Attention, two films with the same name are circulating from 2023. In this one, Korean heavyweights Kim Jee-won and Song Kang-ho work together again after a long time. That's promising and the result successfully fulfils any expectations. We get a film-within-a-film construct that certainly contains autobiographical traits. A director's lament about the difficulties of a production. Anyone who has ever dealt with the subject will have realised that filming can be hell. Stress, both physical and psychological at all points, constant time and budget pressure, trouble with producers, actors' sensitivities and general problems on set. And here in particular, we are in South Korea in the 70s, dealing with state authorities. All at the expense of artistic freedom! But don't worry, the film is far less heavy and dramatic than it is humorous. Subliminal humour, but very catchy despite the cultural differences. The highlight is certainly the grand finale, which also provides the most interesting part in terms of insights into the making of a film. Nevertheless, there is a catch and that is the length of the film. I can't even specifically accuse the film of having much potential for cuts, but around half an hour turns a pen into a stone. There's no such thing as perfect, and director Kim has to realise that all the time. And after the film is before the film. For us viewers, too, this film is amusing, but quickly forgotten.
