I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK Movie Review

I'M A CYBORG BUT THAT'S OK (2006)

Sweet teen Young-Goon is just your average girl, except for that fact that she has "discovered" that she is a cyborg. Not only does she refuse to eat, for fear that the food will damage her inner electronics, but while working at her job she slices her wrist open and sticks an electrical cord in to re-charge. This gets her an express trip to the local mental institution, where she finds deep conversations with the fluorescent light fixtures and the coffee vending machine. Her doctors try to figure out just why she won't eat, but Young-Goon made a promise not to tell anyone that she was a cyborg.

Among the various and colorful patients in the institution is Il-Sun, a young man who is a habitual thief and has self-committed himself in order to escape jail time. Il-Sun is not just content with stealing material objects, but also steals everything from ping-pong skills to yodeling abilities and even the emotion of sympathy! When Il-Sun, who perpetually wears cardboard robot masks and bunny suit pajamas, becomes curiously infatuated with Young-Goon, he discovers the secret to why she does not eat. And while the doctors try their clinical procedures including shock therapy and even trying to force feed Young-Goon through her nose, Il-Sun comes up with an ingenious plan to finally get her to eat, knowing full well she only has days to live before she starves herself to death.

I've been looking forward to seeing this movie ever since the first rumors started leaking out of Korea shortly after the completion of SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. The name Park Chan-Wook has become synonymous with violent revenge films with his nigh-perfect trilogy, and could have easily stayed within this genre for the rest of his career. However, he chose to challenge himself and his fans with a romantic-comedy that is truly one of a kind, which he co-wrote with SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE writer Jeong Se-Gyeong.

The result is one that will surely divide his "built in" audience, and probably annoy the hell out of K-Pop fans who want to see heartthrob Rain, who plays Il-Sun, in a movie. The style of the opening title sequence and introduction to Young-Goon, is the immediate make-or-break point for the audience. Park goes straight for sensory overload as he pushes the quirky pedal to the metal. Along with the musical overture, this is as close to replicating a combination of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman to be found in cinema as you're likely to get, and in some ways even out does these kings of strange.

From this opening, Park dumps us right into the boiling pot of his mental institution, where it appears the inmates are definitely running the asylum. While the exhausted staff tries to keep the patients corralled and in some manner of treatment, mostly they just wander the halls and the grounds, free to perpetually run amok with their odd behaviors that have landed them there in the first place. These scenes are quite reminiscent of the asylum scenes of 12 MONKEYS, if they were shown through an anime prism. The huge assortment of secondary characters offer some of the greatest laughs throughout the movie, and help to keep the tone light even as Young-Goon's fate becomes more dire.

Of course the center piece of the film is the odd relationship that builds between Young-Goon (Lim Su-Jeong of A TALE OF TWO SISTERS) and Il-Sun. Park runs through an exhausting array of emotions between these two, as they each become the others stalker for entirely different reasons, Il-Sun's desperate attempts to break through Young-Goon's "cyborg" shell as she nears death, and finally a romantic love that is often ignored in cinema which climaxes with the oddest scene ever to wretch a single-tear from the eye. Both actors completely loose themselves in the freedom of being mentally unhinged, but avoid going completely manic leaving this to the other actors.

Park Chan-Wook injects his bizarre dark-humor into scene after scene and coats everything with colors that only exist in Japanese candy. Much of the movie takes place within Young-Goon's skewed perspective on the world she lives in, which segues into some truly odd fantasies that even some of the other characters get sucked into. For those demanding blood, Park lets Young-Goon obliterate the entire staff of the hospital with her fully-automatic weapons system with limitless ammunition, which finishes with an uninterrupted shot of mayhem that comes close to rivaling his hallway sequence in OLDBOY. Even in sequences that supposedly take place in reality, Park twists them just enough to the point where it could very well just be the fantasy interpretation of one of the characters.

Park has said that he "wanted to make a film that my daughter could watch and take friends to see and laugh out loud." He has certainly accomplished the laughs with the rat-a-tat pacing, physical comedy that occupies every available space, and the love story that would connect with the younger female crowd who still thinks of romance as holding hands and getting into a bit of mischief. There is a darker side to the film, that I think might resonate specifically with the older crowd, who can catch the absurd and rather cruel things that humans can turn to in order to solve problems they don't understand. However, there is also a very bright center that is focused on the older crowd, which shows the journey and pure joy of finally finding the purpose of your life.

