Minari - Movie Review

Films that deal with or focus majorly on people outside of the US don't get much proper recognition in America, even if they've made a huge splash in American culture. Now some might say different with Parasite winning multiple Oscars (including best picture), but that was the first time an "international" film won best picture. But more recently it was announced that the Korean horror masterpiece, Train to Busan (which I reviewed last year and praised highly) is going to get an American remake. People all over are up in arms about this because that film is as close to perfect as possible and it makes no sense to have it in America since our train systems sucks! Though that's just one of many reasons as to why that's stupid.

This week's film also fits in this problem because despite being set in America and focusing on American ideas, this particular film was set as an international film in some award shows because most of its cast are Korean or Korean American. But as I just said this is film takes place in America and is heavily focused on American things. We were taught when we were little that America is a melting pot, a place where cultures all over the world can blend together and we can all be equal. Sadly that's kind of a lie, but something I think can be possible with future generations (if our old ones don't mess everything up). The story of what it means to not be American, but a part of American and the American dream can be really beautiful and this film does get a lot of that beauty and struggle right. This film is Minari.

Minari is the story of a family of South Korean immigrants who try to make a new life in rural Arkansas during the 1980s. The family moves into a small home and the father, Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun), starts to grow Korean produce as a way to make money since there are no other producers of Korean vegetables and fruits in the area. But growing a farm is not easy and his wife Monica Yi (Han Ye-ri), his daughter Anne Yi (Noel Kate Cho), his son David Yi (Alan Kim), and his mother-in-law Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung) are all having their troubles of their own.

The movie is a semi-autobiography of the upbringing of the director, Lee Isaac Chung, with a few changes in names. But you could never tell because of how great the story is and how it can connect with a viewer. Minari does not try to go out of its way to be a one of a kind film or stand out with with some certain elements that are awe-inspiring or make people go, "OH MY GOD, that's amazing!" Instead the movie feels more down to Earth, making this family feel very natural and people who we, the audience, can really relate to. The story has sub-sections/ sub-plots don't always seem to connect with one another (which might bother some people (like me) or bore them), but I found that these smaller stories were used pretty well to build up the characters of the Yi family.

Steven Yeun puts on a powerful performance as Jakob Yi, having this "go to" attitude when it comes to making his farm and providing for his family. But his actions to try and make sure his farm will become prosperous also brings up some strong tension throughout the film, particularly with his wife. He's kind of risking his family's expenses to make this farm work and Monica is often worried that she and the family made the wrong move in moving out into the country to make this happen. They had a life back in San Fransisco, but Jakob wants more for them. It was really hard to think who was in the right throughout the film because I wanted Jakob to be successful, but the struggles he keeps having with his farm made me think Monica might have been right.

Han Ye-ri is also very damn good in the film, being the less optimistic one of the parents while thinking of her children a lot. I really like how she cared for everyone in her family, but wasn't nagging like how some film makers make the wife character in a film. It's more of a cautious sense to them than anything and it's something that makes it more real to me. I keep using that word a lot to describe this film, but it feels so real and most people won't know this is kind of a retelling of real events. Anyways, Monica Yi is kind of the one who keeps Jakob, and us the audience, in check over what we want to happen. Plus she's able to show a lot of emotion with very little use of expressions. We can just look at her and tell how she's feeling, which is a very talented skill to have.

This conflict between Jakob's desire for the farm to succeed and Monica's tempered beliefs helps to breed other conflicts and worries among the Yi family. The most notable one is between David Yi and Soon-ja. David is a nice kid at heart, but he's also very young and doesn't fully understand how his grandmother acts so differently from what he believes is a "normal grandma." He asks how she can't cook or make cookies and why she teaches them swear words (which is honestly pretty hilarious to watch), but Soon-ja doesn't fully understand since she's had a lot less time in the United States than David. But as the film progresses these two begin to get close we learn they have some shared aspects with each other that makes them bond more with each other. Soon Soon-ja's wisdom gets to David and that goes to the rest of the family.

You see Minari is in essence a movie about the "American Dream." It's a film about people who live in America wanting to make a name for themselves and make sure their family can live a happy life. Jakob doesn't have much to his name other than being an expert in chicken sexing (determining the gender of chicks for meat purposes). But he wants more than that and give his family a better life, so he sees a chance to do these things and takes a few risks to see if he can pull it off. It's something I think anyone, even without subtitles (most of this movie is in Korean), can understand. This isn't a happy story, but it's not a sad one either. It's a story that's realistic, with moments of good and bad in it, with victories and defeats. The drama that this film shows is so powerful, so heart-wrenching, and so emotional because a lot of it revolves around issues and ideas that anyone can understand.

Another big strength of this movie while a big part of the movie is Korean culture, it's never an element of the film that's put on a pedestal. Like there are no scenes that are dedicated just to shove in our faces that this is from South Korea or has a major place in Korean life. That might also bother people because scenes and sequences that purely highlight a certain culture are a norm in the world of film. But the way it's written into the story it feels natural to learn about these piece of Korean culture, along with the way some of the Yi family interpret American culture. For instance, they have often have a bottle of Mountain Dew in the fridge and they call it "Mountain Water." It even looks like it's from the 80s with its design. The family also watches American TV, along with recorded clips from Korean television, making it feel... Well, more American.

The film is also very well shot and edited. I wish I could paused the film at certain moments to just take a bit of time to looked at how the camera caught so much in these specific scenes. A lot is captured with the camera, from the wide farm to the small house and all the other places the Yi family visits throughout the movie. Also there's so much nature in the shots, making everything look so beautiful. Lachlan Milne, the person behind the cinematography, did exceptionally well with their work and they deserve a lot of praise for that!

Minari is a film that needs more attention, even though it's just come out publicly in theaters. Despite most of the dialogue being Korean and prominently featuring Korean or Korean American actors, Minari is one of the most "American" films in recent memory because of how well it represents some of the positive ideas of America. That, along with strong performances and a down to earth story, make Minari a very beautiful film and something I think we all should give a watch. It's not an international film, it's a film so close to home for anyone, whether you're from America or not. So much heartfelt emotion and ideas in this film, Minari will bring a lot of emotions and ideas into your head.

Tentative Score: 8.75/10

Definitive Score: 9/10

Now if only people didn't mind subtitles...