Assassination (2015)

Directed by: Choi Dong-hoon
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: Set in 1933, “Assassination” is a historical espionage thriller that focuses on the Korean resistance movement created in the aftermath of the Japanese invasion of Korea. Plotting against the Japanese leaders, a group of exiled rebels, operating from Manchuria, China, seek to avenge the fall of their country in the hands of the illegitimate occupiers and recover what was taken from them. The assassinations are planned to occur in Gyeongseong (Seoul), and the targets include the Japanese high-ranked commander, Kawaguchi, and a pro-Japanese Korean businessman, Kang In-gook. The only one capable of leading this mission is An Ok-yun (Jun Ji-hyun), an infallible sniper who has first to be released from a Shanghai prison, where she’s serving time with her dauntless mates: the guns' aficionado, Big Gun, and the expert in explosives, Hwang Deok-sam. In charge of taking them out of the prison is Yeom Seok-jin, an agent of the provisional Korean government who had managed to escape out of prison in 1911. Embracing the risky mission with all her strength, An Ok-yun will also have the chance to meet with her estranged twin sister, Mitsuko, who was separated from her when they were babies, and now is going to marry commander Kawaguchi. The mission becomes even more complicated when she finds out there’s an informer among her comrades. Moreover, two inexorable assassins, Hawaii Pistol and his follower, Old Man, were hired to destroy the team and stop the mission. Director and co-writer, Choi Dong-hoon, who had fairly entertained me in his previous “The Thieves”, could have done much better here. Sadly, the several conspiracies, ambushes, traps, and shootouts, are presented with a phoniness that pushed me away from the story in an early stage. Mr. Dong-hoon, regardless having recreated the period with nice looking images by the cinematographer, Kim Woo-hyung, assembled a cheap Hollywood imitation thwarted by a scattered narrative, convoluted plot, lack of conviction in choosing the direction to be taken, and indistinguishable characters that didn’t show sufficient arguments to make us care. In addition, the excessive duration of the movie increases the viewer’s discouragement in the face of an inept execution that never spoke with a voice of its own.

A Hard Day (2014)

Directed by: Kim Seong-hoon
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: It had been a while since one of these virulent Korean thrillers didn’t hold my attention. To be more precise, the last one was “Snowpiercer”, a Bong Joon-ho’s creation, released more than a year ago. Even considerably distant from the riveting action movie cited above, the brand new “A Hard Day”, the sophomore directorial feature from Kim Seong-hoon, was thought with logic and cooked with enough energy and intensiveness to solidly entertaining me during the toughest day in the life of Western District homicide detective, Ko Gun-su (Lee Sun-kyun). After a tiresome day, where he and his colleagues were subjected to a meticulous investigation for bribery, detective Ko drives in the middle of the night in order to meet his sister and little daughter for the final burial of his mother whose funeral happened hours before. However, tragedy occurs and he accidentally runs over a man who was standing on the side of the dark street. In panic, and under the pressure of a patrol police car that was checking the area, he hides the dead body in the trunk. After being stopped at a DUI checkpoint, which was the funniest scene in the film, he couldn’t find any better solution than dump the body inside his mother’s coffin. From then on, he starts receiving threatening phone calls from an abusive corrupt cop, Lt. Park (Jo Jin-woong), who inexplicably demands that he brings the body of the victim that after all was wanted for murder. Most of the plot’s twists had a successful impact while just a few ones are guessable, fact overturned by the director’s efforts in bringing in exciting physical confrontations and chases. In truth, the scenes of violence are firm and ferocious, but never uncontrolled or overdone. If you dig cat-and-mouse thrillers, this is a good choice since Mr. Seong-hoon found a positive equilibrium between a thrilling script and tight action.

