I have always heard it is better to forgive someone instead of letting one’s anger and hate fester inside. Though when someone tells me this I respond by asking them how does it work when there is no hate or anger? What if you just remove the perpetrator from your life? Forgiveness has never been my forte; I have a hard time with someone who is deceitful. For example the customers who break their payment promises to me aggravate me but I do not take it personally. I just retain the memory of the event in a mental file cabinet besides noting it on their account. They will not be eligible to receive any favorable considerations from me.   ON a personal level, the people I have met through dating were for the most part honest and sweet. However if I did find out they misrepresented themselves or outright lied to me I would have nothing to do with them. I am afraid this also filters out to my friends who are in relationships. There is a married couple I have been friends with for several years. On the surface they appear to be your typical moderately successful couple, both working, nice cars and house. Recently I found out one of them had cheated on their spouse during a business trip. Here is the real ugly part; they did not say anything but the blister that showed up on their body said it all after it was diagnosed by their family doctor. They went through a divorce soon after that appointment. Though I was friends with both of them, I just could not maintain the same type of friendship with the guilty one. Let me add I have always had a hair trigger of disdain for those who cheat on their significant others; I have had my share of deceitfulness. All I can say about this wicked romantic drama is I am so glad I do not know these people.   SOOK-HEE, played by relative newcomer Kim Tae-ri, was part of a plot to gain access to the fortune of Lady Hideko, played by Min-hee Kim (No Tears for the Dead, Helpless). Things did not turn out exactly as planned once Sook-hee became part of the household. Written and directed by Chan-wook Park (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance), this foreign film was beautifully filmed. Including Jung-woo Ha (The Yellow Sea, The Chaser) as Count Fujiwara and Jin-woong Ju (The Admiral, Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time) as Uncle Kouzuki; the acting was very good. Set in the 1930s during the Japanese occupation in Korea, the story was twisted; I enjoyed the way events suddenly caused a change in the plot. I will tell you I had at times a hard time getting through the subtitles before new ones appeared on the screen. Oh one more thing, there were some violent scenes that were cringe worthy so be prepared. I do not think this film festival winner will be pleasing to everyone; for myself, I found the unordinary plot provided entertainment even when I wanted to look away. Saying looks can be deceiving seems too easy and clichéd, but in this case it truly applies. Scenes with sexual content, violence and blood. Japanese and Korean were spoken with English subtitles.

3 1/4 stars