Samjin Company English Class (2020) [Film Review]

Samjin Company English Class; or, Girl Power!
     Do you know why office workers can’t be detectives? We have neither time nor authority.
I think I would not have discovered this film if it had not been for a recommendation from my wonderful friend from MDL, Yuanwei. Samjin Company English Class is a 2020 comedy drama directed by Lee Jong Pil and Lee Jung Beom. It is yet another motion picture (see Office Royale: Hell’s Garden and Shomuni franchise) focusing on the challenging plight of hardworking office ladies.

Release Info

Directed by: Lee Jong Pil, Lee Jung Beom Starring: Go Ah Sung, Esom, Park Hye Soo

Language: Korean Original Title: 삼진그룹 영어토익반 Runtime: 110 min

Synopsis
South Korea, 1995. This is a time of major economic growth for the country. Companies are expanding to international markets and Windows has become a leading operating system across the globe. We follow three office ladies: Lee Ja Young (Go Ah Sung), Jeong Yoo Na (Esom), and Sim Bo Ram (Park Hye Soo) who are forced to do petty tasks at Samjin Corporation. Nevertheless, the three friends are ambitious and resourceful. They want to climb up the career ladder. As a result, they sign up to TOEIC-level English class. One day, Lee Ja Young accidentally discovers that there is a spill of a toxic substance known as Phenol from the Samjin factory. The office ladies begin their private investigation in the course of which they uncover a corporate conspiracy.

English is easy
I have to say that Samjin Company English Class feels very much like a spiritual companion piece to Shomuni (1998). The narrative structure is the same: OLs with vibrant personalities are basically the underdogs, and they oppose their white-collar superiors; the time setting fits perfectly: the 1990s; and even their company uniforms look very similar. Needless to say, these are the basic ingredients which make this movie entertaining, and even better than the reboot season of Shomuni from 2013.

I very much appreciated that the main heroines are not hateful or toxic towards each other, but from beginning to the end, they had each other’s back and were really engaged in doing their own investigation/corporate espionage. What is more, each character utilised her personal skill to get the job done. At first, I thought that the English class with this introverted, yet a bit impatient teacher (totally me, by the way) was just a comic-relief gimmick, but it actually served a purpose in the context of the film! In consequence, I very much value the message coming from this movie. That is: If you want to achieve something, you need to better yourself and never give up.

The ending was, in general, satisfying but a bit convoluted. In order to understand what is going on, you need to have a good idea of how big corporations actually work. Initially, I thought that there would be a hostile takeover, but actually, the baddies lowered the value of a company and tried to merge it with another one. I hope I understood this correctly. I sucked at a Business English course at my university. In addition, I don’t think that what I just wrote is a spoiler because there are many plot twists in the finale.

Speaking about performances, I love all the main actresses so much! Esom in particular won me over with her elegant and confident demeanour. Go Ah Sung is adorable as the office lady who wants to make a difference. Sim Bo Ram is extremely funny as a reserved maths genius who constantly looks for a fish called Rambo(!). Kim Jong Soo has a great supporting part as Sim Bo Ram’s mentor and friend. It is also nice to see Bae Hae Seon in a small role as a copywriter. As for David McInnis (who did very well as the CEO), casting foreign actors as baddies in Korean productions gradually becomes a clichéd trope. Please someone do something about this.

Recommendations
Samjin Company English Class is worth your attention mainly due to great performances, wonderful retrowave music score, top-notch production design, and cinematography filled with warm colours. The end credits constitute a separate, little artwork as well! So yes, you can’t go wrong with these office ladies. I am hoping that there is a chance for a sequel.

Overall score: 8/10

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Cube (2021) [Film Review]

Cube (2021); or, Running Scared
     I see a sin in your eyes.
My first encounter with the Cube franchise was not a positive one. Back in the early 2000s, while watching preview trailers on a rented VHS tape, I stumbled upon a teaser for Cube 2: Hypercube (2002). This advertising clip was so atrociously bad that it made me dislike the series before even seeing it. However, I caught the original Cube (1997) on TV years later and actually enjoyed it. It was simple, innovative, gripping, and had memorable characters. Therefore, I am all the more surprised that the Japanese decided to remake this horror classic almost 25 years later…

Release Info

Directed by: Yasuhiko Shimizu Starring: Masaki Suda, Anne Watanabe, Masaki Okada

Language: Japanese Original Title: CUBE Runtime: 108 min

Synopsis
Six strangers wake up in a cube-shaped room. They do not know how they got there or what is their purpose of being in the cube. Each wall of the room (including ceiling and floor) has doors, which lead to same cube-designed areas. The strangers try to get out of the endless, claustrophobic maze while avoiding deadly traps awaiting them en route.

