The allure of forbidden love reigns supreme in the long-awaited motion picture, April Snow! Mega-popular actor Bae Yong Joon, star of the smash hit Korean drama Winter Sonata, headlines this highly anticipated romance directed by Heo Jin Ho, the man behind such acclaimed films as One Fine Spring Day and Christmas in August.
Released in Korea and Japan simultaneously, the film centers on In Su (Bae Yong Joon) as he travels to Korea's east coast after discovering that his wife Su Jin (Im Sang Hyo) was critically injured in a car accident. To In Su's surprise, it seems that she was traveling with a man named Kyung Ho (Ryoo Seung Soo, from The President's Barber), and both of them now lie in the operating room as they undergo treatment for their injuries. While waiting for news of his wife's condition, In-Su meets the man's wife, Seo-Young (Son Ye Jin, from A Moment to Remember) and together, the two of them piece together the devastating truth: their spouses were carrying on an affair.

Deeply upset by this shocking revelation, the duo's world spins out of control, as they both come to grips with their feelings of sorrow and betrayal. After several chance encounters, the two become closer. Both stay at the same dingy motel, and soon enough, they forge a deep connection. Will they act on their feelings for each other? And if they do succumb to their passions, will it be out of revenge or out of love? The answers await in Heo Jin Ho's April Snow, the stirring romance that swept Asia by storm!

Photo & summary courtesy of http://asiandvdclub.org/



Offsite Info:

Twitch 1

Twitch 2

Han Cinema

Korean Film.org

Spcnet

Soompi

Asian Info

Tour2Korea

 

Added links to Twitch Reviews to the first post.

 

OK, Lucas, as you suggested in the BYJ thread, I am posting my thoughts on April Snow here! I don't think I am putting any spoilers in that are not already understood from the synopsis of the film above.

I REALLY liked this film. Very definitely an art film as opposed to a popular box office smash kind of film. It was very slow moving, but not in a bad way. I really loved watching the way the characters unfolded, the relationships built - kind of like watching a flower open from a bud in slow motion. You really had to pay attention to understand the flow of time, the changes in the way the characters related to each other etc. I missed more than I thought the first time and was glad I watched it again because the second time through, I understood so much more, caught so many more nuances.

Even the ending. Very unexpected and untraditional, yet it really worked and I liked the subtlety of it, the inevitability. How could it have ended any other way?!

BYJ really is not afraid to try out different things, things out of the regular mold. Although there was a love relationship here, it was so very differently played than the Winter Sonata love relationship. Maybe that is why so many did not like this film - they were expecting to see another WS type love story and this one is much more...real? WS is a fairy tale, AS is more like reality in a way.

In-Su and Seo-Young walk past each other in the hallway of the hotel, near the beginning. Something about that scene really caught my imagination - the way they turned sideways to avoid touching so much, trying not to look at each other - two strangers caught up in their own tragedies - and yet, there was a glance, a moment. How many times have you, in your life had a moment like that, you share a glance or moment with a stranger. It comes to nothing. But, given the right circumstances, it could mean more. That is what I mean by this seeming more real...it was full of moments that could have come from many people's real life experience, the little moments that just so often rang true in this film. Would this ever happen on this grand scale to most people? No, of course not, but so many of the little things could and do happen to us each and every day.

Another moment that really caught my attention was at the very beginning when In-Su was standing at the light/sound board, seeming to do nothing, feel nothing, going on with his job. Yet he has just received the phone call about his wife - took me watching the second time before I realized the phone ringing BEFORE the film started must have been the call informing him about his wife's accident. Why isn't he reacting, showing grief, disbelief, larger than life? Think of what happens when we receive a shock in our lives - an accident, a death, something totally unexpected. There is that time of total shock and almost inabilitity to take it in, we go on almost like robots with what we are doing until it sinks in and then we just stop, almost frozen in shock. BYJ played that moment so realistically that it was almost a beauty to see.

That's why I liked this film so much. It had so many moments like that. That were real, not over-acted. You understood because the actors made you feel it in your gut, not see it with your eyes.

This was just a beautiful film. Loved it. I think it is one of my all-time favorite films, period, Korean or not. I like films that make you think, make you work a bit as you watch. This was one of them.

catt

Karma for that, Carol Ann! It is much appreciated.

