Hope Movie Review

Movie: Hope (소원)

Director:- Lee Joon-ik

Writer: Kim Ji-hye and Jo Joong-hoon

Cast:- Sol Kyung-gu, Uhm Ji-won, Lee Re, Kim Hae-sook, Kim Sang-ho, Ra Mi-ran, Yang Jin-sung, Kim Do-yeob, Kwon Tae-won, Kim Jin-hyeok and others.

Trigger Warning: The movie talks about sexual assault towards a young girl. This movie contains scenes, situations, descriptions and graphic visuals of abuse, injuries and sexual and physical assault that could be traumatic and disturbing to many. Please read this review and watch it only if your heart and mind can take it.

About the Movie:-

The movie is about a little girl, So-won. So-won’s father works in a factory and her mother runs a departmental store right below their apartment. Both the parents are often busy with their work and So-won is determined not to disturb their busy schedules. One rainy day, So-won decides to walk to her school alone and her mother agrees but only if she takes the main road instead of the narrow alleyways. On the way to her school, in the main road right outside her school, she comes face to face with a drunken man who is drenched because of the pouring rain. She is aware not to interact with strangers but takes pity on the man and offers to share her umbrella with him. The drunken man kidnaps her, beats her and assaults her - physically and sexually. But the little girl survives, and by herself manages to contact the police and inform them about her whereabouts and the brutal act.

So-won suffers from multiple injuries and undergoes major surgeries that change her and her family’s life forever. This heartbreaking incident shatters the parents, the little girl and her near and dear ones. So-won, the victim of the brutal incident now has to deal with emotional and physical wounds that seem beyond repair. She becomes silent and speaks to no one and has also become distant to her father. Her father, so as not to cause more emotional turmoil to So-won, dresses up in a costume of her favourite cartoon character (kokomong/cocomong/코코몽), and visits her often to keep her lively, motivated, distracted and happy. The parents have to now fight for the justice of their child but things seem out of control. Will So-won and her parents succeed in getting justice for every physical and emotional wound and damage that was caused to them? Will the perpetrator be punished for his harmful and gut wrenching crimes?

(*This review may contain spoilers. If you have already watched the movie, please continue reading. If you haven’t watched the movie yet, you can still continue reading or you can come back to the review later.)

My Take on the movie:-

When we are at the point where we rejoice at the sufferings of others and feel powerful by overthrowing the helpless, we are accomplished at destroying the little shreds of humanity that exist in this world.

Be certain that you do not die without having done something wonderful for humanity – Maya Angelou.

In a world where we need to spread love, kindness and togetherness, we are running around with the motive of destroying the very same. The movie and the real life incident (or the true story- Cho Doo-soon case) on which the movie is based are a reminder of how sometimes the world that we are working so hard to protect, improve and change, is the same world that can be cruel and gruesome. The story is a definition of Cruelty at its peak. If we cannot do something good unto others then how do we have the right to do something wrong/evil.

No good person ever deserves to go through something bad.

What did the little girl do to deserve that act of brutality? How has the world become so inhuman that even a little girl is unsafe in its hands? No excuse can undo a wrongdoing. If we humans make mistakes, then we must work hard at correcting ourselves. We must do good deeds, better deeds. Good deeds will not nullify the bad deeds. But they will help you in shaping you to become a better human being in the future.

I am no one to judge but when one commits grave mistakes, then what is the punishment? God alone can answer that.

The movie is also a wonderful depiction of how the world is filled with both good and evil. One side shows how evil has shattered the family and broken them into pieces. The other side shows how God has sent good and kind people into the lives of So-won and her family and shown that the world that God has created is still magical and is filled with beautiful souls.

A little ounce of evil cannot destroy the greatness of God and his/her creation.

The Actors, the Director and the Writers:-

The main leads and the supporting cast have performed remarkably. Lee Re as So-won is the heart and soul of this film and has shown talent beyond her years. She is competent and polished in her performance and her portrayal is magical. Sol Kyung-gu and Uhm Ji-won as So-won’s parents, Kim Hae-sook as therapist Song Jung-sook, Kim Sang-ho, Ran Mi-ran and Kim Do-yeob as the friends of So-won's family and their performances are out of this world. The entire cast of the movie is tremendously talented and gifted.

The Director and the Writers: The movie tackles a very sensitive and a heavy topic and if not presented and produced with care and caution it can come across as disturbing. The Writers Kim Ji-hye and Jo Joong-hoon have managed to write a thought provoking screenplay but also made sure to keep it light-hearted and delicate. The Director Lee Joon-ik has managed to deliver this delicate piece of art magnificently. The movie is beautifully written and directed. Every scene, emotion and dialogue is intricate yet feels effortless.

Spread Love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier – Mother Teresa.