Tunnel

Tunnel surprised me. I had barely glanced at the cover when we picked it up, and put it on figuring it would be good background noise for reading my book.

Well, the book didn't get read, but the movie did get watched.

I liked how quickly it leaped right into things. No real build up, no explaining things, just suddenly this person is in a horrible situation, and now you've got to watch to see how it unfolds.

There were a few humorous moments that injected some needed levity. Only one of them actually felt forced, and that was toward the beginning of the film so it was pretty easy to overlook.

Within minutes of getting into this, I found myself texting one of my friends and telling her what was happening in the movie. Then texting my partner and telling him that Tunnel was one of the better movies we'd rented in a long time.

This is a well-shot, well-acted movie. While it didn't blow me away, it did manage to get me completely wrapped up in it. Definitely worth watching!

If they have cellphone reception, they could've shared or pinned his location via GPS on Line (The Messenger they use), Google Map, or whatever convenient app they have. In a realistic situation, that is what anybody, let alone a whole team and country of concerned people, should have naturally thought of. Otherwise the movie has decent plot points and twists to keep you engaged.

In South Korea, the Kia Motors dealer Lee Jung-Soo (Jung-woo Ha) is driving home with a birthday cake to celebrate the anniversary of his daughter. While crossing a tunnel, it collapses and Lee is trapped inside. Using his cellphone, he is capable to communicate with the rescue team leader and with his wife. Now Lee must survive waiting for the rescue.

"Teo-neol", a.k.a. "The Tunnel", is a dramatic thriller about the rescue operation to save a man trapped inside a collapsed tunnel. The storyline is engaging, with good performances and melodramatic dialogs between Lee and his wife. This disaster movie shows a sharp criticism to politicians that wants to use tragedies to show up with the victims; to the press that disturbs people that is seriously working to sell "fresh" news to the audiences; and to the quality of public constructions in South Korea. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil):"O Túnel" ("The Tunnel")

A man is on his way home when the poorly constructed tunnel he is driving through collapses, leaving him trapped.

"Tunnel" comes to us from writer-director Seong-hun Kim, who is likely not very well known in the United States, though some fans of Korean cinema may have seen his previous film, "A Hard Day" (2014). The star of "Tunnel" is Jung-woo Ha, who you will most likely recognize from "The Handmaiden" (2016), which is being heavily promoted by Amazon. (Perhaps the PR folks behind "Tunnel" can build off of this?)

This is one of those films that works well because it relies on a very simple plot with a high amount of tension. We have just about the smallest stage possible (the inside of a car), though it does cut to other areas from time to time. (Would it work better if it just stayed in the car? Maybe.) Others have said the film runs a bit too long, and I have to agree. Although you can often make a "slow burn" go for two hours or more, this one may not hold the tension as well as it could. I don't know. Opinions will vary.

"Tunnel" is out now (May 2017) from WellGo, available on DVD. Why it is not being released on Blu-ray is unclear, and the DVD is very much a bare bones affair. While the movie is good enough to stand on its own, there is literally nothing on the disc that would make it an improvement over a streaming option.

I don't watch enough world cinema, let alone South Korean films, the country that gave us incredible flicks like Oldboy and Sky Blue (Wonderful Days) so when I see there's a showing at my other local cinema, I had to go and I didn't regret it.

Seong-hoon Kim, director of the highly acclaimed A Hard Day (now on my watchlist) tells us a story of a business man (Jung-woo Ha) who is on his way home to wife and daughter and unfortunately becomes trapped in a near fatal accident when a tunnel collapses on him and his car. We see his blight as he struggles to survive and how he comes to terms with the reality of what's happening.

There's a superb balance between him and the outside world who is attempting to rescue him, witnessing empathy, sympathy and later tragedy but also the lack of, from the media and politicians causing conflict about what's the right thing to do.

It's touching, when seeing the lengths people will go to in offering help in a time of crisis, like the radio station for example, playing him messages of support each day. This show of humanity reminded me of the epic TV movie of the late eighties, Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure and the more recent World Trade Centre, only fundamental difference, this not being a true story.

Sometimes I felt like being a passerby, watching the train wreck happen right before you, seeing things going from bad to worse without being able to lift a finger to do anything. But on the flip side it's purposefully comical to display another side of what it is to be human.

There's incredible performances for the three key characters, especially Cloud Atlas star Doona Bae who plays his grieving wife having to deal with the press whilst trying to do as much as she possibly can to aid the rescue. And Dal-su Oh is superb as the chief, who's in charge of the operation who has this moral obligation to save him.

The film is loaded with tough decisions and moral issues questioning you, what would you do if you were either of the three characters. It did drag, but only ever so slightly for the 126min running time. Has got an amazing score from Young-Jin Mok and the set pieces are on point with some amazing camera work.

I wouldn't recommend this for viewers with fear of tunnels or claustrophobia but a great drama with some amazing performances, a must-see for world cinema drama fans.

Running Time: 7 The Cast: 8 Performance: 9 Direction: 8 Story: 7 Script: 8 Creativity: 8 Soundtrack: 8 Job Description: 8 The Extra Bonus Points: 0

71% 7/10