Direction: Hong Sang-soo
Country: South Korea
Korean director Hong Sang-soo's 30th feature, In Our Day, is a breezy, minor effort that may not be particularly thought-provoking but is deeply explorative of life and art. With his trademark understated style, Hong once again embraces simplicity, allowing the melancholy undertones of the film to ebb and flow without pointing toward any specific destination.
In Our Day seems to carry an autobiographical touch, presenting two parallel stories that involve established artists and their younger admirers, who are curious about their careers and perspectives. The film’s naturalistic staging, dialogue, and human interactions lean toward minimalism, yet there are subtle but significant details woven throughout. It’s a double moral tale that gets the form of a plotless slow burn, stripped of complexity and anchored by serene performances from an ensemble cast that makes it as breezy as a stroll in Central Park.
Hong himself frames the film with meticulous attention to image composition, adding a layer of visual care that compensates for the film’s modest ambitions. In Our Day may not be mind-blowing in its ideas, but it radiates warmth and gentle humor. It's a human and occasionally touching film, though it demands patience from viewers, asking them to find pleasure in the small moments and connect with its characters, a task that may not always come easily.
