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Ddo Oh Hae Yeong (2016)
A Tale of Narcissistic Sociopaths
If the creators of this series had hoped for the RomCom genre, they failed miserably. Instead of falling in love with the lead actress, as I usually do in K-RomComs, I ended up despising all the main characters - from both actresses who played a character named Oh Hae-young to the lead actor Eric Mun, who played Park Do-kyeong. They were all narcissistic and sociopathic. Let's start with Jeon Hye-bin's character, who at one point proclaims that she didn't care if Do-kyeong ruined a 1000 other people's lives, but what was important is that she now knew he loved her. Then, there's Do-kyeong who made zero effort to repair the life of Han Tae-jin that he had completely destroyed. All Do-kyeong cared about what was stealing away the fiancee of the man whose life he had ruined. While he proclaimed being sorry, he didn't ever go to the any law enforcement bureau to confess to defamation of character and having plotted to land Han Tae-jin in jail while ruining his chances at starting his own business. Nor did he go back to the investors in Hae-jin's business who he had deceived into withdrawing their money. There was no offer to make Tae-jin whole in way, shape or form, nor was there any attempt to see himself (Do-kyeong) serve time for his crimes. What was even more bizarre was that no one else ever brought up to Do-kyeong that he if he was truly sorry and wanted to make things right, that he start off by turning himself in and repairing Tae-jin's life before trying to procure for himself his new love interest. That bit of unresolved justice was left hanging the whole series like an untied thread to annoy the viewer. Then, lastly, there's the role played by Seo Hyun-jin, whose head and heart were as empty as a vacuum cleaner. How she could love the guy who destroyed multiple lives, caring only about her own crazy idea about what it means to be loved? Apparently, she couldn't see that she herself never really loved Tae-jin if she could see him destroyed by Do-kyeong and be able to overlook that elephant in the room and still be happy with Do-kyeong. In the end, they both deserved each other as the despicable, narcissistic sociopaths they revealed themselves to be. I wished them both miserable lives forever after.
Agui kkot (2020)
Cabeza de Chorlito
My wife and I had a nickname for the main actress, Moon Chae-won, which was "Cabeza de Chorlito". The reason is that she seemed terribly obtuse and naive. The idea that any woman, particularly of her beauty and desirability, would fall for a guy with zero charisma, zero personality and zero emotion, was just not credible. Then, on top of that, he was just rude and mean to her in the beginning. So, her pursuit of him made no sense. Second, the idea that she could be a detective and so blind to what's in front of her also seemed to stretch credibility. The twist toward the end of the series didn't change his lack of attractiveness as a potential partner for someone like the character of Cha Ji Won. But, I guess it gives losers everywhere a reason to hope that there is a damsel in shining armor somewhere out there waiting to rescue them from their dark abyss.
Chocolate (2019)
Poorly Cast and Not Credible Storyline
The cinematography was excellent, but the casting was not. In particular, I thought Yoon Kye-sang was a terrible choice for the role of Lee Kang. While he and the lead actress, Ha Ji-won, are the same age in real life, he looked way too old for her in the film. Also, he lacks the looks and charisma to be in the lead actor role. It was just unbelievable that any woman would be that hung up on him to live in pining misery for so long. He's just not an attractive man. I also found it unbelievable that any woman could be that dense and just hold in her feelings for so long. Spit it out! Tell the guy how you feel and find out if anything is possible! What kind of insecure, timid person just lives in self denial and pity that long? I also found it incredible that any doctor (Lee Kang) would stay at a hospital like that and be treated in such a conniving manner. Move to some hospital where you are appreciated! This was a film about people too dumb to move on with their lives.
Mei guo nu hai (2021)
AKA: Foreigners, Don't Send Your Kids to America
At first, i thought this movie ended oddly and that the writer only had half an idea in mind for a movie without a clue how to end it properly. However, after some reflection, I realized the movie isn't really for American audiences. Rather, it is a foreign movie made for foreign parents considering the idea of sending their kids to America in hopes their child will be more successful with more opportunities. Instead, the movie shows that what you get back is a spoiled, disrespectful, disobedient, back-talking little brat who is at the bottom of her class - for which an obviously inferior American education system is to blame.
Bimilui Soop (2017)
Take 1 on Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Let's face it! The follow-up typecast series, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, was executed much better than this series, the Stranger. Both series feature an attorney who is mentally handicapped and yet brilliant. It's not difficult to see that the Stranger was the first take on this theme, and they did a fairly good job - other than, as a westerner, I find the Korean workplace dynamics between the two extremes of the obsequious employee and the overbearing, tyrannical boss to be way too much to bear. It gets tiring really fast. I'm sure the producers of Extraordinary Attorney Woo received this message loud and clear and toned it down substantially. The Stranger was saved substantially by Bae Doona, whose character just made me want to see more of her. She was adorable and the perfect contrast to give life to a series that would otherwise have been lifeless if left to the robotic lead character, Cho Seung-woo.