Cube Your Enthusiasm
The 2021 remake directed by Yasuhiko Shimizu and produced by Vincenzo Natali (the director of the original film) faithfully repeats the basic points of the 1997 source material, but it also manages to muster up a few innovations on its own. Let’s take a look at production design, for instance. Evidently, this is a studio flick (Shochiku), so the crew actually had a budget to work with. The cubical rooms do not have the industrial, “used” look as in the original. Instead, they seem brighter, cleaner, and more spacious. The lighting of the sets is also pleasant for eyes.

In terms of the story's overall execution, Cube feels like a play on Japanese stereotypes. Whereas the original had clear anti-authority sentiment, the remake presents us with a critique of generational conflict, social politeness, honne/tatemae modes in daily interactions, and group mentality vs. individualism. Watching the 1997 and 2021 remake back to back reminded me about a passage from Haruki Murakami’s Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche, in which a survivor of the 1995 subway events states that Americans would have certainly behaved differently from Japanese passengers during a terrorist attack and, consequently, there would have been less victims.

This is very much the vibe you get from Cube (2021). The characters behave in an erratic manner when it comes to action, and they seem to be afraid more of each other rather than of the actual maze… In the original, the protagonists hated each other’s guts but at least they consciously worked on getting out. In the remake, the hints as to how the cube operates are thrown into the characters' faces. They discover solutions to challenges they face by pure chance.

With regard to performances, Masaki Suda does well as the leading man, but he gets outshined most of the time but the supporting parts of Takumi Saitoh and Kotaro Yoshida. Hikaru Tashiro is unfortunately bland as the child who forms a bond with Suda’s character. Anne Watanbe looks adorable in prison rags, but her character is one-dimensional and just when you think this is an issue, the film surprises you with a plot twist (no spoilers). As for Masaki Okada, I am glad that his fame gets recognised internationally nowadays, but this movie does a disservice to him. He just goes full Jack Torrance towards the finale. You should never go full Jack Torrance.

Recommendations
All things considered, I do not regret watching the Cube remake. Undoubtedly, it is inferior to the original, but it is worth checking out just for the production design and top-notch sound editing, which really enhances the viewing experience. It is an okay horror flick for one viewing only.Overall score: 7/10

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Lady Detective Shadow (2018) [Film Review]

Lady Detective Shadow; or, The Royal Constable
     Wrong! I’m Sima Feiyan. My friends in Jianghu gave me the name Ghost’s Sorrow.
Lady Detective Shadow is a 2018 Chinese production directed by Si Shu-bu and produced by Bey Logan and James Nan. It is a well-made Wushu flick with Shang Rong as the female lead.

Release Info

Directed by: Si Shu-bu Starring: Shang Rong, Zhang Ren-bo

Language: Mandarin Runtime: 90 min

Synopsis

Ancient China is torn between imperial dynasties and rough scoundrels. When a series of gruesome murders takes place in a remote desert area, the courageous Lady Detective Shadow (Shang Rong), who bears the title of the Royal Constable, is called to the scene. With her extraordinary deduction skills and martial arts, she tracks down the murderers. Little does she know, however, that there is a huge hunt going on for a lost treasure…

Shadow of the Night
The movie opens with a beautiful animation which provides the much-needed exposition: these are the times of lawlessness and Lady Detective Shadow is send to clean up the town. The main heroine feels like an amalgam of Sherlock Holmes and Detective Dee due to her outstanding wisdom, memory, and fight skills.

The undeniable advantage of the film is production design and well choreographed action sequences which really give the picture that classic Wushu feels. Even though Lady Detective Shadow was made on a tight budget (evident use of CGI in certain outdoor scenes), it certainly feels like an homage to good old Shaw Brothers productions.

