The Handmaiden

The Handmaiden is based on the novel "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters The novel is set in London during the 19th century, but the film is set in Korea in the 1930s, under Japanese colonial rule. The pickpocket Sook-Hee (Tae-ri Kim) is hired by the Japanese heiress Lady Hideko to be her personal servant. Hideko is supported by her Uncle Kouzuki and the gold-digger "Count Fujiwara", who is indeed son of peasants, wants to marry her to steal her inheritance. Sook-Hee is a small-time thief of the ring of the conman "Count Fujiwara" and is sent to help him in the confidence game. But soon Hideko and Sook-Hee get close to each other and become lovers.

 I saw this movie while knowing very little about it, all I knew is that there is a conspiracy against the heiress and the girl who is pretending to be her maid falls in love with her. The twist before part 2 (the film is divided into 3 parts) really took me off guard which is very rare, but I knew the movie was fantastic long before then.

The Academy actually did something right this year! Twice!

The Oscars have done a number of terrible things today - including awarding two nominations to Passengers -  but it doesn't matter.

I had only two Oscar dreams today. And they both came true.

Bravo, Academy. Bravo for not awarding Amy Adams for doing practically nothing. Still, it would have been better if her movie didn't score 8 (undeserved) nominations nor that the nomination for Best Actress went to Meryl Streep for her Globes tirade (no one actually thinks it's just because of the performance, right?) but her missing out is glorious. Of course I cannot truly enjoy it because I keep seeing people whining about this 'snub'.