It's A Motherfucker

I could provide full reviews of the following films, but I'm feeling overwhelmingly apathetic. (it is possible)


Lady Cop & Papa Crook
Both the theatrical and director's cut versions sucked.

Besieged City
Excellent

Mighty Baby
The dvd was flawed, but what I watched before it screwed up was funny.

Tactical Unit - The Code
Pretty good.

Driving With My Wife's Lover
Existential goodness that reminded me of Toto Le Heros.

Hero
Not the Zhang Yimou epic, the Takeshi Kaneshiro - Yuen Biao action flick. It was pretty good.

Crush & Blush
Strangely enjoyable.

Mismatched Couples
Donnie Yen dances. A lot.

Taxi Blues
Documentary about driving a taxi in Seoul, South Korea. Insightful.

Asako In Ruby Shoes
Funny, and heartwrenchingly wonderful.

The Last Witness
28-year-old crime drama from South Korea. I liked it.

The Way We Are
Not as good as I expected, but still really, really good.

A Good Lawyer's Wife
Lacked focus, but held my attention.


There just might be reviews of films on this blog again at some point. There might not.

Looking Out the Window

Today, the remastered released of Wong Kar-Wai's Ashes of Time. Wong is my favorite director in all of directordom, so, yeah, I'm going to gush.

Ashes of Time Redux
Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, starring Leslie Cheung, Brigette Lin, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Carina Lau, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Charlie Young, Jacky Cheung, and Maggie Cheung.

Through the memories of a lonely swordsmen, the stories of the lives and loves of others unfold. As with most memories, they become contingent upon one another with time. This interconnectedness of memory, much like that of life, is impermanent. In the swordsman's recollection of his own life, and in the retelling of others, the ephemeral becomes immortal, and whispers destined to evanesce, become legend.

Wong Kar-Wai's direction is wonderfully emotive. Though, that is hardly surprising from the master of cinematic emotion. Likewise the locations reflect the loneliness of the characters, and of course, the cinematographie works in concert with that feeling to create an evocative onscreen depiction. The acting, from Leslie Cheung's lonely swordsman, to Maggie Cheung's listless beauty, is superb.

Wong originally made Ashes of Time in the early-to-mid 90's. The production was delayed due to financing, and it is during that time, in an effort to make money for Ashes of Time, that Wong made Chungking Express. Following the production break, Wong, along with the cast and crew, returned to work on the wuxia epic.

When finally complete, Ashes of Time was poorly received by critics and audiences. Wong went on to make five more features, but, much like George Lucas with the original Star Wars Trilogy, he wished to make Ashes of Time the way he had invisioned it. Hence, Ashes of Time Redux.

Ashes of Time Redux is like the change to memory that comes with new experiences and age. It isn't terribly different from the original, and yet, obviously, feels different. The new score and digital remastering bring the illusion of a fresh clarity, as though one were reliving an old memory. For those that already own Ashes of Time, Ashes of Time Redux should be a welcomed as a coequal. While both versions have their own unique aspects, they are both fine pieces of cinema from a master.


Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the theatrical and director's cut releases of Lady Cop & Papa Crook.

Walking and Knocking

Today, South Korean crime drama Eye For An Eye.

Eye For An Eye
I refuse to offer a wealth of information on this film due to it's awfulness. How awful? So awful that I almost couldn't finish watching it. If you're looking for a good film, Eye For An Eye isn't it.


Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on Ashes of Time Redux, which is a good film.

Stare At the Ceiling

Iron Monkey
Directed by Yuen Woo-ping, starring Yu Rong-guang, Donnie Yen, and Jean Wang.

Iron Monkey is one of the finest pieces of martial arts cinema. I'd offer my thoughts on it, but that'd be like commenting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. For those that haven't seen or heard of Iron Monkey, get it on dvd and watch it already.


Check back tomorrow for my negative thoughts on South Korean crime drama Eye For An Eye. Why negative? Because it sucks, harder than a Hoover.

