Us in the End--a realistic romance

"Us in the End" (2026), originally "Tayo sa Wakus" is a realistic romance.  People fall in love without really understanding one another.  Like most nations struggling to develop a film industry, the Philippines has relied on horror, comedy and romance movies to attract viable audiences.  This is one step to a more diverse offering.

Cisco works in an advertising agency and was just arguing for one of his ideas that was flatly received by his audience until Cheska, a newly hired employee enthused some support.  For the most of the rest of the script she supports him, even when it hurts.  

Cisco was smitten with her and offered to drive her to her parents even after she admits it is a three hour drive.  When they arrive in her hometown village it turns out her parents are loudly arguing and providing entertainment for the neighbours.  We  become aware that she comes from a poor background and is the sole breadwinner.  He on the other hand comes from a wealthy family and is used to getting his way.

Their boss, Mr. G. is enthused about their relationship, but understands who is the more talented.  Their romance is pretty intense and they move in together.  After one dispute he suggested that if ever they are thinking of splitting they go on a trip together and be very honest before making a decision.  She recognizes he has talent, but she actually is more talented and allows him to take credit for some of her ideas.  At one point Cisco wants to break from the company to start his own  and persuades his wealthy grandfather to invest, but the grandfather has been enticed by what he assumes is Cheska's involvement.  However she is the only breadwinner for her family and is not willing to take a chance on a new company.

That is much of the plot, but of course there are many details that you might look back on as portending their future, however the rest of the movie is not really predictable.

This film required a deft touch and mostly got it.  Here are some of the key cast and crew responsible.

Cathy Garcia-Sampana was the director.  She has 45 credits for directing, 24 as an assistant director and 11 for writing including "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (2013), "Hello, Love, Again" (2024) and "Meet Greet & Bye" (2025).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/08/from-philippines-to-calgary.html

Vanessa R. Valdez was the writer.   She has 91 credits for the script & continuity department, 31 for writing and 29 as a producer including "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (2013), "Starting Over Again" (2014), "You're My Boss" (2015), "Everything About Her" (2016), "Barcelona:  A Love Untold" (2016), "Rewind" (2023) and "Hello, Love, Again" (2024)  The next link covers 4 films mentioned in this post:   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/10/four-filipino-movies.html

Kookie Labayen was the producer and has 9 writer credits, 13 for producing and 12 for additional crew including "Everything About Her" (2016), "Barcelona:  A Lover Untold" (2016),  "Love You To the Stars" (2017) and "Isa Pa with Feelings" (2019).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/12/isa-pa-with-feelings-really-helps.html

Jessie Lasaten was the musical director.  He studied at the Berklee College of Music.  He began writing jingos for tv. commercials. then moved to films.  He has 196 composing credits and 48 for the music department including "Hello, Love, Again" (2024).

Yves Janero was the cinematographer.  He has 14 cinematography credits, 17 for the camera & electrical department including "Hello, Love, Again" (2024) and "Unmarry" (2025).    See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/07/unmarry.html

Marya Ignacio was the editor.  She has 208 editing credits, 41 for the editorial department and 39 for the production finance & accounting department including "Four Sisters and a Wedding" (2013), "Starting Over Again" (2014), "You're My Boss" (2015),  "Barcelona:  A Love Untold" (2016), "Everything About  Her" (2016), "Love You to the Stars and Back" (2017), "Rewind" (2023), "Hello, Love, Again" (2014), "Meet, Greet & Bye" (2025). 

Belle Mariano played Cheska and was also an executive producer.  She was performing in television commercials at age 9 and graduated to singing.  She has 32 acting credits, 1 for producing and 5 for sound track including "Love You to the Stars and Back"(2017) and "Meet, Greet & Bye" (2025) .

Donny Pangilinan played Cisco and was also an executive producer.  He has been a model and a singer.  Donny has 21 acting credits, 2 for producing and 4 for Soundtrack.

Jeffrey Quizon played Mr. G.   He has won many awards, nationally and internationally including at Cannes.  He has also been a band leader.  Once a chain smoker he took part in a celebrity challenge and quit.  Jeffrey has 149 acting credits, 3 for writing and 6 for assistant directing including "Heneral Luna" (2015).

This is not a light romance, but a little grittier the way many romances actually work out.  "Us in the End" is available subtitled on Netflix.

As usual I bold the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but mostly ones that I have enjoyed.  The links give more details to better reach a judgment.

G.D.N. tells of another Thomas Edison in colonial India

Gopalaswamy Doreiswamy Naidu is not well known, even in India, but he is a most remarkable man who has finally been depicted in a major film "G.D.N." (2026).

The film starts near the end of his life when tax authorities are trying confiscate his wealth and then we switch to a textbook committee meeting that was to discuss books for the next school year.  A strange woman enters and explains she wants to make sure they include a chapter on G.D. Naidu while a few protest that he a traitor, a  tax evader and not properly educated having dropped out of school after grade 3.  She gives each member a copy of some biographical information and the story moves on.

We are introduced to a young G.D. Naidu as he wants to buy a motorcycle to see how it works.  He is very curious person, studying lots of processes.  Another move is to work at a cotton mill owned by Robert Stanes and find a way to improve cotton processing that led him to start his own mill.  While there he learned to speak English.  Unfortunately he gambled on prices and lost when the market for cotton declined.

He goes back to Robert Stanes asking for a job and instead is given a bus.  After a few years he proved his management skills after devising more efficient routing he persuaded a number of bus drivers to join him, pooling their resources to share in profits.  At one point United Motor Services had 600 buses.  This is also where he partnered with Ramiah Pillai who stuck with him to the end.

His list of innovations is diverse.  In agriculture he made improvements with cotton, maize and papaya.  He found better ways to extract fruit juice.  He made voting machinery more safe and efficient.  Motors was one of his first interests and that is reflected in transportation.  One sideline was developing an electric shaving razor.  Education was boosted by encouraging wider spread schools.  He was a founder of a polytechnical institute and revised a curriculum to give engineering training in only two years.  Concerned over the plight of the poor he developed a way to construct a more affordable, safe house in one day.  A man who loved taking photos he developed accessories to make cameras more efficient.  

As he succeeds he is generous to his fellow Indians which of course upset some British.  They tried to cut him down using tax rules to force him into a corner.  One British colonist, Winston Smith did some dirty tricks to stop him, but was constantly outsmarted.  He then hooked up with a high level income tax collector, Ambalapara Kristnan who over years was always finding parts of Naidu's business to tax and try to confiscate his assets, but failed.

His employees, and customers could see through the attempt and helped him evade unfair taxes.  Other tricks learned was to have the stock given to a dog and another was to divorce his wife giving her the right to take 98% of his assets, so the government could not confiscate 80% of them and still live together.     

He travelled over Europe and elsewhere looking for suppliers and ideas.  He spent time in Britain, France, Belgium and Nazis Germany and eventually got a deal with Benz to manufacture automobiles in his part of India.  These efforts branded him a traitor.  

At the end we learn the textbook committee has been swung over and there is an ironic twist.

"G.D.N." makes a good case for great contributor to India.  A lot of people help present a superb case.  Here are a few.

A key person was Madhavan who played.the title character, but more than that  he co-wrote the script and was also a producer.  He had won a national public speaking award and is fluent in English, Hindi and Tamil.  He took part in a student exchange program to Stetler, Alberta, Canada,  He has appeared in such films as "Rang de Basanti" (2006), "Guru" (2007) and "3 Idiots" (2009) which were all exceptional.  Altogether he has 100 acting credits, 5 for writing and 1 for directing.  Another film was the American, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" (2012).  My first awareness of him was with "Kannathil Mutthamthal" (A Peck on the Cheek) (2002), but I assumed it was a Bollywood film and much later learned it was a Tamil film, opening another door for me.  Other films include "Arbe Sivan" (2003), "Tanu Weds Manu" (2011), "Dhoka" (2022) and "The Railway Men" (2023). See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/11/the-railway-men.html   In "G.D.N." one scene had him throwing away a cigarette as requested by Ramiah Pillai.  It turns out that Madhavan in real life does not smoke although willing to act if the script calls for it.

