Tell me something DVD Region All

Black garbage bags of mismatched body parts start popping up around Seoul like poisonous mushrooms after the rain. Disgraced Detective Cho (Han Seok-Gyu) is handed the reins of the investigation and given a chance to redeem himself. A witness, fragile flower Suyeon (Shim Eun-Ha), comes forward, and with her comes a suspect: bad-tempered stalker, Kiyon Kim. The police put everyone under surveillance but somehow the killer always strikes when they're looking the other way. More bags blossom out of the toxic cityscape overnight. The killer begins to send in videotapes. He's dissecting his victims while they're still alive. Slowly, methodically, Detective Cho begins to break down, becoming obsessed with Kiyon Kim; becoming obsessed with the killer.

As beautiful as a black velvet bodybag, Tell Me Something doesn't contain any scares that those with their senses honed by thousands of horror movies won't see coming, but its tiny, static-filled voice seems to be perched on your shoulder, whispering nasty things in your ear. The second film of director Chang Yoon-Hyun it plays expertly with the audience, coming on like "Reviving Ophelia" with a bodycount one minute, tightening the screws like a Hitchcock thriller the next, and the simplest car wreck becomes a lovely stand-alone set-piece in his hands: he knows where to point his camera and for how long.

Nasty Detective Cho is played by one of Korea's most popular (and highest-paid) actors, Han Seok-Gyu. Fine bones and paper-thin skin make him look perfectly disgusting and kind of handsome at the same time. Tell Me Something is his last movie until the 2002 release of his science fiction flick, Genocide. Decadent sexpot, Shim Eun-Ha, plays Suyeon with a flower-fragile sexuality. This movie was a widely anticipated 1999 release, marketing itself to a pre-release fever pitch, but audiences declared the film itself wasn't nearly as good as its publicity campaign. Still, it came in at number 8 at the box office in 1999, beating out Toy Story 2 (and among domestic films it was number 3).

An IQ-enhanced Basic Instinct, you may figure out where this boat's going, but the craftsmanship is so exquisite you don't mind the trip.

by Grady Hendrix

This film belongs to the detective thriller genre with a very typical murder case plot. Several garbage bags of dismembered body parts are discovered. An investigation is led by Detective Cho (Han Seok-Kyu). He gets to know that Su-Yeon (Shim Eun-Ha) is the only connection in related to the victims. Worrying that she might become the next victim, Cho puts her under protection in his house and learns about her tragic past gradually...

I have to admit that I love this film very much, despite the resemblance it bears to the Hollywood noir film Seven. Director Jang Yun Hyun knows how to build up tension and develop the right mood at the right moment. Starting from the beginning of the film, we are already soaked in the dark and mysterious environment of the dieresis. The use of noir cinematography hits right at the point. It fits the atmosphere of the film perfectly. The use of classical music and pop songs like Placebo's The Crawl and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds's Red Right Hand also intensifies the horrific feeling of the whole plot. What is most remarkable is the tragic story of Su-Yeon. With Shim Eun-Ha's incredible performance and the use of Enya's Bodiceca, it is definitely the most wonderful part of the film that I love most. It is a nice demonstration of dark romance. As expected, the ending provides a surprising twist. It might not be a perfectly rational resolve, but is absolutely worth watching.

I have been watching Korean and Japanese cinema for quite a while, still, I couldn't find anyone who shares the unique charm as Shim Eun-Ha does. Her performance is incomparable. Yes, I am falling in love with her now! Compared with the passionate Darim in Christmas in August, the passive and quiet So-Yeon demonstrates a very different yet glamorous personality. Han Seok Kyu, her nice partner, is fine as well. Han has a stony face, his composure is ideal for the detective character of this film. I especially like the way he acts when the mystery is finally unveiled, his exhausted face is remarkable.

I know many people think this film is bad because the director leaves too many mysterious moments unexplained. He does not reveal the plot or the intention of the killer clearly, he rather leaves it all to the audience. The viewers have to make their own speculation. After seeing it several times, I myself have tried to answer the unexplained questions and I did come up with a logical conclusion (I posted it on CineForum). If you look closely, you will find out that some scenes that seem to be unrelated to the story are in fact the key elements to the mystery. To me, I certainly think it would be great if the director could make the story a little more explanatory, but I also love to think and reconstruct the film on my own. It is really fun to rewatch and analyze a film sometimes, especially if the film is nicely made.

No doubt Jang Yun-Hyun is a successful commercial filmmaker. Although Tell Me Something is not a very original and artistic work, his technical efficiency has definitely allowed him to capture the attention of the audience wholeheartedly.

by Kantorates - Cinespot.com