Modern Masterpieces #4: Dark Water (2002)

When Hideo Nakata released The Ring back in January 1998 and Park Ki-hyeong released Whispering Corridor’s months after, in May 1998, the then stale horror genre was resuscitated with a fresh breathe of life. America had all but bled the slasher revival dry and audiences longed for something different, and these films were just that. Masked knifemen no longer held sway over an audience, but dead women with long, straggly black hair obscuring their face? Guided by some malevolent supernatural force? Time to rejoice! As “shit-your-pants” horror was back!

The success of these movies soon brought with it its imitators: which to this day still proves popular with audiences. However the finest example of the sub-genre wasn’t Hideo Nakata’s first foray, or even Park’s groundbreaking Korean shocker, but the subtle horrors of Nakata’s later effort, Dark Water that encapsulated everything oriental horror was, and should have always been – the perfect mix of being, dramatically, achingly beautiful along with nerve-wrenchingly terrifying.

Taking inspiration once again from Koji Suzuki (ala The Ring) Dark Water tells the story of Yoshimi, a middle-aged mother currently fighting for divorce and in order to maintain custody of her daughter, Ikuko, takes a menial job as a proof-reader. They have also just moved into a run-down apartment block which has more than it’s fare share of maintenance issues; such as the ever growing damp patch in their ceiling which stems from an abandoned apartment above them. Soon, strange occurrences abound and an apparition of a young girl keeps haunting Yoshimi. It transpires that a young girl, Mitsuko, had gone missing in the area the year previous, after she was abandoned by her mother, but why is she targeting Yoshimi and her daughter and how can they stop her?

As much as I loved The Ring upon initial viewing, it’s never drawn me back for repeat viewings. The mystery of the first experience can never be re-lived and as a result repeat viewing can lead to boredom, while waiting for the characters to finally unravel the Sadako mystery and we can enjoy the now legendary finale. Dark Water however, continues to grip and scare the living shit out of us. This isn’t because Mitsuko is the more terrifying creation, Sadako has her beat hands down aesthetically, but her story is more appealing and relatable.

Mitsuko is a tragic creation, born from parental abuse she thrives to claim back what she lost. Whereas Sadako was an enigma, of sorts, in the first Ring movie; murdered by a parental figure and lashing out with a teen-like angst – granted in the book she benefits from the added perversity that’s lacking from the Japanese movie adaptation and suffers for it, however the South Korean version contained this aspect but failed to maintain the scares - and it gives Sadako an air of bratishness as opposed to monster. Dark Water’s Mitsuko however, is a lost child and as such gains or sympathy, which makes it all the more horrifying in that we can understand why she’s still clutching to this world, hoping to find her mother and return home to her.

Though the American re-make has all but tarnished the films name and reputation, I still believe that Dark Water stands head and shoulders over its rival, more successful, genre brethren. It’s one of Japanese horror cinemas finest offerings and as far as the ghostly, dark haired ghost cliché goes, this is the best the Far East has given us. It may not have the body count that horror fans and gorehounds crave, but it’s a film dripping with suspense, leaking with tension and has a fantastic gut-punch finale that will leave its audience affected in a way The Ring and Ju-On franchises could never come close to achieving. You may also find yourself disturbed by Mitsuko’s cold-hearted, calculated determination to claim what she wants, showing a maturity far beyond her young age; leaving you remembering her long after you’ve forgotten Sadako’s pissed at the world, woe is me schoolgirl attitude. This is a special stuff indeed. Highly Recommended!

Dark Water is available to buy on DVD now.

Beautiful (2008)

Kim Ki-duk has always shown a questionable attitude towards women in his movies, which tends to be blown way out or proportion with the majority of his critics; seeing as men are portrayed in a worse light in the films that are blasted as misogynistic. However, he seems to have out Kim Ki-duk’d himself with Beautiful, a film so bleak and misanthropic that it’ll leave most viewers as suicidal and depressed as the characters within the film! It’s also one of the finest slices of idiosyncratic cinema to come out of South Korea since Kim’s Bad Guy.

