My Name Is Loh Kiwan

A film about illegal immigration, seeking refuge, and the right to live, 'My Name is Loh Kiwan' aims at showing us the grim reality of immigration and life as a nomad. Loh Kiwan, played by Song Joong-ki, is a young North Korean defector who is forced to enter Belgium in a desperate attempt to survive. Enduring harsh conditions as the Belgian government determines his fate, he meets Marie, a drug addict seeking refuge from her troubled reality. Their survival amid the odds serves as the basic premise of the film.

The film masterfully juxtaposes the main plotline with a secondary narrative involving Marie's entanglement with nefarious elements. While this subplot adds depth to her character, it occasionally falters in its execution, with certain aspects feeling less compelling than others. While grappling with technical shortcomings, the film's central message of hope and resilience shines through, leaving viewers with a profound sense of reflection and empathy for the struggles of refugees. My Name is Loh Kiwan stands as a testament to the power of love to transcend barriers and illuminate the darkest corners of the human experience.

My Rating : 7.5/10.

This came out of nowhere and genuinely became one of the best movies I've ever seen. I didn't expect it to be this good. By the end of the movie I was almost crying. The very first thing I noticed that got me hooked right from the begining was how easy it is to empathize with and root for the main character. You feel the harrowing journey he's going through, and his incredible resilience. The writing and character arcs are brilliant. There are things that happen between characters that are built up in such a way where you start to fall in love with them as it's happening. Everything feels earned and the romance is incredibly strong by the time it gets there. These actors have AMAZING chemistry and are perfect in their roles. Lots of great performances and I even liked the villainous French guy who had a very strong and commanding presence on screen. I'd love to see more of these actors!

I feel disappointed.

" The story was flowing along intrestingly and pretty good showing the male lead's hardships. I was hoping it would continue that way. His struggles for work and warmth and a roof over his head were authentic. " "The movie seemed to have spent more time on the "love" story and Marie's drama than on what should've been the focus of the story, Loh's journey to freedom. "

The Fl sounded like a spoiled brat. I didn't like her character. Plus, Their love plot sounded illogical.

The gangster scenes was just laughable and the European gangsters very stereotyped.

Song jong ki's facial expressions were almost the same. He could have done better.

The Fl's acting was okay. I think she deserves more recognition.

I don't get the hate it gets. Sure people thought it would focus on more in the part how did he get out of North Korea, but from the trailer and the info we got I knew it would focus more on how he lives in Belgium. I think it was interesting story and the acting was great. Only the drug parts kinda threw me off but it was only small parts. I have been waiting for a realistic, not over dramatic and romantic movie and I think this was it. Normally I don't even watch movies but this was the only exception. All together I think it was touching story and didn't have those awkward over acting scenes so it gets 8/10.

... And that's NOT meant to be a good thing.

LLV is close to 30 years old now, and it spawned (or popularized) the whole depressive, bleak, love story genre. Unfortunately, for many of us (me included), we don't want to waste 2+ hours of our lives watching a slog fest of one bad event, one poor choice, one chance encounter after another. The world has changed. A lot of folks are stuck in situations similar to this. We don't need movies to show us. We could watch the news. We watch movies to escape reality, not be subjected to a fictionalized version of day-to-day news reals.

This genre is (or should be) dead. You'll feel no better, informed, entertained, etc. After sitting through it.

Other gripes: The typical "leg-up" events that occur during the story that are needed to keep you watching. They make no sense and are out of place. This culminates in a "happy ending" which is so obviously Scotch-taped, tacked-on at the end, that you feel you got from Point A to Point Z without ever travelling through B thru Y.

Additionally, the lead love interest is so un-fleshed out, you have a hard time believing she goes from self-destructive druggie to reliable upstart, friend, and lover. Just another example of the jarring transitions in character, setting, situation, all of which aren't developed...they just...happen, and make this hard to watch with any interest.

To the folks that profess this is a "character development study". What character development are you speaking of? The random changes in mood, motivation, and behaviors? That ISN'T character development. That's lazy writing.