Forensic Blues: Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder

My review of Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder, one of the best genre films of the previous decade and one of two great modern detective movies alongside Zodiac, is up at Cinelogue. Bong has made four features since arriving on the scene smack at the start of the millennium, three of which I've seen. On the basis of those three films, it has taken me considerable effort not to start making silly proclamations that extol him as the greatest genre filmmaker currently working (or at least the best who isn't Johnnie To, who at this point should be inducted into some kind of hall of fame and thus made ineligible for yearly consideration). Memories is, to date, his finest film, a warped pre-forensic tale of police stupidity, brutality, but also conviction. Not many filmmakers could handle the leaps from clear criticism of the police (and the film not once excuses brutal methods the way some American films do) and sympathy for their technologically limited predicament, but then no one can juggle mood swings like Bong.

So head on over to Cinelogue and check out my review.