The Other Shoe

Today, we mourn the passing of the Five Days of Hwang Jung-min Films with the director's cut of Painted Skin.

I've watched both the theatrical release and the director's cut, and I didn't notice any great disparity between them. Since there wasn't anything drastically different between the two versions, I'm re-posting my thoughts on the theatrical version of the film. Enjoy.

Painted Skin: Director's Cut
Directed by Gordon Chan, starring Donnie Yen, Vicki Zhao Wei, Zhou Xun, Aloys Chen, and Betty Sun.

While out protecting the innocent and being all around swell guys, General Wang and his troops save a beautiful young woman from a group of bandits. Wang (Chen) promises young Xiao Wei (Zhou) that he will be her protector from now on. Upon their return home, Xiao Wei goes to live with Wang and his wife Peirong (Zhao). While Wang professes his undying loyalty to a suspicious Peirong, Xiao Wei beings stealing the hearts of all the other men in the village. Literally. Wang and his men didn't realize it when the "rescued" her, but Xiao Wei is a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing, or, in her case, a demon in human skin.

Not long after the village receives it's inhuman visitor, it recieve's another visitor in the form of the former general, Pang (Yen). Before forcing himself into a life of exile, Pang was general, with Wang his subordinate and closest friend. Unfortunately, the two had a dispute on the field of battle, leading to a rift in their brotherly bond. Being a super badass former general and kung fu expert, Pang is asked to discover the source of evil that has taken the town hostage, and to destroy it.

Armed with disbelief, Pang sets out to stop the foul being only at the behest of the lovely Peirong. This causes the rift between Pang and Wang to deepen, and furthers the distrust between Wang and Peirong, as she believes Xiao Wei to be a demon that has designs on her husband, and Wang is unwilling to admit or believe anything. Even though he is pretty much the best thing ever, former general Pang is aided by evesdropping, self-proclaimed "Demon Buster" Xia Bing (Sun), as he and Peirong risk everything they have to stop the demon before it's too late.

Based on several stories from Pu Songling's Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio, Painted Skin is pretty much awesome. Gordan Chan throws together an odd mix of technique, music and action to make a sloppily fun horror-fantasy-romance-comedy-drama. The acting is superb, and even Yen manages to do more than preen for the camera, giving an engaging and fun performance. Painted Skin is definitely not fine cimena by any means, but it is a terribly entertaining film. In fact, if one were to look for a contemporary film that is more fun than Painted Skin, they'd be hard pressed to find it.


Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on another film I've seen multiple times, Iron Monkey.

Swept Away

On the fifth day of the Five Days of Hwang Jung-min films I give to thee, a flick that'll make one weepie. Today, the Five Days of Hwang Jung-min Films reaches the inevitable conclusion, with the film You Are My Sunshine.

You Are My Sunshine
Directed by Park Jin-pyo, starring Jeon Do-yean and Hwang Jung-min.

A story about love.

I suppose I could be a bit more descriptive about the film, but I won't. The performances are impeccable, the direction assured, the emotion charged. You Are My Sunshine is a fantastic film that delves into the depths of human emotion. So, yeah, it's good.


Tomorrow, we shall mourn the passing of the Five Days of Hwang Jung-min with the director's cut of Painted Skin.

Lies, Lies, Lies

On the fourth day of Hwang Jung-min films I'll confess two lies to thee, oh how honest of me. Today's flick, Shiri.

Lie # 1
That I'm going to provide a review-like description of Shiri. I'm lazy, so all you're getting is this: Shiri was good, and I liked it.

Lie # 2
That this movie stars Hwang Jung-min. It does not. He only has a very small cameo at the end of the film.


Check back tomorrow for the final day in the Five Days of Hwang Jung-min films. There will be more words, and more honesty. Promise.

Happy Nap Day

Today is National Nap Day! I'm too tired and lazy to provide a regular post, so I'm going to take a personal day. The Five Days of Hwang Jung-min will resume tomorrow, with day four.

