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The Devil at Your Doorstep (2018)
review by black_sorrow
★★★★
The first thing you notice is the detective's copper hair. In The Devil at Your Doorstep (2014), Baek Hongjoon-ssi is on the verge of retirement from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Violent Crime Investigation Unit. Maybe it's this big life change that made him get such a dramatic hair color, which brings out the color of his eyes in a way that shouldn't really be possible. Sadly, this is a plot point that's never addressed. Quite the waste of potential, isn't it? As a sincere member of the audience, I, for one, would have liked to know more.
In his final days, Baek-ssi is put in charge of one last case: a series of violent murders that have been happening around Seoul, all hinted to be committed by one clever killer, who is coincidentally suspected to be the same con artist that escaped Baek-ssi's grasp when he was just starting in his field. Principled as ever, Baek-ssi sets out to catch the culprit, determined to make his past wrongs right. The journey takes him through several little adventures, including a sting operation in a casino, an enviable overnight cruise trip, a trap in a deserted mansion, and a wild car chase, all of which entail a series of exciting wardrobe changes. I must say, I have a soft spot for the casino suit, but the tropical shirt is a close second. Quite dashing, detective-hyung.
As the plot keeps going, we learn that Baek-ssi is harboring his own share of secrets, particularly those related to his dead lover. Our protagonist may seem like a tough man, but he has quite a delicate constitution. There is an iconic scene at the beginning where Baek-ssi and his subordinate, Kim Yaera-ssi, go to a coffee shop, placing an order for a sweetcorn latte and an Americano. The clearly overworked barista serves the Americano to Baek-ssi and the latte to Kim-ssi. There's a brief pause, after which the two comedically switch their drinks, showing that appearances are not always representative of tastes. Although I suspect that the very handsome hyung playing Baek=ssi may not quite agree, given the slight scrunch of his nose while taking the first sip.
The film wants the audience to be well-acquainted with Baek-ssi's gentle nature. In one shot, taken off the railing of the cruise, Baek-ssi is shown staring intensely at the sea. The camera zooms in so far on his eyelashes, I can only imagine the purpose is to make the viewers count them. I got to seventy-six before the camera rudely panned out. I think the film should give poor, slow bastards like us a second chance.
Anyway, at the climax, Baek-ssi finally comes face-to-face with the man who has evaded him for so long. Well, actually, he came face-to-face with a man last nig Having learned his opponent's life story over all the time he's spent chasing after him, Baek-ssi wonders which of them is truly the devil here. I would say the other guy, for sure. I want to give more evidence for my claim, but I've just been informed by my dearest hyung that I'm only allowed three compliments per protagonist for each film I review. Never mind that everything I have said up until now has been the objective truth.
Well, then. I suppose it's as the great detective said. The world truly isn't fair sometimes.
This review has been partially censored because it might contain spoilers.
End of Review
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Seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine, Ivan counts, peering up at Till's eyes, which are slowly blinking, not unlike a cat's. They must have gone dry again. Ivan wonders if Till's remembered to take his drops today. Selfishly, he hopes not. He has two perfectly functional hands for a reason.
This is the kind of view a Till_the_End fan site would pay millions of won to see. He knows Till is often embarrassed that his fans choose to call themselves with his SoundCloud name from more than a decade ago, heightened after his fictional counterpart's role in Alien Stage, but Ivan finds it quite endearing. The idea of a teenage Till sitting all alone in a dark room, singing into the shitty mic of his shitty phone, is relieving. So often, Till seems so far ahead. Like this, at least, their footsteps can overlap in this borrowed memory. On days Ivan is feeling particularly self-indulgent, he gives Till misshapen black eyeliner as well.
No one but Ivan will ever get enough time to keep count of Till's lashes, which are more than the false stars in the sky during Round 3 shooting, including the one Ivan is close enough to spot on his cheek. Reaching up, he plucks it between his index finger and thumb.
"I wonder," he says, raising his head from Till's lap, holding the lash against the light. Till looks up from the script he's reading, meeting Ivan's eyes. Eighty, Ivan thinks, eighty. "I wonder if hyung also has something to wish for?"
Till's eyes scan his face, then the rest of his body. They go over the mismatched couch cushions with the impressions of both their legs, the damp rings on the table from where the mugs with coffee and grape juice were resting earlier, and the plastic stars on the ceiling that are on the verge of falling.
"Not really," he says, at last. Still, he straightens Ivan's finger, leaning closer. "But just in case, I will."
