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.
