this week in film and television

MEMORIES & MURDERERS

Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho) is searching for his missing daughter in THE HOST

THE FILMS OF BONG JOON-HO
BAMcinématek
BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
February 25 – March 1
718-636-4100
www.bam.org

In 2006, South Korean writer-director Bong Joon-ho burst onto the international cinematic landscape with the sleeper hit THE HOST, a modern-day monster movie with a lot of heart. He followed that up with the touching segment “Shaking Tokyo” in the compilation film TOKYO! and now is back with the highly anticipated MOTHER. BAMcinématek is paying tribute to the director with a five-day festival that includes all of his work, from 2000’s BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE through 2003’s MEMORIES OF MURDER, THE HOST, and a collection of shorts. Bong will be on hand for the February 26 screening of MOTHER and the February 27 6:30 screening of THE HOST, introducing the films and participating in postscreening Q&As. Bong will also take part in a special program at the Korea Society on February 25, featuring a reception, clips from MOTHER, and a discussion moderated by film professor Michael Atkinson ($15, 212-759-7525, 6:00)

Local detectives are searching for a serial killer in MEMORIES OF MURDER

MEMORIES OF MURDER (SALINUI CHUEOK) (Bong Joon-ho, 2003)
Thursday, February 25, 7:30
www.magpictures.com

Inspired by actual events, Bong Joon-ho’s MEMORIES OF MURDER is a psychological thriller set in a rural South Korean town. With a serial killer on the loose, Seoul sends experienced inspector Suh (Kim Sang-kyung) to help with the case, which is being bungled by local detectives Park (Song Kang-ho) and Cho (Kim Roe-ha), who consistently tamper with evidence, bring in the wrong suspects, and torture them in both brutal and ridiculously funny ways. But as the frustration level builds and more victims are found, even Suh starts considering throwing away the book and doing whatever is necessary to catch the killer. Bong’s first major success, earning multiple awards at film festivals around the world, MEMORIES OF MURDER is a well-paced police procedural that contains just enough surprises to overcome a few too many genre clichés. The film is beautifully shot by Kim Hyung-gu, from wide-open landscapes to a busy, crowded factory. But the film is dominated by Song’s (THE HOST, THIRST) big, round face, a physical and emotional wonder whether he’s goofing around with a prisoner or dead-set on catching a criminal.

THE HOST (GWOEMUL) (Bong Joon-ho, 2006)
Saturday, February 27, 6:30, 9:30
www.magpictures.com

Several years after the government improperly disposes of chemical waste, a huge monster appears under a bridge on the Han River. The lazy, childlike Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho), who works at his grandfather’s food stand on the shore — that is, when he’s not sleeping — tries desperately to save his young daughter, Hyun-seo (Ko A-sung), from the creature’s grasp, but when the monster runs off with her, Gang-du does everything in his limited power to try to get her back — if she’s even still alive. He gets help from his well-dressed brother and Olympian archer sister, who are determined to rescue their niece, but the creature has no intentions of just coughing her up. THE HOST wants to be more than just another monster movie, injecting humor and strong family bonds, but it never quite pulls itself together. For every great scene with the creature, there’s a silly scene with the family that misses the mark. Still, Song is a hoot to watch, and the special effects folks have created one heck of a cool monster.

WAVERLY MIDNIGHTS: BIGELOW VS. CAMERON

Former husband and wife James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow claim to still be good friends, but they’ll be battling it out in Hollywood and the IFC Center

Former husband and wife James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow claim to still be good friends, but they’ll be battling it out for directorial supremacy in Hollywood and the IFC Center

IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at Third St.
Weekends at midnight, February 26 – April 17
212-924-7771
www.ifccenter.com

