Amore e guinzagli (2022)

Sexual Education & Product Placement

Always eager to watch romcom that test some boundaries I watched Love and Leashes until the very end. I saw the FL/ML frolicking on a comfy bed; she with Timotei wavy hair, he with a cutie pie smile on his face uttering "Saranghaeyo Ju-in", and I just sat there on my couch, thinking WHAT?!

Story
I THOUGHT I was going to see an office romcom with two colleagues exploring their sexual wishes, a BDSM version of the wonderful phonesex romcom Whatcha' Wearin? (2012). I expected they would use the Korean office hierarchy as the perfect breeding ground for humiliation kinks, but what I SAW was a sexual education class; a BDSM kiddy version with commercial incentives. This time no rings, shoes or designer bags, but collars, dildos, candles, leashes. I do admire the Korean business attitude, but really, I expected less toys, more arthouse, and creative kinkiness.

The Good
Love & Leashes isn't romcom, it's a warm and sweet opinion on sexual self-exploration. Ji-woo does research on the internet, and the audience looks over her shoulder. Kinks are explained in voice-overs, distinctions are made between D/S and SM play, we see the use of safe words, aftercare, and the whole shebang.

The Bad
What I personally wanted to see though, is the BDSM psychology. What makes it good to feel pain, why do people love to bound someone literally, is BDSM in our nature or is it nurture? There were some hints to the answers, but not much, and not really funny.

Overall
BDSM can be interpreted in romcom style, and there are good examples from more than 20 years ago. Try Pedro Almodóvar's "Tie me Up! Tie Me Down" (1989) with young Antonio Banderas; or Secretary (2002). The only newness I could find in Love and Leashes was that it is Korean, with product placements in style.

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Love or Leashes?

i am writing this opinion as a webtoon reader of the original... and i honestly would have preferred if this was readapted into a mini-series instead of a movie.. and here's why i felt so..

STORY
I may be biased since I am comparing it to the webtoon, but honestly if this was a drama, there would have been more time to understand each character's backstory,...

Jiwoo: I really love her character in the webtoon, and I think the adaption here is 80% synchronized. But the Jiwoo in the webtoon is more cold-headed, but there were some parts (e.g her showing her anger, the scene of her cursing) that made me felt disjoined from the character portrated in the webtoon. Also, I honestly would have preferred if there was some development regarding Jiwoo BDSM's tendencies. In the film, her finding out Jihoo's fetish, and coming to accept it all came too fast... and the confession scene felt un-Jiwoo for me. In the webtoon, the confession was more like after she sorted out her boundaries etc. Here was more like an order, and Jihoo just adamantly rejected ..
Jihoo: I actually wanted to see some flashback scenes of why he became a male-sub. It was only briefly explained through voiceover dialogue but I felt that it was an important one. There were quite a build up and explanation in the webtoon. I also wished there was more conflicts of Jihoo with himself? In webtoon, there was the vandalism plot (Hana stalker ex-bf) and Ivan (i think they made him into Lee Han here) which had him in stress over his preferences. There was also Jihoo's ex-bf + blind date in the webtoon that were development scenes for Jihoo to question the boundaries between wanting Jiwoo as his master, girlfriend or both. I think since this is a movie, there wasn't time to build on this, so everything felt rush. But of course, there may be a different perspective for watchers whom had not read the webtoon.
-In the webtoon i really liked Hanna & the cafe owner whom was Jihoo's best friend! Their interaction was so cute!! but i think they integrated Hanna's character into Lee El's character, so :( and they removed Jihoo's best friend, whom i actually really like in the webtoon (HE IS SUPER TSUNDERE)
-Also, the confrontation scene between Jihoo's ex and Jiwoo was actually more interesting in the webtoon.. i can't believe they only just brushed by each other in the film :(
-Also Ivan, was one pivotal character i feel in the webtoon because he actually likes Jiwoo (which makes Jihoo nervous) but then also finds out his secret fetish.. but there wasn't much utilization of his character here other than ousting the two's BDSM voice recording...

