Film Festival 09 - The Chaser
The Chaser
South Korea 2008, 125m
Director: Na Hong-jin
Festivals: Cannes (Midnight Screenings), Pusan 2008; Rotterdam
2009
"Go The Chaser. Writer-director Na Hong-jin's smashing debut
thriller vibrates in sympathy with its desperate antihero - a
disgraced cop turned pimp - racing to rescue one of his girls from
a slacker serial killer. Na shows impeccable taste in stealing from
genre classics both familiar (Silence of the Lambs) and
comparatively obscure (The Silent Partner), but his clenched
frustration with urban chaos and police corruption is felt and
urgent. The scrambling messiness of the fights and chases juices
the tension to almost unbearable levels." - David Chute, LA Weekly.
"Yet another example of how Korean cinema excels at transforming
and transcending genre& Halfway through I found myself
wondering why Hollywood hasn't bought the rights yet. Oh wait, they
have. With Leonardo, no less. Sigh." - Filmbrain. One of
Korean cinema's biggest hits last year The Chaser took the awards
for best picture, director, actor and screenplay at the 2008 Korean
Film Awards.
In Korean with English subtitles
