The Handmaiden

I knew nothing about this film coming into it, other that it being very well considered, and that it has some strong sexual content. This is probably the best way to watch it, as I did not know where the plot was going to start or go. Essentially a con man plans to seduce, marry, and abandon a wealthy unmarried woman – taking her from her uncle and then taking her money. To do this he employs the services of a young pickpocket to work as her handmaiden, and help work the plan from the inside, so to speak.

What the film does with this basic plot is enjoyable and engaging. The narrative is solid, holds the interest without effort, and is very well paced and structured. I wonder would it work as well if I had known the source material, or had more knowledge of the wider plot. As a con, the plot is solidly enjoyable and avoids the silly flamboyance of some films where such a plot would be allowed to turn into a 'caper'. Within the plot are some surprisingly sexual elements, and these sit across the sweet, the sensual, and the dark. There is also a good amount of humor where it matters – in particular in part 1 of the film, this is used well in relation to the main character.

The direction, production values, and general pacing of the film, all work together to give it a beautiful appearance and tone. It is quite sensuous to watch, with such great colors, sets, costumes, and designs. Within this the actors are all strong. Min-hee Kim and Tae- ri Kim in particular are engaging, although the downside of me being into their characters/performances was that it made the heavy nudity in some of their extended scenes feel a bit exploitative in nature. Jung-woo Ha is solid throughout, and Jin-woong Jo is just the right level of monster for the plot to work.

A richly enjoyable film, that sits across so many elements and looks so good that it keeps the plot engaging throughout.

Sex. One of the most overused element in cinema and often mis-used and unnecessary. I was concerned when this movie is announced, a mis-used sex scene could make the movie feels cheap.

This movie did manage to get it quite right.There were scenes of sexual attractions in many parts of the movie but it did not take away all other elements that were done well in the movie.

Thematically beautiful, the mansion itself is split half between a western and Japanese. The costume design and cinematography are perfect. The west : grand and luxury; The Japanese : Clean, simple elegant design.

The story can be summed up as a hero saving a princess and is split into 3 parts. I loved the first two parts, the third part was the only disappointing part where the plot was predictable and not as interesting and it being the last part makes the movie fell short.

The music is perfect. Just like Old Boy, music is more crucial than other movies. Old Boy is a movie that would make you think of a modernized hero revenge movie that is both realistic and unbelievable. The music have strong presence to help build up that world. Same goes with this movie as it is also a very realistic setting (you know the period of time it is based upon, the characters motives are clear and their actions are) yet with some very unbelievable events when you add everything together.

It isn't a perfect movie, I saw some editing that could be improved here and there. The last part was also a small disappointment for myself. But it is a damn unique movie that you have to watch.

Not the craziest film content wise, that award goes to The Neon Demon, but definitely the craziest film storytelling wise. Park Chan-Wook's The Handmaiden is almost as good as the film that put him on the map, Oldboy, and brings such ferocity and energy that it will be one of the most unforgettable films of 2016.

Think of The Handmaiden as The Duke of Burgundy F'd Up Edition. This film is pretty twisted in the most unexpected ways from the cinematography that is very reminiscent of Possession in that it always keeps moving, eroticism that is reminiscent of Blue is the Warmest Color, performances as spellbinding as Carol, and the insanity of Park Chan- Wook as expected.

The cinematography is some of the most entrancing of the year. Shots that look like they came out of The Master. It's shots like these that make me wonder how was this even possible? It looks so damn cool!

The performances are perfect in sucking you into this world of erotica, selfishness, and trickery. Both female leads were fantastic. Min-hee Kim and Kim Tae-ri are amazing with sharing their sexual tension with the audience watching. It's films like these that are the most memorable. Making you feel how ther characters are feeling. Jung-woo Ha and Jin- woong Jo were great as these sexually and financially repressed men who do the most screwed up things to feel the pleasure they so desire. Nothing wrong with the cast at all.

Of course Park Chank-Wook hits it out of the part with directing. How else would this immaculate vision be done without him niche for detail. He always knows exactly what to do to get an emotion out of his audience and I applaud him for that.

