So's Reel Thoughts: Korean Cinema

Showing posts with label Korean Cinema. Show all posts

Another year, another list. But unlike most years, 2016 was one for the books and I truly thought my top 10 films of 2016 should encompass the realistic world in which we live. So the films that I picked are not only made by visionaries but are ones that show the beauty of humanity and those that remind us the most important aspects of life. Whether they are stories of people with vastly different background, opinions and experiences, we get a sneak peek into their world and into their shoes. And above all, I found comfort in other people's stories as they took me on an exhilarating ride from the heavens to hell, made me face my fears and even made me laugh to bring light to this crazy place called life. So here we go!

Top 10

American Honey (Dir. Andrea Arnold)

Andrea Arnold is one of my favorite filmmakers because her films portray life in all its beautiful chaos accompanied by raw intimacy and electrifying performances. In American Honey, not only does it focus on a coming-of-age story of a free-spirited woman trying to achieve her own “American Dream” but it also shows a daring portrait of the socioeconomic landscape of America while focusing on the most underrepresented citizens. American Honey’s gritty reflection of America is uncompromising, relevant and a hopeful place as ever. // Full Review

Green Room (Dir. Jeremy Saulnier)

I can’t think of another film to come out in 2016 that reflects America’s political division amongst its citizens more accurately than in Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room. At the end of the day whether one is a punk rocker or a neo-nazi, Saulnier presents the vicious cycle of vengeance like a master covering all sides of the spectrum whether his characters are on the right or wrong side of the situation. Thinking that this is Anton Yelchin’s last film, the film shares an important lesson of fighting for what you believe in at all cost. Green Room is grounded in realism and it is powerful in its execution and style that makes it an unforgettable and scathing ride. // Film Review

Spa Night (Dir. Andrew Ahn)

Andrew Ahn perfectly captures a specific corner of the Korean-American experience set in Koreatown, Los Angeles, with his directorial debut, Spa Night. Watching Spa Night as a Korean-American, the film hit too close to home because my problems never felt more validated until I saw it on the big screen. I saw myself in David played by Joe Seo who delivers a powerfully restrained performance, who feels the burden of exploring oneself while trying to abide to familial obligations. Ahn’s acute direction is finely tuned and hones on the specificity of the never before seen culture and stories of second-gen Asian Americans and that we desperately so need. // Trailer

The Fits (Dir. Anna Rose Holmer)

Anne Rose Holmer’s stellar debut film, The Fits, is an emotionally visceral, visually stunning and haunting meditation on the anxieties of adolescence. Newcomer Royalty Hightower is mesmerizing to watch, transforming Toni from tomboy to dancer, all while battling with her own complexities with identity and gender through assimilation. With Holmer’s singular vision, DP Paul Yee’s dreamy shots, and the intoxicating soundtrack, The Fits is an ethereal and spellbinding experience that viewers deserve and rarely see in cinema today. // Trailer

The Nice Guys (Dir. Shane Black)

If anyone could make a thrilling and super-charged buddy cop comedy, it’s Lethal Weapon’s Shane Black with The Nice Guys. You have never seen either Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe quite like this who deliver terrific performances especially Gosling who makes a hilarious turn as an inept alcoholic detective. With hysterical one-line zingers, slapstick comedy and the terrific chemistry between Gosling, Crowe and newcomer, Angourie Rice, The Nice Guys is a sidesplittingly hilarious and refreshing neo-noir film you cannot miss!

The Wailing (Dir. Na Hong-jin)

There has been many groundbreaking Korean films to come out this year from Train to Busan to The Handmaiden but there has been one film that leaves the rest in the dust and that’s Na Hong-Jin's The Wailing. Na toys with our mind and turns the dial to a feverish 1000% in this occult murder mystery which expertly blends various horror genres including the supernatural, zombies, and possessions to say the least. The Wailing doesn't present a clear cut answer and it's not suppose to. It's the hellish descent into madness with a philosophical undertone that truly makes this film, one that will terrorize you many nights to come. // Favorites

Moonlight (Dir. Barry Jenkins)