Until the End

On the third day of Hwang Jung-min films I give to thee, a super duper scary movie. Today, South Korean horror flick Black House, and Watchmen.

Black House
Directed by Shin Tae-ra, starring Hwang Jung-min, (and, since I'm too lazy to look) other actors.

Black House is super creepy. Hwang plays a newbie insurance agent that gets in over his head. While on a house call to go over a man's insurance policy, Hwang's character finds the body of the man's step-son hanging from a light fixture. From that point on, Hwang's character is terrorized for looking into the death, as he is sure the father is a murderer.

Unlike so many contemporary horror films, Black House is straight up horror. Instead of going the post-Scream route, deconstructing the genre for scares, Black House utilizes standard horror film conventions, and they work. For horror fans that like their films with genuine thrills like the old days of horror (Halloween, Evil Dead, etc.) Black House is a treat, and a must see.

Watchmen
Directed by Zach Snyder, starring Patrick Wilson, Malin Åkerman, Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Carla Gugino.

Watchmen is a good comic book adaptation, but a flawed film. It's obvious from watching Watchmen (pun intended) that Synder and Co. took great care in creating the cinematic version of Alan Moore's acclaimed comic, but it still falls short of cinematic greatness.

My thoughts: Patrick Wilson and Malin Åkerman, were great. Jackie Earle Haley was incredible. Jeffrey Dean Morgan (an actor I do in fact like) was over-the-top and lacked believability. Robert Wisden's Richard Nixon was terrible. His performance was all over the place, and the makeup f/x used to recreate Nixon's face were awful to the point of being distracting. The rest of the cast was just okay.

The special f/x were fine. Snyder's direction was questionable at best, and at times he tried to be cleverer than he is capable of being, which was annoying and distracting. I'm not a huge fan of the comic, so I was never worried about how faithful it was stay to the source material, but I think in that regard, Watchmen is a success. Though it is faithful and at times enjoyable, it's not a very good film. Without Patrick Wilson, Malin Åkerman, and Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen would have been damn near interminable.


Check back tomorrow for the fourth day of Hwang Jung-min films.

Lonely Eyes

On the second day of Hwang Jung-min films I give to thee, my thoughts on Road Movie.

Road Movie
Directed by Kim In-sik, starring Hwang Jung-min, Jung Chan, and Seo Lin.

Dae-shik (Hwang) is a lonely man. He pushes his lovers away when they want more than sex, and he is the de facto leader of a group of homeless people, but hardly a member of it. After losing big in the stock market, Suk-won's (Jung) life is turned upside down. His wife leaves him, and he winds up wandering the streets. It is there, on the streets, that Suk-won meets Dae-shik, and their friendship begins.

The two men become the best of friends, realizing that neither really needs a conventional life to tie them down. Throughout their travels, they find work where they can, and meet the lovely, yet emotionally unstable, Il-joo (Seo). Il-joo is immediately smitten with Dae-shik, and decides to invite herself to their wandering world.

Things begin to fall apart when Suk-won learns that Dae-shik is gay, and he soon starts to distrust and question Dae-shik's every move. The trio deals with several forms of separation from each other, but Dae-shik and Suk-won are brought back together when Suk-won is in need, and no one other than Dae-shik is willing to help. Then, the biggest problem facing the friends, is whether Suk-won can accept Dae-shik's friendship in light of his unrequited love, and whether Dae-shik is willing to accept Suk-won's insecurities and selfishness.

Road Movie is a great character drama. The direction and story are engaging, and the latter of the two features a few interesting plot twists that forego revelation for believability. Road Movie also touches on cultural issues like homelessness and homosexuality, but never in a heavy-handed or preachy manner, as the drama is first and foremost in the film from start to finish.

