hannynorbert Reviews

Hotel Del Luna (2019)

The last dream of the flower of the Moon

[10/10 · 7 January 2024]

My greatest appreciation goes to the screenwriters: the Hong sisters. Hats off to their masterfully written, inspired story.

With such material to work from, it must have been a joy for the whole cast & crew to create this series. The end result is a genuine work of art.

Yes, basically everyone involved deserves credit: the director, the composer of the OST, the cameraman, the actors.

The ending is the only aspect I would have done differently - but I accept the screenwriters 'solution'.

SPOILER: if love is stronger than death, the male lead why doesn't join the female lead to go through the tunnel together?

Still 17 (2018)

Heartwarming!

[9/10 · 16 December 2023]

I started to watch this kdrama series because I enjoyed 'See You in My 19th Life' very much, the female lead of which is the same actress as here, the talented and versatile Shin Hye-sun.

Acting is flawless, really. Cinematography is high quality, the episodes are nicely shot. Soundtrack is great. The plot is heartwarming, and it has very deep drama at several points, but overall nicely counterbalanced with humour and harmony. The storyline is carefully crafted, there are only minor aspects that are unbelievable here and there, so I do not consider it 'perfect', but it is a solid 9 out of 10 in my book!

Beauty Inside (2018)

Entertaining! Acting is top notch! 9/10

[9/10 · 14 November 2023]

I think the main merit of this show is the acting - the whole cast does its best.

Seo Hyeon-jin - she gets all the praise, of course, hats off to her.

Lee Min-ki - as the male main lead, he has to play a reserved, very observant and somewhat suffering character, which he does perfectly well.

Lee Da-hee - as the second female lead, her performance is flawless!

Ahn Jae-Hyun - he is the second male lead, very lovable!

All the other characters (e.g. Parents) are great, but I would like to highlight Moon Ji-In, who should be mentioned in all the reviews of this show because her fiery kindness is heartwarming!

Summer Strike (2022)

Can we take a break from life? 9/10

[9/10 · 21 October 2023]

This beautiful Kdrama revolves around the topic of leaving the soulless treadmill of urban existence behind. It even calls the buddhist notion 'samsara' to mind - when a pure soul is getting out of the 'suffering-laden, continuous cycle of life, death, and rebirth, without beginning or end'.

Here, we have two pure souls right away. The casting is superb, both the male & female leads authenticly portray such level of innocence that the viewer's protective instinct kicks in immediately. The supporting cast excels as well.

All in all, this is a fantastic show. Almost deserves maximum score, except for the little 'jumps' in the script. It is still a strong 9 out of 10 in my book.

49 Il (2011)

Top screenwriting!

[9/10 · 28 September 2023]

I write this review in 2023, 12 years later than this show was aired. Fortunately, it aged well! (The only exception may be cinematography - modern shows have a different color scheme / setting, more similar to that of movies, while the color scheme here still has the 'retro TV-show' feeling.)

What I really liked in this show is the screenwriting. Full of great twists and turns! Surprises never stop, even the last episode has plenty. Refreshingly different all in all than a Hollywood show.

Acting is very nice, soundtracks also. One of the finest 'Reaper, (re)incarnation, spiritual romance' Kdrama. 9/10.

Sayonara konbanwa (2022 Video)

A heartfelt gem

[10/10 · 2 August 2023]

I had the honour to watch this heartfelt gem at the Japan Film Festival (JFF+) Independent Cinema online screening. 'A girl in my room' is a live-action adaptation of the popular manga by YAMAMOTO Chugaku, sharing the same name.

As an indie film, it really operates with simplicity and eloquent silences - the punch is still there. It does not have many characters, it has almost zero CGI, almost zero soundtrack - the punch is still there.

As for the genre - hard to tell. Definitely not a LOL comedy. Romantic? Yes... sort of. Drama? Yes... sort of. Basically, it is just a nice and deep gem.

My rating: 10/10.

See You in My 19th Life (2023)

This was just beautiful!

[10/10 · 23 July 2023]

I am amazed by the talent of Yeji Min, the writer of this show. Same for the director, Lee Na-Jeong. Both ladies excel here, they simply nailed the story.