Krishnakumar Ramakumar was the director and co-writer.  He was the founder of Black Box Films in Chennai that mostly does advertisements.  He has 3 directing credits, 1 for writing and 31 for acting including "Madras Cafe" (2017).

Sathyjaraj played Ramiah Pillai, the loyal supporter.  He has 233 acting credits and 2 for producing including "Mersal" (2017), "Baahubala:  The Conclusion" (2017) and "Idly Kadri" (2025).

Priyamani played Chellamanal, the first wife who asked for a divorce so as not to drag him down.  She modelled which led to films.  She has acted in Hindi, Tami, Telegu, Malayalam and Kannada films.  Primayami has 85 acting credits including "Raavan" (2010), "Raavanan" (2010),  "Chennai Express" (2013), "The Family Man" (2019-2025), "Article 370" (2024) and "Maidaan" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/03/the-family-man.html                     

Durshal Vijayan played Ranganyaki, Naidu's second wife who stuck with him through a wide variety of circumstances.  She studied fashion design which led to modelling and in turn tv. commercials and then films. In 2017 she won a contest for Face of Chennai and in the same year Miss South India, placing second.  She has 14 acting credits including "Natchaathiriam Nagangirahu" (2022).

Richard Bhakti Klein played Robert Stanes who gave Naidu critical support.  Lived in America and moved to Mumbai in 2005.  For a few years he was a professional singer/guitarist and has taught music and science.  He has 92 acting credits including "Dear Zindagi" (2016), "Gully Boy" (2019), "Love Aaj Kal" (2020), "RRR" (2022), "Dunki" (2023) and "Maidaan" (2024)  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/06/maidaan.html

Jayaram played Ambalapara Krishnan, the brutal income tax collector you will come to hate.  He has 250 acting credits, 4 for the music department and 1 for additional crew including "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo" (2020), "Poniyin Selvan, Part 1" (2022) and "Hi Nanna" (2023).    See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/01/hi-nanna.html   

"G.D.N." is available dubbed and subtitled on Netflix

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally these are among my favourites.  The cast and crew are well connected to outstanding films and if you follow the links you should be better able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Graveyard third season is riveting and socially aware

Turkey is a Muslim country and as such is assumed to be restrictive for women.  In many ways they are more westernized and women can be said to be relatively free, but as with so called more progressive countries they are struggling and deal with discrimination.  

A special task force is given a room in the basement of a police building in Istanbul which some call a graveyard.  The focus of the team is to investigate murders of women.

In the first two series they deal with a variety of murders against women.   See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/08/graveyard.html

Onem, after a break for personal reasons has returned and reassembled her crew.  A member of another group, Gokce learns of mysterious boxes given to women and feels they are a form of intimidation.  The boxes all have intimate knowledge and are numbered indicating they are the result of stalking.She is directed to the Special Task Force and eventually becomes involved in their investigation.  

In the meantime the Task Force gets involved with murders.  One is about a woman trying to hide her overweight body while doing cooking videos.  Her son was able to manipulate video tapes.  She becomes concerned about conveying a false message about body image.  

Before too long the boxes attract more attention.  Eventually the motivation becomes more evident as coming from some sort of incel group.   Incels are men who hate women, usually the result of rejection.  You know under layers of deception there is someone seeking revenge and making a statement about the role of women.  You have already seen grisly dead bodies, but the action and suspense go to a higher level as the team gets closer to cornering the culprit. 

Most of the film takes place in the modern city of Istanbul, but some of the investigation takes place in the town of Ephesus with buildings from Greek and Roman history.

The story is gripping and will draw you in.  Here are a few of cast and crew to credit.

Omer Baykel was the director.  He has 6 directing credits.

Abdullah Oguz was the previous director and producer.  He has 54 producing credits and 5 for writing including "Bliss" (2007).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/05/turkish-delight-in-book-and-movie-form.html

Ozden Ucar was a key writer.  He has 5 writing credits and 1 for additional crew (river co-ordinating).

 

Cem Oget was the composer.  He has 47 composing credits, 22 for the music department and 1 for soundtrack. 

Ferhat Uzundag was the cinematographer.  He has 32 cinematography credits, 3 for the camera & electrical department and 2 for acting.

Sercan Guducu was the editor.  Sercan has 9 editor credits and 4 for the editorial department.

Bice Akalay played Onem, the head of the Special Task Force.  She was a finalist for the Miss Turkey contest.  She has modelled and became a sports anchor on tv.  She has 22 acting credits and 1 for soundtrack.

Olgun Toker played Serder Ata, a tough, sometimes brutal partner for Onem.  He has 71 acting credits.

Baron Guler played Berk, a forensic expert who tended to get sidetracked with tedious explanations.  He has 4 acting credits and 1 for acting.

Elif Cevinc played Sude, teenage daughter of Onem.  She has 10 acting crtedits.

Yesim Celebri played Gokce, the newest member of the Task Force.  She has 6 acting credits. 

Onur Durmaz played Bora, the bad guy.  He attended to the Vienna Conservatory where he studied music and acting while learning German, English and Italian.  He has done tv. commercials and has 13 acting credits. 

"Graveyard" is available subtitled and dubbed on Netflix.  I hope they come up with another riveting series.

As usual I bold the first mention of films I have seen.

A Taxi Driver is a gem

We learn that in 1980 a military dictatorship violently tried to put down student protests in South Korea.  The poster for "A Taxi Driver" (2017) seems to indicate a comedy, but it is not.

A dictator had gained control of South Korea and at this time his main obstacle seemed to be student protests who were of course described as radical and Communist.  The media was tightly controlled and the outside world was given a false narrative.  A German journalist in Japan, Jurgen Hinzpeter, heard about the suppressed riots and decided to fly to Korea to get the story.  He realized there was no easy way to get to Gwangiu, site of the riots, so thought if he used  large money he could hire a taxi driver.  Kim Sa-bok, heavily in debt was quick to see an opportunity and skipped the line to get the job.  He didn't realize the danger, but soon learned and tried to back out.  Eventually he felt a grave injustice was being inflicted on Korea and rescued the reporter and his film.  The script is based on a true story about a reporter and a taxi driver keeping their real names for the story.

There is a lot of violence and action (especially with cars).  Killing is almost without thought, as a dictator is determined the true story doesn't reach the outside world.  Human relations are important as there is resistance from local taxi drivers being influenced by a student.  Kim Sa-Bok was a widower with an 11 year old daughter left on her own who was helped logically, but also surprisingly. 

My reason for seeking out this movie was the actor I consider a star and an indicator of a good film.  Song Kang-Ho is not glamorous, but I have stumbled on a number of his films and am amazed how a character actor can be a leading actor.  "A Taxi Driver" is a good example.  See below for more information on him.

A lot of effort was put into this award winning film and here are a few of the contributors.  

Hun Jang was the director.  He got his start working working with production departments.  He went on to have 5 directing credits, 1 for writing and 1 as an assistant director. 

Yu Na Eom was the writer.  Another film she worked on was to do with the Korean dictionary that helped maintain the Korean language.  She has 2 writing credits and 1 for directing.

Cho Young-wuk was the music composer.  He got his start as he once wrote about film music for a radio show.  He was asked to recommend someone to pick music for a movie and he took the job.  This award winning composer has 74 composing credits, 9 for the music department and 2 for producing including "Oldboy" (2003),  "Thirst" (2009), "Glove" (2011), "The Attorney" (2011), "Joint Security Area" (2010), "The Beauty Inside" (2011), "The Tiger" (2015), "The Handmaiden" (2016), "The Man Standing Next" (2022) and "Decision to Leave" (2022).   See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/02/decision-to-leave.html  and  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/07/broker-japanese-korean-collaboration.html

Nak seon Go was the cinematographer.  He has 15 cinematography credits and 1 for the camera & electrical department including "The Man Standing Next" (2020).