Korean Shocker I SAW THE DEVIL Heads to North America

Magnet Releasing has announced they've picked up the North American film distribution rights for I SAW THE DEVIL, a Korean thriller that made headlines in South Korea last month when director Kim Jee-Woon was forced to trim between eighty and ninety seconds of graphic violence from the film before it would be granted a rating, thus allowing for distribution of the film in Korea.

In I SAW THE DEVIL Lee Byung-Hyun stars as Dae-Hoon, a special agent whose pregnant wife becomes the latest victim of a disturbed and brutal serial killer, played by OLDBOY’s Choi Min-Sik. Vowing revenge, Dae-Hoon blurs the lines between hunter and hunted and good and evil, eventually becoming a monster himself in his twisted pursuit of revenge.

The film is being planned for a theatrical release in first quarter of 2011. Check out the captivating trailer below.

Is Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Trilogy Worth the Blu-Ray Upgrade?

So you've purchased the individual domestic DVD releases of SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE, OLDBOY and SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Or maybe the Korean imports are a jewel of your DVD set. But now that there's a Blu-ray boxset release of all three films the question arises; is it worth the double dip? Lets take a look at everything that comes with the set:

SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE (2002) Unable to afford proper care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of wealthy industrialist Dong-jin, who recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a spiral of destruction.

* Audio commentary with director Park Chan-Wook and actor/filmmaker Ryoo Seung-wan
* The Process of Mr. Vengeance
* My Boksu Story
* Crew interviews
* Jonathan Ross on Park Chan-wook
* Soundtrack and photos
* Storyboards
* Original behind-the-scenes feature
* Trailer

OLDBOY (2003) Oh Dae-su is an ordinary Seoul businessman with wife and little daughter who. After a drunken night on the town, is abducted and locked up in a strange and private "prison." No one will tell him why he’s there and who his jailer is. His fury builds to a single-minded focus of revenge. 15 years later, he is unexpectedly freed, given a new suit, a cell-phone and 5 days to discover the mysterious enemy who had him imprisoned. Seeking vengeance on all those involved, he soon finds that his enemy’s tortures are just beginning.

* Audio commentaries:
o Director Park Chan-wooko Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon
o Park Chan-wook and cast
* Five behind-the-scenes featurettes:
o Making The Film – The Cast Remembers
o Production Design
o The Music Score
o CGI Documentary
o Flashback
* Le Grand Prix at Cannes
* Ten deleted scenes with optional commentary
* "The Autobiography of Oldboy": 3-hour video diary.

SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE (2005) Lee Geum-ja is the Lady Vengeance who was sent to prison when she was 19 for a murder case and abduction of a child on behalf of Mr Baek. While in prison, she carefully prepares for her revenge by winning the hearts of her fellow inmates with her kindness, thus earning herself the nickname 'kind Ms. Geum-Ja'. Upon her release from prison after 13 years, she finally sets out to seek revenge on Baek.

* Regular Version
* Fade-To-White versions (with Park Chan-wook introduction to the Fade-To-White version)
* Audio commentaries:
o Director Park Chan-wook and actress Lee Young-ae
o Park Chan-wook, cinematographer Chung Chung-hoon and art director Choi Hyeon-seok
o Critic Richard Peña
* Making-of featurette
* EPK:
o Teaser
o Trailer
o Highlights
o Second making-of featurette
* The Style of Lady Vengeance:
o Visualization
o Production Design
o Costume & Makeup
o Art
o CG
* Deleted scenes with commentary
* Park Chan-wook:
o Interview with Park Chan-wook
o Park Chan-wook, "Mr. Vengeance"
o Photography featurette
o Director's Choice, A short film recommended by Park Chan-wook
* Character interviews
o Lee Geum-ja
o Professor Baek
o Prisoners
o Families
* Lady Vengeance in Venice
* Get Together
* Trailer
* TV spots
* Poster gallery

Two things standout which makes this a must-have addition to your collection. First and foremost, everything has subtitles! In the late 1990s and early 2000s, when importing DVDs was the only way to see many Korean films, including Park Chan-Wook's films, it was nigh-unbearable that all the extra features did not have subtitles, including many of the extras that are now part of this set. Now we are able to enjoy what is being spoken about, which only adds a brand new layer of enjoyment to these cinematic delights. Secondly, is the alternate Fade-to-White version of SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE. Much like the name implies, the film gradually fades from full color to black-and-white over the course of the running length, adding entirely new visual implications to themes set forth in the film.

