Leo Kelly

Watched this movie on a long plane journey with Emirates. I have to say the movie is perfect for this scenario. It's slow moving, but the story is still captivating, and the second half of the movie has so many references to the first half that make total sense and aren't always obvious. This may be Celine Song's debut directing role in a film, but she is clearly already a master at her craft. Spoilers Ahead. There are subtle references to what the characters are feeling at many points in the film. My personal favorite example of this that I noticed was when Hae Sung and Nora are talking in New York for the first time in 12 years (if I remember correctly). One of the first places they walk to along the river has a carousel, where they take a break from walking. They catch up, and you can see the spark again. The reason why I liked this is because I saw this as a reference to both Nora and Hae Sung feeling that childhood love they once felt for each other, all over again. Or at the very least, feeling nostalgic for it. Part of me wanted them to just be together again, but I think it's clear that this is a version of Romeo and Juliet where the forbidden love truly is forbidden. The silence in the final scenes when Hae Sung is waiting for his taxi to the airport is moving. It sounds like it would be boring. However, the tension is thicker than it has ever been. Hae Sung clearly doesn't want to go. Nora clearly wants to leave with him and finally live out that version of life she keeps pushing away. All of this, is unsaid. An awkward silence, waiting to be broken by a taxi. In some ways I wish they said less after this silence, because leaving lots of it unsaid was what got it for me. That probably wasn't a realistic want though. I really enjoyed how Nora then breaks down in to her husbands arms when Hae Sung leaves. She's managed to break her own heart. She has somehow broken her husbands heart in some ways, which we know from the bedroom "is this what you wanted" scene. Overall this is an incredible debut piece for Celine Song. She shows pure and utter mastery of direction, and is only just getting started. I'm excited to see what she does next.