Category: Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA)

The Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) is the inaugural Korean Film Festival
organised by the Consulate-General of the Republic of Korea in Sydney. DVD Bits/The Reel Bits has been a partner since the launch in 2010.

KOFFIA 2022: 5 films to watch at the Korean Film Festival in Australia

Our friends at the Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) are back with a massive program for 2022!

The 13th edition of KOFFIA appropriately features 13 films playing in Sydney (18 – 23 August), Melbourne (1 – 5 September), Canberra (1 – 3 September), Brisbane (8 – 11 September).

Here’s our picks of the films you simply can’t miss!

Special Delivery

The KOFFIA opening night film is a slick South Korean action film confirms the star power of Park So-Dam — as if there was any doubt in our minds. She plays driver skilled at delivering anything to anyone at any given time, backed by a cool attitude behind the wheel. When a former baseball player gets in too deep with gangsters, he plans to use the service to get the hell out of dodge. Yet when the bad guys catch up with him before Eun-Ha arrives, she winds up with his son Seo-won ( Parasite co-star Jung Hyeon-jun) in the backseat of her car. With both the crooks and the corrupt cops after them, it’s an adrenalin-fuelled race towards an indeterminate finish line. Read our full review.

Escape from Mogadishu

One of the biggest South Korean releases of the last year is a top-notch action thriller set against not-too-distant history. In January 1991, amidst rising rebellion and the ultimate collapse of Somali President Barre’s government, the South and North Korean embassies find themselves working together to flee the country before the violence escalates further. The aftermath of this event, and broader Somali Civil War, has famously been depicted by Ridley Scott in Black Hawk Down (2001). Although playing out on a more focused scale, and with a drastically smaller budget, Ryoo skilfully manoeuvres the audience to a bittersweet ending via a breathless series of spectacularly staged action sequences. Read our full review.

Broker

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is back. Following his French-language debut with The Truth, Kore-eda transplants his operations to South Korea. In this movie, a group of people, brought together by a baby box — a small space, where parents can leave behind their babies anonymously — set off on a journey that will lead to destinations they never expected. The announced cast so far includes Song Kang-Ho, Gang Dong-Won, Bae Doo-Na and Lee Joo-Young.

In Front of Your Face

It’s almost the law that a Hong Sang-soo film appears at any film festival, and doubly so at KOFFIA. This one follows a middle-aged former actress living in the United States who returns home to South Korea to reconnect with people from her past and atone for her various transgressions. Sounds like the perfect playground for

Decision to Leave

Speaking of heavy-hitting directors, no less a figure than Park Chan-wook arrives at KOFFIA this year with his first film since 2016’s The Handmaiden. Following a man falling from a mountain peak to his death, detective Hae-joon(Park Hae-il) comes to meet the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei). Not showing any signs of being a grieving widow, the police consider her a suspect.

The full program and tickets are available on the KOFFIA website.

August 7, 2022
KOFFIA 2021: Korean Film Festival in Australia announces full program

Our friends at the Korean Film Festival in Australia (KOFFIA) have announced their full program for 2021! Just in time to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and South Korea, the 12th edition of KOFFIA returns to cinemas in Canberra (2-6 September), Brisbane (16-19 September), Melbourne (16-23 September) and Sydney (14-23 October).

Coming off the back of a historic high point for Korean cinema internationally, with Parasite and Minari dominating the awards categories for the last few years, the Festival program features 22 of the finest films from Korea’s world-class film industry.

Tickets to KOFFIA are on sale now at www.koffia.com.au

Drama

Lee Isaac Chung’s MINARI leads the pack. The award-winning story of one family’s experience after moving from Los Angeles to Arkansas to start a farm in the early 1980’s. We named it one of the Best Films of 2020 in our round-up in December.

Koh Hoon’s feature film PAPER FLOWER follows the life of an old mortician, his unwell son and the events that take place when a new family moves next door.

Coming straight from the Korean box office in early 2021, WAITING FOR THE RAIN is a romantic drama directed by Cho Jin-mo. It an epistolary film, based on a series of letters sent between lovers who have struggled to meet for years.

