Korea Path

Brief comments on some Korean films I've seen. I'll update as regularly as possible.

So here are the first few.

Feel free to add your own comments, criticisms, thoughts, reviews, in fact anything you like.

Index.

Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance 2002

Holiday in Seoul 1997

Samaritan Girl 2004

Acacia 2003

Joint Security Area 2000

Bad Guy 2001

Love Wind Love Song 1999

Addicted 2002

Oldboy 2003

Oldboy 2003 Oscar's comment

Christmas in August 1998

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring 2003

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter. . .and Spring 2003 Thread started by Chris Knipp

This Charming Girl 2004 arsaib4's comment

This Charming Girl 2004 Oscar's comment

Birdcage Inn 1998

The Harmonium in my Memory 1998

3-Iron 2004

3-Iron 2004 Chris Knipp's comment

Arahan 2004

Real Fiction 2000

Oseam 2003

Happy End 1999

Still to come list

Spider Forest 2004

Il Mare 2000

Wonderful Days 2003

Save the Green Planet 2003

R-Point 2004

Tell Me Something 1999

Interview 2000

Pisces 2000

Failan 2000

Whispering Corridors 1998

Whispering Corridors 2, Memento Mori 1999

Art Museum by the Zoo 1998

Untold Scandal 2003

H 2002

Crying Fist 2005

Crying Fist 2005 Hengcs comment

Spring in my Hometown 1998 Oscar's comment

The President's Last Bang 2005 arsaib4's review

Memories of Murder 2003 Oscar's comment

Camel 2002 Oscar's comment

A Moment to Remember 2004 Hengcs comment

Why Has Bodhi Dharma Left for the East? 1989 Oscar's comment

Woman is the Future of Man arsaib4's comment

Oasis 2002 Thread started by Howard Schumann

The Turning Gate comment by pmw and Oscar

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance 2005

Into the Mirror 2003

Ring Virus 1999


See also - Bad Korea Choices

Cheers Trev

Boksuneun naui geot (2002) - Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Directed by Chan-wook Park

Starring Du-na Bae, Ha-kyun Shin, Kang-ho Song

In years to come when the fuss over "Oldboy" is but a distant memory, this film will still stand out. No outrageous set pieces, no ott displays of over-emotive acting and a story line that is believable, out of the 2 films this is by far the better.

Ryu who is deaf and dumb does everything he can to help save his sisters life, she is in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Unfortunately time and again everything he tries goes wrong until in the end he is seeking vengeance while others are seeking him for vengeance. Brutal but for the most part believable, the film illustrates that revenge isn’t sweet and often leads to even greater levels of violence.

Asian aspect – Organs, kidneys etc are often stolen from the living and sold for large amounts to wealthy patients. The illegal trade in human organs is a serious problem in several Asian countries.

Recommended viewing.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rating 18

Holiday in Seoul (1997)

Directed by Ui-seok Kim

Starring Min-jong Kim, Hee-kyung Jin, Jin-shil Choi, Dong-Kun Jang

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” If that saying is true then Wong Kar Wai can consider himself well and truly flattered. If there was no Chungking Express there would be no Holiday in Seoul, certainly not as it is, the construction, editing, styling, photography, character narration, pacing, the whole shebang is a Korean version of Chungking Express.

That said, I found it to be a good film (once I could get over the similarities) the story revolves around two groups of two people, the first a bellboy who has an obsession with women’s legs and falls for a leg model, problem is she has a boyfriend and a high flying career. The second half is centered around a taxi driver and a hotel phone operator, again he falls for her but she is already involved with a married man.

The biggest difference between Holiday in Seoul and Chungking Express is the overall feeling, Holiday in Seoul has an air of despair, inner city loneliness and sadness, you feel that the hotel phone operator in particular is in a severe state, clutching at straws and on the edge, another similarity with Chungking Express is the fact that she becomes an airline stewardess at the end of the film.

The acting is fine, the pacing is good (as it should be) and despite the obvious comparison it’s quite a decent film.

The title is actually wrong, it should be Holiday Inn Seoul, this is where two of the characters are situated and where a large amount of the film is set.

Recommended, especially if you haven’t seen Chungking Express yet.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating but probably 15.

Samaria (2004) - Samaritan Girl

Directed by Ki-duk Kim

Starring Ji-min Kwak, Min-jeong Seo, Eol Lee

Two naive schoolgirls are saving money to visit Europe, one Jae-Yeong prostitute's herself while her friend Yeo-Jin acts as unwilling look-out and protector. The film is split into three acts in the same way as an opera and indeed it is very much an opera without singing.

You have love, tragedy, death, murder, redemption and salvation. The film does feel disjointed at times but again this is also a familiar theme with opera as each part deals with a distinct area and rhythm of the story.

Act 1 Vasumitra - Named after an Indian prostitute, her skills were said to be capable of turning her clients toward God. Jae-yeong adopts the name feeling she is doing good by selling herself.

Act 2 Samaria - Where Yeo-Jin seeks redemption for herself and for Jae-yeong, her father though has other ideas.

Act 3 Sonata - A murderous finale but one that leads to the salvation of Yeo-Jin, hopefully!

Probably the most awkward of his films in narrative terms (at least from what I've seen) as usual, it brings up controversial topics but with Ki-duk Kim's unique interpretation. The film is not sexually explicit and the only (brief and discreet) nudity is very natural.

Teenage prostitution is a widespread problem in Asia, unfortunately although films have been made as far apart as Japan and India, the problem still tends to get ignored especially when it brings copious amounts of money into a country, like Thailand.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating, maybe 15 but probably 18

Acacia (2003)

Directed by Ki-Hyung Park

Starring Hye-jin Shim, Jin-geun Kim, Oh-bin Mun, Na-yoon Jeong

Slow paced horror about a middle aged couple who adopt a boy, the woman picks him because of his artistic talent, personally if I saw his pictures, I’d send him for psychiatric treatment but that’s me.

