John & Jeeyun's Korean film review

Totem (a/k/a Heavenly Path)

2007-12-09T18:15:00.000-05:00

Totem (a/k/a Heavenly Path) (2006; dir. Kim Eung-su) 2
This was a strange documentary: with a subject clearly taking an interest in the production, the expected objectiveness of the camera’s eye (and the films other participants) quickly falls by the wayside. Often—if unintentionally—more focused on the subject’s character than her craft, the film follows a shaman attempting to induct a new recruit into the demanding tradition. It’s an interesting character study, if not particularly engaging.

The Show Must Go On

2007-12-09T18:12:00.000-05:00

The Show Must Go On (2007; dir. Han Jae-rim) 3
This Song Kang-ho vehicle fell a little flat for us; perhaps the gangster-genre characters were just too worn out. A down-on-his-luck gangster, trying to support his family, goes down an increasingly dark path of desperation and violence towards an all-too-inevitable conclusion. The music score left one wondering whether the film was a comedy or a drama: its heavy-handedness failed to achieve any intentions of ambiguity.

Silk Shoes

2007-08-26T11:21:00.000-04:00

Silk Shoes (2006; dir. Yo Kyun-dong) 4
We thought this was a thoroughly entertaining film, well acted and directed. Even the typically over-the-top ending didn’t seem to force things too much in this comic drama. A film director is charged with creating a fake pilgrimage to North Korea for a gangster’s dementia-ridden father.

Voice of a Murderer

2007-08-26T11:19:00.000-04:00

Voice of a Murderer (2007; dir. Park Jin-pyo) 3
This was far from a masterpiece, but it held together well enough to pull off its intentions. This “based on a true story” plot pits a desperate couple (the father is played by Sol Kyung-gu) against the kidnapper of their son; the continual escalation of outright comical incompetence on the part of the police still managed to create a growing intensity.

Cruel Winter Blues

2007-06-17T15:20:00.000-04:00

Cruel Winter Blues (2005; dir. Lee Jeong-beom) 3
Sometimes too much of everything is a bad thing, as exemplified by this gangster-goes-soft-in-the-stix story that left a lot of promising characters abandoned. With impressive performances, interesting characters, and occasionally brilliant directing, this could have been a really great film—but somehow the pieces didn’t add up.

Over the Border

2007-06-17T15:17:00.000-04:00

Over the Border (2006; An Pan-seok) 2
Solid comic performances by the leads, but I got the feeling the ending was decided on at the last minute. The triangle-interest of the Southern wife was underdeveloped, and not very convincing as plot motivation; had trouble staying awake through the second half of the film. A North Korean couple tries to rebuild their lives in South Korea.

Old Garden

2007-06-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

Old Garden (2007; dir. Im Sang-soo) 2
Im Sang-soo goes through the motions in this history-inspired tear-jerker. Flashback transitions that tried too hard to be clever, not enough editing, and the (unfortunately) requisite over-the-top ending with evening snowfall.
Gwangju massacre nostalgia, if there can be such a thing.

Family Ties

2007-05-04T20:21:00.000-04:00

Family Ties (2006; dir. Kim Tae-Young) 3
Three shorts of overlapping storylines provide a clever plotline for this drama, though the film is primarily an acting vehicle for the star characters. The complex family relationships of a young boy, his sister, and his later girlfriend provide ample material; in the dramatic tradition, things get a bit over-the-top at points. Excepting the exceedingly cheesy final sequence, this is an enjoyable production.

Tazza: The High Rollers

2007-05-04T20:20:00.000-04:00

Tazza: The High Rollers (2006; dir. Choi Dong-hoon) 3
While the plot and characters of this gambling genre movie are certainly tired (young apprentice, aging master, comic sidekick, femme fatale, gangster nemesis, etc.), the directing and performances are strong enough to keep the action moving … mostly. The main character is a little dull, and the director took their time laying out the non-surprise ending. But the gambling scenes are spot-on.