In WAY BACK HOME a woman (Woo-yun Han) receives a call from the police alerting her that they have arrested the man who raped her 10 years prior. Reluctant to tell her husband, her past is slowly revealed little by little, throwing married life off balance.

Lee Tae-Gyeom’s directorial debut I DON’T FIRE MYSELF is a sobering social drama that sees a woman take a subcontractor role rather than resigning from her job. The film follows her struggles to adjust to the new life.

KIDS ARE FINE is a fun-filled yet sentimental film following the adventure of three 9-year-old kids who set out on a daring journey to find one of their ailing mothers after she is transferred to a faraway hospital.

Other dramas in the Festival program include director KIM Hyun-tak’s compelling and emotional I, SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN which follows a young man who returns home without a hope for his future and finds hope and comfort; musical film SPRING SONG; and the romantic dramas DOUBLE PATTY, JOSÉE and SHADES OF THE HEART.

Family

As you can probably guess from the title, RED SHOES AND THE SEVEN DWARFS is a parody of Snow White and follows seven dwarfs, once seven princes, who can only break their curse by kissing the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Way to perpetuate the beauty myth, ancient curses!

Action

If there’s one thing that South Korea has been awesome at over the last few years, then it’s large-scale action blockbusters. KOFFIA this year is no exception.

THE SWORDSMAN is an action film from Cho Jae-hoon. Set in the 17th-century during a time when ruling dynasties in Korea and China were in significant transition, it stars Jang Hyuk as the titular character.

We love a heist film, and PIPELINE seems set to fill that void for us. The film features six thieves who hope to change their lives planning an oil heist by drilling into Korea’s biggest pipeline. Oils well that ends well, we guess.

Comedy

A surprisingly funny, smart and deep story, MORE THAN A FAMILY follows university student To-il who gets pregnant while dating her 19-year-old tutoring student and embarks on a journey to find her biological father.

SAMJIN COMPANY ENGLISH CLASS is a classic David and Goliath story where three talented women who are trapped in roles as mere office assistants, eventually become key drivers against an unethical corporate scheme.

THE GOLDEN HOLIDAY follows a detective on (you guessed it) holiday with his family in the Philippines before becoming entangled in an investigation of a local murder case.

Thriller + Adventure

Suspenseful mystery thriller RECALLED is about a woman who wakes up one day and learns that she’s lost her memory and begins to experience hallucinations that she feels portend future murderous events. Her doting husband cares for her at home but things are not what they seem. It stars Seo Yea-ji, Kim Kang-woo and Yeom Hye-ran.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL is a frenzied hit-man thriller following an assassin who goes to Thailand to solve a kidnapping case, only to find himself being chased by a man whose sibling he killed.

COLLECTORS is another heist film that documents the journey where a team of grave robbers set out to claim an ancient king’s treasure buried in the royal tomb located in the heart of Seoul. With an elevator pitch of ‘Ocean’s Eleven meets Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ you know we’re going to sit up and pay attention. Park Jung-bae directs a cast led by Lee Je-hoon in this South Korean historical adventure/crime thriller. We’re in!

Documentary

Because you have to have at least one food documentary at an Australian festival! Park Hye-Ryoung’s THE WANDERING CHEF goes on a journey with Korean celebrity chef Im Jiho as he travels the Korean peninsula in search of the most authentic and unique ingredients with medicinal properties.

August 12, 2021
KOFFIA 2021: the Korean Film Festival in Australia returns September/October
Our friends at the Korean Film Festival in Australia have announced that they will be back in the house for 2021! Bringing the very best of Korean cinema to Australian audiences, the 12th edition of KOFFIA returns to Canberra (2-6 September), Brisbane (16-19 September), Melbourne (16-23 September ) and Sydney (14-23 October) this year.

This is excellent news for a country that’s half in lockdown at the moment. A shining light at the end of a wintry tunnel as it were. Indeed, last year’s KOFFIA was offered free an online as a result of the pandemic, while this year aims to be a physical festival.

