A collection of reviews of films from off the beaten path; a travel guide for those who love the cinematic world and want more than the mainstream releases.
Showing posts with label New York Korean Film Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Korean Film Festival. Show all posts
Since New York is a somewhat bustling but overall sleepy little place, whose humble citizens rarely like to toot any horns, I am writing a few pieces about some pleasant Korean movie screenings I've experienced. In fact, there is many an opportunity to see this great nation's film work in our fair city. Give a read and perhaps you'll be taken with the unexpected urge to stop by and visit.
I'm beginning with Quick, which I saw at the New York Korean Film Festival held at Brooklyn's BAM. They also screened Hindsight and Moss, which I've written about in older posts, and Dbborrough's thoughts on Quick can be found as well.
QUICK (New York Korean Film Festival, BAM) Quick is a film that seems to know exactly what it is: Loud, dumb fun. Yet, despite its constant urging to empty one’s mind of all critical thought, its delivery persisted in bothering me. The story is another take on the race against the clock convention introduced by Speed. Motorcycle courier Gi-soo ‘s helmet is replaced by one that is armed with a detonator set to go off if removed, or if the rider fails to complete a series of missions before a timer reaches zero. Instead it ends up on the head of passenger Ah-Rom, lead member of a pop girl group and Gi-soo‘s former girlfriend, in a move that I am not sure is supposed to be a zany coincidence or a cunning calculation on the part of a garble-voiced villain (one of many questions that by the end of the movie will prove to be completely irrelevant). Unlike in the original premise, this timer can be turned off and put on hold for a while until it is restarted later for the next mission. It’s a move put in place to perhaps allow for a romantic development between the two leads. It ends up, however, killing much of the film’s promised suspense. Six years prior to this is where the movie begins in what to me is Quick’s highest point. Without any notion of story to get in the way, there is a maniacally hyperactive set-piece with a biker gang racing through the streets of urban Seoul. Over the sounds of engines rip roaring and disgruntled cops cursing out the proceedings, there is a verbal chase involving the leads and a third more bumbling rider who all together form a triangle of unrequited love. In absence of the ensuing clichés, it is a hilarious exchange, which ends in an impressively over the top disaster. Unfortunately things never get back to the adrenaline rush of that opening scene. There is the aforementioned time-sensitive struggle that pits our love-impaired duo in the crosshairs of a dysfunctional police force and a shadowy (plus entirely cliché) evildoer. The motorcycle stunts are fun and completely defy reality. The physical comedy is also amusing. At first. But one can only take so many people getting smacked in the face by whatever part of whatever vehicle before the joke loses its impact. The same problem applies to the constant barrage of voices, whether it’s in the form of talking, arguing, whimpering, wailing…It just doesn’t let up for even a moment. It is as if the director does not trust the audience to stick with things through even a moment that isn’t filled with sound. It works during some amusing scenes like when Ah-Rom is engaged in a generational war of words with her K-pop group mates or bitter exchanges amongst members of the police squads. The relentlessness of these moments doesn’t allow for anything you can balance against them. It just becomes a lot of background noise. What perhaps sticks most awkwardly in my craw is a very annoying call back to the past, which for 30 seconds, supposes to make the audience consider things with grave seriousness before once again filling the air with earsplitting squeals and bodies getting tossed about by explosions. Remove all of these annoyances and there are still some very extraordinary stunts, which if the sequence that plays over the end credits is any indication, may call for a sequel to Action Boys (a documentary about the hazardous lives of stunt actors in the Korean film industry).
I might be spoiled by Korean cinema. Yes maybe just a little. A consistently jaw-dropping output has led to just over a decade of me fawning, repeatedly watching, and urging others to check out a wide body of work produced within a relatively short period of time. On one side are major productions from maverick directors (Chan Wook Park, Kim Ji Woon, Joon Bong Ho to name a few) that are always swinging for the fences. Hit or miss, they tell gigantic weighty stories, push casts to intense performances, and deliver impressive sequences of sensory overload. On the other end are independents that, in the absence of hefty budgets or star power, create powerful films, where all of the elements come together unified by one singular auteur vision (films like Breathless and Daytime Drinking come quickly to mind). Then you have movies, a growing number of which are getting exposure in the US and abroad, that fall somewhere in between. This is very much where I would position the movie Hindsight, at one point known as Blue Salt, the actual translation of the film’s Korean title. The film is a collection of some pretty good ideas, but they ultimately lead to a confused whole, when following up strongly on just one or two of them might’ve made for a much better film. The short version of the story: Doo-hyeon, a good natured mobster (played by Song Kang Ho) tries to extricate himself from the gangster lifestyle, finding motivation in cooking classes where he meets sassy young firebrand Se-bin (actress Shin Se-Kyung). Since you can never really leave it all behind, forces are at work to drag Doo-hyeon back into the thick of things, amongst them Se-bin herself, who is begrudgingly spying on her culinary classmate to settle a debt to the mob. As Doo-hyeon finds himself at the center of tension within the ranks of his criminal organization, a relationship is kindled between himself and Se-bin. Their connection, already strained by a very heavily played up age difference and the concealment of their true nature from one another, is further complicated by a misunderstanding that makes Doo-hyeon a target for the deadlier than at first imagined Se-bin. That doesn’t seem so simple after all, does it? Yet it leaves out a number of plot elements that further distract more than add to the story.
