Film of the month archive
Treeless Mountain / 나무없는 산 Director: Kim So-yong (김소영) This
internationally acclaimed film by Kim So-yong centers on Jin, 7, and
Bin, 4, who are left in the care of an alcoholic aunt while their
mother searches for their missing father. They wait for their mother in
earnest while busily filling the piggy bank she gave them. But the
mother does not keep her promise to return once the piggy bank is full,
and Jin and Bin are again forced to move, this time to their
grandparents' house. Source: Korea Times Some thoughts.. Like
many indepdendent films, this takes a while to get going. Howard
Feinstein from Screen International writes, "As in In Between Days /
방황의 날들 (2006) (Kim's previous film), the pacing is slow, yet pitch
perfect for the tale that unfolds. It is not for every viewer, and
while the technique occasionally feels mannered, the payoff makes it
worthwhile." He later writes " The filmmaker works wonders with the
child actors, who appear relaxed and natural in front of a camera that
is nearly on top of them." And Empre write "So (Kim) coaxes superlative
performances from her adorable leads, creating an enchanting,
challenging film without ever sliding into sentiment" I have yet to see
this film, but from all accounts, it's a film you shouldn't miss. The
director, Kim So-yong is an award-winning film maker who's well known
for her first feature film, In Between Days. Treeless Mountain seems to
have further cemented her reputation as a very gifted filmmaker. She
works with her American husband, Bradley Rust Gray, whom has
collaborated with her on both feature length films in different
capacities from producer to scriptwriter. In fact most of the crew
working on Treeless Mountain are not Korean, which is quite interesting
in itself, including cinematographer, Anne Misawa. Given
that this film has a PG certificate, perhaps it is a film for all the
family, though its lack of pace may deter many. It is coming to UK
cinemas this Friday, so don't miss out! Of course, this film, like
Breathless, featured in the London Korean Film Festival, so if you
missed out then, here is your chance! More news on when and where it is
screening in the next day or so. Sources: Screendaily Trailer (with English Subtitles) Film of the Month Paju / 파주 Director: Park Chan-ok (박찬옥) Introduced
at the 14th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF), director
Park Chan-ok's movie is about a girl who happens to live with her
sister's husband. Though she believes he killed her sister, she loves
him despite the deep hatred. As a suburban city of Seoul and a longtime
military area, Paju is shown as full of such contradictions and
wandering souls. Source: Korea Times Some thoughts.. The
film is not the easiest film to follow as it doesn't follow the
traditional linear narrative structure; instead the film's story is
told through a series of flashbacks, which are not always in order.
Viewers are expected to be patient as the story unfolds and perhaps
this will be a big ask for those who want a conventional narrative. The
film seems to tackle a range of issues as the central character,
Joong-shik played by Lee Seon-gyoon (이선균),
is a young activist who heads up a group of squatters who oppose the
demolition of an apartment complex and is not afraid to use rocks and
Molotov cocktails as a use of force. Meanwhile, his sister-in-law, Enmo
played by Seo-woo Seo Woo (서우)
suspects him as responsible for the death of her sister who was killed
in a gas explosion. Things are further complicated as she has feelings
for him, so I wouldn't expect a film that you can turn on and then
switch your mind off. Perhaps
one of the film's most notable strengths is the powerful central
performances, particuarly from Seo-woo, who has apparently recieved a
number of offers from American and Dutch directors and is willing to
act abroad. Her previous credits include Crush and Blush / 미쓰 홍당무
(2008) and Handphone / 핸드폰 - (2009). As
far as I am aware, it has yet to be sold to the UK, but because of its
dark tone and complexity, it is probably a hard sell even though it may
perfrom very well on the festival circuit. But if you do happen to be
in Rotterdam in January, or shows at a festival near you in the future,
or when it comes availble on DVD, it might be one you might put on your
list. Darcy Parquet describes it as a film that "should help to cement
Park's reputation as one of Korea's most talented art-house directors"
and Russell Edwards from Variety writes "radical politics offer no
place to hide from guilt and shame in ther superiour Korean mystery
meller "Paju." It seems it really is a must see! Trailer (without Subtitles) Sources: Screendaily
Starring: Kim Hee-yeon (김희연), Kim Seong-hee (김성희), Lee Soo-ah (이수아), Kim Mi-hyang
(김미향)
Running Time: 89 min
Korean Release Date: 27/08/2009
Number of Korean Admissions: 7,086 admissions
Korean Distributor: CJ Entertainment 
Synopsis
January
is fast becoming a month for independent Korean cinema with the release
of this film on Friday (8th Jan) and the release of Yang Ik June's
(양익준) stupendous film, Breathless / 똥파리 on Janurary 29. Like
Breathless, Treeless Mountain / 나무없는 산 has been a critical hit for its
stunning cinematography and powerful performances from the young cast.
