Director: Bong Joon-ho
Screenplay: is a
Minutes: 132
Year: 2019
Score: 7.93
Release: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Am I the parasite? Someone clicks on a link and lands here, reading these words about a film where the heroes can also be the villains, and vice versa. But, it is a film made by professionals, and written about by professionals, and yet these words may as well be written by an amateur wearing a professional mask.
From UPHE.com: (amazon)
Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale. Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, Parasite showcases a modern master at the top of his game.
I will speak for the minority of the film community. While I enjoyed Parasite it is not my favorite movie of the year. It is certainly in my top 10, but there were many very good films in 2019. This is a good problem.
==2/10/2020==
Have you ever started a film essay before a major award show and find yourself finishing afterwards? I have. I’m going to leave it as I have it, though, my feelings haven’t changed, however, Parasite is now the recipient of the Academy Award for Best Picture marking the first time that a foreign film has had done so. And good for them.
Parasite reminds me of Abbas Kiarostami’s masterpiece Close Up, and this, very likely, clouded my judgment. I had a visceral response of imposter syndrome after viewing Kiarostami’s film for the first time. This left Parasite feeling a little less charming. The difference being that I didn’t feel like much of an imposter this time.
See, I feel like I can be on both sides of the Parasite coin. I am very blessed, but anytime I feel connected to the film community I also feel like I am punching well above my weight. Whereas, in Close Up, Hossain manages to pose as a film director to a point at which the line between who he is and who he’s wants to be starts to fray.
I have no doubt that I am looking much more deeply than I should, and this is the magic of cinema. I have no issue with recommending this to everyone. With the caveat that there are not, nearly, enough special features.
Special Features:
Q&A with Director Bong Joon Ho
Trailers
Director: 9 – Cinematography: 8 – Edit: 5 – Parity: 4 – Main performance: 10 – Else performance: 6 – Score: 10 – Sound: 7 – Story: 9 – Script: 9 – Effects: 7 – Design: 8 – Costumes: 7 – Keeps interest: 10 – Lasting: 10