Movies: H

Korean movies, for better or worse, tend to be gimmicky. Whether it's the incessant use of Pachelbel in "My Sassy Girl," the ludicrous role-reversals in "Tae Guk Gi," or the hallucinations of "A Tale of Two Sisters," you generally have something in there that exists only for the sake of the plot. "H" is no different, and once you see what the "H" actually stands for, you're going to groan in disbelief.

"H" is either the most brilliant send-up of serial-killer-thriller-type flicks ever made, or the worst example of the genre in recent memory. People have described it as "Se7en" meets "Silence of the Lambs," which sounds great until you realize that the description is quite literal - there is a hard-bitten, near-emotionless female supercop (Clarisse), and a pathetic arrogant average cop (Brad Pitt). There is a long, drawn-out series of puzzle-type murders (Se7en), as well as scenes where the cops confront a captured serial killer (Mr. Lector). Even the ending is incredibly similar to "Se7en" - personal demons coming back to haunt a cop as he makes a fatal decision out in the middle of nowhere.

The final "Aha" moments of the movie feel like one of the biggest cheats in cinema history. Sure, the audience pretty much knows exactly what is happening at this point, except that there are so many plot holes that you can't believe that what you're seeing is occurring. I mean, do police interrogate prisoners in Korea without anyone else watching, or without it being videotaped? Do good cops suddenly execute people for no reason, in situations where their motivations and personal history suggest they should be doing the exact opposite?

Rating: 5/10 (for the laughter)