April Snow

Take IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE but have the protagonists meet when their spouses are in a serious car crash, don't be so bloody obtuse about the whole thing, and you're on way to making APRIL SNOW. Writer/director Hur Jin-Ho is certainly not a cheerful chap, with his trilogy of seasonally-named films each taking a depressing scenario and quietly exploring the characters' pain... yet somehow his films don't end up actually being depressing. The situation could easily lend itself to melodrama (and the soundtrack seems like it wants to go there), but the characters and emotions feel too real and natural.

Although the plot of the film is essentially very predictable, it's all about the details... the unassuming direction places the actors in the spotlight - a light that pierces right into the characters, and requires superb performances from the cast. Luckily Bae Yong-Joon and the gorgeous Son Ye-Jin are capable of delivering exactly that.

Very well crafted and enjoyable, though not so innovative as ONE FINE SPRING DAY.

"Oechu", or "Wae Chu" according to the Toronto IFF, means "going out". The English title for both Toronto and Hong Kong is "April Snow". It seems that director Hur Jin-ho has a high awareness of the seasons as the titles of his two previous movies were "Christmas in August" (1998) and "One fine spring day" (2001).

To many regular viewers of Korean movies (a few movies each year), "Christmas" was their first introduction and is still considered among the best (while the tombstones of those who died of boredom watching it would already be showing signs of weather erosion). "Spring" has mixed reviews, with many considering it a setback from "Christmas". "April snow" is sort of a comeback, although it does not have the depth of "Christmas" in which death is the subject matter rather than a plot device.

The plot of Oechu is simple. His wife and her husband, who are having an affair, got in an accident during their escapade and are both in a coma. Encountering at the hospital, they gradually find out that their respective spouses, who where college classmates, have been cheating on them. Starting with understandable animosity, they wind up falling in love.

The key to the success of the movie is the development of the relationship between these two people, which takes time and patience to render believable. With this director Hur has done a splendid job. For the critical turning point, he cleverly utilizes a situation where the two attend together the funeral of a third victim of the accident, a young chap. As the spouses of the careless drivers (it could not be established which one was driving), they obviously are met with extreme hostility from the family of the deceased. This incident creates the necessary empathy which breaks the ice between them.

There are some lovemaking scenes, which are more sensual than erotic. Very palpable together with the pleasure is also a sense of agony and pain. And those who think that these scenes are daring for a Korean movie have obviously not seen "Happy End" (1999).

One scene that left me with the deepest impression was when his father-in-law knocks on his hotel room door while they are in the room, not making love but simply enjoying being with each other. Millions of similar scenes must have been seen in movies and yet I've never seen one that moves me so deeply. There's light tension, but no panic, as he asks the father-in-law to wait a second, gathers her telltale belongings and leads her gently into the bathroom and closes the door, gently. He then meets the father-in-law at the door and suggests that they go out to lunch together. On the stairs, he asks the father-in-law to wait downstairs, saying that he has forgotten something. Back in the hotel room, he opens the washroom door. She is still standing there, coat in hand, looking very stoic. She then turns and faces him and very mildly, but reassuringly, says, "I'm OK". The scene ends in a light, affectionate embrace.

This scene says so much. There is nothing that they are ashamed of or need to hide, but tradition dictates that they should not be found together in his room. They face the situation together, with sensible and sensitive consideration for each other.

Since Lover's Concerto, Son Ye-jin has been the most sought after young Korean actresses. Personally, I think her most popular "Classic" (2003) is over-rated. "April snow" is where Son has attained a breakthrough in her performance.

Bae Yong-jun is a victim of his own popularity as I've seen more than one criticism of his acting that reflect the writers' "hate-celebrity" syndrome, from which I'm happily immune as I can't tell him apart from the guy next doors. The only other movie I've seen him in is "Untold Scandal" (2003), in which he wears a mustache and beard. In that picture he comes short, not having enough maturity and charisma to play a character brought to life by John Malkovich in "Dangerous Liaisons" (1998). He is much better cast here in "April snow" as a melancholy sort-of artist (stage light designer, particularly for concerts).

One thing I must say is that you'll be hard-pressed to find a better looking (in a very literal sense) Asian couple than this pair.

Yes, it's a bit like Random Hearts and I guess In the Mood for Love, but I liked the realism of it. I liked that they had a reason to stay near each other because their spouses needed tending (best looking coma victims, ever!). I like a bit of logic in my romances.

I really enjoyed the lead actress. In the few Korean movies I've seen, the lead actresses always seem too done-up (hair, make-up, perfect clothes and shoes). This actress was just a bit messier and a bit more average in her appearance, which made her all the more attractive. I could relate to her numb anger. She's mad, but she also has an ill husband to watch over. I like too that she's the one who approaches the other man first. That she reaches out and doesn't stay all locked up in her grief. I hope I can find more movies she's been in.

My favorite moment at the very beginning is when she spots the condom in the basket and just freezes and knows. She just knows in that instant. And he just grabs it to hide it away.

It was romantic without going over the top. Very cool.

This film's presence is simple but effective: After hearing that two people, a man and a woman, were involved in a very serious car accident, their respective spouses rush to the hospital. They find out that these two people were having an affair. Since they had to stay in a hotel while their spouses remain in comas, they see each other all the time and eventually begin having their own affair. The good thing about this film is how director Jin-ho Hur makes this not only believable a premise but also makes it seem completely natural. However, he needed good actresses to make his vision work and he found them: Yong-joon Bae plays the husband of the crash victim and the quite pretty (actually, both are good looking)Ye-jin Son the wife. Both take this necessarily slow moving film to a very dangerous but somehow natural place. The film has a refreshing subtlety, and the film is shot beautifully, great cinematography. While not a great film, it certainly conveys the themes of sadness, betrayal and eventually lust quite well. I would recommend this, it kept my interest throughout.

"April Snow" is only the fourth Korean film I have seen and it has transformed my budding interest in that country's cinema to outright obsession. The simplicity and intimacy of the camera work piqued my interest and the two leads -- the movie's only significant characters -- held me there. Ye-jin Son and Yong-jun Bae moved me effortlessly from one emotional swell to another as they found solace, revenge and perhaps more? -- in each other. The question of how they can care for their adulterous comatose spouses falls quickly away as they silently wonder if, through this tragedy and betrayal, they might have found something wonderful.

Sad, lovely and surprisingly sensual, I highly recommend "April Snow" to those who have the slightest interest/curiosity in Asian cinema.