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The Day After

Original language title: Geu hu

Country: south_korea

Year: 2018

Running time: 92

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6462506/reference

Michael says: “THE DAY AFTER is a Koren film from prolific director Hong Sang-Soo. This film that starts with our lead, Bongwan (Kwon Hae-hyo),a respected literary critic who runs his own publishing house, being accused by his wife (Cho Yun-hee) of having a girlfriend. He does, in fact, his one employee, Changsook, (Kim Sae-byeok). Soon after, Bongwan  and Changsook end their infidelity and she leaves the company, so a new, young, pretty woman is hired. The bulk of the film focuses on Areum  (Kim Min-Her of THE HANDMAIDEN) and her first tumultuous day at work, which consists large of an alcohol fueled lunch with her Boss, a case of mistaken identity involving the Boss’ wife, and the return of Changsook. It’s a timely movie, given the ‘Me Too’ movement and the way men of power abuse it in the name of female companionship.

“The film is interesting in that while Bongwan is in almost every scene, he doesn’t really feel like our protagonist. The three women in the film, most notably Areum, seem to be the heart of the film that keeps it going. Areum is a smart, independent young woman, who might have been taken in by Bongwan’s charm given time, but as the day unfolds, his true nature does as well, both to her and the viewer, even though he seems unable to recognize it. This film borders on melodrama, albeit the Asian kind where things remain for the most part understated. It is beautifully shot in silky black and white, and while there are some gorgeous shots of the city, the bulk of the film takes place in the publishing company office, and a nearby Chinese restaurant, the spaces the Bongwan spends most of his days. A lot happens in this notable day, even as the film jumps about in time a bit to show us how Bongwan and Changsook’s relationship evolved, but it’s mostly to give context to Areum’s first day on the job. Kim Mi-hee is a riveting presence, and serves as the audiences viewpoint nicely.There’s no denying Bongwan’s charm, just as there’s no denying his lost, befuddling mess of a life. It all comes down to a probing question Areum asks Bongwan during their lunch ‘date’ when she asks him ‘Why he lives?’ He doesn’t really have an answer at that point in time but in a curious scenes at the end of the film, he offers a new answer that just might send him on a new path at last. Still, the final scenes remains with Areum as she walks away in the snow, further underscoring the central role she plays. This quiet film is thought-provoking even as it is occasionally frustrating, but it’s definitely worth 4.5 cats

The Day After

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