Based on an internet comic of the same name, Moss’s underlying references to power, corruption, revenge and guilt, as well as sin and redemption, create a veritable labyrinth of elements within the narrative, ultimately allowing the film to be far more worthy than one might initially imagine. [Read More]
LKL articles by Hangul Celluloid (page 16)
Night Fishing (파란만장, 2011) review: PARKing CHANce’s haunting iPhone short
Ignore the fact that Night Fishing was made using the iPhone4. Even if you took all the best elements from Park Chan-wook’s previous films, wrapped them up within a gripping narrative and added the beyond exemplary cast performances seen here, you still wouldn’t come even close to creating a film as astounding as this. [Read More]
Invasion of Alien Bikini (에일리언 비키니, 2010) review: a flawed sci-fi B-movie genre mashup
Sci-fi B-movie pits a chaste vigilante against a sexually assertive alien seeking pregnancy using gender-role reversals to satirise tradition versus modernity. Starting out as genuinely funny and stylishly brutal, Invasion of Alien Bikini is sadly marred by one rather misogynistic, mean-spirited scene and, to my mind, never fully manages to recover its early promise. [Read More]
The Vegetarian (채식주의자, 2010) review: a dark, haunting exploration of desire, mental illness and art
The Vegetarian is a brooding, unsettling drama that follows Yeong-hye, a woman whose refusal to eat meat spirals into profound mental and emotional transformation. Anchored by Chae Min-seo’s astounding performance, the film navigates themes of desire, family pressure and artistic obsession, delivering a slow-burning, psychologically intense story that adapts Han Kang’s prize-winning novel [Read More]
Blue Swallow (청연, 2005) review: a sympathetic treatment of a contested story
An epic film in every sense, Blue Swallow bravely tells the controversial story of pioneering Korean female aviator, Park Kyung-won. The narrative of necessity blends fact with fiction but, nonetheless, Blue Swallow boldly states that Park Kyung-won was a woman to be greatly admired, rather than vilified. [Read More]
The Front Line (고지전, 2011) review: know what you’re fighting for
While it could be said that the characterisations in The Front Line would have benefitted from having more depth and being slightly less obvious, the film nonetheless remains a far more worthy cinematic offering than any war film about a horse, Oscar nomination or not. [Read More]
Lee Myung-se interview: “the next Jacques Tati”?
Director Lee Myung-se reflects on his career from Nowhere to Hide to Duelist and M, discussing cinematic rhythm, memory, fantasy, and balance. In this thoughtful interview, he explores how his style evolves while remaining uniquely his own, and why film should be experienced as pure cinema. [Read More]
Yeosu (려수, 2011) review: shared burdens, broken expectations and the search for self
The beautiful surroundings of Yeosu provide the backdrop to the cathartic journey of a young man and woman who are both searching to understand and come to terms with their lives and choices. Visually stunning; narratively deep, Yeosu infuses its gently gripping story with intelligent, thought-provoking social commentary and critique throughout… [Read More]
Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater (삼거리 극장, 2006) review: eccentric spirits, musical mischief, warm-hearted horror
Regardless of your particular preference within Korean Cinema, there are times when we all just want to be warmly entertained, and if that’s what you are hankering for, Jeon Kye-soo’s eccentric tongue-in-cheek gothic musical really is something to make a song and dance about. [Read More]
Peppermint Candy (박하사탕, 2000) review: a heartbreaking reverse-chronology epic
Lee Chang-dong’s reverse-chronology masterpiece links one man’s tragic downfall to twenty years of traumatic Korean history in a compelling film which shows how innocence, hopes and dreams can so easily be lost before the heart even realises what is happening. [Read More]
Petty Romance (쩨쩨한 로맨스, 2010) review: a genuinely funny and inventive adult-comic rom-com
A struggling artist and a fraudulent writer collaborate on an adult comic book. Live action and graphic novel imagery combine within this genuinely funny and warmly romantic tale to ensure that Petty Romance both touches the heart and tickles the funny bone throughout, though not necessarily in that order [Read More]
Remember O Goddess (나를 잊지 말아요, 2011) review: lost in the city
Every now and then, a film comes along that from the very outset resolutely, and effortlessly, reminds you of the reasons you fell in love with Korean Cinema in the first place. Yoon-jung Lee’s short film Remember O Goddess (later remade as feature-length Remember You) is one such film… [Read More]
Sakwa (사과, 2008) review: love, deception and the weight of regret
A relationship drama shaped by small lies that grow into emotional rupture; a constantly twisting plot detailing one woman’s shifting romances, and the intricacies of human deceit, betrayal, social pressure, anger and regret. Sakwa is an astounding film, and there’s no deception whatsoever in that statement… [Read More]
Scars (흉터, 2011) review: trauma, identity, and the quiet struggle for selfhood
A dark, in-depth, nuanced dissection of the wounds that make us who we are and the resultant scars that prevent us from becoming the people we want to be, Scars grippingly details one woman’s journey of self-discovery and is guaranteed to leave viewers with thoughts of the scars that have affected their own lives. [Read More]
Ryoo Seung-wan interview: action, justice and laughter
Director Ryoo Seung-wan discusses The Unjust, corruption and justice in Korean cinema, evolving directorial style, acting influences, working with family, and future projects including The Berlin File. An engaging interview blending insight, humour, and candid reflection. [Read More]
Sunny (써니, 2011) review: “it’s okay to cry”
In Sunny, director Kang Hyeong-cheol brings a freshness and vitality to a storyline that could easily have been clichéd and predictable. While it could never be considered deep, Sunny never tries to be, and instead successfully concentrates its efforts on mixing genuinely funny humour with truly moving drama, within an altogether engaging tale. [Read More]