The story itself is a classic morality tale which turns the third act into Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Apart from evident Indiana Jones feels, the narrative is more akin to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with its pacing and subtlety. Of course, Wushu films are not for everyone. If you can’t stand the slow pace, then it is better to give this film a pass.

Speaking about performances, I’m surprised at how much I liked Shang Rong as the main heroine. A sequel has to be made just because of her performance. Ideally, it would have been awesome to see a crossover in which Lady Detective Shadow meets Detective Dee.

Recommendations
If you are into a martial-arts adventure story, then give Lady Detective Shadow a chance. It is an entertaining flick that harkens back to old Chinese period pieces. My thanks go to TriCoast Studios for sharing the screener. They released the film under their DarkCoast label. See the trailer below: Overall score: 7/10

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The Dark Soul (2018) [Film Review]

The Dark Soul (2018); or, In Search of…
     This is not some American town. It’s Asia. An Asian guy looking for another Asian guy in Asian city, that’s one thing. If I walk the streets with some big American, people are going to start talking about me, not to me.
The Dark Soul is one of the latest filmmaking endeavors from director Bey Logan and producer James Nan. A low-key mystery drama with action elements may initially seem to a boring story, but it surprisingly turns out to be a pleasant viewing experience.

Release Info

Directed by: Bey Logan Starring: Kevin Brewerton, Lang-Xing Ye, Connie Song, Bianca Stam

Language: English, Mandarin Runtime: 90 min

Synopsis
An American man called Chandler (Kevin Brewerton) arrives in China in order to find a missing person. A police officials sends him to a local contact, Dickson Lee (Lang-Xing Ye), who is supposedly an expert in such cases. The partners with contrasting dynamics have to find their way through the brutal world of an international crime syndicate. In order to catch the bad guys, they must unravel the mystery connected with independent medical facilities in China.

The Chinese Connection
The Dark Soul plays on the familiar theme of “fish out of water” which was present in The Way of the Dragon as well as A Rumble in the Bronx. However, the situation is reversed this time and we get to see a Westerner trying to get a grip in the Orient.

Intriguing storyline and nicely choreographed fight sequences directly point that this movie may be a decent Jason Statham vehicle; nevertheless, the main leads: Kevin Brewerton and Lang-Xing Ye do a great job.

The story might be confusing at first (a foreigner is looking for a Chinese guy he has never met before), but things become clearer more or less halfway through the picture. I have to admit that the plot twist reminded me a bit about Jun’ya Sato’s classic thriller from 1976 Manhunt. However, I do not intend to share any spoilers.

Apart from great performances of the main leads, I also enjoyed the supporting parts done by Connie Song (as Karen Kan, the flower shop lady) and Bianca Stam who played Mrs. Zhou, the main villainess. She had a great fight scene in the finale and I wish she could have been utilized more in the picture.

Recommendations
All things considered, The Dark Soul is a better effort than Vixen (2018). Indeed, it is engaging and enjoyable for one viewing. In addition, I appreciate the “behind the scenes” montage during the end credits. It clearly shows the passion of the crew and their hard work that went into this big project made on a relatively small budget. My thanks go to TriCoast Studios for sharing the screener. They released the film under their DarkCoast label. See the trailer below:Overall score: 7/10

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The Fatal Contract (2018) [Film Review]

The Fatal  Contract; or, The Mystery of Cursed Paintings
     I saw how hurt he was. I told him to paint a few paintings to burn them to accompany her over the other side, then she will have friends. I never guessed that Bai Wei also had a bad fortune.
The Fatal Contract is a 2018 mystery thriller starring legendary Bai Ling, Tao Hong, and Zhao Yan Guo Zhang in the leading roles. It was directed by Tan Bing who stated the film was inspired by the story of an artist who only painted dead people. Let’s take a closer look at this low-key drama:

Release Info

Directed by: Tan Bing Starring: Bai Ling, Tao Hong, Zhao Yan Guo Zhang

Language: Mandarin Runtime: 90 min

Synopsis
After the suspicious death of an artist, a police detective (Xuan Miao) is looking for a suspect. She turns out to be a woman, Bai Wei (Bai Ling), who supposedly was a model for the artist. However, Bai Wei is nowhere to be found. She actually is with a local painter turned barkeeper, Tu La (Zhao Yan Guo Zhang) whom she marries. In order to avoid being arrested by the police and protect the love of her life, Bai Wei signs a contract with a wealthy art collector Lu Li (Tao Hong). Lu promises that she will help Bai Wei escape. In return, Wei has to ensure that Tu La will paint a specific piece of art for Lu. The couple is unaware that Lu Li collects very special paintings painted by special artists…

All the world’s a stage
I have to admit that The Fatal Contract has strong David Lynch undertones. The movie leaves the viewers in the dark at the very beginning, but it compensates its mysteriousness with a distinct Gothic atmosphere. Especially the lighting and production design enhance this feeling.

The story may be a bit confusing, but it makes the viewers keep guessing what will happen next. Fortunately, the twist in the finale reveals everything. The Fatal Contract interestingly examines the peculiarities of art and its importance in the present day. The relationship between an artist and his creation is the prevalent theme of the film and it should not go unnoticed.

Interestingly, The Fatal Contract marks Bai Ling’s first Chinese production in twenty years. The actress is perhaps best known to Western viewers from such movies as Crank 2 (2009), Taxi 3 (2002), and Red Corner (1997). She still looks amazing at the age of 52 and The Fatal Contract is a true showcase of her acting talent. In addition, another scene-stealer is Tao Hong as a bitter, yet mysterious art collector. It is such a shame that she mostly appears in supporting roles nowadays.

Recommendations
I recommend The Fatal Contract to anyone who is into a slow-paced and thoughtful mystery drama. I strongly hope that Tan Bing’s talent will not be wasted on straight-to-DVD flicks and that he will continue making movies as interesting as The Fatal Contract. My thanks go to TriCoast Studios for sharing the screener. They released the film under their DarkCoast label. See the trailer below:Overall score: 8/10

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The Wailing (2016) [Film Review]

The Wailing; or, Something Wicked This Way Comes

     It wasn't just one or two people. He took pictures of them when they were alive and then went back for more when they went crazy and died.

The Wailing is a South Korean supernatural/mystery horror directed by Na Hong Jin (The Chaser (2008)). The year it was released, it gained both critical and commercial success as well as lots of awards at many film festivals. I remember being vaguely aware of the movie back in 2016, but it was this year when I finally had the time to sit down and calmly check it out. Needless to say, The Wailing blew me away with its gripping plot and unconventional storytelling.
Release Info

Directed by: Na Hong Jin Starring: Kwak Do Won, Kim Hwan Hee, Jun Kunimura, Chun Woo Hee

Language: Korean Original Title: 곡성 Runtime: 156 min

 

Synopsis

Jong Goo (Kwak Do Won) is a local police officer who investigates a series of brutal murders in his village. The perpetrators had a rash and behaved in a very violent manner only to fall into a stupor and die after committing a murder. Jong Goo’s investigation leads him to believe in rumours about the Japanese stranger living in the mountains (Jun Kunimura) who is responsible for the spread of an unknown disease. John Goo starts having dreams about the stranger and, soon after, his daughter, Hyo Jin (Kim Hwan Hee), falls ill. Desperate to cure Hyo Jin, John Goo succumbs to the gossip and confronts the Japanese stranger. In consequence, a series of supernatural events ensues which make the police officer doubt who to trust and who to fight.

 

The Exorcist 2.0

I have to say this out front: The Wailing is the best horror film I have seen in the last ten years. I know that giving it a label of pure “horror” may be debatable, but that was my primary impression after spending two hours and a half watching a village that descends into primal frenzy.

 

The greatest advantage of the film is its ambiguity. There are subtle moments, grand sequences, and bold playing with the language of film itself that made me think about David Lynch’s Lost Highway (1997) or Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000). After watching the film, my mind was crammed with multiple theories about what really happened in the story. Did everyone go crazy because of bad mushrooms? Maybe there were some supernatural forces working behind the scenes? Suffice to say, I am not the only viewer with similar thoughts. The film is deconstructed again and again by its many fans.