Kim Sang-beom was the editor.  He has 141 editing credits and 2 for producing including "Oldboy" (20023), "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (2005), "Thirst" (2009), "Hope" (2013), "The Attorney" (2013), "The Handmaiden" (2016), "Asura" (2025) and "Decision to Leave" (2022).   See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/11/hope-gut-wrenching-film-from-korea.html

Song Kang-Ho played Kim Sa Bok, the taxi driver.  He is also one actor with his own post http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/12/song-kang-ho.html which gives a fuller picture of his stature.  He is a heavily awarded actor and is revered by many directors.  He started in theatre at one time offering to work cleaning services to maintain working for the theatre.  In 2020 the New York Times compiled a list of the top international actors and he was listed as number 6.  With a slight hiatus he has been active in commercials and was noted for increasing sales of a liquor in Japan. Some of his film credits include "Joint Security Area" (2000), "The Host" (2006), "Thirst" (2009), "The Attorney" (2013), "The Age of Shadows" (2016)  "Snowpiercer" (2013) "Parasite" (2019) and "Broker" (2022).  Americans can see him in 3 episodes of "Beef" (2026), a popular American tv. series.   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/parasite-breaks-oscar-tradition.html

Thomas Kretschmann played Jurgen Hinzpeter, the reporter.  He has 144 acting credits (including German and American films) and 8 for voice dubbing including "Stalingrad" (1993), "The Pianist" (2002), "Downfall" (2004), "Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot" (2016) and "Gran Turismo" (2023).

Ryu Jun-Cheol played Gu Jae-sik, a student protester.  He has 25 acting credits.  At the moment I am just past half way watching him in the highest rated Korean series "Reply 1988" (2015-16) for which he is in all 20 episodes.

Lee Jeung-eun played a hostess for the taxi driver and reporter.  She started in theatre and now has 63 film acting credits including "Mother" (2009), "Okja" (2017), "Parasite" (2019), "Our Blues" (2022-23) and "Daily Dose of Sunshine" (2023).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/11/daily-dose-of-sunshine.html

I was interested to see this film, but it did not seem to be available on any of the usual streaming services, but my library membership allowed me to watch it for free with subtitles.  Kanopy is available through libraries throughout Canada and the United States.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favourite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

The Crusades are largely forgotten, but they left a mark

 Some of my previous blogs dealt with the Mid-East, the Holy Land, but they were pretty much contemporary times.  The Crusades happened over 1400 years ago, but have left a mark.  

We are all tied to the past. The Third Crusade in the 12th century revealed a serious conflict between Christians and Muslims.  When the Papacy learned that the holy sites inside the most holy Christian city, Jerusalem were ruled by Muslims a campaign to restore it began.

At this time Muslims looked at Europeans as relatively uneducated.  Literacy and science were more developed in the Mid-East.

We think of Richard as the English King Richard, but he saw himself as French.  He was religious and agreed to take part.  Throughout the Crusades he recognized his actions were needed to protect Christianity and at times it was his religiosity that turned him to focus on the task.  He was truly a magnificent fighter.

Saladin proved himself capable and commanded the Ottoman military, even though he was a despised Kurd.  The Byzantine Empire was still strong, but the Ottoman Turks had control over what is now Turkey, but extended into Egypt and Israel and Jordan.   The Crusaders were able to maintain Cyprus as a Christian nation.

Jerusalem is also a holy city for Muslims, but they allowed Christians to visit holy sites.

Saladin was older than King Richard, and not as physically intimidating.  They both were good as tacticians, but the author concedes King Richard was the better.  The two never met, but communicated through messengers including Saladin's brother, Safadin.  Saladin died in 1193.

Geoffrey Regun recounts several battles that the combatants took turns winning.  One advantage the Turks had was the heat.  The longer the Crusaders endured it, the weaker they became which Saladin stretched to his advantage.

King Richard received messages that all was not well in England or his French territories.  Along the way back home he was captured and put in a German dungeon with demands for a ransom.  This resulted in heavy taxes, but finally after a year and 6 weeks, was enough.  No connection to Robin Hood.  In the end King Richard had a minor wound, an arrow to his neck, but two surgeons botched removing it and gangrene set in.  Knowing he was dying he arranged his will and demanded that his followers pay allegiance to Prince John.  He died in the presence of his mother in 1199.  

The influence of the Crusaders lingered for awhile with Muslim mothers warning their children if they didn't behave, the King of England would be coming.  The Ottoman Turks ruled the Holy Land for several centuries.  It was after WWI, with the help of Lawrence of Arabia that the Turks were forced out and Arabs under the British made headway.

For later historical developments check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2013/12/lawrence-in-arabia.html  

The photo at the top is of a jacket cover with an aquatint of Richard I and an engraving of Saladin courtesy of Mary Evans Picture Library.

Romance Disrupted by India/Pakistan Partition

 After WW II, England prompted by rebel forces and their own economic difficulties decided to get out of India.  As planning began Muslims made a strong demand for their own country.  This complication was handled expeditiously with little concern as to how complicated it was.  It was easy enough to draw lines creating two parts to Pakistan out of India.  The problem was that Hindus and Muslims were spread across the lines and little attention paid to the Sikhs who were also distributed on both sides of the line.

"Main Vaapas Aaunga" (2026) is spread over about 80 years.  We see a bedridden man suffering from a stroke, heart concerns and creeping dementia.  A grandson is visiting India from England.  Death seems approaching and the old man is rambling and for some reason the grandson pays more attention to the words of a dying man than all the other relatives.  

The viewer is taken to what the old man is trying to articulate going back to just before Partition and his relationship with his love.  He is a Sikh and assures her he is not leaving despite rumours of Partition. One joke was they could both convert to Christianity and get married in a church.  Keenu, to reassure Jiya has her name tattooed on his wrist which we can also view on the old man's wrist.

We are shown men fleeing and many not able to board extremely overcrowded trains.  We see enemies killing the Sikhs with Keenu barely escaping.  More frightening is the plight of the women following who were separated by mutual agreement as it was thought they would slow the men down.  However as enemies (could have been Muslims or Hindus) the women realized they not only could be beaten, but also raped.  Young girls had their hair cut to appear as boys, but as the fear became more imminent some girls had their throats slit to avoid the shame.

The old man gradually makes sense to the grandson while the rest of the family just feels his dementia is getting worse.  We learn that Keenu had made an early attempt to revisit his lover, but was discouraged about the prospects of her being alive.  Still as he approaches death he retains hope and the desire to read a poem he wrote for her.  We see a grandson wanting to help and the old man deteriorating.  I will leave it there.

Another theme was the grandson had become a Non Resident Indian, but not one able to hold down a job.  He marvels at his grandfather's desire to go home and wonders if that is something he has lost.

"Main Vaapas Aaunga" is likely to be involved with awards as it has a lot of top notch cast and crew.  Here are some of them.

Imtiaz Ali was director and script writer.  He has 18 writing credits, 11 directing and 6 for producing. including "Ahista Ahista" (2006),  "Love Aaj Kal" (2009), "Jab We Met" (2007), "Rockstar" (2011), "Highway" (2014), "Tamasha" (2015) and "Amar Singh Chamkila" (2023)  Check   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/04/amar-singh-chamkila-used-dirty.html

A.R. Rahman provided the music.  He had done commercial jingles when Mani Ratman invited him to write for a film "Roja" (1992).  I had not realized that Rahman wrote for the Tamil market, but has expanded to Bollywood,  American, English etc.  With the encouragement of  Andrew Lloyd Webber he wrote for a stage musical, "Bombay Dreams" that had long runs in both London and New York.  He has 221 composing credits and 90 for the music department (often backup singer) including "Bombay" (1995), "Fire" (1996), "Lagaan Once Upon a Time in India" (2001), "Swades" (2004), "Water" (2005), "Rang de Basanti" (2006), "Ghajini" (2008), "Slum Dog Millionaire" (2008), "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" (2012), "Highway" (2014), "100 Foot Journey" (2014) "Tamasha" (2015) "The Goat Life" (2024) and Maidaan (2024)   Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/07/the-making-of-laga and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/08/the-goat life.html  and   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/06/maidaan.html  Elsewhere Rahman had commented that he often gives producers a difficult time in order to get what he wants and feels the film benefits. 

