With a Korean partner I have taken deep dives with The Berlin File, Burning, Veteran, I Saw The Devil, OldBoy and one of my favorite Korean films-Ode To My Father which is about the Korean experience in West Germany in the 50's.
Minari does lack depth once you point out how clean and neat the clothes are and the weird white guy. But I have seen that versions of that white guy growing up.
Minari was necessary. Hopefully many more Korean American stories will be told. More importantly maybe the American audience will accept them.
It's like being black and falling in and out of love with Spike Lee films, speaking of which his remake of Korean film OldBoy with the biggest actors in the world flopped because it didn't translate well. Some stories require cultural nuances. Some elements of that story could only be told from a Korean perspective and Hollywood couldn't change that.
I like the characters in Minari, but got more culture nuance by watching a few episodes of Kim's Convenience.
I also have never watched any film with Tyler Perry's name on it and don't feel guilty about it.
I, too, didn't feel all the emotions that everyone else seemingly had in the lead-up and post launch release. There was very little about the family on screen that related to mine other than being, well, Korean. You and June already pointed out the more obvious things, so I won't retread.
Feeling guilty about not loving it? I felt that pang of 'what's wrong with me?' but as quick as it came, it went away just as quickly.
But, I admittedly cried during a few scenes, like when the mom was cleaning out the kid's ears. It still makes me tear up thinking about it because it reminds me of when my mom cleaned my ears in the same way. Or the grandma teaching the kids how to play 화투. It was the little moments like that that have stuck with me.
I actually loved the ending with seemingly no resolution to the family strife that preceded it or any inkling of what's to come.
Minari was a beautiful indie short that gave non-KorAm audiences a sliver of a more realistic immigrant story in America. How and why it grew to be bigger than that is a mystery. Maybe it's A24 and Parasite fanboys and girls looking for the next hawt Korean thing or it just came at time when identity and race in this country are the flavor of the month.
But not having a boner over it? You are not alone!
I pretty much agree with you. I neither liked nor disliked the movie - it didn't do anything for me. I knew from seeing the trailers that it wasn't a story I would be able to largely relate to, but a good story should pull you in. So why is it largely your fault if you couldn't relate to it? I grew up in an upper-middle class suburb and the only thing I had in common with the Minari family is that my grandmother lived with us. I didn't really feel anything for the characters in this movie. I think you're right, they could've gone deeper.
And my sister-in-law said the same thing about them not looking like the ajummas and ajushis we grew up with. Only the store owner at the end did. Anyway, just came here to say you're not alone in this opinion, and I've enjoyed reading your words. Oh and yes, Burning was great!
I read your earlier post, before i got to this one. About how you like to dispute what the majority likes. (more or less) Do you think you since everyone liked it so much it triggered you to not like is as much? Usually, people get super excited about things everyone likes, but you have this thing in you to where you like to be “different one.” I wonder if your view would have changed if it wasn’t hyped up.
I get what you mean.
With a Korean partner I have taken deep dives with The Berlin File, Burning, Veteran, I Saw The Devil, OldBoy and one of my favorite Korean films-Ode To My Father which is about the Korean experience in West Germany in the 50's.
Minari does lack depth once you point out how clean and neat the clothes are and the weird white guy. But I have seen that versions of that white guy growing up.
Minari was necessary. Hopefully many more Korean American stories will be told. More importantly maybe the American audience will accept them.
It's like being black and falling in and out of love with Spike Lee films, speaking of which his remake of Korean film OldBoy with the biggest actors in the world flopped because it didn't translate well. Some stories require cultural nuances. Some elements of that story could only be told from a Korean perspective and Hollywood couldn't change that.
I like the characters in Minari, but got more culture nuance by watching a few episodes of Kim's Convenience.
I also have never watched any film with Tyler Perry's name on it and don't feel guilty about it.
Reminds me of all the ridicule I've received over the years for not fucking with reggaeton or not liking to eat pasteles as a Puerto Rican.
I, too, didn't feel all the emotions that everyone else seemingly had in the lead-up and post launch release. There was very little about the family on screen that related to mine other than being, well, Korean. You and June already pointed out the more obvious things, so I won't retread.
Feeling guilty about not loving it? I felt that pang of 'what's wrong with me?' but as quick as it came, it went away just as quickly.
But, I admittedly cried during a few scenes, like when the mom was cleaning out the kid's ears. It still makes me tear up thinking about it because it reminds me of when my mom cleaned my ears in the same way. Or the grandma teaching the kids how to play 화투. It was the little moments like that that have stuck with me.
I actually loved the ending with seemingly no resolution to the family strife that preceded it or any inkling of what's to come.
Minari was a beautiful indie short that gave non-KorAm audiences a sliver of a more realistic immigrant story in America. How and why it grew to be bigger than that is a mystery. Maybe it's A24 and Parasite fanboys and girls looking for the next hawt Korean thing or it just came at time when identity and race in this country are the flavor of the month.
But not having a boner over it? You are not alone!
I pretty much agree with you. I neither liked nor disliked the movie - it didn't do anything for me. I knew from seeing the trailers that it wasn't a story I would be able to largely relate to, but a good story should pull you in. So why is it largely your fault if you couldn't relate to it? I grew up in an upper-middle class suburb and the only thing I had in common with the Minari family is that my grandmother lived with us. I didn't really feel anything for the characters in this movie. I think you're right, they could've gone deeper.
And my sister-in-law said the same thing about them not looking like the ajummas and ajushis we grew up with. Only the store owner at the end did. Anyway, just came here to say you're not alone in this opinion, and I've enjoyed reading your words. Oh and yes, Burning was great!
“you didn’t watch it yet” is way worse.
I read your earlier post, before i got to this one. About how you like to dispute what the majority likes. (more or less) Do you think you since everyone liked it so much it triggered you to not like is as much? Usually, people get super excited about things everyone likes, but you have this thing in you to where you like to be “different one.” I wonder if your view would have changed if it wasn’t hyped up.