The boy “Jin-Seung” is always drawing trees, quite often with disturbing looking figures near them, it turns out he believes that his mother died and became a tree so if he’s not drawing them, he’s talking to or hugging them.

After a little bust up one day, Jin-Seung runs out in a storm and disappears, the police are informed but then the adoptive father starts having recurring nightmares, the mother starts cracking up and the next door neighbours little girl starts talking to the Acacia tree in the garden, strange things also happen to the grandparents.

What has become of Jin-Seung, what is the truth about the Acacia tree and why have the parents suddenly gone mad?

If you don’t mind the pacing it’s not a bad film, far more thoughtful than the average horror and if anything, it’s the scenes that try to make this a horror film which stand out as weak, it didn’t need them, this would have made a fine psychological thriller without them.

The gore hounds won’t enjoy it, but those who like a bit more in the way of a cerebral thriller will at least get some entertainment value from it.

If you enjoyed “A Tale of Two Sisters” there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Acacia.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15

Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA (2000) Joint Security Area

Directed by Chan-wook Park

Starring Yeong-ae Lee, Byung-hun Lee, Kang-ho Song

A poignant film showing the futility of war and the stupidity of humans.

For years Koreans on both sides of the DMZ (De-Militarised Zone) have been raised to see the other side as enemies, the story covers an investigation into the killing of 2 border guards in North Korea. The problem is compounded because there are injured troops on each side of the DMZ as well and both their
accounts of the incident are completely different.

Swiss and Swedish investigators try and get to the truth of the matter but receive minimal help from those involved, we see the story unfold Rashomon style with variations of the truth, unfortunately the true story is more dangerous to
those directly involved than the cover stories they’ve invented, will it ever be told?

JSA is an impressive film which tries to see both sides as decent humans, which I’m sure the majority are, it was a huge hit in South Korea and has hopefully opened the eyes of people to realise that North Koreans are the same as them, they are their kin and it’s only because of the super powers that the split occurred in the first place, Korea will hopefully be re-unified one day and then as in Germany the old views and stupidity will dissipate.

Recommended viewing, well constructed and generally very good performances.

There is a classic Homer(ism) in the film where the Swedish investigator talks about the bridge at Panmunjeom in the DMZ, he comes out with a classic line something like, "People who cross this bridge never return, that's why it's called The Bridge of No Return." And I thought Homer was still in Springfield!

Korean aspect - something that pops it's head up in a number of Korean titles but without it this film wouldn't exist, the North/South split and the hopes of re-unification.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rating 15

Nabbeun namja (2001) Bad Guy

Directed by Ki-duk Kim

Starring Jae-hyeon Jo, Won Seo

The basic premise for the film is that a college girl is forced into becoming a prostitute by an almost mute thug /pimp, what soon becomes clear though is that Han-gi, (the pimp and bad guy of the title) is obsessed with Sun-hwa (the college girl), an obsessive love that for some reason cannot be consumated. A form of relationship develops between captor(s) and captive and the phrase “Stockholm Syndrome” came into my mind during the film but the story is deeper than that.

Han-gi could not in anyway be described as a normal person, he has his own sense of what is right and wrong, he metes out his own punishment to those who cross him but he can and does feel guilt. You get the impression that his whole life has been spent in the red light district, probably the only women he knew while growing up were prostitutes and violence is second nature to him. This way of living is normality to him

Sun-hwa is his polar opposite, the impression given is that her life has been very safe, she is very naïve and once set up, easily manipulated, but inner strength can come with adversity, and she will need it.

Dark and disturbing, violent and deeply vicious, the majority of the film takes place in Seoul’s red light district; the pavements are teeming with prostitutes trying to hook any passers-by into their brothels. The pimps hang around to keep control of their produce (sic) and to ensure customers don’t damage the goods.

I don’t want to dwell on the storyline because I don’t want to include spoilers. Ki-duk Kim has a way of looking into the dark and in some way bringing it into the light, this is no romanticised “Pretty Woman” type film, this should leave you feeling at least slightly disturbed and as usual, with plenty to think about.

I've seen "Bad Guy" three times now and still find it disturbing. As far as human behaviour is concerned, I fInd it even more troubling than "The Isle", probably because of the end section, without which this film would not have been complete.

A challenging film and not one you could heartily recommend to just anyone, the accusations of mysoginy that accompanied the initial screenings don't hold water but most of us would rather not have to deal with the darker aspects of life.

Cheers Trev

BBFC rated 18

Thanks for adding your reviews here, Trev. I know that you got a lot of 'em. ;)

Yeonpung yeonga (1999) Love Wind Love Song

Directed by Dae-yeong Park

Starring Dong-Kun Jang, So-young Ko

Tae-hee lives and works in Seoul, he has recently split from his fiancé and is looking after his ill father. Young-suh lives and works on Cheju as a tour guide ferrying people around the Island, neither are outwardly searching for love but both are in need of it.

A gentle romance set on the beautiful Island of Cheju, Tae Hee takes a well deserved short break and he and Young-suh constantly bump into each other till he asks her to be his guide around the Island, a favour turns into friendship which gradually takes a romantic turn to love.

They plan to meet before he has to fly back to Seoul but when she gets there she finds he’s already gone on an earlier flight, her friends and in particular her mother are quick to put Tae-hee down as someone just looking for a holiday fling but Young-suh doesn’t give up hope, love has taken hold and she doesn’t want to let it go.

