"The Foul King" - directed by Kim Jee-Woon

03.20 - Posted by Editor

Kim Jee-Woon's "The Foul King" Fantasies of an office slave   South Korea 2000, 112 minutes Review by Kevin Feng Ke

3.20.01 -- A polished and entertaining second feature after his 1997 debut "The Quiet Family," Kim Jee-Woon's film "The Foul King" fully utilizes the dramatic and comic potential of wrestling matches, much as "Shall We Dance" exploited the ballroom dance scene. This could well be a crossover picture for Korea cinema if handled well by a US distributor. There's gold to be mined here. Links Respond to this review by posting your comments below!   Screening in New York City New Directors/New Films Series Museum of Modern Art Sat 3/24 9:00 PM Sun 3/25 1:00 PM        Since starring "Shiri" and "Joint Security Area," Song Kang-Ho, has since been on a winning streak to become an internationally recognizable star. In "The Foul King," he's allowed to fully flex his acting muscles. Doing all his own stunts, he displays the emotional range, perfect comic timing, and physical strength needed in all the combative wrestling matches.     The story involves a clumsy bank clerk, perpetually bullied by his boss, ridiculed by street hooligans, neglected by his beautiful female colleagues, and given up on by his own father. The clerk fantasizes that he becomes a wrestling king and can finally kick his boss's ass. By chance, he stumbles upon a rundown gym and discover the awesome power of the wrestling. All of sudden, he finds himself an alter ego. Even though most of the fights are rigged by local mafia, he studies hard with the down-to-earth daughter of a disgruntled former champion. Behind a self-invented fearsome image of a cat-face mask, he finally finds courage to express his hidden yearning but his ultimate salvation still lies in a wrestling ring where he is no longer the loser he is in real everyday life.     The film gains a little weight and depth as it tries to penetrate through every man's psyche: one's longing for the unattainable while neglecting what is immediately available. In this sense, man's worst enemy is not his boss, it's himself. It's a seductive, hilarious physical romantic comedy that mirrors every average man's need for empowerment, nourishment, and the occasional escape from the cruel real world. There is no simple love-saves-all message here. The actual wrestling matches are absurd and nasty, providing ample opportunities for gags and wows.     All of you office or corporate slaves, allow your poor soul a leap of faith. Go and check out this movie which will temporary alleviate your painful existence. Life is a show after all. If you're not in it, at least go watch it.   A filmmaker himself, Kevin Feng Ke also serves as correspondent for Chinese version of Screen International Magazine and Chinese Central Television Network (CCTV) Movie Channel's World Cinema Report series. He can be reached at kevinthedirector@hotmail.com