The Lovers and the Despot

The Lovers and the Despot is a 2016 British documentary film written and directed by Robert Cannan and Ross Adam, about the 1978 abduction of South Korean actress Choi Eun-hee, and film director Shin Sang-ok, by Kim Jong-il of North Korea. It was pitched at Sheffield Doc/Fest's 2014 MeetMarket.

The Lovers and the Despot
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Cannan
Ross Adam
Written byRobert Cannan
Ross Adam
Produced by
  • Ross Adam
  • Robert Cannan
  • Sheryl Crown
  • Natasha Dack
StarringChoi Eun-hee
Shin Sang-ok
Kim Jong-il
Narrated byChoi Eun-hee
Edited byJim Hession
Music byNathan Halpern
Production
companies
Distributed bySoda Pictures
Magnolia Pictures
Release dates
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguagesEnglish
Korean
Japanese

Release

Critical response

The Lovers and the Despot has received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 77%, based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's consensus states: "The Lovers and the Despot offers a compelling — albeit by no means comprehensive — look at one of the more bizarrely stranger-than-fiction episodes in cinematic history."[1] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 65 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[2]

Writing for The New York Times, Manohla Dargis stated that "Despite its flaws and will to kitsch, The Lovers and the Despot has enough enigmas and chills to merit a look, even if some of its spookier moments involve cinephilia rather than the usual weapons of mass destruction."[3]

In Jordan Hoffman's review for The Guardian, he wrote that "there’s an incredible story somewhere in this tale [...], but this documentary buries it by way of over-measured effects and chronic pussy-footing."[4] In a review for RogerEbert.com, Matt Zoller Seitz called it a "frustrating missed opportunity", saying it "takes a fascinating story about filmmaking, politics, kidnapping and propaganda and gives us almost no insight into the work of its two main characters."[5]

Box office

As of 3 November 2016, the film has grossed $55,511 at the box office.[6]

See also

References
  1. "The Lovers and the Despot (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  2. "The Lovers and the Despot reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  3. Dargis, Manohla (22 September 2016). "Review: In 'The Lovers and the Despot,' a Harrowing Korean Ordeal". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  4. Hoffman, Jordan (24 January 2016). "The Lovers and the Despot: study of Kim Jong-Il's cinephilia is hard to adore". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  5. Seitz, Matt Zoller (23 September 2016). "The Lovers and the Despot". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  6. "The Lovers and the Despot". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
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