I could gush on and on about Hwang Jung-min's terrifically emotive performance, but I won't. Instead, I'll just say that it is a fine performance, from one of the best actors working today. The rest of the performances are really great, but it's Hwang Jung-min's portrayal of a loner-by-choice that talks of love as a disease, and yet, still can't help but feel and care, is what really makes the film. Simply put, Road Movie is a damn good drama.


Check back tomorrow for the third day in the five days of Hwang Jung-min films, and my thoughts on a little movie called Watchmen.

Hidden In the Chaos

On the first day of Hwang Jung-min films I give to thee, my thoughts on a film I watched on dvd. (try singing the preceeding sentence to the tune of the "12 Days of Christmas", I did, and it was fun).

Bloody Tie
Directed by Choi Ho, starring (suprise!) Hwang Jung-min, and Ryu Seung-beom.

Lt. Do (Hwang) is a sad, sad excuse of a cop. He spends most of his time engaging in either criminal activites, or avoiding work. In an effort to show up the new D.A., who is cracking down the illegal drug world, Do partners up with low-level drug dealer Sang-do (Ryu) to take down a drug kingpin. Initially, the two make an effort to bring the bad guys in, but Sang-do soon creates a drug empire of his own.

Hwang Jung-min's Lt. Do is badass. Take equal parts Dirty Harry, Shaft, and Insp. Tequila, mix them all together, and you'll end up with Lt. Do. The story in Bloody Tie isn't anything all the great, but Hwang's Do makes up for any failings the film might have.

While Hwang's performance is nothing short of incredible, Ryu's portrayal of sleezy drug dealer Sang-do is terrifically entertaining in it's own right. Portraying a slimy criminal, who is at times pathetic and at others smooth, is no small task. Thankfully, Ryu performs quite well.

The scenes between the two leads are one of the highlights of Bloody Tie. Ryu plays the perfect foil to Hwang's cop, and when the two begin their investigation the comedic bits are hilarious. For a cop/revenge/crime drama, Bloody Tie is pretty good, and for the performances, it's outstanding.


Check back tomorrow for the second day in the five days of Hwang Jung-min films.

Brick by Brick

Today, a change in plans. Instead of two films, it's just the one, South Korean fantasy-epic The Restless.

The Restless
Directed by Jo Dong-oh, starring Jung Woo-sung, Kim Tae-hee, Hur Jun-ho, Kim Kwang-il, Park Jung-hak, Park Sang-wook, and Yu Ha-jun.

It's a special f/x extravaganza. Not much more needs to be said. I could ramble on and on about the "story" of The Restless, but there isn't any point. It's a likeable film, that borrows liberally from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, hell, it'd be easier to find a prominent sci-fi fantasy film The Restless doesn't borrow from in one way or another.

That being said, the special f/x in The Resltess are top notch, on par with any other film out there. In addition to pretty f/x, the actors are all attractive, and sport pretty costumes as well. What it lacks in plot and orginality, it definitely makes up for in the looks department.

No one is going to mistake The Restless as a piece of cinematic greatness, but it's an incredibly fun film. Easy on the eyes, easy on the mind, and easy to enjoy. That may not seem like much, but it's quite a bit better than a large amount of films out there. While watching The Restless, lives won't be changed, civilization won't be saved, and the economy won't be fixed, but you'll have a damn good time.


Check back tomorrow for the first of five days of movies featuring Actor Hwang Jung-min.

Many Happy Returns

Today is Actress Kim Jung-eun's birthday. Happy Birthday to Ms. Kim! Since I find it highly unlikely that she reads this blog, on with the films, or, in today's case, the film.

Forever the Moment
Directed by Lim Soon-rye, starring Kim Jung-eun, and Moon So-ri.

Following the completion of the regular season of Women's Handball in South Korea, a group of veteran players are forced to evalute their lives. Though they won the league championship, their team has been disbanded, and there are hard feelings amongst the women, as some have been selected to play for the national team in the Summer Games, while most have not. And, for some, handball must take a back seat to the trials and tribulations of life.