Released by the recently rechristened Palisades Tartan distribution company, this is one of the few times where double-dipping seems the only natural thing to do.

City Of Violence Review

CITY OF VIOLENCE (2007)

When retired gang leader Wang-Jae is murdered, detective Tae-Soo returns to his hometown for the first time in ten years after leaving to become a detective in Seoul. Tae-Soo reunites with his old high school friends to say farewell to Wang-Jae, but feels that something is not right about his death. With his fists and temper at his side, Tae-Soo uses the power of the law to stir up a few hornet nests trying to figure out just what happened. For his troubles, Tae-Soo is beset by multiple gangs, all trying to keep Tae-Soo from finding out too much. But with his friend Seok-Hwan at his side, whose fists are just as merciless, Tae-Soo starts tearing through the lies, deceptions, and criminal activity setting up shop in the tourist district. And when he finally gets someone to talk, he learns that it may just be their mutual friend Pil-Ho behind the murder.

Ryoo Seung-Wan, who both directs and stars as Seok-Hwan, may not be pushing any boundaries with this 2006 action-drama from South Korea, but his style and enthusiasm more than make up for treading in safe waters. Ryoo, who has previously brought fan favorites NO BLOOD NO TEARS, ARAHAN and CRYING FIST to the screen, once again dives head first into a world of brotherhood, betrayal, and sacrifice, which are themes that should be more than familiar to those who have swam in the waters of South East Asian cinema. Using a series of flashbacks and storytelling, Ryoo gets all of the characters and their relationships set up quite quickly, but by no means skimps on their depth. Even given the film’s short time devoted to the character build-up, Ryoo shows his strength at giving the audience all the information they need to understand what is going on.

Beyond the characters, Ryoo shows once again his talent at bringing brutal street fighting to the screen with finesse and style. Though Ryoo and Jung Doo-Hong, who stars as Tae-Soo, are able to show off their tae kwon-do training, a majority of the fights are pure and simple brawls, with just enough choreography so the stunt team doesn’t kill each other. Ryoo explains in the audio commentary that they would just set up multiple cameras, have everyone fight in one huge take, and then edit the sequence later. This style allows for Ryoo’s nigh-trademark film speed adjustments and quick editing, while keeping all the characters and their actions easy to follow, and the tone of the fight consistent.

The two major fight sequences are simply jaw-dropping, and even if you may be slightly turned off by melodramatic friendships and betrayal, they are worth a rental at the very least to see. The first features Tae-Soo, in a possible homage to THE WARRIORS, as he fights solo against five gangs — including a breakdancing gang, a BMX gang, a gang of schoolgirls, a gang of schoolboys, and a baseball team with face paint — that each have their own unique uniform and fight style. The second sequence takes up the final twenty minutes of the ninety minute running time, which features Tae-Soo and Seok-Hwan fighting their way through stage after stage of fighters a la GAME OF DEAT or a martial arts video game in order to get to the “final boss.” Each stage features different fighting styles, different weapons and different enemies, with Ryoo changing up the accompanying music and camera work to keep your interest for every minute!

DRAGON WARS (aka D-WAR) Movie Review

DRAGON WARS(2007)

According to Korean legend, every five hundred years a woman is born with the mark of the dragon and inside her a spirit energy that can create a celestial dragon. In the heavens, two sects of dragons and their worshippers wait patiently for this woman to be born. And every time she is born, a war breaks out on Earth to take her soul.

In Los Angeles, a young woman by the name of Sarah is the latest reincarnation of the Yoo Yi Joo, and the evil dragon wyrm Buraki wants her spirit! But Sarah is not alone, for she has a lone protector, Ethan, the last reincarnate of the Yoo Yi Joo's defender. As the Buraki, as well as his followers and their army of lesser dragons, tear through the city, Sarah and Ethan are able to stay one step ahead of them. But as Los Angeles begins to crumble, Sarah becomes more and more convinced that she will have to meet her destiny head on.

Read my full review at Geeks Of Doom!

CELLO Movie Review

CELLO (2005)

Mi-Yu is a music theory instructor with a caring husband and two lovely young daughters. Today is Mi-Yu's birthday, but it is a also a day that brings back haunting memories when she learns that Hae-Yeong, the younger sister of her former classmate, Tae-Yeon, will be performing in the area. Along with the performance program, Mi-Yu receives an audio cassette from Hae-Yeong. That night, on her way home, she listens to the cassette and not moments after the classical music begins she begins to pass out and is nearly hit by a truck. She is unaware that this is only the first of a series of events that will slowly unravel around her because of the tape.

