The Housemaid..

"The Housemaid" is a remake of the 1960's Korean film of the same name. Director of the 2010 version Im Sang-soo, was a guest at the premier of his film at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) last night. The film as I had understood it was one of revenge however the revenge came later in the film than expected...

"The Housemaid" is about a young woman Eun-Yi who secures a job as the new live-in nanny/housemaid for an affluent family in South Korea. Working with the older and cynical housemaid Byeong-Sik, the new nanny is lured into an affair of sort's with the master of the house, Hoon. The affair results in Eun-Yi becoming pregnant and it's during the course of these events that we see the true nature of the housemaid's employer and extended family. Revenge they say is usually sweet but it's hard to consider this in light of the event's that subsequently take place in the Hoon household.

The film is set in an opulent Korean mansion and Hoon's wife Hae-ra and mother-in-law show all the signs of Western influence in their dress,appearance and ideal's. The final scene of the film is spoken in English and is a David Lynch inspired moment that show's the impact of past event's on Hoon and Hae-ra's own daughter, Nami.

As director Im Sang-soo states, his films are an anthropological exploration of the changing culture in South Korea. He doesn't intend to judge his characters and their behavior but as a viewer of the film it is difficult not to do so. The Hoon family are firm believer's that money can solve any problem which is evident in the way that they treat the housemaid and it also brings power as Hae-ra's mother emphasises in a scene where they discuss Hoon's infidelity.

This film is a chilling account of the rich and powerful in South Korea and their total disregard for the lower classes of society.

- A thriller that will shock in it's final moment's.

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The Day Will Come...

This film features at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) as part of the First Encounters selections. The story of an abandoned daughter who seeks revenge on her mother is the setting for a psychological thriller where we wait with bated breath for the secret of their connection to be revealed.

Actress Katharine Schüttler plays the role of the abandoned daughter Alice with a certain arrogance and desperation. Actress Iris Berben plays the mother Judith who desperately tries to convince her daughter she's not a bad person but one who nobly stood by her cause for the greater good of the community. Alice finds it impossible to be sympathetic towards her mother who was prepared to abandon her for what she says as selfish and outdated ideals.

The vineyard, the home of Judith and her new family is the setting for the encounter between her and abandoned daughter Alice. At times this film drags as we see each member of the family deal with the revelation that Alice has a connection with their mother. Alice herself is a frustrating character who is self-righteous in her belief that her mother should pay for past misdemeanours and seems unable to empathise with anyone else's plight.

- Good plot but frustrating characters.

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The Silent House...

The 'Silent House' is a Uruguayan horror film by director Gustavo Hernández which made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival 2010 and is screening at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). This movie has received lots of attention as it was filmed with a digital camera and shot in one take. Fairly remarkable as the films running time is about 1hour and a half.

Suspense is built well in this film with clever use of the sound-track to indicate moments of trepidation and horror. We are caught up in the horror of the situation as the heroine Laura's (actress, Florencia Colucci) briefly escapes from the house and we hear the world and all sound as if we are swimming underwater or rather drowning in the situation as Laura is.

The movie is a visual one with clever use of filming that also builds suspense. One scene set in pure darkness where the heroine has lost her lamp and lights up the room with a Polaroid camera revealing some frightening images is particularly 'scream worthy!'

The main issue I had with this film was the plot which as revealed towards the end of the film seems a little fantastical. The heroines action's don't match with the sequence of events and the rationale and motivations that are finally revealed. We are also left with a number of unanswered questions that don't add to the suspense but frustrate the viewer.

- Take It or Leave It (scary at times but ultimatley nonsensical!)

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RE: MIFF Recommendations...may offend.......

Whilst writing my last post I had a couple of technical problems i.e. my computer crashed and I realised I had left off two additional films:

Bibliotheque Pascal: A Hungarian/German/UK film based on the imagination of a young women sold into the sex trade. Focussing on her life working in a high-class sex club, this film has been likened to the works of Terry Gilliam (12 Monkeys, The Imaganarium of Dr Panasserum) for it's surreal style. Could offend some with it's content.

Trash Humpers: An American/UK production with the name pretty much saying it all! A group of elderly people wile away their twilight years doing the aforementioned! This recommendation comes with a disclaimer as the film has been described as crass and very offensive. You have been warned.....








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Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Recommendations........

So I have been asked for some recommendations for this year's Melbourne International Film Festival. I haven't seen any of these films yet but word 'on the street' is that these are just some of the films to look out for and I will review films as I see them....

The Tree: Starring the very talented actress/singer Charlotte Gainsbourg from "Antichrist", "The Science of Sleep" fame (child of the French actor Serge Gainsbourg) this is an Australian/French production which closed the Cannes Film Festival this year. 

