3-Iron (Bin-Jip) (2/7/2005 DVD)

3-Iron won the Silver Lion and the Little Golden Lion award for Kim Ki-Duk in the recently concluded Venice International Film Festival. Now, I know why this Korean Film is creating too much hype and it is a darkhorse for my 2005 Top Ten List...

I am suprised about the greatness of this film because I'm just expecting an ordinary eastern arthouse material. I found this movie very entertaining in such a way that it delivers such gentle, silent, subtle performances from its actors. The lead actor Jae Hee didn't speak althroughout the film. The film is beautifully shot showing a fresh insight of a true oriental filmmaking. The direction of Kim Ki-duk is excellent in maintaining the spirit and mood of the film, although it is ocassionally funny and quirky. The premise of the movie is quite simple, but Kim Ki-duk pulled off his artfulness in order to come up with a very philosopical, metaphorical and surreal depiction of a young mans desire to cheat and eventually mix dream into reality in order to acquire the answer to his longingness for love...

I'm not quite sure if this film will be noticed by the Western audiences, I mean the North Americans because the Europeans did... but what is important is that this film has something to show about the influence of eastern philosophy and spirituality... (A)

posted by basmayor @ 5:36 PM