AL..'s Talk

A Bittersweet Life (Dalkomhan insaeng)

I really enjoyed this when I sat down with it last night. I picked it up as a blind buy just on the strength of the writing on the back of the sleeve and because I watch quite a bit of Korean cinema. I don't think I have any other Korean gangster films other than Infernal Affairs so I ecided to give it a whirl. Sometimes going into a film with zero expectations is the best way to see them and this has some really good action scenes and some intrestesting character developtment. The main character is very interesting, he remains calm as he goes about his work of dispatching those that have crossed him in the most serene way all the way up until the bitter end. It was refreshing to see a lot of the fighting done with knives and hand to hand combat rather than people using guns from the get go. I don't suppose many US gangster films would do that but it's just a reflection of different cultures I suppose.

Watch this if you liked Oldboy and are looking for something similar in style but not narratively. No big twist endings, just lots of pools of blood and gore which is the way I like it.

I'll do a proper review soon, I want to watch it again first though I think.

Night Train Murders

Aldo Lado, director of two superior Giallos; Short Night Or The Glass Dolls and Who Saw Her Die? directed this gruelling excursion which is in his words a metaphor for the exploitation of the lower classes by the bourgouise middle class.
Macha Meril (the psychic in Profondo Rosso) plays a manipulative, middle class, sado-masachistic nymphomaniac who boards a train and instigates games of sex, rape and torture beteween a couple of thugs and two innocent teenage girls who are travelling home to there parents.
Obvious comparisons are drawn between this film and Last House On The Left, and Lado admits taking the basic story structure. But Night Train Murders is much more than pure exploitation.
The beautiful cinematography, haunting harmonica driven Morricone score (reminiscent of Once Upon A Time In The West) and first class acting by all involved rise this above other Italian trash films of the time.
A film of rape, murder and revenge it is at once an uncomfortable, shocking but compelling viewing experience.
Irony abounds with the the one of the girls stating at the start of their journey that she would feel safer if they had a man with them. There's also an Ironic twist at the end which I can't disclose here but suffice to say not eveyone gets their just desserts.
The abuse of the girls is hightened with scenes of them beig terrorized interspersed with one of the girls parents enjoying a night with friends, oblivious to the ordeal theit daughter and friend are being put through.
I cannot recommend this film enough. But be ready for an uncomfortable ride.

Black Sheep

a good, fun romp