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Slam Dunk (2016)
review by black_sorrow
★★★★★
Passion is enviable. I've always felt that way. I'm not in my chosen line of work because I feel strongly toward it. I realized quite young that I simply had an affinity for it. With respect to internet safety, I won't go into much detail, but I think I can at least say that I'm in the performance industry. A little ironic, right? Don't worry, I won't be reviewing anything I might have helped with. Contrary to the popular belief of a few close to me, I'm not that fond of my own face. Or even at all. Mostly, I aspire to be as fair as possible here.
Im Jaeyoung-ssi in Slam Dunk (2012) certainly can't relate to this dilemma. Having known he wanted to be a professional basketball player since he was five years old, his love for the sport only grows over the years, especially when he is chosen for his high school team by a jaded coach, played by Hwang Minho-ssi. From then on, Im-ssi practices day and night, determined to become even better. This, I can understand. Sometimes effort is the only assurance. Not everyone can count on the ardor of their heart.
Im-ssi's efforts, however, actually do pay off when he's among the five players chosen to represent his school in the inter-high championship. I have to say, the matches were so interesting that they even made my hyung lean forward in his seat, and he's not usually a fan of sports, especially when it comes to the one in this film. He had this look in his eye I've only ever seen when he's reading something for work or drawing during his breaks or chopping onions for a new recipe he wants to try out. It is as if everything in him is determined to get whatever he is doing right.
I like watching hyung like this. Sometimes, I trick myself into believing I can soak up his ambition like a sponge, you know? I guess I just might. I guess lesser men are moved by such kinds of insignificances.
Anyway, I really enjoyed watching Im-ssi play, too, especially in the final match of the competition. The camera work is so much better in this one. The close-up shot of the armpit in the three-pointer before halftime was a nice touch.
End of Review
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Empty vessels make the loudest sounds, Ivan often reminds himself. Because the sound waves inside these vessels meet no obstruction, they are reflected in their entirety. That is the way it is with most things. Even transparent objects shine the brightest. The light passes through them so thoroughly. What is vacant has nothing of its own, so it takes in what is around it shamelessly.
Ivan is no exception to this phenomenon. If he stands out, it is because the hollow expanses inside him have been filled to the brim with the sights and noises around him, which they then return to the world, overflowing. Plus, he's been trained for the long hours of loneliness, the empty rooms and phones that don't ring, ever since he was born.
In truth, nothing truly feels like it is of his own making. Often, people look at him and see what they want to see reflected toward themselves, like they are staring into a glass window that has been wiped clean a thousand times over. It is why he works with all he has. His heart might be unknown, unaccounted for, but his hands, oh, his hands, he knows what to do with.
He can use them to hold an eyelash under Till's mouth, so Till can exhale and set it free. When Till breathes, the air from his lungs is soaked in through Ivan's skin. He inflates with the sounds that live inside Till. The grumbles, the keens, the sighs, and the snores. The failed A minor note from last afternoon. Even the light glinting off Till's glasses, folded on top of the wrong bedside table, pierces Ivan's brittle ribs. It aches, it aches, it aches.
Perhaps all his life, he has been making space for this.
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Taesung's Day Out (2000)
review by black_sorrow
★★★★★
My old babysitter, Soohyun-noona, used to say I learned to read before I learned how to smile. Apparently, I used to go sit in the corner of the room with the picture books my family had given me. She was never really sure how much I was enjoying them because my face never changed. Unsure what to do, she just let me be on my family doctor's advice. I guess expressions have always confused me a little. I remember practicing making faces in the mirror for hours when I was younger. It is why I decided to go into this line of work.
Once, Soohyun-noona decided to leave this movie playing in the background while she did chores around the house. She said that when she came back to the living room, she saw me without the book for the first time in the two years she had been working for us. Apparently, I was sitting right in front of the television, observing the child in this movie, who must have been around my age. It was likely his first role, because he kept breaking into small smiles even during serious scenes. Before Soohyun-noona could tell me to sit farther back, I had started mimicking the movements of his mouth. It is like I didn't know what joy looked like until I saw it on that face.
The child is all grown up now. I've kept up with his career since. Sadly, he has gotten much better at acting. So much better. You won't believe how much. Still, I like watching every movie he's in closely, just in case there is that one moment his face might break again, if even a little. Just in case I forget how to smile.
I've just been told that counts as at least four compliments. My bad, hyung.
End of Review
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All of this makes him greedy. To see the planes of Till's face shift, to see them change in a way only Ivan can bear witness to. What feeble ambition. It is no wonder people grow headstrong with this sort of emotion.
