Hansel et Gretel

Maybe I've been ignoring Korean films for too long because I've seen some good things coming from those regions lately. From the first time I laid eyes on the promotional artwork this films sparked some interest, but I never bothered to pursue that interest. Luckily I finally did get around to seeing the film as this is right up my alley.

Hansel and Gretel is many things and is being marketed as many more. Sadly some people try to tag this film to the Asian horror wave, yet the film is pretty different in tone and execution. Some similar elements to Korean(/Asian) horror films are definitely present but in the end the film presents itself more like a darker fantasy.

Comparing this film to others is not an easy thing. It reminded me of quite a few other films but never as a whole. The setup is somewhat similar to Calvaire, the styling of the film has more than a little of Survive Style 5+ and the atmosphere could've been borrowed from a Korean Burton. But none of those references seem sufficient to describe Hansel and Gretel. In the end it draws its unique flavor from mixing all these influences and making them its own.

The film starts off like many Western films do. A guy in a car in a forest on a mountain road. Car crash anyone? But when Eun-Soo wakes up he sees a girl dressed up like Little Red Ridinghood. When he reaches her house he is confronted by a family of fairytale people, but looking and acting a little off. From those first scenes there's already a pretty weird atmosphere present.

The styling of the house and its inhabitants its absolutely lush, with plenty of attention to detail. Colors are flying off the screen and even though the frame is filled with toys and other colorful objects, the house is meticulously clean. It's these kind of things that help to establish the uneasy atmosphere from the start of the film.

As the story progresses the tone becomes gradually darker, as does the styling. The candy-colors never really fade but are often overshadowed by darker tones. It takes a while to get a good grip on the story as more and more elements are introduced to the film and certainly not all of them fit well together from the start, but about halfway through you should have a good idea of what the hell is going on.

Visually this is a very consistent film, with pretty awesome camera work and a great sense of color. Not unusual for Korean films but surprisingly the editing is not so intervening as to kill the atmosphere. There is plenty of time to admire all the visual sweetness, which has been known to be otherwise in Korean cinema.

The soundtrack too is effective and to the point. No high drama bombast to kill the atmosphere but good film music that aids the feel of the film. It's good to see that for a change the atmosphere of the film is kept consistent and is given room to develop itself. Something the film gratefully makes use of to crawl under your skin.

While the revealing of the mystery is nothing too special and the film knows its share of typical Korean taboo-breaking weirdness, it's that very mysterious, dark and fantasy-like atmosphere that gives the film enough momentum to easily swing past these little imperfections. In the end, Hansel and Gretel is a rather special experience that leaves a solid mark in the world of film.

Rather than call it a horror film, it's a dark fantasy mixed with drama and a touch of horror elements. The film is well acted, looks extremely lush and flies by in no time. And while many parts seem influenced by other films, the mix is completely unique and fresh. A very nice film and interesting take on fairy tale antics. 4.0*/5.0*

My title doesn't quite trip off the tongue, but one thing about fairy tales is that they can be set and adapted to anywhere in the world, the characters being wholly universal.

Premiered on Film 4 tonight, as part of a 'Fright-Fest' double bill, this eerie movie starts out like all Hollywood 'horror' flicks - you know, dark slippery road at night, middle of an impenetrable forest, driver uses his mobile - almost enough to put folk like me off, but maybe clever as it entices the new cinema-going market as they feel smugly content with what they're watching - until:

Yes - a fairytale house in a clearing, with cute kids and cuter parents and lovely toys and dreamy food...again, drawing us in but generating a sense of unrest and unease, as we know this is labelled as a 'horror' movie and ultimately, things have to get sinister and bad at some point. These they indeed do, but it takes time, maybe too long but, for once, there's a real story that's far more than some lazy adaptation. I'm not really au fait with the original Grimm story, but this extends and takes it to another dimension, without the sense of feeling that it's gone too far. It is ultimately the story that generates the most chills - how often can you say that, these days?

The art direction is the trump card here, along with the acting of the three main children. The associated cinematography and music assist greatly, bringing it all up to a standard that's amongst the best from modern Korea. There is quite a lot of violence, but only where the story requires it and some shocks to keep the blood pumping. It probably won't provide enough instantly gratifying gore and gruesome details for Friday night party types to Twitter about but for those wanting a more meaty fare, this has a lot going on.

