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THE JOURNALS OF MUSAN (MUSAN IL-GY)Movie Reviews
Korean language drama about a North Korean defector trying to make an honest living in South Korea's capitalist society. Cast:Jung-bum Park, Jin Yong-uk, Kang Eun-jinDirector:Jung-bum ParkRelease Date:August 17, 2011DVD Release: TBD From:A Secondwind FilmLength:2 hr. 7 min.
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy), Mixed Reviews NYC
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy) played in New York City to mixed reviews. • Kenji Fujishima wrote for Slant, "...sometimes feels like punishment, from its Dardennes-like aesthetic to its general humorlessness.... [but] there are glimmers of a real, if amazingly bleak, worldview underlying its dour surface, as well as a tough-minded compassion that one might even go so far as to call humanism..." More Reviews Below...
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy) Positive Reviews (5 Reviews, reviews below)
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy) has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (2 Reviews)
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...two long, unrelievedly glum hours.... the story never takes on any extra dimensions of tragedy or wit. Eventually we learn that a haircut and a new suit don't make for a better man, which seems like a small lesson after what we've been through."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 08/17/11
Ben Mercer, Village Voice: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...by playing Seung-chul as extremely sullen, and by constantly calling attention to his disheveled appearance, writer/director/star Park provokes viewers to blame the character for his own problems -- and thus confront their similarity to the movie's hard-hearted citizens."(See all of Ben Mercer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 264 words, 08/17/11
KEY CITIES (0 Reviews)
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy) has not been reviewed in Key Cities
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (2 Reviews)
Ben Mercer, Village Voice: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...by playing Seung-chul as extremely sullen, and by constantly calling attention to his disheveled appearance, writer/director/star Park provokes viewers to blame the character for his own problems -- and thus confront their similarity to the movie's hard-hearted citizens."(See all of Ben Mercer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 264 words, 08/17/11
Kenji Fujishima, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sometimes feels like punishment, from its Dardennes-like aesthetic to its general humorlessness.... [but] there are glimmers of a real, if amazingly bleak, worldview underlying its dour surface, as well as a tough-minded compassion that one might even go so far as to call humanism..."(See all of Kenji Fujishima's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 728 words, 04/26/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...two long, unrelievedly glum hours.... the story never takes on any extra dimensions of tragedy or wit. Eventually we learn that a haircut and a new suit don't make for a better man, which seems like a small lesson after what we've been through."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 08/17/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Jay Weissberg, Daily Variety: EXCELLENT "...exposes the marginalization of escapees from North Korea through a protag whose unsophisticated yet steady moral compass is battered by people mired in cynicism or worse.... a welcome, substantive marker on the current cinema landscape..."(See all of Jay Weissberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 02/06/11
Unattributed, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...a bleak, clear-eyed look at the murky heart of human nature.... writer/director/star Park Jung-bum turns liberal-humanist clichés about discrimination inside out into a character and social study far more cynical and thought-provoking."(See all of Unattributed's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 531 words, 10/15/10
Mike Hale, New York Times: WEAK "...two long, unrelievedly glum hours.... the story never takes on any extra dimensions of tragedy or wit. Eventually we learn that a haircut and a new suit don't make for a better man, which seems like a small lesson after what we've been through."(See all of Mike Hale's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 08/17/11
23.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy)'s reviews are separated by an average 23.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy) (5 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy)'s reviews cover 5.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 2,479 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 496 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy) Coverage, Volume & Length (5 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 51 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy)'s reviews on average broke 51 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Journals Of Musan (Musan il-gy) (5 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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