Project Wolf Hunting

늑대사냥 (2022)

PROJECT WOLF HUNTING (2022) ★★★★☆

      Les forces de police coréennes rapatrient, un groupe de dangereux criminels sur un cargo spécialement affrété et conditionné. Malgré la sécurité accrue, ceux-ci parviennent à s’échapper et massacrent les forces de l’ordre ainsi que les membres de l’équipage. Toutefois, un mal bien plus profond se libère également de la soute du bateau…     “Project Wolf Hunting” est un thriller d’action…

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Choi Gwi-hwa as Alpha in Project Wolf Hunting (2022)

Dispatches from TIFF #4

Hey folks, after two long years, I’m doing TIFF again, so I figured I’d make a little diary out of it with reviews and other thoughts.

The Hotel (Wang, 2022)

I found Sick's attempts to channel the particular anxieties of the early pandemic period a little flatfooted, frequently undermined by the punchline-heavy style the movie opted for. This movie doesn't have any genre marks to hit, but I do think it does a good job of capturing that particular mix of boredom and uncertainty from when restrictions started to kick in but the actual threat posed by the virus felt abstract more than anything (if you were fortunate enough at that point to not be directly impacted, at least). The stillness of the full frame B&W cinematography is a nice way to capture that inertia, and I appreciated the low key handling of the different relationships. I don't have much patience these days for plot-lite low key arty dramas, but I didn't mind spending time in this.

Also, I won't profess to be an expert, but I understand the Chinese film industry is subject to a pretty convoluted and restrictive censorship system, so it was startling to me at least that this expressed some ambivalence and skepticism towards the official party line regarding the government's response. Most of the news broadcasts we hear actually cite the US government.

So this was working for me for like 99% of the runtime. And then at the last minute, it throws in a bananas twist that is technically set up by preceding conversations, but is so baffling that you can't understand why a seemingly sensible movie would ever go for this. You could feel the air being sucked out of the room when that reveal happened. Sadly, there was no Q&A after my screening.

Project Wolf Hunting (Kim, 2022)

Now, this is pretty awkward when it tries to incorporate flashbacks, and has a few too many characters for you to really invest in their fates, and the ratio of male model types to grizzled uggos is out of whack for an action-horror hybrid (this last problem is at least addressed by the escalating body count). But you gotta hand it to a movie whose sole raison d'etre seems to be resolving every confrontation in the grisliest way possible. Kudos to the gore FX people and foley artists who must have worked overtime to make every blood splash, bone crunch, organ squash and metal clang pop without fail. Fun stuff.

On a side note, as the festival has wound down, I've noticed that certain traditions seem to be in decline, namely the clapping along to the ads and the pirate noises during the anti-piracy disclaimer. Granted, the Paolo Sorrentino Bulgari ad with Anne Hathaway and Zendaya isn't the most intuitive to clap along to, but I think I was the only one going "Arrrr!" when the disclaimer flashed before this movie. Perhaps others have had a different experience. I haven't done any proper midnight showings and I understand those crowds tend to be more enthusiastic.

Pacifiction (Serra, 2022)

This review contains mild spoilers.

I had bemoaned the apparent decline of certain TIFF audience traditions in this year's festival. So I went into this, my last screening of the festival, determined to make a last stand, determined to make the coarsest, most swashbuckling, freebooting, buccaneering "Arrr!" I could muster when the anti-piracy disclaimer came on screen. And when it finally happened, I was deeply moved to hear at least one other person in the audience partake, weeping internally from this show of moral heroism and respect for tradition. (Not weeping literally, just to be clear. That would be weird unless you've had an actual traumatic pirate-related experience, a la Captain Phillips. Or if someone reported you to the FBI for downloading a movie, which was one of the more notorious incidents that took place on a now defunct internet forum I used to post at.) So even if the movie ended up being shite, my week would have ended on something of a high note.

I'd had reason to worry about the actual movie for a number of reasons. I'd glanced at a few reviews earlier and saw the phrase "Slow Cinema" come up, which is something I've struggled with in the past. In short, I haven't gelled to the low key default mode of modern arthouse cinema, and generally prefer movies where things happen. There was also the runtime of close to three hours, which would definitely be a challenge given that I slept like garbage the previous night and was leaning on a can of Starbucks Tripleshot Cafe Mocha (complete with fancy ingredients like Guarana, Vitamin B...uh, Guano? I think that was one of them, should have read the label more closely) to keep me awake. So I was pleased to find that not only did I not fall asleep during the movie (although the caffeine started to wear off towards the end), but it ended up being my favourite thing I saw from the festival.

