I wasn't expecting another A24 movie to come out of nowhere by a new director and attack me emotionally like that. Oh who am I kidding, of course I was!
Putting aside In-yun as the primary theme, I think a key sub-plot is Nora's acceptance that she's finally letting go of her past life in Korea that no longer exist as she's grown up and evolved living in North America. She essentially gets to pretend what it would be like to have never migrated away, but finally accepts that she's not the same person, but also acknowledges the value and importance of remembering where she came from. The movie is rather genius in having multiple layers occurring like this, keeping you thinking about it for days.
Spoiler Alert! I think at the very end... Hae Sung found closure. He was never rude to Nora during the entire film... but while waiting for the Uber on the final scene, he tells Nora "You are the one who always leaves". I never left". This is absolutely true as Nora leaves him as children to go to Canada and then she leaves him again when reconnected 12 years after to focus on her career. Those words from Hae Sung broke her (literally) when she (once again) becomes a "crybaby" in the arms of Arthur. Wow... powerful stuff!!!
Oh WOW! I actually didn't even think of it in that context. Just goes to show how many layers you can give a simple story with all these complex and layered emotions. Thanks for the observation and thank for watching!
NIce review. Just a correction that Nora and her family actually immigrated to Canada (not the U.S.). Nora then immigrated to the U.S. later. I am so happy for Celine Song. I am so happy that a low budget A24 film is getting so much critical appraise.
What a marvelous reviewer you are: nuanced, sensitive, discerning about the details of moviemaking, writing and acting. You explain the movie's themes perfectly. So, will you not get mad at me if I offer one suggestion? The first 2 minutes, lose all that sort of talk as you go forward. When you say "A24 sometimes makes movies that make you go UGHHH or AGHHHH", you're at a really low level. About minute 2 in you relax and are tremendous fun and interesting to watch and listen to. All your gestures are perfectly fine. You don't need to tone any of that down. Okay, I'll stop offering advice you never asked for. But from minute 2:00 you are aces. I disagree with you about the pacing, btw. You need that to absorb what comes later, which without that leisurely opening would have been too jarring. My two cents. You are quite good. I want to hear more from you. I've subscribed.
Thank you so much for watching! I appreciate the kind words and the advice, it wouldn't be a bad idea to warm up a bit before I record some reviews just to ensure that the energy is a bit higher. Also, upon a second viewing I'm inclined to agree with your view of the film's leisurely opening to pave the way for the following acts. In any case, I appreciate your engagement and thank you for the subscription. Hope you enjoy what's to come
The 3rd meeting was so wrong nora disrespected and betrayed her husband. Her correct responce should have been , no i don't want to meet you or keep in touch I'm a married woman now. Like wise hang sung is wasting his own life thinking about nora when he should get on with his life and his own family. I felt sorry for arthur when they spoke intimately in korean right in front of him at the bar.
I’m sorry but I don’t understand the hype of this movie. Because to me, I watched a movie where a person emotionally cheated on their spouse while their “emotionally mature” husband just let them walk all over their feelings until the end of the film where they decided to cry into their spouses arms while he tells her it’s ok and they walk into their apartment. Pretty much her accepting her life as is. So romantic 💖💖 I just love it when my wife settles for me 😩 Imagine if she was a man doing this to his wife and then tell me, she’s soooo emotionally mature for letting him explore his past life. Cmon ppl, like CMON.
That's understandable. Another friend of mind that went and saw it with me felt that same way. Some people may never feel the same feelings that Nora feels regarding Hae Sung over the course of her life. I don't think it's meant to "romanticize" or "glorify" the situation. Many people in life are unable to be with the people they (at some point or another) truly loved, circumstances and life often have other plans. I think she is just coming to terms with how she truly felt about him and now that she's a more grown/matured adult, proceeds to accept and yet mourn the loss of what that relationship could've been. I believe you can be with one person and yet (somewhere in your heart) miss what life with another person could've been. In any case, thanks for stopping by and watching!
