The lead character, played by Yoo Ah In, is an introvert. He isn't seen interacting on a close level with anyone in the movie besides the lead girl, for which he develops feelings for after only a couple of encounters.
What I found specially interesting about this movie was that there aren't many lines in it. The characters don't need to say a lot, and you still understand how they are feeling because the storytelling is so intelligent. It is also paced in a way that doesn't get boring.
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Dark and Disturbing... When Parasite met Poetry....
" As I watched the sunset in the dessert, I felt that I too would like to disappear as if I never exist"This movie on the other hand is one of those that will most certainly not disappear silently, and makes sure you know it existed. As it is a highly acclaimed movie and it did have me thinking what am I. missing here, what is actually happening and will I understand this better if I watch this a second time? As there are quite a few moments of confusion planted there to make you question pretty much everything in this movie, including the meaning behind it. making my mind make loopholes so much my head hurt.
There is quite a bit of absurd extremely dark humour here and there .Some pretty deep lines and extreme tension in silence.
I also feel like i must warn you that this movie gives new meaning to the word greenhouse and you may have trouble looking at the Nam-sham tower (or any tower) the same way again.
And while some parts are kind of extreme, there seems to be quite a bit of social criticism, if I was to compare this to Parasite I would say that they share some of the same issues but this one is more psychological, young and most certainly more raw than Parasite. Catering to the critics rather than to the popular audience, something that adds brilliance and depth but removes some of the main stream entertainment value that i must say a peasant like me can adore.
However compared to Lee Chang Dongs (the director of this movie previous movie Poetry, this one has more action and entertainment value making me understand that a lot can happen to a director in 8 years... So on a scale of Mainstream/entertainment to Artistic depth this move is right between Parasite and Poetry
Defiantly a movie worth a watch and worthy of all its praise
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Artistic but Not for everyone
●Hesitated for a long time before starting.Reason: firstly it's slow-paced and secondly it's 2 and a half hrs long.
●Reason I started: only one YOO AH IN, I respect his works. His projects are marvelous and keep one intrigued with his marvelous acting.
●My Feelings: In spite of being slow the movie wasn’t boring. It was like a work of art. thinking about what to draw, finding the right canvas, mixing all the colors, and slowly stroking brushes to create an artistic painting. This movie is like those modern art pieces which are beautiful but not distinct. And the viewer is open to read in between the lines and creating their own theories. The plot unfolds slowly with a tense build-up, along the way with some interesting conversations and interactions. The ending is ironic in with an open ending leaving the viewers with an uneasy feeling the end which makes them want to know more.
●The movie surrounds Lee Jong Su played by YAI who wants to be a writer but is struggling in his daily life.
Ben played by Steven Yeun is rich and has a playful luxurious life. This character contrast shows the class difference as well as their personality.
Shin Hae Mi played by Jeon Jong Seo was in between them. She was a free being wanting to learn about the meaning of life. Her character was the most interesting, she had all sorts of random stories which sometimes seemed fake and sometimes artistic.
●The actors were magnificent and did an excellent job to this convey this slow-paced movie. It can be a great character study for the audience, as all three characters are mysterious yet enchanting.
●And director and cinematographer did a great job of not making this slow movie boring and instead gave it a cinematic touch.
●The dialogues of the movie are metaphorical and have deep meaning than just the sentence.
●Music is mostly natural, rain, wind, birds, car wheezing, walking, utensils, etc. The other tunes were light and not overbearing which I seemed to have missed because I was engrossed in the movie I guess.
●The Ending
1>My understanding of the ending was, that the movie ending was real and ML took revenge, simply just as the movie is trying to show.
2>My Hypothesis of the ending was, that the ending part of the novel ML was writing. Because we see him writing in a room and the camera just zooms outwards.
● This movie is not for everyone. if you like mystery or thrillers, do watch this
but if you hate open endings don't watch this it will not serve you the ending on a plate but you have to put your mind and give it a thought.
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Highly recommended.
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Ending gives the wrong message
This movie is really overrated. Lots of useless scenes and unnecessary dialogue, when there is dialogue. Half of the movie is silent and expects us to guess what is happening.Spoiler Alert.
