directed by:
Steven Whatmough written by: Steven Whatmough genre: Comedy |
To write that "The Korean From Seoul" is a different kind of experience would be a massive understatement, and honestly? I'm not even sure what I actually think of the movie. The plot involves an export company that seemingly prides itself on its diversity and a new hire as head of security. Said new hire, Nam-Hong, is coming to Chandlerdale Exports with a big bottle of booze and questionable experience. His boss and company owner William Knoll seems just as shifty, and his love for drink appears on par with Nam-Hong's. As the new security chief settles into his new office - of sorts - things really begin to get weird. As if they weren't weird already.
The gist of the story involves drinking, some fighting, and cereal. That's right, reader, cereal. It took me about a half-hour to start to understand what I was seeing, but even then, "The Korean From Seoul" remains pretty confusing. Confusing to the point you just stop thinking about what's happening overall and start focusing on the film scene to scene. I did laugh more than a few times; my favorite scene involves a thwarted car thief - and I actually backtracked and watched it again. Without question, writer, director Steven Whatmough has put together a very different movie, but only a particular type of person will enjoy it in its entirety. So, what did I like about this film? The strange, eerie vibe present throughout the flick - and the comedy. "The Korean From Seoul" is different, it's crazy, and it can be a fun ride. And yet certain choices, like the constant use of extreme close-ups, was either a huge mistake or a stroke of genius. I got an old kung fu movie vibe from all the zooming in and awkward edits. But it also made the first half-hour really hard to get into. I also can't help but wonder if the strange editing, mixed with a crazy weird score, helped create that eerie atmosphere I ended up enjoying. Keeping things crazy during post-production could have been what kept this film feeling skewed, complimenting the actual content. It's tough to say for sure, but the one thing I do know is that this film has atmosphere in spades.
This flick has a bit of everything from crazy drinking on the job to train fights and bottle-throwing. Hell, it even does animation! I do not doubt that some fun was had when making this movie, and if you know what you're getting into before you start watching, you'll be fine. I've hinted that the second half of the movie is better than the confusing beginning - so if you're curious, at least give it that much. I'm not saying you still won't be scratching your head from time to time, but at least you'll have a smile on your face. A good chuckle and 100 percent three stars. |
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