Watching this now, four years after it came out, I realize how many movies might have been inspired by this one, but none of them did this story as well. This movie is a masterclass of film making.
The script is exceptionally written, with twists, turns and moments of intrigue that fit together like a well-crafted puzzle. It's hard to describe the story without spoiling anything important, I suggest going in with as little information as possible and letting yourself be guided by the storytelling. Jung Seo Kyung did the best job in the entire movie with that script, but everyone played a part in making it shine.
The acting is mostly good, especially Kim Min Hee in a sublime performance. Her role is probably the most difficult to pull off efficiently, to tie in the suspense and the narrative of the story as it is, and she did an amazing job at it. My only problem, which is why this is not entirely a 10, is that some of the actors didn't fully convince me when it came to portraying the Japanese characters, but it didn't ruin the experience.
The movie is explicit, in different ways. There's a contrast between two different kinds of scenes that involve explicit content, and the way in which they are shot and performed, as well as written, weaves in a message that is super intense, in many ways.
It's absolutely, in my opinion, one of the best lgbtq+ films of the 2010s, I have no doubt about that. I had heard a lot about it and I had expectations, especially after having seen other films compared to it, but the expectations were met and surpassed. There is a love story between two women in the heart of this film that upholds and maintains the plot at all times, and everything is built upon showcasing that story, not only of love but also of redemption and empowerment.
All in all, great movie. Wow.
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LESBIANS!!!! Need I say more??
SUCH AN AMAZING MOVIE FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK. Women who are in love murdering men who do them wrong?? Uhm yes. Not only that but the plotwists holy shit I literally couldn't stop watching. Rewatch material 100% . Please, the acting was amazing as well. Great actors. Wow. I applaud you. I wish I could watch this movie for the first time again, genuinely. First time someone showed me it I wasn't sure about it but its such a movie worth watching. Really. Im left speechless how well its done.Was this review helpful to you?
First of all, I've only watched one other of Park Chan Wook's films, Old boy, but it's worth watching cause it's also a really great film.
The movie is really well written, it's divided in three parts that are following one character each, and each of those part is really well written and mind blowing. The whole film is mind blowing actually, form plot twist to plot twist, the suspense is here.
The pictures are very beautiful also, it's what I call great cinema: even before I had the chance to see it, I knew I would like it cause the pictures and the music that are shown in the trailer really set what you are going to see, which is georgeous images of the Korean countryside or the city, and the music that is just perfect. Also the actors are really talented and they were all really good in their role.
But there's two things I actually really really liked about this film:
- The whole story about Japanese occupation. I didn't have the chance to see much about that precise period, and the fact that Korean are able to talk about that difficult situation is very important I think (on that subject, I advise you the Korean drama Bridal Mask, it's really good). Listening to those two beautiful languages is also a plus for me. I liked that the historical part is here, but not in a central place, cause the story between the characters is way more important, and that's really weel done.
- Strong lesbian characters. As queer female myself, I'm thrilled to see such strong characters. Finding good gay male character is quite difficult in Asian cinema, even though it's getting easier each year fortunatly, but lesbian characters are always absent (especially in Korean films and dramas), just search "gay" and "lesbian" tags on the site and compare by yourself. So these girls are really important to me, and as well as the historical side, it's here, but it's not like "queer propagandia", theur queerness is just natural.
Some scene can be, not difficult to watch, but quite "disgusting" (I don't really know what word I should use), but they don't feel useless, I feel like everything is here for a reason. The film is relativly long (144 min) but, I promise you won't be bored.
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A very tasteful depiction full of pain and passion
First and foremost, all actors did a very good job painting all these layers of colorful emotions and bringing their roles to life.Secondly, this is a very well written story of two women who are brought together in the man’s world to create one of theirs.
Lastly, it made me believe and feel all kinds of emotions, which is, in my opinion, the hardest and most important function a piece of art is designed to do. If this would be a painting, it would definitely be one of the pieces I’m most proud of.
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The Handmaiden is divided into three parts and we will get different impressions for each part. We don't know where the story is going and the plot itself is already perfect and satisfying. The atmosphere in this movie is really unique, sometimes it feels lunatic then shifts to thrilling then digusting. It's psychologically intriguing.
As for the casts, everyone performed greatly. I have to mention Kim Min-hee stands out the most, she showcased her acting skills here. Remember I told you there are three parts with different impressions? Kim Min-hee is able to give off various vibes throughout the movie. I'm a fan.
