386. The Woman Who Ran (Domangchin yeoja); movie review

 

 

THE WOMAN WHO RAN (DOMANGCHIN YEOJA)

Cert 12A

77 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language

I know some people enjoy the nuances of other people's conversation - after all, that is the foundation for television soap operas.

However, I need my movies to enlighten or entertain me.

Unfortunately, The Woman Who Ran did neither of the above. It felt like 77 minutes of earwigging private conversation between people I didn't know.

I don't find this interesting when it is forced upon me on a tram, bus or train so I wasn't grabbed by watching it on a film.

Hong Sangsoo's movie follows Gambee (Kim Minshee) who has three separate encounters with long-standing friends while her husband is away on a business trip.

She is at pains to say that it is the first time they have been apart since they married five years previously.

It is not at all clear how close she was to the friends but it appears she has lost touch to varying degrees.

First up is Youngsoon (Seo Younghwa), a divorcee who seems to be sharing her life with another woman, has given up meat and likes to garden in her backyard. 

Her most dramatic moment comes when a neighbour argues politely about her and her housemate feeding feral cats.

Next is Suyoung (Song Seonmi) who tells how she has a crush on her architect neighbour but her stand-out is a confrontation with a lovelorn young poet she met at the bar. 

Then there is Woojin (Kim Saebyuk) who works at a cinema and has an awkward meeting about a love betrayal with Gambee in its cafe.

And that, my friends, is it. There is a very slight curve ball which is thrown just before the film's conclusion but there is nothing in the movie which amounts to more than a ripple on a millpond.

I have read several very positive reviews which commend Hong on his social commentary and ability to see beyond the ordinary.

Frankly, all I could see was a young woman talking to other women about nothing much.

Perhaps, I need to have more depth or maybe this was a case of the Emperor's New Clothes.

Reasons to watch: An insight into Korean sensibilities

Reasons to avoid: So little happens

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know? Hong Sangsoo made his first feature film The Day A Pig Fell Into The Well in 1996. Since then, he has written and directed 23 films.

The final word. Hong Sangsoo: "“When I start shooting, I don’t have a complete idea in terms of a structure or narrative. I just start with some idea that I feel I want to start with and see what happens in terms of how I respond and what comes out of that response.” The Upcoming

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