“This film has the middle-class turn on their own to appease the profit-takers. Capitalism is the target … It might sound political, but most of all, this is a very funny black comedy.“
Con Nats
[Score] Stars or equivalent
15 Jan
Yoo Man-su (Lee Byung-hun Squid Game) lives an idyllic life, with a beautiful wife, two children, two dogs and a job as a senior manager at a paper processing plant where he has spent 25 years. All this is disrupted when the new American owners want to cut staff. He protests before being unceremoniously retrenched.
After many attempts to apply, and beg, for a job in the dwindling paper industry Man-su realises the only way he’ll ever be employed again is to eliminate his competition. Literally. He runs a dummy job ad and sets about killing the best candidates. Being a plant manager means he makes for a bad assassin, but he has no other choice.
Korean film and tv show makers are making a distinctive splash and Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) has set the bar high. Director Park Chan-wook has made an epic effort to clear it. They don’t seem to shy away from macabre twists while making a social statement and making you feel guilty of laughing along with their charming nastiness.
Along with director of photography Mim Woo-hyung they have come up with some creative camerawork and transitions that constantly surprise. The colours are rich and barely a scene is wasted.
The acting is also outstanding. Lee Byung-hun as the lead has a way of making g you feel the despair of unemployment and the comedy of killing. Son Ye-jim as his wife, Yoo Mi-ri, is a well rounded character who enchants in every scene. Support characters all take their moments and make for a diverse range. There are a few caricatures but most have their quirks. There are some nice subtle nuances here. The youngest daughter, Soo-ri, only repeats what she hears. Alcoholism is a disease which affects all of the older characters.
There are lots of similarities to Parasite which attacked the upper-middle class. This film has the middle-class turn on their own to appease the profit-takers. Capitalism is the target.
It might sound political, but most of all, this is a very funny black comedy.
4.5 Reams of paper
Con Nats, On The Screen
