A Werewolf Boy
Opening the festival is the crowd-pleasing, supernatural romance-drama A Werewolf Boy. This one's a sweet, charming and wholly accessible film with a tinge of darkness lurking beneath.
A Twilight-esque take on unconventional love with far more heart and maturity.
When Su-ni (Park Bo-young) moves to her family’s farmhouse, she discovers a feral boy (Song Joong-ki) living on the property. Initially cautious, she finds herself strangely drawn to the him, and attemps to tame his wild nature. Just as the two begin to form a strong bond, their relationship is challenged when the boy is discovered by townsfolk.
Berlin File
The latest from crazed action auteur Ryu Seung-wan is a refreshing, globetrotting espionage thriller in the vein of the Bourne franchise.
When an illegal arms deal between a North Korean spy named Pyo (Ha Jung-woo), a Russian broker, and a Middle Eastern terrorist goes wrong, a desperate manhunt in Berlin begins. As Pyo searches for those that set him up, South Korean intelligence agent Jung (Han Suk-kyu) tries to track him down in an attempt to reveal his true identity.
Check out Pierce Conran's in-depth review of the film here.
9 Muses Of Star Empire
K-pop has been dominating Korea for many years and has recently started infecting the ear-drums of the international community as well. From Psy's Gangnam Style to Wonder Girls, this music is as commercial and meticulously planned as it gets.
A new group of nine model idols, the Nine Muses, has just formed. This documentary follows their formation and its ensuing turmoil throughout a year. It is a fascinating look at a world that shines bright, but is ultimately hollow and facile. Witness the intense stress, pressure and breakdowns amidst the desperate quest for stardom.
Fists Of Legend
After the engaging and powerful Hong Kong MMA drama Unbeatable, and even Hollywood's excellent entries of The Warrior and The Fighter, it's now South Korea's turn with Fists Of Legend.
Deok-kyu who has had his Olympic dreams derailed, currently runs a struggling noodle shop. Jae-seok is still seeking out his dreams of becoming a somebody. While Sang-hoon is a thug turned corporate executive. These three middle-aged old friends and rivals are given the invitation to participate in a mixed martial arts TV program. Dubbed ‘the greatest fight show on Earth’, it pits regular men who were once renowned as street fighters, to compete with professional MMA fighters.
Fist of Legend is guaranteed to satiate the action crowd with awesome fight scenes and solid drama.
Pieta
Surprisingly Kim Ki-duk's Pieta was not part of the Melbourne International Film Festival this year. Lucky for you, KOFFIA has provided Melbourne with an opportunity to see this disturbing masterwork on the big screen!
Pieta took Venice by storm and Kim's latest film Moebius seems set to do it again. This is the auteur's return to twisted form.
Hired by moneylenders, Kang-do leads a merciless life with no sympathy for his victims. He tortures, maims and does whatever is necessary to those that have not paid their debts. His life soon changes when a woman claiming to be his mother appears at his doorstep.
Check out Todd Brown's review here. He states that the film has a 'savage grace' and I am definitely inclined to agree, this is a must-watch.
Masquerade
Masquerade is a delightful spin on the 'wrong man' theme. A bizarre case of mistaken identity and deception loosely based on a true story, and a period piece to boot.
King Gwang-hae begins to suspect someone within the royal court is conspiring to assassinate him. An illiterate and drunken nobleman Hasun, who looks remarkably like the King, is recruited to double for him and sit on the throne. When the King is suddenly poisoned, Ha-sun must stand in for the monarch and maintain order. In a role well beyond his capabilities, Ha-sun begins to ponder if the court’s decision are for the good of the people.
The film is almost pitch-perfect. It has comedy, drama and action in the right moments and is carried on the strength of Ha-sun's performance as a beggar-king.
The Tower
The Tower is a big budget Korean blockbuster, reminiscent of the classic The Towering Inferno. However, it's strengthened by a contemporary setting and the catastrophic disaster effects that it brings to vivid life on the big screen.
Lee Dae-ho is a single father and manager of the newly opened luxurious Tower Sky, a 100-story twin-tower landmark in central Seoul. As a glamorous “White Christmas” party for VIPs and tenants gets under way, a fire erupts and soon engulfs the whole building, trapping everyone inside. A series of devastating events take place in this epic disaster film from veteran director Kim Ji-hoon.
Check out Pierce Conran's review of the film here.
Nameless Gangster: Rules Of The Time
There is no such thing as a Korean film festival without a gangster film. Nameless Gangster premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival last year, then disappeared. I missed it there, but fortunately we have another chance to see this violent period fable.
Set between 80’s and 90’s Busan, a time of such rampant corruption that the Korean government declared war on organised crime, a crooked customs officer and a local gangster decide to form a mutually beneficial alliance in order to take over the underworld. This is another stellar entry in the Korean crime genre. Witness a tale across the decades and discover the rules of the time, as well as an acting tour-de-force by Choi Min-sik.
Check out Ben Umstead's review of the film here.
Pluto
An exciting entry into the new Korean wave of dark youth themed cinema, Pluto is sure to raise intense discussion. I am personally most excited to catch this one.
Joon (Lee Da-wit) is a new transfer at a well-regarded high school. When he discovers a secretive study group consisting exclusively of the school’s top achieving students, he is determined to join them. When a student is killed, and Joon becomes the prime suspect, we see him set on a destructive path you won’t soon forget. Pluto is a riveting thriller that presents an extreme look at the lengths people will go to be at the top of the class.
Check out Pierce Conran's extremely positive review of the film here.
The Thieves
I will not hold back on this one. Quite simply, The Thieves is one of the best films I have ever seen and an unrelentingly entertaining, smart, sexy and dramatic take on a sublimely structured heist. You need to see this movie. It is closing night for the festival, and will certainly leave you with a lasting impression of the power of Korean cinema.
10 thieves. 10 agendas. 1 goal: Steal the “Tears of the Sun” diamond, worth a cool $20 million dollars. The catch – the diamond is in the possession of ruthless criminal Wei Yong, kept under heavy guard in a Macau casino. Now Macao Park, Popie, Pepsee and co must put their complex pasts behind them to join forces alongside a rival crew from Hong Kong to pull off the biggest heist in history. Can this rag-tag team of liars and leeches work together, or will greed bring them down? An all-star cast feature in this heist blockbuster, bringing in 13 million entries, The Thieves is the 2nd highest grossing Korean film of all-time!
Check out Pierce Conran's review of the film here.