3.5, Korea

Driving With My Wife’s Lover

2007 / Kim Tai-sik > Through a meticulously tracked black dramedy, Kim explores adultery through the eyes of both willing and accidental participants. The film’s demeanor is understating but effective, often light-hearted in the face of what would generally turn into a violent revenge-fest in similar genre films. While Chungmuro continues to focus on bloated, mediocrity that’s being inspired by Hollywood, Driving With My Wife’s Lover keeps it simple yet engaging. The story, the pacing and the purposefully flat-footed acting are all spot on in creating the kind of atmosphere one would expect from a setting of illegal intimacy. It’s a small gem, having played in Berlin, Sundance and Rotterdam, but one that still has yet to get the notice it deserves.

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