Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: BEASTS CLAWING AT STRAWS [Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]

The aspect of consecutive stories isn't new but perspective and how the narrative plays out however intertwined makes for interesting play of circumstance depending on intention and uniqueness of the characters. In "Beasts Clawing At Straws" [National Premiere] which is plays the Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, there are harks to such films as "Magnolia" or "Jackie Brown" but sometimes the motivations of the characters lack instinct or even an end goal. At the center is a woman desperate to reinvent her life who has the cunning and perspective to do so without hesitation. The puzzle pieces especially exploiting the weaknesses of others even when she is ahead of them is an interesting weave. There are opportunists galore in the film whether it be a guy with a gambling debt, a low level worker who is just trying to provide for his family who comes upon a boon of circumstance or a guy who just falls in love with the wrong woman and makes mistakes. The film shows the comparative of human nature but doesn't take itself too seriously. It is a noir but with a slight bit of lunacy like some later Coen Brothers films but with a different cultural angle. Because it is set in South Korea, tradition and societal norms dictate some different reactions. But human nature is universal. The lensing also shows the balance between the neon night and a bit of the fringe, not necessarily rural but on the edge of urban. People, even in their own family, treat each other with disdain, even when they are trying to do good. Even eventually the person who doesn't have any faults gets dragged into the essence of either her own greed or her wanting to live a better life, though consequences still abound. B

By Tim Wassberg