This review may contain spoilers
Exploring or escaping? The point here is you're trying to search for yourself.
You're an adult, you're in your 20s, and you're trying to find out where you belong.The cinematography and rawness of the scenery was a major charm in this film. Throughout the story, we see the female lead, Suzuko, immersed in different scenarios in the city, seaside, mountain, and in a small town. These changes captured the great contrast of her past to her changing present. It was really enjoyable also to see her in the peaceful vibe outside the city, and a culture where there are ordinary interactions between the old and the young.
What I really enjoyed the most in this film is how Suzuko chose herself without really being selfish to her brother Takuya and others. Every time she left town after saving a million yen, she was still considerate of the people around her. When the film ended, I was really proud of her. I was readying myself to get disappointed, but her decision stayed true to her character. That was the point of the film. Regardless of saving a million yen or not, or having an unresolved misunderstanding, Suzuko has set her mind to pursue herself. Afterall, she's still in the process of "becoming".
I'm also happy for her brother. Initially, I thought there will be a tragedy by the end, but this film showed me otherwise. Both Suzuko and Takuya had their own struggles. Despite being apart, we get to see them grow through the hardships after sticking around and seeing the result of their own decisions. The storytelling in One Million Yen Girl delivered that message well, and surely showed a story of hope and growth.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Perfect Depiction of Loneliness and Finding Bright Moments in Life
When I first saw the trailers and bits of the movie, I thought it was set in the 80s. The cinematography of the movie made it seem that way, but I was surprised that the story actually takes place in the present time. Compared to other romance movies, Pavane's take on love did not portray it as something with grand gestures. This movie's view on love is simple, and this was highlighted through each character's circumstances in life. We have Gyeong-rok who grew up with a painful reality through his parents. We have Mi-jeong who has a difficult life as a breadwinner, stuck with the reality her deceased parents left. Then we have Yo-han who seems easygoing and has it all that in life, but actually succumbs to the darkness of loneliness. His line about the refrigerator light was a perfect visualization of what loneliness and sadness is after being left alone in a house.What's likeable about this movie is that its view on love was not boxed to the idea that you only find love from other people. One could say that the romance between Gyeong-rok and Mi-jeong was not really the focus of the story even though it was hooking. They all had those dark moments, and another common ground they have is that they all had something they were passionate about. In some way, you could consider their passions 'love' also becuase it brought sparks in their dull lives. At the latter half of the movie, they were able to find the light together despite the mundaneness of their lives. Though it was cut short for some of them, it remains true that those moments will remain eternal even though time has passed. That's a realistic take on how some bright moments in life only come for a short time, but it's something you'll remember for a long time.
Was this review helpful to you?
