Dear My Life

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Miss Granny (2014). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. If youth were granted again, would we truly walk a different path—or would we discover that who we are persists beyond the face we wear? 🎥 Film Overview Title: Miss Granny (수상한 그녀 / Soosanghan Geunyeo / Suspicious Woman) Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk Release: January 22, 2014 (South Korea) Runtime: 124 minutes (2 hours 4 minutes) Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Drama Screenplay: Hwang Dong-hyuk, Shin Dong-ik, Dong Hee-seon, Hong Yoon-jeong Country: South Korea Language: Korean Cinematography: Kim Ji-yong Music: Mowg, Han Seung-woo Production Company: CJ E&M Distributor: CJ Entertainment Rating: 15+ (South Korea) Cast: Na Moon-hee (Oh Mal-soon, 74-year-old), Shim Eun-kyung (Oh Doo-ri, 20-year-old Mal-soon), Park In-hwan (Mr. Park), Sung Dong-il (Hyun-chul), Lee Jin-wook (Han Seung-woo), Kim Hyun-sook (Ae-ja) Box Office: 8,656,417 a...

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Begin Again (2013). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. Not all losses cut deep. Some wounds are presented, acknowledged, then gently set aside so life can continue. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Begin Again Director: John Carney Release: September 7, 2013 (Toronto International Film Festival), June 27, 2014 (United States theatrical) Runtime: 104 minutes (1 hour 44 minutes) Genre: Musical, Comedy-Drama, Romance Screenplay: John Carney Country: United States Language: English Cinematography: Yaron Orbach Music: Gregg Alexander (composer), songs by John Carney, Gregg Alexander, Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley, James Corden, Nick Southwood Film Editing: Andrew Marcus Production Companies: Exclusive Media Group, Sycamore Pictures, Apatow Productions Distributor: The Weinstein Company Rating: R (United States) Cast: Keira Knightley (Gretta James), Mark Ruffalo (Dan Mulligan), Adam Levine (Dave Kohl), Hai...

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Sunny (2011). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. Everyone carries a moment from their youth when everything felt brighter, when friendships held the world together, when nothing could touch the warmth of simply being young together. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Sunny (써니 / Sseoni) Director: Kang Hyeong-cheol (강형철) Release: May 4, 2011 (South Korea) Runtime: 124 minutes (2 hours 4 minutes) Genre: Comedy-Drama Screenplay: Kang Hyeong-cheol, Lee Byeong-hun Country: South Korea Language: Korean Cinematography: Lee Hyung-deok Music: Kim Jun-seok Film Editing: Nam Na-young Production Companies: CJ E&M Film Financing & Investment Entertainment & Comics, Aloha Pictures Distributor: CJ Entertainment Rating: 15+ (South Korea) Cast: Yoo Ho-jeong (adult Na-mi), Shim Eun-kyung (teen Na-mi), Jin Hee-kyung (adult Chun-hwa), Kang So-ra (teen Chun-hwa), Kim Min-young (teen Jang-mi), Park ...

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Comrades: Almost a Love Story (甜蜜蜜 / Tián mì mì / 첨밀밀) Director: Peter Chan (陳可辛 / Chen Ke-xin) Release: November 16, 1996 (Hong Kong) Runtime: 118 minutes (1 hour 58 minutes) Genre: Romantic Drama Screenplay: Ivy Ho (何冀平) Country: Hong Kong Language: Cantonese, Mandarin Cinematography: Jingle Ma (馬楚成) Music: Comfort Chan (陳光榮); featuring Teresa Teng's (鄧麗君) songs including "Tian Mi Mi" (甜蜜蜜) and "Wo Zhi Zai Hu Ni" (我只在乎你) Production Company: United Filmmakers Organisation (UFO) Distributor: Deltamac Co. Ltd. Rating: PG (Hong Kong) Cast: Leon Lai (黎明) (Li Xiaojun), Maggie Cheung (張曼玉) (Li Qiao), Eric Tsang (曾志偉) (Leopard), Kristy Yang (楊采妮) (Xiaoting), Irene Tsu (祖慧), Christopher Doyle (杜可風) Box Office: HK$18.6 million (Hong Kong domestic) Awards: 8 Hong Kong Fil...