Sylvester Fonseca was the cinematographer.  He has 32 cinematography credits and 2 for the camera &  electrical department including "Sacred Games" (2018-19) and "Amar Singh Chamkila" (2023).

Aarti Bajaj was the editor.  She has 56 editor credits including "Jab We Met" (2010), "Udann" (2010), "Karthik Calling Karthik" (2011), "No One Killed Jessica" (2011), "Ishaqzaade" (2012), "Highway" (2014), "Tamasha" (2025) and "Amar Singh Chamkila" (2023).   See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/02/tamasha-wonderful-story.html

Naseeruddin Shah played Ishar Singh Grewal, the old dying man.  He once formed a traveling theatre group and has done a Hollywood movie.  He has 271 acting credits, 6 for the music department and 2 for producing including "Hey Ram" (2000), "Monsoon Wedding" (2001), "Maqbool" (2004), "Omkara" (2006),  "Amal" (2007), "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" (2011) and "Gehraiyaan" (2022), "IC814:  The Kandarhar Hijack" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/09/ic-814-kandahar-hijack.html 

Diljit Dosanjh played Nivair Singh, the grandson and was also a playback singer.  He has 101 acting credits and 41 for the music department including "Udta Punjab" (2016), "Phillauri" (2017), "Soorma" (2018), "Good Newwz" (2019) and "Amar Singh Chamila" (2023).   See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/good-newwz.html 

Vedang  Raina played the young lover Keenu.  He has 3 acting credits and 2 for the music department.

Sharvari played Jiya, the young lover abandoned.  She has 8 acting credits and 3 for assistant directing including "Bajirao Mastani" (2015) and "Maharaj" (2015).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/07/maharaj.html

Rajat Kapoor played Iqbal.  He has 84 acting credits, 14 for directing and 10 for writing including "Dil Chahta Hai" (2001), "Monsoon Wedding" (2002), "Khoya Khoya Chand" (2007), "Beja Fry" (2007)"Dasvidaiya" (2008)"Midnight's Children" (2012), "Ankhon Dekhi" (2013), "Drishyam" (2015), "Kapoor & Sons" (2016), "Drishyam 2" (2022), "Saare Jahan Se Accha" (2025), "Raat Akeli Hai:  The Bansal Murders" (2025) and "Raid 2" (2025).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/11/driishyam-bollywood-remake-masterpiece.html and   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/12/a-nawazuddin-siddiqu-sequel-is-very-good.html

Dolly Ahulwalia played Keenu's grandmother.  She has 32 acting credits and 18 for costume design.  As a costume designer she worked on three films with Deepa Methta, "Fire' (1996)"Earth," (1998) "Water," (2005 also acted)  and "Midnight's Children" (2012).  She won costuming awards for "Bhaag Milka Bhaag" (2013) and "Haider" (2014).   She also won supporting actor awards for "Vicky Donor" (2012).   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/04/vicky-donor-cf-dharala-prabhu.html 

"Main Vaapas Aaunga" is an important movie as it concerned with the Partition which many of our westerners have long forgotten.  There is a short gruesome scene illustrating extreme desperation.  It is also an enduring love story.  It is available subtitled on Netflix.  I do recommend it

Do Americans realize Trump is a traitor?

 Up front there are a lot of reasons to find Trump disgusting, but so far too many Americans accept his leadership.  He has Congress members under control as they fear how he can hurt them and his staff has been picked for loyalty, not expertise.  What could tip the scales?  How American do you think you are?  

Americans are right to be concerned about the cost of groceries, housing and gas, but international affairs are intertwined with domestic expenses.  

We are not certain if Trump just admires Putin as a fellow kleptomaniac or if Putin has incriminating evidence.  Either way he seems to do a lot of Putin's bidding.

Go back a few years to just after when the Soviet Empire was broken up.  The deal was for Ukraine to give up nuclear weapons.  United States was to protect Ukraine against a Russian invasion and Ukraine was never to join NATO.  Doesn't carry any weight today.

He calls accusations that he was helped by Russia in 2016 a "hoax", but there is a lot of evidence otherwise and even that he was aware of it.   See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/06/house-of-trump-house-of-putin.html and  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/freezing-order.html

In Helsinki he said he believe Putin against 16 American agencies regarding Russian influence in the 2016 election.  During his first term he made decisions regarding Syria and Afghanistan that probably benefited Russia as much as the United States.  He also criticized NATO with a hint he could do without them.

In his second term he was better organized.  He humiliated Zelenskyy in the White House while previous administrations including Republican would have helped Ukraine against Russia.  Although many in Congress wanted to help Ukraine, Trump was able to minimize any aid and although promising he could end the conflict preferred to let it drag on.

The complaints against NATO continued having one definite outcome.  Members were encouraged to increase their military spending.  Dwight Eisenhower had pointed out that military spending detracted from health care and education, but Trump emphasized the military.  He threatened to take over Greenland, currently controlled by NATO member Denmark.  They already had a military base on Greenland and the Danish government was willing to allow more bases.

All previous American administrations had heavily supported Israel and Trump went further.  After the Hamas attack on October 7th, 2023, European and American students began to protest what turned out to be a genocide of Palestinians.  The students were branded anti-semitist.  One suggestion of his was to clear Gaza and turn it into a tourist area.  Military armaments continued.

More importantly, although previous American presidents had resisted a Netanyahu request to attack Iran he went ahead and to this point lowered American military resources that it affected its military readiness. NATO and others were condemned for the lack of support of his (illegal) attack.  Iran had supported Russia with drones and Russia has supported Iran to hold against overwhelming American forces.  Trump's decisions have led to an increase in gas prices which in turn pump up inflation.  Another long term complication is much fertilizer comes through the Strait of Hormuz.

A later development was a Trump announcement that a joint military exercise with South Korea would not happen.  At the same time we learn North Korea plans to send 50,000 soldiers to fight against Ukraine.  Surely it is no coincidence that North Korea would not want to be distracted by the American troops.   In reality, South Korea has been a useful ally--keeping an eye on both China and Russia.

Within the past two weeks Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have formed a defensive alliance as they feel the U.S. is not reliable.

Unless Americans want to ally with Russia they need to investigate instead of investigating voter fraud and political opponents.  Russia and Israel will do what they can to influence the elections later this year.

Do You Like Brahms?

 It was news to me that there was a love triangle among classical music composers.  Robert Schuman married Clara, a concert pianist while Johannes Brahms pined for her.  Apparently some modern musicians took sides.  For some fans the two composers had personal attachments that interfered with romances.

"Do You Like Brahms?" (2020) is similar in plotting to a soap opera.  Girl and boy stumble to discover love and then circumstances conspire against them before a happy ending.  Chae Song-ah had graduated from business college, but decided to pursue the violin, even though disadvantaged by her late start.  Park Joon-young was established as an international concert pianist.  A few colleagues felt there was too big of a talent gap.  

Lee Jung-Kyung was a violinist of the same age, but more experienced.  She had been the girl friend of Joon-young who was tired of her, but she had a hold through her wealthy family and helped pay off his family debts.  She had also dated Han Hyung-ho, a cellist and friend of Joon-young.

Previous love affairs, heavy debts incurred by a father cloud prospects and a cheating teacher conspire for a complicated plot.  Joon-young generates a good income from international performances, but unknown to Song-ah it mostly goes to pay debts and an ex girl friend with money exploits his vulnerability.  She is not liked by many and has her ups and downs.