Haemoo (2014)

Directed by: Shim Sung-bo
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: “Haemoo”, literally ‘Sea Fog’, is the feature directorial debut of Shim Sung-bo, writer of “Memories of Murder” from the acclaimed filmmaker Bong Joon-ho who reciprocates by co-writing and producing. The screenplay’s strength relies on a love story between a sensitive fisherman, Dong-sik, and a defenseless illegal immigrant, Hong-mae who goes after her missing brother in Seoul. Everything happens on board of the Korean fishing boat ‘Junjin’ whose captain, Kang Chul-joo, made up his mind and resolved to face his ruin, both professionally (low incomes prevent him to keep his boat in times of economic crisis) and in his private life (his dissatisfied wife cheats on him), by taking the risky mission of smuggling a group of people from China to Korea. There’s a sense of fatality present throughout the story and the typical Korean staple of self-destructiveness that almost always degenerates into violence. This aspect is mirrored in Captain Kang’s behavior (the most interesting character in the film) but it’s also showed in a more vulgar way through the remaining irascible sailors who embrace greediness and uncontrollable sexual appetites. Confined to a breathless, nauseous hole meant for fish, tragedy is expected any time for the illegal travelers. The non-static camera moves along from one side to another, normally at the sound of a score that alternates between mildly tense and dramatically gentle. Ironic tones are a constant, even in the most serious occasions, which takes “Haemoo” to the dangerous ‘waters’ of cynicism. The arrival of sea fog intensifies claustrophobia and the story indelibly gains a new dimension with the chaos onboard, ending 30 minutes after with a forceless epilog.

One on One (2014)

Directed by: Kim Ki-duk
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: The cinema of prolific Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk is growing viciously violent, with superficial scripts, and exhibiting very few aspects of interest. While in “Pieta” (2012) he had the merit of combining violence scenes with a psychologically intense story, last year I wasn’t convinced with “Moebius”, another brutal family drama transformed in a bloodbath. This current year, “One on One” focuses on a personal vendetta and numerous ways of torture, relying basically in graphic violence and poor reflections on human conduct and moral values. I would say this is one of the most low-spirited films of the year and almost unbearable to watch, where everything takes nauseating proportions. The screenwriting here is pretty vulgar and can be summarize in the following lines: seven people, forming a sort of anti-communist militia, kidnap seven men who, directly or indirectly, had something to do with the murder of a young high school student on May 9th. The culprits are savagely tortured before signing a written confession, and then released. The immoderate physical abuses divide the avengers whose leader believes that anger and desire of vengeance keep him alive, assuming an uncontrolled madness. Evilness, political fanaticism, human misery, bosses and lackeys, snitches and crooks, everything is tastelessly presented in this brainless thriller. The tortuous repetitions of violence showed scene after scene, disgusting characters, and lousy finale, turns “One on One” into rubbish for sadists. You cannot imagine how relieved I was when it came to an end.

Miss Granny (2014)

Directed by: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: After “Silenced” released three years ago, Korean filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk directs “Miss Granny”, a pop comedy-drama that turned into another local box-office hit. The film starts by establishing an imaginative parallel between women and different types of balls used in sports. Right after that our attention falls in Oh Mal-soon, a 74-year-old widow who runs her own restaurant and reveals an overbearing side, sharp tongue, and strong character. She can be as much protective regarding her musician grandson, as a teaser to her daughter-in-law who ended up in a hospital with more complications in her debilitated heart. Realizing she was being a nuisance in the family, she decides to leave for a while, entering by chance in a photo studio called ‘Forever Young’. Surprisingly, she comes out from there with 20 years old, joining his grandson’s heavy metal band, falling in love with a young music producer, and finding the long lasting love of her restaurant employee, Mr. Park. She decides to adopt the name Oh Doo-ri (Au-d-rey) in homage to her favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn. Despite technically competent, the first hour was interminable and boring, and I was convinced that no more interesting twists in the plot would happen. The truth is that “Miss Granny” gets slightly better in the final part, showing a feel-good attitude and a more efficient humor. Regardless the aspects referred before, they came too late and were never enough to pull the film out of the banal zones composed by clichés and sentimentality.

