Hong Sang-soo’s WOMAN ON THE BEACH in another beautifully shot but overly long drama about art and love
WOMAN ON THE BEACH (HAEBYEONUI YEOIN) (Hong Sang-soo, 2006)
Museum of the Moving Image
35th Ave. at 36th St., Astoria
Saturday, March 17, free with museum admission, 5:00
Series runs March 17-23
718-777-6800
www.movingimage.us
Director Joong-rae (Kim Seung-woo) is having trouble with the script for his next film, so he gets production designer Chang-wook (Ki Tae-woo) to drive him out to Shinduri Beach for some quiet relaxation, away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul. Chang-wook brings along his girlfriend, Moon-sook (Ko Hyun-joung), an aspiring composer and singer who is immediately attracted to Joong-rae. As Chang-wook’s jealousy grows and Moon-sook and Joong-rae wonder if they have a future together, the director meets Sun-hee (Song Sun-mi), a soon-to-be divorcée who also has eyes for Joong-rae. Writer-director Hong Sang-soo’s (Tale of Cinema, Woman Is the Future of Man) moving romantic comedy features beautiful locations shot by Kim Hyung-koo, a sweet score by Jeong Yong-jin, and unusual but believable characters. At 127 minutes, the film, which was selected for the 2006 New York Film Festival, is far too long, not quite knowing how to end, but stick with it nonetheless. Woman on the Beach is screening March 17 as part of the Museum of the Moving Image’s retrospective of Hong’s work, which also includes Night and Day, Like You Know It All, Oki’s Movie, and The Day a Pig Fell into the Well.