Once every few years, we get a film that is overwhelmingly stunning in its singular vision and originality that we wonder what did we ever do to receive such a gift? Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight is that film and it’s easily one of the best films of the decade. The film’s poetic portrait tackles themes of identity, toxic masculinity, and isolation, which bursts with sensitivity and shows blackness in all its painstaking beauty. It’s exploration of the complexities of black homosexuality within the community and family has never quite been shown on screen till now and that’s something to laud about. // Trailer

The Invitation (Dir. Karyn Kusama)

You already know a dinner party with your ex and her new lover isn’t going to go well. Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation amps up this “dinner party from hell” story with themes of grief and isolation to deliver a chilling story that you won’t forget. She crafts a suffocatingly tense psychological thriller with razor-sharp precision and artistry. The Invitation is her most masterful and finest work yet. // Full Review

Toni Erdmann (Dir. Maren Ade)

There has never been a film like Toni Erdmann. It’s hard to begin to explain the brilliance of the film because the whole film is an accumulation of “You Just Had To Be There” moments. Maren Ade’s father-daughter story provides some of the most iconic scenes in recent cinema that will have you simultaneously tearing up from ROFLing till you choke and sobbing your heart out. It’s a film that is as outrageously silly as it is profoundly moving and makes us question the important aspects of life like human connection and humor. It's a rollercoaster of a film that you must experience to understand why Toni Erdmann is one of the greatest films of 2016.

Arrival (Dir. Denis Villeneuve)

Based on the 1998 short story, "Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, Denis Villeneuve does the impossible and creates the most artistically intelligent Hollywood film. Accompanied by a booming score by Johan Johannson, Villeneuve crafts this ultra smart story that dares to ask big questions about life and actually answers them with nuance and meticulousness. Profoundly intimate and epic, Arrival is what Interstellar tried to be and failed. It’s hard to believe that a film like this was even made, but it’s one that came at a time to remind us that we need to stand united now more than ever, with empathy and understanding, no matter how alien and fearful our world may be.

Runner-ups:

The Handmaiden
Moana
One More Time with Feeling

La La Land

Honorable Mentions:
Hunt for Wilderpeople
Evolution
Train to Busan
Rogue One
Embrace of the Serpent
Zootopia
The Junglebook
Star Trek Beyond
10 Cloverfield Lane
The Witch

Park Chan-wook's latest film The Handmaiden already made waves at this year's Cannes Film Festival and lo and behold, the marvelous poster just dropped! When I was in Korea, the film had already come out and this exact poster was the one plastered throughout the city and I'm glad they're using the same one for the American poster because it says so much. The story follows a young female pickpocket from the slums who is hired by a con man to join an elaborate scam in which she becomes the personal servant of a wealthy Japanese heiress, who she ultimately tried to seduce! I can't wait to see this steamy lesbian drama unfold once it comes out in theaters October 14!

- Teaser Trailer -

Holly hell you guys! Why didn't anyone tell me that Park Chan-wook dropped the teaser trailer from his upcoming film, The Handmaiden?! Park fell in love with the plot of Sarah Waters' novel, Fingersmith so much that he decided to turn it into a film! It'll be interesting to see how he turns this crime novel set in the Victorian era Britain into a story set in the good old days of Korea. The story follows a young female pickpocket from the slums who is hired by a con man to join an elaborate scam in which she becomes the personal servant of a wealthy Japanese heiress, who she ultimately tries to seduce. Not only does the film have a killer storyline & cast but the rapid-paced teaser gives us a glimpse of the madness that is in store for us! It looks deliciously deceitful and mischievous! I love it already! The Handmaiden premieres at Cannes this month!

Year: 2014

Director: Shim Sung-bo
Writer(s): Shim Sung-bo & Bong Joon-ho
Cinematographer: Hong Kyung-pyo
Cast: Park Yu-Chun, Kim Yun-seok, Han Ye-ri, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Sang-ho
Country of Origin: South Korea
Rating: N/A
Time: 111 min.