The Attorney (2013)

Directed by: Yang Woo-seok
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: Newcomer film director Yang Woo-seok brings us a courtroom drama inspired on the early life of Roh Moo-Hyun, the ninth president of South Korea, then turned into an activist, and his ‘Burim case’ dated of 1981. Guided by the motto ‘never give up’, Song Woo-seok, even without a college degree becomes a voracious attorney, getting the life he always wanted. Professional success, lots of money and a beautiful family, makes him boasting around and expose himself as a wealthy man. But Woo-seok shows to have a good heart too, when he returns to a restaurant he used to go as a student in order to pay an old debt to the owner, a lady whose teenager son will be illegally arrested, tortured and forced to confess he is a leftist. The man who carries out these unacceptable operations is the highly patriotic police officer, Cha Dong-yeong. Disturbed by this injustice Woo-seok will radically change his life to free an innocent from the corruption of the Korean system and improper use of public power. Even if a bit melodramatic in the final moments and stepping familiar territories, “The Attorney” combined humor, drama, and a raging courtroom battle, in an appealing way. I would say that the aggressive performance by Song Kang-ho, along with the cynical one by Kwak Do-won, were able to maintain the film well alive, regardless of the director’s gullible attempts to draw some tears, especially in the end. Fortunately, this wasn’t enough to turn down the magnificent work from these two respectable actors.

Han Gong-ju (2013)

Directed by: Lee Su-jin
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: Lee Su-jin's fantastic directorial debut, “Han Gong-ju”, is a poignant drama whose title was taken from the name of its main character, a teenager girl who is transferred to a new school, trying to adapt to a new life. Isolated and quiet, Gong-ju is visibly tormented with something that we aren’t able to perceive at first. Little by little, and in an intelligent way, the story is unfolded and shocking revelations finally makes us understand the reasons behind the young girl’s detachment. Completely abandoned by a drunken father and a freshly married mother, Gong-ju was raped by a gang of kids whose parents have social influence, only trusting in a former teacher who tried to help her the best way he could. Her talent for music was noticed by some new colleagues who gave her a boost, trying to get closer, but will Gong-ju be capable to forget her past and freely accept her gift? A demanding narrative structure didn’t frighten the newcomer director whose work was noteworthy, collecting prizes in festivals such as Pusan, Rotterdam, Deauville, Marrakech and Fribourg. Chun Woo-hee’s second performance in a feature film, after her appearance in Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother”, was also accurate and convincing. This is a sad, unsettling film that requires a deep reflection after observing its atrocious scenes. It might not be an easy watching story but a hint of hope allows us to breathe at the end, in a drama where a new writer/director emerged to be considered a valid one in the modern Korean cinema.

Snowpiercer (2013)

Directed by: Joon-ho Bong
Country: South Korea / others

Movie Review: Korean helmer Joon-ho Bong’s English-language futuristic action thriller, “Snowpiercer”, lacks the humor of “Memories of Murder” and the psychological quietness of “Mother”, but find other arguments to stand as a dazzling adventure occurred inside a super-tech train that carries the last human survivors, after the outside world has become frozen due to a failed experiment against global warming. Inhabiting the poor tail section of the train, popular leader Curtis (Chris Evans) moves forward with his longtime uprising plan against the violent regime headed by the unapproachable Wilford (Ed Harris), the eternal engine mentor and ruler who unexplainably ordered the kidnapping of two little kids from tail section. Curtis will team with some mates, including Namgoong (Kang-ho Song), a drug addict who was behind the implementation of the doors security system in each of the cars. Surprises and twists will come up as the men advance towards the front. The plot, based on the French graphic novel “La Transperceneige”, was superbly executed in all its technical aspects and precise action moves, which became a delight for the eyes. Assertive, fantastic, and impossible, “Snowpiercer” reveals a deep dark side but doesn’t forget hope, taking the excitement of this trip to its maximum strength. Tilda Swinton’s performance as Wilford’s train-cult devoted, Mason (a somewhat feminine version of Austin Powers), was simply memorable in the most recent action gem of the year.

