Independent Roundup: ‘The Flavor of Money’

Firebrand film maker Im Sang-soo's last movie was a rebuilding of the 1960 Japanese traditional "The Housemaid." While the unique is a movie black about middle-age stress, Im's edition was an luxurious center handy prolonged to Korea's 1 %. In his newest movie, "The Flavor of Money," he once again revolves a deliriously baroque story about the sordid lifestyles of the uber-rich.

[Related: Independent Roundup: 'Barbara']

Joo Young-jak is the individual assistant for the wonderfully wealthy Yoon group. Though he is more than willing to crack into a business associates resort ninja-style and set up a spy photographic camera for his company, he is still, at the starting of the movie, an simple of types. The movie reveals with Joo and his manager, Chair Yoon, coming into a space that's basically placed to the rafters with cash. As they heap the cheddar into luggage for a late-night incentivise, Yoon arms him a package of won and says, "Have an idea of greenbacks. Everyone does." Joo declines.

As we understand, the chairman has been diseased by years of quick entry to money and has been sinking his disillusionment with himself and his callous spouse Guem-Ok with a stable flow of girls and alcohol. When he states his great really like for his buxom Filipina housemaid, Joo soon discovers himself pulled into a web of close relatives interest including sex, disloyality, more sex, and killing.

While the first 50 % of the movie follows the street of a standard-issue trashy potboiler, Im soon reduces that system. Figures start out as toons and then expand in surprising methods. Instead of being the practical idol, Joo shows to be rather unskilled at extricating himself from his problems. Guem-Ok is exposed to be not just the amoral ice king (though she is certainly that) but a lady broken by a life-time of unfaithfulness and doubt. Actually, everyone in the movie finishes up impaired in one way or another by money and the unlimited possibilities for sex and energy that it purchases. Though the movie slouches toward sentimentality by the end, "The Flavor of Money" demonstrates that cash goes down simple but has a great nasty aftertaste.