The following day, Mi-Yu takes her older daughter, Yoon-Jin, to the doctor. On the way home, they stop by a musical instrument shop, and Mi-Yu is compelled to buy Yoon-Jin a cello and begin to teach her to play, though Mi-Yu no longer plays herself. That night, a spirit which has invaded Mi-Yu's home shows herself for the first time and begins her reign of terror. As Mi-Yu's family begins to die, a connection is made between the cassette and the new cello, and she must slowly remember and come to terms with what happened to Tae-Yeon when they were younger, and also come to terms with what is happening in the present.

This is the first film for director Lee Wu-Cheol and writer Jeong Wu-Cheol. The creative duo are obviously influenced by elements from both American cinema and recent K-Horror and J-Horror films. The opening pre-credit sequence borrows a page from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, as classical music is interposed over a very bloody and dying woman, which lays the groundwork for the viewer to link music with death through the rest of the movie. The physical cello itself takes a note from THE RED VIOLIN as it is never fully disclosed as to whether the actual instrument is possessed or cursed.

The supernatural portions of the film all seem cribbed from the recent Asian horror films, including Japan's RINGU (this time with a cursed cassette, as well as a few stolen camera shots) and JU-ON (the female spirit has a white face and heavy black eyeliner) and Korea's PHONE (Mi-Yu receives phone calls on her cell through out the movie). These references do not go so far as to plagiarize, but merely stay within a tried and successful safety zone that the viewers will be familiar with.

On the technical side, Lee Wu-Cheol uses classic haunted house-style light and shadow to great effect as it plays with the eye and makes the mind expect voids to be filled with ghosts. As with any haunted house story, especially one focused on a musical instrument, audio plays a big role through the film. Startling musical cues amp up the jump scares to keep the pulse pumping, which are contrasted by quiet musical ambiance during dialogue. His cinematography is quite ambitious, and successfully uses it to tell the story as much as the dialogue. The use of repeating shots make earlier scenes of the film really pay off when it is discovered just how influential the spirit has been over Mi-Yu and her family.

Added all up, this is a strong first outing for the director and writer pair who seem to be playing by the K-Horror rule book for now, and sticking to their film school textbooks on how to make a scary movie. Only future cinematic outings will tell if they have what it takes to create their own style and originality.

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen, with the original Korean soundtrack in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS. English and Spanish subtitles are included and easy to read. There is an audio commentary track by the director, which is quite technical and somewhat flat, a short behind-the-scenes featurette which offers interviews with the cast and crew, and several trailers for other Tartan titles.

THE CITY OF VIOLENCE Movie Review

THE CITY OF VIOLENCE (2006)

When retired gang leader Wang-Jae is murdered, detective Tae-Soo returns to his hometown for the first time in ten years after leaving to become a detective in Seoul. Tae-Soo reunites with his old high school friends to say farewell to Wang-Jae, but feels that something is not right about his death. With his fists and temper at his side, Tae-Soo uses the power of the law to stir up a few hornet nests trying to figure out just what happened. For his troubles, Tae-Soo is beset by multiple gangs, all trying to keep Tae-Soo from finding out too much. But with his friend Seok-Hwan at his side, whose fists are just as merciless, Tae-Soo starts tearing through the lies, deceptions, and criminal activity setting up shop in the tourist district. And when he finally gets someone to talk, he learns that it may just be their mutual friend Pil-Ho behind the murder.

The domestic release of The City Of Violence comes courtesy of Dragon Dynasty, a genre label under the newly formed Weinstein Company. The Weinsteins, who were once the targets of the seething wrath of Hong Kong fans for their Dimension releases of Jet Li and Jackie Chan films, which only featured English dubs and shortened versions of the movie, have finally come around and given the fans just what they want — original dialogue and subtitles, the uncut film, and plenty of extras. A quick look at the original CJ Entertainment extras looks like they've ported over the entire Region 3 release. As well as a Dolby Digital and DTS Korean soundtrack, an English dub is also made available on this DVD, for those that can't deal with "reading" a movie. [Read My Full Review at Geeks Of Doom]

SHADOWLESS SWORD Review

SHADOWLESS SWORD (2005)

In the 10th century, in what is today Korea, the kingdom of Palhae is under attack and is in danger of being taken over by a neighboring kingdom. An elite military team, known as the Killer-Blade Army, have been sent in to slaughter the royal bloodline of Palhae in an attempt to crush the people's spirit. Now, only one prince is left, and his whereabouts are unknown. A lone female soldier, Soha, has taken up the responsibility of finding him. Indeed she does find him, under the name assumed Sosam, and leading the life of a swindling merchant. Hot on her heels are the Killer-Blade Army, whose sole mission now is to kill Sosam.

