The Handmaiden (2016), Unrated, ★★★1/2

What are you up to? Huh?

I heard some praise from a few people I know that have seen this film and I was a bit skeptical because unfortunately I do not get the chance to see many foreign films. This movie is based on a British novel that is transposed to a Korean story under a Japanese ruler. I was going into this cold not knowing what the title could lead to or what the story will be about and how this movie will unfold. And, I have to say: Know a little bit of the plot but not much else because the result is a harrowing experience that is twisted, disturbing, erotic, and most of all, classical with such disciplined filmmaking by director Park Chan-Wook.

A con man hires a pickpocket named Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri), who is well-known as she comes from a family of con artists, to become Lady Hideko's (Kim Min-hee) handmaiden. Her mission is to convince Hideko to reject her barbarous uncle, Kouzuki (Cho Jin-Woong) and marry Fujiwara (Ha Jung-Woo), who hired Sook-hee. Kouzuki's hobby is that he is an art collector but he mostly collects paintings of erotic nature. As an example of brutal nature, Kouzuki forces Hideko to perform readings of erotica for their guests as they are being auctioned off.

What Sook-hee does not know is that Hideko and Fujiwara plan to elope to Russia and steal her identity. However, Sook-hee grows closer to Hideko as they both develop mutual doubts and feelings toward their situations and they sexually experiment with each other. What Sook-hee uncovers to Hideko regarding her plot to to convince her to marry Fujiwara allows them to plot against him and become their own human beings.

This movie does approach dark humor within its story and erotic tale and does a brilliant job with a classy approach of sex, deceit and bloody consequences. I viewed this movie as a comparison to both Alfred Hitchcock's work and Brian De Palma's work. What Chan-Wook demonstrates within the story is a sense of female empowerment surrounding the mystery as its brooding lighting in the cinematography by Chung Chung-Woon as they team up in the second half to go against the odds within their masters. But, the reason why I compared this tone to De Palma's work is also within female empowerment but in a sexual context as the lesbian scenes demonstrated how flawed and scarred their relationship is with each other and also with their male authorities.

Even though I appreciate Chan-Wook's work within the dark humor, the story and its thriller, the movie is a bit overlong as he tries to get me to understand why he is approaching it as a dark comedy at times. I felt like he was being a bit repetitive in his presentation as to being a more-twisted and trashy thriller than it is. I really loved the excellent Oldboy, disliked Stoker despite the visually sumptuous production but his display of twisted affection and empowerment excels as it ties into the storytelling exceedingly well as the first two parts are from two points of view that equal to the exciting third act. The performances are impressive, the production is exquisite and the story has an elegant and sensual narrative that thrives into entertaining territory. I was a bit squeamish with its stylish but uncomfortable violence, however, it is not irrelevant. It is one of the most entertaining and darkly interesting films of the year.

***1/2