Minari

Starring: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Alan S. Kim, Noel Cho, Yuh-Jung Youn, Will Patton, Esther Moon, Darryl Cox, Scott Haze
Directed by: Lee Isaac Chung
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A Korean family risks their future to start a farm in Arkansas.

Review:

Tim: I really enjoyed Minari. It felt like it came out at an important time. It's an entertaining, dramatic film that does much to advance representation in Hollywood. It tells a powerful story about a Korean family in Arkansas and it feels like a very American movie. That used to mean something different (read: white). But here, we see this wonderful Korean family struggling to make a life in the American south. It shows what America is actually like and we need more of these kinds of movies.

I'm going to say a lot about what I liked about this movie, but I need to hit that I didn't quite think it was a great film. It gets close, but Lee Isaac Chung's movie felt like it pulled some of its punches. It was an entertaining film, but it's not one that is especially memorable. It takes a quiet, nuanced approach, but this also makes the film less memorable. I don't know how much of the film I'll retain a few years from now, other than the general warm feelings for it. I don't want to ruminate too much on this, because I thoroughly enjoyed Minari and it's a movie I would highly recommend.

The cast is quite strong. I am a big fan of Steven Yeun. He was one of the best parts of The Walking Dead and I loved seeing him in this role. He's a fantastic actor and he did well in this film. I was glad to see he received an Academy Award for Best Actor. I don't think he was quite powerful enough to actually win it, but his quiet, impressive performance deserved accolades. Yeri Han gave a good performance, too. Alan S. Kim was fantastic and gives one of the most memorable performances of the film. He makes you truly care about his character in a way that the rest of the cast doesn't quite reach. Noel Cho was very strong, too. I did very much enjoy the performance of Yuh-Jung Youn. When she shows up on screen, the feeling of the entire movie changes. She brings this unique energy and immediately infuses the film with something special. She received the film's sole Academy Award win, for Best Supporting Actress. I believe she deserved it. Like the rest of the movie, her performance isn't overly flashy or in-your-face. But it does have real power. Youn is a great example of someone who changes the trajectory and the experience of the movie through their performance. I'm glad she won. I also liked seeing Will Patton. I always do. His performance was solid, his character was interesting.

The story is really strong- the film was nominated for Best Original Screenplay. I liked getting to know this family and inhabit their experiences for a short time. It did feel to me like the screenplay kept us a bit removed from the characters, though. For example, I didn't know the characters' names shortly after seeing the film. I remembered their performances, but the characters themselves were never as standout as they needed to be. The story feels like it's building toward something, but the ultimate conclusion was surprising. It's not what I was expecting and I'm not sure the payoff was quite as powerful as I'd have liked it to be. There's definitely some dramatic moments, but Chung never seems to amplify those moments. They happen, we react, the characters move on. The film was missing that moment or moments that truly stick with you. I don't know if a single moment was seared into my memory. The film kind of washes over you. You enjoy the experience, but more needed to stick.

So, while I didn't love Minari, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a well made movie. I love that this movie was nominated for 6 Academy Awards. It won just the one, which felt right to me. While I wish I loved the movie more, I acknowledge how important it is- for a film like this to include so much Korean (verses forcing the characters to speak 100% in English) was a wonderful approach and I hope more movies embrace this. This is an important movie for representation. This is a film that is well worth seeing and I'm hopeful movies like this become more commonplace in the future.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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