Thank you for all that karma, Lucas! Maybe I need to post more reviews of things...I like getting karma!

LOL!

catt

You're welcome!

This forum is my pride and joy so I love it when all our members take the extra time out to share a review!

Review that were posted in another thread.....


kathyd-nj:

Quote:

Now, not to get myself castigated by the legions of BYJ lovers of the world but I have to be honest here: I must be missing something on this APRIL SNOW thing -- (I have been trying to find a copy of the DIRECTOR'S CUT of this movie, its supposed to be much better). I watched it once - and to be honest, was so disappointed in this movie that I haven't watched it again. Now, after your posts, I'm thinking I really was either in a bad mood while watching or I totally missed something. My feelings were that BYJ totally sleptwalked thru this movie -- he was uncomfortable for some reason with the story matter (not sure why after all, he did do a glorious job with UNTOLD SCANDEL and the story line to that was MUCH more out of character for him than this story line was) and it showed to me -- he seemed VERY removed from the character, not his usual acting for me. He looked like he wished he were ANYWHERE but in this movie. Or am I missing something? I just kept watching and watching, but never once got the least bit emotionally connected with either his character or hers -- I honestly found myself wishing I could have seen more about the 2 in the car crash, cause they at least seemed to have some chemistry together from what I saw of their phone videos with each other!! I mean really -- the two main characters just were devoid of emotions. A few tears. That was supposed to show me some emotion? His eyes weren't even showing me what he normally does -- he is one of those actors who can show more with his expression and face than most can with a million words yet he showed me....nothing much. I understand being shocked, stunned, whatever -- that was fine in the first few scenes -- but come on, where was the hurt, the betrayal, the pain, the frustration I'm used to seeing BYJ very able to convey? As for her, she was so passionless, that I honestly kept saying to the screen -- NO WONDER HE FOUND SOMEONE ELSE! COME ON, SHOW ME SOMETHING!!! Sorry -- I will watch it again when I am in a good mood and I promise to try to see in this movie what you see -- but I can't be sure I will!

hammycatt:

Quote:

Watching it with my girlfriend was an eye-opener too. She is a veteran of hundreds, maybe even thousands of foreign films from many countries - she goes to film festivals whenever she can and is very passionate about foreign films. She is used to the more "thoughtful" ways many foreign films are put together and gave me added insight into what I had seen in this film. Spoiler (Click here to reveal) : Remember the plant the lead gave In-Su? If you watched, it showed up in various shots of the rest of the film, growing and flourishing. She bought it in spring, a time of new beginnings - a metaphor for a new beginning for the two betrayed spouses? And when she gave it to him, she told him to make sure and take care of it, make sure it didn't die - a metaphor for their new feelings for each other? Take care of our new love, let it grow and flourish... Or at one point, In-Su was lying on his bed in the hotel room, after they had begun their affair. You knew he was thinking about his situation and the woman he was growing to care for. He was in the dark, but he kept tapping on the light, making it come on brighter and brighter and then it ended with him turning it off - a metaphor for him trying to "illuminate" his feelings for her, figure out what it meant, what to do? - then light off - he's still in the dark, undecided? It's true. They never spoke about their feelings of desperation, betrayal, etc. Not once, really. But, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I never felt they had to because I "felt" it in my gut - it just hit me like a ton of bricks from what they didn't say, how they looked and what they did. I was paying much more attention to BYJ, so not as much to his leading lady, but I have to say, I did relate to her. In the restaurant, when they ate together and talked - probably the most they said to each other in the whole movie! - she said her father had "suggested" (probably read "made her out of duty") she get married right out of high school. So she goes from one household to another, under the authority of her father to the authority of her husband. No chance for any freedom, doing anything she wants to do. She made the comment about how career women must be more interesting (ie. read attractive) than someone like her, was the implication. It was sad and sweet - here was a woman who gave her all, maybe not from personal choice, but out of duty, to someone she now knew did not appreciate it - all she could do was cook and clean and be a wife and it wasn't good enough for her husband - obviously, since he betrayed her for a career woman, an exciting knowledgeable person she thought, someone totally unlike her, who when In-Su asked her what she did - she said that she cleaned and cooked! He told her "That must be hard" - and the way she thanked him spoke volumes. Being with In-Su is probably the only thing she has ever done for herself in her entire life, the only time she followed HER feelings and not the edicts of the men in her life! It was also very interesting to see how the two of them interacted with their hospitalized spouses. At the beginning, before he knew, the tender way, In-Su held her hand, stroked her, looked at her. Then later, after he knew of the betrayal, an interesting moment was when he was bathing his wife, he suddenly turned away and sat down, looking out the window as if he couldn't bear to even look or touch her knowing what he did, that she betrayed him with another. But then, he turns back and carefully covers her up so she does not get chilled - a habit of a love that is still in his heart, even if he isn't feeling it at that moment.

