Michikohime
Montreal, QC - Canada
Hands down my favorite movie
The first time I watched this movie, I loved it right away. The only thing I knew then about the movie is the genre and the kind of movie I was used to with Park Chan Wook (which is, to be fair, one of my all time favorite director). I knew only of 1 of the actors because I saw him in Signal, but didn't even recognize him right away. Am I biaised? Maybe slightly, but I've watch Park Chan Wook's movies that I didn't like at all, so that's that.
If you've seen Oldboy, which is one of Park's most known/popular movie, you know how this director plays with his scene composition. To me, his movies usually have a very thoughtful way of painting picture that moves. If Oldboy is like a series of heavy saturated paintings, akin to the fauvism movement, The Handmaiden is more associated to impressionism. Some scenes look like what could be a modern take on Monet's style. The movie is just visually breathtaking.
Apart from that, the story is just... I don't even know if I have word to describe it. It intrigued me enough that I seek out the book it was based on. And even though books are usually better than movie adaptation, that's not the case here. The script was made so the boring part of the book were replace or just not used, and the result is close to perfection in my opinion.
As for most Park's movie, the soundtrack not only add to the movie as a whole, but is also deeply moving. The lullaby sung by Kim Tae Ri is simple yet so beautiful I had to memorize it and sang it myself a whole lot. The theme song is also quite lovely, but some of the piano pieces are just close to being masterpieces. And yes, I definitely bought the whole soundtrack right away after watching the movie.
This movie gave a big boost to Kim Tae Ri career as an actress and I can understand why. But through and through, every actor in this movie is playing there part perfectly. And they even fooled me (you'll know what I mean if you watch it). The layers of acting required from some of them, and to pull it off on top of it, is not a small feat.
Park's movie all have sexual parts in it, so be warned. However, I feel like in this one, it really tells something and help further character developpment.
All in all, if you haven't seen it yet, please watch it. I rewatch it at least once a year and it still is a move I love dearly.
If you've seen Oldboy, which is one of Park's most known/popular movie, you know how this director plays with his scene composition. To me, his movies usually have a very thoughtful way of painting picture that moves. If Oldboy is like a series of heavy saturated paintings, akin to the fauvism movement, The Handmaiden is more associated to impressionism. Some scenes look like what could be a modern take on Monet's style. The movie is just visually breathtaking.
Apart from that, the story is just... I don't even know if I have word to describe it. It intrigued me enough that I seek out the book it was based on. And even though books are usually better than movie adaptation, that's not the case here. The script was made so the boring part of the book were replace or just not used, and the result is close to perfection in my opinion.
As for most Park's movie, the soundtrack not only add to the movie as a whole, but is also deeply moving. The lullaby sung by Kim Tae Ri is simple yet so beautiful I had to memorize it and sang it myself a whole lot. The theme song is also quite lovely, but some of the piano pieces are just close to being masterpieces. And yes, I definitely bought the whole soundtrack right away after watching the movie.
This movie gave a big boost to Kim Tae Ri career as an actress and I can understand why. But through and through, every actor in this movie is playing there part perfectly. And they even fooled me (you'll know what I mean if you watch it). The layers of acting required from some of them, and to pull it off on top of it, is not a small feat.
Park's movie all have sexual parts in it, so be warned. However, I feel like in this one, it really tells something and help further character developpment.
All in all, if you haven't seen it yet, please watch it. I rewatch it at least once a year and it still is a move I love dearly.
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