Hyung, there is something on your face, he ends up blurting, sometimes. Right there. No, there. Hyung, maybe you can try parting your hair the other way around, for a change? Hyung, did you know that if you bring one finger to one side of your face and stick out your tongue, you won't be able to wink with the eye on the opposite side?
If he's lucky, then along the way, wondrously, Till ends up shoving his finger into his cheek and attempting to wink, his tongue peeking from the corner of his mouth. Hey, are you tricking your poor hyung? It is the kind of awkwardly endearing face no camera will capture. If Ivan even tries to imitate it, he would only get it half right as per usual. He wants to see Till make it a thousand times over.
Today, there are no such theatrics. Till's lips are slightly upturned at an angle that Ivan has tried to guess every time he has practiced this in the mirror. "I saw they nominated you for the Best Smile category of the fan awards, again. Congratulations."
Ivan raises an eyebrow. "Oh? I didn't think hyung kept up with my fans so much. I'm touched, really," he says, grinning when he catches Till's scowl. I got it from you. I got everything from you, he thinks, yet again, but doesn't dare admit.
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The Mis(s)adventures of CEO Park (2023)
review by black_sorrow
★★★
Are you the kind to like characters that remind you of yourself? Or do you tend to feel this distinct sense of discomfort when you realize what you are seeing on the screen seems quite familiar? I realized that I might be the second kind of person watching Park Dohyun-ssi in The Mi(s)adventures of CEO Park (2023). Park-ssi lives his whole life by the rule book. He wakes up on the same side of the bed. He drinks his coffee at a specific time. He maintains a calendar for all his meetings, even ones with his family. He reads psychology textbooks and watches TED Talks on the topic of communication to learn how to talk to people, but then he chooses not to do so anyway. Not until he meets a particularly rebellious secretary.
It's not that I consider myself to be a stickler for rules, but I'm often relieved they exist. In my line of work, there is a specific decorum people like me are expected to follow. Some might find it a little stifling, but I enjoy knowing the boundaries people maintain, so that I can respect them. Some are born with the natural sense to know these things. Some are not. I think I've made it clear which one I am.
If rebels really do exist in real life, it really wouldn't be me who counts among them. Still, I do know just the one. It might not seem like it, but my hyung has been through a lot. At his first job, he had the world's most awful manager. I still think we should find a way to have that man's face be one of the official definitions of micromanaging, but hyung gets these wrinkles between his brows whenever I bring it up. Hyung, if you see this, it is just a joke. I'm glad you are out of his reach. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you then.
Besides, my hyung has a motorbike, you know? That puts me right out of the competition. It's quite the gap moe, isn't it? He has many such charms. As a personal rule, I have to remind him of them at least three times a day.
End of Review
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Ivan finds that he has a certain lightness to his self. He is easily lifted forward by the various winds of life. He doesn't see the point in resisting unless there is a particular reason to do so. Having no particular sense of direction, he likes knowing which way he is expected to drift.
Still, he likes taking his liberties, too. Shifting to lean his body into Till's side on the couch, Ivan feels a little like he does when he sits behind Till on his motorbike, arms wrapped around his waist. Till is the kind to go against the sway of the wind, carving his own path forward. Surely, he is steady, but in the way rocks are, after surviving decades of erosion. Ivan doesn't feel any shame being carried forward by that force.
He likes picking up Till and depositing him into bed when he falls asleep reading yet another script. He likes being steered toward the awaiting taxi with a hand on his neck when he gets too tipsy at one of their night outs. He likes it best when they hold hands among the airport rush and he can't tell which one of them is being led by the other.
Ivan doesn't mind being outdone most of the time, but every once in a while, he would like to show off his cool points, too.
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Strings and Chains (2022)
review by black_sorrow
★★★
An intense romance between two ex-lovers unravels on stage when they both find themselves performing in the same band after over a decade. As the tension reaches its limit, the audience can expect more than one kind of climax. Ah, everyone, you can't see, but I was just hit over the head for that.
I happened to catch one of the interviews featuring the hyung who plays the role of Kang Chanyeol, the male lead in Strings and Chains (2022). He said that the film made him realize that he prefers the boring, mature type of person, preferably in a profession unrelated to the entertainment industry. He is quite the liar, isn't he? When I showed it to my hyung, he said the guy lacked an adventurous spirit back then. But I know hyung himself didn't expect to be dragged to so many hiking trips in his 30s. I really hope the stars have been worth it. Well, I didn't expect to take pottery classes together, either, so I suppose we all find the good in the unexpected. Seeing hyung drink out of the ugly, chipped mug every morning is surely a sight to behold.