Once those selected arrive at training camp, they have to deal with a seemingly unkind and uncaring coach. Having played with her players on previous national teams, the coach is seen as unworthy, and is treated as such. However, she soon wins the players over with her kindness and strength, only to be replaced as coach by another former player, who is also her ex-fiance.

With the encouragement of her former players, she joins the team as a playe herself, and they all help each other sort out personal affairs in preparation for the Summer Games. Unfortunately, being mentally ready and in good physical shape may not be enough, as the new coach has a chip on his shoulder, and a strong distaste for the veteran players. Facing the start of the Summer Games, the players and the coach must come to believe in themselves, and each other, in order to compete for gold.

Based on true events, Forever the Moment tells the filmic tale of the South Korean Women's Handball Team's preparation for, and participation in, the 2004 Summer Games. There's drama, determination, sweat, and, you guessed it, handball. While cinematic depictions of sports teams overcoming adversity are hardly a rarity, Forever the Moment does manage to go beyond standard fare, eschewing over-the-top high-impact action-oriented scenes for touches of drama and, dare I say, humanity. Suffice it to say, Forever the Moment is very good.

Check back tomorrow for my take on the South Korean films The Restless and Bloody Tie.

Crossing the Styx

Today, two films by South Korean Director Kim Jeong-kwon, with Ba-Bo and Heartbreak Library.

Ba-Bo
Directed by Kim Jeong-kwon, starring Cha Tae-hyun, and Ha Ji-won.

Once a respected pianist, Ji-ho (Ha) looses her self-confidence and returns to her hometown. Upon her return, she regains her friendship with childhood friend Seung-ryong (Cha), who is mentally challenged, and charged with taking care of his unkind teenage sister after their mother's death. Soon, Ji-ho and Seung-ryong unwittingly help each other find what is missing from their lives.

Based on a popular webcomic, Ba-Bo is a touching film that tugs at the old heart strings, while still managing a bit of humor to balance things out. Cha's performance feels genuine and respectful, while Ha's feels charming and honest. With honest performances and Kim's solid direction, Ba-Bo is an enteraining and thoughtful little film.

Heartbreak Library
Directed by Kim Jeong-kwon, starring Eugene, and Lee Dong-wook.

Fiesty and adorable Librarian Eun Soo (Eugene) flies off the handle when she happens upon a man tearing pages out of a generous amount of books that are OOP (out-of-print). Once the dust settles, Eun Soo finds that the man, Jun Oh (Lee), has been tearing out the same numbered page from all of the books. When Eun Soo sees him again, he tells her the reason behind his vandalism, he was searching for the truth behind his ex-girlfriend's feelings, which she had told him he could find in a book on page 198.

Touched by his story, Eun Soo takes charge of his search, and the two soon develop a friendship. Before long, Eun Soo and Jun Oh's friendship becomes something stronger, and they must dig deep within themselves to discover who they are, and find what they're really hoping to find.

Kim Jeong-kwon's second film of 2008, Heartbreak Library, spins a familiar yarn about beautiful young people lost within the world and themselves. However, the conventions don't weight down the proceedings, as Kim's assured direction highlights the actor's talents, bringing forth a fine film. Heartbreak Library isn't great cinema, but it should be given credit for managing to be an engaging film that slipped under the radar. I'm not a fan of surprises, but Kim's Heartbreak Library is a nice one.

Check back tomorrow for the fifth consecutive day of posts, with the film Forever the Moment, and, *gasp* a surprise.

As the Oceans Are Deep

Today, Kim Ki-duk's Address Unknown and Breath. Enjoy.

Address Unknown
An earlier Kim Ki-duk film, Address Unknown is also one of his less accomplished films. The film features good direction, an interesting story, and good performances, but meanders a bit too much. The different elements of the film might have resulted in a better, more watchable film had the characters been a little less idosyncratic, and their lives a bit less bizzare. While Address Unknown isn't a horrible film, it's definitely something had to digest, and would probably play better with hardcore Kim Ki-duk fans.

