La famille tranquille

I can't account for the lackluster ratings for this on IMDB (though its primary domestic distribution right now is bootleg video, which might account for something.) I saw it at the movies, and it rates as one of the great South Korean black comedies. A bit like Hitchcock, this tells the story of a family that takes over an inn deep, deep in the country - only realizing when they get there it was a big mistake. For one thing, they're miles from any human being. Things take a turn for the macabre when their visitors and guests end up dying under ambiguous circumstances, and the family has to find some way of disposing of the bodies before the cops roll in. Of course, they eventually do come to investigate, making the tale even more twisted than it was before.

Don't let any prejudices against South Korean cinema keep you away; at its best, their film output is second to none, and attracts international favor from film festivals and critics. This film is one of the unequivocal winners.

When a family reluctantly becomes proprietors of an inn deep in the woods, it seems doubtful anyone could find their way there. It doesn't help that the family ends up killing nearly all of their guests -- usually under cover of night (and the blackest possible humor). Imagine Hitchcock's "The Trouble with Harry" steered by a gruesomely dysfunctional family, and you have some idea of what this deadpan South Korean film offers. Still more evidence of that country's continuing film renaissance, and easily up to the standard of the best American films.

A South Korean family (dad, mom, uncle, son, and two teen daughters) moves to the woods to open up a lodge in a hiking area. They find themselves restless, anxiously awaiting their first customer. When they finally get one, he is later found dead in his room. The family covers it up to avoid bad publicity. Soon the business finally starts booming--and so does the body count! This story probably sounds familiar to fans of Asian horror. That's because Takashi Miike remade this into "Happiness of the Katakuris," with song and dance sequences, zombies and claymation. "The Quiet Family" contains none of these elements, but it is almost as delightful with its wicked sense of humor. Each family member (my favorite being Mom) has their own amusing quirks, and I found myself chuckling out loud for the first half hour. Even when the story delves into morbid territory, the silly characters still manage to provide the laughs. Watching a "normal" family react to very abnormal situations proves to be very funny. The pace is excellent, though a few of the subplots almost push the story into a ridiculous place.

Ji-woon Kim is also the director of the instant classic "A Tale of Two Sisters." As with that film, the set design, use of rich colors, and innovative camera-work are spectacular and largely responsible for the eerie atmosphere.

"The Quiet Family" borders on absurd, but it never fails to entertain. Despite its over-the-top comedy and ridiculous scenarios, it has a serious overall tone that sets it apart from most other horror/comedies.

My Rating: 7/10.

A very amusing and very black comedy, that plays on the failings of different family members, all trying to run a lodge in the middle of nowhere. A good amount of suspense is combined with the laughs, the film mixing a comedy of errors with slapstick and (many) bloody corpses. Wicked fun definitely not for the whole family.

This film manages to strike a very tricky balance between humor and suspense. It's funny and tense all at the same time, from start to finish.

It's visually appealing, with interesting characters, and high production values. The acting is uniformly superb, and the plot manages to incorporate good, old fashioned suspense traditions and tropes while remaining fresh and interesting.

If you get a chance to see this, do.