Eun-yeong (Cha Soo-yeon) is haunted by her beauty, men can’t resist her and woman won’t trust her. The unwanted attention she receives from men reaches it fever-pitch with Seong-min (Kim Min-soo), a stalker who can not control himself around her and violently attacks and rapes her when she refuses his flowers. Destroyed after the incident, Eun-yeong tries to ruin her looks by gouging out on junk food in a bid to become ugly. When this doesn’t work she changes tact and refuses to eat and doesn’t stop working out, eventually forcing anorexia and bulimia upon herself. A policeman, Eun-cheol (Lee Chun-hee), watches as this woman slips further down a spiral of self destruction and eventually becomes obsessed with her.  As her behaviour becomes increasingly more erratic and violent, he decides to take action.

As you can tell from the premise, not much happiness abounds in Beautiful and it’s a better film for it. Not many films are this hell-bent on destroying its audience. This rivals Kim’s previous effort like Bad Guy, Address Unknown and The Isle in the nihilism stakes but also manages to be thoroughly engaging; especially with the performance turned in by lead actress Cha Soo-yeon, which is truly devastating. Lee Chun-hee also proves a quality counter for Cha, whose mental deterioration isn’t as devastating but is equally as disquieting. As the finale once it arrives, it’s a triple-whammy of gut punches that will shock, astound and have you applauding for the sheer balls of the filmmakers or will leave you completely ruined and in need of a hard drink.

This brazen style of filmmaking is what attracted me to Kim Ki-duk, and it’s been lacking in his movies since The Bow. It’s great to see other filmmakers tackling his material and when a talent as bold as Jeon Jae-hong is behind the camera; it’s a privilege to watch the film, and characters, unfold regardless of how dark the film gets. This is cinema at its bleakest, this doesn’t mean its unwatchable but it certainly powerful enough to leave you haunted after watching, those in a frail state of mind should avoid this like the plague until they’re ready to go where the film dares to take them. It’s not a pretty ride, but it’s a journey well worth takind and Jeon Jae-hong just might be the new infant terrible for South Korean cinema, I hope he gets the chance to follow-up on the overflowing potential he shows here.

Unfortunately Beautiful does not yet have a UK release.

Modern Masterpieces #3: Happy End (2000)

I’ve been championing Jeong Ji-woo’s phenomenal film, Happy End, for sometime now (See an old review here) and it’s, tragically, still an underappreciated classic waiting for discovery. Granted, I’ve not sold my girlfriend into the sex industry in order to fund this films release outside of Asia (sorry folks), and as of writing Happy End still hasn't been picked up for UK distribution! With labels folding left right and centre after releasing any schlock to come form the orient with some blood and maybe some nudity, to think that Happy End remains elusive is starting to prove insulting.

Not only is it one of the finest movies of the past decade, but also one of the key films in the Korean new-wave movement which started to emerge in the late 90’s. It stars some of South Korea’s biggest names, with instant recognition for both Oldboy’s Choi Min-sik and prestigious actress, and Cannes-winner, Jeon Do-yeon (The Housemaid) in early, but career launching, roles as the husband and wife of the story. Mo Ju-jin is also no stranger to fans of Korean cinema, with his roles in art-house fare like Kim Ki-duk’s Real Fiction and blockbusters like Musa: The Warrior rounding out the main cast and giving his best performance to date here.

Bo-ra (Jeon) is having an affair with college sweetheart, Kim (Mo). Her relationship with husband Seo (Choi) is lifeless, seemingly in existence to provide for their new born daughter. Seo becomes aware of his wife’s infidelity but is contempt with the situation; as long as they stay together and raise their child he’s willing to turn the other cheek. However an unfortunate accident leaves the infant hospitalised and this infuriates Seo, as a result he becomes determined on putting an end to his wife’s affair.

What elevates Happy End out of your typical melodrama tedium is the superb, scratch that, it’s the exquisite characterisation found within the script and the performers willing to launch body and soul into their respective roles. Normal melodrama is a chore to sit through, with directors relying on over the top incidents and awful musical cues to provoke the desired reaction the story cannot delivery organically. However, with Happy End Jeong Ji-woo doesn’t need to rely on external elements to provoke his desired reaction form the audience; the story development is of such a standard that you understand all three characters and can understand why they act the way they do: be it Bo-ra’s desire for passion, Kim’s infatuation or Seo’s belief in family unity. You will not agree with their actions at times, but you’ll understand the reasons behind them; which is what makes the film all the more horrific as the film careens towards its devastating finale.

