301/302 (2003)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Food Allergies

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

In the great tradition of bizarre food movies like Tampopo and Delicatessen comes the South Korean thriller 301/302. Directed by Chul-Soo Park, the film takes placealmost entirely within the two apartments of the title, each located across thehall from the other. The occupants are referred to only by their door numbers.In 301 lives a woman who loves to cook. A serious foodie, she has all thepossible amenities. When she meets her neighbor in 302, a slender, seriouswriter who dresses in black, she takes it upon herself to feed her.Unfortunately, 302 has a strange condition which does not allow her to take infood; she becomes violently ill at the sight of it. 301 keeps trying, but theirrelationship becomes strained. The film takes place in flashback as a policeofficer visits with 301 and attempts to solve the mystery of 302's suddendisappearance. Director Park has a bit of a food fetish himself, andcontinually shows close-ups of exotic dishes, but always with a queasy edge, asif to convey 302's malady visually. Though the characters' foibles are a bitextreme, 301/302 stays grounded in reality, constantly commenting on theloneliness and low self-esteem that causes all of us to do what we do behindclosed doors.

DVD Details: Koch Lorber's DVD does not have much in the way of extras, but this is a film that, all the same, deserves discovery on home video.