My 10 out of 10 score gives also away that the actors deliver just as flawlessly. Unbelievable. I do hope there will be a 2nd season somehow, even though the 1st season rounds things off perfectly.

Cinematography: another masterful aspect of the show. Some images lingered on with me for a long time, but I don't want any spoilers. You will know what I am talking about for sure.

You do not hear this sentence often from a 50-year-old man, but here it is: this was just beautiful!

Falcon Lake (2022)

Authenticly depressing

[8/10 · 22 June 2023]

This is obviously based on first hand experience. Without spoiling anything, the basic setup is, as stated in the official storyline, that there is a 13-year-old boy (going on 14), who bonds with a 16-year-old girl. The age difference is almost just 2 years, but we can imagine the difference in their maturity - and we will be right.

The male audience already knows where such a setup can lead for a 14-year-old boy: both Heaven and Hell. And usually it leads to both - almost without exception. So it is a really hard watch for any male who has not completely forgotten his early teen years. Pure art here.

The Bride of Habaek (2017)

Way better than some reviews suggest!

[8/10 · 13 March 2023]

I write this review in 2023, and my main reason of writing is to state that this series is way better than some reviews here suggest!

All in all, this is high quality entertainment, pure fun! And by fun, I mean it covers all ranges of emotions. Yes, funny as well, some times, but also very dramatic other times. In my humble opinion, K-dramas excel in acting in sad scenes, and here is no different.

Morover, both leads are very pleasing to the eye, and do an all-round masterful acting job. And not just the leads! The whole cast is very lovable in their respective roles. Hats off again to South Korea! 8/10.

Heirs (2013)

Darker than your usual K-drama

[8/10 · 17 February 2023]

I have seen this series right after Legend of the Blue Sea, in which the lead actor was the same as here (Min Ho Lee). So when I started Heirs, I expected a similar romcom, or something even lighter, since this one is mainly about high-school kids... I was sooo mistaken!

Heirs is quite dark, to say the least. A lot of characters behave mean and nasty. Really mean and really nasty. Fortunately, the writers still kept the script digestable. There were some scenes where I was quite afraid that the story will cross my red line, and I will have to abandon the whole series altogether. But all is well that ends well :)

Itomichi (2021)

Another Zen gem

[9/10 · 21 December 2022]

'You don't hear my silence'. What an amazing little movie. Most simple story, most simple tools, yet one feels it has everything in it. Life as the ultimate therapy. Finding friends 'out there'. Finding a nurturing environment where the soul can grow. Where there is love, everything heals eventually.

The actors were so natural. They played characters that are beautiful inside and outside as well. The songs and the soundtracks were also very well done. Go for this movie if you want something completely different from Hollywood. Japan can be proud to be able to produce movies like this one. 9/10.

Archive 81 (2022)

Weak

[4/10 · 22 April 2022]

Let's start with the good bits: acting, atmosphere, soundeffects, rhythm. Unfortunately, that is all. The story is painfully weak. No rational mind could give it credit. Full of contradictions. Full of illogical bits. Do not waste your time!

Schmigadoon! (2021–2023)

Music & dance: 10/10. Characters: 0/10

[3/10 · 12 January 2022]

Don't get me wrong, the actors were pretty good. But the script... Humans do not behave like that. E.g. The dynamics btw. The teacher (Emma Tate, played by Ariana DeBose) and the husband (Dr. Josh Skinner, played by Keegan-Michael Key) ends just awful. Not recommended!!!

Mato mo janai no wa kimi mo issho (2021)

It is a gem!

[10/10 · 28 December 2021]

Such a clever, witty rom-com! All the four main characters are spot on. Very well depiction of their interactions. Simply authentic. A must-see movie!

Chennai Express (2013)

Beautiful fairy tale - for preschoolers

[6/10 · 11 May 2021]

If you are from the West (Europe or America), then you will not be able to take this movie seriously. You would think that this is a cute fairy tale for preschoolers. So what? :) The colors are very nice, the music is good, the dances are good, Deepika is beautiful (even her performance is exceptional!), and SRK simply brings his usual form (he is a pro, no doubt about it).

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015–2019)

That was quite a ride! 9/10

[9/10 · 1 February 2021]

Having watched all the 4 seasons, I must say, deep respect to everyone involved! 157 songs, great honesty and humour, great acting, great coreography, great visuals!

