sam

I was hoping this film would absolutely shatter me, but both of its main plots are not really explored to an interesting level, and there is little turning point nor resolution to either. Not too much to say about this really. A beautiful movie, but ultimately a deep meditation that fails to draw any meaningful insight or outlook on Mi-Ja’s memory loss or the misdeeds of her grandson.

“Why are we so afraid of the first time?” I think it’s awesome how this film has just completely rewritten the way I look at regular everyday structures and activities. Sitting in the back of a car? Yi Yi. Standing under a bridge? Yi Yi. Beach in the early morning? You guessed it. It’s so rare to find an ensemble film like this where every character has such a compelling story. There’s like ten characters with the most engaging journeys. My personal favourite is that of Ting-Ting. The idea of her being indirectly responsible for her grandmother’s hospitalisation and the guilt that comes with that, and her attribution of her following misfortune as divine punishment is such an intriguing development to me. Yang Yang, NJ, Shelley, A-Di, Lili are all stand outs as well. The real star of this movie though is Ota. This rewatch, I felt like he served as Yang’s mouthpiece to the audience, a wise man, rife with experience, communicating messages both to the characters and audience in plain state. Do not be intimidated by the runtime. You will be hooked instantly. The first 15 minutes of this film are better than 99% of all movies. I put it on, and I didn’t pause it until the film finished. Transcendental stuff. Nothing in this world is perfect. You will face adversity, and sometimes you must reckon with your past before continuing with the present.

Wheerasethakul #4 I kinda get this one, I got some stuff I want to try break down but it’s 1:30 am rn (i went through hell and back trying to find this movie) Dude really loves building a dichotomy, a comparison, analogising what comes before through division of the narrative. Love Wheerasethakul’s style, feel like one of these movies is just gonna be a masterpiece. 99% of gamblers quit before they hit it big. Just realised I’ve been spelling his name wrong the last couple diary entries Next Up: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives