This movie reaffirmed my love for independent films. It’s amazing how such a low budget film can look so good (it was shot with a simple digital camera). This is one of those films that remind me so much of 빈집 (or 3-Iron, which is the English title of the film). Plot-wise, very little happens. Yet each scene, each piece of dialogue is so rich with meaning that nothing feels out of place. The movie is set on 비양도 (Biang-do) - a small island just off the coast of Jeju. The plot involves a film director named Hyun-seong, in the middle of writing his latest screenplay, goes to a motel on this island because of a promise he had made to his ex-girlfriend 10 years ago to meet. But what makes this movie so amazing is how real it is. There’s no fantastical reuniting after 10 long years and “I loved you all this time” meetings or anything similar to that. Instead it’s just a plain snapshot of a few days of these characters. But through the movie you really get to see how dreams intertwine so seamlessly into real life - how the deep emotions within our hearts, wether happy or sad, seeps out and mixes with our interactions others. This is where the movie excels. Instead of plain 2D dialogue, you really see those deep emotions, within the character’s hearts, subtly play out in their words and actions.
If you enjoy analyzing films, then I highly recommend you watch this. Beyond the main dialoge, this film is chock full of so many symbols and metaphors, that it will leave you thinking long after the movie is done.
