The Negotiation

We’ve all seen enough movies to make us think we could be hostage negotiators too. All you have to do is keep them on the phone talking, right? There’s probably a little more to it than that, like special psychological training for when a hostage is brutally murdered in front of you. Inspector Ha Chae-yoon could never get used to that part, so she tried to tender her resignation. Instead, she is assigned to hostage crisis with touchy political sensitivities in Lee Jong-suk’s The Negotiation (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.

Cha was supposed to be on vacation during the tragic opening standoff, but she duly hurried back. She will take an extended leave afterward, but neither Captain Jung, or their Superintendent, Ahn Hyuk-soo is willing to accept her resignation. She therefore has little choice when summoned for another hostage crisis, but this time she will be dealing with the hostage taker remotely from the NIS operations center.

Notorious arm dealer Min Tae-gu has taken at least two hostages: Captain Jung and Lee Sang-mok, a muckraking reporter investigating Min’s operations—at least that is what Inspector Ha is told. However, it quickly become clear the NIS is covertly involved in Min’s drama, in ways that would embarrass the agency if made public. Even though the NIS and top government officials are clearly lying to her, the Inspector will try to keep Min talking for fourteen hours, until the strike force reaches his Southeast Asian hideout.

Frankly, The Negotiation makes The Negotiator (with Kevin Spacey) look downright Pollyannaish by comparison. Thanks to its unapologetically cynical portrayal of the national government and security services, it could practically pass for a sequel to Woo Min-ho’s Inside Men. Obviously, Koreans have little to absolute zero faith and confidence in their current government, because that is vividly reflected in their recent thrillers, most definitely including The Negotiation and Inside Men.

Regardless, the film is a grand slam showcase for Son Ye-jin, who is terrific as Inspector Ha. She brings out all of Ha’s insecurities, while still maintaining her intelligence and grit. Hyun-Bin also does some of his best work to date in what is being billed as his first portrayal of a villain. Of course, Min quickly becomes a rather ambiguous figure, but he is totally riveting nonetheless. Kim Sang-ho still has his crazy Einstein look going on, but he plays Superintendent Ahn mostly straight, with only a little bit of put-upon shtick. Lee Shi-A is also quite compelling as Yoo Yeon-joo, the tragic mystery woman, whose fate looms large over the burgeoning crisis.

Yes, there is a reason why dark thrillers are one of South Korea’s top exports, along with Hyundai cars and Samsung smart phones. They are nearly always tight and tense, but distinguished by strong characters and a fatalistic sensibility. In this case, Son and Hyun-bin really power it along. Enthusiastically recommended, The Negotiation opens this Friday (9/28) in New York and New Jersey.

NYAFF ’17: The Truth Beneath

What do you get when you combine high school bullying with dirty politics? A mother’s worst nightmare. Much to her horror, Kim Yeon-hong’s missing daughter becomes an issue in her husband’s national assembly campaign in director-screenwriter Lee Kyoung-mi’s The Truth Beneath (trailer here), which screens during this year’s New York Asian Film Festival.

Initially, the Kennedy-esque Kim Jong-chan is heavily favored to oust the old, entrenched incumbent No Jae-soon, until Kim Min-jin disappears. Kim Heon-hong is understandably alarmed, but she is also frustrated her husband and his campaign staff are not more concerned. They seem to merely consider it an annoying opportunity for No to chip away at his family-values image. The good news is developments make it impossible for No to further exploit Min-jin’s disappearance. The bad news you can generally imagine. When Kim sets out looking for answers, she discovers Min-jin’s fate might be tied to secrets within both her daughter’s school and her husband’s campaign organization.

Judging from their movies, South Korean public opinion currently esteems politicians roughly on par with serial killers and men caught exposing themselves in playgrounds. Although Lee generally portrays her characters in nonpartisan terms, she clearly implies they are all corrupt on some level. Politics is a dirty business that seems to contaminate everything it touches.

Kim Yeon-hong is not exactly the Korean “Good Wife.” Despite her enthusiastic campaigning in the first act, she becomes a loose cannon soon thereafter. In a vivid and visceral performance, Son Ye-jin expresses all of Ms. Kim’s rage, guilt, and sorrow, but she is arguably such a bundle of raw nerves, it is hard to believe she can simultaneously function so efficiently as an amateur sleuth/vengeance-seeker.

Regardless, it is a bracing performance. Son also develops some appropriately complex and ambiguous chemistry with Kim Ju-hyeok’s Jong-chan. For Korean fans, it is a bit of an ironic pairing, reuniting the leads of the 2008 Korean rom-com My Wife Got Married. However, even if their professional history together means nothing to viewers, they should still appreciate the ways their on-screen relationship crashes and burns.

As thrillers go, Truth Beneath gets about as dark as the genre can get without encroaching on horror territory. Human nature is nasty, brutish, sociopathic, and well-tailored in Kim’s world, but she is a force to be reckoned with, like few we’ve ever seen before on film. Recommended for fans of cynical political thrillers, The Truth Beneath screens this Monday evening (7/3) at the Walter Reade, as part of the 2017 NYAFF.

DC K-Cinema: The Tower

It is a Christmas movie, just like Die Hard, but if you think the Nakatomi Plaza’s office party was a blast, you should see how they celebrate at the exclusive Tower Sky condo complex. Fire Captain Kang Young-ki and his men will also be invited. Kim Ji-hoon gets his Irwin Allen on in The Tower (trailer here), which screens this week as part of the Washington, DC Korean Cultural Center’s monthly K-Cinema series.

