On the Beach at Night Alone

I knew nothing going into this, and perhaps that's why its sensitivity and its meticulous pacing really surprised and impressed me. Visually the film looks simple, yet it's very elegantly shot. The screenplay, in particular the intimate dialogue between characters, is fantastic. The biggest strength of the film is Min-hee Kim. She has such an ethereal quality to the way she performs, expressing the dialogue in such a natural, realistic way. The film isn't standard entertainment fare, but it sure is strong.

Hong Sang-soo's visually astounding piece of cinema has the potential to turn into a sleep-fest for many viewers who are not used to extended sequences of silence and a lingering, loitering focus of the cameras on sombre landscapes and city streets. But those who possess a keen eye for the subtle meaning of cinema will find in these visual depictions a gentle erosion of love and a growing, rebelling, unstable acceptance.

The film depicts a young actress in Young-hee (Kim Min-hee) as she meanders along parks and pathways of foreign cities, has coffee in countryside restaurants with old friends and desperately tries to find for herself a hotel out at sea where she could spend some time letting go of her erratic, volatile longing for a recent lover.

Sang-soo lets his landscapes blend in naturally and does not resort much to color grading thus making it very difficult for viewers to not connect with the journey and emotions of the protagonist. We can feel Young-hee's admiration of the quietude in her sombre, spiritual walks in the park and her excitement on beholding the frozen lake. We can experience her detachment and withdrawal to her friends' lives and words as her resonance with generally accepted notions of love gradually fades away. We can accompany her in her dreams as she sleeps carefree on the beach drowning herself in the gentle snore of the sea.

A profound movie that in itself is a dissection of the breakdown of love and attachment.

I liked this film, surprisingly. The actress. The character played by the actress. Because nothing much happens I was surprised at how it held my attention. Basically, it is about a young actress getting over her affair with her director. The music helps in underlining the poetic quality of this work.

Korean movie star, Young-hee played with some fire by Min-hee Kim has an affair with a married director.

She seems to be rather lost as the affair ends as she vacations in Hamburg Germany. As the film progresses she goes about with her friends back in South Korea to pick up the pieces.

The film is strictly a stream of conciousnous story with Young-hee coming off the breakup with a very sharp tongue and demeaner. There are many conversations and Young-hee and the director do finally meet in the movie, but it's bittersweet.

At times she begins to rant, she's very angry, but I didn't see the film as most reviewed it, I don't think it was about the director. I see him only as a catalyst to Young-hee who questions have outstripped her answers.

In the end I believe it was more her doing than his. He seemed to have been caught in her vortex. She feels lost but at that edge is something far more. Outside of common reason, she'll have to find her way back if that's her intention.

This isn't a movie that most would jump for, be sure you enjoy a more sedate and introspective film before jumping in.

Mostly talk and ideas.

5 out of 10

Neat to see a Korean woman in film with large questions and serious results.

If you've ever wondered what a film could achieve with the audacious premise of following someone who's essentially pondering the meaning of life while strolling along a beach at night, well, look no further. Hong Sang-soo's masterpiece is a cinematic ode to introspection, and it's a journey so intense that it makes a late-night snack run seem like an epic adventure. Our heroine, played brilliantly by Kim Min-hee, seems to ask the existential questions we all ponder, like, 'Should I have ordered dessert?'

While the movie is heavy on dialogue, it's all about those awkward, bumbling conversations that make you wonder if you should've brought an emotional survival kit. Kim Min-hee's character might as well have a Ph. D. in overthinking, and we get to join her on this rollercoaster of self-discovery. The beach becomes her therapist's couch, and every seagull is a silent yet judgmental observer. But hey, who needs a therapist when you have waves crashing in the background?

In conclusion, "On the Beach at Night Alone" is the film you never knew you needed. It's a deep dive into the abyss of human thoughts, set against the serene backdrop of a beach. And if you've ever considered deep conversations about life and love while munching on popcorn, this one's for you. Just don't forget your thinking cap, because you're in for a ride that's as enlightening as it is hilariously relatable. Four and a half stars for the laughs, the introspection, and the seagull therapy sessions.