Progress Report: 썸데이, Episodes 1-7

Progress Report provides ongoing impressions of serial television shows and movies as I view them.

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Open reaching the DVD menu screen for Someday and hearing a pleasant bossa nova influenced song, I instinctively knew that I'd probably like where the show was going to take me. The first two episodes or so are spent introducing the various characters: a missing-persons finder, a successful psychologist and manga fan, a successful content producer and a one-time award winning Zainichi comic book artist.

The story itself actually appears split its focus, but I think the main emotional arcs go to the emotionally distant artist, who, after retiring from drawing, follows a neighborhood mystery to Korea at the behest of her grandmother. There, she encounters the psychologist, who becomes smitten (and starry eyed as a fanboy) and the psychologist hires the idealistic people finder to help her research the mystery. The producer, an Unlucky Longtime Friend of the psychologist also ends up finding consolation with the "hunter" (who obviously has chemistry with the artist) as both watch as the doc attempts to work his charm on the loveless artist. In the meantime, mysteries regarding the hunter and the artist's past respective pasts begin developing.

Immediately, it's clear that this drama won't follow conventions of more typical Korean soaps from the more realistically lit photography and the more natural acting to the character driven story arcs. Likewise, the story isn't entirely about romances, although its clearly a point of tension and conflict in the story as each character grapples with a different aspect of romantic love. Rather, the story appears to be just as interested in how past traumas affect the present person and a pursuit of healing from past wounds.

It's quite refreshing and while the latest turn of events in episode 7 raises the stakes a little, and closer into mainstream drama territory, I think that the overall story is interesting enough to keep me watching, even though the first couple episodes didn't grab in the way that more mainstream dramas do.

Inbox:Replay: Dogma

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

Replay revisits movies and shows that I have seen in the past.

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I think I watched Dogma while on a moving watching spree during my more temporally flexible college years. I remember finding it rather amusing, even if at times it rubbed me the wrong way. I think after having some time pass by, I still appreciate much of the humor involved, but I find even more problematic about the overall film, while still enjoying it at a basic level.

The premise has a women, abortion clinic worker, Bethany, ( Linda Fiorentino) charged with a mission to stop two errant exiled angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) from exploiting a loophole in doctrinal theology and entering heaven, thereby negating the will of God and ending all of existence. This mission, on both sides, draws a lot of players including demons, angels, dead people and Jay and Silent Bob.

Writer-director Kevin Smith is surely a Catholic, which his knowledge of the church, but one that doesn't necessarily fall in line with the doctrine of the church, while still considering himself a member of it. His humor usually exists in an extrapolation of the arcane finer points of theology that theologians and seminarians often find themselves engrossed in (angels dancing on a pinhead-type), but also takes broad jabs at mainstream elements of the Christian faith. The quest itself is a sort of discovery of faith for Bethany, but a faith that is different from the one that she practiced while not believing.

And much of the story itself is convincing, even if just a little simple. I think part of the problem lies in how Smith opens the film, with a huge disclaimer that everything he has to say in the film shouldn't be taken seriously, but then he proceeds to throw didactic rant after rant at the tenants of the church as well as religion in general, while still seeming to care about it. It seems like he was too afraid to say what he wanted to say and sort of retracts it via his disclaimer and yet throws in all sorts of (somewhat reasonable) contentions with elements of the faith even going to make some boneheaded distinction between "belief" and "idea", which becomes part of the larger message of the film. If he's going to make a message film, no matter how I feel about the message, he should be confident enough in it to not have to throw out some disclaimer.

I think that's what ultimately made me lose a little respect for this film. I have no problem watching didactic films or films that hold an opposing viewpoint than mine, especially if they're done well and tell a compelling story in the process, but having the film tell conflicting messages when it's being unabashedly didactic just seems a little craven.

The rest of the elements of the film are predictably decent for a Kevin Smith comedy. The acting is good (lending to the comedy) and the usual View Askew players are out in full force. The directing, while not subtle, is effective and the rest of the production credits are plenty adequate. Smith does an excellent job of painting his twisted little universe well, creating a believable world where a little bit of religious fantasy can take place.