Pure escapist romance in a beautiful setting, the film has some nice little touches such as Young-suh’s English classes where the phrases she learns reflect the state of the romance and her feelings. So if you just want to chill out especially with your partner, this is an ideal film.

Cheers Trev

No BBFC rating but suitable for any age group - U.

Jungdok (2002) Addicted

Directed by Young-hoon Park

Starring Byung-hun Lee, Mi-yeon Lee, Eol Lee

Yet another Asian film that’s getting an American remake, this time though (unlike everything from Ringu through Oldboy to Shall we Dansu) there shouldn’t be any reason to change the story in the slightest way. This film could easily translate to almost any culture as there is nothing specifically Asian about it.

As with “Happy End” you won’t understand the meaning of the title till the end of the film but unlike that you won’t have to think about how the title applies. Ho-jin and Dae-jin are brothers, they’re very close despite the fact that they’re very different from each other. Ho-jin, an artist is married to Eun-su, after three years they still send each other love letters and are very happy together. Dae-jin has just completed his national service is single and his addiction appears to be speed, he races cars for a living, they live in the same house and get along really well.

Tragedy strikes both at the same time though, Ho-jin is involved in a car crash that puts him in a coma and Dae-jin suffers a similar fate during a race. Dae-jin pulls out of his coma but starts acting strange, instead of showing interest in cars he suddenly starts creating artworks and furniture just as his brother used to, he claims to be his brother confusing poor Eun-su. The rest of the film is spent trying to work out the truth, has Dae-jin gone mad or is he genuinely possessed by his brother’s soul?

Towards the end I was wondering if this would get a Hollywood style finish, I’m glad to say the saving grace of the film is that it didn’t. It is fairly slow paced and a lot of the acting is performed through the eyes which works very well. Not a must see film by any means but a tragic romantic drama that is well constructed with good acting. Addicted is one film that is likely to appeal to both men and women equally which is a rarity these days.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15.

Oldboy (2003)

Directed by Chan-wook Park

Starring Min-sik Choi, Ji-tae Yu, Hye-jeong Kang

If one film has raised the general populaces awareness of South Korea in terms of film production then this has to be the one.

Oh Dae-Su is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years, why? On his release he is intent on finding out and exacting revenge!

A paper thin plot with some stupendously memorable sequences guarantee this film a good reaction where ever it's screened. I have seen so many serious comments and reviews on Oldboy which in a way is more comical than the film. The film is based on a Japanese Manga of the same name by Minegishi Nobuaki and Tsuchiya Garon and it is a "Black Comedy Revenge Drama" see it, enjoy it, laugh with it (although an understanding of the Asian sense of humour is certainly beneficial) be stunned by the set pieces but please, please, please don't look for any serious messages, there aren't any!

The film asks you to make a few leaps of faith especially when the 2 main protagonists are supposed to be of a similar age and one looks old enough to be the others father, in actual fact the age difference between the actors is 14 years.

Korean aspect - Well I don't know about Korean but eating a live squid/octopus? is definitely not something I'd expect to see in my local restaurant.

Essential cinema - No of course not but a spectacular slice of hokey entertainment. Highly recommended as a good night out at the cinema."

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rating 18

Palwolui Christmas (1998) Christmas in August

Directed by Jin-ho Hur

Starring Suk-kyu Han, Eun-ha Shim


Whereas Ikiru deals with every stage of grief having been told your dying, Christmas in August bypasses the first stages and is already on terms with the final stage, acceptance.

Jung-won runs a small photo shop/studio and is terminally ill, we never find out what he’s dying of but that doesn’t really matter. He’s obviously been ill for a long time, long enough to have accepted the knowledge that he will soon be gone. He spends his days quietly running the photo shop; drinking with friends and sharing time with his immediate family, his father in particular.

Dar-im is a traffic warden (meter maid) who starts using Jung-won’s studio to get pictures of traffic violations developed, within a short time you can feel a mutual attraction developing.

The film is not a romance, nor a lamentation on death, there is little if any sorrow or misery. It is a film about a man preparing, ensuring that life carries on after he’s gone, making the most of the time left to be with the people he cares about and sharing what he knows can only be a brief friendship with Dar-im.

Moving and deliberately underplayed acting, some clever cinematographic flourishes and no melodramatics, all in all a quiet but powerful film that may just bring a tear to your eye.

A definite recommendation.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 12

Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (2003) - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring

Directed by Ki-duk Kim

Starring Yeong-su Oh, Ki-duk Kim, Young-min Kim

Is this a Buddhist philosophical film? is it a film about the circle of life?

Given the director is Catholic it's definitely more of the second but with a hint of trying to understand the first.

Set on a beautiful lake in a secluded floating temple, the human tale of a monk and a boy’s lives told through several stages each set during the appropriate season reflecting actual and spiritual growth:

Spring - the child, innocence.
Summer - the adventurousness, vitality and arrogance of youth
Autumn - the adult, learning to take responsibility for ones actions
Winter - Older wizened, resigned, responsible, redemptive.
Spring - Re-birth, back to childhood.

Obviously these are sweeping generalizations and this is another essential film, thought provoking? Yes but so are all of Ki-duk Kim's films, at least all the ones I've seen.

If you want a Buddhist film try Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? if you want a film that tries to cover life but with Buddhist sentiments, try this.

Cheers Trev.


BBFC rated 15

Paran daemun (199 - Birdcage Inn

Directed by Ki-duk Kim

Starring Ji-eun Lee, Hae-eun Lee

Jin-a is a prostitute working and living in a small run down motel, she seems to provide most of the finance for the Birdcage Inn and yet constantly suffers abuse at the hands of the patrons and the family that run the motel. The main structure of the story concerns the relationship between Jin-a and the daughter of the family, university student Hye-mi.

