Maybe the point of the three stories all featuring a French woman (Isabelle Huppert), a lifeguard (Yoo Jun-sang), and some others in a seaside town in Korea is to say that in matters of love, our lives are all just variations on a theme. There is a randomness to how we collide off of one another, but there are also patterns in what emerges, and an underlying commonality. Or maybe that was just me trying to find a connection in what Hong Sang-soo presented.
Regardless, the little cultural differences and communication problems that stem from being "in another country" are mirrored in the struggles between romantic partners, e.g. The jealousies, infidelities, and yearning for others. There are lots of powerful emotions here, but they are presented in a subdued manner, with a quiet humanity. It's a pleasant enough film, but the stories weren't all that gripping, feeling more like doodling than finished efforts to me. I certainly thought about them for awhile afterwards though, and maybe on another night I would have given it a higher rating.
Regardless, the little cultural differences and communication problems that stem from being "in another country" are mirrored in the struggles between romantic partners, e.g. The jealousies, infidelities, and yearning for others. There are lots of powerful emotions here, but they are presented in a subdued manner, with a quiet humanity. It's a pleasant enough film, but the stories weren't all that gripping, feeling more like doodling than finished efforts to me. I certainly thought about them for awhile afterwards though, and maybe on another night I would have given it a higher rating.