 

Kathyd -

I wanted to finish what I started at lunch today before I forget my train of thought...lol...doesn't take much any more to make me forget things...

Spoiler (Click here to reveal) :

It also spoke volumes the way Seo-Young put her head down and fell asleep on her husband's chest one evening, after spending time with In-Su. She had heard that her husband's blood pressure had gone down that day... For a time, it almost seemed like she was avoiding touching him but then this moment occurred and it seemed to me that although she had been terribly hurt and betrayed by him, after what was going on with her and In-Su, she was understanding his side of the story - how something like this could happen, even if you didn't go looking for it. It was a very tender moment that really touched me. With this whole love "square" going on, there were just so many mirrored emotions and feelings swirling around. If the other two spouses hadn't had an affair, In-Su and Seo Young would have never met. If the other spouses had had an affair that didn't end in this type of situation, where In-Su and Seo Young hadn't been isolated in this "unreal" type existence of hotel and hospital, they probably would not have had THEIR affair - and yet because they did, it allowed them to have compassion and understanding on their cheating spouses, probably enabling them to ultimately forgive the betrayal in a way they never would have been able to if they hadn't been caught up in their own unexpected feelings for each other. The way things just kept turning around and changing emotionally really pulled me in. And all this was done without the two main leads saying very much to each other at all. That's what I found so amazing about this film. It spoke volumes without saying a word. Another really wrenching scene was near the beginning, when Seo-young had given In-su his wife's camera, the one with the video of the lovers on it - you really didn't find his reaction to watching it to be ... agonizing?! For me, this film almost hurt to watch in some places because it was so jam-packed with emotion. Like after they went to the funeral of the man who was killed in the accident caused by their respective spouses! When she asks him to stop the car and she gets out and goes across the road and literally howls out her grief and hurt - at first it almost seems too much, especially after the restraint of most of the other emotional things in the movie up to that point - but that really hit home with me, just how much she must have been hurting to do that. I have only felt that way and done that once in my life - and I remember going up to the attic, shutting all the doors so I could be totally alone and just letting go - if the character was hurting anything like that, well, thinking of my pain at that time in my life, HER pain almost brought me to tears. And how In-Su got out of the car, but then did not go to her and try to comfort her in any way - showing how he knew and respected her need to let it go like that. There is no comfort for some pain in our lives and we just need to learn to let it go and live on. No one can make it better or help us. Anyway, I could go on for HOURS about the nuances in this film that made it so spectacular for me, but that's only because I like this type of film. I thoroughly respect your feeling that this film might not be it for you. We tend to react to things because of how we are, what strikes chords with us. For me, despite the subject matter that is not really what I usually like, the way the film was acted transcended the storyline and I totally forgot this was about cheating spouses and just got caught up in the emotion, feelings and ironies of this film. Not to mention BYJ's beautiful self! LOL!

I imagine you have now heard more than you ever wanted to hear about April Snow! So I will stop now...

catt

Catt, my dear BYJ sister-in-love -- I so appreciate that you've taken the time to write all this -- all the little nuances that made you love this movie so!!

I doubt that I can ever love this movie as you have. My friends and family have long told me that I "read too much" into movies -- that I see things others don't and I take things so seriously -- but obviously this is NOT the case with AS.

