Aema

This movie is based on the real event but most of them are fiction.

Watch it with open minded.

You might like it more not thinking that cliche and stuff.

When did you last saw any drama with 0 cliche?

Think about hollywood now.

Remake after remake.

And than reboot.

This is the first time talking about what happened in back in 80 in Korea.

There's no space for breath there.

Dictatorship, censorship, everything were far from free.

To make the people not protest, the dictator and his party opened two things at least.

One is Pro baseball and two erotic movie.

Well, this is one of them.

Perhaps others don't get the intention here or didn't see Boogie Nights but what I noticed immediately was the same type of oddlot cast and comic-tragic tone of the Paul Thomas Anderson film here told from women's perspectives not the up&coming male porn actor. There's another 1940s American movie trope of a now-famous actress aging out and resenting the fiercely ambitious young would-be star threatening to supplant her, too.

The production recreates the seamier side of 1980 Seoul and behind the scenes of a porn movie shoot with gorgeous locations shot in the golden hour dawn & dusk. It may feel more Netflix influenced than Korean, I'm not able to tell. But it's well done and well written given the genre. However the common kdrama trope of powerful men behaving badly is def. Present. Halfway through so can't spoil it. I'm enjoying it and I've watched a lot of kdramas.

First off, I find the overall rating extremely low and Korean series are my main viewing for a long time. The coloring, cinematography, acting are all top-notch, and the stylists and wardrobe did a great job recreating the distinct looks of the 1980's. Sometimes, I feel American audiences still want Korean stories, expressions and behaviors to reflect what they know and expect, but this film was perfectly (although fictive) representative of Korean behaviors, values and settings.

As a filmmaker myself, I felt the director's struggles, triumphs, disappointments and frustrations in trying to make the film you've dreamed about, yet someone else is funding it and also have control to change your script. Clashes with your leads, actors crashing out, trying to out-think the censorship committee, and finding your own "products" distracting!

Great scenarios and scenes, fights, plus the overall personal angle of a favorite yet aging porn star vs. The new fresh-faced girl who will do anything... ANYTHING...to succeed. And it's all still heart-warming in the end, a film about making "erotica". I only wish there was more.

..an even longer.

The story is set in the 80s, when the government loosened its restrictions by promoting sex, screen and sports in order to distract from its wrongdoing. In 1982 the first Korean erotic movie was published and this series is loosely based in it, showcasing bits of industry politics, but focusing more on the misogynist behaviour actresses had to endure (and probably still have to a certain extent).

Thus the tone is clearly sexistic, depreciating, slimy and rude but balanced with humorous notes. The colours, dresses and setting give a lovely 80s groove. The acting is great, kudos to Lee Hanee as the top star wanting to get out of nudity (she really carries the series), to newbie actress Bang Hyorin. But also to the bad ass guys taking me bak in time and giving me creeps, wanting to hit or puke. They embodied their roles really well.

The series is neither a documentary nor a comedy. By using the lighter, fictional approach, it hints at some real issues that could be further explored.

For my taste the important relationship between the women could've gotten more screen time, the cgi scene in the last episode was a bit too much. The ending is not too satisfying, but suits the movie, as the issues still went on.

Great watch!