Reviews
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Excellent, meta-analytical, with a wide variety of endings!
Unlike other "interactive" storylines which reduces down to a binary choice at the end, the Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch boasts multiple endings, each with multiple variations.
Iljimae (2008)
Immaculate! A must watch for those foreign to the genre.
8/10:
Overall, Iljimae is the pinnacle of Korean historical drama. Everything from the sound track, the acting and even the nuanced plot would, in my honest opinion, be unchallenged for a very long time for the title of most well-made drama! It also has a lot of "rewatch potential".
Plot:
The plot is clear, with a steady pace of plot progression. The clear backstory of the protagonist, Yong, provided unwavering motivation for him to drive the story forward, hence there was a distinct end goal, drive and a compelling process in between audience could be entertained, moved by and feel sympathy for the main character in the process.
The story also brings in the theme of class and tackles it brilliantly through the use of imagery and juxtaposition to emphasise horrid conditions of living, and allows the audience to side more with the anti-establishment robber by painting a good villain. That said, this portrayal sometimes goes too far, making villains, most nobles that is, seem like one-dimensional, greedy creatures with no sense of shame or any other emotions for that matter.
The relationships in the film, be it parental or romantic, around Yong, were well explored and extremely moving. Yong's relationship with his foster father was touching and felt genuine, in part due to the script and the actor playing the father's brilliant constant look of concern, in part also due to the comedic relief he provided do separate him from the other characters with devious intentions. His death was a truly memorable and tear-inducing moment in the film, which is a testament to how great the film was at portraying their relationship. As for Yong's relationship with Eun Chi and Bong Soon, it was less powerful but not underwhelming. It would have been better if the love triangle between the 3 could be resolved by the last episode.
It would also have been an improvement if the last episode provided more of a closure. The show has built on a kind of dramatic irony of Eun Chi not knowing Il Ji Mae's actual identity which creates tension that begs for release the audience never got. It would also have been better if the final episode showed Yong, as a civilian, alive and well, rather than a pseudo-ambiguous ending whereby audiences need to get confirmation from directors. That said, it is rare and bold for directors to choose to have a bitter-sweet ending (bitter since Yong is unable to live with his friends and family for fear of hurting them, a sacrifice of a hero; sweet because he is still alive and actively seeking revenge) which is definitely commendable. <8/10>
Background Music: Songs and background music were very well scored and timed. The main theme was inserted during critical junctures of the plot which certainly made those moments more impactful. Certain elements of the music also fit the period the film was set in, the most memorable of which was "Gingko Hillside". Not only has the songs helped advance the plot and shaped the audience to feel a certain way, they are also great additions to any music playlist to listen to every now and again. <10/10>
Lines and Line Delivery: Actors were perfect for the role and delivered lines in a compelling fashion. There is so much nuance in the dialogue and the script that makes every time rewatching the show feel like a different experience. Many instances of dramatic irony, foreshadowing, symbolism and general imagery made it feel like a literary haven with techniques seldom used in modern filmmaking. In addition, subtle cues and the discrete dialogue are refreshing as opposed to having every detailed spelled out to the audience in the script. Perfect!<10/10>
Special Effects and Choreography: To be honest, the film is visibly lacking in this aspect. Some scenes were extremely poorly shot with green screen it was almost laughable. One notable example would the scene in episode 2 with the ice hole. The fight choreography was victim to the common one-on-one fighting motif which is unrealistic and impractical. (This refers to the instances whereby the protagonist is heavily outnumbered but somehow is able to survive because enemies choose to fight him one by one rather than taking him on all at once.) That said, one redeems aspect about the fight choreography was that it was clear and easy to determine what was going on. <4/10>
Bameul geotneun seonbi (2015)
Not bad, but not something I would rewatch
Overall, it is a decent show with a good cast. There are however some annoyances I have had while watching this show.
Plot:
The show felt directionless, with no clear plan or goal. Characters were bouncing from one idea to the next to defeat Gwi almost every episode which some might argue was intentional but it certainly left me feeling as if the script was written on the day of shooting.
<//Spoiler> The show suffered several plot holes, the largest of which occured near the end of the series, with the Sung Yoel, the Scholar, deciding not to kill Gwi with seemingly no reason other than to drag the show to 20 episodes long. This could reflect a lack of planning of events in the writing process. <Spoiler//>
The lack of story progression is also an issue especially poignant in the first 6 episodes, whereby the trope of Sung Yoel saving Yang Sun and giving her blood is repeated 2 times or more. Rather than a build up to the climax, the story spends its first few episodes following Sung Yoel to and fro his residence saving Yang Sun from danger at the very last moment time and time again.
Although quite uninteresting, it is not lost on me that the introductory episodes helped to establish a level of intimacy and romance between Yang Sun and Sung Yoel, which compels the viewer to sympathise with Sung Yoel's background and identity and his "sacrifice". The role reversal between Yang Sun and Sung Yoel in the later episodes (whereby it is Yang Sun who constantly finds herself bringing the injured Sung Yoel back to his residence and even offering him her blood) is somewhat touching and commendable from a literary standpoint. Furthermore, by drawing a parallel between Sung Yoel's dead lover and his current one, the film highlights the conflict between man and beast internally and this too is also compelling.
Finally, aside from the relationship of the main protagonist, no other felt moving or even genuine. Case in point, the relationship between the Queen and the Crown Prince was set up as an arranged marriage and the Queen was given no prior characterisation aside from her hatred towards her Father. Yet, the script attempts to convince the audience that their relationship was something more. There was a sense that the script tried to do too much with too little (time) which left me feeling that most other romances in the script were very paper-thin. (5/10)
Scoring/Background music: The scoring was good, which to me meant it served its purpose in conveying the characters' emotions, but not really something I would put in a playlist and listen to on a regular basis. Music was played at fitting and appropriate times with lyrics matching events happening. Fade-outs of the music could have been timed with the start of a new scene to make it more appealing. (7/10)
Lines and line delivery: Acting was great. However, actors seemed to be constrained by a weak script. A decent chunk of the script seemed to be information relay, which is not really needed and can take place off screen, giving more screen time to character development. Exposition could have been replaced with actual scenes non-verbally providing information to the audience. Rather the script chooses to "tell, not show".
Another pet peeve I had with the script was the fact that the characters often stated the obvious, as if intentionally dumbing down the dialogue because the writer could not trust the audience enough to be a little more discrete. Also infuriating was the number of times a character asks "Is that true?" immediately after being told of a fact or right after a major revelation.
A sort of meta-reflective dialogue towards the last part of the show whereby Yang Sun uses the Night Scholar novels to refer to the show as a whole is refreshing. (5/10)
Special effects and choreography: Fight choreography did not fall into the common one-at-a-time pitfall which plague many good movies, whereby the hero or protagonist, badly outnumbered, is able to take on a group of enemies because they approach him one at a time. Special effects were modern and realistic, keeping the audience immersed in the fictional world. (8/10)