Although Soha does not convince Sosam that he must return to the capital to become king, he unwillingly travels by her side so as not to be killed. After several sword-crossing encounters with the Killer-Blade Army, the pair make their way to the rendezvous point, where Soha is to meet her contact that will take them to the Palhae capital under the protection of an army. However, the Killer-Blade Army once again catches up to them, and Sosam must finally make the choice he has been avoiding all of his adult life.

Five years after his debut with the tragic swordplay-romance BICHUNMOO, director Kim Young-Jun returns to the directors chair a more experienced and coordinated director. He once again returns to Korea's past, where he blends action, romance, politics and patriotism into a bubbling stew that tastes delicious. The storyline is fairly simplistic, and once all of the main characters and their motivations are laid out, it becomes an invigorating repetition of fast moving fight scene followed by either a scene of the heroes' bonding through admiration or the enemies' plot to take over Palhae. It is a surprisingly effective rhythm that allows for just a bit of character development and a few surprising revelations. The core characters are quickly pigeon-holed so that the audience has no doubt who to route for and who to hiss at. Both Sosam and Soha are established as charismatic and honorable warriors, while the leaders of the Killer-Blade Army are immediately defined as the revenge-seeking, back-stabbing and ego-driven villains that are necessary to make a film such as this work.

The action sequences here are in top form, and borrow liberally (if not flat out steal) from recent films like CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, as well as the style of earlier Hong Kong fare such as SWORDSMAN 2, DRAGON INN and some Shaw Brothers productions. Aside from a more rapid-fire editing, there is nothing on tap in this film that has not been done before, but it is still fun and exciting to watch. Here, both heroes and villains are able to float weightless through the air, bounce off of sword blades, run across flying arrows and maneuver their weapons through the air with the greatest of ease. There is also plenty of fabrics swooshing through the air, concrete cracking under feet and energy attacks which literally blow up both bodies and backgrounds. Kim Young-Jun is also not afraid to borrow from epic films of the west, as he builds up a scene that could be pulled directly from BRAVEHEART, sets up Sosam as a vagabond reluctant to take the throne a la LORD OF THE RINGS' Aragorn and cakes the lead assassins sword in blood so that it is a dark crimson red before the climactic final duel. Think about it a moment and you'll figure out the influence.

New Line Cinema is taking its first stab at distributing a non-English speaking film, and has all international rights to this film. Although there is currently no release date for SHADOWLESS SWORD in the states, it is inevitable that at least a DVD release is in the works here. In the meantime, import versions are readily available for those that know where to look, and if any of the Chinese films previously mentioned got your heart racing when you saw them, well then start figuring out how to get your hands on a copy of this movie now!

MY WIFE IS A GANGSTER Review

MY WIFE IS A GANGSTER (2001)

Eun-Jin is a high ranking enforcer in a local gang, and highly respected by all those underneath her. When word comes back to her that her long lost sister has been found, she rushes to see her, only to discover that she is in a hospital and dying of cancer. Her sister's dying wish is to see Eun-Jin married. Eun-Jin only wants to see her sister happy, and so she orders her subordinates to find her a husband. She also, quite unwillingly, subjects herself to wearing make up and a dress, which feels to her as foreign as it would be for a man to wear the same thing. After one failed attempt at a blind date, she meets Soo-Il, when she is attacked and he comes to her rescue. Soo-Il is so thick-headed in his chivalry, that Eun-Jins gang realizes hes the perfect candidate for a husband. Eun-Jin proposes, and the two are married.

Eun-Jin, however, has no intention of actually being a wife, nor in disposing of her wifely duties. That is, until her sister states that she wants to see Eun-Jin become a mother. After an awkward lesson in seducing a man, Eun-Jin attacks Soo-Il in a sexual frenzy every chance she gets, until she finally becomes pregnant. However, the news is ill-timed, as the rival White Shark gang has been making attempts at taking over her turf. When one of her gang member's is stabbed in an unrelated incident, the information is misinterpreted and it is assumed that the White Shark gang is behind it. Eun-Jin sets off to get revenge, unaware of the tragedy awaiting her.

