esrosedotblog

BLOODFEST

Today's film was Hong-jin Na's

Hwanghae / The Yellow Sea (2011)

A cab driver who is up against it is hired to kill a man in Korea. He has to smuggle himself in to do it. He takes this on because he will be able to search for his wife who left and never returned.

This sets off a wild, thrilling, sometime hilarious and always edge of the seat movie that rocks from one extreme of violence to another. Grand Guignol.

Chases.

Double dealing, back stabbing (figurative and real) and incredible feats of mayhem with primitive weapons (which in one scene includes huge meat bones).

Shot through the film is a moral imperative which becomes clear as the story unfolds.

I liked it a lot and it is probably better seen on a big screen. I don't say that often but the excitement of the chases and some of the horror has to work better on a wide canvas.

Anyway, I would recommend it to anyone but the squeamish. It will do no good to tell yourself that "it is only a movie".

I would be willing to watch it again and unravel a few things that were not clear the first time. It didn't matter really but inquiring minds want to know.

Korea is producing some really good films in these past years. It is good to see as many as possible as they gain greater distribution here.

A 4 out of Netflix5.

Labels: films