The only negative is that during the middle briefly the pacing slows down a lot and it became really unbearable because I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen next. Thankfully it doesn't last that long and it's really minor that probably won't affect others viewings.

If you have any interest in The Handmaiden or you've just heard about it for the first time I strongly suggest checking this out as soon as it comes out. I'll definitely re watch it when it releases in theaters. Easily one of the best films of the year and one I hope to re watch soon.

Park Chan-Wook explores the power of narrative (the way you tell a story and its ramifications), creating another astounding visual spectacle full of dark humor, sexual desire, betrayal and revenge, with intense performances and a wonderful production design, editing and score.

The Handmaiden is a film that unfolds with a classic film stylist (in particular I felt like Chanwook Park was in a kind of Brian De Palma mode as far as making an erotic dramatic-thriller with a camera that luxuriates in long shots, elaborate camera movements, and cinematic grammar that emphasizes operatic intentions, though it's maybe not the first time he's done this anyway), and is LOADED with story. What appears to be the story of a handmaiden who is put in as part of a long con by a man who wants to steal this wealthy woman's money is actually a story about storytelling, about weaving a pack of lies and an entire personality and, in reality, how that can start to crack apart when it comes to seeing humanity in another person and their vulnerabilities.

There's a lot going on in this movie, and there is a lot that is... sordid and over the top in its sexuality. That's intentional, I'm sure, and Park never coddles his audience with what he's showing as far as sexuality; the two main women of the film, the handmaiden and her master/mistress or what have you, end up having an emotional connection and this leads to a sexual one. This has the most graphic lesbian sexuality on screen since Blue is the Warmest Color, but here the rawness is matched by the elegance of Park's direction, and while you get to see much of it, only some of it (but there *is* some) that is gratuitous. Otherwise, this is a story of backstabbing and betrayal, but all of it leading up to being in the larger sense about how people fit in to the circumstances they are in, how they have to not simply play but BECOME the characters they're playing - and how these images flip based on perceptions and how we see the scenes.

Here's where I may become less articulate in my criticism: the film is in three parts, and I forgot about there being 'parts' as I was so into the film during its first part. There is a major betrayal, but then the movie goes into a 'Part 2', and it turns into a different story... a VERY different kind of story, and it is one that left me confused at first, left adrift, and only Park's direction kept me afloat. As Part 2 went on I got into the movie more, though you have to be prepared for scenes from part 1 being repeated - and whether this becomes tedious will vary depending on the viewer. Nothing is ever not gorgeous to look at, and Park is inspired by paintings and art in the real world, and it's completely sumptuous (I'd be rooting for this to win all the costume/production design awards come February), but there comes a point where the filmmakers are showing the 'here's what happened this scene' moments a little too much. I won't reveal why this is done except to say that the characters take on other roles we didn't expect, and their decisions and how they hide parts of their personalities makes for fascinating viewing. Some times.

And then it gets to part 3, and the movie goes into being sordid melodrama and not much more. By this time, the filmmakers have to wrap the story up, and show what this man who has been trying to machinate everything for his own ends is met with a nasty fate. Overall there's so much about The Handmaiden to admire, from the performances by Min-hee Kim as Lady Hideko (appearing in part 1 as varieties of cold and distant and then close and warm and terrified in the other parts), Tae-ri Kim (Sookie, who has much to learn about the art of performance, I mean her character not the actress, she's great), and Jung-woo Ha as the 'Count' who has to remain in control for the whole runtime, but gives in to his passions too. And yet I also wonder if a first viewing trying to explain everything how I felt doesn't do the film justice: it moves slower and more languidly than other Park films, so it took longer to get in to, and the themes of conning and performance may be done stronger in any given Quentin Tarantino film (though here done with more taste and intense sexuality - i.e. the scene with the thimball on the tooth).

Another viewing may give more, or less. I can tell you now it's worth seeing if you love pure CINEMA, the likes of which get made by directors with a passion for the form and expressing stories of early 20th century sexual excess and emotional f***ed-up ness (it is early 20th century Korea with a major Japanese influence - in that way it'd make a solid double feature with Kim Jee-Woon's Age of Shadows). As for whether it's a great film, I'm not so sure.