Hye-mi despises Jin-a for the degrading work she does and also because she provides most of the family's income, things gradually get worse until...............!

There is a strange turn in the tale toward the end that seems a bit fanciful but this is early Ki-duk Kim and it certainly doesn't affect the overall impact of the film.

Food for thought as you would expect from Ki-duk Kim, I always find I question my own ideals after seeing any of his films and lets face it, that's not a bad thing.

Essential? No but still a cut above the average.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating but 15 at least

Nae maeumui punggeum (1998) The Harmonium in My Memory

Directed by Young-jae Lee

Starring Do-yeon Jeon, Byung-hun Lee

A light romantic drama set in the early 1960’s, Hong-yeon an awkward 16-17 year old girl develops a crush on the new teacher at her school, the story is told from her perspective and often throughout the film we hear her thoughts. The teacher is young, fresh out of University and takes the eye of more than a few of the villagers, his eye though is taken by another new teacher at the school, slightly older and with a common love of American music.

This is the set up then for a touching drama where love is ignored or cannot be returned. The pupils are chaotic, education not being their top priority, the fact that most of their parents are illiterate doesn’t help but the teacher manages to organise them even quicker than Arnie did in Kindergarten Cop. The village itself provides a good backdrop with a few little scenes to break away (though not detract) from the main story.

A rich colour palette, good acting and a real sense of a living community all help to strengthen what could have been a sickly sweet romance. Do-yeon Jeon in particular is exceptional as Hong-yeon, completely convincing as a shy awkward girl, she was 25 at the time and her performance in this as opposed to her role in the following year’s Happy End just goes to show what a terrific adaptable actress she is.

The storyline might seem a little familiar to those who've seen Zhang Yimou’s “The Road Home” but that’s only the basic premise, it’s certainly not art-house but it is a well played and for the most part a well constructed film.

Overall then well worth seeing especially if you’re only used to Hollywood style romantic dramas.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 12

Bin-jip (2004) - 3-Iron

Directed by Ki-duk Kim

Starring Seung-yeon Lee, Hee Jae

A film where almost everthing is unspoken, emotions are shown with the eyes and with body language.

Tae Suk is a burglar with a difference, he fixes things, does the washing and steals nothing, he rescues a battered wife and together they continue his bizarre lifestyle until they get caught.

Surreal and ethereal, the film plays out like a modern folk tale or myth, this is one of the most enigmatic and haunting films I’ve seen and one I know I will watch again.

As for the meaning of the title(s):

The original title "Bin Jip" translates as empty rooms or houses, this title doesn't just represent the empty rooms/ houses that Tae Suk enters but as Ki-duk Kim explains, "We are all empty houses waiting for someone to open the lock and set us free."

Ki-duk Kim also commented on the name change to 3-Iron:

"People who play golf would know that 3 iron is the least used club. Imagine the 3 iron stucked in an expensive leathery golf bag but only rarely used. Its image parallels that of an abandoned person or an empty house. At the same time it is the tool with which Tae-Suk rescues Sun-Hwa and so signifies a hopeful change as well."

Highly recommended and one that will stay with you, also probably his most accessable to date.

Cheers Trev

BBFC rating 15

Arahan jangpung daejakjeon (2004) Arahan

Directed by Seung-wan Ryoo

Starring Seung-beom Ryu, So-yi Yoon

Arahan was nearly everything that I thought "Kung Fu Hustle" should have been, it is a martial arts comedy that takes a great many sly digs at it’s own genre. As with Kung Fu Hustle, there are also scenes that parody The Matrix but they’re not overdone.

The joy of this film is that the audience is carried along with the joke; there are the odd winks and nudges when things look as though they’re taking a turn for the serious to lighten things up though there are a couple of scenes of (to me) excessive violence which are there to supposedly give the central character motivation (imagination is never at the forefront with this type of film).

The story itself is nothing new, good guy turned bad, locked up for centuries, accidentally released by workmen, tries to take over the world. Good guys aren’t powerful enough to stop him, find the chosen one just in time, chosen one saves the day. Now how many films does that remind you of?

The bad guy (former good guy) is a strange one though, he looks like a Korean version of Jesus (at least how we’re used to seeing him) or a rock star. The action scenes both armed and unarmed are very well choreographed, some of it on a par with Hero and the like but the comedy accent which is quite subtle and genuinely funny (not forced) isn’t forgotten.

Recommended but only as a rental for a bit of light entertainment.

Cheers Trev

BBFC rated 15 justified for the odd serious violent scenes.

Shilje sanghwang (2000) Real Fiction

Directed by Ki-duk Kim

Starring Jin-mo Ju

A shooting time of just over 3 hours and a running time of about 72 minutes, this is Ki-duk Kim’s Real Fiction.

These are just some of the comments from various reviews. Personally although I think it lacks the depth of any of his other films, I still see this as a worthy effort.

“his most potent example of pointless revenge and violence without even an emotional core to make it worthwhile for mere entertainment”

“Real Fiction is an amateurish and pretentious waste of eighty minutes from a director who has since gone on to produce much better things.”

Maybe some reviewers didn’t bother watching the whole film, I don’t know but some interpretations are so wrong that I find it hard to believe they watched past the first 30 minutes! So an artist goes on a rampage and in one day kills the people who have hurt him most deeply in life, from a cheating girlfriend, an army buddy who constantly bullied him to a customer who shredded and binned a portrait he had just completed for them and on and on. If I explain the film any further it will necessarily contain spoilers and I also think it’s one you need to analyse yourself.

Don’t believe the blurb about it being exploitational though, yes there are violent deaths but you don’t see them, your imagination does the work for you, you will see people shot but not in a realistic manner, blood comes out like a fine red powder, more theatrical than realistic.

