Sex 'n sin for the arthouse set: Im Sang-Soo's remake of THE HOUSEMAID opens

Ooooh, mama -- is this one ever fun! TrustMovies admits to never having seen Kim Ki-young's 1960 original, which is said to be by far the superior version of this tale of a pretty young woman who goes to work for a wealthy Korean family as its housemaid and the complications that thereafter ensue. Consequently, he will concentrate only on what he saw before him on-screen in the very sexy, very nasty, very gorgeous remake, called once again THE HOUSEMAID and this time adapted (from Mr. Kim's original screenplay) and directed by Im Sang-soo (shown below). For its stunning and sensual visuals alone, the movie is definitely worth seeing -- and on the big screen.

The Housemaid is a melodrama told with broad strokes of character and event, even as it deals with issues of class and of the use and abuse of the have-nots by the haves. That the have-not in question -- the young woman who takes the job of housemaid -- is complicit in her own mis-use is both pertinent and beside the point. Once she accepts the position, she is powerless to do anything about what happens, short of leaving of her own volition or being fired. And once she capitulates to the off-the-menu demands of her employers, the woman's fate is sealed. Her understanding of all this, when it finally comes, is what leads to one hell of a wham-bam, knockout finale.

There is so much to enjoy about this film, admittedly in the manner of a somewhat guilty pleasure, that the movie must be recommended. Starting with the incredible lensing by Lee Hyung Deok, whether in bright daylight or noirish shadow, continuing on to the amazing house that provides the set of much of the movie, and finally to the spot-on editing of Lee Eun Soo that brings all this together -- your eye is constantly delighted by the wonders dancing before it. (That the movie is from South Korea -- home to some of the lengthiest genre films ever made -- and yet is only 106 minutes long, is another plus.)

Sure, we're easily dazzled by how the other half lives, but unlike those "real" housewives of NY, DC, NJ and Beverly Hills, the folk on view here appear to have taste as impeccable as their understanding of the rights-of-others is nonexistent.

Performances, too, are first-rate -- within the oddly broad-yet-narrow range required for melodrama. Looking the part is two-thirds of the battle, and Mr. Im has assembled quite a provocative cast. In the role of the housemaid,  Jeon Do-yeon, above and on poster, top, is perfection. No raving beauty, this actress is still quite pretty, sexy and able to do and be, it would seem, anything that is asked of her. Compare her performance here to her award-winning one in the recently-released Secret Sunshine, and you'll see what I mean. Then check out Untold Scandal, the sumptuous Korean version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses from 2003 to see even more of the range of this unusual actress.

Her leading man, Lee Jung-Jae (from Il Mare, Typhoon and The Accidental Gangster) is one of the sexiest performers to hit the screen in decades. I can't vouch for his acting ability, having seen him only in this one and in Il Mare (the original upon which a silly, sodden The Lake House was based), but Mr. Lee has the ability to hold you fast simply by placing his more-than-impressive body on the screen in all its lithe yet massive stillness. He and his director use quiet remarkably well. They insist that his co-star (not to mention the viewer) come to him willingly and service him properly. The actor's ability to radiate privilege and entitlement should have you eating out of his hand (if not other protuberances) at the same time as you despise him.

The remaining characters are equally well-defined and acted, from the pliable wife (bathing, at left) to the icy, steel-trap mother-in-law; from the older, seen-it-all, if not done-it-all, maid (above) to even the charming little sleaze-in-training child of the household. They'll all combine to give you a memorably despicable and terribly enjoyable time at the movies.

The Housemaid, from IFC Films, opens this Friday, January 21, at the IFC Center and the Lincoln Plaza Cinema.  As with most film from IFC that open theatrically, it will also be available via IFC On-Demand, be-ginning Jan. 26.  Click here to determine how to get it in your home.

Lee Chang-dong's SECRET SUNSHINE taps into a mother's love -- or is it guilt?

A simple description plot-wise, of SECRET SUNSHINE, the Korean film adapted (from the novel by Yi Chong-jun) and directed by Chang-dong Lee (pictured below), could easily make this movie sound like soap-opera. Indeed, if you listed all the events that occur in this lengthy -- well over two hours -- tale (don't worry: I won't), you'd be hard pressed not to sum up: "Too much!"  Yet the movie isn't.

Its odd success is due to Mr. Lee's ability to guide us through these many events with an eye that goes beyond the individual players themselves and into a sense of the entirety of life. We Americans, and probably movie-goers worldwide, are used to finding some closure from the films we love. That's why we keep coming back and back and back again. This filmmaker will have none of that. He doesn't slap us in the face with darkness and horror; he simply demonstrates how nothing works. When we want to find answers, they're just not there.

For instance, when the movie's big "event" occurs (all of it off-screen), we never learn any particulars -- why, when, where, how-- all staples of most films that feature this sort of situation. Our heroine, Shin-ae (played spot-on by Jeon Do-Yeon, above: She deservedly won Best Actress award at Cannes and elsewhere for her performance) -- who, with her elementary-school-age son, has come to the home town of her recently departed husband, to try to create a new life -- spends the remainder of the movie trying to come to terms with this event. Good luck.

The filmmaker resists the usual and typical explanations for beha-vior found in film of this type: he simply shows that behavior and lets us extrapolate from it. Mom certainly feels enormous pain and sorrow from what has happened, but she also must be experien-cing horrendous guilt. No mention is made of this by her or anyone else, but via what she says and does, motives become clearer.

When she turns to religion, becoming a born-again Christian (thanks to the town's busy-body pharmacists), she eventually gets the religion, along with its tenants of forgiveness and love, thrown back in her face in a bracing manner that I think is rather new to cinema. When a possible new love rears his head (very early on), this is greeted with a shrug.  "Let me help you here: You're not her type at all," offers our heroine's brother to the suitor, played by the fine and versatile Song Kang-ho, shown above (from Thirst, Memories of Murder and The Good, The Bad, The Weird), who just keeps on trying.

By withholding what we (and his characters) may expect, Mr. Lee (who also gave us the unusual Oasis) forces us all to look at things differently, wrestling with the situation from another perspective. This is not initially thrilling -- or exciting, suspenseful, romantic or any of thse usual adjectives we might use to describe film we love. But it pays off. Perhaps not in quite so spectacular a fashion as to class this movie among the best films of the year (as two of The New York Times reviewers did this past week), but certainly enough to make it a must-see for film buffs who don't mind a movie that challenges and surprises.

Secret Sunshine, via IFC Films opens today in New York City at the IFC Center, while simultaneously available from IFC On-Demand (where it has appeared since early November.)