Padak (2012)

The free screening at the Korean Cultural Service screening was the animated film Padak. The film has been described as a kind of Korean Finding Nemo, but that really isn't fair, since this is much different and much darker, I mean neither Disney nor Pixar wouldn't make a film where characters die graphically. This isn't meant to give anything away only to say that this isn't your typical Hollywood animated film.

Ted Geohagen, writer, producer, director and host of the current series of KCS screenings said the film is akin to the work of Don Bluth since Bluth left Disney because they wanted to take death, danger and violence from their films. Bluth wanted to keep it in and went off on his own to make films his way, and made some money in the process. I think Ted was right, though this film is much darker than even Bluth's work. Ted also said that a friend of his compared the film said that the film is what you might get if Pink Floyd made Finding Nemo. I think in some form the statement is right on especially since some of the musical numbers resembled some of the animation used in Pink Floyd The Wall.

The plot of the film has Padak caught and brought to restaurant that serves sea food. As Padak tries to escape she butt heads with the fish in the tank who are all under the sway of a flat fish who lives under a steel grate in the floor of the tank. As Padak refuses to give up she begins to change the fish in the tank with her.

Okay if you're looking for friendly animation look elsewhere, this is a dark film where we watch as characters are pulled from the tank, cleaned and eaten. You will feel their fear...hell in many ways this is a horror film. This is not for most kids and many adults who would prefer not to have their characters served for dinner.

For my money this is a wonderful film. Once you get past the opening human world animation which looks like old school computer animation, this film really takes off. Actually the film begins to set a dark tone with Padak being caught and moved from boat to delivery van to tank. Its a wordless sequence that has more dread than most recent horror films put together. From there the story spins out in unexpected ways including dreams, flashbacks and a couple of musical numbers. The film also uses a variety of animation styles depending upon where we are in the story.

Don't kid yourself there is a complexity here that Disney, Pixar and all of the big American animation houses never ever approach. How complex is the film? It deals obliquely with cults, the notion of how to live, life in a concentration camp, pecking orders, nihilism and several other themes. You probably could do a dissertation on the film.

I know at the top I compared the film to Finding Nemo, but that isn't right.Its a lazy statement on my part, even if there are clown fish in the film. It's lazy because the film is, outside of the dream and human sequences is set entirely in the aquarium outside the restaurant. We only see the sea at the end, it always remains just out of reach for most of the film.

I don't know what to say. I think this is a brilliant film I know the film has low regard in some circles (IMDB has it rated under 5 out of 10), but based on what I've read it seems that the audiences have been expecting yet another happy Disney film not a mediation on life and death. The fact this is a complex mature animated film messes with their heads as much as the film itself. Personally I think they are really wrong and I'd say i's probably the first "great" film I've seen in 2013.

Track this film down.

Padak (The Korean Finding Nemo) is the next free film at Tribeca Cinemas

Tuesday the Korean Cultural Service FREE screenings continue with Padak.

I know nothing about the film other than what the Korean CUltural Serive says which is as follows:

In Korea’s surprisingly powerful take on Pixar’s Finding Nemo, a mackerel from the sea named Flappy ends up caught in a net and dumped carelessly into a restaurant tank. A pessimistic old flatfish, who has somehow avoided death for ages inside the tank, becomes her confidant and mentor...even if his means for survival border on cowardice. Very quickly, Flappy refuses her fate and becomes determined to make it out of the tank and back to the ocean – even if that means going against the old flatfish and shattering the hierarchy of the tank. A feel-good adventure for the whole family, Padak combines computer animation with traditional hand-drawn art, delivering a funny, lovable film that’s also packed with social drama and subtext.

Tribeca Cinemas:
54 Varick Street, on the corner of Canal Street, one block from the A, C, E and 1 train Canal Street stops

FREE ADMISSION
All seating is first-come, first served.
Doors open at 6:30PM.

I'm hoping to be there next week and I rpomise to report in should I see the film.

