Minari
Minari
Starring Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Youn Yuh-jung
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
Starring Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Youn Yuh-jung
Directed by Lee Isaac Chung
The concept of America being the land of opportunity has served as a beacon of light to the rest of the world for decades, a country where you can come to and fulfill your dreams and desires. Immigrants flock to this country with the desire to live out their own "American dream," and while many fail to accomplish their dreams, others manage to not just achieve them, but go beyond. While this "dream" has been tainted in recent years, in the 1980s, it was ripe for immigrants to arrive and thrive, which is what makes "Minari" such an impactful film - although its set in the past, its values and themes resonate today.
The Yi family - patriarch Jacob (Steven Yeun), matriarch Monica (Han Ye-ri), and their two young children David (Alan Kim) and Anne (Noel Kate Cho) have been living in California since the two kids were born, but Jacob had a dream the whole time to start his own farm focusing on Korean vegetables to sell to Korean markets. After working tirelessly as sexing chickens, they garnered enough money to make Jacob's dream come true. The family moves from the big city to rural Arkansas, where Jacob starts fulfilling his dream.
Almost immediately, however, tensions begin to arise in the family as Monica - who's more tailored to the big city life - doesn't like the fact that they're living so far away from any town, and also living in a mobile home. Jacob tries to make Monica see things his way, but the rifts between the two continue to escalate as they face the trials and tribulations that come with pulling themselves up by their boot straps and trying to make the dream work with hard work, grit, and determination.Then Monica's mother Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung) arrives to live with the family and serve as a babysitter for her grandchildren, which further both escalates the tension as well as provides breaths of brevity as Soon-ja isn't your typical grandmother - she's coarse, vulgar, somewhat immoral, and - to young David's chagrin - doesn't know how to bake cookies. Still, she offers sage advice and serves as the center for this growingly dysfunctional family where cultures clash and the fulfillment of the American dream could result in a family nightmare.
In director Lee Isaac Chung's autobiographical work, "Minari" highlights the clashing of cultures on a land that's filled with varying cultures and values, while maintaining a sense of humanity and gentleness that's prevalent in the Korean community. The entire film itself is a masterful work of the desire for achieving the American dream as well as trying to hold a family together, as so often the two values are antithetical to one another. While Jacob pours his heart and soul into creating his Korean farm, he grows more and more distant from his family, something Monica notices and comes to blows with Jacob over. Sometimes you can't have it all, and Jacob has an important decision to make - his American dream, or his family.
"Minari" also delves into the ideas of values and cultures connecting as the family wants to assimilate to their small Arkansas town by attending church, and you can sense the tension as the well-meaning congregates want to get to know the Yi family, but don't know how to cross that culture barrier. There's some small striking moments here as one kid remarks on David's "flat" face, but not in a totally racist way (in fact, the two become fast friends). Likewise, a girl asks Anne to tell her if she's speaking Korean when she starts talking gibberish, until Anne notices one word that the girl says correctly. Again, this isn't done in a malicious way, but in a way that children especially try to understand someone who's visually different than themselves.
The performances across the board are impeccable and succinct, earning critical praise which is very well-deserved. Coming off his years-long stint as Glenn Rhee on the hit AMC series "The Walking Dead," Steven Yeun spreads his wings and offers a compelling, thoughtful, and multi-layered performance as Jacob, and he was rewarded by making history as being the first Asian-American and first person of East Asian descent to be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.
Likewise, Youn Yuh-jung garnered critical praise as grandmother Soon-ja, and rightfully so (she's also the front-runner for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and seeing her performance there's no reason why she wouldn't win it). Soon-ja is not your typical grandmother, as she enjoys wrestling (often wishing for someone to die), teaching kids gambling, and surprisingly has no abilities in the kitchen, unlike most grandmothers do. Still, she serves as the heart of the family dynamic, a wise (albeit kooky) sage who spends most of her time with her grandchild David, trying to get him to warm up to her because he doesn't consider her a "real" grandmother. Her role is small but impactful, a performance that will resonate with viewers long after the film ends.
Yet the film isn't just about these characters, but instead serves as a strong ensemble piece where each character is given their real moments to shine. Jacob struggles with making his American dream work. Monica struggles with keeping the family together and adjusting to small-town life. David is trying to understand the world through the eyes of a child and also coming to terms with his heart condition that makes him unable to run like other kids do. Anne is the long-suffering older child who's booksmart and acts as an almost surrogate mother to David. Soon-ja is becoming acclimated to a new cultural environment while also trying to keep the family dynamic together. Each actor owns the screen and makes you appreciate and value their performances and stories that they tell.