Our Sunhi (2013)

Directed by: Hong Sang-soo
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: “Our Sunhi” is probably the weakest film directed by prolific Korean director Hong Sang-soo in the last few years. The film is almost an extension of his previous studies “The Day He Arrives” and particularly “Nobody’s Daughter Haewon”, where people related to cinema roam through the city having several encounters with acquaintances, fortuitous or not, and exposing their state of mind. Film student Sunhi, always running to go somewhere or hiding from something, shows to be confused about what she really wants in life, including her affective relationships. She asks her former teacher for a reference letter in order to study abroad, but wasn’t so pleased with the truthful statements in it. Nevertheless, a kind of flirtation arises between them and a more 'suitable' letter will come up later. Meantime, she accidentally meets with her ex-boyfriend Munsu who is still in love with her, and gives hope to Jae-hak, a married friend who always had a crush on her. All three men happen to know each other and the story, as you can imagine, won’t end in the way she probably wanted to. The approach relies on the usual simplistic style adopted by Sang-soo: natural and long dialogues, while drinking in pubs or restaurants, and repeated situations in different circumstances or presences. Only this time, the story was not so catchy and drags itself slowly towards a totally predictable ending, failing to surprise. Furthermore, I must confess I’m not a fan of some unexpected and nonsensical camera zooms, so evident in "Our Sunhi", a minor work from a respectable director.

Moebius (2013)

Directed by: Kim Ki-Duk
Country: South Korea

Movie Review: After “Pietà”, winner of last year’s Venice Film Fest, South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-Duk portraits once again a dysfunctional family, using his habitual style in order to provoke with violent, shocking, and disturbing images. From the start, we can guess the heaviness that the film will carry out, addressing topics such as adultery, sexual perversion, bullying, and incest. The insanity presented in this picture is based on the sickness of the mind, which is posteriorly extended to the body in multiple forms. We can ask what kind of woman cuts the penis of her own son as a way to get revenge on her husband? Well, you have to see the film to get the answers, but I can affirm it’s almost impossible to feel any kind of sympathy for such obnoxious characters. Other curious aspect is that the film is speechless, just relying on the power of the images to tell the story, but also making the protagonists even more inhuman. Every frame created from the poor script, including rape and castration, was meant to make you uncomfortable, without trying to say anything valuable. That’s why this film was a complete failure to me; you are provoked in a disgusting way and then there is no lesson to be learned from the ridiculous occurrences. Far from a pleasant watching, the almost unbearable “Moebius” is just another big setback in Kim Ki-Duk’s intermittent career. Tiresome and unnecessary…you may skip it, for your mental sanity!!

Nobody's Daughter Haewon (2013)

Directed by: Hong Sang-soo
Country: South Korea

Review: Since 2008 that Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soo faithfully makes at least one film per year. “Nobody’s Daughter Hae-Won” complies with the simplistic approach that characterizes its director, but the result, despite effective in many ways, didn’t show the spell of “The Day He Arrives”, or the charm of “In The Country”. Haewon (Jeong Eun-Chae) is a film student who feels lonely due to the following reasons: her distant mother is heading to Canada and came to say goodbye; she was having a case with a married professor who moved away due to his child born; almost all her colleagues from school think that she’s rich and arrogant. Even with her life upside down, Haewon shows to be a very strong person without being afraid of taking risks and make her own decisions. Once more, she starts to meet up with the professor whose jealousy, immaturity, and undecided personality, caused their relationship to be broken again. But Haewon’s adventure doesn’t stop here and a marriage proposal arrives from another much older professor who was teaching in US, becoming a possibility of escape and affirmation. Like in Sang-soon’s previous works, this is a film about encounters, which along its way constantly switches between intense and lenient. The performances are one of its strong features, and counted with the guest appearance of Jane Birkin.