Breath
Directed by Kim Ki-duk, starring Chang Chen, Zia, and Ha Jeong-woo.

Zia plays an artistic housewife whose husband (Ha) has strayed. Spurred by her loveless and repetitious life, she takes to being crazy, and begins visiting a suicidal death-row inmate (Chen). Her extramarital activites are questioned by her husband, who tries to reconcil, only to find she is unwilling to communicate with him. The love-triangle reveals things all those involved were unaware of, while simultaneously pushing them apart, and pulling them together.

Many of Kim Ki-duk's signature themes are present in Breath. Some characters are mute, or nearly so, the changing of the seasons holds a high level of importance to psychological development, and the lightness and darkness within people are in the spotlight. Though the first two themes aren't as fully realized as in 3 Iron and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring, the direction and performances in Breath make them work. Breath is one of Kim's most accessible films, and it's also one of his most enjoyable.

Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on Director Kim Jeong-kwon's Ba-Bo and Heartbreak Library.

Away Into the Dark

It's blog time. Regular-length posts are back, and will continue every single day until the end of the month. This time, South Korean horror-thrillers The Chaser and Public Enemy.

The Chaser
Directed by Na Hong-jin, starring Kim Yeon-seok, Ha Jeong-woo, and Seo Yeong-hie.

Jung-ho (Kim) is a pimp with a heart of gold. When a few of his new recruits go missing, he assumes they took advantage of his kindness and took-off with their signing bonuses for greener pastures. Being a former detective, Jung-ho soon finds a correlation between the missing girls, they all went to a customer with the same number prior to their disappearances. Jung-ho's investigation gets kicked into high gear when he learns that another one of his girls, Mi-jin (Seo), is on her way to meet the mystery man.

Thinking the women had been kidnapped and sold, Jung-ho sets about saving Mi-jin, and, with her help, stopping whoever is responsible. Jung-ho's plan quickly goes awry, and he must use everything he's got to find Mi-jin, while dealing with inept and uncaring police, and a viscious killer.

I'd like to be more descriptive about the film, but if I were to state anything more than I have, it would ruin the plot. Na Hong-jin's directorial debut is a dark, distrubring thriller, the likes of which I've not seen in quite some time. Unlike the current trend of Tortue Porn horror-thriller flicks, The Chaser manages it's frights without objectifying women. Lead actors Kim Yeon-seok and Ha Jeong-woo are incredible, and Seo Yeong-hie's performance is gut-wrenching.

With great starring performances in The Chaser, My Dear Enemy and Beastie Boys, Ha Jeong-woo is quickly becoming my favorite actor of this past year. Besides being an exceptional horror film, The Chaser is one of the best South Korean films of the year (2008), and one of the best films of 2008 in general. I don't know what Na Hong-jin's next film will be, but I can't wait to see it, and I'll be watching The Chaser again soon.

Public Enemy
Directed by Kang Woo-suk, starring Sul Kyun-kul, and Lee Sung-jae.

Detective Kang isn't a very good cop. He's basically a criminal with a badge, but, when he happens upon a series of murders, something stirs his inner gumshoe. With his newfound determination, Det. Kang sets about doing some actual detective work. His investigation begins to yield results, convincing Kang that squeaky-clean businessman Chul Gyu-Hwan is the killer. The dirty cop then relentlessly pursues Chul, placing his job and life at risk to stop a merciless killer.

Public Enemy simply kicks ass. Sul's Det. Kang is as badass as characters get, and Lee's turn as a bastard of a killer is chilling. While the uncompromising anti-hero and the unredemable killer are hardly strangers to cinema, Kang Woo-suk's film is anything but formulaic. Public Enemy is a stylish, engaging film that's more energetic than a child after two pieces of birthday cake.


Tomorrow: Director Kim Ki-duk's Address Unknown and Breath.