Diary of June (2005)

I think that one of the main differences between Asian and Western cinematographies is that the first ones mix genres more widely than the second ones. The result is that Eastern movies use not to be so predictable as Western films, and this is applicable to commercial titles too. South Korean movies are a good example of this miscellany. Concretely, in "Diary of June" or "Bystanders" ("6-wol-eui Il-gi" is its original title) we can find the typical thriller about a group of cops trying to catch a serial killer, a buddy movie with some touches of comedy, and specially in the last 30 minutes a very intense drama that made me remember the dark social connotations of the Japanese "Confessions". This cocktail of genres is always welcome if script and direction can keep the balance between the elements. Just like a cocktail, that it will be a good one if the ingredients have been mixed and shaken in the right proportion. Fortunately, many Korean movies succeed in this and "Diary of June" is not an exception. As a thriller, it keeps the necessary suspense during its first half. Later the identity of the killer won't be a mystery, but the reason is not a flaw of the script. That's because, since then, the social drama acquires more importance than the criminal investigation. Like "Confessions", the target of the critic is the failure of the educational establishment (including passive teachers and well-intentioned but mistaken parents or relatives). Kids can be cruel, very cruel, but their cruelty is only a reflection of the cruelty (or just unhappiness) showed by adults in front of their astonished faces. We have a very big responsibility for the new generations and too much often we are not conscious of that. Every member of the cast, including the teenagers, is good. But specially Sin Eun-kyeong, as the tough but sensible female cop with her own personal demons, does great work. Well supported by Eric Moon, there is a good chemistry between their characters and some funny moments involving their superior officers. This film is not one of the best of South Korean cinematography (the competence is high) but it works and it goes beyond the simple entertainment thanks to its social message. Not a must see but I highly recommend it.

Diary Of June tells the story of Detectives Chu Ja Young and Kim Dong Wook, who must solve a puzzling murder case involving a string of deaths at a local high school. Their investigation eventually leads them directly to a middle school student who has long suffered abuse at the hands of school bullies. In fact, each murder occurs just as it is described in the student's diary. On that evidence alone, one might think the detectives have an open and shut case. However, there's one problem. The student is already dead!The movie was above average. Not great but no ordinary as well. Typical Korean psychological thriller.

I really didn't expect a lot, watching this on the Fantasy Filmfest between two movies that interested me more than a "Korean detective story". But "Bystanders" is so much more than that.I will not give anyway anything about the story, because it's such a great experience, watching this and getting more and more details about the background of. I'm not saying there are really exciting and surprising twists and turns, it's not that kind of movie, but you certainly are stunned when another part of the story is revealed. There may be "too many endings" as another user pointed out in a comment, but it still worked for me. None of the final scenes is unsatisfying, even if you maybe get the feeling that it's just "too much".What makes this movie so special is the topic it is dealing with. It is not just a police-murderer-story, it reveals a shocking look at the Asian education system with all the pressure students have to deal with - teachers, parents and fellow students - and the brutal consequences. It works as a political/social movie, it works as a police thriller and it even works as a comedy, because the two cops that are supposed to solve the case are just funny as hell. It is sometimes strange to experience the fast change between really funny scenes and sad, dramatic moments, but then you realize that this is not that different from the real life.I was really impressed by this movie, by its humor, its deeply touching scenes, the brilliant actors and the beautiful cinematography. It deserves a larger audience than minor festivals.

"Middle school student Inwoo is stabbed to death on the street. When his classmate Kangtae commits suicide, a capsule containing part of a diary is found in his stomach saying "June 13th, I killed Inwoo on the street". In Inwoos body another note is found: "June 15th, I killed Kangtae, disguising it as a suicide." Tough detective Chu and her partner Kim suspect that the killer belongs to the school but they soon discover that the owner of a mysterious diary has already died in a car accident long ago...An original attempt to rewrite some od the clichés of police procedurals and serial-killer pics... What makes the pic so different is its soft-pedalling of the usual cinematic mechanisms of serial-killer movies, from action sequences to grisly detail." (Variety) Great performance by Kim Yoon-Jin (Lost) and Shin Eun-Kyung!