While “race against time” thrillers are two-a-penny in almost any culture, not least South Korean cinema, Man of Vendetta nonetheless manages to supplant expectations on several occasions and, thankfully, steers clear of any forced upbeat moments and saccharine segments to allow for some genuine unpredictability and gravitas to be displayed. [Read More]
People: Kim Myung-min
Open City (무방비 도시, 2008) review: striking visuals, but predictable crime plot and thin characterisation
Despite its high-end cinematography and contemporary soundtrack, this crime thriller is undermined by an unimaginative plot and cartoon-like characterisations. While Son Ye-jin provides a nuanced performance as a sharp-witted gang leader, the film’s reliance on melodrama, unbelievable character motivations, and repetitive action tropes prevents it from achieving any genuine emotional or narrative depth. [Read More]
Saharial reviews Beethoven Virus
Story: Ru Mi, a violinist for 17 years has had little or no luck playing in orchestras, they all seem to disband or fall apart. Now working as a copywriter, she comes up with an idea to make Sukwon, where she lives, a capital for classical music. Her luck has not changed though and the … [Read More]
Sorum (소름, 2001) review: haunted spaces and the psychology of despair
With its slow, brooding and genuinely unsettling narrative, Sorum isn’t a film which everyone will savour, but its uncompromisingly bleak depiction of the vicious depths to which human beings are capable of sinking certainly allows it to stand out from standard horror movie fare. [Read More]