Extremely well-crafted but could be tired at times.

Rating: 9/10 (12 December 2019)

I was bombarded by ppl recommending this movie to me so when I finally saw it, I was a bit underwhelmed - or you can say I was overhyped before. The main complaint - I was not "blown away" by any element of the movie. I know that's a high standard but with a score of 95 it should do exceptionally in some aspects. Instead, this movie did just "pretty good" in all of them.
Movie about class struggles might be new and exciting to US viewers but is - I don't want to say cliched - a pretty common theme in East Asia. Juxtaposing two closely-related group of characters with some uncrossable divides that ultimately result in conflict that reflects on the society itself is also a tried and true storytelling device.
Execution of the movie is professional and top-notch. Almost all actions by the characters have meticulous setups (some of them a bit in the face), which, on the bright side, shows the movie was extremely well-thought out and executed. Yet it simultaneously takes away any true element of surprise - a bit over-crafted, I'd say, which is a bit ironic in a highly choreographed dark humor genre movie but bear with me.
Character arcs are well-justified but predictable; was most impressed by the detailed and vivid portrayal of classism through a non-visual medium - smell. The juxtapositions of the underground v. above ground, the pre- and post- discovered housekeeper, and the weather changes vs the mood of the characters was effective but a bit on the nose.
Last, the cinematography was beautiful, the tone was unique and well-balanced, and the performance was amazing. Overall, a highly polished and accomplished movie. Yet I failed to see much ingenuity. It felt like the director hides behind his craftsmanship to avoid showing the audience his true self.