Writing and directing your thirtieth characteristic movie is a milestone that few filmmakers ever attain, and certain prompts a little bit of introspection. It may very well be seen as a possibility for reinvention and experimentation now that your legacy is safe, or it may very well be justification to double down on the traits that made you so profitable within the first place.
Hong Sang-soo takes the latter method with “In Our Day,” a movie that sees him enjoying a lot of his best stylistic hits. There’s a superb efficiency from Kim Min-hee, a script that’s divided into separate vignettes, prolonged pictures that afford actors the room to dive into their characters’ subtlest mannerisms, and naturally, bottles of soju that lurk over the story like a Chekhov’s Gun as we wait for everybody to start imbibing and sharing their true emotions. It’s the type of movie that is likely to be described as a “crowdpleaser” with minimal irony in area of interest indie movie circles, because it feels significantly extra accessible than current Hong efforts reminiscent of “Introduction” and “The Novelist’s Movie” and will allure each the director’s longtime followers and people unfamiliar together with his work.
The movie opens with Sangwon (Kim) an actress who strikes again to Korea after pursuing a profession in greater markets and finds herself leaning on her shut buddy Jungsoo (Tune Sunmi) as she plots her subsequent steps. Over the course of a leisurely lunch and a day within the backyard, the ladies converse about Sangwon’s creative ambitions and whether or not they nonetheless appear smart sufficient to justify suspending her retirement. However in true Hong style, questions on whether or not a creative life is definitely worth the logistical sacrifices it requires are placed on the again burner in favor of tending to an enormous, fluffy cat. Feeding and enjoying with Jungsoo’s pet feline shortly turns into Sangwon’s favourite distraction, and the delicate chain of occasions that unfolds illustrate how a superb pet can play a much more vital position in somebody’s life than their profession ever will.
On the identical time, the ageing poet Uiju (Ki Joo-bong) is coming to phrases together with his sudden reputation among the many youth. Two college students from an area college come to go to him in his modest condominium with the hope of absorbing his knowledge and “catching the scent of his being,” however the man quickly finds that he’s ill-prepared for holding courtroom. Whereas he treats his admirers respectfully, he’s extra centered on the inconveniences which have stemmed from his current determination to stop smoking and ingesting. However because the afternoon passes by and the soju finally flows, Uiju turns into more and more keen to share his Zen-adjacent worldview with the aspiring creatives. His solutions to their philosophical inquiries is likely to be cryptic (when requested in regards to the which means of affection, he replies “Should you had been really in love proper now, you’d by no means ask me ‘What’s love?’”), however his mild rhetorical contact masks a lifetime’s price of hard-earned knowledge.
The 2 plotlines by no means converge, however Hong makes use of ramyun noodles with sizzling pepper paste as a tool to unify the narratives. Each Uiju and Sangwon season their noodles with the spicy condiment (to the chagrin of their friends), which helps the movie’s final thesis that discovering gratitude for mundane on a regular basis pleasures is a greater use of psychological power than trying to find grand which means. “In Our Day” finds the director feeling emboldened to ask huge questions and assured sufficient to declare {that a} pack of smokes and a stiff drink is the one reply that we actually want. The easy movie is a simple entry in Hong’s filmography that’s unlikely to ever be held up amongst his true masterpieces. However its pleasant execution of small particulars speaks to how clearly the artist understands his personal strengths at this level in his profession.
“Sustaining a transparent imaginative and prescient is the toughest factor on the planet,” Uiju tells his new buddies after they ask him if it’s attainable to put in writing nice poetry late in life. “You could dedicate your life to it for an opportunity of protecting it.”
After 63 years of dwelling and 30 motion pictures to indicate for it, there ought to be little doubt in any cinephile’s thoughts that Hong has carried out precisely that.
Grade: B
A Cinema Guild launch, “In Our Day” opens on Friday, Could 17 at Movie at Lincoln Heart earlier than increasing on Friday, Could 24.