House Invaders

As mentioned last week, Tony Rayns (writing in Film Comment) accused Kim Ki-duk of plagiarizing Tsai Ming-liang's Vive L'Amour for his latest film 3-Iron (Bin Jip). This is on par with saying it steals from Caddyshack because both films feature golf clubs. A ludicrous charge that has Filmbrain convinced Rayns' article was rooted in some deep personal gripe he has with the director. So be it. While 3-Iron isn't a great film, it does herald the arrival (for the time being, at least) of a slightly more mature Kim Ki-duk. Far more restrained than his previous films, 3-Iron can almost be classified as lighthearted, with a dry sense of humor that works quite well. Though there is some nastiness to it (usually involving a golf ball), it never approaches the sexual/violent extremes of The Isle, Bad Guy, Address Unknown, etc. That said, the film is still a bit too simplistic (naive?), and Kim's metaphors (freedom vs. imprisonment - of both the literal and domestic kinds) are about as subtle as being hit in the head with the titular iron. Still, the story is very original, and if you're willing to look past a few of Kim's conceits, it's a pleasurable ninety-minutes with a payoff that is as clever as it is creepy. (Unfortunately, Kim throws up a line of text on the screen at the end that is entirely unnecessary, and nearly spoils the effect.) Tae-suk is a young (homeless?) man who drives around on his BMW motorcycle looking for houses/apartments where the owners are away. (The literal translation of the film's title is Empty House - another of Kim's blatantly obvious metaphors.) Breaking in to these homes, he makes a wonderful meal for himself, takes a relaxing bath, and then proceeds to repair broken items and carefully hand wash the owner's laundry. He tends to favor luxurious houses, and in one of them he discovers that he's not alone. Former model (naturally) and abused housewife Sun-hwa spies on Tae-suk for a whole day before making her presence known. Her husband is a golf-playing BMW-driving businessman who seems to enjoy hurling verbal and physical abuse at her. Seeing Tae-suk as a means of escape, she becomes his partner in crime, and the two of them enjoy a successful run on several homes without ever exchanging a single word. When their luck runs out, the film takes an unexpected turn and leads to a surprising but satisfactory conclusion. The non-verbal communication between the two leads is more of a conceit by Kim than anything else. That's not to say it doesn't work to good effect, but seeing 3-Iron on the heels of Vive L'Amour made Filmbrain appreciate Tsai that much more. Tsai's characters are silent mostly due to an absence of somebody to talk to, or a complete inability to connect on even the simplest level. Several critics have praised Kim for the extended silence, and how he skillfully manages to get the point across. However, the point itself isn't that challenging or compelling. This is where a comparison between Tsai and Kim is valid -- both 3-Iron and several of Tsai's films deal with alienation, yet Kim is far more superficial about it. This isn't necessarily a strike against it, but results in a film that requires (and demands) less interpretation, or reflection. 3-Iron comes off as smarter and deeper than it actually is, but it's still a worthwhile experience. With wonderful cinematography by newcomer Jang Seong-back, 3-Iron is a visual treat that will no doubt be as appealing to Western audiences as Kim's previous outing, Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring. The film is having its US premiere at Sundance this week, and Sony Classics has picked it up for distribution.