Pethushka

For me, Bullet Train will go down as the film that, at least for a while, shattered my belief that Hollywood just isn't for me anymore and that quality films are only made elsewhere. It was really nice to go home fully satisfied by this action-packed ride, which also had me laughing unexpectedly. Even though I love the shinkansen, I freely admit that after seeing the trailer it took me a while to convince myself to go and I even tried changing the choice of movie while buying my ticket. Gee, how glad I am my fellow moviegoers insisted. A brisk, funny, charismatic, suspenseful, eye-catching film. And even a samurai turned up... I couldn’t ask for more.

Far from perfect, far from believable, but it was still nice to daydream and I cried like a baby towards the end. I'm not that into the political setting, but in this case I was quite entertained. Though it's true, as others have mentioned, that the story required a lot of concentration at the beginning to get one's bearings. Woo-seong Jeong fit the role (pretty much like always) and his acting and action performances were the highlight of the whole film for me. So I’m throwing in a star for his involvement.

The series has a good idea, it tackles a very common and topical issue, but unfortunately I wasn't very sympathetic to the main character and her lying. It makes for a twisted and altogether stressful drama, where it's just about obvious that it won’t turn out well. Because even if it did, nothing good would come from it. Still, in a way, I like that not everything has to be completely black and white... 3.5 stars

For me, what was probably the most anticipated series of the year turned out even better than I could have dreamed. An absolute top cast live out their stories in a marketplace setting that I think is totally authentic in atmosphere. It's almost impossible for me to single anyone out in this lineup because they're all great. I enjoyed the format of having the main characters become supporting characters or even just background players in some episodes, only for their stories to get more space in later ones. I could easily have enjoyed an entire series about each of the couples. A gem, 5 stars.

When Ye-jin Son is in something, I can't miss it. That applies twice over when it's a series, since I always want to enjoy this girl as much as possible. Nor did she disappoint me with her choice of a role this time. And the fact that she got the "newly discovered talent" Jeon Mi Do as her partner made me even happier. The two of them had fantastic chemistry with each other and never failed to make me cry. Next time, though, I’d love something a bit more cheerful. The series was a four star affair for me from beginning to end...

A subject so fragile I dare not comment on it in my current frame of mind. But the series is definitely one of the handful of the best things I've seen from Netflix, and even if I had to, I can't think of a single thing Caliphate did wrong. I could complain that it crossed the line with me emotionally a few times, but I guess I knew what I was getting into. An incredible series in every way.

An absolutely incredible performance and one that for me is unimaginable, inhuman. Unfortunately, however, his filmmaking is mediocre at best. I think it would have been worth going a bit more below the surface, giving more space to the buildup and individual performances. Personally, I would have cut down on the talk about family (I can't believe I'm the one saying this) and the constant repetition of how hard it is for Nepalis in the world. This would command respect even without that. While I believe the sentiments are genuine, it did feel a bit forced.

For several years now, if I could pick a celebrity to have dinner with, it would be screenwriter Woo-jeong Lee and director Won-ho Shin. The last of the three seasons of Reply 1988 is maybe even more elaborate than the previous two, and I can't even begin to imagine how much work it must have taken to put this all together. Those two have an absolutely uncanny eye for detail and capturing emotion. Friendships at every age, relationships between siblings, relationships between children and parents, and even relationships between a man and a woman... I doubt all of this could ever be captured any better or more realistically than these filmmakers have managed to do. Here we see all the pains and joys that this era could bring. Not to mention the numerous allusions to taboo subjects. I probably won't slap on the full number of stars because the plot didn't draw me in as much as, say, the first season or their other shows, but I appreciate to the maximum the work that was done on this series. My rating is therefore subjective and greatly influenced by the fact that some people’s stories didn't turn out quite as I wanted. The acting, however, is excellent, as it should be.

The series only really messed it up for me in the last two episodes, when the plot started to drag horribly. This inexhaustible theme – the weather – started to get a bit worn out towards the end, and I was making bets with myself over how many more dramatic rainy plots I would be able to stomach. And that comparison of weather to the moods of a relationship had been what I enjoyed so much in the beginning. I liked the theme of building a new relationship after a breakup when you carry with you the preconceived notions from the previous one. Also, the series doesn't just tell one or two love stories, there are several, and they're all interesting. I also thought the editing and the close-ups were absolutely brilliant. I'm happy with the acting performances, Song Kang was right in line with my tastes this time around.

Good god, this is insane. Up until recently, I've always insisted that Mexican cuisine – as I know it – is super healthy, based on fresh, quality ingredients, with no unnecessary flavoring. And then Heavenly Bites came along and completely blew my fairy tale out of the water. Yes, I know that Mexicans love their lemonades extra large, and that there are some micheladas I’ve tasted and decided not to include in my drinking habits. But whatever I was drinking at the time – and thinking how ordinary it was – was actually water compared to what I see now. A very interesting, but also a bit scary, insight into the world of the most colorful, yet possibly unhealthy food you can imagine.