The movie takes place in French Polynesia, where a representative of the French government played by Benoit Magimel who essentially tries to keep the peace, helping locals manage their problems. This is something he generally does in open and benevolent ways, although he's not afraid to apply a firm hand. (A pair of early scenes have him agreeing with the locals who want to keep the casino open to keep youth out of trouble, and then casually threatening the priest to buy out his church if he doesn't drop his fight against the casino.) This is cool guy who everybody seems to like (Magimel's easy, nicely worn charisma plays well into this), and we see this infatuation most clearly through the perspective of a character played by Pahoa Mahagafanau. (This is apparently her only IMDb credit, but she's quite magnetic in the role. Eager to see what she does next.) Unfortunately, this peace doesn't seem destined to last, as the increased naval presence and rumours of plans to resume nuclear testing begin stirring up tensions on the island.

The description on the TIFF website calls this a "political thriller", but that's a little misleading, as the movie seems more concerned with relating its story through shifting rhythms than charting concrete plot points. Notice an early scene where the hero goes out by boat to observe a group of surfers, and the tidal waves are captured less as action than an extension of the landscape, part of the rhythms and movements of nature. Then later you see him peering through binoculars at around sunset, and the water seems eerily still...right until he notices the top of a submarine protruding unnaturally from the surface, its manufactured geometry completely incongruent with its surroundings. I think there's a similar dynamic with the hero's appearance. I always like an opportunity to bring up wardrobe, and you can see the hero moving around with ease in the early scenes, his white summer suit blending nicely into the casual, peaceful ambience. But it feels more and more out of place as the movie progresses and he grows less assured of his grasp of the situation. (One scene has him frantically waving a flashlight around in the middle of the night trying to find the submarine again, his white suit sticking out blindingly against the pitch black surface of the water and the night sky.)

These eerie rhythms culminate most powerfully in a scene near the end at a nightclub, where everyone is bathed in cold blue light, and the beats keep going and going, as does the dancing, and an environment that was once welcoming now begins to feel almost purgatorial. (The dancing of the diminutive admiral brings to mind Michael J. Anderson's moves in Twin Peaks, and the monochrome veneer of this scene evokes the Black Lodge.) The digital cinematography is definitely a boon here, as the island initially seems beautiful but never quite inviting, and as things grow more sinister, the coldness of the cinematography nicely complements the hero's increasingly unmoored feeling. (This definitely contrasts with another recent viewing, Goodbye Emmanuelle, which has a certain warmth in capturing its island setting from being shot on film.) And then there's the closing speech by the admiral, which is hard and threatening when so much of the dialogue in the earlier sections had been soft, accommodating or at worst innuendo-laden. The movie never quite explodes, but it's an appropriate note to end on, given the escalating apocalyptic quality that had built over the runtime. (Interestingly, or maybe inanely, the weather changes in the movie roughly matched the circumstances of my screening, as it was sweltering when I entered the theatre and raining as I left.)

If there's a thesis here, it's that colonial rule, no matter how well intentioned or benevolently executed, is bound to conflict with the interests of the colonized. But despite a glib early gag (a French woman cartoonishly practices a bird dance in front of the mirror), I think the languorous approach taken by the movie helps you "feel" this dynamic in a way that never feels didactic. The fact that it takes the perspective of the Magimel character helps as he's caught between the conflicting factions, and his ability to carry out his job is undermined by the institution he serves, so he's best situated to demonstrate how these things would actually play out. There's also an interesting element of queerness here, which I'm probably not that well equipped to address but I'll try anyway. I'll note that Mahagafanau is trans and her character seems to fit in as easily as the hero, while other characters like the admiral and the aforementioned French woman are somewhat covert about their homosexuality. The nightclub features scantily clad staff (male and female) so blatantly that it barely registers, yet the scenes with the most overtly heterosexual gaze (an obese man roughly fondling a topless woman, another topless woman robotically gyrating as she DJs) have a strangely unsettling quality. It's definitely something I'd like to see somebody better unpack.

Anyway, that’s all folks. See you next year.

Netflix f🎃cked up big time, you should got 'Kim Hong-seon' to do your 'resident evil' series/ movie. 

This guy made proper CRAZY survival thriller, I can't share anything without spoiling it. 

It's entertaining! Hope there's a sequel to it.

movie: Project Wolf Hunting (2022)

In Our Day (Hong Sang-soo, 2023)

On the Beach at Night Alone (2017), dir. Hong Sang-soo

Okay so I am two years too late. But I've watched Hometown Cha Cha Cha a million times and I rightfully have some thoughts.

Dusik is very masculine. But he's the soft kind of masculine. He subverts every trope of being a man without letting go of traditional masculinity, the kind we associate with those podcast men. And that's what is so beautiful about him. He's kind and understanding and doesn't shame or put down Hye Jin for Anything. Instead he sits and has a conversation with her and understands her viewpoint. And this especially comes through when Hye Jin is running and the grandmas are painting it as blasphemy. He talks to her like an adult capable of making her own choices instead of belittling her for wearing, what the grandmas thought of as "less clothes". Dusik shows that you can be traditionally masculine without being an asshole or embracing the more toxic parts of traditional masculinity. Like when he scolds the hardware store owner for not being there for HIS HEAVILY PREGNANT WIFE. And the fact that he is taking help for his mental health and IT IS SHOWN.

