[HanCinema's Film Review] "Woman on the Beach"

The beach, particularly an empty beach, is a very romantic locale. Film director Joong-rae (played by Kim Seung-woo) thinks it's just the location he needs to recharge his creative juices. While it soon becomes clear that the beach itself isn't what he was expecting, Joong-Rae finds another inspiration in the form of Moon-sook (played by Go Hyun-jung), a woman who, much like him, is looking for an excuse to just get out and do something.

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Over the course of about a week, it feels as if the two have known each other for several years, holding sharp discussions on the nature of their own general philosophies. This may make the two sound like introspective, deep thinkers, but in actuality the two come off as quite buffoonish. Joong-rae in particular is very good at explaining himself- but his philosophical ramblings are just simplified versions of unnecessarily complex answers. In trying to avoid relationship drama, Joong-rae typifies it.

Moon-sook is a bit smarter and more down-to-earth on these practical matters than Joong-rae is, but ultimately she has the same pratfall of just being, in spite of all her best efforts, only human. She's outspoken and wants to assert herself, no matter how much she'd rather avoid it. Consequently, her passion isn't self-sustaining, however fun it might feel in the moment, because sooner or later she's going to start thinking again.

As these two interact with the other denizens of the beach, the unavoidable romantic nature of their ideas becomes more obvious, and the discordance between their feelings and their articulated thoughts is all the more absurd. They're sad, lonely people who use power of their wit to immerse themselves in happy, self-righteous moments. Which can work, if the goal is to have a fun weekend- but it's less successful for the sake of genuine emotional interchange.

To be clear, it's still quite a fun movie. While the flaws of the characters linger just beneath the surface, Director Hong Sang-soo does a great job of making us feel with the characters those same highs and lows. They actually are funny and charming and sound really smart. This charisma does not overshadow their basic neurosis, though, which makes for a much more effective deeper message- it's not the world that's crazy. They've just convinced themselves that that's what's going on. With this level of self-deceit, it's no wonder everything about their relationship moves so fast.

Ironically, the main flaw in the movie is its corresponding slow pace. In order to maintain the illusion that the character relationships have actual depth many deliberately steady character building scenes are necessary. While I could appreciate them in the greater context of the film, I often felt impatient waiting for the plot to progress to its next moment.

For the viewer who has the time and patience necessary to fully absorb its ideas, "Woman on the Beach" has a lot worth reflecting on. It's a wake-up call from the standard of grand romantic narratives, and it's refreshing to see character who can have sexual desire without sublimating it to be the sole defining purpose of their personality. Shallow as these characters are, there's a humorous sort of pity in this depth that quite often at least warrants a smile.

Review by William Schwartz "Woman on the Beach" is directed by Hong Sang-soo and features Kim Seung-woo, Go Hyun-jung, Song Seon-mi and Kim Tae-woo.

Available on DVD from Amazon

DVD US (En Sub)