The IFC Center isn’t waiting until March 7 to watch Kathryn Bigelow battle it out for Oscar supremacy against former husband James Cameron. Starting this Friday night and continuing into April, IFC will match up the writer-directors of THE HURT LOCKER and AVATAR by screening their earlier works on alternating weekends at midnight, a cool collection of underrated flicks and big-budget epics that all contain elements of genius, nearly every one action-packed, filled with chills and spills — and Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. Yes, movie lovers, the fight kicks off February 26 with Bigelow’s kitschy classic, POINT BREAK (1991), in which FBI Agents Johnny Utah (Reeves!) and Pappas (Gary Busey!) chase surfing bad boy Bodhi (Swayze!) along the beautiful beaches of California. POINT BREAK will be tough to beat, but Cameron’s THE ABYSS (1989) will go where its challenger did not — deep underwater with Ed Harris (March 5-6). Cammie and Biggie, who were husband and wife from 1989 to 1991, will both enter round two with Jamie Lee Curtis by their side, either basking in the glow of Oscar or wallowing in sheer misery, pitting Kathryn’s 1989 cop drama BLUE STEEL (March 12-13) against Jim’s explosive 1994 remake of a French film, TRUE LIES (March 19-20), followed by KB’s misunderstood STRANGE DAYS (1995) against JC’s awesome ALIENS (1986). If there’s still any doubt as to whom the victor is, the IFC Center has loaded the deck for the last round, as Big’s 1987 vampire drama NEAR DARK (April 9-10) stands little chance against Cam’s 1984 favorite, THE TERMINATOR (April 16-17), in which Ahnold will make sure who the winner is, even if he has to travel through time to make it so.

FILM COMMENT SELECTS: LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL

Kim Tae-woo is outstanding as annoying, self-obsessed auteur in Hong Sangsoo’s LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL

LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL (JAL ALJIDO MOT HAMYEONSUH) (Hong Sangsoo, 2009)
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Walter Reade Theater
70 Lincoln Center Plaza, 65th St. at Amsterdam Ave.
March 2, 3:45 & 9:00; March 3, 6:00
Series runs through March 4, $12 per screening, All Access Pass $129
212-875-6500
www.filmlinc.com
www.blog.naver.com

South Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo’s latest film about a South Korean auteur, LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL, is another intriguing examination of art and sex in contemporary society, following NIGHT AND DAY (2008), WOMAN ON THE BEACH (2006), TALE OF CINEMA (2005), and WOMAN IS THE FUTURE OF MAN (2004). Hong, who has served as a juror at several film festivals and whose work has screened at fests all over the world, sets his latest self-reflexive story at the Jecheon International Music and Film Festival, where director Ku will be part of the jury. But it turns out that Ku is a self-absorbed, insensitive, and subtly obnoxious filmmaker who cares only about himself, walking away from fans and colleagues in the middle of a conversation or in the midst of signing an autograph, interested only in listening to people praise his own talent, which has been relegated to art-house films that few people see and even fewer understand. After leaving the festival to teach a class at a school on Jeju Island, he visits with a famous painter and former mentor who has unknowingly married Ku’s first love, setting the stage for the creepy Ku to perform yet more selfish acts. Kim Tae-woo is outstanding in the lead role, playing the self-obsessed director with an unerring casualness that makes him more absurdly ridiculous than conniving and mean-spirited. With a little bit of Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 here, Woody Allen’s STARDUST MEMORIES there, Hong once again reveals the soft underbelly of ego within the film industry, but he also needs to edit himself more, as the bittersweet, slyly ironic LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL, made for a mere $100,000, is his latest film to clock in at more than two hours.

Matt Damon stars in closing-night film, Paul Greengrass’s GREEN ZONE

LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL is screening as part of Film Comment Selects, the cinephile magazine’s tenth annual examination of international works that have been overlooked, have not yet received distribution, or deserve to be rediscovered. The series, held at the Walter Reade Theater, runs through March 4 and includes such films as Elia Suleiman’s THE TIME THAT REMAINS, Edward Yang’s A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s AIR DOLL, a four-film focus on Philippe Grandrieux, Carl Foreman’s THE VICTORS, and a special screening of THE AVIATOR’S WIFE in honor of the late Eric Rohmer.

