Reviewing Hong Sang-soo's films is actually an effort in finding the elements that separate each movie from the rest, since the Korean's oeuvre is rather homogenous. This time, the difference derives from some role-reversals elements, and the function of the female protagonists in the narrative, who, in this case, frequently act as men.
Woman on the Beach is streaming on MUBI
Film director and screenwriter Kim Jung-rae asks his friend Won Chang-wook to drive with him from their homes in Seoul to the resort town of Shinduri, on the western coast of South Korea. Chang-wook initially resists, but accepts the request on the condition that he can bring Kim Mun-suk, a composer and aspiring singer whom he describes as being his girlfriend. Jung-rae is writing a treatment for a film titled “About Miracles,” concerning the mysterious connections that secure everyday life. That Jung-rae does not care particularly that Mun-suk is his friend's girlfriend, becomes evident almost from the beginning, with his subtle flirting highlighting his character. Furthermore, when Mun-suk reveals that she is not actually Chang-wook's girlfriend, director and musician soon find themselves ditching the “third wheel” and sleeping together, after, of course, a night of eating and getting drunk.
The next day, as the three drive back to Seoul, Jung-rae becomes somewhat distant to his lover, but two days later, he returns to the same beach, only to realize that he misses Mun-suk. Eventually, he channels his frustration by using his capacity as director to flirt with a girl that looks like Mun-suk, Choi Seon-hee, but soon his former lover also returns to the same place, and the clash seems inevitable.
Hong Sang-soo directs a film that initially seems simple, but soon it is revealed as a rather intense social commentary, which also manages to portray its comments through a humoristic and ironic, but also serious approach. The main themes of how men are despicable and women noble are here once more, as are the many scenes of intense drinking and the truth-revealing, ending-up-in-sex-or-fights consequences. However, there are also a number of elements here that make the movie stand out in HHS filmography. To begin with, the aforementioned men and women's nature here is presented through a role-reversal “trick” that has Jung-rae repeatedly appearing scared (in front of a dog and a man with a motorcycle) and Mun-suk acting as his protector. A drunken discussion about the European lovers Mun-suk had when she was living in Germany also moves into the same path (the way men brag about these things occasionally), although the reaction of the two men, who highlight their insecurity (about the size of the European penis) and their conservatism in the way they think of foreigners in the worst fashion, moves into a whole other direction.
Some minor sequences, as the whole concept with the dog and the visit in the restaurant also function as comments, with the second being a sample of the way of life of the “summer people” during the winter.
To a large degree, the whole film seems to be a medium to present how despicable Kim Jung-rae is. The way he treats his friend, the way he acts after he has sex with Mun-suk, his coawrdice, the way he exploits his status as filmmaker to get to Seon-hee and the way he reacts after Mun-suk reappears all highlight the fact in the most eloquent fashion. At the same time, however, Hong somehow manages to make him likeable, mostly by showing the way he realizes his faults as much as his inability to fight them. This aspect also benefits the most by Kim Seung-woo's acting, who portrays the many levels of his character's despicability in excellent fashion. Kim Tae-wook as Wong Chang-wook acts as a great medium to communicate that also, with him playing the archetypical role of the “third wheel” with gusto.
The role reversal part owes much to Go Hyun-jung as Kim Moon-sook, with her giving a great performance both as harsh towards Chang-wook, and quite vulnerable in front of Jung-rae, while her drunken fit is one of the best parts of the whole movie. Another great sequence comes at the drunken interaction between the two women, who act as drunken men usually do in Hong Sang-soo's films, in a scene that also highlights both Song Seon-mi's acting as Seon-hee and the chemistry of the two, particularly in the way the initial compliments soon turn into insults after a number of bottles of soju.
The beach and the whole setting that surrounds it is definitely one of the protagonists here, with Kim Hyung-koo's cinematography giving it an almost lyrical hypostasis, which, additionally, seems to affect the ways the characters interact and behave. As usual, the sudden zoom-ins and zoom-outs are also here, although less frequently than usual, and occasionally with a playful approach, as in the one where the three “friends” are in the hotel room eating and drinking. Hahm Sung-won's editing implements the usual, relatively slow pace of Hong Sang-soo quite nicely, although at more than 2 hours, the film could do with a bit trimming. The fact that the person of focus somewhat changes after a point, from Jung-rae to Mun-suk, justifies the duration, though, to a point at least.
“Woman on the Beach” is a distinct Hong Sang-soo movie, which both fans of the director and intelligent art-house cinema will definitely enjoy.
