Microhabitat

Clean, simple but obsessive.

That's all I would say about the gem that somehow I missed for 4 years. The film started with a soft, simple story about the girl who decided to stay at her friends' house to save up for other's important things: whiskey and cigarettes. But from that seem-to-be simple and somehow stupid idea, the film touched the deepest meaning of life, the consequences of every decisions we made in life, about the true difference that distinguish one from the others. You will find your eyes locked in the screen from the beginning to the very end.

The acting is extremely elegant, the dialogues are touching and funny, but the best things I can say about this movie is its cinematography. No crazy 90-minute one-take, no dolly zoom or breath-taking over view from some imaginary helicopter, the cinematography of the film is perfect that I won't even look for it. A well deserved praise for the director who I believe master the art of film.

I won't hesitate to recommend this film to anyone who truly want to understand the Eastern cultures, understand the people working under the pressure of society, and the life we really want to live, that somehow we have to find and fight for every single days of our life.

This movie really make me thinking about life. The plot is simple but for some reason it can touch my heart. I also like the acting a lot. The meaning behind the story is subtle enough and I like it a lot.

Everything is perfect and nothing bothers me. If all those who produce movies have this much sense, directing, and neatness, the world will be filled with really good films.

I literally can't believe such a wonderful and beautiful movie can be made with $320k in production costs. It is super LIT!

The most remarkable thing is lighting. The lighting behind the camera, which illuminates characters in a narrow space such as a dark alley or room, evokes naturalness but also makes them more adorable. However, there was no lighting in the scene of couple at dawn, and this delivers the temperature of air, which is so much colder and heavier. I really like these lighting decisions.

The structure, script, and acting were also good. Leakless structure, editing without superfluous parts! I felt like that I read a tidy article with a fabulous topic and solution.

It was a very enviable and respectful time for people who make fun things fun. The world is full of fun and cool stuffs, and it makes me struggling!

Hyeon-jeong, Dae-yong, and Rok-yi's episodes were very fun and giggling, but Jung-mi's consternated me. The movie was so adept at getting the issue off the table, but I think we should highlight it.

"I have money for a glass of whiskey and cigarettes, but no money to pay the rent."

If I regard the former as a metaphor for the most indispensable and fundemental cost of pursuing individual happiness, yes I can agree. I don't want to force the people to give it up. However, I think it is a pretty dangerous idea to ask someone else for a favor because I'm willing to give someone a bed when he or she asks me. I would have hooked if Mi-so slept in the parks and spent the rent at an indispensable basic cost. But she decided to share the burden with others, so she didn't lose anything. Of course, Jung-mi is rich to waste in throwing good food away, so in that episode it's almost Jung-mi's fault to reject Mi-so. But I doubt that Mi-so did well.

"Let's owe a favor to others just until I save the deposit of the house rent."

Can't she stop pursuing her own happiness until she save the deposit?

As a fan of Korean movies I was looking forward to watching Sogongnyeo (or Microhabitat for the English title). It got a high rating on here and Korean cinema produced a lot of excellent movies so it was promising. But in the end it was disappointing to me. The story is a bit boring, certainly towards the second half, a bit repeating itself, nothing really enjoyable to follow. It has a couple good scenes and the acting wasn't bad but that's about it. I just think it's not really the kind of stories I enjoy watching, but others might do.

My Rating : 8/10

'Microhabitat' is a Korean-drama. It is full of the kind of good depression energy that the viewer can engage with. There is a lot of humour and one can glean into the culture of the place.

I love a movie that can bring such cozy vibes, it makes you feel lazy, triumphant and rooting for the underdog which is what most viewers enjoy. If someone is bored with watching mainstream Western or Hollywood dramas and wants something different then 'Microhabitat' maybe just the right thing. Simple, full of charisma of the main actor (she has done a stellar job!) - this is a feast for the lazy, drunken eyes. Transcendental, meditative and extremely healing...go watch it already.