Slate
Director: Jo Ba-reun
Year: 2020
Rating: 6.0
Country:
Korea
This
Korean action fantasy film is enjoyable enough while watching, but I have
the feeling that it will quickly dissolve into the background of my mind,
not to be thought of again. Mainly because it never really takes itself seriously
and neither will you. It is like a low-budget production that falls between
a straight to video film and a regular feature. None of the actors are big
names though they are all fine. It nearly all takes place in one location
with a few ramshackle buildings and streets that pretends to be a town. But
not to be negative because it is rather fun and the main actress is very
appealing. I would guess that the Wizard of Oz was in the back of the writer's
mind - or perhaps Peter Pan - with a heroine who saves the day and defeats
all the bad guys - even a sorcerer - and is aided by a few friends who could
almost be the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. At least that
is what went through my mind while watching.
As a small girl living in an orphanage,
Yeon-hee tells the supervisor that she wants to be a heroine and save people.
She is played by Ahn Ji-hye who only has a few film credits but plenty of
TV ones. She quite impresses here with her physical grace. The film picks
up twenty-years later and so far, Yeon-hee is no heroine, barely able to
make a living. Her dream now is to become a heroine in movies - not life
- and after accosting the director in a bathroom stall, she gets chosen to
be a double to the star in a period film. When she goes to the film set with
her friend, she ends up in a parallel world that makes little sense. They
are humans - one looks like her friend - all living in a small town in fear
of the gangs that demand tribute. Swords are the weapon of choice. Yeon-hee
happens to have a fake film sword with her and the town thinks she has come
to save them. She thinks it is a joke or a movie that she is in. Till someone
is killed.
Then she decides this is her chance to become
a real heroine as she takes on a gang. The action is a bit clutzy at first
but picks up as the film moves along to better foes. The top villain
is like the Wicked Witch of the West. The best fight is the one between her
and the female nicknamed Rattle Snake (Nam I seul - who I hope shows up in
future films). Unlike many Korean films I have seen of late, there is no
CGI blood and in fact no blood as she runs through the bad guys with her
now lethal sword. PG perhaps. With a positive message to the kiddies - dream
big and never give up - you may end up in a parallel world where you won't
be such a loser. It is light entertainment that goes down fine. Would
like to catch the actress in some of her other films - Badland Hunters, Project
Wolf Hunting and Our Body.
