Minari Review
Words by Liam Horgan.
Minari screened on March 6th, as part of the Virgin Media Dublin Film Festival.
Lee Isaac Chung’s Sundance breakout is a wonderfully universal tale of hope, family and hard work. Chung’s autobiographical drama centres on the Korean-American Yi family as they relocate to rural Arkansas to re-establish themselves as vegetable farmers. Minimal in its scope and set pieces, Minari’s strengths lie in its sparseness. This is simple but beautiful storytelling. Guided by Chung’s deft direction, Minari focuses on the struggles of its subjects, bringing a universality to the narrative.
Grounded by emotional, quiet performances by Steven Yeun and Han Ye-ri as the Yi parents, Chung utilises his cast’s skills to bring a strong realism to the film. Yeun delivers one of his best performances as the Yi patriarch. As the actor once demonstrated in Lee Chang-dong’s Burning, he brings a quiet but fierce intensity to his character. Stubborn to a fault but also a dreamer, Yeun imbues Jacob with enough relatability that even when this stubbornness borders on pig-headedness we never find ourselves at odds with him. Equally, Han Ye-ri delivers a quietly devastating performance as Monica. Monica must balance Jacob’s idealism with her own realistic expectations. Though Han Ye-ri’s performance is likely to be overlooked by awards bodies, make no mistake, Minari is a two-hander between both leads. Both performances feed off one another intimately.
On support duties, the ensemble cast each deliver strong performances. A special mention is due to the seven-year-old Alan Kim, who brings so much life to David. David is not a perfect child, far from it, and his character benefits as such. At times mischievous, stubborn (like his father) and inquisitive, David feels like one of the most realistic children ever put to screen. Alongside Alan Kim’s David, is Youn Yuh-jung as Soon-ja, his Grandmother. As David points out, Soon-ja is not a normal Grandmother. She burps and swears, and worst of all (to David anyways) smells of Korea. Yuh-jung brings a wicked likeability to Soon-ja, truly shining in scenes with David.
Chung’s film is a bright one. Even night scenes feel illuminated by moonlight, creating a vibrant tone in the film that never strays too far into unreality. On cinematography duty is Lachlan Milne, who brings a dreamy, nostalgic quality to the film. Every frame breathes life and brings recognition. We feel the heat of summer, the feeling of the wind, the flow of water. Worth mentioning also is Emile Mosseri’s score. Created before any filming had begun, Mosseri crafted the score with only the script on hand. Performed mainly with pianos, strings and choirs the light, breathy score underpins the film’s moments of intimacy and beauty.
With Minari, Lee Isaac Chung has created a beautiful tale of humanity. The Yi family strive after the American dream, they yearn for more in life. It’s relatable, it's understandable and ultimately it’s real. The film’s tenderness and warmth radiate through every second. Grounded by realistic performances and heightened by beautiful craft, Minari is an intimate look at family and, at heart, a tale of life itself.