In this month's Empire, they give the film 4 stars and I have yet to
read something that criticizes the film. Given that the UK, for the
most part, imports more of the commercial flare of Korean cinema, or
films from Korea's directorial elite, I urge you to seek out these
little gems. 
Empire Magazine (Feb 2010)
Starring: Lee Seon-gyoon (이선균), Seo Woo (서우), Sim I-yeong (심이영) & Kim Ye-ri (김예리)
Running Time: 111 min
Korean Release Date: 29/10/2009
Number of Korean Admissions: 131,109 (still on release)
Korean Distributor: MK Pictures. 
Synopsis
This film has caused a bit of a storm amongst critics and is set to be
one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. Even before its
premiere at the Pusan International Film Festival in October, this film
was eagerly awaited for two reasons: the director's first film,
Jealousy Is My Middle Name / 질투는 나의 힘 (2002) impressed many, so her
next film was bound to cause some attention. Secondly, the fact that
this film has been in the making for the last five years has also made
it stand out. And now it has been released, it seems to have met
expectations. Reviews have praised it for its depth and complexity
together with impressive performances and striking cinematography and
it will open the Rotterdam Film Festival. Park Chan-wok's (박찬옥) last
film won the Tiger Award at Rotterdam, so it is quite fitting it will
open the film festival. Whilst some won't see Rotterdam in the same
league as Cannes or Berlin, it is the first major festival of the year
and has always been a strong and effective platform to promote Korean
cinema.
Variety
Memories of Murder / 살인의 추억
Director: Bong Joon-ho (봉준호)
Starring: Song Kang-ho (송강호), Kim Sang-kyeong (김상경), Kim Roi-ha (김뢰하), Song Jae-ho (송재호) & Song Jae-ho
(송재호)
Running Time: 127 min
Korean Release Date: 25/04/2003
Number of Korean Admissions: 5,255,376
Korean Distributor: CJ Entertainment
UK Release Date: 13 August 2004
UK Distributors: Optimum Releasing
1986,
Gyunggi Province. A young woman is found brutally raped and murdered. A
couple of months later, several other rapes and murders occur under
similar circumstances. In a country that has never known such crimes,
the dark whispers about a serial killer grow louder. A special task
force is set up in the area. A local detective, PARK Doo-man, is joined
by a detective from Seoul who requested to be assigned to the case, SEO
Tae-yoon. Finding the killer grows more and more difficult, however,
driving the detectives to ever greater despair Source: KOFIC Some thoughts.. So
why is it so good? What is all the fuss about? Well, I am not going to
list all the reasons as I want to review the film properly as part of
the Bong Joon-ho season, but I will make a couple of brief points.
Forgive me if I get a little carried away. Bong
is also able to mix genres in a way only he is able to. His cinematic
mind allows him adopt generic conventions and then flip them upside
down. His use of black humour through the use of Korean slapstick
combined with characteristics of the crime genre allow him to produce a
unique film that both adheres to genre conventions, but at the same
time, rejects them. Take for example, one of the methods detective Park
adopts in finding the killer is to search for people without testicular
hair. Utterly hilarious, but also very disturbing and thus, further
illustrates the point Bong wishes to make - to stress the incompetence
of the police force that is more interested in suppressing the people
than catching a criminal. Of course, the lack of closure is
illustrative of Bong's refusal to adhere to narrative norms. Trailer with English Subtitles Thirst / 박쥐 Director: Park Chan-wook (박찬욱) Given
the film's premiere in London in just over two weeks time together with
its general release on October 16th, I thought it would be fitting to
have Thirst / 박쥐 as the film of the month. Park
has always been one to divide critics. Some see him as highly
innovational, skillful, philisophical and extremely talented. Others
meanwhile have labelled him as pretentious and repulsive. I would
probably situate him amongst the former. For me, the Vengeance trilogy
is his best work, particuarly Oldboy /올드보이 and Sympathy of Mr. Vengeance /복수는 나의 것; whereas JSA /공동경비구역 JSA, whilst very entertaining, it is very shallow when compared to his other films; and I'm a Cyborg, but I'm OK
/ 싸이보그지만 괜찮아 although aesthetically brilliant, doesn't quite deliver
the depth I was expecting. Nevertheless his weaker films still show
extraordinary talent. The creativity behind I'm a Cyborg is nothing less than breathtaking - only Park is capable of making such a film. Its
box office in Korea shows mix results. Whilst it performed extremely
well in the first week as it took over a million admissions in its
opening bank holiday weekend, the film only took 2,223,077
admissions, which suggests word-of-mouth wasn't particuarly favorable.
