Master Cheng, Burning and Babylon Berlin

 

Burning is a strange South Korean-Japanese production shown on Film Four. It has lots of five star reviews on Rotten Tomatoes where the rating is 95%. Jong-su, played by Yoo A-in, is one of the most strange characters you will ever see on film. Harmless to the point of simple, he meets someone he knew at school. Hae-mi, a dancer of sorts, is equally strange and her short acquaintance with Jong-su is replaced by the suave, sophisticated and seemingly rich Ben. The three of them have a really strange relationship. The film is unsettling, slow, but never less than interesting. Not five stars, but a movie that you will remember for a long time.

Another excellent film from South Korea shown on TV by Film Four. I loved the setting in a desolate part of Finland where Cheng (Pak Hong Chu) arrives in search of someone called Fongtron that nobody knows. His stay (with his young son) at the cafe is courtesy of the owner played by Anna- Maija Tuokko. But only if he cooks some food.  Little do they know he is a top chef. (Do not watch this on an empty stomach). This is a sort of slow burning love story, both of the main characters have lost spouses in different ways and their distinct antipathy towards each other gradually melts. Cheng's sullen boy gradually relents from aching for home. 

Babylon Berlin is on it's fourth series in Germany and Netflix but only just started on Sky. Apparently the most expensive German production ever. I made it through four episodes and gave up. Berlin, full of awful people in 1929 just didn't appeal to me. There are multiple stories and I had to watch the first episode twice to work out what was going on. This despite the subtitles. Some of the exterior photography was outstanding, but not enough to keep me watching.