Nugu-ui ttal-do anin Hae-won

The fourth film I've seen from director Hong Sang-soo. I didn't like the other three, so it comes as little surprise that I didn't like this one either. It's a pity, as NOBODY'S DAUGHTER HAEWON is the director's best-looking work so far, a film filled with picturesque locations. The colours look lush and vibrant in HD and the shooting style is better than ever. Plus Sang-soo has dropped that annoying vignette style so that a single storyline is told chronologically from beginning to end.

What a shame, then, that it's still so boring. Once again, Sang-soo explores the familiar themes of human relationships and romance, this time focusing on a student/teacher relationship. It's been done before and even the same actors are brought out again for another tired time-waster. NOBODY'S DAUGHTER HAEWON is a patience-testing film where absolutely nothing happens aside from some dull and uninteresting characters going around and bemoaning their fates. The only thing it has going for it is a nice piece of Beethoven music which is played throughout the production.

I got about 15-20 minutes into it before turning it off. The acting was truly terrible, and the whole thing was really off-putting. It's like they grabbed a somewhat-attractive young lady off the street and told her to act. Also the whole thing about how she should try out for Miss Korea ( random dialogue, not important to the plot )? Koreans would say she's far too fat, so nobody would ever say this to her in reality. This movie tried way too hard and failed really hard, and it could have been really good if not for the horrible acting. It completely failed to interest me despite the other reviews and the plot ( which I saw NONE of in that entire time ). I will definitely never try to watch this again, nor will I recommend this to any of my friends. Hell, I won't even recommend this to strangers either. Nobody should have to sit through a movie as contrived and boring as this one.

Why else call my review anything else when the only reason I've written one is to dissuade you from reading the other? Haewon does not simply "go all the way" with an abundance of people. We know of literally two people in her life that she has had sex with - both of them she said she cared deeply for. They happened in approximation to each other because she was vulnerable.

This film - Nobody's Daughter Haewon - is about that; a vulnerable woman. She is strong in ways - apparently more thoughtful and compassionate than her classmates despite their bitterness toward her - yet the world depletes her. Unlike the other main characters in the film, or more specifically the men in her life, she has no vice. She reads sometimes, but rarely drinks (only does so when very upset or very happy, so it happens twice in the movie) and never smokes (unlike her Professor, Director Lee who is essentially a chain smoker).

What we see is her strength, her clean way of living and delicate countenance moving through a world that only wants to pull at her. People want to sleep with her, but she's looking for more intimate connections - maybe even just a person to talk to. Yeah she sleeps with people after they wear her down enough, talk to her sweetly enough, and tell her they love her, but how many women can honestly not relate to that? That's kind of how the world works. At least it has in Hong Sang-soo's films up to this point; a filmmaker I consider to be the most real in depicting contemporary relationships. This just happens to be told from the perspective of a woman, and not some solipsistic male.

From the opening titles of Nobody's Daughter Haewon, it's very clear that this is a Hong Sang-soo film and you know you're in for plenty of drinking, awkward social interactions and whimsical humor.

It's very hard to put into words the experience of watching this film because it is unlike anything I've ever seen. It is very much a dialogue-driven film, there are only a few settings, scenes are quite long, the camera is often still and there are zero close-ups. All of these elements made it one of the most engrossing and emotionally involving films I've seen.

The performances in this film are brilliant. Jung Eun-chae plays Haewon, a young woman whose mother recently left for Canada and is coping with being alone and becoming an adult. She's a character you may think you have all figured out at first but ends up being mysterious and fascinating. There are many layers to her and this film very much feels like a peep inside her complicated mind. Professor Lee (played by the charming Lee Sun-kyun) is an unhappily married man who falls in love with Haewon. Jung & Lee have fantastic chemistry, their scenes together are easily the highlights of the film. These scenes not only make you care deeply about the duo, but are also rich in subtext. Are they truly in love? Do they know what they're looking for?

The dialogue comes off as improvised because of how natural the interactions are but is actually very intricate. The film is not only about Haewon's relationship with Professor Lee, it is about Haewon figuring out who she is as an individual and what she wants in life. Her interactions with various characters may seem insignificant but adds a lot to the film and her character.

The film has a dream vs reality aspect. It blurs the lines between the two. Bizarre events that happen are hinted at as being Haewon's dreams, while others could be interpreted as memories or actual events that are happening. But in the end, does it matter?

I honestly did not expect the film to be so emotionally affecting and genuinely heartwarming. The film takes viewers through a range of emotions and the incredible ending is deeply moving and bittersweet. It is without a doubt one of the best South Korean films I have seen and will continue to stay with me.

Emotions can be a tricky thing. And this movie is a prime example of that. Even more incredible if you consider the fact, with how little passion it is displayed, I guess to counter balance it. Obviously this will not have everyone yearning for it and will rightfully displease people too. It's hard to say, that you will be emotionally invested in the main character.

I actually think most will not. But that is another paradox of the movie, which makes it even more compelling to watch. The narrative wasn't that linear either and there is quite a lot of room for speculation or at least interpretation. You'll either like that or hate it of course. But you can't deny the movie having a strong core performance.

The two very different view points (up to this point) of the movie, that can be read here in the review section are testament to the fact, that the movie creates something that viewers react to (no matter their feelings about it).