Although 2 million admissions is not exactly a box office bomb, given
the film's profile at Cannes and the star profile of Song Kang-ho and
Park Chan-wook, one might expect more given its first week's
performance. But Park's films don't really do well on the domestic
maket - with the exception of JSA, of course - and therefore, although
it didn't perform amazingly well in the domestic office, it does not
necessarily mean this is illustrative of a box office failure overseas.
Indeed, the film's extremes is arguably tailored towards an
international audience and given Park's cult status on the global
stage, commerical failure is almost impossible, although only time will
tell as to how successful it will be. But given the film's explict
style and Park's established reputation as a director of 'extremes', I
suspect it will perform admirably here in the UK. The
film goes on release on October 15 and its premiere is at the Curzon
Soho on Monday October 6th with Park doing a Q&A afterwards. I am
currently unshore as to the format of release: selected cinemas, or a
more commerical release, or somewhere in-between, but I will let you
know as soon as I am informed. Likewise, I will let you know if and
when they are sellng tickets for the premiere. Here is Metrodome's Exclusive Trailer of Thirst 
Synopsis
Given
there is going to be a Bong Joon-ho retrospective at the BFI in
November, I thought it would be a good idea if I made one of his films
the film of the month. Since I not long ago made Mother / 마더 the film of the month, it would make little sense writing about Mother again - though I am looking forward to writing a review - so I turn to his masterpiece, Memories of Murder / 살인의 추억.
Regarded
by many as the finest contemporary Korean film, this film is an
outstanding piece of work that warrants repeated viewings and
attention. Whilst some may see this as quite old – it was made six
years ago, which is quite a long period in Korean cinema given the high
volume of films produced – this is a film that will live on for
eternity for its depth, complexity, courage and wonderful filmmaking.
This film is emblematic of Korean cinema for its originality,
innovation and sheer class. I am certain as its quality continues to
resonate, it will be seen as one of the finest Korean films ever made. 
The
film’s greatest attribute is arguably Bong’s remarkable ability to
combine the needs of the narrative – having a story, building
characters, providing tension etc.- with a backdrop that provides the
ingredients for the narrative to flourish that enables Bong to tackle
the social and political issues is such an innovative and compelling
way. For instance, in this film, he uses the story of a serial killer
on the loose and how the police try and catch him. But this is only
part of the story – this film is as much about the police searching for
a sadistic murderer as it is about a film that documents a particular
moment in Korean history – the 80s. Though, anyone familiar with modern
Korean history will realise this film is also about the period that led
up to the 80s and the consequences of this movement as illustrated
through the epilogue. In short, Bong exposes the contradictions
inherent in Korean history, which is told through a story about two
police detectives hunting a serial rapist and murderer. 
I
realise now I am almost reviewing the film and writing snippets from my
MA dissertation, so I will stop. But for those who have yet to see this
film, my immediate question to you is why not? If you haven’t seen it,
or indeed want to see it on a big screen, the BFI are
screening it as part of the retrospective. Otherwise, you can purchase
it on DVD from a variety of high street and online retailers. I have
yet to meet a person who hasn’t liked this film. In fact I recently
lent it to a friend, who subsequently said it is one of the best the
films she has ever seen. This is a film that blows my mind every time I
sit down and see it. Simply put, it is the pinnacle of Korean cinema.
Starring: Song Kang-ho (송강호), Kim Ok-bin (김옥빈), Kim Hae-sook (김해숙) and Sin Ha-gyoon (신하균)
Running Time: 133 min
Korean Release Date: 30/04/2009
Number of Korean Admissions: 2,223,077
UK Release Date: 16 October 2009
UK Distributors:Tartan Pallisades & Metrodome. 
