension were hard to overlook. As for Jaeha, I think for the most part it was merely method acting, but that scene in the shed made me think he started to fall for his acting partner. In his last scene, he seemed satisfied with both his and Young-Woo’s performances and walked away with no visible sign of regret or longing. These are the reasons that I doubt that it was all just acting.
Overall this movie is just excellent all around. 9.5/10. The only reason I’m not giving this a full ten is that I’m unsure about the ending. It wasn’t bad but it left me wanting more.

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9/10

... Because the passion level went from 0 to 9000 in a second...

Note to all the confused people:

This is NOT a movie about homosexuals, it is NOT YAOI and it is NOT BL.

This is a movie about two straight males who perform method acting to become closer with their roles. In other words they do things to trick their own mind into being who they portray in the play.

This will start off very innocently with a veteran actor starring in the same theater play as the idol, Young Woo who shows no interest or passion at the first few readings. I honestly don't know why it starts off like that because a few minutes in, he suddenly starts to show a lot of passion and the writers didn't do a very good job explaining the process or the reason. He just suddenly loves it which is why this movie got a 9/10.

But once you get passed that...

This movie starts off very bright and innocent with a comfortable pace that gives off kind of a dreamy feel. The writers succeeded very well in making a calm atmosphere for the viewer without using dragged out scenes or unnecessary shots. It wont leave the audience soothed for too long before it takes a dramatic and dark turn that will keep you at the edge of your seat.

The way the writers have mixed the main leads dialogues with their characters dialogues is the most genius thing I have ever experienced. It makes it difficult to tell if the person is acting as their theater persona or if they actually mean what they're saying. Because the characters themselves are not sure whether they are acting or not, reality and theater slowly sink into one another and become one world of confusion.

There will be a few kissing scenes between the two male leads but this shouldn't be something to warn about. it helps convince the viewer of the feelings involved and gives a harder impact once we near the climax so do not fear it.

I recommend this to people who like watching mind twisting and dark movies. You will definitely have to pay attention and try to understand both the actors and the characters. This is not a light watch but rather something to prepare your heart for.

ENJOY!!!

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