Activity Calendar (Dec 17, 2023 - Dec 22, 2024)
My bookshelf
Seek flowers within ruins
Death to 2020
0★★★★★★7.302020 / USA / Comedy / Directed by Al Campbell & Alice Mathias / Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant
Watched Dec 31, 2020|Average★★★★★A parody of 2020. Full of inside jokes, which might be tiring if not familiar with them.
Watched Dec 31, 2020|Average★★★★★A parody of 2020. Full of inside jokes, which might be tiring if not familiar with them.
Soul
0★★★★★★8.702020 / USA / Animation Music Fantasy / Pete Docter, Kemp Powers / Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey
Watched Dec 31, 2020|Average★★★★★Eager to see this highly-praised film, I watched it immediately. The intention is good, offering encouragement to the soul, telling us that the meaning of life is in the connection with our bodies and nature. We should focus on ourselves and nature and not get lost in a mindset that disconnects us from the natural world. Some scenes deeply moved me with their portrayal of the soul, but honestly, the plot development is rather shallow and nonsensical. The contrived conflicts are clichéd, preventing the emotions from resonating continuously. It leaves you with a loud message, "Keep going, you can do it, life is beautiful, Earth is beautiful," but it offers little comfort to those who truly need help, like '22'. So, I'm a bit disappointed personally. However, maybe some people will still feel empowered, especially in this particularly challenging year.
Watched Dec 31, 2020|Average★★★★★Eager to see this highly-praised film, I watched it immediately. The intention is good, offering encouragement to the soul, telling us that the meaning of life is in the connection with our bodies and nature. We should focus on ourselves and nature and not get lost in a mindset that disconnects us from the natural world. Some scenes deeply moved me with their portrayal of the soul, but honestly, the plot development is rather shallow and nonsensical. The contrived conflicts are clichéd, preventing the emotions from resonating continuously. It leaves you with a loud message, "Keep going, you can do it, life is beautiful, Earth is beautiful," but it offers little comfort to those who truly need help, like '22'. So, I'm a bit disappointed personally. However, maybe some people will still feel empowered, especially in this particularly challenging year.
The Old Summer Palace
0★★★★★★8.602006 / Mainland China / Documentary / Directed by Jin Tiemu, Xue Jijun
Watched Dec 29, 2020|Average★★★★★The production is well-crafted, featuring a good number of impressive scene recreations and lays out an organized albeit incomplete foundation for the impending downfall. The downside is that the only introspection shown in the film is the incompetence of the Qing dynasty's royal family at its end. Why limit it to this? Are other significant experiences/moments of the Old Summer Palace thus forgotten? Why does the film not show the allied forces burning down the Old Summer Palace, or the participation of commoners, high officials, and even royalty in looting and selling off stone and timber? The contrast between the Palace after the fire in 1860 and its current state is vast. Does satisfying the audience with mere resentment towards the ineffectual late Qing emperors and the stereotypical view of foreign invaders suffice for the production team? The production quality is quite good, yet the historical event's retelling still has ample room for narrative and reflection. This simplified, biased narrative with a nationalistic perspective is unsatisfactory, leaving one to hope for better renditions in the future.
Watched Dec 29, 2020|Average★★★★★The production is well-crafted, featuring a good number of impressive scene recreations and lays out an organized albeit incomplete foundation for the impending downfall. The downside is that the only introspection shown in the film is the incompetence of the Qing dynasty's royal family at its end. Why limit it to this? Are other significant experiences/moments of the Old Summer Palace thus forgotten? Why does the film not show the allied forces burning down the Old Summer Palace, or the participation of commoners, high officials, and even royalty in looting and selling off stone and timber? The contrast between the Palace after the fire in 1860 and its current state is vast. Does satisfying the audience with mere resentment towards the ineffectual late Qing emperors and the stereotypical view of foreign invaders suffice for the production team? The production quality is quite good, yet the historical event's retelling still has ample room for narrative and reflection. This simplified, biased narrative with a nationalistic perspective is unsatisfactory, leaving one to hope for better renditions in the future.
Su Dongpo
0★★★★★★8.702017 / Mainland China / Documentary / Directed by Yang Guangzhao and Zhang Xiaomin
Watched Dec 28, 2020|Average★★★★★After watching it, I didn't remember much. It felt like a lecture, stiff and monotonous, carefully listing time, place, characters, and reviews in order, causing the mind to wander. The film's pursuit of exquisite visuals, on the other hand, was impressive; every frame was crafted with effort, and countless experts and scholars were invited to speak. Extensive shooting locations across various places—truly a well-funded endeavor. While there's a focus on visual effects, it lacks a corresponding depth of content. The narrative is flat and devoid of a human touch, making the whole experience feel unreal, more like distant pavilions and towers than human warmth and reality. It’s puzzling whether this film would captivate children or endear them to Su Shi—a consideration that should have been in the translators' minds. Despite many touching stories, they came across as unaffected and sterile, reminiscent of watching a high school textbook's companion DVD. To get a vivid impression of Su Shi, unfortunately, this film might not satisfy. It's a shame to discard it—shouldn't waste it altogether, thankfully it's not too long. I might revisit it, jotting down key points.
