Lim Yeong-seong (임영성)

[MOVIE REVIEW] 'The Houseguest' overstays its welcome

2007/08/02 | Source | Permalink |

Chu Yo-sup (1902-1972) wrote the memorable short story "Saranbang sonmin-gwa eomeoni (The Guest in My Mom's House)". Published in 1935, the creative tale portrays the subtle emotional tension between a widow and a house guest from the perspective of a six-year-old girl. Emotions are intentionally suppressed, reflecting the strict social norms placed on Koreans at the time.

"Sarangbang seonsuwa eomeoni" ("The Houseguest and My Mother"), directed by Lim Yeong-seong, borrows the title from the famous short story, but does not follow the original plot. In contrast to Chu's refined storytelling, "The Houseguest and My Mother" pursues a shamelessly trite Korean filmmaking format: Different cinematic elements are crammed onto the big screen not because they are essential but because the director wants to rescue a deplorable script.

In the film, Deok-gun (Jeong Joon-ho) is 100 million won in debt to gangsters thanks to his irresponsible father who is now behind bars. Desperate to pay bac...| More

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Korean films' diverse genres pursue summer season niche

2007/07/23 | Source | Permalink |

With the crucial summer season in full swing, Korean filmmakers are getting ready to mount counterattacks against Hollywood blockbusters in August. This time around, what is noticeable is Korean films' strategic discretion in selecting and diversifying genres.

In recent years, a handful of the so-called Korean blockbusters clashed with American counterparts, only to end up with not-so-spectacular results. "The Host", for instance, garnered a rare success at box office, while the majority of hit wannabes withered helplessly.

To find some niche ground and increase the odds for survival, major films releasing in August zoom in on selective genres such as sex, monster and horror. Of course, these genres are hardly groundbreaking, but considering the uniformity in genres of Korean films during the past summer seasons, the latest penchant for diverse genres is a welcome development.

"Temptation of Eve", for example, is not aiming to hit it big at box office. This four-piece ("Tempta...| More

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