HIDE AND SEEK (Sum-bakk-og-jil). FILM REVIEW. 8TH LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL 2013

by Adnan Kundi
April 26, 2014
in FILM REVIEWS, KOREA, LONDON KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL
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Shown in the 8th London Korean Film Festival 2013, Hide And Seek was the Opening Gala which was screened at the Odeon West End Cinema. This was the UK Premiere and the first Korean film that I watched in Cinema. Once again, as I am a busy man, I had to choose one film to watch, thus I chose this film.

Director Huh Jung

This film is a Directorial Debut of Director Huh Jung. Hide And Seek was a very small budgeted thriller film which had attracted a huge audience in Korea, resulting in great success in the Korean box office.

Lead Actor Son Hyun-joo

I was once again very lucky to have booked a seat in the front second row just like I had done so a month before at the 57^th BFI London Film Festival 2013. I nearly got the same seat where I had sat before. All the seats had a festival souvenir tote bag on them, containing the schedule and information brochures of the film festival. As the time neared and the hall filled up with the audience, Mr Tony Rayns a film critic introduced the Director Huh Jung and the Lead Actor Son Hyun-joo and invited them onto the stage to introduce Hide And Seek.

Moon Jung-hee

The story revolves around Sung-Soo (Son Hyun-joo), a man who is living a normal life with his wife and two children. Things change when he finds out that his estranged brother is missing, and goes to pay a visit to a rundown apartment building where he lives. There he comes across a disoriented woman Joo-Hee (Moon Jung-hee) living with her only daughter, who keeps complaining about his brothers suspicious and disturbing activities. Thus he starts his own investigation on his brother who he thinks is hiding and is up to something. The investigation results in Sung-Soo facing very harsh consequences.

Jung Joo-won and Kim Soo-ahn

Although the Lead Actor said that it’s a family film, it actually didn’t turn out to be one. It was a textbook thriller and mystery film which had some parts which were quite shocking for the viewers. The performances of the three Child actors Jung Joon-won, Kim Soo-ahn and Kim Ji-young was one of the most impressive that I’ve seen.

Kim Ji-young

Once again at the Q&A session, I got the chance to question the Director and Lead actor that what is it that the actors and the Director have to go through to make such kind of a film? At the same time, I also told them that the Korean films have a fan following in Pakistan and that they are welcomed to come to Pakistan and show this film.