Salon calls The Housemaid “dark, erotic, gorgeous”

Backing up the good word we’re hearing from Sasha about The Housemaid, Andrew O’Hehir at Salon finds The Housemaid swoony:

Director Im Sang-soo, a controversial figure in Korean cinema, has performed a 21st-century update on a classic 1960 film (regarded as that nation’s “Citizen Kane”) and built his movie around gorgeous Korean star Jeon Do-yeon, who won the best-actress award at Cannes in 2007 (“Secret Sunshine”).

Jeon plays Eun-yi, a working-class girl hired as a maid and nanny by one of Seoul’s richest families. Lured into a steamy affair with her handsome, narcissistic employer, Eun-yi discovers first-hand how the ruling class can use money as a blunt instrument to subdue all difficulties… this intentionally lurid and overripe spectacle stands on its own as a black-comic drama in the vein of Paul Verhoeven and Claude Chabrol.

Although Jeon is by turns vulnerable, sexy, damaged and vengeful in the leading role, Im’s rich cast features three other terrific actresses as the central female quartet chewing up the scenery and each other. Perhaps best of all is Youn Yuh-jung as the elderly servant whose apparent loyalty to the family conceals bottomless bitterness…