Our Sunhi (2013) - Sang-soo Hong

Sunhi, a young woman who recently majored in film at college, returns to the school in which she graduated to garner a recommendation letter from Professor Choi.  Sunhi wants to study in the US and Professor Choi agrees to write the recommendation, telling her he can only write what he knows about her.  While at the University, Sunhi runs into two other men she knew:  Munsu, a man she used to date who recently directed his first film, and Jae-Hak, a well-established director and professor at the university.  Sang-Soo Hong's Our Sunhi is a minimalistic exploration of characters stuck in neutral, looking for something or someone to jump start their life.  Sunhi is  a woman of great potential as an artist and person, but her inability to take action or risk leaves her constantly spinning her tires.  As an artist, Sunhi hasn't quite figured out her ambitions and desires relying on her professor to help steer her in the right direction. She is fascinating character that is both incredibly timid but also strong at times, much like most people.   Being a Sang-soo Hong film nearly every character revelation in Our Sunhi is done with great subtlety, often being revealed through casual conversations and moments of silence.  The characters and emotions of this story feel distant and obtuse at times but in the end they are strangely true to life.  Hong's films are definitely not for most people but his ability to capture character's at such a genuine level is masterful.
8/10

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