Song-ah is quiet and became attracted when Joon-young played a version of Schuman's "Treumari" that plays a role in the film involving others.  Joon-young found himself in conversations with Song-ah and felt comfortable.  He asked her to be a page turner for one of his performances.  They are both introverted and eventually they decide to date.

The relationship moves slowly with a few complications to spice it up.  Song-ah is very uncertain about her future career and is advised she will never be a solo performer or even accompany solo performers.  An agent for Joon-young is very candid with Song-ah saying she is not good for Joon-young.  He keeps his debt problem secret from Song-ah, but others know about it.  The other young musicians are intertwined and the staff have their own politics.

You do hear snippets of classical music, but even more of Korean romantic film songs.  Classical music for most of us is something only refined or weird people take any notice of--I am one of them, not sure which one.  For some viewers they will feel comfortable with the culture.  Stirring contemporary Korean songs may appeal to a wider audience.  The two main characters are very likeable.  

It takes a good cast and crew to make a series work.  Here are a few.

Young-Min Jo was the director.  He has 3 directing credits and 1 for editing.

Ryu Bi-Ro was the writer.  He has 4 writing credits including "Trolley" (2022-23).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/02/the-trolley.html

Jay Kim was the composer.  He has 54 composing credits and 13 for the music department including "You and Everything Else" (2025).   see  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/03/you-and-everything-else.html

Park Eun-Bin  played Chae Song-ah and re-learned to play the violin  She has 30 acting credits including "Hot Stove League" (2019),"The King's Affection" (2021), "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022) and "Castaway Diva" (2023).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html and also http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/07/baseball-lovers-will-find-hot-stove.html  While watching this I also started watching her latest series, "Spooky in Love" (2026) which is very different, but demonstrates her versatility with two more episodes to go.

Kim Min-jae played Park Joon-young and learned to play the piano.  He has 20 acting credits and 2 for soundtrack including a voice role in "Swing Kids" (2018).

Park Ji-hyun played Lee Jung-Kyung.  She has 23 acting credits and 1 for the camera and electrical department including "You and Everything Else" (2025).

Kim Sung-cheol plays Han Hyun Ho. a cellist, friend to Joon-young, a boyfriend to Jung-Kyung.  He has 23 acting credits including "Vincenzo" (2021) and "The Wind Blows" (2023).  see   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/11/the-wind-blows.html 

Ye Soo-jung plays Na Moon sook, wealthy director of the music institute and grandmother of Jung-Kyung.  She has 48 acting credits including "Along with the Gods:  The Last 49 Days" (2011), "The Thieves" (2012), "Train to Busan" (2016), "Black Dog" (2019-20) and "Spooky in Love" (2026).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/01/black-dog.html

Seo Jung-yeon played Cha Young-in, an advisor to Song-ah.  She has 79 acting credits including "Live Up to Your Name" (2017), "Something in the Rain" (2018), "Black Dog" (2019), "Trolley" (2022), "Castaway Diva" (2023) and "You and Everything Else" (2025).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/07/live-up-to-your-name.html

Choi Dae-hoon played Park Seong-jae.  He has 32 acting credits including "Flower of Evil" (2020), "Melancholia" (2021), "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022), "Decision to Leave" (2022) and "When Life Gives You Tangerines" (2024).  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/flower-of-evil.html  and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/04/when-life-gives-you-tangerines.html

Joo Suk-tae played Joon-young's agent who pushed for deals not wanted.  He has 75 acting credits, including "Tunnel" (2006), "A Hard Day" (2014) and "The Age of Shadows" (2016). 

Kim Jeong-yeong played Joon-young's mother.  She has 44 acting credits, including "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and... Spring" (2003), "Signal" (2016) and "The Glory" (2022-23).

Kim Seon-hwa played Song-ah's mother.  She has 31 acting credit including "The Glory (2022-23) and "Teach You a Lesson" (2026).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/06/teach-you-lesson.html

Korean romance lovers should enjoy "Do You Like Brahms?" available subtitled on Netflix.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favourite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

Israel: What went Wrong?

It must be said this situation is under change, but this post is intended to reflect the current circumstances and how they came to be.   "Israel  What Went Wrong" is the most comprehensive book I have come across dealing with this particular global crisis.

Jews were expelled from Palestine by Romans and scattered in many directions.  They were seen by many Christians as Christ killers.  Many were poor, but others served the elites in Europe causing resentment among the lower class workers.  The Bible forbade lending money for profit and thus some Jews were allowed to be money lenders causing further resentment.  Jews gravitated to positions requiring academic training.

There has been a serious lack of awareness about the beginning of Israel.  Most of the world is deeply aware of the Holocaust.  Jews trying to escape the Nazis had found many countries very restrictive and afterwards it induced guilt feelings.  In much of the world the Jews were very conscious of serious discrimination and a few developed the idea of Zionism long before the Holocaust.

The Holocaust was a genocide, but far from the first.  Colonizers were exploiting the resources of poor countries and sometimes found the natives could be very troublesome.  One of the early genocides was in 1904 in an area now known as Namibia under German control  One tribe the Herero fell victim to a genocide and later in 1915 Armenians also fell victim.  These and other examples of genocide did not concern Westerners, but the Holocaust was much closer to home and created repercussions unknown before.

After WW II Britain and the United Nations negotiated the setting up of Israel and Palestine.  Starting in 1947 until 1949 the Jewish military forced over 400,000 Arabs to flee Israel territory in order to assure a Jewish majority.  It is still illegal for them to return with most of their property confiscated for Jewish settlers. 

<from an earlier post:  Albert Einstein gave his support to the Hebrew University, but became concerned over Jewish attitudes regarding Arabs.   As far back as 1929 he voiced such opinions as "Should we be unable to find a way to honest co-operation and honest pacts with the Arabs then we have learned absolutely nothing during over 2,000 years of suffering." >

A constitution was promised back as far as 1947, but prominent politicians wanted to avoid it and religious elements felt it would lessen their control.  Secular Jews feel restricted.  There is still no constitution although some politicians such as Menachem Begin felt it was a necessity to protect human rights.  

Over the years there were several attempts to overturn Israel, but they all failed as United States and others provided massive military assistance.  

Settlers are a major problem as I write this.  Increasingly despite western protests settlers have moved into the West Bank and have more rights than the native Palestinians.  They have been aggressive to the point of killing significant numbers.

Then October 7th, 2023 with the focus at first on the murders, rapes and hostage taking.  It truly was a grisly event that horrified the whole world.  It was probably a small fringe of Hamas that wanted to brutalize the Israelis, but also true that many others approved the fighting back, realizing diplomacy wasn't practical. 

The author feels Biden could have stopped the escalation by refusing to provide arms, but probably felt the public would not support.  Others felt Netanyahu helped flame the resistance, feeling it would solidify his power.  Personally I feel the western protesters have opened a few eyes, but it is still an up hill battle.

Israel set out to curb Hamas and over time flattened hundreds of buildings and killing tens of thousands.  Both sides publicized the brutality towards children.  Palestine, per capita has the most child amputees in the world.  Children as young as 12 were classified as terrorists and imprisoned.

Journalists were killed in their coverage.  Israeli media minimized the brutality towards the Palestinians, much like Germans kept the horrors of the Holocaust from their citizens.

Protests around the world began against the Israeli genocide.  Initially most western politicians cried out antisemitism was the cause and took steps to punish protesters.  Undoubtedly antisemitism increased, but others were able to separate Jews, Zionism and Palestine.  Trump is now horrified by the killings, but once suggested Gaza should be emptied of Palestinians and turned into a tourist centre.  

Israeli soldiers have suffered PTSD with an increase in suicides.  Academics and professionals have started leaving.