Anyway, I believe this was the film that popularized the insinuations behind the quote, "Want to come eat ramen at my place?" When I tried to see if hyung had heard the one about the cat yet, he said he was very hurt that I had gotten a cat without him knowing. Can you believe him? Really, it's a wonder a pure soul like him has survived in this world for so long.
I am certain that Kang-ssi would have known what it meant right away, given the various positions the audience has the absolute pleasure of seeing him in over the course of the movie. I found the kissing scenes quite artistic, if a little difficult to digest, but I wish the director had taken a slightly different route with them.
Somehow, I suspect that hyung favors his lower lip. Call it a guy's intuition.
This review has been partially censored because it might contain inappropriate language.
End of Review
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"So, there is really no cat?" Till clarifies for the umpteenth time, slightly inflating his cheeks, looking around the room suspiciously. Ivan tries to hold off on the urge to bite his face from the outside.
"Cats are inconsequential to this situation," Ivan agrees, nodding. He nips at Till's fingers that are caressing the side of his face, unable to resist. "Though I could be moved to letting out a meow or two if hyung insisted."
"That would go against your nature in this life," Till says, pinching Ivan's cheek firmly, and after a moment of staring at each other, they both nod sagely.
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Meet Me at the Kitchen Table (2017)
review by black_sorrow
★★★★★
"The smell of sagol-gukmul on the stove. The steam coming from the rice cooker. Sliced watermelon waiting in the freezer," lists Jeon Bogum-ssi, a professional chef rediscovering his passion for cooking, in the 2019 tearjerker, Meet Me at the Kitchen Table. "For the longest time, I had forgotten that these could mean home."
The film is filled with picturesque shots of barbecue chicken, roasted vegetables, and soft, chewy dumplings, but the hands making them have long lost the ability to find any satisfaction in doing so. Our protagonist, Jeon-ssi, who tastes each dish before it is sent out to his patrons, realizes that he can no longer tell what's delicious from what's bland, much to his own horror. To remember what made him fall in love with cooking in the first place, he starts as an undercover apprentice at an unsuccessful noodle shop.
In a way, I can understand what Jeon-ssi might have felt. At my first job, I had to work long hours, and I wasn't often allowed to eat during them. By dinnertime, I would usually get tired, so I could barely taste the food. I guess you could say it was a little challenging. Maybe. Anyway, it was around this time that I first watched this film. Whenever my stomach grumbled, I played clips from this movie. Looking at all the warm food on the other side of the screen, the urge to eat would get sated. It was one of the only things that made those days passable. There is so much you can owe a person without ever meeting them, did you know? If you meet them, you might just end up owing them even more.
I'm not supposed to be talking about this, especially around hyung. His mouth gets all twisted when I do, like it does when I replace all his sweet fruit chews with the sour kind. But that is usually a lot of fun. This is much less. Still, the taste of the honey in the ggultteok should override those memories, even if these turned out to be poor excuses for circles, right? Hyung, you know I can see you reading over my shoulder, don't you?
Oh. My apologies. I'll be cutting this short. It seems I have somewhere to be.
End of Review
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The honey makes Ivan's lips stick together, but he still does his best to open his mouth all the way when Till pushes another piece against it. Chewing, he tries not to stare too hard at the reddened corners of Till's eyes. Instead, he focuses on the pressure steadily building in his shoulders from where they are pressed against the couch cushions.
For a second, he is once again sitting in the backseat of the dark van, Luka's head lolling onto his shoulder, jolting with every bump the wheels go over. As always, there is that discomfort in his stomach that never quite seems to go away, even after he finally eats at the end of the day. But he manages to somewhat keep it at bay when his eyes are trained on the screen.
Out of all the scenes in the movie, there is one that remains his favorite. It is near the finale, where the esteemed chef returns to his apartment after having cooked a variety of dishes over the course of the last hour and a half. The loud grumble of his stomach rings out in the silence of his apartment, which usually makes Ivan feel less embarrassed about his own.
The chef opens his fridge to find nothing more than leftover rice and vegetables, so he decides to make an impromptu dish of fried rice. The very last shots of the scene have him humming over the same stove he stood monotonously over at the beginning of the movie. In the end, perhaps this is what it comes down to: a single spoonful of hot fried rice eaten while one is still standing in their outside clothes. The resulting upturning of his eyes is a moment Ivan has zoomed in on and replayed more than a thousand times.
Now, staring at the same face inches above his own, Ivan laughs. "Hyung," he says, squishing Till's cheeks, sitting up to brush their lips together, doubling the sweetness between them. They are no longer on the set of Alien Stage. Not all kisses need to be dire. "Hyung, I think my stomach is full this time."
