What a disappointment. One of Korea’s biggest grossing films this year is just not good enough. It’s a perfectly acceptable gangster flick, but is as bloated as Choi Min-sik, who must have eaten a serious number of pies to get to his fighting weight for this film. The plot is rather charming in the way … [Read More]
BFI London Film Festival (page 3)
K-film at the BFI London Film Fest: Doomsday Book is really not worth the effort
Doomsday Book, the first of six Korean films to screen at the 56th BFI London Film Festival is a set of three short films based loosely on a science fiction theme. The two outer segments, gentle comedies directed by Im Pil-seong (임필성), sandwich a semi-serious but nevertheless meagre filling by Kim Ji-woon entitled Heavenly Creature … [Read More]
Korean Films at the 56th BFI London Film Festival
After a pretty dry couple of years for Korean film at the BFI London Film Festival, this year there’s a feast. Book your tickets now. Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (범죄와의 전쟁: 나쁜놈들 전성시대, 2012) Director-Screenwriter: Yoon Jongbin Producer: Park Shinkyu, Han Jaeduk With: Choi Minsik, Ha Jeongwoo, Jo Jinwoong 133 mins Yoon Jongbin’s … [Read More]
Korean Films at the 55th BFI London Film Festival
Two Korean films will be screening as part of the 55th BFI London Film Festival this month: Hong Sang-soo makes his regular appearance, while Kim Kyung-mook’s Stateless Things centres on the life of a North Korean illegal immigrant in Seoul. Hong Sang-soo: The Day He Arrives Fri 14 Oct | 20:45 | NFT 2 Sun … [Read More]
Where does “Poetry” rank among Lee Chang-dong’s films?
With Lee Chang-dong’s Poetry getting its UK theatrical release on Friday (1), it’s worth taking a moment to think about where it ranks among his filmography. His first film, Green Fish (1997), is also probably his least-known, and tackles Korea’s urbanisation. By contrast, Peppermint Candy (2000), which addresses Korea’s troubled modern history, ranks highly among … [Read More]
Korean Film at the 54th BFI London Film Festival
Three Korean movies at the BFI London Film Festival this year. At the time of writing the evening screenings of Poetry and End of Animal are sold out, but there are still tickets for the others. Film descriptions by Tony Rayns, from the BFI website. Lee Chang-dong: Poetry Thu 21 October 20:15 Vue Screen 5 … [Read More]
Mother reveals Bong’s perversity
This report captures director Bong Joon-ho’s insights on his subversive thriller, detailing his “perverse” casting of icons Kim Hye-ja and Won Bin against their established types. Bong discusses his meticulous control over “feminine” landscapes and storyboards, ultimately emphasizing how the primal maternal instinct can transform a mother into a monster in her desperate quest to protect. [Read More]
Remembering Murder: from “Memories of Murder” to “Mother”
Colette Balmain examines Bong Joon-ho’s Mother as a thematic evolution of Memories of Murder, shifting from a procedural to an intimate, arguably incestuous, study of devotion. By portraying the mother’s desperate quest for her son’s innocence against a corrupt, commodity-driven community, the film serves as a searing allegory for modern South Korea and its buried historical traumas. [Read More]
Korean Connections at the 53rd BFI London Film Festival
Colin Bartlett has overcome the shortcomings of the London Film Festival website search engine by diligently reading the 100 page festival brochure for films with Korean connections. Here are the results of his labours. First, the two main films we already know about: Hong Sang-soo’s Like you know it all (18, 19 Oct) www.bfi.org.uk/lff/node/433 Bong … [Read More]
Night and Day: Hong Sang Soo in Paris
Claire O’Connell reviews Hong Sang Soo’s latest film, Night and Day, screened last week at the BFI London Film Festival What do you do when you are being sought by the Korean police for possessing cannabis? Run away of course. This is how the painter Sung-Nam (played by Kim Young-Ho) ends up in Paris from … [Read More]
Become an LKL reviewer: win a FREE ticket to the BFI London Film Festival
We’re always on the lookout for new talent to join the enthusiastic team at LKL. To entice you think about writing the occasional contribution, here’s a tempting offer. Drop me an email via the contact form volunteering to write a film review every now and then, and we’ll send you a free ticket to a … [Read More]
The big, the small, and the predictable: K-film at the 52nd BFI London Film Festival
Is it a reflection on the current state of the Korean film industry that the films to be shown at the 52nd BFI London Film Festival don’t really surprise me? In previous years the organisers have managed to select films which are out of the ordinary, maybe one or two that I hadn’t heard of. … [Read More]
Festival Film Review: Secret Sunshine at the BFI London Film Festival
Caution: this post contains spoilers. It was slightly disappointing to see Screen One of the Odeon West End (seating capacity: 500) somewhat under half full for the London premiere of Lee Chang-dong’s Secret Sunshine last Monday. By contrast, No Mercy for the Rude, a film which (from its description at least) is much more in … [Read More]
K-film at the 51st BFI London Film Festival
Not to be confused with the Korean Film Festival at the Barbican at the beginning of November (on which more later), the BFI London Film Festival in October has an excellent spread of recent Korean film. The Highlight: Secret Sunshine (Lee Chang-dong, 2007, starring Jeon Do-Yeon, Song Kang-Ho, 142 mins) “A devastating account of a … [Read More]
The King and the Clown – replacement screenings
Just received from the LFF box office We are pleased to announce that we have arranged screenings for The King and the Clown film as follows: Sun 29 Oct 10.30 Odeon West End 1 Thu 2 Nov 18.00 Odeon West End 2 If you want to book for one of these screenings, please contact the … [Read More]
King and the Clown – the print is here
Jase over at koreanfilm.org.uk gives some of the background for the King and Clown’s non-appearance last week. The good news is, the print is in London. Keep monitoring the LFF or Jase’s website for updates as to a screening in the near future. [Read More]