Nacht und Tag (2008)

Nacht und Tag: Directed by Sang-soo Hong. With Yeong-ho Kim, Su-jeong Hwang, Eun-hye Park, Boris Baum. In the summer of 2007 a painter in his forties travels to Paris to escape arrest for smoking marijuana, leaving his wife behind in Korea. While there he meets an ex-girlfriend and is introduced to a small community of Korean artists.

“Living our everyday lives, we rarely imagine such an occasion (save for some dismissible bad dreams) that in instant would take away all of our routine attachments in the familiar world around us — all those minute rituals and conventions, duties and honors, comfort and confidence. What would then be left inside us, what would emerge, would we accept ourselves? u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile a tourist experience gives some idea, it never crosses the border line that is inside ourselves. Thereu0026#39;s always a mental insurance that we draw for ourselves before departure, the required return-ticket. So too often the tourists can be spotted always inside their bubble, filled with so supporting homeland air. Take that ticket away, burst the bubble, fill the lungs with the foreign mix, put a question mark in homeland! Chilling prospect of a new life, unwanted blank canvas? u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSomething on such scale brought Sung-nam, the protagonist of u0026#39;Night and Dayu0026#39;, into Paris. Not a random destination for him, still a forced one. While the director Hong Sang-soo presents a certain Korean regard, not much would be u0026quot;lost in translationu0026quot; should that be applied to the being under any skin.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA horny pursuit of familiar, a fearful fight with loneliness all bring about the image of a bird beyond the reach from its nest. Our confused protagonist makes his choice, yet keeps his proverbial eye, arm, and un-cut ear. Through these sweet songs of Sirens, we must hear the hopeful bells of forgiveness.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf all this appears too cloudy, so it really is! One can see many shapes in the clouds. I personally took out for myself that I should not be tempted and compare my loved one to whoever might be (and certainly will be) prettier, smarter, sexier or appealing as long as we find home in our love. OK, that was an after-144minute-thought. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut seriously, youu0026#39;re still at home, so BRING YOUR REFLECTIVE MOOD TO THE SHOW!”