My analysis is that of the director exorcising himself of his own demons, of course that is only my opinion and I could be completely wrong.

It’s an experimental film in the way it’s been shot and to be fair Ki-duk Kim has not failed yet to surprise me with each film I’ve seen.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15

Oseam (2003)

Directed by Baek-yeob Seong

Animation.

A tearjerker but not the best.

Based on a novel by Chae-bong Jeong, this is the second interpretation although I’m unsure whether the first was animated or live action.

A Buddhist fable telling the story of 5 year old Gilson and his older blind sister Gami, they wander looking for their mother and are taken care of by Buddhist monks. Gami knows the truth of their mother’s disappearance but finds she cannot tell Gilson because of the pain it would bring.

At the monastery, Gilson continuously gets himself into trouble until he is taken under wing by one of the monks and they head off to a nearby mountain retreat to meditate and learn, things go fine until the monk is caught in a furious snowstorm as he’s heading back from the local town market and Gilson is left at the retreat by himself.

This is a tear jerker but cannot compare with Grave of the Fireflies for unadulterated misery, one weak point though is the character animation, it’s not bad but it is pretty bland especially compared to the backgrounds, some of which are amazingly beautiful. The only songs are Korean folk songs sung by the brother and sister plus of course you have the Buddhist monks chanting

All in all a worthy peace of work, the story will touch you and the animation while not outstanding is fine. Recommended viewing for all ages except the very young.

.Oscar's comment for Oseam.

Cheers Trev

No BBFC rating but certainly no higher than PG.

Thanks to hengcs for his recommendation

Haepi-endeu (1999) Happy End

Directed by Ji Woo Chung

Starring Min-sik Choi, Do-yeon Jeon, Jin-mo Ju

This is one hell of a film, we start off with a couple meeting up for an extremely passionate session. Switch to a middle aged man sitting in a second hand book store thumbing through some romantic novels, the owner of the shop asks him if he’s going to buy the book he’s reading, the man “Min-ki” says no, because to him “A real love story, it’s so sad it breaks your heart” and the book wasn’t good enough.

Why should I quote what Min-ki said? Because I think it’s one of the most important lines in the film, people comment that the film despite its title doesn’t have a happy ending, I’d say for Min-ki it has a literal (in every sense of the word) “Happy End.”

It turns out that the couple we first met are old lovers, the passion is red hot but the problem is, the woman Bo-ra is married to Min-ki and they have a baby daughter. Bo-ra works at a school for teaching English as does her lover. Min-ki a former banker is unemployed and gives the impression that he’s more than happy spending his days in the book shop and his evenings watching soaps. He’s pretty useless around the house too leaving most of the work for his wife; he comes across as lazy and uncaring so it’s no real wonder that Bo-ra is having an affair.

But not everything is as it seems, the overall story has started before we join it and Min-ki is aware of more than he lets on and is not the tame cuckold we are lead to believe. Little fragments of evidence add up and another important change occurs in the bookshop as he switches from reading romance to mystery novels.

Bo-ra on the other hand is finding her lover a little too clingy despite the fact that she is incredibly possessive with him and wants a break to put some effort into her marriage. But it’s too late, the plans are in motion and a few more nudges are all Min-ki needs to finish it.


Spoiler alert


What follows is one of the most brutally realistic totally premeditated murder scenes I can remember seeing, again I’ve read reviews and comments suggesting he lost it and flipped, no chance! Everything he does is very carefully planned, not only the murder but also the incrimination of his wife’s lover as the killer, there are tears after but these are the tears of his “sad, broken hearted Happy End” not tears of remorse. He is left with the one thing he does care about, his daughter, the strange thing about that is the baby probably isn't even his!

End of spoiler alert


Brilliant acting from the two leads, a well thought out if somewhat controversial plot and definitely only suitable for adults.

I thought it was excellent but give it a cautious recommendation.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating but without a doubt an 18.

Happy End sounds good, if a bit extreme. I'm not familiar with Ji Woo Chung, has he done anything else?

I'm not familiar with Ji Woo Chung, has he done anything else?

Also known as Jung Ji-woo, the only other thing I know he's done is a short film - A Bit Bitter in 1996. I have no idea what's happened to him since.

I knew it was a controversial film before seeing it and when watching it I thought it must be because of the sex scenes which are quite strong between the lovers as opposed to the dutiful scene between husband and wife. That may have sparked some controversy if it wasn't for the scene mentioned in the spoiler section above which is chillingly done especially compared to the likes of "Oldboy".

I forgot to bring up the fact that the film resonated with Koreans at the time because a serious economic crash put many "professionals" on the unemployment lists. Min-ki was somebody they could empathise with, although not with what he did.

Cheers Trev

Thanks for the info.

Do you think there's anything interesting here, especially East Asian? You can do a search by country if you like or click on Film List at the top for the whole program.

Good grief, I can't believe the choice. How on earth are you going to pick just a few films from these.

I'll have a good look but I'm sure you are just as, if not more capable of sorting out some good films.

Just from a fairly brief look:

Be With Me - Eric Khoo

Three Times - Hou Hsiao-Hsien

Citizen Dog - Wisit Sasanatieng

April Snow - Hur Jin-ho

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance - Park Chan-wook

Everlasting Regret - Stanley Kwan


Cheers Trev.

I'll have to take a further look, there are far too many from all around the world, now why can't we have a festival like this?

Biggest surprise, seeing Deepa Mehta's "Water" on the list. I'd given this one up after all the trouble they had trying to film it.

Thanks a lot for the choices. I should've known about Khoo's Be With Me with my conversations with hengcs. I'll try to add it depending on the schedule.

Water opens the festival and I think Mehta deserves it for all the troubles she's gone through. She didn't get the actors she had for her initial attempt with the film (Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, both from Fire), so she went with a more mainstream cast.

