March Asian Movies

Onwards, tackling more movies seen in March! This post is themed as "The Asian Post".

Polygamy is a topic not often tackled in film, for in the modern world, not too many cultures practise it apart from Muslim societies, which today are not too prone to self-examination. Berbagi Suami (Love for Share) by writer/director Nia Dinata is one film that does though, and does it rather compellingly.

It's made up of three stories, which is a good move, such that we don't dwell too long on any single one and get bored. Each story features a woman who is part of a polygamous marriage, and the interesting thing is that they come from different social and economic backgrounds, and their attitudes towards polygamy are influenced partially from their backgrounds, and partially through their own feelings, and the two might not necessarily be what you'd expect. Additionally, there is the now often-used tool of having the main characters interact with one another at specific junctures, without any of them knowing anything about the others' stories, to show that their lives are linked and reflect each other in a certain way.

Though some scenes seem a tad too on-the-nose, there are moments of comedy arising naturally from the situations to defuse these situations, and the sincere and well-meaning tone, buoyed by naturalistic performances make this social examination rather watchable. Not great, but watchable.

Wow. That was a rather "formal" review. Next up is Park Chan-Wook's latest vehicle, I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK. Now, being a huge Park fan ever since I sunk my fanboy teeth into Oldboy, I have to admit I was eagerly anticipating this film. And did he deliver? Well... yes and no.

Yes, the visuals are as stunning as ever, and his inventiveness hasn't seemed to depreciate in any bit at all. His unique brand of twisted humor is also on full display here, particularly in the opening sequence and a dream sequence that consists of the entire mental hospital getting blown away by machine-gun fire.

No, the actual content itself is nothing like his previous works. This is a romantic comedy, but like no other romcom ever made, for it bears the unmistakable stamp of Park's sensibilities; a re-interpretation of a romcom, if you will, seen through Park's eyes. It's whimsical, quirky, sweet (never saccharine), moving at times and yet warped at the same time. A dark tale of hyper-violent revenge this is not.

The cast are to be commended, particularly the lead actress, for believing wholeheartedly in the absurd situations in every single scene. As in all of Park's works, the score is flawless, working pitch-perfectly with all the beats of the scenes. And finally, I pity the fans of Korean superstar Rain who went in blind, for they must surely have been disappointed at the non-traditional plot - this is as far removed from typical rubbish melodramatic Korean film as you can get.

In the end, it doesn't matter that this wasn't your typical romcom, or your typical Park Chan-Wook film, for that matter. It stands strongly enough on its own merits, box office results be damned. And hell, it's a huge fucking breath of fresh air.