In Our Day review: This film shows art within art but lacks strength

The poetic and artistic South Korean film 'Uriui Haru' aka 'In Our Day,' directed by Hong Sang-soo was screened at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023. 

Using art to discuss your opinion art can feel cathartic to a filmmaker, but it does not always translate into entertainment for the audience. The South Korean movie 'Uriui Haru' aka 'In Our Day,' directed by Hong Sang-soo, is an example of one such piece of art. The movie alternatively shows two stories. In the first story, Sang-won (Kim Min-hee), an actress, has just changed her career and is staying with her friend Jung-Soo (Song Seon-mi) and her cat 'Us'. Her cousin Ji-Soo, an aspiring actress, visits her for some advice. In the second story, an aging poet Ui-Ju (Joo-bong Ki) is being shot by a documentary maker Ki-Joo (Kim Seung-Yun) when a young fan Jae-Won visits him.

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In Our Day literally is just a documentation of the above-mentioned people just spending their day. The film relies heavily on dialogue. They discuss pets, food, soaps, acting, and poetry. Pearls of wisdom are shared. There is an attempt to find beauty in the mundane and even in the bad. In one scene, Ki-Joo says she needs to capture more of Ui-Ju's daily life because the audience will like that. That perhaps describes the entire film. However, even at just 84 minutes, there is a lot of conversation, and it feels too long. In some parts, it even feels preachy.

The saving grace of the film is perhaps the acting of each actor. Almost all actors have performed so authentically that they seem vulnerable and off-guard like one does in their home. It almost feels like we are prying. Yet, as the film progresses, it makes you feel at ease. The last shot, especially, is soothing. If you are looking for a highly stretched intellectual discussion, this might be the film for you. But if you are looking for entertainment in the general sense of the word, you will feel every minute of In Our Day.

In Our Day had its Indian premiere at Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival!

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