Still to come.

Oasis
Tears Unfair Life
Memories of Murder
The Surrogate Womb
My Wife is a Gangster
Untold Scandal
Last Present
Ardor
Marriage is a Crazy Thing
Nowhere to Hide
Indian Summer
Woman is the Future of Man
Virgin Stripped Bare by her Bachelors
My Sassy Girl
My Beautiful Girl Mari
Ditto
The Way Home
Natural City
Take Care of my Cat
Mago
Musa the Warrior
The Quiet Family
Gojitmal
A Tale of Two Sisters
Phone
The Day the Pig Fell Down the Well
Public Enemy …….and more.


Cheers Trev

Geomi sup (2004) Spider Forest

Directed by Il-gon Song

Starring Woo-seong Kam, Jung Suh

Kang Min wakes up in a dark forest, bloody and physically battered with little if any recollection of how or why he is there, regaining some of his consciousness he makes his way through the trees and stumbles across a cabin. Once inside he discovers a mans corpse, copious amounts of blood splatter the floors and furniture, he also finds the near dead body of his girlfriend, again severely battered. As she dies in his arms she points, he follows the direction and sees what he believes is the killer, the chase begins until he is the one caught out and knocked out.

As he regains consciousness, he again sets off in pursuit of the murderer until he enters a tunnel and gets knocked over by a car. The story is then taken up as he wakes up in hospital having been comatose for a couple of weeks.

What starts as a fairly straightforward murder mystery is raised a few notches by the unfolding story which heads off on tangents that will please fans of David Lynch, a twisted path with some ends that lead nowhere and others that take intricate twists in oblique directions.

The murder scene itself is graphic and the film is definitely made for a mature audience, the performances are convincing and because of the innumerable twists and turns, the film has good rewatch value.

There is a chapter relevant to the film's title “Spider forest” which heads off into the realms of folk tales but I haven’t been able to find anything else to corroborate this mythology.

Well constructed, nicely paced and not for those who like to be spoon fed, this gets a thumbs up from me.

Cheers Trev

No BBFC rating but definitely 18

Available on Region 3 DVD.

Siworae (2000) Il Mare

Directed by Hyun-seung Lee

Starring Jung-Jae Lee (Dogme # 7 – Interview), Ji-hyun Jun (My Sassy Girl)


A romantic drama based around a house (Il Mare), a dog (Cola), a beautiful girl (Kim Eun-ju), a young architect (Han Sung-hyun) and a magical time teleporting mailbox. This wasn't a huge commercial hit in South Korea but judging by the IMDB rating, it's a big hit with the people who have seen it.

Yet another Korean film getting a Hollywood make-over, will the remake hit the spot? We’ll have to wait and see, but I have my doubts.

The very amiable cast take us through an easy going storyline of two owners/tenants of a designer house, separated by time yet connected by a mailbox and their attachment to a scruffy little dog, Cola. They correspond via the mailbox, first in disbelief then with growing attachment as they realise the truth in their unique situation. Han Sung-hyun, with the benefit of being in the past is able to see Kim Eun-ju in her slightly younger years and can help her with some minor problems, although of course she is unaware of his help at the time.

They arrange to meet at a set time and date on a beautiful beach on Cheju Island (also featured in Love Wind Love Song) but for some reason Han Sung-hyun fails to turn up. The rest of the film revolves around why he couldn't make it until after some serious heartache and soul searching from Kim Eun-ju the tale reaches it’s climax and resolution. Will they ever meet? Can they ever meet? The only way you’ll find out is by watching the film!

Very easy going, light, fluffy and definitely one for a romantic evening. It won’t tax your brain but it may well entertain you.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating but no more than a 12.

Region 3 ntsc dvd available from several retailers.

Wonderful Days (2003) Sky Blue

Directed by Moon-saeng Kim, Park Sunmin

Animation

An imitation anime from South Korea, the basic plot could have come from any one of dozens of Japanese anime films or series. It’s the usual world in a mess, polluted, most of humanity wiped out with a small percentage of the survivors living it up while the rest are just fodder to provide the luxurious lifestyle of the few.

Of course someone is forced to rise up and cause a revolt against the few leaving the world a better place for everyone, ridding the world of the pollution that was deemed necessary to provide the perfect lifestyle for the elite. It’s all been done before and with a lot more originality and style, Miyazaki’s “Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind” is the perfect example of the dangers of waste and pollution. Wonderful Days aspires to be a Korean “Akira” but is unfortunately more of a “Spriggan”, the shallow storyline is only one of its problems.

Graphically, there’s a mix of 2D animation for the characters in a 3D computer generated environment, I have yet to see an animation like this work. A lot of scale models were also used then ditgitised to fit in with the overall look but they stand out like a sore thumb. CG only works with 2D animation when it is used sparingly and sympathetically within the style of the animation.

A plus point, a really nice sound track with a good variety of music that blends well together and within the context of the film.

I can’t recommend this because of the Clichéd plot, the bizarre mix of animation styles and the fact that it is a pale attempt to imitate anime. It's not poor enough to list as a "Bad Korea Choice" but it is lacking in any sort of originality.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15.

Available on region 3 ntsc dvd.

Save the Green Planet! is a truly bizarre film and not one that's easily recommended. I do have a problem with the ending which has a feel of being tagged on, maybe as a crowd pleaser.

I like your "crazy-Korean-comedy" phrase, it certainly suits quite a few films, most of which have grown up themes but a comic angle that would suit 5 to 10 year olds.

Thanks for your comments arsaib4.

Cheers Trev

P.S I should be posting a few reviews over the next couple of weeks, apart from the ones listed we also have Tartans 2005 Asia extreme film tour in from Friday.

