Wonderland

I had high expectations for this film due to its intriguing storyline and the presence of talented actors. However, it ended up being somewhat of a disappointment. The narrative was quite convoluted, making it difficult to follow unless you had already read the story it was based on. This lack of clarity meant that, without prior knowledge of the plot, viewers might find themselves confused or only understand the unfolding events much later. Despite the promising premise, the execution fell short, leaving many questions unanswered and many scenes feeling disjointed.

What kept me engaged were the performances of the actors, who delivered their roles with commendable skill and depth. Their talent was the saving grace of the film, bringing some life to an otherwise muddled storyline. It's a pity that their efforts were overshadowed by the film's structural issues.

In the end, while the film had its moments, it didn't live up to the high expectations I had. I can only give it a 5 out of 10, primarily because of the actors' performances, whom I truly admire. Their dedication and talent shone through, even if the film itself did not.

This film envisions a near-future world where people interact with artificial intelligence that mimics the deceased and those in comas. It intricately weaves multiple instances of these interactions into parallel narratives, creating a complex and layered storytelling experience. The overall tone is pleasant and visually appealing, with subtle dystopian undertones and a touch of magical realism.

The storyline provided by IMDB isn't entirely accurate. Key storylines include a deceased mother interacting as an AI with her daughter and mother, and a young woman engaging with an AI of her lover in a coma. Another major plotline involves the people running the AI service, with additional instances of the AI service in use depicted throughout the film.

The spoken languages include Korean, English, and Chinese.

I was rather disappointed in this movie. The acting and cinematography were great and the plot itself had a lot of potential that just was not realized. I think a big part of the problem was that they tried to put too much into a 2hr movie that they ended up having to cut out much of the important backstory that would have set everything up. From the Netlix synopsis, I thought this was going to focus on Bae Suzy's character and story. But instead, her story was just one of 2 major storylines along with 2-3 sub-stories. That did not leave enough time to provide any real backstory or world building to explain what was going on not did it really provide enough time to do any of the story-lines justice. If this had been a 6-8 episode Kdrama series, it might have been great but as a 2hr movie, it was rather confusing.

With the reality and impact of AI on the horizon, the premise of this thought-provoking movie is what if a technology business could create a convincing, life-based avatar of a loved one who's died or is in a vegetative state. The business model requires you to maintain their 'life' by subscription and to pay for things they 'need' or 'want' as you interact with them. This postpones mourning for the living but creates ripples in their lives that leaves the pain of their losses fresh.

It asks what would you pay to have one more conversation with your mother or father, or hide a mother's death from young child, or watch your dead child grow up on your cell phone through an app? What if you cannot afford the service in perpetuity? What if someone lost to you comes back to life a different person than the avatar you've come to love?

Very thought provking premise, the actors were almost less important though Park Bo-Geum is always compelling.

Using AI to comfort those who lost or losing their loved ones seems to be a good intentionand a great idea. However, it does not mean that there are no challenges when it is really taking place.

Bai Li's story brings out a question about how a person who still denies about the death of loved ones can be comforted. Yet, a person who is fully aware the death of the loved ones, struggles between wanting to provide the comfort and at the same time wanting the other person to face the reality.

Tae-joo's virtual existence does not only bring comfort to Jeong-in, "he" also makes her relying on him. It makes it hard for Jeong-in to know what she really wants when she is challenged to make a choice.

Above the moral issues that provoke me as a viewer, I like how the director presented the stories. Some may find the movie confusing as there are changing scenes and changing characters. I like how Bai Li' reflection in the mirror to depict reality verses virtual. It's a very clever way to bring out an idea.

Overall, it is a movie that is not for "easy-watching". It is probably better to watch a few times to appreciate the theme.