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Chan-wook Park

Stoker * Chan-wook Park (2013)

What can I say about “Stoker”? The story is one that has been filmed a thousand times. In a remote house lives a family, one of the members dies and unknown family comes to live with them; obviously up to no good. The story of “Stoker” keeps reminding of other films, is quite unimaginable and predictable. The director has made some (for the Westerner) less common films, but apparently wanted to make some easy for a Hollywood production. In a few scenes you might see less common Hollywood elements.
Then to the good news. Mia Wasikowska is the sweet and sexy daughter of the house and manages to set down the mood-changing adolescent well. Then we have the mother of the house: Nicole Kidman. Not her best part, but Kidman can play the both sweet and wrathfull mother. The best thing about “Stoker” is the camera-work. Unusual positions, strange close-ups, bright colours, that sort of stuff.
So, if you are interested in film-technique and not too much in a proper or original story and you can stand the awfull end, this slightly ‘thrillerish’ drama could be for you.

Bakjwi * Park Chan-wook (2009)

It seems that “Thirst” is the first film of Chan-Wook that I see. Inspite of what some reviewers want you to believe, I do not think that this is a really good film. It is not bad either though. A Catholic priest volunteers for an experiment and comes back with a disease well known to the horror-genre. At first it is not too obvious, but most reviews and the box give it away. As the film continues all kind of genre-clichees are amusingly mingled with the developing love-story, but the film remains a drama. Chan-wook used some strange camera work, a story with quite absurd elements and weird humour. In total it makes “Bakjwi” a nice watch, but like I said, not a particularly good film.