THE SWORD WITH NO NAME - Korean Cultural Service screening tomorrow *FREE*

Director: Kim Yong-Gyun
Stars: Joo Seung-Woo, Soo-Ae
Genre: Period piece, martial arts - romance
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My initial perception of THE SWORD WITH NO NAME was that it must be a South Korean version of Jet Li’s HERO or maybe FEARLESS but my intuity was wrong again as it turned out to be a very refreshing period piece romance/fantasy with a heapful of epic martial art swordplay with minimal use of high flying wireworks & wire-fu but with a heavy assist from CG.  Did I just say refreshing? I don’t usually give the lovey-dovey films too much airtime but something about this movie had me watching for more. For one thing, the film was beautifully shot with a variety of stunning landscapes in the background and the swordplay sequences was pure eye-candy as computer graphics enhanced the fight scenes to make the soldiers video game like complete with slow motion and with stylized movements. The romance part of the story seemed to be very far fetched though but intriguing enough to make you want to hang with the film. The politics, nationalism, & patriotism added some sugar and spice to the mix!

THE SWORD WITH NO NAME is loosely based on the historical Empress of Korea - Myeongseong from the Joseon Dynasty in the late 19th century. The Empress was an important figure in Korean History as she was known to be heavily involved with politics, foreign affairs, and for her valiant fight against the Japanese invasion.  The romanticizing portion of the film is where the creative imagination from the director came into play.

Ja Young (Soo Ae), the soon to be Queen of Joseon is enroute to the Royal Kingdom to wed the King in a few days.  Unfortunately, there is a bounty on her head with assassins on the loose to hunt her down! This is where our young hero Moo-Myoung, a bounty hunter himself is introduced. Not knowing of her background, he is hired by Ja-Young to escort her by boat to a serene location by the sea.  This is were the love follies begin as assassination attempts on the future queen and a meetup with Noi-Jeon, the assigned bodyguard to the Queen who is known as the best swordsman of Korea will determine Moo-Myoung’s destiny of vowing to be the protector of Ja-Young.  After an intense battle between the bodyguard and Moo, everything goes on as planned - Ja Young becomes the Queen of Joseon leaving Moo-Myoung with an empty heart but determined soul.  To be continued in the film!

The other more interesting aspect of the movie which is based on historical fact shows the Queen exchanging political pleasantries with the west as well as laying down the groundwork for a diplomatic agreement with Russia. A more personal and human side of the Empress shows her entertaining the wives of the Ambassadors while showing interest in their dress and culture!

This open-minded trait of the Empress to create allies & embrace technology instead of shutting down everything not Korean would help fuel the insecurities of the King and his father even with the prospects of the Japanese invasion staring at them. What they did not realize was that a low ranking soldier by the name of Moo-Myoung would prove to be a pivotal character in the story!


“My sword has chosen a purpose - to protect you, my highness.”


The fight scenes in the film were aesthetically pleasing with a “300” like vibe as well as offering a touch of holistic symbolism with butterflies and fishes floating on air in slo-mo amongst the carnage!  

Even with flaws in the movie including Moo-Myoung’s sudden obsession with love and the desire to protect the Queen - THE SWORD WITH NO NAME delivers the message of the Empress in a very poetic and tender fashion. A lot of emotions exchanged between the characters and then ultimately to us, the viewers seem to happen on the quieter scenes in the film. The fierceness of the characters in the film are exemplified through integrity, honor, compassion, and loyalty - not just warrior mentality!  This is definitely the type of movie to watch in a theater!


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THE SWORD WITH NO NAME screens at the Korean Cultural Service for FREE at the Tribeca Cinemas TUESDAY, June 19TH, 2012 7:00PM

AS ALWAYS, KCS FILMS ARE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. FREE ADMISSION.
TRIBECA CINEMAS, 54 VARICK ST. , NEW YORK, NY 10013
FOR MORE INFO ON THIS AND UPCOMING FILMS IN THE SERIES, VISIT
KOREANCULTURE.ORG

Petty Comics, Bad Romance...Petty Romance at Free Korean Movie Night

Petty Romance, the next film being shown in Korean Cultural Service’s free biweekly movie series, took me by surprise after the series' charming yet chaste previous entry, My Girlfriend is an Agent.  It’s quite a bawdy affair, with far more upfront sexual content than past Korean films that have been promoted as having such (Dasepo Naughty Girls is one, and from the psychological drama department, The Housemaid might even be given cause to blush).

