When I sat down here in 2022 to watch the 2009 South Korean drama "Yeo-haeng-ja" (aka "A Brand New Life"), then I had never heard about the movie before. So writer and director Ounie Lecomte had every opportunity to bedazzle and entertain me.
While I have no idea what life in an orphanage would be like in the 1970s South Korean, then I will say that writer and director Ounie Lecomte definitely managed to put together a rather emotional and beautiful movie here with "Yeo-haeng-ja".
But it was not only the writing and the storyline that made "Yeo-haeng-ja" a good movie. No, it was also very much because of some really amazing acting performances, especially by Kim Sae-Ron, Do Yeon Park and Ko Asung.
It should be noted that "Yeo-haeng-ja" is a slow paced movie, even for a drama. So it is a movie that might not find a base with just anyone in the audience, as it requires a particular mindset and mood to delve into the movie and enjoy it. There is just a sense of realism and sadness about the movie that permeates the entire movie, and it does creep in under the skin.
I will say, though, that I was adequately entertained by "Yeo-haeng-ja". However, it is not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time around, as the storyline just doesn't have the contents to support a second viewing.
My rating of "Yeo-haeng-ja" lands on a six out of ten stars.
While I have no idea what life in an orphanage would be like in the 1970s South Korean, then I will say that writer and director Ounie Lecomte definitely managed to put together a rather emotional and beautiful movie here with "Yeo-haeng-ja".
But it was not only the writing and the storyline that made "Yeo-haeng-ja" a good movie. No, it was also very much because of some really amazing acting performances, especially by Kim Sae-Ron, Do Yeon Park and Ko Asung.
It should be noted that "Yeo-haeng-ja" is a slow paced movie, even for a drama. So it is a movie that might not find a base with just anyone in the audience, as it requires a particular mindset and mood to delve into the movie and enjoy it. There is just a sense of realism and sadness about the movie that permeates the entire movie, and it does creep in under the skin.
I will say, though, that I was adequately entertained by "Yeo-haeng-ja". However, it is not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time around, as the storyline just doesn't have the contents to support a second viewing.
My rating of "Yeo-haeng-ja" lands on a six out of ten stars.