I am I think one of those boring dunder-heads -- someone that actually wants the actors to show me their emotions rather than using lights or plants or any other technique that is supposed to show me how they feel. I like seeing their emotions actually played out across their faces, on their movements, from their eyes -- not from some lighting technique the director thought up or the writer added in the screenplay to show what they are thinking!! And while I have watched my fair share of foreign films over the years, that has been a sticking point for me with some of the so-called classics of Italian and French cinema -- so much technique was used to overcome the lack of acting by the people on the screen that it got in the way for me! I want to see the ANGUISH in someone's face -- I want to HEAR the emotion in a person's voice, and I need to FEEL the loneliness when I watch someone just realizing they are losing the person in their life that they love -- feel it, hear it, see it, not be shown it by some other means that takes away from the actors ability to show me themselves!!

What I have always admired about BYJ from his movies, was his ability to show his emotions without saying a word -- his eyes, his expression, the way he moved, the tilt of his head, the stiffness or fluidness of his movements, etc. But I can't see anything here -- nothing!! He just seemed -- wooden, distant, unaffected to me. I can't help it! I so so so wish I could see in this what you see, because your descriptions of the movie are actually better to me than the movie itself!!

As for the female lead, I just watched her in some 1 hr production from Drama City or something on KBS late at nite -- and she was just as boring, non-emotional as she was in this movie. I had thought maybe it was just AS -- but no, alas, she was a different character but was still utterly bland!! At least I know BYJ has it in him to be spectacular -- sadly I'm not sure she does. But then -- that's just me. Totally me.

So thank you for your explanations to me -- someday soon I promise, I will be in a non-judgemental mood, will pull this movie out, put it in my DVD player, and I will sit and watch it with what I hope are YOUR eyes this time -- possibly seeing some of what you see -- even some of what you see would be great for me!

OH I will say -- that the music in this movie was spectacular -- the OST is my favorite of all and I play it repeatedly. I love it -- the music was the star of the movie for me, totally!! Had the actors lived up to the music, I'd have liked it so much more!!

In the meantime -- I still love BYJ but you are fast overtaking me as his NO. 1 FAN here -- so I better step up my game if I am to keep my title, eh????

Kathy D-NJ
BYJ is #1 in my heart & ETW is a close 2nd!!!

If you want to see son ye-jin at her best you should watch alone in love, her performance in that serie is awesome, she showed there that she is one of the best actresses in korea

Kathyd -

Your title is safe! I could never replace you at BYJ's #1 fan, nor would I want to! You will always hold that title - besides, what would happen to my dear LJH, if I became BYJ's #1 fan??!! I am quite content to share with you!

It's ok if you never see what I see in this movie - it's all subjective anyway - maybe I am reading way too much into it. LOL!

I really thought he did convey things with his eyes, facial and body expressions in this - not so obvious as in the other things I have seen him do, but I still thought sufficient for my enjoyment of AS.

But we can still agree to disagree on how much we liked or didn't like this movie, even if you watch it again and STILL hate it (!), because we agree where it is important: BYJ is spectacular and we both know it - no matter what he does, whether we appreciate the movie/drama/whatever - we appreciate HIM!!

catt

I thought this movie and the performances were excellent. I felt that I was watching two people on the absolute verge of melting down who were doing their very best to keep moving in their pain and disbelief. The quietness and subtlety were very real to me. The scene where the two were picking through the jumbled container of their spouses' belongings was especially real as were several other moments that were tiny yet poignent.

I watched the documentary afterward & noted that several really good scenes were not in the final...scenes that would have sharpened up the story had they been included, but the movie worked fine without them.

I just watched Son Ye-Jin in "A MOMENT TO REMEMBER" and she was really wonderful in that -- so I have changed my mind about her acting. But sorry, still not loving "AS" as much as you guys have -- and so many people have written me privately to tell me they agreed with me about it so I'm not feeling as "out there" for not loving "AS" as I was......

I still love my BYJ and perhaps the "director's cut" that I am searching for will make me like this movie "AS" more -- but I do agree with you all that Son Ye-Jin is a fine actress, just not liking her in "AS".

Then again, that holds for many other shows I've seen where I loved an actor in one thing, disliked his acting in another thing....to each his own, eh?

Kathy D-NJ
BYJ is #1 in my heart & ETW is a close 2nd!!!

