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]
People: Moon Geun-young
Lovers’ Concerto (연애소설, 2002) review: love remembered, hearts broken
Framed through memory and regret, Lovers’ Concerto follows a young man reflecting on a formative relationship with two women. Openly melodramatic and often contrived, it nonetheless builds deep empathy through measured direction, strong performances, and emotional unpredictability, culminating in an unrelenting portrait of love, loss, and heartbreak. [Read More]
Tale of Two Sisters screens at the KCC
This week’s screening at the KCC is Kim Ji-woon’s (김지운) stylish suspense / horror flick Tale of Two Sisters (2003). (7 August, 7pm) Kim’s filmography is varied and of a high quality. He started with comedy – the macabre Quiet Family (1998) and the hugely fun Foul King (2000), and now seems to be in … [Read More]
The top 30 LKL pictures of 2007 – part 2
Here’s #11-20, in reverse order: #20: Tottenham Hotspur’s Lee Young-pyo: #19: 1970s Seoul: #18: The first appearance of top K-pop star BoA, in her campaign for Olympus: #17: Shinhan Bank’s Manchester United Credit Card: #16: The cover image from Kyung-Hyun Kim’s heavyweight book on Korean Cinema — a still from Peppermint Candy: #15: Robot Taekwon … [Read More]
Celebrity news round-up: January 07
Rain, LKL’s man of the year 2006 has started 2007 on a low-note with a speeding ticket in Hong Kong at the start of his gruelling tour. He also underwhelmed one reporter at a Singapore press conference who found him just a little dull. This wasn’t a reflection on his performance on-stage (and I’ve yet … [Read More]
A Tale of Two Sisters (장화, 홍련, 2003) review: psychological horror meets visual beauty
This exploration of family trauma, abuse and mental instability has slow-building tension, unreliable perceptions, layered symbolism, and narrative twists which reward repeat viewing. A lot of horror films are described in dark, brooding terms but very few could be described as beautiful; A Tale of Two Sisters is a sumptuously beautiful film [Read More]