Tower Sky consists of two twin skyscrapers, making certain face-palmingly awkward parallels to the World Trade Center unavoidable. Perhaps the two towers were an attempt by screenwriters Kim Sang-don and Heo Jun-seok to differentiate the film from its transparent inspiration, The Towering Inferno. Regardless, it is something you just have to get past. Fortunately, Kim Ji-hoon takes his time, introducing us to the appealing central characters: Lee Dae-ho the operations manager for Tower Sky, his cherubic daughter Ha-na, and Seo Yoon-hee, the buildings’ food services director, whom he has long carried a torch.

Before the Christmas party, Lee warned the management too much water had been diverted from the sprinkler system. Seo subsequently alerted them the restaurants had insufficient ventilation. Someone also vaguely cautioned about possible updrafts when the helicopters were scheduled to drop the man-made snow. Of course, you can add these things together and get a massive skyscraper inferno, which is exactly what happens. Eventually, Lee will join forces with Kang, much like Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, in hopes of saving Ha-na and Seo. Unfortunately, the developer’s perverse policies and practices cause unnecessary complications at every turn.

Kim Ji-hoon sure can crash helicopters and blow-up buildings. The effects look great, even three years later (almost three decades in SFX time). The fire’s cause-and-effect details also seem pretty logical, at least during the heat of the film. Many of the buildings’ residents and staff are essentially stock characters, but this is the sort of film that can get away with that, for the sake of saving time. Obviously, the reason to see The Tower is to watch the firefighting dramatics, one hundred twenty stories in the air.

Still, Kim Sang-kyung, Son Ye-jin, and Jo Min-ah are all earnestly endearing as Lee, Seo, and Ha-na. They will make a ridiculously cute family if they can survive. On the plus side, the treatment of Lee Han-wi Elder Kim, the Evangelical lottery winner evolves in intriguing ways. Initially, he is portrayed in rather stereotypical terms, but his faith starts to give strength to the skeptical FD Sgt. Oh. Plus, Ahn Sung-ki adds his usual gravitas as the Yeoido station chief.

Less edifying are the depictions of the Fire Department Chief and Building Chairman, which are clearly intended to stoke class resentments. The idea that the Fire Department would have a “priority” rescue list is utterly laughable. No government bureaucrat would risk the potential media firestorm to save a few fat cats.

Regardless, The Tower is more massive than Backdraft when it comes to blazing effects. It also delivers plenty of heroism, in a way that will resonate for firefighter boosters. It stands up alongside Derek Kwok’s As the Lights Go Out, even though Sol Kyung-gu’s moody Kang is no match for Simon Yam, Hu Jun, or Nick Tse. With its family themes, it is a good Christmas programming choice, but the mortality rate of name characters will be way too high for little ones. Recommended for disaster movie fans, The Tower screens this coming Thursday (12/17) at the Korean Cultural Center in DC.

The Pirates: Joseon High Seas Intrigue

Why would a Korean Long John Silver start hunting Moby Dick during the early days of the Joseon Era? Captain So-ma has his reasons, including money, power, and revenge. He is not the only pirate hunting the whale that swallowed the Emperor’s new royal seal. His former first mate and a bandit nursing his own grudge get in on the chase in Lee Seok-hoon’s The Pirates (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.

The Ming Emperor has given his blessing to Yi Seong-gye’s rebooted Joseon Dynasty, as well its new name and seal. Unfortunately, when the ship carrying Yi’s emissaries back from China encountered a great mother whale and her baby, they arrogantly attacked. The new name and the ambassadors would make it back to the Imperial court, but the seal would not, having been engulfed like Jonah.

The ambassadors blame pirates and stall for time, recruiting the treasonous officer Mo Hong-gab to do all the dirty work necessary. Mo forces freshly minted pirate captain Yeo-wol to hunt down the whale, despite her misgivings. Yet, he immediately double crosses her with the So-ma, whom she recently deposed. Further complicating matters, landlubbing soldier turned bandit Jang “Crazy Tiger” Sa-jung also pursues the marked whale for mercenary reasons. However, things get personal for Jang when he encounters his old enemy, Mo (he happens to be the only one with an eye-patch, thanks to Jang).

Naval action historicals have been ruling the Korean box office in recent months, with both Pirates and The Admiral: Roaring Currents racking up over five million ticket sales, which is a significant milestone in that market. While The Admiral plays it scrupulously straight, Pirates allows for far too much mugging from pirate-deserter Chul-bong and the bandit monk. Frankly, even Jang acts strangely schticky for a fugitive-patriot with a history of showing up disloyalty.

However, when the film is aboard Yeo-wol’s ship, it is (ironically) on solid ground. There is no joking around with her. Honor and brotherhood mean something to Yeo-wol and her faithful followers. As the new captain, Son Ye-jin exhibits solid action chops and a smoldering presence, bringing to mind her dazzling work in Open City.

Likewise, Lee Kyoung-young is great fun to watch chewing the scenery as her mentor and nemesis. Kim Tae-woo also makes an effective villain, opting for an icier, menacing approach for Mo. The one-named K-pop star Sulli brings some charismatic earnestness to the proceedings as Yeo-wol’s protégé, but there is just too much of the rubber-faced Yu Hae-jin and his fellow goofy land bandits.

Call it the curse of Jack Sparrow. When making a film about pirates, comic relief seems like an essential ingredient, but what we really want are more heroic women action figures, exactly like Yeo-wol. (Let’s forget about Cutthroat Island—please). Although it is more than two hours before the closing credits roll, Lee keeps it moving along rather briskly. He stages some suitably swashbuckling action spectacles and cinematographer Kim Young-ho’s underwater scenes are impressive. Recommended for fans of Son and high seas adventure, The Pirates opens this Friday (9/12) in New York at the AMC Empire.