This new film from A24 centers around a Korean family that immigrates to Arkansas in the 1980s to start a farm and have a new life. As can be expected from A24, it's excellent. The film largely centers around the immediate family (including their young son) and their grandmother trying to adapt to the cultural changes of both a Western and an agricultural lifestyle. Lee Isaac Chung's direction is very strong, using elegant and lush cinematography of the American heartland and a potent yet calming score.
Chung's characters are likable yet complex and multi-dimensional, attempting to adapt to drastic changes in their life while still using humor and compassion. The grandmother character is especially a standout and may remind viewers of the grandmother in "The Farewell." The screenplay is very well-written, combining raw emotion with a lot of humor and heart. Even simple moments, such as going for walks outside, are paired with didactic yet endearing dialogue that establishes clear relationships and trust between the major characters. You really feel affection and great empathy for these characters in a way that genuinely transcends cultural lines. The screenplay's primary emphasis on the characters and their day-to-day lives rather than a view of the American Dream as a whole makes the story seem remarkably personal and slightly idiosyncratic, in the best way possible. Yet the film still serves as a powerful commentary on how immigrants are impacted by cultural perceptions of American life. One can tell that this was a very personal film for Chung, but it would also be relatable among many different audience groups. Its cultural universality will impact views around the world and endear them to the characters. Its inherent warmth creates genuine emotional power as well. The film could have used some slightly stronger coherence between the events that proceed over the course of the story, but is otherwise extremely well-made. As a poignant yet original tribute to the immigrant experience that can simultaneously charm and inform viewers, I undoubtedly and highly recommend this film. 9/10
Chung's characters are likable yet complex and multi-dimensional, attempting to adapt to drastic changes in their life while still using humor and compassion. The grandmother character is especially a standout and may remind viewers of the grandmother in "The Farewell." The screenplay is very well-written, combining raw emotion with a lot of humor and heart. Even simple moments, such as going for walks outside, are paired with didactic yet endearing dialogue that establishes clear relationships and trust between the major characters. You really feel affection and great empathy for these characters in a way that genuinely transcends cultural lines. The screenplay's primary emphasis on the characters and their day-to-day lives rather than a view of the American Dream as a whole makes the story seem remarkably personal and slightly idiosyncratic, in the best way possible. Yet the film still serves as a powerful commentary on how immigrants are impacted by cultural perceptions of American life. One can tell that this was a very personal film for Chung, but it would also be relatable among many different audience groups. Its cultural universality will impact views around the world and endear them to the characters. Its inherent warmth creates genuine emotional power as well. The film could have used some slightly stronger coherence between the events that proceed over the course of the story, but is otherwise extremely well-made. As a poignant yet original tribute to the immigrant experience that can simultaneously charm and inform viewers, I undoubtedly and highly recommend this film. 9/10