Samaritan Girl

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If you had asked me a year ago whether I'm a Kim Ki-duk fan or not, I would have replied 'yes'. Even films like The Isle fascinated me. However, I have gradually begun to lose my interest and appreciation for his films. I then decided that Samaritan Girl (2004) will be the last of his films I will watch (apart from the possible rewatches of 3-Iron (2004) and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring (2003)) if it doesn't turn out to be as good as I remembered.

Samaritan Girl is a film about two teenaged girls who resort to prostitution in order to earn some money (apparently they want to go to Europe). The film's first "act" is a solid and rich piece of writing that fascinated me a lot. The characters seemed promising (and well developed) and it felt like Kim really had something to say this time instead of vague and shocking content.

However, a dramatic twist in the plot ruined the rest of the film. The characters became irritatingly static, the focus of the film turned into something so ridiculously redundant and out of place. It seems to be almost a trademark for Kim to throw in a lot of prop motives which only hint at something undefined and end up being rather useless and empty. This can be found in Samaritan Girl as well.

Kim's form is refined though. His clean yet "chaotic" visuals rarely fail to deliver. Pleasant (and occasionally intriguing) compositions, good (and calm) pacing and smooth camera drives make the film enjoyable. This time he also mastered the use of music throughout the film: the bittersweet instrumental soundtrack hits hard. However, there is one peculiar exception to the quality: his use of Erik Satie's Gymnopedie is somewhat unconvincing. The weird thing about it is that I find it hard to see how someone could fail using that masterful composition. As a side note, it is also weird how there are so many Asian films that feature the song - even to the point of obsession.

Samaritan Girl's problems seem to be same as with other films by the same director: while his form is more or less brilliant, his writing stumbles.

Score: 6 out of 10

The Host

Joon-ho Bong's The Host (2006) continues the tradition of his earlier film, Memories of Murder, of turning the genre upside down - this time he does it to the monster film genre. And for better or worse, he blends different genres in a wilder way than in his other films. After an American military base pours toxic chemicals into the Han River, a dangerous mutated monster appears and begins to kill people. After its first appearance, it captures Hyun-seo, a schoolgirl whose dysfunctional family does everything to get her back alive.

Even by Bong's standards, The Host is very satirical. It mostly pokes fun at the genre and the film itself. The characters are wonderful and the way they change towards the end is fascinating - even though most of the development comes through irony rather than drama. The film keeps turning your expectations upside down all the time - even the ending feels weird because at first it seems way too dramatic and dark when compared to the rest of the film. But then I realised how it continued the film's subversive narrative perfectly. I figured out that it was more ironic than dramatic in the end - because it didn't release all of the tension the film had gathered earlier. Even though Bong handles the satire better this time, the film becomes too baffling for its own sake - the chaotic narrative tries to take a lot of paths at the same time, but ultimately it seems to be more lost than focused.

If there is something you can expect to succeed in a Bong film, it's the form. His form is similar to his other films: intensive and intriguing. Especially the long take of the monster's first appearance is a true masterpiece. The Host also features some of the best CGI I've seen in a long, long time. I don't know if it's more up to the design of the creature's movement or the CGI itself, but it was VERY effective.

The Host is very much like Bong's other films: it had the potential to become a masterpiece, but something went a bit wrong in the screenplay. I hope he can handle his chaotic screenplays one day so that he could deliver a masterpiece - because he seems to be very capable of executing one.

Score: 8 out of 10

Memories of Murder

Before I watched Joon-ho Bong's Memories of Murder (2003), I had heard a lot of good things about the film. There was even a guy who included it in his five favorite films of all time. So naturally, my expectations were high for the film even though I doubted a little whether the film could be so good.

Memories of Murder tells about three detectives working on a serial murder case in a small Korean town. The film subverts the viewers' expectations all the time by breaking the conventions of the genre. While it uses a lot of the cliched tropes (such as false arrests, torturing innocent people), the path these tropes take the story is vastly different from a conventional detective story.

Instead of focusing on the mystery completely, the film is more about the main characters. Their gradual yet complex character development is the driving force of the whole film. I read somewhere that there is a strong political subtext behind two of the detectives, but I'm not sure if it was only someone reading too much into the film or not. However, the film does have social themes along with the more personal ones so the interpretation of the two characters is probably not completely pointless.

The most confusing thing about Memories of Murder is its balance between comedy and drama. Bong is better when he focuses more on being satirical, but in Memories of Murder he leans more towards being serious and dramatic. And that's why the bits of hilarious comedy don't really fit into the film. The dramatic moments are also handled in a weird way because the film is emotionally quite confusing - and I don't see why this film should be so.

Formally Bong delivers again. His cinematography is simply wonderful to look at: the lighting and colors represent the psychological state of the characters (becomes darker and darker as the film goes on); the compositions are beautiful; the camera drives are impressive yet again in the long takes. Bong can create intensity to any scene with simple yet excellent camera movement.

Memories of Murder is a film that had the potential to become a masterpiece, but some of its brilliance was lost already in the writing process. However, the final result is an entertaining and thought-provoking film that I would recommend for anyone.