Seriously folks, perfect plotting adds to flawless acting performance equals to a perfect movie. I'm grateful they made The Handmaiden.
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BE GAY, DO CRIME AT IT'S HISTORICAL FINEST~~
Much sexy, much love, much wow.Nothing beats having two lesbians happily in love and a happy ending.
do...
The sound of bells and the peaceful moon at the end do justice to the storyline, a beautiful way to drop the curtains. Although yes the movie should be tagged mature for the content.
When you start the movie you feel like a simple con movie? That's it? But at the end who gets coned for real is the real deal. In the end, you feel like no I can not continue this but pleasant it has been.
The complicated nature of humans comes to the surface in this stellar movie. Respect for the actors.
If you think about it, LOVE was what saved them, if both of them continued their initial scheme, they wouldn't have ended up together, if both of them viewed money as their ultimate goal, either one of them would've died. But they chose LOVE in the end, despite the odds, they believed in each other and I think... that's really beautiful. :') ♡
Plot twists at its best. :')
I would definitely recommend this to my fellow LGBTQ+ but only if they're above 21. ;)
To the people who made this film possible and my new women empowerment queen Jung Seo Kyung, kamsahamnida!
Sincerely,
Your gay mind blown viewer
Final Rating: 10/10
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Disturbing, yet satisfying.
I had high expectations and this movie met them. I liked it from the acting to the cinematography, the storytelling, the settings and visuals (Gorgeous!!). But I'm also going ahead to talk about what I didn't like, since it was already praised so much.This is one of the few movies that caught my interest within the first 10 minutes, not wasting any time and jumping right into the story. I can easily see how other movies will take their time portraying the maid as an innocent and go "But NO! She was actually a cheat!" after like 20 minutes. Glad that they didn't do that. The first part was visually gorgeous. Take a screenshot and it would be a painting. It also seemed like a regular drama plot-wise. You're just waiting for something to go wrong and in my case, the first plot twist did not work too well as I could see it coming. Things were simply going too well for the careless and overly confident maid. Still did not stop me from enjoying their relationship and since I found the maid absolutely adorable and entertaining.
The second part though was truly unexpected. Easily the best part of the film. I was completely invested in the backstory of our main lead. It quickly went into fucked up territory and had me feeling disturbed to thinking "that's absolutely disgusting". I understand the significance of the auction scenes, but I would probably skip them on a rewatch. Absolute best scene was when Miss broke down and attempted to hang herself; the turning point. I must say it was incredibly satisfying to watch and realise where things were going later on.
For the last part, I'm going to be a little picky. Since its purpose is to wrap up the show, things were starting to go way too well. The tone shifted to that more of a kdrama, which was fine, but some scenes also felt slightly unnecessary. Still, the cellar scene was satisfyingly disturbing and you will thank the Count for killing the creepy uncle along with himself.
About the characters. The two leads had amazing chemistry and completed each other perfectly. The "Count" was probably the standout character though. He's despicable and he deserved his outcome, but was actually not all that unlikeable since he ironically gave the Miss her freedom and punished her uncle for her. What I really liked was that all of them had immoral intentions, which made the protagonists much more charming imo.
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Watch it without reading/watching any reviews beforehand!
I made the mistake of watching some YouTube reviews before I watched the movie, so the plot twists were spoiled for me. Watch it going in blind and with an open mind.I think Kim Tae Ri was brave as a rookie actress taking on the role when she knew that full nudity (and more) was required, and she is amazing. She fully deserves all the awards she got afterwards.
The chemistry between Kim Min Hee and Kim Tae Ri was great and it's a pity that the controversy about Kim Min Hee's personal life overshadowed her acting in this film.
This is the first film I've seen from director Park Chan Wook, so I'm curious to see his past works and his latest one, Decision To Leave.
The Handmaiden is a masterpiece movie and highly recommended.
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Park Chan Wook at his most accessible
Park Chan Wook is responsible for seminal works in the movie industry, and he is known as a plot twist deity .The genius in his works usually make for an unstable watch and most times an inaccessible moment for moviegoers but in Handmaiden he condescends to make an approachable and accessible watch. The themes of colonial Korea and the tension with Japan are enduring as well as the other themes explored that include feminism ,liberation and sexuality.
Its beautifully shot and wonderfully acted too.
I do find Park Chan Wook a bit of a difficult pill to swallow so if he is your fave then you will surely love this.
If you are just starting out in watching his films , then this is the more accessible he has and great for beginners.
