Nobody's Daughter Haewon

U R Sunhi and Haewon are mega-political-metaphorical films about the general state and fate of Korea Sunhi and Haewon = Korea, Korea on the cusp, Korea yanked around, Korea caught in its past, Korea yearning for more, Korea cheated, Korea bringing joy, Korea bringing pain, Korea trying to please everybody, Korea f-qq-d over by everybody, a Korea divided, a Korea trying to unify, etc, the daughters of Korea the future, the sons of Korea trapped, the beguiling nature of diplomatic relations between Korea and her various partners, etc I believe people had a hard time with Haewon because of its seemingly sloppy technical direction combined with the seemingly repetitive plot motif (student / teacher relationship) that the director is fixated on But Haewon is not sloppy at all, the film is free, it's purposely free from all cinematic constraints and tricks, no script, no cues, nothing rehearsed, a state of complete freedom....

I saw this film at the Berlinale 2013 film festival, where it was part of the official Competition. What we saw happening was interesting enough to keep us awake all the time, but the narrative was overly complex and particularly the who-is-who was not always easy to follow. Old intimate relationships got easily mixed up with new ones, thereby also crossing age gaps and other lines that ought to be respected.

This is the case for instance with one of her professors, which relationship should be a no-go area for more reasons than age difference alone. She had an abundance of intimate relationships in the recent past, all of them (literal quote) "going all the way through" (free translation: slept together). Her promiscuity is something her friends frown upon, especially where it involves director Lee. That relationship broke up a year ago, but both still have troubles letting it go.

Her sudden meeting with a professor from abroad, her pondering about leaving the country with him (in spite of knowing him only from that occasion), even mentioning these rash future plans later on against some of her friends, all of this is getting me so far as to take the hint from the synopsis on the festival website, saying that it all of this may be something she is dreaming, and nothing more than that. We see her a few times asleep in broad daylight, like in the library, at moments not fitting in the story line.

All in all, I see no reason to recommend this film. It is easy to sit through, and I had little reason to consult my watch. That is not my problem with it. However, none of the characters appearing in this movie suffice to get us viewers emotionally involved. It's all a bit abstract and remote what we see happening. The main character is also not very serious about her study, and wanders around while having love affair after love affair, so it seems.

The fourth film I've seen from director Hong Sang-soo. I didn't like the other three, so it comes as little surprise that I didn't like this one either. It's a pity, as NOBODY'S DAUGHTER HAEWON is the director's best-looking work so far, a film filled with picturesque locations. The colours look lush and vibrant in HD and the shooting style is better than ever. Plus Sang-soo has dropped that annoying vignette style so that a single storyline is told chronologically from beginning to end.

What a shame, then, that it's still so boring. Once again, Sang-soo explores the familiar themes of human relationships and romance, this time focusing on a student/teacher relationship. It's been done before and even the same actors are brought out again for another tired time-waster. NOBODY'S DAUGHTER HAEWON is a patience-testing film where absolutely nothing happens aside from some dull and uninteresting characters going around and bemoaning their fates. The only thing it has going for it is a nice piece of Beethoven music which is played throughout the production.

Why else call my review anything else when the only reason I've written one is to dissuade you from reading the other? Haewon does not simply "go all the way" with an abundance of people. We know of literally two people in her life that she has had sex with - both of them she said she cared deeply for. They happened in approximation to each other because she was vulnerable.

This film - Nobody's Daughter Haewon - is about that; a vulnerable woman. She is strong in ways - apparently more thoughtful and compassionate than her classmates despite their bitterness toward her - yet the world depletes her. Unlike the other main characters in the film, or more specifically the men in her life, she has no vice. She reads sometimes, but rarely drinks (only does so when very upset or very happy, so it happens twice in the movie) and never smokes (unlike her Professor, Director Lee who is essentially a chain smoker).

What we see is her strength, her clean way of living and delicate countenance moving through a world that only wants to pull at her. People want to sleep with her, but she's looking for more intimate connections - maybe even just a person to talk to. Yeah she sleeps with people after they wear her down enough, talk to her sweetly enough, and tell her they love her, but how many women can honestly not relate to that? That's kind of how the world works. At least it has in Hong Sang-soo's films up to this point; a filmmaker I consider to be the most real in depicting contemporary relationships. This just happens to be told from the perspective of a woman, and not some solipsistic male.

From the opening titles of Nobody's Daughter Haewon, it's very clear that this is a Hong Sang-soo film and you know you're in for plenty of drinking, awkward social interactions and whimsical humor.

It's very hard to put into words the experience of watching this film because it is unlike anything I've ever seen. It is very much a dialogue-driven film, there are only a few settings, scenes are quite long, the camera is often still and there are zero close-ups. All of these elements made it one of the most engrossing and emotionally involving films I've seen.

The performances in this film are brilliant. Jung Eun-chae plays Haewon, a young woman whose mother recently left for Canada and is coping with being alone and becoming an adult. She's a character you may think you have all figured out at first but ends up being mysterious and fascinating. There are many layers to her and this film very much feels like a peep inside her complicated mind. Professor Lee (played by the charming Lee Sun-kyun) is an unhappily married man who falls in love with Haewon. Jung & Lee have fantastic chemistry, their scenes together are easily the highlights of the film. These scenes not only make you care deeply about the duo, but are also rich in subtext. Are they truly in love? Do they know what they're looking for?

The dialogue comes off as improvised because of how natural the interactions are but is actually very intricate. The film is not only about Haewon's relationship with Professor Lee, it is about Haewon figuring out who she is as an individual and what she wants in life. Her interactions with various characters may seem insignificant but adds a lot to the film and her character.

The film has a dream vs reality aspect. It blurs the lines between the two. Bizarre events that happen are hinted at as being Haewon's dreams, while others could be interpreted as memories or actual events that are happening. But in the end, does it matter?

I honestly did not expect the film to be so emotionally affecting and genuinely heartwarming. The film takes viewers through a range of emotions and the incredible ending is deeply moving and bittersweet. It is without a doubt one of the best South Korean films I have seen and will continue to stay with me.