Welcome To Dongmakgol (2005)
Welcome To Dongmakgol (2005) 8/10
Welcome To Dongmakgol is effortlessly enchanting. It was the highest grossing Korean film of 2005, beating the likes of Marrying the Mafia 2 and Marathon. And although box office takings rarely correspond to quality, Welcome To Dongmakgol is a shining success. The rare kind film that just appeals to everyone, i believe it is not humanly possible to dislike the film.
This is a comedy, but is also filled with political symbolism and even elements of tragedy. It is a premise that could easily have been botched, but deft direction and an excellent ensemble cast makes Dongmakgol the most refreshingly original and riveting film in recent years. The entire cast is so uniformly excellent that its hard to single out any one of them, but Yeo-il (Kang Hye-jeong) the simpleminded girl gets extra brownie points for not overacting in a role that screams overacting.
The beautiful depiction of Dongmakgol, the effortless charm of the script, the seamless CGI, tight plot, brilliant cast, and skillful directing makes the film one that i can easily and heartily reccommend to all. And Director Park Kwang-hyun has set himself as a director to watch.
