It has been a couple of years that I heard the name Hong Sangsoo and of his reputation. I'm a fan of Eric Rohmer and to have somebody follow in his tradition with glowing reviews immediately compelled me to seek out his films. His films aren't the easiest to come by so I immediately grabbed this film when I saw it.I was not the slightest bit disappointed.There was certainly an ethereal quality to this film and an indefinable stamp of a director unto himself. The decors are simple and not manipulated but at the same time there is a depth and simplicity in each shot. There is such a control of what we the viewer can see and what is not shown. The relationships are complex and real. The tension is palpable in several scenes. My heart really went out to the characters during the course of the film. I even had a change of heart. I didn't feel manipulated by the nature of the characters but I felt free to choose. A second viewing might be rewarding to see another perspective.In contrast to others I found the soundtrack unique and appropriate. I also appreciate that, like Rohmer, there is humor throughout the film.This film has revitalised my opinion on Korean cinema which I had a pretty dire view on before (I lived there a few years ago). I also have a new director forefront in my mind whom I must discover more of.

I admit I was expecting more after Scorsese's introduction. Still ,the film captivates the viewers emotions. At times, it seems a character study of Hyeon-gon, the painter/college professor, or a neutral view of the object of attraction, Seon-hwa holds on both male leads. Initially, Mun-ho and Hyeon-gon, old friends meet for a drink. Mun-ho has just returned from film school in the United States. Both decide to visit their shared love interest, Seon-hwa. The movie is intercut with flashbacks and Hyeon-gon's interactions with his students. Mun-ho and Seon-hwa were together until he left for film school. Later she has an affair with Hyeon-gon. Seon-hwa is the unconditional ever-loving person, Mun-ho is the man with deep love but not very sure of himself, while Hyeon-gon is the man who's love is cheap but somehow appreciated. This view of the film might remind some men of the dictum, "nice guys finish last". Mun-ho and Seon-hwa are together. She is raped under odd circumstances by an earlier flame. The film doesn't explain why she decided to go to a motel with him, even when he seemed violent and over-assertive. I'm not sure if this is common in Korean culture or if female obedience is encouraged, or if Seon-hwa is simply weak-willed. Later Mun-ho bathes and cleanses her of impurity, followed by sexual intercourse and the professing of his true love for her. After he leaves, she starts an affair with Hyeon-gon. While he seems attracted to her, he comes off as a selfish character who only thinks of his own needs. In the present, while he is married, he claims to have no love for his wife. He also engages in an affair with one of his students. Oddly enough, Seon-hwa holds no ill will towards him, reserving her anger for Mun-ho. At their reunion, Mun-ho reveals his guilt over abandoning Seon-hwa, while she berates him for the pain he caused her. All characters feel a sense of loss for what they once had. This is comparable to having coffee with a woman whom you deeply loved several years back but for whom you don't feel anything anymore.

It's been three years since the release of Turning Gate and since then Hong has directed two more films. When I look at the Korean cinema, it's sometimes impossible to compare Hong to other directors, because his films are like one big diary of an experienced intellectual, full of infinite stories to share with the viewers. What makes his films even more special is that Hong likes to stick to a similar flow of storytelling and the overall style each time, even if the stories themselves are different from one another.This particular film deals with a reunion of two male friends who haven't seen each other in quite some time. First twenty minutes seem to be unaware of the film's direction, but that's not a problem at all with Hong's films. After some time of reminiscing, eating and drinking excessively, they decide to meet up with their old female acquaintance who one of the guys has not been in contact with since he moved to the States. He soon discovers that she took his abandonment very badly for the reasons he was very well aware of. Through those years apart the woman obviously underwent significant changes in her behavior, which become apparent when they both spend the night over at her place.Even though the story often touched on some dramatic moments, it was Hong's surprise choice of lightly uplifting classical music that often deflated the sentiment and heaviness of each character and tried to give room to some unintentional humor. The scenery is still all too familiar and pleasantly accommodative to the characters. The delivery from the actors is just as insightful and efficient as the story allows it to be.The length of the film stands at 88 minutes, making it Hong's shortest film to date and unfortunately the ending feels abrupt. Now the reason for that might be because the story and the actions chosen by some of the characters lack overall climax and feel somewhat nonlinear, but that's just how life is sometimes. The director still has an exceptional eye for capturing such situations, even if the finished product has to suffer consequences from an audience that isn't used to his style of storytelling or is expecting a certain closure. I got stranded right in the middle, greatly admiring Hong's roaming through hidden emotions and candid sex scenes, as well as his love for signifying details, but at the same time I felt slightly unmoved and in anticipation for a greater impact with his trademark symbolisms that made his previous films so memorable.

Sang-soo Hong has done it again: he has made another controversial film that deals with the in-depth investigation of human sexuality, this time focusing solely on it from the perspective of two old friends meeting up again, one a successful college professor and the other a struggling film-maker.From beginning to end, Hong lures you into the film by showing provocative sexual scenes and events, and really laying before us just how chaotic and disturbing sex can be, as well as how fulfilling it is. In between comical exchanges between the main characters, there lies a great deal of tragedy. Like many Korean films, it bended genres.The acting was always as realistic as Hong aimed for in previous films like Power of Kangwon Province, and the story just as equally real -- focusing on very real dialog and very real occurrences. One can feel a close relationship to every character in the movie from start to finish. The mood is very real, and the soundtrack that accompanies it was very appropriate.A uniquely artistic film that encourages the viewer to connect the dots, and a very real 'slice-of-life' film, I would recommend this to anybody who enjoys artistic film in general, or who has an interest in tackling some major issues about sexuality. It was another well-done piece by Hong, and I look forward to seeing more work by him in the future.