A Black Comedy That Takes a Sinister Turn

Rating: 7/10 (25 January 2020)

Parasite
Overall a very enjoyable movie.
This started out a black comedy and by the end morphed into something more sinister. We were shown a close knit nuclear family scraping by to survive in a slum-type basement dwelling. They were all universally hard working, inventive and inspired to get on in life, however it was inferred by the script that these attributes were not enough for any social mobility and that any advancement within Korean society was wholly dependent on the possession of family money from the outset.
The Director introduced several themes and ideas that he tossed around, never quite landing on any definitive conclusion. We, the viewers were the mouse and the Director the cat. It did strangely have the feel of an Almodovar movie, perhaps this style was an influence.
Lastly the obvious intention by the Director to infer wealthy people are parasites due to wealthy inequality was handled badly as it is these very wealthy people that provide currently any wages or opportunity for the poor. The real parasite is the Korean government who collect the taxes and make the laws and have clearly failed to create welfare structures or free education to promote a better society and social mobility. What would happen if all the wealthy people left and there was no tax receipts and communism has certainly not proved the answer.
What was good
The family bonds were well established, they were all in this together. This very much held the movie together.
This was very much a simple linear story and most refreshing in its delivery.
There was, for the first two thirds of the movie great dramatic impetus, we were all gripped, and I could certainly feel quite an atmosphere in the picture house.
The acting seemed competent from the entire ensemble but it was difficult to judge due to the barrier of the subtitles.
The subtitles were nuanced and comprehensive and seemed entirely natural.
The cinematography was great and the camera made us feel very much the fly on the wall, and very in keeping with this kind of story.
The musical score was great.
What was problematic
The Director inferred that wealth and opportunity were the way forward and a wholesome aspiration for advancement for the family, but then went onto infer wealth corrupts and perhaps the mere possession of wealth was obscene, this is muddled thinking as it cannot be both as the same time.
It was inferred that wealth isolates and anaesthetises you from the realities of other people lives, but the script so over simplified this observation it became irrelevant.
We had insufficient character separation they are were just voices of the Director.
It was inferred that oppression leads to revolution, I agree, but the family were not oppressed at the moment or indeed previously they were on the way up, so revolution, and this instigation for a bloodbath was flimsy.
I enjoyed this movie, it lost its way in the last half hour and arrived at little redemption or conclusion. It really had little to say on the human condition, however it's great strength lay in its inventive comedy.
With regard to awards, I would nominate it for best foreign language movie and give the award to Pain & Glory by Almodovar.