Review Okja (2017)

[Doctor Omega]

Netflix has premiered the official trailer for Bong Joon Ho’s “Okja” ahead of its much talked about and controversial world premiere at the 70th Cannes Film Festival.

In the film, young Mija (An Seo Hyun) has been caretaker and constant companion to Okja – a massive animal and an even bigger friend – at her home in the mountains of South Korea.

Their decade-long peace changes when a family-owned multinational conglomerate, Mirando Corporation, takes Okja for themselves and transports her to New York, where image obsessed and self-promoting CEO Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) has big plans for Mija’s dearest friend.

With no particular plan but single-minded in intent, Mija sets out on a rescue mission, but her already daunting journey quickly becomes more complicated when she crosses paths with disparate groups of capitalists, demonstrators and consumers, each battling to control the fate of Okja…while all Mija wants to do is bring her friend home.

Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Giancarlo Esposito, Paul Dano, Byun Heebong, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins, Yoon Je Moon, Shirley Henderson, Daniel Henshall, and Devon Bostick star in the film which will premiere exclusively on Netflix on June 28th.

 

[Doctor Omega]

Strong “Okja” Reviews Despite Screening Blunders




The first screening of “Snowpiercer” director Bong Joon ho’s new film “Okja” was already controversial even before it began.

In the weeks leading up to, and certainly in the first few days of the Cannes Film Festival, the Netflix original film has become a lightning rod for the debate over theatrical exhibition exclusivity and the future of how people watch films.

But tweets out of the screening set social media afire with what was happening. Those attending reportedly not only had major issues with security to get into the screening but when the movie began it was projected in the wrong aspect ratio for more than six minutes.

Critics reportedly booed and stomped their feet until it was fixed and the screening resumed without further issues. Even so, the festival has had to issue an apology for the incident and says in a statement: “This incident is completely due to the technical staff of the festival who deeply apologize to the director and his team, to the producers as well as to the audience.”

While reviews haven’t quite hit yet, the first reactions are in and there’s a lot of praise on offer for the film.