After a career as producer and few short films, independent director Kim Cho-hee brings to light her debut feature, “Lucky Chan-sil”, a charming story of, well … a film producer, dealing with the challenges that life throws at her. Like many of this year's movies, her work was caught in the COVID19 storm, just in between Festival runs and (cancelled) theatrical releases; therefore, after gaining a rich palmarès in Festivals (KBS Independent Film Award and the CGV Arthouse Award at BIFF and the Audience Award at the Seoul Independent Film Festival), got stalled abruptly. Hopefully not for long.
“Lucky Chan-sil” is Screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
Offbeat sweet ‘n' sour comedy “Lucky Chan-sil” follows the titular character, an indie film producer in her forties played by Gang Mal-geum, going through a moment of intense crisis. She has dedicated her work-life and career to the same director, a well-known auteur, and he has repaid her in the worst possible way … dying. In fact, just before the opening credits, while director and crew are celebrating around a table covered by empty soju bottles, we witness his sudden heart attack that – in a handful of seconds – manages to wipe out the famous director and Chan-sil's life as it was. Having lost her job, her money and her status, Chan-sil downsizes her life, rents a small studio flat in suburbia and starts working as a cleaner for her young friend and actress Sophie (Yoon Seung-ah).
Chan-sil – as imagined – struggles to adapt to the new life; she is still trying to get a job in the movie business but humiliations are around every corner and she is even harshly told that having worked as a producer for auteur films was basically meaningless, vilifying her whole career. On top of this, with lots of spare time on her hands, loneliness sets in and starts clouding Chan-sil's judging ability when it comes to love interests. Loneliness can make her mix up the longing for a hug with real enamourment and a possible friendship with French teacher Kim Young (Bae Yu-ram) risks to be tainted. Luckily for Chan-sil, a friendly ghost in underwear (Kim Young-min) looking like the handsome Hong Kong actor Leslie Cheung is there to help.
This charming indie movie is, first of all, a love letter to cinema and a soothing overview of life's critical moments. The story feels like something very close to the director's heart and it probably is. In fact, Kim Cho-hee worked as Hong Sang-soo's producer, between 2008 and 2015 and it doesn't take much to spot the reference. Hong Sang-soo apart, the whole film is punctuated with gems for cinephiles, starting from the opening credits on canvas, in typical Ozu's fashion, to many other cheeky hints to international and cult directors that the audience will have the pleasure to spot.
Even the whole life of the protagonist is cinema-centered and Chan-sil cannot get away from her past. Her entourage is composed of her (now ex) colleagues, the film crew, her dear friend Sophie (who physically resembles Kim Min-hee, in the role of the typical director's muse), and even his new friend Kim Young is in reality a short film auteur, moonlighting as French teacher. It seems she has no escape from the industry and in the booming Korea, it does feel very possible. Chan-sil is a victim of the cruel curse of merging work and passions. It's joy and pain, but when it hits, it hits hard! She's made the mistake of devoting all her resources to only one thing. But, is it a real mistake?
However, Chan-sil learns a lesson or two from the down to earth old landlady (Youn Yuh-jung) who doesn't even know what producer means and from Kim Young. She is outraged as she realises he doesn't like Ozu (he has only watched “Tokyo Story” and thinks nothing really happens there and actually prefers Christopher Nolan). When he remarks she shouldn't judge people based on cinematic taste, he is certainly less bothered and heated than she is.
One of the wittiest inventions of the narration, is without a doubt, the character of the Leslie Cheung's ghost as Chan-sil's imaginary friend. He is her push to introspection and provides some amusing set-pieces and a touch of surrealism.
Actress Gang Mal-geum inhabits Chan-sil and owns it completely. It is a joy to watch such an authentic female character with all the ups, downs, without an inch of melodrama and so unconventionally beautiful. She is natural and deadpan at times, as for typical indie mode, but also energetic and funny; she is a woman you would like to befriend.
The other handful of actors are all really enjoyable too, from Yoon Seung-ah in Sophie's playful all-over-the-place-actress stereotype, to veteran artist Youn Yuh-jung injecting a healthy dose of common sense into the mix, to Bae Yu-ram's unfazed French teacher and Kim Young-min, the shivering Leslie Cheung in sexy vest and boxer shorts attire. Technical credits are very much in indie mode. Ji Sang-bin's natural photography is particularly attentive to the natural beautiful light of the onset of winter, while Jeong Joong-yeop's original music is just an upbeat accent here and there.
Kim Cho-hee has put to good use her insider knowledge of the industry, without exceeding in movie snobbism, to create a humorous character in turmoil and a story of transition and hope.