D-Day (a/k/a Roommates)

2007-05-04T20:17:00.000-04:00

D-Day (a/k/a Roommates) (2006; dir. Kim Eun-kyung) 3
It appears that producer Ahn Byeong-ki’s name is indeed capable of being attached to a horror film that’s not a complete dud—by wisely leaving the directing to someone else. There’s still a heavy reliance on jarring (or just loud) sound effects and visuals borrowed from other films, but the plot holds up: a bunch of students are cooped up in a college entrance-exam prep school and gradually go berserk.

Host, The

2007-02-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

Host, The (2006; dir. Bong Joon-ho) 4
This all-star cast blockbuster lives up to the hype (mostly) with good performances and quick-paced action; the special effects alone are well worth watching. A zany family battles a water monster and Korean authorities through various urban landscapes; the use of bridges was especially creative.

City of Violence

2007-02-01T21:30:00.000-05:00

City of Violence (2006; dir. Ryoo Seung-wan) 4
This was a fun martial arts/gangster movie with a great sense of humor, including a number of references to cult films like The Warriors. Highlights include some beautiful street-fighting choreography, and even some good acting. The only disappointment was that there weren’t more action sequences (though the last thirty minutes is basically one extended rumble).

Bloody Tie

2007-01-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

Bloody Tie (2006; Choi Ho) 2
A sharp looking and smartly edited film about the gray-area between cops and drug dealers in late-‘90s Pusan. Unfortunately, the hip style couldn’t overcome the predictable plot, tired characters, and uneven acting; the ending was especially laborious as it plodded through the requisite car explosions, multiple gun-at-forehead standoffs, etc.

Dirty Carnival

2007-01-29T09:26:00.000-05:00

Dirty Carnival (2006; dir. Yu Ha) 3
A gangster epic with a twist: a film director attempts to document an old school buddy who is rising through the ranks of a local gang, resulting in simultaneous mockery and fulfillment of the familiar gangster film genre, on multiple levels. Jo In-seong gave a convincing performance as the film’s main character in this often clever, but far too long, film.

Puzzle

2007-01-28T22:21:00.000-05:00

Puzzle (2006; dir. Kim Tae-Kyeong) 2
An interesting combination of Usual Suspects and Reservoir Dogs (and that description is to be taken quite literally), this film came across as a well-executed study by an aspiring film director and/or the result of a conservative producer who wants to know exactly what they’ll be getting. Nothing too exciting here (unless you’re into the re-staging of scenes from the two films mentioned above), but I would look forward to future works by this director.

Radio Star

2007-01-28T22:07:00.000-05:00

Radio Star (2006; dir. Lee Jun-ik) 3
Ahn Sung-ki and Park Joong-hoon reunite in this comedy about a washed-up rock star and his life-long manager moving to a small town; there are a number of sparks of life in a few of the scenes. This isn’t a great comedy—a few hits, a few misses—but I’ll give this film a “3” for not trying to be anything other than the minimal effort it is (no expectations, no disappointments…).

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring

2006-12-10T18:29:00.000-05:00

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003; dir. Kim Ki-duk) 4
How do you pace a movie with no dialog, and still command the audience’s attention? Like this. (Beautiful scenery doesn’t hurt either.) Hard to describe this movie, but there’s a monk, a kid, and a boat.

Address Unknown

2006-12-10T18:26:00.000-05:00

Address Unknown (2001; dir, Kim Ki-duk) 3
Despite the director’s disclaimer at the beginning of the international release of this film (do producers have any guts at all?), the only thing I could perceive as “anti-American” was that all of this movie’s American actors were terrible. In this story of the harsh lives of women and children living near a US army base, some of the Korean characters came across as far more disturbing than the Yanks.

Samaritan Girl

2006-12-10T18:25:00.000-05:00

Samaritan Girl (2004; dir, Kim Ki-duk) 4
Aside from an annoying impressionist keyboard soundtrack (the same Satie, etc. in most of Kim's work), this is a riveting film questioning either: a) what it means to be a prostitute; b) what constitutes revenge; or c) spending more time with your kids. Strong acting and a good pace squeeze out a “4.”

3-Iron

2006-12-10T18:14:00.000-05:00

3-Iron (2004; dir. Kim Ki-duk) 3
I can’t quite identify the reason, but this film fell short of Spring, Summer… for me. Same no-dialog concept and good performances; maybe it was the sudden jumping around from scene to scene that wasn’t working for me.

