Hanyo
Samenvattingen(1)
A music teacher works hard with his wife and manages to buy a two-story house. When his wife grows weak from overworking as a seamstress to be able to afford the house, he hires a housemaid. When his now pregnant wife leaves to visit her family, the housemaid seduces him and conceives. The wife convinces the housemaid to tumble down the staircase and intentionally miscarry, and the housemaid, having lost the baby in the attempt, becomes increasingly violent. (San Sebastian International Film Festival)
(meer)Recensie (2)
Immediately after watching it I wanted to write in joy about how much The Housemaid reminded me of Hitchcock thrillers, but I see that I wouldn’t be the first… what a shame. Anyway, it’s an excellent and thrilling movie, with tense emotions and perfect performances. For Asian standards, it’s also pretty restrained, which was welcome (though it’s true that Korean movies in general are less hysterical than, for instance, the Japanese).
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A wonderfully crafted film that doesn't need to build atmosphere through its environment, but simply utilizes a good screenplay and great performances. You won't even mind that it's South Korean, because this is a movie that will captivate you with its dramatic power regardless of nationality. Another beautiful example of why it's worth taking an interest in Asian cinematography.
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