National Security (2012)

Directed by: Jeong Ji-yeong
Country: South Korea

Review: “National Security” uncovers a very dark side in South Korea’s history, addressing the tortures that were inflicted to innocent people when they became suspects of conspiring against their country in favor of North Korea’s communism. The film was based on the memoir by Kim Geun-tae, a democratic activist who was kidnapped and tortured for 23 days under the orders of the gruesome police inspector Lee Geun-an. The film basically consists in showing meticulously the techniques of torture and the sufferings and traumas caused on a human being. This is extremely uncomfortable; so if you don’t have stomach for strong content, don’t watch it because it may disturb you. The tortures involve beatings, sleep/food deprivation, water torture, and electric shocks. I believe that the film would have benefited if the interviews with the real victims of torture presented in the end, were intercalated along the story. Increasing Kim’s life scenes from the past, and dreams involving his family, were other possibilities to make “National Security” a somewhat lighter experience. In one side, we have to praise the courage to denounce these harrowing practices, but on the other side, we have a film that, in 90% of its content, only shows us pain, agony, and fear, in a repetitive way. I wonder if all these explicit images were truly necessary. Lying or not lying, the result was always cruelty, and in the end, even I felt ready to confess anything in order to stop witnessing those distressing and fatiguing atrocities.

New World (2013)

Directed by: Park Hoon-jung
Country: South Korea

Review: Park Hoon-jung’s directorial sophomore causes mild entertainment throughout its occasional violent scenes, snitches, betrayals, bribes, and obscure collaborations between police and members of the most fearful organized crime organization in Korea called Goldmoon. Taking advantage of Goldmoon's big boss's death, police chief Kang (Choi Min-sik) looks forward to dismantle this syndicate from inside and launches a strategic operation named ‘New World’. For that task, he will count with Ja-sung (Lee Jeong-jae), an undercover police who has been infiltrated in Goldmoon eight years ago. The problem that arises, beyond two dangerous candidates who are fighting to occupy the position of chairman in the company, is that Ja-sung seems to wobble after so many years living like an influential gangster. The story, compellingly constructed and shot with rigor by Hoon-jung (screenwriter of “I Saw The Devil”), wasn’t so fresh as required for this genre. He adopted a more conservative attitude rather than innovative, and the energy that was canalized for several scenes was not always successful. The physical fighting scenes are a good example, seeming more unnatural dances of stretched arms and legs, than real fights. Despite these setbacks, “New World” was able to keep me aware of its games and twists. With solid performances and an appealing cinematography, it is a perfectly watchable crime thriller that still presents a few valuable ingredients.

The Thieves (2012)

Directed by: Choi Dong-Hoon
Country: South Korea

Review: Another big hit in South Korea, “The Thieves” is a typical heist-film with a lot of characters, expectant action, noisy shootings, and some jolly moments. It could have been called ‘Ocean’s Eleven from Asia’, taking into account its similarities with Soderbergh’s hit of 2001. However, here the impossible stunts are in much larger number, as well as the greedy battle among the thieves to snatch a valuable diamond. Some suspense could be felt, although its frequent twists-and-turns never induced much enthusiasm or astonishment. The film presents the usual key elements: bluffs, quarrels, bribes, greed, hypocrisy, personal revenges, and even love. Actually, the amorous relationships among thieves revealed to be a major key in the plot’s turn of events. It was a constant guessing if the feelings were honest or cunning, or if the diamond was real or fake. “The Thieves” can be stirring and electrifying, although many times is just show-off, making us anticipate some of its calculated tricks.

Masquerade (2012)

Directed by: Choo Chang-min
Country: South Korea

Review: “Masquerade” is making a resounding success in South Korea, becoming the eighth film to surpass the ten million admissions, in October 2012. The plot tells the adventures of Ha-Seon, a common man who has been chosen to work as the double of king Gwang-Hae, the 15th ruler of Korea’s Joseon Dinasty. Ha-Seon was accustomed to work as a clown, making fun of the King and his court, hence no one better than him to temporarily assume the throne when the King fell ill due to poisoning. The humanity and honesty demonstrated by Ha-Seon, will conquer the queen’s heart, as well as the trust of the court men who were truly concerned with the country’s future. The costume design, scenarios, and resolute image compositions, were clearly the strongest elements in the film, whereas the plot revealed sentimental tendencies and a commercial appeal, very common in this genre. Its eagerness in combining mystery, humor, drama, and action, all at once, didn’t bring the expected results to make this epic more surprising or thrilling. Lee Byung-hun’s performance, and a few funny dialogues and situations, made “Masquerade” entertaining but far from fundamental.

