*
Bin-jip, or Three Iron, from director Ki-duk Kim, delivered a surprising neural experience with lengthy periods of silence and fluid examinations of internal space. The story follows a young man who breaks into the homes of strangers in order to feel life from their perspective. Along the way he picks up a battered wife who appreciates the allure of the peculiar nefarious practice. She speaks almost as little as he does.
The couple wind up in police custody after staying at the home of a deceased older man. Even so, while the mute burglar goes through a period of confinement the mood of the film only sinks briefly. Shortly after his release he haunts the residences where he previously trespassed before returning to the home of the discontented wife and her loathsome husband.
Ki-duk Kim began to develop the theme of secrets outside the 180° range of human vision and the impossible hidden relationship between the woman and the burglar as the movie ran out of time. Perhaps Kim judged that the improbabilities of the plot grew too cumbersome, but the suddenness with which the movie ended felt like an admission of defeat by the director. The story cried out to be made more plausible and wrapped up tidily. Instead it ended with what seemed like an obvious appeal to admirers of dreamy romance.
This movie would be great for a dreary, rainy day when the viewer has nothing else to do. The fact that it is subtitled makes it cumbersome for a date or for watching with a group. However, it was quite a pleasant diversion.
*
The L.S.U. Tiger football team: It really doesn't get much better than this season. For superstitious reasons nothing more will be said here, except Geaux Tigers!
*
The Housemaid: An excellent flick about the trials and tribulations of a live-in servant. Husband does the nanny. Wife's mother tries to kill the maid. Wife poisons the lady's unborn baby. The rich bitches destroy her life. The wealthy husband shrugs and goes on with his. Nanny hangs herself and burns to death simultaneously. An extremely captivating reel.
*
The Twilight Samurai completely destroyed any notion that it might be part of the stereotypical Samurai slice-and-dice genre. Yôji Yamada created a classic with this work. The portrayal of a low level Samurai working for his lord in the pre-Meiji years came across as brilliantly realistic. The continuity of the tale glowed with a vivid, transcendent normalcy, and thttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhe camera work almost makes the viewer feel like a present observer.
It's difficult to understand why this movie is not more heralded by fans of historical fiction and Asian culture. Perhaps it's because of such travesties as the :
A 19th-century samurai tries to protect a battered wife.That description could not be any farther from the truth. This movie is worth owning, and that is not something one will read here very often.
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