Hong Sangsoo is in the Berlinale Competition for the third time in a row. “The Novelist’s Film” is a masterful celebration of self-reference – yet a light comedy of universal accessibility with a great cast. By Fabian Wallmeier
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Successful novelist Junhee (Lee Hyeyoung) visits a friend who runs a bookstore in an idyllic Seoul suburb. She later meets a director in the area who once collapsed while filming one of her books, as well as the famous actress Kilsoo (Kim Minhee), with whom she decides to make a film, and a poet with whom she used to date .
Purely on the plot level, once again not much happens in Hong Sangsoo’s new film “The Novelist’s Film”, which celebrated its competition premiere just a few hours before the bear awards ceremony. And again, one should not underestimate the supposed ease and casualness with which he tells the story.
Born 1960 in Seoul, Republic of Korea. He studied at Seoul Chung-Ang University, the California College of Arts and Crafts and the Art Institute of Chicago. Since 1996 he has written and directed 27 films. in the competition he has already been a guest at the Berlinale five times, most recently in 2021 Introduction. He is currently teaching at Konkuk University in Seoul.
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Just don’t let go
Lee Hyeyoung is an event in the role of Junhee. At first she is friendly and polite in the encounters in which everyone involved almost maniacally expresses their mutual admiration. But then there always comes a point where Junhee becomes unruly. She then begins to question individual formulations of her interlocutors, laughs incredulously, does not give up.
She wants to know from director Park why he thinks it’s a waste that Kilsoo hasn’t been making any more films lately. Slightly irritated and increasingly embarrassed, he tries to explain, but Junhee slowly escalates into an outburst of anger of a kind rarely seen in Hong among non-drunk people.
Only with Kilsoo does she have a connection that seems effortless. Although they’ve only just met, Junhee hogs her for a short film she’s been wanting to do for a while. The chemistry between Lee and Hong’s regular actress Kim Minhee helps greatly in making the two women allies in spirit. Kim Minhee’s eruptive, often somewhat mocking laugh fits the character perfectly: Kilsoo knows like no other how to laugh at people so heartily that they don’t even notice.
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Most self-referential Hong film
“The Novelist’s Film” is probably Hong’s most self-referential film to date. He takes up many of his subjects and themes and turns them around or comments on them. In some places he does this very openly and directly, in others it is only noticeable to viewers who have already seen a few of his films.
The self-reference is most open in a conversation between Junhee, director Park and his wife. His films have been very different lately, much clearer, says the woman about her husband. Critics took it that way, but so did they themselves.
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The color has a cameo appearance
In fact, in his previous film, Hong strayed particularly far from his previous work. “In Front of Your Face”, which he presented at Cannes last year (a few months after being awarded the Silver Bear for “Introduction” at the Berlinale, is more clearly focused on one plot and one theme: A woman returns to Seoul, with a dark secret she gradually reveals.By the way, she is played by Cho Yunhee, who now plays the director’s wife in the new film.
Even more special is the coloring in “In Front of Your Face”. Hong has always shot in black and white or in color depending on his mood. But he had never indulged in colors so much, never given their beauty so much space. “The Novelist’s Film” is now back in black and white. But the film within the film directed by Junhee, from which a small segment can be seen, is in color. Here, too, Hong shows rich and strong colors as in “In Front of Your Face” – and thus elegantly combines the two films.
A less obvious reference for Hong novices is the subject of drinking. It’s part of his films that at some point someone drinks too much soju, usually in a restaurant, and has an embarrassing outburst. This time, first of all, there is a lot of talk about drinking. A good day for drinking be it, Junhee is at the restaurant. Kilsoo is hesitant. She doesn’t drink right now, she says, and remains vague about the reasons why. Later, when everyone is sitting together in the bookstore, she gets drunk after all. But there is no outburst: Kilsoo simply falls asleep at the table – and leaves the embarrassment to the others.
There are many directors (mostly men) and actors in Hong’s films. The focus here is on a novelist – but who wants to make a film. Hong also uses her example to reflect on his writing and filmmaking process. He is known for the fact that his films often only appear on paper during shooting. Every day there are new pages with dialogues for the actors.
Here Junhee spreads a very similar philosophy. On the one hand, she has clear aesthetic ideas about her short film debut and the basic motif of the interpersonal connection is also clear. But what exactly happens, she does not want to determine yet. That depends on the people who are playing. She then spontaneously presents an example of how the plot could be. The rudiment (a couple is arguing, she drives to her mother’s – and when she returns, he acts as if nothing happened) could of course also be a Hong plot. “That really happened to me,” Kilsoo says enthusiastically. At the same time, the actress Kim Minhee ironically ironizes her role in Hong Sangsoo’s real cosmos: as the permanent actress and partner of the director.
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More and more absurd loops
But does this film work at all for viewers who are not that familiar with Hong’s work or maybe don’t know anything about him at all? Yes, of course. Because the actors have a playfulness, an accuracy and delicacy that is transmitted very directly. In addition, the issues at stake here are universal. Behind the lightness with which they are spread out there is always a double bottom that opens up even without knowing the other films. The first chatty, then increasingly absurd looping dialogues are also very entertaining in and of themselves – and the fact that they aim for the existential is understandable without Hong knowledge.
Hong Sangsoo is in the Berlinale competition for the sixth time – and for the third year in a row. In the past two years he has won a Silver Bear – in 2020 as best director (“The Woman Who Ran”) and in 2021 for best screenplay (“Introduction”). This year it may well be the golden one for this masterfully light and clever film.
If there isn’t a bear in the end, Hong and his team should at least get an indemnity prize. Because no film deserves that a competition premiere is dealt with quickly at noon before the award ceremony.
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CONCLUSION: As the last film, “The Novelist’s Film” has to start the competition shortly before. It would be a shame if Hong’s masterful, self-referential comedy didn’t get the attention it deserves as a result.
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“So-seol-ga-ui Yeong-hwa “ (The Novelist’s Film) by Hong Sangsoo, with Lee Hyeyoung, Kim Minhee, Seo Younghwa and others, South Korea / South Korea, world premiere