No films have been announced as yet, although KOFFIA plans to release the full program on 5 August.

“2021 marks the incredible 60^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Australia” said Jihee Kim, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre. “The Korean Film Festival aims to introduce Korea and its culture through films while also encouraging talent exchange between the film industries of the two countries. To celebrate this milestone, our Festival program will feature some incredible films that highlight the wonder of Korean culture through cinema.”

2021 KOFFIA screening dates and locations:
- Canberra: September 2 – 6 | Palace Electric Cinema
- Brisbane: September 16 – 19 | Elizabeth Picture Theatre
- Melbourne: September 16 – 23 | ACMI
- Sydney: October 14 – 23 | Event Cinema George St
The Reel Bits has long been a supporter of KOFFIA, having previously served as a media partner. We will continue to cover the festival as part of our Asia in Focus stream this year.
July 21, 2021
Review: Fukuoka

As an ethnic Korean born in China, filmmaker Zhang Lü’s works have often examined people straddling cultural bridges. Following a lighter beat from 2014’s Gyeongju and the excellent A Quiet Dream (2016), Zhang’s latest film once again returns to the concepts of otherness and outsiders in a foreign landscape.

With FUKUOKA (후쿠오카), Zhang quite literally straddles two countries by taking his characters from Korea to Japan. Je-Moon (Yoon Je-Moon) owns a bookstore, and his regular customer So-Dam (Park So-Dam) suggests (strongly) that they should travel to Fukuoka. There they meet Hae-Hyo (Kwon Hae-Hyo), who shared Je-Moon’s love for the unseen Soon-Yi almost three decades earlier.

It’s almost impossible not to compare Zhang with Hong Sang-soo. Well, maybe not impossible. It’s entirely possible I could have not typed that sentence but I did anyway. The similarities come in a drifting narrative that concentrates on long character-based takes, and slow revelations about the past coming out through these conversations.

The big distinction is that there isn’t that sense that the other shoe is going to drop at any moment, and Zhang is content to follow this trio through their random encounters across the northern shore of Kyushu. So-Dam seems to be able to communicate with practically anybody she meets, despite protesting that she isn’t multilingual, all the while toting around a classic Chinese erotic novel. Symbolism is found everywhere, including a communications tower that is visible from almost every spot in Fukuoka – and mirrors the Eiffel Tower on So-Dam’s tote bag.

Three excellent lead performances are a masterclass. Through their casual interplay and meanderings, revelations about the past slowly emerge within the context of this foreign place. By the time So-dam suggests that she play Soon-yi in some kind of throuple situation, the film’s tongue is planted so firmly in cheek that’s it’s practically bulging with coy irony.

Zhang’s next film, his first Chinese film in over a decade. It will explore a similar theme, as two brothers travel from China to Yanagawa in Fukuoka to find the girl they loved in their youth. It’s just as well, because this is the kind of film that could keep going all day and you’d be cool with it. Now, to find the shortest path to the bar.

2020 | South Korean | DIRECTOR: Zhang Lu | WRITER: Zhang Lu | CAST: Kwon Hae-hyo, Yoon Je-moon, Park So-dam | DISTRIBUTOR: Korean Film Festival in Australia (AUS)| RUNNING TIME: 85 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 29 October – 5 November 2020 (KOFFIA)

Read more coverage of South Korean cinema from the silent era to festivals and other contemporary releases. Plus go beyond Korea with more film from Asia in Focus.

November 3, 2020
Review: Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982

Originally released in its native South Korea in 2016, Cho Nam-Joo’s book shot to fame in South Korea when floor leader of the Justice Party’s Roh Hoe-chan gifted the book to President Moon Jae-in. The book, which concerns a stay-at-home mother with depression, was inscribed with a message that read “Please embrace ‘Kim Ji-young Born ’82.’”

The film adaptation of KIM JI-YOUNG, BORN 1982 (82년생 김지영) arrives in a timely fashion as the global #MeToo movement shares similar true tales of everyday discrimination. Most descriptions will tell you that the titular Kim Ji-Young (Jung Yu-Mi) is an ordinary woman in her 30s who starts experiencing signs of being someone else. Of course, that spooky sounding plotline speaks more to the ‘otherness’ she has been experiencing her whole life as a woman in Korea.