Thanks.

Looking forward to reading about the Tartan Asia Extreme tour. I know that they take the word "extreme" very seriously. ;)

R-Point (2004)

Directed by Su-chang Kong

Starring Woo-seong Kam


A disappointing start to Tartan’s Asia extreme tour 2005 at least IMHO.

This is a weak story of a platoon of Korean soldiers during the Vietnam war who are sent to R-Point to try and find out what happened to a previous group. R-Point itself turns out to be a misty area of land with a warning message carved in stone. A long time before the area had been a lake but a massacre had taken place, the Chinese killed hundreds of Vietnamese and had discarded their bodies into the lake, they then filled in the lake and a large temple had been built atop it. The warning stated that anyone who entered the area and had shed blood would not leave there alive.

The problems with the film are down to several things, it’s supposed to be a War/Horror movie but is lacking in both areas. The actors for the most part were awful, these are experienced troops, most of them held the rank of Sergeant yet when anything slightly strange happened they ran around like a bunch of headless chickens (I was going to say like a group of schoolgirls but that’s an insult to them). The editing was all to pot, leaving you wondering what the hell was going on as characters would just disappear and end up somewhere completely different without any sense or reasoning.

The actual setting for the film was terrific very photogenic, although I’m sure some of it must have been filmed in the ruined temples in Cambodia that have appeared in several other films. The atmosphere was also good, dank, misty and mysterious, nicely done.

If it was meant as some sort of antiwar statement, it failed! As a horror movie, it’s too generic and fails. I did get the impression of a film trying to be too many different things instead of concentrating its strengths and pulling off something far more memorable, the one thing I will say, it lasted almost 2 hours and I can’t say it bored me.

It did pique my interest finding out that South Korean troops fought in the Vietnam War, something I was unaware of, I just wonder if they were there under pressure from the US as has been the case for several countries with the war in Iraq.

So a mediocre start to this selection of films, not boring but so much weaker than I had expected.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15.

Telmisseomding (1999) Tell Me Something

Directed by Yoon-Hyun Chang

Starring Shim Eun-ha (Christmas in August, Art Museum by the Zoo), Han Suk-kyu (Christmas in August, Shiri)

Film number three in the Tartan Asia extreme tour 2005.

Memories of Murder dealt with the stupidity and incompetence of the police in the mid eighties and was very loosely based on a real unsolved case. Judging by “Tell Me Something” the police aren’t as incompetent these days, they’re even worse.

The film starts with a gruesome dissection taking place, blood flows freely as the scalpel slices slowly and carefully through the skin (I queried the flow of blood but the answer was given later). Following this body parts start appearing around Seoul in black bags, all the parts are there but they don’t connect, they have come from a few different people. Further mixtures of body parts are found in different locations until one is identified by his dental records.

The police manage to connect the head to a museum curator Chae Su-Yeon who manages to identify the (by now) three heads found, they are people who have been lovers in her past so the killer obviously has a connection, if not very unhealthy obsession with her. They pick up a male friend of hers and grill him, he definitely qualifies under “unhealthy obsession” and he becomes the main suspect until parts of his body turn up.

Delving into Su-Yeon’s past, we discover she was abused by her father as a child, now the father has disappeared and again becomes chief suspect until, yes you’ve guessed it!

As for the police, they’re bloody clueless! The main one Detective Cho almost gets run over twice yet fails to get any details of the car, other things give away his total stupidity (or should that be gullibility) but to explain them would give away too much of the story.

Other reviews have compared the film to “Se7en” and “Silence of the Lambs” but to be honest, each of those were far stronger and more competent, this is more in the league of “Basic Instinct” but without the sex, it is superior to the similar German film “Tattoo” though.

To be fair the actors are good (although I preferred the two main stars in another joint vehicle “Christmas in August”) there are some very good set pieces, like the multiple pile up caused by a bag of body parts. Also because of it’s construction it almost demands a second viewing.

Not bad but there are far better ones out there, worth a rental if you like this kind of film.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 18.

I guess the Tartan tour has been a disappointment for you so far.

Film number three in the Tartan Asia extreme tour 2005

Did you miss a film?

Sorry, the second film was pretty good, above average for its genre but was from Hong Kong so I haven't listed it in this section. "One Night in Mongkok" has been the standout so far, for entertainment, depth and construction I'll post my comments in the last film seen thread asap.

The Korean films haven't impressed this year and I'm not even attempting to watch the last one "Another Public Enemy" because almost everything I've read has been negative and I can't stand the idea of being bored in a cinema for almost two and a half hours.

That leaves another Hong Kong film,"Abnormal Beauty" from Oxide Pang and Shinya Tsukamoto's "Vital", the only Japanese entry. Thankfully both sound really interesting and neither ramble on for hours.

Still have around 30 Korean films that need commenting on though so I'll crack on with that.

Cheers Trev.

Interview (2000) Dogme # 7 - Interview

Directed by Hyuk Byun

Starring Shim Eun-ha (Christmas in August), Lee Jung-Jae (Il Mare)

This film is a simple tale but is told in a disjointed fractured manner, this method is entirely suitable and draws you in giving the feeling that you are involved.

A director (Lee Jung-Jae) is filming interviews with a lot of different people discussing their first love. While filming he becomes entranced with one of the interviewees, just a normal girl who works in a beauty parlour but there is something quite enigmatic about her.

The girl (Shim Eun-ha) captivates his attention as she tells him about her job, her life and the love of her life who is in the army. The fragmentation occurs as we find out that a lot of what the girl is telling him is not quite the truth, slowly the pain and heartache of her past are revealed in a way that makes us, the audience not merely witnesses or voyeurs but participants in the story.

