Alison Wang '25
Park Chan-wook and Tang Wei’s new astonishing award winner, “Decision to Leave”
Though the movie came out during the summer amidst heat of the Cannes Film Festival, the elements of winter, snow, and murder mystery in Decision to Leave make it an excellent choice for this winter. That is of course, if you are looking for a movie that invokes deeper thought, chills, and perhaps, tears.
The story was not portrayed with the arguably artistic and blatantly violent shots found in Park’s other works like Agassi. Although the story involves multiple murder mysteries, the directorial choices are far more indirect and euphemistic. Park uses a great deal of symbols and hints to draw the audience into the depth and complexity of the fascinating story between the characters while blurring the gravity of the truth of death, murder, and twisted love.
The story begins between the detective Jang Hae-jun and the widow of Song Seo-rae, the dead man being investigated by Hae-jun. Their relationship builds inevitably through Jang’s investigation. This almost forbidden love breaks temporarily but is again rekindled and further enhanced by Song later in the story. Park highlights the foggy and ambiguous love between the spying and suspicion that interplays between the detective and the suspect. One scene that stands out is when Jang and Song are cleaning the table in the investigation room together after eating sushi. Park nicely shows the level of surprising cooperation between the two newly-met characters that one would more likely expect to see in a couple that's been married for too long.
The movie’s ability to portray a love story within the context of much graver crimes enthralled me. It’s a great love story. If you are looking for a pensive movie to watch alone at night, especially on a rainy or snowy day, this is perfect.
Obviously “The Holiday” for the holiday
California and London, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black, and The Holiday. This 2006 movie doesn’t fall far from its similar contemporaries: predictable but nevertheless enjoyable. Two women distressed by their current love lives agree to exchange houses with each other for the holiday season. Their encounters on the different sides of the ocean unfold separately but similarly. Both find new love and life in the unfamiliar cities they have thrown themselves into. No intense plot twists, no hearts broken, and definitely not a psychological thriller. The Holiday’s simple but joyful plot and characters will lighten the mood and bring hopes of fresh start and love for the holiday season and the new year to come.
Comments