Arahan

DIR: Ryu Seung-Wan | S. Korea | 2004 | 114min
In Korean with English subtitles.

SHOWTIMES:
Sat. Oct. 2 | 9:45pm | Granville 7 Cinema, Theatre 7
Sun. Oct. 3 | 1:00pm | Granville 7 Cinema, Theatre 7

**JUST ADDED:**
Thurs. Oct. 7 | 9:30pm | Ridge

Supremely goofy, entirely delightful and welcome entertainment. Arahan is an 'urban martial arts story' set in present-day Korea. The "Seven Masters" (though there are currently only 5 of them) are noble keepers of an ancient Taoist secret who have - rather begrudingly - learned to adapt to modern-day consumer society. Like most funny, grumpy old people on film, they just don't understand why the younger generation doesn't see how important their work is. Then one day, a bumbling cop with exceptional untapped chi enters their lives... I could explain more of the set-up, but a film like this is really not about the plot; it's a comic book come to life - all about fight sequences, special effects, a sweet romance and funny dialogue - and this film oozes with them. Shamelessly begging to entertain its audience for its entire two hour run, Arahan does not require a lot of thinking to be appreciated. This film is a pure, commercially-viable M-O-V-I-E and, were it not from Asia and we not in North America, would probably be written off as very fun multiplex fodder.

The film is thankfully from Korea, and we are watching it in the context of a film festival so, pressed, i will submit that the film is trying to insert a bit of faith into a world where faith in all things mystical is generally discouraged. It seems almost nostalgic for a time when magical martial arts feats were part of everyday life - at least the sort of everyday life that films once portrayed without irony or a video game excuse. Most of us have drab jobs and dull lives - it's nice to believe that a huge well of potential lies right under our skins. I don't think this makes the film admirable in and of itself, but it's pure pop pleasures do a fine of making us forget that fact til afterwards.