Why is it that every Asian movie that's been recommended to me turn out to be riddled with problems?
The protagonist seems to have just a couple of expressions, with the most prominent being the frown. She's either on the verge of crying or getting angry. But, she frowns so much that I'm addressing her as Miss Frownyface. Then, there's the mentor turned antagonist, Chef Paul. His acting is cliched. There's no originality in his performance. The supporting actors are given very little to work with and so, I shall excuse them.
The story progression puzzles me. The writing is unconvincing. Is this Whiplash or is this Parasite or is this that episode of Squid Game where the rich English-speaking gamblers show up? Is this a serious drama about an abusive mentor or an intelligent satire about the class system or a sardonic parody that lets the whole movie down? I'd say Hunger is all of the above. And, that's why it doesn't work.
The pacing is uneven. The characters are illogical. The film is supported by brilliant cinematography and good music but the most important beam that should support the film is the screenplay and actors, and they don't do enough.
I am genuinely interested in watching other films starring the protagonist, just to see if she's Miss Frownyface in other projects as well. I'm not even joking or mocking, I am convinced that she relies on her tiny bag of stock expressions.
The protagonist seems to have just a couple of expressions, with the most prominent being the frown. She's either on the verge of crying or getting angry. But, she frowns so much that I'm addressing her as Miss Frownyface. Then, there's the mentor turned antagonist, Chef Paul. His acting is cliched. There's no originality in his performance. The supporting actors are given very little to work with and so, I shall excuse them.
The story progression puzzles me. The writing is unconvincing. Is this Whiplash or is this Parasite or is this that episode of Squid Game where the rich English-speaking gamblers show up? Is this a serious drama about an abusive mentor or an intelligent satire about the class system or a sardonic parody that lets the whole movie down? I'd say Hunger is all of the above. And, that's why it doesn't work.
The pacing is uneven. The characters are illogical. The film is supported by brilliant cinematography and good music but the most important beam that should support the film is the screenplay and actors, and they don't do enough.
I am genuinely interested in watching other films starring the protagonist, just to see if she's Miss Frownyface in other projects as well. I'm not even joking or mocking, I am convinced that she relies on her tiny bag of stock expressions.