If you think you know what this is going to be like, you actually might be wrong. Especially if you think this is a true adaptation of the famous child story. It's not, it's completely different. This Korean movie might seem like a story that could be told to people and it's shooting style is amazing, but it moves very slow.

The colorful movie has quite a few twists, while taking it's sweet time. We have great actors here, who play in this drama (well it's a bit of Horror too, but don't expect this to be a real Horror movie, you will be disappointed by that expectation) and a nice story. The main thing still remains the style it's shot, so Kudos to the Production design and the camera man, for making this world so vividly beautiful.

I thought I'd foam in the mouth with yet another demonic kid horror movie, given the countless of such genre movies out there which set out to make innocent looking kids harbour plenty of ill intention behind them. But I thought the original Hansel and Gretel fairy tale was quite dark too, especially with the ending. You know, the kids who come to know of this gingerbread house where everything and anything can be eaten to fill their empty stomachs, only to culminate in their stuffing of the owner into a large stove so that they can take possession of the property to live (and eat) happily ever after.

OK, so if you believe my synopsis of the fairy tale, then you, like me, probably saw what many others don't. Anyway this Korean movie doesn't come close, only remotely in a certain scene, and the borrowing of the English title. The gingerbread house got replaced with a nice looking and inedible cottage in the middle of lush forest, though the amount of artificially coloured food still remains the same. Instead of two kids, we get three, who seem happy on the outside, but inside harbours some deep, dark, and unseen secrets. Until of course the movie decides to explain it all, as expected, in the last 30 minutes to make everything sensible.

While the poster might suggest horror, it's more of a thriller with little surprises. We all know that there's always some hideous back story that made the characters who they are currently, and almost always involve some bad episodes in life thus far. This time, it involves adults, and these children begin to develop suspicion of all adults who come into their lives. Pity Eun-Soo (Cheon Jeong-myeong), who got involved in a car accident, and got led by one of the children to live with them in their house. But the family in the Happy Children's Home, don't seem all the bit normal, and soon he discovers that he too seemed trapped within this surreal world with zero communications with the outside world. Heck, even the television's unplugged yet the only programme available is some really sadistic cartoon involving a rabbit and a bear.

The story might at first seem very ordinary though bleak, but grew from strength to strength as it went on, nevermind weak attempts at trying to elicit some cheap scares. I thought its basis of a story was strong, even though it did have a very screwed up version of the fairy tale most of us probably already know about. The set designs and art direction were all beautiful to look at, and most times you'll shift your focus to admiring the sets when events start to get repetitive, with Eun-Soo's attempts to get out of the house and the enchanted forest in more than 4 attempts, of course thwarted each time. Supporting characters like the adults who come and go, at first might make you scratch your head, but let that be the least of your worries, because once Santa Claus came visiting, you'll have to suspend your disbelief, otherwise this movie wouldn't work.

Hansel and Gretel's a pretty decent thriller, a mix of groundhog-day-ness with the usual trappings of cheap horror movies, boosted though by its rich production values. Themes of wanting to belong and non-reciprocated friendship, together with major trust issues, lift its plain storyline, and all round fine acting by the kids who will at first scare you, and then lead you to want to give them all a hug.

Take one dark little fairytale and blend it in with some Asian horror sensibilities, and you get this loosely based modern take on "Hansel & Gretel". Truth is that the "Hansel & Gretel" theme is actually just a background for the film, and not the whole story.

The basic storyline centres around a man who following a car crash finds himself lost in the forest. Taken by a friendly young girl to her family's home, he finds the family is living in a fantasy like house full of toys and nursery school imagery (replacing the gingerbread make-up from the original tale). Obviously, all isn't as it seems and escape is futile as the leading man finds that all roads out of the house through the forest seem to lead right back to it. The protagonists are the three children, controlling the house and toying with those who enter it, becoming the bane for our lead man as he tries his best to escape their "ideal" world.

What is it all about? Well, it's no fairy tale, and is more a psychological horror tale. However it's very dark and even most adults will feel uncomfortable throughout much of it. That isn't to take away from the film, as its meant to play with our preconceptions of the fairytale world. The story develops from fairytale to horror and then mixes in some serious social commentary. The story is captured with some incredible set pieces and settings, whilst the actors all seem to fully suit their roles in this twisted little tale. Original and intriguing, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel at points watching this early in the film, it is worth watching to the end.

Not all will love the ride on this merry go round, but those who give it a chance to the denouement will find it intriguing and satisfying.