Hotel by the River

Worth watching if you like hearing people talk about their failed loves. A father poet invites sons to a remote hotel in the winter (for those who don't like cold snowy winters, it's a bit depressing) to reconnect. All three seem to have some relationship issues. Also in the hotel (surprisingly empty otherwise) we have two women one of whom faces similar issues. Both groups briefly intersect in a very pedestrian way, but most of the movie views them separately. Dialogue as they work through their lives seemed superficial. The ending was very incomplete - left hanging.

I saw 90% of Hong Sang-Soo's films. I love them all, some more than others, but the overall is pretty up there to me. Honest film-making and unmistakable.

This film is somewhat different from the others on his filmography. In many ways, the camera is closer, and for some reason I felt the Hong Sang-Soo I found on his first film, "The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well" (1996), in many ways the style is similar, but of course, with more experience and awareness. Grass (2017) seemed like the zenith of a certain period, major work on synthesis, if we can compare films, Grass was the sum of 20 years of film-making in a certain style. But like I said, this film is different, it looks like he restarted in a certain way, like every brave artist does from time to time.

The story takes place in a Hotel near river where a father (a famous) writer receives his sons and then there is another story about a woman, who was left by her partner for another woman, that spends time in another apartment with her friend. I don't want to spoil anything, but the major theme seemed to be about love, the necessity, to be love, to be loved and how people strive so much to cope with their notion of love, how it affects them, what makes them do, etc...

Every human being wants to be loved, this is what I felt in the end. A very good film, a necessary film. Thank you Hong Sang-Soo.

"A sublime snowscape foregrounds the picturesque allure of HOTEL BY THE RIVER, the lackadaisical story is seasoned with personal quirks and sheer coincidences (the transference of the ownership pf the same automobile is an extraneous contrivance), but the anemic, languid atmosphere actually conduces to the film's wintry background and insouciance toward morbidity, it is the ending of a man's existence versus the ending of a relationship, both Young-hwan and A-reum manage to attain a philosophical presence of mind to deal with the demise, and for that matter, Hong lands on his feet nicely."

read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, thanks.

I've seen some of Hong Sang-Soo's films and from the ones I've viewed this one has many of the same characteristics. Very deliberately paced, with often enigmatic and awkward dialogue and characters. But there is a certain fascination and honesty about his movies which I find difficult to put into words.

This film is shot in black and white and mostly keeps the male and female characters separated except for some interactions. There's some humor interspersed among the dramatic moments and some of life's truisms are offered up as well. However, I didn't like the ambiguous ending here at all.

Relationships, love, distance, makeability, buyability, independence, authenticity.