Korean social structure and gang operations are put on the chopping block in this fantastic action-comedy that uses role reversal to great success. Eun-Jin is not only dominant member of the marriage, she also takes on all the financial burdens and responsibilities that are traditionally the mans. The fact that she is also the leader of gang, who all address her as Big Brother (a term of honor and respect) also plays heavily into her unique position.

Much of the comedic flair is delivered through Eun-Jin, who has been a touch-as-nails gangster for so long that she has never had the time, nor the desire to be feminine in any way. Shin Eun-Gyeong, who plays Eun-Jin and has spent most of her acting career in dramas and horror, does not pass up the opportunity to let her latent comedic talents shine through here. Park Sang-Myeon, who plays the dim-witted Soo-Il, is perfect as the only man in Korea who is gullible enough not to realize his wife is a gangster. Park is no stranger to Korean comedies and has a natural timing in playing off of Shin's performance. The supporting cast all do a fine job in hamming up gangster stereotypes. There are several throwaway sequences involving these characters that do nothing to move the plot along, but they are still a blast to watch.

Though most of the film is a straight up comedy, the film itself is bookended by two fantastic action sequences. The opening of the film, is a battle in the rain in which Eun-Jin takes on an entire gang. This sequence is actually a story being told, and as such it is embellished with slow-mo camera work and wire assisted martial arts. Underneath the action lies the core of Eun-Jin's character, who is completely dedicated to her gang. The closing action fight finds Eun-Jin once again taking on an entire gang, only this time she is far from invincible. The fight choreography is by-the-numbers, but you can clearly tell that is Shin Eun-Gyeong performing most of the stunts, which adds to the intensity. In between there are several quick fight scenes as Eun-Jins gang encounters their main rivals, who are knuckling up to take over their turf.

This is Jo Jin-Gyu's directorial debut, and admirably balances the comedy, action, and tragic plot which serves as the engine that keeps the story rolling. The film is a rollercoaster of emotions, hitting the highs of comedic laughter in one scene, only to bring it down into a somber moment of pain and death, or an adrenaline kick of action. The surprising thing is that it all works, and seems to make perfect sense not only within the context of the film, but in the pacing and rhythm of the movie. For a director to pull this off during their debut, where so many others have failed, is truly a feat worth giving accolades. Whatever it takes, track down a copy of this movie and watch it. You'll be glad you did.

MUSA Review

MUSA (aka THE WARRIOR) (2001)

In China, 1375, the country has been torn in two by the warring Ming and Yuan Dynasties. A large group of diplomats are sent from Korea to China to make peace with the new government. But when the diplomats are charged as spies by the Ming, they are sentenced to exile on a remote island. When the Yuan attacks their group during their guarded transfer to the island, they barely survive, and learn in the process that the Yuan have kidnapped a Ming princess (Zhang Ziyi). The diplomats decide to rescue her in hopes of winning favor with the Ming and safe passage home.

When the princess is finally taken into the care of the diplomats, young general Choi instantly falls in love with her, and never lets her out of his protective sight. Meanwhile, the elderly yet still powerful Yesol keeps guard over his fallen master's body, and plans on bringing it back to Korea for proper burial. As they continue their journey, they are repeated attacked by the enemy. Only through superior military skill do they prevail to the fortress where the princess will be safe, however, one final stage of their journey is still ahead of them, and tragedy will accompany their every step.

At the time of release, this was one of Koreas most epic and costly productions, and it certainly shows with every scene. From sets to costumes, and from location shooting in China to the cast and crew, every dollar is on the screen. The tale of a band of soldiers from Korea is lavishly detailed, beautifully filmed, and politically insightful, all while being brutally violent in the same vein as BRAVEHEART. The stoyline is well thought out (though authenticity to 600 year old history could be questioned), and the characters are given time to flesh out in between battles.

Director Kim Seong-Su, who had previously released several character driven dramas in Korea, lets loose a saga full of stylistic sound a fury, with kinetic camerawork that is hard to deny. Kim's attention to detail and research into the time period this film takes place is a double edged sword here though. During the action sequences, the highly realistic weaponplay brings about several wince-inducing deaths, but during the dialog sequences this gets drawn out a bit too long. Kim's attempt to make every single character into a living and breathing person, a la Akira Kurosawa's epics, can be a bit trying at times. There is more than one sequence here that involve a look into class systems and political motivations which would fit nicely into a History Channel documentary on China, but here only slows the pace for those that are not totally dedicated to period pieces offer.

