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23 out of 26 people found the following review useful: Don't miss the point., 15 September 2006 Author: Andrew Agnew-Iler (sitethe) from Canada
Reading through the reviews on this page all I can say to myself is how they have throughly missed the point. The movie is slow, very slow, but I still sat there and watched it. It's supposed to be slow, it's supposed to have a minimal script.Throughout the entire movie I couldn't stop thinking about it. The speed of the movie really pulled me into the mood of the main character, and it worked.One of the other reviewers talked about shotty production values, I completely disagree. The movie is supposed to be sketchy and ugly, its not meant to be pretty. Although I think the sketchy aspect of it is the beauty of it.The camera work is perfect for the feeling I think the director was going for.The reason I think this film is getting less-than-favourable reviews is that this isn't what people are expecting when they go into it. When someone hears "japanese contract killer" you don't think of a slow-paced gray drama. I went into this film expecting nothing (as I do with all Film Festival movies) and came out silent, my mind racing.Don't see it if your expecting an action movie, see it if you are in the mood for a slow-paced interesting drama of a mans life.
19 out of 28 people found the following review useful: Visible Vengeance Against Invisible Waves, 5 May 2006 Author: lisan gek from Singapore
I can't help but react to the only 2 reviews posted on this site.Surprisingly, they are both from Singapore (like me) and both hate the film with a vengeance. To correct myself, Dick hates it, Peter dislikes it. What is most interesting is a display of how a film explode an audience. Why is there so much frustration when one cannot comprehend a work of art? I'm not saying that the inability to understand is a reflection of one's level of intelligence. i'm simply asking the big EMOTIONALLY question. why do people get so frustrated over something they have problem comprehending? Have you ever dream a dream that you do not understand? Have you ever dream of signs, symbols, incidents, characters, animals, locations that doesn't make sense at all? how do you come to terms with those unfulfilling surrealist images?Honestly, i may not get the film myself. It wasn't one of the most engaging film i have watched. it was certainly much weaker than Last Life of the Universe. But i see it as a surrealist film. The constant hollow sound through out the film may have dropped a hint. It is simply a dream about a man who is confronted by betrayal of people close to him and maybe even himself. The faint bizarre incidents creates many space for observations with the characters and the environment.Todate, there are only postings from Singapore audience on IMDb. This shows that we are one of the earliest privilege film buffs in the world who get a chance to preview the film. It shows a great deal of confidence from the filmmaker in Singapore audience. I do not agree that it is a bad decision to bring in such art-house film. the idea about art-house often equivalent to no formula and therefore equivalent to no traditional benchmarks. there is always a different appetite needed by a different audience. i embrace picture house effort and i hope they continue to brave obscure titles with huge risk at box office for that is the spirit of art-house. when i walk into a theatre to watch an art film, i'm expecting to be challenge as an audience.My purpose of this writeup is merely to provide a different viewpoint. no offense.I'm a mortal, i get angry with many things and people around me. For example, I always get angry with my dad cos i do not understand most of his behaviours and ideas. Therefore i can understand a frustrated audience as well.
7 out of 8 people found the following review useful: Mainstream audience, look elsewhere, 30 May 2006 Author: Harry T. Yung (harry_tk_yung@yahoo.com) from Hong Kong
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This movie has the premise for a main stream thriller. Instead, Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, in his second collaboration with Japanese star Asano Tadanobu and Hong Kong cinematographer Christopher Doyle, has made "Invisible Waves" into something unflinchingly art-house. Even the grey (i.e. not totally dark) humor is delivered with such underplaying that it is often difficult to keep a mainstream audience (if they happen to wander into the cinema uninformed) awake.Asano Tadanobu, whom some consider to be Japan's Johnny Depp, can play a wide variety of roles from a wild killer (Ichi the Killer), to a tragic, somber samurai (Zatoichi) to a quiet, gentle bookstore owner (Café Lumiere). The role in "Invisible waves", however, is one that is closest to his star persona. Kyoji, a luckless cook finding himself in a somewhat inexplicable affair and ending up being the perpetrator of a dubious murder, flees Macau and Hong Kong, in a miserably claustrophobic cabin hole to Phuket, looking for an elusive shady character "Lizard" the boss has arranged for him to meet. A non-event, an encounter on the liner with a young woman (intriguing Kang Hye-Jeong from Korea's 2004 Cannes Grand Prix winner "Old Boy") who keeps dumping her baby on him so that she can go to swim, makes up another line of the "plot".Instead of developing the suspense and relating elements, the movie makers focus on the minimalism existence of Kyoji (or non-existence, if you prefer). The thinking may be that if the audience is not drawn through the same boredom, how can they empathize with Kyoji's boredom with life? At the end of the two hours (a LONG two hours) things do have a degree of coherence and there is proper closure.One interesting thing about this movie is that most of it is in English, the common language between the Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Korean characters. Most of these characters speak in way that it is demonstrated in no uncertain terms that English is indeed their second language. This, ironically, contributes to enhancing the sense of absurdity that is such a crucial, integral part of this movie.