Ok I will add my 2 cents into this.

Kathy D. I am hearing you!

I was also not so impressed with AS - especially after all that build up! The copy of AS and the documentary that the VC has I bought when they were first out and donated. I was so disappointed. I think BYJ is a phenominal actor and I have seen quite a few things he has done. He has always impressed me with his chamelion like ability to become the role he is playing. it has always been a pleasure to watch him act. In this role, however, I spent more time being disgusted over the snot coming out of his nose during his crying scenes than anything else.

Part of the issue I had with this movie is that I really don't like to do too much thinking when I am watching a movie. When I make the time to watch something I want to be entertained and I like to have things all wrapped up in a neat little package at the end. I am really not fond of movies and shows that leave too much open to interpretation. Unfortunately for me, AS was one of those movies.

Do I think it was a waste of time? No, it had its moments for me. Would I got out of my way to watch it again? Not a chance. I might watch it again if it happened to be on TV and nothing else was on.

 

Kathy and Theresa,

I guess you two aren't used to foreign "art films". They used to be a passion with me; I used to watch them at a little art theater (that has since closed, unfortunately) so I'm quite used to their style, although there have been quite a few art films that have left me perplexed at the end. However, APRIL SNOW was completely clear to me. I understood exactly what was going on and I think I caught all the nuances of the story.

Spoiler (Click here to reveal) :

I read that the director of APRIL SNOW originally had a different idea for the film. There was a scene (only viewable on "You Tube", it's not on the documentary) where In-Su and his wife are at home together, and the voiceover says "A year later.....". indicating that In-Su had reconciled with his wife, although in the end it didn't work out. The original intent was that Seo-Young and In Su had changed places from being the betrayed spouses to now being the adulterous lovers. I guess the director decided to change the story and he completely cut out the "One year later" scene. The way it now looks is that on the day In Su told his wife that her lover had died, when we see him walking out the hospital room and closing the door behind him, and we hear her sobbing, that act of closing the door represents his closing the door on his marriage. After that, when In-Su and Seo-Young each of them separately see the snow falling in April, they both understand that it's a sign that they are meant to be together (remember an earlier scene where one of them said they liked the spring and the other liked the winter and they compromised by saying they hoped it would snow in the spring). Thus the "April Snow" indicated that they would indeed be together.

I absolutely loved this movie.



Edit by Cathy: Inserted spoiler tags

As I was reading your post muscovy I was reminded that I couldn't stand this movie so much I didn't even remember the parts you were talking about!!

I agree that putting such nuances into a movie make it a better film....but acting is such a huge part of a movie and that was what this movie was lacking for me.....heck even I could have been in this movie!! There wasn't anything for me to grab onto to like this movie enough to obviously appreciate what some of you saw in it.

Believe me, no one, NO ONE wanted to like this movie more than me. I was so ready for it -- it was like a holiday when my copy arrived in the mail and I made an afternoon ready to watch it uninterrupted.

I do watch foreign films and I understand nuance, subtlety, etc. -- I've been around movies and art films forever (cause I'm old, ok??? ). I am the one that people come to for understanding a movie in my circle -- everyone says I read so much into a film and I think too deeply about it. So imagine my disappointment, ME, the BYJ lover over all here, to NOT like this film. I was really upset over NOT liking it -- really upset, I so wanted to LOVE LOVE LOVE this film!!

I was perplexed by BYJ's non-acting. I have watched him act over and over -- I know his ability, his style, what he can accomplish. He accomplished none of it here.

THEN, several months after I saw the movie, I read an interview with him -- in which he admits to not even wanting to do the film at first, because he was "so uncomfortable with the topic, the story line, cheating during marriage" that he had to be coaxed into doing it - and only relented finally because he admired the director so much. Then it clicked with me -- I realized then that I WAS seeing what I thought I saw -- a stiffness, a distance, to the character -- because for once, I don't think BYJ could feel for his character as he did in all his other roles. That he could not condone anyone cheating in a marriage no matter what the circumstances -- and I honestly feel after reading that interview, that was why he was so boring in the role -- no passion for his character at all because he could not fit into that character.

