Chelsea La Near

It made me retroactively like the book even more. The final episode was incredible. I was, however, distracted by Hoa Xuande’s horrible blue contacts the were used in an effort to make him look of mixed descent as the protagonist is supposed to be - they didn’t work and looked silly.

It’s a movie written and directed by men based off of a book written by a man that attempts to explore themes that are far beyond the capacity of those involved in the production - it falls flat.

I went into this movie without any idea of what to expect, which is now how I want to approach all movies. The first third is somewhat slow, centering around a casual romance that develops after a chance encounter between Hae-mi and Jong-so, who both grew up in the same rural, working-class neighborhood outside of Seoul. After their romance is interrupted by a third character played by Steven Yeun, the film twists into darker, more exhilarating, and wholly unexpected territory. I initially found Hae-mi, the female protagonist, annoying and too “manic pixie dream girl.” At the same time, she is so superbly acted by Jeon Jong-seo that I eventually fell hard for her charms to the point that her absence in most of the second-half of the film left me with an almost painful longing. Jong-so’s performance burns so brightly that you’ll yearn for her character’s return even after the film ends. I didn’t learn that this film is based on a short story by Murakami until after I watched it. I haven’t read that particular short story, but being familiar with other Murakami work, I would say that Lee Chang-dong stayed true to Murakami’s essence. Be patient with this slow burn of a film to reap its beauty.

This is the most perfect live-action remake I’ve ever seen that so purely captured the magic of the original while still managing to be its own unique film (unlike the Lion King that tried to be far too similar to the original). The added music worked well, the visuals were gorgeous, but what really set it apart and made it so captivating were the performances; Halle Bailey’s vocals brought me to tears - even when her character loses her voice, you can’t take your eyes off of her. She is absolutely mesmerizing and embodies Ariel’s spirit so perfectly while also somehow being her own Ariel. Javier Bardem was a surprise performance I didn’t know I needed, and I saw a whole new side of Melissa McCarthy that was impressive…and at times terrifying. Awkwafina added much needed comedic relief and Jonah Hauer-King’s young yearning looked so effortless and believable. I was either smiling ear-to-ear or crying because this film was so beautiful. I actually turned to my sister and mom to tell them how much fun I was having. I can’t wait to see it again.