Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 - London Korean Film Festival

How does a story about a house wife and stay at home mum who suffers from depression become one of the most talked about books in its home country? It was just because it was gifted and discussed between politicians. It was through word of mouth, reviews and social media the book was shared but the story is far more than its one liner synopsis. Hailed as being an important feminist book in Korean and equally despised by anti-feminists when the book was first released, the argument has been renewed with the release of the film adaptation, finding a new audience to experience this familiar yet phenomenal story.

 

Kim Ji-young, wife and mother, gradually falls into a routine of keeping house and caring for her daughter but underneath something changes. Her husband, worried that she is suffering from postpartum depression encourages her to rest and even seeks out advice from a psychiatrist when Kim Ji-young begins to act as if possessed by other people. Meanwhile Kim Ji-young yearns to return to work, seeking out possible ways for her to be able to. Interweaved into the narrative are flashbacks to when Kim Ji-young was younger, at her old job and when she was first married, painting a picture of all the everyday sexism she experienced. 

 

There are so many moments in the film that any woman, even if they hadn’t personally experienced it, would instantly understand. There is a universal feeling of fear and dread as well as light hearted scenes between the female characters, carefully balances what it is like to be a girl or woman without bombarding the core narrative with an agenda. The story lays bare truths that are usually left unspoken in other films, that are desperate and powerful at the same time. Sometime hysterical crying is needed, especially when Kim Ji-young’s mother, Mi-sook, breaks down and yell at her husband in disgust about how he treated his son better than his daughters. It’s not a turning point but no means but it shows the frustrations of the women in the film and society.

 

Another aspect of the film to be admired is how Jung Dae-hyun, Kim Ji-young’s husband reacts to her behaviour and how he tries his best to support his wife. His struggle with how to tell his wife how she has been behaving doesn’t overshadow her own challenges but his part in the story is important. Even though he makes mistakes and doesn’t quite understand certain things, he doesn’t stop trying to be better and understand what she also needs. There is a particular moment where Jung Dae-hyun cries in front of his wife, which is as powerful a moment as Mi-sook’s breakdown. This is rarely seen in films, it’s refreshing to see this included in the character and story.

 

Kim Do-young’s adaption of Cho Nam-joo’s novel feels as if it will continue the important conversations that started with the book’s release. Hopefully making sure issues explored will not be absent from the media. The story and characters linger in the mind long after the credits have rolled which gives hope that this story will remain timeless and change the way we think.

As this was just a teaser screening from the London Korean Film Festival, we can look forward to a full programme and further screenings in October from the festival.

Beanpole

 

I remember there was comic called Beanpole I came across years ago about a very tall girl at school, this film is nothing like that random comic. 

 Russia's entry to the Oscars and screened at Cannes, this was one of the films I missed at LFF but wasn't sure about. As the film was about life after war, I thought it was going to be quite depressing and thankfully I was wrong, this was delightful, despite not being entirely cheerful. The beautful colour palette lets you into the world of Iya and Masha and their close unlabeled bond and just a glimpse into the loses of war. 

My full review is available to read at FilmHounds HERE.

Undergods - Fantasia Festival 2020

Like the love child of dystopian science fiction and a Kafkaesque landscape, Chino Moya’s intertwining stories about mistrusting strangers and mysteries beyond explanation really does make the mind explode. It’s not a simple world, where the good are rewarded and bad are punished, there more going on behind the 70s/80s infused décor by way of Ikea and the characters that inhabit it. Even more confusing is the parallel world that seems to ravaged by plague and despair and populace is enslaved to manual labour until their ‘anniversary’. The stories are bleak and nightmare inducing but you can’t help but stare on in horror as a character falls and the next and the next. 

 

Set in our world or one that resembles one we can recognise, stories about scavengers collecting dead bodies in a desolate city, unhappily married couple letting in a stranger, a business man searches for his daughter and a family thrown off kilter when some unexpected appears back in their lives are either told like a bedtime story or someone’s dream. It’s never quite clear what is a dream, a story or reality. 

 

The style and design of the film is to be admired and marvelled at. With Moya’s past work including photography, it’s easy to see he knows exactly how to create an atmosphere that feels familiar and science fiction influenced. The film is reminiscent of ‘The Double’ and ‘High-Rise’ in their design and story. But with intertwining stories and various characters and being an original piece rather than an adaption, ‘Undergods’ offers the harsher, darker side of this particular dystopian genre and there is certainly very little if any moments of comedy and can feel overwhelming at times. At its core, the film is far more at home in the horror sci-fi genre and managers to escape any cliches giving it a fresh edge, even if that edge is razor sharp. As well as the design and look, the characters that inhabit this world have been carefully crafted, featuring a vast excellent European cast list with familiar and rising talent faces.