This film signals the feature directorial debut of actor Kim Do-young, perhaps best known for roles in films like The Righteous Thief (2009). In translating the novel to the screen, she and co-writer Yoo Young-ah (On Your Wedding Day) have managed work Cho’s vignettes into a single narrative while maintaining the cumulative impact of institutionalised sexism. From dealing with groping as a schoolgirl to familial and societal expectations of Ji-young as a mother, her wants and needs have consistently been secondary to those of her brother, husband, and father.

Ostensibly about indoctrinated misogyny in South Korea, there’s a universality to Ji-young’s experience. Following the book’s structure of a life as a case study, albeit without the bookends of a male doctor analysing her experience, Ji-young’s life might be viewed by the men in her life extraordinary but the truth is that it’s the cumulative and systemic micro (and let’s face it, macro) aggressions that determine her fate.

Early in the film, Ji-young overhears someone referring to her coffee break with child in tow as a “comfortable life,” a viewpoint shared by many men in her circle. Her father gets easily outraged by any woman’s role that is not child-rearing, while Ji-young’s mother-in-law is furious that her return to work might jeopardise her own son’s career.

Jung Yu-Mi – known for her roles in Oki’s Movie, Train to Busan and Psychokinesis – delivers a powerfully understated and award-winning performance. Her stoicism in the face of prosaic prejudice gives added weight to the film. Equally fierce is Ji-young’s mother, who’s vocal opposition to the men in their lives leads to a semi-breakdown on screen. The men, of course, stand about impotent in the face of emotion.

When the book and film were released in Korea, headlines spoke of it increasing tensions in the local market and couples breaking up over it. The messaging is not necessarily subtle, but neither is the discrimination against women. It’s precisely the ordinariness of these (typically male) viewpoints that, when taken together in a single document such as this, demonstrate how stacked the system is against career-minded women. Yet it would also be very easy to dismiss this as a Korean problem, and if this timely tale shows us anything it’s that society has a collective culpability in perpetuating it or a responsibility to instigate change.

2019 | South Korean | DIRECTOR: Kim Do-young | WRITER: Kim Do-young, Yoo Young-Ah| CAST: Jung Yu-mi, Gong Yoo, Kim Mi-kyeong | DISTRIBUTOR: Little Monster Entertainment/Korean Film Festival in Australia (AUS)| RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 29 October – 5 November 2020 (KOFFIA)

Read more coverage of South Korean cinema from the silent era to festivals and other contemporary releases. Plus go beyond Korea with more film from Asia in Focus.

November 2, 2020
Review: Me and Me

Jung Jin-Young is probably best known to fans of Korean cinema from his appearances in front of the camera. A frequent collaborator with filmmaker Lee Joon-ik (Once Upon a Battlefield), he’s also won acting awards for multiple drama series such as Glamorous Temptation. For his feature directorial debut, he’s chosen to helm a psychological mystery that’s not quite what you’d expect.

Almost every official description of this film gives away far too much, and there’s a genuine pleasure in discovery. So, let’s be a little more vague here. Married couple Soo-Hyeok (Bae Soo-Bin) and Yi-Young (Cha Soo-Yeon) have recently moved to a small town, and neighbour Hae-Kyun (Jung Hae-Kyun) becomes intrigued by Yi-Young’s nocturnal changes. Following a tragic incident, detective Hyeong-Goo (Cho Jin-Woong) arrives in town to find his life turned upside down.

ME AND ME (사라진 시간) is not a film that’s easy to penetrate, which seems deliberate on the part of writer/director Jung. Without giving away too much, the first act concentrates on the couple, keeping us at arm’s length with something akin to an ethereal love story. With the introduction of the detective, the audience is left to share in his confusion.