With one foot firmly planted in the world of manga publishing, it tells the timeworn story of a guy and girl meeting up and going through the awkward motions of forging a romantic relationship.  Although commonly tread ground, there is added intrigue thanks to the humorous comic book storyline and a truly memorable and not at all stereotypically rendered female lead.

The couple meets when confident Jeong-bae, an acclaimed manga artist is enticed by an international eroticcomic competition, which promises the winner a hefty sum of reward money and a lucrative publishing deal.  This leads him to recruit a story writer, a position that equally headstrong (though in very different ways) Da-rim steamrolls her way into with much bravado and several embellishments on some less than stellar experience.  Her stint as a sex columnist for a women’s magazine would appear to be her greatest asset, yet she leaves this detail out at the interview.  She has no problem, however, blaming the shortsightedness of the entire Korean film industry for the lack of development on a progressive relationship story that she has supposedly written.   

From the moment the alliance forms, their personality clashes take over the show.  Jeong-bae sees himself as the visionary in charge, looking for ideas that will fuel his revered craft.  He is refined in his tastes and has a no-nonsense approach to his work.  Da-rim is far from being a workaholic.  She seems content to breeze by life, living in her rather resentful brother’s upscale apartment, and resistant to anything resembling a steady job.  While he attempts to maintain a razorlike focus on the comic, she is more concerned with uncovering any romantic intentions Jeong-bae may have towards her.    

They also have conflicting attitudes towards manga:  Jeong-bae wants to create a story that is meaningful and not cliche.  Da-rim views his aspirations as lofty but hollow, equating them to the empty onion peels remaining at the bottom of a jia jiang men noodle dish.  She sees comics as a place to be funny and, of course, sexually provocative.

Physical attraction between the two vies with the personality clashes and opposing artistic visions.  Rest assured, the pair do not make it easy for a connection to be formed. Or for that matter, a championship-winning erotic comic to be created.  

Although supporting characters are for the most part bland, playing up familiar stereotypes that stir up dust clouds along the main characters’ already muddled path, it doesn’t matter much.  The main attraction really is the central couple, in particular actress Kang-hee Choi’s performance as Da-rim.  She manages to be charming while also capturing an atypical combination of uncouth and witless.  She is frank about her interest in sex, although the vast experiences she speaks of may or may not be all that it is cracked up to be.

The manga angle serves the story in a few ways.  Several genre-inspired animations occur during the movie, depicting characters’ desires and fantastical self-perceptions. They also allow the film to push the boundaries of raciness beyond what could be carried out acceptably with actors and actresses.  One sequence is a particularly funny riff on the action movie Wanted.  Another neat trick of the movie is that amidst all of the explicit activity, both animated and either talked about or going on between other characters, Jeong-bae and Da-rim’s passion for each other manages to go largely unfulfilled, even through some awkward encounters that bring them extremely close. It is a story as much, if not more, about frustration as gratification.

For a rare look at the more adult side of Korean romantic comedies, strongly consider turning yourself over to Petty Romance.  Be forewarned, though, that if you are only interested in a naughty nibble, you may get more than you hoped for.  Over the course of its two hours, it’s more like a banquet with all the trimmings -- Expect the requisite changes in mood from frivolous to serious, with day trips, misunderstandings, jealousy, awkwardly cute romantic interludes, and unguarded admissions of true feelings along the way.  


Petty Romance screens for free on Tuesday, April 10, at 7:00 PM, at Tribeca Cinemas. See the Korean Cultural Service website for details.


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The Spy Who Loves Me? My Girlfriend is an Agent at Free Korean Movie Night

A look through Korean films released theatrically in the US could lead one to think that the nation’s  movie going masses are largely depressed, going to the movies as a form of group therapy by bearing witness to intense suffering and psychologically draining confrontations.  Fortunately, institutions like the New York Asian Film Festival and Korean Cultural Service prove otherwise by bringing over films that represent a wide spectrum of genres from Korea’s vital industry.  

