Tearing through movies like there's no tomorrow.
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The Letter 1929
Not as smooth as the 1940 retelling but pleasingly pared down, which means it gets to the heart of the matter without any unnecessary flimflam. Yes, it’s an early talkie and therefore very rough around the edges, but I was gripped, not least by an entertaining main performance of a character who is unambiguously self-serving.
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The Big Boss 1971
An unsophisticated yarn about a bunch of oppressed workers whose gullibility tests credulity to stretching point. If I’m sufficiently invested in a story that happens to feature kung fu, I’m happy, but between each fight sequence, The Big Boss tried my patience. Still, the main man is incredibly charismatic, and his mixed martial arts skills are something to behold.
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Joint Security Area 2000
Even the conspicuous dubbing of Lee Young-ae’s English dialogue (and the stilted performances of two European actors) can’t dampen the power of this deeply humanistic story about a geographical, political, ideological and cultural nexus point, where North and South Korea meet. And at the heart of this particular zone are people, not monoliths, a point which Park Chan-wook, elegantly sums up with a single photograph – a picture that is genuinely worth a thousand words.
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One Million Yen Girl 2008
You can run as swiftly and far from your past as you might but you’ll never outrun yourself. And remember, it’s quite possible there’s someone back home who needs you.
This is an outwardly fluffy little drama, in which personal shame weighs heavy upon the slender shoulders of its protagonist, who nods and smiles at everyone she meets, always deflecting, never speaking of what torments her.
Sometimes, it’s easier to be the stranger in town than it is to be the person everyone thinks they know.