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a must watch!
What a movie! What an experience!I loved every part of it but especially the acting. I can't believe that this is the same person that played such an innocent character in 2521. I love that actors don't just stick with one genre but explore and my oh my she's one talented actress indeed.
Furthermore, the story is just top notch. I was shocked when there was this plot twist...and also how weird that a child had to read such vulgar words, but then again it goes with the story, albeit weird. I especially loved how the men were punished at the end. I did not expect a happy ending with that poster but I was pleasantly surprised.
I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who loves and appreciates all kinds of genres, not just romcom.
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I love this movie from the bottom of my heart
This movie has so beautiful places like the house is just so majestetic, I want that kind of house too!But the men in this movie are so annoying..
I Think I started to hate lil bit MORE men because this? btw I've always hated men/boys (I have my own reasons)
Now lets speak the sex scenes in this movie!
Masterpiece.
Do I need to say something else? hmm...
The sex scenes were so beautiful and I want it too..jk jk (Or am I?)
If you like lesbian movies where are annoying men, beautiful sex scenes, majestetic clothes and so pretty places, this is for you!
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A few words that describes this story: Breathtaking, Mind-blowing, Plot-twist, and Psychological.
STORY:I think the title of this review says it all. This story is a Rollercoaster, so please make sure to wear your seat belt before you start the ride. I really enjoy historical and psychological movie, so I knew that I was going to enjoy the story from the start. It starts a bit slow, but it gets more and more interesting the more you watch. So, please don't drop it because of that! Give it a chance! I believe is worth it. The cinematography is beautiful. It is expected since it is a historical genre, and most of those have good cinematography. That is why I'm fond of them. You will see a lot of plot-twists in this story, so please do pay close attention and do NOT skip anything or else you will be left very confused. The plot-twists are mind-blowing to me cause I was not expecting them at all lol. It is also psychological, so do expect to see things that can be triggering, like blood, violence, sexual harassment, manipulation, and other similar things. Also, do keep in mind that this has mature content and that you will see bed scenes. I'm just warning you all ahead so that it's not too shocking lol. Anyways, the story is a bit slow, but it feels just right at the same time. And it has a happy ending! Yay! Overall, I will give the plot 8 out of 10.
CONS:
Some things I personally didn't like about the movie is how disgusting the men were, and how the mature themes were portrayed. I mean, let's be real, there are many many many men out there that are like that and it's not just fiction. This is reality. I'm not saying all men are like this of course, but let's say that a big percentage is, so this is not something unusual or rare, but it's still unlikable to me and disgusting to watch. Of course, that doesn't make it a bad movie though. As for the mature themes, what I didn't like about them is that it felt a bit unrealistic. They portrayed lesbian love scenes in a way that it felt like it was meant to be for the male view and not for the audience as a whole. It was a bit unpleasant, but not too bad to the point that you will hate it. I just think that they could have done it a bit more romantic, instead of it just being sex. This is just my personal opinion, of course. Since this is a lesbian story, the production team should have made it more romantic to portray the love between the two girls better.
ACTING / CASTING:
The casting is perfect for me. The two female leads are very beautiful and I love the chemistry between them. The acting is also amazing. They portrayed every emotion well, to the point that I even cried twice lol. The cast and acting was great, so I will give it a 9 out of 10.
MUSIC / REWATCH VALUE:
The music and soundtrack of this movie is a masterpiece. I mean, what else can I say? It is a historical movie, so it is expected to be this good. I really love it. I even found a Playlist on YouTube with the soundtracks and I couldn't help but to listen to it again because of how beautiful it is. Definitely a 8.5 out of 10 for the music. As for the rewatch value, I will give it a 7.5 out of 10. This is actually my second time watching this movie. The reason why I did it is because the first time I skipped a lot of scenes because it was slow. But after rewatching it for the second time (without skipping anything), I regret doing that. It is not worth to skip anything! If you do, you will miss out a lot of the plot. So, don't do the same mistake I did, please! I would rewatch this again to be honest, but at the same time, I believe that watching it once or twice is enough, unless you miss the story too much, haha!
Overall, I really enjoyed it. It is definitely worth to watch. I recommend it. It is a 8.5 out of 10 for me. If I'm not wrong, this movie has been dubbed in different languages too. I saw an English and a Spanish Dub. So, if you are not a big fan of reading subtitles (Not me lol!), then you can try watching the dubs that are available. Thank you for reading! <3
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