tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-263134062018-08-28T12:31:17.850-04:00John & Jeeyun's Korean film reviewJohn & Jeeyun's Korean Movie Ratings:
1 = miss it; 2 = sufferable; 3 = good (recommended); 4 = great (strongly recommended); 5 = masterpieceJeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-70770790373705596462007-12-09T18:15:00.000-05:002007-12-09T18:17:29.261-05:00Totem (a/k/a Heavenly Path)<span style="font-weight: bold;">Totem (a/k/a Heavenly Path) (2006; dir. Kim Eung-su) 2</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-30786685710599399472007-12-09T18:12:00.000-05:002007-12-09T18:14:52.360-05:00The Show Must Go On<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Show Must Go On (2007; dir. Han Jae-rim) 3</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-69199398172452833052007-08-26T11:21:00.000-04:002007-08-26T11:22:48.431-04:00Silk Shoes<span style="font-weight: bold;">Silk Shoes (2006; dir. Yo Kyun-dong) 4</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-60262925659853202282007-08-26T11:19:00.000-04:002007-08-26T11:21:08.633-04:00Voice of a Murderer<span style="font-weight: bold;">Voice of a Murderer (2007; dir. Park Jin-pyo) 3</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-68897925578911246912007-06-17T15:20:00.000-04:002007-06-17T15:22:40.939-04:00Cruel Winter Blues<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cruel Winter Blues (2005; dir. Lee Jeong-beom) 3</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-21091295999210088472007-06-17T15:17:00.000-04:002007-06-17T15:20:25.070-04:00Over the Border<span style="font-weight: bold;">Over the Border (2006; An Pan-seok) 2</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-73717339447637984692007-06-17T15:14:00.000-04:002007-06-17T15:17:43.308-04:00Old Garden<span style="font-weight: bold;">Old Garden (2007; dir. Im Sang-soo) 2</span><br />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.<br />Gwangju massacre nostalgia, if there can be such a thing.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-17360745601597933462007-05-04T20:21:00.000-04:002007-05-04T20:25:02.357-04:00Family Ties<span style="font-weight: bold;">Family Ties (2006; dir. Kim Tae-Young) 3</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-42822513985311334152007-05-04T20:20:00.000-04:002007-05-04T20:24:23.174-04:00Tazza: The High Rollers<span style="font-weight: bold;">Tazza: The High Rollers (2006; dir. Choi Dong-hoon) 3</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-91373321865834117422007-05-04T20:17:00.000-04:002007-05-04T20:24:04.750-04:00D-Day (a/k/a Roommates)<span style="font-weight: bold;">D-Day (a/k/a Roommates) (2006; dir. Kim Eun-kyung) 3</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-71871788484103015702007-02-01T21:32:00.000-05:002007-02-11T17:50:05.868-05:00Host, The<span style="font-weight: bold;">Host, The (2006; dir. Bong Joon-ho) 4</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-89987967229602331772007-02-01T21:30:00.000-05:002007-02-01T21:35:25.231-05:00City of Violence<span style="font-weight: bold;">City of Violence (2006; dir. Ryoo Seung-wan) 4</span><br />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).Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-72842127633796050822007-01-29T09:29:00.000-05:002007-01-29T09:31:30.904-05:00Bloody Tie<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bloody Tie (2006; Choi Ho) 2</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-80003636449053930612007-01-29T09:26:00.000-05:002007-01-29T09:29:23.493-05:00Dirty Carnival<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dirty Carnival (2006; dir. Yu Ha) 3</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-58043265058594110022007-01-28T22:21:00.000-05:002007-01-28T22:24:53.854-05:00Puzzle<span style="font-weight: bold;">Puzzle (2006; dir. Kim Tae-Kyeong) 2</span><br />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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-17114496764766370322007-01-28T22:07:00.000-05:002007-02-11T17:51:17.662-05:00Radio Star<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Radio Star</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> (2006; dir. Lee Jun-ik) </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">3</span><br />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…).Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-61386706369763280732006-12-10T18:29:00.000-05:002006-12-10T18:32:51.721-05:00Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring<strong><a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-k/section-videos/pid-1003242635/">Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring</a></strong> (2003; dir. Kim Ki-duk) <strong>4</strong><br /><strong><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/1600/spring_summer_fall_winter.