Prime evidence comes in the form of the next free movie screening from the Korean Cultural Service, My Girlfriend is an Agent, a romantic comedy wrapped up in a classic spy tale’s over sized trench coat, often tripping over its awkward tailoring.  Unlike some big messy blockbuster hopefuls that explode in every possible tonal direction, those at the helm of My Girlfriend is an Agent know how to keep things in proportion.  It is a comedy first and foremost with enough light-hearted action and romance to set up the laughs.

While in the midst of intercepting some international criminal activity, NIS agent Ahn Soo-ji finds herself concealing her clandestine activity from her boyfriend on the phone by claiming to be on Jeju Island.  It’s an alibi she’s used one time too many, as he is one foot out of the relationship and a boarding pass away from an international flight to somewhere far away from Korea.  This brings Ahn back to a similar situation three years ago with one time significant other, Lee Jae-joon.  The difference being that unbeknownst to her, while she was secretly carrying out her undercover activities, he was also pulling the wool over her eyes, his flight abroad being a part of his own top secret affairs.

The double deception between would-be lovers will no doubt lead to Mr. and Mrs. Smith comparisons.  And while I am not sure whether I’ve seen that movie or not (If I did, any significant memory of it is all but faded away), I will presume to report that the similarities are few and far between, aside from this general convention.  The couple in ‘Girlfriend’ while certainly attractive, are not being played up as sexy.  Rather, imagine if the star-crossed crime stoppers were played by Steve Carrel and Tina Fey and you have a more accurate idea of the ensuing antics.  

If you are expecting lots of flimsy excuses to get the female lead into revealing outfits and compromising physical positions, you’ll be disappointed or pleasantly surprised depending on your agenda.  Despite the seemingly guy-centric English title, the movie is rather evenly split between both leads, maybe spending a bit more time on Jae-joon’s comedic bumbling than the other way around.  

Another operation brings Soo-ji and Jae-joon together once again after the long separation.  They are each angered about the breakup, feeling it was caused by the other’s dishonesty, but naturally a wispy smoke ring of love still lingers in the air.  They go through their awkward attempts at rekindling a relationship, while both, still unbeknownst to the other, begin to tackle the same international threat of bio-terrorism, world domination, or something to that effect...clearly, the dysfunctional relationship humor makes a much stronger impression than the cloak and dagger stuff.  

Western audiences might be thrown for a loop by a traditional Asian chasteness that runs through the story. Still thinking of the Smiths and their marital counseling? Never mind that; this pair is working on holding hands and first kisses.

Despite this traditional seeming restraint, there is a fun bit of role reversal that flies in the face of old fashioned expectations. Soo-ji definitely wears the pants in this partnership. Her fighting skills are far superior to those of Jae-joon, who has the geekier talent of being a wiz with codes. Meanwhile, his inability to utter any form of communication to his team that isn’t inappropriate, along with an ineptitude with firearms, is a source of great mirth.

Of course, neither of them is particularly good at the job. While Soo-ji is the more capable combatant, she has the grace and subtlety of a bull in a shop that sells...some kind of porcelain.  It makes it almost plausible that these two supposed super sleuths cannot figure out that the other is in working for a different branch of the same agency.  That nobody on either of their crack teams is quite a bit harder to swallow, but by this point, you’re either charmed by the premise or you’re not.  When these protectors of the free world finally do catch wind of the strange behavior their agents’ significant others display, it leads to even more confusion.  While the turn is nothing shocking or groundbreaking, it’s a good bit of fun better left to be discovered on screen than described here.    

Regardless of the genre, this just wouldn’t seem like a proper Korean movie without some barb tongued verbal exchanges, and here our couple shine.  There are several heated arguments that threaten to go nuclear between the two leads, which steal the show movie’s international incident subplot. These aggro conversations are what offer something unique, making for a refreshing difference from the usual back and forth between Hollywood comedy couples.  

A true comedy at heart, consider the secret codes and sinister canisters an extra bonus.  



My Girlfriend is an Agent screens for free on Tuesday, March 27, 7:00 PM, at Tribeca Cinemas. See the Korean Cultural Service website for details.


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At the (Korean) Movies in NY 2: White Night

Continuing with this look at some great Korean movies I have seen in New York, this one is part of the Korean Cultural Service's continued biweekly series of rarely screened and free movies. Pop on in and tell 'em Mondocurry sent ya.