Now coming to Hye Jin. I absolutely loved her because she reminds me of myself. She's shy, a bit grumpy, introverted and is friendly... To her friends. She has trouble being with people and that shows in her actions and therefore she comes off as rude BUT THAT'S OKAY. She doesn't show her love through her words but through her actions and you can see that. And she's ambitious. She does what she needs to. She says only what she NEEDS to say and I need more female characters like that. She's not sunshine on a rainy day. And no one expects her to be and I doubt she will change and GOOD FOR HER. Her love and respect is earned. And you see that throughout the show. She slowly warms up to the people there. And she takes care of them in her own way. And even better? She does have an open mind. She's open to changes, she's open to listening and understanding. She's wise and she's kind (in her own way) and I love her for it.

Revenant 악귀 NG (2023) Gif

An excerpt of Writer's Interview from Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha's script book volume 2.

Q: Many readers are curious about when Dusik felt love for Hye-jin and how much he loved Hyejin. It's partly because of Dusik's trauma, but there were also scenes where Dusik's sincerity was blocked by circumstances every time he was about to say something. If it wasn't for the assailant, would Dusik have confessed to Hyejin in episodes 9-10? At the end of episode 10, when Hyejin confessed, Dusik said "Dentist, I..." was it a rejection that was meant to be said afterwards?

-

A: I would like to leave it to your judgment as to when Dusik has felt love for Hyejin. I didn't write with any specific moment in mind. However, Dusik was concerned about Hye-jin from the epilogue in episode 1, felt a deep sympathy for Hyejin when she talked about her mother in episode 4 (and he accepted the kiss at the same time), and in the epilogue of episode 5, he fell into a deep sleep and felt a sense of relief by Hyejin's presence. It would be correct to say that he was already in love at some point as it seeps in sequentially.

Until the middle of the drama, Dusik's emotional lines are not directly revealed. This is because the narrative is hidden, and Dusik is unable to be honest or outwardly expressive about his feelings. You may have felt that it was unkind or omitted. For this reason, if Dusik's love for Hyejin was expressed in a small way, it is unconditionally my negligence. I couldn't find a better way and kept it hidden in the epilogue.

However, if you watch the second half of the drama, you will be able to feel it if you look at Dusik's actions from the beginning, that every step Dusik took towards Hye-jin was courage.

And in fact, there were moments when Dusik almost mustered up his courage. It happened when he met Taehwa and Myungshin in episode 9. When Sunghyun made an implied comment to Dusik that it seemed like his acting as a boyfriend wasn't over, Dusik responded by saying, "If it looks like that, it looks like that." It is the first time for Dusik to show his feelings to others. And that night, Dusik, who was agonizing, recalled Taehwa's words and went to Hyejin. If an assailant didn't appear, Dusik might have tried to confess. But He didn't think it would have succeeded all at once. Even after going to see her with a resolute mind, Dusik must have been hesitant. In fact, after the assailant broke in, Dusik didn't confess even though he was alone with Hyejin in his house. He read the poem 'The Gatekeeper' to Hyejin and stopped at "Thus it is my job to deny my love." It was his heart that he could neither confess nor deny his love.

Even when he received Hyejin's confession in episode 10, he held on to his string of reasons at first. This is because he loves Hyejin, but he didn't dare to wish for them to be connected. I didn't think of the line after "Dentist, I...", but it's true that he was going to reject her. However, he collapsed at Hyejin's words, "I can't help it anymore.".

— Shin Ha Eun, 2021.

LA SEMAINE EN FILMS – WEEK #46

LA SEMAINE EN FILMS – WEEK #46

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And my man, thank you to my man 🩷

Branding in Seongsu

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2024

Branding in Seongsu (2024, South Korea)

Director: Jung Hun Soo

Writers: Choi Sun Mi & Jeon Seon Young

Mini-review:

Look, I'm not gonna say this was good, but it kept me engaged throughout. And it's all thanks to the two leads. They basically save the whole thing with their chemistry and their comedic chops. I was particularly impressed by Lomon, who went out of his comfort zone for this role and delivered in every single scene. The show worked better as comedy than anything else, since it was pretty funny at times. But yeah, whenever it tried to highlight serious issues, it ended up falling into the same old stereotypes. And some of the final twists made little to no sense. I don't regret watching Branding in Seongsu, though, cause the episodes were short and it never had time to get boring. But I do wish the writing and directing were as good as the acting, or less messy at the very least.

my god this movie is just insane, so glad I watched this without watching the trailer. 

It popped up on the trending page via youtube, repeated comments were watch the movie first!!! avoid trailers. 

movie: Project Wolf Hunting (2022)

In Our Day (Hong Sang-soo, 2023)