Acting
I have nothing to pick on about the acting! For Seohyun i am really seeing her in a new light?? Because let's be frank, i think even some SONES would not have expected her to choose such a production!!! But then she nailed it?? it was completely natural for me :D For Junhyoung, i have no comparisons since its the first time i am watching him act, but i would say he really gave me that puppy vibe HAHHA which i think was what the director was going for :)

Overall, as a fan of the webtoon, i will obviously pick the webtoon over the film. But one good thing of this film is, i really liked how they handled the part on gender discrimination at workplace because this is what actually happens irl??? this also justifies why people like Jihoo wants to hide their preferences. I also preferred the film's ending because i did see sides of Jihoo as a man, and not as a sub to Jiwoo after they established their dating + sub & dom r/s in the film but i didnt see much of it in the webtoon... the webtoon was almost likely an open ending. I would say, it's a good watch still. I am curious of opinions of non-readers to be honest since I think my review was very biased since i kept comparing to the webtoon :|

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A daring theme but lackluster execution

Right from the day the trailer premiered on Youtube, I had high expectations from this movie. Looking at the cast was the biggest surprise because who ever thought that Seohyun and Jun could ever be in a movie which has a risque and BDSM theme?! I was expecting a lot of naughty scenes and some nudity but this movie was tamer than I thought. While the focus on the playing part is quite evident, I expected a more daring scenes like 50 Shades which this movie is definitely not.

PLOT:
I liked the first half of the plot better than the events that followed towards the end. It was slow and not as funny nor deep as it was trying to be. While I did like that this movie attempts to educate general viewers on BDSM and to show that kinks aren't always shameful it also misses its mark in a lot of places. While the set up is quite fresh, I felt like this movie missed out on a lot of its potential. Not to mention some clichés towards the end that just made my eyes roll and the ending was also a bit lacking for me.

CAST:
While Seohyun really, really tried to come as a cool and mature woman to me she still has the same cute face she did years ago in SNSD. Knowing her real life personality, I appreciate that she must have really worked hard to seem believable in this role an d I'm glad that she is someone who is ready to take on bold projects. In spite of it all she still lacks a lot in the acting department and should stick to side roles. Jun is decent but again- I only ever enjoyed his acting fully in his past dramas. But I could tell that the cast really worked hard for their roles which was good but the acting wasn't the best (although they were really easy on the eyes).

OVERALL:
While I was super excited to catch this movie on its premiere date, it fell terribly short of my expectations. It could have been shorter, deeper, better acted and better written. It does have places where it worked, especially with breaking stereotypes on BDSM and dealing with embarrassment and trying to hide it from others, it still had a lot to make up for. Now I am not sure if the movie was worth the wait and excitement I had over the past weeks. This isn't a movie to recommend but fine if you want to kill time watching something chill over a weekend.

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This was better than I expected. I had really worried they’d make it cringe just so they can mainstream BDSM but this was thoughtfully made. This was more of an introduction to BDSM with the script including informative dialogue to provide a more accurate representation of what fetish is as opposed to the misguided notion the public has on it (ironically enough, the script took care in doing so and yet there was a comment on the drama page that concluded the kink signified trauma and the characters needed therapy. Smh. The damage 50 shade of hell did is irreparable!)

I’d label this more as a rom-com than kink tv with the 1st third making me giggle (and cringe) while the 2nd third had enough sensual and the final 3rd closed the loop by bringing both together. The actors did very well in depicting their respective characters perfectly (disregard synopsis description of ML for this). Although many are impressed by Lee Jun Young’s performance (he did indeed do very well) my eyes were fixed on Seo Hyun. 1st reason being my superficial side found her damn fine esp. in that red room. In leather. (Netflix being petty wouldn’t let me screenshot) but 2nd reason being, I love how calm and collected her character was and how mature and diligent she was in learning this new life she found herself into. Watching her go from utterly innocent to a dominatrix was fascinating to watch.

Besides the contractual DS part, the movie also touches on subjects of misogyny, insecurity, misperception etc. Though these issues were shown they were not deeply explored. And even when dealt with it was on a quick and superficial manner. Which considering the time constraint is understandable.

Now what I didn’t like is the office drama in the last third. I’d have preferred if the script hadn’t gone that route and had actually maintained the stance that work and personal life can completely stay separate. To top it off I hate public declaration of affection/ preachy speeches and sermons and they decided to do that. It was completely unnecessary and major cringe!

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It shouldn’t be acceptable to be abusive to someone just because they’re different

I loved what this movie addressed, how it addressed, and why it addressed. It was bold, without being vulgar in the sense that would offend anyone. More importantly, it cleverly manages the stigma and shame associated with non-traditional practices, and the risk it poses to practitioners who wish to disclose their interest in a closed and judgmental society. Desipte it only scratching the surface, I appreciated that it made the attempt. It emotionally drew me in how the two leads interpreted and approached the complexity of the practice in the non-dating situation, where they both try to balance their desire for appropriateness with the desire for connection and honesty. I liked the writer's approach of humor in handling such a serious and complicated issue. It especially worked well in some of the more sensitive moments of the movie. Great writing, directing, editing and storytelling.

