Death, taxes, and one-to-three Hong Sang-soo movies per year. I much prefer the latter, and it’s nice knowing we’re just a month out from In Our Day, his 30th feature and latest on which he serves as director, writer, producer, cinematographer, and composer. Following last year’s Directors’ Fortnight debut, the film begins a rollout on May 17 at Film at Lincoln Center before expanding; naturally, there is a trailer.
As Michael Frank said in his review, “In Our Day remains straightforward in its filmmaking, attaining depth through dialogue designed to cause the viewer to think about the value and meaning of the art they consume––among other things, the film itself. It’s cyclical in a way, and Hong knows that, adding to his collection of understated, underseen films with great performances.”
Find the preview below:
Sangwon (Kim Minhee), an actress recently returned to South Korea, is temporarily staying with her friend, Jungsoo (Song Sunmi), and her cat, Us. Elsewhere in the city, the aging poet Hong Uiju (Ki Joobong) lives alone, his cat having recently passed away. On this ordinary day, each of them has a visitor: Sangwon is visited by her cousin, Jisoo (Park Miso) and Uiju, by a young actor, Jaewon (Ha Seongguk). Each of them wants to learn about a career in the arts. But they also have bigger questions. Both Sangwon and Uiju have ramyun noodles for lunch, and they both add hot pepper paste to their ramyun noodles, not a very common thing to do. As our friends talk and drink the day away, similarities between these encounters multiply and we begin to realize they may be more than just mere coincidence.
With his 30th feature film, Hong demonstrates a new level of mastery of his art, using long, deceptively elaborate shots to articulate the simplest of pleasures: an inter-species encounter, the discovery of a new drink, a game of rock paper scissors. Kim and Ki lead an outstanding cast of the most natural of performers. “In Our Day” is a film to drink of deeply, to share with friends, and afterward, to reflect on what matters most.
