I Saw the Devil (2010)

A haunting 

and blood pumping

action-horror, with a

an utterly horrifying 

performance from

Min-Sik Choi.

I Saw the Devil is a very fascinating South Korean film from a few years ago for several reasons. For a start it stars Min-Sik Choi (que fan-girlish squealing concerning my love of Min-Sik Choi) and is one of the only film's I am aware of which qualifies as an 'action-horror-thriller'. All three of those genres are fairly vague in their boundaries and ideas, however all three defiantly come together and distinctly form this film. I can honestly say that I have not seen a film structured in this exact fashion, and although it's far from perfect, I give much praise to the execution of this interesting genre meld.

The most important element of the film...will have to wait. Because I want to talk about Choi first. He is horrifying. Choi delivers probably the most malevolent performance I have ever seen, and made my skin crawl in every single scene he occupied without a single exception. The man is one of my all time favourite actors, however he plays psychopathic and general despicable characters so well, that I would genuinely be worried about meeting him if given the opportunity. I honestly cannot praise this performance enough, and it is genuinely one of the most unsettling things a recent film can offer. 

Aside from Choi, the film offers a very strong storyline. With ideas and concepts clearly inspired by Chan-Wook Park's Vengeance Trilogy, director Kim-Jee Woon offers a film with  some of the most intense dramatic setpieces I can think of in a recent film. The violence is visceral and genuinely cringe-worthy in places,it is not for the faint of heart and creates a world of cruelty and horror. The atmosphere of this world is spot on, shot with gloomy and dirty colours resembling an underground basement or a public restroom. The film is genuinely unpleasant to watch, however it's execution is quite flawless from a technical perspective. In some places I feel that the film may have gone a little too far in an attempt to continuously up the ante past the point where it was actually possible. Certain acts of horror and cruelty come off as a little excessive and feel uneeded in a film which is already filled with grime and filth beforehand. Overall however this film will offer a deeply unsettling and powerful experience to viewers, and will likely exceed any previous expectations in term of explicitness.

Beyond Choi the film boasts a strong cast filled with several strong performances. Byung-hun Lee leads the cast with a subtle and powerfully introspective performance, reflecting the torment of a man in his position perfectly. His restrained, yet deeply emotional expressions and delivery contrasts perfectly with Choi loud and animalistic monstrosity, resulting in the climactic final sequence which features one of the most engrossing on-screen debates I have ever seen. The power struggle between these two character's is perfectly paced and fills the plot perfectly, making the meat of this film's plot deeply enjoyable.

Overall, although I feel the film can be somewhat purile at times, and can be a little cheap in it's attempts to shock, there is no doubting it's effectiveness. The film is a wonderful genre meld featuring some top-notch directing and stunning performances. It is a must see for fans of world cinema, or those who wish to see the darkest and bleakest thrillers they can get their hands on.

By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film Review

15 More Directors I have little/no experience with (15-11)

A few months ago, I released a list focused upon the forty directors I needed to experience more of. As time has gone on I have discovered even more directors I need to see more work of. So here is a list of the fifteen directors not included on that original list, who probably should have been.

15. Abel Gance

Recently I have been watching The Story of Film: An Odyssey by Mark Cousins. I will probably cover this wonderful documentary series at point during this month, however one of the interesting filmmakers I discovered during the first few episodes was Abel Gance. Considered the grandfather of French impressionism and the inspiration for many filmmakers in the decades to follow, perhaps most significantly Jean Cocteau. La Roue appears to be one of the most daring films of the early 1920's, and his four-hour epic Napoleon seems to be a sublime masterwork from only the ffew frames I have seen.

14. Michelangelo Antonioni

Considered a master of Italian neo-realism. I am fervently fascinated by his film Blow-up and it's highly influential standing amongst filmmakers across the world. Not too much more to say about this filmmaker, other than I should have included him along the other legendary Italian filmmakers on my first list.

13. Xavier Dolan

This Canadian filmmaker is perhaps the most significant homosexual director working today. His highly acclaimed body of work despite his youth shows exceptional raw talent despite inexperience. Now all I need to do is see some of his films so I can praise him even more. Would be higher on this list if not for his fairly small filmography as of the time of writing this list.

12. Kim Ki-duk

Unlike many on this list, I did consider this filmmaker for the original list. I eventually cut him as I felt there wasn't enough to truly intrigue me. Recently however Taste of Cinema posted an interesting retrospective on this director's career. From this I have gotten a better idea of exactly how influential this director is to contemporary Asian cinema, and I am now curious to say the least.