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Footsteps in the Corridor (2016)
review by black_sorrow
★★
An abandoned mansion. A group of friends on a night out. Secrets. Footsteps in the Corridor (2016) would have made for a promising film, had they not decided to kill off the most interesting character within the first twenty minutes. Choi Minjoon-ssi, the 21-year-old barista who first suspected the whereabouts of the malicious spirit, is brutally murdered in the coffee shop where he works before he even gets the chance to inform the rest of his friends. A man of great taste, who makes an excellent sweet potato latte, he would have been of great use an hour into the plot, when they were all desperately in need of ground coffee beans for the ritual. What a waste, truly.
My hyung says that they likely took his character out because the actor-hyung didn't know how to act, and that the character did not have much of a scope, anyway. How rude, I told him. I find that there is a lot to be explored about the life of such an honest, hardworking man. Besides, just before his demise, Choi-ssi had been excited to be given the chance to make his own drink for customers. He last purchased rice, sesame seeds, jaggery, and milk from the store. I would have liked to see what he made. I'm certain it would have been to my taste.
Hyung, I guess you wouldn't get it, with all your bitter tastes. Maybe you should cleanse your palette every once in a while.
Ah. I've been hit again.
End of Review
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There is a lot about Till that the tabloids will never cover. How he wears his rumpled beanie even indoors. How he always adds two packets of seaweed-flavored chips from two different brands to his shopping cart. How he likes to sip on a glass of red wine while listening to his hip-hop playlist. Ivan finds that he wants to know about each fallen hair stuck to the underside of the beanie, the seaweed crumbs at the bottom of the almost-empty packets, and the white cushions flipped the other way to cover the wine stains. For him, there is always scope to explore this brand of shared mundanity. To have it suddenly meet an end would be unimaginable.
Typically, Ivan laughs while he watches horror films. The gaps in logic, especially when it comes to how people behave when they experience immense fear, tend to get to him. It also helps give a different reason to the occasional rapid thrumming of his own heart. However, watching the fake blood soak gray strands on the screen, Ivan cannot bring himself to even smile. He feels as he did when he saw the backstage footage of the Round 7 shooting, even knowing what was going to come ahead.
He snuggles deeper into Till's shoulder, inhaling. Looks up to make sure each piece of hair is free of any trace of red. There is nothing funny about a terror like this.
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Think Paw-sitive (2017)
review by black_sorrow
★★★★
Don't worry, the dog doesn't die at the end of this one. I know, I know. We have all been burned a few times. Ow. But this isn't like when I made hyung watch Hachi. I wouldn't lie to him or you right now. Really. Not without good reason, at least, and there really isn't one this time. Think Paw-sitive (2017)'s Soondongie is a very alive, very energetic Doberman puppy. Still in his teething phase, he demands constant attention, shoving his head into his owner's drawers, chewing on his charger wires, and tearing apart his pillow cases. His owner, the very patient college student, Song Kangdae-ssi, is a little troubled but hopeful that this is just a phase. The story follows the taming, or lack thereof, of the prolific Soondongie, who is one mouthy doggie.
Just like you, my hyung said, after I finished typing the line above. It's what he said throughout the movie, whenever Soondongie ran away with one of Song-ssi's shoes so he couldn't leave for class or flopped down on his lap, even when he began to outgrow the breadth of it. There is a jar in our kitchen. Hyung says whenever I have a particularly "canine" wish or showcase a "canine" habit, I'm supposed to go put a ₩10 coin in it. But don't we all have these urges? I, for one, quite enjoy the idea of being on a leash that only extends to the edges of hyung's periphery. Where else would I even want to go?
Hold that thought. One second. I guess that's another one for the jar.
End of Review
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Hyung, I want to hide your shoes in a different row of the shoe shelf so you'll linger in the doorway longer. ₩10. Hyung, I want to squeeze into every tiny space in your life. Your lap is no exception. ₩10. Hyung, I want to chew on the bread crusts and chicken bones you leave behind on your plate. Please don't abandon me. ₩10.
Some days, the desire feels like it will never meet its release. Ivan isn't sure how his fictional counterpart dealt with it for sixteen years. It's no wonder he went out the way he did. But then Till reaches out with a hand to absentmindedly scratch behind Ivan's ears while he's reading, and Ivan's heart speeds up for a few seconds before it finally calms down.
If Ivan were a greater man, perhaps this wouldn't be his reckoning. As is the case, it very much is.