What’s good is the always fantastic Song Kang Ho, playing a role he seems to be made for: The retired from action tough guy whose hard edge is softened by a truly good nature and a healthy dose of everyman simplicity. He has also played slightly different riffs on this same characters in numerous other films (Secret Reunion, The Show Must Go On, Memories of Murder). And herein may lie one of Hindsight’s major battles to hold audience’s attention: It is near impossible to be a Korean movie fan and not know Song Kang Ho from other far superior movies. There is a feeling throughout Hindsight that his performance is deserving of better material.
What I also admire is the focus on an unlikely relationship, which despite obstacles forces itself persistently into being. It is not the most original subject, but it is a moving one. There are some charming, humorous moments where the pair’s generation gap brings about a smile, like when the two attempt to escape from outside pressures by singing at a karaoke box. I would’ve liked to see this developed as more of an indie production or maybe even a Japanese or Hong Kong take on the story. These variables might’ve turned it into a more stylish, mood-driven experience. Instead there is a decision to play things cutesy way too often, with long desert café talks and print club photo shoots that linger on way too long. I would’ve far preferred to see the leads talk a lot less and emote a lot more. OK, Song Kang Ho maybe is a natural talker, but the Se-bin character, who carries herself with a strikingly somber presence, could’ve provided an interesting counterbalance by having fewer and carefully chosen lines of dialogue. So what are the distractions? The jump from one mode to another for one. I like the idea of films starting out as one thing and morphing into something else; it’s a feat that appears in a lot of Korean films. When it’s done well it is a revelation, as is the case with Secret Reunion (which also features Song Kang-ho as past-his-prime with 1 foot out the door of a violent industry). When it’s not, however, it becomes a chore to give it your attention. The cooking class where we first meet the main protagonists is an interesting place with an amusingly hard-assed master chef taking Doo-hyeon and Se-bin through their paces. While the food theme remains in play, it seems kind of a shame that they leave this scenario behind for more familiar mobster territory.
There are also numerous one-dimensional characters, something I often associate with gangster movies, including a one-eyed assassin (the other eye is obscured by permanently pressed down hair), who was designed to look almost exactly like Byung-hun Lee in The Good, The Bad, and the Weird. There is a lot of gun play, which does make for some suspense. The details, however, eventually drip into a somewhat forgettable soup. One only knows, as characters are fond of repeating, that "Doo-hyeon must die!" The reasons why become lost in the muddle. This is a film with some interesting ideas, which again may have played out better if there weren’t such high expectations in play. Oh Korean cinema, you set the bar so very high. While it might lead to some overly critical assessments, it also ensures there will be ambitious film makers setting out to outdo, rather than fall short of, those that came before.
It’s been a sudden burst of activity here in New York on the Korean Film front, with movies I’ve been able to experience within the past week and much to look forward to in the very near future. The New York Korean Film Festival is an event that seems to occur semi-annually, often so quickly that if you blink it will pass you by. This year’s affair was no exception, with 6 films crammed into one weekend at BAM. I was able to catch 2 action films, HINDSIGHT and QUICK, which I hope to put together some coherent thoughts on in the days to come. Another film shown at the festival was the murderous suspense tale MOSS, which I wrote about here a few months ago. The Korean Cultural Service continues its fantastic biweekly series of films, all screened for free, at Tribeca Cinemas. They have been reeling in particularly large crowds in recent weeks, with this week’s screening of WHITE NIGHT leaving no seat unoccupied and some film fans having to wait for an opportunity to enter mid-movie. It is an excellent thought provoking murder mystery (of sorts) with an amazing back story rooted in Japanese literature. DBBORROUGHS has written about here and I also hope to present my take on. The next series of films to come are of a much lighter variety: romantic comedies CYRANO AGENCY, MY GIRLFRIEND IS A SECRET AGENT, and PETTY ROMANCE. The big guns are about to come out as Friday, March 2nd marks the beginning of the Love Will Tear Us Apart series at Japan Society. It is an extremely ambitious assemblage of films from Japan, as well as Korea, perhaps a sign of some strong ties between the two nations’ film scene (as with the aforementioned White Night). It is a welcome barrage after a relatively low key year of Asian cinema. I say that with last year in mind, which was extraordinarily jam packed with Asian movie opportunities. By this time in 2011, there had been retrospectives for Sabu, Miike, and Kim Ji-woon in different New York City venues.