FILM COMMENT SELECTS: AIR DOLL

Nozomi (Bae Doona) dreams that there’s more to life in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s AIR DOLL

AIR DOLL (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2009)
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Walter Reade Theater
70 Lincoln Center Plaza, 65th St. at Amsterdam Ave.
Tuesday, February 23, 6:15; Saturday, February 27, 1:30
Series: February 19 – March 4, $12 per screening, All Access Pass $129
212-875-6500
www.filmlinc.com

Over the last fifteen years, Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda has compiled a remarkable resume, directing seven narrative features and one documentary that investigate such themes as memory and loss. His latest, AIR DOLL, examines loneliness through the eyes of a blow-up doll come to life. Bae Doona stars as Nozomi, a plastic sex toy owned by Hideo (Itsuji Itao), a restaurant worker who treats her like his wife, telling her about his day, sitting with her at the dinner table, and making love to her at night. But suddenly, one morning, Nozomi achieves consciousness, discovering that she has a heart, and she puts on her French maid costume and goes out into the world, learning about life by wandering through the streets and working in a video store, always returning home before Hideo and pretending to still be the doll. Adapted from a manga by Yoshiie Goda, AIR DOLL is another beautiful, meditative study from Kore-eda. Nozomi’s wide-eyed innocence at the joys of life comes sweet and slowly, played with a subtle wonderment by South Korean model and actress Bae (SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, THE HOST). The film does, however, take one nasty turn and is a bit too long, at more than two hours. But it’s still another contemplative gem from the director of MABOROSI, NOBODY KNOWS, and STILL WALKING.

Movie lovers will be flocking to see George A. Romero’s latest zombie flick, SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD, and other underseen, overlooked gems at Lincoln Center

AIR DOLL is screening as part of Film Comment Selects, the cinephile magazine’s tenth annual examination of international works that have been overlooked, have not yet received distribution, or deserve to be rediscovered. The series, held at the Walter Reade Theater, begins February 19 with Jonathan Kaplan’s 1979 drama OVER THE EDGE, which will include a cast reunion (Matt Dillon and Vincent Spano!) and after-party, and ends March 4 with Paul Greengrass’s GREEN ZONE. The festival also includes Edward Yang’s 1991 epic A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY, a program of Godard rarities, Hong Sang-soo’s insightfully funny LIKE YOU KNOW IT ALL, a four-film focus on Philippe Grandrieux, a Kiyoshi Kurosawa double bill of THE REVENGE: A VISIT FROM FATE and THE REVENGE: A SCAR THAT NEVER FADES, a special screening of THE AVIATOR’S WIFE in honor of the late Eric Rohmer, and even George. A. Romero’s latest zombiefest, SURIVIVAL OF THE DEAD, among other films from Hong Kong, Denmark, France, and Russia. On February 27, AIR DOLL will be shown as part of a $40 Day Pass along with Luc Moullet’s THE LAND OF MADNESS, Patrice Chéreau’s PERSECUTION, and the Romanian compilation TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE.

THE BLACK LIST PROJECT

The third installment of THE BLACK LIST premieres at the Paley Center on February 3 (photographs (c) Timothy Greenfield-Sanders)

THE BLACK LIST: VOLUME THREE
Paley Center for Media
25 West 52nd St. between Fifth &Sixth Aves.
Wednesday, February 3, $25, 6:30
212-621-6600
www.paleycenter.org
www.blacklistproject.com

Photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and film critic Elvis Mitchell will be on hand for the premiere of the third installment of their fascinating HBO documentary series, THE BLACK LIST, in which African American individuals share inspirational stories from their life. Photographed against a plain background by Greenfield-Sanders and interviewed by Mitchell, such figures as Russell Simmons, Bill T. Jones, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Toni Morrison, and Colin Powell sat for the first film, with Laurence Fishburne, T. D. Jakes, RZA, Kara Walker, Melvin Van Peebles, and others participating in the second. Among the subjects in the third installment are Beverly Johnson, Whoopi Goldberg, Debra Lee, Lee Daniels, and John Legend. The Black List Project, which also includes a book, traveling exhibition, and education initiatives, is part of One Million Stories, a wide-ranging program that “considers that as we each tell our own story, the subtle and seismic voice of each person’s narrative illuminates not just what makes us different . . . but what makes us the same.” The screening will be followed by a discussion with Greenfield-Sanders, Mitchell, Faye Wattleton, and others. Greenfield-Sanders’s photographs will remain on view at the Paley Center through May 1.

