Right Now, Wrong Then (2015) - Sang-soo Hong

There is a degree of familiarity with Sang-soo Hong's latest work, Right Now, Wrong Then, which features many of the same character traits, themes and directorial style one has come to expect from the Korean master filmmaker.  The bouts of extreme drunkeness where a character reveals themselves, the long-take, steady camera work, and narcissistic tendencies are all staples of Right Now, Wrong Then, and while this familiarity is sure to bother some of his ardent fans, this is another fantastic film and possibly Hong's most singular vision when it comes to deconstructing companionship, relationships, and love.  The film is centered around a renowned film director who arrives in town a day early for a screening.  With little to do, he meets a young, attractive painter, and the two spend the next 24 hours together.  Right Now, Wrong Then is an hour-long love story, told twice, as the film's narrative repeats itself, scene by scene, with subtle variations to the relationship that unfold between these two characters.  Many of these changes are minuscule to the eye, but the emotional course of these two characters is altered to a large degree by the small changes we witness in these character's interactions.  Right Now, Wrong Then is a great exercise in narrative, acting, direction, and cinematography, exhibiting how subtle variations to these various aspects of filmmaking can lead to a very different experience.  In the second variation of this story, there is a level of tenderness which the first variation completely lacks, with the director being a character who is much more honest about his feelings, intentions, and life, which inevitable draws the two characters closer to one and other.  While the first time through the narrative the director's relationship with the young artist feels self-serving, but through subtle acting, screenplay variations, and the use of carefully selected, tighter compositions, Right Now, Wrong Then's second story expresses the bond which forms between these two characters, one that is genuine, tender, and heartfelt.  While the first story feels more sexually-driven, the second story feels emotionally-driven, and what remains remarkable about this large variation in feeling is how very little is actually changed.  Right Now, Wrong Then is a film I would call honest more than romantic, Sang-soo Hong's Right Now, Wrong Then is a charming exploration of relationships which could be used as an educational tool to explain how the various elements of film can dictate a narrative so much.

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