Contemporary Korean films have made a reputation of being the most grim experiences out there, replete with unabashed violence, incest, social inequality, and crime – Haemoo has three of those things! Adapted from a play by Kim Min-jung, it’s about a real life incident that occurred when a Korean fishing crew got mixed up in a botched human trafficking operation. Screenwriter-turned-director Shim Sung-bo’s adaptation is a harrowing film riddled with nail-biting suspense and easily accessible blockbuster conventions.

The film takes place in 1998, when the IMF Crisis made life hard for ordinary South Koreans. The owner and captain of a beat-up boat, Kang Chul-joo accepts a high risk job smuggling ethnic Koreans from China in exchange for enough money to save the ship he’s so desperately attached to. Kang doesn’t bother to reveal his desperate plan to his fellow fishermen until they’re out on the treacherous sea, entrapping them in an inevitably doomed arrangement. While everyone seems on board with the plan thanks to the persuasion of a hefty sum, it only takes one of the crew, Dong-sik (Park Yoo-chun), to fall in love with one of the immigrants, leading him to rebel against Kang and his shipmates.

(Continue reading on SoundonSight.org)

It is rare when a film makes you reexamine what you thought you knew about yourself and your beliefs. That's exactly the effect that Yeon Sang-ho's animated film, THE FAKE, provokes. What follows is my conversation with Yeon at AFI FEST 2013 about his challenges with faith, Studio DADAshow and comic books.

What inspired the story?

There was an incident some time back in 2002 that involved a celebrity making a statement that angered the Korean government. It was a sensitive political issue that caused a public outcry. But what he said wasn't completely untrue. That's where the inspiration came from.

Was this political figure in the film?

No, not exactly. I was asked this question a lot in Korea about where I got the inspiration for the film. But it was such a sensitive issue, I wasn't able to talk about it. The figure I'm talking about used to be an actor and said something negative about FDA [Food and Drug Administration] issues. The public was swayed against him because they were confused by what he was saying, and he was saying these things while he was shooting advertisements for loan sharks. Since that time, he hasn't been able to pursue his career as before, and I was watching this person speak for himself when no one was listening. I wanted to take this incident and dramatize it in an extreme way.

I just watched THE KING OF PIGS (2011) and was totally blown away. It was so much heavier than I thought possible. You deal with the theme of being a monster. What draws you to this theme and why is it so present in your films?

Considering my work is in animation, I want to draw out the emotions expressively. That's why the story is more dramatic than most live-action films and why the characters look more monstrous.

Like the characters in THE FAKE, has there ever been an incident where you had to deal with the dilemma of loss of faith?

I face this feeling very frequently. It even comes with the most minor things in life, like when I'm trying to wake up but can't, or when I'm trying to do something but don't. A feeling of failure arises that sways my faith and determination to achieve bigger goals. Trivial things put me in a more unstable position in regards to bigger things.

Do you plan on making a live action film?

Not at the moment.

For people who don't know about your production company, DADA Show, can you tell us a little bit about it?

It is very different from other production companies. I tend to work with very low budgets with a small staff. For me, it's easier to work alone, using my own methods for animation that is cost effective. I realized there weren't many companies that could work with my methods, and some people I knew helped create this production house and I have come so far. Animation often involves getting others to help, but we mostly do everything in house. So yeah, we do things a little differently at DADA Show.

Do you plan on expanding the company and working with other filmmakers?

Yes, I am willing to do that. At the moment we are creating another filmmaker's animation under DADA. He is also the line producer on THE FAKE, and this is his debut film.

There are not many animated films that come out of Korea, and they aren't always very good. You are like a pioneer for animation in Korea.

Yeah, I guess I would say so.

Your films are so hard-hitting and grim to the point where I am completely exhausted from the heartbreaking story. What is the message you want to give to the public?

There are a lot of comics and animated films that I like and I just wish the audience could feel the same response from my films as I do with those comics. I would say if my film drives people to think and rethink, it'll be great. My wife asks me where I learn about all these diverse subjects and I say comic books.

So what are some of the comic books you read that inspired you the most?

There's this particular comic book that I can't think of right now that inspired THE KING OF PIGS. Sion Sono recently made a film called HIMIZU that's based on Minoru Furuya'smanga that I like. But if I were to recommend something for you to read, I would suggest my friend's comic book. His name is Chae Gu-suk and he was the character designer for THE FAKE. There's also another book called “Korea's Native.”