The translated English title speaks partly to the theme of duality at play here, the kind that David Lynch and countless contemporaries have long played with. Yet the more literal translation of “lost time” may give us a few more clues as to the lost highway Hyeong-Goo is on. As events and characters repeat with a different perspective, the film becomes a puzzle to be assembled.

Cho Jin-Woong (The Spy Gone North, Believer) is as reliable a lead as ever. While he could happily play detectives for the rest of his career, the subversion of the traditional detective role here is enough to distinguish it from his previous high-profile performances. The supporting cast, especially Jung Hae-Kyun, are also excellent. Through the local villagers, much of the unlikely humour of social situations comes through.

Not all of these elements pull together as effectively as one might like, and the ending is apt to leave more than one viewer a little cold. Yet there’s some intriguing concepts here, and it feels reasonably safe to say that Jung’s directorial debut marks him as a voice to listen out for in the future.

2020 | South Korean | DIRECTOR: Jung Jin-Young | WRITER: Jung Jin-Young | CAST: Cho Jin-woong, Bae Soo-bin, Jeong Hae-gyoon | DISTRIBUTOR: Korean Film Festival in Australia (AUS)| RUNNING TIME: 104 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 29 October – 5 November 2020 (KOFFIA)

Read more coverage of South Korean cinema from the silent era to festivals and other contemporary releases. Plus go beyond Korea with more film from Asia in Focus.

October 31, 2020
Review: Baseball Girl

In almost every country where professional baseball is played, and (let’s face it) any professional sport is organised, there is a gendered barrier between who can play. Writer/director Choi Yoon-tae was inspired to make this film upon discovering that there was no current rule actually banning women in pro baseball.

BASEBALL GIRL (야구소녀) follows Joo Soo-in (Lee Joo-young), a young female baseball player who is determined to play in an exclusively male professional league. Despite support from her dad (Song Young-kyu), who is going through some troubles of his own, her mother (Yum Hye-Ran) just wants her to get a job. Even though the odds are against her, coach Choi Jin-Tae (Lee Joon-Hyuk) reluctantly begins to foster her talents.

Remember that short-lived series Pitch from about 4 years ago? This is a subdued version of that with a distinctly different flavour, more about the road to pro than the struggle of being the only woman in the clubhouse. Yet instead of having to just prove to the world she’s good enough, Joo Soo-in also has to demonstrate to herself that she’s capable.

Which is why you don’t have to be a baseball fan, or even a sports fan, to engage with the main story. It’s a laser focused character piece, a coming-of-age drama about sacrifice in the name of following one’s dreams. It structurally reminds me of a light novel or comic series, and thanks to some gentle pacing, often feels like we’ve spent more time with this would-be player than the running time would suggest.

There’s a few potentially extraneous storylines, including her father’s legal woes, and the Zett product placement is egregious. Still, even with all the expected tropes – training and tryout montages (with music!), familial dramas, bonding wth the coach – Choi bucks the trend of most sports movies by not hanging everything off a major showdown match.

While it may not satisfy all audiences, the ambiguity of the denouement grounds the film in ways that the abbreviated language of the sports genre rarely does. Plus, arriving on the back of Kim Ji-young Born 1982, it’s been a solid couple of years for feminist messages in Korean film. In the end, if you’re like me and just a sucker for a sports film, especially an underdog one, this hit the spot nicely.

2020 | South Korean | DIRECTOR: Choi Yoon-tae | WRITER: Choi Yoon-tae | CAST: Lee Joo-young, Lee Jun-hyuk, Yeom Hye-ran | DISTRIBUTOR: Korean Film Festival in Australia (AUS)| RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 29 October – 5 November 2020 (KOFFIA)

Read more coverage of South Korean cinema from the silent era to festivals and other contemporary releases. Plus go beyond Korea with more film from Asia in Focus.

October 31, 2020
KOFFIA 2020: 5 must-see films at the online Korean Film Festival

If you’re a fan of film in 2020, about the only phrases you’ve heard more often than ‘physical distancing’ and ‘flatten the curve’ are ‘online’ and ‘film festival.’ Not to be outdone, the always excellent Korean Film Festival in Australia are offering their 2020 program entirely online – and free!

