Based on a novel from Elisa Shua Dusapin, Winter In Sokcho is a film that should make most viewers smile. It has a consistent feeling through out, a sense of emotional wellbeing that never tips over into something too traditional and/or schmaltzy, and the two main characters wandering around onscreen do so in a way that keeps them connected without feeling inextricable from one another. This is the movie equivalent of observing a couple who can be just as happy sharing a room while they engage in other, separate, activities, as they are when out on a date.
Bella Kim plays Sooha, a young Korean girl who works in a guest house, which leads to her meeting a visiting French artist named Yan (Roschdy Zem). As the two wander around the local area, developing a connection that never seems to be pigeon-holed, Sooha starts to think more and more about her estranged father, as well as her own identity.
As I'm unfamiliar with the source material (which happens a lot, it takes less time to watch movies and shows than it does to read a book, and I only have so many hours in each day), I cannot say whether or not this adaptation will please those who have already read the story. It certainly feels right though, with the screenplay, from Stéphane Ly-Cuong and director Koya Kamura, doing a flawless job of conveying the mental state, and inner dialogues, of our two main characters. There are a few key conversations here and there, but most of the atmosphere and emotion comes from the physical performances of a man and a woman sharing their interests while dancing around what can be said and what can be left unsaid.
An important third character is Sooha's mother, played by Park Mi-hyeon, but the film mainly rests on the shoulders of both Zem and Kim, with both of them working so well together that it makes it very easy to believe in, and become invested in, their developing relationship. This isn't a pair of young lovers ready to throw away their heads and hearts for the sake of some romantic fantasy. It's just two people who keep sharing time and space until they realise that it's quite a natural, and good, feeling.
There are some problems here. Despite the title, I never felt the sense of place as strongly as the sense of connection. I'm also not sure that I was completely satisfied by the ending. Those aren't major criticisms though, and are easily offset by the performances, some moving and beautiful artistic interludes, and a chance to watch an onscreen relationship that feels more realistic and lovely than many of the overdone soulmating that are part of so many other movies. People often want the big gestures, the sweeping romance, the sparks and rainbows surrounding them 24/7. Love and happiness can just as easily surround you while you're sitting in the same room as your other half and reading a book or watching a movie, happy enough to know that they're still close to you. It can be just as much about wrinkling your nose up at the food your partner likes as it can be about sharing a plate of pasta and meatballs while pretending to be Lady And The Tramp. A lot of small connections make up that one strong connection. It's only those who stay removed from real life who don't see the romance inherent in all of those little details.
8/10
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