★★★½ (3.5/5)
Youn Yuh-jung’s ferocious performance, shocking imagery, and a soundtrack that throbs with unease. Just be sure to have a palate cleanser ready afterward. Xem Phim The Taste Of Money -2012-
In the landscape of South Korean cinema, few directors have dissected the dark underbelly of wealth and desire as ruthlessly as Im Sang-soo. His 2012 film, The Taste of Money (도둑맞은 집중력), serves as a spiritual companion to his earlier work, The Housemaid , but where that film was a tense chamber drama, this one is a sprawling, venomous satire of the super-rich. ★★★½ (3
At its core, The Taste of Money asks a simple, uncomfortable question: What does power really taste like? For the infamous Baek family, who control a sprawling conglomerate, the answer is a cocktail of blood, sex, and betrayal. His 2012 film, The Taste of Money (도둑맞은
The film is not for everyone. Critics at Cannes (where it premiered in competition) were divided, with some calling it overwrought and gratuitous. The pacing lags in the second act, and the plot occasionally strains credibility. Additionally, the treatment of its Filipino character—while sympathetic—leans into stereotypes of the exotic "other."