Watched Dec 28, 2020|Average★★★★★After watching it, I didn't remember much. It felt like a lecture, stiff and monotonous, carefully listing time, place, characters, and reviews in order, causing the mind to wander. The film's pursuit of exquisite visuals, on the other hand, was impressive; every frame was crafted with effort, and countless experts and scholars were invited to speak. Extensive shooting locations across various places—truly a well-funded endeavor. While there's a focus on visual effects, it lacks a corresponding depth of content. The narrative is flat and devoid of a human touch, making the whole experience feel unreal, more like distant pavilions and towers than human warmth and reality. It’s puzzling whether this film would captivate children or endear them to Su Shi—a consideration that should have been in the translators' minds. Despite many touching stories, they came across as unaffected and sterile, reminiscent of watching a high school textbook's companion DVD. To get a vivid impression of Su Shi, unfortunately, this film might not satisfy. It's a shame to discard it—shouldn't waste it altogether, thankfully it's not too long. I might revisit it, jotting down key points.
Kazuhiko Kankokuchi and the High School Students' Journey: 2500 Kilometers Across China
0★★★★★★7.502012 / Japan / Documentary / Kazuhiko Kankokuchi
Watched Dec 27, 2020Couldn't find a high-definition version, watched the unclear version on fast forward
Watched Dec 27, 2020Couldn't find a high-definition version, watched the unclear version on fast forward
Jojo Rabbit
0★★★★★8.302019 / USA Czech Republic New Zealand / Drama Comedy War / Taika Waititi / Roman Griffin Davis Thomasin McKenzie
Watched Dec 25, 2020|Excellent★★★★★A wonderful child’s perspective, how can this kid act so brilliantly? A successful comedy that maintains realism. Admirable mother and officer handling danger with humor and wit, making it a hopeful and great film. The ending does not shy away from humanity—the scene where he lies about Germany winning, fearing she would leave, was too realistic.
Watched Dec 25, 2020|Excellent★★★★★A wonderful child’s perspective, how can this kid act so brilliantly? A successful comedy that maintains realism. Admirable mother and officer handling danger with humor and wit, making it a hopeful and great film. The ending does not shy away from humanity—the scene where he lies about Germany winning, fearing she would leave, was too realistic.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
0★★★★★★7.902011 / UK USA UAE / Drama Comedy / John Madden / Maggie Smith Judi Dench
Watched Dec 25, 2020|Below Average★★★★★Didn’t recognize the cast, couldn't see why it was well-reviewed. The serious title might have set expectations too high. A delightful revel in Indian scenery, a light-hearted, nonsensical, motivational film better suited for fans.
Watched Dec 25, 2020|Below Average★★★★★Didn’t recognize the cast, couldn't see why it was well-reviewed. The serious title might have set expectations too high. A delightful revel in Indian scenery, a light-hearted, nonsensical, motivational film better suited for fans.
Hello! Mr. Tree
0★★★★★8.302011 / Mainland China / Drama / Han Jie / Baoqiang Wang, Zhuo Tan
Watched Dec 24, 2020|Average★★★★★It's hard to evaluate. The setting is interesting, the story is flavorful, and the characters are great, but the texture is poorly handled, and the story presentation is not complete. It's like listening to a fascinating tale but the narrator has a communication barrier, always failing to make it clear. It's vague, disjointed, and lacks logic, so it can't fully present the story to the audience, which is a pity.
Watched Dec 24, 2020|Average★★★★★It's hard to evaluate. The setting is interesting, the story is flavorful, and the characters are great, but the texture is poorly handled, and the story presentation is not complete. It's like listening to a fascinating tale but the narrator has a communication barrier, always failing to make it clear. It's vague, disjointed, and lacks logic, so it can't fully present the story to the audience, which is a pity.
Red Sorghum
0★★★★★★8.501988 / Mainland China / Drama Romance History War / Zhang Yimou / Gong Li Jiang Wen
Watched Dec 19, 2020|Below Average★★★★★The profundity of the piece leaves one speechless, which really suits Jiang Wen's style. Gong Li's performance isn't outstanding; in moments where emotion was expected, she suppressed it with her overly articulate Mandarin. The ambiguous/surreal expression should also be docked points, as it feels bizarre and affected, as if she couldn’t speak normally. Aside from that, the brewers' acting was adequate, and there was a generous investment in the set. Overrated.
Watched Dec 19, 2020|Below Average★★★★★The profundity of the piece leaves one speechless, which really suits Jiang Wen's style. Gong Li's performance isn't outstanding; in moments where emotion was expected, she suppressed it with her overly articulate Mandarin. The ambiguous/surreal expression should also be docked points, as it feels bizarre and affected, as if she couldn’t speak normally. Aside from that, the brewers' acting was adequate, and there was a generous investment in the set. Overrated.
Yuan You Season 1
37★★★★★8.1372014 / Mainland China / Talk Show / Yuan Tengfei
Watched Dec 19, 2020|Excellent★★★★★Just at the end of the year, I unexpectedly started watching this work and couldn't stop. It's the best TV show I've seen this year. I haven't finished watching it yet, but the more I watch, the more fascinating it becomes, often touching and emotionally stirring. This is probably the charm of historical stories, the tear-jerking tales of heroes' downfall, and what's crucial is their truthfulness, something fictional works can't compare to. So many forgotten things are quietly waiting in the corners to be remembered again. Forgetting history is probably the root of many current problems, and in this sense, Teacher Yuan deserves the title of a great educator.
Watched Dec 19, 2020|Excellent★★★★★Just at the end of the year, I unexpectedly started watching this work and couldn't stop. It's the best TV show I've seen this year. I haven't finished watching it yet, but the more I watch, the more fascinating it becomes, often touching and emotionally stirring. This is probably the charm of historical stories, the tear-jerking tales of heroes' downfall, and what's crucial is their truthfulness, something fictional works can't compare to. So many forgotten things are quietly waiting in the corners to be remembered again. Forgetting history is probably the root of many current problems, and in this sense, Teacher Yuan deserves the title of a great educator.