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Film reviews

Return to Seoul Review

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Return to Seoul shed some loving realizations from the plot and the context of the story alone. From the in-depth opening the themes of loneliness and disconnect are apparent. There is also a sense of reconnection through the film’s compelling story. However, the film does not provide all the answers its audience will expect. Return To Seoul has a juxtaposition where most of the film goes downhill. Five words to describe Return to Seoulare, “A turn for the worse.” That turn is due to the main character who fails to take steps to resolve the underlying problems which consume her mind.

The film is focused on a girl named Freddie who is in her mid-twenties. She is Korean but was raised in France. She was adopted by a French couple when she was young. She decides to embark on a journey to track down her biological parents which proves to be emotional. She has two weeks in Korea and what she can to locate her real parents. She has some luck, but it is not what she expects. She meets her father played by Oh Kwang-rok. Freddie does not speak Korean, so her friend Tena (played by Guka Han) translates for her. Freddie also has an aunt played by Kim Sun-young. In Freddie’s eyes, her father and her aunt seem oblivious which causes Freddie to feel disconnected.

Unfortunately, the film lacks positive revelations because of how Freddie’s behavior starts to worsen when she is dissatisfied with the results of meeting her biological family. Freddie is increasingly frustrated as she continues to spend time with her biological family. All of this creates sadness on her journey with no bright light. Return to Seoul is a portrait of how life can be without biological parents. For Freddie there are traditions she has never been part of, a language barrier with her biological family which causes her to believe that there is no benefit to establishing a real connection.

The film does have some qualities that are appealing in style when focused on Freddie. Return to Seoul paints a clear picture of her emotions. The opening emphasizes her introverted modeand the audience also sees her modes of being a social butterfly as well as someone who has potential to do a lot with her life. All the positive qualities that Freddie seems to possess continue to deteriorate when meeting her biological family goes awry. As she tries to make a meaningful connection, the disconnect she experiences only heightens her sadness.

The film also portrays tensions caused by cultural differencesbecause Freddie has been raised in France, but is Korean. Freddie is told she has, “Pure Korean traits,” and she is also told,“If you learn Korean, it will be easier.” This adds fuel to the fire in Return to Seoul and leads to a path of destruction for Freddie.From my perspective, the film does not have to take such a drastic turn for the worse.

I thought the film Return to Seoul would tell a more meaningful story of reconnection. It may in some brief moments, but overall, there is a sad outcome. While Freddie’s world is turning against her, she is also turning against herself. The film is lacking in positive aspects. Two and a half stars for Return to Seoul.

Film reviews

Of an Age Review

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Feelings of love and connection can be realized at first sight. Of an Age is a film of acceptance that examines the stressors caused by feelings of attraction. The film’s setup of two men falling for each other raises many questions. Although the bond between the two men is strong, the reality is they may be viewed differently due to the family backgrounds they come from.

Of an Age takes place in 1999 in Australia. Kol (played by Elias Anton) is a boy from Serbia and is a ballroom dancer. He starts to fall for Adam (played by Thom Green), the brother of one of Kol’s friends. As they go on a car ride together, they realize they are emotionally connected and captivate each other. Kol and Adam fall in love, but they question how life would be if they share with the world that they are in love with each other. The film jumps to 2010, and many things have changed between the two lovers. Kol is struggling and Adam is doing alright. But should they accept the reality of keeping their relationship a secret?

The bond between Kol and Adam is where the emotions lie in Of an Age. Adam can accept his love for Kol being kept a secret, but Kol cannot. Adam finds himself more accomplished career-wise, and Kol is facing hardships with his career. Of an Agemakes it clear that one can handle responsibility in life more cautiously, where another is more likely to hit plateaus. The film paints a picture of what the considerations are for the couple moving forward. For Kol, however, getting on a positive track is harder than it is for Adam.

As the emotional questioning of the ties between Kol and Adam tends to linger, there are sad moments that focus on Adam’s life. Adam does not get the support he deserves for being honest about his sexuality with his family. As I mentioned above, the stressors caused by feelings of attraction cause major anxiety for Adam, but also the audience. Kol expresses his emotions, but Adam hides his and never opens up as much. With all the emotional setbacks for Kol, there is an important message to remember from Of an Age. It is, in fact, a reminder to people that they matter. Adam can do this better than Kol. Of an Ageportrays the struggle for Kol to learn to love himself.

The matter of Kol and Adam accepting themselves is a two-way street in Of an Age. Adam is more accomplished, and Kol has many different problems in his life. Their struggles, however, do not diminish their love for each other. The power of love and friendship in Of an Age is displayed in a poetic fashion. The film makes clear that there is light for the two. The light may not be what either of them want, but, both Kol and Adam will be alright.

I believe everyone should see Of an Age. This is a film where acceptance and love took my cinematic journey in a new direction. It is authentic in its approach towards how hard love can be. It also is a film that has an artistic narrative which proves that those in love can find what is right. Truly, it is a movie where I felt hopeful that Kol and Adam would find a way to make their situation right. Four stars for Of An Age.

Film reviews

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Review:

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As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues in down its track, there are plateaus and valleys. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has some humor and joyful characterizations, especially with Paul Lang back as Scott Lange/Ant-Man, and it has hints of what is to come in this franchise. But this film is definitely not at the top of the Marvel heap.


In this Ant-Man, Scott Lange is back to normal, non-super hero life (temporarily). He writes a book and is taking care of his daughter Cassie (played by Kathryn Newton). We think that maybe Scott has decided to go public as Ant-Man, but that’s not the case—not until he ends up in the Quantum Realm. The other characters in the Realm with him, many of whom we know from previous films, are Dr. Hank Pym (played by Michael Douglas), Janet Van Dyne/Wasp (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), and Hope Van Dyne (played by Evangeline Lilly). The Quantum Realm is a strange world with odd creatures, a lot of them being like characters from the Netflix series Squid Game. The enemy of the realm is Kang the Conqueror (played by Jonathan Majors). Because Scott is stuck in a planet outside his control, we think he’s powerless. So Scott must regain his powers to find a way to escape and battle enemies of the Realm. The future is at risk from where Scott stands. Being Ant-Man may not be enough for Scott this time.

One of the problems with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is that there aren’t very many shrinking scenes, which of course is Ant-Man’s main super power. And as I mentioned, the characters on the planet are a little too like ones from Squid Game. The universe is simply mediocre. The film seems to care more about humor than action, and the plot is just rushed. Not terrible, and it does have some good qualities, especially with its backstory. Maybe the Marvel Cinematic Universe is just getting overwhelmed. The CGI in this film is over the top, the creativity is retro in many ways, and it’s hard to follow what is important in the strange planet where much of the film takes place.

Despite the silliness of the Realm, there are new beginnings. No doubt the audience will wait through the credits to see what is new going forward in the other Marvel films. Even though the Realm in this film is corny, the performances of Rudd, Douglas, Pfeiffer, and Jordan are solid, and a cameo from Bill Murray provides some joy. Are there any new surprises? Are there any new enemies? Are there any new evolutions? The Marvel films always have a multiple new beginnings and continuations among superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Overall, this one is not totally bad, but not stellar and, again, it has a foundational setup to give its audience an idea of the new direction for Marvel superheroes and Ant-Man himself. So it has some faithfulness, but more quirkiness. And even though I was not fond of this Ant-Man film, that doesn’t mean the other films in the franchise won’t be better. Altogether, then, the film is bit of a mess, fun at times, some decent humor, and some good action moments. But just two stars for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.