The World of Us

This is a really beautiful film. Very pleasing visuals and amazing acting by the young talents. It has strong thematic relation with the Breath, a French movie released years prior to this movie.

The only reason why I'm not rating this one with nine is the ending. It was left wide open and thus, it didn't help conclude the story nicely. Now, for the movie, it presents the course of a friendship, how it is developed and how the human relationships progress when they are under the pressure of the society. I also liked how the main character didn't change her personality, even though her friend clearly did. That said, both young ladies were really good and their performances supported the drama perfectly. Also, the clean camera work suited the movie's tone really well.

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This movie is about a 10 year-old girl named Sun, who we soon realize is an outcast at school. The opening sequence establishes this fact, because the kids are playing a game but do their best to prevent Sun from partaking and enjoying herself. Then comes summer vacation, when Sun meets a girl named Jia, who is new in town. During the summer months, these girls hang out together a lot and become best friends. They organize sleep-overs, play at the park, and all of the good things about childhood friendship. However, when the new semester starts, Jia notices the conflicts between Sun and the other kids, meaning that she needs to find her place within the relationship dynamics at school – and that places significant stress on her friendship with Sun.

The first thing you notice about this movie, is that the performances from all of the kids are outstanding. This is right up there with "A Brand New Life" from 2009 and "When I Turned Nine" from 2004 in terms of all-time great child performances in South Korean cinema. This is especially true regarding the lead actress Soo-in Choi, who is simply phenomenal. She does such a good job reacting to everything that is happening around her. This is actually her debut role, and I really hope that her career takes off and that we get many more films with her in the future.

Overall, "The World of Us" is a tour de force for schoolgirl politics in film. This focuses a lot on realistic interaction between the characters and is successful at showcasing the quiet intensity of these girls' relationships that also ebb and flow depending on the situation and who has the "leverage" over others. Some of the girls are mean-spirited, while others are pressured into becoming someone they are not. It really is a fascinating and complex depiction of childhood conflict and friendship.

"The World of Us" is not yet available on DVD, per my knowledge. I saw this on a plane flight to Japan. But if and when it does become available, make sure you check this out. It's an outstanding film.

Loved how realistically the film managed to recreate one of the things i hate the most; Seeing pure innocence breaking down.

It was heart-aching to watch when it just reminded me that this is an example of true stories. Rather a documentary on what is going on in every other schools here in Korea.

From start to finish, there wasnt a few seconds i could watch without being suffocated with the burdening emotions the screen delivers. (Except for the little bro scenes)

After all, with all that said, i might not want to watch it again due to burdensome emotions, but will surely cherish of what i learned and thought throughout the movie.

Well done in working with kids and amateur actors. Conveying the subtle senses an feeling throughout a simple line of story. A successful attempt in reflecting the realism of a middle-class family.