Movies
So far, I've mostly ignored Sang-soo Hong's work, but he is quite a big name and there aren't that many in the South Korean arthouse scene, so I should get a bit more acquainted with his work. In Water is a more recent (and short) film of his, so it seemed like a good place to continue my journey. The blurry/out-of-focus cinematography is interesting, and the characters and the setting are also pleasant, but other than it's a little too pedestrian for my taste. It didn't bore or annoy me, but I never felt very exhilarated either. It's a perfectly decent drama, with some interesting touches, but nothing too memorable.Read all
My first Sang-soo Hong. I wasn't too sure what to expect, though his arthouse/cinephile status predicted a more serious film. I'm also not certain how well The Woman Who Ran represents Hong's usual style, though looking at this film and the praise it received, I'm going to assume it's well in line with his other work. I can't say I ended up really caring for any of the characters, nor for their little troubles. The cinematography was depressing (those random zooms in particular) and I can't even remember if there was an actual soundtrack. The performances are decent, and the film does have a few moments that stand out, but hardly enough to call it a good film. Read all
One of Sang-soo Hong's most respected films, but I still can't quite get on board with his style of cinema. There are meta elements that are supposed to make the narrative a bit more interesting and give the film some extra weight, but I got distracted by the bland presentation and some iffy performances. Not everything is bad though. Some of the quieter scenes are nice and the slow pace works well for most of the runtime. The runtime is short and there are no real lulls, but the drama and characters never gripped me, nor was I too interested in the little twist. Not terrible, but not very memorable either.Read all