Natural City (2003)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Byung-chun Min

Writer:

Byung-chun Min (writer)

Release Date:

5 September 2003 (South Korea)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The war has begun...

Plot Keywords:

Post Apocalyptic Scenario | Self Destruction | Heavy Rain | Replicant | Hologram

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Ji-tae Yu	...	R
Jae-un Lee	...	Cyon
Rin Seo	...	Ria
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eun-pyo Jeong	...	Croy
Doo-hong Jung	...	Cyper
Eul-dong Kim
Ju-hye Ko	...	Ami
Chang Yun	...	Noma

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

South Korea:114 min | Italy:104 min

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Germany:16 | UK:15 | Australia:MA | Japan:PG-12

Company:

Jowoo Entertainment

A lot better than expected

Just watched NATURAL CITY, which I wasn't expecting to enjoy too much after most of the other Korean sci-fi "blockbuster" films of the past few years, but I do think this one is the pick of the litter.

It's an interesting and perhaps slightly muddled film, that mixes sci-fi spectacle and fantastic action scenes with a much more subtle and introspective side that's really the core of the film and probably befuddled the audience a lot. The cyborgs and mad scientists aren't really what the film is about, it's about the loneliness and detachment of the characters in a world where personal relationships have deteriorated even further than in our own. The fact that the acting is "wooden" is arguably deliberate, as the characters have no real emotional lives. It's a bit like Stephen Spielberg directing a Wong Kar Wai script... or vice versa... or something :p There's some Mamoru Oshii in there too.

8/10