Movie review: Minari
Even though it is the latest Korean-language family drama to scoop major awards in Hollywood, Minari is no second coming of last year's Oscar-winning Best Picture, Parasite.
It is not in the same league as Bong Joon-ho's matchless, attention-grabbing brilliance, so do not expect it to be and you will not be disappointed.
Slow-burning instead of hard-hitting, poignant rather than provocative, Minari stays with you in a completely different way.
A nostalgic semi-autobiographical take on writer-director Lee Isaac Chung's upbringing, the plot follows a young family of South Korean immigrants led by naively idealistic patriarch Jacob (Steven Yeun) who move from California to a rural Arkansas farm during the 1980s to seek their American dream.
When he runs into a series of difficulties with his produce, tensions bubble over and strains the marriage close to breaking point.
Amid the instability and challenges of adjusting to this new life in the rugged Ozarks, when hope literally dries up and dreams get razed to the ground, Minari paints an intimate and heartfelt portrait of resilience, assimilation and the ties that bind.
The narrative focus at times meanders, and the unhurried pacing may cause an unfully invested mind to wander.
What you can expect, though, is standout performances from the emotional anchors of the piece: Han Ye-ri as Jacob's doubting, disappointed wife Monica, and Youn Yuh-jung as her foul-mouthed, scene-stealing mother Soon-ja, who moves from South Korea to help take care of the children and ends up being a catalyst of things to come.
The film is named after the Korean herb, which first appears in a scene where Soon-ja takes the kids to plant minari seeds by the creek, and is known for growing well in its second season, after it dies and comes back.
Minari is indeed an ideal and inspiring metaphor for what these characters go through.
When all seems lost, they find a way against all odds to stay together, rise from the ashes, survive, and eventually thrive.
MINARI (PG)
Score: 3.5/5
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