Kim Ji-woon's highly anticipated 'oriental western', '
The Good, the Bad, the Weird', had its world premiere at the 61st Cannes film festival this month where it was given a Gala Screening at a packed 2400 seat theater. Following the end credits, director KIM and stars
Song Kang-ho,
Jeong Woo-seong and
Lee Byeong-Heon received a 10-minute standing ovation from the enraptured audience.
In the days following, US entertainment trade magazine Variety, offered the first review of the film in the mainstream press, beginning with a glowing intro: "East meets West meets East again, with palate-tingling results". Writer Derek Elley praised the film, comparing it to Sergio Leone's classic, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for its "striking widescreen visuals" but adding that it is a "much more intense, visceral, full-contact experience than Leone's -- and, as such, 100% Korean".
Elley highlights the film's bracing pace, impressive set-pieces, chemistry of the three star leads, wild score, and a "jaw-dropping" chase scene through the desert flatlands. The film is the second-most expensive Korean film ever produced, going over-budget to a reported US$ 17 million. It is slated for release in Korean theaters on July 17th with Elley predicting it "looks headed for through-the-roof local biz, hunky returns throughout Asia and piquant specialized B.O. in the West".
Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC)