11. Spike Lee

I will admit something here. This filmmaker was not on the previous list based on entirely petty reasons. Spike Lee directed the Oldboy remake, a concept which angers me so much that I have effectively avoided the director ever since. I now realise how petty it is to to dislike an artist based on a single recent work and I now look forward to seeing his films for what they are. Namely the premier works in African-American cinema, from one of the most assertive directors working today.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film List

Part 1 of 3

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)

The key word is 'Sympathy'

in Chan-Wook Park's

 flawed but interesting

 vengeance thriller.

(Is this the least holiday-related thing I could review? Possibly)

Chan-Wook Park's 'Vengeance trilogy' is perhaps the most beloved creation in all of South Korean cinema for Western audiences. The first installment of the trilogy is not only the origin of Park's iconic trilogy, but also the most obscure entry for Western cinema lovers.  I feel I must explain my perspective before I continue this review, Chan-Wook Park is among my favorite directors of all time. I have currently seen three of his films, excluding the film in question, and have absolutely adored all of them (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, Stoker). In fact I consider Oldboy to be a contender for my all-time favourite movie. So there's my perspective, I saw Mr. Vengeance after these three films and knew little about it going in.

Overall, I view Mr. Vengeance as an inferior prelude to the rest of the trilogy. It is rough and flawed when compared to the director's later work, however it contains many fascinating ideas and it is interesting to see where the ideas which would go on to form the basis for some of my all time favorite began.

The key word in the film's title is 'Sympathy'. The film's greatest achievement is how it is able to create sympathy for characters despite the deplorable actions they perform. The film focuses more on the motivation and reasoning behind these horrible actions rather than the acts themselves, shifting the tone into character study rather than action-thriller (ironically the genre which Oldboy more closely fit). All three of our primary actors are fantastic. Ha-kyun Shin portrays a desperate man simply trying to do what he thinks is right for the people around him perfectly, and special credit must be given to him for also successfully portraying a deaf man. His inflections and actions all seem fitting and natural for a deaf person, and his confusion and disorientation as caused by the disability is well portrayed. This even more impressive when considered that the role is delivered without any dialogue, certainly an impressive performance. Kang-ho Song is also fantastic, showing both moving sadness and inspiring strength in his role as a beraved father, justifiably trying to avenge a grave injustice which has been committed upon him. Finally Doona Bae delivers perhaps the standout performance of the film. Showing both cruel and manipulative cunning, and an enjoyable strength of will. A really enjoyable portrayal, and also showing a clear inspiration for some of the performances in future Park films (this is also true of Kang-ho Song, who clearly laid the groundwork for the lead performance of Oldboy).

The cinematography and set design of Mr. Vengeance is also quite strong. Some very nice outdoor locations and a generally less urban feel, gives the film a unique visual identity within the Vengeance trilogy. The very pretty Korean scenery and suburban setting evokes childhood,  a key theme and motif of the film itself. Some very clever angles and a fluid style keeps the film visually engaging, and I was overall very impressed by the camerawork. Byeong-il Kim deserves geat praise for the films look.

The film's great flaws mainly come in the form of unevenness. The tone can be wildly inconsistent , ranging form dark-humor to horrible violence in rapid succession. When compared to Miller's Crossing, another film which shifted tone frequently, the tone feels very erratic and unfocused, with poor forethought being given to how the tone of one scene affects the others. In addition, the film can be quite difficult to follow, even when compared to Park's other complex plots. A combination of the foreign language, the rapid pace and the scatterbrain tone prevents the film from adequately conveying the plot to the audience, or at least me. In addition particular plot elements seem to go for long periods without mention, before being brought up again almost without any buildup (the worst offender here is a plotpoint involving blackmarket Organ traffickers).

In conclusion, I did enjoy Mr. Vengeance. It was a mostly successful character-thriller and kept me invested throughout. However it is a rough and uneven outing from Park, and some of it's concepts would be re-purposed into better and more complete films after this one.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film Review

The Top 40 Directors I have little/no experience with. MEGACUT

In order to showcase my own ignorance, and to celebrate the vast number of wonderful and diverse filmmakers in the world, here is a list of the directors who I have almost no first-hand experience with. Ranked based on my desire to experience their work and my embarrassment at lacking this experience. In addition I have included the poster to the film from each of these directors I intend on starting with.