 

Director Na Hong Jin allegedly devoted the whole 6 years for the production of this movie. To be honest, the meticulousness of his endeavour is clearly visible on the screen. Apart from playing with conventions, we get to see some folktale stuff as well as references to Buddhism and Christianity. The further the story goes, the more gripping it becomes, which only made me regret that I checked it out just now. What is more, the final climax… OMG (no spoilers), it left me absolutely gobsmacked.

 

With regard to performances, Kwak Do Won does a very good job as a clumsy cop/loving father lost in a maze of vagueness and ambivalence. Kim Hwan Hee is wonderful as a daughter in distress. Long have I waited and now I saw such a professional child actor. Nevertheless, the ultimate praise goes to Jun Kunimura for his supporting part. Seriously, he should have won an Oscar for his performance!

 

Recommendations

If you have not seen The Wailing yet, do not repeat my mistake and watch it now. As I said already, it is a beautifully crafted film that sent chills down my spine. I would go as far as to say that it eats the classic William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) on breakfast. The Wailing is in a league of its own. By the way, be extra careful when somebody wants to take a picture of you!

Overall score: 8/10

Monday (2000) [Film Review]

Monday; or, Don’t Do Alcohol

     The forecast for Chiba calls for sun, with strong southerly winds. Tomorrow will be cloudy, with south-westerly winds. The day after tomorrow will be partly cloudy with winds increasing.

Some of you probably experienced such a situation at least once. There was a hard party, you drank too much and passed out at some point only to wake up having no memory of your last night’s activities. SABU’s 2000 movie Monday takes this premise as its focus point, but also gives it a double spin.

Release Info

Directed by: SABU Starring: Shinichi Tsutsumi, Naomi Nishida, Yasuko Matsuyuki

Language: Japanese Original Title: マンデイ Runtime: 100 min

 

Plot

Koichi Takagi (played by Shinichi Tsutsumi) is a typical salaryman with an uneventful job, quiet life, and one annoying girlfriend (Naomi Nishida). All of a sudden, he wakes up in a hotel room. He does not know what day it is or how he got there. Slowly, Koichi starts regaining memories of the past two days and, one event after another, he recalls his unexpectedly shocking drunk trail.

 

The Worst Day of the Week

Two words got me into checking this movie out. The first, “SABU”, because I have already seen this director’s hilarious Drive (2002) (also with Shinichi Tsutsumi in the lead) and the second, "Monday", because I literally can’t stand this day of the week. Needless to say, the movie hit all the right marks in my book and fulfilled my expectations.

 

However, if you expect an action-packed comedy, then it is better for you to approach this film with patience and zero expectations. Monday is a slow-burning story; in fact, the first act is so slow that Yasujiro Ozu would most certainly issue his seal of approval if he could. Yet, things start to pick up gradually. From a bitter drama the film turns into a dark comedy only to end up being a psychological thriller in the finale. That kind of craziness is what makes Monday so awesome!

 

SABU is very keen on weaving mythological elements into the storylines of his movies and Monday is no exception from that. In order to keep this review spoiler free (even though the movie is almost 20 years old), let me just say that Monday has more than a strong anti-alcohol message and I approve of this (sorry, not a booze fan). Koichi is a good guy and we start to root for him as the film goes on, but even though hot drinks release his inhibitions, they also lead to disastrous consequences.

 

The strongest point of this motion picture is definitely cinematography. Monday has very little dialogue, so the events are told visually. The two outstanding sequences are the yakuza girl (Yasuko Matsuyuki) encounter and Koichi’s sick dance grooves at a night club(!), as seen in the trailer below. In addition to this, the 60s-like upbeat music grealty fits the tone of the picture.

 

With regard to performances, Shinichi Tsutsumi is simply brilliant as a salaryman “on the edge”. This is my favourite performance of his out of all 5 movies he did with SABU. Apart from Tsutsumi, there are many great actors in small yet funny roles, such as Ren Osugi, Akira Yamamoto, Susumu Terajima, Yutaka Matsushige, and aforementioned Yasuko Matsuyuki as well as Naomi Nishida.

 

Recommendations

I recommend Monday to anyone who wants to spend an enjoyable and alcohol-free Sunday evening. I think that the best way to describe this film is by labelling it as something akin to Memento (2000) but way way better, at least in my opinion. I suggest you give it a go because it is a great introduction into SABU’s filmography.

Overall score: 9/10