With a market that has been flooded by all sorts of trash from the Far East, it remains a mystery that such a bold, daring, and genuinely fantastic, film such as Happy End remains the elusive omission for fans of well developed adult material. Despite the films success at the 2000 Cannes film festival and the stars this films boasts, it’s frankly baffling why this remains without distribution here in the United Kingdom: fingers need pulling from rectal cavities and Happy End deserves to find its British audience.

Unfortunately Happy End does not yet have a UK release.

This Is War (Severe Clear- 2009)

Ever since Apocalypse Now shattered ever known fibre of the war genre in1979, war movies have tended to portray war in a negative light. Gone were the days of war heroes standing tall for their country and destroying the foreign enemy that were out to take all that was good with their homes. Granted, the sheer fuck-up that was the Vietnam War played the biggest part in this cinematic shift and its affects are still felt to this day. Films like The Longest Day, where huge actors played good-hearted solders, were soon replaced by the younger, more violent, and certainly more prone to rape, breed of solder as seen in films like Casualties of War and Platoon.

This Is War however, offers us a mixture of both the old and the new with the added twist of being a documentary... of sorts. Here we have real soldiers fighting in real situations. They are violent young men hyped-up on government spin believing they are fighting the good fight. They are simply doing what is ordered of them. It’s an attitude so rife in Hollywood war movies of old; they are fighting to protect family and friends from those evil foreigners who threaten their homes. Yet they enjoy the slaughter and destruction of their enemy with an uncomfortable, disturbing glee.

Mike Scotti joined the army after a classmate was killed during the 9/11 attacks on New York. He was called up for the invasion of Iraq and shot hours and hours of footage; from the mundane routine and boredom of the road leading to the invasion, on to the paranoia and fear that mounted as they began their mission and the inevitable bloodshed that ensued. It’s a disturbing experience being this close to war, but it’s what also gives the film its power. Some scenes will be too graphic for some viewers, one scene in particular is incredibly hard to watch, but for those with a strong stomach this will be required viewing.

Where is fits in with modern war films that followed in the wake of Apocalypse Now is in its honesty. We see what shitty equipment these people have to rely on to defend themselves and each other. We see the disorder of the missions; no one seems to understand what they have to do, except find weapons of mass destruction that simply do not turn up. It also comes across undoubtedly, and this is where it fits in with the Hollywood mythic, is that these men love their country, that’s why they are there and it’s why they fight. Yet as time goes on and they become numb to the destruction lays an addiction to the chaos and their bond as marines. It’s been said that war is the ultimate drug, and this certainly proves that a lot of these men do become addicted to combat, not just for the rush of risking their lives; but for the need to protect those around them: To be needed.

This Is War is an in your-face experience that ranks as one of the finest example of war cinema since Gunners Palace. It’s disturbing, troubling and oddly entertaining to see these men have so much fun in such a hellish environment, believing they’re doing the right thing, even though their belief slowly starts to fade away from them as time goes on. It’s this honesty and sincerity that makes it such compulsive viewing. Highly recommended.

This Is War is available to buy on DVD from October 4th from Momentum Pictures.

Modern Masterpieces #2: Gone Baby Gone (2007)

When you think of talented actors turned directors who do you think of? Clint Easwood? Definitely. Sean Penn? Sure. Dennis Hopper? Love him! Tim Robbins? Oh yes! Ben Affleck? Erm… Ben ‘you’re the bomb in Phantoms’ Affleck? Granted it may be too soon to bracket the lad as a great director, but if his debut Gone Baby Gone is a sign of his abilities then there is a talent here waiting to explode. Having already established himself as a Oscar-quality writer with Good Will Hunting, it took him a decade to write again. It was a frenzied decade with, critically panned, box office successes and the infamous ‘Beniffer’ period that gave us Gigli… there was also Surviving Christmas… ouch.

Now, I’m a fan of Affleck the actor, more so his 90’s output with Kevin Smith than his blockbuster movies that’s he’s better known for and who doesn’t love the magic of Good Will Hunting? But I didn’t know what to expect from him as a director, who would he have been influenced most by during his career? Would it be pal Kevin Smith, the reflectiveness of Gus Van Sant? or the more gun-ho aesthetics of Michael Bay? It seems to me neither, but more so his encounter with workmen directors such as Joe Chappelle and Allen Coulter, whose work on HBO’s The Wire and The Sopranos are sterling, that have influenced him most as a director. And for which, all should cheer.

