5. Sang-hee in Hotel by the River (Hong Sang-soo, 2018)
On the invitation of the owner, renowned poet Young-hwan has been living at a lovely riverside hotel for the past couple weeks, in the middle of winter. Though he seems hale and hearty, he seems to be under the impression that he is nearing the end of his mortal life soon and wants to take the opportunity to reconnect with his two estranged sons: the elder Kyung-soo, a family man who has just divorced his wife but hasn't told his father yet, and the younger Byung-soo, a film director whose last film was well received. In the same hotel, the heart-broken Sang-hee has also recently moved in, trying to get over the pains of her breakup with a married boyfriend and has called her friend Yeon-ju to keep company and help cope better. Hong lets his current muse and off-screen partner Kim Min-hee take a more backseat role as compared to their other recent collaborations, but that could well be due to the limitations of the script and the character of Sang-hee than anything. Her portrayal of the role of the despressed Ah-reum is quite natural without any “intense” moments, in perfect resonance with the film's overall aesthetics.
4. Hee Jung in Right Now, Wrong Then (Hong Sang-soo, 2015)
The film tells the same romantic story twice, with different outcomes. Chun Su, a director, has traveled to Suwon for a festival screening of his latest film. Due to an error made by the organizers, he has some free time and decides to visit an ancient palace in the area. While there, he meets a beautiful and shy painter named Hee Jung and eventually the two of them decide to spend the day together. Kim Min-hee manages to portray two rather different characters, the insecure, lost loner and the more sure of herself with great tenderness and sensitivity, impressively highlighting the fact that her guard is down, particularly after a point.
3. Gam Hee in The Woman Who Ran (Hong Sang-soo, 2019)
Gam-hee is a young married woman, who has found some free time after five years with her husband, and has decided to visit three old friends who live outside the city, near three different mountains. The first one is middle-aged and somewhat tired-looking Yeong-soon, who has recently broken up with a boyfriend she had for years. Along with her flat mate, the three of them share grilled meat and makgeolli, which Gam-hee brought, and talk for many topics, ranging from chickens to relationships. That is until a neighbor interrupts them to ask if they can stop feeding stray cats because his wife is afraid of them. A short-haired Kim Min-hee as Gam-hee appears more desexualized than ever, but it is still a pleasure watching her sitting comfortably on a couch or playing awkwardly with her fingers during a discussion with Woo-jin in a cafe. Hong's muse, partner and permanent collaborator in his latest movies seems to have grasped completely what the director wants from her, and their chemistry is a joy to witness.
2. Yeong-hee in On the Beach at Night Alone (Hong Sang-soo, 2017)
Yeong-hee is an actress who has left Korea and the end of her affair with a married director for Hamburg, where an old friend named Ji-yeong is living. The fact that the latter also found solace abroad after her divorce and ended up staying seems to provide a very strong connection between the two women, although their interaction mostly feature Yeong-hee talking about her psychological situation. After a point, end credits fall on screen and the film seems to start again, this time in the coastal town of Gangneung, where Yeong-hee meets number of her friends and has a number of conversations over soju.The focus on Kim Min-hee is, once again, intense, with her actually being present in all of the scenes, although her performance definitely justifies the fact, as she gives one of the best ones of her career. The moody behaviour, the sadness due to the break up, the need for human interaction and at the same time the need to be by herself and ponder on her situation are all depicted eloquently, in a very difficult role.
1. Lady Hideko in The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook, 2016)
Con man “Count” Fujiwara has managed to insert himself into the very secluded circle of Kouzuki, an eccentric hedonist who has become the man in charge of a very large estate, and plans to marry his niece, Lady Hideko, the actual heiress of the family's vast fortune. Fujiwara devices an intricate plan to “steal” Lady Hideko for himself, and asks the help of a ragtag girl, Sook-hee, a petty criminal who lives with her aunt's family, all of whom are of the same “profession.” The plan is for the girl to become Lady Hideko's handmaiden, and to help Fujiwara seduce her. However, things do not go as planned, since an attraction is formed between the two girls, as the many plot twists result in a much-unexpected story.
Kim Min-hee truly stands out as Lady Hideko, managing to portray a variety of different sentiments and notions, as she continuously transforms throughout the segments, from a naive, fragile rich girl to a cruel and calculating mastermind. The visual prowess of the production is exemplified by her almost porcelain beauty, as she frequently functions as a twisted and disturbed doll.