Quiet Family

2006-12-10T18:09:00.001-05:00

Quiet Family (1998; dir. Kim Jee-woon) 4
This is one of the most under-stated comedies I’ve seen, and the performances are brilliant all round. A family tries to run a mountain inn without getting all of their customers killed.
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Good Lawyer's Wife, A

2006-12-10T18:06:00.000-05:00

Good Lawyer's Wife, A (2003; dir. Im Sang-soo) 3
I thought this drama film looked good, and its ambiguous ending (after some initial frustration) was one of its strengths. A far cry from President's Last Bang, but the pieces are there, including characters that leave you hovering between sympathy and ambivalence.

President's Last Bang, The

2006-12-10T18:04:00.000-05:00

President's Last Bang, The (2005; dir. Im Sang-soo) 5
Politics aside (as difficult as that may be for this film about Presidential assasination), this is one of - if not the - most sharply written, directed, and acted movies I've ever seen: humorous, serious, suspenseful, and just beautiful to watch. I especially enjoyed the acting of Han Suk-kyu as Chief Agent Ju, who I thought played his role to perfection.

Tale of Two Sisters, A

2006-12-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

Tale of Two Sisters, A (2003; dir. Kim Jee-woon) 5
Simultaneous multiple plot lines in an eerie house with great acting. It’s a smart, scary movie that forces you to pay attention, and rewards you many times over. The dark visual aesthetic alone is worth seeing.
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Bittersweet Life, A

2006-12-10T17:59:00.000-05:00

Bittersweet Life, A (2005; dir. Kim Jee-woon) 3
Kim Jee-woon goes Park Chan-wook in this gangster-revenge-bloodbath. Not sure how badly this movie needed to be made, but it is well-made.
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Duelist

2006-12-10T17:55:00.000-05:00

Duelist (2005; dir. Lee Myung-se) 4
Like Nowhere to Hide (thought perhaps not as tight?), this is not a regular detective movie: this is a film about the art of film making, and creating images that can only be created on film. I especially enjoyed the sort of abstract approach to the music score: it's not about any time-period or setting, but simply about supporting the images produced. Fun to watch, but certain elements (like the music video ending the film) may not be to everyone’s taste; watch Nowhere to Hide before advancing to this one.

Chunhyang

2006-12-10T17:50:00.000-05:00

Chunhyang (2000; dir. Im Kwan-taek) 4
This cuts back and forth between a pansori theater presentation of the classic story, and a dramatization of the story itself. Somehow it doesn’t feel forced; it helps that the singer (Cho Sang-hyun) is absolutely fantastic. Kind of a must-see for non-Korean audiences, as so many Korean drama characters and plots derive from this legend.
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Taegeuki

2006-12-10T17:47:00.000-05:00

(2004; dir. Kang Je-gyu) 2
I was really disappointed by this attempted epic about two brothers split by the Korean War. Mostly it hinges on a number of plastic-looking CGI battle scenes that interrupt any character or plot development (not that there’s that much to work with in the first place). It reminded me a lot of Pearl Harbor.

Attack the Gas Station

2006-12-10T17:43:00.000-05:00

Attack the Gas Station (1999; dir. Kim Sang-jin) 4
One of the biggest challenges of slapstick comedies is maintaining consistency, and this film succeeds when a gang of wayward youths take people hostage at an all-night gas station. I thought it was hilarious from beginning to end (and I’m not fluent in Korean so I’m probably missing half the jokes).

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

2006-12-10T17:40:00.001-05:00

(2002; dir. Park Chan-wook) 4
An all-around great movie – directing, writing, acting, etc. – which can be said of the entire “revenge trilogy” (with Old Boy and Sympathy for Ms. Vengeance). I especially enjoyed the subtle plot twist at the end of this one.