The author brought up many suggested solutions, even conceding that Trump's 21 points have some merit.  Without discarding his suggestions I offer the following below.  All solutions will be considered radical by somebody.

Those nations that would like to see a solution can band together to offer reconstruction money, materials and efforts instead of weapons or money to buy weapons.  The contingent requirement would be that Israel must contribute to the reconstruction.  In return the banded nations could also agree to defend against outsiders, including Iran and its allies excluding with restrictions, Palestinians.  Palestinians would have to agree to curb violence in order to speed up reconstruction.  Discussions between the governments of Palestine and Israel would decide the many details under guidance from the banded nations.  If the Israeli public cannot be brought on board they would lose support of the banded nations and be subject to sanctions.  All this requires good will on all sides as well as the willingness of nations to change their contributions from weapons to reconstruction.  Best bets might be the U.S. (under a new regime), and NATO nations.  Germany has been caught in an awkward situation while they feel a need for atonement they have picked up any criticism of Israel as anti semitic, but perhaps a truer atonement could involved reconciling the Jews and the Arabs.  There are sane people on all sides and as others see what a mess has been created would appreciate peace as a goal.  

Trump allowed himself to be persuaded to attack Iran alongside Israel.  The high price of energy causing food and many consumables is a price Americans and most others are paying.  Reason might gain some ground if enough suffer.  Hopefully renewable resources are seen more practical.

Hope that attitudes will change.  Westerners have accepted one side of the conflict for decades, but now some realize that has not been fair.  Encouragingly Abdul El-Sayed, an American Senator prospect has gained significant support for the Palestinians.

In the end some courageous man or woman will have to make a big move.  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/09/we-need-another-nelson-mandela-and-fw.html

The crisis has caused personal hardships, splitting Jewish friends.  One example is  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/02/peter-beinarts-being-jewish-after.html

"Israel  What Went Wrong?" is pretty comprehensive and I think reasonably balanced.

The jacket cover is by Violet Dine.

The Vendetta against Dr. Fauci

 The Republicans have initiated one of their more disgusting actions when accusing Dr. Fauci of mishandling the Covid Crisis.

The covid pandemic was grossly mishandled by their regime and voters should be demanding an accounting.  Start with their leader, Donald Trump who in an effort to make room for a counter productive tax reduction dismantled protections that had been set up by the Obama/Biden team.  Nobody knew much about it, but some precautions seemed reasonable such as social distancing and masks.  Lockdowns certainly worked in other countries.  Vaccinations also worked in other countries.  Bleach did not work, and in fact would endanger others.  The lack of respect for science was underlying the fight.

Did Dr. Fauci make mistakes or take too long to figure things out.  Possibly.  The search for information was intense and it is human to make mistakes.  He did not mislead.

Did American funds allow Chinese labs to manufacture the pandemic?  Where is the proof?  It would seem counterproductive for the Chinese government, but maybe somebody in the lab was careless or short sightedly vindictive.  

Lockdowns may well have hurt the economy, but not as much as the unchecked pandemic would have.   Education is critical, but schools are a gathering of young people who interact.

The current Trump administration has made many mistakes.  One over riding one is their lack of respect for science, particularly when it goes against established businesses.  To many, climate change should be the number one priority, but Trump has told a United Nations audience that "climate change is a hoax" and his staff act as if it were true.

His minister of health, Robert F Kennedy has a long record opposing vaccinations which helped boost a recent measles epidemic.

Trump does not admit mistakes and may have felt Dr. Fauci over shadowed him (he indeed did) during the pandemic.  He is looking for distractions from such things as the Epstein files and the disastrous tariffs combined with an unnecessary invasion of Iran to further add hurtful inflation.

Dr. Fauci was correct to use the Fifth Amendment and his explanation was very accurate.  They wanted him in prison to hide their guilt.

I believe the attack on Dr. Fauci will be another nail against Republican election prospects.  Don't let the voters forget this disgusting attack on a national hero.

Nelson DeMille's Last Book: The Tin Men

After the death of Nelson DeMille it was thought that "Blood Lines" was his last novel.  Not so.  He had begun "The Tin Man "with his son Alex and it leaves a fitting conclusion.

Why do we readers get started on a particular author?  Then, why do we stick with them?  With Nelson DeMille I learned he was related to my mother in law (first cousins) and shortly after I learned that he had a book of the month club selection. and my habit began.  More on the family connection:   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/05/tribute-to-nelson-demille-real-writer-i.html

There are a few differences from most of his previous books, for instance, that it is set entirely in the United States.  More of a domestic conspiracy.  More modern in that the main issue is about a contemporary concern.

It starts with a mysterious brutal death at a military camp.  It is all very top secret and Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, familiar to DeMille's fans are brought in to investigate.  The camp is set up to research a future warfare strategy using "lethal autonomous weapons" i.e. robots.  These robots are all equipped with all sorts of fail safe protections.  They are engaged in pretend battles with human troops and have won every single battle.  

Checking on the safeguards seems impressively secure, but checking into more details reveals that all is not as it seems.  One camp leader is out to prove that humans can defeat the machines, but has been frustrated with results.  The readers gradually learn that all the personnel are not uniform in their acceptance of the project.

What can go wrong?  I would say the two authors are skeptical about claims that robots can be controlled.  Somehow the robots are able to overcome the restrictions and start to kill some humans.  They seem organized and able to think with more sophisticated thinking than they had been designed for.

Of course, bottom line,  it is some humans who have their own motives.  Perhaps I imagined it, but it seemed the authors felt people desiring power are always looking for ways to develop their power. 

Another danger alluded to is the dangers of recreational drugs.  It seems soldiers restricted to isolated areas are under stress and some will seek comfort they believe can be found in drugs.  Psilocybin made from mushrooms was supposed to be especially good at handling stress.  

Robotic warfare is justified by the notion that our enemies are developing it, therefore we need to keep pace.  This goes through all history starting with sticks and stones.  There will always be those who want to use whatever tools are available to develop their personal greed and power. 

Scott Brodie, the hero has been carried forth from a few previous novels and in some ways seems more mature, but he is a bit of a maverick who at some point defies convention to do something he thinks is right.  Often the reader might agree, but recognize actins ae not not acceptable to many others.    

One habit of Nelson's was auctioning off character names for charities.

This has been an enjoyable path circumstances have guided me through.  Once I joined a Nelson DeMille fan website that led to a Facebook friend who recommended some books and films that became blog posts.  One can never be sure what path you are embarking on that could make life more meaningful. 

UNMARRY

 "UNMARRY" (2025) is sort of a romance drama.  At times you will be hoping for a breakup and other times, not.  Celine is married to Stephen, a cheerful, self righteous man who loves his two daughters.  Ivan is a man who loves his son and his wife, but she wants to split and deny any custody.

They both end up at the same attorney who is a woman who does videos on the legal separation process.  Attorney Jackie mismanages her time and the two separate cases end up being counselled at the same time.  Without this unlikely event the plot would have to be adjusted.  At heart Celine wants her kids, but wants to separate from her stifling husband.  Ivan declares he still loves his wife and his son and is fighting an annulment.  

Celine's husband built up a restaurant named Celine's, paying for everything while she actually ran the restaurant.  In person and later in court he seems to feel he owns everything because he paid for everything.  He obviously does love his daughters and feels with his money he can give them a good life.

Ivan's wife, Maya was a successful business woman who sees her husband as an alcoholic and irresponsible and he agrees.  Ivan seems to feel he supported her when she started out, and now he needs support.  He obviously loves his son.  In court his son seems to give more verbal support for his mother, but is obviously torn.

The attorney seems to fill the need for some comedy, but she does give reasonable advice.  The two listen to each story and sympathize with one another.  Celine says she does not really love her husband, but Ivan thinks there must be some love.  The two are also attracted to one another and furthermore also get involved with each other's spouse and children.  

There is a need for humour as the tension is overwhelming as we are made conscious of the children's agony.  There are a few logical outcomes and you might not be surprised by the ending.  It is well done.