Do you have anything you are working on now?

I am working [on a] project about Seoul Station. It is an animated film about the homeless people around Seoul Station.

I feel like your work is a commentary on Korean society, like Lee Chang-dong's films. Anyone that watches your films can learn so much about the culture.

I am a big admirer of Lee Chang-dong. Like SECRET SUNSHINE.

Yes, it is very reminiscent of your film because that film and THE FAKE both deal with faith in different ways.

I like OASIS, too. I feel that his films are told in a very tight way.

Are there any other Korean filmmakers who inspire you?

Lee Chang-dong, Park Chan-wook. For filmmakers my age, they would all say the same.

Be sure you also read my review of the film! (via. AFI FEST)

OH MY GOD, it's out! Kim Ki-Duk, one of the most provocative South Korean filmmakers of this generation has another film out called Moebius. Apparently, it was so atrociously controversial that they banned it in Korea. After they made some cuts, it is finally being premiere at Toronto and Venice. And now the trailer is out. There is an unnaturally eerie vibe to it already. I am actually petrified of Lee Eun-woo with her smeared black make-up just wandering around the streets and stalking who appears to be her husband. This is some creepy shit.

Observed by their adolescent son (Seo Young-ju), a couple's fight over the husband's (Jo Jae-hyeon) infidelity turns to a grotesque calamity. After failing to sever her husband's penis, the infuriated wife (Lee Eun-woo) chooses instead to dismember her son in order to hurt his father. Family violence sparks a chain of events that culminates in a dramatic epilogue of destruction.

Just by the description, you can see why its so controversial (ahem, "severing penis?!") Kim Ki-duk is one of those rare filmmakers that uses filmmaking in ways I've never seen anyone use before, usually to provoke many late night life-reflecting contemplations.I cannot wait for this film. There is no release date besides the screenings at Toronto and Venice but hopefully it'll come to the U.S.!

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002, Park Chan-wook)

Cha Yeong-mi: In this world...there are good kidnappings and bad kidnappings. A good kidnapping enlists the parents' cooperation. If the parents call the police... the kid dies. The parents pay up...and the kid gets returned. Then nobody finds out about it. That is why people think all kidnappings are bad.

Year: 2002

Director: Lee Chang-Dong

Cast: Kyung-gu Sol, So-Ri Moon

Country of Origin: South Korea

Rating: R (in my opinion)

Time: 132 mins

When I first stumbled upon the trailer of Oasis, I knew immediately that this fearless film about two social outcast who fall in love had the capacity to marinate deep within one's soul and shake the foundation of one's existence. Lee Chang-dong (Secret Sunshine, Poetry) who has been consistent and passionate to the stories of outcasts, tells Oasis with unflinching bravery that with every passing frame, your heart will painfully break, piece by piece. It is at the end of the film when your emotions are beaten to a pulp and left with the substance of mush that the beauty of the story is felt.

The film opens with Jong-du (Sol), a socially unaware, arrogant, obnoxious man who just got out of prison for manslaughter after he accidentally hit a man on the road. Out of sheer "politeness" he decides to visit the family of the victim to deliver a fruit basket when Jong-du lays eyes on his daughter, Gong-ju (Moon), a woman severely disabled by cerebral palsy. Both abandoned by their families and shunned in society, two outcasts fall in love despite their handicaps to complement and strengthen each other's weaknesses. He is mentally handicapped while she is physically inept and together they make a pair who defies society norms and lives life whimsically oblivious. Lee Chang-dong continue to tell narratives of the marginalized outcast of Korea, who is residing in a country populated with citizens that evade and reject anyone out of the norm especially the handicapped and socially unfit.

