Eungyo (2012) Reviews

• Love, jealousy, devotion, loneliness, foolishness and more, all in one movie.

  gioandao8022014-12-24

  Based on the novel by Park Bum-shin, Eungyo looks at the different types of relationships between the young and the old. We have the philosophical teacher, the devoted student and the foolish schoolgirl. The movie explores the author's personal thoughts on ageing, human psychology and desire in a remarkable down to earth fashion allowing us to empathise and relate to each of the three main characters on their own level. Student's often tend to admire, love and look up to their teachers but is that admiration and love reflected back by the teacher onto their student? What happens when the relationship between the student and the teacher eventually becomes a one way love regardless of the events which unfold? Romantic relationships between the old and the young are usually despised, looked down upon and pitied. Yet those individuals who are so quick to judge never truly understand the truth of the matter. This movie captures that truth perfectly for all to understand, far from biased but will almost certainly alter opinions on the subject both negative and positive. There is only so much that can be said about Eungyo in one review, especially when the film explores so many strong emotions as themes. In the end, who was wrong if any? Was it the student, teacher or the schoolgirl? Perhaps all had their own faults? That is for you and you alone to decide. All that can really be said is that this is NOT your average drama. On a side note, the score for the film is absolutely beautiful and truly reflects the different emotions occurring in crucial scenes. You may be left with tears, you may be left with a frown, you may be left cross or you may just be left emotionless... If only things could have been different.

• Eungyo-A Muse

  chrisam56712012-07-18

  What to say about this movie?First let me say that there are not enough reviews for Korean cinema in my opinion.I an a HUGE fan of Asian cinema,and I wish everyone could see just how good it is!The main aspect I noticed in this movie was "Humanity"in all it's beauty.And this is Korean Cinema in it's finest!The fragility of youth,age,and love is portrayed so artfully is what makes this movie so strong!There were scenes that were so real,even in dreaminess that they took my breath away.The main character"Eungyo"was beautiful without even knowing it.When the movie ended,after a while of silence,and wiping my tears I felt this movie deserved a review,and that I had to honour the creation of it.It's a movie I will never forget,and I was deeply touched.

