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Movie Review: Thirst

Ilan Mester — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:25:20 +0000

Few movies fit into the dark comedy, horror film and psychodrama category at the same time. “Thirst” is one of them. The latest film by South Korean director Chan-wook Park won the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival but beware, it’s not your typical vampire movie.

This was my first time seeing a Chan-wook Park film and it’ll probably be my last — not because it’s a bad movie per se, it’s just not my type. Let’s face it, just like people have preferences over blondes and brunettes, movie goers have genre preferences and gore is not one of mine. So if you love blood (and not just blood, but blood with plot), “Thirst” is definitely for you.

The film tells the story of Sang-hyun (played by South Korea’s Song-kang Ho), a priest who values life enough to risk his own by volunteering for a secret vaccine development project meant to destroy a deadly virus.

Of course, the virus takes hold of the priest and they’re forced to transfuse blood into Sang-hyun. It just so happens that the blood was infected, leading the priest to turn into a vampire.

“Thirst” starts to pick up when Sang-hyun bumps into a sickened childhood friend and his family, including his friend’s wife Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin), who asks for the priest’s help in escaping her life. So the once goody-two-shoe priest finds himself embarking into a world of sexual pleasure, committing the Seven Deadly Sins.

Park, who is known for exploring human existence in most of his films, does the same with “Thirst.” He deserves a pat on the back for combining creepy humour with intense emotion which are difficult to pull of separately, let alone together. In fact, I was so engrossed in the film that at certain points, I forgot it was subtitled.

Aside from the visual effects and Park’s unique way of combining sensuality with brutality, the characters are what make this film stand out. It’s clear that the movie’s protagonist goes through a major dilemma and that’s where most of the conflict comes from. But what’s even more interesting is what happens with the supporting characters.

See, there’s no real “good guy” or “bad guy” in this film and that’s refreshing. When you’re about to label a character as the good one, something happens and you’re back to square one. This is the case for most of the supporting characters. Some scripts have difficulty developing their main character but in “Thirst,” most of the supporting characters (especially Tae-ju and her mother-in-law) go through pivotal character changes.

Complements aside, “Thirst’s” main fault (aside from its length) is that it’s more of a niche film (a.k.a for those who really dig horror and by horror I don’t mean “House of Wax”). It’s spooky, fresh and bloody, so those who like gore with context will have a feast with it (Twihards on the other hand may want to sit this one out).

‘Inglourious Basterds’ Headed To Cannes?

Eva Lam — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:58:01 +0000

The world may get its first look at Quentin Tarantino’s WWII epic, “Inglourious Basterds,” next month.

Insiders told Variety that the director has accepted an offer to screen the Brad Pitt-starring drama in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes organizers will announce the festival lineup on April 23, with this year’s event set to run from May 13 to 24.

“Inglourious Basterds,” which also stars Mike Myers, Samuel L. Jackson and Diane Kruger, follows a band of Jewish-American soldiers who go on a mission to take down a group of Nazis in occupied France. The movie will hit theatres Aug. 21.

Tarantino is a Cannes favourite, having won the festival’s coveted Palme d’Or prize for “Pulp Fiction” in 1994 and serving as president of the festival jury in 2004. He has also debuted other films at Cannes – though not always in competition – such as “Reservoir Dogs,” “Kill Bill,” and “Death Proof.”

Madonna Given Honourary Citizenship in Malawi

andPOP Staff — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:43:56 +0000

Madonna will receive honourary citizenship to Malawi for her good will work there, reports Hello magazine.

Her adopted son, David Banda, is from Malawi. She funds several orphanages and is in the process of opening a girls’ school near the capital.

“We are proud as a country to be associated with such a megastar,” said Billy Kaunda, the deputy tourism and culture minister of Malawi. “She will have freedom of all cities here. She won’t be bothered with issues like visas and other limitations.”

Madonna also filmed a documentary on Malawi called “I Am Because We Are,” which premiered at the Cannes film festival.

Scarlett’s Head Too Big For Cannes

andPOP Staff — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:37:17 +0000

Now that she’s engaged to Canadian hunk Ryan Gosling, Scarlett Johansson may be becoming too big for her britches.

Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper reports that Johansson was absent from the premier of her new Woody Allen film at Cannes because the studio refused to meet her ridiculous demands.

She insisted that her $7,800-a-day make-up artist be paid to accompany her. She also refused to stay at the same hotel where Allen and co-star Penelope Cruz were staying, instead saying she required a hotel 30 miles outside of Cannes.

An executive close to the film said that “it wasn’t acceptable that Scarlett would be having to come in from that distance every day, most likely turning up late and it would have thrown schedules into a lot of confusion.”

Allen, normally quite enamoured with Johansson, is said to be annoyed that she’s not being a team player.

Johansson’s rep blamed conflicting schedules for Johansson’s absence.

The film, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” which features a kiss between Johansson and Cruz, received a ten-minute standing ovation at the festival.

Ken Loach Takes Palme d’Or at Cannes

andPOP Staff — Mon, 29 May 2006 00:30:59 +0000

British director Ken Loach won the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, on Sunday. His film, “The Wind that Shakes the Barley,” beat out 19 other contenders at the festival in France.

The movie stars Cillian Murphy and traces Ireland’s struggle for independence, recounting the early days of the IRA in the 1920s.

Loach, 69, has said the film is also a critique of the U.S.-led war on Iraq.

“Maybe if we tell the truth about the past, maybe we tell the truth about the present,” he said in his acceptance speech.

Despite seven previous nominations for the award, this was the first time Loach won the Palme d’Or.

The prize jury was led by Chinese director Wong Kar-wai and included actors Tim Roth, Monica Belluci and Samuel L. Jackson (”Snakes on a Plane”!!!).

Cannes Will Crack the Code

andPOP Staff — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:06:31 +0000

The eagerly anticipated movie version of The Da Vinci Code will open the 59th Festival de Cannes on May 17, says the Hollywood Reporter.

That’s two days before the film opens worldwide.

It will be screened out of competition at Cannes, but it’s still a project of impeccable pedigree. Directed by Ron Howard, based on Dan Brown’s best-selling novel, and partly shot in the Louvre Museum, the film boasts an international cast featuring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Ian McKellen and Alfred Molina.

The novel has been criticized by the Roman Catholic Church as well as scholars for having no historical basis. That didn’t stop more than 30 million copies from flying off the bookshelves.

Director-producer-actor Howard first came to Cannes with his 1988 film Willow. His A Beautiful Mind won a Best Picture Oscar in 2002.