Soft and open hearted, this is a small familial drama that is easy to get absorbed in. Lived in and touching as the struggle to assimilate let alone succeed as Koreans and Americans in the conflicted rural Arkansas. It is a sweet
It is a tale of the land, holding so much intrinsic value to the family and the story. What drives the plot and the drama flows from this section of earth. With the shots looking up at our protagonist from the soil or the wind highlighting the wavering grass; it's a total embrace of the greenery. The muted 80s color palette saps the vibrancy of what could be; the stagnation and the struggle of growing up, growing anew, and growing together - in land and in heart.
This is an indie film and it’s small stature might put some off. It is a slow simmer, but just allows the flavor to seep in. It may not boil over as some might hope or expect, which might come off a bit bland. It is touching but it’s scale is elongated and personal; the quiet moments of introspection, desperation, or realization. Loud proclamations or bedeviling bombast is nill and I would argue, not warranted. But I can see such issues hampering some consumption.
Steven Yeun and Yeri Han are both potent, emblazoning the struggle on their faces and letting the joys & pains of life whisper across their lips. The children are cute & charismatic and Will Patton may provide my favorite performance of his career, oddball as it might be.
Lee Isaac Chung brings love and a despairing pain to the whole of the film. There is an organic allure and an authentic affectivity, both with the tale and with the theatrical tact. It's simple but imbued with worth and wonder. It may not reach the spectacular superbness that was built up in it, but I loved its soul.
