However, they are very good at the jobs they get
I'm pretty sure that was intentional, basically saying: They were so good at their jobs, that they could've gotten them legitimately, and they were too obsessed with playing the con artists to see that.
Or, alternatively (and IMO more likely): They were so good at their jobs that they could have gotten them, if only they were in a different social class. Being the low class people they are, they have no other choice but using scams to get there, even though they are at least as qualified as their higher-class predecessors.
Also regarding your other criticisms, I think that the plot was never supposed to be realistic, rather it's an exaggeration of what would happen in real life.
My theory is that the rock in the movie is meant to be some sort of "supernatural force" that guides and protects Ki-woo. First it puts him in the right circumstances to be employed by the Parks, as well as pulling in the rest of his family. Then it falls down to protect him of the consequences of what he planned to do. And finally, he doesn't die even though his injuries should've been lethal - because it was that rock he was hit with.
Review by FLYVIP 2BlockedParent2019-07-07T12:43:35Z
Well, first, can't see why it got the Palme d'Or. There's a plot, things happen, the story advances, there are even plot twists. And even if the story is slightly original, there's nothing that much out of the ordinary. It's a movie that can totally be appreciated and understood by normal people, which is kinda weird for Cannes.
That being said, it's good, the story is interesting and there is never a moment where the rythmn go down, it never becomes too long and the story keeps evolving the whole time. But the trailer was weird, making it look a lot more mysterious and dark than it really is, and at some point one starts wondering, ok, that's interesting, but where is it going ?
Then comes the plot twist. It totally changes the dynamics and the story of the movie, and the result is so so. The first half was mostly small sequences, the family's situation evolving slowly, the second half is more action driven, basicaly following only one plotline with the consequences of a single event. And so it becomes not only less interesting (relatively to the first part, it's still good) but it kinda breaks the first part too, as it clearly shows that it was going nowhere and there was the need for an random out of the blue brutal change for the story to continue.
And it really feel too random. First the discovery, but ok for this one. Then it all turns out to shit just because they stupidly fall down the stairs. Seriously ? Then the Parks suddenly come back, at just the worse moment possible. Combined with their home being trashed when they finally come back. And that's just it, the final disaster is basically random bad luck and lack of sleep, that's all. Well, and again the son letting his stone fall down the stairs. That is just too ridiculous.
Another weird thing for me is the family's situation. They have no job, no money, we know the son failed repeatedly his exams, they're presented as total losers. However, they are very good at the jobs they get, there's a vague rationale on why the son would be good enough in english, but:
1) His sister turns the monster kid in a good obedient student in a few minutes, and she may say she just googled the psychology stuff, there's not a hint on how se did that or how she could have cheated in doing that
2) The father seems like a great driver, though it's said he already had this kind of job
3) The mother may be googling the recipe, but she still manages to make them good enough, even in a very limited time
And not only that but the kids are master con artists. Seeing them figuring it out and stumbling would have been another interesting story, but there's none of that, they're naturally unbelievably good.
And that makes you wonder, how the hell was the family in that situation in the beginning.
As for the final drama, it also feels disconnected from the rest. The father's actions make no sense. In the middle of ll that, he just decides to kill Mr Park, basically because he said he smelled bad. After seeing his daughter and maybe his son killed by the other guy. That's another mostly random thing added, to link the story parts.
The movie is still good, it's masterfully directed and shot, actors are great, there's not really anything else to complain about, but because of that it feels just a little too rough and not finished in the plot department. It's like the initial situation, the first half story, the second part and the ending were just hastily stitched together through random events, because they needed to. It may be a small thing but it disturbed my enjoyment of the movie. Maybe just beause the trailer led me to believe there was something more.