Jeong Woo-Sung, who plays Choi, returns for the third time to be directed by Kim Seong-Su. He pulls off an well-balanced between emotional acting that really pulls at your heart and amazing ability to use a sword that will have you holding your breath as he charges into battle. Zhang Ziyi, fresh off the set of 2000's CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, essentially plays the same bratty and brazen young woman here.

Clocking in at over two and a half hours, MUSA will drag a bit for those expecting nonstop balls-to-the-wall action. There is an international version available though, which cuts the film down to just over two hours, and should be a reasonable alternative to those that do not wish to deal with the full spectrum that MUSA has to offer. Modern Korean cinema has a way of blending several genre styles without effort, and here just about everything is on tap - action, drama, romance and tragedy - and setting aside the nitpicking previously mentioned, this film will find its way to a growing list of swordplay epics that are perfect to fill a Saturday afternoon.

MEMORIES OF MURDER Review

MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003)

It is 1986, in South Korea. In a small village, a young woman is found raped and brutally murdered. The local police force is completely caught off guard, and have no idea how to handle the situation. Then another body is found, and they realize they are dealing with a serial killer, which they are completely unequipped to deal with. Detective Park (Song Kang-Ho, of SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE and JOINT SECURITY AREA) and his partner resort do what they do best - hauling in suspects on the slimmest of evidence and "interrogate" them endlessly hoping to get a confession.

When Detective Seo arrives from Seoul, he brings with him a more sophisticated set of police skills, and quickly dismisses the suspects captured based on a little real investigating. However, the damage has already been done, and the village citizens know all about the interrogation tactics being used to try and find the suspect, which makes their job even harder. As months pass, and other women fall victim to the killer, small yet crucial clues focus the police squad's eyes on a local factory employee. But they find in this suspect an adversary that will not submit to a few threats, and proclaims his innocence. Is this the man they've been after, or merely another faux-suspect that merely matches their shaky evidence?

Based on the true serial killings in South Korea that took place between 1986 and 1991, MEMORIES OF MURDER is a gritty, downbeat detective film that rivals SEVEN for its intelligence and character analysis. Director and co-writer Bong Joon-Ho (whose current film THE HOST is tearing up cinemas worldwide) carefully and slowly unfolds this tale that focuses on the pressure and stress of Detectives Park and Seo as they struggle against each other in terms of tactics and struggle to find common ground that will allow them to finally capture the killer. He uses subtle camerawork to capture the progressing story, and slips into a Cops-documentary style to get the more frantic scenes. This particular style culminates in a spectacular and spinning nighttime foot chase through the village.

Bong tackles some hard topics, as he focuses on the slightly-inept police force who simply want to find a suspect and close the case, the all-too-familiar interrogation room tactics used. These are some of the more disturbing scenes of the film, and certainly the most graphic in terms of violence. The film is decidedly anti-police brutality, as important and valuable time is lost as the characters take the easy route in kicking and torturing innocent suspects, which leads to more victims being killed. The actual killings are all done off camera, with only the aftermath shown briefly, which creates the huge grey area that the film lives in. Here, there is no black and white, and even the best intentions by the protagonists are bruised with bloodied knuckles.

Song Kang-Ho and Kim Sang-Kyung (who portrays Detective Seo) fully immerse themselves in their respective roles. While at first Park is the time-bomb cop who does what he needs to get results and Seo stays even-tempered and calculating, as the film progresses the dynamic roles slowly reverse. Park matures his style as he realizes what a real detective is supposed to be, while Seo becomes unhinged dealing with hopeless frustration. The character switch completes itself during the film's climax, as Seo falls from grace with a single pistol-whip while Park redeems himself as he finally puts his full trust in lab paperwork.

At over two hours, the film does take its time to get to each of its destinations. For those that have become fully acclimated to Hong Kong and Korean pacing, there should be little difficulty waiting out the slower scenes. There is little action to be had during the entire picture, and even the "adrenaline" pumped scenes barely get above a steady jog. This is 100% conversation-based cop drama. The only main problem, which is purely subjective, is the film's lack of time pacing and the immense criminal investigation. There are no dates given as the film progresses to present the length of passed time - the movie starts with the first murder in 1986, but no way to tell how many years into the investigation the film goes, nor is there any scope to the epic scale that the case covers. According to the film's trailer, over 3000 suspects where checked and thousands of police officers where involved, however the actual film give the assumption the suspects and police involved are centralized to the village area the murders take place in.