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful: The waves of guilt keep assaulting your conscience., 8 March 2007 Author: love_ngyung from United Kingdom
After doing a terrible thing for his boss, Kyoji left Macau for a so-called vacation in Phuket, one of the most beautiful holiday destinations in Thailand. During this whole period of time, many inexplicable incidents happened to him.Invisible waves took you to the world of Kyoji, the disoriented world which he, himself, hardly comprehended; nor did the audience. For him, everything seemed to go wrong from the day when he did an unforgivable, unpleasant thing to Seiko, a woman whom he had been having an affair with. Here, we saw him locking himself in a room, being robbed or even being betrayed.The film was not meant to be entertaining, but for some bizarre reason, I had no difficulty enjoying this film. I felt like being swept away by the wave into Kyoji's locale. While watching this film, I had an atmospheric feeling of uncertainty. I was not sure what was happening, nor did the lead character, I guess. Since the whole movie was a bit gloomy, I could not even tell the time of day when the action took place, early evening or at the beginning of the day. It occurred to me that the director might have intended to create a dismal ambiance in the movie. The story, hence, did not need to add up. Everybody could still enjoy the atmosphere.According to Asian belief, if you do a bad deed, you will suffer for the rest of your life. In this case, we saw Kyoji being a victim of his action. He even decided to punish himself. He accomplished what Kenji, in "Last Life in the Universe" failed to achieve; that is perfect happiness. As a matter of fact, the protagonists in both movies were played by Tadanobu Asano and the movies were also both directed by the same Thai director, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang.As some viewers mentioned, this movie appeared to have no plot, and many places in the movie looked dull and awful. It also took quite a long time to develop from one place to another. Even so, this movie is about a guy who is being punished because of what he has wrongly done in the past. A lot of things in this movie, therefore, need to be black, like the old saying "do good deserve good, do bad deserve bad". It is a wave of guilt that keeps attacking his conscience. No one ever sees it, even Kyoji himself, but everybody can feel its existence.
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful: Gangster meets Art-house, 18 September 2006 Author: TashC from Singapore
Invisible Waves is a movie about gangsters, loyalty, murder and revenge. Gangster movies are typically action packed with chases, fights and confrontations. Invisible Waves is a courageous film in that it only uses these traditional action elements to punctuate its mesmerizing and hypnotic pace. Depending on your perspective, this is either brilliant or boring.Kyoji is a talented chef in Hong Kong who makes two big mistakes. First he has an affair with his boss's wife and then he murders her. Though his boss is a likable gangster with a big heart, he is a dangerous man when he has been betrayed. So Kyoji is in big trouble. He is also "the stupidest smart guy" and so naively entrusts his escape from Hong Kong to Lizard, someone he has never met, and climbs aboard a clapped out old cruise ship heading for Phuket. Before the ship has left the dock, we (though not optimistic Kyoji) begin to suspect that he has been set up.Though Kyoji does not inspire confidence, blundering his escape and dawdling into disaster, we did find Invisible Waves intriguing and atmospheric. Unfortunately there are just too many irrelevant scenes; long, low or off centre camera shots; and lengthy silent pauses to make this film riveting. It also suffers from multiple random characters who seem as if they could be significant, but never amount to anything and so must be purposely pointless.This is definitely a film that will divide audiences. Between those people who appreciate that art requires risks that may not always be successful and can still enjoy the attempt and intention; and others who abhor pretentiousness and are fed up with having expert cinematography compensate for poor construction and storyline. So whichever group you identify with, please conclude our verdict for Invisible Waves accordingly.
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: If you've already seen Last Life, chances are you'll be disappointed., 3 July 2007 Author: Mothroom
Last Life in the Universe is one of, if not the best movie I've ever seen (save for Trainspotting). Because of this, like many others, I tracked down Pen-Ek's other films and found this. I have to say that it was disappointing. Many here argue that those who did not like this film simple "didn't get it," because they don't have the mind or tastes for it. I'd have to disagree. If you appreciate Last Life then there's really no reason why you shouldn't be able to appreciate this, (had it good) as both films move at the same pace and have all the same people behind them. (I liked how they used the names Nid/Noi again, does he always do that?) Invisible waves looks the same, sounds the same, but for some reason just doesn't feel as good. Something is missing, something that could have been great was lost somewhere. Last Life didn't have much of a story but managed to be a masterpiece, and comparatively this film's story is much better but just doesn't work. One thing that really bugged me was the acting. All of it felt very fake; I was too often reminded that I was watching a film. The dialogue was poorly written, in my opinion, and probably contributed to that. Were Tadanobu Asano not in this I wouldn't even bother, even out of curiosity for Pen-Ek, as he is this films one and only saving grace. But even then he plays almost the exact same character as he did in Last Life, only a lot less interesting. All the ingredients for a movie like Last Life are here, but in the end it didn't just work.
