The way you watch Ross Adam’s and Robert Cannan’s The Lovers and the Despot is likely to depend on whether you know the story or not. To those who are coming to it afresh, this is an extraordinary tale which is another example of the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction: one of South … [Read More]
Category: Film reviews and comment (page 10)
Amor (그리울 련, 2015) review: a heartfelt revival of the terminal illness drama
There was a time in Korean cinema when terminal illness was a regular and recurring theme. With its gentle depth and understated, yet wholly realistic, heart-wrenching characterisations, ‘Amor’ reminds us of why the best of such films became thought of as classics at the same time maintaining an originality to its ultimately thought provoking narrative. [Read More]
Train to Busan (부산행, 2016) review: zombies, corporate self-interest and a relentless ride
A father and daughter’s train journey becomes a fight for survival when a zombie outbreak erupts onboard. Combining ferocious, fast-moving undead with humour, emotional stakes and critiques of corporate selfishness, Train to Busan delivers white-knuckle intensity, crowd-pleasing thrills and a rare balance of spectacle and human drama. Miss it at your peril. [Read More]
Brief review: Park Chan-wook’s Handmaiden
I’ll leave others to do the detailed review of Park Chan-wook’s Handmaiden (아가씨), which screened at the London Film Festival this week and which will return later in the month at the London East Asia Film Festival. Suffice it to say that it’s gorgeous-looking, both in terms of costume and interiors, great story-telling and totally … [Read More]
Brief review: Train to Busan
What can you say about Train to Busan that hasn’t already been said? When everyone tells you it’s a fantastic thrill-ride you try to go into the screening with lowered expectations just in case everyone is delusional and you come away disappointed. No need to fear. It’s pretty much non-stop entertainment from start to finish, … [Read More]
Missing You (널 기다리며, 2016) review: reimagining the female revenge thriller
While many of the narrative elements of ‘Missing You’ will be very familiar to fans of Korean cinema, its story of one young woman’s need for revenge is engaging enough to make the film worth watching, its strongest point being its decisive and unexpected resolution [Read More]
Mulberry (뽕, 1986) review: erotic commerce and female agency in Lee Doo-yong’s classic
A simple story concept that uses understated humour to draw audiences into a sumptuously erotic tale that not so long before would have been virtually taboo, ‘Mulberry’ also gives Korean cinema fans the opportunity to watch Lee Mi-sook as a young actress and realise that she was every bit as talented all those years ago [Read More]
The World of Us (우리들, 2016) review: cruelty and quiet empathy in childhood
A gently moving story of the tumultuous relationship of two young girls, Yoon Ga-eun’s debut feature – ‘The World of Us’ – is exemplary in every respect. Highlighting both Yoon Ga-eun’s talent as a writer and director, and introducing the superlative natural acting skill of young newcomer Choi Soo-in. [Read More]
Film review: Tunnel – will it be a hit outside Korea?
Tunnel (dir: Kim Sung-hoon, whose Hard Day put him on the map) has been topping the Korean box office since it was released less than four weeks ago, and amazingly now has a one-week release in the UK, until 8 September. What has contributed to its popularity in Korea? And could it attain the same … [Read More]
The Truth Beneath (비밀은 없다, 2016) review: politics, betrayal and a mother’s descent into reckoning
Initially appearing to be a tale of politics and family, ‘The Truth Beneath’ ultimately shows itself to be a far more personal and poignant story of one woman’s efforts to uncover the truth of what happened to her daughter, and her discovery in the process of the lies and betrayal that permeate her entire life. [Read More]
Brief review: Lee Seok-hoon’s Himalaya
What do Himalaya (Lee Seok-hoon, 2015), Possessed (Lee Yong-ju, 2009) and A Better Tomorrow (Song Hae-seong, 2012) have in common? They are all Korean films which I have gone to a screening room or theatre to watch but couldn’t be bothered to stay to the end. When you pop a DVD into the machine at … [Read More]
The Priests (검은사제들, 2015) review: demons, doubt and ritual
While many would consider one exorcism horror movie to be much like another, ‘The Priests’ manages to combine ideas of modern Catholicism with far more traditional Buddhist rituals to bring a noticeable originality to proceedings. An engaging horror drama with utterly exemplary cast performances. [Read More]
Spirits’ Homecoming (귀향, 2016) review: trauma, memory and the search for closure
Spirits’ Homecoming splits its timeline between the 40s and modern day to shine a light on the ordeal faced by young girls forced into military sexual slavery and the trauma they have suffered. An ultimately uplifting story that speaks of the closure and peace so desperately needed by these blameless women [Read More]
Brief review: The Priests – another excellent LKFF16 teaser
The second of the KCC’s “teaser screenings” for the 2016 London Korean Film Festival, which screened last night at the Picturehouse Central, was another hit. Let’s hope they keep this up. Jang Jae-hyun’s The Priests was a hugely fun (and suspense-filled) exorcism movie, and an impressive full-length debut for the director. It will win new … [Read More]
2016 travel diary 1: Arrival
Canary Wharf, London, 12 May 2016. In previous years I had always felt stressed in the run up to my departure for my annual Korea trip. Had I packed everything? Would I get everything done before I left? This time I was straining at the leash. I couldn’t wait. I had planned most of my trip … [Read More]
Lee Joon-ik’s The Throne: a familiar tale made a believable tragedy
The first of the KCCUK’s “Teaser Screenings” for the London Korean Film Festival 2016 took place on Monday in the presence of Director Lee Joon-ik and the recently-arrived Korean ambassador. The chosen film was The Throne (사도) – a movie which was #5 in the 2015 Korean box office and deals with an incident in … [Read More]