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The Marinated Meeple (1848 KP) created a poll about in Oscars Discussion
Jan 29, 2020
AnEnglishwomanInSalem (33 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Feb 26, 2020
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Nov 12, 2019
Strongly Directed by Bong Joon-Ho
There are more strong film makers in this world than are just sitting in traditionally English-speaking Countries (like the U.S./England). One of the strongest - and a Director that I will watch WHATEVER he is Directing - is South Korean auteur Bong Joon-Ho. His previous efforts (THE HOST, OKJA, SNOWPIERCER, amongst others) were all led by intriguing stories, interesting people and strong visual imagery, so I was very excited for his newest effort, PARASITE. I purposely did not find out too much about this film, for I wanted to be surprised by what was unfolding in front of me.
And...I was rewarded, greatly by another intriguing story with interesting people and strong visual imagery.
In Korean, with English subtitles, PARASITE follows a lower class Korean family that go to work for a high class Korean family and brings us on a journey for BOTH families. And that's all I'm going to say about it, for to reveal anything else would be to spoil the surprises along the way.
But, as is often the case with these types of stories, it is the journey, not the destination that is the treat of this film. Bong Joon-Ho regular Kang-ho Song stars as the Patriarch of the lower class family who, seemingly, is lazy and allergic to "work", but that is not really the case. Woo-sik Choi is the son of the lower class family that connects with the daughter of the higher class family and Hye-jin Jang is the matriarch of the lower class family and they both bring sensitivity and strength to their roles. But for me, the real star of this film is So-dam Park as the daughter of this family who turns out to be the heart and the brains of the operation.
Director Bong Joon-Ho brings his usual flair to the proceedings, not letting his camera shy away from the seemy underbelly of this society, but not lingering on it either, moving the surprising plot along at a fast (enough) pace to keep you guessing throughout. I see a lot of films, so when I run across a plot that I couldn't tell what was going to come next, it is satisfying.
And, satisfying this film is. Some are calling it an "Oscar Contender" and I don't think I would go quite that far - the film does drag a bit in the middle. But, if you can handle reading the subtitles, you'll be entertained indeed by the fervent mind of one of the better Directors working in film today.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And...I was rewarded, greatly by another intriguing story with interesting people and strong visual imagery.
In Korean, with English subtitles, PARASITE follows a lower class Korean family that go to work for a high class Korean family and brings us on a journey for BOTH families. And that's all I'm going to say about it, for to reveal anything else would be to spoil the surprises along the way.
But, as is often the case with these types of stories, it is the journey, not the destination that is the treat of this film. Bong Joon-Ho regular Kang-ho Song stars as the Patriarch of the lower class family who, seemingly, is lazy and allergic to "work", but that is not really the case. Woo-sik Choi is the son of the lower class family that connects with the daughter of the higher class family and Hye-jin Jang is the matriarch of the lower class family and they both bring sensitivity and strength to their roles. But for me, the real star of this film is So-dam Park as the daughter of this family who turns out to be the heart and the brains of the operation.
Director Bong Joon-Ho brings his usual flair to the proceedings, not letting his camera shy away from the seemy underbelly of this society, but not lingering on it either, moving the surprising plot along at a fast (enough) pace to keep you guessing throughout. I see a lot of films, so when I run across a plot that I couldn't tell what was going to come next, it is satisfying.
And, satisfying this film is. Some are calling it an "Oscar Contender" and I don't think I would go quite that far - the film does drag a bit in the middle. But, if you can handle reading the subtitles, you'll be entertained indeed by the fervent mind of one of the better Directors working in film today.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Bostonian916 (449 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Aug 3, 2020
An exceptional take on current climates of glamour obsession that currently faces much of the world.
Bear in mind, this movie is made in South Korea, and as such is entirely subtitled. If you normally aren't interested in this format but are thinking of giving it a go, this is definitely a great first effort.
Bong Joon-ho does (as always) an amazing job of adding layers to each character that makes you genuinely sympathize with them, even when they are a bit on the crazy side of things. Pay attention to the little things, for they are not as little as they appear.
Bear in mind, this movie is made in South Korea, and as such is entirely subtitled. If you normally aren't interested in this format but are thinking of giving it a go, this is definitely a great first effort.
Bong Joon-ho does (as always) an amazing job of adding layers to each character that makes you genuinely sympathize with them, even when they are a bit on the crazy side of things. Pay attention to the little things, for they are not as little as they appear.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Parasite (2019) in Movies
Aug 21, 2020
the depiction of the rich and poor. (2 more)
The depiction of class conflict.
The depiction of social inequality.
overhyped (1 more)
strange and weird.
Just Strange Overall
Parasite- i heard excellent things about it, people rating it 9's and 10's. Calling it "one of the best movies of 2019", calling it "one of the best movies all of time". All of the hype, all of the rewards, all of the critcism, was it deserved well yes and no. Here is the thing the movie was okay. Bong Joon-Ho does a excellent depicking the rich and the poor. Other than that, the movie was hard to follow. Im not the biggest fan of foreign language films cause their are hard to follow. But i do like some foreign language films. One of my favorites is "Pans Labyrinith". "Cronos", "Let The Right One In", "The Orphanage", Juila's Eyes", "The Devil's Backbone" and "Thelma". Are all excellent Foreign langauge films. Its just this one i couldnt get into.