Dogma is a funny film. I did appreciate a lot of the verbal comedy, even though some might just find it to be too much talking to be amusing. And it does bring with it an amount of insight, especially insofar as people need to grapple with their faith. I think my larger problem is just how it largely contradicts its own message over the course of the film with its serious pontification against its disclaimer and creates a nebulous (and verbose) dichotomy between "belief" and "ideas" upon which to judge the different religious concepts. It's frustrating. And for this, I can't like it as much as I did when I was younger. Not saying that it's not without merit, but Smith's refusal to stick to anything he's saying really punches holes in his statement in the film. 7/10.

Links:

• Feature website
• Available at Amazon (Blu Ray) / (DVD)

Inbox: 웰컴투 동막골

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

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The first thing that occurred to me when I was watching Welcome to Dongmakgol was that I was watching a Hayao Miyazaki film. This was simply because of the score and the setting, a near-magical isolated village, complete with folk lanterns and strange wildlife. That, and most notably, the fantastic score, which was composed by frequent Miyazaki collaborator, Joe Hisashi. But, despite some similar atmospheric elements to Miyazaki's oeuvre, the film is very much a Korean film.

Set during the Korean war, two small groups of soldiers, North and South, respectively end up in very isolated Korean village in the mountains, in addition to a UN pilot who crashed there. When the two groups discover each other in the antiquated village (most of whom have never seen a gun before) a tense standoff occurs, which results in misfortune for the village. Driven by guilt (or responsibility), these two enemy groups have to learn to work together to fix their mistake. Meanwhile, the UN forces get antsy for their missing planes (which seem to mysteriously vanish over that mountain) and suspect a North Korean anti-aircraft base to be located on the mountain.

While the story isn't without its logical hiccups, it's still a well told fantastic anti-war film, having the isolation in the village force all sides to have to deal with the humanity of the other. The film, based on a play by notable Korean screenwriter/playwright, Jang Jin, features a sense of humor characteristic of Jang's style, melting both the serious with the comic and criss-crossing genre lines as necessary. It's largely successful in this regard and the small plot holes are easily overlooked. Unfortunately, the near cartoonish UN villains (which includes a Korean man as the ignored conscience, along with some Korean goons) don't get the benefit of a nuanced portrayal.

The picture looks fantastic, along with a couple surreal seaming fantasy sequences which fortunately disguise the weaknesses of some of the special effects. The art/production direction is quite enjoyable to view and I obviously don't have to repeat the merits of Hisashi's score. The direction itself is good as well. The acting, on the part of the Korean actors is strong, except where the characters are shallowly written. The American actors on the other hand are largely cartoons and hard to believe, even within the context of the movie. The lead American, Captain Smith (Steve Taschler), comes off a little better than his one-off peers, but his acting is uneven; whether it's due to his acting skills or his character's limited portrayal, I'm uncertain.

Welcome to Dongmakgol has a lot going for it, especially its mix-up of fun, fantasy, comedy and drama, as well as its admirable message of harmony and unity. I found the fantastic elements a little ungainly, but the fantastic atmosphere was very well embellished, and drawing in Joe Hisashi was a stroke of genius for the film. While the film has some minor logical hiccups and treats its villains with much less nuance than its protagonists, it still remains a largely enjoyable yarn and worth watching for those that appreciate this sort of film. 7/10.

Links:

• Additonal Reviews: Hangul Celluloid, Koreanfilm.org
• Available at YesAsia (Blu Ray) / (DVD)

Inbox:Replay: Fargo

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

Replay revisits movies and shows that I have seen in the past.

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The Coen brothers are true specialists in a kind of crime drama that they've honed and perhaps perfected. While it treads along similar ground as No Country for Old Men and The Man Who Wasn't There, Fargo stands as one of their most classic works.

The setup has a Minnesotan man, Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), hire a couple of shady characters (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his own wife and ransom her against her wealthy, but stingy father. The gears are set into motion and, being a Coen brothers crime drama, things go several kinds of awry. Once people start showing up dead, a very pregnant local police chief, Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand) gets pulled into the investigation as everything falls apart.

I think one thing I really appreciate about this era of the Coen's work is their hands-off approach to dealing with problems in the human condition, but another thing I really appreciate is the warmth of humanity present in the character of Marge and her relationship with her husband and coworkers, acting as a counterpoint to the failing mess of the other characters, who all inevitably will be undone by their ambitions and need to look out for themselves. The film manages to weave in so many observations about humanity, a good amount of inky black comedy and a little suspense into a tight sub-100 minute runtime. That's an accomplishment!

