IFFR 2020 - Na-reul cha-ja-jwo (Bring Me Home)
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAMSeung-woo Kim's directorial debut Na-reul cha-ja-jwo (Bring Me Home) is a climatic, progressively foreboding and thunderous thriller that squeezes every drop of intensity and atmosphere to torment the viewer in spectacularly haunting results.
While Bong Joon-ho's Parasite may be receiving the ultimate plaudits in the western world with critical acclaim and golden statuettes, Seung-woo Kim's directorial debut should not be too far behind. Bring Me Home is an astonishing and proud feature that shocks and thrills not only with its story but in the execution of it being the filmmaker's debut feature.
The filmmaking prowess and elements that curate this feature are nothing short of tremendous. The intimate and claustrophobic cinematography from Lee Mogae heightens the extraordinary stress and fractured world of its inhabitants. Coupled with the dense and weighted production design from Cho Hwasung, Na-reul cha-ja-jwo is visually emotive with every image in a constant gloom and exploration of psychological and emotional distress.
The filmmaking skill, while undeniably effective, is nothing compared to the outstanding central performance from Yeong-ae Lee as Jungyeon. To say the actress is incredible here would be an understatement. The emotional range and conviction Yeong-ae Lee has is incredible in profound moments of visual construction and mental turmoil that is expertly composed on-screen.
Na-reul cha-ja-jwo (Bring Me Home) is nothing short of relentless. A film that continually exposes the viewer to absolute torturous sadism yet with poignancy and brutality that is reflective of the multifaceted darkness of the world. Each sequence, while often harsh, works to crafts an intensely captivating portrait of motherhood and the lengths of truth.
