FLOP 2011
Movies that had me salivating to watch and left me wanting to excise the exerperience immediately from my mind.
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A REASON TO LIVE
Movie has a heck of a premise, the interesting casting choice of Song Hye-Ko in the lead role and the third directorial work of Lee Jeong-Hyang (Art Museum by the Zoo). Unfortunately, the movie had me wincing throughout due to its extremely stiff production and poor acting. One thing that came to mind after watching the movie was thinking “Man, I can tell Lee Jeong-Hyang just over thought her way into making this mess.” Supporting actress Nam Ji-Hyun gave one of the least satisfactory performance I have watched (a close tie with Park Ye-Jin in Mr Idol).
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COUNTDOWN
Pairing up Jung Jae-Young & Jeon Do-Youn again in a movie had me first in line to watch the film. Loved their performance in the 2002 film No Blood No Tears and hearing that it was invited to the Toronto International Film Festival had my interests piqued even more. Jeon Do-Youn doesn’t disappoint in the film, but, unfortunately, she’s the only one that doesn’t disappoint. The first hour is actually pretty damn entertaining, but the drop off in the second half is just shocking. The movie literally takes a u-turn in the middle of the movie from a fun crime caper to a sappy melodrama about a father’s broken relationship with his retarded son. Yes that certainly deserves a “WTF?!?!?!”
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HINDSIGHT
Tantalizing pairing of Kang Sang-Ho and attractive younger actress Shin Se-Kyung had me wanting to see the film, but the movie turned out to be a complete dud. The overacting by the entire supporting cast was offputting and the movie’s narcissistic desire to appeal to teen audience was its downfall.
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LIFE BACK THEN
It’s amazing to think Takahisa Zeze went from the mind blowing Heaven’s Story to this inane after school special for hipsters called Life Back Then. Somewhere by the 3/4th mark I started to seriously wonder if the the movie was joke. Masaki Okada gave the least satsifactory male performance of the year for me. Life Back Then is the movie equivalent of having Radiohead write the next album for Justin Bieber. [Read the Q&A session]
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YOU’RE MY PET
I slept through about 15 minutes of You’re My Pet and I probably should have slept through a lot more. First time I have watched a movie with Kim Ha-Neul that disliked with a passion. You’re My Pet is nothing more than a 2 hour commercial for the Jang Keun-Seuk Corporation.
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Thank you Ki
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the tips Ki! I’ve only seen Bleak Night and is gonna see Underwater Love soon. I think Bleak Night is the best film I’ve seen this year, along with 13 Assassins.
@Andreas np at all – I think you are going to have a blast with Underwater Love. Very quirky, charming, entertaining and helluva creative.
We agree with Bleak Night as well. I know the movie isn’t the most clear cut at times – which can be viewed as a strength or weakness depending on tastes. I do really love that film!
Also keep an eye out for those other films … cheers
Ki
Have only seen “Late Autumn” from your top list, and loved it as well. “Journals of Musan” and “Bleak Night” have been on my to-see list for a while, adding “Himizu”, “Sketches of Kaitan City”, “Heaven’s Story” and “Barbie” to it now. Still want to see “Life Back Then” though… I suppose I’l watch “You’re My Pet” at some point too, but never had great expectations that it would some amazing sort of movie. Entertaining, cute and fun perhaps (although it sounds like you didn’t even think that) but nothing beyond that.
@ alua – nice blog by the way. Loved LATE AUTUMN and reading your review made me want to watch it again.
About YOU’RE MY PET, I enjoy romantic-comedies probably more than the average person and I had a real hard time finding any redeeming qualities in the film. Seriously, the thing that kept crossing my mind while watching it is that the film seemed like a literal extended commercial for Jang Keun-Suk.
Two movies, I would like to recommend over YOU’RE MY PET are PENNY PINCHERS and SPELLBOUND. PENNY PINCHERS is very cute, has a really unique premise and very good story. Main female character is a 20 something woman who is extremely frugal – recycles bottles, “steals” sugar packs at coffee shops, keeps chickens for their eggs. The woman then gets her male neighbor evicted in another scheme to make $, but eventually lets him stay in a tent in front of her apartment when she realizes he has no other place to go. SPELLBOUND deals with a woman involved in a bus accident as a high school student and since that time has been haunted by ghosts. She has now become pretty much a recluse because of the ghosts that keeps following her. She then meets a magician who attempts to pull her of out her shell. Both movies have really nice mixtures of cuteness, romance, comedy, good peformances and strong stories! Those two were my favorite romantic-comedies and would love to watch again.
Thanks for praising my blog, Ki!
Although it sometimes seems from my blog that I mostly watching depressing movies, I quite like rom-coms too (I don’t review them quite as often though, especially the really, really light-hearted ones, but honestly, what’s better on a Friday night after an exhausting week?).
I wouldn’t mind rewatching “Last Autumn” myself, I think it’s the sort of film that one can see a few times and probably discover some new things in it still. “Spellbound” has been on my to-watch list for a while, I have heard of “Penny Pinchers”, it didn’t grab me immediately, but I’ll take you word if you say it’s good and watch it when I get the chance!
I’m assuming you are based in Korea?
@alua
yes I am … happy new year’s to all …
thank you Ki!
@Ki
I thought so, given that all the three movies are only just out in the cinema!
Happy New Year to you as well! (I imagine you might be celebrating already, I’ve got 6 hours to count down still.)
Ki, great list. Glad that you’ve mentioned a good crop of films that I haven’t had a chance to see. Especially excited to see Barbie. Mother is a Whore is one of my favorites for the year, and I’m happy to see that Lee is following it up with another fine effort. Also, would you happen to have any idea why Late Autumn still doesn’t have a retail release?
Another seemingly terrible year for mainstream Korean cinema. Sunny was quite enjoyable, but much of the other big hits have been quite disappointing. And incidentally, I have Countdown listed as the second worst film of 2011.
@Rahat agree with your sentiments. No idea about Late Autmn DVD release, that’s a film I’m itching to watch again.
thanks to your useful work, I have bookmarked this page, Hope to read more of your comments. seem we share many same ideas
As I see your profile is really good, these top 10 lists of movies are interesting. Thanks