This movie is basically about "what might have been", a question we all ask ourselves at some point(s) in our lives, quite often about romantic connections.
Nora ( her adopted western name) and Hae Sung are childhood friends (aged 12) who are separated when her parents emigrate to Canada. She has grand ambitions to be a famous writer while he is content to be an ordinary person living an ordinary Korean life (his words).
12 years later they reconnect on Facebook (he still misses her) and spend a while talking regularly and reconnecting, but not enough for either to change their life plans.
Another 12 years pass with no contact, and now we find Nora happily married to another writer and living in New York City and Hae Sung is visiting. There is still some connection there, a longing perhaps, and a lot of confusion, especially on her part. Her husband Arthur is is not thrilled but tries to be understanding.
This film has received mostly rave reviews and there is early Oscar talk. I can see why many might love it but I didn't. The acting was good, particularly Teo Yoo and John Magaro in the two male parts. But I really didn't like the direction at all. Many scenes were laborious and slow - I get that emotions can be displayed with nuanced looks but it was overdone to the point of annoyance. The cinematography did little to showcase either Soeul or NYC, nor did it add value to the emotional whirlpool the two main characters were caught in. And the bluish colour palette didn't work for me.
The script had some great moments, particularly the scenes with Nora and her husband, but was patchy in many other places. In particular it made it difficult to really care that much for the Nora character.
It's usual for me to reach for the tissues at the end of good rom-coms or any movie which successfully portrays an emotional conundrum. I left this movie dry-eyed and a little disappointed, not at what might have been for the characters, but for the movie this story could have been. So 6/10 from me, but it's the sort of movie that many will absolutely love, so you should see it because that might be you.
Nora ( her adopted western name) and Hae Sung are childhood friends (aged 12) who are separated when her parents emigrate to Canada. She has grand ambitions to be a famous writer while he is content to be an ordinary person living an ordinary Korean life (his words).
12 years later they reconnect on Facebook (he still misses her) and spend a while talking regularly and reconnecting, but not enough for either to change their life plans.
Another 12 years pass with no contact, and now we find Nora happily married to another writer and living in New York City and Hae Sung is visiting. There is still some connection there, a longing perhaps, and a lot of confusion, especially on her part. Her husband Arthur is is not thrilled but tries to be understanding.
This film has received mostly rave reviews and there is early Oscar talk. I can see why many might love it but I didn't. The acting was good, particularly Teo Yoo and John Magaro in the two male parts. But I really didn't like the direction at all. Many scenes were laborious and slow - I get that emotions can be displayed with nuanced looks but it was overdone to the point of annoyance. The cinematography did little to showcase either Soeul or NYC, nor did it add value to the emotional whirlpool the two main characters were caught in. And the bluish colour palette didn't work for me.
The script had some great moments, particularly the scenes with Nora and her husband, but was patchy in many other places. In particular it made it difficult to really care that much for the Nora character.
It's usual for me to reach for the tissues at the end of good rom-coms or any movie which successfully portrays an emotional conundrum. I left this movie dry-eyed and a little disappointed, not at what might have been for the characters, but for the movie this story could have been. So 6/10 from me, but it's the sort of movie that many will absolutely love, so you should see it because that might be you.