Woman Is the Future of Man (2004)

Thanks for the memories!

Simply A Masterpiece

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

My first Hong was ..Turning Gate which was ok for me but never understood the hype of it and when I heard most of his films are like that I wasn't so keen to watch his rest. But here I understand his style better, basically, it's the same theme as the former where people get confused and misunderstood in love and friendship and when they turn into lust for a faster relief it's still unfulfilling and men and women never understand each other. But I still think this could have been a masterpiece with better craft.

It has been a couple of years that I heard the name Hong Sangsoo and of his reputation. I'm a fan of Eric Rohmer and to have somebody follow in his tradition with glowing reviews immediately compelled me to seek out his films. His films aren't the easiest to come by so I immediately grabbed this film when I saw it.I was not the slightest bit disappointed.There was certainly an ethereal quality to this film and an indefinable stamp of a director unto himself. The decors are simple and not manipulated but at the same time there is a depth and simplicity in each shot. There is such a control of what we the viewer can see and what is not shown. The relationships are complex and real. The tension is palpable in several scenes. My heart really went out to the characters during the course of the film. I even had a change of heart. I didn't feel manipulated by the nature of the characters but I felt free to choose. A second viewing might be rewarding to see another perspective.In contrast to others I found the soundtrack unique and appropriate. I also appreciate that, like Rohmer, there is humor throughout the film.This film has revitalised my opinion on Korean cinema which I had a pretty dire view on before (I lived there a few years ago). I also have a new director forefront in my mind whom I must discover more of.

Sang-soo Hong has very unique way of story telling. Which can sometimes be confusing for audience unfamiliar with retrospections mixed with present storyline without any hints. Feels really diary like though require constant attention to avoid mentioned confusion. I think thats why my friend who is unfamiliar with non-Hollywood narration completely did not like it. He also accused me of wasting his time. I however share Scorsese's point of view who said that Hongs films unpeel like an orange .Films about 2 friends that meet over the beer after they haven't seen each other for few years. What we're witnessing is memories, resentment and so on coming back as the story follows. After drinking they decide to catch up with their lad friend. Scenes are built very. The story has rather dramatic character but there are subtle comical moments like the one in the bar with waitress. Ending is rather disappointing and abrupt. But it convey the fact that some things ends just very sudden and sometimes you don't even know when did it happen and why.In a sense point of this film is to convey some old truth. In the eyes of women all men are pigs and thats often truth. Although as a men i cant accept it. Oh and the film feels like it lacks some kind of twist or something really dramatic.

It's been a while since I watched the amusingly titled "Woman is the Future of Man" at the Quad. More than a year and 2 Hong Sang-Soo films later it remains among my favorite films.While it's always refreshing and welcome to see films depart from the pyrotechnics of the Hollywood school of film-making, some films' subtlety and quietness are rather oppressive (Tsai Ming-Liang immediately comes to mind). I think I have a longer attention span than the average film-goer, however, I have to admit that I can't sit through all kinds of slow films. Some are worth the challenge, others end up embodying the stereotype of the inaccessible art film. Hong's film would've looked like art house snobbery in action if not for the fact that it's made in a very straightforward manner focusing mainly on the most basic of emotions (and the complicated situations emanating from them). The style of film-making is so cinema verite, so unobtrusive, it's a joy to go beyond being a member of the audience and feel like an actual passerby. The best, most memorable celluloid stories stay in your mind as films but "Woman" is a story so well-told it feels more like snippets from somebody's life told by a close friend.Hong Sang-soo's "Woman is the Future of Man" is yet another great addition to the impressive national cinema of South Korea and one that pushes me to continue exploring more of this body of work. It's raw, naked jealousy, regret, love, lust, and longing. It's a bittersweet reminder for anyone who's ever experienced romantic love and its many variations and deviations. This is it how it happens and somehow Mr. Hong has captured it through the magic of cinema.