 

For all its bizarre and dark shades, it’s been a while since something of this calibre was made but there is a chance the film could be seen as too down trodden and miserable. For the horror/science fiction fans out there, they would be missing out and for anyone looking for a film that is this bold would be need to take another look at what ‘Undergods’ has to offer them.

 

 

To take a look for yourselves, take a look at the trailer HERE.

#Fantasia2020 #FantasiaFest

Gamera and Stockhom Syndrome

To review the latest limited edition boxset  I had immerse myself into the world of Gamera. All I knew was that Gamera was a gigantic turtle and was created in rivalry to Godzilla, basically a 'rip off' of the king of monsters. Little did I know once I was in too deep with this weird kaiju monster, I would soon turn from sceptic to actual fan of the monster films. 

Despite balancing between the ridiculous and pure action, I started to see a pattern in the films, not just the fights scenes between people in costumes, which I started to appreciate more and more as the films progressed, but there were patterns in Gamera's behaviour and its evolution. There was more to this franchise that I initally thought. But this might because I spent a whole week and one very intense day watching all the Gamera films, I may have just convinced myself that Gamera and all its weird ticks are amazing. For anyone wanting to explore the franchise, I would suggest the first film, Gamera, the Giant Monster, then possibly skip the 'vs' films as they are very similiar, and go straight to the 90s trilogy as these are hidden gems in the action film world.

For my full review of the boxset, you can read it over at Vulturehound HERE.

What to Expect From 'The Boys' season two

Ending the last season on cliffhangers all round for the characters, there's quite a bit to expect to unfold in the upcoming season. After the teasers, clips and full trailer, plus the panal from Comic Con @ Home, I've out together what we can expect from season two.

My full article can be read over at Zavvi HERE. 

For all those looking forward to the new season the count down begins until September 4th!

 

Yes God Yes

 

Coming of age can be through many things, not always but usually related to sex. A teenager, or younger or someone in their early twenties, goes through a change, experience or trauma and they come out the other side with a new perspective, a different person, enlightened. But sometimes, the change at first is so small in comparison to everything else going on around the character, but in fact it’s simply a realisation but by no means insignificant. One of the most joyous things about this film is the title, literally nailing this pure feeling of ecstasy and incorporating the oppressed religious aspect of the narrative. And the title is just the tip of the delightful iceberg. 

 

 

After being accused of ‘tossing a boy’s salad’ at a party, Alice is left bewildered at what that even means as well as an outsider when even her best friend doesn’t believe her. It also doesn’t help that Alice is starting to have sexual urges, even going so far as to go into online chatrooms and finding relief for her desires by masturbating to the sex scene in Titanic. Being part of a very strict Catholic school and brought up in a very Christian home including going to church every week with her Dad, Alice is conflicted by her shame and desire. She decides to attend a religious retreat to try and suppress her urges but after discovering some contradictions in the teachings forced upon her when she finds out what the retreat leaders are doing when no one is watching, Alice starts to see things beyond the rose-tinted rules she’s been told to live by. 

 

Rarely seen in film, let alone teen comedies or dramas, the moment when a teenage girl discovers masturbation, her sexual appetite and the yearning for more exploration. Some films have got this completely on point like in ‘Turn Me on Goddammit’ but ‘Yes God Yes’ portrays this lesser seen moment in film rather well. It’s a strange thing to note that teen films are usually all about the boys wanting sex and the girls are just there as props sometimes willing to join in the fun but having this moment on screen for other teenage girls to see that they are completely normal gives me hope that this is accepted and will be normalised in future films. Including the religious element to the character and her surroundings adds a whole other level to explore. 

 

 

The flawed teachings of abstinence and how it breeds ignorance and shame is explored but as this isn’t what the whole story is about, it only scratches the surface and focuses more on the hypocrisy of those teaching these rules. Religion is used as blanket reason for everyone’s actions and doesn’t overtly say that everything is wrong but merely shows that you can think differently and in the end you can believe what you want, know your own truths and most importantly, it is completely normal to be a teenager and be sexual active.

 

 

On a personal note, having been brought up Catholic (in a non-strict religious home), I am always fascinated by the stories that come from a place I knew so well. School for me was very different but there was always this judgement around sexual health and biology. I remember countless classes about birth and conception but barely a class on safe sex. I think there was one or two classes and that was it. Everything I learnt on this subject was outside of school. Not to mention, no classes whatsoever on sexual desires and health. This was all ignored, seems odd, especially for a girl’s school. But maybe the Catholic part deemed this unimportant.