Technically, the film isn't the high-gloss stuff of mainstream Hollywood blockbusters, but its somewhat roughshod values fit with its smaller-film character well. Compliments to the leads and supporting actors, who carry their roles well and make compelling characters, overcoming the potential for distraction in the characters' Minnesotan accents. The film is a little minimal in terms of music and other production elements, but again, I think it really suits the character of the film and its tight, focused look at the internal foils of humanity.

I think watching Fargo again has only deepened my previously strong appreciation for it. The Coens manage to tell a small story with great insight into the human condition, with both humor and seriousness and still manage to stick a little hope in there as well. Absolutely recommended watching. 9/10.

Links:

• Available at Amazon (Blu Ray) / (DVD) and iTunes

Writer Chronicles: My Girlfriend, Victory

Writer Chronicles records my observations in my life as a screenwriter.

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This past Friday, I just finished the first draft of the first feature screenplay that I've written that I don't totally hate. While I was writing the draft, to encourage myself to write, I decided that I wouldn't cut my hair or shave until I was done. This has lead me to be in the hairiest form of my entire life.

But the strangest thing that happened while working on my script, currently titled Victory Lee Saves the World, was that it became a very significant part of my everyday life. In some ways, my script became my girlfriend. Let me explain:

Every day, after work, or just all day during the weekends, I would spend with my script on my mind, even the days when I wasn't able to write or was not productive at writing. Every day, after work, I'd come home to my script, waiting to be written. It just became a constant presence in my life and it was comforting to know that Victory would be waiting for me whenever I got home. Victory became something that I'd look forward to seeing, even if we were having problems and weren't able to communicate.

Being done with the draft then, is kind of like breaking up with a girlfriend. Suddenly, I find myself going home with a gnawing emptiness waiting for me. It used to be that I'd go home and know that I had a script to work on, even if I were to procrastinate. I find myself unsure of what to do when I get home with the cavern of free time that had opened up and find myself wasting a lot of time because I don't have anything to focus on when I'm idle. And I feel kind of empty inside, having given up so much into this script.

It's not a perfect analogy, but my script did feel like a living, breathing presence in my life, changing every day, growing and adapting, struggling with me as we worked together to tell the story therein. And so, in that way, Victory became a huge part of my life. Now, it's not like I'm entirely done with Victory. We're on the break, while I gather myself for a second draft. In the meantime, I might spend some time writing the first draft of Driving School, but Victory will probably always remain in my memory as my first (screenplay) love.

Inbox: 마이걸

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

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So far, every Korean drama that I've watched to completion has come from 2006. My Girl continues that pattern. It takes a little while to become bearable, hits a good stride and then gets a little mired towards the end, but, despite some of its weaknesses, I find it to be humorous and the plot to be drawing enough that I was able to overlook its problems and finish the show.

My Girl deals with the typical Korean drama setup of a spunky poor girl, swindler Ju Yurin (Lee Dahae, and a haughty rich boy, luxury hotel heir Seol Gongchan (Lee Dongwook), as the Official Couple, driven together by the contrivances of fate. In this case, the setup deals with a deathbed wish by Gongchan's grandfather to find his long lost granddaughter, Gongchan's cousin. Desperate to find her, but running out of time, Gongchan, who comes to know Yurin through a series of incidents in the first couple episodes, offers Yurin a large amount of money to be his fake cousin, due to the similarity in her appearance to his late aunt. Complicating the picture some more are Gongchan's ex, a tennis pro named Kim Saehyun (Park Sihyeon) and Gongchan's playboy best friend, Seo Jungwoo (Lee, Joonki).

I have to say that I found the characters to be far from enticing at the start, especially the hyper/near crazy protagonist, Ju Yurin, whether it was due to Lee Dahae's extreme overacting and mugging for the camera (this might have been the writers, the Hong sisters, or the director's fault). Once the plot gets more serious (at the end of episode two) and her character reduces in exaggerations, it becomes a lot more bearable. I found that when the comedy and drama are well blended and balanced, the story moves along well. And while the comedy isn't particularly insightful, I found it quite amusing when it wasn't being overplayed. Likewise, while the situation is a little contrived, the dramatics are generally believable enough until the whole situation hits an overload point near the end and then starts to feel a little drawn out, with one too many musical "angst" reaction shot montages.