The Strange Case of Angelica: Written by the 101 year old Portugese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira. His films are whimsical, romantic and  worth watching not only because he is currently the oldest filmmaker still working but for his unique style of story-telling. I enjoyed his film "Eccentricities of a Blond Hair Girl" from last year's festival.

The Unloved: This is the directorial debut for actress Samantha Morton who has starred in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" and "Control" to name but a few in her career. The film is about the harsh reality of growing up in residential care in the UK.

Air Doll: A Japanese film about a sex doll that comes to life. This film reminds me of the 2007 American film, "Lars and the Real Girl" baed upon similar themes.

Hahaha:  By director Hong Sangsoo who's film "Like You Know It All" featured at MIFF 2009. Hong Sangsoo likes to tell stories about 20 something's living a cosmopolitan lifestyle in South Korea.

Love in a Puff: A romance borne out of the ban on smoking in Hong Kong.

The Housemaid: A remake of the '1960s' classic with the same name, about a housemaid that terrorises her employers.



For those of you who base your viewing on some of my recommendation's, please let me know if I'm on track!

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The Secret In Their Eyes...

An Academy Award winning drama, this Argentinian film is full of surprises. Essentially a love story with the back-drop of a thriller it tells the story of  a young woman murdered and one of the court investigators that is assigned to the case. In a series of flashbacks we see the murder unfold whilst the court investigator, Ricardo (played by Benjamin Esposito) his own story, an unrequieted love is told.

Ricardo, his boss Soledad (played by Irene Menéndez Hastings) and his friend and fellow employee an unremorseful drunk are but some of  the central characters in this film along with Pablo (Ricardo Morales), the fiancee of the murdered woman.

Beginning in the present day with a meeting between Ricardo and Soledad, Ricardo is unable to shake-off unsettling feelings leftover from the murder investigation of long ago. He meets with his former boss to ask for access to old court documents about the murder investigation as he decides to write a novel about the murder investigation as a form of catharsis.  We, along with his memories are sent back to the early '70's', where he first set 'eyes' on Soledad.

Ricardo's colleague pen pusher Molinari played by actor Kiko Cerone, is an amusing drunk often found mouthing off in the local bar unable to pay for his shout. The incorrigible drunk is a likeable character who comes to an early demise but adds a touch of humour to the film.

The film (as all good thrillers do) has a twist we see coming but are unable to resolve.

-Entertaining, not life changing!

MIFF 2010

The Melbourne International Film Festival is upon us, with the official opening night being this Thursday, 22nd July. The new Australian Film, "The Wedding Party" will debut on this night.


The festivals special guest this year is director, Joe Dante of "Gremlin's" fame and features a retrospective of many of his much loved films plus conversations with the man himself.

This years MIFF also features a number of added attractions such as Late Night screenings at Cinema Nova, Drive-In movies at the Docklands and 3D films at the planetarium, as well as the usual host of films selected from major festivals around the globe!

So check out all the action below and this blog for more information and reviews.


http://www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/index.php

Animal Kingdom!

With great anticipation I have been eagerly awaiting the release of "Animal Kingdom" which stars Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce, Jackie Weaver, Clayton Jacobson ("Kenny's" real life brother), Joel Edgerton (who we see too little of in the film) and a group of lesser known actors. I am a huge fan of Ben Mendelsohn and the uniquely Australian characters he plays but likeable is not the best way to describe his character in Animal Kingdom "Pope", who is rather a chilling and unrepentant psychopath and there are far too many scenes where this is revealed.

This film centres around a seemingly ordinary suburban family and is said to be loosely based upon the events leading up to the "Walsh Street" killings. The family is chock full of unpredictable and unsavoury characters adept in making a living from robbing banks and the like.  We see Guy Pearce enter as a chief investigator in to event's surrounding the "Cody" family as he tries to intervene and rescue the youngest member of the clan from a life of crime. "Smurf", the Cody families mother played by Jackie Weaver is equally chilling to Ben Mendelsohn's "Pope" in her portrayal of a seemingly innocent surburan Mum although we have a sense that something sinister lurks beneath the surface in the way she placates her boys. Nothing comes in between "Smurf" and her family, not even extended family as we soon find out.

I liked this film a lot as it didn't glamourise unsavoury characters from the underworld unlike the "Underbelly" franchise. This family is not glamourous in any sense of the word but rather this film shows the frightening and unpredictable side to characters that are able to commit acts of extreme violence and perversion which is evident in any scene Ben Mendelsohn acts in.

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