Jesters: The Game Changers

Deok-ho, an exceptional actor and storyteller, has put together a team of uniquely talented artists to scam people and spread rumours for a fee. The group includes a former court painter capable of creating perfect illusions, a shaman who is a master in the art of sound effects, an acrobat of incredible speed, and a prop-maker with an overflowing imagination. One evening, they are visited by Han Myeong-ho, the cruel right-hand man of King Sejo. The king is hated by his people, who suspect him of murdering his cousin in order to ascend the throne, and is in need of a public-relations campaign. Threatened with execution, Deok-ho and his gang agree to restore the sovereign's image with illusions, special effects, and absurd stories, and manage to spread many rumours that raise him almost to the rank of divinity. But Deok-ho's conscience haunts him, and when the king commits a final tyrannical act, he and his group revise their allegiance.

Having mastered the imaginative comedy of extravagant characters, set during the Joseon era, with THE GRAND HEIST, director Kim Joo-ho returns with JESTERS: THE GAME CHANGERS, which is strangely based on documented “facts” about King Sejo. Combining burlesque, colourful dialogue, and surreal situations that often hang by a thread, this delightful fantasy-comedy gradually switches to historical drama. But breaking the tone is not the only specialty of Korean cinema, JESTERS' production qualities also bring out the best in it, with impressive artistic direction and magnificent costumes. Actor Cho Jin-woong (who you'll also find this year in ME AND ME) leads an excellent cast that is visibly having fun in this singular period film brimming with creativity. Translation : Rupert Bottenberg