Old Boy

2006-12-10T17:38:00.000-05:00

Old Boy (2003; dir. Park Chan-wook) 4
Another all-around great movie, with an especially unusual plot and band of characters. This film takes its time, but doesn’t feel slow.
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Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

2006-12-10T17:37:00.000-05:00

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005; dir. Park Chan-wook) 3
Maybe the novelty of the trilogy’s style has worn on me, but I was less impressed by this one. Although well-made (and featuring an unusual interpolation of flashbacks), I thought the last half of the film moved too slowly.
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Friend

2006-12-10T17:33:00.000-05:00

(2001; dir. Kwak Kyung-taek) 3
This is a plain old solid gangster epic a la Goodfellas, Scarface, etc. It’s a standard plot, following a group of kids as they grow into careers of crime and power, but held up by good acting and well-paced action.

Nightmare

2006-12-10T17:31:00.000-05:00

(2000; dir. Ahn Byeong-ki) 2
A not-too-terrible horror film with some good character tension between a group of student friends … until the outstandingly lame ending.

Another Public Enemy

2006-12-10T17:20:00.000-05:00

Another Public Enemy (2005; dir. Kang Woo-suk) 4
Sol Kyung-gu returns in a different protagonist character, a DA trying to take down a corrupt “pillar of society.” Although the plot was even more cliché than PE 1, I thought the character development and acting were much more engaging, and really made the film a pleasure to watch.

Public Enemy

2006-12-10T17:16:00.001-05:00

Public Enemy(2002; dir. Kang Woo-suk) 3
Fairly straightforward cop-who-plays-by-his-own-rules-versus-psycho-killer movie, but with an exceptionally pitiful hero character portrayed by Sol Kyung-gu.

Two Cops

2006-12-10T17:14:00.000-05:00

(1993; dir. Kang Woo-suk) 3
A virtual anthropological/historical relic, the melodramatic acting and slapstick physical comedy of Ahn Sung-ki and Park Joong-hoon turn this film, years later, into a fascinating parody of Hollywood buddy-cop movies. It’s a harmless ‘80s-style B action genre-flick (it looks like they spent about fifty bucks on the entire production) that somehow manages to maintain respect by not taking itself for anything but what it is.

Tale of Cinema

2006-12-10T17:12:00.001-05:00

(2005; dir. Hong Sang soo) 2
Same as The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well.

Woman is the Future of Man

2006-12-10T17:11:00.000-05:00

(2004; dir. Hong Sang soo) 3
Same as The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well. The main character is exceptionally disturbing.

Power of Kangwon Province, The

2006-12-10T17:08:00.001-05:00

(1998; dir. Hong Sang soo) 3
Same as The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well, but not as much sex, and maybe a slightly more engaging story.

Day a Pig Fell into the Well, The

2006-12-10T17:06:00.000-05:00

(1996; dir. Hong Sang-soo) 2
This is a typical Hong Song-soo art film featuring asshole male characters, desperate women, French-style improvi-dialog, and plenty of graphic sex. (American critics seem to love his work, making his films more available here than most.) Fine if you’re in an art film mood.

Lizard

2006-12-08T15:44:00.000-05:00

(2006, dir. Kang Ji-eun) 1
Unlikely romance fairy tale with an “extra-terrestrial” ending as cheap as it was predictable. The little girl was annoying.

Daisy

2006-12-08T15:43:00.000-05:00

(2006, dir. Andrew Lau) 2
The director introduced a lot of fascinating devices in this film: unfortunately, the final product just wasn’t very good. A plot reminiscent of Woo’s Hard Boiled/Killer series, an assassin and cop compete for the same woman in Korean-gangland Amsterdam (?).

Ssunday Seoul

2006-12-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

(2006, dir. Park Sung-hoon) 3
Comprising of three different shorts, critics have complained about this film’s inconsistency; we generally agreed, although it made the good parts (which were quite clever) all the more enjoyable. Two comedies (a werewolf story and a kung fu parody) sandwich a ghost story. Nice soundtrack.

…ing

2006-12-08T15:41:00.000-05:00

(2003; dir. Lee Eon-hee) 2
This was a well-made film, if you can put up with the predictable and super-syrupy plot featuring terminal illness, pet turtles, frolicking in fountains, and personal discoveries (and of course the requisite solo piano track). Features Im Su-jung (Tale of Two Sisters).