The only reason I did not give this a 10 was the - SPOILER ALERT - BPD (borderline personality disorder) aspect. But I could live with that - if the writers thought it was important, well, it is their creative work. But that is the only criticism I can mention. Hats off to everything else!

Paper Man (2009)

What a waste of talented actors and actresses! 2/10

[2/10 · 11 January 2021]

What a pity, what a waste, what a shame! Don't get me wrong - the actors and the actresses alike are actually good. But the script... Can we call it a script at all? I am so sad... Seeing these big names (Daniels, Stone, Reynolds, Kudrow) I was expecting at least a pleasant 1h 50mins, if not sheer joy and entertainment. I got sheer boredom and embarrassment instead. I mean, wtf? No, no and no. Avoid at all cost, do anything else, and you will have a better spent 1h 50mins.

Time Freak (2018)

Decent Groundhog Day tribute

[9/10 · 29 June 2019]

Groundhog Day is probably one of the best films of all time. The idea, that we get multiple chances to make things right, resonates with everyone - probably because it is true (reincarnation).

There are many movies that try to follow in Groundhog Day's footsteps - that is not a problem at all if they do it decently! And I would say 'Time Freak' did it decently.

Recommended.

Long Shot (2019)

Mixed feelings

[5/10 · 29 June 2019]

I have mixed feelings after watching this. On one had, there are a lot of things to like about it: acting is good, it is honest, outspoken. On the other hand, it is a bit... disgusting, profane and primitive.

A Faithful Man (2018)

Authentic dynamics here

[9/10 · 16 June 2019]

I like romantic French movies, they revolve around the dynamics of relationships not in a 'rom-com shallow' way, at least most of the time. This movie is no exception - the plot is believable, I can imagine it happening exactly the same way in real life.

Acting is also good, pace is perfect - the movie is 75 minutes altogeher -, nothing is too dramatic or cheesy. Well done!

Nowhere to Go (2012)

Nicely done

[9/10 · 21 September 2018]

This short movie is a love-child. You can feel that Carly engendered it from her heart. What you hear are like excerpts from the diary of the boy and the girl, maybe imaginary, maybe not... Both are young and of course immature as well, in a lovely way, where love is mixed with longing and craving - beautiful nevertheless. Nicely done.

Destination Wedding (2018)

Reeves & Ryder Rulez!

[10/10 · 12 September 2018]

Both Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder excel in this very smart movie. Their dialogues are actually too clever to be true, but that does not make them any less entertaining! The story is simple still contains basically everything for a perfect little romcom. Well done!

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)

Shameful 1/10

[1/10 · 4 September 2018]

Oh my God... To tell you the truth, I do respect basically all the actors in this film: Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi, Olivia Wilde, Jim Carrey, Alan Arkin, etc. But this was painful... I do not understand reviewers that gave more than 1 point to this. Nothing was authentic in it, nothing! Sheer disaster! Avoid at all cost!

Drinking Buddies (2013)

Very realistic, full of heart

[8/10 · 3 September 2018]

This little flick was a real gem. The story is simple, but very realistic, and I liked the ending, which was no cliché at all. Could have happened in real life...

-- SPOILER -- You know, for things to turn out to be for the better for couples, 2 ingredients are essential: 1. honesty 2. at least one person, who has a heart :)

In this movie, Luke was the one with the heart, I guess. Chris failed, Kate failed multiple times. Jill failed, but eventually came to her senses. Luke almost failed, but at the end he didn't, and even saved the friendship with Kate.

-- END OF SPOILER --

I liked it, I recommend it! 8/10

Newness (2017)

Avoid at all cost! 1/10

[1/10 · 30 August 2018]

The starting point is intriguing - what happens, if one of the many hits from a dating application turns out to be more than a one night stand? What if the boy and the girl fall in love?

The movie is basically 2 hours long, I could only watch the first hour of it. I was waiting for the 'falling in love' or 'being in love' part, but - SPOILER ALERT - this never happens! What you see on the screen is not even good enough for 'imitation of love'.

Verdict: awfully bad, avoid at all cost! Took 1 hour of my life. Thank God I did not watch the second half!