The mark of a good film is one that keeps you guessing; has compelling characters and heart-stopping sequences; that subverts all expectations and then some.
This is what South Korean director Kim Jee-woon’s “Cobweb” does brilliantly. As a satirical take on Korean movies of the 1970s, Kim artfully constructs a film-within-a-film that delves into the lengths one would go to fulfil a dream while grappling with inner demons.
Kim (“The Age of Shadows”, Hollywood’s “The Last Stand”) is a masterful filmmaker and storyteller whose unique approach to directing – which can be credited to his theatre background – has earned him praise in the industry.
In “Cobweb”, he weaves an intricate and deeply personal tale that ensnares various characters in a dark, meta comedy in which he reunites with his frequent collaborator Song Kang-ho (“Parasite”, “Memories of Murder”).
Soon play Kim Ki-yeol, a filmmaker loosely based on late South Korean director Kim Ki-young, who is haunted by fevered dreams of a new and darker ending to his already completed movie, also called “Cobweb”.
He strongly believes this new version would make “Cobweb” his magnum opus and rescue him from the ignominy of trashy films with which he is often associated.
With just two days for reshoots, Ki-yeol races against time and against the wishes of the producer, gathering his team back to make the movie of his dreams. But drama ensues on set as relational issues and interference from censorship authorities threaten to shut down the production.
It is in these moments of crisis that Kim – i.e. Jee-woon – astutely composes his comedic and sometimes farcical mise-en-scène, with characters doing unexpected things and the story taking unlikely twists and turns.
Throughout, Kim strategically drops breadcrumbs to keep the audience guessing about Ki-yeol’s true motivation for pursuing cinematic perfection.
The brilliance of “Cobweb” lies primarily in the film-within-a-film conceit, as it jumps seamlessly between colour and black and white, the latter to show Ki-yeol’s re-shot scenes. It gives audiences an “in” to the workings of his mind.
The film also pays homage to the over-the-top acting style characteristic of older movies, which delivers some of the funniest moments. Close-ups of intense gazes, theatrical line deliveries, and an extra attempting to overdramatise a scene to demonstrate “true acting” will undoubtedly elicit laughter.
Casting Song as Ki-yeol was an inspired choice: the seasoned actor, known for his subtlety, plays the tortured director with an earnest honesty; yet you know something broken lies behind the calm and cool composure he maintains for most of the film.
Even during the climax, Song opts not to overplay it, leaning instead into the humanity of his character.
The other players in “Cobweb” are equally delicious. Jeon Yeo-been, who starred in Kim’s “The Age of Shadows” and “Illang: The Wolf Brigade”, plays second fiddle to Song in her role of Shin Mi-do, the movie’s producer niece.
Injecting her character with a youthful and frantic zeal, she stands out thanks to her comedic prowess.
All in all, “Cobweb” is a clever, introspective film about self-actualisation centred around one man’s journey towards redemption – a pleasantly surprising look at how people can become entangled in their own webs of deceit.
‘Cobweb’ will screen in selected cinemas nationwide from Thursday.