Just saw my favourite movie of the year (so far) last night (with Where The Wild Things Are being a close second).

A Korean monster movie that starts out as a comedy but ends up being quite emotional, despite the huge lolloping amphibious alien that’s terrorising the city.

The film starts with a nasty (American) scientist (played by Scott Wilson) telling his young Korean assistant to dump loads of toxic waste down the sink which will end up in the Han River.

Suffice to say, within 10 minutes of doing this (you don’t have to hang around much in this film for the action to start), an huge mutant, monster is seen in the river which after being pelted with cans and rubbish by the locals decides to attack.
(...)
Read the rest of The Host (Korean Movie) or Gwoemul (336 words)

© Silentjim for Balloon Shapes By Cops, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Korean Movie, Movie review, Sci-Fi, The Host

Went to the cinema the other day, to check out the new film by Alexander Sokurov, “The Sun” about the last few days of World War II in Tokyo and Emperor Hirohito meeting McArthur and surrendering. To say this film was slow, would be putting a brave face on it, (first 20 minutes is Hirohito getting up and dressed), however stick with it and a fascinating and interesting human study of Hirohito comes into play.

Unfortunately 2 people sitting just behind us didn’t stick with it, walking out after about 20 minutes (possibly during the long breakfast eating scene), with the not so favourable review “That was f*cking shit”, just heard as the cinema doors closed.

At around 2 hours long, for some (my girlfriend included, and perhaps the lady sleeping next to her), this is 2 hours too long, 2 hours that probably felt like 4. I on the other hand loved it. Having often wondered how people actually surrender during wars, and what did these 2 powerful people actually say to each other (not a great deal if this movie is to be believed, Sokurov loves his long silences).

Most of the film is set in Emperor Hirohito’s bunker, occasionaly interspersed with dreamlike war scenes of the Tokyo bombing (in fact I think it was a dream, the planes being insect like flying creatures – due to Hirohito’s obsession with natural sciences), which gave an interesting break from the slow, static bunker rooms.

To be honest I was actually disappointed when the film ended, and would have liked more time to follow this
interesting character.

Recommended but be warned, not for everyone.

No related posts.

© Silentjim for Balloon Shapes By Cops, 2005. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Japan, Movie review