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Thread: Korea Path

  1. #31
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    Thanks.

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

  2. #32
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    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.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  3. #33
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    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.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  4. #34
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    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?

  5. #35
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    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.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  6. #36
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    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.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  7. #37
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    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
    Last edited by trevor826; 11-01-2005 at 12:36 PM.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  8. #38
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    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.
    Last edited by trevor826; 11-22-2005 at 05:07 PM.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  9. #39
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    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.

  10. #40
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    Yeogo goedam (1998) Whispering Corridors

    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.
    Last edited by trevor826; 11-27-2005 at 10:09 AM.
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  11. #41
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    Yeogo goedam II (1999) Whispering Corridors 2, Memento Mori

    Directed by Tae-Yong Kim, Kyu-Dong Min

    Starring Min-sun Kim, Yeh-jin Park, Young-jin Lee

    The only connection between this film and the original Whispering Corridors is the fact that it is also set in an all girls school, and helped launch a few acting careers, this is not a sequel in any way.

    Incorrectly listed as a horror, this is instead a tragic romance. Two students, Hyo-shin and Shi-eun have been ostracised due to their relationship, which has gone beyond friendship. The problems for Hyo-shin run deeper as she has also been having an affair with one of the male teachers and has fallen pregnant. The two girls have kept a diary between themselves sharing thoughts and details of their love, Min-ah, another student finds the diary one-day and starts delving into its secrets.

    From there we flashback to various points in the relationship, there are no scenes of a sexual nature though it’s clear that they are a couple. We bounce between the flashbacks and the present taking in Hyo-shin's suicide with all the speculation and rumour attached. Min-ah appears to become possessed or haunted by Hyo-shin’s spirit until it takes control of the whole school finally gaining release once retribution has been sought.

    Despite the poor subtitling on the dvd I have, the story is easy enough to follow, with the release of the region 2 Pal dvd soon it should flow even better. Quite a decent film, very different from the first in the series and the favourite for many people. No CGI, very little in the way of special effects and turning its focus away from the standards of discipline in Korean schools to the topics of friendship, love and tolerance.

    Certainly worth a rental, entertaining though not in the slightest bit scary.

    Cheers Trev.

    BBFC rated 12.

    Region 2 Pal dvd available soon from Tartan, region 3 ntsc dvd available from several retailers including a 6 disc version.
    Last edited by trevor826; 12-03-2005 at 02:56 PM.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  12. #42
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    Art Museum by the Zoo (199 Misulgwan Yup Dongmulwon

    Directed by Jeong-hyang Lee (The Way Home)

    Starring Shim Eun-ha (Christmas in August), Lee Sung-jae (Public Enemy)

    A light romantic drama that could easily have been named “The Misfits” or any one of a dozen other names.

    On taking some leave from the army, Chul-su (Lee Sung-jae) returns to the apartment he shares with Da-Hye only to find she left the apartment and him 2 months earlier for another man. Instead he finds a new tenant, Chun-Hi (Shim Eun-ha), who works filming weddings and is an aspiring screenwriter. Circumstances decree that for his leave, they will have to share the apartment which is where the fun begins.

    They are completely different from each other; she is messy, disorganised and a dreamer, he is loud, gruff but very tidy, certainly not a romantic. At first they do nothing but argue and irritate each other but over the long haul it’s a case of opposites attracting as he helps her (or should that be hinders) in completing a screenplay for a competition.

    The original concept involves two storylines running consecutively, the couple forced into sharing the apartment and the couple in the screenplay. The imaginary or screenplay sequences are filmed in delicate but muted tones, at times just sepia and generally with a soft focus lens but there are times when paths cross between reality and fiction which all adds to the atmosphere.

    A nice genial undemanding romantic drama with a touch of all to human comedy as this odd couple gradually fall for each other.

    If there’s one genre that typifies Korean films over the last 10 years or so it’s the romantic drama for 20+’s, They generally appear to bring a unique idea to each one and this is a more than decent example.

    The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of saxophone dominated easy going jazz and 90’s pop. If I'm honest I'd have to say I really disliked the music, although it made sense in the context of the film, for me it was like extracting teeth without anaesthetic, although I'm sure I would be in the minority on this point.

    Like many others, it’s certainly not essential viewing but it’s a pleasurable way to spend an evening, recommended for those who enjoy quirky and original romances.

    Cheers Trev.

    No BBFC rating but probably PG.

    Region 3 ntsc dvd available from EDKO.
    Last edited by trevor826; 12-16-2005 at 02:49 AM.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  13. #43
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    Untold Scandal (2003) Scandal - Joseon namnyeo sangyeoljisa

    Directed by Lee Je-yong

    Starring Lee Mi-suk (3-Iron), Jeon Do-yeon (Happy End), Bae Yong-jun


    If you’ve seen any of the numerous versions of Dangerous Liaisons or Cruel Intentions you’ll know the basic story which has transferred well in this Korean period/costume drama. If not, it’s quite simply about a wager, a wager that has deep repercussions for those involved.

    This version brings full period details and archaic upper class manners to life. It's smart, deliciously sexy and only suffers from being a little too long. Set in late 18th Century Korea with the sudden rise of the new (to Korea) religion Christianity which plays its part in the plot and provides the intended victim of the wager, class and social structure/distinction are also very important elements to this tale.

    An effective romantic tragedy, slightly humorous, very decadent and gorgeous to look at, a feast for the eyes and senses as European Baroque music plays in the background surprisingly fitting in perfectly within the context of the film and also connecting it to the original novel.

    As you would expect the standard of the performances from the whole cast is excellent though Bae Yong-jun and the ever impressive Jeon Do-yeon deserve special mention for their roles.

    A definite recommendation, you won’t find too much originality but you will find it entertaining. Unlike Japan, Korean period dramas are pretty thin on the ground and this is a welcome addition.

    Cheers Trev.

    BBFC rated 18.

    R2 Pal dvd available from Soda Pictures. R1 ntsc available from Kino. Various R3 and R0 dvds also available from several suppliers.
    Last edited by trevor826; 12-17-2005 at 09:31 PM.
    The more I learn the less I know.

  14. #44
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    I second your definite recommendation of Untold Scandal. Have you seen Spring in My Hometown?

  15. #45
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    Thanks for your comments Oscar.

    I hadn't even heard of "Spring in My Hometown", thank you for the link to your comments, it has garnered some very mixed reviews and comments re: the filming style and subject matter.

    I'll definitely give it a chance if I come across it.

    Cheers Trev.
    The more I learn the less I know.

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