The 18 films on offer are all from this year and 2019, covering everything from the bittersweet coming of age film The House of Us through to the broader comedy of the animal buddy film Mr. Zoo: The Missing VIP.

Still, even with the masses of time #isolife affords us, you still need to save time. So, here’s a list of some of my favourite picks based on a winning combination of previous viewings, fan enthusiasm and hope.

You can catch all of these films at koffiaonline.com from 29 October through to 5 November. Check the site for times. All of them are free: you just need to sign up.

The Man Standing Next

Joining the ranks of A Taxi Driver, The Spy Gone North and 1987: When the Day Comes, director Woo Min-ho’s THE MAN STANDING NEXT (남산의 부장들) is the latest period political piece to tackle a controversial subject. Indeed, the presidency of Park Chung-hee (played here by Lee Sung-min) remains divisive to this day. A slickly produced snapshot of a moment in time that remains divisive to this day. An excellent cast and beautiful photography lift this above the average bear. Read the full review.

My Punch-Drunk Boxer

Another contemporary South Korean film from an actor-director. Jung Hyuk-ki (Romance in Seoul) tells the story of former boxing champ Byeong-Goo (A Taxi Driver‘s Um Tae-Goo) intent on making a comeback despite his CTE diagnosis. It also stars the singular-named Hyeri (formerly of K-pop group Girls’ Day) in his support squad.

Kim Ji-young, Born 1982

Based on the excellent 2016 novel by Cho Nam-Joo, this is a good chance to catch a film that you may have missed during its brief run in cinemas. Ostensibly about indoctrinated misogyny in South Korea, there’s a universality to the titular Kim Jiyoung’s experience as she faces cumulative and systemic aggressions that determine her fate.

Forbidden Dream

It wouldn’t be a Korean film festival without a bit of historical drama. This one follows its debut at NYAFF 2020. From The Last Princess director Hur Jin-ho, it follows the historical figure of Sejong the Great (Han Suk-kyu), king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea, and the relationship he fostered with his greatest scientist, Jang Yeong-sil (the seemingly ubiquitous Choi Min-sik).

Baseball Girl

Look, I’m just a sucker for a sports film, okay? Like Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, this is another film tackling endemic prejudice in society. Like the short-lived US series Pitch, it’s the story of Joo Soo-in (A Quiet Dream‘s Lee Joo-youn) who is determined to become the first female baseball player to join a professional team.

Read more coverage of South Korean cinema from the silent era to festivals and other contemporary releases. Plus go beyond Korea with more film from Asia in Focus.

October 29, 2020
Review: Money

What is it that fascinates us about people getting rich by skirting the law? From Wall Street to The Wolf of Wall Street, money talks to audiences. MONEY (돈) is the Korean take on the Icarus story, as yet another wide-eyed newbie tries to fly too close to the sun on wings made of multi-coloured won.

The Bud Fox of the film is Il-Hyun (Ryu Joon-Yeol), a young broker who makes a terrible mistake early in the piece. He gets a lifeline from the mysterious Beonhopyo (Yoo Ji-Tae), or “Ticket,” who ropes him into a stock market scheme. His bad luck turns and he is suddenly getting all the big commissions.

Much of the first half of the film follows his spectacular rise in the world, complete with the obligatory buying of things, high-priced apartment settings, and fast living. (If it was set in Australia, smashed avocado would also be purchased). Things take a turn towards thriller territory, and for Il-Hyun, when Financial Supervisory Service officer Han Ji-Cheol (Jo Woo-Jin) starts sniffing around the trail that the broker is leaving behind.

MONEY is the debut feature for director Park Noo-Ri, although she has finely honed her visual craft as an assistant director alongside Ryoo Seung-Wan (The Unjust, The Berlin File) and Han Dong-Wook (Man in Love). Working with cinematographer Hong Jae-Sik (A Melody to Remember), she creates a visually rich palette, filled with all of the totems of the 21st century. At one point, Il-Hyun looks around the street and spots all the prices of things appearing like a cross between AR and an IKEA catalogue.