WHITE NIGHT (Korean Cultural Service Free Movie Night, Tribeca Cinemas)

For those interested by the idea of story reconstruction in films, there can’t be a better genre than the murder mystery.  While pondering the external act of creating a new vision of an existing work, one follows the internal story of protagonists trying to reconstruct acts of meticulously plotted malevolence.  I believe that Fincher’s version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is very much aware of this and more clever than it’s been given credit for, but I should leave that for a better time (and probably a better writer than myself).  Right now I am focusing on White Night, a film with a fascinating reconstruction story, both inside and out.  Born out of a Japanese short story from the late seventies, a popular novel would garner much praise and attention.  This film is an adaptation of that novel, but it would go on to inspire a Japanese remake…One that is reportedly more connected to the Korean film than the novel of the same country’s origin.

The movie begins with a brief but powerful scene that draws parallels between sex and death.  Lovers slowly, almost laboriously reach a climax while elsewhere an almost gleeful murder by hanging is carried out.  The woman in the first scene seems distressed in what could be a sign of a connection between her and the execution that simultaneously takes place.  But then again, it could just be a coincidence.  

From there, detectives try to recreate the grizzly act, leading one determined investigator to link what has happened to an open case from the past.  The audience is then swept into that 14 years prior scenario where another detective is in the midst of reconstructing the puzzling details of another murder.  The film jumps unapologetically between these two timelines and their host of characters.  It may be a test of patience for moviegoers expecting high octane chases and fight scenes, as the movie goes about in a more subdued pace. It is like the shards of a badly fragmented mirror being carefully picked up and put back into place until a frightening truth slowly becomes clearer.  

There are many interesting ideas afoot in White Night.  For detective Dong-Soo Han, the case from the past, which ends up being connected to the murderous events of the present, proves to be the white whale to his Ahab.  It has taken just about everything from him: family, career (he remains on staff as little more than the department’s drunken shame) all gone, leaving only with an obsession with bringing the case to a close.

As  details fall into place in both timelines, the who’s, how’s, and why’s are filled in.  At the same time, however, notions of right and wrong, evil and justified, are blurred beyond recognition.  We are faced with a dreadful incident, which has opened up like a black hole swallowing countless victims into its void.  Don-Soo’s pursuit becomes less a matter of seeking justice and more a matter of putting a stop to the dark behemoth before any more harm can be done.

White Night is a film both challenging and rewarding, which I imagine becomes easier to follow and more prone to appreciation of its craft on repeated viewing.  It stands as a gripping character study that deals with all-encompassing obsession and the futility of trying to collect on a debt that can never be repaid.

In the Thick of It: Korean Films past, future, and right now plus the arrival of Love Will Tear Us Apart!

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.


The Love Will Tear Us Apart trailer

The next Korean movie night movie is MOSS definitely worth checking out!

I’m not sure if this Monday’s (moved from the usual Tuesday slot to coincide with Halloween!) screening of Korean film, Moss, is considered part of the Korean Cultural Service’s Hidden Gems series, or if it is a one off special in honor of the haunted holiday. It certainly fits the description of the former – a hit movie in its native Korea helmed by blockbuster making director Kang-woo Suk (Public Enemy) with a famous cast, yet slipping way under the radar in this part of the globe. And actually it has little to do with the ghost story and slasher genres typically associated with the season. What you’ll get, though, is a far better movie than any of those genres usually offers. This is one that both DB and I each reacted to individually with ecstatic approval – no long conversations necessary. Here then is my review of the next free Korean movie screening at Tribeca Cinemas: Moss!

What happens when attempts are made to subvert genuine spiritual faithfulness to serve the will of officially sanctioned but corrupt police authority? This question is posed and its answer explored Kang-woo Suk’s satisfying suspense thriller, Moss. It is a surprising film that hearkens back to a time when elaborate but highly entertaining character driven cinematic brain teasers were in their heyday. I was reminded of the experience of seeing films like The Usual Suspects and Seven for the first time. That there will be a twist ending is a given. It’s the amusement of trying to figure out what it will be that drives you to watch on.

