A family of Korean immigrants struggling to make ends meet in the wild Ozarks, risk it all to achieve their American Dream.
What can be said about Minari that hasn’t been said already, apart from that it is also the Korean name for Water Celery as well (a central vegetable in this film). Like the herb, Minari thrives spectacularly, leaving a lasting effect on one’s palate. A semi auto-biographical story loosely based on director Lee Isaac Chung’s upbringing; about a family of Korean immigrants in 1983 who move to rural Arkansas in the hopes of setting up a vegetable farm, whilst dealing with everything life throws at them and showing how a family’s resilience can power you through it all. Minari has a little bit of everything: extreme sadness, authentic laughter and a little sense of adventure. The acting though, wow. It really is magical, with Oscar laden performances scattered throughout. Veteran Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung as Soon Ja aka Grandma is a stand out among stars, fully meriting the fact she is the first Asian woman to be nominated, never mind win – a travesty it’s taken this long, but that’s for another time.
The acting is the cherry on top, but beneath that is a plethora of gorgeous shots and sounds that really highlight the most meticulous details and accentuating the rural Ozark landscape simply and effortlessly. Cinematographer Lachlan Milne, who previously worked on Hunt for the Wilderpeople, is turning into a bit of an expert at representing landscape as a character, aided by Emile Mosseri’s score which fades in and out at just the right moments. The highlight for me is the relationship between Grandma and young David (expertly played by up and comer Alan Kim) it develops beautifully in front of our eyes. The development is key for the structuring of the film, using it as a base for the development of the others. A special little film that deserves every single bit of praise laid onto it.
Minari begins by introducing us to the Yi’s: there is Jacob Yi (played by Oscar nominated Steven Yeun), his wife Monica (played by Han Ye-ri, who also shows off her vocal range on the score), and their children, David and Anne (Noel Kate Cho), as they arrive at their new home on wheels in rural Arkansas, in the hopes of achieving their American Dream. The dream being; a fully functioning farm where Jacob can grow some Korean vegetables. The family struggle at first, still having to work in a chicken sex factory (yes, I had to double check that as well) to make ends meet, as well as regular doctors trips for young David who has trouble with his heart – bless the poor mite. Struggling with the workload as well as looking after the children, reinforcements arrive in the form of Grandma, who the kids regularly tease about not being a “proper Grandma” because she can’t bake cookies.
With Grandma now taking over child care duties – with varying levels of success and some bad tastes – Steven can concentrate on his farm, enlisting the help of Paul (played by Will Patton) a harmless religious fanatic and slightly crazy individual who fought in Korea. Patton’s performance went way under the radar due to the others, and that is a shame because he is fantastic. So, with Steven and Paul heading to what seems like a successful business venture, disaster rears its ugly head and decides to throw a huge curve ball at the family in a multitude of ways, forcing the family to pool together and battle it head first. There is a life lesson with Minari in that whatever endeavours you try – whether you fail or succeed – you can always count on your family, even if your family are sometimes the root of such problems, which can be true for most.
Minari is tragic and sad at times, and yet it will also make you laugh. Emotions run high in this film; luck is not on this family’s side – when will they catch a break. As something good happens it is usually followed by something bad, seemingly being one step forward and three steps back. Minari really highlights the authentic ness of life; from an authentic rebellious childhood – a child who is too inquisitive for his own good – to the weariness and hardships involved with life, as a family try to do what is best for them all. The success of Minari should hopefully pave the way again – as Parasite did the previous year – for films in a foreign language to be lauded as much as their Western counterparts because Minari really is a fantastic film and should be seen by anyone and everyone.
Available to rent from Amazon Prime now, also look out for it to be released in your local cinema.
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