The action of the film takes place in 1943. The title character is a cosmopolitan and incapable of deeper feelings seducer. In Poland, he lost his entire family. Alone - being in the heart of Nazi Germany - he hides his Jewish origins and often eludes death. He works as a waiter in the restaurant of an exclusive hotel and carelessly enjoys all the charms of life surrounded by luxury, beautiful women and friends from all over Europe. However, when the war begins to take a bloody toll on those closest to him, the intricately built world that surrounds him crumbles like a house of cards.
A dysfunctional family's heart of darkness is laid bare in the grimly humorous and then just plain grim meller Members of the Funeral. Feature bow by Baek Seung-bin heralds a dark wit and sleek intelligence guided by a creatively secure humility. A standout from the substandard HD fodder that generally clogs up Pusan's New Currents competish and so-called cutting-edge fests, Funeral is quietly riveting. A tad too restrained for midnight sidebars or commercial release, pic possesses an intensity that should secure fest berths.
No matter how much he devotes to his sport, veteran boxer Urita remains in the blue corner – the domain of the underdog in the ring. Despite on a permanent losing streak, his meticulous analysis of fights benefits Ogawa, a gifted talent and champion hopeful, and Narasaki, a timid rookie, both gaining strength and confidence under his discipline. Punching his 30 years of boxing experience into the screenplay and the choreography of action sequences, director Yoshida Keisuke uppercuts a realistically crafted drama that underscores the passion, sacrifice and camaraderie in the world of combative sports.