Watches
November 23, 2020
I've never really bothered with classic Korean cinema before, a niche broadly overlooked on the international stage. I'm not that big of a fan of contemporary Korean cinema either, which is why I never really sought out its earlier films. Sweet Dream is my first attempt and I can't say I'm blown away.
Ae-soon is vein and lazy, two characteristics her husband isn't too pleased with. After they have a big fallout, Ae-soon packs her bags and leaves her husband and daughter behind to move in with her lover. When she finds out he's a poor criminal, Ae-soon's life slowly starts to crumble.
The camera work is extremely static, the performances are decent but very restrained, the drama is plain and executed too matter-of-factly. It's more like watching a stage play, lacking defining cinematic touches. At least the film is short, the actors are convincing and the pacing is decent, but I'm not very triggered to continue my exploration.