The Handmaiden (2016)

[Plain Old Tele]

Discuss. 

[Plain Old Tele]

This is just flat-out awesome in every way. Beautiful, lush costumes and production design, gorgeous cinematography, excellent performances, and a story that steadily gets windier and kinkier as it progresses. 

[chasmmi]

What I really enjoyed about this film (aside from the standard of great directing, acting and Park Chan Wook may be one of the best users of sound in a film that there is), was that the story I was expecting to watch came to a conclusion 40 minutes in. 

 

When they ended part one, it surprised me as it had already given me everything I was expecting to see and so the twists and the reveals of the next two thirds were great bonuses. The big thing that makes the great Korean directors so damn great to watch is that when you have essentially a Hollywood film upbringing, everything shocks you as scenes that aren't supposed to happen in a film actually happen and reveals are not telegraphed from a mile away.

 

You watch Snowpiercer and characters die in scenes they aren't supposed to die in, you watch the Host and nothing happens the way a monster film is supposed to go down and you watch Thirst and wander how in the hell somebody can extract that story from the source material it came from and make it work, The list goes on.

 

But with this, you are given a film that again highlights how damn good Korean cinema can be when studios are shoehorning the latest KPop star in to be the lead and pissing all over what made 2002-2010 so damn excellent.

 

 I also hope that Park before his career is out is given another crack at an English Language film.

[Plain Old Tele]

I wasn't necessarily expecting twists, so while the first one was interesting, I wasn't expecting the next. I figured Part 2 would be a "and this is how it really played out" scenario, followed (presumably) by Sookee escaping and getting revenge. So when the end of Part 2 played out and Sookee saved Lady Hideko from hanging herself, that was pure, sheer delight.

[baumer]

I echo the praises of @Telemachos and @chasmmi.  It starts off a little slow and a tiny bit confusing.  But that could just be me.  But once I got into it, the story really hooked me.  I commented to Tele that it kind of has a Usual Suspects/Brokeback/Grifters feel to it if those three films were meshed together (I did not (my apostrophe is not working for some reason WTF!) mention the Grifters part, but I am now).  The two females leads are terrific and not just because their scenes together are hot but because you feel for their plight.  They play well off one another and there is some genuine emotion on display here.  Its also gorgeous to look at and very well directed.  The Handmaiden would have made my top 25 list this year for sure.

 

9 out of 10

[antovolk]

EXTENDED (released here as DIRECTOR'S) CUT

Holy fuck. Just GORGEOUS. It takes its time but it's so intricate and detailed and you don't tire watching the scenes unfold again because Park always adds something new to the fantastically woven mystery. Curious how the theatrical cut compares - I loved how deliberately carefully paced it was, it never rushed or dragged too much. That is all I have to say really - go see it on the big screen with a good crowd (always adds to the experience). Best film I've seen on the big screen this year, and seriously makes me reconsider my top films of last year (although can you count this cut as 2016?)

[Brainbug]

HOLY SHIT THIS MOVIE.

 

I wasnt prepared for this. I had high expectations because the director is a genius but this ist just a masterpiece. Every frame is a painting, it is the very definition of gorgeous. All actors are fantastic, but the two lead females deserve special praise. All of their scenes felt REAL.

 

I need a little break from movies after this. The next movie, whatever it is (thought of Manos: Hands of Fate), will feel underwhelming now.

[IndustriousAngel]

Terrific movie, A - 8/10

I must say I was expecting more blood/cruelty but the way it played out was very satisfying if a bit fairy-tale like.