KUROSAWA FESTIVAL: RAN

The Fool (Peter) sticks by Hidetaro (Tatsuya Nakadai) as the aging lord descends into madness in Kurosawa masterpiece RAN

RAN (Akira Kurosawa, 1985)
Film Forum
209 West Houston St.
Through February 18, 1:30, 4:30, 7:30
212-727-8110
www.filmforum.org

Inspired by the story of feudal lord Mori Motonari and Shakespeare’s KING LEAR, Akira Kurosawa’s RAN is an epic masterpiece about the decline and fall of the Ichimonji clan. Aging Lord Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) is ready to hand over his land and leadership to his three sons, Taro (Akira Terao), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu), and Saburo (Daisuke Ryû). But jealousy, misunderstandings, and outright deceit and treachery result in Saburo’s banishment and a violent power struggle between the weak eldest, Taro, and the warrior Jiro. Hidetaro soon finds himself rejected by his children and wandering the vast, empty landscape with his wise, sarcastic fool, Kyoami (Peter), as the once-proud king descends into madness. Dressed in white robes and with wild white hair, Nakadai (THE HUMAN CONDITION), in his early fifties at the time, portrays Hidetaro, one of the great characters of cinema history, with an unforgettable, Noh-like precision. Kurosawa, cinematographers Asakazu Nakai, Takao Saitô, and Masaharu Ueda, and Oscar-winning costume designer Emi Wada bathe the film in lush greens, brash blues, and bold reds and yellows that marvelously offset the white Hidetaro. Kurosawa shoots the first dazzling battle scene in an elongated period of near silence, with only Tôru Takemitsu’s classically based score playing on the soundtrack, turning the film into a thrilling, blood-drenched opera. RAN is a spectacular achievement, the last great major work by one of the twentieth century’s most important and influential filmmakers. Film Forum is screening RAN in a brand-new twenty-fifth-anniversary 35mm print, concluding its terrific six-week-long Kurosawa festival celebrating the auteur’s centennial.

KOREAN MOVIE NIGHT: BREATHLESS

and Yang Ik-june make an unlikely pair in BREATHLESS

Yeon-hee (Kim Kkot-bi) and Sang-hoon (Yang Ik-june) make an unlikely pair in BREATHLESS

BREATHLESS (DDONGPARI) (Yang Ik-june, 2008)
Tribeca Cinemas
54 Varick St. at Laight St.
Tuesday, February 23, 7:00
Series continues alternating Tuesday nights at 7:00 through April 6
Admission: free; reservations accepted at info@koreanculture.org or 212-759-9550
www.subwaycinema.com
www.tribecacinemas.com
www.koreanculture.org

Named Best Debut Feature at the 2009 New York Asian Film Festival and winner of a Tiger Award at Rotterdam, Yang Ik-june’s BREATHLESS is an involving portrait of family hidden beneath a veil of blood and violence. Yang, who wrote, directed, and produced the film, also stars as Sang-hoon, a local gangster who goes out every day and does whatever is necessary to collect for his loan-shark boss, Man-sik (Jeong Man-sik). Dour, angry, and full of rage, Yang curses at and strikes his coworkers, cops, and strangers as well as the people who owe Man-sik money. Not one to make friends, he is soon hanging around with a high school girl, Yeon-hee (Kim Kkot-bi), who has taken a liking to him and his young nephew, Hyeong-in (Kim Hee-soo). Although they don’t know it, Yeon-hee and Sang-hoon are drawn to each other because of their difficult relationships with their fathers, both of whom are struggling to deal with different kinds of tragedy. Although Yang does try to pull at the heartstrings with some over-the-top melodrama near the end, BREATHLESS is well-paced study of family and friendship, following a bloody path to show the importance of blood. The free screening at Tribeca Cinemas will be followed by a Q&A with Yang, who mortgaged his house to make this low-budget picture.

BREATHLESS concludes the first part of the free Korean series being screened alternating Tuesdays at Tribeca Cinemas. The second section, Remakes, which includes Korean films currently scheduled to be remade in English, kicks off March 9 with Ryu Seung-wan’s DIE BAD, followed by Park Chan-wook’s SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE on March 23 and Ahn Byung-ki’s PHONE on April 6.