The plot: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
Should it got all of these awards, well yes and no. Like i said it does a excellent job depicking the rich from the poor, class conflict, social inequality and wealth disparity. Bong Joon-Ho did a excellent job wih the subject matter. Just for me it was kinda of boring, hard to follow and just strange. I dont if i should of gotten all of those rewards, i mean it was well desvered but their were better movies.
I know other loved this film, just me i didnt. Again this is my opinion. I just want people to know that. Watch it if you want to. Just the hype was overhyped for me.
The plot: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
Should it got all of these awards, well yes and no. Like i said it does a excellent job depicking the rich from the poor, class conflict, social inequality and wealth disparity. Bong Joon-Ho did a excellent job wih the subject matter. Just for me it was kinda of boring, hard to follow and just strange. I dont if i should of gotten all of those rewards, i mean it was well desvered but their were better movies.
I know other loved this film, just me i didnt. Again this is my opinion. I just want people to know that. Watch it if you want to. Just the hype was overhyped for me.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies
Jan 5, 2018
Interesting premise (2 more)
Fantastic visuals
Compelling
Director Joon-ho Bong brings us his vision of a post-apocalyptic world where most of humanity has been destroyed and the remaining humans are left to circle the globe in a relentless train called the Snowpiercer.
The cast is led by Chris Evans, but also features Kang-ho Song, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer and Jamie Bell.
Humanity has evolved similar to what I have read about the Titanic, meaning, the lower classes at the back of the train suffering to survive and the upper classes more forward living in luxury.
There is an uprising within the squalor and the inhabitants attempt to ascertain their situation by taking the cars ahead one-by-one. The story is very interesting and the people and situations the rebels meet along their way to the engine keep you surprised.
The engine also contains an interesting character who is eluded to within the beginning of the film.
The ending was somewhat controversial when the movie was first released; however, I find it more than satisfactory to tie up the story.
Check it out for yourself.
The cast is led by Chris Evans, but also features Kang-ho Song, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer and Jamie Bell.
Humanity has evolved similar to what I have read about the Titanic, meaning, the lower classes at the back of the train suffering to survive and the upper classes more forward living in luxury.
There is an uprising within the squalor and the inhabitants attempt to ascertain their situation by taking the cars ahead one-by-one. The story is very interesting and the people and situations the rebels meet along their way to the engine keep you surprised.
The engine also contains an interesting character who is eluded to within the beginning of the film.
The ending was somewhat controversial when the movie was first released; however, I find it more than satisfactory to tie up the story.
Check it out for yourself.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Memories of Murder (Salinui chueok) (2003) in Movies
Oct 8, 2020
Korean crime drama; an early film from Bong Joon-ho. When a serial killer appears to be at work in a small South Korean town, a rough local cop and a cerebral detective from the big city are forced to work together to catch the murderer.
Some people apparently think this is one of the greatest movies ever made; I can't agree, but it is an extremely solid and thoughtful crime drama. Very dark and gritty (possibly more than some viewers will be comfortable with), but two very strong lead performances and a streak of black humour keep it watchable. After a relatively conventional first few acts, the end of the film takes a sharp turn in an unexpected direction, which may frustrate and disappoint some viewers, but the shift away from genre movie to drama is well handled. Entertaining, gripping and thought-provoking.
Some people apparently think this is one of the greatest movies ever made; I can't agree, but it is an extremely solid and thoughtful crime drama. Very dark and gritty (possibly more than some viewers will be comfortable with), but two very strong lead performances and a streak of black humour keep it watchable. After a relatively conventional first few acts, the end of the film takes a sharp turn in an unexpected direction, which may frustrate and disappoint some viewers, but the shift away from genre movie to drama is well handled. Entertaining, gripping and thought-provoking.
Bostonian916 (449 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies
Aug 27, 2020
Another great movie by Bong Joon-ho.
In a world where the "fix" for global warming has caused the Earth and all of its inhabitants to freeze to death, a single train rides a worldwide track designed with an eternal engine that promises safety and shelter to those who remain within its confines. Passengers are separated by class (ring any bells?) and each class is required to maintain its position and fill its specific role within the ecosystem of the train.
I don't want to get into any major spoilers, but you can imagine that not everyone on board is thrilled with the class system hierarchy.
Chris Evans leads an exceptional cast that includes an appearance by Jamie Bell.
Snowpiercer is a completely new take on an apocalyptic world class film that's well done. There are a few spots where the answers chosen by the makers were interesting to say the least, but for what it's worth, that's much better then leaving a ton of gaping holes without explanation.
Highly recommended for fans of anything represented in the movie. The actors, the plot type, the apocalyptic future, or even trains. Everyone can enjoy this movie.
In a world where the "fix" for global warming has caused the Earth and all of its inhabitants to freeze to death, a single train rides a worldwide track designed with an eternal engine that promises safety and shelter to those who remain within its confines. Passengers are separated by class (ring any bells?) and each class is required to maintain its position and fill its specific role within the ecosystem of the train.
I don't want to get into any major spoilers, but you can imagine that not everyone on board is thrilled with the class system hierarchy.
Chris Evans leads an exceptional cast that includes an appearance by Jamie Bell.
Snowpiercer is a completely new take on an apocalyptic world class film that's well done. There are a few spots where the answers chosen by the makers were interesting to say the least, but for what it's worth, that's much better then leaving a ton of gaping holes without explanation.
Highly recommended for fans of anything represented in the movie. The actors, the plot type, the apocalyptic future, or even trains. Everyone can enjoy this movie.