Putting aside In-yun as the primary theme, I think a key sub-plot is Nora's acceptance that she's finally letting go of her past life in Korea that no longer exist as she's grown up and evolved living in North America. She essentially gets to pretend what it would be like to have never migrated away, but finally accepts that she's not the same person, but also acknowledges the value and importance of remembering where she came from. The movie is rather genius in having multiple layers occurring like this, keeping you thinking about it for days.
It's been months and I'm STILL thinking about it...
Thank for watching!
Spoiler Alert!
I think at the very end... Hae Sung found closure. He was never rude to Nora during the entire film... but while waiting for the Uber on the final scene, he tells Nora "You are the one who always leaves". I never left". This is absolutely true as Nora leaves him as children to go to Canada and then she leaves him again when reconnected 12 years after to focus on her career. Those words from Hae Sung broke her (literally) when she (once again) becomes a "crybaby" in the arms of Arthur. Wow... powerful stuff!!!
Oh WOW! I actually didn't even think of it in that context. Just goes to show how many layers you can give a simple story with all these complex and layered emotions.
Thanks for the observation and thank for watching!
Exactly the way I feel and you put it so well!
NIce review. Just a correction that Nora and her family actually immigrated to Canada (not the U.S.). Nora then immigrated to the U.S. later. I am so happy for Celine Song. I am so happy that a low budget A24 film is getting so much critical appraise.
It’s good to have closure. An old flame reconnected with me by telephone. Before we could see each other he died. I wish I could have had closure.
Well said! I also deeply connected with it.
What a marvelous reviewer you are: nuanced, sensitive, discerning about the details of moviemaking, writing and acting. You explain the movie's themes perfectly. So, will you not get mad at me if I offer one suggestion? The first 2 minutes, lose all that sort of talk as you go forward. When you say "A24 sometimes makes movies that make you go UGHHH or AGHHHH", you're at a really low level. About minute 2 in you relax and are tremendous fun and interesting to watch and listen to. All your gestures are perfectly fine. You don't need to tone any of that down. Okay, I'll stop offering advice you never asked for. But from minute 2:00 you are aces. I disagree with you about the pacing, btw. You need that to absorb what comes later, which without that leisurely opening would have been too jarring. My two cents. You are quite good. I want to hear more from you. I've subscribed.
Thank you so much for watching! I appreciate the kind words and the advice, it wouldn't be a bad idea to warm up a bit before I record some reviews just to ensure that the energy is a bit higher. Also, upon a second viewing I'm inclined to agree with your view of the film's leisurely opening to pave the way for the following acts. In any case, I appreciate your engagement and thank you for the subscription. Hope you enjoy what's to come
The 3rd meeting was so wrong nora disrespected and betrayed her husband. Her correct responce should have been , no i don't want to meet you or keep in touch I'm a married woman now.
Like wise hang sung is wasting his own life thinking about nora when he should get on with his life and his own family.
I felt sorry for arthur when they spoke intimately in korean right in front of him at the bar.
I’m sorry but I don’t understand the hype of this movie. Because to me, I watched a movie where a person emotionally cheated on their spouse while their “emotionally mature” husband just let them walk all over their feelings until the end of the film where they decided to cry into their spouses arms while he tells her it’s ok and they walk into their apartment. Pretty much her accepting her life as is. So romantic 💖💖 I just love it when my wife settles for me 😩 Imagine if she was a man doing this to his wife and then tell me, she’s soooo emotionally mature for letting him explore his past life. Cmon ppl, like CMON.
That's understandable. Another friend of mind that went and saw it with me felt that same way. Some people may never feel the same feelings that Nora feels regarding Hae Sung over the course of her life. I don't think it's meant to "romanticize" or "glorify" the situation. Many people in life are unable to be with the people they (at some point or another) truly loved, circumstances and life often have other plans. I think she is just coming to terms with how she truly felt about him and now that she's a more grown/matured adult, proceeds to accept and yet mourn the loss of what that relationship could've been. I believe you can be with one person and yet (somewhere in your heart) miss what life with another person could've been. In any case, thanks for stopping by and watching!