Posted on 12/30/2019 3:54:51 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
When Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” became the first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, it was the worthy culmination of a stellar career.
The South Korean master has rattled off gem after gem with a modern monster movie of “Jaws” meets “Godzilla” in “The Host” (2006), a sci-fi social commentary about class divides on an action-packed speeding train in “Snowpiercer” (2013), and a young girl’s adventure to save her beastly friend from a multinational corporation in “Okja” (2017).
This week, his latest and arguably greatest work “Parasite” finally received the overdue American affirmation it deserves, winning Best Film from the Washington Area Film Critics Association and becoming just the second foreign-language film ever (after Roberto Benigni’s “Life is Beautiful”) nominated for the top prize at the SAG Awards.
The story juxtaposes two families of vastly different economic means. The poor Kim family consists of jaded patriarch Ki-taek (Song Kang-ho), hardworking wife Chung-sook (Chang Hyae-jin), sarcastic daughter Ki-jung (Park So-dam) and lazy son Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik). They live in squalor, folding pizza boxes just to make a little dough.
One day, the son’s college-bound friend introduces them to a wealthy family in need of a tutor, the Parks, consisting of tech C.E.O. father Dong-ik (Lee Sun-kyun), oblivious wife Yeon-gyo (Cho Yeo-jeong), rebellious daughter Da-hye (Jung Ziso) and artistic young son Da-song (Jung Hyeon-jun). One by one, the Kims get closer to the Parks, posing as unrelated individuals in the hopes of getting a taste of the luxurious lifestyle.
To say any more would be a crime. The script, co-written by Joon-ho and Han Jin-won, is so tightly wound with extra layers that there’s no sense in spoilers. Whatever you do, don’t read anything else about the plot...
(Excerpt) Read more at wtop.com ...
I considered seeing this movie, but the very title:
“Parasites”, was a disturbing, disgusting turn off.
I know it’s superficial, but no, I didn’t wish to pay about $15.00 to ‘watch Parasites’. No thank you.
Not that I would ever condone such a thing
Thanks for the option, but I’ll pass for now.
The Korean film industry has progressed a great deal.
Train to Busan was a very good suspense/horror movie. Also very good was The Host
I loved the South Korean zombie flick “Train to Busan”
And “Castaway on the Moon” about a guy that tries to suicide by jumping into the Han river but ends up stranded on a island bird refuge is hilarious.
The first half of the movie is good, the second half.. meh.
That movie, (Bird Refuge) I would like to see.
Snowpiercer was a horrible movie w/r/t being a serious movie or serious message movie. The premise is incredibly stupid.
Sounds familiar. I’ll have to watch it.
K Dramas make up at least 65% of what I watch on TV... God Movies. Afford them some time if youre able!!
its older but check out Man from Nowhere!!
I loved “Parasite”.
God Movies = Good Movies! sorry!!
That’s really dumb. Sorry.
Great movie. I forget the little girl’s name but she is a very good actress.
We watched it on netflix many years ago, it’s a 2009. I don’t see it being streamed anywhere easy to access.
I liked Yongary.
That’s a good one, too.
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