Synopsis
Beloved
and devoted priest from a small town volunteers for a medical
experiment which fails and turns him into a vampire. Physical and
psychological changes lead to his affair with a wife of his childhood
friend who is repressed and tired of her mundane life. The one-time
priest falls deeper in despair and depravity. As things turn for worse,
he struggles to maintain what’s left of his humanity.
Source: KOFIC
Some thoughts..
So what about Thirst?
This film seems to have further divided those critics that either love
him, or loathe him. In Kim Kyu-hyun's review, he says that on its
release in the U.S, "many critics and viewers have blasted it as a
pretentious bore or a poorly conceived adaptation of Emile Zola's
"Therese Raquin" (from which this film borrows certain plot points and
a central love triangle): only a few critics hailed the film as a
masterpiece." He then goes on to say he belongs to the latter - he has
after all, always been a massive Park Chan-wook fan. He lables the film
as "Beautiful, disgusting, haunting, moving and mysterious, "Thirst" is
not an easy movie to decipher, but will bountifully reward adventurous
and open-minded viewers." Darcy Parquet, too, is very complemtary of
the film as he argues Thirst
is a "complex and supremely inventive work sees the filmmaker back on
top form." But the film is bound to attract those who are critical as
it 18 certificate signifies the gratuitous violence and sex - the film
as been described as extremely explcit in this regard and will
therefore no doubt offend some. 
Sources: Ohmynews
Screendaily
Chaw 차우 Director: Sin Jeong-won (신정원) Some thoughts....
Starring: Eom Tae-woong (엄태웅), Jeong Yu-mi (정유미), Jang Hang-seon (장항선) & Yoon Je-moon (윤제문)
Running Time: 121 min
Korean Release Date: 15/07/2009
Synopsis
One
day in a small and peaceful village Sameri, boasting no criminal cases
for 10 years, a terrible accident happens. Some parts of dead body
ripped off cruelly are discovered by ecologists who stayed in the
mountain for studying wild animals. A policeman KIM Kang-su just
transfers to Sameri from Seoul and takes this case. The victim turns
out to be a grand-daughter of CHUN Il-man, who was once a legendary
hunter. He is convinced that it happened not by human but man-eating
boar, Chaw. People of Sameri with full of fear invites one of the most
famous hunters BAEK to catch the Chaw. Hunter BAEK grabs it and looks
like proving himself as the best hunter. But the one which makes people
scared is still in the mountain.....
So, the
summer is here again and that means horror flicks come out by the
bucket load in the Korean box office. But, it was only two years ago
that they decided to do away with horror films following a decline in
interest in the genre, but perhaps they felt they could rejuvinate the
genre. Um..... 
Anyway,
we have another monster flick. These kind of films don't usually do
well in Korea - they become a bit of a laughing stock, though of
course, there is one rare exception, The Host. This film seems to tread
on similar ground to that of Bong in that it seems to focus on dark
humour. This is also something inherant in British monster flicks - Dog
Soldiers.
From the review over at Yonhap,
it suggests that there is more focus on the story telling, which
results in a lack of attention on the CGI. Quite often it is the other
way round.... That said, however, as with most Korean films that
require CGI, they use the expertise of American or Austrialian
post-production houses that specialise in visual effects, so the CGI
may not be that bad after all. 
This
is the director's second film. His first film, Sisily 2km / 시실리2km
(2004) faired well with almost 2 million admissions. He has often been
referred to as Korea's Tim Burton due to his stylistic strengths. He
has a great deal of experience in the music video industry where he
seems to have established a name for himself.
It has a big cast headed by Eom Tae-woong (엄태웅), who has been in a countless films including Hand Phone / 핸드폰 (2009), Forever the Moment / 우리 생애 최고의 순간 (2007) & the excellent Family Ties
/가족의 탄생 (2006). He is also Um Jung-wha's brother - can you spot the
similariities? It also stars Jeong Yu-mi (정유미) who also stars in Family Ties / 가족의 탄생 (2006).
Given
the commerical appeal of the film, it is unsurprising that it has been
sold to ten countires including the U.S where it will be released
sometime this year. Optimum Releasing have now purchased the rights
So,
it will be interesting to see if this does well, or flops like so many
Korean horror films. It will have to do well in its first week as CJs 해운대 / Hae-woon-dae will no doubt saturate the market a week later like a tsunami, especially if it follows the same stategy it used for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen,
which it screened on over 1,100 screens - films that go on release are
usually released on between 350 - 500 screens, or if they are big,
perhaps 800 srceens - so for it to survive the second week and beyond,
it will need some critical success from audiences and critics alike. Or
a miracle.
