Hong Sang-soo Poised to Reap Next Big Success

The auteurist director Hong Sang-soo has earned the brand name of "Hong Sang-soo style" and received applause and attention from critics through his works from "A Day When a Pig Fell into a Wall" to "the Power of Gangwondo" to "Oh! Sujong" to "The Discovery of Ordinary Life".
"A Woman is the Future of a Man", which was released on May 5, was chosen to participate in the competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. The work seems to be too great to be ignored.

The title "A Woman Is the Future of a Man" was quoted from "the Poems of the Future" written by the French poet Louis Aragon. In the film, two men, Heon-jun and Mun-ho, set out a one night and two day trip to find out their first sweetheart, Sun-hwa, whom they haven't seen in seven years.

Heon-jun and Mun-ho, college alumni, meet for the first time in a while and drink in a Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood. They recall their common first love and suddenly leave for Buchon to meet her. After seeing her, the two men desire to regain Sunhwa and wage a childish nerve war. Sun-hwa enjoys the behavior of the men.
The simple plot and few characters appearing induce very realistic laughter. Non acting-like childish squabbles and jealousy of the two heroes continue to poke viewers into burst into laughter.

Mun-ho awkwardly tells Sunhwa, "Your legs are hairy", after having their first sex. Sun-hwa cries out in response to Mun-ho's dogged teasing, saying "Couldn't you just hold me? Men are all the same. They are all sons of bitches". Mun-ho's and Sun-hwa's lines are raw, so they are so much more touching.

Kim So-ra

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