Score: 8 out of 10

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

Bad Guy

Kim Ki-duk's fans often describe his film, Bad Guy (2001), worse than most of his other films. I was surprised because the film is actually an effort more solid than Address Unknown (2001) and The Isle (2000). The film tells about a young woman who is forced to become a prostitute. The English title is a bit weird and I prefer the Finnish translation which literally means "The Pimp".

Despite the weak beginning and overwrought melodrama, the film's writing is quite decent. This time Kim finds truly poetic and beautiful moments in the harsh world. However, the film is quite uneven because there are scenes that stand out as brilliant and then there are scenes that are so utterly failed. The characters are decent enough to not distract me while watching the film - which can not be said of The Isle. The central relationship is explored in a peculiar yet successful way and the final result is intriguing.

Kim's form has become completely refined by now. His use of alienation through compositions is perfect and framing is magnificent in other ways as well. Music is nearly nonexistent apart from two songs which are used well.

Ultimately, Bad Guy is the first sign of true sophistication in Kim's films before he made 3-Iron (2003) and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring (2004).

Score: 7 of 10

Address Unknown

Kim Ki-duk's Address Unknown (2001) takes place in a small Korean village near an American army base. The film is very similar to Kim's earlier production which focuses on ultraviolent, aggressive and narcissistic characters who are raped, tortured, sent to jail or killed by the end of the film. This time Kim has such a promising cast of characters to be used and an actually clever plot in his hands because this time his writing isn't so blind and one-sided. The characters are well developed and colorful - at first.

The problem is that Kim so utterly fails to use them and the film's final third is an embarrassing climax that couldn't have possibly been worse. The outcomes of the different storylines are portrayed in a confusing and dragging way. Initially the film promises interesting points of view on the American occupation and how all the characters are related to it, but the touchy subject is handled poorly - apart from one exception.

This time Kim's form isn't as refined as it is in his other films. Sometimes the editing works well - sometimes NOT. The cinematography is unfocused and a bit too carefree - his compositions simply don't get to the level of quality of his other films. The music is a bit irritating as well - the most offending moments are when Erik Satie's Gymnopedie is used TERRIBLY. That is unacceptable.

Ultimately, the film's first half is promising and somewhat good, but eventually it veers into a catastrophical failure.

Score: 5 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

Time

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The Korean director Kim Ki-duk seems to be quite inconsistent when it comes to the quality of his films: while there are masterpieces like Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring (2003) and 3-Iron (2004), he also has his fair share of disasters like Crocodile (1996). Even though I had once been warned about Time (2006), I did not expect the film to be even below decent. Essentially, the film is about a woman who undergoes extensive plastic surgery in order to "save her relationship".

Kim tries to blend the metaphorical/magical with the literal/realistic again, but the result is a failure. He attempts to raise social and philosophical issues regarding identity, but he makes nothing out of them. The first third of the film shows just how promising the premise is, but the rest of the film hides the lack of proper content under the puzzles and irritating melodrama. However, the biggest offender is the ending which is utterly frustrating and pretentious.

Luckily, the form is very adequate. Kim succeeds in creating an atmosphere which alternates between otherworldly and down-to-earth quite smoothly through careful cinematography and editing. Sadly, that is not enough to redeem this film.

Score: 4 out of 10

Take Care of My Cat

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Jae-eun Jeong's Take Care of My Cat (2001) tells the story of five women struggling to make a living and staying together after they leave school. The film's feminism is obvious and a bit heavy-handed although (luckily) the film never becomes too preachy. The film's real problem is the flatness of characters despite the film's heavy reliance on them. While they resemble clear ideas which enhance the message, the film eventually stumbles because the characters aren't good enough to carry the entire film. The narrative is a bit hard to get used to because it explodes into so many directions without even properly introducing the characters (apart from the very first scene).

The form works well, but it isn't great either. In the end, it is quite easily forgettable. The best thing about the entire film is the acting. The whole cast performs really well and I would especially like to laud Bae Doo-na for her subtle and powerful performance.

While my review might seem a little harsh, Take Care of My Cat is a decent movie in the end. It has a few major flaws and suffers slightly from unevenness, but it has a few saving qualities.

Score: 6 out of 10

Thirst

I've been eagerly waiting for a chance to see Chan-wook Park's (who happens to be one of my favourite directors ever) latest film, Thirst (2009). In my opinion, the films of his "Vengeance trilogy" are among the greatest cinematic masterpieces. As a trilogy, I would even consider over any other trilogy. I hold him as one of the few true masters of black comedy, and he even seamlessly merges it with a dramatic aspect in his films. So when I heard he was working on a story that involves a priest (played by Kang-ho Song!) turning into a vampire, I knew it was going to be an awesome film. It had all the ingredients to be an extremely "delicious" story for Park, and he made it even funnier and more complex than I could ever expect. After being transformed into a vampire, the priest tries to help a woman (Kim Ok-vin) he falls in love with.

