2010 Archive

DVD Review: The Man From Nowhere (Lee Jeong-beom / 2010)

Posted on March 23, 2011 | 1 Comment
It was last years blockbuster smash in Korea, won a stack of awards at the Korea Film Awards and opened last years London Korean Film Festival, The Man From Nowhere is now getting it’s UK DVD release. Reviewed twice on the site, with one rating the film as fun but...
Continue Reading...
Review: 71 Into the Fire (Lee Jae-han / 2010)

Posted on March 12, 2011 | No Comments
Young Deok, 1950. The North Korean People’s Army is on the verge of overwhelming the South. Drafted as a student soldier in the 3rd Infantry Division, Oh Jang-beom survives an attack on the town and flees without personally firing a shot. While regiments are diverted to the Nakdong River, a...
Continue Reading...
Review: I Saw The Devil (Kim Jee-woon / 2010)

Posted on March 1, 2011 | No Comments
A psychopath kills a woman. An innocent woman. A beautiful woman. Imagine the plight of her soon-to-be-husband, who loves her and dotes on her. That is the premise. I Saw the Devil is the revenge. Review If one were to ask me the greatest script ever written, or the most...
Continue Reading...
Review: Poetry (Lee Chang-dong / 2010)

Posted on February 27, 2011 | 1 Comment
An old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s discovers that her grandson might be involved in the suicide of a young girl. Review Here is a typical reaction to Poetry, a typical misty-eyed reaction drenched in kitsch, and it is ironic that it comes from Manohla Dargis who happens to be a...
Continue Reading...
Review: The Man From Nowhere (Lee Jeong-beom / 2010)

Posted on February 15, 2011 | No Comments
A couple of drug packets assume the role of a MacGuffin in a world involving cops, smugglers, a bar dancer, a little girl, and a mysterious man. Review Putting the cinematic history of The Man, a.k.a The Man who has nothing personal to do with the film’s events (Chris Sabian...
Continue Reading...
Review: The Man From Nowhere (Lee Jeong-beom / 2010)

Posted on January 30, 2011 | No Comments
A dysfunctional family, some shady cops and the mob converge in unexpected ways as a drug bust goes horribly wrong. The man from nowhere is inevitably drawn into the chaos when his neighbour and her daughter is kidnapped and he is played as a patsy when he attempts to rescue...
Continue Reading...
“Eating sushi with a little less wasabi”: Interview with Kim Jee-woon

Posted on November 29, 2010 | No Comments
On 3 November 2010 director Kim Jee-woon attended the London Korean film Festival to introduce his most recent film, the controversial I Saw The Devil. A couple of hours before the screening he was kind enough to answer some questions for Colette Balmain.. [Colette Balmain]: One of the main themes...
Continue Reading...
Review: I Saw The Devil (Kim Jee-woon / 2010)

Posted on November 7, 2010 | 4 Comments
After the brutal murder of his fiance, state policeman Soo-hyun takes two weeks leave, but the time off isn’t to rest and get over his recent loss, it’s to hunt down the killer and exact revenge… Review Refused a certification which would allow the film to play in front of...
Continue Reading...
The London Korean Film Festival 2010

Posted on November 1, 2010 | No Comments
It’s almost time for this years London Korean Film Festival – the fifth year the Korean Cultural Centre have run the event – this year sees yet another impressive line-up of titles showing with some equally impressive guests in attendance. The opening film of the festival this year is Lee...
Continue Reading...
Review: Bestseller (Lee Jeong-ho / 2010)

Posted on October 31, 2010 | No Comments
Bestselling author Hee-soo finds her career wrecked when she is accused of plagiarizing a manuscript she has been given to read for judging in a competition. In an attempt to find inspiration and the focus to write her next book – which she hopes will begin to repair her reputation...
Continue Reading...