As an aside the script brings up Singapore as one of the four has a chance to get a promotion by moving there.  At another stage the script brought up the opinion that there are many difficulties in the world and that United States under Donald Trump made many bad choices while Singapore made better ones.

The cast and crew did a wonderful job.  Here are a few.

Jeffrey Jeturian was the director.  He has 34 directing credits, 8 for production designing and 3 for writing.

Josi (Josabeth) Alonso who works with and is friends with Jeffrey Jeturian suggested the topic from her experience as a practising lawyer and then became an executive producer.  She has always been interested in films.  Her first one was in the Cebuana  (indigenous) language and lost money, so in the future she did some commercial films to help finance films on topics not usually covered.  As a producer she says the hardest thing is saying "no" to directors who want to do more.  She has 95 credits with the editorial department, 57 for producing and 6 for additional crew including "Ballot" (2024).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/02/ballot.html   

Chris Martinez was the writer.  He has 34 writing credits, 23 for directing and 5 for producing.

Len Calvo was the music director.  She has 106 credits for composing, 16 for the music department and 2 for acting including "Green Bones" (2024).

Kara Mareno was the cinematographer.  Kara has 29 cinematographer credits, 37 for the camera & electrical department and 1 for the art department including "Isa Pa with Feelings" (2019).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/12/isa-pa-with-feelings-really-helps.html

Benjo Ferrer was the editor.  He has 70 credits for the editorial department, 31 for editor and 2 for the colour department.

Angelica Panganiban played Celine.  She was born of a Filipina mother and a U.S. navy member and adopted.  She started acting in films as a child actress and won an award for best child actress.  Along the way she won comedy acting awards.  She has 83 acting credits.

Zanjoe Marudo played Ivan.  One of his earliest jobs was as a model for undergarments.  He has 68 acting credits.

Tom Rodriguez played Stephen.  He has 59 acting credits and 3 for soundtrack.

Eugene Domingo played Attorney Jackie.  She married an Italian film critic.  Eugene has 127 acting credits and 4 for soundtrack.

Nico Antonio played Attorney Willi.  He has 107 acting credits, 3 for producing and 2 for soundtrack including "Ballot" (2024). 

Soleen Heussaff played Maya.  She has 49 acting credits and 2 for soundtrack.

"UNMARRY" (with the caps) is available subtitled, on Netflix.  It leads up to a happy ending of one of your choices, but you would have to see which one.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily recommended, but generally found to be worth my time.  If you follow the links you would be better able to decide which films to pursue.

The Trump countdown requires some heavy thinking

 We, (not just U.S. voters), are looking at the loss of Trump's dictatorial powers beginning in less than 100 days.  We need to be careful as he will not give up his power without a fight (not likely a fair fight).  He still has wealthy supporters and too many ignorant voters on his side.  Ignore them at your peril.  There is still lots of prejudice to be stirred up.  For now we see the Democrats as the best instrument for justice.

The issues that non Trump voters can rally around are affordability, ICE and unnecessary wars.  He has already attempted to restrict voting and is prepared to contest any result contrary to his desires.  Although there are many other issues that especially progressives feel are critical they should play in the background.  Climate change is one issue that is getting more acceptance, but is not a strong enough vote incentive as affordability.  Concentrating on what people want is the safest way to insure victory at the polls.  

We should also bear in mind that there is a gap of close to 3 months between the vote and inauguration of the new Senators and House Representatives.  The actual numbers do make a difference.  The losers may react in a variety of ways.  Some will bide their time until the public mood changes while others will fight with whatever legislative power they have and some will accept the public verdict perhaps with some relief and move on.  Trump will be more desperate, realizing his power and even his freedom will be attacked.  

Assuming they do indeed achieve real power the Democrats still need to be careful.  Being vindictive can have negative consequences.  What the Democrats campaigned on and helped them win should be the priorities.  Like many others I believe Donald Trump belongs in prison, but the effort will stir some backlash and will take time away from other goals.  

My priority would be to get climate change acknowledged and dealt with more effectively.  But there are so many other issues.  Decisions have to be made for priorities.  Below are a few thoughts.

Al Gore once said that before climate change can be dealt with we need to fix the political process.  This could be a long effort, but the idea that the electoral college should control all other decisions needs to be challenged.  The losers in that effort would be small states.  Rural residents will also feel threatened.  Proportional representation is fairer and cuts down on political manipulation.  Obama once told us that inequality encourages violence.

Having been a poll clerk I do like the idea of proper identification, but it must be accessible for everyone.  We need to make it easy for everyone to vote.

Affordability has many angles.  Tariffs hurt everyone.  On the other hand poor countries may require protection against rich countries.  Making the world a fair place may not be an immediate priority, but people should be aware that a balance is also in everyone's interest.  Wars should not be the result of a threatened president wanting to cover his sins.  Congress should have the final say.  Taxes need to be balanced, but admit that the rich may not co-operate.  This is a loaded topic involving incentives for hard work and innovation, spending for fairness and overall health.

Immigration is for many a touchy subject.  The irony is that America (and the west in general and Japan) need immigration to replace the unborn babies we count on to take care of us in our old age.  There will likely be dirty work that established citizens look down upon.  Really to be honest, we need their energy and their perspectives.  Much of our innovation and entrepreneurship has been driven by immigrants.  Fortunately the cruelty of ICE repulses many voters.  

Trump made a very big deal with using his executive powers on inauguration day to enact his idea of changes.  The new crew needs to have their own agenda and announce it promptly.

A balanced budget that helps lessen the national debt may not be noticed by many, but would have a few immediate benefits and increase everyone's freedom in the long run.  That means attention to revenue as part of all spending decisions.  

A long term project is to fight ignorance that too often leads to hate.  Trump has pointedly tried to cut out awareness of American acceptance of slavery and indigenous abuses in national museums.  Education is primarily a state responsibility, but obviously national interests are involved.  In the conflict with Iran it has been stated and thought that "they hate us because we're Christians." when the truth is Americans have helped overturn an Iranian democracy in 1953.  Trump has stated that the rest of the world has taken advantage of Americans which is a distortion of reality.  This will be an ongoing battle, but I like to think that a little light will help open our eyes (and hearts).

The Supreme Court is another touchy issue that affects us all.  Traditionally the President makes a nomination and the Senate debates before confirming.  The court needs to be above politics.  As a progressive I recognize the danger of catering too much to public mood, but the court should be respected.  The future is uncertain, but it should not be decided by a group of powerful people.

Winning Congress is only a short term project.  Winning the 2028 election is vital so wasting time and goodwill is counter productive.  

The American Revolution was supposed to give power to the people as opposed to a monarch.  Most Americans overlook the role of the Magna Carta on the road to democracy.  Many of us would agree that Democracy is a fragile thing that needs careful monitoring.  Donald Trump has provided a scary proof of what can happen if democracy is taken for granted.

Baseball Lovers will find "Hot Stove League" fascinating

 Baseball is a game loaded with statistics and the art of hitting an elusive ball where no one can catch it.  "Hot Stove League" (2019) is the most comprehensive sports series I have seen.  We mostly see the players and coach in most sports films, but it takes more to keep a professional sports franchise operating

The main character Baek Seung-soo, with an unusual background applies for the the general manager job for a Korean baseball team.  Although he has no baseball managing experience he had taken teams in three different sports (handball, wrestling and ice hockey) to the top after which they disbanded.  The operations manager, Lee Se-young and the coaches are repulsed by the idea, but somewhere in the ownership they are impressed with him and he does get hired.  

He certainly does have some odd ideas to turn a last place team to a winner.  At first he makes no changes amongst the management or coaching staff although aware of quarrelling among the coaches, but soon makes a move upsetting to them all.  He wants to trade their one top player who is very resentful to the idea.  It turns out Seung-soo has analyzed statistics in a sophisticated manner and starts to win over some of the management staff.

