Minari (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
A Korean family moves from California to rural Arkansas in the early 1980s where the father hopes to start a thriving farm in 'Minari', written/directed by Lee Isaac Chung; and based on his own childhood. Jacob Yi (Steve Yeun) dreams of success in Arkansas. But wife Monica (Yeri Han) isn't happy with the remote old double-wide trailer that they're going to now call home OR Jacob's plan to start said farm; growing Korean vegetables & selling them to Korean immigrants in the area. Their 2 children, Anne (Noel Kate Cho) & 6 yr. old David (adorable Alan S. Kim) have their own struggles.
Undeterred, Jacob gets much-needed assistance from local farmhand Paul (Will Patton), but must work alongside Monica who is sexing chickens in a hatchery just to make ends meet. With young David having a heart murmur & the kids needing someone to watch them while their parents tirelessly work, Monica's mother, Soonja (Yuh-jung Yuon), flies in from Korea and arrives on the farm to help. But the card-playing, non-cooking, profanity-spewing grandma clashes with little David.
Of course, as will often occur in films like this, their grandma/grandson relationship grows, leading to some truly heartwarming but also heartbreaking moments. Strains on the marriage, some tragedy, & a certain calamity befalls the Yi family. The title of this film refers to a peppery Korean herb that, after planted, comes into its own in its 2nd season, something which can also apply to this family; a family trying to hang on for dear life.
This family's love, laughs, struggles, hopes & dreams make this a universal tale that many families could identify with. Chung gives his movie an authentic tone, a family well-worth knowing, & reassurance that people CAN overcome tough times. Steven Yeun is low-key, but very effective; never more so than near the end when conflicts with Monica threaten to destroy all he has worked for. Yeri Han is equally superb as hard-working, heartbroken Monica -- her eyes say it all. The child actors are sweetly charismatic. And Yuh-jung Youn steals every scene as grandma Soonja.
You know, 'Minari' doesn't re-invent the wheel. It's not an overly ebullient film. And some viewers might be put-off by the dialogue being a 60% Korean/40% English split. But I would up loving this intimate family drama. I appreciate that it isn't primarily about a racial or cultural split btwn. the Yi family & America's rural community -- it just tells a story, and does it well. This movie is well-made with stellar direction, writing, acting, editing & cinematography. And its look at immigrants trying to live the American dream is poignantly expressed. 'Minari' may seem small in scope, but it has the quiet power to affect one largely.
Undeterred, Jacob gets much-needed assistance from local farmhand Paul (Will Patton), but must work alongside Monica who is sexing chickens in a hatchery just to make ends meet. With young David having a heart murmur & the kids needing someone to watch them while their parents tirelessly work, Monica's mother, Soonja (Yuh-jung Yuon), flies in from Korea and arrives on the farm to help. But the card-playing, non-cooking, profanity-spewing grandma clashes with little David.
Of course, as will often occur in films like this, their grandma/grandson relationship grows, leading to some truly heartwarming but also heartbreaking moments. Strains on the marriage, some tragedy, & a certain calamity befalls the Yi family. The title of this film refers to a peppery Korean herb that, after planted, comes into its own in its 2nd season, something which can also apply to this family; a family trying to hang on for dear life.
This family's love, laughs, struggles, hopes & dreams make this a universal tale that many families could identify with. Chung gives his movie an authentic tone, a family well-worth knowing, & reassurance that people CAN overcome tough times. Steven Yeun is low-key, but very effective; never more so than near the end when conflicts with Monica threaten to destroy all he has worked for. Yeri Han is equally superb as hard-working, heartbroken Monica -- her eyes say it all. The child actors are sweetly charismatic. And Yuh-jung Youn steals every scene as grandma Soonja.
You know, 'Minari' doesn't re-invent the wheel. It's not an overly ebullient film. And some viewers might be put-off by the dialogue being a 60% Korean/40% English split. But I would up loving this intimate family drama. I appreciate that it isn't primarily about a racial or cultural split btwn. the Yi family & America's rural community -- it just tells a story, and does it well. This movie is well-made with stellar direction, writing, acting, editing & cinematography. And its look at immigrants trying to live the American dream is poignantly expressed. 'Minari' may seem small in scope, but it has the quiet power to affect one largely.