Movies, Mom & Me

• 
  Commentary:  I've seen this movie twice, was enthralled both times, even had it on my list of movies to consider when the next B&N Criterion sale comes up, which is in a month and a half. However, I just stumbled across a very enlightening article about this movie (loads of material have been written about it) and decided, I'd like to see it now, if I can find a good price on the Criterion edition. Long story shortened, I did. It's on its way here, as I type, and I'll be watching it Wednesday, probably in the evening.
    To me (who loves Bong Joon-ho's work and already owns some of his movies) this movie is a stunningly disturbing portrayal of The Way Things Are and contains what probably seems like an absurd but likely accurate portrayal of how one family responds to, well, life lived out of the basement, which is, essentially, where 99% of us live, even is we think of ourselves as "suburban" or "comfortable".
    Anyway, more later, once I've watched it. Again. And, possibly, yet again the same evening.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Song Kang-ho	Kim Ki-taek	Lee Sun-kyun	Park Dong-ik	Cho Yeo-jeong	Choi Yeon-gyo	Choi Woo-shik	Kim Ki-woo
  Park So-dam	Kim Ki-jung	Jang Hye-jin	Chung-sook	Lee Jung-eun	Gook Moon-gwang	Park Myung-hoon	Oh Geun-sae
  Jung Hyeon-jun	Park Da-song	Jung Ji-so	Park Da-hye	Park Keun-rok	Yun	Park Seo-joon	Min-hyuk

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2019
    Directed by Bong Joon-ho.

Labels: black-comedy, bong-joon-ho, Criterion6, thriller4

# posted by gail @ 14:34    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Ahn Seo-hyun	Miha	Tilda Swinton	Lucy & Nancy Mirando	Paul Dano	Jay	Jake Gyllenhaal	Johnny Wilcox
  Byun Hee-bong	Hee Bong	Steven Yeun	K	Giancarlo Esposito	Frank Dawson	Lily Collins	Red

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2017
    Directed by Bong Joon-ho.

Labels: §4, bong-joon-ho, giancarlo-esposito, jake-gyllenhaal

# posted by gail @ 02:57    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I haven't watched this movie, yet, but I will be watching it tonight and will report back later. I am a fan of South Korean cinema, in general, and Bong Joon-ho's work, in particular, so I'm really looking forward to watching this movie.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Kim Hye-ja	Mother	Won Bin	Yoon Do-joon	Jin Goo	Jin-tae	Yoon Je-moon	Je-moon
  Jeon Mi-seon	Mi-seon	Song Sae-byeok	A Detective	Lee Young-suk	Junk Collector	Moon Hee-ra	Moon Ah-jung

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2009
    Directed by Bong Joon-ho.

Labels: §, bong-joon-ho, dramaE, mother-son-dynamics1, neo-noirC, revenge1

# posted by gail @ 03:33    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  I just received this movie today so I haven't yet watched it, but I'll be doing that tonight. At any rate, I had to mention, there are no less than three reviews written about this movie at RogerEbert.com. No, Ebert didn't come back from the dead to review the movie, but two regular reviewers and one non-regular reviewer weighed in on the movie. The first review that came up at the site is linked to the title of this post. Here's the second and here's the third. The second, I think, is going to be the most informative, although I'll let you know once I've read it and watched the movie (I plan to do the movie watching first).
    Frankly, I have a troubled relationship with apocalyptic (and post-apocalyptic, I mean, let's face it, if a movie is about an apocalypse, is stands to reason it's also about the post apocalyptic period, although, I can think of one exception to that rule: The Last Wave; and, come to think of it, Dr. Strangelove doesn't cover the post apocalyptic period, either) movies. There are a few that I love and I think I own most of those. The ones I love are subtle and surprising, like The Last Wave and The Rapture. I'm not sure, from what I've read so far about this movie (a few blurbs, including the blurb on the cover of my copy), that this will be one of my favorites. It seems like it's not about apocalypsis, but uses an apocalypse as an excuse for a fight between the haves and the have nots. Thinking about apocalyptic events put me into an apocalyptic mindset and I ordered two other apocalyptic movies along with this one, both of which I'd seen years ago: Threads and On the Beach, both of which qualify for the "subtle and surprising" category. I've rewatched Threads and will be producing a write-up soon. I have yet to rewatch On the Beach. And, of course, I haven't watched this movie yet, although I notice in the Wikipedia article about it, linked in the next paragraph, that it got unusually good reviews, not all around, there were some critics who found the film less than good, but mostly the reviews were well above average.
    Can't wait to see how it hits me. Stay tuned.
  Update 5/18/2022  I watched this movie a couple or three months ago. The end is excellent, true Bong Joon-ho: One assumed lone survivor, leaving the wrecked train into a snow covered world with a polar bear snuffling around. I don't know why, but this scene captured my imagination. The rest of the film? Eh. A lot of have/have-not fighting. Tilda Swinton going crazy with her role and having what looks to be a fun time. Chris Evans as a totally forgettable protagonist. Lots of interesting bit parts by interesting bit players.
    This movie was a hit with the critics, but, I don't know, I think there are lots more credible and interesting apocalyptic films out there. Maybe I'm not in touch with the apocalyptic zeitgeist. And, the one question I had that was never concretely answered, why a train? I mean, why an apocalyptic train?
    Then, there's Ed Harris playing another version of Christof and John Hurt playing another version of, hmmm, oh, I don't know, name your poison. [This comment, by the way, is not to belittle his work. John Hurt was an astonishing actor with a wiiiide range. It is actors of his calibre that make me ever grateful I exist in a time when performances are recorded and readily available. He did, however, get a little typecast in his later years.]
    But, I'll keep it, especially since it is an example of apocalyptic movie-thought in the second decade of the 21st century, a century which appears to finally promise the long awaited "apocalypse". I mean, if humanity doesn't deliver it, the environment will.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Chris Evans	Curtis Everett	Song Kang-ho	Namgoong Minsoo	Ed Harris	Wilford	John Hurt	Gillam
  Tilda Swinton	Minister Mason	Jamie Bell	Edgar	Octavia Spencer	Tanya	Ewen Bremner	Andrew
  Go Ah-sung	Yona	Alison Pill	Teacher	Vlad Ivanov	Franco the Elder	Luke Pasqualino	Grey

  
    Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
    Release Date: 2013
    Directed by Bong Joon-ho.

Labels: anti-fascist, apocalyptic, bong-joon-ho, john-hurt

# posted by gail @ 17:09    0 comments    email......this post

• 
  Commentary:  Under construction.
    

  Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role	Actor	Role
  Song Kang-ho	Park Doo-man	Kim Sang-kyung	Seo Tae-yoon	Kim Roi-ha	Cho Yong-koo	Song Jae-ho	Sgt. Shin Dong-chul
  Byun Hee-bong	Sgt. Koo Hee-bong	Go Seo-hee	Ofc. Kwon Kwi-ok	Ryu Tae-Ho	Jo Byeong-Sun	Park No-shik	Baek Kwang-ho
  Park Hae-il	Park Hyeon-gyu	Jeon Mi-seon	Kwok Seol-yung	Seo Young-hwa	Eon Deok-nyeo	Woo Go-na	Kim So-hyeon

  
    Here is the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
    Release Date: 2003
    Directed by Bong Joon-ho.

Labels: §2, bong-joon-ho, Criterion2, detective1, dramaD, mystery2, neo-noirC

# posted by gail @ 16:34    0 comments    email......this post