A disgraced and troubled Olympic swimmer is sent to a small rocky island to train a group of shell divers the art of synchronized swimming for an upcoming showcase. However, the locals are cautious to trust an outsider who seemingly looks down on their more simplistic life and can't appreciate the mastery their craft requires. As the event approaches, the women must learn to work together and find commonality through their love for swimming, to get the team ready for competition.
Mermaid Unlimited is Screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
With the gorgeous backdrop of Jeju island, “Mermaid Unlimited” celebrates the difficulties that can come with forming solidarity among women and overcoming cultural differences. Approaching the subject with light comedic flair, O Meul is able to make the most of her diverse cast to weave an idyllic tale, celebrating both female friendship and the love of competition. However, the film has a few twists which may make it a bumpy ride for some.
The production leans on its comedic charm for a bulk of the duration, exploring the problems of the town's inhabitants and the Olympic swimmer tasked with training them. The comedy works swimmingly in the production, celebrating every character and not faulting them for any shortcomings. As a result, director O Muel and screenwriter Jeon Byeon-won radiate love for their subjects by not leaning on easy jokes poking fun at cultural differences, or any eccentricities. Every resident of the island is given their own story, driven by understandable compassion, which makes the comedy come across as sincere and celebratory.
However, this tone is not prevalent throughout the whole production and near the end there is a strong shift into more somber subject matters. While these moments act to teach a valuable lesson to the various characters, and remind them of their own limitations, some of the revelations become upsetting given the positive vibe that dominates the bulk of the film. Thankfully this shift is not jarring, instead acting as a thoughtful reflection on the potential shortcoming of its subjects. Overall, this shift does give the film two different identities, that no matter how well conveyed, will put some viewers off balance.
While all the actors bring their own flair to their roles, the Olympic swimmer played by Jeon Hye-bin and the head of the divers Moon Hee-kyung shine through. Tackling both the charm and the hardships of their roles, the two play off each other to really push the narrative of different cultural backgrounds and generations. Consequently, when the two are able to resolve their differences, their friendship becomes all the more endearing, melting away to show a similar determination and pride in their own accomplishments.
The technical aspects of the production do not really match the upbeat energy, with cinematography that is just serviceable to the plot. The score can be a bit dominating and, at times, too silly for its own good. Thankfully, a lot of this can be overlooked in O Muel's ability to best capture the beauty of Jeju island, his home island. It is really difficult not to fall in love with the landscape, which makes the perfect backdrop for the story.
Despite a few tragic twists, “Mermaid Unlimited” is a great comedy that really lets the actors shine. Additionally, the film really feels like it celebrates the personas it creates and the picturesque island of Jeju. It is hard not to feel involved in the ragtag group's success and cheer for them to overcome their hardships. Certainly, “Mermaid Unlimited” offers up a healthy dose of positivity off of characters that the audience are bound to fall in love with.
