Rating: 4.5/5
Nora and Hae Sung are childhood friends who part ways when Nora’s family immigrates from Korea to the US. Nora’s stilted goodbye stays with both of them, and they find two more times in this life to try and say goodbye
Softly, the film invites us to watch two people in the presence of one another, whether over Skype or in person, letting silence be the prominent voice in any given scene
The cinematography goes for the cliché symbols at times — half-open doors, light turning dark, etc. — but the simplicity complements the story and mood most of the time
There are two meta-textual points in the movie in which characters on or offscreen speak on behalf of the viewer. These moments remind you that you don’t know these people, and at best, you can only speculate on their lives
Nice to see Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear fame co-composed the soundtrack. The gentle meandering of the music fit the movie nicely, never letting any moment have a firm resolution
Good stuff!