Sea Fog

Generally speaking, it's OK. But the difficulties ahead are a little thin, and the outbreak of the evil part of human nature is a little too abrupt and short.

This isn't the movie I was expecting - it's so much better.

The tonal shifts in the film are jarring, throwing the audience off from our expectations. Early exposition introduces the crew of the ship and makes a display of the human element as they first bring the immigrants on board and show them kindness. This contrasts sharply with early moments of conflict as tempers flare, to say nothing of the dramatic turn within the second half.

For as dark as it is, and well made, 'Sea fog' is deeply, terribly engrossing.

It's notable that the film was co-written between director Shim Sung-bo and celebrated film-maker Bong Joon-ho, who both similarly collaborated on Bong's marvelous 'Memories of murder.' The same grim atmosphere that pervades the latter film is just as inescapable here, if not more so, as the picture progresses. Where earlier scenes almost let us believe that 'Sea fog' is built as a sentimental human interest story along the lines of Disney's 'The finest hours,' that illusion is quickly dispelled in the second act.

It doesn't seem especially remarkable, at first, in any way. But Shim's eye as a director waits for the titular sea fog to roll in, literally lending atmosphere to the film, before he pointedly stirs it into his feature with tension as thick as the murky air. The cast roars to life with the onset of great violence and desperation, and every performance is truly riveting as the complexity of each character, and their altogether horrific personalities, are brought to the forefront.

While all excel, I'm especially enamored with the display of acting from Kim Yoon-seok, who portrays the stubborn, sole-minded captain with an unexpected range that's increasingly captivating as the feature rolls toward its conclusion. Then, too: Han Ye-ri, as Hong-mae, and Park Yoochun, as Dong-sik, share chemistry as scene partners that's greatly alluring. This is especially true in a tender scene that marks the transition from the second to third acts. Both bear such swirling, conflicting emotions in their countenance that, together with the swelling, affecting chords of Jung Jae-il's fantastic score, a scene that should be rousing and touching in a romantic sense instead feels direly tragic and heart-breaking. For as much as 'Sea fog' makes an impression from start to finish, not least of all at the climax, this scene in particular is one I am simply not going to forget.

The production design is arresting, with the scent of fish and sea air practically wafting through our screens along with the din and grit off the boat, to say nothing of the gloom of the fog. That deepening vapor is employed as pathetic fallacy in 'Sea fog,' to an extent that's maybe a bit heavy-handed, but it feels far more natural than arbitrary. The sheer quality of the storytelling and film-making herein makes this an essential watch, to say nothing of the fact that it's based on real life events.

This was only Shim's first full-length feature film, and still to date his only credit as director, but he has absolutely proven his worth. The accolades and nominations it received are very well deserved, and by all means it was a fine submission for the Academy Awards that sadly was not selected. I began watching with a particular idea in mind of what I was about to see, and I've been blown away with the experience I got instead. 'Sea fog' is an outstanding movie, highly recommended for all comers.

The captain of a South Korean fishing trawler is offered his biggest payday yet. All he has to do is pick up a bunch of Chinese refugees off the mainland of China and bring them to South Korea. He takes the job and initially everything goes well. However, the plans are thrown into disarray when tragedy strikes...

Interesting drama. Plot starts and develops well. The event that changes the course of the plot is shown in a semi-sympathetic light towards the crew and captain and you get the feeling it is going to be story about how the crew manage to evade the authorities, and smooth things over with their paymasters.

However, from a point the movie takes a romantic turn, and an idealistic turn, and this reduces it from a crew vs the authorities movies to a much more conventional good guys vs bad guys film. The multi-layered shades of gray is replaced a one-dimensional black- and-white. This takes the lustre off the movie to an extent.

Is still reasonably entertaining in the end, but had the potential to be something great.

This film BLEW all my expectations out of the water , I knew nothing about it going in and enjoyed every single second of this incredible piece of Korean Cinema.

The intensity and tone of the film is one of the best things I can say about it , you could cut the tension with a knife and my hands were sweating the whole time ! The score and editing was impeccable , particularly the score being reminiscent of huge blockbusters (all though this is a lot more adult and brutal than an American blockbuster as usual with Korean Cinema). The cinematography was absolutely incredible , considering this took place on a boat , there was practically no shaky cam throughout the entire thing and instead the viewers are treated to some gorgeous visuals and beautiful smooth and steady shots. Only negative thing I have to say about Haemoo is the fact that a few times , it felt a little bit cliché with its character moments and plot decisions (very rarely) .

I could not believe my eyes when I saw the ratings online , they deserve to be much , MUCH higher.

It is a really interesting time for Korean cinema. Chan-wook Park and Joon-ho Bong, South Korea's leading auteurs have successfully transitioned into the English language with Stoker and Snowpiercer, introducing a larger audience to their respective cannons. South Korean cinema is flourishing. Haemoo's success on the festival circuit and its selection as Korea's entry for the foreign language Oscar is probably due in a large part to Joon-ho Bong's credit as producer and screenwriter.

Haemoo (Sea Fog) is based on a stage play which is in turn based on a real event that occurred in 2001. Judging by the collective gasp in the VIFF screening I was in, I assume most were not aware of what event it was based on. All I will say is that the incident is shocking and traumatic; this is not a film for the squeamish.

The film centers on Captain Kang and his fishing crew. He is about to lose his boat due to lack of finances so in an act of desperation he agrees to the job of smuggling Chinese-Korean immigrants into the country. His crew is not told until they are at sea.

First time director Sung Bo Shim competently handles the film, employing a straight forward, no bullshit approach to storytelling that would make Clint Eastwood proud. The set pieces are solid, especially the ship itself, although the film would have benefited from a cinematographer who wasn't afraid to take a step back. The camera is often too close to the action and three uses of shaky-cam are three too many.

Haemoo has its flaws but it's properly paced and well told. The audience at the screening seemed to love it, simultaneously applauding loudly at the finish. I look forward to seeing what Sung Bo Shim does next, preferably with a slightly larger budget.