(Movie Review) Hong Sang-soo's 'In Water' captures mundane reality in blurry images

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, April 4 (Yonhap) -- Watching Hong Sang-soo's minimalist film "In Water" for an hour on the big screen was like seeing images through water as it was shot out of focus, making its short running time feel unbearably long.

The prolific director experiments with an out-of-focus cinematography technique in his 29th feature film, which revolves around a trio who travel to the southern resort island of Jeju to shoot a movie.

The small crew comprises aspiring director Seoung-mo (Shin Seok-ho), cameraman Sang-guk (Ha Seong-guk) and female lead Nam-hee (Kim Seung-yun), all of whom studied film at university.

Seoung-mo decides to give up acting and make a short film with 3 million won (US$2,280) he earned through part-time jobs but doesn't know where to begin.

The 20-somethings walk, eat, drink, smoke, and talk about life and art, waiting for a special moment to write a script. It is reminiscent of Hong's own spontaneous filming process.

What motivated Seoung-mo to invest all of his money in making a movie? Before too long, the aspiring director says he wanted to know whether he has any creativity inside him. And he wants honor, not money.

Although Seoung-mo is at a loss, he knows this for sure. He doesn't want to shoot scenes that are too pretty and mimic others' styles. He wants to capture the casual, spontaneous moments of life in his own way.

In one scene, he makes Nam-hee walk back and forth in a narrow alley to see whether she fits in the scene, and they are suddenly delighted with discovering small flowers on a stone wall.

One day, Seoung-mo spots a woman picking up waste under a seaside cliff and asks what she's doing, and is inspired by their conversation.

Now, he is ready to shoot a film and goes out to sea to begin his project.

Hong tries to show realistic situations and the psychological complexities of the characters with repetitive narratives in long takes, but their facial expressions are hardly recognizable in fuzzy footage.

Lovers of impressionist paintings could take pleasure in the unique aesthetics of the slow, poetic movie, but Hong's fans of awkward humor and nervous laughter over alcohol may find it less amusing.

"In Water" premiered at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February in the Encounters category, a competitive section devoted to new cinematic visions.

It will hit local theaters April 12.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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