Parasite, written by Jin Won Han and Joon-ho Bong, directed by the latter - 10 out of 10

Parasite, written by Jin Won Han and Joon-ho Bong, directed by the latter 
10 out of 10

One of the best films in years, surely worth including on The New York Times' Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list, Parasite is an original, perhaps perfect combination of drama, comedy and thriller, with phenomenal performances, unexpected turns and a complex, thought provoking mix of themes.

It was won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival - and it bears some comparison with last year's winner, Shoplifters, also a North Eastern Asian film, produced in Japan, with destitutes at the center of the plot - confirming yet again that this is the most important cinematic trophy of all, rewarding value more than any other movie competition, including, maybe especially, the Oscars.
As it must be, the critics have also been exultant and gave Parasite a well deserved Metascore of 89 out of 100, proving that professionals are almost at unison in praising this as a Magnus opus.

The family at the center of the narrative lives in squalor, much like the protagonists of Shoplifters, the aforementioned other recent winner of the top cinematic prize of the world, in a basement that would be flooded when the rain pours hard on the Korean city, where drunks come so often to urinate that Kim Chung-sook, the mother, asks why is it that father has not placed the sign with don't piss here, to which the reply is that it would only provoke them further.
In the opening scenes, brother Kim Ki-woo and sister Kim Ki-jung are terribly annoyed that they have no Wi-Fi access for their phones and thus tell their mother there's no What's Up, hence from the start we can appreciate the modernity of the feature, which immediately sets the background, presenting the protagonists as the New World's poor, without access to basics, such as Internet, Wi-Fi, the equivalents of lacking water in the past...and present, alas.

When a friend of the young Kim talks about his imminent departure for studies abroad, there is an opportunity to change the present occupation, which involves the whole family folding carton boxes for a pizza joint, which is paying little and besides, there are penalties involved for the flaws that the boxes have.

This is one of the first amusing exchanges, wherein the young, vocal representative, maybe part-owner of the pizza outfit is arguing with the family and Mrs. Kim retorts that they are so small and insignificant that they can't afford a pressing machine for the boxes...presumably, in high tech South Korea, all the medium sized enterprises have advanced technology.
After young Kim passes the test and becomes the new English teacher for the teenage daughter of the extremely wealthy Park family, he is quick to suggest an art teacher for the younger brother, who is busy shooting arrows through the spectacular, one of the most beautiful houses seen in motion pictures - few mortals have the chance to see something close to it in real life.

Enters the stage of this glorious architectural achievement- we are told that this was designed by one of the best architects, who had lived in it before the Parks moved in - dashing Ki-jung, self assured, superior, dashing, even a touch rude, but playing the perfect role of an expert who has studied in Illinois- America seems to be the ideal, the epitome of the perfect training, product and everything else for the Parks, since Mrs. Park says about one thing or another that it was ordered from America, the tent for the boy, for instance.
For the next step, this extraordinary young girl - in fact so overwhelming in her talents and looks that the first minor flaw of the plot comes to mind: how come, if she was so divine, she ends up in a ghastly basement? Similar to the Jack Nicholson line in Prizzi's Honor..."if Maxy was so fucking smart, how come he is so fucking dead!?" - sets a trap.

Mr.  Park has two most expensive cars - in such markets, they are exorbitant in that being foreign made, they incurr especially high taxes- a chauffeur driven Mercedes S class and a Range Rover, and while driven to the subway station, miss Park takes her panties off and leaves them in the car, therefore causing the dismissal of the innocent driver and then having her own father hired instead, without any of them stating that they are all related to each other, part of the same family in fact.
This means we have only reach the middle of this sensational, wondrous film and there is a glorious spectacle to enjoy and books will be written about this chef d'oeuvre.

A clash between rich and poor makes it also an acute, relevant major theme for the present day, when just 1% of the population owns infinitely more than the rest, at least in most places and this is a major issue, which does not announce the arrival of communist guerillas everywhere, as one who has lived in a Marxist country I know this is not the solution, for they claim they have it, but they just have "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" Animal Farm by George Orwell and Parasite