Review: M

I stuck around for the Q&A for M, a South Korean film from director Myung-se Lee, so that I might understand what it was about. The director said that back in 2000, he had a dream that he met Alfred Hitchcock and the Mr. Hitchcock gave him a book entitled "M". Through an interpreter, Mr. Myung-se explained that this film was the manifestation of his search for the meaning of that imaginary book.

Believe it or not, that was a help. Not a big help, but it at least explained the nature of the film. The film played out, as the director said it would during the introduction: like you were waking from a dream. I know that it was amazing to look it. It took a lot of chances. It played with your mind. It showed alternate realities. It was hypnotic. It put me to sleep.

Now, It wasn't the worst thing to happen to me at the festival, but it is not for your average movie goer. This is beyond artsy. This will take people who normally consider themselves artsy, then push them to the limit, one of which could be REM sleep.

I do regret having fallen asleep, because who knows what I missed. I didn't fall asleep for long, at least not the first time, but this movie sometimes moved a little quickly, only in a way that drew you further into a hypnotic state. Yeah, maybe that's it, perhaps I was hypnotized by the film! Who knows what I'll end up doing today. I know that I awoke once thinking for a moment that I understood the Korean language, though to this day I only know one crude phrase passed on to me through my ex who in turned learned it from a coworker whose wife was Korean. I won't say what the phrase is, but it might result in you getting slapped.

The movie, as best I can guess, is about an aspiring author dealing with the death of his high school love. It may also be about his struggling marriage, the aforementioned dead girl dealing with her own significant loss (life) and her struggle with the decision to move on to the afterlife. I don't know. I'd say see it for yourself and let me know what you think, but I'm betting you won't and I couldn't honestly suggest that you should. My imdb rating: 5/10.