Kick'em In The Ghoulies

Boomerang Family

Here is our review for the closing film for the 8th London Korean Film Festival.

Boomerang Family by director Song Hea-sung is a comedy drama revolving around a family and it's different generations, the family in question are people that have failed to basically grow up in their minds ,in that for most part still act like they are in their teens and living a carefree life.

The film is based on a novel entitled ''Aging Family'' by Cheon Myeong-kwan. The director Song Hae-sung is a very versatile director having tackled various story lines of which of note is his 2001 film Failan with Choi Min-sik and Cecila Cheung ,Choi plays a hoodlum who finds love and full-fills his life once and for all. He won two director awards for the film. Not all his films have been box office successes ,but they still managed to gain respect through nominations and awards.

Song also ,after refusing to take it on at first , re- interpret one of Hong Kong's greatest action films ,'' A Better Tomorrow'' by John Woo and giving it a twist from a different perspective, as a fan of the original even myself was astounded by how good the Korean remake was.

With Boomerang family Song has brought together some great acting talent that through their friendship has made one of the funniest ,entertaining and charming films I have seen in a long time.

One thing in film ,or any media for that matter , the hardest thing to do is to make someone laugh , and Song succeeds thoroughly in doing so. But apart from this the film also tackles quite serious issues in life.

When three siblings decide to move back in with their mother because of various reasons it makes for some of the funniest scenarios captured on film.

From In-Mo a failed film director who decides it's not worth it and has suicidal tendencies to Han-Mo a would be gangster in his 40's who lives with his mother and their sister Mi-Yeon who after her marriage fails and comes back home with her fifteen year old daughter in toe.

The film follows the family as they take advantage of each other for personal gain, with all the siblings being around forty years of age it makes for some quite ludicrous scenarios as the two brothers gang up on their sister as she boasts about being the only bread winner in the family .

With scenes of dry bum humour and family fights as the family engage in fisty cuffs in public to the dismay of onlookers your be wandering where your larynx will get a rest from laughing.

The film also delves into a darker side where Han-Mo gets set up to take a fall and Mi-Yeon's daughter runs away.

Whilst all this goes on the mother is happy to have her kids at home and they seem to be living well for a family with no money , all the fresh meat she brings home starts to arouse In-Mo's suspicions.

Now this was the closing gala of the Festival ,so we where lucky to have director Song Hae-sung on stage with actress Yoon Yeo-joong (MOM) and actor Yoon Je-moon (Han-Mo) to introduce the film and answer questions afterwards.

With a massive 845 plus in attendance we where also lucky to have good seats only four rows back from the stage .

Also in attendance was the South Korean Ambassador ,the producer of the film (who was to shy to come on stage ) and the directors of the Korean Cultural Centre in London.

Tony Rayns was our host and Sah interpreted as usual.

Each of the guests had their hand prints immortalised in clay after the Q&A..

And ended the evening with a bang .

Boomerang Family really is a must see movie ,regardless if you watch subtitled films or not, all should make a exception, because your laugh ,laugh and laugh some more.

The film is due to be released on DVD/ Bluray by Third Window Films in the UK in 2014.

Score out of Ten= 9

Reviewed By Sertes Nake

Review Date : November 2013.