40. Michael Mann




Micheal Mann is at the bottom of this list mainly due to the fact that I have seen one of his films (Manhunter 1986). However I did highly enjoy Manhunter and have heard great things about some of his other works, I will get to Heat someday I swear.

39. Kar Wai Wong



Mainly this low do to the fact that I have very little information on this filmmaker. However I do wish to dip into more Hong-Kong cinema, and The Grandmaster looks very interesting to me.

38. Jean Cocteau




Very interested in La Belle et la Bete, and early surrealist cinema. Also fascinated by the works of France's supposedly definitive post-war filmmaker.

37. Sergio Leone



Once again low o the list because I have seen one of his films already (The Good, the Bad and the ugly 1966). However I need to experience more of this wonderful filmmakers epic filmography.


36. Takashi Miike



The unpronounceably named mad genius of current Japanese cinema. His lust for violence and breaking taboos fascinates me greatly, especially the film that made him a cult icon. Audition.

35. Jean-Pierre Jeunet



I will be honest, I have been told to watch Amelie so often that it has had the opposite effect. I have become less interested in seeing it. However I am sure I will love it when I see it, I am just less enthusiastic than I probably should be, That is why, this acclaimed master filmmaker is fairly low on the list.

34. Steve McQueen



This director is fairly low on the list, mainly because he is a relative newcomer. He has also only made three films to date, few when compared to some of the other directors on the list. However I am very fascinated by all three of them, and I am sure he will go on to have a great career in the future.

33. Sam Peckinpah



One of the men who helped to usher in the Hollywood new-wave. His movie Straw Dogs certainly looks like an emotional roller coaster in particular.

32. Roman Polanski



Perhaps one of the most acclaimed and diverse filmmakers of the last fifty years. Despite this however, I have seen one of his films already (Chinatown, 1974) and therefore I have decided to place him on the lower side of the list despite his massive filmmaking weight.

31. Steven Soderbergh



One of the kings of recent American independent cinema. Highly influential and with some very interesting films under his belt, defiantly interested in checking out.

30. Joon-ho Bong



The first director from Korea on this list. With a handful of highly intriguing and varied films under his belt, including a recent foray into non-Korean cinema (Snowpiecer 2013), this relatively new face is bursting with promise.

29. Oliver Stone



This director is also slightly lower on the list due to the fact that I do have some experience with him, namely Scarface (1983), which he did not direct, but did write. Based on that, and his highly illustrious and acclaimed filmography, I have a great interest in this filmmaker.

28. Micheal Haneke



I have very little clue where to start with this guy. I've chosen Funny Games (1997) however this Haneke's filmography is so odd and varied, that I have almost no clue to begin. However I would have to say, that although his films are quite alienating on the surface, I hear nothing but wonderful things about them.

27. Satyajit Ray



The only Indian filmmaker here, and a renown pioneer of not only India cinema, but emotive cinema on the whole. The only reason this guy is not higher, is a slight lack of knowledge on my part.

26. Jane Campion



There is a sad lack of female directors in the world of cinema. Jane Campion is one of the few have managed to carve out an acclaimed career for herself. I greatly anticipate viewing The Piano (1992), I have heard nothing but glowing praise for the visual style of Campion's films.

25. Krzysztof Kieslowski



I have heard that the three-colours trilogy is fantastic in every way. I am sure it is, I have high expectations. Not much more to say.

24. Jean-Luc Goddard

 

The crazy and radical wonderboy of the French New-Wave, an era which I have little experience with in general. A highly influential auteur with a long and adored filmography, quite intriguing.

23. Takeshi Kitano

 

A multi-talented and erratic mad genius. This is perhaps the director I am most surprised that I have not experienced before this point. I desperately want to step into this man's odd and undoubtedly brilliant mind. However, I have seen Battle Royale (2000) in which he plays a prominent acting role, so he is not a high as he could have been, as I do have some first-hand experience with this filmmaker.

22. Kathryn Bigelow



A highly significant director, if not only for being the first Woman to direct a Best-Picture winning movie, Hurt Locker (2009 [seriously? It took over 80 years? That is very worrying]). Her career is not only historically significant, but long and varied. I am certainly looking forward to seeing a horror/comedy/western.

21. Billy Wilder



The final director on this list whom I have already seen a movie from. Namely Some Like it Hot (1959). However despite this, Billy Wilder is perhaps the definitive icon of 'Old Hollywood' and perhaps the most acclaimed and revered American filmmaker of the time. Despite my past experience, I am hungry for more.

This where the list gets really good.

