Go

I had to watch this film for an university class. I liked how the main character was neither this nor that- He was neither Japanese, nor Korean. Neither South nor North. At the end of the movie he seems to accept that he is a Japanese born Korean, which shocked me. What shocked me more was that he was temperamental to all hell, but he was shown actually applying to schools and whatnot. While this movie does embody some patriarchal strains, to classify it as a "sterotypical Japanese" film would be incorrect as it is a movie told from a teenage boy's perspective. The quirks that the main female character has is a quality that endears her to him. Likewise, it is his ability to act out of context with societal roles that endears him to her. She admits to being attracted to his eyes after a fight- because they symbolized the wildness she sees in him. It's a sweet romantic film. Would I read deeper into it? No. Nice, sweet, fluffy and dramatic, but in the end it illicits the same "aw" if you can overlook the mixed in sadness, anger, and violence that subtly permeates the film.

It's not as fast-paced as you'd expect a movie called GO (remember ALL CAPS when you spell the film name) to be, but it's definitely effective as a mostly grounded coming-of-age drama with a few slightly surreal/heightened scenes here and there. It unpacks a type of prejudice you don't often see in film (or at least I haven't seen before), and I think it feels appropriately empathetic and is also pretty well-acted throughout.

There were some great moments throughout - just enough to keep my interest, even though I didn't find it to be the most absorbing thing 100% of the time. I think if you find yourself in the mood for something a little slower than most other movies out there, and like a good character-focused/coming-of-age drama every now and then, GO should scratch an itch; you should almost certainly GO ahead and watch it.

When I first saw this movie I was kind of turned off by it. It can be kind of confusing the first time around. But as with most good things it gets better with time and familiarity. The movie basically revolves around a Japanese born but fully north Korean teenager who struggles to find his place in society and come to terms with his tough father. As a Japanese-born Korean or "zainichi" he often feels alienated both by Korean and Japanese culture. The movie follows the trials and transformations in his life and his desire to find who he is and where he belongs. I think a lot of people who are the second or third generation of immigrant families will really get this movie. It's like being stuck between two worlds sometimes. But regardless of background people will be able to relate to the story (manic as it is). If you like say fight club, you will probably like this movie. There are quite a bit of action and fight sequences, a lot of introspection, and also romantic elements. The movie tends to segregate these elements to some extent which makes the film seem lop-sided but in the end everything balances nicely. This is probably one of my favourite movies, Japanese or otherwise.

I liked this film. The topic of the could have been very heavy but this movie is fast and enjoyable, like "Trainspotting". The first part of the film is very stylish, especially the basketball court fighting scene and "Super Great Chicken Run" scene.

Unlike the beggining scene, however, the later scenes are bit slow and a bit boring. The acting is really good. The main actor played the Korean-Japanese guy very realistic even though he isn't one of them.

The use of the Shakespeare's quote at the beginning of the film represent the theme of the film very well. Who cares about the nationality? It's important to be truthful to who I am.

I liked this movie, although I didn't love it. The film centers on the prejudice experienced by a Korean teenager living in Japan; he doesn't fit in with Koreans or the Japanese. But he utters many times in the film, "This is my love story," and while he does have a love interest, it is a rather small part. I liked how this film looked at the different tensions of race, life, and love.

The acting was pretty great. The lead actor was very convincing as the teenager who is conflicted between two identities. He overacted the last scene, but there is this one very beautiful scene where he just sits and talks to a police officer. It's pretty awesome: very simple and beautiful. Kou Shibasaki as his love interest is pretty good as well, and she won the Japanese equivalent of the Oscar for her role in this. She makes the most of the relatively short amount of screen time she has, and we can see why the main character would fall in love with her.

Not the best Japanese movie I've ever seen, but still pretty good. Worth your while. 7/10