Architecture 101 (2012)

Directed by: Lee Yong-Joo
Country: South Korea

Review: “Architecture 101” is a Korean film that combines romance with architecture. A friendship between a girl and a boy ended 15 years ago in college, in harsh circumstances. Seung-Min, now an architect, was surprised by Seo-Yeon when she appears in his office asking him to build the house of her dreams. At the sound of cheesy tunes, the storyline moves back and forth in time, invoking nostalgic feelings and reviving the 90's. Clearly targeting juvenile audiences, this romance wasn’t sufficiently refreshing or exceptional to get me involved. Architecturally speaking, I would say that some basic pillars are missing here: pace, surprise and a better soundtrack, which make this "house" unable to stand up. Despite the huge success in South Korea, "Architecture 101" definitely is not among the best romantic flicks of the last times.

Pietà (2012)

Directed by: Kim Ki-Duk
Country: South Korea

Review: With “Pietà”, Korean Kim-Ki Duk is back to interesting projects, after an extended period where his works didn't achieve great notoriety. Since 2004, with “3-Iron” and “Samaritan Girl”, that he hadn't so satisfying and balanced results. “Pietà” carries a psychological weight and violence that could have easily fallen in those kinds of unbearable gloomy scenarios that often lead us to discomfort in detriment of substance. This time, the strong content of the plot was well handled, without excess of violence, keeping the story alive till the end, and even making the imagery appealing. The visual pollution that can be seen throughout the film (decimated buildings, dirty alleys) has the power of increasing the miserable reality of the characters. Awarded with the Golden Lion at Venice, "Pietá" is an asphyxiating story about motherhood, greed, evilness and revenge.

In Another Country (2012)

Directed by: Hong Sang-Soo
Country: South Korea

Review: Adopting the same style evinced in his preceding films, Hong Sang-Soo creates three different stories about a French woman who is visiting the same coastal town in South Korea. Each story has a different development, but all of them share a few common elements: Isabelle Huppert as the French visitor, a beach lifeguard, a film director, a missing lighthouse and a white umbrella. Romance is the basis for a set of different encounters and experiences, where jealousy comes to surface somehow and the language issues often function as a comical factor. “In Another Country” features the lightness and charm of “The Day He Arrives” (Sang-Soo's masterpiece) but without the consistency of its plot. Even so, agreeable moments of cinema are assured.

Nameless Gangster (2012)

Directed by: Yun Jong-Bin
Country: South Korea

Plot: On the verge of being fired, a corrupt customs official finds a haul of drugs and teams up with a vicious gangster to become the most powerful crime partnership in Busan.

Review: “Nameless Gangster” is an exciting movie. The story is all about power and follows a gangster whose bigger yearn is to become number one in the business. Choi Min-Sik ("Oldboy", "Lady Vengeance", "I Saw the Devil") was perfectly chosen for the main role, proving that he’s one of the most beloved and valuable Korean actors of the moment. Tension, action and humor are combined in the right proportions. Moreover, it’s all there: bribes, treason, violence, greed, lust, power and family…After all, this is a gangster’s movie!

Relevant awards: -

The Day He Arrives (2011)

Directed by: Sang-Soo Hong
Country: South Korea

Plot: Sang-Joon is a professor in the film department at a provincial university. He goes to Seoul and stays for 3 days.

Review: Korean cinema is very well represented with Sang Soo Hong’s movies. “The Day He Arrives” was shot in black-and-white and with its nostalgic mood, makes us look deep into friendship and relationships. Very concise in its approach, is a movie about encounters, promises, loneliness, and many drinks and cigarettes as possible. If you like intelligent movies with elaborated speech, a philosophy behind it and very close to reality, this is one not to miss. A gem of modern cinema with slight touches of classic.

Relevant awards: -