Casey Affleck plays Patrick Mackenzie, a private investigator who works with his girlfriend and business partner, Angie (Michelle Monaghan). When they see a local news report regarding the disappearance of 8 year-old Amanda McCready their heart goes out to her mother, Helene (Amy Ryan). Soon after they are visited by Amanda’s aunt and uncle who ask them to help the police with the investigation; hesitant at first, they eventually agree to aide the police; much to the annoyance of the detectives assigned to the case. As the investigation progresses, secrets that should have been buried are revealed and Patrick and Angie find themselves way in over their heads as their relationship is stretched to breaking point and their lives are thrown into jeopardy as they descend into a hellish nightmare and humanities dark underbelly.

With Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck has delivered a brilliant mystery thriller and one of modern cinema’s finest noirs. It may not be trench coat, fedora and rain-soaked alleyway noir that people normally associate with the genre but the core staples of distrust, betrayal and abuse of power are rampant throughout the film. It’s this dark streak that binds the film that impresses most, Affleck isn’t afraid of alienating his audience by showing us the darkest side of human nature in all its morbid glory and having his characters carry out despicable acts all in the name of ‘doing the right thing’.

This selfishness that runs riff through the film could further alienate audiences, if it weren’t for the incredible cast Affleck has assembled. Little brother Casey really shows his worth here, shedding his younger image that saw him in cheese like Soul Survivors and American Pie and revealing a true acting talent in the making. Amy Ryan gives an Oscar nominated performance as Helene McCready, it’s a role that relies on an actress of exceptional talent and luckily Ryan is just that – exceptional. To single out a performance is impossible however, each character is as memorable as the next and the people playing them deliver their best; which shows that Ben Affleck is not just a great writer, but also a promising director to watch. The confidence he displays over every facet of the film here is impressive and makes you wonder how good he’ll be once he has a few more films under his belt?

Gone Baby Gone was unfortunate, due to the nature of the film the last thing distributors were going to do is release movie about child abduction while the United Kingdom is in disarray over the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The film was in full PR swing when the news of the abduction hit, which resulted in all subsequent promotion of the film stopping immediately. The film was then delayed and quickly released months later with no hype or promotion to go with it, as such the film failed to make an impact at the box-office. It was also overlooked come Oscar season, but it remains one of the most powerful directorial debuts of the last decade.

Gone Baby Gone is available to buy on Blu-ray and DVD now!

Modern Masterpieces #1: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2003)

Chan-Wook Park is one of the great directors working in film today, that’s not hyperbole or fan-boy hype, it’s a fact. With only a handful of films, he’s managed to launch a career that has raised the global profile of not just his work, but his actors and the South Korean industry as a whole. He’s one of three director’s working in South Korea today that continues to generate international buzz in film magazines and websites; the other two being Bong-Joon Ho (The Host) and Ji-Woon Kim (Bittersweet Life). I first became aware of Park in 2002 with JSA: Joint Security Area, I was still relatively new to Korean film and JSA was a great example of what the country was capable of producing, but then I watched Park’s follow-up, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance early in 2003 and it truly changed the way I viewed movies.

The story is simple, or so it seems. Ryu (Shin Kyun-ha), a deaf mute is knocked-off by black market organ dealers when he attempts to buy a new kidney for his terminally ill sister. Needing cash quick in order to pay for a legitimate transplant, he devises a plan with his anarchist girlfriend (Bae Doo-na) to kidnap his ex-employers (Song Kang-ho) daughter and hold her for ransom. Naturally, the plan doesn’t go as planned. To divulge more would be criminal to those who have not seen the film, needless to say it gets bloody.

With the financial success of JSA, Park was given creative freedom for his next project, and it shows. JSA was a big production, a blockbuster movie that broke box-office records; many were expecting another such production with Mr. Vengeance. How wrong they were. Mr. Vengeance is so far removed from JSA that it’s remarkable they came from the same person; JSA was a visually striking movie, but in a glossy, MTV fashion that he would later take to his extreme with 2004’s Oldboy. Mr. Vengeance couldn’t have been more different, stripped down to film minimum; Park relies only on the story and actors to wow over his audience: there’s no music, no elaborate set-pieces and no clever twists here, only an oncoming car crash of a narrative that you can’t divert your stare from.

