[Written/Watched April 06, 2020 on Letterboxd. Expanded 1/21/2021]

Somehow, Benny Chan's "Connected", a remake of 2004's "Cellular", manages to make the David R. Ellis directed film look like a grounded and restrained action thriller. It certainly gave me a new appreciation of Chris Morgan's screenwriting (particularly his pacing and sense of humor).

As a remake it had every opportunity to really nail a more modern (for 2008) interpretation of an early 2000s film. Instead it goes with a more outlandish interpretation of the villains (that errs on the edge of trying to emulate the aesthetics of "The Matrix"), and even whacker car action. The story just didn't seem to get what made the corrupt cops remotely threatening the 2004 film (it was their mundanity).

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[Written/Watched 22 Sep, 2019 for Letterboxd. Expanded 1/21/2021]

"Our Love Story" follows the typical formula of the Lesbian Love Story genre. Presumed heterosexuality is challenged by a unique attraction to another woman, somewhat open, but not quite out. The early parts of the film are preoccupied with their sexual exploration before the script finally tires it hand at character development.

Where "Our Love Story" excels is in the normal, slice-of-life moments between Yoon-ju and Ji-soo. When they goof off, when they just talk to each other about their lives. How Yoon-ju's closest friend reacts to the news that she's in a relationship with a woman, is refreshing. He's supporting, teasing, but never condemnatory, and wants to meet Yoon-ju's sweetheart.

Problem is, following the establishment, the relationship between Yoon-ju (an art student) and Ji-soo (a bartender), begins to drag downward into the tried and true roads of "doomed from the start" melodrama that sees their relationship break down almost immediately after it begins.

Ji-soo, despite her self-comfort, fears potential homophobia from her father, who isn't supportive. That insecurity creeps into her relationship with Yoon-ju, and when the ole reliable ex-girlfriend subplot comes around, Ji-soo is no longer a dependable partner.

To be blunt, outside of the family drama, Ji-soo's subplot with the girlfriend who never feels consequential to the film's overall story. It feels forced into the narrative simply to pile on the problems the characters already have, but aren't being dealt with in the story.

When Yoon-ju's art project begins to suffer as a result of her preoccupation with Ji-soo, her circumstances are made worse when her roommate begins to give her the cold shoulder shortly after admitting she's in love with a woman. In a moment that feels out-of-nowhere, Ji-soo blindsides Yoon-ju and declares their relationship is over.

"Our Love Story" never recovers from the low point it languishes in and ends on an rather incomplete note, leaving the audience questioning whether the rekindling of Ji-soo and Yoon-ju's relationship is even worth it or possible. It's not as far as I'm concerned.

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When a Movie Works, it Works

[Written/Watched 28 Aug, 2019 for Letterboxd. Expanded 1/21/2021]

There was a part of me that was apprehensive about "On Your Wedding Day". Romances in K-Dramas, for the most part, tend to sour on me. I end up not liking how the dynamic is set up between the romantic pair. To some degree the story becomes about why the male protagonist deserves the heroine (and sometimes, why he's the only chance she has left at love), so I expected this film to follow that pattern to a fault.

But the film surprised me. "On Your Wedding Day" is bold enough to reject the idea that Hwang Woo-yeon (Kim Young-kwang) is somehow entitled to Hwan Seung-hee (Park Bo-young) because he pursues her aggressively, and doesn't give up until she decides to date him.

They start a romantic relationship on a high, fluffy and montage-y. He commits to doing things in her name he would've otherwise never done without her as a motivator. They come out of the end of the relationship that crumbles in a moment of despair, friends after time apart. They respect each other's choices, still trust each other enough to confide in each other.

They're not fated to be together because he saved her from a building sign that almost her killed her. There's no big scene where Woo-yeon crashes the wedding and asks Hwan Seung-hee not to marry her intended because he's the better choice.

The movie ends on a bittersweet note (as far as he is concerned), but Hwan Seung-hee steps forward toward the future she worked for and the meaning behind the film's name becomes extremely poignant. I loved the heck out of this film.

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A Frustrating Experience

[Watched/Reviewed on Letterboxd 5/16/2021]

So far, outside of "Chungking Express", Wong Kar-wai's filmography has been fairly aggravating to watch. Clearly, the guy's modus operandi is the interior lives of unhappy people, but with the way people talked about his films, I was hoping for something with a little more substance than folks who clearly need to learn how to communicate with each other.

It's just been Tony Leung portraying sorry men in even sorrier relationships featuring actors I've only come to like (Leslie Cheung) and already love (Zhang Ziyi, Maggie Chung, Gong Li, and Faye Wong). It's a kind of director/actor dynamic that's proven to be less than stellar, and certainly not entertaining.

Of all his films, I was really expecting to like "In The Mood For Love", if only for my girl Maggie Cheung. The establishing period of the film is really good, I like the way the film sets the characters up as neighbors. It's kind've amusing that we're never allowed to see the faces of their beau's, only hear them speaking (clearly, someone watched "Charlie Brown").

But as the film goes on, it just feels aimless as it languishes in the growing loneliness of the characters. I struggled to remain awake just to see the two interact, but it got to a point that I didn't care anymore. I rolled over and went to sleep wishing they'd divorce their spouses so they can be "[Un]happy Together".

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