BIFF

Last weekend a friend from university came down for the Busan International Film Festival. I saw three films. All were very well done but at the same time each was very unique. A friend asked me last night, "Was there one that wasn't depressing?" Immediately the answer was yes. Each story dealt with something taboo but there was an element of escapism. After pondering over the plots they weren't as depressing as they were shocking. The shock-factor probably contributed to my emotions swirling around like a tornado bringing on my watery eyes in 1 of the 3. So here are my brief outlines of each movie. I won't rank them, however, it should be noted that all of these film were selected to be premiered at an International Film Festival (unlike any movie starring Nicholas Cage). I believe the best way to watch a movie is by going in blind, thus, I tried to give a basic outline of the movie without giving anything away.

The first movie on the list was In Another Country, a Korean film about Korea through the eyes of a foreigner. The setting was lacking and it forced the audience to focus on the characters and the dialogue. There were some funny points in the film where they dealt with the laguage barrier in between foreigners and Koreans, other than that, I'd say it was the worst movie out of the 3.

Fly with the Crane is story set in rural China, with beautiful scenery. The main family in the story is at ends with one another's values, leading to arguments which drive the story. The film takes very long shots which can't get a little dreary but its a small price to pay.  It takes a while to get into but don't judge it until you've watched the whole thing.

Finally, the best movie of them all, Beasts of the Southern Wild. A compelling story of a girl and her father that are forced to deal with poverty and disaster. The blending of reality and fantasy in this film is absolutely phenomenal. If I can recommend any of these three films this is the one. The acting was superb.