Woman on the Beach

Pretty funny.

loved the camera work. The zooms and the patience with the camera. Letting the scenes breathe help in movies like this. Wasn't expecting to get laughs out of it either and definitely did although the laughs weren't prominent throughout the movie. I dunno it's like a competently made mumblecore movie (thematically and visually[not that there isn't those within mumblecore as a genre]) to me.

watched: 2013, 2023

It was okay, but I kind of came to despise all the characters and, by the end, truly couldn't have cared less whether they found happiness or not.

You definitely begin to feel its length by the end of it, but overall it's a pleasant film. The long takes are impressive.

The most accessible Hong Sang-soo flick I've seen so far (being the third one), and also the longest. It starts off well, but loses it's same comedic tone and pacing between the middle and the end. That said, there are some good parts here and if you're looking to explore Hong Sang-soo's work this is essential.

"Hong paints a piercing portrait of impetuous, confused, selfish masculinity in which the thrill of the chase repeatedly proves more enticing than the rewards of triumph." - Nick Schager

Enjoyed the overall flow of this one. I appreciated Hong's patience with the camera in general, allowing scenes to play out with limited cutting. The zooms seemed more distracting than helpful, though they often do effectively isolate certain characters from others. The arc of the female protagonist reminded me a little of Kate Dollenmeyer's character in Funny Ha Ha, not just in the story, but in Hong's portrayal of her as well. Very enjoyable.