So that is my interpretation of it -- from his own words. BYJ has always been able, as Queen T says, to get into his characters, with a chamelion-like ability -- and this was the one role he wasn't able to turn himself into -- he didn't understand this character, didn't want to understand him, couldn't condone his actions and would never do what he did -- as such, he wasn't able to give his all to the movie.

So that's my story -- and I'm sticking to it!!


BTW -- I have so loved everyone's feelings and posts about this -- this was a great discussion!!

Kathy D-NJ
BYJ is #1 in my heart & ETW is a close 2nd!!!

It's our differences that make it so interesting! We can't all like the same things - how boring that would be.

I went into this movie in a very different frame of mind than I am seeing you all went into it. I also have not seen BYJ in as many things as you have either, being relatively a "new" convert! I purposefully put off watching it for months after I had it because I was expecting not to like it. I had heard so much negative about it, that I fully expected not to like it and really didn't want to not like BYJ in something.

So I was quite pleasantly surprised despite the subject and despite the negative I had heard, that I liked it. Not only liked it, but really liked it. Maybe because my expectations were so low to begin with, it seemed better to me. I don't know. But I have to say, I found nothing boring about it. It seemed like two people so on edge they were about to snap, the tension, the emotions ready to break out, but held in.

If BYJ seemed distanced from the part because in real life, he could have no sympathy for any reason for an extramarital affair, for me, it worked in this movie. He's a professional. I think he used it to keep his performance restrained. The whole movie, with a few breakout moments of great emotion, was very restrained.

But, that's just me. We can agree to disagree. I have no problem with that! Yes, this discussion has been a lot of fun. I love when we can get involved in something and have this great give and take!

We don't all have to come agreement on it. Let's just agree that BYJ is a great actor and some people will like him in some things, some in others, according to their personalities, like and dislikes. And sometimes even great actors will have poor, or at least not so good performances! For some of you, this was a not so great performance. For me, it worked. Perhaps when I see him in more things, I may change my mind about how much I liked his performance in this.

I doubt it, but maybe!

catt

I actually really liked this movie. I wouldn't say I OVED it but I really liked it. Maybe because it was something different from what I had seen in K-movies before. Sometimes I get tired of the lovey-dovey sweet couple movies too. I originally got it because BYJ was in it and yes I can see how the BYJ fans didn't feel him in this movie. It wasn't the usual BYJ for me either..and Kathy-D explained why...I wonder if someone else had been in this movie and had "Been the character" as Kathy-D mentioned then would they then would more people have liked it?

And Kathy-D thank you for reminding me... I OVED "A Moment to Remember" maybe my all time favorite K-movie of all time....I actually had seen it online originally and had to get a copy. It was soooooo good I even bought the wrong region just cuz I had to have it but that's ok I can watch any region on my PS2.

Hooray, Muscovy!

I am glad someone other than me on the board loved the movie! I felt from the first that it was quite different from what BYJ usually does and was ok with that - and someone looking for a WS type or typical BYJ love story was going to be disappointed. But been through all that in earlier posts!

Yes, I agree totally with what you wrote in your spoiler - taking the snow as a "sign" as well.

I only go to foreign art flicks a few times a year with my girlfriend (who loved AS as well), but I really like the subtlety in them that you don't usually see in American cinema. I was also an English Lit major in college and just love picking apart things for themes and symbolism, etc. So, AS was a joy in that sense!

Speaking of which, this same friend tells me that Philadephia Film festival is coming up in April - if there are any Korean choices, anybody want to go?!

catt

All this debate got my curiousity up.

Since I'm not BYJ's #1 NJ Fan,
I initially thought, "If KathyD doesn't like it---it must really suck!"
Had no interest in seeing this movie.
Figured it was really bad with a capital "B"!

Then Hammy and Muscovy posted their reviews and got me to wondering.

So I borrowed it from the VC, and .....

















I really liked it!

Coming down on the side of the artsy fartsy crowd here.

"Join me in the dark side..."



Everything I liked about the movie has been said before, so I won't bore anyone by posting the same ideas.
If you like "Bread and Tulips" and movies of that ilk, you'll like April Snow.

If you're expecting "more of the same" BYJ---fuged aboud id!



