The Princess: Movie Review

A princess, a wedding, and a castle — the perfect formula for a sweet fairy tale. But nothing is sweet in this story.

The princess (Joey King) of our story is chained up on her bed, and before she can process what is happening, two soldiers barge into her chambers. It is clear that they want to molest her, but she will not go down easily. With a few clever tricks, she manages to dispatch her foes. As it turns out, this princess is unlike any other. She’s strong and smart, and she will fight.

The whole castle is under the control of her cruel betrothed, Julius (Dominic Cooper). And he has one order for his men: capture the princess so he can force her to marry him. In that way, he will be king. Of course, his plans come with assurance. Julius holds the royal family hostage, and if the princess disagrees, their lives will be the consequence.

But the princess will not surrender quickly. Her trainer, Linh (Veronica Ngô), didn't teach her martial arts just to yield so easily to her adversaries.

Triangle of Sadness: Movie Review

"Triangle of Sadness" is divided into three acts.

The first act focuses on two model couples, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean). The two are engaged in a "transactional" relationship to increase their respective social media influence. Although both of them admit that they liked each other for real, it is not smooth sailing. They still fight over petty things such as their dinner bill, which quickly spirals into heated discussions about gender roles.

The next act sees Carl and Yaya aboard a fancy ship with an always drunk shipmaster (Woody Harrelson). Along with them are an uber-rich yet dysfunctional group of entrepreneurs. Paula (Vicky Berlin), the strict head of staff of the mega yacht, wants to make a good impression and maybe get paid more, so she tells her people to always do whatever the guests ask. They were cruising through a heavy storm, and after a series of unfortunate events, the boat immediately fell into chaos until it capsized.

The last act happens on an unidentified island. The story now follows a ship worker named Abigail (Dolly De Leon) as she tends to the needs of the surviving guests, including Carl and Yaya. After realizing that she was the only person capable of living on the deserted island, she decided to reverse the tide and leverage her power over them.

Plan 75: Movie Review

Due to the growing opposition to elderly people in Japan, the government created a program called "Plan 75." Its goal is to make it easier for seniors aged 75 or older to kick the bucket. Even though it appears harsh and unethical, which it is, Chie Hiyakawa's vision of the future makes it all seem reasonable.

"Plan 75" is about three interconnected stories.

Michi (Baishô Chieko) is already 78 years old. Since losing her job and her apartment, she’s been trying to find a way to keep living. It is not like she can’t work anymore; people are just uninterested in entertaining her because of her age. The pressure of life soon finds her, and at one point it seems like volunteering to sign up for Plan 75 for a small compensation makes sense. She then befriends a young call center agent named Yoko (Yuumi Kawai) who helped her come into terms with her mortality.

A processing agent of the program, Hiromu (Hayato Isomura), has a very interesting encounter during one of his shifts. His widowed uncle Yukio (Takao Taka) signed up for the program for unknown reasons. He’s probably lived a good life and is ready to go, but Hiromu is still curious about it. So he pays him a visit often, and during their times together, he realized one thing: he must convince him not to push through with his decision.

Meanwhile, Filipino nurse Maria (Stefanie Arianne Akashi) is unable to provide for her daughter's surgery. One day, a co-church member offered her a job in the Plan 75 program. The compensation is good, but the work requires medical expertise and a strong heart.

These three characters will eventually cross paths, an encounter will change how one views life and death.

Return to Seoul: Movie Review

Freddie (Ji-Min Park) may look Korean, but she’s French. Well, technically, she is Korean; she was born there. But during the end of the Korean War, her parents had to put her up for adoption to survive. It was probably the most earnest thing they could do for her back then.

One look at Freddie shows that it doesn’t look like she had a hard time adjusting to life in France. She's well off. Her adoptive parents loved her. And she could be anyone's friend with her charisma and appeal. In fact, she quickly befriends Tena (Guka Han), a shy hotel worker who eventually becomes her translator and confidante. For sure, if Freddie wants something, she can easily get it.

Freddie’s detour to Seoul is both nonsensical and unexpected. She’s never really been interested in the culture, as evident by her neglecting their customs. She doesn’t speak Korean and has no intention to sightsee or learn about its history. Until someone suggests she look for her parents. Near the place she’s staying is a popular adoption center, she could start there. Even though she is reluctant, her headstrong personality and curiosity get the best of her, leading her to make the decision that will change her life forever.

Autobiography: Movie Review

The towering General Purna (Arswendy Bening Swara) comes back home after retiring from office; his housekeeper Rakib (Kevin Ardilova) welcomes him and immediately accedes to his requests. Rakib’s family has been in service to the general for four generations, and they are expected to follow him around.

General Purna wants to run for mayor of the region. Naturally, Rakib helps out during the campaign, acting as the old man’s driver, assistant, and confidant. He looks on in wonder as the old man plays his pieces so that he can easily command the people around him.

During a town meeting, a young man named Agus (Yusuf Mahardika) pleads for the consideration of the general to stop the construction of one of his projects that will surely put their farmland and livelihood on the line. Purna ridiculed the request. Rakib silently observes as he starts to notice that something is definitely wrong with his boss.

With his father in jail and his brother abroad, Rakib has no other choice but to stay with the general. Purna eventually warms up to him, and they form a father-son bond. He took him under his wing and taught him valuable lessons in dealing with people. He sheltered him, fed him, dressed him, and played chess with him. Rakib starts to see the old man in a new light, and he’s easily drawn in by his apparent kindness.

Inspired by the general’s teachings, Rakib pays a visit to Agus. He convinced him to apologize for standing up against the general, and together they dropped by the old man’s mansion. It turns out that General Purna is far from the sympathetic person he appears to be in front of Rakib. He’s a terrifying man. A predator. And he just lured the prey into his territory.