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Yoshino’s Barber Shop (2004). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Yoshino's Barber Shop (バーバー吉野 / Bābā Yoshino) Director: Naoko Ogigami Release: September 11, 2004 (Japan) Runtime: 96 minutes (1 hour 36 minutes) Genre: Drama, Comedy-Drama Screenplay: Naoko Ogigami Country: Japan Language: Japanese Cinematography: Toshihiro Isomi Music: Qypthone Production Company: Bandai Visual, Eisei Gekijo, Office Shirous Distributor: Bandai Visual Rating: Not Rated Cast: Masako Motai (Yoshino), Shun Shioya (Koichi Katayama), Hoshi Ishida (Seiji Yamazaki), Ryo Iwamatsu (Sakamoto), Yoshiyuki Morishita (Kojima), Morio Agata (Nakai), Yoichi Nukumizu (Masao Miyoshi), Ken Mitsuishi (Grandfather), Mansaku Ikeuchi Awards: Special Mention at 2004 Locarno International Film Festival, Best Film Award at 2004 Nantes Three Continents Festival, NETPAC Award at 2004 Singapore Internati...

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Rent-a-Cat (2012). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Rent-a-Cat (レンタネコ / Rentaneko / 고양이를 빌려드립니다) Director: Naoko Ogigami Release: May 12, 2012 (Japan), December 13, 2012 (South Korea) Runtime: 110 minutes (1 hour 50 minutes) Genre: Comedy-Drama Screenplay: Naoko Ogigami Country: Japan Language: Japanese Cinematography: Kazutaka Abe Music: Kosuke Ito Production Company: Eisei Gekijo Rating: 12+ (South Korea), Not Rated (Japan) Cast: Mikako Ichikawa (Sayoko), Reiko Kusamura, Ken Mitsuishi, Katsuya Kobayashi, Hidekazu Mashima, Maho Yamada, Kei Tanaka Box Office: 14,983 admissions (South Korea) Awards: Premiered at 2012 Stockholm International Film Festival, featured in 17th Busan International Film Festival Critical Reception: 6.9/10 IMDb, 65% Rotten Tomatoes (2 reviews), 6.5/10 audience score Note: Director Naoko Ogigami is known for her "healing cine...

  Header illustration for the film review essay of In the Mood for Love (2000). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. 🎥 Film Overview Title: In the Mood for Love (花樣年華 / 花样年华 / Fa yeung nin wa) Director: Wong Kar-wai Release: May 20, 2000 (Cannes Film Festival), September 29, 2000 (Hong Kong) Runtime: 98 minutes (1 hour 38 minutes) Genre: Romantic Drama Screenplay: Wong Kar-wai Country: Hong Kong, France (co-production) Language: Cantonese, Shanghainese Cinematography: Christopher Doyle, Mark Lee Ping Bin Music: Michael Galasso, Shigeru Umebayashi Production Design: William Chang Film Editing: William Chang Production Companies: Block 2 Pictures, Jet Tone Production, Paradis Films Rating: PG Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Chow Mo-wan), Maggie Cheung Man-yuk (Su Li-zhen), Rebecca Pan (Mrs. Suen), Siu Ping-lam (Ah Ping) Box Office: $14 million worldwide Awards: Best Actor for Tony Leung at 2000 Cannes Film Festival (first Hong Kong a...

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Midnight Diner (2014). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Midnight Diner (深夜食堂 / Shinya Shokudō) Director: Jōji Matsuoka Release: January 31, 2015 (Japan) Runtime: 119 minutes (1 hour 59 minutes) Genre: Drama, Slice of Life Screenplay: Katsuhiko Manabe, Jōji Matsuoka (based on the manga Shinya Shokudō by Yarō Abe) Country: Japan Language: Japanese Cinematography: Ryo Ohtsuka, Ryuhei Tsutsui Music: Seiji Kameda Rating: Not Rated Cast: Kaoru Kobayashi (Master), Saki Takaoka (Tamako), Mikako Tabe (Michiru), Tokio Emoto (Kenzō), Joe Odagiri (Ryu), Kimiko Yo, Akiko Kikuchi, Kiyohiko Shibukawa Note: Based on Yarō Abe's manga series Shinya Shokudō , first published in 2006. The film adapts storylines from the highly successful TV drama series (2009-2014) which aired at 1 AM in Japan—the same time the fictional diner opens. The series has been remade in South Korea...