Director Lee Isaac Chung is already racking up the accolades this awards season with his semi-autobiographical film, Minari. It’s true that there are certain touchstones present in every immigrant story – I was just thinking about Barry Levinson’s Avalon (already more than 30 years old) and how, even though his story was about Polish Jews in the 1940’s coming to Baltimore, it’s a spiritual cousin to Chung’s story.
That said, there are just as many differences. Minari is the story of a Korean family coming to rural Arkansas, pursuing that most quintessential American dream – owning land, or a house or property-but owning something!
It’s the 1980s and a young couple (The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun and actress Han Ye-ri ) have arrived with their two kids to the mobile home that is an instant bummer to the Mrs., but the kids are hyped about their house having wheels. The narrative, again, somewhat familiar, traces their path from working in a farm factory separating female chicks from male chicks, to starting their own farm.
This proves to be easier said than done. On top of the trials of starting this risky venture, the kids are going through their own challenges of learning to fit in.
When the husband’s Mom comes to live with them, well, I mean, you know, now there’s a mother-in-law in the story. The young son (Alan S. Kim) flatly pronounces that “Grandma smells like Korea” and that “She’s not a real grandma.” Speaking of awards, Youn Yuh-jung as the grandmother has also gotten off to a great start with awards nominations. I’d be surprised if she weren’t nominated as Best Supporting Actress for the Oscars, which will be announced on March 15th. She’s perfect. The film also affords an opportunity for Will Patton, a guy who has played some legendary creeps in his career, to play someone who looks and sounds and feels different from anything else Patton has ever done.
In these mean and nasty times, it just feels good to feel good, you know? Minari has its heartbreaking moments, but this is a film about hope and love and the better parts of Americans and those who will become Americans.
3 ½ out of 4 Stars. Reviewed by Kyle Osborne. In English and Korean with subtitles. https://screeningroom.a24films.com/