20. Kim Jee-Woon



With a vast and acclaimed filmography, this guy is one of the most predominant rising stars in modern Asian cinema. Or so I am told at least. So many films from this guy that I need to see.

19. Gasper Noe



This filmmaker is perhaps one of the most daring working today. Although Irreversible is the film that people keep talking about (10 minute rape scene), it is the acid trip that has me fascinated. Very fascinating stuff.

18. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu



The filmmaker with the most recent film on this list. However aside from the highly acclaimed Birdman (2014), he posses a very interesting filmography. Sadly the only South American director on this list, a shame.

17. David Cronenberg



The king of body horror, and a mad genius of American independent cinema. One of the most prolific directors on this list, so I have a lot to get to.

16. John Ford



Here we have a grandmaster of classic cinema, and the progenitor of so many careers and film making techniques. I desperately need to see The Searchers (1956), not want, need.

15. Yasujiro Ozu



Whilst Kurosawa looked to the West for his inspiration, Ozu is considered to be the definitive great Japanese director. An emotive master and pioneer in emotive realism. I am determined to track this directors work sometime.

14. David Lynch



Perhaps the face of surrealism for most western audiences. We're now getting to the directors who I'm honestly embarrassed to have not experienced more of, I need to consume this guy's filmography as soon as possible.

13. Lars Von Trier



This guy is probably a little nuts, and he is known to say and do some really stupid things. However, he is also a very distinct and highly influential director. I'm certainly one to enjoy some controversial and schizophrenic movies.

12. Terry Gilliam



This director should be in the top ten, possibly even the top five. However I am a fan of Monty Python, so I do have a little experience with this guy already. Brazil, Twelve Monkeys Fear and Loathing, need I say more? I need to see these films, or my credibility is in eternal doubt.

11. Francois Truffaut

 

I also considered this director for the top ten, however a slight lack of knowledge on my part excluded him. One of the most subtly influential directors of all time, molding dozens of great directors (including some on this list) in his wake.

The top ten is here.

10. Jim Jarmusch 



One of the most important filmmakers in American independent film, ever. With a long and illustrious career, I only surprised that I haven't gotten around to seeing this guy's work before now.

9. Werner Herzog



One of Rodger Eberts favorite filmmakers, and perhaps the most beloved documentarian of all time. With a career spanning five decades, I have a lot to get through with this one. However I have heard nothing but sparkling praise about this melancholic director.

8. Fredrico Fellini



Il Maestro himself. With a record winning run of films, the most to ever win best foreign language film, and a unique blend of realism and surrealism, I am beyond enthused to witness one of history's most beloved filmmakers in action. Also, 8 1/2 seems like exactly the kind of film which may become a personal favourite.

7. Richard Linklater



I have a friend who insists the 'Before' trilogy will change my life. I am inclined to belive him on such matters. In addition, Boyhood (2014) has already been lauded as one of the greatest filmmaking achievements of the century. How can I not be curious?

6. Woody Allen



Possibly the most prolific director on this entire list, it is shocking that I have never found time to watch Annie Hall (1977). What can I say? It's Woody Allen, an all time legend of comedy and drama in American cinema.

5. Charlie Chaplin





It is inexcusable that I have not ever seen a Chaplin film. I am a great lover of silent film, and classic comedy (Abbot and Costello, in particular), and yet I have not ever seen a Chaplin picture. How is this possible? I assure you that I will track down City Lights (1931) as swiftly as possible.

4. Andrei Tarkovsky



The man that Ingmar Bergman called, 'the greatest filmmaker of all time'. Very high praise indeed, and with a wealth of absurdly fascinating films I will certainly have to put that claim to the test one day. Oh, and some of the long-shots I've heard are remarkable.

3. Micheal Powell



Martin Scorsese's near obssesion with The Red Shoes (1948) has definatly got me intrigued. However Micheal Powell is often cited as one of the most technically influential,and dynamic directors of his time. I do own the Red Shoes on Blu-Ray, and yet I still have not seen it. That is probably heresy.

2. Ingmar Bergman



I have no excuses. This filmmaker is often cited as one of, if not the, greatest titans of world cinema. And yet I have not seen a single film of his. Sorry.

1. Terrence Malick



Possibly the most polarising director working today, my #1 is a man who is either despised or adored. Not only does the controversy and total split of the cinephile community in regards to this director intrigue me, but regardless of how I feel about his movies one thing is guaranteed. They will look stunning. Also I am really interested in Badlands (1973), It looks really interesting.

By Jack D. Phillips

A Zoom Film List