When I found "Canola" (aka "Grandma Gye-Chun") then I can't really claim to have heard of the movie prior to happening to come across it. But it being a South Korean movie was more than sufficient for me to decide to sit down and watch it, because I like Asian cinema, and South Korea definitely do put out some very amazing movies quite often.
Without knowing anything about "Canola", I had no expectations in regards to anything. So I sat down to watch it with an open mind. And having see it now, I must admit that I am more than happy that I did so, because "Canola" is a very entertaining movie with a heartfelt and wonderful storyline.
The story told in this movie is about orphaned girl Hye-Ji who is living with her grand mother. The grand mother is working hard and does everything she can to provide for her grand daughter and loves her unconditionally. One day they get separated at the market and Hye-Ji becomes lost to her grand mother. 12 years pass before the girl resurfaces and becomes reunited with her grand mother. However, things have changed for Hye-Ji with the passing of 12 years, although her grand mother is still acting as is no time has passed.
The pacing of "Canola" might be a bit slow for some people in the audience, so this might not be a suitable movie for everyone. However, if you like a drama that is based on a solid and realistic story, and one that is driven by characters and good storytelling, then "Canola" is definitely a movie that you should take the time to sit down and watch. I found the pacing of the movie to be good.
"Canola" has some amazingly beautiful acting performances to help the story along. Go-eun Kim (playing Hye-Ji) and Yeo-jeong Yoon (playing the grand mother) put on some really memorable performances and they carried the movie so very, very well with their talents.
The movie is driven by character development and a proper storyline which moves the movie forward. And the characters in the movie are very detailed and so nicely fleshed out on the screen, and equally so brought to life by the acting talents portraying the characters. With such well-rounded characters it is difficult not to invest yourself into the storyline and feel for the characters.
There are some surprises to the storyline along the way, and I didn't see that coming. So it was nice to have such changes and twists thrown into the mixture, because it did spice up the movie.
This is a very moving and heartfelt story, and it might be a good idea to have a tissue at hand within reach, because chances are that you might actually be moved to tears by the story and the performances.
The ending of the movie was amazingly beautiful, and I will say that it is one of the most emotional and moving endings that I have seen in a long, long time.
"Canola" is a very beautiful movie, and if you enjoy South Korean cinema, then you simply have to watch this 2016 drama by director Chang. It is the type of movie that will stay with you for a long, long time after you have finished watching it.
