Parasite
Rating: 5 Stars
Cast: Song Kang-ho, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Analysis: It might be best to go to the parasite knowing as little about the film as possible while sitting in the seat. Let your slow glow creep up on you and you will be generously rewarded.
Ever since it was presented at the Cannes Film Festival last May, where it won the prestigious Palme D'Or, the surprisingly original offering of Korean director Bong Joon-ho has surprised critics and spectators with its art of storytelling What begins as a dark satire about class division in contemporary South Korea masterfully turns into a cunning thriller with twists and endless surprises.
The film is mainly about two families. The former, the Kims, are in ruins and live in a seedy basement apartment, barely scratching folding pizza boxes and desperately trying to connect to any free WiFi they can steal. The other family, the Parks, are many rich people who live in an expanding, impeccably maintained house with a garden with a view.
That's all you need to know when it comes to the plot of the film. What I will tell you is that there is a disturbing concern hanging over the film at all times ... as if you knew that something bad is going to happen at any moment. The suspense develops dramatically even when the layers are torn one by one to reveal the cunning heart of this extraordinary film and the disordered humanity of its characters. Bong carefully and avidly analyzes the information about the characters, forcing you to pay attention to the smallest details.
It could be said that both families inhabit completely different worlds; It is difficult to imagine that their orbits intersect. But then, the son of the poor family somehow gets a job as a tutor for the teenage daughter of the wealthy. In a short time, her sister, who uses equally questionable methods, is hired by the Parks as an art teacher for her young son.
Although set in South Korea, the film's themes seem unmistakably universal: economic inequality, resentment over the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and the apathy of the privileged class towards the less fortunate. There are moments that are filled with unease. Specifically, a scene in which the wealthy couple discusses how bad smell is. "Like a boiled rag," Park says coldly to his wife. It also asks you to consider who the "parasite" of the film title really refers to.
I found myself thinking about the film long after its conclusion. Bong, who became known with cult favorites like Memories of Murder and The Host, has already dealt with class conflict in his English film Snowpiercer. But the elegance and the consequent unforgettable horror of Parasite are in their own league. Not surprisingly, he won the Golden Globe for best foreign-language film and is ready for six Academy Awards, including best film and best director.
In his acceptance speech in Balloons, the director said: "Once you get through the one-inch-high subtitle barrier, you will be presented with many more amazing movies." Follow his advice. If you've never seen a foreign film before, start with Parasite. It will leave you speechless.
I go with a total of five out of five. It's the best movie I've seen recently.
Rating: 5/5
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