But, there's enough to like once the show gets into it, like the intentionally cheesy overblown romance of a pair of supporting characters. I also like that none of the antagonists are made into true monsters, but rather remain somewhat likable, even to the end. All the same, My Girl doesn't avoid a lot of the pitfalls of soaps and I wondered just how many times I could watch near-miss coincidences before my suspension of disbelief would end. On the other hand, the drama appears to also be aware of many of the more contrived clichés often found in its ilk and pokes fun of and plays with these conventions, both in plot and via a pair of supporting characters that tend to comment to our protagonist's face about the situations she finds herself in.

Production-wise, My Girl adopts the high-gloss bright/warm lighting soap look of its high profile drama peers and thanks to its high-society setting, the costumes are very fashionable, as well as the sets and production design. I found the acting to be adequate, for the most part, especially once Yurin's character becomes less unbelievably manic and the story buckles down. The music primarily consists of probably about five or six K-pop songs repeated ad nauseum. At one point, I found myself absolutely stuck on the music (even though I didn't particularly like it) and then I hated it for being overplayed and kept oscillating between the two.

I don't think My Girl is an unqualified success. I do think that when it's good, it's highly enjoyable entertainment, but it doesn't escape the frustrating pitfalls of its dramatic peers and the extremely exaggerated character of Ju Yurin in the first couple episodes is terribly off-putting. It also loses a lot of steam due to being mired in its dramatic plot, and, while the ending is a happy one, getting there can be a touch frustrating. While it's not of the highest caliber of storytelling, acting, writing or direction, it boasts good production and more of the good in Korean dramas than the bad, making it a more enjoyable excursion into Korean drama land than not. 7/10.

Links:

• Series website
• Watch for free at DramaFever and Hulu
• Available at Amazon and YesAsia

Inbox: 영화는 영화다

Inbox features items that I have recently purchased or received.

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Rough Cut, whose Korean title translates into "A Movie Is a Movie" is an interesting film because of its naturally reflexive premise. It's even more surprising because it's written by Kim Kiduk and it really doesn't resemble any of his films. With the cinephilic set-up of a film within a film and a hybrid drama/crime core, the film manages to provide an entertaining couple hours, even if it falls short of its reflexive potential of making the audience think about the image that they're seeing on the screen.

The story follows Soota (a play on the word "star", played by Kang Jihwan), an actor with a mean streak, who beats up a co-star and puts him in the hospital, and now, because of his behavior, no one wants to star opposite him. Fortunately (or perhaps, unfortunately), Gangpae (a play on the Korean words for "gangster", played by So Jiseob), a gangster and a fan of Soota, who the production ran into earlier isn't so afraid of Soota. He agrees to co-star in the movie on the condition that all the fights are real.

From there we follow the two characters, Soota and Gangpae as they try to work together on the movie and follow the difficulties in their own personal lives, as Soota deals with scandals and Gangpae deals with rival gangs and in-gang politics. As they grow together in the production, their camaraderie (not exactly friendship) begins to change them. While the first character we meet is Soota, I think the real story falls on So Jiseob's Gangpae, who finds an alternative to his old life in the movies and struggles with those two halves in himself. Soota is beset with learning to overcome his star persona and it's not quite as compelling. Unfortunately, with all the potential for themes of reality/fiction built into the premise, the film only skirts its potential and mostly sticks to the basics of the story, which, is pretty entertaining as far as simple drama goes, but is a little disappointing that it doesn't go further into the inner conflicts in both of our protagonists. Consequently, the interesting statement that could be made by the last fight scene is dulled just a little.

So Jiseob is the real find in this film, somehow effortlessly playing his gangster character with both extreme cool and a deep sense of conflict. He manages to put a hefty amount of emotion to his frequently straight face/body mannerisms that I came off quite impressed. Other members of the case do all right, although the characters aren't written as interestingly. On the other hand, the production values are fantastic. The film looks slick, sounds slick, oozes great lighting and camerawork. Director Jang Hun and the rest of the crew are certainly due another picture.

What Rough Cut comes down to is an entertaining drama + crime drama with bits of action in it. It does brush on some more interesting concepts built into its premise, but never really delves into them at any length, leading the film not to live up to its potential, but what it does live up to is still quite engaging, even if just to watch So Jiseob be a badass. So, despite the fact that there was a whole lot more story to be potentially told, I was still fairly satisfied with Rough Cut and can give it a recommendation for folks that like some drama or crime drama with a few decent fight scenes thrown in. 8/10.

Links:

• Additional Reviews: Koreanfilm.org
• Available at MrKwang and YesAsia