Ah-ga-ssi (2016) Reviews

• Masterclass Cinema

  ctowyi2016-07-07

  This is hands down the most perfect film I have seen so far this year. I gave a score of 5/5 to movies like The Revenant, Spotlight and The Songs We Sang. But even with these excellent films I can always find a spot that doesn't quite sit right with me. With The Handmaiden, it is perfect; every frame handcrafted to perfection. Even with 4min of explicit sex taken away by my country's dumb censors, this is still perfect every way I see it. Auteur Park Chan-Wook's The Handmaiden is a superb exercise in form, structure and tone. With the latter, Park (Oldboy & Joint Security Area) has achieved something extraordinary. If any scene were to linger a few seconds longer or he had decided to focus on a certain issue, the film would have veered off to a different territory. As it is, and with all the major characters' kooky off-kilter portrayals, I can't pinpoint whether I was watching something real or abstract. I was also kept in awe by the intricate and resplendent set- design which suggests something dark and Gothic is working the undercurrents. There are of course some serious girl on girl action but that never encroaches into the spine of the story. Adapting Sarah Waters' Fingersmith, a Victorian tale awash with all manner of Dickensian motifs, Park spins an engrossing tale that ebbs and flows with a Hitchcockian suspense; it withholds as much as it discloses; it is an erotic tale that beats with raw fervour. It is at once a love story but also a menagerie showcasing human beings in their vilest forms. Park's finger hovers over all the buttons, teasing us gleefully but it is with the ultimate restraint that he never descends down to the usual tropes. The story is divided into three chapters; each told from a different character's perspective. The structure is Rashomon-esque but Park puts his own stamp on it. The film may be nearly 2.5 hours but I hardly moved in my seat; my senses kept spellbound as each twist hits me hard. When it ended I couldn't believe 2.5 hours have whizzed by. The plot is pulsating and it never lets up. There is even an octopus in it! This is definitely the most perfect film I have seen this year. You may not agree with me but for me this is cinema of the masterclass level. It's sexy time!

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• Sublime cinema - like Hithcock with the extremity of Oldboy and the sexual candour of Blue is the Warmest Colour.

  sossevarvo2016-07-22

  I consider Park Chan-Wook to be among the greats of cinema, alongside Scorsese, Tarantino, Fellini, Truffaut, Coppola, Tarkovsky and Nolan. So I had huge expectations going in, and boy, they were met. TheHandmaiden is a masterpiece in pretty much every sense. It is visually exquisite, Costumes, production design, cinematography, music, all combine to create a lush vision of Japan-occupied Korea in the 1930s. Park Chan-Wook is a visually meticulous filmmaker and no film so far of his has showcased his knack for visual storytelling better than the Handmaiden. I went into this film totally blind, which I honestly recommend all people doing, because the plot itself unfolds in such a beautifully engineered fashion. My best description of the film is a Rebecca-like Hitchcockian thriller with the extremity and depravity of films like Oldboy and Battle Royale, and the humanistic sexuality of Blue is the Warmest Colour. All actors are stunning in this film. The two women share an honest, tender romance that is both passionate and moving, with a refreshing candour about the nature of sexuality that is almost never seen in Hollywood productions. The Count is an incredibly charismatic performer who remains appealing despite his many despicable acts. But as always with a Park Chan-Wook film, the real star is the director himself. The way in which this story is crafted is nothing short of engrossing. The outrageous, depraved, sexy, fascinating plot is crafted through multiple perspectives, dashing across back and forth in time, to masterfully reveal key plot points across a never less than spellbinding two hour run time. Some would say the film is slow, but I felt as though the extended running time worked in the film's favour, in order to build character to the extent that the finale for the film feels momentously epic, a real feat considering the movie showcases only four key characters. I was utterly engrossed by this beautifully made film.

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• Just amazing

  tenshi_ippikiookami2016-08-05

  "The Handmaiden" is a crazily imaginative and beautiful movie by Chan-wook Park, who is at the top of his game in this story of a pickpocket that tries to steal the fortune of a naive, innocent rich woman that has been secluded in a mansion in the middle of nowhere. Of course, things will start to get complicated soon enough. Chan-wook Park has done a great job in adapting the original novel by Sarah Waters, and mixing it with the history of the Japanese invasion of Korea at the beginning of the twentieth century. The plot is a little bit silly sometimes, but Chan-wook Park makes it all tight and fast-paced, and even the most silly moment becomes a moment of beauty and fun. From the first moment, the viewer will be enthralled by the story of these two women and their relationship, and every plot development will just add fun to the whole. If the plot and the direction weren't amazing enough, the movie is as beautiful as they come. From the darkest moment, the most violent, to the most intimate, beauty transpires in every frame, and every scene comes to life and threatens to pop and break free from the screen. This is helped by the amazing work of all the cast, who does an incredible job in bringing this tale to life (it could be criticized, though, some of the heavily accented Japanese, for characters that are supposed to be able to pass as them). All in all, "The Handmaiden" is proof that a movie can have a plot, amazing direction, acting, scenery, craziness and the most beautiful package possible. And even if it is almost two hours and a half long, it feels like a breeze. You will fall in love with this movie. Just plain great.