Showcasing impeccable performances and a solid, heartfelt, emotional story, "Minari" displays the American dream in all its ups and downs, while also providing a thoughtful look into the world of a Korean-American family trying to blend their culture with the American way of life.
The Score: A+
The Yi family - patriarch Jacob (Steven Yeun), matriarch Monica (Han Ye-ri), and their two young children David (Alan Kim) and Anne (Noel Kate Cho) have been living in California since the two kids were born, but Jacob had a dream the whole time to start his own farm focusing on Korean vegetables to sell to Korean markets. After working tirelessly as sexing chickens, they garnered enough money to make Jacob's dream come true. The family moves from the big city to rural Arkansas, where Jacob starts fulfilling his dream.
Almost immediately, however, tensions begin to arise in the family as Monica - who's more tailored to the big city life - doesn't like the fact that they're living so far away from any town, and also living in a mobile home. Jacob tries to make Monica see things his way, but the rifts between the two continue to escalate as they face the trials and tribulations that come with pulling themselves up by their boot straps and trying to make the dream work with hard work, grit, and determination.Then Monica's mother Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung) arrives to live with the family and serve as a babysitter for her grandchildren, which further both escalates the tension as well as provides breaths of brevity as Soon-ja isn't your typical grandmother - she's coarse, vulgar, somewhat immoral, and - to young David's chagrin - doesn't know how to bake cookies. Still, she offers sage advice and serves as the center for this growingly dysfunctional family where cultures clash and the fulfillment of the American dream could result in a family nightmare.
In director Lee Isaac Chung's autobiographical work, "Minari" highlights the clashing of cultures on a land that's filled with varying cultures and values, while maintaining a sense of humanity and gentleness that's prevalent in the Korean community. The entire film itself is a masterful work of the desire for achieving the American dream as well as trying to hold a family together, as so often the two values are antithetical to one another. While Jacob pours his heart and soul into creating his Korean farm, he grows more and more distant from his family, something Monica notices and comes to blows with Jacob over. Sometimes you can't have it all, and Jacob has an important decision to make - his American dream, or his family.
"Minari" also delves into the ideas of values and cultures connecting as the family wants to assimilate to their small Arkansas town by attending church, and you can sense the tension as the well-meaning congregates want to get to know the Yi family, but don't know how to cross that culture barrier. There's some small striking moments here as one kid remarks on David's "flat" face, but not in a totally racist way (in fact, the two become fast friends). Likewise, a girl asks Anne to tell her if she's speaking Korean when she starts talking gibberish, until Anne notices one word that the girl says correctly. Again, this isn't done in a malicious way, but in a way that children especially try to understand someone who's visually different than themselves.
The performances across the board are impeccable and succinct, earning critical praise which is very well-deserved. Coming off his years-long stint as Glenn Rhee on the hit AMC series "The Walking Dead," Steven Yeun spreads his wings and offers a compelling, thoughtful, and multi-layered performance as Jacob, and he was rewarded by making history as being the first Asian-American and first person of East Asian descent to be nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.
Likewise, Youn Yuh-jung garnered critical praise as grandmother Soon-ja, and rightfully so (she's also the front-runner for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and seeing her performance there's no reason why she wouldn't win it). Soon-ja is not your typical grandmother, as she enjoys wrestling (often wishing for someone to die), teaching kids gambling, and surprisingly has no abilities in the kitchen, unlike most grandmothers do. Still, she serves as the heart of the family dynamic, a wise (albeit kooky) sage who spends most of her time with her grandchild David, trying to get him to warm up to her because he doesn't consider her a "real" grandmother. Her role is small but impactful, a performance that will resonate with viewers long after the film ends.
Yet the film isn't just about these characters, but instead serves as a strong ensemble piece where each character is given their real moments to shine. Jacob struggles with making his American dream work. Monica struggles with keeping the family together and adjusting to small-town life. David is trying to understand the world through the eyes of a child and also coming to terms with his heart condition that makes him unable to run like other kids do. Anne is the long-suffering older child who's booksmart and acts as an almost surrogate mother to David. Soon-ja is becoming acclimated to a new cultural environment while also trying to keep the family dynamic together. Each actor owns the screen and makes you appreciate and value their performances and stories that they tell.
Showcasing impeccable performances and a solid, heartfelt, emotional story, "Minari" displays the American dream in all its ups and downs, while also providing a thoughtful look into the world of a Korean-American family trying to blend their culture with the American way of life.
The Score: A+
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