Two thumbs up.

Theresa encouraged me to voice my opinion here. I had told her I really didn't want to get into the middle of a fight on this subject

I actually liked the movie very much & the performances of BYJ and Son Ye-Jin were right on target. These two play people who are so completely betrayed by their spouses and conveyed this perfectly. His betrayal is so complete that he is just absolutely broken. I felt their aloneness and isolation. BYJ is a master at restraining his emotions & his eyes always reflect what is going on in his gut even when he chooses to say nothing at all. I've liked other things that he is in, but perhaps more so because of the entire story & cast than of BYJ per se, probably with the exception thus far of his manipulative character in Untold Scandal.

I really think April Snow is BYJ's best KM role yet and even better than the KDs I've seen him in.

I get it -- I, BYJ's Greatest NJ Fan, missed appreciating his finest performance!!!!

So in his honor, I will pull out my copy this weekend and sit thru it again -- once more trying to get from this performance what I have always appreciated most in his other performances -- his ability to get "into" the role and make himself the character. I hope this time I can at some point see him BECOME this character he is supposed to be -- because at no point in my previous viewings did I ever once believe him as feeling hurt, betrayed or really "being" this character!!!

Sadly to me he was embarrassed, uncomortable and ill-at-ease with this character, unable to understand the emotions the character felt and certainly unable to understand this character could cheat on his wife himself.....so I need to dig deeper and see if I can separate those feelings and see the "emotion" I keep missing but so wanted to see.....

So thanks for writing and I will watch once more....once more.....

Kathy D-NJ
BYJ is #1 in my heart & ETW is a close 2nd!!!

I do have a small confession.



During the first love scene, there are, of course, close-ups on the actors faces.

I heard this voice (that sounded remarkably like I imagine J*m's voice to sound) which asked;

"I wonder what color lipgloss he's wearing?"






Totally ruined the mood for that scene...

kathyd-nj wrote:

I get it -- I, BYJ's Greatest NJ Fan, missed appreciating his finest performance!!!! So in his honor, I will pull out my copy this weekend and sit thru it again -- once more trying to get from this performance what I have always appreciated most in his other performances -- his ability to get "into" the role and make himself the character. I hope this time I can at some point see him BECOME this character he is supposed to be -- because at no point in my previous viewings did I ever once believe him as feeling hurt, betrayed or really "being" this character!!! Sadly to me he was embarrassed, uncomortable and ill-at-ease with this character, unable to understand the emotions the character felt and certainly unable to understand this character could cheat on his wife himself.....so I need to dig deeper and see if I can separate those feelings and see the "emotion" I keep missing but so wanted to see..... So thanks for writing and I will watch once more....once more.....

Actually Kathy, since you are his biggest fan, your observations are probably right on. I was just watching two people whose lives had been devastated & I believed their "brokenness". I don't think you need to try to beat impressions out of yourself that you haven't felt in previous viewings. Just assume you are right

Kathyd,

I agree with Debster - you don't have to put yourself through it again, trying to wring from it some of the feelings some of us others got from it...

Movies, books, etc. - all effect us differently based on what we bring with us when we watch them. True, a fine performance can usually be appreciated no matter what, but who we are and what we have experienced often colors how we perceive things.

Now, I never read anything about how BYJ felt about playing this role before I saw the movie, I only read the negative opinions so many seemed to have about this movie. Perhaps because you read how he felt about playing an adulterous spouse, you projected some of that on what you were seeing - or maybe you picked up nuances of what BYJ himself was feeling about the role that others missed because we are NOT BYJ's #1 NJ fan, like you are!

Who knows? It doesn't make how you felt about the movie wrong. It just means you experienced it differently than the others of us who were more enthusiastic about how BYJ played his part and the movie in general.

Actually, although you didn't enjoy it much, it probably on the whole is a pretty good movie just in that it could spark so much discussion both positive and negative. Has any other movie mentioned on this board done that? If so, let me know...I think I need to watch some more movies!

catburt...so glad you have joined the artsy fartsy "dark side"!! LOL!

Oh, and for your comment about somebody's voice coming to you, wondering what color lipgloss BYJ was wearing...

You get karma, lots of karma...LOL!

catt