Much of the appeal of the film comes from its charismatic leads. Fresh off a string of hits, Ryu Joon-Yeol (Believer, Little Forest, A Taxi Driver) manages to stay likeable despite playing a character who skims a thin line between morality and criminality. The popular Yoo Ji-Tae (The Swindlers) is perfectly cast as the ostensible villain of the piece, although who is to say he is any more upstanding than anybody who is willing to gamble the money of other people for personal profit?

MONEY may not buy you love, but it definitely buys you a good time for a short spell. While the shopfront may feel familiar, and no new ground is broken along the way, there’s a satisfying conclusion and a justified comeuppance. Who knows, maybe director Park will return in 20 years with Money 2: Money Never Sleeps.

2019 | South Korea | DIRECTOR: Park Noo-Ri | WRITERS: Park Noo-Ri | CAST: Ryu Jun-yeol, Yoo Ji-tae, Jo Woo-jin | DISTRIBUTOR: Korean Film Festival in Australia 2019 (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 115 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 22 August – 12 September 2019 (KOFFIA)

August 30, 2019
Review: Hotel By the River

If you are a follower of Hong Sang-soo’s films, you probably have a firm idea what you’re getting into. His plainly shot features, with loose plotting and semi-autobiographical leanings, will feature a familiar cast drinking, sleeping, and walking around public places.

So, depending on your point of view, HOTEL BY THE RIVER (강변 호텔, or more literally Gangbyun Hotel) is either peak Hong or much of the same. Self-aware from the opening frame, a monotone voice reads the credits and shooting dates like it’s the audio descriptive version of the Wiki summary. For new initiates, it’s the first sign of his cheeky sense of humour and dialogue with the viewer.

As with Hong’s previous films, the plotting is simplicity itself. Of course, appearances are deceiving and relationships are not what they seem. Convinced that he’s dying without any evidence to support this, poet Ko Young-hwan (Gi Ju-bong) invites his sons (Kwon Hae-hyo and Yu Jun-sang) to his temporary home in a hotel by shores of the wintry Han River. Their time together occasionally intersects with that of A-Reum (Kim Min-Hee), a woman who has been betrayed by the man she lived with and has called her best friend Yeon-Joo (Song Seon-Mi) for support.

From the moment Hong has established his sense of place, he starts messing with our notion of time and distance. Near misses between characters and long waiting times for people to arrive aren’t simply trademarks but are used here to cocoon us completely in this insular little conclave. He even brushes against magical realism, with snow appearing after everyone nods off to sleep for a short time, although never delves completely into that space.

Comedy comes from the most unexpected places, such as social manners or over polite strings of “thank yous,” along with the autograph seeking hotel clerk. At other times, Hong is answering critics and speaking directly to viewers who are in on the joke. “He doesn’t appeal to the masses,” comments one of the two women discussing Yu Jun-Sang’s filmmaker character. “Sounds boring,” quips the other.

Yet it’s with the character of Ko Young-hwan, taking on the more traditional Hong-proxy role, that leads to moments of rare beauty and heartbreak. There’s a moment in the back half of the film that Ko reads a poem over the soft-focus vision of a young man at a gas station, giving us one of Hong most elegant moments amidst his lo-fi handheld leanings. It’s a visual foreshadow for the heart-wrenching final moments, some that elegantly bring several threads full circle in a far stronger way than his earlier sly winks.

Like the titular river, audiences will undoubtedly find themselves on one side or the other. A film that deals with duality and dreams as abstractly as a David Lynch outing, and filled with equal parts subtle allegory and plain-faced realism, this is classic Hong Sang-soo.

2019 | South Korea | DIRECTOR: Hong Sang-soo | WRITERS: Hong Sang-soo | CAST: Gi Ju-bong, Kim Min-hee, Kwon Hae-hyo, Song Seon-Mi, Yu Jun-sang | DISTRIBUTOR: Korean Film Festival in Australia 2019 (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 96 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 22 August – 12 September 2019 (KOFFIA)

August 29, 2019