Time
So, I have never actually seen another Kim Ki-duk film besides “Bin-Jip” which is surprising because I liked it and because “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring” has been on my plan-to-watch list forever. I have also considered “Bad Guy” and “Samaritan Girl”, but the premise of “Time” ended up being the reason why it was chosen.
I think I just like the theme of face-changing. There is something haunting about it, the face being the one thing we probably identify with the most, even if our conscience would like to tell us otherwise. A face is more than just an outward appearance, and while an obsession with it might be unhealthy, there is still an aspect of it that seems to be inherently human. Unfortunately, this particular film seems to be mostly about obsession, but in a melodramatic kind of way. Even before I started watching the film I named it “The poor man’s Face of Another”, and after seeing the film, I still stand by that statement.
Certainly some aspects of the film are quite stylish. The beginning and end of the film match nicely (It’s an eternal loop, creepy!) and I appreciate the interior designs, the food and especially the silly little sculpture garden. It is obvious that the movie is carefully shot, and that itself can make it interesting. But oh wow, the characters are just batshit crazy. If this was the only Korean movie I had seen, I would assume that Koreans love bitching at strangers in public, and whenever a couple goes into a café they have to get into a loud argument. If only that was comical, but “Time” is more like a horror drama and unfortunately has no comedic element whatsoever.
All in all, I thought it was an intriguing film which did something interesting with its great premise, but it was an okay experience at best.