As for the actors, I have to say this movie would not be the same without Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young, and particularly Lee Jun Young a thousand and one kudos for his brilliant, brilliant acting — everything from his facial and bodily expressions and how he uses his eyes, and practically all his senses. I was totally and completely drawn to him from the minute he gets on screen. I was reminded why I fell for him in the drama Avengers Social Club. I commend them both for taking on such bold roles and giving it their all. They were both fantastic in how they interpreted their individual characters and in their chemistry together on screen. They made a life-long fan out of me. As much as the drama was centered on our leads, I have to give kudos to Baek Hyun Joo as Ji Woo's very progressive mother. I loved her character and mother, and Lee El as a friend and kindred spirit. A job well done on both fronts.

I commend this movie for the message it sends to the many who feel they don't belong or think they've done something wrong because of their non-traditional practices. It lets them know loud and clear that they are not alone. They didn't do anything wrong, and being different doesn't mean they are bad, so what if people call them perverts. What’s wrong with being a pervert; come to think of it, what is a pervert? A pervert is defined as “a person with unusual or abnormal sexual tastes.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve done anything wrong. Someone with a shoe or hand-fetish can be seen as a pervert. It doesn’t make them evil, just different. So in that sense, I like that the movie brings awareness to the deplorable acts of discrimination against those who are different for simply being different, while assuring them they are not alone. We must be the change we want to see.

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Good contribution for more movies on those topics

This review is based on just watching the movie, not knowing the webtoon, what I see makes quite a difference in rating.

I didn't know what to expect, but I think it handled that multifaceted topic BDSM quite in a good way, as far as I can judge. Especially they've done it with respect and care of the protagonists. So in that sense it gives a strong statement to respect and accept people having different desires, especially the ones not being generally accepted by "normal" society and to have an open mind and awareness to that. So many people lacking of having that mindset still. That awareness worked very well throughout the whole movie for me and made me rate it that high. Also the FL and ML were acting perfectly well I think. I hope they'll do more in the future. Also the other cast was very good.

Of course some aspects were a bit fast paced or not covered much, like their background or the transition of their relationship. That would have needed more episodes than just a movie and I wouldn't mind seeing a sequell covering that. I read that the webtoon provided more detail. But on the other hand to drag that into a 16 episode drama would've been too long and led to the usual plot problems of lengthy dramas.

So why not see that movie as a good contribution to do more stuff on such topics in society ?

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Bdsm!? That killed my curiosity!

When I first saw its trailer ..bdsm? OMG ! I was thinking what kind story they are going to put it in. The poster of the movie also gained my attraction where there were no usual dark colours but more lively colours .,and also the Jun in the posters. Now that I have seen the movie....I would like to say it's awesome.
As other bdsm ,here it's not toxic,but it is cute and sexy.

Story : the uniqueness of the movie itself is the bdsm . And I was thinking will the movie will be able to execute well and portray the bdsm as the viewer needs? Well... In my opinion the story is executed well ..and the director and writer has done a good job in it making it no boring. The main leads roles from colleagues to dom and sub was impressive. I really liked how the FL tried understand the ML's interest and also how she try to be the dom that she has never done. Frankly speaking I really don't know much about BDSM ,but from this movie I understood that BDSM movie can also be made in cute and comedic way .
This movie also contributed how bdsm can be bad too.. but they didn't go more in to that .( That's for the better, other wise the story's genre would have changed to thriller). And also how bdsm can affect realtionships too. I really liked how the main leads realtionship changed from colleagues to awkwardness and to awesome cute sexy bdsm scenes .Any way I liked the story. Even though the story was simple it was executed well.


Acting: both the main leads have done a good job in playing their characters.especailly Jun , he proved that he is a talented actor ,other than as an idol. Acting cute,playing dog and BD scenes showed his other side as an actor.comparing to his other dramas he done good job in this movie. Next ,the FL, seohyun ...,when I first saw her as cast I was thinking will she able to be a fit for this character? But I was wrong! She was the best casting. In the movie her cold eyes and character voiced that ' I m the master'. I could feel it! . The chemistry of the main leads was good. The part where they played the dog was really funny. I liked how they played the dom and sub .they have done good job in portraying their characters and it was suited for story.


Music : music? Honestly, I really didn't hear any music while watching this movie. Is it because I was too immersed in the movie?^_^


Re-watch value: I won't say It has good re-watch value.it is good for a one time entertainment.but for some they may can see it many time as needed.

Overall: overall the movie is good.the plot is interesting, I really liked how they added rom- com to bdsm instead of it becoming toxic. And also Jun playing the sub part ,showed that even though jihoo is perfect as from head to toe ,loved by everyone on outside, but inside he had a secret that was hidden that he likes feel to be crumbled and feel pain . So , this movie also shows that everybody is not perfect concept too ! Any way give it a try.. ..

