늑대의 유혹; Temptation of Wolves: Tear-Jerker...Maybe a little too much?

Director Kim Tae Goon's 2004 novel adaptation Temptation of Wolves (starring hotshot Jo Han Seon) is a witty jumble of different types of love and violence in modern South Korea. This movie is what I would call a pretty pretty love story.

Jung Han-kyeong is a country girl, and after her father's death, she comes to Seoul to live with her mother. However, her life in Seoul is a series of mental and physical shocks. Seeing Han-kyeong's pitiable and adorable nature, Hae-Won, the most popular guy in school, falls for her.
The leader of Sung-Kwon High is named Jung Tae-sung (Kang Dong-won), and he, too, has feelings for Han-kyeong. Despite his adorable face, Tae-sung has strong fists. Tae-sung has a secret, one that forces him to love Han-kyeong in spite of himself, and Han-kyeong, ignorant of this, tries to do her best to be gentle with both of them. Eventually, Han-kyeong and Hae-won learn of Tae-sung's secret. (summary adapted from Wikipedia)

I think that if the director meant for this to be a simple, old-fashioned Korean romance, than he has done his job. The male leads are absolute heartthrobs with a cool, gangster attitude, and Han-kyeong is innocent and charming. The slightly complex issues of romance, family-love, and even tough bromance makes this film different from other romance films. It makes the movie watcher reflect and make connections to their own lives. Wolves is fundamentally a tragedy, and there was a lot of crying. But after a while, the tears drowned me in a state of boredom...the crying is supposed to make the movie watcher feel sadder. Somehow, the way Tae Goon's arrangement of the sad scenes weren't as tear-jerking as I liked it. Also, the portrayal of the female 'protagonist' really annoyed me -- she as pure white skin, is really short, leans physically and emotionally on the two men, cries a lot, and always looks down at the ground as if ashamed -- how more sexist and extremely feminine can you make her, Tae Goon?! Of course, the males are violent, frowning, remote, and really tall. Therefore, although the film did make me emotional, I give it a just-above-average 3.8/5 stars, because it is one feeling when one is watching the film, but it is a whole other feeling when one is reflecting a while after the film ended.

Here is a critic's comments:

 It’s refreshing to see Han Kyeong resemble a normal Korean girl, one the audience can relate too. While Hae Won reflects the modern day “Prince Charming” minus the aura of coolness, stubbornness, and ignorant distinctiveness. Making girls swoon once again is Tae-song, adding more complication to the plot and the movie falls directly under the category of audience knowing the answers before the protagonist does. The Love triangle between Tae Song, Hae-won and Han Kyung would have classified it as a teenage romance flick, but the complications between the characters gives the story more depth. (http://kmovieaddictsreviews.blogspot.com/2006/10/temptation-of-wolves.html)

A generally great love story, minus the hints of sexism and partial unoriginality (but no one has a completely 'original' romance out yet. Do watch!!!

Next week, an educational, inspirational Japanese movie.

停车, Parking; An In Depth View of a Problematic Social Structure

Did I mention awesome cover...and great soundtrack music??

Parking (2008), a thought provoking movie by director Chung Mong-Hong and starred by the renowned Chang Chen, is the first movie that deserves my five out of five stars rating. It is a beautiful story that perfectly mixes simple emotions/characteristics like love, kindness, humor, and sympathy with the complicated darkness of Chinese/Taiwanese social and government structures. Very creepy, yet heartwarming.

On Mother’s Day, Chen-Mo (Chang Chen) a kind yet niave man, plans a dinner date with his wife (Kwai Lun-mei), trying to improve their near-disastrous relationship. As he buys a gorgeous cake, a car blocks his parking space. Up until midnight, Chen-Mo searches for the owner of the car, encountering a wierd events and eccentric people: an old couple who lost their only son; a one-armed barbershop owner with an interesting past; a mainland Chinese prostitute trying to escape her pimp’s cruel clutches; and a plump Hong-Kong tailor beaten by underground loan sharks. This is the kind of story where different segments of different characters' lives come together to create a big picture for Chen-Mo, one that he learns a lesson from.

I am not usually a fan of Taiwanese films, because they are too slow, too superficial, and too 'cute' for my liking, but wow this one is a mind-blower. This film gives me a whole new sense of being. Worth a watch, but not for the really light-hearted movie-goer.

Here are some reviews:

As with most Taiwanese productions, Parking is never in any great hurry to tell its story, and lets events unfurl at a leisurely pace, however first-time writer-director-cinematographer Chung Mong-Hong remains in careful control throughout. The script is darkly comic, with the audience guiltily sucked in by the escalating schadenfreude that drives the narrative forward. Those familiar with this type of narrative, essentially Orpheus with bubble tea, will realize that only the dawn can hope to bring salvation for Chen Mo, and until then he may very well be taken to hell and back and forced to face demons long buried beneath a routine of mundane complacency. Chung’s cinematography effectively simulates Chen Mo’s mounting sleep deprivation, slowly creating a soft-focused, dream-like atmosphere as events become increasingly other-worldly.  -- http://www.bcmagazine.net/

Swinging delicately between offbeat comedy, gangster thriller and arthouse melodrama, Parking is a kaleidoscopic little film that never ceases to fascinate with its inspired originality – not to mention its enchanting score, crisp editing and dazzling cinematography. -- http://www.timeout.com.hk/


Wonderful, out-of-expectation production. Best I have seen of Chang Chen yet. This Weds, get ready for a Korean romantic movie!