Archive for 'Korean' Category
Open City 무방비 도시 written and directed by Lee Sang-gi (이상기) [2007]
25 April 2008A slick looking, but overall mediocre crime drama involving gangs of ruthless pickpockets, though seemingly no other type of criminals. And if this is what modern pickpockets are like, they might as well just kill you instead of maiming you! Brutal, makes me not want to go to Korea!! Not too impressive overall, damn I [...]
Lovers’ Concerto 연애소설 written and directed by Lee Han (이한) 2002
28 February 2008An enjoyable and quit depressing Korean Melodrama. I picked this up to see the performance of the beautiful Lee Eun-joo who was so great in Taegukgi and the Scarlet Letter (in with she played nude), and who shortly thereafter slit her her wrists and hung herself in a depression over those nude scenes. It really [...]
Happiness 행복 written and directed by Heo Jin-ho (허진호) 2007
23 February 2008Another sad romance from Heo Jin Ho. I enjoyed his Christmas in August and April Snow, and going in you know it is going to be a painful experience, and this one lived up to that. And I did enjoy this dark film, but honestly the biggest problem is that I just didn’t like the [...]
May 18 화려한 휴가 by Kim Ji-hoon (김지훈) 2008
22 February 2008A big budget epic, that was Korea’s highest grossing film, and I an see why. This is a fictional story based on the true events based on the Gwangju massacre that occurred between May 18th and May 27th, 1980 in South Korea in a period of martial law. An event where the exact fatalities are [...]
Time 시간 written and directed by Kim Ki Duk (김기덕) [2006]
3 February 2008Kim Ki Duk movies are always hard to watch, and this one was no exception, though certainly not as brutal as many of his earlier films. Still this has it’s hard moments. And while this film is ostensibly about Korean’s and their obsession with Plastic surgery, but in actuality is just obsession in relationships and [...]
Shadows in the Palace (궁녀) by Kim Mi-jeong (김미정) 2007
15 January 2008An impressive looking film, and quite an epic for a first time director, though some of the impressiveness of the sets is reduced by knowing it was shot on the same set as The King and the Clown (for which Kim worked on as an Assistant Director). The film looked great and was well acted, [...]
Into the Mirror 거울속으로 written and directed by Kim Seong-ho(김성호) 2007
27 December 2007I picked this one up because Yoo Ji Tae has proven to be a good actor in the past (especially disturbing in Old Boy), and this is an enjoyable horror film with an interesting conceit, a world behind the mirror. A fun film with an enjoyable ending. I actually watched the Chinese Region 3 disc [...]
My Boyfriend is Type B (B형 남자친구) by Choi Seok-won (최석원) 2004
18 December 2007A typical and not so great Korean romantic comedy, and further showing the stereotype that Korean men seem to be quite the bastards. This guy doesn’t deserve this girl in the slightest. She is cute and nice and puts up with way too much from him. And the break into the one song is lame [...]
The Railroad 경의선 by Park Heung Shik 박흥식 (2006)
18 December 2007A really interesting art house film, not entirely successful, but certainly worth a watch. Combining 2 stories, one of adultery and one of tragedy and intertwining them into recovery for the 2 people involved. The stories are intercut, with us starting at the halfway mark and then going back to see what led us to [...]
Secret Sunshine (밀양) written and directed by Lee Chang-dong (이창동) 2007
9 December 2007The film that won the Prix d’interprétation féminine du Festival de Cannes for Jeon Do Yeon (best actress). This is a powerful and moving film about loss and it’s effects on people. This is an amazing film, and my only complaint is that it is all hand held and honestly I am getting really sick [...]
Hwang Jin Yi í황진이 by Jang Yoon Hyeon (장윤현)(2007)
15 November 2007Wow. Let me say that again, wow. This is a gorgeous and epic Korean period tragedy about the horrors of love within a caste system. It is based on a novel, but that Novel is in fact a fictionalized account of the life of an actual gisaeng (a Korean Courtesan much like a Japanese Geisha) [...]
Unstoppable Marriage (못말리는 결혼) by Kim Seong-wook (김성욱) (2007)
12 September 2007`Another Korean romantic comedy, this one being a modern Romeo and Juliet story, and it is silly and actually quite enjoyable. And Yoo Jin is literally sparkling in this film, and does a great job. This is fun because it doesn’t just follow the characters, but follows the battling of their parents. This is the [...]