Mr. Quiz King (a.k.a. Mr. Housewife)

2006-12-08T15:39:00.002-05:00

(2006; dir. Yun Seon-dong) 3
This is another genre-solid feel-good family comedy, featuring Han Suk-kyu, who manages to keep things from getting too syrupy. It looked like there may have been heavy editing (there are a couple of subplots that were never flushed out), but it felt like this film achieved what it was trying to do.

My Scary Girl

2006-12-08T15:39:00.001-05:00

(2006, dir. Son Jae-gon) 3
Park Yong-woo gave a strong performance in this romantic comedy/serial killer movie. It got a little long towards the end, but with enough avoidance of clichés to maintain some level of unpredictability.

Marathon

2006-12-08T15:38:00.001-05:00

(2005; dir. Jeong Yun-cheol) 3
A solid genre-piece, this is an inspirational story of an autistic marathon runner overcoming his handicap, along with standard characters like the grizzled, washed-up trainer and the over-protective mother (everyone learns a lesson, etc.). Still, the movie kept a good pace (no pun intended) and its popularity with Korean audiences is deserved.

Last Witness

2006-12-08T15:36:00.000-05:00

(2001; dir. Bae Chang-ho) 3
This action thriller about events from the Korean War coming back to haunt the participants had an exceptional plot, with plenty of historical skullduggery and suspense. Unfortunately, there’s not much else; Jang Dong-gun’s (Typhoon) central character was disappointingly uninteresting.

Geochilmaru: The Showdown

2006-12-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

(2005, dir. Kim Jin-sung) 3
A disparate crew of martial arts characters (all real fighters, no big-name actors) set out to determine who deserves to face off against the mysterious title character. With no reliance on special effects, aerial choreography, or even much of a plot (the scenario almost resembles a video game), this simple, low-budget film is just plain fun, with a retro ‘70s-style soundtrack adding to the Bruce Lee vibe.

Rules of Dating (a.k.a. To Do or Not to Do)

2006-12-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

(2005, dir. Han Jae-rim) 3
A number of spots in this film felt slow, but this drama-romance (and comedy?) about school teachers caught up in a scandalous relationship is saved by its unconventional characters and storyline. Great soundtrack by Lee Byung-woo (Tale of Two Sisters).

Unforgiven, The

2006-12-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

(2005, dir. Yoon Jong-bin) 2
Hong Song-Soo joins the army? This art-drama about sexual tension and hazing in the Korean military has its moments (ranging from humorous to violent) before its laborious ending.

King and the Clown, The

2006-12-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Lee Jun-Ik) 3
Another too-long movie, Gam Woo-sung stars as part of a minstrel duo entertaining their emotionally unstable king. This film was fun most of the time, although some of the tight-rope melodrama stretched far beyond credibility.

Acacia Tree

2006-12-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

(2003; dir. Park Ki-hyung) 2
This was some sort of cross between a horror film and an installation-art exhibition. The possessed child, psychotic tree, and dark rainy nights produced a couple of interesting moments, but nothing to stab yourself in the neck over.

See You After School

2006-12-08T15:28:00.000-05:00

(2006; dir. Lee Seok-hoon) 2
Passable comedy about a high school loser getting revenge on the bullies; predictable formula-piece with just enough funny spots to keep it going.

Innocent Steps

2006-12-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Park Young-hoon) 1
The script and acting weren’t quite as bad as the concept and direction: jerky film cuts, poor pacing, and uninteresting characters. Not kitsch, just (another) bad ballroom dancing film.

Lost in Love

2006-12-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

(2006; dir. Choo Chang-min) 1
Accurate title for this off-beat drama (?) that revels in its own boredom.

Crying Fist

2006-12-08T15:25:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Ryoo Seung-wan) 3
If you can put up with the boxing movie clichés (life-on-the-streets prologue, music video training montages, etc.), you may find this a pleasant twist on the genre. Solid acting creates two emotive characters destined to face off in the ring.

This Charming Girl (a.k.a. Woman, Jeong-hae)

2006-12-08T15:23:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Lee Yoon-ki) 4
More art film than drama, Kim Ji-soo stars as a sad loner who is barely able to overcome the traumas of her life. Really depressing, but well-executed with a deliberate pace that adds to the pathos.