Shim Eun-ha’s character is an enigma, we know as much about the truth of her story as the director does, given little snatches until the final denouement. This is clever film making which gives the impression at first of being nothing more than a bit of arty experimentation, get past that and you have a story that can’t fail to draw you in and make you empathise with the central characters.

Shim Eun-ha is captivating and proves what a good actress she is, unfortunately this appears to be the last film she’s worked on, unless anyone knows different!

Highly recommended as an alternative form of romantic drama.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating but probably 12.

Region 3 ntsc dvd available from several retailers.

Mulgogijari (2000) Pisces

Directed by Hyung-tae Kim

Starring Mi-yeon Lee (Addicted), Woo-jae Choi (Phone), Ji-hye Yun (Whispering Corridors)

Where do you draw the line between love and obsession?

Ae-ryun (Mi-yeon Lee} owns a video store called Sad Movie, she loves French films and has a thing about Kurt Cobain. Dong-suk (Woo-jae Choi) is a singer/songwriter and shares the same tastes, they form a friendship based on their mutual interests.

Dong-suk is also a bit of a depressive, he can’t seem to get a recording contract no matter how hard he tries and ends up getting drunk and reeling off quotes about how “You can get anything you want in life as long as you want it enough”. This is the sort of talk that Ae-ryun needs to hear, she knows that he has a long time girlfriend but tries to make a move on him, although flattered he tells her that all he wants is friendship, nothing more.

What started off with the air of a gentle romance turns into something a little darker, Ae-ryun’s nature takes over, she’s taken his drunken comments to heart and is determined to win him over. Feelings that appeared to be genuine and warm become obsessive and deceitful causing friction in Dong-suk’s relationship.

The plot takes an even bigger twist towards the end, which makes you re-evaluate everything that’s gone before adding an extra dimension to the story.

This film belongs to Mi-yeon Lee, an excellent performance as a woman obsessed, the other actors are fine but she dominates the film. This is no bunny boiler and at the end you feel sorry for all the central characters that things work out the way they do.

I have to mention Woo-jae Choi’s singing, it’s dire! No wonder he cant get a recording contract in the film, others may disagree but I didn’t like his singing voice or his music.

Overall then, not an essential film by any means but a very different treatment in comparison to the way Hollywood has presented this type of obsessive love drama.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating but I’d put it as probably a 15.

Region 3 dvd available from several suppliers

Failan (2001)

Directed by Hae-sung Song

Starring Min-sik Choi (Oldboy, Happy End), Cecilia Cheung (One Night in Mongkok)


Kang-jae (Min-sik Choi) is a lowlife thug of a gangster, despised by everyone including himself. His life is going nowhere and even the other gang members treat him as a joke, a has-been, garbage and pitiful.

Failan (Cecilia Cheung) is a young pretty woman who has lost all her relatives apart from a couple who live in Korea. It’s only on arriving there that she discovers they’ve moved to Canada, leaving her stranded, nowhere to go and trying to find some way of staying in Korea.

Kang-jae marries Failan (for a price) but they never actually meet. She is taken to a town and put to work in a laundry, the only time that Kang –jae hears about his wife, is when he is informed of her death, this is where the story really begins.

Flashbacks show Failan’s life after the marriage, letters she has written to him (which he reads for the first time while travelling to her funeral) connect the past with the present. Something, a tiny little thing, affects Kang-jae. A tiny comment slowly but surely causes a genuine sense of feeling, of guilt, of affection and loss.

This man who the day before couldn’t sink any lower finds something, a kindness from a stranger so touching that it literally tears his whole being apart.

As he goes through the inevitable ID and funeral service you can sense the change, this woman has given him something that nobody else can or has ever wanted to, a reason to live, a missed opportunity but a chance to gain some self respect.

Where will this lead him, how will the other gangsters especially his boss (who wants him to take the rap for a murder) react?

A well constructed melodrama with very good performances from the leads, definitely recommended and quite an affecting/effective film.

Cheers Trev.

No BBFC rating but at least 15 (swearing and violence)

Region 3 ntsc dvd available from several suppliers.

Failan sounds like an interesting emotional affair. I think a Region 1 dvd is available so I'll check it out. Can't go wrong with Cecilia Cheung.

Directed by Ki-Hyung Park (Acacia)

Starring Roe-ha Kim(Memories of Murder), Mi-yeon Lee(Addicted), Jin-hie Park(Love Wind Love Song), Ji-hye Yun(Pisces)

A traditional style ghost story, slow paced and lacking the flash editing and effects that are overused in most modern horror films. Notable for a couple of reasons, as a platform for launching the careers of a fair few of its cast and for helping to create a better environment for learning within the Korean education system.

Strange things are happening at an all girl school, a teacher is found hanged (assumed to be suicide) while an ex pupil returns to take up teaching. There seems to be a cycle of odd events recurring every three years since the sad death in the school of a student who had been ostracised from her peers and friends.

Death appears to be marking the teachers who take pleasure in bullying and brutally stamping their authority on the pupils, who or what is causing the deaths and why? Meanwhile the school system is having a traumatic effect on the current pupils, one in particular has been pushed to the edge.

The film ran into trouble by depicting the cruelty and punishments meted out by some teachers but it also did some good by bringing this taboo subject into the open and certainly makes this film stand out from the crowd.

None of the acting is outstanding but it is certainly adequate, the film's success relies on the plot rather than shock value. In essence, an old-fashioned ghost story with the disclosure of the real horrors that were happening in Korean schools.

Not essential but certainly educational/controversial as well as entertaining.

More likely to remain a cult favourite than to achieve the success of a film like "Oldboy"

Cheers Trev

BBFC rated 15

R2 Pal dvd available from Tartan, R3 ntsc also available.