Hwajang (2014) Reviews

• I think more people should see this film

  nikkd2015-09-15

  Like one of the other reviews stated, it is not about how big the budget is but rather how a film makes you feel. I personally felt for the lead character. A female friend I watched the film with felt differently which is strange to me. The main character is so down and out, depressed and feeling all alone in the world. Yet he still wakes up every day and goes on with his life. Things happen in his day to day life to challenge and question who he is. I wont give up any more so as not to spoil it, but his actions are what the movie focuses on. I really think that more people should see it, and even though it was in subtitles I really dint feel like I was missing anything nor did I strain myself to watch it. I really enjoyed it and for me it was the perfect way to close of TIFF 2014 on Sunday night at 9:00 at he Isabel Bader Theatre.

• I understood

  KineticSeoul2015-09-02

  A film where I had empathy for the characters, especially the main character. So I decided to check this movie out because it has Ahn Sung-ki in it. Who is a Korean actor that I respect and think of as a great actor. I personally think he is like the Denzel Washington of Korean actors. So the plot is about Oh Sang-moo (Ahn Sung-ki) who is in his 50's and is the marketing executive at a major cosmetics company. He is dealing with company issues and looks after his dying wife. While getting no support from his family. He soon falls for a way younger and beautiful woman working in the marketing team. So Oh Sang-moo is caught in a dilemma. I gotta admit I did feel for the character and had sympathy for the guy. Maybe because in today's society the guy is a saint. Men with integrity is very few these days. So yeah I had sympathy for the guy, maybe it's because I saw this movie after seeing "Zipper". This is a film that doesn't depend on the budget, but focuses in on the humanistic side of things. And one of the message of how empathy is important instead of just focusing on what you think is going on. Cause when it comes down to it, everyone wants to be understood. It's difficult to have sympathy for a man that is wealthy despite his wife dying, but this film did a good job of building sympathy. Yeah, it's a depressing film but unlike some depressing movies, I actually felt this one cause I understood. I mean I didn't go through what the lead character went through yet, but I understood. 6.5/10