With this bold stylistic decision also comes alienation. The films purposeful cold metallic palette echoes the characters mental anguish which leads to the numerous bloody encounters within the film, but to the casual viewer it may be too much of an extreme; the film drips negativity and is filmed with a documentary-like realism that will disturb and punish more than thrill and excite. This came at a time when South Korean cinema was very much style over substance for the most part, with movies like Shiri and Tell Me Something wowing audiences with their looks rather than their story. This stripped-down, nihilist approach can also be responsible for the films poor performance at the box-office in its home country.

More akin with fellow Korean enfant terrible, Kim Ki-duk’s filmography than anything else Chan has produced, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance remains one of South Korea’s greatest achievements. It may not have won as many awards as his later films or made as much bank, but in twenty years time this is the film that most will be looking back at and re-visiting to understand Park the film-maker. Here is where his dark heart emerged; this is his first cruel ode to cinema and remains arguably his finest achievement to date. A film that broke all the rules, not just onscreen but off, it’s the product of a man who truly defied, and smashed, every expectation laid upon him to produce something spectacular. Love it or hate it, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance will leave a scar upon you that will never be removed.

You can buy Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance on Blu-ray of DVD now.

The Housemaid (2010)

Im Sang-soo is no stranger to controversy in his native South Korea. With films like Tears and The Presidents Last Bang landing the director in hot water for their depiction of teenage sexuality (Tears) and a blasting depiction of Politicians (Presidents Last Bang). So you can rely on the man for shock value, as well his strong visual style of story telling. With his latest release The Housemaid, he’s produced the most sexually explicit mainstream film to have come out of his homeland…

Eun Yi (Jeon Do-yeon), is hired as a nanny/maid for a disgustingly rich family who are expecting twins. The mother (Seo Woo) is due to deliver within weeks of Eun Yi’s employment so Eun Yi takes care of their first born, Nami (Ahn Seo-hyeon) while the mother worries about her figure. The husband (Lee Jeong-jae) is smitten by the new maid and it isn’t long before he’s moving in on her. An affair is sparked and when news that Eun Yi is pregnant breaks, it threatens to not just destroy their relationship, but will affect all of those within the household.

The first thing that grabs the viewers’ attention is Im Sang-soo’s glorious visual style. Each frame is a composition to be marvelled, a shot as simple as a man in a hallway has never, and should never look as beautiful – decadent in fact – as it does here. Each frame is a loving composition that leaves the viewer in awe. You could say that Sang-soo is using these exquisite visuals to hide the films flaws, which is a valid point as the film does have its issues with its rushed finale; but the visuals are essential to the film not just for aesthetics, but it helps us fall in love with the world that Eun-yi herself becomes infatuated with.

The Housemaid is a slow-burner, very little actually happens, its narrative progression is through dialogue and not set-pieces. Character actions are witnessed, but the consequences for these actions are escalated through dialogue driven confrontations which gradually builds and builds until the film literally explodes in the finale. This is the films biggest flaw, the pay-off is built-up throughout the film, yet the finale does come across as rushed. It’s the only flaw the film has, but if you’re caught up in the movies spell, which is hard not to be, it’s forgivable but others may be left disappointed.

The actors are all on form here, with Jeon Do-yeon giving a no-holds barred performance that has seen her rightly rewarded with various accolades on the festival circuit. Lee Jeong-jae also delivers a fantastic performance as a man who has it all and believes he’s entitled to everything within his household regardless of others feelings; he’s a detestable fella, yet his charisma is hard to deny; witness his Patrick Bateman-esque sexual prowess and try and hold a grudge against him.

The Housemaid may not be the masterpiece the original 1960’s version is, but as an erotic thriller the film ranks as one of the genre’s finest. A movie that is truly titillating and thrilling, the film excels with its visual-seduction as the characters sweat the screen up. It may be too slow for most, but for those with patience and appreciation for beautiful compositions and a sold story, there is plenty here to appreciate. It’s bold film and one of South Korea’s best of 2010.

You can buy the Korean DVD for The Housemaid here.