Overview
1930s Korea, in the period of Japanese occupation, a young woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering uncle. But, the maid has a secret: she is a pickpocket recruited by a swindler posing as a Japanese count to help him seduce the heiress to elope with him, rob her of her fortune, and lock her up in a madhouse. The plan seems to proceed according to plan until the women discover some unexpected emotions.
A strong movie from one of my favorite directors. As of this post, it’s the latest movie of Park Chan-wook, but I’d say it’s a good introduction if you’re new to his movies. It’s one of the lightest works from him, and I don’t like when directors appeal to the masses, but here it’s done so well that I couldn’t complain. The movie is based on a love triangle and the director slows down with wicked creativity like in his earlier stuff, and it’s OK. The storytelling and the whole execution is so fine that I really appreciate this direction.