Marrying the Mafia 2: Enemy-in-Law

2006-12-08T12:52:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Jeong Yung-ki) 1
About as good as the title would suggest (thought not the worst film on this list), MM2 is a collection of crude humor with a predictable plot. Gangster falls in love with prosecutor, changes his evil ways, etc.

Mapado: Island of Fortunes

2006-12-08T12:51:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Choo Chang-min) 3
The ending's reliance on cheap pot jokes was a bit weak, but fortunately most of this movie centers on a hilarious bunch of old village women hosting some bumbling gangsters. Definitely not a "must see," but a successfully constructed comedy with more hits than misses.

Dance With the Wind

2006-12-08T12:50:00.001-05:00

(2004; dir. Park Jung-woo) 1
This film about ballroom dancing gigolos spends its first thirty minutes as an unfunny comedy before nosediving into a complete disaster.

Natural City

2006-12-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

(2003; dir. Min Byeung-cheon) 2
This is a surprisingly fine-looking movie (on a fraction of the budget of many lesser-looking Hollywood films), and even if it is half Bladerunner, I thought the visuals alone could have almost carried this film. Except for a script that gives the actors nowhere to go, and some cheesy rock ballads thrown in at the end, this wasn’t too far away from being a completely serviceable sci-fi genre-piece.

My Little Bride

2006-12-06T22:14:00.000-05:00

(2004; dir. Kim Ho-joon) 3
Although this romantic comedy was constructed competently enough, we had a really hard time overcoming the film’s underlying legitimization of the forced marriage of a 15-year-old girl to a family friend’s son against their will (yes, this is a contemporary setting). The unequivocally happy ending left us feeling more than a little nauseous; based on other reviews I’ve seen, I guess it works as a conversation starter.

Blue Swallow

2006-12-06T22:13:00.001-05:00

(2005; dir. Yun Jong-chan) 2
This is an extremely Hollywood-style nostalgia epic (“loosely” based on a true story) about a pioneering Korean female airplane pilot, set during the Japanese occupation of the 1920s-30s. Mildly entertaining on a surface level (some of the cartoonish airplane CGI is fun, if not particularly realistic); the music was awful.

Musa

2006-12-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

(2001; dir. Kim Sung-soo) 4
Middle-ages mayhem: I thought this was a solid period action movie with a clever plot and a good pace. The set piece Foreign Legion ending was a bit cliché, but the road there is filled with terrific battle sequences and landscape shots.

Antarctic Journal

2006-12-06T22:10:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Im Pil-sung) 2
Another horror movie that seemingly had potential; comparisons with R-Point are apt. This is an Antarctic expedition ghost story/psycho drama (a la The Shining) that could have used a lot more editing.

Git (a.k.a. Feather in the Wind)

2006-12-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Song Il-gon) 2
Heavy art-film aesthetic, every once in a while threatening to veer into a Hong Sang-soo flick. Nothing really happens in this movie, but if you’re in the art film mood…

Murder, Take One

2006-12-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Jang Jin) 3
All the ingredients were here for a great movie (featuring a murder mystery plot based around “reality” television), but it gradually slows down, and the over-stated ending was disappointing. I thought Park Jung-ah gave a notable performance as the prime suspect.

Sorum

2006-12-06T22:05:00.000-05:00

(2001; dir. Yoon Jong-chan) 3
I thought this was a fairly decent horror movie with dark characters all around (though all these films tend to fall apart at the end). A haunted apartment building terrorizes the guy from The Immortal Lee Soon-shin (Kim Myung-min).

Save the Green Planet

2006-12-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

(2003; dir. Jang Jun-hwan) 4
A remake of Misery that I thought far exceeded the original. The plot premise was more engaging, the characters more dynamic, and the dark comedy much more prevalent.

Wedding Campaign

2006-12-06T22:02:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Hwang Byung-kuk) 4
This was an excellent romantic comedy (that’s something I don’t find myself saying very often) about small-town hicks going to Uzbekistan on a travel package to find ethnic-Korean wives. Jung Jae-young excels in his slapstick lovable loser role; Yu Jun-sang is hilarious as his carefree friend.

Mokpo, Gangster’s Paradise

2006-12-06T22:01:00.000-05:00

(2004; dir. Yun Jun-hyeong) 2
A passable comedy about cops befriending gangsters; the title’s Mokpo location manages to be completely irrelevant.