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 159px; height: 133px;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/320/spring_summer_fall_winter.jpg" border="0" height="162" width="295" /></a></strong>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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-47389375967861712702006-12-10T18:26:00.000-05:002006-12-10T18:28:05.769-05:00Address Unknown<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/1600/p1003999675.jpg"><strong><a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-k/section-videos/pid-1003999675/">Address Unknown</a></strong> (2001; dir, Kim Ki-duk) <strong>3</strong></a><br /><strong><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/1600/p1003999675.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/320/p1003999675.jpg" border="0" /></a></strong><strong></strong>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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-10482667412293173962006-12-10T18:25:00.000-05:002006-12-10T18:26:17.552-05:00Samaritan Girl<strong><a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-w/section-videos/pid-1004414904/">Samaritan Girl</a></strong> (2004; dir, Kim Ki-duk) <strong>4</strong><br />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.”Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-30964329513061260682006-12-10T18:14:00.000-05:002006-12-10T18:15:17.752-05:003-Iron<strong><a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-k/section-videos/pid-1003946721/">3-Iron</a></strong> (2004; dir. Kim Ki-duk) <strong>3</strong><br />I can’t quite identify the reason, but this film fell short of <em>Spring, Summer…</em> 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.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-43938764450078175402006-12-10T18:09:00.001-05:002006-12-31T16:51:19.187-05:00Quiet Family<strong><a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-videos/pid-1001837915/">Quiet Family</a></strong> (1998; dir. Kim Jee-woon) <strong>4</strong><br />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.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">free worldwide shipping with YesAsia</span></span>Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-6506826740808798682006-12-10T18:06:00.000-05:002006-12-10T18:13:49.711-05:00Good Lawyer's Wife, A<strong><a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-k/section-videos/pid-1003820095/">Good Lawyer's Wife, A</a></strong> (2003; dir. Im Sang-soo)<strong> 3</strong><br />I thought this drama film looked good, and its ambiguous ending (after some initial frustration) was one of its strengths. A far cry from <em>President's Last Bang</em>, but the pieces are there, including characters that leave you hovering between sympathy and ambivalence.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-9669233461870340712006-12-10T18:04:00.000-05:002006-12-10T18:05:45.155-05:00President's Last Bang, The<a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-k/section-videos/pid-1003999683/"><strong>President's Last Bang, The</strong></a> (2005; dir. Im Sang-soo)<strong> 5</strong><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/1600/418px-President"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/200/418px-President%27s_Last_Bang_Poster.jpg" border="0" /></a>Politics aside (as difficult as that may be for this film about Presidential assasination), this is one of - if not <em>the</em> - 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 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Suk-kyu">Han Suk-kyu</a> as Chief Agent Ju, who I thought played his role to perfection.Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-44751865270670135822006-12-10T18:00:00.000-05:002006-12-10T18:01:41.620-05:00Tale of Two Sisters, A<strong><a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-videos/pid-1004086921/">Tale of Two Sisters, A</a></strong> (2003; dir. Kim Jee-woon) <strong>5</strong><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/1600/janghwa1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 149px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/479/2754/320/janghwa1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>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.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">free worldwide shipping with YesAsia</span></span><br /><br /><strong><br /></strong>Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26313406.post-60350495406365583552006-12-10T17:59:00.000-05:002006-12-10T18:29:12.287-05:00Bittersweet Life, A<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sxuNPTpEYR4/RXyXBQjrqrI/AAAAAAAAABQ/5WBjk4ag1oY/s1600-h/b.jpg"><strong><a href="http://global.yesasia.com/assocred.asp?H76XVWX7+http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-k/section-videos/pid-1004021183/">Bittersweet Life, A</a></strong> (2005; dir. Kim Jee-woon) <strong>3</strong></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sxuNPTpEYR4/RXyXBQjrqrI/AAAAAAAAABQ/5WBjk4ag1oY/s1600-h/b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sxuNPTpEYR4/RXyXBQjrqrI/AAAAAAAAABQ/5WBjk4ag1oY/s320/b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007042933609441970" border="0" /></a><strong></strong><strong></strong>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.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-family:arial;">free worldwide shipping with YesAsia</span></span>Jeeyun Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09030074223655192472noreply@blogger.com0