But this is just the tip of an iceberg.  The series explores scouting, statistics, drafting, training, contracts, public relations, marketing merchandise and ad space.  Trades are at the heart of what a general manager does.  Seung-soo sought teams with a weakness at a position that he was strong in and offer a player for their weakness.  At one point breaking down batting average to the spring, summer and fall.  When the steroid scandal developed, punishments were adjusted to discourage, but also to early confessions and this affected trades.        

Two other issues provide complications.  Match fixing is a concern at the league level.  Citizenship requirements, unique to Korea provide emotional concerns.

The corporation owning the team is concerned with branding, while keeping expenses low and reputation. intact  They force changes for the baseball operations.  Their inner workings with regard to the dynamics outside baseball inevitably impinge on the team.

The cast and crew have created a very engaging series.  Here are some of them.

Dong Yoon Jung was the director.  He has 3 directing credits.

Lee Shin-Hwa was the writer with this being his only credit.

Park Eun-bin played the operations manager, Lee Se-yeung who personifies a feminist heroine in that she is not only attractive and likeable, but also does a good job without any romantic entanglements.  She has 30 acting credits including "The King's Affection" (2021), "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022) and "Castaway Diva" (2023).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html

Namgoong Min played Baek Seung-su.  He has 34 acting credits.

Oh Jung-se played Kwon Kyeong-min, a key ownership executive.  He has 100 acting credits including "Swing Kids" (2018), "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019), "It's Okay Not To Be Okay" (2020), "Little Women" (2022), "When Life Gives You Tangerines" (2023), "When the Stars Gossip" (2025) and "We Are All Trying Here" (2026).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/its-okay-not-to-be-okay.html   Note: Both Oh Jung-se and Park Eun-Bin have won awards for prominent roles as autistics in a series.

Song Jong-hak played Go Kang-seon, an ownership executive.  He has 57 acting credits including "When the Camellia Blooms" (2019) and "Flower of Evil"(2020).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/flower-of-evil.html 

Ha Do-Kwon played Kang Do-gi, one of the traded baseball players.  He has 31 acting credits including "My Mister" (2018) and "Doctor John" (2019).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2026/02/doctor-john-highlights-pain.html

Kim Soo-jin  played Lim Mi-jin, the marketing manager.  She has 37 acting credits including "Navillera" (2021).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/11/navillera.html

Jeon Gook Hwan played Kwan Il-do, the chairman of the ownership group.  He has 62 acting credits including "Glove" (2011), "Silenced" (2011), "My Mister" (2018) and "Crash Landing on You" (2019).  Note:  "Glove" is another Korean baseball film based on a true story about a suspended pro baseball player required to coach a team of deaf students.  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html

Most sports movies are all about a team overcoming odds to be a winner.  "Hot Stove Lounge" is more about maintaining a sports organization under very trying circumstances.  It can be viewed on Netflix subtitled.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favourite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

World Cup 2026

The FIFA World Cup  (for men) is certainly the biggest global sporting event.  For the most part, the best players and managers are on display for our enjoyment.  For some it is an opportunity for corruption and for others a platform for political action.  The audience is there as they love the competition.

In the preliminaries to the event Gianni Infantino decided to cater to the vanity of Donald Trump by awarding him a peace prize.  Trump had openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize that had been rejected for obvious reasons. 

Donald Trump was on display taking advantage of photo opportunities and chances to impose policies.  Their immigration program is racist and political.  Iran qualified and the luck of the draw scheduled their 3 games at American stadiums, but were only allowed to compete in America for the games and forced to stay overnight in Mexico.  Disadvantaged they were eliminated by a late goal scored by Algeria.  The mother of the Cape Verde goalie was at first refused admission.

Somalia was one of the countries not allowed to come to the U.S., but a Somali referee was considered one of the top referees from Africa.  He was not allowed at all by the Trump government.  

A top American player, Faloran Balogun was given a red card, meaning not eligible for the next game.  Trump decided to use his influence and managed to have the red card disregarded.  The result was disastrous for the U.S. as they made critical mistakes and lost 4-1.  Faloran Balogun, the suspended player approached the Belgian coach to apologize, but the Belgian coach did not blame him, the decision was made by others.  

To give Trump some credit he had one interesting idea.  American football should be renamed so that soccer can be called football.  It is confusing for English (and French) speaking North Americans as our football is mostly running and passing.  Unfortunately this idea is not going far as the N.F.L. is well entrenched with the American (and Canadian) public.  

Impossible not to notice that many of the European players were African in origin, but still the African nations barely barely made it for the knockout rounds.  It seemed that colonizers did better than the colonized.  Morocco was an exception in that 19 of their 26 players were born outside Morocco and they did advance to the knockout round.  Al Jazeera pointed out that minority players are subject to racist remarks such as with the Netherlands public after three minority players failed in a shoot out

Another political element was regarding Palestine.  The Egyptian coach displayed a Palestine flag and advocated for them--During the first half of the Egypt/Argentina knock out game the Egyptian team scored 2 goals.  However in the second half Argentina overcame with input from Lionel Messi and won the game 3-2.  Egyptians claimed the ref was unfair.  There always seems to be room for criticism.  FIFA, itself has long recognized the Palestine football club and allowed them to take part in qualifying rounds.

Argentina fans made a protest about the Falklands, better known to them as Les Malvinas.  The Argentine government was pro Israel, but the general population was more sympathetic to the Palestinians.

The decision to increase the teams from 32 to 48 countries was beneficial.  Small countries got a chance to play as everyone got 3 games and a few surprised experts.  Cape Verde was perhaps the biggest surprise.  The second smallest population in the tournament, but in group games they were all  draws including against eventual winner, Spain.  In the first knockout Argentina came from behind to win in injury time.  Another surprise was when Paraguay defeated Germany in a shootout.

I would love to see my Canadian team do better, but not too surprised, being eliminated in their first knockout game.  They put on a fair show, but have a long way to go. 

There were lots of interesting facts.

The Japanese, following their example from the previous World Cup cleaned up their seats after game setting a good example picked up by Paraguay.  The Japanese goalie Zion Suzuki was born in the U.S. with a Japanese mother and a Ghanian father.

Lionel Messi setting all time World Cup scoring record until Kyrian Mbappe of France (with a Cameroonian father) broke some of them.

Erling Haaland was a likable star for the Norwegian team whose fans had developed a crowd cheering motion with rowing simulation.

For the first time hydration breaks were part of each game.  Many fans were annoyed and suggesting the purpose was for tv. ads.  Personally I felt over time better for the game. An acknowledgement of climate change and an adjustment we will see more of.  As the World Cup wound up Canada and part of the United States were dealing with some serious forest fires.  Trump blamed Canada, but he is an example of not acknowledging climate change.

Another innovation was a half time show for the final game.  To get in some headliners the break time was extended.  The headliners included Justin Bieber, Shakira, Madonna, BTS and Gustavo Dudamel.  Seemed well received by the fans.  On television the action started inside the stadium, but was visible by big screens.

As with all sports there is an element of flukiness in football such as the position of the ref, the bounce of the ball, position of light and shadow, etc while the better teams manage to their benefit.  As a low scoring game, football can sometimes be decided by a fluke.

In the game to decide 3rd place, England beat France, 6-4, the highest scoring game of the tournament.  Saku for England had 3 goals duplicating a feat of Messi.

Spain deservedly won the trophy defeating Argentina in the final, but I would say France was second best.  I realize Trump wanted Argentina to win as he is cosy with their leader and was upset with Spain over some military issues (refusing to help his Iran attack).  He did get booed when getting ready to present the trophy and medals.  He had to be pulled off the stage while the Spanish players were celebrating.

It still amazes me that the World Cup draws more attention than the Olympics, but it definitely is a massive fan favourite.  I would like to think I will get to indulge in my love for athletic excellence, drama and international good will.

see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/09/fiba-world-cup.html