Although it may be an attempt to play down serial killers this is not the method of doing it. By not exactly identifying or proving the girl is dead the suspect is killed. That sends a very bad message to vigilantes that if they suspect thy can murder someone without evidence or proof. That's a very disturbing message from this movie.
It isn't worth watching and it's also very boring. Showing a lot of Taboo scenes and by that classifying the movie as "New Method".
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A sandbox movie with a deep and dark rabbit hole in the middle
This "review" is unlike any I have written before because this movie is not about just watching the movie. It is much more than that. A back-of-a-napkin review will read like this; beautifully acted, beautifully shot, artsy, slow, a bit quirky but there doesn't appear to be a lot to it.Wait, don't tune out yet! :) This is why I called this a sandbox movie. I believe that there are 2 phases to this experience. Phase 1 is just watching the movie. Phase 2 is taking your time to digest the clues, images, metaphors, etc. You have to play in that sandbox with the pieces given to you and look beyond the obvious.
Because of this, I can understand why this movie would get a lower rating. If you stop at Phase 1 then it is an artsy, quirky movie (see short review above). Some may just dismiss it as an indulgence especially if you are not in the mood to dive back into the movie after the end credits rolled.
However, if you get into Phase 2 then it is a Pandora's box! There are multiple layers and POV's. There are clues, messages (such as the hopelessness of their youths vs the Korean Gatsby's) and more. They point to different experiences, intersecting plots and even alternative realities! I have my own theory on what happened to the protagonists but I'm not going to discuss it here because a) spoilers b) I could be utterly wrong and c) you need to go down that dark and twisted rabbit hole yourself. Have fun!
In the end, I would compare this movie to a modern art installation. I appreciated the superb acting, evocative cinematography, multi-layered script and skilful directions but I don't fully understand it. It got me to think about it (and lost sleep). It will leave an indelible mark in my mind.
So while I can't say that I loved the movie because it is not a genre I normally gravitate towards (thanks LM for the recommendation), I can definitely express a deep appreciation tinged with a sense of awe and discombobulation!
Now I need a stiff drink and a good lie down. ;)
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Little Hunger & Great Hunger
Based on the short story, Barn Burning by Haruki MurakamiAn intriguing account on searching for meaning in life. The themes of classism, mental health and even women's rights stood out for me. Comparing a Ben to Gatsby, while that he is contemplating his own "simultaneous existence" through the "morals of nature", an interesting habit manifests. The balance of being here and there at the same time. You can feel how psychologically unhinged Lee Jong-su becomes becomes throughout the entire film due to his love. For the first time I heard the saying "there's no country for women" mentioned in cinema. Sad, but there is truth to this too. Seeing the same personality and class type in the beginning as well as the end of the film in two different female characters.
Overall, the world remains a mystery.
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Similar to the very first episode of "Persona", a South-Korean mini series, I got the sensation that in this film, they don't make any considerable, evident proof or scenes to explain to you what exactly is happening. No, instead, they do meticulously pan, show you certain moments, patterns and details but let you, the audience, be the one to try to make sense. Hence why I personally found the film vague. It's not that it lacks in emotion or scenes... it lacks sense. But then, again, it is a mystery, just one were there's an additional particle that puzzles you, an additional mystery besides the one in the film: the one between you and the plot.
The pace is very slow too (and the duration is generous, almost 2 hours and a half), so those with smaller attention spans (like me) might have to force their way to focus properly, and there were indeed some sequences that, although I understood they were placed to give ambience, to characterize the film, I found them not only boring, but odd. They were clearly chosen out of artistic need, out of wanting to achieve an aesthetic. So I won't call them necessary.
Kudos to Yoo Ah-In's peculiar performance and soulful voice!
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Yoo Ah In is amazing, he transpire his character as he belongs to that environment, you'll feel Jung-su's contained pain and why the easy attachment to Hae Mi ... Very nice acting!
Jong Seo is fantastic and her panther like moves makes her acting stands out, it surprises me that was her first movie because she is very confident.