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• Park Chan-wook crafts another masterpiece!

  wcoleparks2016-06-21

  When going into a movie by one of your favorite directors, it is easy to set high expectations. Rarely does the film fully meet those expectations, but when it does it is something special. Such is the case with Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden (Mademoiselle). He has crafted an intricately woven tale of love and betrayal that highlights everything he can do so well from heightened sexual tension to gorgeous imagery. The film, which is an adaptation of the novel The Fingersmith, revolves around a woman who is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress. This is the very basic summary to a film that has a lot of depth underneath the surface and requires the audience's attention throughout the film. And as the plot goes on we discover the newly hired handmaiden may have some ulterior motives along with many of the other characters. Nothing is revealed too quickly and the film is split into a three-part structure that slowly pieces things together through flashbacks. It also uses a storytelling device that is typically owned by Tarantino where the same scene is shown from multiple perspectives and each adds a new layer to the story. All of these devices are used to full effect and create surprising twists on par with Park Chan-wook's Oldboy. What is immediately apparent from the start of the film is how well Park Chan-wook's aesthetic fits into the time period. His eye for gorgeous shots and camera angles makes the house in the film look like a work of art. The grounds around the house are also highlighted so well. Wide shots and lingering camera movements let you appreciate every little detail on screen and marvel at the beauty of it all. The score also fits in perfectly with the time period. It is never bombastic and always subtle, and perfectly captures the mood and feeling of each scene. Whether an intimate moment between the two women or a heated exchange between characters it's hard to realize how great the score is because of how organic it feels. Framing is also a very important addition to the story. Through the use of mirrors and reflections, Park Chan-wook suggests the double-sided nature of the characters. Also, he often obstructs part of the frame with an object and hides characters behind walls or glass to suggest we may not really see everything that is going on before us. This aspect of the film in particular I feel will only get better with subsequent viewing when you can understand all of characters motivations and desires. One thing that Park Chan-wook did so well with Stoker was creating a palpable feeling of sexual tension without using nudity or anything overtly sexual. In this film he succeeds with that throughout the entire film. Every look and every glance the two woman share conveys a longing and desire that permeates the whole film. In this film however, he continues that passion past suggestion into full on sex. There are multiple scenes with extended nudity but they are all filmed so artfully and sympathetically it always feels warranted. The scenes never feel awkward or exploitative and always are tasteful and almost poetic. Somehow despite what I was watching I still found myself admiring the camera-work and beautiful cinematography. One thing that surprised me in the film and I have not seen in Park Chan-wook's other work is the humor. It was never slapstick and usually more circumstantial, but the whole audience laughed out loud on numerous occasions. He showed a surprisingly great understanding of timing and every joke landed. One scene in particular dealt with suicide and could have come across as insensitive or callous. Due to the perfect timing, it was hilarious and even further developed the relationship between the characters. During the last act of the film, it does get unusually violent. There is a torture scene that seems out of place with the rest of the film. Though effective in its own right and thoroughly thrilling, it didn't sit right with me due to how subtle the rest of the film had been. This is a film that really stays with you and will take multiple viewing to really appreciate the complex story. The first film I have seen in a long time where I continued to think about it throughout the day and had multiple conversations about all aspects of the film. With The Handmaiden, Park Chan-wook has crafted a film that fully displays the craft and technical prowess he can show and it includes a story that that only gets better the more you think about it. The Handmaiden (2016) Directed by: Park Chan-wook Screenplay by: Seo-Kyung Chung, Park Chan-wook Starring: Jung-woo Ha, Min-hee Kim, Jin-woong Jo, Tae Ri Kim Run Time: 2 hour 25 minutes

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• Not Old Boy, but that's OK

  etismyname-093182016-07-16

  Sex. One of the most overused element in cinema and often mis-used and unnecessary. I was concerned when this movie is announced, a mis-used sex scene could make the movie feels cheap. This movie did manage to get it quite right.There were scenes of sexual attractions in many parts of the movie but it did not take away all other elements that were done well in the movie. Thematically beautiful, the mansion itself is split half between a western and Japanese. The costume design and cinematography are perfect. The west : grand and luxury; The Japanese : Clean, simple elegant design. The story can be summed up as a hero saving a princess and is split into 3 parts. I loved the first two parts, the third part was the only disappointing part where the plot was predictable and not as interesting and it being the last part makes the movie fell short. The music is perfect. Just like Old Boy, music is more crucial than other movies. Old Boy is a movie that would make you think of a modernized hero revenge movie that is both realistic and unbelievable. The music have strong presence to help build up that world. Same goes with this movie as it is also a very realistic setting (you know the period of time it is based upon, the characters motives are clear and their actions are) yet with some very unbelievable events when you add everything together. It isn't a perfect movie, I saw some editing that could be improved here and there. The last part was also a small disappointment for myself. But it is a damn unique movie that you have to watch.

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