Lim Sang-soo again. After watching The Last Shot of the President, I almost became a fan of this director (The Last Shot just added to the overall positive impression of the actor's work after The Handmaid, The Berlin Affair and The Good Wife of a Lawyer). The old garden finally convinced me that Lim Sang-soo is not just a talented director and screenwriter, but one of the best in Korea. And how annoying looks a black spot (Taste of Money (2012) against the background of the excellent filmography of the director.
Old gardens are drama. The drama is real, not in Korean simple, but in Korean deep and touching. Admittedly, even I, who saw all sorts of things, a couple of times did not restrain myself and let a stingy tear – it is painfully masterfully the author pressed on my “sick” places, in terms of drama. The film is not voiced in Russian, so I had to watch with subtitles, and in view of the fact that the movie itself is not entertaining, I had to slightly strain. I can’t say that the movie looks easy, but rather the interest comes in waves. But it was never really boring. The director, as if feeling that he was about to bend the stick, immediately let either a dramatic scene, or simply interesting, in terms of the plot.
The script of the film is both simple and profound. A young man, hiding from the persecution of the authorities, falls in love with a rural teacher for participating in anti-government uprisings. But their happiness was short-lived, he decided that business was more important than personal life and went to his associates. After 17 years, he was released from prison. The setting and manner of storytelling are ideal for this plot. Usually, when Koreans try to use flashbacks, it turns out somehow slurred and confused. Here's the master of his craft- Lim Sang-soo, filigree to combine the boundaries of the past and the present. Very beautiful and interesting transitions, a good calm atmosphere, excellent acting and, in itself, an interesting story make the film, almost, the perfect drama.
I would like to pay a little attention to the cast. First of all, the actress Yom Jong A, who played the main female role, created not only a magnificent, bright image of a simple girl, but also endowed her character with such a realistic character that the sympathies of the viewer were a priori ensured. The final success of the picture, in many ways, is the merit of Yom Jong-A, especially in high-profile films not starred. Of course, according to good old tradition, the film starred Yoon Yo-jong, who missed, in my opinion, only the Last shot of the President, and so universally involved in almost all the works of Lim Sang-soo.
Anyway, it's a great movie. Not easy, but touching. I didn't notice any blots. It's done at the highest level. Unfortunately, I couldn’t feel the atmosphere of the film as much as possible, due to the fact that I constantly had to read subtitles, but these are small things.
9 out of 10