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.
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