301, 302

This South Korean offbeat thriller won the 1995 Grand Bell award in its native country.Song-Hee lives in room 301 and Yun-hee in room 302 of the New Hope Apartments.After meeting,they realize they have opposing but eerily complementary neuroses:Song-Hee likes to cook,and Yun-hee hates food.And so begins a strange friendship that attracts scrutiny when one of them disappears."301,302" is not as disturbing as it's reputed to be.Even slightly horrifying climax is predictable and not surprising at all.The pace is extremely slow and the film becomes quickly boring.Some viewers may be disgusted by a huge numbers of close-ups of food,but I wasn't offended in the least.Still the director Cheol-su Park draws some interesting parallels between sex and food.Overall,if you are a fan of Asian horror give this one a look.6 out of 10.

Eun-jin Pang is a gourmet chef who lives in apartment 301 and Sin-Hye Hwang is an bulimic writer who lives in apartment 302. Hwang disappears and Pang is interviewed by a detective. Pang was the last person who saw Hwang alive, but she says she has no idea where her neighbor is. Flashbacks reveal a different story. This is an entertaining, lurid thriller with a couple of very good performances and some awesome looking food (and some not so awesome looking food). Cheol-su Park's direction is quite good, especially the excellent composition. He recently was struck by a car while crossing the street and passed away. 301/302 was one of the first South Korean films to be distributed in the United States.

This is a masterpiece, but if I had known the end, I would have NEVER watched it. The movie is a story about two lonely frustrated women, one intelectual and another housewife. One a habitual eater, and another slim and anorexic. And, well, instead of lesbian relationship (which someone else would put in the movie) we have... well you will see... Just a warning: DO NOT EAT NOTHING prior to watching the movie.

The woman living alone in apartment 302 is a writer who finds food repulsive and indigestible. Her new neighbor across the hall, living alone in 301, is a cook who is obsessed with food to the point where it dictates her life. Upon discovering her new neighbor's dislike for food, 301 makes it her mission to make 302 eat and enjoy her delectable meals. This leads to a very twisted relationship between the two women, as well as an exploration into the nasty experiences that influenced their current relationships with food.

This Korean film is a cinematic oddity that is definitely a unique viewing experience. It is filled with rather disgusting visuals of food preparation (vegetarians, this is a warning!). The close-ups of people gorging on various food items are bound to make anyone squeamish. The DVD I saw was full screen and the transfer appeared poor, but the cinematography is great with an excellent use of vivid colors. Also, the inventive set design deserves praise, as most of the film takes place either in 302 (very sterile, library-like apartment) or 301 (very sleek and vibrant restaurant-like apartment with a futuristic looking kitchen). The two lead actresses give terrific performances and it is perverse fun watching them torment each other.

The story moves at a slow pace but it works. There are various interesting flashbacks that are crucial to the plot, but unlike other movies with stories that are not told chronologically, this timeline is not difficult to follow. However, what actually happens during one of the flashbacks was a bit confusing due to the way that particular scene was filmed. This scene seemed vital to the story, so I think part of this movie was lost on me. One common theme in the movie is a link between sex and food that is not completely explored but still fascinating and provoking.

301,302 is an interesting and original but often confusing film that I would recommend to folks interested in Asian horror cinema beyond the current popular films. As is the case is with swimming, do not view this after or while eating!

This film is such a delight. This was the first Korean film I watched. The second one to follow was "Gojitmal" (Lies). If you've seen these two films then you would understand what I mean when I say "Korean cinema is Weird!". But ofcourse that changed after I continued watching other Korean films. But back to 301, 302: A very well written and directed film. Pay attention to the lighting and set decor as it really adds to the story. I enjoyed this film very much and it really helped me because I was trying to lose some weight around that time and after seeing this film I did not have to worry about my appetite anymore. I highly recommend seeing it. The director did another great film called "Push Push" which I also highly recommend.