Festival Reviews
Top Picks From The Sydney Film Festival 2018
Here are my top favourites at the Sydney Film Festival. Watch out for them when they get a mainstream release.
Rolmar Baldonado
June 4, 2019
Think Agatha Christie plotline with a truth-is-more-shocking-than-
Sohyeon is the king’s direct heir as well as his grandson. Joseon has a history of invasion from Japan and the Manchus, and the king wants to protect his kingdom at all costs. When the king reluctantly welcomes his son back, he becomes sceptical when the prince speaks of a peaceful compromise between Qing and Joseon. Mistrusting Westerners, the king is even more dismayed that the prince has been adapting to Western customs. These are the facts behind the Korean legend, which is the basis of this engaging narrative.
And for those intrigued with acupuncture, who would have thought that needles into the body could be more powerful than just relieving pains and headaches? Gyeong-su uses his acupuncture skills as a weapon at the heart of his confrontation with the perpetrators of the murder. He tries to save his life to support his 10-year-old brother Kyung-Jae (Kim Do-wan), who has a medical condition requiring a costly herbal medicine.
Nearly two hours in length, this debut film from South Korean writer-director Ahn Tae-jin is fast-paced, with its suspenseful plot twists and turns. It explores themes of determination and survival through humility and wit as the partially blind witness of a royal crime conflicts with royalty. With co-writers Soo-in Bang and Gyu-Ri Hyun, Ahn has moulded an intriguing story that is as dark as the legend it was based on. The audience witnesses who killed the prince, but how Gyeong-su proves this as a blind man who is also being framed as the murderer is the film’s exhilarating roller coaster ride.
With good direction and excellent performances, THE NIGHT OWL is a fitting opening night film after that excellent reception at Event Gold Class in Sydney George Street.
Here are my top favourites at the Sydney Film Festival. Watch out for them when they get a mainstream release.
Bonjour! It was quite a pleasure for me seeing all these new French films at the recent French film festival in Sydney. I have listed my favourites, all highly recommended viewing. Watch them when you get the chance!