An actress comes home one evening while her house is being burgled. Some cops have a tip off that the burglar is inside and sit outside waiting to make there move. Meanwhile a number of her male friends all happen to conveniently appear at her door on the same night and make for an awkward dinner together. She tries to get rid of them but they are declaring there love for her while a series of unfortunate accidents start to occur. One accident leads to another and she finds herself in quite a mess. Can she get through the night without losing her mind or being taken in?
More info: Cine21 - english review

I found some of the scenes in this film a little gross out but it was kinda funny overall. It was completely over the top but I think that’s why it was enjoyable as it was. It by no means a great film but watch it if you are in the mood for a no-brainer comedy with an actress running around in a tight dress.

Yobi is a mythical fox living in the forest with some shipwrecked aliens. In Korean folklore there are stories about foxes with nine tails that can transform in order to lure in their prey - humans. However, Yobi only has five tails and isn’t so much into the killing of humans. She is however, still hunted by the fox hunters. One day one of the aliens she lives with gets captured by some humans in a village near the forest. Yobi decides to transform into a human and attend the school originally in hope to free her friend but becomes interested in understanding humans more after meeting Geum Yee, a student there. However, can she survive with dark forces at play and the fox hunter hot on her trail.

These days Koreans are out sourced by Japan and the US to work on animations but I rarely get the chance to see a animation feature from a Korean studio. Yobi, the five-tailed fox is really aesthetically impressive with it’s watercolored painted backgrounds, fluid 2D animation and stunning 3D work. The score too is worthy of mention adding immensely to the atmosphere. The story was enjoyable and moving at times. Let’s hope Korean studios can push out feature animations more regularly.

This is a film from 1999. Actually, I watched it a long time ago but revisited it last night. Some thugs, who are haunted by their pasts, are bored one night and decide to attack a gas station. After a robbery they go back again but the boss has hid the cash. So instead of just leaving it and going elsewhere for money, the thugs stay for the night and decide to work at the station. Their plan is interrupted by some high school thugs who are connected higher up and a short tempered delivery boy who is part of a large gang. Can our protagonists survive the night?
imdb - Cine21

I actually really like this film. It’s a bit silly in parts but it’s simple humour, action scenes and developments of the hostages in the flat all kept me interested. For me this is a feel good film: watching some thugs realise their past has messed them up and maybe they can go onto better things if they actually bothered to try.

Herb is about a 20 year old girl with the brain age of a child. She’s very much into her fairy tales and follows the advice her Mum gives her. One day while walking somewhere she spots a police officer being picked on by a class of children. It’s love at first site but will he be her prince charming. More info: imdb - Cine21

I was quite surprised by this gem as I went into it not expecting much. I actually really enjoyed it. The protagonist’s, Hye-jeong Kang (강혜정), acting was excellent; there were some nice graphical touches and effects; the story flowed along quite well; and the cinematography was well worked out.

Wong gok hak yau (One Night in MongKok, Hong Kong, 2004) is a crime drama set in the most densely populated place in the world - Mongkok. The police are looking to prevent a triad war by tracking down and stopping a hired killer.

I really liked this film due to the atmosphere created and the gritty script. The film portrayed busy life in Mongkok excellently. It’s filmed with cameras on the shoulders that created almost a kind of documentry feel. The characters on either side of the law are neither portrayed in black or white but somewhere inbetween. There is a nicely worked relationship between the hired killer and a prostitute he is forced into friendship with after saving her from some thugs. The cops are an interesting bunch, doing whatever they can to get close to the killer. They all come together in some brilliant action/chase scenes. Definitely worth a watch.

Face (Korea, 2004) is a crime thriller filled with supernatural elements. Hyun Min works for the police reconstructing faces from skulls of various victims. His daughter has a heart problem that is difficult to treat. The worry this brings causes him to lose interest in his job. One day a girl knocks on his door asking him to be his assistant and delivers a skull that is supposed to be his next project. After reluctance and a series of visions of a distraught women, he takes the project on. The police meanwhile, are finding victims with their hearts removed and the bodies burned with acid. At a nearby hospital a doctor is taking seemingly anonymous heart donations and using them in transplants. Hyun Min’s daughter has received a heart with ‘beta allergy’ a heart disease the donna must of had. Is there a link between the murders and the hearts the hospital are receiving and what are these supernatural occurrences?

