Just watched Haeundae on Region 2 DVD. What was the fuss about? Dull, dull, dull. Maybe the domestic cut was better (17 mins longer). Maybe the international cut just focused on the things which might appeal to an international audience, and so they edited out anything that might be remotely interesting. I was wondering how … [Read More]
Category: Film reviews and comment (page 29)
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]
Breathless: can there be any escape from the cycle of violence?
Breathless (똥파리) is Yang Ik-june’s debut feature, in which he is also lead actor, and the film has deservedly won numerous awards. As the film opens, a man is beating up his girlfriend in the street. To the rescue comes Sang-hoon, played by Yang, who subdues the offender only to turn to the woman and … [Read More]
Insadong Scandal – a fun caper movie
Insadong Scandal is like Thomas Crown Affair, only slicker and with more twists. Highly recommended # and a suprise highlight of the LKFF2009, with Uhm Jung-hwa on sparkling, even sizzling, form. [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]
Aigoo! Yu Hyun-mok, master of Korean realism, is so depressing
When asked to look back at his career, Yu Hyun-mok, one of the four greatest directors from the golden age of Korean film, said that he was proud of two achievements: That he was always an innovator; That he never filmed a melodramatic love story. In the latter achievement lies the key to Yu, as … [Read More]
Is Lady Vengeance REALLY the best Korean film of the decade?
That’s what The Times seems to think. I’ve never had much confidence in that paper when it comes to Korean film (one of their critics in particular, Wendy Ide, seems to have a complete downer on the country), but I’m not sure that many informed Korean film buffs would agree with the choice of Lady … [Read More]
Saharial reviews Thirst
Being a big fan of Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy, I was definitely excited and keen to see Thirst (박쥐; Bakjwi) his newest release that won the Jury prize at Cannes this year. The story is of Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a priest who willingly undergoes a medical experiment to help find a cure for a virus. … [Read More]
Park Chan-wook: uncut (almost)
Following a screening of Thirst, director Park Chan-wook discussed the film’s decade-long genesis, its dark humour, Catholic imagery and fascination with moral transformation. Insightful and often hilarious, the Q&A offers a glimpse into the personal ideas and influences behind one of his most complex works. [Read More]
Cute kisses and extreme marriages – different perspectives on Park Chan-wook
After Monday’s focus on Thirst, Tuesday’s Mr Vengeance screening, together with a generous hour of Q&A with Director Park, offered the opportunity to focus on his earlier work. In fact, the first question at the Q&A asked about Park’s very first films (pre JSA). Did Park have any tips or lessons learned for a rookie … [Read More]
Lead us not into temptation – Q&A with Park Chan-wook at UK “Thirst” premiere
Appropriately enough, Director Park cast a sombre red shadow on the screen as he walked onto the stage to answer questions following the London premiere of Thirst. The film delivered all the blood you have come to expect from a Park Chan-wook movie, this time with some justification, given the vampire theme. But as always … [Read More]
Green Chair (녹색의자, 2005) review: taboo intimacy and social judgment
Park Chul-soo’s Green Chair exquisitely and explicitly tackles the taboo subject of a love affair between an older woman and a minor. Structured in three movements, it gives an insight into the minds, and opinions, of those both inside and outside the risqué relationship [Read More]
This Charming Girl (여자, 정혜, 2004) review: isolation, memory and the need for connection
This Charming Girl peels away the layers of an ordinary, everyday woman to reveal a character much more interesting and complex than she appears on the surface. An incredible film with astounding realism, This Charming Girl deftly shows that everyone has a story worth telling. [Read More]
Stairway to Heaven: over-rated?
Saharial‘s first Korea TV drama review – and she has her doubts about one of the most popular ones. I am a busy gal and simply do NOT have time to waste on a drama that doesn’t push all the right buttons for me. I have been lucky though, that in all this time there … [Read More]
Storm Shadow v Saya: Who wins?
Just seen GI Joe; and saw Last Vampire last month. Who wins in the battle of Storm Shadow v Saya? I think Lee Byung-hun wins hands down over Jeon Ji-hyun, despite having less to do. # [Read More]
Oasis (오아시스, 2002) review: forcing us to face our own prejudices
Lee Chang-dong has created a confrontational, moving masterpiece that explores the illicit bond between a social misfit and a woman with cerebral palsy. It is both a love story and a story about the human condition and the mirror it holds up for viewers to look at themselves in stays long after the credits roll. [Read More]