Art Museum by the Zoo

2006-12-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

(1998; dir. Lee Jeong-hyang) 2
I felt this fairly routine romantic comedy had high aspirations that weren’t achieved. The weaving into the main plotline of the dramatized fictional story being written by the two main characters had much more potential than was realized, and the conclusion seemed rushed.

Take Care of My Cat

2006-12-06T21:59:00.000-05:00

(2001; dir. Jeong Jae-eun) 3
Drama about high school friends splitting apart after graduation. Dark, lost-generation theme featuring Bae Doo-na; the energy is in the angst.

Art of Fighting, The

2006-12-06T21:57:00.000-05:00

(2006; dir. Shin Han-sol) 3
Great acting and a well-made film, although the cliché plotline (even if that was its intent) of wanna-be-badass-learns-truth-about-the-initially-alluring-street-violence-lifestyle could have used a little more originality.

Wolf Returns, The

2006-12-06T21:56:00.000-05:00

(2004; dir. Ku Ja-hong) 2
The comedy is fairly offbeat here, but I felt this country cop/city cop story still moved too slowly, and the sudden environmentalist twist at the end wasn’t very convincing. Some funny spots, but I never cared about the characters one way or the other.

Diary of June (a.k.a. Bystanders)

2006-12-06T21:54:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Lim Kyng-soo) 1
I thought the opening plot had some potential, but this cookie-cutter detective-versus-serial-killer movie bit the dust long before the disappointing ending.

301, 302

2006-12-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

(1995; dir. Park Chul-soo) 3
A movie about cooking neighbors. More art film than detective story, well done.

You Are My Sunshine

2006-12-06T21:52:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Park Jin-pyo) 2
There are some weird edits that made the ending seem rushed and hard to follow (I’m still not sure about what exactly happened at the end), otherwise an interesting drama about AIDS and small town life.

Unborn but Forgotten (a.k.a. Unborn but Not Forgotten)

2006-12-06T21:51:00.000-05:00

(2002; dir. Lim Chang-jae) 1
I just read a synopsis of this film which confirms that I have no recollection whatsoever of this B horror flick (I saw it within the last year), except for its screwed-up English title(s).

S-Diary

2006-12-06T21:50:00.000-05:00

(2004; dir. Kwon Jang-kwan) 2
Comedy vehicle for Kim Suna, who plays a woman getting revenge on the men who used her. The pace really slowed down by the end, but priests are always funny.

My Teacher, Mr. Kim

2006-12-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

(2003; dir. Jang Kyu-seong) 3
A genre-solid feel-good family-comedy vehicle for Cha Seung-won, needlessly marred by a gratuitous cry-fest ending that drags on forever.

Spider Forest

2006-12-06T21:47:00.000-05:00

Spider Forest (2004; dir. Song Il-gon) 3

One of the better mystery/horror films, interestingly derivative of David Lynch. Gam Woo-sung does a good job as the main character, just disturbed enough to keep things uneasy, but never going over the top.

She’s On Duty (a.k.a. Undercover)

2006-12-06T21:46:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Park Kwang-chun) 2
This seems to have been conceived as a quick, low-budget feature for comedian actress Kim Suna, portraying a cop going undercover as a high school student. There’s not much else going here (and the level of violence gets a little weird at the end), but Kim does succeed in carrying the film through the back-to-school clichés.

Blood Rain

2006-12-06T21:45:00.001-05:00

(2005; dir. Kim Dae-seung) 2
I felt this was trying to be a Korean version of Brotherhood of the Wolf: two old-time-yet-modern detectives go to distant lands to investigate a murder, at first suggesting supernatural elements, eventually uncovering a local conspiracy, and ending in a sci-fi technological exposition by the villain. Disappointing.

Memories of Murder

2006-12-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

(2003; dir. Bong Joon-ho) 4
This was one of the most blatantly Hollywood-style Korean films I’ve seen, but it worked and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Song Kang-ho proves his reputation as one of Korea’s top actors in this based-on-a-true-story detective movie.