I went into this film expecting it to be a horror and the early scares suggested this was the case. However, the film gets more complex and becomes a crime thriller. The plot is complicated and eventually falls into place after a number of twists and other elements to keep you guessing throughout. The lead characters are acted out well and the cinematography isn’t bad at all. However, I felt the early scares were a little cheap and unoriginal relying on the music to cause the “jump” rather than the imagery. Overall, I liked the film as it was a bit different from other crime thrillers and wasn’t scared to use the supernatural elements to advance the story.

Yeonae-sulsa (Love in Magic, Korea, 2005) was the bit of light relief I needed lately. Ji-hoon is a magician and uses this to his advantage to get all the girls he can stand. He takes them to motels and has his fun before dumping them when he’s had enough. One day his manager is browsing the internet for hidden camera shots of people having sex when he comes across Ji-hoon and one of his conquests. Ji-hoon is worried this will damage his career. He decides to find the girl he was with (Hee-won) and tell her the news. He finds her at her job as a teacher. She is terrified by this news and knows it can’t get out or she’ll lose her job. They decide to skip going to the police and decide to hunt out the guys who filmed them. The film follows their trail of the motels they have slept together at and also the interference of Hi-joon’s and Hee-won’s other relationships.
The film is suitably fun and the actors play off each other well. Some of the jokes are cliché and at times it’s like you seen the film before but it still manages to entertain. The locations were nice, particularly the motel rooms with a good range of design styles. I enjoyed the film mostly but I felt the ending scenes were a little bit over the top at times. Worth watching for romantic comedy fans.

Keuk jang jeon (A Tale of Cinema, Korea, 2005) is about the relationship of two men with one women. The first man meets the girl by chance and hasn’t seen her for a long time. They re-light their friendship and realise that they want to die together. We see the end of their days start to happen. Then we move onto the relationship with the second man. He seems to be a child in a mans body and tries hard to get the girl’s attention as he realises she is the actress in the movie he just saw. We see her put up with him and in doing so some sort of relationship develops. The stories are linked (and strangely kind of echo) but I won’t reveal how due to it being a possible spoiler.
This film felt mellow and simple but portrayed the relationships between characters convincingly. The camera work had many quick zoom in shots which I’m not sure I liked. It made me too aware I was watching a film. The film is only 89 minutes but seems to go on a lot longer due to the relaxed pace. Fans of Hong’s work may be a little disappointed with this compared to his other work. If you like character/relationship driven films, this is still worth a watch.

Ima, ai ni yukimasu (Be with You, Japan, 2004) is a story about Takumi and his son Yuji life after losing wife/mother Mio. Takumi isn’t the best cook and all that good around the house but Yuji understands and tries to encourage him. A story was left for Yuji that one day Mio would return during the rain season. Both Yuji and Takumi start to believe it and then it happens, Mio returns. However she is put back on Earth only for the duration of the rainy season and has no memory. Takumi and Yuji help her rebuild her memories through stories and objects. The film portrays the love of a family blossoming.
Beautifully shot and excellently acted this film was very moving. The joy of Takumi and Yuji upon Mio’s return is well thought out and the stories of the past work wonderfully. I really enjoyed this film and avoided boredom throughout it’s long 120 minutes.

2424 (Korea, 2002) revolves around bunch of ex-cons begin working for a new removal company. Their new employer has taken them under his wing and desperately wants to do a good job. He wants his company Ik-soo express to beat the more established rivals and take their crown. One company in particular has wound them up enough and soon enough their jobs cross over as the rival company are finishing emptying an apartment as Ik-soo are ready to move stuff in. The film is set around this situation. A problem lies in the fact that the police are trying to bust the current owner of the apartment and are undercover as the established removal company. So the comedy begins with each company bitch fighting and trying to do their jobs. There is a romance between a couple on different sides and the stereotypical rubbish cop who gets thrown off the job but won’t quit. This film adds nothing new to the genre but remains a fun and light hearted watch that keeps you interested by not trying to do too much.