I Dream of Park Chan-wook
Friday, February 18, 2022 at 11:47AM by Jason Adams
If like me you've been hanging on every miniscule drop of news regarding South Korean masterpiece-maker Park Chan-wook's next film over the past six long, long years since The Handmaiden came out -- the film's titled Decision To Leave and it stars Lust, Caution powerhouse Tang Wei and it's been in some state of being filmed for the past two full years -- then consider today's random Park-related gift a gallon of delicious water in the desert. It doesn't have to do with that movie, but it is it's own worthwhile thing -- Apple commissioned Park to shoot a short 21-minute film on an iPhone as part of a series they're doing (selling phones, natch), and he came up with "Life is But a Dream," a martial-arts fantasy horror musical (yes, all of that) that stars the terrific Kim Ok-vin, previously so killer in his 2009 vampire flick Thirst. We love a reunion! Especially with talents this fine. The entire short's online now, watch:
This is actually the second time Park's made a short film for Apple on a phone -- in 2011 he directed a thirty-minute short titled "Night Fishing" which you can also watch right here. That won the Golden Bear for Best Short. Next up for Park -- after Decision To Leave, I mean -- is an HBO limited series titled The Sympathizer, an adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book which will apparently star Robert Downey Jr. in multiple roles, which all sounds very Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove to me. The lead, described as "a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy," has not been cast yet. I'd ask for casting suggestions but I have to imagine that the acting pool for "half-French half-Vietnemese" is smaller than most and they'll probably end up going with an unknown?
Chan-Wook Park, Kim Ok-bin, Robert Downey Jr., Tang Wei
Reader Comments (1)
The Sympathizer is brilliant but a heavy/tough read - some satirical elements for sure, but not really a comedy. I suppose they could turn it into a VERY black one, though I imagine Park's approach will be more on par with his excellent adaptation of Le Carré's The Little Drummer Girl. Regardless, I think it has the potential to be a terrific movie or miniseries.
However, as to RDJ's multiple roles, I can't for the life of me remember more than one major non-Asian character in the book (hilariously, a movie director who hates the main character for trying to make his Vietnam War movie more, you know, balanced). I assume he isn't doing any yellowface, since this ain't Tropic Thunder.