Samenvattingen(1)
On her way to school, a young girl named So-won (which literally means "wish" or "hope" in Korean) gets sexually assaulted by a drunk older male stranger. As a result, she suffers multiple internal injuries and has to undergo a major surgery, but her emotional wounds are equally difficult to heal. Their happy family shattered, her parents Dong-hoon and Mi-hee go through feelings of pain and rage. Thanks to the love of those around her, So-won's condition gradually improves. At the sight of So-won slowly finding stability and laughter, her family also begins to change and enters a new phase in their lives, trying to find hope in the midst of their sorrow and despair. The movie is based on real events. (Moscow International Film Festival)
(meer)Recensie (2)
I haven’t watched a movie from South Korea for a while and once again this, according to me, most European-like Asian cinema completely screwed me over. Unfortunately, I don’t know a better word, because what the Koreans showed here would milk even the emotions of a dromedary who just drank from the Oasis of Calm. Brutal. Hope is simply a crazy trip. I don’t have many words for what I saw but I have to admit that the mental darkness will stay in my head for a long time. ()
A beautifully made film about a horribly heinous thing. That doesn't sound very profound, does it? Joon-ik Lee just has that sensibility that this subject needs. He delivers the story drop by drop, in a slow, gentle, and heartfelt manner. What got me the most was the relationship between the daughter and her father. Even in the happier scenes, I had a hard time holding back the tears. Little Re Lee has my respect because she handled her role incredibly. Hope, what a fitting title... 5 stars. ()