Lots of slap but no tickle in 'Lies'
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Back in the dark days of the 1990s, Madonna was setting the musical world afire with her raunchy lyrics and sexually provocative music videos. The memories of listening to Mrs. Guy Ritchie cooing "treat me like I'm a bad girl" and "I don't want you to thank me, you can just spank me", from the song "Hanky Panky" still lingers.
Although her adventures in sadomasochism were a commercial success for the onetime "Material Girl", the same cannot be said for director Jang Sun-woo ("Bad Movie") and the appeal of the birch rod in his controversial film Lies (1999). Still, commercial success never guarantees a film's artistic pedigree and for those who like their cinema raw, gritty and art house style, then Lies is must see.
Based on Jang Jung-il's novel "Tell Me A Lie", Lies showcases the sordid S & M relationship between "J" (Lee Sang-hyun), a sculptor in his late 30s whose wife is in Paris and "Y" (Kim Tae-yeon), an 18-year-old student whose main goal is to lose her virginity before she graduates.
Answering a friend's telephone, "Y" is quickly seduced by the sound of "J's" voice and agrees to meet the mystery caller in the hope of avoiding the fate of her two sisters - both were raped and one eventually committed suicide - by losing her virginity at a young age to a stranger.
What begins as your run-of-the-mill tale about a middle-aged man having an affair with a young woman is transformed into something about power and domination as the couple give vent to their frustrations and begin walking the fine line between pleasure and pain.
Rendezvousing in love motels across Seoul, the couple quickly tire of their "mainstream" encounters and begin searching for new ways to spice up their sex life. This leads to the introduction of an assortment of sticks and ropes into the bedroom, with the pain inflicted upon one another becoming more gruelling with every encounter.
At first, taking turns to dominate the S & M floggings, "Y" shows that she is a quick learner, taking great pleasure in beating "J", who, as the film progresses, becomes a pathetic figure, constantly begging to be punished.
Broken into chapter segments (which gives the feeling of watching a documentary), the film is big on authenticity and features an unusual array of behind the scenes material in the narrative, including interviews with the actors explaining why they chose to take on such controversial roles.
Succeeding in blurring the lines between reality and entertainment, Lies can be seen as director Jang's savage celluloid critique of the hypocrisy of Korean society, whose conservative morals mask a booming sex industry.
By John Scott Marchant
Although her adventures in sadomasochism were a commercial success for the onetime "Material Girl", the same cannot be said for director Jang Sun-woo ("Bad Movie") and the appeal of the birch rod in his controversial film Lies (1999). Still, commercial success never guarantees a film's artistic pedigree and for those who like their cinema raw, gritty and art house style, then Lies is must see.
Based on Jang Jung-il's novel "Tell Me A Lie", Lies showcases the sordid S & M relationship between "J" (Lee Sang-hyun), a sculptor in his late 30s whose wife is in Paris and "Y" (Kim Tae-yeon), an 18-year-old student whose main goal is to lose her virginity before she graduates.
Answering a friend's telephone, "Y" is quickly seduced by the sound of "J's" voice and agrees to meet the mystery caller in the hope of avoiding the fate of her two sisters - both were raped and one eventually committed suicide - by losing her virginity at a young age to a stranger.
What begins as your run-of-the-mill tale about a middle-aged man having an affair with a young woman is transformed into something about power and domination as the couple give vent to their frustrations and begin walking the fine line between pleasure and pain.
Rendezvousing in love motels across Seoul, the couple quickly tire of their "mainstream" encounters and begin searching for new ways to spice up their sex life. This leads to the introduction of an assortment of sticks and ropes into the bedroom, with the pain inflicted upon one another becoming more gruelling with every encounter.
At first, taking turns to dominate the S & M floggings, "Y" shows that she is a quick learner, taking great pleasure in beating "J", who, as the film progresses, becomes a pathetic figure, constantly begging to be punished.
Broken into chapter segments (which gives the feeling of watching a documentary), the film is big on authenticity and features an unusual array of behind the scenes material in the narrative, including interviews with the actors explaining why they chose to take on such controversial roles.
Succeeding in blurring the lines between reality and entertainment, Lies can be seen as director Jang's savage celluloid critique of the hypocrisy of Korean society, whose conservative morals mask a booming sex industry.
By John Scott Marchant
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