The narrative starts out in a sleepy rural town some 30 years in the past, where the local church is having trouble maintaining followers due to a new spiritual leader in town. Yu Mok-Hyeon, The stoic new face in town, makes the former’s doom and gloom seem passé in the face of true joyful devoutness. There must be something amiss. Hands must be forced. At least that’s the rationalization of the first town priest and local law enforcement Cheon Yong-Deok for setting in motion a plan to incarcerate and otherwise cut down this new man of the cloth.

Despite Yong-Deok‘s worst intentions, he just can’t seem to get the job done. Those he enlists to do his dirty work return convinced that Ryu Mok-Hyeon’s path has the mark of a higher authority. The frustrated lawman gives up on his ill intentions and instead sets upon a new path. One that will unite earthly and heavenly authority in the noble cause of saving the souls of those who most need to be saved. At least that’s how it seems…

We jump ahead to the present where Ryu Hae-Kuk, the son of the mysterious priest, arrives at the somewhat less sleepy town to deal with news of his father’s death. After a terse ceremony, he decides that he wants to investigate the cloudy circumstances of his estranged parent’s death. The local townspeople, along with a remarkably and somewhat humorously aged Yong-Deok, just want him to go home. What ensues is an intriguing chess game with greed and power being the opposing forces to a will to uncover the truth.

As the game stretches on, flashbacks to the years in between the first scene and the present shed some light on the backgrounds of some of the village’s shady inhabitants, at least those closest to Yong-Deok, and events that transpired between him and Hae-Kuk’s father. These unhurried scenes are surely the cause of the film’s unusually long running time, but they add much appreciated depth to the story. They serve to show that the road to calm and serenity could be paved with devastating acts. Hae-Kuk‘s pursuit of justice also reveals that these roads are marked with secret passages, hidden basement stashes, and other sinister set pieces that put viewers in an adventurous frame of mind.

Action sequences are used sparingly, but when they occur, they are executed with the just the right amount of explicit detail to chill one’s blood. Painful incisions, scorching fires, and dizzying cliff side chases sharply punctuate the story’s otherwise pleasantly rolling pace.

Performances are amazing. Jung Jae-Young is brilliantly cold blooded and calculating as the village leader in both his younger and elderly incarnations, making a perfect counterbalance to Park Hae-il‘s (The Host) hotheaded Hae-Huk. Hardworking character actor Yu Hae-jin (who should be familiar to fans of the films of Ryu Seung Wan) also makes a welcome appearance as possibly the closest yet most bungling member of Yong-Deok‘s entourage. His exaggerated mannerisms and verbal expressions never fail to bring a scene to life.

The film’s one fault may be the execution of its conclusion, which after a comfortable, lazy pace, seems a bit rushed, forced even. The pieces come together in a way that makes sense, but it’s mostly dialogue driven. I wonder if things could have been resolved in a more powerful way. I’m somewhat torn over Yu Jun-Sang‘s role as a somewhat corrupt district attorney. He no doubt skillfully plays the part. It is the character itself, who goes through changes that may be necessary to bringing about the story’s resolution, which strikes me as something of a compromise. But, perhaps I am unfairly comparing the character to the entirely irredeemable public prosecutor portrayed by Ryu Seung-Beum in The Unjust.

Besides being a pleasingly riveting suspense film that will keep your eyes and mind in motion, Moss is admirable for dealing with several prominent themes in Korean cinema. In addition to questions over the nature of true religious legitimacy, Moss deals with the pitfalls of corruption and the divide between small town and cosmopolitan identity (Hae-Huk’s residence in Seoul is pointedly brought up several times by the village’s inhabitants. This is all done without ever bogging down the story. And yes you have to stay through to the last scene to appreciate all of its twists.

I strongly urge you to duck out of this season’s unusually early onset of cold and away from the throngs of costumed revelers in this year’s Halloween parade to see Moss at Tribeca Cinemas this Monday at 7:00 PM… for FREE!. Tickets are first come first serve. It’s a rare chance to see this crowd pleasing potboiler as it should be seen: on a large screen with a large group of people. And yes, Tribeca Cinemas does have popcorn.