sain11

Marriage is a Crazy Thing is a fantastic twist on the classic love story.

Jun-young (Kam Woo-seong) is a man in his early thirties who has seen his friends and younger brother get married but has yet to open himself to a serious relationship. Rather he is happy floating through life with little direction or ambition.

Yeon-hee (Eom Jeong-hwa) is girl approaching thirty who is desperate to find a suitable husband, but is looking for a match based on social and economic suitability rather than love.

They meet on a blind date and quickly find that they are incompatible intellectually, but have an instant physical and emotional connection. Both are extremely practically minded, and as such decide to explore each other by starting a casual physical relationship, while she continues looking for more suitable husband and he avoids commitment.

This is a very modern tale, which is romantic, dramatic, smart, sexy and realistic. Turning the romance genre on it's head, and showing what dating is really like for modern thirty-somethings, who have emotional baggage, preconceived ideals and expectations, and too much self-interest to open themselves up to the possibility of a deeper kind of love.

Brilliantly written, excellently performed, smartly directed. If you think that Marriage really is a Crazy Thing then you will more than likely find a lot to love within this film.

Faceless Beauty (aka Hypnotised) is a stunning masterpiece in the psychological thriller genre. While it has been marketed as a supernatural horror there are only small elements of the traditional horror style in the film.

The real horror of this film is based largely in the characters and their psychology. The film follows the story of an emotionally damaged psychiatrist who develops an unhealthy (and unprofessional) relationship with a seriously unstable female patient. As the two get more involved both patient and doctor quickly unravel in mutual self-destructive downward spirals.

What sets this film apart though is the stunning direction by Kim In-shik. The film is visually stunning, with gorgeous and unique set designs, interesting locations, fantastic use of CG, and great cinematography. The performances are outstanding, particularly Kim Hye-su, whose portrayal of the disturbed, fragile, emotionally crippled Ji-su is captivating.

Highly recommended for fans of intellectual, emotionally based horror/thrillers.

The recent New Wave of Asian Horror has seen quite a few mediocre films released, however there have also been some true masterpieces amongst them, and The Uninvited is definitely one of the masterpieces.This is a genuinely dark, violent, disturbing, artistic horror film.

The key ingredient missing from most horror films these days is an emotionally charged story with characters that you can relate to and care for. In the case of the Univited, the true horror is based in human behaviour and the realities the characters have to deal with. While there is a supernatural element, the real nastiness is based in the humanity and psychology of the characters.

The Univited has possibly been mis-represented by it's own marketing, as they have promoted it as a supernatural horror, when in reality the film is more art-house and intellectual than it is horror. This probably accounts for some of the negative reviews, particularly in relation to the films slow pacing.

This is not a film that will make you jump in your seat a few times and leave the theatre laughing, but rather one that will chill you to the bone and leave you thinking.

I highly recommended The Univited if you have a darkly artistic streak, and are looking for a character driven film that abounds with atmosphere and chills.