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SYNOPSIS:
An indolent university lecturer (aren't they all?)
living on his pregnant wife's salary sits at home idly wondering
how to rustle up the bribe that will buy him a professorship. But
the contant yapping of a small dog somewhere in the apartment
block drives him crazy ; he prowls the corridors with murder in
his heart...
Through the interwoven stories of the lecturer, his wife(who buys
a poodle with her severance pay-no such thing as maternity leave
in Korea), the pet-loving girl from the neighbourhood office and
the janitor with a taste for dog stew, Bong builds a microcosm of
Korean society which feels so believable it seems rash to call it
satire.
Beneath the mix of daily routines, ghost stories, deluded
characters and pet rescues lurks a social analysis as savage as
anything in Pasolini. But I don't recall Pasolini ever being as
droll as this.
- Synopsis courtesy of Vancouver International Film Festival
Korean drama directed by
Bong Jun-Ho
Starring Bae Doo-Na, Lee Sung-Jae.
Running time 106 m
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HEROIC-CINEMA'S REVIEW:
You can guess by the synopsis that this is a difficult film to
write about: it wriggles about like a live thing, refusing to be
pinned down by genre, plot, or style. And that alone makes it
interesting. Add in a simple yet unusual plot, a ghost story,
realistic characters played ably by a talented cast, and you've
got a fine film.
First, though, I must make a confession: it took me three
sessions to get through this film. Yes, three. Count 'em. The
reason for this was an aspect of the film that might put you off
altogether: there's a strong sub-plot of cruelty to animals. Dogs,
in fact. And while I'm more of a cat person, I still get quite
unhappy at the thought of those innocent critters being supposedly
hurled from rooftops (for example). A disclaimer states that no
dogs were harmed during the making of the film, but it still looks
real enough to disturb me. If you're less of a sook than I am,
this won't bother you in the least.
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Anyway, back to the story: we have Lee as Yoon-Ju, a rather
introverted part-time lecturer, striving to find sufficient funds
for a bribe to gain him a lecturing position, and Bae as Hyun-Nam,
a rather dreamy accountant. Hyun-Nam works in the office of the
managers for a large apartment complex in suburban Seoul, which
complex contains the apartment where Yoon-Ju lives with his
pregnant wife. Yoon-Ju dreams of being a lecturer, a dream
interrupted by the barking of the weeny dog, while Hyun-Nam dreams
of performing some heroic act that will get her on TV. |
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Now I have to say that the highlight of this film must be Bae Doo-Na,
recently spotted in Take Care of my Cat at the Hong Kong
International Film Festival. She invests her character with all
the attributes necessary to make her credible, and manages
to be incredibly funny (in a very odd sense), without straying
into the realm of comedy. Sounds odd? Okay, let me explain, using
a scene for illustration.
There's a scene where Hyun-Nam spots the mysterious dog-napper
throwing a pooch off the roof of a neighbouring building. She
becomes fired with passionate fervour, and races over to the
building to confront the evil-doer. We see her leaving the lift,
girding her limbs for battle by pulling her hood over her head and
pulling the cords tight. Sounds ho-hum? Yep, but you really have
to see it to appreciate what this girl can do: she is Everyman (or
-woman) on a mission, she's the avenging angel in a yellow tracky
top. In that one scene, she manages to encapsulate all our
half-formed dreams, and all our little silliness.
The supporting cast also carry their roles with conviction,
especially Hyun-Nam's friend, who's played by the same girl who
played the fat ghost in Ghost In Love (sorry, can't find
the name). But for me, this is Bae's film by a long chalk. A
challenging film, not always comfortable, but filled with interest
and talent and an experience you'll never forget.
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Rating: 8½ weeny dogs out of 10.
Reviewed by Alison Jobling
OTHER REVIEWS:
The guys at Subway
Cinema
LunaSea at LoveHKFilm
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H E R O I C - C I N E M A
http://www.heroic-cinema.com
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