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Beginners Guide to BDSM

when we hear about BDSM, the first thing that comes to mind is Fifty Shades of Grey, where we saw the richness, privet jets or better say a billionaire's secret desires. it seemed all right since he was Rich, if he was poor it would turn into some crime movie.
Love and Leashes show the desires of an average office working guy, who is afraid that society might think of him as a pervert. but he meets someone who catches him but doesn't tell anybody. they both are novices to BDSM but give their best to learn and explore this new world. there is mild nudity(as ML is shirtless in a few scenes) but has a complicated shyness. this movie could have gone all wrong but it maintained the subject and the characters well. they felt raw, sexy, and clean. it had subtle rom-com too, not making it into some XXX nude content. this movie is a guide for average people who aren't rich like Mr. Christian Grey could also enjoy BDSM, but first of all, a CONSENT IS A MUST.

the exploring of this hush-hush world through the FL was done awesomely, she maintains her Dominant play well. but as a woman, she showed her weaknesses too. I loved her hard work learning about BDSM. Submissive ML was a charm, he was cute, courteous, and sexy in his work clothes wearing those ropes and belts.

EVERYONE DID A GREAT JOB. ACTORS, WRITERS, DIRECTORS EVERYONE DESERVES AN APPLAUSE.

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Tried to be risqué, but failed

The idea of a guy whose secretly into S&M finding a Master at his job could have been an interesting setup for a hot and steamy story about pleasure and pain, but this was just bad.

How it was discovered that the ML was into S&M was so contrived. Why would he have a submissive collar delivered to his job when he lives alone? The FL suddenly becoming curious about S&M and thus willing to be a Master seemed random, considering she’d never participated in or been curious about such behavior before. And though she was interested in the ML had only just met him.

The leads had no chemistry whatsoever, and the S&M scenes were tamed at best. The office storyline was boring and many of the scenes between the ML and FL were silly. The best thing about this was looking at Lee Jun-young’s pretty face. He’s an attractive guy who has talent. He can do drama and comedy well, but he could not elevate the material here. Neither could Seohyun, who is also a very good actress.

Going into this I knew that the chances of it being good was going to be a long shot because Korean dramas just don’t do well with risqué material or anything involving a couple being sexual with each other. However, I watched because I like the actors and thought the synopsis sounded interesting. Unfortunately this was a fail.

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Gut-busting scenes and total fun!

I'll preface this by stating I refused to read the webtoon prior to watching the movie. Reading first always makes the movies harder to enjoy for their own merit because it gives you *expectations* of how things should play out, and when they don't follow what you think should happen you get disappointed.

I found Lee Jun Young to be a total breath of fresh air in this movie. His portrayal of the character gave me absolute Golden Retriever vibes, and with his eyes alone he could express a frantically wagging tail while looking at his Master.

The story was a wild ride from start to finish and had me tearing up, laughing hysterically, biting my lip, and cringing so hard I thought I was dying. The *spicy* scenes were well done (although no sex was portrayed), had a really nice message about consent, trust with a partner, and accepting people for who they are. There was an excellent portrayal of how some men treat women in the workplace, and then showed what better men can do and say to those terrible men to point out their actions.

The OST was nothing memorable, to the point that I can't remember if it had any music at all.

I will definitely rewatch this movie MANY times, even if it's just to enjoy Lee Jun Young's puppy dog eyes and absolute devotion to his Master.

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Power, sex and romance in a playful and joyful relationship . . .

First of all, what a wonderfully fresh take on relationships between consenting adults. The attitude of 'Sure, why not? Could be a lot of fun' that infuses the whole movie is a welcome change. Instead of dragging on for hours and hours whether or not they should be in a relationship, they actually date.... and try things out. I also like that there is an exploration of the consequences in the realm of the everyday (no serial killers!).

Second, the acting here is great. The main characters and side characters are distinctive, and the male and female leads have a great mix of comedic timing and more serious feelings. They also treat the material with respect - people who engage in BDSM are people just like anyone else, and you truly believe the characters are enjoying themselves.

The music didn't register, some scenes will stick in my head for a long time. Highly recommend if you'd like a more mature exploration of dating and relationships. The 2 hrs flew by.

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Quick fun rom-com watch

I must say, the kdrama industry has moved so much ahead of the stereotypical plot lines and strict censorship rules. We’re getting something more out of it these days.

I was really anticipating this film. The acting was top notch, characters were likeable and overall it was one quick, fun, slightly kinky;) watch.
The dom-sub relationship parts were cute and nothing too awkward or in your face. It was a good way of representing kinks in sex and regular life.

So overall, If you are looking for a nice romance movie to watch on the weekend, this is a huge recommendation.

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