"Minari" (2020)
"Minari" is a beautiful and moving film that captures the immigrant experience and the pursuit of the American dream. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the film tells the story of a Korean-American family who moves to rural Arkansas in the 1980s to start a farm.
At the center of the film is the family patriarch, Jacob (Steven Yeun), who is determined to make his farm a success and provide a better life for his family. His wife Monica (Han Ye-ri) is more hesitant and worried about the family's financial stability. The couple's children, David (Alan Kim) and Anne (Noel Kate Cho), are caught in the middle, trying to navigate their parents' conflicting dreams and their own desires for belonging and identity.
The film is a slow burn, taking its time to explore the characters and their relationships with each other and the land they are trying to cultivate. The cinematography captures the beauty and harshness of the Arkansas landscape, and the score by Emile Mosseri perfectly complements the tone of the film.
The acting is superb, with Yeun delivering a standout performance as the determined and conflicted Jacob. Kim and Cho also shine as the children who are trying to understand their parents and find their own place in the world.
At its heart, "Minari" is a film about family, sacrifice, and the pursuit of the American dream. It is a poignant and emotional journey that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll.
