By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Lee Chang-dong
Starring: Cho Yeo-jeong | Ha Lim-lee | Jeon Do-yeon | Sul Kyung-gu | Zo In-sung
Original language title: Ganeunghan sarang
Year: 2026
Running time: 164
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37803364/
Michael says: “After a turgid and didactic first hour, things turned around and this exploration of class and labor redeemed itself by exploring the trauma of violence and a insurmountable differences between the blue-collar and the wealthy. Two couples find themselves in, if not a friendly, a connected relationships when the wife of a wealthy man begins shooting a documentary about the large factory, focusing on the workers.
“Once we get the first part of the film out of the way, where we spend far too exposition about the making of a doc, things get much more complex and interesting as we begin to dive into the male half of the blue-collar family, and what makes him so gruff and misanthropic.
“About 40 minutes too long, director Lee Chang-dong follows a somewhat similar path as his last big film, BURNING (of which I was in the minority for not being a fan) but it works somewhat better for me, as the characters eventually grow more interesting and engaging. 3 1/2 cats”
Chris says: “I’m convinced South Korean director Lee Chang-dong will never let me down. His glacial work ethic (one feature every 7-8 years) probably helps but since Secret Sunshine, everything of his has been essential, including this parable about a working-class family participating in a documentary and getting a little too close to its far more affluent director. Not a groundbreaking premise, but completely relevant in the age of content creation and blurred boundaries between an auteur and their subjects. As the profiled family’s mother, Jeon Do-Yeon is phenomenal with her body language and what she withholds and occasionally reveals. 4.5 cats“