Steven Yeun with his easy smile and demeanour catch your attention and his role in this movie needs attention indeed!
The whole movie takes you to an unexpected end what was very good that made me want more!
Give a try...
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Plot:
Jong Su is out for a delivery for his part-time work when he runs into Hae Mi, a girl who used to live in his neighborhood as a child.
After talking for a while, seems like the girl remembers more about him than Jong Su remembers about her. He called her "ugly" once, she says, and that was the only time he talked to her.
In fact, one of the reasons he didn't recognize her immediately is the fact that she had plastic surgery to improve her looks.
Later, Hae Mi decides to ask Jong Su to look after her cat, as she is about to go on a trip to Africa. The cat is really shy she says, in front of guests; so it tends to hide.
Jong Su accepts, even though he's still unsure if there's any cat to begin with, as he never saw him. That doesn't stop him from going to her place in order to leave the food for the kitty.
When Hae Mi comes back, she suddenly introduces him a mysterious young man called Ben.
Something about him appears to be off after a while of hanging out all three together. Ben seems to be a rich guy, yet his whereabouts are unclear and he provides no concrete information about his occupation.
In one of those occasions, while visiting Jong Su, Ben decides to confess his own unusual hobby.
Personal thoughts:
This movie presents three interesting, yet so different from each other main leads; Jong Su, Hae Mi and Ben.
Slow pacing, yet not dull or boring at all. Recommended if you like to think while enjoying the vision. Not recommended if you prefer 1h 30' ~ long movies.
I'd like to add that this movie presents mature content such as nudity and sex scenes, so it's most recommended to adults.
The plot hooks perfectly the three characters' personalities, despite being so unique.
You can study properly the environment of Jong Su, his affection towards Hae Mi (et viceversa) and familiar problems.
Understand bit by bit Ben's intentions behind his facial expressions and, obviously, ask yourself lots of questions. Still, at the end of the movie you most likely won't need any answers.
Some interesting metaphors are placed here and there, which makes this movie even more interesting and enjoyable.
Have fun!
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Too dragged out, good popcorn movie
I just scrolled through netflix and just clicked this without thinking too much after watching the preview.First off it was veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery slow paced, but i didn't mind since i was watching it with my cousin so i was very determined to finish it.
I find it really boring in the beginning, but not boring enough to make me click off and find another movie.
There were a lot of unnecessary parts in the movie and by "a lot", i mean like A LOT. I get it you're trying to show that this and this character is like this, but you don't need to keep rubbing it in to the viewers like "here's a another very dragged out one long shot of this character doing this just to show how crazy this person is", like come on. This movie could've been chopped down to like 1hr 30mins or lower if they didn't put those unnecessary parts. They're weren't adding anything to the story at all anymore, they're just there to bore people out.
Once the movie started picking up, like an hour later (finally thank god) then i became interested, but it also started becoming predictable... I think they gave out the hints too early, or maybe im just good at picking up crumbs?
The villain was not well written for imo, i think he's to sloppy for someone who does villain stuff and he was not interesting at all, he's too boring as a villain.
The main characters was okay, specially the male lead, i think the writer did an okay job, but the way the male and female leads relationship developed, was kinda half assed for me, i think its TOO fast considering how it took forever to build up the story. I think the time of those unnecessary parts could've been invested to build up other characters or maybe paced the relationship of the male and female leads right.
I find it weird how they filmed this like an early 2000s film, considering this was a 2018 movie. Like the cinematography was like... i don't know how to described it.
The ending was an okay ending, it's like they took a safe route ending if this was a video game, they were some plot points that were left unanswered, but i guess ill take it.
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Better than I expected
I read the short story right before this and honestly didn't think a film would be able to do it justice, with how mysterious and nameless the characters are. But this movie really managed to create that atmosphere of impending doom, of a question you're just on the brink of answering. This is one of those movies you feel.And they kept a lot of the original lines from the original short story, and the William Faulker reference! I was really worried they take that out. The only thing that maybe bothers me is the fact that they did greenhouses instead of barns.
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