Trailer of Chaw 차우 - no subtitles.
CJ won't be complaining with over 5 million admissions after its second week for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen,
but what does it mean for smaller distributors? However, as Han
Seung-hee, a researcher at the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) said "This
could be good news for the Korean films that are coming. When a movie,
be it foreign or homegrown, creates a hype, then people look forward to
the films that can take over the baton." Lets hope so. Perhaps the
success or failure of Chaw will indicate whether Han's claim is indeed correct.
Sources: Yonhap News
Korean Times
Mother / 마더
Director: Bong Joon-ho (봉준호)
Starring: Kim Hye-ja (김혜자), Won Bin (원빈), Jin Goo (진구)
Running Time: 128 min
Korean Release Date: 28/05/2009
Korean Distributor: CJ Entertainment
Synopsis
The film follows Hye-ja (same name as the actress that plays her - Kim Hye-ja (김혜자)) as she takes care of her absent-minded son, Do Joon, played by Won
Bin (원빈). Although he is 27, he is very childlike - he has a memory
like a gold fish and has little sense everyday dangers. One evening he
gets very drunk and subsequently thown out of a bar and then follows a
school girl home - he is set on sleeping with her. She turns down his
proposition, throws a rock at him and then chases him away. But she is
found dead the next day and Won Bin is the key suspect. However, his
mother doesn't believe he is capable of such a think and is determined
to prove his innocence.
Some thoughts...
It
won't come as a surprise that I am a big Bong Joon-ho fan and that I am
very much looking forward to this film. And no doubt, there are many
others that are would like to see this film and hence the flurry of
activity amongst buyers at Cannes. You can find out more here where the film has been sold to.
Whilst it doesn't appear to be as commerical as The Host / 괴물, the star presence of Kim Hye-ja (김혜자) - she is a big TV star in Korea - and Won Bin (원빈) (Taegukgi
/ 태극기 휘날리며) will bring some attention. Let us not the forget the
biggest star of all, Mr. Bong himself. Though, as the recent box office
would suggest, stars don't necessrily bring success. That said,
however, we probably have one of the most talented and consistent film
directors at the helm, so I can't imagine it will fail to please
audiences. At the very least, it will do well abroad. Like Park
Chan-wook, Bong joon-ho commands a great deal of respect abroad. 
In
terms of reviews, inevitably, there is a bit of a mix, but the
impression I get is that it hits gold, or very near to it. To be
honest, I don't think it is possible for Bong to make a bad film.
Interestingly, according to Goodridge over at screendaily,
he seems to have been heavily influenced by Hitchock when making this
film, though critics will often site popular film directors and make
comparisons when it is not necessarily the case. However, like most
filmmakers, be it in Korea or Hollywood, I am sure he will be very well
versed in global cinema. And lets face it, any Hitcockian influence
can't be a bad thing. 
Bong
also seems to be set on using real location to bring a sense of realism
to the film. This is trait that is characteristic of Korean cinema
since the 60s, which peaked during the late 80s and early 90s, though
in recent times, this has gone out the window with one or two
exceptions - Lee Chang-dong is one, of course. So it will be
interesting to see how Bong explores this concept of realism - a
characteristic, also, of the Cannes Film Festival. 
The story itself has strong parallels to Memories of Murder
/ 살인의 추억, not only in the subject matter, but also in how Bong
cleverally takes the forefront of the narrative - this being the crime
and the mothers fight to clear her son's name - and move it, so that it
becomes secondary. Instead, the releationship between the mother and
son becomes the centre of the film. As Bong explains, "the film is
like a magnifying glass that focuses warm sunlight to a burning point.
It is a drama that unfolds with great intensity, a story rooted in the
fundamental nature of motherhood". He also adopted a similar approach
in Memories in Murder to astonishing affect. Likewise the crimes in Memories of Murder
were also secondary interest to Bong; his primary focus was the films
backdrop - the period when Korea moved from a dictatorship to a
democracy. Bong is a remarkable film maker and I am confident that this
film will reflect the enormous versatility he has as a film
practitioner.
Sources: Screendaily
Cannes Film Festival website