Synopsis
Discourse on food is one of the most long-lived traditions of the Japanese culture. The subject, which has been quite popular in comic books, has also been discussed in movies, though such movies were not as well-known as Japanese comic books in Korea. The Yakiniku Movie: Bolgogiborrows from Japanese manga the well-known structure of a clash between an expert and an unknown newcomer. Director GU Su-yeon introduces an unusual subject of Korean food to this culture. Two brothers who grew up together, having perilla leaves seasoned with their mother's secret sauce went their separate ways after the mother's untimely death and are in totally different situations. Elder of the two, Torao, is the best Yakiniku chef who reigns supreme after conquering numerous chefs at "Yakiniku Battle," a TV cooking show in which contestants compete against each other with their Korean meat-cooking skills. Meanwhile, younger brother Tatsuji runs a small restaurant under the guidance of a senior gopchang (a special Korean dish made of cow intestines) master Han and leads a modest life learning cooking along with a sassy waitress. When Torao's restaurant chain concoct a plot to take over old man Han and Tatsuji's restaurant, the brothers approach one another bit by bit without realizing what destiny lies ahead of them. It gives us an unexpected joy to watch everyday common Korean food like soybean paste soup, perilla leaves, bulgogi and gopchang transforming into sumptuous dishes. Dazzling camera work and colorful scenes serve to highlight quite the opposite: having a meal together is more meaningful than how good the food tastes. (CHOI Eun Young)