Gabi / <가비 - 加比> 2012

Directed by: Jang Yoon-hyeon / 장윤현
Release date: March 2012

It is 1877 and political intrigue is about to begin for little Tanya when her father, a Korean national, is killed by assassins in their house in Russian Manchuria. She and the family servant boy, Ilyich, grow up in Russia multi-lingual, do a lot of things (join bandit gangs, rob trains, steal coffee beans, get lined up before firing squads) and end up working for Japan. It is 1896 and Tanya is sent as a spy to the Russian legation in Seoul where Ko-jong, the king of Korea, is living under the protection of the Russians. The king loves this new-fangled beverage, coffee (the “gabi” of the title), and she is hired to prepare and serve it to him. Meanwhile her lover Ilyich ends up working for the Japanese military in Korea. A lot of intrigue follows, with spies from all sides competing against each other, plots to poison the king set up and foiled, people assassinated, militia’s battling, a lot happens. Will Tanya's and Ilyich's loyalty return to Korea? Will they ever be together? 

Gabi is a sumptuous and engaging film to watch but it is rather too long (115 minutes), with an extremely complicated plot, and often the action gets repetitious – the film could have used some careful editing to shorten it and tighten up the plot. A great deal of the film’s dialog takes place either in Russian or Japanese, which is historically accurate and therefore kind of cool. The computer-generated vistas of late 19^th century Korean urban spaces are eye-catching. Be sure to drink coffee while watching and enjoy all the gorgeous 19^th-century coffee cups featured in the film. 

My take:  4 stars

Two palace women, barista Tanya, hotelier Sonya,

and translator all attend on the Russian legate

and the Korean king for a coffee date.

Pong-ddol / <뽕똘> 2011

Directed by: Oh Muel / 오멸
Release date: August 2011

An actor from Seoul is traveling on Cheju Island and answers to a poster for actors wanted. First he is put off by the eccentric director, cast, and film crew but then he gets caught up in their pure enthusiasm for the project, a film to be called Fishing Film, about a very big fish. There is no screenplay, no camera engineer, no budget, and for a while no camera, but the shooting goes on … sort of.

Definitely an indie film but one which showcased, for the first three-fourths of the film, director Oh’s deft control of humor and timing. The high point of the film, for me, was the absurd after-thirty-years-in-a-boat scene being filmed in a parking lot – I literally laughed till I cried. The film begins to drag and loose its humor toward the end, for example, the chase scene seemed way too long. I could not help thinking that the director could have done a better conclusion.  

My take: 4 stars

In the director’s "office", the actor waits his turn 

while the producer and director audition the lead actress

(Kim Min-hyeok, Lee Kyeong-joon, Yang Jeong-won, and Jo Eun).

Passerby #3 / Rainbow / <레인보우> 2010

Directed by: Shin Su-won / 신수원
Release date: November 2010

The gift of a digital movie camera inspired Kim Ji-wan to quit her high-school teaching job and aim at directing films. She scores an internship in a production company but things do not run smoothly in this production-line atmosphere. The committee in charge continually finds fault with all of her ideas and each of her screenplays—first they tell her her ideas are not commercial enough, then they advise her to find her own "true colors". Meanwhile at home her son Si-yeong is becoming a rebellious adolescent and her long-suffering husband Sang-woo is tired of her dead-end aspirations.

This film is a joyful riff on the creative impulse. The humor is whimsical, the characters engaging, and the storyline upbeat but never sappy. 

My take: 5 stars!

A species of duet: son (Baek So-myeong) on the guitar,

mom (Park Hyun-young) on the keyboard.

Cyrano Agency / <시라노; 연애조작단> 2010

Directed by: Kim Hyeon-seok, 김현석
Release date: September 2010

The Cyrano Agency works behind the scenes to arrange encounters for their clients with strangers, and feed them their lines for these encounters over whisperers, which will lead to love and marriage. Some clients mumble their way through their lines … and get their girl! Other clients flub their lines and make a fool out of themselves … and still they get their girl!

An interesting premise, but the film fails to convince and the implausibility of the plot itself quickly palls. The cinematography and the lighting were extremely well done! Too bad the storyline did not achieve the same levels. 

My take: 1 star

A new client (Song Sae-byeok) is interviewed by a
Cyrano Agency staff member (Park Sin-hye) – he wants to
find love with the pretty barista he saw in a coffee shop.