I'VE WATCHED: Films Lately

Simply a list of films I've watched recently and would like to share my thoughts about. You can see other films I've watched and recommended here! This is a way for me to track what I watch, and a way for me to share and recommend films you might want to watch as well.

Individualist Ms. Ji Young (2017)

Girl cuts people off before they can get close to her, but the guy next door manages to get closer than she initially expected he would. 

This film was all about being honest about one's feelings. Not necessarily in a romantic sense, but whenever we see someone who is open about their feelings whether it may be happy or sad ones, we tend to see them in a different light and we feel a connection. The tipping point for these two would be when they opened up about their similar experiences in the past, although they developed differently; one resorting to isolation and the other finding happiness through others.

Tomorrow I will Date Yesterday's You (2016)

A girl and a guy from opposite ends of their life's timeline meet and intersect at a specific age, which was on their 20th year. 

Just like any other time travelling movies, this one got me confused at first. The first half seemed to go too fast, but then when you get to the middle of the story, you'll understand why it all happened the way it did.

Time travelling movies will always remind me of how we will never have enough time in our hands, no matter how much we think we have of it. It sounds sad, but this teaches us how to value time, and that time spent together with our loved ones will always be meaningful, no matter how mundane our daily activities with them could be.

Paprika (2006)

 Dreams and reality merge. Which is real? 

Why did I only watch this now? What drew me to this film was the concept of dreams. The mind is very powerful, and just the thought of dreams turning into delusions was evident in this film. It's a dangerous thought to entertain, although I loved how the film was able to play around with the idea with depth.

I definitely loved the animation and colors. I find that Paprika is a likeable character, too. I'd like to think she could be everyone's idealized version of themselves.

Hotarubi no Mori E (2011)

A short animation in which girl goes to the province in the summer and meets a companion in the forest. 

I watched this years back when I was still in grade school, but I got to watch it again some few weeks ago. The girl is human, while the guy is half human and half spirit. If she were to touch him, he would disappear forever.

This short animation was filled with simple yet impactful sentences, mainly because the it was big on scenery, and showing the activities Hotaru and Gin did in the summer. I enjoyed watching their interactions, and how he waits for her every summer and how she is always eager to go back to the province. It's the same as when you get to know someone; you look forward to the next time you get to see them again.

It was nice to see Hotaru as a small child growing into adolescence. Of course as you watch this film, you'll know that it's impossible not to touch the person we love. It's part of being human; feeling the warmth and comfort of someone's hug, or simply a pat on the back could speak volumes of how we care for someone. Just the thought of Gin disappearing forever with just one touch alone was already sad to think of.

Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa (2015)

Here we become spectators of a relationship that is nearing its end.

We don't see how they started, or the happy parts of their relationship; we see what is left of it until its demise. You'll be caught in the middle of the tension, and eventually the calmness as the couple faces the impending reality. It's a nice slow film that loves to take its time in capturing the beauty of raw emotions and the daily life in the city.

I like the cinematography wherein it featured parts of Manila. It reminded me of my college days, as well as when I used to take the train during the time I was working on my thesis.

17 Again - Chinese Version (2016)

Unlike the original 17 Again movie, this one allows our main heroine to have her 17 year old psyche resurrect back inside her 28 year old body whenever she eats this special chocolate she bought online.

I only watched this movie because I saw this scene of the girl and the guy having eye contact inside the train, and it was basically the cutest thing to see ever. 

Plot-wise, it was quite loose. But I think what the film wanted to portray was that while it is good to invest in our relationships, it is also good to invest in ourselves. Our heroine is seen to have sacrificed her dreams to be a painter so that she could follow the love of her life, who in turn after 10 years was unsure whether he saw her the same way. Eating the chocolate was her means to be liberated and to go back to her younger carefree self, and pushed her to pursue her dreams once more and to love herself for who she really was. 

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Most of what I watch varies, but I am especially fond of Korean and Japanese films! :-) my previous posts have some French and Western films too.

Which films have you watched lately? Any recommendations?

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