Review by Sunny Oh.

The Cannes Film Festival rightly awarded actress Jeon Do-Yeon for her nuanced portrayal of Lee Shin-Ae in Secret Sunshine. Shin-Ae, a recently widowed mother, moves away from her callous family for a fresh start in her husband’s hometown. However, tragedy strikes again and the audience watches as Shin-Ae falls in and out of despair. Director Lee Chang-Dong’s slow set-ups can be hard to watch. However, each scene ends on a biting, cohesive statement on the uncertain relationship between hope and religion (in the form of a local church group) and love (in the form of an auto repairman). Moreover, Song Kang-Ho’s comic performance as the earthy, amorous auto repairman provides a welcome counterpoint to the film’s dark and subtle story.

Secret Sunshine
Lee Chang-Dong | 2007 | 142min

Sat. Sept. 29 | 4:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre
Sun. Sept 29 | 9:30pm | Empire Granville Theatre
Mon. Oct. 1 | 4:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre