Posted 24 January 2009 - 03:17 AM
Maverick director Kim Ki Duk continues to explore his idiosyncratic arthouse formula in his stunning new film Dream (a.k.a Bi-Mong). After collaborating with Taiwan star Chang Chen in his previous Breath, Kim again plucks his leading man from Asia's finest, casting acclaimed Japanese actor Odagiri Joe (Tokyo Tower - Mom & I, and Sometimes Dad) opposite popular Korean actress Lee Na Young (Maundy Thursday). Known for quirky arthouse antics himself, Odagiri is right at home in Dream, playing a lovelorn man whose dreams are hauntingly played out in real life by a sleepwalking woman. In his dreams, Jin restlessly seeks out his former love, the woman he cannot forget; but they become nightmares for Ran, as she uncontrollably goes back to the man she hates in her sleepwalking state. As events oscillate profusely between the two states of consciousness, Jin and Ran somehow find a way to connect to each other's heartbeats, but the closer they get, the more devastating the consequences.
Also co-starring Park Ji Ah (Breath) and Kim Tae Hyun, Dream takes place in the ambiguous realm where dreams and reality collide, following two strangers who become inexorably bound to each other through their intertwined dreams. Quietly winding through dimly lit cloistered streets lined with handsome traditional buildings, the film creates a surreal environment with its beautiful cinematography, austere location shots, and elegant set design. In Breath, Kim Ki Duk solved the language problem by making Chang Chen's character mute. In Dream, he gets around language all together by simply having Odagiri Joe speak in Japanese for the film's entirety, without ever indicating there is a language difference. This reciprocal understanding of dual languages adds another brilliant layer of disorient to the film's dream-like atmosphere.
taken by me @ Ginza Metro Station.... 