The Wonder Years (열세살, 수아) written and directed by Kim Hee Jung (김희정) (2007)
28 August 2007I was excited to see this first film from female director Kim Hee Jung, but I was pretty disappointed by the film, with only the very ending giving any pulse into this dragged out tail, that feels longer than it’s 95 minute run time. There is just nothing new here, and the performance of the [...]
The Show Must Go On (우아한 세계) written and directed by Han Jae-rim (한재림) 2006
20 August 2007Song Kang-ho’s (송강호) next film after the Host was a must see, and this is quite an enjoyable film. At first I didn’t think it was much of a stretch for him character wise, but this is an enjoyable gangster film, that shows the hard life of a gangster and it’s affect on his life [...]
The Host 괴물 (Goi-mool) by Bong Joon-ho (봉준호) (2006)
29 July 2007I had been meaning to see this Korean Monster film since I heard about it, but was too busy when it was in the theaters , and then on Korean DVD, but when I heard about the US HD DVD I decided to wait on see on HD DVD, and I must say I was [...]
200 Pounds Beauty 미녀는 괴로워 by Kim Yong-hwa (김용화) 2006 ë ê´´ë¡ì by Kim Yong-hwa (ê¹ì©í) 2006
3 July 2007I had heard this was a bit hit in Korea, so I decided to pick it up, but I should have known that any Korean film about a woman getting plastic surgery to gain the love of the man she wants, would have to be painful to watch. This was one of two films I [...]
The Restless (중천 (中天) (Joong-cheon) by Jo Dong-oh (조동오) (2006)
5 June 2007I had read some good things about this film so I decided to pick it up. Certainly not the best characters, or depth, but this is a very enjoyable mythical martial arts adventure taking place mostly in Mid Heaven, the place between Heaven and Earth. While the character development is light, and the story mostly [...]
I’m a Cyborg but that’s OK (싸이보그지만 괜찮아) by Park Chan Wook 박찬욱 (2006)
26 May 2007If you read are a reader of my blog at all you will know I am a huge fan of Park Chan Wook. I have absolutely loved 3 of out of his 4 previous films from JSA Old Boy, and Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (though Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance was not my favorite), and while [...]
The King and the Clown (왕의 남자) by Lee Joon-ik (이준익) 2005
9 August 2006This was the hands down surprise box office winner of the year for Korea, so I have been excited to see it and picked up the Korean Special Edition DVD which includes the theatrical and the extended cut (which I watched) each on their own disc (the disc is region 3 though, so hopefully someone [...]
Daisy by Andrew Lau Wai Keung (2006)
6 August 2006After all the bad reviews I was expecting that this film would be a disappointment, even though I am a huge Andrew Lau Wai Keung fan, and I will see anything that Jun Ji Hyun is in, and I am happy to say I was not disappointed at all, in fact I really enjoyed the [...]
Typhoon by Kwak Kyeong Taek (2006)
1 July 2006This was the most expensive Korean film ever made, and it totally bombed and now I see why. What a waste of money. This movie is a stinker from start to finish. I mean I loved Chingu (Friend) from 2001, but this is just not a good film. The action is sub par, the acting [...]
Tears ?? by Im Sang-Soo ??? (2000)
26 May 2006Kind of the Korean version of Kids, about street punks, homeless teens in the Garibong Dong district of Seoul. Most interestingly Im actually lived among the homeless teens for 5 months to learn about them, and says that while the plot is fictional, the dialogue and situations are taken from real life. The film is [...]
She’s on Duty ???? by Park Kwang Chun (2005)
22 May 2006Sure Korea makes a lot of these Slapstick Gangster comedies, but watching this film I realizes something, these owe so much to Wong Jing. This is such a Wong Jing film! A Police Drama, with slapstick comedy, wirefu action and even vicious bloody violence. Yes all around Wong Jing style fun. Lasting, meaningful, no, it [...]
The Uninvited (4인용 식탁) by Lee Soo-yeon (이수연) 2003
21 May 2006I have to say the Korean title of A Table for 4 is more fitting for this enjoyable supernatural drama. This is an enjoyable and dark tale without any happy revelations, it starts dark and ends dark. And I will see any film with Jun Ji Hyun in it, and she is excellent in this, [...]
The Scarlet Letter 주홍글씨 by Daniel H. Byun (2004)
20 May 2006Hmm, I don’t know what to say exactly about this film. It is not what I thought it would be or what it sets itself up to be, and the twist at the end doesn’t really make any sense to the story, and the police story isn’t intriguing and ends really horrible. Much of the [...]