I must admit that I had expected a lot more from the 2020 movie "Josée" from writer Seiko Tanabe and director Jong-kwan Kim.
Now, don't get me wrong here, because I am not saying that "Josée" is a bad movie or anything. It just didn't deliver what I was expecting it to. Sure, the movie is watchable and all, but it was just somewhat very monotonously paced and sort of confusing.
Director Jong-kwan Kim leaves a lot of imagery in the movie up for the audience to interpret upon, for better or worse. So depending on whether you like movies that don't serve you all the answers on a silver plate or not, then you might find some enjoyment in "Josée".
I will say that there were definitely some touching moments in the movie, just as there were confusing moments that often left me wondering what was actually going on in the storyline.
"Josée" is amazingly well carried by the two leads, that being Han Ji-min (playing Josée) and Nam Joo-Hyuk (playing Yeong-Suk). They had really good chemistry together on the screen, and they individually and together delivered some really emotional and believable performances. And I will say that their performances alone is actually sufficient reason for sitting down to watch the movie.
Now, I wasn't as entertained as I had hoped I would be when this movie came to an end. And while "Josée" was watchable, it just didn't strike me as an overly memorable movie. Nor is it a movie that I will return to watch a second time, as the storyline was just too vague and thin for such.
I am rating "Josée" a bland five out of ten stars.
Plot summary
A story that depicts the brightest moments of Josee and Young-Seok. Josee has a physical disability and lives in her own world. Young-Seok enters her world.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Sadly this was just too slow paced and rather monotonous...
A Longing Mental Picture in a Realistic World
Boy helps disabled girl who fell from her wheelchair. Girl paybacks with cooked food in her house. That's how they meet.
Realism. That is what in the writer mind to be realized. Girl is a fragile mind. Boy is a non confrontational. Both characters hinder what could have been.
Maybe I will not conform to the mass, by saying this one is very well paced. Not as slow as most people think. It's because almost every scenes speak to how I felt in those situations. So when those were added to the build up to monumental scenes. They're just heart touching.
One of the best slow burn Korean films I've ever seen...
This was an amazing film on several levels, but the performances of both main actors really drew you in and made you feel like you were a witness to what they were experiencing their lives during their time together. I'm a fan of both actors, but especially Han Ji-min, and the incredible range & diversity of characters she's played to perfection astonishes me, with this being no exception. I suspect that most people will either really love this film or some may find it boring or depressing. Personally, I've already watched it three times in the short time it's been available and I get something new out it each time. In many ways, it's one of the most atypical love stories you will ever see, but without giving any spoilers here, I think in retrospect, the film ends neither happy nor sad, but in the only way that felt genuine & real. I highly recommend this film for someone looking a tale of romance, but something a little different.