For Eastern Asian crime-and-investigation junkies, this is a no brainer to watch. Past that, it becomes a crap shoot. The film is not very enjoyable, due to the harsh subject matter, and if you enjoy your cops with a healthy dose of pulp-action this should probably be skipped. Suffice it to say, if you liked SEVEN and can take the grimmer episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, definitely keep this one in mind.

JOINT SECURITY AREA Review

JOINT SECURITY AREA (2000)

Three days after a firefight that leaves two soldiers dead in the De-Militarized Zone that separates North Korea and South Korea, Sgt. Jean, a Korean who grew up in Switzerland and is now part of the Neutral Nations Security Council is sent to investigate and hopefully clear up a potentially devastating event. Within the DMZ, she meets survivors Sgt. Lee of the South and Sgt. Oh of the North. They both give RASHOMON-esque different tales of the events that transpired, and Jean realizes that she has a very tough job ahead of her. She begins to pour over the evidence for the truth, while the reality is that everyone just wants this brushed under the rug.

From here, time is flashbacked six months ago. Here it is learned that Lee and Oh, who both guard their nation's respective posts on opposite sides of a small river, have become friends, and secretly meet in the shadows of night as brothers and comrades. Along with them are North Korean soldier Jung and South Korean soldier Nam, who have joined in the intimate circle. They tell war stories, drink to unity, and in the wee hours, Korea becomes reunified once again. However, as the dates slip away, the unavoidable conflict comes closer and closer and the truth behind the events will finally be revealed.

Two years before director and writer Park Chan-Wook became an international name to be reckoned with upon the release of SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, this love letter to the people of the Korean peninsula became one of the highest grossing films for 2000. Even to Westerners, who may only have a fleeting knowledge of the two countries' history over the past fifty-odd years since it was divided in two, will be able to easily understand the pressure that is mounted on the main characters here. The closest hypothetical example that could be compared would be if two families on opposite sides of the Mason-Dixie line were to meet in the spirit of American brotherhood during the Civil War.

Through both symbolic cinematic framing, Park is able to convey how a simple line in the middle of the bridge can be a razor-sharp blade that has cut a country in two. Great pains are taken throughout the movie to show symmetric imagery, with half the screen representing the North and the other the South. And while it is obvious that the cut has been made, what is not always represented is which side is which. This is set up on purpose obviously, to show just how similar the two countries are, and that if they could only set aside their political differences, Korea could once again become whole.

Both Lee and Oh give monologues on brotherhood and how the same Korean blood runs through their veins. Lee presents gifts of music, sweets, and pornography to his Northern brethren, while Oh instills a sense of military honor and loyalty, and what it means to be a soldier that was somewhat lacking in Lee combat philosophy. The finest moment in JOINT SECURITY AREA, which wraps up the entire message of the film, is when a photograph is taken of the soldiers. They are in their respective uniforms, but have exchanged hats, and come closer and closer together within the frame until a photograph of Kim Jong-Il in the background is blocked by their heads. Let that image soak in for a moment.

Park Chan-Wook is not purely to thank for this message of ethnic unity. The conviction and professionalism of all the actors involved is what really sells the film. Lee Byung-Hun, who would later reunite with Park for his segment of THREE: EXTREMES, plays Sgt. Lee. Song Kang-Ho, who later takes of up the role of "Mr. Vengeance", is Sgt. Oh. Lee Young-Ae, would go on to take up the "Lady Vengeance" role, is Sgt. Jean. Together these three, who represent three factions of ideals, bring out emotional performances that verge on tear-jerking, as their characters attempt to deal with their ethnic division.

Even with the completion of the VENGEANCE TRILOGY and Park's now international recognition, JOINT SECURITY AREA seems to still elude the general populous as even existing. Though it appears that the film is available on Netflix, the film criminally has still not received a proper domestic release. Perhaps any potential distributor feels people will not be able to connect to the film? That foreign history and military policy will be too tough to understand? That the subtle and slight tinges against the American military within the film will turn off the viewer? It is a sad day indeed if these are the reasons to keep this film hidden away, for anyone with a heart and soul who is exposed to the film will find a connection, and be able to interpret the film's overriding message to coincide with basically any conflict they've dealt with, for it is conflict that paradoxly unites all humans.