4 out of 7 people found the following review useful: cinematography is flawless, visually stunning, slow paced, artsy, so definitely worth seeing, 21 April 2007 Author: JackBauerVsSamFisher from Belgium
I rented this movie at our local library, mainly because of Asano Tadanobu. (One of my favorite Asian actors because he fits in any role, and he's good looking.)This movie is very artsy, the kind of movie you don't find in the videostore around the corner. Which is kinda sad, because this movie really deserves to be seen. It's more of a visual experience than a movie, I think. The photography is so beautifully done, that it's almost superior to the story and the characters. (Which I like because I study photography :) I will definitely add Christopher Doyle to my favorite cinematographers list.I haven't seen such a moving (as in: kinda sad) slow paced movie since David Lynch' The Straight Story. You just have to sit back and relax. Turn off your cell phone, dim the lights, so you're not disturbed in any way. Now you're able to follow the characters through abandoned towns, a mysterious ship and in the end, the world of the criminals. This movie really does something to your state of mind. Mine got filled with melancholy. And it's all because of the camera. This sort of cinematography is totally not Hollywood, and maybe that's why (in my opinion) Asian movies are sometimes better in quality. (OldBoy, Infernal Affairs, Hero, to name a few.)I've read negative comments on the message boards, and I just don't get it why people don't like this movie. If you're used to teenage horror movies, then I sure do understand. But any serious movie lover should see this, because this movie has that little touch that I miss often when seeing movies. This one has humor, sadness, all the elements that make a movie great. It just doesn't have the usual pace. Let's just say it's the complete opposite of Fox' "24". But that's not a reason to bash it. This was done on purpose and for this movie and it's theme and the main character that we follow throughout the movie, it works perfectly. It deserves a 10 because in it's way it's refreshing, and I hope to see more of these in the future.
Dullsville, 1 May 2009 Author: livesley88 from Canada
Some of the reviewers of this film seem to think that if you "get it" there's some secret door that is opened and you have a great movie. What counts in a movie is not getting its message, but whether it holds together, and whether it offers a vivid experience. The cinematography, the acting, the dialog all play a part but can't be isolated.This film starts out strongly. I liked the scenes with the hit man and his boss's wife before he kills her (not inadvertently as the synopsis states) But then the movie simply becomes aimless as if the screenwriter forgot he had a story to tell. The comedy of errors on the boat isn't really that funny and the dialog between the hit man and the single mother is terrible! Equally terrible is the confusing chain of events in Phuket, the acting of the hit man's boss and the implausible ending where the hit man seemingly gets tired of life.Ultimately, this is a movie full of cardboard characters. We never really understand how the main character is thinking or even feeling. He could be drugged, or perhaps a little slow.Aside from Chris Doyle's cinematography, this film is a waste of time.
Expectations, 12 February 2009 Author: polysicsarebest
Almost every review here compares this film to Last Life in the Universe. While that's certainly a great film, there's really no reason to compare the two. Despite some obvious similarities (mainly in the pacing and cinematography), this film has absolutely nothing in common with that film. So...I found Invisible Waves to be an extremely entertaining film that, on the surface, doesn't appear to do much of anything. While a lot of people will dismiss the film as slow and pointless, I found the pace just about right for this type of film... and perhaps it was to the credit of the charisma of the star of the film but I never found it "boring". The plot is extremely simple and, indeed, not a lot happens. You can pretty much sum up the entire film in a few sentences. But that doesn't make the film bad... Actually, you kind of have to look in between the lines of this film, because there is a lot going on that the film doesn't seem to convey... it doesn't beat you over the head with its message. It doesn't need to. It's a very ambient, dreamy, quiet film, and 2 minute shots of waves crashing and the lead character sitting and staring into space probably won't win this film many fans, but I loved it.This is mainly for fans of, yes, "Art house" cinema, people who place the importance of image over an involving storyline. So, it's probably not for most people. But a lot of these reviews are way off base and seem intent to criticize the film solely for the fans it may potentially appeal to or how "disappointing" it is compared to Last Life in the Universe. Put aside all expectations and just watch the film. You'll probably be surprised. I personally love quiet, dreamy films with sparse dialog so this was right up my alley. But I can't speak for everyone.
3 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Can't ride this waves, 21 April 2007 Author: kosmasp
What do I mean by that? Two things come to mind (although I'll let, better yet encourage you to interpret it in any way or fashion you like): 1) This movie (waves) does have a slow pace ... is this bad? I don't think so, but if you're used to mainstream movies and want some big bangs every other minute you are definitely wrong here! 2) This movie is also not supposed to be as entertaining as a mainstream movie (that's why you can't ride it). It's gritty and raw (not as a documentary, of course) and the camera let's you inside. You won't get pretty pictures, but you will get shots that feed the mood of our main characters.You will also get a man on his journey (literally and philosophical). A great ending, that some might not like (too quiet), but there could not be any other ending ... imo!
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