Secret Sunshine

This starts off like a deceptively simple story of a mother and child starting life anew in the wake of a deceased spouse/father. All feels comfortable and well until things spiral terribly into a space full of despair, grief, and attempts at coping for the main character once her child is taken from her. Lee Chang-Dong's tale is one full of emotional loose ends and questions about faith, hope, and what Camus described as the "benign indifference of the universe". A devastating, yet vital film.

Exhausting. This should be used in Christian circles - not to show the damnation of the faith, because it never goes down that rabbit hole; nor as propaganda, because the Church in many ways exacerbates Sin-ae's suffering. But that's why it should be seen. What Chang-dong Lee is showing is a person's slow mutation of insufferable grief into pride, and the community's part to play in the matter. Lee's getting to the point using only a few performances and nuanced cinematography is masterful.

I have a particularly troubled history with religion so the sudden thematic focus on it had me worried for a while. It's a subject that I easily find grating when mishandled. But in retrospect, it seemed foolish of me to doubt Lee Changdong. This here is an exquisite and unflinching immersion into the wide consuming ocean of grief. Every scene is awashed in deeply etched pain and despair and it offers no simplistic solutions or easy comfort.

It felt like someone running down a checklist of various reactions to grief, predictable, no real insight. I didn't think Jeon 's performance was that great, despite all the accolades. She does have her moments but other times I cringed. I did like the relationship with the eager mechanic and also the teenage girl. And I liked how even-handed Lee is in his approach to religion, and how the film spends some time with that subject and then moves on. But mostly my reaction was merely lukewarm.

Good but the dramatic elements got to be a bit annoying, although admittedly that's more due to how hard it is to find a Korean movie without excessive melodrama (save Hong Sang-soo) than Lee's direction as he handles it well. There's gotta be some Tsai/Jia/Hou lookalikes in the country somewhere, right?

One of the most amazing performances I've ever seen in a great film that will likely be regarded as a classic if it finds an audience. Chang-dong Lee could be South Korea's Bergman if he continues in this vein and perfects his craft.

It's basically a 2 hour emotional meltdown. That's not to say it's not good because it does feature some great acting. However, the drawn out suffering of one woman ultimately makes you feel like a sadistic voyeur. Everything about this is an example of the tearjerking dramas Korean film is famous for. Even the title is sort of ironic. It's not a total tears fest there are funny moments. But the events feel engineered which despite the commendable acting makes it appear disingenuous at times.

It's pretty hard to watch the emotional collapse of the grieving main character. Drama with a capital D. Good performances all-over, but pretty draining.

08 Nisan 08,16:00,emek sira5 koltuk3 with serkan abi, 27.ist. film fest.&once kocasini kaybeden ve ogluyla yeni bir baslangic icin cabalayan bir kadinin bu alisma suresi icindeyken oglunu tum parasini kaybetmesini ve ardindan yasadigi duygusal bunalimini anlatiyor.bir sure icin tanri'ya siginiyor ve eskiden inanmayan "sin-ae", dindar oluyor.arindan oglunun katilinin, "allah beni affetti" sozleri uzerine kadin allaha da siginmamayi seciyor ve tum dunyaya karsi tek basina kaliyor."goruyor musun?"

Some pretty shots, but a mostly forced depiction of grief.

The movie presents itself as a piece of nuanced realism, interested in the harrowing emotional journey of the main character. But like a great novel, it has more on its mind. Chang-dong packs the movie with symbolism, societal critique and unanswered questions. Christianity is a big theme and Lee penetrates it well, showing both the emotional appeal and the pitfalls of faith. The writing would be void if I didn't believe every desperate turn Do-yean made and laughed at the hapless Kang-ho.

This film takes you on a real emotional rollercoaster ride. It is predominantly about a recently widowed young mother who wants to restart her life in a new city. But just like real life this movie doesn't conform to any genre or narrative expectations. Features a very good supporting part for (who else?) Song Kang-Ho.

Viewed February 23, 2020.

Do-yeon Jeon turns in an amazingly fearless performance in a role that really demands a lot from her.

Thanks a lot, movie, now I feel like stepped-in shit.

Wonderful, unpredictable film. Loved the contrast of how people will use someone's grief for their own, not entirely selfish ends... The ending kind of fizzled out, not living up to the rest of the film, but definitely worth a watch anyway.

A remarkable film about a woman's journey from isolation and abstraction to a more connected and human existence. Lee uses melodrama beautifully, the shifting tones balancing perfectly on one another. His portrayal of religion is one of the fairest, charitably rendered in recent memory, the film illustrating its interest in every significant character. The two leads are especially good, and while Jeon has gotten the accolades, it's the tender and comic performance from Song that endures for me.

"Lee has a rare gift for depicting how the minor dissonance of everyday interactions eventually explodes into public displays of rage and despair." - Kevin B. Lee

Deeply cathartic and unforgettable.

Dull and unpleasant

This movie describes the life of a Sin-ae who is struck by tragic event and how she lives her life coping with these events. The acting by Do-yeon Jeon is amazing portraying the bereaved woman. Kang-ho Song plays the role of a person trying to get a place in the heart of Sin-ae. This movie is great except for a big part of the movie which shows the grieving part of the woman to be part preaching Christianity. I would have rated this movie higher if not for that.