Besides the pleasant mix of films from Japan and Korea, this fest also stands out for sticking consistently to a theme: as its title suggest, twisted love. Be it failed, abnormal, or self-annihilating. It’s also pretty cool how some great master directors (Shinya Tsukamoto, Kim Ki-Duk) have been tapped for a few different films, so within this one festival you have the opportunity to experience a few short retrospectives.
This is definitely an event to read up on and carefully because there are interesting happenings all over it. For instance, several of the films will be introduced by a someone from a Chinese university film studies department (so be sure to swap out the contacts for some scholarly spectacles on those days). Opening night film KOTOKO (3/2) will be preceded by a short film ROMANCE (whose school girl gone deadly femme fatale graces the program’s website). SNAKES AND EARRINGS (3/16) will follow a Korean short film, HAIR (from the director of SAVE THE GREEN PLANET) so if you already saw Snakes and Earrings at the New York Asian Film Festival a few years ago, you still have something potentially new to look forward to there. Here are a few picks among the films that I’ve seen and admired (in some cases ‘enjoyed’ would not be quite appropriate). A SNAKE OF JUNE (3/3) More than a small dose of eroticism here. This was a return to form for Shinya Tsukamoto, harkening back to the sheer mesmerizing design and cinematography of TETSUO: IRON MAN. Like that film, it was shot in black and white, but with a haunting wash of blue. It looks at a stagnating relationship and what happens when a third volatile element (played by Tsukamoto himself) is thrown into the mix. What results is sexual fetishism centered around power and control in the form of remote control vibrator play, a voyeuristic cult whose members wear oddly shaped metal helmets, and a LOT of rain. BAD GUY (3/10) Kim Ki-duk’s bittersweet film about a Korean enforcer, used to getting his way, who can’t accept rejection from a girl from sheltered higher society. He arranges to have her forced into prostitution in the red light district he and a his gang call home. The captor’s revenge turns into desire. The captive’s hatred turns to love. There is more to the titular intimidator than meets the eye. The setting takes place largely in a picturesque town of brightly colored transparent shades, behind which girls pose for attention. It is sullied by exploitation yet strangely dream like, and to this day I wonder if or how much it is based on an actual location. There is also a beautiful soundtrack, the highlight of which is a slow burning Italian song that reminds me of early Portishead. DREAM (3/10) PossiblyKim Ki-Duk’s most surreal film, and one that emphasizes the Japanese-Korean connection. The male lead is played by Odagiri Jo who, without any rationale, speaks Japanese to female counterpart Lee Na-Young’s Korean throughout. It is a subtly imaginative what if scenario that finds one character’s dreams being acted out by the other in an unconsciously active state. The two act out a relationship created but also doomed by this strange circumstance. Jo portrays a sculpture and his tools take on the same level of symbolism you might find in a David Cronenberg film, with equally lethal potential. OASIS (3/18) Misery, despair, pain, frustration. This movie by Lee Chang-dong, the director who went on to make widely the revered SECRET SUNSHINE and POETRY, made me want to hide under a blanket and remain there for a week. It is my go to when people ask me about the most depressing movie I’ve ever seen. Yes I have watched films about more tragic occurrences, many of them straight out of real life. But nothing can quite crush my soul like a story about two outcasts from society, born into a world adversity due to mental and physical disabilities, whose one simple desire to appreciate the happiness they find with each other is squashed by a stifling society. An innocent man whose limited mental capacity leads him to often end up a misfit comes across a woman with cerebral palsy and commits what can best be described as rape. This is at least some form of attention. The neglect her family subjects her to is just a part of this scathing depiction of Korean society. A relationship blossoms during which you need to grasp onto any strands of joy you can find before they slip away because as you can imagine, it will end in tears.
