Barking Dogs Never Bite

Joon-ho Bong's film debut, Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000), is a black comedy about an unemployed college lecturer who decides to kill his neighbour's annoying dog. There's a bunch of colorful side characters that make the film so complicated and hilarious - such as the main character's strong-minded and pregnant wife. Even though Bong tries to balance the drama and the comedy, the film ends up being more comic than serious. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing because the film is at its best when it is funny. I nearly forgot how serious the film was with its social concerns and animal cruelty when I began to laugh uncontrollably during other scenes.

Even though the content is uneven, Bong's form is already quite refined in his debut. The cinematography switches between static and kinetic "phases" which are both finely executed. The camera movement is well handled, the occasional use of Dutch angles is good and the best thing about the cinematography was the brilliant use of close-ups. When I think about it, only Woman in the Dunes comes into mind when thinking about powerful close-ups in films I have seen recently.

Barking Dogs Never Bite is funny but flawed film which is certainly a strong debut for any director. I'll be looking forward to see Joon-ho Bong's other films.

Score: 7 out of 10

The Isle

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I have a love-hate relationship with Kim Ki-duk's films. Some of his efforts rely too much on shock value and obscure characters, but his refined movies like 3-Iron can be very rewarding. The Isle (2000) belongs to the former category. It is a story of a mute woman who is the hostess of a fishing resort.

Kim's screenplay fails quite miserably. He writes like a naive cynic: each and every character is a dumb narcissist. Beyond that, there are only two clear distinctions: you are either whiny or violent and sadistic. The film stumbles because it tries to be alienating and involving at the same time. Relying on shock value - through abusing animals and using fish hooks in a painful way - is cheap and Kim never gets anything worthwhile out of them. There's also a wishy-washy take on obsessive and destructive love.

However, the form is intriguing. Kim creates a strong contrast by shooting the brutal scenes in a graceful, poetic way. His cinematography is haunting and delicate. His editing is also rather interesting, for example the pacing is so perfect. There's also the subtle musical score that was a bit underused but effective.

Kim Ki-duk's The Isle is an interesting film for the fans of the director, but it is far too manipulative and flimsy to be considered something more than mediocre.

Score: 5 out of 10