Lies

This often startling account of a progressively S&M tinged love affair (and, yes, that is the right word for it) between an 18 year old schoolgirl and a married man twice her age remains currently banned in its native South Korea where it's considered pornographic. In a sense it is, considering how much of the film's running time is devoted to fairly explicit (at times clearly non-simulated) sexual encounters. What sets this film apart from other recent releases that have incorporated hardcore footage as part of their narrative (like the astonishing BAISE-MOI or Lars Von Trier's THE IDIOTS) is that here there is actual warmth and sensuality to the copulation sequences, even when the protagonists are beating the feces out of each other, making it much harder one presumes for moralists to condemn on grounds of lacking humanity or compassion. Not that they would allow themselves to be seduced by this deeply moving yet quietly disturbing film in the first place. I for one found it exquisitely erotic (and frequently sweetly funny with the lovers' DIY approach to S&M), even - or especially, perhaps - in its more extreme moments, all of which handled beautifully by the two non-professional leads. The pared-down visual style gives the movie an edge and intensity, as if you're watching real people in a documentary rather than a fiction film. The movie's English title is explained in the shattering last line. It would sound glib to call this a REALM OF THE SENSES for millennium's end but that's the comparison that comes to mind.

In Seoul, the eighteen years old student Y (Tae Yeon Kim) decides to meet the thirty-eight years old sculptor J (Sang Hyun Lee) and loose her virginity with him. After a few sexual meetings with J, Y is introduced in SM games, being spanked by Y and becoming addicted in sadomasochistic practice. "Gojitmal" is a very unconventional and daring love story. I saw this DVD on sale and I was really surprised with the boldness of Tae Yeon Kim, Sang Hyun Lee and director Sun-Woo Jang. When I worked in South Korea, I found a Confucian society, with costumes and moral values totally different from western societies, and I respected that a lot. My local colleagues informed me that, for example, the exhibition in the movie theaters of Louis Malle 's "Damage" had been forbidden, since their society would never understand the situation of a father having an affair with the wife of his son. At least, the "soju" remains the same in the present days. Therefore, when I saw that "Gojitmal", which is indeed a soft porn with very kinky sex, I was really astonished with the behavior of the characters. This movie is not bad, but it is interesting to read that most of the IMDb viewers liked it: the camera is amateurish, the lead actor and actress do not have the usual standard pattern of beauty and the locations are very simple. However, the screenplay is very unconventional and provocative, slightly recalling "The Last Tango in Paris", and the presentation looks like a documentary. "Gojitmal" is recommended for very specific audiences only. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Mentiras" ("Lies")

I was unfortunate enough to catch the last 15-20 minutes of this movie one late night. I was horrified. How it could be played on cable TV without some kind of warning in the title, i don't know.

It was on again last night. I dared not turn the channel.

It scares me that this movie was allowed to come into Australia. I mean, yeah its art blah blah, but how did it get thru those Christian groups who lobbied against eyes wide shut and that french film that had real sex. Cos this is not faked lovie dovie sex. Its awful, and it turned me off having sex if it looked like that! i mean, ew! wrongness!

So: If you're into the whole S&M beating the ass with stuff, well go ahead, watch it. But if you have a weak stomach, or cant handle graphic sex scenes, don't watch it.

"Lies" tells about an affair between an 18 year old bucktoothed female student and a scrawny 38 year old married man with the pair of protags spending about half the screen time engaged in naked sex and hokey whipping and the other half meandering through the pathetically naive storyline which seems little more than an excuse for the sex scenes. With very poor production value including obvious sanitary appliances and phony softcore sex to a story which is a messy mix of comedy and drama, "Lies" quickly becomes redundant ad nauseam. With an almost 2 hour run, subtitles, and so little substance, "Lies" is simply not recommendable. (C-)

When I first popped this DVD in, I had no idea what I was in store for. Sure, I read the description on the back and the reviewers quotes and I knew it was unrated, but I had no idea... Lies is a bold film. Whether you despise the places it dares to go or admire it for going there, you cannot argue the fact that it goes to the outer most limit. At times I found myself queasy, sometimes out of how graphic the sex was and other times out of a feeling that I was uncomfortable for the actors for being that naked -- i'm not talking about just their skin -- i mean their vulnerability being in those scenes to begin with. Although I would usually ask what the point of a movie this raw is, in this case I have to say that I'm really glad that I saw it. I don't know what you walk away with from it, but I do know that I'm always psyched to see something different cinematically than what I already know and surprisingly satisfied to discover a film that I didn't know existed. Lies delivered both. I can't really put my finger on what it is about the film and it's not my type (AT ALL) but it's worth it. For some intangible reason, it is worth it and has much merit.

If you're not uptight and can deal with watching thing that you would probably not venture nor wish to do and want to see a filmmaker totally unashamed and unfazed at exploring a genre, then this is a movie that is definitely worth seeing. 7/10.