So-ri Moon gives the performance of a lifetime as Gong-ju which translates to princess in Korean. The unbearable struggle of everyday life is shown as she is imprisoned in her body without the freedom of speech and movement. Then suddenly, with such lucid beauty, the film extends into her imagination, her only outlet to liberty. In her mind, she acts out scenarios of herself as a healthy normal woman whether she is teasing Jong-du or dancing with elephants. Their love is thwarted by the interference of their family, where they are eventually held captive whether it is in jail or in their body but they allow themselves to reunite with such untainted virtue in an oasis state of mind. A

I went to go see Kim Ki-Duk's most recent film, Pieta (2012) at AFI-FEST this year. He even came and did a Q&A and sang for us! Please go to my youtube channel to be directed to the video of Kim singing! And subscribe!

See more: 'Pieta' Stills

Pieta

(2012, Kim Ki-Duk)

Grade: A

Let me just start by saying that Korean cinema thoroughly stresses me out. Maybe it is due to the fact that it does hit so close to home. or maybe it is because Poetry is a Lee Chang-dong's creation. Lee Chang-dong's films have the capacity to bring real emotions onto screen and fully translate to the audience the reality of the situation without the glossiness that films are coated with these days. Like all of Lee's films like Peppermint Candy (2000), Oasis (2002), Secret Sunshine (2007), and now Poetry (2010), there is a sting of uneasiness to his films that jolts your whole being and forces you to reevaluate your life in ways you never thought you would. Lee is certainly a masterful filmmaker. Now, take a gander at Poetry.

Poetry
(2010, Lee Chang Dong)

Grade: A

At the San Diego Asian Film Festival there was back-to-back shorts showcase of Bong Joon Ho's Influenza and Park Chan Wook's Night Fishing.

Night Fishing was entirely shot on the Apple iPhone 4 which means Park has to put in more creativity and possibly effort. Park always blurs the lines with death and reality and once again he mixes the two together. this short film is a eloquent ghost story about fisherman (Oh Kwang-rok) who goes into the depths of the woods for a weekend trip only to capture a dead body in the river. The corpse is played by none other than Lee Jung Hyun (YES, THAT LEE JUNG HYUN) who floats between the dead and living worlds.

The short film leaves a lot for the audiences to piece together this puzzle. but what ensues when the audiences finally gets it is wonderment and a transcendent experience. as a korean american i am a newb to the traditional korean funeral ceremony and watching the odd and peculiar ceremony is intimidating and powerful in its rituals. the picture exudes an eerie, atmospheric, ethereal feeling that seeps into the viewer's soul that allows them to feel the sorrow of the fisherman. its a beautiful short film that was almost unexpected from Park Chan Wook's usual violent blood-baths. in retrospect it is invigorating and surprising but at that moment i almost wanted it to be Park's usual good guy vs. bad guy routine. I always expect the best out of Park Chan-wook and considering that Night Fishing was completely not what i had expected and in that aspect, it can be seen as a masterpiece. He didn't get comfortable and instead surprised his fans by telling a story that was modest and very comedic. Night Fishing transcended beyond his usual filmic traits and our expectations and gave birth to an unprecedented piece of work that juggles the boundaries of life and death. A

At the San Diego Asian Film Festival there was back-to-back shorts showcase of Bong Joon Ho's Influenza and Park Chan Wook's Night Fishing.

Influenza opens the film by stating that only CCTV's (security cameras) were used to capture the downfall of Mr. Cho and the people around him. with this information in mind, it may convince the audience that every action and consequence was taken place in real life and that these people are actually real. As if the audience was one collective kidnapped victim of Bong Joon Ho, he ties us to our chairs and forces us to witness with our eyes forced wide open the horrific impending act that will unfold within minutes. through Bong's filmic technique and timing, the blurry lines of reality and fiction creates boiling fear within the viewer as they possess the knowledge of the events previously and speculate the reality of these events about to occur.

Without fancy equipment and butt-load of money, Bong was able to create a realistic and concise story of the troubled downfall of Mr. Cho. Switching mediums allowed him to become more creative and have more freedom with his story without jeopardizing his filmic trademarks. even with the differences in equipment the use of the CCTV's one shot told a fascinating story that continuously propelled the development of the character from a homeless bum to a ruthless killer. Bong Joon Ho's short film will leave you petrified, giggling, and paralyzed and with those key descriptions, it is something to definitely check out.