Thirst (2009)

Directed by: Chan-wook Park
Written by: Chan-wook Park/Seo-Gyeong Jeong
Based on book by: Emile Zola

Sometimes I thirst…..for trailers.

Wow.

IN THE LOOP–From a director/writer/producer of I’m Alan Partridge comes a satire about military, government and war. What else does it need to get my butt in the seat? Not much. But throw James Gandolfini into the mix as an American general who doesn’t want to go to war and that makes it even better. A very DIY looking flick that also looks extremely funny. Just this preview makes me want to see the series it’s based on, The Thick Of It.

That was the only preview because this was a sneak. I was a little surprised that there was a preview at all, but the Alamo is really pushing In The Loop, so there it is.

So, on with the bloodletting!

A few years back I saw a film that changed my life. Cinematically, anyway. Oldboy was one of those movies that you never forget seeing, no matter what you thought of it. Since then, I have been a Park Chan-wook fan. His movies haven’t blown me away since (I’m A Cyborg, But That’s OK came the closest), but I will sit through every one of them because of that one film.

Thirst is his latest and it carries on his tradition of crazy situations acted out in that deadpan Asian way that makes everything just a tiny bit surreal.

The less said about the plot of this film, the better, really. Let’s just say that it involves a priest (Song Kang-ho who has been in most of Park’s films) who comes into contact with a disease that turns him into a vampire. He falls in lust and, well, that’s when his troubles really begin.

After some initial “Holy shit! I’m a vampire!” moments, Sang-hyeon finally starts to come to terms with it and learns just how far away from the collar he has fallen.

There’s not a lot new here as far as vampire lore, but Park’s style and storytelling make it a pretty fresh take on an old tale. At just over two hours he certainly could have cut some things out, but it all fits together to make a really good story.

Song and Kim Ok-vin make a great pair. Their lust is written all over the movie and it’s pretty realistic. (And they get a pretty hot sex scene…even with the biting.) And Kim’s transformation from meek and mild little girl to passionate lover to…well, see the movie and find out. It’s pretty amazing. We really see what would happen if you had a lover that you could injure, but never really hurt. And it ain’t pretty. Although that final scene really is. Funny and beautiful all at the same time.

Certainly not Park’s best film, but it was, to me, a damn sight better than Lady Vengeance. Absolutely worth seeing. Especially if you like your vampires stoic and reluctant.