Thirst's black humor is by no means a disappointment when compared to Park's other films. It is not as wild as in I'm a Cyborg But That's OK (2006), but it isnt subtle by any standards. There is hardly a scene without a reason to laugh out loud. Even the "creepy" and "shocking" moments are handled in a satirical (or even farcical) way. Yes, the film has a lot sex, violence and blood (LOTS of it) - and all of these are handled in a funny way despite being a bit exploitative. Sucking blood is awfully (or shall I say, "deliciously") loud, which provoked me to laugh hard. Park's genuinely funny and refreshing take on vampires is something the "Twilight generation" desparately should see.

Even though the film is full of hilarious dark humor, Park manages to dive deep into a surprisingly wide selection of themes: guilt and immortality as the most important (and obvious) ones. There is also a lovely amount of metaphors in Thirst, more than what I'm used to with Park's films - and that's a good sign. This huge amount of content makes the storytelling a little clunky at times. The pacing might seem a little uneven sometimes, and that is what a lot of critics have used as an argument against Thirst. I was able to get through most of it although there was especially one plot point that felt very uneven and rushed, but luckily it didnt distract me for longer than 5-10 minutes. The narrative will certainly cause problems for a lot of viewers, and that is why I can't honestly call Thirst perfect. Some critics say Thirst "drags on" or "overstays its initial welcome", but I can only shrug at those statements. Thirst is a very tightly packed film which couldnt be any shorter and all of its wild content is essential to maintain the film's admirable complexity.

Park's use of camera movement is unbelieveable in Thirst. The camera moves a lot, and in fascinating patterns which really pack a strong punch. His cinematography is fantastic in other aspects too. The compositions, lighting and colors are simply breathtaking and they are really used as well as they can to set the mood. Similarly to Park's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2001), there isn't a lot of music in Thirst. Although there are a few short bits here and there, it is almost completely nonexistent. Even the short bits are a bit subtle and silent so that even those moments are not dominated by music.

As expected, Kang-ho Song's performance is brilliant in Thirst. The priest would have been a juicy role for anyone, but Song is simply perfect for it. But surprisingly the real scene stealer is Kim Ok-vin whose pitch-perfect performance is haunting, cunning and extraordinary. She delivers the various aspects of her character (who gets an incredible amount of character development during the film) in a fascinating way. Her demonic facial expressions are simply unforgettable. As usually with Park's films, his regulars appear in small roles yet again.

In overall, Thirst is a brilliant film which is a bit difficult to watch on the first time due to the clunky storytelling, but that is only a minor flaw for me because it is - in a way - justified for the sake of maintaining the complexity.

Score: 9 out of 10

3-Iron

Kim Ki-Duk's 3-Iron (2004) is a step away from his prior films. This step already began with his brilliant Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring (2003), and the step is completely realised in 3-Iron. While his older films were filled with cruel violence and other controversial topics, 3-Iron is almost the opposite. While it has a few outbursts of violence, it is a lot sweeter film because these outbursts are well handled and used for a better purpose. At its core, 3-Iron is the story of a man (Hyun-kyoon Lee) who goes around sticking ads to doors. This is only a way to identify the houses the residents of which are elsewhere so that he can spend a night there. He doesnt steal anything and only uses the houses fairly - he even fixes things, washes clothes of the residents and so on: he's not a bad person by any means. The film's real tension comes up when a woman (Seung-yeon Lee) befriends him and accompanies him during these "intrusions".

You can see the film as a piece of social criticism. Kim asks unnerving questions in the film. Is our "property" as important as it seems today? What do we consider our property? There are different reactions to the intrusions in the film - that is if it is discovered that someone really has been or is in the house. The man faces violence on a few occasions and it is luckily not used simple-mindedly. As the two main characters intrude different apartments, they learn a lot about the lives of the residents. They do not directly affect their lives, but there are consequences, of course. There is a husband who treates her wife like an inanimate object that does everything he wants. Is she really his property like he thinks? The conclusion for the conflict that arouses from this problem is fascinating.

As you might expect, these intrusions are not completely without risk in the long run. Where other storytellers and filmmakers would have ended their work, Kim pushes forward to a great climax. The film takes a magical turn that might put some people off because it seems a little weird at first. Yet, it is the only logical way to continue the story, and thus handle the themes in a lot better way.

Kim shows his ability to be a great storyteller with this film, but how is his form? He proves that he is not a fool with that either. His causious use of camera is a fine way to capture the story. The film proceeds at a calm pace yet it never appears to be slow. His editing is fine, but not great. His compositions are interesting to look at  and they accompany the camera movement well. Kim did the right choice by sticking to only one song for the whole film. It is used during various moments in the film, the characters actually listen to it most of the time. It captures the sweet feeling of yearning and love as the relationship between the characters develops.

The main characters never speak - the woman has only one line that has a great impact on the viewer. The woman also screams once in place of dialogue and that scream is like a caged animal's call for help, which totally fits the scene. Hyun-kyoon Lee and Seung-yeon Lee are both fantastic actors. They brilliantly capture the inner sides of the characters through body language and facial expressions. I believe it is impossible for the viewer not to care for the characters due to the magnificent performances.

In overall, 3-Iron is an even and gorgeous film that can easily win anyone's heart. It doesnt have major flaws, but it is by no means a perfect film. It could be further improved, but works well enough as it is.

Score: 9 out of 10