The Koreans produce some great drama series, but they need to understand what is palatable to an international audience, and they're getting there.
Suspicion (2022)
Global Warming Alarmists Wet Dream
SPOILER ALERT:
It was fairly good until the last episode, which turned into a very long global warming alarmists' wet dream where the evil conservatives admit to all their sins of denial, and the radicals are finally proven right in their chicken little "the sky is falling" apocalyptic vision. What a waste!
It's been a long time since I've seen Uma in anything, but it's sad that this piece of propaganda is what it took to bring her out of hiding. But, after this diatribe, as far as I'm concerned, she can go back into hiding and not make another movie.
I can say one positive thing about the series and that is it is one of the few series made that doesn't bow to advancing the LGBTQ agenda, which was truly a relief.
Stay Close (2021)
Ken and Barbie Reminiscent of the Thenardiers
This series is turned into an eye-roller with the Ken and Barbie characters, who are reminiscent of the Thenardiers of Les Miserables. They are laughably bad, poorly cast, and poor in every way.
Virgin River (2019)
Ping Pong Relationships and Making "I Love You" Meaningless
I imagine that if you watch these episodes at a rate of once per week, it's a lot more tolerable. But, if you binge watch a season, it feels like you're watching a ping pong match with the on again / off again relationships. The amount of "I love you's" and smooching can get to be tiring, seeming like the writers just needed time fillers. Plus, never have I watched a series where I felt not a single one of the characters had the slightest clue as to what love is. It was all about self-centered neediness.
Mel really got tiresome. What a narcissist! No matter what anyone was experiencing, somehow she could turn the focus to her emotional fragility. She only empathized with others long enough to bring in her similar experience, and then become emotionally needy and the center of attention. Reminded me of my previous wife.
While Virgin River is a beautiful place, I would never visit for fear of a catastrophic trauma befalling me, since it seemed everyone in that little town is going through one. It should be called Drama Overload.
The Coming Convergence (2017)
Very Narrow Treatment of Subject
Whether you love or hate this film will largely depend on whether you are a Protestant or Orthodox Christian. If you're the former, you'll probably love it. If you're the latter, you'll spend your time cringing over one error after another in its heretical interpretation of the prophetic verses to which the film refers.
Ironically, the film depends entirely on Orthodox cathedrals and other imagery when wanting to show inspiring Christian images, but 100% on Protestant ministers in providing interpretations. Not a single Eastern or Western Orthodox Christian's view is given time for an alternate viewpoint. I guess that's because an amillennial view would spoil the narrative of the heresy of chiliasm.
Orthodox Christians won't be panicked by this film as we know that most of the prophecies cited have nothing to do with out times, but found fulfillment during the 1st century. Protestants are still, after more than 500 years since their creation, trying to reverse engineer Christianity. Orthodox Christians, having a tradition of 2000 years, have never had to reverse engineer Christianity because it has been handed down to us, by tradition, from the original apostles to one archbishop after another in unbroken succession.
Swell (2019)
Slow Moving, Obnoxious Characters
There is very little to like about this movie. The writing is schmaltzy and the story movies slowly. The character of Vera was bad enough to tolerate, but when you throw in the village idiot, Noah, whose acting was unrelentingly bad and grating, you have the recipe for a movie that constantly leaves you wishing for it to come to a merciful end.
A Quiet Passion (2016)
Two Women in Love with Own Witty Repartee
I couldn't wait for this movie to end. Within the first half, I wished I could reach through the screen and strangle the characters portraying Emily and Susan. Both seemed to delight in their own incessant, yet insipid, comments, thinking it would delight the audience as witty repartee. This constant need to appear clever and superior to everyone else was grating on the nerves and lost what very little charm it possessed within 5 minutes of exposure to it.
Emily Dickinson is portrayed as a woman so in love with her own intellect, independence and wit that, though she obviously desired it, there was no room to accommodate the ego of a partner in her life. Her own ego had left no space for anyone else.
Cassandra Clare, in her book "City of Bones", aptly states, "Sarcasm is the last refuge of the imaginatively bankrupt." We might say something similar with respect to the unimaginative banter passed off in this movie as wit and cleverness.
Blindspot (2015)
Blacklist a la Kyle XY a la Prison Break
A woman who can't remember her past and with special skills (a la Jessi - Jamie Alexander's role in Kyle XY), and mix that with her being an outsider with critical information, via her tattoos (a la Michael Scofield in Prison Break), to future crimes and thereby becomes a de facto member of the FBI (a la Raymond Reddington in Blacklist) .
Make it worse by pushing the Hollywood agenda that wants us to believe we're all equal - a world where little women can kick the butts of guys twice their size, a lesbian black woman somehow merited being in charge of the unit (above every other qualified agent) and voila! Another piece of crap show whose sole purpose is to push a leftist wet dream of how the world should be.