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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fine film...but be forewarned, December 20, 2002
By A Customer
Jang Sun-Woo is noted for his uniformly excellent art films (including the brillliant Hwa Om Kyung), but nothing could prepare you for this dark, hilarious drama. Here, a sixteen-year old high school girl seeks out a relationship with a 38-year old artist -- a man who happens to have a flavor for S&M. Some will be confused by the film, perhaps even wondering if there's much more to it. The best Korean filmmakers don't spell out their movies in the same way it's done in America, and this is no exception. Sometimes, the camera continues rolling after a scene has been shot, showing the actors troubled over the emotional content or explicitness of the film. Jang suggests that control and domination exists as an normal part of everyday life. We tell lies to ourselves about what we say we "enjoy," just as the tortured characters in Lies claim to enjoy their pain. This depth of filmmaking makes for an astonishingly fresh filmgoing experience. While frequently and outrageously funny, it is not the kind of film that you should watch without trying to engage yourself, asking questions and perhaps coming up with your own interpretations. Certainly, Lies is meant to be outrageous (it was banned in several countries, including Korea), but it's also thought-provoking and quite moving.
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Avant-Garde Film Loses Focus, August 2, 2002
By A Customer
I have to say that I like this film. There's something endearing about this awkward pair- a childlike man with a merciless need for whippings and a young woman with little experience in anything, sex or otherwise. But here's the problem: What seemed to drive this film in the beginning, and what it inexplicably gave up on, was a sort of experiment in which the director shows us the making of the film in the midst of the film itself. This is very effective, as this is the kind of film you see and wonder, "how could anyone do that in front of the camera?" We watch Lee Sang Hyun (the actress who plays the young woman) talk about how she feels about doing nude scenes. This could very well have been an audition tape. And after a particularly tempestuous argument between two characters, the scene cuts and the director steps into the shot. But this is where the experiment ends (these scenes are very early in the film) and it turns into just another forbidden love story. This film could have been Korea's "Breathless", instead of "9 1/2 Weeks" with a handheld camera and a whip. HOWEVER!!! I understand there are reasons for wanting to have a film of this type in your collection. So, if you're looking for lots of cinema verite nude scenes with a very slender and pretty young Korean girl, "Lies" is a great buy. The sex is very raw and lifelike- and quite desperate. But I have to warn you- if S&M disturbs you you might want to stay away from this one.
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39 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Strange erotic movie, March 29, 2002
Lies is a film about a sexual relationship between a final year high school girl and a grown up artist. A Teenager girl wants to loose her virginity to a married grown up artist . Their relationship gets stranger with the artists lust for pain and sado mazo actions. Later girl develops a liking towards this acts and becomes the fountain of life for him. The sex, passion and sado actions are portrayed as real as a responsible camera gets thus coming closer to the soft porn cliches with beating each other with sticks that are collected from the parks by the couple. It is an interesting movie with the 2 characters lust in Korea a modern but a traditional country where morality and respect is appreciated. Film is not about real love but passion, lust and phantasies, so be warned. Interesting fact is that film is based on a book which caused writer to end up in jail. But film is all around the world and especially screened in festivals. It is not an easy film to watch sometimes so you have to make up your mind.
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