Solace (2006)

I am not familiar enough with Korean movies to know if this is more the normal for their cinema or not, but certainly here in America this would be an Arthouse film. It is stark, quiet, and poignant.

This movie is not out to take you on an adventure or thrill you. It is not an overwrought romance. It is paradoxically simple in portraying day to day life and yet profoundly deep because of how it allows you in the life of the lead protagonists. This type movie is more like someone steps in to someone's life, pushes record for a while, then clicks stop and the movie is over.

Yet in this nearly two hours we see the gritty, grizzled details of two people and their real world problems. We see a love started and how life's problems can simply get in the way of letting that love turn into the fairy tale so many movies and dramas portray.

If more real and less contrived storytelling is your thing and you want to visit an experience more akin to your own normal complicated life, this story is definitely for you.

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Sometime love ain't enough, and sometimes it is

Solace is a difficult movie to pigeonhole. While it is a romance, the leads spend large amounts of time apart. The pacing is slow like a slice of life and there are troubles enough for a melodrama. The leads involved occasionally find solace with each other, a gentle spot far removed from their daily grueling challenges.

Somehow Lee Hye Ran has inherited her deceased father’s massive debt. I don’t understand Korean law and how it ended up with her and not her mom. Be that as it may, Hye Ran is drowning in debt and hounded by her father’s creditors. She runs a clothing shop where she often sells counterfeit clothing. Her sister is pregnant and getting married, adding to her financial concerns. Meanwhile, In Ku is a pharmacist living with his mother and mentally impaired brother, In Seob. His marriage plans fell through when the bride’s family forbade them to marry because of the brother’s condition. Neither Hye Ran nor In Ku are looking for love but fate insisted on throwing them together on several occasions. The two find comfort in each other’s company and arms, but regardless of their feelings, Hye Ran’s debt doesn't disappear and In Seob’s needs don't lessen.

Solace was a realistic look at two people for whom life could be a difficult grind. Realistically, love didn’t conquer all and solve all their problems. The film wasn’t all dreary and pessimistic. Both people were reminded of what they were missing. It instilled in them a desire to find joy in their lives whether it was listening to a familiar song or taking a hike. Speaking of music, it was a blast from another past to see a Walkman and a car with a cassette player in it. Both Hye Ran and In Ku had responsibilities they could not be released from. Opening their hearts to each other, helped them to open them to others. Sometimes love can be expressed in a myriad of ways, Solace explored love in different relationships, the joy it can bring, and the loving sacrifices people make for each other. While not a traditional romance, it was a film that stayed true to itself.

24 February 2024

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