• A Muse : An aging writer desiring his muse

  forlornnesssickness2014-06-14

  The man who desires after that girl is Lee Jeok-yo(Park Hae-il with lots of make-up). He is a poet who has been revered by many people as one of the giant figures of South Korean literature, and the people even consider building the memorial museum for his achievement. He does not like being treated like an artifact, so, except accepting invitations from time to time, he lives alone in a cozy country house somewhere outside Seoul. Although he is surrounded by many books in his library, his career as a poet looks like having been terminated for a long time. He has been assisted by one of his pupils, Seo Ji-woo(Kim Moo-yeol). Ji-woo becomes famous because of his first novel which is not only critically acclaimed but also commercially successful. As his mentor, Jeok-yo should be proud of his pupil's success, but he does not seem to be pleased a lot when he receives the book. None the less, Ji-woo keeps coming to his mentor's house, and he works for his mentor as an unofficial housekeeper and secretary; he cooks the meal, and he takes care of the daily appointments for Jeok-yoo. On one day, their daily life becomes a little different when they find a young high school girl waiting for them when they arrive at Jeok-yoo's house. Her name is Eun-gyo(Kim Go-eun), and she says she just comes to the house to get a part-time job. Jeok-you reluctantly hires her, but, while watching Eun-gyo's innocent beauty, Jeok-yo begins to feel something stirring in his heart. At one rainy night, she comes to his house due to her personal reason, and he lets her into his house. Though nothing much happens on that night, he sees that he really wants Eun-gyo – but he also knows that he is a guy too old for the relationship with the girl idolized by him. As several local critics pointed out, I have to admit that it was awkward to see Park Hae-il as the aging character after watching his virile physical performance in South Korean action film "War of the Arrows"(2011) in last year. He is currently 35, so it is rather hard to accept him as a man around 70 in spite of the make-up on his face and upper body. In fact, he looks more natural when he plays the younger version of his character in the wistful fantasy sequence imagined by his character. But, despite this undeniable awkwardness, Park Hae-il gives an adequate performance as a man who pathetically remains young at heart. Some old men do not learn much even after they become quite old, and Jeok-yoo is one of those silly examples. Maintaining its serious attitude, the movie approaches to the hilarity of Hong Sang-soo's films sometimes, and there is a funny scene where Jeok-yoo almost risks his life just because he wants to look good and nice to Eun-gyo. If he were not an artist, he would look merely silly. Struggling with the carnal yearning created many good works in the history of literature, and the same thing can be said about Jeok-yoo's circumstance. Maybe his body remains old and wrinkled, but, what do you know, his aesthetical creativity in his heart is rejuvenated at full mode, so his desire is sublimated into his new work which is probably as good as that famous Nabokov's novel. With his new work, the situation gets more complicated due to the reason you should discover for yourself while watching the movie. While all these things happen, Ji-woo is not particularly happy about what is happening between his mentor and a girl. Though the movie is not successful in handling this triangle relationship between its main characters(I heard the book, written by Park Bum-sin, did a better job), we come to understand the true nature of the relationship between Jeok- yo and Ji-woo, who are bound to each other by the jealousy and admiration not in the way you expect. Between her co-actors, Kim Go-eun gives the best performance in the film as the character who is a lot more than the object of the desire. While radiating unadulterated charm around the screen, Kim Go-eum makes us believe her obliviousness to her effects on the other characters, and then she is convincingly transforms her character into a more active player in the story. She and Park Hae-il have a wordless scene when her character starts to sense the feelings inside the man she endearingly calls 'grandpa', and this eventually gives little poignancy to the bittersweet feeling of the last scene.

• You must feel this film to see it.

  nastiapoof2017-09-01

  " Roethke referred to getting old as wearing the leaden weight of what I did not do. Just as your youth is not a prize for your efforts, my agedness is not a penalty for my faults." This film explores poetry in a way people understand poetry, some feel it , the way they see things becomes poetry. Age is not a punishment for something one did , they shouldn't carry the weight of inadequacy when feeling same things they did when they were young. Human connection shouldn't have expiration date . I like how this film shows human nature what one doesn't understand one wants to destroy and it saddens me , jealousy is nothing but destruction.Youth that lacks experience and modesty that is acquired with age.I like how this film by carefully selected visuals portrays feelings that you couldn't put into words , it has beautiful aesthetics. The whole film is masterpiece. Honesly i feel like any words i could try to select pale in comparison to this film i feel like you need to see it to know what i meant :}

• Behold a star is born. Go-Eun Kim is all that you could want.

  bonniemyhre12017-05-07

  Go-Eun Kim is perfectly cast in her role. She is perfection in a nearly perfect film. I hope, no I beg heaven to send her roles that allow her intellect and her natural grace to take deep roots. She has star quality and I don't use this term lightly. The question is what to do with all this talent? Given the depth and breath of contemporary Korean literature I hope for the best. Let us all send healing thoughts;protection from the star making machinery of the popular star. As a western viewer I see in Asian film a different structure to the stories told by Asian directors. The climax of the film comes very late. In Western film just about 47 to 54 minutes into the film the crises occurs with embarrassing regularity then the film winds down with a logical, if not predictable, outcomes. On re- viewing of Asian films (I always watch them 2 or 3 times) I see that the 47 to 54 minute window holds a cashe of motivating factors that makes the late climax feel like the wheels of fate have turned and the lessons for the future are planted in the ending. Different way of thinking. The reason that I bring this up in relation to thoughts about Go-Eun Kim is that she makes this poignantly readable, even to a cross cultural viewer. She has a je ne sais quoi that can not be denied. So I ask the God of film, (I am sure there is one) to care for this child of hers like a flower that should not be picked.