Welcome to Dongmakgol

2006-12-06T21:41:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Park Kwang-hyun) 2
(Are there no decent white male actors in Korea?) I thought this movie was a disparate slapping together of Taegeuki’s cheap CGI battle effects, and Amelie’s cutesy “magic innocence” vibe (especially via the deaf village girl character); it wasn’t convincing on either level. And the ending was way too long.

Heaven’s Soldiers

2006-12-06T21:38:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Min Joon-ki) 1
Despite a couple of funny spots (like the perception of “whitey’s” frustration at a supposed reunification of North and South Korea), this Lee Soon-shin celebration is mostly just low-budget time-travel crap, with a bizarre (and, even more intriguingly, meticulously done) gore-fest ending the film for no apparent reason. Big-name actors like Park Joong-hoon should be kicking themselves.

R-Point

2006-12-06T21:36:00.000-05:00

(2005; dir. Kong Su-chang) 3
Low budget aside, like many horror movies I’ve seen, this could have been a really good film (the “3” rating is for effort), as ghosts terrorize a South Korean Vietnam War platoon. Horror producers can’t seem to understand that the more things are spelled out for the audience, the less frightening they become.

Face

2006-12-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

(2004; dir. Yu Sang-gon) 2
One of the less terrible Korean mystery/horror movies I’ve seen; predictable, but I thought it succeeded in creating a dark enough mood while leaving enough questions unanswered to not make the inevitable conclusion too corny. Any plot centering around hospitals is money in the bank. (Or was that Tell Me Something?)

Tell Me Something

2006-12-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

(1999; dir. Chang Yoon-hyun) 2
I saw this murder mystery, but have almost no recollection of it; may be confusing it with Face, which I saw around the same time. At least I don’t remember hating it…

H

2006-12-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

(2002; dir. Lee Jong-hyuk) 1
Bad rehash of Silence of the Lambs – emphasis on bad.

Untold Scandal

2006-12-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

(2003; dir. E J-yong) 2
I don’t remember much about this film (and I didn’t see it that long ago), a period rehash of the Dangerous Liasons plot (and sorely lacking the Thelonious Monk Quartet’s soundtrack from the 1959 French version). Still, I had trouble following the plotline through several leaps-of-faith, etc.

Wig, The

2006-12-06T21:28:00.001-05:00

(2005; dir. Won Sin-yeon) 3
I thought this was one of the better Korean horror films I’ve seen: a wig crawls around and causes trouble. There's some quality gore/fright moments, including an unbelievably violent scene involving a hand-held camera.

Holiday

2006-12-06T21:27:00.001-05:00

(2006, dir. Yang Yoon-ho) 1
Loosely based on a true story of a media-circus standoff between cops and criminals, this film combines the prison-break genre with a bunch of other stuff. The one-dimensional characters were developed too late, when they were developed at all; a one-hour documentary on the actual event (not included here) was much more interesting to watch.

Formidable Enemy (a/k/a Les Formidables)

2006-12-06T21:25:00.001-05:00

(2006, dir. Cho Min-ho) 2
Park Joong-hoon stars in this competently executed (including a good car crash) but immediately forgettable action flick. A cop with a death-wish teams up with a misunderstood criminal to take down the bad guys, but after awhile we just stopped caring.

This Is Law (a/k/a Out of Justice)

2006-12-06T21:17:00.001-05:00

(2001; dir. Min Byeong-jin) 2
A convoluted ending capped off this no-brainer low budget cop movie. All the elements were here, and the movie doesn’t disappoint terribly: it only lacked that certain extra something that might make it memorable

Flower Island

2006-12-06T21:16:00.000-05:00

(2001; dir. Song Il-gon) 3
The opening public restroom abortion scene is about as cheerful as this film gets, following three women with troubled lives on a road to self-discovery. The characters were flat at times, but the directing was quite clever with video diaries and the like.

Terror Taxi (a/k/a Ghost Taxi)

2006-12-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

(2000; dir. Heo Seung-jun) 2
This was a refreshingly bizarre film about gangs of taxi driver ghost/zombies causing havoc on Seoul’s highways. The sub-plots and supporting characters were much more interesting than the primary story, which inevitably became moralistic and tried to make sense of everything.