Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
3-IRON
A young wide-eyed drifter, Tae-suk (Jae Hee), hangs flyers around
doorknobs, returns later and breaks into a home where the flyer has not been
removed, assuming the residents are on vacation. Each house Tae-suk enters
becomes temporarily his own - he eats the residents' food, sleeps in their
bed and even uses their shampoo and toothbrush. However, his intentions are
never criminal. He returns the residents' unintended hospitality by fixing
broken items and even hand-washing their laundry.
Tae-suk goes about his usual routine in a seemingly abandoned and upscale
residence when he discovers he's not alone and witnesses a man forcing his
bruised wife into having sex. After bludgeoning the husband with a golf club
and several well-aimed golf balls, Tae-suk takes off with Sun-hwa, a former
model who has degenerated into a passive victim of her husband's abuse.
Ki-duk's signature lack of dialogue has never worked better. Tae-suk and Sun-hwa are
like two outcast children cocooned from adult responsibilities. Propelled by
a punchy premise, the first half of 3-Iron is carried out by graceful
acting and comedic as well as disturbing images. It is, however, after
Sun-hwa's husband catches up to them that the film begins to lose much of
its steam. Director Kim Ki-duk goes off into a surreal tangent in order to get
Tae-suk out of jail and reunited with Sun-hwa. As a result, the film
succumbs to a far less compelling romanticism. With violence kept to an
uncharacteristic minimum, at least for this director, 3-Iron is one
of Kim's most approachable works, along with last year's Spring,
Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring. Despite abrupt tonal shifts and a
hazy conclusion, Kim allows for a gentle sweetness that drifts
between a dream and reality. Marie Iida
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