Hong Sang-soo’s ability to transform the ordinary into something reaching toward ecstasy makes him one of the most exhilarating filmmakers working today. In his 30th feature, the prolific South Korean director revisits familiar themes (artists in crisis) and narrative frameworks (a two-story structure) to continue examining the questions that are central to his work. What is the meaning of life? How does one pursue a pure artistic vision? The film follows two seemingly unrelated storylines.
In the first, Sangwon ( Kim Min-hee , Hong’s real-life partner), a retired actress, returns to Korea and stays with her friend Jung-soo (Song Sun-mi) as she contemplates her next moves. Sangwon’s younger cousin Jisoo (Park Mi-so) visits her, seeking advice on becoming an actress. In the second, an aging poet, Uiju (Ki Joo-bong), is visited by two young admirers, Kijoo (Kim Seung-yun) a documentary student, and Jaewon (Ha Seong-guk) an ardent fan who is himself an aspiring actor.
As the film alternates between the two arcs, the similarities appear superficial at first: gatherings of three, guitars given as presents, a younger generation seeking counsel from their elders. There are hints of a shared past — the idiosyncratic way some of them eat their noodles, with a spoonful of gochujang (hot pepper paste). But the two storylines never converge.
Hong invites us to look beyond story parallels into something simultaneously deeper and more quotidian. One of the great pleasures of experi.
